It was a bright and sunny morning, which was quite odd, considering this was Seattle. Derek was sitting at the island sipping his coffee and doing the crossword as Susan Grey entered the house with a multitude of groceries. As, she began putting various things into the cabinets, Derek commented, "Meredith, will accept a certain amount of help then she starts suffocating."
Turning around to face him, Susan looked concerned, "Oh, is this...am I suffocating?"
"Oh, no," he responded, "the groceries are just right. It's just that Meredith tends to think that she can do everything herself without anyone's help."
Continuing to put the groceries away, Susan stated, "After Ellis died, I gave her some time. But, I want to be here, help make things easier. After all, you're going to have a baby soon. You'll both need all the help you can get."
Smirking, he replied, "Good, great. Just try to keep it light, you know? Be helpful."
Almost if she knew they were talking about her, Meredith walked into the kitchen tying her sweater around her seven and one half month pregnant stomach. Turning quickly to face her, Derek grinned in a way that most people do when someone walks in on a conversation they don't want them to hear, "Morning. Want some orange juice?"
Eyeing Susan and the groceries around here, Meredith answered and then asked, "Yes. This all you?"
Shrugging, Susan rummaged through a sack, "Things to restock your fridge."
Looking at her stepmother with a look of awe and amusement, Meredith said, "You bought groceries last week."
Bringing the glass of orange juice over to Meredith, Derek teased, "You have to do it every week, if you want more."
Meredith just gave him a faux grin and turned her attentions back to Susan, "Well, thank you. It's unexpected and you didn't need to all this."
Breaking the tension, Alex walked in and questioned, "This for everybody?"
Nodding in his direction, Susan stated, "Absolutely."
"I'm going to run. I've got to talk to Richard before things get busy at the hospital." Derek said as he went over and kissed Meredith on the head and rubbed her abdomen.
As he picked up his things to leave, she asked him, "Are you going to talk to him about the..."
He cut her off, "Yeah, wish me luck."
Susan responded with an insistence in her voice, "You don't need it. Make him listen. You deserve to be Chief."
Derek just smiled as he left the house.
For the next thirty minutes, Meredith and Alex ate breakfast and made small talk with Susan until it was time for them to leave for work. It was at this time that Susan had moved on from putting up groceries to cleaning. Putting her bag over her shoulder, Meredith just stared at Susan for a second before she began, "Uh, we're heading off to work, now." She tried to hint to Susan that she was seriously making her visits too long.
As she was taking the garbage out, Susan glanced at the clock, "Oh, well, I'm almost done. I'll lock the door behind me when I leave."
Doing what she normally did in these type situations, Meredith just raised her eyebrows and gave off a fake smile before she exited her home. She definitely did not know how to handle something like this. It's not that Meredith didn't appreciate what she was doing but the whole situation was just complicated. It seemed as if Susan was trying to be the mother she never had. But, that was where the problem lay. Meredith had come to terms with having a distant, unloving mother a long time ago and especially after her mother's last lucid moment of her life. She wouldn't have admitted it to anyone but a part of her was glad that her mother was gone; it was as if this huge burden had been lifted off her shoulders. Ellis Grey's death had allowed Meredith to get a fresh outlook on life, a new start so to speak.
Not long after Meredith and Alex had left for work, Susan was finishing up her cleaning when the home telephone rang. Normally, she wasn't the type of person to intrude on others business but she had given Meredith's number to Molly and told her she was coming over here this morning. Something could be wrong with the baby. So, she answered it. "Hello?" She spoke into the phone.
The person on the other end paused for a brief moment before questioning, "Is...is Derek Shepherd there?" A female voiced asked.
"Oh, no, you just missed him. May I take a message?"
"This is his mother. I was just calling to check in." Mrs. Shepherd responded.
"Well, I'm Meredith's stepmother, Susan Grey. And, Meredith is holding up quite well, considering everything that has happened. I've been buying groceries and things to help out even though she doesn't want it." She told the other woman without being asked.
"She needs all the help she can get. The last thing she needs is unwanted stress on the baby, even if she isn't on bed rest anymore."
