A/N: Hey guys, here is the latest chapter of my story. It took me a while to get it out. Mostly because I wasn't really sure where it was going until it actually got there. This takes place around the episode "Shinny Happy People" but its not necessary for you to have seen the episode. Hope you like it!

Chapter 9

"This party is going to suck." Derek listened and couldn't help but laugh as Meredith continued to complain about the party he was throwing at their house. They'd both taken the afternoon off the get everything ready at the house and now they were up in their room getting dressed because guests were due to start arriving within the hour.

In general Meredith had been very supportive of Derek in his new role as Chief of Surgery (even though she had been against him taking the job in the first place). Her annoyance with the party actually came from a different source; one Derek couldn't help but be proud of. You see, she probably wouldn't be half as annoyed with the party if she was allowed to drink, but she wasn't. She wasn't allowed to drink because she was on call or, more specifically, because Derek had bribed the Chief Resident to schedule her to be on call during the party. (It didn't hurt that said Chief Resident had put his money on her not finding out that she's pregnant until the following Thursday afternoon) He really was getting pretty good at manipulating her behind her back. He wasn't really sure if that was actually a good thing, but figured that as long as he was doing it out of love it would be okay at least for temporary purposes. And it would certainly come in handy in times of necessity.

"I mean really Derek. Who wants to go to the chief's house for a crappy party on Saturday night when they could actually be out having fun somewhere?" She was looking completely adorable as she stood yelling at him in her underwear. He couldn't help it; he loved it when she was petulant. It was very cute. He reached over and pulled her in for a quick kiss and didn't resist as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him more soundly. "Hmm," She started to say, "This could be a lot better than your dumb party." She kissed him again for emphasis. "Or at least a much nicer way to start of the evening," she added with a flirty laugh.

He spun her around and backed her up to the bed. She pulled him down with her and he was just about ready to forget everything else and spend some much needed quality time with his wife when a crash from downstairs reminded them that they had a house full of caterers and the guests would be arriving at any time. They both let out groans of frustration before he kissed her one last time and they got up.

Derek had intended to finish getting ready but he got caught up watching Meredith. She was, after all, half naked and completely gorgeous. She stood there contemplating her wardrobe and she had never looked so beautiful. If he looked at her just right he could almost imagine that he could tell she was pregnant. There was a slight swell in her lower abdomen that hadn't been there before and he loved it. It wasn't something he thought anyone else would be able to see but the countless hours he spent studying her body made it visible to him. It was just about the sexiest thing he'd ever seen. She was having his baby. He smiled just thinking of it.

She was taking more time getting ready than she normally did. She had spent a couple minutes just standing in front of her closet trying to decide what dress to wear. He knew, even though she hadn't mentioned it to him that it was because some of her clothes were starting to be a bit tight on her and there were even a few things that started out tight and now just didn't fit her at all anymore. He wondered what she could be thinking about that. How she hadn't put it together. Why she hadn't said anything to him. A pang of worry passed over him but then she picked out a purpleish dress that he hadn't seen before and turned around. When she saw him still standing there she gave him a quizzical look. She scrunched up her nose in the way that he loved and tilted her head a bit to the side before saying, "What are you thinking about?" her tone was teasing as she gave him a small smile.

"You," he responded as he took a step closer to her and ran a hand through her hair. "You're pretty when you're naked." He leaned in and lightly kissed the corner of her mouth.

She giggled a little remembering the conversation they'd had in bed a few weeks ago. "Well as much fun as it would be to hide out up here with you all night, we had better get dressed and get down there," She made no move to get ready herself. Instead she pushed herself toward Derek and buried her face in the soft cotton of his tee shirt. She wrapped her arms around him and amended, "Unless you just want to go like this. I don't think anyone would mind, it's out house after all."

He laughed a short laugh and said, "I think I would mind if you went to the party like this. Then everyone would see how pretty you are when your naked and some hot young resident would try to steal you away from me." He pretended to pout.

She laughed before saying, "No one could ever steal me from you. You're stuck with me for life." She smirked a little before adding, "But you're right we should get dressed. How will we control ourselves all night otherwise?" Then she looked at him and put her hands in his hair and kissed him hard. He pulled her in close to him and decided that maybe they did have enough time after all. Just when he was ready to forget about everything outside of their room she pulled away and said, "Think about that while you're bored all night at your crappy party," She laughed as she strutted into the bathroom, leaving him to wonder what exactly had just happened.

He did end up thinking about her all night at his crappy party. He watched as she played the gracious hostess and even went out of her way to be cordial to the Mercy Westers which he knew was entirely for him. If she had her own way they probably wouldn't even be allowed in the house.

