Disclaimer: If we owned Grey's Alicia wouldn't be in the middle of an ugly cry right now. Because we'd know what was happening with Meredith. And she'd be in the middle of sex with Patrick Dempsey.

I stood in the mostly empty room that Sunday, smiling at the purchase Mer and I had made the day before. After picking up Dillon, we had gone out for breakfast, resized the ring, and then had meandered into a store with baby clothes and furniture. Dillon, at first, had been ecstatic, but as he watched Mer and I look at things, trying to decide what we wanted, he got bored. And then we bought our daughter's crib. A beautiful white crib. It looked perfect in the room that still needed to be painted bright yellow. I'd have a lot more time to do that now since Mer and I were taking the time off. But it already looked perfect. I had helped so many brother in laws build cribs and finally I needed one of my own. Life was good. It wasn't perfect, it was messy but it was good. I had Meredith. And Dillon. And Daddy's little princess.

I took a sip of my coffee as I stared at it, fully content. It was a Sunday morning. My family was coming over in a few hours. Meredith was sleeping peacefully in our bed, and Dillon, well, Dillon was standing next to me, a frown on his face. "Why did you buy it?" he asked.

"Your sister needs somewhere to sleep, bud," I told him.

"But she's not here yet," he frowned deeply. "And this is my play room."

"She's going to be here soon. And your mommy and I are turning the other room into your play room, bud," I ruffled his hair.

"But I like this room," he insisted. "She can sleep in the other room."

"This room is bigger, Dill. And it's closer to Mommy and me," I tried to explain.

"I don't care," he stared at me. "I want this room."

"Dillon, you can't have this room," I told him.

"She's a baby, she doesn't need a big room!" he raised his voice.

"Dillon, you have to share with her," I said crouching down to his height.

"I don't wanna share," he pouted. "She's a baby. And a girl. I don't wanna share. This is my play room."

"Dillon, it's not your play room anymore. You're getting a new one," I told him, my voice stern.

"What's going on out here?" Mer came out of our bedroom in sweats and one of my shirts.

"I was just telling Dillon how he's going to get a new play room," I told her, giving Dillon a look to keep him silent.

"No! I don't want a new playroom!" he yelled.

Meredith gave me a panicked look, she didn't need this, not today. "Dillon, you don't get to choose, you're getting a new play room and that's final."

"No!" he screeched. "I want this room! My stupid baby sister can have the other room!"

"Dillon!" Meredith shouted.

"What!" he shouted right back.

"Go to your room right now, Dillon Grey. And don't come out until you're ready to act like the big kid you are," Meredith yelled pointing to the door.

"I don't wanna go to my room!" he cried.

"Dillon, go to your room," I told him in an even voice.

"No," he snapped at me. "My daddy wouldn't make me go to my room."

"This isn't your daddy's house, this is my house. Mine and your mom's house. And if we say go to your room, you go to your room," I shouted.

"No!" he stomped his feet.

"Dillon! Room! Now!" Meredith yelled.

"Mommy! Room! Now!" he mocked her.

"Dillon Grey, you're going to your room right now or you won't be playing with your cousins tonight," I warned.

He stared at me for a second and then said, "I hate you" before turning around and stomping his way to his room, slamming his door behind him, hard.

The second we were alone Meredith burst into tears, her shoulders shook with sobs. I pulled her to me, holding her close, trying to sooth her. She didn't need this, not today. "It's okay, Mer, it's okay. He didn't mean it, he didn't mean it."

"He's always been so good," she cried. "What's the matter with him? I'm a terrible mother."

"Mer, don't say that, you're a great mom. He's just, a lot has been going on. He's adjusting," I hugged her tighter.

"God," she cried. "Not today. Why today? Why couldn't he adjust at his father's house?"

"Because his daddy's not having a baby," I told her, rocking her slightly in my arms.

She sighed and pulled away. "What time is it?" she murmured.

"It's nearly 10," I answered.

"Oh my god," her eyes widened. "I slept in. Why did you let me sleep in? Do you have any idea how much I have to do today?"

"Mer, you needed the sleep," I told her, shrugging.

"No, I don't need the sleep," she groaned. "I need to clean and get everything ready for the dinner tonight. And I need to make sure everything is perfect. I definitely do not need the sleep. The house, the house is a mess."

"The house looks fine," I told her, grabbing her arm.

"No, no it doesn't," she shook her head. "Derek, I have to clean."

"We have all day. I'll help," I told her soothingly.

"You have to cook!" she exclaimed. "How can you help me clean if you have to cook? How is that possible, Derek?"

"Mer, I don't have to cook yet, I have time to help you clean," I said, rubbing her arms.

"No you don't," she shook her head. "Derek, this has to be perfect. Your mom is an amazing cook and her house is always so warm and inviting and everyone is laughing and joking around."

"Meredith, that's the people, that's the family. It will be the same here," I tried to calm her down.

"No, no," she pulled away from me. "I have to clean. This is awful. Why didn't you wake me up?"

"I'm sorry, I just thought, I thought you could use the rest," I shrugged.

