I don't have much to ramble tonight, except that we'll be back in Meredith's shoes and the title is a namesake song by Vega 4, of course featured somewhere on the show. It was a pretty defining moment, if I recall correctly.

Enjoy and review, then!

Part 15 – Life Is Beautiful

As happens sometimes,

a moment settled and hovered and remained for much more than a moment.

And sound stopped and movement stopped for much, much more than a moment.

And then the moment was gone.

John Steinbeck

Lately, I was tired most of the time. It wasn't easy being seventeen weeks along, especially during a sticky hot summer. I couldn't take days off to build up OR hours for my maternity leave, also because so far I didn't even needed any. It was the first time I felt really worn out since I found out about the baby.

Derek had just done an emergency surgery and I was about to leave after my twelve hours night shift. He let me scrub in so we could leave together and I was glad I hadn't to drive. Our home in the woods was beautiful, but impossibly far after a night shift. Or maybe I was just pregnant. It was still weird to say out loud. A good weird. The best kind of weird, actually.

I think I fell asleep on a chair, waiting for Derek to inform the family that the surgery was successful and to change back into street clothes. I still had my scrub on as I was too tired to even think about changing. As I opened my eyes, he was softly kissing my forehead, plopping in the chair next to mine, a tired smile lingering on his lips.

"Ready to go?"

Just then, after his soft voice reached my ear and forced my eyes to open again, I realized he had gathered all my things from the locker and was holding my bag on his lap.

"Just one more minute" I mumbled, snuggling into his shoulder, closing my eyes again. I felt his laugh ran through his chest, a lovely awakening sound.

"Don't you think you'll sleep better in our bed, with my arms around you?"

"Yeah, but I'm too tired"

"You ok?"

"This being pregnant thing is getting everyday more annoying. Thank you for getting my stuff"

"It's not annoying at all, you know that" his small smile told me he was enjoying every single moment of it, even when I apparently looked crazy

"I annoy myself, Derek. You're too kind with me" I snorted

"I have to take care of you. Both of you..." his voice softened

"Thank you"

He kissed softly my temple as I fell backwards in my chair.

A growl in my belly reminded me I had to have something to eat before sleep. Even if I wasn't that hungry and it really wasn't a growl.

"What?" he asked, I don't know if he sounded more concerned or curious. He knew me too well to not notice the sudden change of my expression.

"The Peanut's moving inside me!"

His look was ecstatic at my admission, his eyes widened, almost as a miracle just happened. I couldn't help myself from feeling the same, all the weariness immediately replaced by an incredible, complete joy. He inched closed, placing his hand over my belly, right next to mine, that immediately landed there after I felt some movement.

"Is it moving now?" he asked, hopeful, a big smile on his face as well.

"Nope, not anymore. I'm sorry" I grinned

"It's ok." he kept staring at our hands over our moving child, completely dazzled

"I think we should go home before the whole hospital will know I'm happily pregnant" I grinned

He smiled, then took my hand in his and, as a real gentleman, eased me on my feet. He was still startled.

"When do you want everybody to know?" asked, when he found his voice again

"The ones that matter already do. Other people will find out sooner than you think. The smarter ones have already listened to gossip, I suppose. We've always been their favorite topic, believe me, right from the start" I sighed, remembering the rumor mill spinning often out of control

"You think?"

"I know. It's the way they look at me in the cafeteria or while I wait in a line for a CT. Their faces say 'Oh, Grey's pregnant' before looking away"

He laughed hard. He helped me to get in the car as well.

"Such a gentleman this morning" I smirked

"Just keeping you comfortable"

I think I doze off again in the car, because another gentle kiss made me realize we were in our driveway

"I'm such a bad company today, I'm sorry" I sighed

"Our baby moved and you think you're bad company?" he chuckled in his distinctive way

"I have another surprise for you" my smile teasing his curiosity

"Yeah?" his eyes glittered like Christmas lights

"It won't take you long to see it"

"Was that a hint?" he asked, cocking his head and flashing a McDreamy smile that almost made me weak to my knees

"Your surprise is upstairs, that's a hint"

"Oh" he smirked, opening the door.

When we were inside, he deeply kissed me, leaving me breathless and even more worn out.

