An hour later, we were in the car on the way to the mall. Meredith smiled at Dillon as he talked excitedly in the backseat. "I think I want my playroom to be green," he said.
"Green would be nice," Meredith smiled.
"Maybe red," Dillon frowned. "I can't do blue cause my room's blue."
"Red would be nice too," I nodded.
"What color would you do, Daddy Derek?"
"I think either would be nice," I nodded.
"Green, I would go with green," I said confidently.
"Okay," Dillon nodded, "green. Let's do green."
"A bright green," Meredith cut in. "Something cheery."
"Can I have paints in my play room?" Dillon asked. "And for my birthday, can I have a tree house?"
"A tree house? We're going to have to talk about that," I said looking at Meredith. "And paints would be good in your play room. Maybe an easel."
"Charlie has a tree house," Dillon reported. "It's really cool!"
"We'll talk about it," Meredith nodded.
"That means no," Dillon sighed sadly.
"It doesn't mean no," I told him. "But a tree house is pretty big, your mom and I have to decide whether it's a good idea or not."
"It is a good idea," he insisted. "I can sleep in it and play in it. And I'll even share it with Megan."
"That would be nice, Dill. But still Derek and I, this is something we have to talk about," Meredith sighed.
"Why?" he asked. "I go up in Charlie's all the time."
"Dill, it's a big thing. We'll talk about it," I said firmly.
"But why?" he stressed. "Just say yes."
I look at Meredith to find her smiling. "What do you think?" I silently mouthed to her.
She shrugged. "Dangerous," she mouthed.
"Is that a no?" I mouthed back. "If it's a no, you're telling him."
"It's a maybe," she mouthed.
"I had one," I mouthed. "He'll love it." I added in a pleading look on Dillon's behalf.
She rolled her eyes. "Fine," she whispered.
"I don't know, Dill, it might be a bad idea. Isn't there anything else you want?" I asked, looking forward so he couldn't see my smile.
"No," he said firmly. "I want a tree house."
"Well then," I sighed, trying to pretend I was annoyed. "I guess we're getting a tree house."
"Yay!" he clapped his hands. "Thanks, Daddy Derek!"
"Thank your mom too," I told him.
"Thanks, Mom," he nodded.
"You have to be careful," Meredith warned.
"I will," he nodded. "I don't want a blue arm again."
"Good," Meredith nodded.
"She needs some more stuff for her room. And clothes. Maybe some toys," I answered.
"Does she like trains?" Dillon asked as we pulled into the mall parking lot.
"We don't know what she likes yet," Meredith giggled.
"Then how do you know what kind of toys to get?" he started unbuckling himself.
"We just get her stuff like teddy bears and baby stuff. Everyone likes that stuff," I said, helping him out of the car.
"She needs a Sam," Dillon pointed out as he took my hand.
"She does need a Sam," I agreed.
"Mommy, can we get Megan a Sam?" Dillon asked Meredith as I helped her out of the car.
"Of course we can," Meredith smiled.
"Sullivan says there's a store called Build a Bear," Dillon reported. "You can build a teddy bear."
"Where to first?" Meredith smiled at me.
"I don't know," I shrugged. "What do we need?"
"Clothes," Meredith answered. "A changing table. We need a high chair. And a swing. Oh, we need so much. How are we ever going to get everything?"
"We'll tackle it Mer, we have two months," I reassured her. "How about we take care of the high chair and changing table first?"
"Okay," she nodded, squeezing my hand. "You ready, Dill? You can help us find the perfect high chair for Megan."
"Why does Megan need a high chair?" Dillon asked.
"Because when she's old enough to sit up, we'll want her eating with us at the table, right?" Meredith smiled.
"Yes," Dillon nodded, looking deep in thought.
"Well, she'll be too small to sit in a regular chair like you, so she'll have her own chair with her own small table. That's a high chair."
"Oh, okay, we can get her a high chair," Dillon nodded.
"Good," Meredith grinned at me.
"Today is going to be fine," I reassured her again.
"I know," she nodded. "I just wished I hadn't sold all of Dillon's stuff. I just never thought I'd have more kids."
"No one expects to meet someone as wonderful as me," I shook my head laughing.
"Cocky," Meredith rolled her eyes. "You're so full of yourself."