"I don't need rest, Derek!" she exclaimed. "I need to make sure that your family comes to this house and has a good time and doesn't think I'm a stressed out single mom."

"Mer, my family knows you, they love you. You don't have to impress them," I tried to calm her down yet again. She didn't need this stress. The baby didn't need this stress.

"Of course I have to impress them," she said desperately as she started walking off towards our bedroom.

"Mer..." I said following her. "You have to relax."

"I'll relax when I feel relaxed," she snapped at me. "And right now, I have too much to get done to relax."

"Mer, it's not healthy for our daughter," I tried to tell her. I felt like I was fighting a losing battle.

"Our daughter is fine," she said. "Now, where do I start? God, this house is a mess. I should have cleaned it yesterday."

"Meredith, you can't do this," I sighed watching her throw stuff around our bedroom, looking for clothes or something. "I knew this was a bad idea."

"It's not a bad idea," she shook her head. "It's the perfect way to get the family happy again. I mean, God, Der, your mom is dying. Mark is dating my doctor. And my son is throwing temper tantrums. It's all a mess."

"I know, Mer. But Addison needs you to stay relaxed, our daughter needs it," I tried to urge her.

"Derek, go do something," she ordered. "You standing here? Not helping."

"Okay," I sighed. I wanted to fight with her, I needed her to relax, but she wouldn't listen. And me trying to fight her on this wasn't going to help, it would just cause more stress for her. She was right, the best way to help her was to actually do something.

"On second thought," she paused for a second.

"What?" I asked.

"Go to the kitchen and make sure we have everything we need," she stated. "And then go to the store and get whatever we need. And maybe some beer and wine."

"Whatever you want, Mer," I nodded, going with my new philosophy of just going along with whatever she needed.

"Okay," she nodded. "And maybe some tequila."

"Meredith, you can't drink tequila," I pointed out.

"I know," she sighed. "But looking at it might help." She pulled a sweatshirt on and turned to me. "Derek, please. Don't just stand there."

"I'm going, Mer, I'm going. But I'm not getting tequila," I stated, starting to head towards the stairs.

"Daddy Derek?" Dillon poked his head out of his room. "Can I come out now?"

"Are you ready to act like a big boy?" I asked him.

"Yes," he nodded.

"Okay," I nodded. "Want to come to the store with me? Get you out of mommy's hair so she can clean."

"Okay," he nodded, tiptoeing out just as Meredith rushed past us, going down the stairs, mumbling to herself. "What's the matter with Mommy?"

"She's a little nervous about everyone coming over," I explained.

"Dillon Grey!" Meredith yelled up the stairs. "Come down here this second!"

"Come on, bud," I told him, picking him up. "Your mom doesn't sound very happy."

Meredith was standing in the middle of the living room, where Dillon had his legos still strewn about from the night before. "Didn't I tell you to pick these up last night?" she asked him, her hand on the small of her back.

"Mer, calm down. We'll pick them up before we go shopping," I told her gently.

"How am I supposed to clean if there's shit all over the house?" she asked. "I swear, you are both trying to kill me."

"Mer, you have to breathe," I reminded her.

"Derek, if I weren't breathing I'd be dead so I'm quite obviously breathing," she snapped. I laughed softly. I didn't mean to laugh, I knew laughing was definitely the wrong thing to do and wouldn't give me any brownie points, but quite frankly, Meredith was kind of adorable. I didn't want her stressed, I knew it was bad for her to stressed. But Meredith was cute. "What's funny?" she asked, glaring at me.

"Nothing, you're just cute," I laughed, quickly kissing her nose.

"I'm so glad you're amused," she said. "So glad I could provide entertainment for you."

I put Dillon down so he could pick up his legos and pulled Meredith into my arms. "Mer, you have to breathe. I can't spend all day worrying about you."

"I don't know what's the matter with me," she whimpered. "I feel completely out of it and...I don't know. This was a bad idea, Derek. A terrible, awful idea. Call and cancel."

"Mer, we can't cancel," I told her. "We'll get through this, tonight will be great."

"I can't," she shook her head. "The house is a mess and I feel terrible."

"How about you come out and shop with us? We'll all help you clean when we get back," I suggested, running my fingers through her hair.

"I can't, Derek," she sighed. "You have to cook when you get back and I have to clean. And why did you let me do this?"

"You were kind of hell bent on it. And well, I love you for it," I smiled.

"I should have stayed in bed today," she said. "I never should have gotten up. Why did I think this was a good idea? Your mom is going to come and she's going to hate this and it won't be like the real Shepherd family dinners. At all. And it will be bad. And then they'll all think I'm a terrible person who is stealing Derek from them, because I am."

"Meredith Grey-Shepherd, my family adores you. It will be just like the dinners at my mom's. Everything will be fine. And you're not stealing me, you're part of my family," I said, rubbing her shoulders.

"And my back hurts," she sighed. "And my head and I'm feeling nauseous which I thought would go away after the first trimester but apparently it can persist through out an entire pregnancy. And your daughter won't stop moving. And my head hurts."

Now I was worried. She was already in bad shape and she'd be pushing herself all day. This wasn't good, this was bad. "Maybe we should cancel."

