It had been 8 months since she had set foot in that hospital. Since she had been transferred to Mercer Island, a few hours away from Seattle.

It was the morning after Prom night, Meredith had slept with Derek after that she knew he would go back to Addison. She couldn't stick around to watch that again, so she asked the chief for a transfer, and she got it. She had kept in touch with Christina, Issie and George. They all knew about the baby, and had kept quiet about it to Derek.

Oh yeah, Dr Shepherd got her pregnant.

She thought she would be able to get over him, if she didn't have to see him everyday. But then she found out she was pregnant, and she hadn't told him about it.

She thought about him everyday, she missed him all the time. Every morning when she woke up, every night when she went to sleep, she ached for him. She wished he was with her, by her side during her pregnancy of their child. But he would never leave Addison and she should accept that. 8 months later and she still couldn't put him out of her mind. She still loved him and by this point she knew she always would. He was the one for her, but someone else was the one for him. How unfair was that?

Anyway back to the present, Meredith's water had broken. The baby was early, she might need a Caesarean, and Mercer didn't have the resources for a premature baby. She was being transported by helicopter to Seattle Grace, and she was dreading it.

As soon as the helicopter touched down, she knew it was no coincidence that she was at this hospital. Christina, Issie and Chief were the ones that were waiting, for her.

"Look at you!" exclaimed Issie when she saw Meredith's bump.

"I know," said Meredith laughing slightly. Her contractions were 20 minutes apart, it was going to be a long labour.

"Welcome back," said Richard.

"Thanks Richard, I think you had something to with that didn't you?" said Meredith.

"Well I couldn't let Ellis Gray's grandchild be born in Mercer. Not when we have the best medical team in the country here," said Richard.

"Owwwwwwwwww," cried Meredith, her contractions starting again.

"Right come on, Dr Shepherd is waiting," said Richard pushing Meredith on the trolley.

"No, no way," shouted Meredith, who had recovered slightly from her contraction.

"It's okay, it's Addison she's the specialist," said Issy, who didn't know the baby was Derek's only Christina knew.

"No, please I don't want to see them," begged Meredith.

"Don't be silly, you need to be in the best possible hands. Personal problems aside, you're a patient, you've been gone months it will all be forgotten," said Richard sounding as though he was talking to a child.

"But…but" started Meredith, but she knew it was useless to argue with Richard, she didn't have the energy anyway.

-------------------

AN HOUR LATER

"Okay, Meredith, let's check how dilated you are," said Addison entering Meredith's room.

"Not very far I'd guess about 4 centimetres, this baby doesn't seem to want to come out," said Meredith.

"Hmmmm you're right your only 4 centimetres, this will be a while," said Addison.

"I guessed," said Meredith.

"Okay, I'll be back in an hour to check on you again"

"Okay"

Addison left the room without another word. She had been completely profession, they hadn't spoken of anything except the birth. She didn't appear to even suspect the baby could be Derek's baby.

"How are you holding up? You know with her?" asked Christina as she came into Meredith's room.

"Fine, she's just getting on with it. Richard must have had a word, I'm just like any other patient. Have you seen Derek? Does he know I'm here?"

"No, McDreamy has no idea you're here, and nobody is going to tell them or they will have me to answer to"

"Thanks," smiled Meredith, gratefully. She couldn't see Derek, she couldn't handle it not yet. Not ever.

A few minutes after Christina left, Meredith realised how thirsty she was. She didn't want to bother the nurses, and she could use a walk. She climbed out of bed, and walked down the corridor towards the staff room, where she knew Issie always kept a six pack of diet coke.

"Owwwwww," gasped Meredith, just as she got to the door of the staff room. She clutched her stomach, it wasn't a contraction, it wasn't as painful, but a twinge from her movement.

"Excuse me, are you alright? Should you be out of bed?" she heard someone call to her. She immediately knew how it was. She would recognize his voice anywhere.

"Meredith!"

"Derek…. Dr Shepherd…" Meredith gasped, half out of shock, half from the twinges.

"What are you… you're…. Come on I'll take you back to your room. Which one is it?" said Derek pulling Meredith up and holding her up.

"310, I'm fine really I just wanted a diet coke. It's not a contraction, it's just a twinge," she babbled as she allowed him to take her back to her room.

He still had the same effect on her he had always had, she couldn't seem to think straight. He was just so, warm, comforting and gorgeous. He really did care, she knew that she had always known that he had cared. She had missed him so much, the way he smelled, his eyes, his voice and the gentle way he held her.

"Are you alright?" he asked her as he gently put her back into bed.

"I'm fine now," said Meredith, deliberately not looking at him. If she looked into those concerned eyes, she would melt, she would tell him it was his baby, that she loved him and wanted him to be by her side.

"You're pregnant"

"Not for much longer"

"How long?"

"The baby is early," she wasn't lying, the baby was a few weeks early.

Derek's head hung, he assumed that it couldn't be his because the baby was early.

"Well good luck, I'll come back and see you when I finish. If you need anything, just…"

"Thank you," said Meredith.

"Okay, I guess I better go"

"Okay"

----------------------

"Oh god, is she telling McDreamy about Dreamy Junior?" said Christina to Burke as they were spying on Meredith as she spoke to Derek.

"So it is his?"

"Damn! You can't say anything, you have to promise me you won't say a word to anyone, she doesn't know. If you open your trap, no sex for a year," snapped Christina furious with herself for letting it slip.

"He doesn't know"

"No"

"But didn't you tell her about his and Addison's divorce?"

"No I tried, but she wouldn't let me tell her anything about him, she wanted a new start, a clean slate"

"That's not right"