"And you love it," I laughed.
"Okay, let's do this," she sighed.
I smiled and led her into the furniture store. I had never done this. I had no experience in this. And I assumed it wasn't going to be that hard, most high chairs looked the same. And then Meredith and Dillon had started talking about the benefits of each one I was starting to think today might be longer than I thought.
"I don't think the tray is stable enough," Meredith sighed as we looked at our tenth high chair. "It's so feeble."
"They all look the same to me," I groaned.
Meredith put her hands on her hips, staring at me. "You seriously are going to complain?" she asked.
"It's the tenth chair," I moaned.
"Derek, I am currently carrying your child," she stated. "My feet hurt, my back is killing me, and I'm exhausted. If you really want to complain, then you can spend the night at the trailer."
"You're right, Mer," I sighed. "That tray looks feeble. Our daughter deserves the best."
"That's what I thought," Meredith nodded firmly. "Now, what about this one?"
"That one looks sturdy," I stated.
"True," she nodded, her hand on her stomach. "Dill, what do you think?"
"I like the colour," he nodded.
"Okay," she nodded again. "I like this one. I think it's a yes. Derek?"
"Oh it's a yes," I sighed in relief.
"Actually," Meredith sighed. "It's too girly. It really is. What if our next baby is a boy? It has purple hearts on it."
"Not that one then," I nodded.
"Oh, I love this one," she walked over to a light green and white high chair with a green tray and seat back. "What do you think?"
"That one's good. Very unisex," I nodded again.
"Derek, are you going to say you like every one I point out?" she stared at me, a frown on her face.
"No, I really like that one," I nodded more emphatically.
"Okay," she nodded. "We'll take this one."
"Good," I smiled, kissing her quickly.
"We need a changing table," she pointed out. "And a car seat. We can't forget a car seat, Derek."
"We won't forget a car seat," I promised.
"We should probably get a safety gate," she thought out loud. "And a stroller. Thank God Kath got us a bath tub. And Erin got us the play chair. I feel like I'm forgetting things."
"We have another two months. If we forget anything today we can pick it up another time," I reminded her.
"Derek, you keep acting like we have a lot of time," she frowned as we started walking towards the changing tables, "two months isn't very long. Esepcially since you're training for Chief."
"Which takes a day of my week, that's it. We have some time," I sighed.
"I'm so sorry that I'm boring you with shopping for our daughter," she snapped as she took Dillon's hand and took him to the furniture.
"Meredith," I said walking after them. "I'm not bored. This is fun. This is great. I just...I don't want you stressed out."
"Well, you're stressing me out," she said. "Because you get bored with a high chair, Derek. I have to find the perfect one. A strong one. And now I'll probably look at twenty changing tables. And you'll complain."
"I won't complain. I'm here. I'm in this," I nodded.
"You better be," she nodded firmly.
"I am," I smiled, and looked at a change table in front of me. "What do we think of this one?"
"I don't like it," Dillon shook his head. "What color is the crib, Mommy?"
"It's dark wood," Meredith answered.
"Then, this one," Dillon took her hand and dragged her to a different change table. "See, it looks like her crib."
"It's just like her crib," Meredith nodded looking excited. "It would look good in her room."
"I think it's perfect. It will look nice in the room," I answered.
"Well, that didn't take long," Meredith smiled at me. "Good job, Dill."
"Megan I picked out your table," Dillon said proudly to Meredith's stomach.
Meredith smiled as she ran her fingers through his curly blond hair. "She's very happy that you did," she assured her son.
"We need a lot of stuff," Meredith told him. "We need a car seat, and a safety gate, and a swing. Luckily, your aunts got Megan a lot of stuff. And we need to get clothes."
"Clothes? I don't like shopping for clothes!" Dillon complained.
She laughed a little. "I know, Dill, but we have to get Megan clothes to wear. Especially when she comes home from the hospital."
"And we have to get her her Sam," Dillon suddenly said jumping up excitedly.
"Yeah we do," Meredith grinned. "What should we do first, Derek?"
"I don't know," I sighed.
Meredith's eyes darkened as she looked in my direction. "Feeling overwhelmed?" she asked, slightly snidely.
"No, no, I'm good," I said, trying to pull myself together. Meredith was no going to win.