"They'll kill us if we cancel," she sighed. "It's too late to cancel."

"They'll understand Mer, you're tired, they'll get it. They've all been where you are," I said, rubbing her back.

"No," she stood up. "No, I'm going to do this."

"Okay, just...call my cell if you need me," I told her.

"I will," she nodded. "Now you guys go."

"We're out of here," I smiled. "Love you."

"You too," she said as she walked away.

"Come on, bud," I said, grabbing his hand. "Let's go get that stuff for your mom."

"Mommy's going crazy," he whispered to me as we went out to my car.

I laughed. "She's just stressed right now, bud. Which means for the rest of the day you have to be extra good."

"What's stressed?" he asked as I buckled him in.

"It's kind of sad and worried and scared all at once. It's how you feel when you get mad at your little sister," I explained.

"Oh," he nodded. "Is Mommy stressed at you?"

"No. She's stressed because we have a whole lot of people coming over. And your sister is making her tired," I said, helping him buckle up.

"I told you my sister was bad," he stated.

"Your sister isn't bad," I told him. "Babies make mommies tired. You did."

"Bet I didn't," he said. "Bet if the baby was a brother he wouldn't."

"Dillon, you did. And even if it was a baby brother, your mom would still be tired. You can't blame everything on your sister, you know," I tried to explain.

"She's taking my playroom," he huffed. "You already like her more than me."

"Dillon, we don't like her more than you. We like you both the same. But babies need a lot of attention, they can't take care of themselves like you can. They can't talk, they can't get dressed by themselves, they have to be taken care of. So your sister needs to be close to mommy and me," I told him. "And your playroom being downstairs will be fun."

"No it won't," he said. "Sam doesn't like it."

"You know what? How about you help mommy and I plan it out. The room can be exactly what you want. Will Sam like it then?" I suggested. Spoiling him would probably not be the best idea, but I would do whatever it took.

"Maybe," he said slowly.

"We can paint it whatever colour, put things just where you want them, whatever you want bud," I said, smiling at my idea.

"Can I get new toys?" he asked.

"Maybe a couple," I told him.

"Okay," he nodded. "But it's gonna be my fort. No baby sisters 'llowed."

"She's going to be too young to play in it, so it's just yours," I nodded. By the time she was ready to play in it he'd be over this and thrilled to have his sister around as much as possible.

We drove in silence for a few minutes and then he asked, "Daddy Derek, you're a big brother right?"

"Yep," I nodded.

"Did you like your baby sister?" he asked seriously.

"At first, no," I told him. I honestly didn't remember, but I assumed I didn't. And even if it wasn't, I had a feelng it's what Dillon had to hear. "I liked being the baby, the one everyone gave all the attention too. But once I got to know her, I loved her."

"Did your mommy and daddy still love you?" he asked.

"Of course they did," I nodded. "Just like mommy and I will love you."

"Okay," he nodded as we pulled into the parking lot of the grocery store. It wouldn't be a long trip, we only needed a few things. I checked my cell phone as I got out of the car, double checking to make sure Meredith hadn't called. I was worried about her. Worried what today would do to her. How she would look at the end of the day. Because my mom would kill me if Meredith looked sick.

I knew I could easily call the family and cancel. Meredith was nearly 6 months pregnant, and things hadn't been easy. They'd understand her being tired, they'd be okay with it. But Meredith wanted to do this. I had a feeling that she needed to do this. I'd just have to watch out for her, get home quick and help her with whatever she needed. I'd have to just be there at the end of the day. I threw things in the cart as I went along, holding Dillon's hand the entire time. I decided to grab some strawberry ice cream for Meredith and also some peanut butter, as that was currently her most prominent craving. I grabbed all of the things on our list and then headed towards check out, letting Dillon pick out a candy bar as we waited in line.

I noticed a blonde standing behind me in line, staring at Dillon with a huge friendly smile on her face. I didn't trust women who smiled at kids like that, they usually wanted something more. And it kind of freaked me out. I smiled warmly at the woman, hoping she'd look away and fidgeted with some stuff in the cart, ignoring her, hoping Dillon wouldn't notice her looks. "What a well-behaved little boy," she commented to me. "I've never seen such a good boy."

"He can be a hellion when he wants to be," I replied, ruffling Dillon's hair.

"Well, he's very lucky to have such a nice daddy like you," she smiled at me. "I'm Lindsey."

"Derek," I replied. "And he's not my son, my stepson, well my future stepson."

"Oh!" she smiled. "I never would have guessed that you two weren't related. Such amazing blue eyes!" She looked right into my eyes as she said it.

"Yeah, well...yeah," I said shrugging.

"What's your name?" she asked Dillon.

"I'm Dillon Grey, I'm six. And this is Sam, he's six too," Dillon said with a warm smile.

"Well, hello, Dillon," she smiled, ignoring Sam completely. "Dillon, I think your step daddy is very handsome."

"My mommy thinks so too," Dillon nodded as I laughed.

"Where is your mommy?" Lindsey pressed on, her smile still plastered to her face.

