156. Best Birthday Ever

Disclaimer: Nope, I still don't own it.

School is back in session, so I'm going to be a busy bee until graduation. But as always, I promise to do my best to update as often as possible!

It was Meredith's birthday, and if history had taught her anything over the years, one of her gifts would be sex. It was a gift Derek was always happy to give, and she wanted to cash in on it now, while it was still early and quiet in the house.

After peeking in on Lilly to make sure she was still sleeping soundly, Meredith tiptoed back down the hall and into her room. She crawled back into bed and wasted no time in straddling Derek's waist. She leaned down, pressing kiss after kiss to his jaw and neck, smiling in satisfaction when he let out a pleasant groan.

"Hmm, morning," he greeted as his eyes adjusted to the streaks of sunlight coming in through the window. "Happy birthday."

"Thank you." She wiggled her hips over his groin, and felt his body instantly respond. "Wow. My birthday just got happier."

"You wanna do it now?" Derek asked.

"Why not?" Meredith said, trailing her fingers under his shirt.

Lilly's voice came over the monitor on Meredith's nightstand, interrupting the moment. "Mama Dada Mama Dada!" she sang out.

"She's up. I'll get her," Derek offered, waiting until Meredith rolled off his lap before swinging his legs over the bed. "Love you," he said before kissing her cheek.

"Love you, too."

Meredith sighed in frustration after he left their bedroom, running a hand through her hair. She and Derek hadn't gone all the way since finding out she was pregnant five weeks ago, and since getting cleared after her IUD removal, Meredith had been determined to get her sex life back. But it felt like every time the opportunity presented itself, it dissolved just as quickly.

Lilly was getting older, more active, and required even more attention. The responsibility that came along with being a neuro attending was an adjustment. But most of all, Meredith had a nagging feeling that the issue was Derek. Since she got pregnant, it seemed like he was disinterested, always looking for any excuse to keep them from having sex. In all the years Meredith had known him, Derek had never withheld sex, so she wasn't sure if his recent unwillingness left her more confused or just stung.

Whatever the reason, it was starting to get to her. Her hormones were already on overdrive, and she was fairly certain that if she didn't get laid soon, she would snap. But for the time being, she channeled her annoyance into getting ready for work, figuring it was just as effective as the caffeine she already craved since giving it up.

Meredith flung off the covers and walked toward the bathroom, one hand over her belly. "I hope this birthday gets better and Mommy gets some action today, Jellybean. Otherwise, Daddy is sleeping outback on the hammock tonight."

...

By the time Meredith got to the hospital, she already felt the urge to nap. She walked into the attending lounge, yawning before she even reached her decorated cubby, courtesy of Izzie.

"Up all night having birthday sex?" Cristina assumed as she clipped her ID to her pocket.

"I wish. This pregnancy is already wearing me out, and the baby is the size of an apple seed. Plus, I'm still nursing, so my body is a machine for both of my babies," Meredith teased. "And the smell of your coffee isn't helping."

Cristina chugged the last sip, then tossed the paper cup into the garbage can. "There. Out of sight, out of mind," she said. "So no birthday sex at all?"

"None."

"Derek still won't..." Cristina hinted.

Meredith shook her head, setting her bag in her cubby. "Nope. And it's really starting to piss me off."

"Well, you've been nauseous a lot. Maybe he doesn't want to get puked on," Cristina said in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Believe me, an orgasm is way more effective at battling nausea than a freaking ginger ale," Meredith countered. "I don't know what his problem is. Every time I try to talk to him, we get distracted. Lilly needs us for something, or a pager goes off."

"Where is he now?" Cristina asked.

"At home with Lilly. I'm only working a half shift in the pit as the on-call neuro fellow, and hoping to be home by three, which means Derek and Lilly are probably baking a cake and hanging streamers right now," Meredith said.

"Unsexed, nauseous, and working in the pit? Best birthday ever, huh?" Cristina said sarcastically.

"Oh, yeah," Meredith played along.

"Tell you what. I'll bring in my vibrator catalog, and let you pick whatever you want. My birthday gift to you," Cristina said, patting Meredith's shoulder in support.

Meredith laughed, gathering her scrubs, so she could get changed in the bathroom. "Thanks. I'd appreciate it."