"So what do you want to do first?" she asked again.
"How about we let Dill choose?" I suggested.
"I want to get her Sam!" Dillon exclaimed.
"Okay," Meredith sighed and we began walking, Dillon walking a little bit in front of us. "Would you mind actually getting involved here," Meredith hissed at me. "Dillon's more excited about this than you."
"I'm involved," I sighed. "Just feeling a little...overwhelmed," I admitted.
"Well, I had to do this with Izzie when I was pregnant with Dillon," she said. "So I have no pity for you. Imagine a very perky Izzie baby supplies shopping."
"How did you not kill her?" I laughed, grabbing her hand.
"I have no idea," she shook her head and then stopped, her hand going to her back.
"You okay? Need a break?" I asked.
"Yeah," she nodded. "A break would be good. My back is killing me. And my feet."
I guided her to a bench, telling Dillon to wait a second. She sat down, her body obviously relieved. "How about you sit here and Dillon and I will take care of Sam?"
"Okay," she sighed. "That's probably a good idea."
"Call my cell if you need me," I said, kissing her quickly and grabbing Dillon's hand and leading him towards the bear store.
"Wow," Dillon breathed when we got to Build a Bear. "Look at all the animals I can make!"
"Wow," I repeated. "I should make one for your mommy."
"Really?" Dillon smiled. "You're gonna make mommy a Sam?"
"I think so. Don't you think she could use one?" I asked.
"Yeah," he nodded. "In case she gets sad. Daddy Derek, what animal should I make? A dog? A kitty? A teddy bear? Look, they even have a monkey!"
"Make her whatever you want. Maybe a bear is a good idea so Megan's Sam can be Sam's sister," I suggested.
"Okay," he nodded and grabbed a white teddy bear with a pink nose. "What are you gonna make Mom?"
I thought of Bananas who still sat in the bassinett at the house. "I'm going to make her a monkey."
"Cool!" Dillon grinned. "Look, Daddy Derek, you can put sounds in your animal!"
"That's pretty cool, Dill," I laughed, grabbing the monkey from the bin.
"Hey guys," a smiling teenager came up to us. "My name is Melanie. Welcome to Build a Bear. Have you guys been here before?"
"Nope," Dillon shook his head.
"Well, then let me walk you through it," she smiled. "I see you guys have chosen your animals already. And now, you can either put a sound in your bear or record one. You can have your teddy bear say I love you or your monkey make monkey noises."
"Daddy Derek, what should the bear say?" he asked me.
"I don't know, bud," I smiled. "Do you want to record your voice telling your sister you love her?"
"Can I?" he asked his eyes ride.
"Yeah, you can," Melanie smiled. "How old is your sister?"
"She's in mommy's belly still," Dillon smiled.
"Oh," Melanie grinned. "You can have your teddy bear say Happy birthday if you wanted to."
Dillon thought for a second, chewing his lip just like Meredith. "No, I think I want it to say I love you."
"Okay," she nodded. "Then come here and talk into the microphone. What about you, Dad? Is your monkey going to say something?"
I thought for a second, considered the fact that I wasn't going to be around as much soon, busy working. I'd be home as much as possible, no question of that, but not as much as I should be. "I love you, I want it to say I love you."
"That's great," Melanie nodded. "Just talk into the microphone and we'll put it in the animals. So anytime they're squeezed, you'll be able to hear them."
"Mommy is going to like her monkey, Daddy Derek," Dillon smiled up at me.
"Oh, is it for your wife?" Melanie smiled softly.
"My fiancee," I smiled.
"That's really sweet," the teenager grinned. "Okay, guys, record your voices and then we'll take you to stuff your animals." Dillon stepped forward and talked into the microphone and I followed suit. Meredith was going to roll her eyes. Meredith was going to tell me I was lame and cheesy. She was going to love it. "Now," Melanie smiled and took us to a stuffing station, "each of you take a heart. Make a wish, turn around three times, and then give it a kiss."
"Do I have to?" I asked, making a face.
"Yes, Daddy Derek," Dillon nodded seriously, Melanie nodding along with him.
"Fine, but you're not telling Mommy about this. And you're definitely not telling Uncle Mark," I groaned imagining the ribbing I'd be given.
