Okay, so…a slightly quicker longer update to make up for the slower shorter one that came before this. First of all, I'm glad to hear that people are enjoying the fairly McDreamy version of Derek we've been getting of late. I find how much Derek loves Meredith to be one of the things that redeems him despite the fact that he can quite often be a total ass. So yes, this is him getting the turn to be the good guy after spending the better part of the first half of this story being MIA and totally not what Mer needed at all. Anyway, that's that. Thank you as well for the great reviews. I'm so, so happy that people are enjoying the story, and hearing what you guys think is one of the best parts of the whole writing thing. So, thank you for that! As for the actual update, we're picking up pretty much right where we left off. This is turning out to be a very long couple of days, chapter-wise. And this is part one of the baby shower. Somehow this scene has morphed into a giant monster because I've come up with an extra idea I hadn't planned on, but really want to work in. So yes, I think it will be good. I hope it will be good. It won't be in this chapter though. This is part one, and, well…there are three parts to this, part two containing the expanded new idea that hopefully won't blow up in my face. Anyway, enough of me worrying aloud. Onto the chapter!

-----
Woke up and wished that I was dead
With an aching in my head
I lay motionless in bed
The night is here and the day is gone
-----

Meredith lay curled beside Derek in a warm tangle of limbs, idly lacing their fingers together and pulling them apart, over and over weaving them together and apart. He glanced down as her slender fingers joined with his once more, squeezing her hand so that it stilled, prompting her to look up at him expectantly. With a reluctant groan, he tilted his head to indicate the bedside clock, the neon glow of its numbers rudely proclaiming that Izzie had wanted them downstairs close to an hour ago.

"We should really get up now."

"Mmmm." Her voice was a soft hum of aloof acknowledgement, and she dropped his hand to lean forward, searching out the proof of the clock herself. "Yeah," she breathed at last. "We should. Izzie's gonna kill me." But instead, she dropped weightlessly back into the warm cocoon of blankets and pillows; her body still feeling wonderfully drunk and pliable as if her bones had all simply changed to rubber. She heard Derek let out a low grunt of reluctant agreement, and Meredith bit down on her lip, swinging her gaze back to him. "In five minutes?" she amended hopefully, wanting to shun the thought of getting up for a little longer. He grunted his agreement once more, but this time the sound was accompanied by a devilish grin. Reaching out, he pulled her closer to him, kissing the top of her head as it came to rest against his shoulder. Meredith sighed contentedly as his lips found her neck, but, just as she closed her eyes, the door to her room came flying open with a loud angry crack.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me!"

"What?" spluttered Meredith, eyes opening in shock as she reached instinctively to yank the sheet up to her chin, grateful that they were--for the most part--already under it. "Cristina," she continued, her voice careening into an irritated whine. "We're busy here! And naked. Busy and naked!"

Cristina just scoffed, rolling her eyes at her friend. "Yeah, I can see that. I'll be needing to borrow your bleach later for my eyeballs."

"We have got to start locking that door," muttered Derek, scooting up slightly in bed, and prompting Cristina to fling out a hand as the sheet shifted.

"Whoa, stop right there McDreamy. Bleach can only do so much."

"Wait, so now you don't want us to get up?" asked Meredith hopefully, still lodged snugly against Derek's chest.

"Pity," smirked Derek, looking down at his girlfriend. "We were just about to get dressed." Meredith nodded in agreement, doing her best to appear innocent as Cristina glowered at Derek before turning to her.

"Oh, you're getting up," she snapped, raking a hand through her unruly curls. "You know, this is unbelievable. You get sex, and I get stuck downstairs listening to Izzie wax insane about whether the storks would look better hanging by the windows or over the fireplace!" Meredith managed to squeeze in an apologetic grimace before her expression contorted into one of bemused horror.

"Storks? There are…storks?"

"Yes," seethed Cristina, her voice as dark as if she were accusing the birds of bloody murder.

"They're just storks," volunteered Derek somewhat tentatively, instantly finding himself accosted by two flashing sets of eyes.

"Shut up," the women snapped in unison.

"Okay, okay. I was just saying." He held up a hand defensively, and retreated further under the covers in defeat. Turning from Cristina to Meredith, he grinned at her as he pulled her closer, letting his fingers trail up and down the inside of her thigh.

"Behave," she mouthed pointedly, smiling even as she rolled her eyes and pulled his hand away, folding it deliberately with her own, and letting them settle over the rise in the blankets created by her stomach.

"Okay, this is what we're doing people," continued Cristina, carrying on as if oblivious to the looks they were exchanging. "I'm closing the door, and the two of you are going to get dressed." She pointed a finger warningly in Derek's direction. "That means clothes on, not off, McDreamy." He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off. "Uh uh. You were sent up here to make sure Mer was getting dressed, but instead you're the reason she's lying there with no clothes. You don't get to complain. You'd be out in the hall already if you weren't naked under there." She made a face as if the thought alone bothered her, and Derek frowned, his voice defensive.

"What? I would not… You can't kick me out." Cristina just smirked challengingly, and he turned to Meredith for reassurance, his voice growing questioning. "She can't kick me out…?"

"Actually, she could. She could probably kick me out if she wanted, and it's my house."

"I wouldn't kick you out," said Cristina dismissively.

Meredith perked up at that, grinning at her friend. "Oh, thank you."

Cristina just shrugged. "Izzie wants you downstairs in ten minutes," she said warningly, and started to back out the open door.