After fighting off her morning queasiness with some ginger tea and a granola bar, she went down to the pit, where the ER nurse was already waiting for her with a clipboard. "Hi. What've we got?" she asked.

"Seven year old female, Erin Lasky, flipped off her trampoline and landed on her head. She briefly blacked out, but by the time EMTs arrived, she had regained consciousness. Primary survey shows equal and reactive pupils, GCS of 15, and stable vitals. EMTs also fitted her in a C-collar until cervical injuries can be ruled out. Curtain three," she nurse relayed.

"Okay, thank you," Meredith said, taking the clipboard. She walked over to the curtain and pulled it back, smiling at the young girl and her frightened mother standing next to the bed. "Hi, I'm Dr. Grey. I'm the neuro fellow," she said as she pulled on some gloves. "So, I heard you took a big fall off the trampoline, Erin?"

"She was up early this morning, and she wanted to go outback to play. I was in the backyard with her, I turned my back for a second to let the dog out, and the next time I saw her, she was on the ground. I knew I shouldn't have bought that thing," Mrs. Lasky said, her tone almost frantic.

"I know it's hard, but let's just try to stay calm. She's awake and alert. These are both good signs," Meredith said calmly. "Erin, do you have any pain?"

"My head hurts," the little girl said.

Meredith nodded, scribbling notes down on her clipboard. "And what about your neck?"

"No," Erin denied.

"Okay." Meredith pulled her penlight from her pocket, and turned it on. "I'm going to use this tiny light to check your eyes," she explained. Once Erin consented, Meredith examined the girl's pupils one by one. "I see no evidence of a brain bleed, but just to be on the safe side, I'd like to take some pictures of your head and neck. It's quick, and doesn't hurt at all. Is that okay with you, Erin?"

"Uh huh," Erin said.

"Okay. I'm going to take good care of you, sweetie; I promise," Meredith said, squeezing Erin's hand.

She closed the curtain and went back over to the nurses' station, smiling at the nurse behind the desk. "Can you call up to CT, and tell them I'm bringing up Erin Lasky?"

The nurse reached for the phone and nodded. "Sure. Do you want me to page an intern to take her up?"

"No, I'll do it. I don't suspect any head trauma, but I'd rather stay with her, just in case," Meredith said.

"Okay."

A wave of nausea struck her when the patient in Curtain 1 vomited, the mere noise enough to turn her green. She clamped a hand over her mouth, and pointed to the hall. "I need to, uh... I'll be right back."

Without another word, she bolted for the restroom, praying to make it there in time. By some stroke of luck, she did, emptying the contents of her stomach in under thirty seconds. After flushing and refreshing herself as best she could at the sink, she let out a breath. "Best birthday ever."

...

Back at home, Derek and Lilly were making good use of their morning, decorating Meredith's already baked chocolate cake. Derek spun the cake on the tray as he smoothed frosting around the sides, and Lilly happily added the rainbow sprinkles.

"Mama, choc?" Lilly asked him, licking some frosting off her hand.

"Yeah. Chocolate cake is Mama's favorite. When she gets home later, we'll sing Happy Birthday to her, then we'll eat it," Derek said.

Lilly dropped a large pile of sprinkles onto the cake, and Derek couldn't help but laugh. "Well, it's a good thing Mommy loves sprinkles, because you're a pro at piling them on there."

"Sip?" Lilly requested.

"Here you go," Derek said, handing her the pink sippy cup full of water.

Lilly accepted the cup, effectively stamping it with her rainbow-stained fingers. "Mmm," she hummed.

Derek's phone rang, and he picked it up off the table, trying to keep it frosting free. "Uncle Mark is calling me," he said as he answered. "Hello?"

"Hey. Charlotte is gassy and has the hiccups, and Bridget's sisters surprised her with a spa day. If I call her, she'll get all upset and rush home. I need your help," Mark said quickly, Charlotte's fussing audible in the background.

Derek bit back a laugh, amused by Mark's new parent panic. "What do you want me to do?"

"I need you to come over here and help me. You're the baby whisperer," Mark replied as though the explanation were obvious.

"Mark."

"How many times have I watched Lilly, so you two could go bang it out in your office? You owe me," Mark upheld.

