(Shattered...) Dreams Fulfilled

Timeless Bonds

They sat around talking for a while longer, Mark volunteering to clean up all the remaining dinner remnants. Derek held Meredith on his lap, unwilling to let her go, but noticing her nodding off every few minutes.

"Are we boring you," he teased, as she yawned yet again.

"Derek," Kathleen scolded, "stop teasing her, she is supposed to be feeling this way, exhausted in fact, I'm surprised she lasted this long tonight without falling asleep."

"It's ok Kathleen, he's actually been wonderful...about the baby...."

"Please, don't defend him, his ego is inflated enough as it is," she joked.

"I'll be right back," Meredith said as she started to get up.

"Where are you going," he asked, and she whispered quietly, "bathroom."

"I was wondering when you were going to go inside again," he laughed.

"Well, it's your fault."

"How is it my fault?"

"Are you questioning our child's paternity?"

"Never..."

"I was teasing you," she said, kissing him softly before getting up and going inside the trailer.

"I cannot believe I missed it...she went inside for no apparent reason several times tonight, and her gift was so important to you, but still I don't understand...last night..."

"Kathleen" he interrupted, they would have plenty of time to discuss all of it tomorrow,
"it's not like you're Mark, I mean he can tell a pregnant woman a mile away," Derek laughed.

"Mark, did you really know she was pregnant?"

"Sort of fitting, don't you think... you were the first one I ever diagnosed," he laughed,
"and now Shep's firstborn."

"You are so full of it...Mark Sloan..."

"What... ask Mer, I did tell her...when she comes back you can ask..."

"Ask me what?"

"Didn't I figure out you were pregnant, before you did?"

"Not before I did...that was Derek," she said as she settled on his lap again.

"Grey, come on, you know I did..."

"He did guess...but Derek, he suspected it first..."

"Fine...so you have a perfect record. I want to know everything...when are you due? When were you going to say something? When are you getting married? Telling mom? How are you feeling?"

"We don't know..." Derek answered.

"What do you mean you don't know? Derek, you have to know these things."

"Kathleen," Meredith answered, "Derek did guess, I had no clue I was pregnant, but we just realized it, the last several days, and it wasn't till yesterday when I bought a test, and we got the blood work back today."

"You haven't been to the doctor? You don't know how far along you are?"

"Seven weeks," they both answered.

"Wait, if you haven't been to the doctor, how do you know?"

Meredith blushed slightly, as Derek answered. "We kind of know when she got pregnant."

"You do? Shit Shep, you didn't tell me that, that could have a definite advantage once the bets get going."

"Mark Sloan, you leave bets out of my future niece or nephew's birth date."

"How the hell has that man put up with your bossiness all these years?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Kathleen quipped.

"Kat...too much information there," Mark answered.

"Seven weeks...oh my God, Meredith...Derek, that's just around the time that Jenna is due...this is so wonderful...that's perfect timing, the babies will be a few weeks apart...Derek, we can baptize both babies at the same time."

"Kathleen, you're getting ahead of yourself," he said.

"No, I'm not. You told Jenna you were coming, so this would be perfect, everyone gets to meet your baby...and Derek ...two new babies in the family, baptized at the same time."

He did not want Meredith feeling uncomfortable, though she had agreed to go with him, "I actually told Jenna, I'd let her know this week... we had to confirm Mer's pregnancy and how far along she is, and if she would be able to travel with a small baby."

"You didn't tell me that," Meredith told him.

"What?"

"That you were waiting to find out if I was pregnant, all the time...you just went along...with....my...my denial..."

"I love you," he smiled, and delighted in hers.

"How about you two let us in on this...how it is that Shep figured it out..."

"He really just blurted it out...and asked me if I was pregnant...totally out of the blue."

"It was not totally out of the blue...as we know now..."

"It was out of the blue then..."

"She was completely irrational..."

"I was not..."

"Really," he said, as Kathleen observed the banter between them, and worried about them, they were so obviously in love with each other, but she could not figure out what had gone so wrong to prompt his call to her.

"She was irrational...over emotional...craving coffee ice cream, which she hates...a few bouts of dizziness... just to name a few..."

"Meredith, I have to agree with Derek," Kathleen laughed, "there were some clues in there..."