"Ten minutes?" echoed Meredith, her eyes widening in alarm. She raised a hand to the messy halo Derek's hands had worked her hair into, growing aware of her disheveled appearance. "I have to… I can't get ready in ten minutes." Derek placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, but she shook it away. "You realize your mother's going to think I'm a porn star or whatever now too."

"You look fine," he insisted, running his fingers through the jumbled assortment of curls and waves that framed her face.

"No, I don't look fine. Your mom already thinks I'm a whore. This is just going to…"

"His mom?" interjected Cristina curiously. "Wait, his mother's coming?"

"Yes," groaned Meredith, turning from Derek to look at her friend. "His mother and his sister. And they hate me."

"They don't hate you," offered Derek, to which she simply raised a disparaging eyebrow. "Okay, Nancy doesn't hate you," he amended. "And I'll take care of my mother." Meredith shrugged--still fidgeting with her hair--and turned back to meet Cristina's inquisitive gaze.

"His family came over out of freaking nowhere yesterday, and Izzie invited them to the shower."

Cristina nodded, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, she has a tendency to do that with people."

"And so I couldn't uninvite them," continued Meredith, still following her own train of thought. "Then I'd be the sad pathetic girl with no spine who can't handle her boyfriend's family, and I'm not that girl. I'm not. I have a spine. I can handle them. I'm just…" She trailed off, frowning vaguely at Cristina. "Whatever… What were you saying? Izzie has a tendency to do what with people?" Cristina just shrugged, looking suddenly uncomfortable.

"Um, you know. To tell them stuff. Don't tell me you've just now noticed she has a big mouth."

"Right," giggled Meredith, sounding satisfied with the explanation. She turned back to look at Derek, suddenly slapping him across the chest. He straightened up, his brow darting down into a surprised frown as he caught her tiny wrist, easily encircling it with two fingers.

"What was that for?"

"That was for messing up my hair. I'd actually bothered to do it for a change," she said lightly, pulling her hand free to go back to worrying the loose strands into loops around her fingers. "And you had to go and mess it all up." Derek just grinned, burying his face in her hair, and inhaling deeply.

"Sorry," he mumbled, not sounding the slightest bit apologetic.

"Should've thought of that before having all the sex," said Cristina with a knowing smirk, prompting Meredith to glare at her, her voice growing irritated.

"Don't give me that look," she snapped. "It's the pregnancy hormones. I can't control them!"

"Whatever. Just get dressed already," said Cristina sharply. Meredith wrinkled her nose, frowning at her friend.

"Since when did you get so mean?"

"Right after you decided to ban all the alcohol at this thing."

"Right…" Meredith grinned sheepishly, her eyes both apologetic and amused. "We'll hurry." She let out an abrupt shriek of laughter as Derek--growing bored--shifted under the blankets, and pulled her suddenly into his lap.

"Don't even think about it, McDreamy," snapped Cristina, pointing a warning finger at him. She turned to Meredith, adding, "Mer, don't let him so much as touch a boob." And with that, she disappeared from sight; closing the door, and leaving the couple alone.

Meredith sighed, and, in one long fluid motion, twisted around, kissed Derek lightly on the lips, and slid out of bed to grab her robe. Knotting its tie loosely above the rise of her belly, she shuffled back to where he sat at the edge of the bed, his hair as rumpled as hers. She stood between his legs, twining her arms round his neck, and letting her fingers run through the dark disheveled curls. "So," she breathed as he tilted his head back to look up at her, his chin nudging her stomach.

"So," he echoed, suddenly smirking. "Cristina keeps calling me McDreamy."

"Yeah," agreed Meredith, bending down and kissing him again. She straightened up, raking her hand back through his hair before pulling away. "That's a good thing."

"Yeah?" he echoed, sounding rather proud. He settled back against the pillows--his expression smug--as Meredith made her way to the bathroom.

"Hmmm…yeah," she agreed blithely. "A very good thing." She paused suddenly in the doorway and looked back, grinning wickedly over her shoulder at him. Her eyes were dark and mischievous, glinting in the light. "Except when Cristina says it," she called, and she disappeared from sight, laughing to herself as she watched his smirk fall away.

-----

It was much closer to thirty minutes than ten when Meredith finally let Derek drag her from the bathroom. Even then, she came fussing and worrying all the way, her mind refusing to let go of the memory of just how disheveled she had looked the day before when she'd opened the front door to find Derek's family standing there. And so she left the shelter of her room reluctantly, tugging on her shirt and the wavy ends of her hair until Derek finally reached out and stilled her hands. He walked her deliberately towards the stairs--one arm looped around her back, the palm of his hand coming to rest against the side of her stomach--calmly deflecting and deterring both her need to run back and bemoan the fact that her hair couldn't somehow be red and sleek and effortlessly glamorous--just for tonight--as well as the hundred and one additional worries she managed to drum up in the eight steps it took to make it from their room to the head of the stairs.

"It's gonna be fine," Derek reassured her gently as she froze once more, suddenly reaching out for his hand as she eyed the stairs with the sort of expression one might generally use to regard shark infested waters.

"Right…fine," she murmured unconvincingly. Chewing on her lip, Meredith tried to will away the nervous fluttery feeling that was suddenly filling her. "It's just my friends. It'll be fine." Derek nodded yet again, refraining from mentioning that they'd been over this same point at least a dozen times in the past twenty minutes, and simply squeezed her hand, finally managing to coax her down the stairs. The sound of their descent was apparently a signal of some sort; the house was immediately full of the sounds of shouting voices, rapid footsteps, and slamming doors. They paused in unison halfway down the staircase, turning to regard each other with bemused expressions and matching shrugs. Growing more and more curious, they continued walking until they reached the foot of the stairs, but found nothing more than a rather breathless group of four waiting there for them.

