The sleeping arrangements at the Shepherds were exactly as Meredith expected. Carolyn set up a cot for her in Amelia's room mentioning to the two girls how they could get some extra bonding time in. Meredith wasn't exactly thrilled to be sharing the room with Amelia when all she wanted at the moment was a break from the small talk and time to decompress on her own or atleast if she had to share a room to share it with Derek. She didn't want to seem ungrateful, so she of course told Carolyn everything was great when asked. At some point, she heard Mark come into the house, bang on what she assumed was Derek's door and talk in a hushed voice with the guy she was having a baby with. This seemed to perk Amelia up, but she was playing the "I'm exhausted" card to avoid talking to her.

"Don't tell me you're actually asleep" she heard Amelia say from her bed

Meredith said nothing and continued playing the charade.

"Meredith come on" Amelia responded annoyed

Meredith sighed "What's up?" she asked

"I don't know. I can't sleep. I figured we could hang out some. My sisters are going to be so jealous that we're sharing a room."

"That's a weird thing to be jealous about." Meredith remarked

"Yeah well, the Shepherds are pretty competitive people and nosey too."

"I've picked up on that." Meredith told her with a laugh.

Amelia rolled her eyes and shifted in her bed to face Meredith head on

"So you and my brother… " Amelia started

"Yeah?" Meredith asked

"How did you two get together? He was with Addie for like forever" Amelia quipped

Meredith sighed out loud at the question. She was dreading this.

"I mean, did he leave Addie for you?" Amelia asked seeming excited at the possibility of drama

Meredith remained silent for a few moments before rolling her eyes at Amelia "I really don't know anything about Derek's last girlfriend."

"You totally just evaded my question. I know because I do it to my mom all the time when she asks questions about my baby's father." Amelia remarked placing her hand on her stomach.

Meredith gulped "You're not going to let this go are you?" Meredith asked

"Nope." Amelia stated

"You'd have to ask Derek about it. I really don't know."

"Okay, but was Derek still dating her when you two met?" Amelia asked

Meredith was silent again "Yes." She stated blankly

Amelia sat up in her bed in excitement "Oh my God! He totally left her for you" She responded almost yelling

"Shhhh, everyone is going to hear you." Meredith told her annoyed

Amelia placed her hand over her mouth "Sorry" she said laughing

"You know, I really wanted to bond with you. I'm not that close to my sisters. They're so much older and they've been nothing but judge-y ever since I found out I was pregnant." Amelia told her

"I'm sure they just want what's best for you" Meredith stated

"Not really. They just look at me like the family fuck-up. Like the wild child black sheep that gets herself into messes that she can't get herself out of. I don't even know how I'm going to raise this baby. I don't have a job or a degree or really anything."

"You have a family that loves you a lot. Trust me, that's more than a lot of people have." Meredith told her glad that it was dark in the room so Amelia couldn't see her tears.

"I guess." Amelia told her seeming to contemplate her statement

It was silent for a few moments and Meredith internally debated opening up to Amelia. She felt pretty overwhelmed keeping the secret from the people who were being so hospitable and welcoming to her the entire day.

"Okay, so if I tell you something, you have to promise you won't tell anyone." Meredith heard herself tell Amelia not sure what was coming over her

"Promise" Amelia responded immediately

"I mean it Amelia. You cannot tell anyone." Meredith emphasized

"I promised. I'm not going to say anything."

"I'm pregnant too." Meredith told her embarrassed when she heard her voice crack and felt more tears coming down.

Amelia let out a gasp "Does Derek know?" she asked

"Of course he knows" Meredith told her harsher than she meant

It was quiet.

"How far along?" Amelia asked

"4 months in a few days" Meredith responded

"That's only a month behind me." Amelia told her

"I know."

"What does Der think about all of it?" Amelia asked genuinely

"I think a part of him is really excited and a part really scared." Meredith answered honestly

"That's exactly how I feel." Amelia muttered

"We should get some sleep." Meredith told her

"Okay" Amelia breathed

It was quiet for a moment more

"We're all going to be okay." Amelia heard Meredith whisper.

Thanksgiving day at the Shepherds was a world wind. The rest of Derek's sisters and their families arrived by 9 am ready to help Carolyn and Christopher cook the turkey and spend time as a family. Meredith had the chance to meet Derek's other sister Lizzie who wasn't there yesterday and was greeted early by Mark coming into Amelia's room to greet his "littlest sister". Meredith could instantly tell how close Mark and Amelia were.

Derek & Meredith snuck a way a few minutes after all the sisters arrived to have some time alone. As soon as they were out of eye sight of the house, Derek pulled her closer to him planting a kiss on her lips. Meredith deepened the kiss and the next thing Derek knew he had Meredith on his lap and down in the dirt nearly taking each other's clothes off right the woods at his parents house.

"It's weird" Derek whispered against her lips in-between their kisses

"What is?" Meredith mumbled back

"I feel like a teenager with you. I just can't seem to stop myself." Derek told her

"I know what you mean, but I'm blaming the hormones" Meredith joked

"I think it's more than the hormones" Derek stated lifting her legs bringing her closer to him

"You may be right" Meredith giggled allowing herself to once again be pulled into a passionate kiss.

