It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

49.

Dinner was peppered with conversation here and there, but most of the attention remained on Derek and Meredith and their announcement. They could both feel the energy of the room raise several hundred notches as soon as the news had been revealed, and no one seemed more excited than Mrs. Shepherd. She talked and carried on about how exciting it was for Derek to be having a family, and that if they ever needed any help that she'd be there in a second. Derek watched her talk, the excitement in her voice was like nothing that he had ever heard before, though it was quite possible that him noticing was only multiplied by his own excitement. He was sure that she was just excited about each and every one of her other grandchildren, but to Derek it seemed as if it were doubly so.

When dinner was ready and the table was slowly being cleared, Derek's eyes caught Meredith's as he lifted a couple of plates from the table across from her. Their gaze connected and they both sent happy vibes across the table at one another as she silently thanked him for the announcement. She had been so frightened about what others would think. Having a child was a very big deal, and she knew that she wasn't ready for it, she couldn't think of one person that was actually 'ready' to have a child, at least not one person that she knew.

She wasn't sure if she would be looked down upon as far as being in her last semester of medical school, and going into her internship. She wasn't sure what people would think knowing that she wasn't married yet, and though she loved Derek with all of her heart, what if there was a chance of someone coming between them? What if something happened to pull them apart and his poor innocent child had to suffer for that? What if he decided one day that he didn't want to marry her? Then where would she be?

"Meri." His voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked up and her eyes met his sparkling blue orbs as he smiled softly. He watched as she tilted her head. "Nothing is going to go wrong." He whispered. "Stop worrying."

His words melted her heart, seeing her sit on the chair at the end of the table while everyone else bundled their children up to go to the ice rink, he saw her wondering, worrying and thinking. He knew that she had doubts and the propensity to avoid, and he knew that every now and then, she needed a hug, a kiss, and a ton of assurance. "How did..."

"I just know you." He said as he leaned down and kissed her cheek softly. "Why don't you go get your boots on... we'll get going to the rink with everyone." He said as he crouched beside her. He watched her turn slightly. "You and I can snuggle while everyone else skates..." He said softly.

"Wait..." She shook her head with a soft smile on her face. "Beep... beep... beep... back up the truck..." Meredith said. Her eyebrows raised in surprise. "We're skating." She said, shaking her head, her voice giggling.

"No...no, I don't think you should skate." He shrugged.

"You don't think I can skate..." She laughed, shaking her head.

"No... no... I'm not saying that... I think that... it wouldn't be safe to skate."

"You think I'm going to fall on my ass too much." Meredith whispered as she leaned down and pressed her forehead to his. "You're being protective..." She whispered as she giggled.

"Meri..."

"It's cute... protective is very cute..." She whispered. "But I'm going to skate... and you're going to skate... and we're going to have a good time."

"Meri..."

"No arguments, Derek."

"Fine... but I'm not tying your boots." He said, watching her watch him stand up.

"Then I'll tie my boots." She said as she pushed the chair up, standing up, she looked up into his eyes. "I'm going skating."

"I don't think it's a good idea..."