Meredith and Derek were cuddling together on the couch. She was eighteen weeks pregnant and definitely had a baby bump. The thing was - it was still so tiny that it wasn't obvious that she was pregnant.
"If I have to wear fat clothes - I want it to be obvious that I'm pregnant," Meredith said with a heavy sigh.
Derek chuckled, kissed her temple and said, "I'm pretty sure they're called 'maternity clothes,' Mer."
"Maternity, fat," she replied with a giggle. "No big difference while the result is gaining weight."
"Mmmm," Derek replied.
"Mmmm?" Meredith asked with an edge in her voice and twisted out of his arms. "What the hell does 'mmmm' mean? Do you think I'm fat?"
"No." Derek answered immediately.
"So, what does mmmm mean," she persisted...
Derek sighed and then answered, "It means that I know nothing I say is going to make you feel better in the moment. So, mmmm is my acknowledgement that I hear you but I'm wise enough to keep my mouth shut otherwise."
"Oh," she said with a little crack in her voice. "I'm being an unreasonable pain in the ass." Then, she burst into tears but let Derek pull her back into his arms and hold her through the storm.
"I'm so sorry Derek," Meredith said when she was done crying. "Who knew I'd be such a ridiculous pregnant woman?"
"Mer," he said gently, kissing her again. "You're hormonal, not ridiculous. I understand - as much as I can - what you're going through. According to what the doctor told us last week - your hormones should be leveling out soon."
"Thank God."
"Mmmm," Derek chuckled.
"Safe answer there, Dr. Shepherd," Meredith laughed.
He rubbed his hands across her tiny baby bump again and said, "You're beautiful, Meredith. This is our baby you're growing in your amazing body. Thank you."
"I think I might cry again," Meredith sighed around the lump in her throat. "By the way, in case you need reminding, I didn't make this baby on my own."
"No," he chuckled, "You definitely didn't, but you are doing all the work right now."
"That's okay," she said, snuggling closer to his warmth. "It's an honor and a pleasure. Even if the getting fat part is irrationally and hormonally annoying."
Derek laughed again and then said, "I love you, Mer."
"I love you too, Derek. We have our ultrasound in two weeks."
"I know."
"Do you want to know the baby's gender or be surprised at the birth?"
"Do you have a preference?"
"Surprisingly, no," she answered.
"I'd really like to find out at the ultrasound." Derek stated.
Meredith turned in his arms and kissed him softly on the mouth. "Then we'll find out." she whispered.
"You're certain?"
"Absolutely."
"Wow!" Derek grinned, "In two weeks we'll know if we're having a daughter or a son."
"Providing Baby Shepherd cooperates," Meredith stated.
"The baby will cooperate." Derek said so adamantly that Meredith laughed.
"Is that right?"
"Yes."
"How do you know that?"
"Because our baby is going to listen to Daddy - that's why."
Meredith just laughed.
Half-way, Meredith thought, rubbing her hand over the baby bump that had finally popped. She was half-way through her pregnancy, it was finally obvious that she and Derek were having a baby and today they'd find out the gender of said baby. Still rubbing her belly, Meredith said, "Hi Baby." She and Derek had been talking to the baby all along. Listening in on its swishing world with their stethoscopes. Lately though, it seemed Meredith was talking to the baby all the time. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that she finally felt pregnant - rather than just sick and bloated - but she wanted to include their baby in almost every conversation. "Today Daddy and I will find out if you are a son or a daughter. Just so you know, we're perfectly happy with either. We just want you to be healthy and happy."
"Also, sleeping through the night right from the beginning," Derek added as he walked into the bedroom.
Meredith giggled and turned to reply but her breath caught in her throat at the sight of her gorgeous husband. He was fresh from the shower, with a towel wrapped around his waist and drips of water still clinging to his hair and skin.
"Mer?"
"Sorry," she sighed. "I'm distracted by my lust for you."
"Really?" He asked, walking toward her and grinning.
"Yes, really."
He reached out for her and she went willingly into his arms. Derek immediately realized she too was still naked, at least from the waist up. "Oh God," he groaned.
