The family then started to get ready for the new addition. By then, Morgan was even getting excited about Benjamin's birth. She had changed her mind about the baby once Derek told her of the good things about her little cousin. Meredith was proud of her daughter when she announced that she was going to help her aunt and uncle with the baby. She knew that it had been tough for her when Derek and the children moved into the house, but she soon adjusted to her new roommates.
Lexie's due date came and went. She wasn't thrilled when she didn't go into labor on her due date. She and Mark were both anxious and ready for that baby to come out. Lexie wanted to induce labor, but Meredith assured her that it wasn't necessary. After of a week of waiting, Benjamin Thatcher Sloan was born. His godparents and cousins were thrilled at the news.
"How does it feel to be an aunt?" Derek asked Meredith after they had called the kids, who were being watched by April and her boyfriend Jackson. When Lexie had gone into labor, Meredith was already at the hospital. So Derek just decided to meet them there and leave the children at home with baby-sitters.
Meredith thought for a moment before she spoke. "I don't know. I'll let you know after I see my sister and new nephew," she replied. A few minutes later, Mark led them to Lexie's room, where Lexie was holding the baby. Meredith looked over at her nephew and gave her sister a wide smile. "Lexie, he's beautiful."
"I think the word is handsome," Mark corrected her as Lexie gently handed her son over to his uncle. "He looks like a Sloan, doesn't he?" he asked proudly. Derek had to agree. "Your mom thought so too."
Derek turned to him surprised. "You talked to my mom?"
Mark nodded. "Yeah, I called her with the good news about Ben. And I sent your sisters some pictures. Why? What's the problem? You know that your family is part of our family. Your family would kill me if I didn't tell them about the birth."
Derek knew he was right. He didn't respond as he passed the baby over to Meredith. She smiled down at her nephew as Derek gestured Mark to come out into the hall. Meredith frowned as she wondered what was going on with Derek. She decided not to worry about it. She knew that he would tell her sooner or later.
"So it's Benjamin Thatcher Sloan," Meredith said as she eyed her sister. Lexie didn't respond. "You couldn't come up with a better middle name?"
"Well, you named Morgan after Ellis," Lexie reminded her. "And you told me that it was up to me and Mark, remember?" Meredith knew that was true. "So don't give me a lecture about my son's middle name."
Meredith knew that it was best to drop the subject. She looked down at her nephew again. "Don't tell Mark I said this, but I think he has a little bit of Grey in him."
"Well, Mark is hoping that he will be the next Lexipedia," Lexie replied as Meredith gave him back to his mother. "He wants our little boy to be smart."
"How could he not be with who he has for parents?" Meredith asked as the two men came back into the room. Ben started to stir from his sleep and cry. Meredith had a feeling she knew what he wanted. "I think we should give you guys some privacy. We'll come back later."
Derek agreed. They quietly said good-bye to them and left the room. Neither aunt nor uncle could stop smiling. "Do you have to go back to work?" Derek asked her as they walked down the hall. Meredith shook her head, pleasing him greatly. "Why don't we go and celebrate with drinks at Joe's?" he suggested. "It's my treat."
Soon, they were sitting at the counter of the bar, sipping drinks. They were enjoying themselves, but Meredith couldn't help but wonder why Derek had gotten so upset. "So was with you and Mark earlier?" she asked him hesitantly. "I thought Mark was part of your family."
"He is," Derek agreed. "I just didn't want the news to get back to Addison. I didn't want her to make up an excuse to come here earlier than she plans to. I know the plan was April or May, but it's going to be May. She wants to make sure she is here for her daughter's fifth birthday."
Meredith nodded understandingly. "I see. Well, I don't blame her. I wouldn't want to miss my daughter's birthday either." There was a short pause before she spoke again. "This may be a crazy suggestion, but have you ever thought of possibly convincing Addison to move here or in this area?" she asked him. That idea had been on her mind for a few weeks, but she didn't want to bring the subject up until the right time.
Derek nodded. "Actually, Katie was the one who suggested it to me. I wish that could happen, but it wouldn't be easy for Addison to drop everything and leave like I did. She loves New York." He then sighed. "I really wish we could make everyone happy, but I don't see how that is possible."
Meredith knew how he felt. She wished that she could cheer him up. She knew it was best to change the subject. "Well, this has been fun, but I think we should get going. The kids have waited to hear information about the baby long enough."
Derek stopped her before she could go any further. "What's the rush? We are here without the kids. We should enjoy the night out alone."