Becoming confused, Susan questioned, "Meredith was on bed rest? I was talking about her mother dying not too long ago."
"Wait, Meredith's mother died? It seems that both Derek and Meredith have not told us everything important that have been going on in their lives." Mrs. Shepherd said with a slight agitation in her voice.
"It seems so. What is this about Meredith being on bed rest?"
"Well, a couple months ago, she had some sort of accident when all of that ferry boat mess was going on. Apparently, she had a placenta abruption and had to have emergency surgery to reattach it; they almost lost the baby." She told Susan.
"Oh my! That was around the time that her mother died. I had no idea she had gone through so much!" Susan was glad no one was at home because she exclaimed rather loudly at the revelation.
"Yes, although, I'm not surprised I didn't know that her mother died. The last time I visited I didn't exactly leave on the right foot. And, when I found out about almost losing my grandchild I wanted to rush out here and help but Derek refused saying that I would only stress out Meredith. It does make me feel better though that you're close enough with Meredith for them to allow you to help."
"Oh, I wish. I've only recently gotten to know Meredith. Her mother didn't allow her father to see her since she was five, so our relationship is new. I can tell that she thinks I'm doing too much but this is the only way I know how to help and as I told her earlier that when she has a baby she'll need all the help she can get." Susan said as a matter of fact.
Agreeing with Susan Grey, she replied, "I feel the same way." Pausing for a moment, Mrs. Shepherd suddenly got a brilliant idea, or at least she thought so, "I think we should throw Meredith a baby shower. There are so many things that they both still need."
Even though Mrs. Shepherd couldn't see her, Susan nodded her head, "I think that's a lovely idea, but I think we need to make it a surprise because I have a feeling that she would instantly nix the idea."
"I agree because Derek would totally be against myself and his sisters coming out there all at one time. But, they'll come to appreciate what we're doing for them." Mrs. Shepherd said as a matter of fact.
"How soon can you come out here?" Susan asked.
"I can come instantly but his sisters are another matter. I have no doubt that we'll be there by the weekend. Only one of his sisters, Nancy, has met Meredith and the others are dying to meet her."
"Well, how's this Saturday? I know this great little shop with all sorts of great things for baby showers. I didn't get to throw one for my daughter since she went into premature labor so we had all this stuff we didn't use. But, since Meredith and Derek are having a boy, we can't use most of that stuff." Susan rambled on.
"Wait, did you just say they were having a boy!? I ought to scold Derek for not telling me this. I'm so excited that there will be someone to carry on the Shepherd name! Not that I wouldn't have been happy with a girl but this is just extra incentive." Derek's mother seemed a little too happy considering that Derek and Meredith were still not on good terms with her.
"Ok, so, can I get your number so we can confer over the week over the exact details of the shower." Susan grabbed a notepad a pen from the kitchen island.
"Yes, of course! And I want yours as well." She said as she proceeded to tell Susan her number.
After they both had exchanged numbers, they hung up with each other thinking this was the best thing they could do for the couple. Obviously, they did not know them at all, especially, Meredith.
The entire week was filled with secret phone calls and planning between Susan and Mrs. Shepherd. Knowing that they needed someone close to Meredith to help them figure out Derek and Meredith's schedules, Susan enlisted Izzie to help them. And, she was all too eager to do so, almost as if she was trying to keep her mind off something. Of course, Susan didn't notice this.
One of the first things that Izzie told Susan was not to tell Cristina because she would tell Meredith and the shower would not happen if that occurred. However, both Susan and Mrs. Shepherd wanted all of Meredith and Derek's 'friends' from the hospital to be there. And in order to get that, they were going to have to pull out the big guns, well, not they specifically since that would give everything away. No, they would send in their accomplice, Izzie, to talk to the Chief.
Needless to say, the Chief thought it was a wonderful idea that they were doing this for Meredith and Derek since he thought, as well, that they needed to be surrounded by family and friends. So, he agreed to pull a few strings so he could give the five interns, Bailey, and Burke the day off. Apparently, it was going to be one of those 'modern' baby showers where the men were invited as well. Of course, in order to make sure that they didn't suspect anything, the Chief made the schedule where it said that Meredith, Derek, Cristina, and Izzie were working for part of that day in order to give Susan and Mrs. Shepherd a few hours to set everything up. It was a so called perfect plan.
