A/N: I know, it's about time I got another update up! I had a little bit of trouble with this one, especially after putting so much energy into the previous chapter. I think it still came out pretty well, though, so I hope you enjoy it! I'm a little behind on my review responses, but now that this chapter is finished, I should be able to get caught up on those by the end of the night. Thanks for being patient, everyone!
"So, are you ever going to tell me where you disappeared to last night?" Derek asked as he and Meredith lay in bed the next morning.
"I told you, I went outside to get some fresh air," Meredith said. "Do you have a problem with that?"
"No," Derek said slowly. "But I do think it's a little strange that you and Nancy both disappeared at almost the same time and then randomly returned together."
"Would it be bad if I had been talking to your sister?" Meredith asked.
"Of course not," Derek said. "It's just that you and Nancy aren't exactly on the best of terms right now, so it seems a bit odd, that's all."
"I'm not saying we're suddenly best friends," Meredith said. "But maybe you and I should cut Nancy some slack. She's going through a lot right now."
"What are you talking about?" Derek asked in confusion.
"It's not really my place to say," Meredith said, slowly easing herself out of the bed and moving toward the closet to get her clothes for the day. "There's more to your sister than I would have thought, though. All I'm saying is maybe she's not as bad she seems."
"Okay, I know there's a good side to Nancy," Derek said. "The question is, how did you figure that out?"
"I'm very smart," Meredith said teasingly, hoping to end the conversation soon.
"What exactly did you two talk about out there?" Derek asked. "Wait, did Nancy tell you something?"
"As I said, that's private, Derek," Meredith said defensively. "As much as I would love to tell you, what happened out there is between me and your sister. It wouldn't be right for me to tell you."
"You're keeping Nancy's confidence?" Derek asked in surprise. "Are you feeling alright?"
"Oh, get off it," Meredith sighed, throwing a pair of socks at his head. "Now hurry up and get dressed. It's time for breakfast and I'm starving."
"It's about time you two got down here," Sean grumbled as Meredith and Derek slipped into the two empty chairs at the end of the large dining table in the dining room just off of the kitchen. "Did you forget Maggie's rule that no one gets to eat until we're all here?"
"Well, you could have sent one of the kids to get us if you were that hungry," Derek pointed out.
"What, and permanently traumatize them with whatever they would have walked in on you two doing up there?" Sean laughed. "No thank you."
"Sean," Beth scolded. "Really, you have a dirty mind."
"And you wonder how you ended up with seven kids?" Abby teased.
"Watch yourself, Abs, I'm nearing the end of my run," Beth pointed out. "You, on the other hand, you've still got time to pop out four or five more."
At that, Matt began coughing violently, choking on the coffee he'd just taken a sip of. "Four…four or five more?" he sputtered, looking at his wife questioningly.
"Oh, relax, honey," Abby laughed. "I don't intend to put this body through that more than once or twice more. And hey, if Derek makes us all starve every morning, I won't have the energy to even have that many more."
"Well, next time, just send a kid up to get us," Derek said. "Or stop your complaining."
"I told you, man, I'm not subjecting a kid to that," Sean insisted.
"They wouldn't see anything," Mark pointed out. "Derek's not sleeping with Meredith."
"Mark!" Derek and Meredith exclaimed in shock.
"What?" Mark asked innocently. "Oh, has that changed since we last talked? Good for you, man."
"That is none of your business, Mark," Meredith said indignantly, before turning to Derek. "You talk to Mark about our sex life?"
"Um…yeah," Derek said cautiously. "You talk to your friends about it."
"I do not!" Meredith protested.
"Not even Cristina?" Derek asked guiltily.
"Especially not Cristina. Good Lord, she'd have a field day if we talked about that," Meredith said emphatically. "I cannot believe that you would talk to Mark about our sex life."
"Not that there was much to talk about," Mark pointed out.
Meredith whirled around to face Mark. "Mark Sloan, I swear to God, if I hear so much as one more word out of your mouth about my private life, I will knee you so hard it will be years before you even think about sex again. Got it?"