"She's at home. Daddy Derek's family is coming over for supper so she's at home going crazy. Daddy Derek says she's tressed," Dillon answered.

"Going crazy, huh?" Lindsey smiled. "I bet that's really hard on your step daddy, isn't it?"

"No, Daddy Derek is good at taking care of her. He takes care of people. He's a brain surgeon," Dillon answered proudly.

"Oh really?" she raised her eyebrows, looking over me. Great, now she knew about the money thing. "You know," she lowered her voice and whispered to me, "I could help take care of you. You do need someone to take care of you."

"His mom takes care of me just fine," I smiled awkwardly.

She frowned for a second and then turned to Dillon. "Dillon, do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"Not yet, but mommy's got my little sister in her tummy," Dillon answered, frowning slightly.

"Oh," Lindsey smiled brightly. "That's exciting." She turned back to me, "And hard on your sex drive, I'm sure."

"That's none of your business," I told her harshly.

"I wasn't trying to offend," she said lightly. "Though it does seem to have hit a nerve. I can help with that, Derek."

"It didn't hit a nerve. I just simply don't discuss the details of mine and my fiancee's sex life with complete strangers," I said, turning around to place some stuff on the cash register.

"Well, if you change your mind," she said, "I can give you my number."

"I won't be needing your number, I won't be changing my mind," I said gesturing towards Dillon. "His mom, his mom is it for me. So no, I don't need your number."

"Oh, well, no need to be rude about it," she snapped as she turned around and walked off.

"Dill, we're not going to tell your mom about that," I told him. "Not today. Today it's our secret."

"Okay," he nodded. "What was she doing, Daddy Derek?"

"You know how Mark talks about cruising for girls? She was cruising for me," I laughed.

"Silly lady," Dillon giggled.

"Definitely, the only girl I want is your mommy and your little sister," I told him, kissing him quickly.

"So we won't tell mommy," he stated. "It's a secret."

"Exactly. Mommy doesn't need to know. She knows how much I love her," I answered.

He nodded and I paid for the groceries before going out to the car. The drive home was relatively quiet, Dillon sometimes talking to Sam in the back seat, but mostly, it was just quiet. I pulled into our driveway, unbuckled Dillon, and then got the groceries from the trunk. When I walked into the house, the first thing I saw was Meredith on her hands and knees scrubbing the floor in the foyer. "Mer, hun, you don't have to do that," I told her gently.

"Yes, I do, the floor is filthy," she sighed as she sat up, rubbing her back.

I was immediately beside her, my hand on her back, rubbing it for her. "No one is going to care how the floor in the foyer looks."

"I already scrubbed the kitchen floor," she sighed. "So it's clean. Which means no shoes in there."

"Okay, but ummm...shoes go in the foyer. You can't keep it clean," I pointed out.

She stared at me for a second and then started to stand up, swaying a little as she did so. "I just want the house to look nice, Derek."

"I know, Mer. But you can't kill yourself. The house looks fine. It looks nice," I nodded pulling her close, letting her lean against me. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," she answered, though it was obvious she wasn't.

"No you're not. Please sit down for a bit, watch some tv. I don't have to start cooking for a few hours, I can help," I tried to convince her, hoping she was tired enough to give in this time.

"Derek, I'm fine really," she insisted but then I heard her take a sharp breath.

"Mer? What's wrong?" I asked, holding her close in my arms, my heart rate tripled instantly.

"It's nothing," she shook her head. "The baby...she's uh...she's kicking me hard."

"Meredith, are you sure?" I asked, my hand falling to her stomach.

"Yes," she nodded. "Derek, you're forgetting I've been in labor before. I would know if that's what was going on."

"Okay, if you're sure. But Mer, please sit down, at least for a few minutes. Let me get you something to drink, just for a minute," I begged. Meredith was leaning on me too much, using my strength. She couldn't take what she was trying to do. She was better today than she had been on Thursday, her healthy glow was starting to come back. But still, she wasn't ready for this. I shouldn't have let her take it on.

"Fine," she sighed as I led her to the couch, sitting her down slowly. "Only for a few minutes, though. I still have to dust and vacuum."

"Good," I said, running to the kitchen and getting her a glass of lemonade. "But I'm doing to vacuuming. That's too heavy of work for you, Mer."

"It's a vacuum, Derek," she rolled her eyes. "I pull it back and forth on carpet. It's not a big task."

"You're not carrying it anywhere. Pushing is fine, but no carrying," I insisted.

"Fine," she sighed. "You carry it. I'll push it."

"Mer, I'm just watching out for my two favourite girls," I said, rubbing her back.

"I know, I know," she nodded. "But, Derek, this is your family we're talking about. I'm trying to be apart of your family."

"You're a part of my family, Mer. If the house was as messy as Cristina's you'd still be part of my family," I laughed.

She giggled a little and then sat back on the cushions. "What time is it?" she asked.

"It's getting close to noon, did you have lunch?" I asked her.

"I'm not hungry," she said meekly.

"Meredith, if you don't eat lunch, even just a quick sandwich, I'm calling everyone and calling tonight off," I told her.