"Finally!" exclaimed Izzie, beaming up at them beatifically.

"Sorry," mumbled Meredith, blushing slightly in apology before she lifted her gaze, and took in the change her house had undergone. Her breath escaped past her lips in a startled hiss, and she reached instantly for Derek's hand again, her nails digging in a little too tightly. Tiny lights, like the ones seen at Christmas, were strung up along the walls running from floor to ceiling. However, instead of white lights, the bulbs were a bright and glowing pink. Great twists of streamers in soft pinks and lilacs dangled overhead, with countless images of little, rosy-cheeked, cherubic babies swinging in their midst. Every possible empty surface had apparently been commandeered for the express purpose of displaying baby themed knickknacks, and a truly alarming number of pastel balloons filled the air--some tethered, and others free to bob about at random. Taking it all in, the effect was suitably bizarre; the house radiated an allover pink hue. "Umm," managed Meredith, her voice a strangled hoarse sound. She met Cristina's eyes, and was immediately forced to look away to avoid bursting into a loud peal of horrified, shrieking, entirely inappropriate laughter. She turned instead back to Izzie, finding the blonde watching her expectantly, nearly bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. "Wow Iz," she finally said, her voice still hoarse, still altogether strained. "You went all out."

Izzie beamed, nodding her head. "Yeah… They think it's too over the top--" She gestured dismissively to the other interns flanking her.

"We think it's a freak show," interjected Cristina in a low murmur that was directed at Alex, but reached Meredith as well. She grinned, biting back a sharp snort of laughter, and forced herself to return to Izzie, who was carrying on undeterred.

"But, you know, it's your baby. It's your first baby, Mer, and you only get one first baby. It should be special."

Meredith nodded. "Well, this is…special."

"Oh good," said Izzie immediately. "You like it? I hoped you'd like it." Meredith shifted awkwardly, but nodded again.

"Yeah…it's, it's great Iz."

"Yay!" Izzie's face blossomed into another blinding smile, and she seemed to stop just shy of clapping her hands together like a giddy schoolgirl. However, after a moment of wild grinning, she snapped into a completely different mood, her voice growing serious. "We have to go to the den," she announced. She frowned down at her watch, adding, "Right away. You two took forever, and now we're running late, so…come on. Hurry."

"Okay," said Meredith slowly, awkwardly as Izzie gestured for her to get off the stairs already. "But…we never use the den. And what's the hurry? It's just us."

"We just-- We need to hurry," answered Izzie, already making her way down the hall. Meredith glanced in turn at Cristina, George, and Alex, garnering nothing more than irritatingly vague shrugs as they each turned and followed Izzie. Still holding onto Derek tightly, Meredith followed as well, a puzzled frown etched permanently across her brow. The rest of the house appeared to have suffered the same fate as the hallway by the stairs, and pink streamers and balloons floated everywhere. Soon enough, they reached the small windowless den located at the far side of the house. It was a secluded little place, right next to the study Meredith used as a storage room for the boxes of her mother's stuff she still hadn't bothered to unpack and sort through. However, the tiny den had clearly been touched by Izzie within the past twenty-four hours, and sported none of the dust-filled dinginess it was usually accustomed to. If anything, the room glowed brightest of all--pink light spilling out into the hall through the opened door. Waving a little too dramatically, Izzie ushered Meredith and Derek in, sitting them down on the streamer bedecked couch that had somehow been kidnapped from the front room, and wedged into the narrow confines of the den.

"Well," said Meredith, feeling suddenly awkward as she looked up to find all of her friends seated expectantly around her. "Um…" Her hand drifted inattentively towards her hair, latching onto a strand, and twisting it into a spiral. She let herself shrink down a little beside Derek; uncertain of what to be doing, and strongly disliking being the sole center of attention even there in their tiny, intimate group. "What am I supposed to do?" she asked at last, glancing from one expectant face to the next, straight down the line of four.

"Presents, Mer," suggested Cristina, her tone giving away the fact that she thought she was stating the obvious.

Looking down, it finally registered with Meredith that the small coffee table currently digging into her shins served a purpose beyond that of making sure that there was no available floor space in the room. A small quantity of gifts lay in a pile atop it; all feather-light tissue paper and expertly curled ribbons. "Oh…"

"Yeah. Go on," urged Izzie, picking up a present, and forcing it into her hands. "Hurry up, before everyone else gets here."

"Everyone else?" echoed Meredith, her fingers freezing midway to pulling of the ribbon. She looked up--wide-eyed and uncertain--a sudden wariness settling in the pit of her stomach. The feeling grew as her question was met with a heavy moment of silence; the other interns turning to stare sharply at Izzie, who was staring down at her lap as she fidgeted with her sweater, seeming to search for an answer in its thick weave.

"Derek's family," blurted Cristina suddenly, breaking the quiet just as it began to morph into something indisputably suspicious. "These are just from us, and so we wanted just us to give them to you." She clasped her hands together behind her neck, settling back into her chair smug and satisfied.

"Right!" Izzie laughed--blushing until her cheeks matched the room--and nodded her head far too vigorously. "The Shepherds are coming, so everyone else is…the Shepherds!"