"I won't," Dillon promised as he closed his eyes, gripping the heart in his hands, turned around three times, and then gave the heart a kiss. "Your turn, Daddy Derek.
I rolled my eyes but did as I was told. "What next?"
"Okay, now we're going to stuff your animals," Melanie smiled. "Put your foot on the pedal and press down." Dillon smiled and followed her directions. He looked like he was about to burst with pride, and I silently hoped that Megan would like this bear as much as Dillon loved Sam. "How does it feel?" Melanie asked, handing the bear back to Dillon. "Give it a squeeze."
"It feels cuddly, like Sam," Dillon smiled.
I took my turn stepping on the pedal, enjoying being called just Dad. It sounded nice, and I knew I'd be getting used to it soon enough. "How does it feel?" she asked, handing the monkey back to me. "Cuddly?"
"Cuddly," I nodded.
"Good," she stood up and beckoned us forward. "Time to give your animals a bath. Step on the pedal right there and give them a good bath."
"Why does the bear need a bath?" Dillon asked.
"Don't you want him to be clean for your baby sister?" Melanie smiled.
"Yeah," Dillon nodded. "But Megan isn't here for another 2 months. Won't he get dirty again?"
"We'll be really careful with the bear, bud," I assured him.
"Okay," Dillon nodded.
"So, bath time," Melanie nodded. "Make sure they're clean."
"My monkey's clean," I said pulling it out.
"What about your bear?" Melanie smiled at Dillon
"I think she's good," Dillon nodded.
"Now you're going to get to dress your animals," Melanie brought us over to the largest section of the store where there were clothes for the animals.
I immediatley noticed a set of dark blue scrubs that looked exactly like mine that Mer loved so much. "Oh the monkey definitely needs these. How about you, bud? Find something?"
"I don't know," he frowned, looking a little overwhelmed at all of his options.
"Hmmm..." I said, looking over the options.
"A princess?" he asked me.
"A princess would be good for Princess Meggie," I nodded.
"No!" he suddenly ran over to something else. "Look, Daddy Derek, I can dress her like a baby!"
"That's perfect, Dill," I smiled.
"Make sure you dress them now," Melanie smiled. "Save all of the tags for Dad, okay, little guy? So he can pay."
"Okay," Dillon nodded. "Daddy Derek, your monkey is dressed like you."
"No, I've got it," Dillon said, biting his tongue.
It took him a few minutes but we finally got our animals dressed. "Now," Melanie smiled, "is the most important part. You're going to name your animals and make them a birth certificate."
"Did you think of a name?" I asked Dillon.
"Hmmmm," he said, chewing on his lip. "I don't know. What about you?"
"I have no idea," I sighed.
"Sammie," Dillon said after a second. "Like Sam."
"That's a good idea," I nodded.
"You haven't named your monkey, Daddy Derek," Dillon grinned.
"I haven't," I shook my head. "Hmmm...McDreamy."
"McDreamy?" Dillon giggled. "That's a funny name."
"It's what your mommy, Aunt Izzie and Aunt Cristina call me sometimes," I laughed.
"Okay guys," Melanie grinned, "make up your birth certificates. Dad, why don't you help little guy with his?"
"Sure," I said, guiding Dillon to the computers.
We went through the steps and then Melanie smiled. "Okay! Now your animals' birth certificates will print off at the front desk and you'll pay and then you'll be all ready to go!"
"Thanks for the help," I nodded to her.
"No problem, guys," she grinned. "Good luck with your baby sister!"
"Thank you," Dillon smiled.
We went up to the front and paid, getting our animals in little cardboard houses, and then walked out of the store, walking back towards Meredith, who was still resting on the bench. "That took a while," she smiled at us.
"It did," I nodded. "Feeling better?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "Derek Shepherd, why do you have a box? I thought we agreed a bear for Megan, not for Dillon too."
"Who said I got a bear for Dillon?" I asked smiling.
"Well, then who is it for?" she asked. "Did you get one for Meggie too?"
"Nope," I kissed her quickly. "I believe you're forgetting a member of the family."
"Who?" she frowned.
"That's a secret," I whispered.
"Der!" she whined. "Come on! Tell me!"
"No," I shook my head. "So what's next...clothes? Car seat?"