"You wouldn't!" she looked at me, her eyes wide.

"I would," I nodded.

"Fine," she nodded. "I'll have a turkey sandwich."

"Okay, I'll go take care of that," I nodded, getting off the couch. "You sit here and I'll take care of you," I laughed, thinking of the woman at the grocery store.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Nothing, it's nothing," I smiled, heading towards the kitchen to make her the sandwich I was forcing her to eat. I hated having to force her, but at least it got food into her. That's what mattered right now. She was stressed today, but she needed to eat.

Dillon followed me into the kitchen, a concerned look on his face. "Is Mommy okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, bud. She's just tired," I nodded, grabbing the ingredients from the fridge. "She'll be fine."

"Does she have an owie?" he asked.

"She kind of has an owie all over. She could probably use a hug," I suggested.
"Okay," he nodded and then ran off to do just that.

I walked into the living room minutes later to find Dillon sitting beside her, his arms wrapped typed around her body, talking animatedly about something. Meredith looked more relaxed than she had all day, she looked happy. "Mer, here's your sandwich. Eat."

"Yes, sir," she smiled and bit into the sandwich. "What time is everyone coming again?"

"Anytime between three and five," I told her. "Mark, Addie and my mom will probably get here first."

"That's only three hours," she sighed.

"It's plenty of time. Dillon's going to help, aren't you bud?" I asked.

"Yep," he nodded. "What do I do?"

"How about you dust? Do you think you can take care of that?" I asked him.

"Der, I don't know," Meredith shook her head. "He might break something. And he's not tall enough."

'Well then, what can he do?" I smiled at her. Dillon wanting to help out was a good thing, and I was determined to find him something to do. Even if it was just helping me, something had to come up.

"Dill, is your room clean?" Meredith asked him.

"Ummm...kinda..." Dillon said, looking at his feet.

"Go clean your room," Meredith sighed as she took another bite of her sandwich and then put it down. "I want it done in an hour so you can take a bath."

"Okay," Dillon said, frowning slightly but not complaining about the prospect of cleaning his room and then a bath. He was a good kid, and I was happy to see him back to himself, at least for now.

For the next hour, Meredith dusted around the house and I kept a close watch on her. Her hand was always on the small of her back, and there would be times when she thought I wasn't looking that she'd wince a little. I knew I should get her to stop, but there was absolutely nothing I could do. She wouldn't listen to me. "Der?" she asked, coming into the kitchen where I was cutting up vegetables.

"Yeah?" I asked concerned.

"Could you run Dillon's bath for him?" she sighed. "And help him wash his hair? I don't think I can."

"Sure," I nodded, putting the knife down and putting a concerned arm around her. "You okay?"

"It's just my back," she nodded. "But I'm fine, really. I just have to vacuum and I'm done."

"After everyone leaves tonight, we're sitting down and doing nothing for the rest of the night. We can do dishes in the morning," I told her.

"Okay," she agreed. "Though I'll probably go to sleep."

"That's fine, sleep is good," I smiled, walking towards the stairs. "I've never helped Dillon in the bath before, does he like baths? Am I going to get wet?"

She laughed a little. "It depends on what toys he has in there with him. If he has his submarine, no. If he has his dolphin, you'll get soaked. And he likes them, he'll sit in one until the water gets cold."

"Okay, I can handle this," I nodded, heading up the stairs to find our son.

"Is it time for my bath, Daddy Derek?" he was already in the bathroom with his robe and a towel.

"It is," I nodded.

"Good," he nodded. "See my dolphin? He's Danny."

"So it's dolphins today. Your mommy warned me of the dolphins," I laughed.

"They like to jump," he smiled as I started to run the bath. He got undressed and climbed in, already starting to throw his dolphin in the air so it landed in the water.

"This is going to have to be a fast one, bud. We have to help your mommy out," I told him, reaching for the soap.

"Okay," he nodded. "Shampoo first."

"Okay," I said grabbing his shampoo and putting it in my hands. I had never actually done this before, even when I babysat for my sisters I had never done this. I really had no idea how to do this. But I was a dad now so I'd have to figure it out.

As I massaged the shampoo into his hair, he kept his head back and his eyes closed. "To rinse it you use the cup," he said suddenly, as if he had been reading my thoughts. I looked around and found a pitcher on the edge of the tub, and filled it, pouring it over his shampooed hair. "Daddy Derek?"

"Yeah, bud?" I asked him.

"Didn't you tell Mommy she couldn't vacuum?" he asked.

"I tried to, but she doesn't like listening to me very much," I laughed.

"Well, she's vacuuming," he shrugged. "I can hear it."

"She...I...I told her I'd carry it for her, she didn't ask me to carry it for her," I panicked. "Dillon, your mom is too stubborn for her own good."

"I can finish by myself," he told me.

"Are you sure?" I questioned, already starting to stand up.

"Yeah," he nodded. "It's easy now."

"Okay, bud, be careful. Yell if you need me," I told him as I headed out of the washroom and ran down the stairs. Our vacuum wasn't light, it wasn't monstrous but it wasn't small. Someone Meredith's size that was pregnant couldn't be carrying it. That wasn't healthy, that wasn't good for her of the baby. I loved her, I loved her stubborn streak, but she had to let me help her.