"Oh…" Meredith gave a resigned nod of her head, her fingers trembling as she picked up her present again. "I forgot," she admitted honestly, having pushed the arrival of Jacqueline and Nancy to the furthermost corner of her mind. Only now, the thought came rushing forward, serving to distract her completely from her friends' odd behavior. She turned and offered Derek a small smile in response to the reassuring hand he'd laid on her shoulder. With a slight tilt of her head--something intimate and lost on everyone save him--she wordlessly promised that she was still okay. They stared at each other for a moment, falling easily into deep pools of dark blue and pale green, but were soon interrupted as Izzie resumed the task of urging her to hurry, hurry, hurry. "Okay, okay." A slight smile spread across her face as she glanced down at the gift resting in her lap, her fingers moving to overturn the card. "It's from Cristina," she announced to the room.

"It is," agreed Cristina, her voice slightly haughty as Meredith set to work unwrapping the gift.

A brief flurry of tissue paper and ribbons later, and she was holding up a large glass bottle. "Seriously?" she laughed, searching out her friend's eyes. "You got me tequila?"

Cristina shrugged. "We've nine months of drinking to make up for once you finally pop McFetus out." Meredith gave a sharp nod of her head, unable to keep from grinning as she set the bottle down on the table.

"This is why you are my person," she declared, something within her relaxing in response to the break from the onslaught of pink and babies, laughing at the old normalcy.

The rest of the small pile disappeared quickly; Meredith's tentative smile morphing into a permanent fixture as, with each new gift unwrapped, she found herself staring down at something she'd had to give up for the baby. By the time their feet were lost beneath a sea of torn wrapping paper, Meredith was thoroughly amused, and face-to-face with a restocked liquor cabinet and more coffee than she could consume in a year.

"Great. So in six weeks, I'm going to have a very drunk girlfriend on a caffeine high and a crying baby?" Derek asked, his voice exasperated, but his eyes full of a warm smile.

"Yes," answered Meredith airily, teasing him. "You are. And of course there's all the sex you won't be having." She looked back at her presents as Derek groaned, doing her best to keep from grinning. "Consider yourself lucky."

"I do," he said simply, pulling her closer and kissing her cheek, prompting Izzie to come close to cooing in delight just as Cristina muttered something about McVomit.

"So," continued Meredith, returning her attention to her friends after shooting Cristina a stern look. "Thanks for my presents guys." She smiled and reached out to adjust her many bottles, letting her fingertips trail over the smooth glass. "They're great, really great."

"Don't thank us yet," said Izzie with a wave of her hand. "We got you real stuff too."

Meredith looked up incredulously. "More stuff?"

"Well obviously. You thought all you got for your baby shower was alcohol and coffee? Seriously?"

"I-- I didn't…"

"Don't be stupid, Mer. You get your other presents later."

"Oh…" Meredith settled back against the couch for a moment, but soon grew thirsty as she stared at the dozen or so bottles set up before her. "Well in that case," she muttered, scooting forward, and starting to struggle to her feet.

"What are you doing?" asked Cristina, watching as she teetered back and forth.

"Getting up," she snapped defensively.

"No, why are you getting up? Do you need something?"

"Yeah," said Meredith with a shrug. "I need something to drink."

"I'll go," said Derek instantly, easing her back down, and getting to his feet instead. Izzie's expression grew rapidly alarmed, her brown eyes widening until they resembled saucers.

"To the kitchen?" she stammered, shaking her head. "You can't, umm.." She paused to take a deep stalling breath just as the sound of the doorbell rang loudly through the house. "Crap." Izzie glanced around frantically as if looking for someone or something that just wasn't there, leading Meredith to the sudden realization that the room held two less people than it had before.

"What happened to George and Alex?" she asked.

"So, I'm gonna get the doorbell," muttered Izzie, ignoring her. Her voice came out slightly frenetic, but she let out a sigh of relief as her eyes landed on the dark-haired intern seated on the edge of the table, sorting through the liquor bottles. "And Cristina!" she declared loudly. "Cristina can get you your drink!" Cristina looked up--a scowl already firmly in place as she met Izzie's eyes--and Derek shook his head.

"Really, it's no trouble," he said. "I can get Mer what she needs." His words were cut off by a second chime from the doorbell, and Izzie tensed, her mood ratcheting right back up to a wild panic.

"No," she said, flinging out a hand in a halting gesture as she opened the door a crack, and stuck her head out into the hall. "Alex!" she bellowed, spinning back to face Derek just as soon as the word left her mouth. "You need to sit with Meredith," she continued. "She's your girlfriend, and it's your baby, so…it's your party too!" She grinned at him hopefully, anxiously, before turning to glower at Cristina. "Cristina can go to the kitchen," she added pointedly.

"You know what I did to Barbie dolls when I was a kid?" Cristina grumbled, awkwardly getting to her feet, and climbing over the furniture that littered the room. "Decapitated them." She made it at last to the small bit of floor by the door, and looked back at Meredith. "What'd you want Mer?"

"Ah…it's not a big deal," said Meredith, feeling stunned into silence by the strange scene that had just played out before her. "I'm good…really. Where did everybody go?"

Cristina just heaved a frustrated sigh. "What do you want to drink?"

"Uh…water's fine," she said meekly as the doorbell rang again--loud, irritated, and insistent.

"Crap!" declared Izzie, seeming to come to her senses as she suddenly yanked open the door, and disappeared into the hallway. "Alex!" she shouted again. "I told you like fifty times. The backdoor! The freaking backdoor!" Her voice faded away, leaving Cristina staring awkwardly at Meredith and Derek.

"Just for the record, Mer? None of this is my idea." And with that, she too disappeared, leaving the couple alone on the couch.

"So," breathed Meredith in the silence that followed, turning to look at Derek. "This is strange. This is very strange. My friends are acting…" She trailed off, shaking her head.

"Strange," supplied Derek with a bemused grin.