"Not to mention...she's been crying about everything..."

"I have not," she said, and could feel the tears in her eyes, "that was for other reasons," and buried her face in his neck.

"Then..." he said, kissing the top of her head..."she demanded different kinds of ice cream, from a specific store, and I knew...but figured she would kill me if I brought it up..."

"Instead he asked me if I was pregnant without any warning at all."

"What did you say?"

"I denied it of course..." she said, and all of them laughed.

"I love you Meredith."

"Then, he started to tell me he loved me, every time he wanted to avoid dealing with my denial..."

"Uhmmm... not to mention getting ready for an emotional outburst...anytime I hear, that's not nice..."

"You ..."

"Ass. You can say it Grey, it fits."

"Thank you, Mark."

"Derek, you guys have still not answered the rest of my questions."

"Mer's going to the doctor next week, we got her full blood work back this afternoon. Will figure out when we want to tell people after that."

"How about Mom? Derek you have to tell Mom."

"We will, but will wait till after the doctor's appointment."

"Derek, she's going to be so excited...I feel bad for Jenna, this news...it's going to trump baby number three for Jenna."

"Kathleen that's awful... Mom would never do that... she loves all her grandchildren."

"Oh please. She has plenty of them from us, but her baby boy...having his first baby...that's going to trump the other fifteen!"

"Shep, you'll be lucky if she doesn't show up on your doorstep the minute she finds out and tries to take over."

Derek felt Meredith shift nervously, "she is not, don't put ideas in Meredith's head, you make Mom sound..."

Mark and Kathleen laughed, "what...like she really is?"

"Meredith, don't pay any attention to them."

"Derek, what if she really does want to come out here, we don't even have a place for her to stay...if she wanted to visit...I mean...you can't just put her in a hotel..."

"What's this double standard? I'm in a hotel."

"I didn't mean that... just he'd have to look after her, not just leave here...you're ok, you can take care of yourself... but your Mom...she's older..."

"Meredith...you are in for a hell of a surprise...Mom can do well on her own more than all of us put together."

"Oh..."

"You spoke to her the other day...she's dying to meet you...so get ready, the minute she knows you're having a baby...she's going to be out here."

"Oh God..." Derek heard her whisper.

"Kathleen, Mark, stop it. She is not that bad, and she is going to love Meredith...and I hope she does fly out...it's time she and Mer got to know each other," he said and held her hand, squeezing it gently, and kissing her lips.

"You're right, she's not really that bad."

"You don't sound very reassuring, Kathleen."

"Meredith, you make her favorite child happy, and you're having her grandchild...that's all she's going to care about."

"I'm not her favorite child."

"Wanna bet?" Mark joked.

"Enough with the bets. Now, how about the wedding, when are you getting married?"

"Derek hasn't actually asked," commented Meredith.

"What? But you said you would be getting married."

"We've talked about it...but Derek hasn't actually proposed."

"That is not true, I have told her...why do you think she told you we're getting married, it's understood."

"Derek Christopher, have you proposed to her or not?"

"She knows...we know we're getting married..."

"Have you proposed?"

"I told her...I want to marry her...and..."

"You are an ass, Derek, you have not asked her?"

"I have...but...not formal, like with a ring...Mer...come on, you know..."

"He told me he wanted to marry me and have kids with me...and the most romantic words you can ever imagine..."

"You see..."

"Then he told...he would wait... wait for me to be ready, as long as no one else came along..."

"Meredith..." he said looking at her incredulously.

"That's what you said."

"You are taking that completely out of context?"

"Am I...not to mention he invited me to go away for the weekend and took it back?"

"Derek, that is ...well, I don't know what it is, but how could you?"

"I can't believe...I can't believe you just told that story."

"It's true...and I forgave you..."

"You forgave me...you are the one...that wasn't ready, and you forgive me?"

She immediately realized he was actually upset, and had though he would take it all in the teasing manner it was intended.

"Derek," she said, turning his face and locking gazes, "I'm sorry, I was just going along with the moment...it seemed ok... to share a bit of us...where we are...where we've been...with your sister. But you're upset, I'm sorry."

He saw she was genuinely sorry and was getting upset, "that wasn't nice, but it's ok."

"You're taking my line now too..."

"Yeah...just like sympathy cravings," he smiled, and kissed her softly.