"Whatever you guys want," she sighed.
"Clothes," I nodded. "And Mer, stop stressing. It's a surprise for later."
"I hate surprises," she grumbled. "What'd you get, Dill?"
"I made Megan a bear! She's dressed like a baby and her name is Sammie!"
"That's adorable, Dill," Meredith smiled at him. "Megan will love it."
"I hope so," Dillon nodded.
"Okay, clothes," she nodded. "Der, help me up."
I grabbed her hands and helped pull her off the bench. "In two months, you won't be able to move, will you?"
"Probably not," she sighed. "I'll be a whale by then. Your daughter is making me fat."
"Fat and beautiful," I corrected.
"So I am fat?" she stared at me.
"Mer, you're pregnant, "I sighed.
"And you just said I'm fat," she glared.
"Meredith, you're not fat. You're pregnant. And beautiful. And perfect."
"Then why did you call me fat?" she demanded.
"You called you fat. I just went along with it," I pointed out.
"You're not supposed to go along with it," she shook her head. "You're pretty brainless for a brain surgeon."
"I know, I'm an idiot," I sighed.
"Yes you are," she nodded as we went into a clothing store.
Apparently agreeing with her about these things was the best course of actions. "These clothes are adorable," I smiled.
"Yeah, they are," she smiled. "We're going to need onesies. Lots of them. And some nicer clothes. But a lot of sleepers and onesies."
"She needs this, she needs this for sure," I said, holding up a white dress, trimed in pink lace. "Megan would look adorable in this."
Meredith looked up from where she was looking at the onesies. "Oh, that is adorable," she nodded.
"Mer, look at this!" I exclaimed, grabbing a pair of tiny jeans that head tiny heart patches down the sides of the legs.
"Hmm?" she looked up.
"Look at these pants! They're perfect for my princess!"
"Derek, I thought we agreed," she smiled, "sleepers and a few nice outfits."
"Every little girl needs a nice pair of jeans, Mer," I pouted.
"Okay, okay," she nodded.
"Good," I nodded, looking around at all the clothes. "Mer do you think we can buy the whole store?"
"Derek, you can't be serious?' she rolled her eyes.
And then I saw it, a little tiny tshirt that said just what I had been looking for. Daddy's little princess. "Meredith, there is no way you can say no to this."
She laughed. "Okay, you can get that," she nodded and then mumbled, "My daughter is going to be spoiled rotten."
"Our daughter is going to be spoiled rotten," I corrected.
She laughed. "Dill, do you see anything you like?"
"No clothes are boring," Dillon pouted. "Can we go look at toys after this?"
"Sure," Meredith nodded. "But why don't you look to make sure? You can choose the outfit she wears home, if you want."
"Okay," he nodded and began looking at some stuff.
"Okay," he nodded and began looking at some stuff.
"Okay," she sighed, "I have fifteen onesies here, seven sleepers. We need socks and bibs."
"Okay," I nodded, heading towards the back of the store. "Mer, look at those shoes! They are so tiny!"
"Yes, Derek," she nodded absentmindedly. "They are for newborns, you know."
"But they're so cute!" I exclaimed. "Do we need shoes?"
"If you want," she nodded as she looked at the socks.
"Megan needs shoes," I nodded. "I think she needs some more cute clothes."
"Derek," Meredith rolled her eyes.
"Meredith," I rolled my eyes back.
"How much are you planning to spend on clothes that she'll grow out of in a couple of months?" she asked.
"A lot," I laughed. "I want my daughter to look cute."
"Derek, she'll spit up on these clothes," Meredith explained patiently. "She'll spit up on them and she'll grow out of them. Babies grow fast."
"But think about how cute she'll look in this dress!" I said holding up a red dress with cute white polka dots on it.
Meredith's eyes softened for a moment. "Until she spits up on it," she sighed.
"We can afford to splurge," I pointed out.
"You can," she said. "Me, not so much."
"There is no me, you...it's us, mer. We can afford to splurge on a couple of dresses," I nodded.
"Fine," she sighed. "But when she messes up her dresses with spit up, you will be the one cleaning it out."
"Will do," I nodded, holding onto the little red dress. "Look at this little sweat suit!"