"Yeah…" Frowning, she began to worry the slender silver circlet of her watch round and round her wrist. "Is something going on?" she asked sharply, searching Derek's eyes for any trace of guilt or secrets, and finding nothing. He looked as confused as her.

"No idea. Do you want me to go find out?"

"No," said Meredith instantly, letting her watch alone to reach for his hand. "Don't you dare think about leaving me alone in here. If anything's going to scare me into labor it's that stork." She tilted her head towards the poster that had been pinned up on the far wall. It sported an oversized illustration of the bird with a bundle of pink blankets swinging precariously from its beak.

"Okay," agreed Derek, his voice a low chuckle. His hands moved to rub the back of her neck, distracting her from the frighteningly bad art in front of them. "Not counting the stork, are you hating this?" Meredith shrugged, letting out a soft thoughtful murmur.

"It's not so bad. I mean, I think my friends are all losing it, but…it's kinda fun." She twisted around to look at him, amending, "Once you get used to all the pink."

Derek nodded. "It is a lot of pink."

"Yeah, but it also comes with tequila, so…" Meredith giggled, nudging the base of a bottle with her foot. "So, it's okay." Derek laughed aloud at that, pulling her slightly into his lap so that his hands could fit around her stomach. "And you know, I haven't even freaked out about the complete destruction of my house," she continued proudly, gesturing around the room.

He raised an eyebrow, seeming impressed. "You're not freaking out?"

"Well…" Meredith shrugged. "I'm freaking out a little, but it's a nice quiet freak out that I don't think Izzie can detect seeing as she's already gone off the deep end all on her own tonight."

"Just tonight?" asked Derek, his voice teasing. Meredith only laughed, the sound light and happy as she settled back in his arms. However, it died off prematurely at the unmistakable click-clacking of approaching feet and the blur of bickering voices.

"Your family's here," muttered Meredith quietly, just as an unexpected third voice joined the argument out in the hall.

"I should really be going. I've dropped you guys off, and so just…have a nice time."

Meredith twisted around to look at Derek, her expression bewildered. "Is that Addison?" He nodded, the puzzled turn of his mouth mirroring hers.

"Yeah…"

"Nonsense, Addie," came the sound of Jacqueline's voice, cutting clearly through the closed door. "I'm sure Derek would love to see you." There was an awkward pause on both sides of the door before it was suddenly flung open, revealing a rather surprised and overwhelmed looking Izzie standing in the doorway.

"Um…they're in here," she said unnecessarily, tilting her head towards the couple. Meredith shifted uncomfortably--her eyes darting warily towards the women at the threshold--as Derek tightened his grip on her, his hands strong and reassuring. All that followed was long and painful silence, and Izzie, growing acutely uncomfortable, finally clasped her hands together, declaring, "So, this is cute!" Five pairs of eyes turned to regard her sharply, and, for once, she paled under the scrutiny. She shuffled to the farthest corner of the room, realizing that she should probably leave for the moment, but the gossip within her making it impossible.

Nancy looked around, taking in the frozen scene, and with a deep breath, forced herself to take the first step she had promised her brother. "Hi…Meredith," she said gently, her eyes locking with the younger woman's for a moment before Meredith shied away, glancing down at her tightly clasped hands.

"Hi," she replied, her voice quiet, almost inaudible. Derek pulled her closer still to him, his eyes full of a warning as he watched his sister. Not one to usually hold back, Nancy flashed him a winning smile before focusing again on Meredith.

"I'm sorry about yesterday," she said bluntly as Izzie's eyes widened inquisitively. Meredith found she could only nod, at a loss for what to say. Her eyes flitted over to Addison who stood fidgeting with the pear buttons of her blouse, the only other person who appeared to be as uncomfortable as she felt.

"Hi," she said awkwardly, growing aware of the younger woman's gaze. "Sorry, I'm-- I dropped them off, and they said I should come in and say hi. So, um…" She lifted one manicured hand, her smile tightlipped and tentative. "Hi. And congratulations. I'll just let myself out…" Her hand swung from its wave to gesture in the general direction of the exit, but Meredith shook her head, feeling a sudden bond with Addison over their shared unease.

"You're welcome to stay," she blurted out, her voice faltering as she caught sight of Izzie's raised eyebrows. "I'm sorry," she stammered immediately. "That's weird, right? But, I just… Please, don't feel like you have to leave," she continued, stumbling to explain herself. "Izzie made lots of food, too much food probably, and you're… Well, we would…" She twisted around to seek out Derek's eyes as he nodded in agreement, still feeling an overwhelming surge of gratitude for the help his ex-wife had given him with his family. Reassured, Meredith turned back around. "We'd like you to stay," she concluded, offering Addison a small smile; a visible symbol of the strange and tentative friendship that seemed to exist between them as a result of the previous day.

"Right," scoffed Jacqueline disparagingly. She spoke under her breath, but the sound carried easily in the small chamber of a room, and Meredith's face fell noticeably.

"I--" began Addison, meaning to refuse, but feeling a sudden unexpected surge of sympathy and anger twined tightly together. "Thank you, Meredith," she answered defiantly, managing a warm smile. "I'd love to stay." With a bold glance at the other women, she forced herself to weave a path through the claustrophobic room, finally making it to an empty chair. "How're you feeling?" she asked before looking sternly at Derek. "Derek, you're making sure she's resting enough, aren't you?"

"Trying to," he replied, his voice teasing in an attempt to get Meredith to relax into something other than the rigid form leaning against him, every muscle within her tense. "She likes to be difficult." As he hoped, she responded by twisting around to narrow her eyes at him; a flash of her old self returning.