The evening wound down without incident and before Derek knew it they were back in their bedroom again. The guests and caters had all gone home and they were alone at last. They were slowly taking off their party clothes and getting ready for bed when Meredith broke the comfortable silence, "I'm not gonna say I told you so, but…"

"The party totally sucked. I know," Derek finished for her while he laughed a little under his breath. Unable to resist any longer he came up behind her and kissed the back of her neck. "Thank you for being great tonight even though I know you didn't want to be there," He sort of half mumbled as he kissed a spot just behind her ear that he knew she loved.

She let out a gentle laugh and said, "Well apparently the reward is going to be well worth it." He briefly wondered when that sort of calm happiness had become a normal everyday part of Meredith. He remembered a time when even a smile from her was a rare gift but somewhere along the line she had changed; she'd found her happiness. He felt so grateful to think that he had been a part of making her so happy. They fell into bed and were finally able to take advantage of their nearly empty house.

Later as Derek watched her sleep in the moonlight he decided it was time to tell her. She was happy. She was ready. It was time. She was so beautiful and when he looked at her he could see their whole lives ahead of them. Their house and the kids that would play there; barbeques in the back yard; family fishing trips; it was all there and all just waiting for them.

He started to wonder if maybe she wasn't in denial. Maybe she really just hadn't noticed. Maybe she was so wrapped up in being happily married and busy at work and worrying about Cristina that she just never had all the puzzle pieces together in her brain.

He wondered if maybe it was him who was in denial. He'd been so unhappy in his new job. It wasn't supposed to be like that. He missed surgery and spending all day teaching Meredith and the other residents. He hated being the babysitter. He thought maybe he was just projecting all of his unhappiness and insecurities on to her.

He decided two things then and there. First, that he needed to make some changes at work. He was so completely unhappy there that is was starting to creep into the rest of his life where he should be nothing but blindly happy. Second, he decided that for better or worse he was going to tell Meredith that she was pregnant. It was time. Really at this point the only thing that was holding him back was the fear that she would be mad at him for telling everyone else before her. He wouldn't be able to blame her for that. Good intentions or not it had gotten completely out of hand. So with that settled he fell into an easy sleep.

The problem was that the next day came and went and he hadn't been able to make the time to tell her. He'd been in board meetings all day and dealing with Karev's patient and anytime he'd had alone with Meredith had been filled either with her complaining about Owen and Cristina or with them both just being quietly happy to be together. He'd had the opportunity to tell her in those quiet moments but it was hard to get up the courage when he was worried about her reaction. And she was just so damn happy. All of the time, and he loved it but he also didn't really know how to say this the right way so that she would still just be shiny and happy. (As she would have put it once upon a time.) In short: He'd chickened out.

The next day was Monday and he hated it but he chickened out again. He'd had another 5 hours' worth of board meetings and then she'd been in surgery and then he had a surgery. Plus he thought it ought to be a little special at least. He couldn't just blurt it out over a sandwich in the hospital cafeteria. At least that's what he told himself when they were eating their small dinner together before he went home and she scrubbed in for one more surgery.

And that was that. She got home late Monday night and he left early Tuesday morning and he spent most of Tuesday trying to track her down but it just wouldn't work out. Between his still busy schedule and hers which seemed to be particularly bad that day he didn't catch more than a glimpse of her all day. It was like whenever he came close to tracking her down she had just left the area and then she'd actually come looking for him at lunch time but he was stuck in a board meeting. The end of the day came and she was in surgery so he resigned himself to telling her as soon as she got home.

The problem was she never came. He waited nervously for a long time. He made a small dinner but then as the evening wore on he'd given the dinner to Alex and Lexie. He figured that she must have gotten tied up with a case and so he just gave up and headed to bed. He decided that whenever she came home that night he would tell her and if she didn't come home or he slept through it he would page her to his office in the morning and tell her then.

He knew he would have to tell her the next morning because it was Wednesday morning. Her week was up and the hospital betting pool would begin that afternoon. It was time. There was no more avoiding it. But it would all be okay because the news was magical all by itself it didn't matter how it happened or why.

That's where his mistake had been from the beginning. He thought it mattered how she found out and when and where but it really didn't. It wasn't important, because no matter the details what really mattered was that they had made a baby. They were going to be family and maybe it wasn't perfect all of the time but family isn't perfect. It's messy, and it is there whether you think want it or not. This is real life and Derek finally realized that it didn't need to be tied up in a neat little bow to be right. It was just the way it was supposed to be no matter what. When he realized all of that it was like the weight he had been carrying around for weeks was finally lifted. He knew it would all work out in the end.

TBC