Derek smiled at Lilly, who was determined to stamp her hand prints all over Meredith's cake. "Fine. Lilly and I need to kill some time while we wait for Mer to get home anyway. Give us a half hour to get to your place. In the meantime, rub long strokes up and down her back, and try to get her to stretch. That usually works with Lilly," he said.

"Thank you," Mark said in relief.

"Alright, we'll be there soon," Derek replied before ending the call. "How would you like to go see Lolo, Princess?"

Lilly's eyes lit up at the mention of her newborn, eight day old friend, and she clapped her sticky hands together. "Lolo!"

Derek grinned. "Okay, good. Once I get you wiped off and out of your jammies, and I clean up sprinkle mountain, we'll go," he said, picking her up and walking her over to the sink to wash off her face and hands.

After wiping away the remnants of frosting and sprinkles, Derek took off Lilly's old pajamas to soak them in stain remover, then raced upstairs to put some new clothes on her. "I'm going to call Mommy. How about you pick out a dress?" he suggested, showing Lilly the newly folded basket of clean dresses.

Lilly toddled over to the laundry basket next to her crib, and while she was occupying herself with her dress choice, Derek dialed Meredith's number. It rang twice before she picked up.

"Hey."

"Hey. How's your day so far?" he asked, leaning against Lilly's bureau.

"Well, I threw up, and now I have a seven year old patient waiting in line for a CT to rule out a brain bleed, so not great. How's Lilly?" Meredith asked.

"She's good. Mark needs some help with Charlotte, so once I get her dressed, we're heading over there," Derek relayed. "You okay? You seem..."

"I'm fine," Meredith said unconvincingly. "CT just opened up. I have to go. Give Lilly a kiss for me."

Derek pursed his lips in worry, but knew it wasn't the time to push the issue. "Okay, I will. Love you."

"Love you," Meredith echoed before ending the call.

Lilly showed him the paisley smock dress she'd chosen from the collection, holding it out to him. "A dis," she told him.

"Beautiful," Derek said, scooping her up and laying her on the changing table. "Alright, let's get dressed and get this show on the road before Uncle Mark has a nervous breakdown over baby hiccups."

...

Meredith sat in the CT viewing room, scrolling through pictures of Lilly that she had on her phone. Working on a birthday was just enough to be annoying, but being away from Lilly was ten times worse. Of course, it didn't help that she was sex deprived, hungry, nauseous, and cranky on top of it.

While waiting for the scans to come up, Meredith left the booth and headed for the vending machine down the hall. There wasn't much she could do about the lack of sex, nausea, or crankiness at the moment, but the hunger she could satisfy.

"Okay, Jellybean. Which of these is the least repulsive option for you?" Meredith asked, tapping her fingers against her belly as she surveyed her limited vending machine choices. "Cheetos, definitely not. Chips Ahoy, maybe. Funyuns? They still make those? How about pretzels? Bland and safe."

Meredith inserted her dollar bill into the slot, hit the B-6 button for the pretzels, and watched as the machine dropped them into the receiving bin. "Hopefully I won't see these again an hour," she said as she ripped apart the seal at the top of the bag.

She walked back down the hall toward CT, but stopped when she saw Mrs. Lasky in the waiting area, head in her hands. She frowned when she saw that her patient's mother was obviously in distress, and she softly called her name.

"Mrs. Lasky?"

The woman glanced toward Meredith, quickly trying to wipe her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. "Dr. Grey," she greeted. "Is Erin okay?"

"She's still in CT, but it should be finished soon," Meredith said, scanning the empty waiting room. When she realized Mrs. Lasky was there by herself, Meredith put aside her doctor role for a moment, and felt compassion for the fellow mom. "Come with me."

Mrs. Lasky picked up her purse, and quietly followed Meredith to the CT booth. When Meredith gestured for her to enter, Mrs. Lasky stalled in place. "Am I allowed?"

Meredith shrugged, patting the empty chair beside hers. "There's no reason you should be out there alone. Plus, I figured you needed to talk to someone."

"Thanks," Mrs. Lasky said as she sat down. She looked beyond the glass to her tiny daughter laying in the CT machine, shaking her head in guilt. "I shouldn't have bought the damn trampoline."