"If it was up to you, you'd have me on bed rest already," she muttered. "But no, I'm fine," she continued, turning back to Addison, understanding and acknowledging the veiled reference to how she had been yesterday as she added, "Much better than before."

Addison just nodded. "Good." And as her voice faded away, a stifling silence once again threatened to engulf the group. With a worried glance at each other, the couple spoke in unison; Derek inviting his mother and sister to sit down, and Meredith apologizing for the tiny cramped room.

"Maybe we should move out of the den?" she suggested, eager to escape the space that seemed even smaller than she'd remembered thanks to the myriad decorations crowding them.

"No!" blurted out Izzie loudly, drawing all eyes to her. "Um…" she stammered, stalling as she repositioned a balloon. "There was a minor decoration crisis in the other room."

"I didn't see anything," volunteered Nancy, smiling warmly at her. "Everything looked lovely, actually. Did you do all of it? I wish my sisters had been as good at decorating when I was pregnant."

Izzie beamed, clearly reveling in the compliment. "Yeah," she nodded. "Thank you."

"Iz," insisted Meredith, growing irritated. "We're kinda dying in here."

"Right…um, sorry," she continued quickly, her laughter loud, anxious, and exaggerated. "It's a crisis though. You know, the usual. Balloons…flying. Streamers, um… Streamers everywhere. Just madness. George and Alex are working on it, and I should… I should go check on that." She nodded to herself, shifting towards the door. "But all of you, stay right here. Especially you, Meredith," she added emphatically.

"Izzie…"

"No, stay! The baby! Uh…the baby needs you to rest." She grinned a little too widely--clearly on edge--before slipping out of the room, and slamming the door shut pointedly behind her.

Meredith grimaced apologetically. "Sorry, ah… She's not normally like this. She's just…" She trailed off uncertainly, returning to fidgeting with her watch.

"Actually," said Derek in a low teasing voice, leaning forward to whisper in her ear. "She's behaving rather sanely tonight. She's usually worse." Meredith giggled, relaxing a little as the familiar timbre of his voice hummed against her ear drum. A smile escaped to play across her face as she tilted her body towards his, letting herself forget for a moment that the only thing that could possibly make the assembled group in front of her more awkward would be the addition of her own mother.

Nancy found herself staring at Derek and the woman he claimed to love; unable to miss the way the fear fell away from Meredith as she looked at him, her features lighting up in a way that was hard to ignore, and the way Derek couldn't stop grinning like a fool at her, his hand never leaving its place on her stomach. Nancy was surprised to realize that she too was smiling as she watched them, her brother's words replaying in her mind. She makes me incredibly happy. And, with that thought, she turned towards Meredith, her voice finally filled with a genuine warmth. "You sound like you have some great friends," she said quietly. "They must really love you to do all this."

Meredith flushed and nodded her head, picking idly at a stray streamer. "Yeah, well…they're great," she agreed. "They've been great about everything with the baby actually." She glanced about the room, sorely missing the presence of her fellow interns as she sat alone in a room with Derek's past. "I don't know what they're up to right now though. Something strange is going on." She wrinkled her nose, turning back to look at Derek. "Where's Cristina?" she asked, despite knowing the question was pointless; the lack of her best friend beside her resonating sharpest of all.

"Don't worry," he said reassuringly. "Izzie probably roped her into the minor decoration crisis."

Meredith laughed at that, nodding her head. "Right…" She glanced down at her hands, missing the stern look Derek shot his mother, urging her to do something besides sit there sullenly.

The woman sighed--the sound tinged with irritation--but obliged her son. "Did you open your gifts already, Meredith?" she asked in a clipped puzzled voice, glancing down at the table strewn with ribbon and tissue paper, liquor and coffee.

"Oh…those?" Meredith shrugged, smiling at the memory. "Yeah, sort of. Those are some of my presents." Jacqueline raised an eyebrow high in a disapproving arc as she lifted up a tequila bottle, scrutinizing it in the glowing pink light of the room.

"I do hope you realize you shouldn't drink while pregnant."

"Yes, she knows that," snapped Derek, his patience already worn thin thanks to the day before. "She's a doctor."

"They're, um… They're just for fun," continued Meredith awkwardly. "They gave me stuff I've had to give up for the baby."

"Well, that's a fun idea," said Nancy with a laugh.

"Yeah…I, I thought it was funny."

"Wow," interjected Addison, leaning forward to examine the table's contents herself. "You actually managed to give up coffee? So many of my patients just can't seem to do it, and with the hours you've got to work as an intern…I'm impressed."

"Yeah," nodded Meredith, wrinkling her nose at the memory of quitting the drink several months ago. "That was hell at first."

"So these are your only presents?" asked Jacqueline sharply, disrupting the flow of conversation.

"Um…no," said Meredith quietly, meeting the piercing blue of the woman's eyes briefly before looking away. "I don't think so. I mean, it's fine if they are, but, umm…" She shrugged, her words pouring out in a nervous explanation. "No, they were just trying to cheer me up. The whole baby thing's been kinda hard, and I'm not really good at doing the mom thing with the getting excited about the booties, and the clothes and the bibs, and whatever…"

"So they gave you tequila instead? You do want this baby, don't you?"

"Yes…" stammered Meredith, feeling as if she'd just been punched in the gut, and plunged straight back into the horror of the day before. She was once again helpless and uncertain, hating herself for her inability to string words together into a sensible reply. "I-- I just…" She turned to Derek pleadingly, finding his eyes blackened as he glared at his mother.

"Of course she wants her daughter," he snapped. "What the hell kind of question is that?"