"Will do," I nodded, holding onto the little red dress. "Look at this little sweat suit!"
"Derek!" she exclaimed. "It's for a three month old. Why would a three month old need a sweatsuit?"
"To look adorable. Dillon, don't you think Meggie would look cute in this?" I asked my son.
Dillon shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."
"Have you found anything yet?" I asked as I pulled a shirt covered with stars off the shelf.
"No," he grumbled. "Clothes are boring."
"We'll go look at toys when we're done here," I promised. "But Megan's going to need something to wear home."
"Derek," Meredith said as she saw me holding up a sundress, "please keep in mind that Megan's going to be born in September. And that she'll be three months old in December."
"You're really no fun, Mer," I whined.
"I'm just being practical," she stated.
"Pratical is not fun," I pointed out.
"If you want your daughter to freeze to death, then fine, buy a sundress."
"Fine, no sundress," I pouted.
"Okay," Mer smiled, "I've got onesies, sleepers, bibs, and socks. Der, are you nearly done?"
"Definitely not," I shook my head as I found a tiny jean jacket.
"How long do you think you're going to take?" she asked, her eyebrows raised.
"How long do I have before I end up sleeping on the couch?" I winked at her.
"Ten minutes," she said. "I have to go pee. So you better learn to speed shop."
I nodded quickly and started picking up a few shirts at random. "When Meggie looks at pictures of her as a baby and comments on how cute her clothes are, you make sure she knows who to thank."
"I will," Mer rolled her eyes as she started putting our purchases on the counter.
I walked up behind her and put my stuff on the counter and kissed her neck. "Thank you," I whispered.
"You're welcome," she whispered back as the saleswoman began ringing up our purchases.
"We're going to be stuck in the toy store forever," I told her.
"I know," she nodded and then her eyes went wide at the total. "Derek Michael Shepherd. Over a thousand dollars worth of clothes!"
"She's worth it," I said.
"Derek, that's eleven hundred dollars," she sighed. "Eleven hundred dollars worth of clothes that she'll grow out of sooner rather than later."
"We can afford it," I reassured her.
"What would your mother say?" she sighed.
"She would say her granddaughter is worth it," I nodded.
"Give me your phone," she sighed.
'What?" I asked.
"I want to call Nancy," she said. "Or one of your sisters. They'll tell you how insane this is."
"You are not calling the family," I shook my head.
"I am," she nodded. "I am going to call the family. So they can make fun of you. And tell you you're insane for spending eleven hundred dollars on clothes that may last our daughter three months."
"You are not calling the family," I repeated again.
"Why not?" she asked.
"Because this is about our family, and we're all here," I nodded.
"Meggie isn't apart of the family?" she asked.
"Meggie's here," I nodded, resting my hand on her stomach.
"Derek, give me your phone."
"What?"
"It's not that much money," I sighed. "And she's worth it. I want her to have the best. I couldn't do it for Dill, I want to do it for her."
"Are you going to spend eleven hundred dollars every time she grows out of something?" Meredith asked.
"No, just...this time I'm excited," I smiled.
"Fine," she sighed. "Fine. But I am telling your sisters the second I see them again."
"At least they'll know I love my daughter," I answered. "I love my son too. Ready to go to the toy store, bud?"
"Yeah!" Dillon said excitedly.
"Good!" I nodded.
We were walking to the toy store, the bags in my arms when suddenly I felt Meredith stop beside me. "Der, wait," she sighed, rubbing her back.
"Mer, you okay?" I asked stopping, my hand finding her back.
"Yeah," she nodded. "It's just...my back. It's killing me today."
"Do you want to go home?" I asked. "We can finish this another day."
"Dill will kill us if we go home without going to the toy store," she smiled.
"Okay, toy store and then home. The rest can wait," I nodded.
"Okay," she nodded, a grimace on her face.
"Mer, I can take him down if you want to sit down," I offered.
"I'm fine," she shook her head. "Really, it's gone now."
"Okay, but if you need anything, you tell me," I ordered.
"I will," she nodded as we walked into the toystore.
"Dill, your mom is tired so we can't spend too much time in here," I warned him.
"Okay," he nodded as he walked off towards the cars.
"Is there anything we want to get Megan here?" I asked Meredith.