"Kids get hurt. I've had patients who get hurt rolling off the bed at night. It happens, and it's no one's fault. You can't blame yourself," Meredith comforted her.

"My husband got a new job a few months ago. He's travels all over for work, and he's gone for weeks at a time. It's been rough on Erin. Those two have been inseparable since Erin was born. She's been begging for a trampoline for months, so for her birthday a couple weeks ago, I surprised her with one," Mrs. Lasky said.

"It was a birthday gift. You couldn't have predicted that she'd fall off, much less end up getting a CT for a brain bleed she likely doesn't have anyway," Meredith pointed out. "Parents worry, and they think they could've prevented things that they weren't able to predict. I'm sure I'd do the same for my daughter."

"You have a daughter?"

Meredith gave a small nod and smiled. "I do. And she's my entire world. My husband's, too. That's why if anything is wrong with Erin, I'm going to fix it, okay?"

"Okay," Mrs. Lasky said, letting out a nervous breath. "Thank you."

The scans started popping up on the monitors, and Meredith surveyed each one carefully. Every cross section, every lobe, every inch for even the smallest indication of a hematoma. When the scans finished a few minutes later, Meredith's suspicions were confirmed, much to her relief.

"No bleeding. Just the perfectly healthy brain of a perfectly healthy seven year old," Meredith assured Erin's mother.

Tears built in Mrs. Lasky's eyes once again, but for an entirely different reason. "So she's okay?"

"She's okay," Meredith said.

"Thank you," Mrs. Lasky said, squeezing Meredith's arm gently. "If anything had happened to her, I'd blame myself forever."

The words echoed in Meredith's mind, and her thoughts wandered to Derek. She put a hand over her belly, rubbing her fingers across the soft material of her scrubs. "I know. You're a parent. That's what parents do."

...

Lilly led the way up the stone path to Mark and Bridget's house, eager to see Charlotte again. "Lolo Lolo Lolo," she sang as she waited for Derek to open the front door.

Derek chuckled as he opened it for her, letting her walk through before he did. "I really hope you're this pumped for when your own sibling arrives," he said, he and Lily following the sound of Charlotte crying in the living room. "Uh oh. Seems like Uncle Mark needs some help, Lillybug."

"This girl's gonna be an opera singer. She's got lung power," Mark said, bouncing Charlotte's tiny body in his arm.

"Alright, let me see what I can do," Derek said as he gently took Charlotte from him, nearly overwhelmed at her size. "I remember when Lilly was this small. I miss those days."

"Lolo?" Lilly asked.

"Yeah. Lolo is really little, just like you used to be," Derek said, rubbing circles over Charlotte's back as she looked over his shoulder.

"The hiccups went away about ten minutes ago, but now I think she's just gassy," Mark said. "How are you doing, beautiful?" he asked Lilly.

"Hi," Lilly waved.

Derek walked Charlotte over to the couch and laid her on top of the cushion, covered in her changing pad. "This always works with Lilly. Just bend her legs toward her chest. It'll help get the air out of her stomach," he said as he demonstrated. Charlotte's fussing went down a few octaves, and Derek smiled at her. "God, she's your twin. I mean, there's a little sprinkle of Bridget. But she's all you."

Mark chuckled, sitting down on the other end of the couch. "Bridget had the strawberry blonde hair when she was little. I was so happy when I saw that Charlotte got it. But yeah, other than that, the Sloan DNA dominated her gene pool," he said as he spun Charlotte toward himself. "Alright, baby girl. Let's see if Daddy is as skilled as Uncle Derek."

He repeated the same technique Derek had used, bringing Charlotte's knees to her chest. Charlotte reached for Mark's face, and he kissed her palm, the tickle of his stubble causing the baby to let out a happy gurgle. Derek watched the two of them interact, and he smiled at the scene in front of him. For a man who had once been the antithesis of a family man, to see him now as a husband and father made Derek proud.

"Look at that. You're a natural," Derek complimented.

Charlotte expelled a rumble of air in her diaper, and a wide grin of pride spread over Mark's face. "Good job," he praised his daughter.

"Never thought you'd be so excited for baby gas, did you?" Derek asked, pulling Lilly onto his lap.

