DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GREY'S ANATOMY, I wish I did.

Meredith's due date was a week away. She was miserable, but she wasn't going to let anyone know. Addison talked to her about staying home, and resting. The talk was absolutely fruitless. She knew that Meredith would be climbing walls at home. At least at the hospital, everyone could keep track of her, and make sure she wasn't pushing herself too hard. The baby had taken to beating the hell out of her whenever he could. It seemed that he was always beating her in the ribs. She had also been having contractions. They were not Braxton Hicks and she knew it. She didn't want to tell Derek, she knew he would flip out. She laid in bed, with her eyes wide open, Derek at her side, sleeping peacefully. She climbed out of bed and started a bath. She needed to do something. As she laid in the warm water, he seemed to kick more than ever. She closed her eyes, hoping to get some form of rest. After a while she climbed out and decided to walk around for a while, finally finding herself sitting in the rocking chair on the porch. The August heat was really bad, even though everywhere she went was air conditioned, the outside air was killing her. It seemed that no air conditioning was cold enough. No matter what she did, she just couldn't get comfortable. Her body was just tired of being pregnant. Lynn walked out on the porch.

Lynn: I was like this with Derek. The girls, they were so good, but Derek, he killed me.

Meredith: I just can't get comfortable. I'm just-

Lynn: Uncomfortable. I know the feeling. Would you like to take a walk? Sometimes that helps.

Meredith: Yeah, maybe that would help.

They walked around the property for an hour. It was so quiet and peaceful at night. Derek would kill Meredith if he knew that she was walking out in the dark. Having Lynn with her made it a little safer. They finally reach the water, looking out at the stars and moon reflecting off of it's smooth surface.

Meredith: It's so beautiful.

Lynn: Yes, it is. I can see why Derek wanted it. Just imagine, if he hadn't met you, he'd still be living in that damn trailer.

Meredith: The trailer was nice. It was cozy. I sometimes miss it.

Lynn: I don't know how...

Meredith: I guess it's an acquired taste. Oh, he finally stopped. Thank God.

Lynn: Why don't we go back to the house, maybe you can get some rest.

Meredith: Sounds like a good idea. (They head back to the house. Meredith went to her bed and finally falls asleep.)

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Meredith: Damn-it! (She slams the alarm button.)

Derek: Are you okay? (He rolls over and kisses her.)

Meredith: It's four-thirty in the morning, and I'm nine months pregnant. What do you think?

Derek: I'm sorry I asked.

Meredith: What time do you have to be in? (She says, rolling into a sitting position.)

Derek: I have surgery at seven-thirty.

Meredith: It must be nice.

Derek: Must I remind you that Addison and I begged you to stay home, and you refused.

Meredith: Yeah, yeah. I know. (She gets up, waddling to the bathroom.) See you at the hospital.

Derek: No, I'm taking you.

Meredith: So you can sit there for two hours? No, that's foolish.

Derek: It's not safe for you to drive.

Meredith: Because I'm pregnant?

Derek: Because your stomach rubs against the steering wheel and you can't turn it. I will take you.

Meredith: Fine.

Meredith and Derek both sit and eat breakfast. Lynn comes walking out.

Lynn: I don't know why I'm here.

Derek: To help Meredith.

Lynn: She is a fool. (She turns to Meredith.) You are a fool! You should be resting. Instead you're heading to the hospital to stand on your feet for fifteen hours.

Meredith: I can't help. The hospital needs me.

Lynn: The hospital doesn't need you, you need it!

Derek: You hit the nail on the head there.

Meredith: What surgery do you have today?

Derek: I have a craniotomy at seven-thirty. Then, I have a Inter-body Fusion for Spondylolisthesis at two.

Meredith: Seriously? (She turns to Lynn.) He is taking out part of a spine, and replacing it with a metal cage! (Turns to Derek.) I want in on that!

Derek: Absolutely not. You are not to be in any operating rooms. SCUT for you.

Meredith: Right now, I hate you!

Derek: I know. Let's go, or you will be late for rounds. (Meredith slipped on her crocs. They were the only shoes that were comfortable. Not to mention she couldn't bend down to tie her shoes to save her life.)

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Meredith pulled her tightly fitting scrubs over her large stomach. Getting dressed was now a chore for her. She looked around the room at everyone else. They weren't looking like they were going to pop. They were going on in their daily lives, like normal people. She was still mad at Derek for not letting her in on his surgery. She wasn't done yet. She was going to get him to let her scrub in. She was going to drive him crazy if she had to. Cristina came in and started changing.

Cristina: You look miserable.

Meredith: I am. Not to mention, Derek is doing an Inter-body Fusion today. He won't let me in, and I hate him.

Cristina: I want in on that!

Meredith: You're a bitch! You're Miss Cardio, remember?

Cristina: You're right...

Meredith: Hey, you get the surgery, then I will scrub in instead.

Cristina: Oh, and that won't piss Bailey off.

Meredith: Please? I'm desperate here!

Cristina: Okay. But there is no guarantee that I will even get to scrub in.

Meredith: You will, don't worry. (She smiles, then winces.)

Cristina: Are you okay?

Meredith: (Puts her finger up for a minute.) Ahh, it was a contraction.

Cristina: You're having contractions?

Meredith: Shhh! Yes.

Cristina: How often?

Meredith: About every twenty minutes.

Cristina: How long are they lasting?

Meredith: I don't know, twenty maybe thirty seconds.

Cristina: You need to find Addison.

Meredith: I'm fine. I have a long time.

Cristina: Whatever.

Meredith: Hey, Bailey won't be here for a half an hour, can you run a doppler for me?

Cristina: Yeah, whatever. (They head down to the pit and Cristina does an ultrasound.) There's the heartbeat.

Meredith: Good.