"Um," she sighed, her hand on her back again, "you can look around, see if there's anything that catches your eyes."
"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked.
"Yeah," she sighed. "It's just...it won't go away."
I moved my hand to her back and rubbed it gently. "You're laying down when we get home."
"Definitely," she sighed and then let out a small gasp.
"Mer?" I asked.
"It's nothing," she shook her head. "Weird pain. I'm fine."
"Why do I think you're lying?" I looked at her, taking in the grimace on her face.
"Der, really, I'm probably just having Braxton Hicks again," she shook her head.
"Are you sure?" I asked, because Meredith winced slightly with Braxton Hicks. This looked worse.
"No," she whispered as she grasped my arm, squeezing tight.
"Meredith, what's wrong?" I asked, starting to actually panic.
"Contraction," she whispered. "That was definitely a contraction."
"But...Mer's it's only seven months, you can't...it's not time," I breathed.
"I know," she panted. Several of the other customers were beginning to stare at us.
"Okay, we're going to leave," I said calmly, gesturing with my head for Dillon to join us. "I'm taking you to the hospital."
"What's wrong?" Dillon asked. "I wanna buy a hot wheel."
"Mom needs to go to the hospital bud," I told him, as I led us out of the store. "I promise we'll come back later and get you one."
"Why are we going to the hospital?" he asked. "Is Megan coming?"
"She shouldn't be, but apparently she's trying to. We have to go see Aunt Addie," I explained.
"Okay," Dillon nodded, looking a little frightened.
"It'll be okay, Dill. I promise," I whispered. Hoping to god it would be.
"Derek," Meredith breathed, "we have to time them. We have to time them."
"Okay," I nodded. I needed to be a doctor right now, she needed me to be a doctor, not the concerned boyfriend. "Tell me when one comes."
"I think you'll know," she smiled a little. "I don't want to scream in public."
"Okay, come on, let's get you to Addie," I said squeezing her hand. "It's going to be okay."
Suddenly, she stopped beside me, grabbing onto my shirt as she buried her head in my chest. "Ow, ow, ow," she cried softly.
"It's okay, it's okay," I murmured rubbing her back, hoping I was right.
It was a minute before she finally let go of my shirt and we could walk again. "Mommy," Dillon whimpered.
"I'm okay, Dill," Meredith breathed.
Dillon looked like he was about to cry. "Don't go away, Mommy."
"I'm not, I'm fine," Meredith said as I picked Dillon up. "Everything will be fine."
We got to the car and I started driving quickly, letting Meredith squeeze my hand through another contraction as I called Addie on the speaker phone. "Addison Montgomery."
"It's me. Mer and I are on the way in, she's having contractions."
"Derek, how far apart are they? How long are they lasting?" she asked calmly.
"They're about 5 minutes apart," I breathed. "And they only last a minute or so."
"Okay," Addison replied. "Derek, listen to me. I need you to stay calm and keep Mer calm too. I'm going to meet you outside. What's your ETA?"
"Five minutes."
"Okay, I'll be outside." The phone clicked and I turned to Meredith, smiling slightly at her.
"It's going to be okay,"I said. I was aware of how many times I was saying but I had to. I had to try to convince myself.
"Der, this is bad," she breathed. "This is really bad."
"Mer you have to stay calm, it's going to be fine," I replied determindly.
"What if it's not?" Meredith murmured. "What if..."
"Mer, you can't think that," I whispered. "It's going to be okay. You, Megan, our family. It will be okay."
She nodded as we pulled up to the hospital. Addison was standing right at the door, a gurney already with her for Meredith. "Still five minutes apart?" she asked me as she helped Meredith onto the gurney.
I nodded my head and pulled Dillon close. "Addie...take care of them."
"I will," she nodded as Meredith had another contraction, grabbing my hand tight.
"Mer, you're going to be okay," I said, yet again.
"Derek, you have to let go," Addie told me calmly.
"Just...just...be okay, Mer. I need my girls to be okay," I whispered, blinking back tears.
"Derek," Addie ordered. "Let go. You can't come with us."
Regretfully I let go of her hand and swooped Dillon into my arms. "It's going to be okay, it's going to be okay."
"I don't know where to look, my words just break and melt, please just save me from this darkness..."