"I know. I thought it was weird when you and Grey used to be enchanted every time Lilly pooped. Now Bridget and I are doing it, too," Mark admitted.

"Lolo poo," Lilly told them, gently stroking Charlotte's head with her hand.

"What?" Derek asked, looking down at the baby. Sure enough, Lilly was right, and Charlotte's diaper proved no match for the mess she'd just created. "Uh oh. Good catch, Princess."

Mark winced when he saw what his daughter had done, and all he could do was laugh. "You saved this for Daddy on purpose, didn't you, Charlotte?"

"This might be the first poop explosion, but it won't be the last," Derek assured him. "Did her umbilical cord fall off yet?"

"Yeah, last night."

"Good, so we can rinse her off in the tub. Just pick her up under her arms," Derek instructed.

Mark carefully lifted Charlotte off the couch, making sure to keep her messy body at arm's length. "You're gonna help me with this, right?"

"I guess. I need a refresher on newborns, anyway," Derek said as he scooped Lilly into his arm. "Come on, Lilly. Lolo needs a bath, because Uncle Mark doesn't know how to put a diaper on."

"I'm still new at this. Give me a break," Mark defended, walking up the stairs, Derek and Lilly following behind.

"I'm kidding. It takes some practice. Plus, you're not a seasoned parent until your baby poops on you," Derek said.

They walked into the master bathroom at the end of the hall, and Derek set Lilly on her feet. "Alright, Princess. How about you keep Lolo entertained while she's in the bath?" he asked.

"Me baf?" Lilly asked, patting the lip of the large claw-foot bathtub.

Derek laughed and kissed her forehead. "I promise, Mommy and I will give you a bath later, okay?" he compromised. He took Charlotte from Mark, so Mark could get the baby soap from the cabinet.

"Oh, crap. Today's Grey's birthday, isn't it?" Mark remembered.

"Yeah, it is. She's at work until three, though, so it's alright," Derek said as Mark turned on the tub faucets. "Besides, I think she's mad at me anyway."

"Why?"

Derek sighed. "I don't know. I'm pretty sure it's because we haven't... you know. Not since we found out she was pregnant," he admitted, figuring that if there was anyone he could broach the topic with, it was Mark.

"What? Why?" Mark asked.

"It's a mental block, I guess. Obviously, I want to, but I'm scared, you know?" Derek said, burying his nose in his shoulder when Mark finally pulled off Charlotte's diaper.

Mark quickly wadded it up and tossed it into the garbage can. "How can something that gross come from someone so beautiful?" he cooed to her before returning to the topic at hand. "Why are you scared?"

"Because I'm the one that got her pregnant with the IUD. I replay the moment I found out over and over in my brain, and it scares me to death, thinking what could've happened. If the baby had implanted even a few millimeters closer to the IUD, Mer probably would've miscarried," Derek said as he put Charlotte in the tub, holding her under her arms while Mark rinsed her off with the sprayer attachment.

"Makes sense. I'd be scared, too. But they're both okay. You can't be afraid until the kid is born. Plus, I don't think Mer could go that long without sex, especially now that she's knocked up," Mark pointed out, glancing at Lilly, who was holding onto the tub ledge next to Derek. "Oops. I keep forgetting how chatty she is. Sorry, Lilly. Don't say S-E-X."

"I know. She's the horniest pregnant woman on the planet. At some point, we have to talk about it. We just haven't found the right time," Derek said, wiping a small drop of water off Charlotte's forehead.

"Well, it's her birthday, so she's gonna want S-E-X. Just talk to her. It's better if she knows why, isn't it? Otherwise, she's going to think it's because of her," Mark said.

Derek considered Mark's statement for a moment, and he nodded. "I hadn't thought of that," he sighed. "You're right."

"I know I'm right. Fatherhood has made me wise," Mark said.

Lilly walked over to the small space between the sink and the toilet, and Derek glanced back at her. "What're you doing, Lillybug?"

"I poo," she said as she squatted down.

"I should've known. Okay, carry on," Derek smiled.

"You realize this is prime blackmail for when they're both older, right?" Mark teased, cleaning Charlotte's bottom with a washcloth.

