Chapter Twenty-Three: Brainless Brain Surgeon

"Have you told McDreamy about Mcbabies?" Cristina questioned Meredith as they sat in the cafeteria during lunch, the others were in surgery.

"Cristina keep it down, I get talked about around here enough, and I don't want him finding out from a nurse" Meredith whispered harshly.

"So I will take that as a no" Cristina replied sarcastically.

"No I haven't told him" Meredith gave in. "I keep chickening out" she replied honestly.

"Why? He is either going to be pissed or over the moon and considering this is McDreamy I am going for the latter" Cristina told her person.

"That's what I'm worried about, he starts getting closer coz of the baby and then Mark gets jealous and starts throwing punches again" Meredith confessed.

"Babies" Cristina reminded her. "And besides two hot surgeons fighting over you and your love children sounds hot" Cristina joked.

"It's not funny Cristina" Meredith said trying to hide her smile.

"Maybe not to you but I am loving this, Meredith your life is a soap opera."

"Don't remind me" she grumbled.

"Don't remind you of what?" Mark asked placing a kiss on Meredith's hair as he appeared from no-where.

"How messed up and crazy my life is" Meredith said truthfully.

"It's not that bad" he reasoned with her. "Have you ah talked to Derek yet" Mark asked curiously.

Meredith shook her head. "I haven't had a chance yet" she lied. "I'm his intern today so maybe I can talk to him after surgery, I don't want to do it here though, you know what the nurses are like so I might invite him to Joe's if that's okay with you" Meredith said openly.

"Sounds good babe" Mark told her before his pager signalled an emergency. "Let me know how it goes" he called out as he rushed off to tend to the crisis.

"He is taking this surprisingly well" Cristina commented.

"It's a front, on the inside this is tearing him apart" Meredith confided in her person. "I've never seen him like this."

"Usually I would tell you to pull your head in and suck it up or talk to Izzie about this mushy crap but as your person and as this situation is different I am going to pretend we are two normal girlfriends discussing the drama in our lives" Cristina said with a surprising amount of compassion.

"Thank you Cris but I have to go, I have surgery with Derek" Meredith said getting up and heading off to meet Derek.

"Good luck" Cristina called after her.

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"You did well in there Dr Grey" Derek commented as he and Meredith scrubbed out together. He no longer addressed her as Meredith and he only talked to her in a professional manner. It hurt her somewhat as they had agreed to be friends.

"Thank you" Meredith replied as she slid on her wedding rings without thinking.

"You're wearing your rings" Derek noted watching her slide them back onto her finger.

"Ah yeah only recently" she told him not meeting his gaze. "Derek" she started.

"No Meredith you don't get to do this, we are friends moving on, you have a husband and you didn't tell me about him so no you don't get to do this" he said to her causing her heart to break for him.

"I know sorry isn't going to solve anything but Derek that aside I actually do need to speak to you about something" she managed to get out.

"I think we've said all that needs to be said" he said harshly as he headed for the exit.

"Derek, wait please" she pleaded. "Meet me at Joe's at 8, please come its important" she stressed. She lost hope when he walked out of the room not even looking back at her.

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Meredith sat at Joe's waiting to see if Derek would show, it was now a little after 8 and she was beginning to think he wasn't going to come. She had to make him listen one way or another. As much as she wanted the babies to be Mark's she couldn't deny Derek the chance of being a father if he was.

"Usual poison" Joe asked as he noticed Meredith sitting there a worried expression on her face.

Meredith shook her head. "Won't be drinking for a while" she said sadly it was a time like this she could go for a stiff shot of tequila. "Make that for 8 months" she muttered without thinking.

"You're pregnant" he said a little too loud for Meredith's liking. She whipped her head around to check that no-one who she didn't want to know could have heard but was relieved to see the only people she knew in there was George and Callie and Meredith was sure that George would have told his girlfriend.

Meredith nodded at him but jerked her head around as the doorbell chimed. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw that it was Derek. She signalled for him to follow her to a booth.

"I was beginning to think you weren't going to come" Meredith said softly as they sat.

"I wasn't going to but you made it seem like it was important" he replied truthfully.

"It is" she said nodding her head.

"Do you want something to drink?" he asked.

Meredith just shook her head. "I can't have alcohol" she said honestly.

"Oh is this to do with you being sick last week?" Derek asked curiously. "Is everything okay?" he added concerned as he noticed the tears in her eyes.

"Sort of Derek I'm 7 weeks pregnant with twins" she paused before continuing but before she could Derek had cut her off.

"And you thought you would tell me to rub my nose in it" he spat at her.

"No Derek it's not like that I didn't want you to find out from anyone else" she cried at him.

"Because that would make me feel so much better" he said sarcastically.

"Damn it Derek!" she exclaimed. "For a brain surgeon you are so brainless, 7 weeks ago we were still together do I have to spell it out."

Then it suddenly became apparent to him. "They could be mine" he whispered half to himself and half to Meredith.