Takin' My Time

Miranda walked into her bedroom to see Ben on his laptop. He stopped typing and looked up. "So, while you were sleeping, Tuck and I had lunch," she said to him.

"Yeah?" She nodded. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"You've been working like crazy these last couple of weeks," she told him and she climbed into the bed. Ben thought about it. "I figured you needed some rest." Ben had been on-call twice in the last week and had been studying, researching and was basically being a resident which was keeping him busier than ever. She hadn't seen him much at all and it was almost like he was back at UCLA.

"Sorry," he said yawning.

"Don't be. I know it's important. Very important. And I haven't heard any complaints about you so you must be doing a damn fine job."

"Right. Your husband is star," he said winking at her. Miranda blushed. He was a star in California and he was a star in Seattle.

Ben closed his laptop and moved next to her. "So, uh—"

Here we go again, she thought. She knew exactly what he was about to ask. "Yes," she said sweetly.

"I was thinking that since we've already told Tuck, that we should tell our parents the good news."

Miranda scratched her head, messing her hair up a little. She fixed it. "I think we should wait a little longer."

"A little longer? Miranda, you're—we're almost through the first trimester," he said a little agitated. She loved when he got like this, especially since it usually ended with them having sex. And the pregnancy made her want her husband at all times of the day and night. They were making love nearly every night. Even when she was exhausted, Ben knew how to turn her on. "Miranda!" He said calling her back to the present.

"What?"

Ben brought his hands to his mouth and spoke quietly. "You've been pushing off telling our parents for weeks now. And I've been letting you without asking you for any particular reason because… well, just because." Miranda fought the urge to smile. "But now I'm asking. Why don't you want them to know?"

"It's not that I don't want them to know," she said looking away from him. "I just wanted to wait."

"Why?"

"Until I was through the first trimester?" He didn't speak. "I feel like if we make it through the first trimester, then everything will be okay."

Ben sighed. "Why didn't you just tell me that?" She shrugged. He leaned over and kissed her head. "That's the kind of stuff you have to tell me. You were driving me insane."

"But if you want to call your mom and dad, do it. They shouldn't be deprived of the good news."

He shook his head. "I'll them when you call Elena and William." Ben grinned and made a goofy face.

Miranda smiled. "Okay, let's call them now. And I'll call Tucker and then you can tell whoever else. Let's just spread the word," she said laughing. Ben kissed her again.

"Wait, Tucker?" He asked with a chuckle.

She nodded and shrugged. "He's one of my oldest friends."

"True. Okay. What, uh… what about Callie?"

"She probably already knows."

"How would she know?"

Miranda looked at him. "She's my best friend; she knows my body has changed." To someone who wasn't paying attention, Miranda didn't look pregnant at all. Her lab coat hid her slowly growing belly and she kept up her same workload. But Callie was always around. They were always hanging out and even though she hadn't said anything, Miranda was sure that she already knew. And that Callie knew that she knew that she knew.

"Baby, you look great."

She hit his arm playfully. "I know that." They chuckled. "But if you didn't know I was pregnant, what about my body would you say has changed?"

Ben backed away and looked her up and down. "Oh. Oh! Ohhh. Okay. I understand now," he said smirking at his wife.

"Exactly. She's my best friend. She knows." Ben nodded and kissed her arm. "And if she doesn't at least realize that my breasts have gotten bigger, then I'm sure that her wife has told her what she knows."

"See, this is one of the reasons I'm glad that I am not a woman. So complicated. No offense."

"You couldn't handle it anyway," Miranda said reaching over him. She grabbed Ben's phone and handed it to him. Call your mom and dad. I'll call my parents." He nodded. He kissed her and then took a deep breath as he dialed his mom's phone number. Miranda called her parents' home phone and waited until both of them were on the line before she said: "Yes, we're all good. Everyone's fine." They talked a little longer, catching up before Miranda said: "Momma, Daddy, I'm pregnant."

"What?!" Her mother screeched.