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Bailey: Shepherd, you are a damn fool. You should be a home. Obviously SCUT for you. Stevens-Montgomery-Sloan, Karev-Burke, O'Malley-Pit and Yang, you're with me.

Meredith went right to chart duty and running labs. She was getting pretty tired. She wanted to take a break, but she wasn't missing out on the surgery. She was loitering by the operating room. She was going right to Derek when he came out. Miranda wasn't bothering Meredith. She knew she was tired, and she shouldn't even be working. They were all humoring her, she was basically being baby-sat. She sighed as she sat down in the chair at the nurses station. She laid her head back just starting to doze off when another contraction came along. She sat there stone still, breathing slowly through her nose. Just then she heard Derek's familiar voice, he was talking to Chief Webber. She quickly walked over to him.

Derek: How are you today?

Meredith: Hello, Richard. (Meredith was still breathing through her contraction.) I'm good, great even.

Richard: Are you sure?

Meredith: I would be even better if I could scrub in on a inter-body fusion.

Derek: No.

Meredith: Please Derek. Must I remind you that I will be pushing your large child out of me very soon? I will not get to be in the OR for a long time.

Richard: How are you feeling? Any signs of labor?

Meredith: Umm, no. Not at all.

Richard: Shep, let her already. If she says she's okay. She knows her body.

Derek: Chief! (Meredith smiles.) Fine, but this is it. You will take the rest of the week off until you have the baby. This is you last surgery.

Richard: That sounds fair.

Meredith: Fine.

Derek: Go prep our patient.

Meredith: Thank you.

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Cristina was shocked that Derek was letting her in on the surgery. Meredith happily walked to the scrub room. She put soap on her hands and began scrubbing her hands and fingernails. Derek walked in and just shook her head.

Meredith: What?

Derek: You are ridiculous!

Meredith: Why?

Derek: You are about to give birth and here you are scrubbing in on a surgery. You totally played Richard and I.

Meredith: That's what girls do.

Derek: Let's do this. (They walk in to the operating room.) It's a beautiful day to save lives. Let's have some fun! (He starts to cut the patient open.) Dr. Shepherd, would you like to retract.

Meredith: Of course, Sir. (Their eyes connect and they both smile under their scrub masks. She had to lean in because of her large stomach, which was making her back hurt.)

Derek: Dr. Shepherd, can you tell me what at lumbar fusion accomplishes?

Meredith: It reduces the movement in an abnormal motion segment.

Derek: Why are we doing a posterior approach?

Meredith: (Sucks air in as another contractions comes along.) You can only do an anterior approach if it is a grade two or lower. We have a grade five here.

Derek: Are you okay?

Meredith: I'm fine. (She pushes out.)

Derek: (Looks at her unconvinced.) What will this surgery entail?

Meredith: Radical removal of the discs between the vertebral body at one or more segments. The spondylolisthesis is reduced, and the vertebrae are then fused in the correct position. This is done by inserting titanium cages filled with bone, into the space between the vertebrae. The bone grows together with the vertebra and, consequently, stabilizes the area. As a result, one of the initial causes of back and leg pain is eliminated.

Derek: Very good. (He continues working on the patient.)

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In the meantime, Cristina, Izzie and Alex are all in the gallery watching the surgery. It isn't done very often, so unless they were needed, they were allowed to observe.

Izzie: I can't believe she got in on that surgery.

Alex: Did you actually think he was going to turn her down?

Izzie: I wanted this case.

Cristina: So did I. She should not be in there. It looks like her contractions are getting closer.

Izzie: What! She's having contractions. Like, real contractions?

Cristina: Yeah.

Alex: She is nuts. Her water hasn't broken yet, has it?

Cristina: No. But she did lose her mucus plug a few days ago.

Izzie: Does McDreamy know?

Cristina: Do you really think she would be in there if he did? (Bailey walks in.)

Bailey: What the-- Is that Shepherd?

Izzie: Uh huh.

Bailey: That girl, I swear. How the hell did she pull this off?

Alex: And she's having contractions.

Bailey: She WHAT?

Cristina: Nice going, Evil Spawn. You weren't supposed to say anything!

Alex: You didn't sat not to.

Bailey: I am pulling her out.

Cristina: Dr. Bailey, she's okay. Besides, we're right here.

Bailey: I am going to hurt her when she gets out of that damn OR. The surgery should be over in an hour. She is damn lucky.

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Derek: Dr. Shepherd? Are you okay?

Meredith: Uh...huh. (Just then, everyone heard a big gush of water.)

Derek: What was that? (Meredith shrugs.)

Anesthesiologist: I think a pipe burst.

Nurse: It sounded like it was in the scrub room.

Scrub Nurse: (She looks down at the pool of amniotic fluid around Meredith's feet.) I think it was your wife.

Derek: WHAT! Meredith--

Meredith: I'm fine. I'm retracting.

Derek: God damn-it. You are not fine! I knew you shouldn't have scrubbed in. You're leaking amniotic fluid all over my OR. Oh my God! You're having our baby. Oh my God! Our baby is on it's way! I'm going to be a dad! (He starts freaking out.) I need to--

Meredith: Derek, calm down. I am fine. Focus on your patient.

Bailey: Dr. Shepherd!

Derek: Yes?

Bailey: Not you! That damn fool of an intern. Get your ass out. Karev is taking your place. You are going to OB.

Meredith: But--I'm okay.

Bailey: NOW! (Alex comes in and takes her place. Bailey makes her sit in a wheel chair and pushes her up to the floor.)

Derek: I--I--

Bailey: She'll be fine. She will still be in labor when you get done.

Derek: Okay. (They leave.) I'm going to be a dad!

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Okay, I lied. This ended up being a lot longer than I had planned so, the next chapter should be the last one. I still need baby names!!