"Why you waited so long to kiss me like that?" I smiled wryly

"Gossip" admitted, capturing my lips with his again, gently this time

"I go take a shower, I smell" I giggled

"No, you don't"

He kissed me again, before I squirmed out of his arms. "Don't you dare joining me!" I shouted from the stairs and I heard him laughing. I teased him even more when I got out of the bathroom with damp hair and just my underwear on. He looked at me in awe as I went through the drawer for an old t-shirt. I gently placed my hand on my belly to give him another hint about his surprise, then I lied next to him.

"Where's my surprise?"

"You haven't seen it yet?" my voice seductive to play along.

"You naked is an habit, not a surprise" he said, lifting up my college t-shirt and placing a kiss over my fuller belly. Then something clicked.

"Look at that" he gently stroked his fingers on my skin "our baby is growing" He smiled, looking up. The same smile he had before, possibly even wider.

"And moving" I added, a wide smile stretching on its own

"Wow. Just wow"

"Yeah, just wow" I giggled

He kept stroking the tiny bump, his fingers colder to my flushed skin. I literally realized it overnight and it felt overwhelming. We could see a hint of our baby. I could feel flutters and movements. Peanut was safely protected in my belly.

"You are beautiful" he whispered, never leaving his gaze from my rounder abdomen and trailing quick, wet kisses to our baby.

"I'll be like a beached whale in a few months, Derek" just the thought made me feel dizzy and bite my lower lip.

"You'll be the most beautiful mother-whale in the whole wide world"

I kissed him, as he lied gently on top of me, careful to avoid my belly

"That was corny" I smirked

Another flutter in my stomach warned me of some more movement

"And Peanut agrees with her Mommy" I added, placing both our intertwined hands over the movement.

"It's moving, Mommy?" he said in awe, rubbing my skin with his thumb. The way he stressed the last word make my heart melt.

"Yeah, Daddy" he smiled widely, kissing me, his other hand steadily holding the back of my neck.

"She's tired" I added, before another quick kiss. Teasing him was fun, especially when we were both half asleep. I just hoped he would miss it, even if he was clearly too awake to not notice that.

"She?" his eyes widened, afraid maybe to have forgot to check something during the last appointment.

"I didn't confirmed my theory, I just know we're having a girl"

"Know how?"

"Gentle kicks. Boys don't have that kindness"

"I was a kind boy"

"I can ask your mother, Derek" he laughed

"Ineffectual kicks. I bet where she got them..."

We shared a good laugh, then I know my smile faded a little, because he looked pensive again. He kissed me, then grinned and kissed my belly.

"Hey Peanut, it's Daddy" tears gathered in my eyes. I should blame the hormones. "You know how much Mommy and Daddy love you, we can't wait to meet you and I personally can't wait to hold you in my arms." I felt a flutter, right under Derek's hand and I grinned widely.

"She's happy to hear Daddy's voice"

"Yeah?" he looked up with his McDreamy smile and melt me from the inside out. I let a lone tear far from the corner of my eye and he brushed it away, still in awe.

"She moved, after you talked, she fluttered"

"She's amazing" he placed a soft kiss to my belly again.

"Derek"

"Hmm?"

"Can we keep my feeling secret?"

"You mean, pretend we don't know you think we're having a girl?" A girl. Emotions welled up in my throat. Tiny little dresses and French brides. A girl.

"Yeah. I told you because I wanted to stop with the 'it' thing. We'll stick to Peanut and we'll paint the nursery green or yellow, ok?"

"Why?"

"I hate pink and I want to have something we can share just the two of us"

"We have lots of things anyway" he smirked wryly

"You could be a tease if I wasn't that tired"

"Sorry, I'm keeping you awake talking. We have the whole afternoon for that"

"Talking is good" I clinched to him, locking my thigh around his hips and letting out a huge yawn. My newly discovered bump brushed to his muscular abdomen and he grinned widely. "Do you mind?"

"We should sleep like koalas every night" his hands gently moved to my belly, connecting to our little Peanut

"Yeah, it feels good"

As I closed my eyelids for a second, I was off to sleep and I didn't needed his soothing touch to have beautiful dreams.

AN: How was that? I hope you enjoyed...