Meredith smiled at the thought of the idea. "What do you have in mind?" she asked him curiously.
Derek gave her a kiss. "Why don't we rent a hotel room for the night?" he suggested. "I would really love to spend some time with you without the kids tonight. It can be another date night." Meredith didn't even have to think before she agreed. They then left the bar and headed back to their vehicles. Meredith quickly called April to let them know of their plans while Derek went to get some wine and dessert. They then continued their celebration in their hotel room before cuddling up next to each other and falling asleep.
Meredith was suddenly woken up by a loud ringing sound. She groaned as she looked at the time. It was barely dawn. She then checked her pager as Derek started to stir. "What is that?" he mumbled.
"It's my pager," Meredith told him as she reached for her clothes that had fallen on the floor. "I have to get back to the hospital. There is a trauma coming in."
"Why don't you let the others handle it?" Derek suggested. "That way, you can stay here with me."
Meredith just gave him a smile as she put her clothes back on. "I wish I could, but I told you I don't trust my interns. If you want something done right, you're going to have to do it yourself." She was about to give him a kiss when she realized what she had done. She turned to Derek. "Did we do what I think we did last night?" she asked him hesitantly.
Derek nodded as he spotted his clothes on the edge of the bed. "I think we did," he replied.
Meredith groaned. "How the hell could this have happened? It was so easy to avoid it before when we had our Valentine's Day weekend."
Derek tried to calm her down. "We've probably had too much wine to drink last night, but I'm not going to blame the wine. I think we did it because we were ready to do it." He then started to get his clothes back on.
Meredith refused to believe that. "No, it was a mistake. And it shouldn't happen again. I don't want to set a bad example to our children by doing this before we get married."
Derek tried not to laugh. "I think it's a little too late for that," he replied.
Meredith gave him a look. "How can you be so calm about this?" she asked him. "We promised that we would take things slow. I'm sure making love before we're married isn't sending the right message. What would Addison think?" Derek didn't have a chance to protest as she continued. "We should just forget that it ever happened," she told him as she headed to the bathroom. "It's the best thing for everyone."
She closed the door and started to freshen up. She heard Derek's reply, but it was muffled. She didn't care what his response was. She was just going to forgot about it. They shouldn't be so intimate so early in their relationship. They've only been dating for four months. Meredith didn't even want to think about the consequences if they would have continued that part of the relationship. She wanted to just forget about it. It was the right thing to do.
A few days later, Lexie and Mark came over to visit and show the new baby to the eager cousins. Morgan and Katie immediately argued who would hold him first. "There are times like this where I wish there were two babies instead of one," Meredith whispered to Derek.
"Luckily, we can let Uncle Mark and Aunt Lexie handle this argument," Derek whispered back as they headed into the kitchen. He watched as Meredith started to make some coffee for the four adults. He couldn't help but notice that she had a thoughtful look on her face. "What is my lovely girlfriend is thinking about?"
Meredith didn't respond for a moment. She didn't know how he would react to her news. "I'm thinking about quitting my job and becoming a stay-at-home mom."
Derek was speechless. When he finally was able to get his words out, he didn't hold back. "Are you serious?" he demanded. "You love your job. You love saving lives. Why would you consider quitting?"
"Because I love my daughter and boyfriend and his children," Meredith replied. She had been thinking about the possibly of quitting her job for awhile. "I have to wake up in the middle of the night to go save a life. I'm missing precious moments of my daughter's life. And I don't want to miss anymore. And I want to have a chance to spend an evening with my boyfriend without being interrupted by the sound of my pager going off."
Derek had to admit that they were all good points. "Are you sure you want to quit the medical profession all together though? You can always find another job that will give you more flexible hours so you can spend more time with us."
Meredith didn't let him go any further. "Derek, I didn't say I was going to do it. I only said that I was thinking about it." She wanted to make it clear that she hadn't made any final decisions yet.
"Did you think about changing hospitals too?" Derek asked. Meredith was about to respond when he continued. "Because I think that would be better than just quitting your job all together. I know you would hate it if you stopped working all together. Being a doctor and saving lives is what you are born to do, just like your mother."
Meredith stopped him right there. "Don't bring my mom into this. She has nothing to do with this. Yes, I'll admit that I don't like being Ellis Grey's daughter sometimes. But I deal with it. And I love being a doctor and saving lives, but I don't think it is who I am anymore."
Derek sighed. He could tell that she wasn't backing down on this. "Whatever you choose to do, I'll support you in your decision."
Meredith smiled gratefully at him. "That's all I ask."