Derek's mouth attacked hers hungrily and his hands made their way to her ass squeezing softly as she felt him harden

"We should really stop ourselves" she told him

"Why?" he questioned as his lips moved down her neck

"Because I…" Meredith started but moaned into his kisses enjoying being alone with him at last

His mouth went back to her mouth sucking softly on her bottom lip as his hands made their way under her top pulling at her breasts softly

"We cannot have sex out here." Meredith stated coming back to reality

"I know" Derek muttered but didn't stop exploring her body with his hands

"Derek" Meredith moaned

"I'm stopping" he said holding his hands in the air to show he wasn't going to continue

"I need to tell you something" Meredith told him as he adjusted to sitting behind her pulling his arms around her in a hug as they sat facing his parents' house.

"What is it?" he asked, his arms and hands going from around her arms to gently rubbing at her growing bump

"I told Amelia"

"Told her what?" Derek asked his face scrunched in confusion

"About the baby." Meredith stated

"Ah" was all he said

"Is that okay?" she asked

"I think so. I mean we have to tell them soon anyways."

"Do you think we can wait another month?" Meredith asked

"I don't know honestly. I feel like the sooner the better but at the same time, I know it's not the easiest conversation."

"There's just so many of them." Meredith stated

Derek started laughing "I was planning to wait until tomorrow when they're all gone and we can tell mom and dad alone."

Meredith let out a sigh of relief which Derek smiled and kissed her forehead at .

"They probably think I'm rude." Meredith stated

"They don't"

"We b-lined out of the house a few minutes after they all got here."

"True. We should probably head back." Derek stated standing up and holding out his hand to help Meredith up. She grabbed his hand and Derek brought her in for a hug looking at her as if she lit the sky. Something in his face looked different and he looked like he was about to tell her something- something big but instead he burst out in a grin and said

"I really like you." placing his hands around her face and pulling her in for a kiss.

Meredith blushed in return.

The next several hours were spent being interrogated by Derek's sisters and teased by Mark. Carolyn and Christopher stayed busy preparing the meal for the family and seemed pleased to have all of their children home. Meredith got asked everything from school to her mother, to her childhood and everything in between. She felt exhausted. At least the first trimester nausea was coming to an end.

Around 2 pm they all took their seats around the dinner table where Carolyn said grace. It was loud but exhilarating. The family had so many inside jokes that Meredith couldn't keep up. At one point Mark sent Meredith an understanding smile and a wink letting her know that he knew what she was going through. She appreciated the support. Somehow the conversation went from friendly jest to Kathleen deciding it was time to interrogate Amelia.

"So Amelia, do you really think it's responsible to have a child at 16 without the father even in the picture." Kathleen started in

"I've been saying that this entire time" Nancy chimed in

"Girls, stop it." Carolyn butted in

"I don't think it's really any of your business." Amelia retorted

"It is if it involves our parents having to step up and care for another child right when Dad's just retired and moms trying to." Kathleen piped back

"Mom and dad are not going to raise my child. I am" Amelia defended

Nancy laughed "How? You're 16 years old. Derek, Mark a little help here"

"Let's leave Ames alone." Derek stated

"Think about yourself Derek. I know Mom already has you considering moving back home after your final semester is up in a few months to try and help Amelia."

"Your mother asked Derek & Mark when we first found out. No one has to move home if they don't want to. We're going to be just fine girls." Christopher stated

"You're still pressuring them. They need to be able to go to the best medical school they can. They can't do that if they're taking turns caring for a baby." Lizzie argued

"He's not going to be taking care of my baby." Amelia shouted

"Everyone calm down." Carolyn yelled but it was no use. Amelia was yelling at all of them. The other three sisters were yelling at Amelia and Derek. Mark was trying to calm them all down.

"We've all done what we were supposed to do. Amelia get's off the hook for everything. We're doctors, Derek is about to go to med school. So is Mark. And Amelia just screws up over and over and over." Nancy told the family.

"That's not even true" Amelia yelled with tears in her eyes "Kathleen, you've already been divorced. Nancy, your kids are scared of you half the time. Lizzie never comes around because she hides everything. We all know Mark's a whore and Derek cheated on Addison and got Meredith pregnant." Amelia finished her screaming rant

"What?" Nancy choked out, her eyes glaring at Derek and Meredith.

"Oh my God" the family heard Carolyn gasp as she got up from the table and went into another room closing the door.

"I better go talk to her" Christopher mumbled

"See Amelia. See what you do?" Kathleen told her

Amelia glanced over at Meredith to see her eyes glazed with un-shed tears "I'm so sorry Meredith. Please don't be mad at me" Amelia pleaded.

Meredith said nothing but got up from the table. Derek tried to follow behind her but she let him know she wanted her space.

"I can't believe you" Derek said looking in disgust at Amelia

"We were going to tell them tomorrow." he muttered mostly to himself

"I know. I'm so sorry it just came out."

