The Seventh Sense is Love

Are We Pregnant?

"Merry Christmas, Meredith."

"It's not Christmas quite yet, but Merry Christmas, Derek," she answers with a laugh.

The last of their family and friends have gone home for the evening. Dinner had been wonderful and all the kids loved their gifts. Now it's time for Meredith and Derek to have their Christmas.

Derek pulls his wife into his arms on the couch and asks, "What do you mean it's not Christmas yet? It is Christmas for all of December twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth."

"All right fine," she laughs and hugs her husband tighter. For some reason she does not want to let him go tonight. Truth be told, she's always touching him in some casual way, but tonight is different. Maybe it's because of the possibility of being pregnant, she thinks.

Meredith reflexively moves to put her hand on her stomach and bumps Derek's hand as he does the same thing. She glances at his face with wide eyes - nervous of what she might see there. What she sees is a soft smile and she brushes his fingers with her own. They both leave their hands on her stomach.

"Meredith?" Derek says quietly, seriously.

"Yes?" she answers, her heartbeat accelerating.

"Are you," he hesitates then continues, "are we pregnant?"

Meredith's eyes fill with tears at the use of the word 'we.' It told her what she already knew. Even though her body would be the one doing all the work if and when she was pregnant - they were in this together. He'd want to be involved every step of the way. "I don't know," she whispers. "Maybe."

"Maybe," he says, slightly awed. "Why maybe?"

"I'm only one day late," she answers.

"You're never late," he answers emphatically. "Every twenty-six days, like clockwork."

Meredith laughs at his choice of words - so like her own to her sisters. "I know," she replies.

Derek grins and asks, "So when are we going to test?"

She giggles at his enthusiasm. Was this really the same man who had been against having children not that long ago? "New Year's Eve," she answers.

He laughs in response. When she doesn't laugh with him he sobers up and says, "You are not going to wait a week to test."

"Well," she qualifies, "I was. I think it'd be a wonderful way to start the New Year."

"It'll be a wonderful way to start Christmas too," he states stubbornly.

"Oh lord," she laughs. "Tomorrow I'll only be two days late."

"Clockwork," he mumbles, "remember?"

"Well," she concedes, excitement in her voice, "I did but First Response home pregnancy tests."

"You have tests already?" he asks excitedly and gets up from the couch, his hand in hers.

"What are we doing?" she laughs.

"You're going to pee on the stick."

"No, I am not," she says stubbornly and stops walking. "I am only one day late."

"Clockwork, Mer," he says again and pulls her into his arms.

She feels herself melting under his enthusiasm. She leans up to kiss him and replies, "All right, I'll test in the morning."

"Why not now?" he asks with a pout.

"The directions say the first urine of the day is best to test with because it has the highest levels of hCG."