Mark nodded, instinctively crossing his legs and turning his body slightly away from Meredith.
"As for you," Meredith turned back to Derek. "Don't think I'm done with you, but I am not having this conversation in front of your entire family."
"Too late," Abby piped up from the other end of the table. "And don't stop on our account. I love seeing Mark and Derek get in trouble."
"Oh Lord," Meredith muttered, burying her head in her hands in embarrassment.
"I think it's a little late for chastity in your relationship, don't you think?" Maggie asked. "Especially given the dubious circumstances under which you two became, well, acquainted. Wouldn't you agree, Nancy?"
"You know, Mom, I don't think it's really any of our business," Nancy said. "Derek and Meredith are adults, they're free to lead their own lives without us butting in all the time."
"Seriously, Meredith, what did you do to my sister?" Derek whispered as he leaned over to Meredith.
"Nancy, are you feeling alright?" Beth asked, looking over at her sister. "You're acting very un-Nancy-like this morning."
"You're even eating carbs, Nancy," Abby observed, pointing to the half-eaten bagel on Nancy's plate.
"What's wrong with that?" Nancy asked.
"They go straight to your thighs," Kathleen said. "Or so you've been telling us for the last ten years."
"Not to mention the fact that you're being, well, almost nice," Beth said.
"I can be nice," Nancy protested. "I'm a very nice person."
"Not this quickly, though," Beth pointed out. "Something is definitely up with you, Nance."
Nancy glanced over at Nick, who was biting his lip to keep from laughing. Shooting him a silent question, he nodded in agreement. Nancy then glanced over at Meredith.
"Meredith, my sisters are entirely too observant for their own good," Nancy said with a smile.
"Well," Meredith said, taking the gesture to mean that Nancy had reached the decision Meredith had suspected she would. "Don't take this the wrong way, Nancy, but you haven't exactly been subtle about it."
"Wait, do you know what's going on?" Mark asked. "How do you know and no one else does?"
"I'd like to know the same thing," Maggie said in disbelief.
"Hold on, Meredith is the one you talked to?" Nick asked Nancy.
"Is that a problem?" Nancy asked.
"No, no," Nick assured her. "It's just, I have to say, you've surprised me with that one, Nan."
"Good surprise?" Nancy asked.
"I think so," Nick smiled.
"So, are the rest of us ever going to find out what's going on?" Mark asked impatiently.
"Honestly, I'm surprised none of you have guessed it," Nancy said. "I mean, I understand that I'm the only OB in the family, but still, with six other doctors at the table – not including Meredith, of course, because she already knows what's going on – I'm shocked no one figured it out. I'm a little disappointed in your observation skills, actually."
"Oh. My. God," Beth breathed, as if a switch had finally clicked in her mind.
"What?" Abby and Mark both exclaimed impatiently.
"No way," Kathleen muttered. "Nancy, are you serious?"
"Am I the only one who doesn't know what's going on?" Derek asked.
"You really are a little slow on the uptake, aren't you?" Kathleen laughed. "She's pregnant, Derek!"
"You're what?" Maggie exclaimed, looking at her daughter in shock.
"I'm having a baby," Nancy said, a small smile playing at her lips.
"But…what…how?" Maggie stammered.
"Mom, you've got five kids, I think you know how," Nancy laughed as she held Nick's hand under the table.
"How far along are you?" Beth asked. "And how could you not tell me?"
"I'm 10 weeks," Nancy said. "And actually, it was surprisingly easy not to tell you. You clearly weren't paying attention, so I didn't even have to work at it."
"Derek! Mark!" Abby called out as she walked into the kitchen late that afternoon. "What are you still doing here?"
"Um…Abby we haven't even gotten to Thanksgiving yet," Mark said. "You can't try to get of rid of us already."
"Not for good, silly," Abby shook her head. "But maybe if the two of you came home more often, you'd remember that you're not allowed to be here on Wednesday nights."