"Ben and I are having a baby," Miranda said smiling widely.

"Amen!" Her father said.

"Aww, baby! That's such great news. I've been waiting for this call!" Miranda nodded sarcastically. "How many weeks?"

Miranda snuck a glance at Ben who was looking at her. "Almost thirteen weeks," they said at the same time.

Miranda could hear her mother-in-law screaming. Ben pulled the phone away from his ear. She laughed silently. Her parents stopped talking to her and began talking to each other. Miranda put the phone on mute and watched her husband do the same thing. "I think they're happy about it," he said leaning over to kiss her.

"Yeah, they are. Even though we waited so late to tell them."

"We?"

"Yes. 'We'." Ben shook his head laughing. "But I knew they would be. It is exciting," she told him.

Ben kissed her again before they un-muted the calls. "Mandy! Another grandbaby?" She nodded. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"It's too soon for me to want to know and those machines aren't 100% at thirteen weeks. I don't know. But, anyway, it is way too soon to even been thinking about it," she told her mother. She looked over to see that Ben was finished talking to his mother. He was dialing his father's number. His parents were divorced, but Ben was still on good terms with both of them. Her father made a noise. "It is, daddy. I'd like to wait until I'm at least twenty weeks at least to find out."

"Never too early. And I want a granddaughter."

Miranda laughed. "I'll see what I can do."

Her father laughed too. "Good. Okay, baby, I'll let you go. Keep talking to your mom," her father said and he hung up.

Her mother was still on the line. "Miranda?" Elena asked.

"Yes, ma'am."

"You're thirteen weeks in and you're just telling us?"

"I wanted to wait a little longer," the daughter responded. "But Ben has been insisting that we tell you guys."

"Mmmhmm, I always liked him," Elena said clicking her tongue. "So we're happy about this?"

"Ecstatic. I mean, we didn't plan for it, but we're happy. You know I, uh…" Miranda looked down at her husband who was wrapped up against her. She stroked his head. "I've wanted a second child. I didn't want to wait too long, you know? But we never got around to talking about it."

Her mother said that she understood. "I'm so happy for you, baby. My little girl and her little ones. Oh! You'll be so adorable. More family pictures and cards—"

"Okay, slow down there, Grandma. Let's not rush things," Miranda interrupted. "We'll deal with that when the time comes." Ben started to snore lightly. Miranda smiled.

"You're scared."

"Of course I am," Miranda spat into the phone. She got off of the bed, rousing Ben.

"You're okay, baby?" He asked squinting at her.

She nodded and waved him back to sleep. She walked downstairs to the living room and she lay down on the sofa, her eyes starting to swell with tears.

"The last time I gave birth, Tucker nearly d-died and I almost killed my son and myself trying NOT to give birth. So, yeah… I'm scared, momma." The tears fell down her eyes and onto the sofa cushion. Her mother didn't speak. "What if something like that happens again? What if something worse happens?"

"Miranda, I can't promise you that nothing bad will happen, but what I will promise you is that you will be strong enough to handle whatever comes your way." Miranda looked up to see Ben poking his head into the room. He walked up to her and knelt down. He kissed her chin and Miranda turned away from him. He rubbed her back. "You are strong enough," her mother said. "Alright?"

"Yes, ma'am," Miranda answered in a shaky voice. "But…" She took a deep breath. Ben kissed her back and she shivered.

"There is no 'but'. You have a good man," her mother said slowly. "And he will be there for you, baby."

"Not if he's lying on Shepherd's table somewhere because he cracked his brain open."

"Oh, don't be morbid," her mother said with a laugh. Miranda joined in. They talked a little longer, Miranda no longer feeling fearful. "Alright, go on and get off my phone."

"Okay. I love you and tell daddy that I love him, too." Elena said she would and call was disconnected.