D-day had arrived and so far everything was going to plan. Mrs. Shepherd and Derek's sisters had arrived the day before and were helping Susan get the last minute details together before the big day.
The trio that was in the dark about everything were far from stupid so of course they thought it was odd that a lot of their friends had off and they only had to work half a day.
"Ok, what is going on? I mean everyone besides us has today off and we only have half a day. What gives?" Cristina asked no one in particular.
Playing along, Izzie feigned a response, "God, you know the world doesn't revolve around you or our little group of interns. This hospital does have other – actually, many other interns and attendings for that matter. So, it's not as if the whole hospital is going to collapse because people are getting the day off."
Looking at her quizzically, Cristina scoffed, "What the hell is with you, Barbie? You're acting like you have a stick up your ass."
"Nothing is wrong with me." She waved her hands around for emphasis, "I just don't feel like listening to you bitch about schedules."
Straightening her back up, Cristina was prepared to get into an argument with Izzie but Meredith intervened, "Both of you stop it. We have a little less than an hour before we get out of here and the last thing that's going to make that go any faster if the both of you are arguing the whole time."
Turning to face Meredith, they both had a confused look on their faces when Cristina said, "Ok, this whole motherly side of you I'm seeing is creeping me out."
"You think I'm acting motherly?" A hint of happiness could be detected in Meredith's voice.
Trying to change the subject, Izzie spoke, "Come on guys, let's just finish these charts so noon can get here and we can go home." She took a chart from the nurses' station and went off somewhere away from Meredith and Cristina to complete it. Now, it was good that Izzie was not giving away anything but she was acting a bit extreme. But, if you had slept with your best friend who was married you'd be a little on edge as well.
Finally, noon had arrived and the three interns and Derek were heading out to their vehicles when it was time for Izzie to put the final phase of the plan into action: getting everyone back to Meredith's house. The only hard part of this plan was getting Cristina over to the house. Turning on her happy, go-lucky mood, Izzie turned to Cristina as they were walking through the parking lot, "So! Cristina, we don't ever spend time together. I think since the day is still young you should come over!"
Not wasting a moment, Cristina instantly replied, "No."
A kink was thrown into the plan, but Izzie was not going to give up, "Come on, Cristina, please."
"Are you on drugs or something? I mean one minute you're bitching me out and the next you want me to come over and have bonding time." Cristina replied coldly.
Even though it seemed like that Cristina was not going to come, Izzie had planned on something like this happening, so she gave her something she knew Cristina wouldn't be able to resist, "I will give you two of my surgeries that am supposed to scrub in on if you come over."
This, of course, stopped Cristina dead in her tracks. She stared at Izzie in disbelief for a second, "Deal."
During this time, Meredith and Derek were following Izzie and Cristina and watching as this deal was made. Leaning over to Meredith, Derek whispered, "Is it me or is Izzie acting strange?"
Whispering back, she said, "Well, ever since that night she and George got drunk and he sang Sexy Back all night, she's been acting odd but today really takes the cake. Maybe she's just upset that George got to marry the love of his life but Denny died before she could." She shrugged her shoulders.
He merely responded with one word, "Maybe."
On the ride back to Meredith's house with Cristina following them on her motorcycle, Meredith turned to Izzie who was sitting in the back, "Ok, what's going on? Why are you all of a sudden wanting to bond with Cristina?"
Knowing there was only a little ways until they reached the house, Izzie would have to dodge questions that could reveal the secret of the shower, "'People are what matters,' to quote you. I'm just trying to get to know one of my friends better."
"Is this about George? What's going on between you two?" Meredith questioned innocently.
"What? Nothing. George and I are just fine, great in fact." Izzie said all in one breath.
She squinted her eyes at Izzie suspiciously, "Seriously, have you been doing drugs?"
Groaning very loudly, she replied, "No! Can we just home already?"