They made love quickly, a little roughly and very, very hotly. In the car, on the way to the hospital Meredith started giggling.
"What?"
"We're going to be a little late. Do you suppose we should tell the ultrasound tech the reason why?"
Derek laughed and said, "Probably not. Although, considering the baby in your belly, obviously we have a sex life."
Naturally, they had to wait a while to actually get in for their ultrasound. Meredith wondered what the point of an appointment was when you still ended up having to wait. She was damned anxious to make sure everything was okay with their little sweetie.
"It's okay," Derek whispered, squeezing her hand in his.
"The waiting is driving me crazy."
"I know."
Finally, it was their turn. The ultrasound tech squeezed the cold gooey stuff onto Meredith's protruding tummy and started looking at their baby. Meredith's eyes welled with tears and her breath hitched at the first sight of the baby.
"Oh Derek," she whispered and reached out to take his hand again. "There's the baby's tiny heart. It looks great - all four chambers present and accounted for."
"The ultrasound tech looked a little surprised but then she said, "I forgot for a moment that you're a surgeon. You probably know exactly what you're looking at."
"Yes," Meredith answered immediately. She described everything to Derek during the entire check-up. Toward the end the tech asked if they wanted to know the baby's gender. "Yes," they answered in unison and laughed. "Can you put the results in an envelope?" Meredith asked and felt Derek squeeze her hand again.
"Of course," the tech smiled. "Okay Mommy, look away now."
Meredith turned her head away from the screen and gazed at Derek. He looked just as excited as she felt about this. Today. They'd know if they were having a son or a daughter.
"All done," the tech announced. "Just let me have the Radiologist look over the scans. Then I'll be back with pictures of your baby. Would you like them on paper or on disc?"
"Can we have some of both?" Meredith asked. "With the gender on disc, though."
"Sure." the tech smiled and left the room.
Meredith grabbed some tissue to wipe off the gooey stuff, fixed her clothing and went to wrap her arms around Derek. "I love you," she whispered.
"I love you too." he replied
After they left their ultrasound, Meredith and Derek walked toward the elevators hand in hand. "I want to know now," Derek said.
"Me too." Meredith giggled and glanced at her watch. We have time before you have to teach your class. Do you want to sneak in the conference room and find out?"
"Yes," Derek grinned, shaking his head vigorously up and down.
They got off the elevator and immediately ran into an intern. "Dr. Shepherd?"
"Is it an emergency?"
"Well, umm, no," the intern answered.
"Then it has to wait. Sorry," Meredith said and continued moving toward the conference room with Derek.
"Hey," Lexie grinned upon seeing them. "How'd it go?"
"Great," they answered together and stepped into the thankfully deserted conference room. Meredith immediately walked to the DVD player and Derek said, "Lexie, please leave."
"What?" She asked in confusion. Then she said, "Oh my God! You're going to find out the gender right now! No fair! I want to be here for this."
"No," Derek said firmly.
"Meredith?"
"Lex." she said with pleading in her eyes.
"All right fine..." Lexie pouted. "Have your private moment."
"Thank you," Meredith said and shut the door behind her sister. Then she shut all the blinds, pushed play and sat on Derek's lap. They wrapped their arms around one another.
"There's the heart," Meredith said and gave Derek a rundown of all the pictures. "Arm, foot, gorgeous, perfect brain, face, femur." Then she started crying and giggling.
"Boy or girl?" Derek asked softly.
Meredith took Derek's hand and placed it over her belly. "Daddy," she said, her voice full of awe, "This is our son."
"A boy," Derek said, his voice just as reverent and emotional as Meredith's now. Then he pulled her mouth to his for a soft and tender kiss. "We're going to have a son." he said, grinning.
"I know." she giggled. "It's amazing."
"What is it?" Mark's loud voice boomed through the door.
"We should make them wait to find out." Derek grumbled.
"Not nice," Meredith giggled.
"Yeah, yeah," Derek agreed and hugged Meredith again before they both got up. "Can I tell them?"
"Yes."
Derek opened the conference room door, and with a grin on his face said, "Our baby is a boy!"