The voices seemed to fade away from Meredith, turning into an indistinct roar of white noise. She glanced unhappily around the room, the open door finally registering as her eyes landed on Izzie and Cristina frozen in its frame. Their mouths were hanging open; Izzie a blur of wide brown eyes and disbelief, and Cristina something dark and furious. Meredith shook her head at them helplessly, pleading with her eyes for them to just stay silent, and not leap into the tension that pulsed tangibly in the room. And for the moment, they agreed--their shock keeping them frozen at the threshold. When Meredith finally was able to tear her gaze from her friends to focus on the scene in front of her again, it was to the sight of Jacqueline unclasping her handbag.

"While we're on the subject of gifts," she was saying airily. "Derek, we got you a card. It's just a little something for the baby." She produced a pale green envelope, brandishing it in her son's direction. He stared at it as if it were something revolting, before raising the burnished and bitter black of his eyes to stare at her.

"It's Meredith's shower," he said tersely. "You got her a card." His voice was full of a challenge, and, without giving her a chance to reply, he took the card and handed it to Meredith. "Open it, Mer," he ordered, his voice growing a notch gentler, but his eyes still full of something dangerous.

"Okay," she breathed. The word was a frail whisper that trembled even more than her fingers as they slit the envelope's seal. Carefully avoiding Jacqueline's eyes, she pulled out an ornate card with a delivery notice for an even more ornate crib laying within. "That's… Thank you," she managed quietly. "That's, it's nice. We-- Ah, we don't have a crib yet." She handed the card to Derek as Izzie darted forward, unable to resist examining the picture.

As the room fell back into several quiet conversations, Meredith's eyes locked with her best friend. Cursing to herself, Cristina struggled across the room, plopping down onto the armrest next to her. "Where the hell were you?" demanded Meredith as she was finally handed the bottled water she'd asked for earlier.

"What the hell was that?" asked Cristina by way of reply, her chin jutting angrily towards the small cluster of Derek's family.

"Nothing," mumbled Meredith, her voice as sharp as it was quiet. Cristina sighed, giving into her friend's obvious desire to avoid the subject. "Where were you?" Meredith repeated, eyeing her suspiciously.

Cristina cleared her throat. "Um…"

"I swear, if you tell me it was a decoration crisis."

"Well, I wouldn't say crisis, exactly."

"Cristina!" snapped Izzie indignantly, the word seeming to summon her attention from the crib over to them. Cristina just rolled her eyes.

"Fine, it was a crisis," she said dryly. "The double-sided tape was malfunctioning left and right. Whatever…"

"Oh, you are so lying," said Meredith. "What's happening out there?" Cristina glanced over at Izzie, but the blonde had returned to her previous conversation. "Cristina, just tell me. I'm trying really hard not to freak out here, but you're all acting so weird, and now Derek's family's here too."

"Yeah, about that," interjected Cristina, still angry at what she'd seen, and unwilling to refrain from commenting if Meredith brought them up herself. "What was up with that?"

Meredith feigned innocence. "With what?"

"With the anger, and the fighting, and the card thing."

"They hate me, remember," said Meredith with a small careless shrug. The gesture seemed nonchalant, but her eyes were pained and sad. "Just remember that. It makes everything much simpler. They hate me." Cristina turned to glare daggers at Jacqueline at that, but Meredith cleared her throat, steering the subject back to the mystery surrounding her party. "Seriously, what's going on?" she asked, tilting her head towards the closed door, and the muffled sounds that seemed to fill the rest of the house. "Did someone break something?" She frowned worriedly, thinking of some of her mother's more fragile expensive possessions.

Cristina shook her head. "Nope, that's not it."

"Then what?" snapped Meredith, exasperated. "Just tell me."

"I would, but…I'd be forfeiting some serious OR time if I did."

Meredith frowned, her voice growing skeptical. "Did Izzie do something stupid?"

"Quite possibly," replied Cristina. "And I just want you to remember that, when this turns into a huge disaster, this has all been Izzie's idea."

"Okay, now I really am freaking out."

"Why are you freaking out?" asked Derek, turning back from simultaneously thanking and apologizing to Addison.

"Oh you know, just thinking huge imminent disaster that Izzie's apparently planned."

"What?" He frowned, twisting around to study the overwhelmed light that bellied her gaze. "What disaster?"

Meredith shook her head helplessly. "I don't know. But Derek, I can't handle this right now." She curled herself tightly against him, sitting halfway on his lap; needing to feel something familiar amidst the sharp uncertainty of the evening.

"Okay," he agreed, his voice gentle and soothing. His eyes sought out Izzie, and called her name. The younger woman looked up in surprise, still managing to be at once both smiley and frantic.

"Don't yell at her," breathed Meredith in an undertone, knowing that--in a way--the evening was as much about Izzie's daughter as it was her own. Derek nodded, and as he opened his mouth to speak, the door to the room came flying open once more. Everyone looked up to find Alex standing slightly breathless in the doorway.

"Everything's ready Iz," he said simply, to which she leapt from her seat, her voice once again high and excited.

"Everybody get up," she declared delightedly, gesturing towards the open door. Her words were followed by a fluster of confused movement and questioning voices, but she continued on undeterred, urging people out the door. Alex fought his way through the room, reaching down to help Meredith up off of Derek's lap.

"Hey," he said, his voice gentler than usual as he took in the ashen color of her complexion and her inability to stop worrying at her lower lip with her teeth. "You okay?" She shrugged helplessly, looking up as Izzie walked by.

"Iz, what's going on?' she asked. "Where are we going?"