"What was that all about?" Ben asked. Miranda shook her head. "Now, would you believe that I know that you're not telling me the truth?" Miranda smiled. Ben climbed on the sofa behind her. "What's wrong?" He whispered into the back of her neck. She sighed heavily and told him about her fears. "Mmhmm, well, there is something to be said about the doctors of Grey Sloan who give birth during storms and immediately car accidents." Miranda gasped and bumped him with her body. He groaned in her ear. Even though she was a little stressed, his body against hers and his groans in her ear were easing her tension and warming her. "Keep doing that and I will take you to our bedroom and make you so, so sorry."

Miranda licked her lips. She adored her husband and definitely wouldn't mind making love to him. But that would only be a distraction from the matter at hand, what she was really worried about. "Stop, Ben. I'm serious."

"I know, but everything will be fine, baby."

"You promise?"

"Miranda…," he said and she felt the sofa move and he held her tighter. "You know I can't make you that promise because things happen."

"Thanks," she said with ice in her voice.

"But I will be there for you," he said.

"Okay."

"Good. Now, I have a serious question to ask you."

"Shoot."

"Do you want to go to the movies tonight?" He asked. Miranda laughed loudly and Ben chuckled in her ear, kissing her lobes and driving her wild. "I'll go and get Tuck and we'll head out in fifteen?" Ben got off of the sofa and turned her on her back. He climbed on top of her, putting his hands on either side of her head.

"You won't be able to do this in a few months," she said softly.

"We can find other positions. I'll do some research. And we'll practice." Ben winked at her and she blushed. He leaned down to kiss her, his tongue begging for entrance. She resisted until he whispered: "Let me in." Miranda kissed him back deeply.

"Mommy!" Miranda asked turning her face away from her husband. She looked over to her son who'd walked into the room. Her mind flashed back to a time when she wouldn't even kiss Ben in front of Tuck or even touch him unless she was holding his hand or giving him a short hug. Now, several years later, they were all comfortable and while they wouldn't have sex in common rooms of the house while Tuck was awake, they did have sex and have it frequently, oftentimes waiting until he was asleep or presumed asleep before engaging in sexual activity. His voice snapped her back to reality: "Mommy?"

"Yes, son?" Miranda answered.

"Can I go to Jaylen's house?" Tuck asked. "He's having a sleepover."

"I thought you wanted to go to the movies?" Ben said.

"I did, but Miles and Terrance and Jaron are going to Jaylen's house, too, and they want me to come over," Tuck said looking at Ben. "So can I go?" He was no longer looking at Miranda. "Please?"

Ben looked at his wife and said: "Of course you can. I'll drop you off."

"Yes!" Tuck shouted and ran off.

"So, because he's going to his little friend's house, we can't go to the movies?" Miranda asked with a wide smile. She touched her husband's face. He grinned, still hovering over her.

"Well, I thought I would cook us a nice dinner and we could spend some time alone," Ben said kissing her cheek. She didn't answer and he continued to kiss her. "Unless you just want to go out, that's fine, too."

"We can stay in, but it had better be worth it."

"Isn't it always?" He asked moving off of her.

Ben drove Tuck to his friend's house while Miranda continued to lie on the sofa and watch some television. When Ben came back, he walked over to where she was and kneeled in front of her. He had a sheepish look on his face. "Oh no. No!" She exclaimed. Miranda could tell that he was trying not to smile. "I'm not getting my dinner, am I?" Ben shook his head. "You have to go in?" He nodded. "Ugh, I guess there's nothing more to say than I'll see you later, I guess."

"No, not later, soon. Dale from Anesthesiology needs me for a quick second. She knows that I've done extensive research on cardiothoracic anesthesiology and she wants to pick my brain." Miranda ran a tongue over her teeth. "I'll be back as soon as I can, baby."

She made a face and he kissed her cheek. "Okay."

Ben went upstairs and grabbed his bag and came down a few minutes later. "Alright, Miranda. I'm off." She nodded and pulled herself from the sofa and followed him to the door.

"I love you," she said to him.

"I love you," he said giving her hug and he was gone.