Derek laughed. "Yeah, this stuff is gold."

...

Meredith kicked off her flats as soon as she walked in the front door, happy to be home, despite the relatively easy day at work. The scent of chocolate cake wafted in the air, and she followed it into the kitchen. Derek made her a birthday cake every year they'd been together, but it still made her smile every time.

"Derek?" she called out, noticing the sliding glass door that lead out to the back porch was open. She stepped outside, and both Lilly and Charlie immediately ran over to greet her.

"Mama!" Lilly shrieked in delight.

Meredith picked her up and planted a kiss on her nose. "Hi, baby girl. Hey, buddy," he said, ruffling the fur on Charlie's head. "Did you have a fun day with Daddy, peanut?"

"Lolo," Lilly replied.

"You saw Lolo? I'm sure she was happy to see you," Meredith said as Lilly played with the locket she still wore around her neck since the boards.

"Lolo poo."

Meredith giggled, not surprised by her daughter's added detail to the story. "She pooped? Uh oh. Did you help Dada and Uncle Mark change her diaper?" she asked.

"Lo baf," Lilly explained.

"You gave Lolo a bath? You're such a good helper," Meredith praised.

Derek closed the door to the pizza oven and came over to the two of them. "She was a very good helper," he agreed, pressing a kiss to Meredith's lips.

"Hmm, I'm sure she was," Meredith said. "I missed you guys."

"We missed you, too. How's your patient, the kid?" Derek asked.

Meredith dropped down into a patio chair, Lilly snuggled close in her lap. "She was fine. No brain bleed. Her mom was more nervous than anything."

"That's understandable," Derek nodded, taking a seat in the chair next to hers.

"Yeah," Meredith said. "So, uh, we need to talk."

"About what?"

"You, and why you've been so hesitant lately. You know, with us having..." she said, letting him fill in the blank for Lilly's sake.

Derek sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know. I've been hoping the problem would go away on its own. It's not you, I promise. And I know you're—"

Meredith shook her head and smiled. "I'm not mad."

"You're not?"

"No. You're scared. I get it," Meredith said softly.

"Yeah, I am," Derek nodded. He reached for her hand and ran his thumb over her knuckles. "That day... Meredith, I was scared to death, thinking you'd lose the baby. All of the what-ifs play over in my mind at night. What if the baby had implanted next to the IUD, or what if the IUD got embedded in your uterus? What if something had gone wrong during the procedure that would've put you and the baby at risk?"

"I know. I think those things, too," Meredith said.

"At the end of the day, I'm the one that got you pregnant. If anything had happened to either of you, I'd never forgive myself for it," Derek admitted.

"My patient's mom said the same thing to me today. I'll tell you what I told her. We can't blame ourselves for things we couldn't have predicted. There was no way to know I'd get pregnant. As far as medical technology goes, 99.4 percent effectiveness sounds pretty good. The other .6 percent is what a force more powerful than medicine controls. The way I see it, this baby is here because it's supposed to be," Meredith said, squeezing his hand in hers.

Derek smiled at her assured faith, and he couldn't help but believe her. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. I mean, we only have a handful of control over what happens. What matters is how we react to it. So we can spend all our time being scared, or we can just live," Meredith said as she tapped her fingers against her belly. "Jellybean is safe and sound, and making sure I throw up at least once a day, just like she's supposed to do."

"I love you," Derek said, kissing the back of her hand.

"I love you, too," Meredith said. "Will you give it a try tonight? We can go slow. Incredibly slow, even."

Derek grinned at her word choice. "I'm a big fan of incredibly slow."

"I remember."

"I hope you don't think the lack of S-E-X had anything to do with you. I'm sorry if I made you feel that way. I swear, that was never my intention," Derek said, replaying the conversation he'd had with Mark earlier in the day.

"I don't think that. And I'm glad I know now," Meredith said, tapping her foot against his leg. "You can always talk to me, you know? About anything. I'm even more unfiltered now that I'm pregnant, so who knows what's gonna pour out of my mouth these next eight months," she giggled.

"Well, I happen to love unfiltered, horny, glowy, pregnant you," Derek chuckled.

Lilly sat up on Meredith's lap and smiled at both of them. "Mmm, choc?" she asked.

