Chapter Twenty-Two: I'm Here

The car ride back to the house was eerily quiet neither one of them saying a word. Meredith had tried to tell Mark that everything would work out just fine but he had refused to listen just closing up.

"You could at least just say something" Meredith said softly as they entered the house.

"Not tonight Meredith, I need time to process this" he told her.

"Okay" she whispered. "Don't close up Mark, talk to me" she pushed as they walked past the living room where they hadn't noticed Alex and Izzie watching a movie.

"Meredith I said not tonight" he snapped harshly.

"I take it didn't go so well" Izzie said softly appearing beside Meredith as Mark made his way up the stairs.

"She knew" Mark snapped turning around to face the two women.

"Yeah ah I told her just after I found out, she saw that was upset I had to confide in someone" Meredith cried at him.

"You should have confided in me Meredith, I'm your husband that's what couples do" he told her forcefully. "Who else knows?"

"Only Cristina and Bailey" Meredith said softly.

"Well at least I should be grateful you haven't told him yet" Mark said harshly.

"How do you think I feel Mark, do you think I like the idea that I may be pregnant to another man who is not my husband" she exclaimed at him.

"Maybe you should have thought about that before you slept with him" Mark shouted at her.

Meredith just glared at him, speechless.

"Come on man, I think that's enough" Alex said appearing beside Meredith placing a protective hand on her shoulder.

"I think it would be best if you sleep in the spare room tonight" Meredith said softly.

"Don't worry I'm going out" Mark said has he headed for the door slamming it behind him.

"You okay Mer?" Izzie asked softly putting her arm around her.

Meredith shook her head as she turned into Izzie sobbing. "Shh it's okay, he will calm down and then you can talk it through" Izzie soothed.

"I'm gunna go" Alex said to Izzie placing a quick kiss on her cheek before he too headed out the door.

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"Getting trashed isn't going to solve anything" Alex said coming up beside Mark and sitting on the stool beside him at Joe's.

"Don't you have anything better to do than stick your nose where it's not wanted" Mark snapped at him.

"Well I was having a great evening with my girlfriend until she had to comfort her best friend because her husband is a complete ass" Alex fired back at him.

"You have no idea what this is like" Mark told him. "How would you feel if you found out your wife was pregnant and you were the happiest guy on the planet until realisation set in, reminding you that there was another guy and the one thing that could complete your life may not even be yours" Mark ranted at him.

"I would deal with it" Alex said to him. "Your focussing on the fact that the kid COULD be Derek's not on the chance that it could actually be yours, Meredith and Derek were practically a condom ad" Alex sniped.

"Thanks Karev not something I want to think about" Mark groaned.

"What I'm saying is they were careful, you and Mer have a one night stand at the prom thing and what do you know she is pregnant, you do the math" Alex said gulping the last part of his beer leaving to let Mark think through what he had said.

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"I put my rings back on tonight" Meredith said softly as she sipped on the hot chocolate that Izzie had made for her.

"Big step are you sure you're ready?" Izzie asked.

"I thought so, until his outburst, dinner was going great until he realised that he may not be the father" Meredith confessed.

"You should have seen his face to begin with Izz, he was so excited" she smiled as she spoke. Her smile soon disappeared though as she snapped back to reality.

"He just feels threatened Mer, it was bad enough that he had to see you be with another man while he sat on the sidelines and now there is a chance you are having his baby" Izzie reasoned.

"So you think I'm a whore too" Meredith snapped her.

"Of course not, I'm just saying it is easy to see why Mark is so upset" she explained.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap, this is just stressful" Meredith apologised.

"It's okay Mer, but I'm telling you Mark seems like a great guy he is going to come around sooner or later, and once you are out of your first trimester you can decide whether you want to risk the paternity test" Izzie told her.

"Until then I guess I just have to take things as they come" Meredith said sadly.

Izzie nodded in agreement.

Both girls jumped as the door opened and closed again forcefully. Meredith slowly made her way into the hallway Izzie close behind her. She felt a rush of relief as she saw that it was Mark returning.

"Hey" he said softly.

"I'm going to bed" Izzie said quickly. "Just listen to him" Izzie whispered to Meredith.

"Are you okay?" Meredith asked softly.

"That's a question I should be asking you" he replied. "I'm sorry" he said edging closer to her.

"Me too" she told him looking him in the eye. "But there is something else I need to tell you" she said.

"Okay but wait, I'm here Meri and I'm not going anywhere no matter what, I love you and I am going to love this baby no matter what the outcome is" he said his voice laced with emotion.

"Babies" she whispered tears forming in her eyes from the emotion fuelled speech she had just received form her husband.

"What?" he asked confused.

"Um I'm having twins Mark" she said to him awaiting his reaction.