"I love you, I'm sorry...I didn't...didn't mean...anything...it's just...I'm sorry."

"It's ok...you're right...I'm the one that needs to apologize...for that...I never should have said that."

"Can we just forget it. Please."

"As long as the answer to my real proposal is yes."

"It will be."

"I love you."

"You two are the sorriest, sappiest people I have ever seen."

"Shut up Mark," three adult voices echoed.

"Meredith, when this idiot proposes, I expect to know every single detail."

"Not happening big sister."

"What do you know what women talk about, you moron."

"Sibling love and affection at it's best" Derek laughed.

"Getting back to my original question, comment, whatever it was."

"Yes, Kathleen?"

"Derek, you have to plan on flying home, it will be perfect, and I've gone through this fourteen times, of course a baby can travel, and so can she, so that is not going to be an excuse."

"We'll see Kathleen, we'll have to see."

"Derek," Meredith spoke softly, "if...if you'd like that...I think...I think... it could be a wonderful idea...taking our baby to meet your family..."

"You do..." he asked in surprise.

"I do," she smiled, "but, we might have to take the godmother with us."

"The godmother...."

"We know we won't keep the godfather away....so just the godmother...for the baptism."

They were in their own private world, making decisions about their baby, "Cristina...should be a hit with my family."

"It's not going to be Cristina."

"What..."

"It's about family Derek...our family...a family I've never had before...Lexie...I think I want my sister to be the godmother."

"Meredith...Cristina is...she's your person."

"Lexie will be happy...the minute she finds out I'm pregnant...she will be happy, she's already talking about our kids growing up together...that's what I want for our baby...our family."

"Whatever you want...that's fine."

"Do you two want to join us again?" Mark laughed.

"Derek, why do you keep him around?"

"You're just jealous you no longer have me around, and are stuck with that dull husband of yours."

"Dull husband...you think..."

"Well...that baseball team of yours could mean he's not that boring," he said and the two old friends laughed.

"Mark...I do miss you, and Derek."

"Kathleen, you just have to come out and visit us more often, keep me from going crazy with these two around."

"You know what, Meredith, I'm going to make sure I do that...in fact...we're coming out soon, now that Derek made the offer, I won't be able to keep my husband away."

Meredith yawned again, and laid her head on Derek's shoulder, as he brought his hand to rest protectively over her abdomen.

"You know, this has been a wonderful evening, but I think it's time we call it a night. Let Meredith get some rest, plus I'm feeling the effects of jetlag. Mark can drive me on his way back."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean...I'm just exhausted...like I have no control, at the oddest hours, and at work, I just want to lie down and sleep in the middle of the day sometimes."

Kathleen got up and the others followed, and she walked over to Meredith.

"Don't apologize...you're feeling the effects of your baby...and you should get some rest, and if you need anything... to talk...I've been through this not just with my own kids, but with each of my sister's, so anything you need, I'm a phone call away."

"Thank you...I...that... that means a lot."

"You're family...there's no thanks needed. Just take care of that baby...and Derek...let him take care of you...he needs to...that's all we need for you to do.

"Kathleen," Meredith said quietly, glad Derek was speaking with Mark, "I'm really glad you're here, and that we had this evening to spend together."

"I am delighted to have been here, and get to know you...my future sister in law...whenever that happens...I just want you to know, it doesn't matter, you are already my sister..."

"Tha...thank you," she said with tears in her eyes, and uncharacteristically reached over to hug her. "I love him...I've made mistakes, but I really do love him."

"I know you do, as I can see he loves you," Kathleen hugged her back, "take care of yourself...and the baby...and just let him love you, that's all he needs."

"I need to do that too...take care of him."

"You are going to be fine...and you're baby is going to be so lucky."

"I hope so," she said with deep melancholy, and a trace of her fears could be heard in her voice.

"Let's go Kat, time to call it a night. The night is still young for me."

"Does he ever change?"

"No!" Meredith and Derek both exclaimed, as Derek came up behind her, and wrapped his arms around her.

Kathleen witnessed her brother's happiness, and felt overjoyed for them, yet could not dismiss the feeling that after tomorrow, their life was about to take a direction neither of them ever anticipated, testing their new found convictions and commitment to each other.