I found her carrying the damn thing from the living room to the dining room. "Did you finish already?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

I didn't answer. "What the hell are you doing? Meredith, you're not supposed to be carrying that," I shouted, pulling it from her hands.

"Derek, it's not that heavy," she said. "Really, I'm fine. Will you please stop coddling me? I'm not a child!"

"Mer..." I started to shout, taking a deep breath to stop myself. Yelling was bad, yelling would not solve things. "I know that, Mer. I know. But I worry about you. I can't loose you or our daughter. I can't."

"I'm fine, our daughter is fine," she stressed.

"You're not fine, you haven't been fine all day," I argued.

"A backache isn't going to kill me, Der. All pregnant women get them."

"I'm sorry," I sighed. "I know I worry too much, but you're...you're all I have. I can't loose this."

"You're not going to," she whispered and then kissed me. "I think I'm going to soak in a bath for an hour or so, anyway."

"Good, that sounds good," I smiled. Meredith relaxing in the tub was good.

"Come and get me when people start coming," she smiled, kissing me again.

"Will do," I said heading towards the kitchen to finish preparing the meal, feeling relaxed for the first time that day. Meredith was okay, I had to stop worrying. She had been pregnant before, she knew what her body could take. And now that I was here, she was fine. She slept through nights again, she was eating, she seemed a lot more relaxed. Meredith was fine.

Mark, Addison, and my mom were the first people to arrive an hour and a half later. Mark was helping my mom up the driveway, Addie following closely behind him. I opened the door and went out to help him. "You doing okay, Mom?" Mark asked her.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me. I'm happy to be out of that house for once," my mom laughed weakly.

Mark smiled a little but shot me a worried look. "Hey, Der," he grinned.

"Mark, Addison," I greeted them both.

"Hi, Derek," Addison smiled.

By now we had reached the house, which was clean and perfect looking. Meredith would be happy. "I just have to run upstairs and tell Mer people are arriving. She''s resting," I smiled.

"Good," Addison nodded firmly. "I'm glad to hear it."

I ran up the stairs and found Meredith napping on our bed, curled up in a tiny ball, some pain showing on her face. Her back worried me. She didn't seem to concerned about the pain but she had been here before. I hadn't. And I'm sure it was nothing. But Meredith was my life and I couldn't help but worry about her. I shook her a little bit, and she popped up, immediately. "Are they here?" she asked as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"Just my mom, Mark and the love of his life," I laughed. "Dillon's down there entertaining them."

"Okay," she nodded. "I have to finish getting dressed. I'll be down in a few." She stood up, swayed a little, and then sat right back down.

"Mer?" I asked, kneeling down in front of her. "Are you okay? Do you want me to run and get Addie?"

"No," she breathed, obviously in some kind of pain. "I just stood up too fast. I'm fine."

"Mer, you're not fine, you're in pain," I said, grabbing her hands, letting her hold onto me tightly. "I can go get Addie."

"No, no," she shook her head. "Really, Derek, I'm fine. I must have fallen asleep in a funny position."

"Okay," I nodded, relenting. "But you have to tell me if it bothers you again, if it gets any worse. You have to tell me."

"I will," she nodded. "Now go downstairs. I'll be down in a few minutes."

"Okay," I said kissing her quickly and turning to go downstairs, turning back for a second, seeing pain flash across Meredith's face. Something was wrong, I didn't know what, but this couldn't be the usual back pain. I wanted to ask Addison, but Meredith would kill me. I'd just have to watch for her.

By the time Meredith made it downstairs, the rest of the family had shown up and it was a madhouse. Kids were running around, my mom was sitting in a chair watching happily, Mark and Addison were entwined on the couch, and my sisters and their husbands were all talking loudly. I watched Meredith come down the stairs, watched her pause at the last step, saw her take a deep breath. I wanted to jump up and run to her but if I did my family would know something was wrong. And they'd be all over her, protective, taking care of their own. And she would hate it. She'd panic and she'd hate it. So I sat and watched her walk towards me, ready to be there if she needed me.

"Hi, everyone," she grinned.

"Hi Meredith," Kathleen greeted. "Thanks for doing this, it means a lot."

"It's really not a problem," Meredith nodded. "I missed the weekly dinners too."

"It's a lot to take on, we really do appreciate it," Erin smiled, walking over and giving Meredith a quick hug.

I saw Meredith wince a little and I wondered if Erin had noticed. I stole a quick glance over to Addison, who was watching Meredith with a quizzical look. "It's the least I could do," Meredith told Erin.

"Mer, I have to go check on dinner, come sit down," I invited her, getting off my spot on the couch.

She nodded gratefully and sat down. "The house looks nice," she whispered to me.

"It does," I nodded. "I told you we could pull this off."

"We can," she nodded. "Go check on dinner."

"Going," I nodded. I wanted to ask her if she was okay, but I knew she wasn't and I knew there was no way she'd tell me.