"To the kitchen," she replied blissfully. "Everything's ready now. Food's ready…everything's ready!" She sailed past them, but paused long enough to grab a hold of Alex's elbow, dragging him out with her into the hall.

"Careful, Derek," cautioned Jacqueline as she too made her way past the couple. In a single graceful swoop--apparently not challenged in the slightest by either old age or high heels--she bent down, and picked up the card from where it had fluttered to the floor. "You want to hold on to that," she scolded. "I set a delivery date for two days from now, but there's a number on the slip you can call to reschedule if that's inconvenient." She smiled at her son, once again glossing over Meredith, before joining the group out in the hall. Suddenly, Meredith reached out for Derek's arm, yanking him back as the room emptied completely save for them.

Everyone had started to file towards the kitchen with the exception of Izzie and Alex, who hung just outside the doorway. "We should wait for them," she said defensively, correctly interpreting his critical glare.

"Stop it, Iz. You need to give them a moment."

"I was just…" she began, her voice indignant as he urged her away from the room, her ears unable to keep from straining to catch the whispered conversation going on inside.

"No, you weren't just," he said sharply. "Mer needs a moment to breathe, and she needs it with Shepherd. Let them be."

"But everything's all set…"

Alex frowned, taking a firm hold of her arm. "This is supposed to be about Meredith. Tonight's supposed to be about her and her daughter, not you Izzie." She sighed unhappily--a wounded little sound--but he just continued on. "I'm not saying you didn't do a great job setting everything up, but stop trying to make this perfect, and let it be how Meredith needs it to be." Without waiting for her reply, he herded her down the hall, forcing her to give the couple their privacy.

Inside the room, Meredith was pacing back and forth over the sole narrow stretch of bare floor while Derek watched her worriedly. "What is it, Mer?" he asked at last.

"We're sending it back," she said abruptly.

Derek just frowned, not quite following her. "What?"

"We're calling, and canceling the order. I'm not having it in my house."

"The crib?" he asked, to which she gave a sharp nod of her head. "I thought you said you liked it though…? We don't have a crib yet."

"No, Derek," she snapped, suddenly angry. "I don't like it. We're sending it back. I don't want anything from her, and there's no way in hell I'm letting my baby sleep in that crib."

"Okay," he said immediately, struggling over the table to reach her. "I'll call and cancel the order tomorrow, okay?"

Meredith nodded, still pacing back and forth, her voice an angry cadence that matched her footsteps. "I just-- I don't know, I…"

"Hey…" Derek reached out and caught her by the shoulders, forcing her to stop her pacing. "We're sending it back," he soothed, running his hands from her shoulders down her back, pulling her closer to him. "We'll send it back. You won't even have to see it, okay?"

"Okay," she agreed weakly, lifting her head from where she'd let it fall against his chest. "Sorry," she added, regarding him warily. "If you like the crib, if…"

"Shhh, I don't like it," he promised, holding her tightly to him until she finally drifted back towards her normal self. "How're you doing?" he asked gently when she straightened up once more.

Meredith shrugged. "I was better earlier."

"I know," he agreed, leaning forward so that their foreheads touched. "Time to hide in the closet yet?"

Meredith laughed sadly at that, shaking her head and pulling away. "Can't," she mumbled, looking around the room. "They all worked so hard decorating everything." Her eyes landed on something she hadn't noticed before--a copy of her ultrasound scan fitted lovingly in a pink frame. "Look," she continued, her voice growing wondering as she picked it up, and held it out to Derek. "They tried really hard to make this nice, so I have to go and eat, and do the whole happy mother-to-be thing." She wrinkled her nose, laughing self-consciously at her own words. "Mother-to-be," she repeated. "Sounds weird." Just as she grinned at Derek, the unmistakable sound of Izzie's voice called out from somewhere in the house.

"Meredith? Hurry up, we're all in the kitchen!"

"See?" said Meredith pointedly, reluctantly making her way out into the hallway with Derek. "We have to go do the thing."

The house seemed changed since her earlier disappearance into the den. All of the normal lights had been either dimmed or turned off completely, and the pink lights that had been strung up shined brighter as a result, illuminating the path with a warm rosy glow. Everything felt eerily silent; a sort of forced hush in the air. No sound emanated from beyond the closed door of the kitchen, but rather a tangible silence that seemed to build, and build, and build with their approaching footsteps.

"This is weird," murmured Meredith, her hand drifting like a ghost towards the doorknob and settling uncertainly. Derek just nodded, placing an arm around her.

"Yeah…"

They stared at each other for a moment, both full of suspicions, and Meredith wanting nothing more than to run back upstairs. "I guess I have to open the door," she said at last, endlessly reluctant.

Derek nodded once more, unsure of what to say. "I guess you do," he agreed quietly. And so, seeing no other choice, Meredith gulped down a deep steadying breath. She gave a sharp twist of her wrist and a push, watching in silence as the door swung slowly open.

-----

So yeah, that was part one. I've to get up in under five hours and I'm already exhausted, so this is going to be a fairly short ramble for a change, without (pathetic attempts at) deep and thoughtful reflections. (Heh, cue the sounds of wild rejoicing.) Anyway, Izzie has a wild and crazy plan. Meredith's clearly not enjoying it so far. Nancy's starting to come around to the idea of Meredith although Jacqueline hasn't yet, and clearly isn't trying. Anyway, this was the introduction to the shower. Obviously more stuff comes in the next to parts, so, this would be me asking you to be please, patient. I promise we'll get to the drama and the confrontations with the Shepherds before it's all over. But now, I'm thisclose to using my keyboard as a pillow, so…that's it for tonight. Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!