"You're kidding me, right?" Mark asked. "It's the day before Thanksgiving! You're still doing that silly ladies' night thing?"
"Damn straight we are," Beth said as she walked into the kitchen. "So unless you have suddenly morphed into a Shepherd sister, you'd had better get lost before we kick your sorry butts out."
"Fine, fine," Derek grumbled. "I'm sure Sean will let us hang out at your house while we're exiled. I'll just go get Meredith and we'll be out of your way."
"Not a chance," Beth said. "You two are welcome to go hang out with my husband, but we've decided that Meredith is going to stay here tonight."
"You want Meredith to stay?" Derek and Mark both asked incredulously.
"Are we speaking another language?" Abby asked Beth as the two of them laughed. "I do believe that's what we just said. You two go, Meredith stays. Is it that difficult for you to comprehend this?"
"I'm going to what?" Meredith asked in disbelief.
"Have dinner with my mother and my sisters," Derek repeated.
"While you and Mark go have fast food and beers with the guys," Meredith said.
"You'll have fun," Derek insisted.
"Derek, your mother hates me," Meredith pointed out. "Your sisters sort of like me, but you can't really think that it's a good idea to leave me alone with all of them."
"Meredith, my mother doesn't hate you," Derek said. "If she did, there is no way you'd have been asked to stay tonight."
"What's so special about tonight, anyway?" Meredith asked.
"It's just this thing that my mom and my sisters do," Derek said. "My mother used to do it with my dad's sisters and his mom when I was younger. My aunts still come sometimes when they can, but most of them live too far away to come up every week. It's just a women's night, no men allowed."
"I'm not seeing why it's such a big deal that they want me to stay. I am a woman, after all," Meredith said.
"It's a family thing," Derek explained. "Wednesdays have always been just family. No friends, no visitors. They have this rule that if anyone wants to bring someone from outside the family to one of their get-togethers, everyone has to approve it. I dated Addison for three years, was engaged to her for another two, and she didn't get invited to join them until almost two months after we got back from the honeymoon."
"So if they asked me to stay…" Meredith said questioningly.
"My mom had to have said it was alright," Derek filled in. "They all had to approve. I know you don't want to, but maybe you could just try it tonight? This is a really big step for my family."
"Okay," Meredith sighed. "But if they hate me more after tonight, it's your fault."
"So, is this the part where prick our fingers and become blood sisters or something?" Meredith asked sarcastically as Abby led her down to the large rec room in the basement that evening.
"Oh come on," Abby giggled. "This isn't the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Meredith. This is just our chance to have a little fun away from the husbands and the kids."
"There are a few rules, though," Beth called out as she grabbed a stack of paper plates from a cupboard in the kitchenette along the back wall. "And you have to agree to them up front or leave."
"Okay…" Meredith said, cautiously taking a seat on the edge of one of the two overstuffed recliners.
"It's really just one rule, actually," Abby said. "But it's a big one."
"You cannot, under any circumstances, no matter how much they beg," Beth said. "You cannot ever tell any of the men, including Derek, what we do or say here tonight."
"We're not doing anything illegal, are we?" Meredith asked nervously.
"Good heavens, no," Maggie laughed as she walked into the room. "But it drives them absolutely insane that they have no idea what we do, so that just makes it all the more fun."
"Well then, I guess I can agree to that," Meredith said.
"Excellent," Abby said happily. "Now, I'm famished. Where are Nancy and Kathleen with the food? Those two always take way too long when it's their turn."
"They're just fighting over what kind of ice cream to buy," Beth said.
"Good Lord, if she comes back with pickles for that ice cream, I'm going to kick her out," Abby said.
"Oh, like those pickle and mayonnaise sandwiches you ate were that much better," Maggie pointed out. "Or the anchovy and pineapple pizza Beth wanted? I'm telling you, pregnancy is going to be the death of you all, with your ridiculous cravings."
"Yes, ma'am," Abby laughed. "So Meredith, what did Derek tell you to expect tonight?"