When I came back, Addison and Nancy were talking quietly in a corner while Meredith talked to my mom, who had her hand on Meredith's belly. "Hey Shep," Mark grinned, "when's dinner ready? Some of us are starving here."

"You're not being fed tonight," I told him. "I don't feed men who keep secrets from their best friends."

"I couldn't tell," he shook his head. "What kind of an ass is happy when his mother is dying of breast cancer in the hospital?"

"I'm happy," I shrugged looking over at Meredith. "It's okay to be happy. Just because our family life is...less than perfect, we can still be happy outside that. We're allowed to. Mom wants us to."

"I know that now," Mark nodded. "She's great, isn't she?"

"She is," I nodded in agreement.

"She's funny and smart," Mark grinned. "She's perfect for me. And I sound like you now. Damn it, you poisoned me with your chickness."

I laughed and slapped him on the back. "Congrats, Mark. Honestly, it's the best feeling in the world. Terrifying at first, but once you get used to it, you'll wonder how you ever lived without her." I was looking at Meredith again.

She stood up and came over to me, wrapping her arms around my waist. "We need to tell them," she whispered. "That we're engaged. And the baby is a girl."

"We do," I nodded, wrapping my arm around her waist. "Now? Or over supper?"

"Let's do it now," she grinned. She looked relaxed. The pain seemed to have subsided for now.

"Okay," I nodded, squeezing her tightly. "Hey everyone, Mer and I have an announcement to make. Actually two announcements."

"Oh God," Mark groaned. "What now?" He quieted though when Addison slapped him lightly on the arm. "Sorry, babe."

I laughed at the sight of Mark with a woman that could keep him in line. And then cleared my throat. "First, as you might have guessed by the ring on her finger, Meredith and I are officially engaged."

"Oh my god!" Erin shrieked and ran over to Meredith, taking her finger. "Oh, Mer," she breathed, "it's the Shepherd family ring...it looks great on you."

Meredith smiled and moved her mouth to say thanks, but Nancy cut her off. "And?"

"And," Meredith smiled, taking this one. "We're having a baby girl."

"I knew it! I knew it was a baby girl!" Kathleen exclaimed. And then our family was surrounding us, giving us warm hugs, offering a multitude of congratulations, asking question after question.

After twenty minutes of this, Meredith turned to me, looking slightly overwhelmed. "Dinner?" she asked quietly.

"It should be ready," I smiled, heading towards the kitchen to take one last final look.

Mer had everyone gather into the dining room and take their seats as I started carrying out the dishes to put on the table. Everyone was still talking excitedly as my mom took her space at the head of the table, me and Meredith to her right and Kathleen and her husband to her left. Finally, the table went quiet and my mother said in a quiet voice, "Who is going to say grace?"

"How about you do it, Mom?" I suggested.

She nodded carefully and began speaking. As she said the short grace, I felt Meredith grab my leg, squeezing it tightly. I opened my eyes and saw that she was panting a little bit. "Der," she whispered.

"Mer, what's wrong?" I whispered back, trying to keep my voice calm.

"It hurts," she whimpered. "Oh god, it hurts."

By this time grace was finished and others had started noticing Meredith's distress, or maybe more likely my panic as I slipped out of my chair to get closer to her, to hold my hand over her stomach, terrified at what hurt. "Meredith, what's wrong?" Addison demanded.

"It's no-nothing," Meredith breathed.

"Meredith," I said loudly enough to force her to look at me. "You told me you'd tell me. You cannot lie to me."

"My abdomen," she whispered. "It hurts. Like, like contractions."

"It can't be contractions," I looked up at Addie terrified. "She's only 6 months, it can't be contractions."

Addie rushed over and bent down next to Meredith, "Meredith, listen to me. Listen. I need you to tell me how long it's been hurting. Have they gotten closer together? More intense?" Meredith didn't say anything and Addison turned to look at me. "Derek, I need her to answer me."

"I...I...I don't know," I sputtered. "She...she's been in and out of pain all day but she just said that it was her back, that it was normal." I felt awful, I felt more than awful. I shouldn't have listened to her, I should have insisted that she'd slowed down, that we go get her checked out. Meredith avoided things, I should have known.

"It was my back," Meredith whispered. "But this...this has been off and on. No pattern to it. Not more intense or even closer together."

"You should have told me," I whispered gently, my hand tangling itself in hers. "She's going to be alright, right Addie? Her and my princess...they have to, they're going to be alright, right?"

"Mark," Addie looked over at her boyfriend, "carry Meredith upstairs for me, please. Derek, do you have a blood pressure cuff and a stethoscope lying around the house?"

I nodded. "I have some stuff in my closet, that I used to use in med school."

"Go get it," she ordered. "And then come right back down here. I need you to be out of my way while I'm examining her."

"But...but..." Addison gave me a warning look, so I ran upstairs to get what she needed. My heart was thudding in my chest, my head felt like it wasn't attached, like I was just running on auto-pilot. I had done my rotations in ob/gyn. I knew six months was too early. I knew it was bad. But I couldn't lose Meredith. We couldn't lose our daughter.