"She confided in you Amelia."

"I feel terrible." She told him crying

"And you three. What the hell was that? It's thanksgiving." He asked his sisters

"Derek, how were we supposed to know about your little secret?" Nancy asked with a pleased look on her face. She loved the drama and it infuriated Derek.

"And why would you tell Amelia of all people. She's still a child" Lizzie piped up

"I'm right here" Amelia yelled

Derek ran his hand through his hair and sighed. Quickly the sisters busied themselves while Amelia stayed at the table crying. He didn't know how he was going to get out of this mess.

A few hours passed and Derek was able to get Meredith to come back to the house. He was also able to convince his sisters to leave. Mark took the hint and took Amelia out for a movie so Derek and Meredith could talk to his parents alone.

"You were considering moving back here?" Meredith asked with her arms crossed as they walked back to his parents' house from the stables where he found her.

Derek scratched the back of his head "No. Yes. Sort of. I don't really have a clear answer for you."

"What about our baby and me? Is this why you ghosted us for so long?" Meredith asked annoyed

"No. I just needed time to think. Obviously, I can't just move back here." He stated

"But you want to." Meredith replied

"Mer- it's complicated." He seemed to plead with her

"Not really Derek. I don't even know what your plans are after graduation. I'm going to be a million years pregnant at that point and what are you going to do just take off after the baby is born?"

"Do you really think that little of me?"

"So then tell me your plans! Are you still going to med school?" she asked exasperated

"Yes" he told her

"Where?" She asked

"I'm not sure."

"You must have schools in mind?"

"I did. I mean a few months ago anywhere and everywhere was an option but now…there are a lot of things to factor in."

"Well, I'm not exactly sacrifice free over here either." Meredith stated

"I know you're not. I'm also not complaining about making any sacrifices but that doesn't mean sacrifices aren't being made. I mean I'm only 22 Mer."

Meredith rolled her eyes "Can you just take me back home?" she asked

"I'm not trying to upset you."

"I know. I just want to go home." She muttered

"We need to work things out with my parents. If we just take off, it will make things worse."

"How can anything get worse?" Meredith yelled

"It can get worse if we just up and leave on Thanksgiving. You really need to learn how family works" Derek retorted with an edge in his tone meaning to strike a nerve.

"I can't believe you just said that."

"It's the truth. How are we supposed to be a family when you don't know the slightest thing about what it takes to make a family work? You just want to run as soon as anything gets slightly inconvenient for you. I mean look what you did with your professor."

"Don't go there Derek" Meredith stated icily

"I'm sure he had a family, and you had no problem practically destroying that. And for what, I'll never figure out."

"You're never going to get past that are you? You're not exactly innocent here Derek. You cheated on your girlfriend the day you met me. What does that say about you?"

"Maybe it says I made a mistake?"

"So, get out of my life then. If this is all just some mistake, then let me go. I told you before, I don't need you."

"I don't want to let you go Meredith. God, can't you understand that I'm in love with you?"

Meredith stopped walking "How can you say in one breath that I'm a mistake and in another that you're in love with me?" she asked

"You're not a mistake. I want this with you. I want to have a very uncomfortable conversation with my family so they can see how much you mean to me. I want to sacrifice going to my dream school if it means I get a life you with and our baby and I want you to just let me in for 10 minutes so we can make something of this."

"You don't make it easy to let you in."

"I know I haven't but I'm trying."

"I've never said I love you to anyone I've been seeing." Meredith stated

"It's okay. I don't expect to hear it back, but I want you to know where I stand."

"And I didn't destroy Dean's family. I'm not the first girl and I won't be the last that he messes with."

"I shouldn't have said that." Derek replied

"No. You shouldn't have. And you can't throw it in my face every time we get into an argument."

"You're right."

"I know that." Meredith said a giggle starting to escape her lips

"Can we please go have this uncomfortable conversation with my family now?" Derek asked

"Yes" Meredith breathed.

They seemed to be able to leave Derek's parents' house in a good spot. They didn't seem exactly thrilled with the news but they were accepting of it. Carolyn was very concerned about Derek's future plans and even though they never discussed much about it, Meredith was learning just how big of a dream becoming a surgeon was to Derek. She figured she would end up following the same path but now with the baby, that wouldn't be so easy to do.

She promised Carolyn that she would be back for some part of Christmas or New Years. She still needed to face Ellis and that was going to be the hardest. Carolyn also requested weekly check ins with both Meredith and Derek which seemed a bit excessive to her but if this is what it took, she would do it.

Derek seemed to feel a lot better after talking to his parents. Suddenly everything felt more real to him in both good and bad ways. He felt a major weight lift from his shoulders but also the reality of his situation was sinking in. There was going to be sacrifices that he needed to make in order to make things work with Meredith and his child- sacrifices that he hadn't ever thought he would be in a position to make.

Next Chapter we're going to skip ahead to Christmas. I'll probably write about 10 more chapters until we're ready for Part 2 which will chronicle how Meredith and Derek navigate parenthood and their relationship with a baby.

Thanks for all of your support thus far!