"Um, I think he said something about drinking red wine and painting each others' toenails," Meredith admitted.
"Typical Derek," Nancy laughed as walked down the stairs with her arms full of pizza boxes, followed closely by Kathleen, who appeared to be carrying a gallon of ice cream and a case of beer.
"The brainless brain surgeon," Kathleen laughed, putting the ice cream in the freezer and pulling out a deck of cards and a box of plastic gaming chips from under the counter. "What do you suppose he would he say if he knew we were eating pizza and playing poker?"
"Not much, actually," Meredith said. "He'd probably just do that deer-in-the-headlights staring thing he does whenever something really shocks him, and then he'd stammer out a few words, run his fingers through his hair and look completely lost, almost like he's waiting for someone to explain it all to him."
"Oh Lord, he does do that, doesn't he?" Abby laughed.
"That's Derek for you," Kathleen laughed.
"Can I ask a question?" Meredith asked as Beth handed her a bowl of ice cream later that evening.
"Fire away," Abby said as she eagerly dug into her ice cream sundae.
"Did Addison really eat pizza and drink beer with you guys?" Meredith asked.
"I don't think we ever got her to drink the beer," Nancy laughed. "But that woman could definitely put away her fair share of a pizza. Although she was pretty bad at poker. Just couldn't keep a straight face."
"That part I knew," Meredith said. "Molly and Mark used to bleed her dry when we played."
"You played poker with Addison?" Maggie asked incredulously. "Wait, with Addison and Mark?"
"Well, yeah," Meredith said nervously. "We had to do something to pass the hours when I was in the hospital down in L.A. There was only so much I could take of those ridiculous soap operas Mark tried to make me watch."
"Why were you in the hospital? And why was Addison there?" Beth asked.
"Actually, that was a pretty lucky coincidence," Meredith said. "That accident I mentioned earlier…I was in a plane crash just outside of L.A. I ended up at the hospital that Addison's practice is affiliated with. I was pretty much out of it at that point, and the police hadn't been able to find my I.D. in the wreckage, so I was a Jane Doe until Addison happened to see me in the hospital."
"I'm still not seeing how you get from identifying you to playing poker with Mark," Nancy said.
"Well, I was down in L.A. for a little over two weeks before I was stable enough to be transferred back to Seattle," Meredith explained. "I had some burns, so Mark flew down to do the skin grafts to treat them. Addison stayed with me until my family got there so that I wouldn't have to wake up alone, and then she just sort of stuck around to make sure I was okay. We had a lot of time to kill, so we played cards."
"So, what, you're like, friends with Addison now?" Beth asked in confusion.
"I get that it's weird, I really do," Meredith laughed. "It still freaks Derek out a little bit…you should have seen his face when I told him I was going to her wedding."
"Addison's getting married?" Maggie asked.
"She already did," Meredith said. "Back in August, actually. It was a beautiful ceremony. Maybe fifty guests, right on the beach behind her house at sunset."
"I'm surprised Jared and Marlene didn't put it in the social pages," Nancy mused.
"Her parents?" Meredith asked. "I think they prefer to pretend the whole thing didn't happen. I'm not sure they really like Kevin all that much, which is a shame, because he's a great guy."
"Well, in their minds, there are very few men good enough for Addison," Maggie said. "Even Derek didn't meet their standards, apparently. Marlene Montgomery is certainly one person I could have done without knowing."
"I'll second that," Beth said. "At one of Addison's birthday parties, Marlene actually told me that I looked pregnant white trash."
"She wasn't so articulate after Kevin's nephew smashed a piece of cake into the front of her designer dress," Meredith said. "I have pictures I can send you if you want to see."
"You managed to get it on film?" Kathleen asked incredulously. "How'd you do that?"
"Well, I may have prearranged the little accident," Meredith said slyly. "In all fairness though, it was probably the best forty bucks I've spent in a long time."
"You know," Maggie said thoughtfully. "There may be more to you than I thought, Meredith. We just might make a Shepherd out of you yet."