Laughing, Derek asked jokingly, "Wow, you're having worse mood swings than Meredith. You're not pregnant are you?"
This caused both of the women to glare intensely at him. "Man, tough crowd."
As the ride ended, Derek drove Meredith's jeep into the garage while Cristina parked her motorcycle on the street. There were no extra cars in sight since Susan and Mrs. Shepherd were not stupid enough to have an extraordinary amount of cars surrounding the house to give it away. No, they had instructed all of the guests to park on the other street.
As the group of four walked the pathway to the front door, Cristina asked, "Alright, what do you want to do to..." She grimaced, "...bond."
Knowing that the question would soon be forgotten in a matter of moments, Izzie made up a poor reasons off the top of her head, "Oh, I don't know talking and stuff."
Before Cristina could reply with one of her sarcastic responses, Derek opened the front door where Susan, Thatcher, Meredith's half sister Molly, Mrs. Shepherd, all of Derek's sisters, Bailey, Burke, Callie, George, Alex, and Richard all yelled, "Surprise!"
Derek, Cristina, and Meredith all had distinct expressions on their faces as their mouths hung open. Derek was basically just speechless while Cristina was trying to hold back her laughter. However, Meredith's was probably the most noticeable; she looked utterly horrified.
Derek was the first to say something after the initial shock of the situation wore off, "Mom...Nancy, Kathleen, Marie, and Emily, what...what are you doing here?"
Going up and hugging her son like nothing in the past had ever happened, she said, "Throwing you and Meredith a baby shower! Well, with the help of Susan, of course." She glanced back at the woman she spoke of.
"Oh, it was just something we threw together in a couple of days' time." Susan said almost humbly.
Cristina couldn't help but notice this 'thrown' together shower. It looked like it had been planned extensively. There were blue and white streamers hanging from the walls and blue balloons in which some of them said, 'It's a boy!'
Meredith still looked horrified. And since she wasn't making any movements, Susan decided to intervene and placed a hand on Meredith's back and lead her to the couch with Derek following suit.
Once the couple was seated on the couch, Mrs. Shepherd threw up her hands, "Now, everyone since our guests of honor have finally arrived. We're going to start eating. There is a variety of foods laid out for everyone on the dining room table!"
Not that she made a move to go anywhere, Derek's mother quickly went over to Meredith, "You just stay here and I'll get you a plate. I don't want you to exert yourself anymore than you have to. I want to make sure my grandson is as healthy as possible."
As soon as she left and while everyone else was standing in line to get something to eat, Meredith leaned over to Derek and whispered, "What the hell is this?"
"I have no idea. I didn't have any idea she was coming much less with my sisters." Usually, Derek was the kind of guy that just went with the flow but he had specifically told his mother not to come out here and yet here she was doing something he knew that Meredith hated. Parties were definitely not in her favorite things to do list. Sure, he knew that Susan and his mother only meant well but they obviously did not know Meredith at all.
It didn't take Mrs. Shepherd long to prepare Meredith a plate of food. Looking down at the food, Meredith noticed that all of the food was 'baby' sized. She felt nauseated and it wasn't because she didn't like the food before her.
"So, Derek, have you decided on a name yet?" His sister Kathleen asked.
Looking at Meredith and then back at his sister, he replied, "Uh, not yet."
"You're kind of cutting it close aren't you?" Nancy said smugly.
"We still have about six weeks to decide. Don't be so judgmental." Derek was getting a bit irritated. This was the last thing they needed – more criticism from his family.
"I'm not being judgmental! I'm just stating a fact." She responded just as harshly as her brother did to her.
"Now, now, Nancy, this is an important decision that isn't to be taken lightly." Mrs. Shepherd scolded her daughter. Turning her attentions back to the issue of the name, her eyes lighted up, "Oh, I have the perfect name! You should name him after your father. He'd be Albert Morgan Shepherd II."
"Albert?" Meredith managed to squeak out.
"Yes, our Dad's name. You didn't know that?" Marie, another of Derek's sister's interrogated Meredith.
"Uh..." Meredith didn't know what to say.
"Wow, you're having a baby together and you don't even know the important personal details." Marie commented.