After I gave her the things she needed, Mark carried Meredith upstairs and I paced the floor frantically, my breath coming in short gasps. "Der, it's going to be fine," Nancy assured me.

"You don't know that," I snapped at her.

"Derek, I'm an ob/gyn," she reminded me. "From what Meredith was describing, it sounds like false labor."

I stopped pacing and took a few deep breaths. "You sure?" I asked my sister.

"Well, not one hundred percent, but yes," Nancy nodded. "The fact that they had no pattern to them, that it was her stomach hurting, the fact that they weren't getting anymore intense. It sounds like Braxton Hicks."

"Braxton Hicks? That's nothing bad right? It won't hurt the baby?" I asked, desperately needing answers.

"No," she shook her head. "They're just practice contractions, basically. Getting the body ready for labor and delivery. Most women get them. Though few get them as early as Meredith. They were probably stress-induced."

"God, I wish I could get her to relax more," I complained, running my hands through my hair. "The woman refuses to stop, she worries about everything, she always has to be moving. She just keeps pushing."

"That's why I've put her on forty eight hour bed rest," Addie came down the stairs.

"Addie," I said turning around and hugging her tightly. "Is she okay? Are both of them okay?"

"From what I can tell, yes," Addison nodded. "They stopped the second we got her lying down. It was false labor, Derek, brought on by stress. And your daughter was moving up a storm while I was doing the exam."

"She moves around a lot," I laughed, blinking back tears. "Thanks, Addison."

"No problem," she squeezed my arm. "But she's on bed rest for forty eight hours. And keep a close watch on her, Derek. If they come back and they're intense and she's getting them every four or five minutes, you call me. Do you understand?"

"Of course," I nodded. "I'll be calling you if they come back at all."

"And Meredith wanted me to apologize to everyone on her behalf for ruining dinner," Addison said to the family.

"Derek's right, Meredith worries too much," my mom laughed from her place at the table. "We should all go home, give Derek and his family sometime to relax."

Everyone nodded and began moving to grab their coats. "Derek," Addison turned to me, lowering her voice.

"Yeah?" I asked her, a little worried.

"Her blood pressure was through the roof," she told me quietly. "I consider it a miracle she didn't suffer a stroke. I also think she may be anemic. I need you to bring her in tomorrow for some tests."

"I will. Should I...should I be worried?" I asked her.

"Not yet," she smiled at me. "Just keep her in bed. And don't let her clean house again."

"I fought with her all day about that," I groaned.

"She told me," Addison nodded as Mark helped her put on her coat. "You can go see her. We can let ourselves out."

"Thanks," I nodded moving to head up the stairs. "Oh and Addie, welcome to the family."

"Thanks," she smiled. "It's been fun so far."

I smiled and headed up the stairs. I felt like an idiot. I was supposed to be watching out for her. I was supposed to take care of her. I shouldn't have let her clean the house, I shouldn't have let her have everyone over for supper, not until after the baby. Tonight had mainly been for me, not even for her, and I shouldn't have let her do it. She had to come first.

I entered the room and found her on her side, reading a book. She looked up when I came in. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"Oh, Mer, it's not your fault," I whispered, climbing into the bed and pulling her into my arms.

"I just wanted everything to be perfect for you," she murmured.

"I know, I know. I shouldn't have let you push so hard. A fight might have been healthier than you pushing so hard," I whispered.

"She's fine," Meredith looked up at me, her hand on her belly.

"She's fine," I nodded. "But Addison's worried about you."

"Why?" Meredith asked. "She told me the false labor was normal."

"It is," I nodded. "But really high blood pressure isn't."

"Oh," Meredith sighed.

"Meredith, you're pregnant. You're 6 months pregnant and a good portion of it was hell on your body. Which was my fault. But I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere. You have to take care of yourself, you have to let me take care of you," I told her, pulling her close.

"Daddy Derek?" Dillon stood in the doorway of our room, his eyes red and puffy.

"Dillon? You okay?" I asked him, sitting up and opening my arms for him to come climb onto the bed.

He came forward and climbed into my arms before turning to Meredith. "Mommy, are you gonna go away?"

"Oh no, baby, I'm okay. It was just a scare with your sister, but we're both okay now," Meredith said.

"I thought you were gonna go away like Derek's daddy," Dillon cried as he cuddled up to his mother.
"I'm not going anywhere," Meredith said pulling him close to her.

"Okay," he whispered. "I love you. And my sister can have the big play room."

"I love you too, Dill." she whispered, kissing his forehead. "And thank you." He was drifting off to sleep, and so was she, but first she looked at me and said, "I don't need a knight in shining whatever, you know."

"I know," I nodded, "But you're stuck with one anyway."

She smiled softly and said, "You can take care of me, Derek. I won't scare you again."

"Thank you," I smiled in relief. I slipped out of my pants and climbed in bed with my two favourite people. Downstairs was full of dishes, it would be a huge mess for me to clean tomorrow, but that would wait. Right now I wanted to go to bed with my family.

"I'll walk with you through every storm, I'll keep you safe, I'll keep you warm, and you'll have no doubt, you're the one I'm living for"