"I think Lilly's had enough grown up talk," Meredith teased, fixing Lilly's flowery hair clip. "How about some dinner first, then some cake? And you can tell me all about your trip to see Lolo."

"Don't forget about your birthday presents," Derek said.

"I told you not to get me anything. Jellybean tops any birthday and Christmas gift this year," Meredith said as they stood up. She set Lilly on her feet, so she could run around with Charlie, then followed Derek over to the pizza oven.

"It's just things I write down throughout the year that you mention. Little surprises," Derek shrugged.

"You write them down?" she asked.

"Yeah."

After he finished rotating the pizza in the oven and closed the door, Meredith put her hands on his cheeks and kissed him. "When you do things like that, it reminds me of why I love you so much," she said. Her hand traveled to the fly of his jeans and she brushed her fingers over his groin. "And in bed tonight, I'll show you how much it means to me."

"Yeah?"

"The stupid pregnancy hormones make me want to have sex all the time," Meredith murmured.

Derek smiled, leaning in and kissing her again. "Hmm, I like the stupid hormones."

...

Cake was eaten, presents were opened, and after the excitement of the day, Lilly easily fell asleep while nursing after her bath. The only thing left to do was end the five week sex drought, and Meredith was determined to make it happen, come hell or high water. When she walked into her room after putting Lilly to bed, she immediately unbuttoned her shirt.

By the time she made it into their bathroom where Derek was brushing his teeth, she was kicking her jeans off her legs. "Hey. Ready?"

Derek gargled and spit into the sink, glancing over at her with an amused smirk. "Wow. Not wasting a minute, huh?" he said, rinsing off his toothbrush under the faucet.

"Nope."

To prove her point, she unhooked her bra and let it fall to the floor, watching the smirk on Derek's face dissolve into desire. The way his eyes darkened made her insides flutter, and before she could blink, Derek picked her up, his hands on her bottom as they fumbled toward the bed.

"Drought's over?" Meredith asked, pressing kisses to his jaw.

Derek gently laid her on the bed, both of them scooting toward the headboard. "It's about to be."

Meredith's fingers worked as nimbly as they could to remove his jeans, while he pulled off his shirt and flung it next to the bed. She lifted her hips off the mattress when he hooked his fingers in the waistband of her panties, slowly slinking them down her legs. She reciprocated by kicking his boxers off, though in a much hastier manner.

When she felt his lips on her chest, she sighed contentedly. "Remember when I said incredibly slow?"

"Mhm," he hummed.

"I take it back. Stupid hormones plus five weeks sex-free equals no foreplay," Meredith decided, hooking her legs around his waist. She felt him pressing against her, and she swallowed in anticipation. "Seems like you're just as ready as I am."

Derek wrapped his arms under her shoulders, hovering above her. "You're sure you're okay, right?"

"I'm okay," she promised.

Without another word, Derek slowly pushed into her, both of them nearly overwhelmed by the sensation. Meredith combed through his hair and settled her fingers at the nape of his neck. The five weeks of waiting were five weeks too many, and if she had any say in the matter, they would never go that long without again.

"Finally," she whispered.

"It's okay?"

Meredith smiled up at him in encouragement. "It's perfect."

And it was. Though they were used to loud and athletic, this time, they went for lazy and intimate under the cocoon of blankets. But by the end, they were every bit as sated and breathless.

Derek lay next to her, his arm hugging her torso. He brushed some flyaway hair off her face and kissed her temple. "Good end to your birthday?" he asked.

"Hot sex and two orgasms? Doesn't get much better," Meredith giggled, trailing her fingertips up and down his bare back. "Promise me something?"

"Anything."

"Promise me that even when I'm a beached whale and Jellybean is probably going on month ten in my uterus, you'll still have sex with me," Meredith said.

Derek stuck out his pinky and hooked it with hers. "I promise."

"The pinky, huh? You mean business," she teased.

"It's cuter when Lilly does it," Derek smiled. "But yes, scout's honor. Unlimited sex any time, any place."

"And when I wake you up to go to Taco Bell at two in the morning because I'm craving a bean burrito?" she added.

Knowing he could only give one answer to the request, Derek laughed, and squeezed her pinky again. "I promise."