"Marie, you-" Derek was about to defend his relationship with Meredith when his mother stopped him.
"I think it would be an honor if you were to name the baby after your father."
He sighed, "We kind of wanted to use our own name to give him a fresh start."
"Well, if you don't think your father's name is good enough to use, I understand." Mrs. Shepherd said coldly.
Susan, who had been listening in on this conversation, decided to intervene, "How about we open presents?" She got up from her seat and motioned to Thatcher to help her carry all of the gifts over to Meredith.
Once Meredith had opened all of the gifts and everyone oohed and awed at the cute, little outfits that she was given, they played the baby shower game where you passed around a diaper with a rank smelling item in it and you had to guess what it was. About two hours had passed since the shower had started and things were finally winding down and people were starting to go home. This is when the confrontations began. Derek took his mother by her hand and led her into the kitchen. Looking at him oddly, she asked, "What are you doing, Derek?"
"What am I doing? What are you doing?" He tried to keep his rage from appearing in his voice but it wasn't working so well, "I told you that Meredith didn't need the stress of you being around and you go and do this."
"Derek, it's tradition for a woman to have a baby shower when she's having a baby. I just thought I'd help out."
"You didn't even ask if it was alright to do it. And considering that we're still not on good terms from your last visit, you didn't have any right. You're doing what you always do! Acting like nothing is wrong even when it is!" Derek was seething at this point.
"Keep your voice down." She shushed him.
"See! You're doing it again. Meredith isn't the traditional type of woman. She doesn't like these types of things. Then, to make matters worse, all of you are judging her!" He countered.
"Ever since you've moved out here, Derek, you've changed. What happened to the boy I raised?" She folded her arms across her chest.
Looking extremely agitated, he said, "My entire life has changed and for the first time I'm finally standing up for what I want. I don't want to be in this type of relationship with you but you're giving me no choice. I love Meredith and whether you like it or not we're going to raise our son the way we want to." He just stared while she just stood in silence.
In an almost monotonous voice, she stated, "As soon as we finish cleaning up, your sisters and I will leave."
Looking at his mother incredulously, he queried, "So, that's it? You're just going to leave without trying to talk this out."
"You've stated your intentions and that's all I need to know." She went into the den where the clean up was occurring while Derek just stared at her in disbelief.
Meanwhile, in the laundry room, another confrontation was occurring between Susan and Meredith.
"You wanted to talk?" Susan questioned.
"Yeah..." She took a deep breath before she began, "I appreciate all of what you've done and all but this..." She motioned around her, "...is too much."
"I just wanted to do something nice for you."
"I know that but I don't need all of this. Seriously, you're not my mother and I don't want you to be. I came to terms with having a cold and distant mother a long time ago. I'm not in grief because she died. I'm just moving on." Meredith was glad to finally get this off her chest even if she did hate confrontation.
"Ok, first of all, stop with this seriously stuff. Second, you need to give up this whole thing of not accepting anyone's help. You're having a baby." She tried to rationalize with her.
"I know but I have Derek and all my friends. And just because I'm having a baby doesn't mean I need all these people telling me how to raise my child." Meredith stated with conviction in her voice.
"Alright, I won't bring groceries over anymore and I won't push." Susan said defeated.
Meredith sighed, "Look, I don't hate you. Just don't try and be my mother."
"Ok, I won't try and be your mother." She gave Meredith a weak smile.
"Good." Meredith said smiling back.
Later that day after everyone had left, Meredith had collapsed on her bed with Derek following right after. They both sighed when Meredith asked, "You want to go first?"
"My mother and sisters are probably never going to talk to me again." He said exasperated. "What about you?"
"Well, I finally told Susan not to try to be my mother."
Not looking at her, he asked, "How'd that go?"
Staring at the ceiling, she replied, "Better than I expected. She understood."
Turning to look at her, he said, "So, I guess something good came out of this day."
Also moving her head to face him, she jested, "What are you talking about? This day is in the top ten!"
At first, he just looked at her in disbelief until he busted out laughing which caused her to start giggling as well. Putting his arm around her, the two reveled at the chaotic day.