173. The Newest Shepherd

Disclaimer: Grey's belongs to Shonda, but Jellybean is mine.

Thank you all for your patience! This chapter is 9,600 plus words, by far the longest one I've ever written, which is why it took me so long. But I wanted to write every detail, since Jellybean's birth is so important and long awaited. Speaking of which, here we go...

As Lilly poured milk into Derek's tea, Meredith felt a dull ache wrap around her back all the way to her abdomen. It was a familiar pain, one she hadn't felt since June 5th almost two years ago. She looked down at her belly, exhaling slowly through pursed lips.

"Derek."

He looked over at her and smiled. "Yeah?"

"I think I'm having a contraction," she said.

The color from Derek's face drained, and he froze in mid-jellying of a fake danish. "What?"

"I don't know for sure, but it feels like one," Meredith said calmly as she waited for the twinge of pain to subside. "I've only had a few Braxton Hicks these past few weeks, and this doesn't feel like that."

Derek placed his hand over her belly, rubbing it from side to side. "Your stomach feels hard. That's how it felt with Lilly, right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, so what do we... do you want me to call Dr. Halloran?" Derek asked.

"Not yet," Meredith shook her head. "Let's just wait and see if I have more. What time is it?"

Derek pulled up his sleeve and checked his watch. "8:15."

"Okay," Meredith said. She drank the rest of her pretend tea and handed Lilly her pink cup. "Can I have some more?"

Derek smiled at his wife, who was the picture of serenity in the midst of possible labor. Though his instinct was to make phone calls and prepare for the pending birth of their child, he followed her example, and stayed put in his chair, at least until the tea party was over.

Lilly refilled Meredith's teacup, adding a scoop of pretend sugar to it. "Mama tea."

"Thank you, Lillybug," Meredith replied.

"So..." Derek began, unable to keep from prepping, at least in his mind. "If this turns out to be labor, what's our plan?"

"We'll put Lilly to bed, so she can get a good night's sleep. I don't think I'll deliver any time overnight, anyway. Then we'll call Iz and Dr. Halloran, and we'll crack open the baby name book and search until my contractions are five minutes apart, and they get here. If this is real labor, Jellybean needs a real name."

"Bean?" Lilly asked.

Meredith nodded. "Yeah, Jellybean might be coming out to meet you soon. Maybe not until morning though. Or maybe not for six more days. Not sure yet," she rambled. "I think Jellybean's asleep now, though, which is good. She needs her rest, just like you do."

Lilly pressed a kiss to her mom's belly, possibly the last one until her sibling was on the outside, and for Meredith, the realization was bittersweet. "Seep, Bean," she whispered.

"Are you ready for bed, too?" Meredith asked as she sat Lilly on the remainder of her lap.

"I seep," Lilly replied.

"Okay, let's go upstairs and get some sleep," Meredith said, using Derek's shoulder for leverage as she stood up from the tiny chair with Lilly.

"I'll carry her," Derek offered.

"This could be the last time I hold her until there's two babies in my arms. I want to make it last," Meredith reminded him. "I've got her, I promise."

Derek nodded in understanding, but walked close behind her as they ascended the stairs. Once they made it to Lilly's room, Meredith dropped down in the rocking chair, Lilly resting against her chest.

"We love you so much, baby girl; you know that? Since the second Dada and I knew you existed, our lives became about you. And no matter how old you get, or how many more Jellybeans come along, you'll always be our first baby," Meredith said, kissing the top of Lilly's curly head.

"Mommy's right. You're the one that taught us what it means to love someone as much as we love you," Derek added.

Lilly yawned into Meredith's breast and smiled before closing her eyes. "Lub Mama Dad," she said softly.

Meredith felt another contraction build in her lower abdomen, stronger than the last one. She scrunched her nose in discomfort as she waited for it to pass, squeezing Derek's hand when he offered it.

"What time is it?" Meredith asked, trying not to disturb Lilly.

"8:24. Nine minutes since the last one," Derek replied.

Meredith nodded, her body relaxing as the contraction ended. "That one hurt more. I think these are real. One more, just to be sure, then we can call," she decided.

"Okay."

Time passed in silence, Meredith rubbing Lilly's back with her fingers as she fell asleep. But when another contraction hit nine minutes later, she knew this was it, and she patted Derek's hand in confirmation. "Okay, call."

Derek slipped into the hallway to make the phone calls to Izzie and Dr. Halloran, and as much as Meredith wanted to hold her daughter all night, she knew Lilly needed a few restful hours of sleep in her crib. She gently placed her on the mattress and covered her with her pink blanket, the one she'd been using since she was born.

"I love you, Lillybug," she whispered.

Certain that she was sleeping soundly, Meredith tiptoed out of Lilly's room and into the hall, where Derek had just ended the calls. "Did you get a hold of both of them?" she asked.

"Yeah. Dr. Halloran said to call every hour with updates, and that she'll still get here when your contractions are five minutes apart, or right away if your water breaks. And Izzie... I couldn't really make out what she said, because there was a lot of happy screaming, but she said to keep her updated, and that she can come over whenever, just say the word," Derek relayed.

Meredith laughed. "Happy screaming is what I expected."

"Me, too," Derek said, wrapping his arms around her. "Gotta say, I wasn't expecting this, though."

"Me either. I was fine all day; not even one Braxton Hicks. To be honest, I thought we had another two weeks, since Lilly came so late," Meredith said. She leaned into him and closed her eyes. "Are you nervous?"

"Yeah, a little," Derek admitted. "Are you?"

Meredith shrugged. "Yes and no. Yes, because the last time we did this, we were in a hospital with surgeons and ORs ready at a moment's notice. But no, because I've done this before, and I know I can do it again, right here, with you and our daughter."

"You can do this," Derek said, tilting her chin up and kissing her. "I love you."

"I love you, too. I really do, despite what I might be yelling at you in a few hours as Jellybean is detonating from my vagina," Meredith promised.

"I know."

She smiled at him. "Good."

The baby delivered a kick just below Meredith's ribs, so strong that Derek felt it, too. "Wow, someone's ready to come out, huh?"

"Warrior baby, remember? He's been kind of a badass since conception, defeating birth control and all," Meredith said.

"Warrior baby," Derek echoed. "God, I can't wait to meet him... or her."

"And to finally find out if it's a him or a her," Meredith said, leading him toward their room. "Come on, let's go browse the baby name book and try to get a few hours of sleep. Or you know, sleeping in the few minute intervals between contractions."

Derek looked at her in quiet awe, and she laughed. "What?"

"Nothing, it's just... I forgot how calm you are when you're in labor. It's very impressive," he complimented.

"This time tomorrow, we'll have another baby. That's what I think about, not the pain..." Meredith said, just making it to the bed when another contraction sprung up on her. "...which already sucks, by the way. Ouch."

"What can I do to help?" Derek asked.

"Just don't sing Love Stoned like Mark did when I was in labor with Lilly. That freaking song was stuck in my head the whole time," Meredith said through gritted teeth.

Derek nodded, opting to rub her back instead. "Noted."

...

It was just after two o'clock in the morning when Derek rolled over in bed, expecting to find Meredith next to him. But when he was met with her empty side of the mattress, he quickly flung off the covers, his tiredness instantly replaced with nervous energy.

"Mer?" he asked as he went into the bathroom, wondering if maybe she was relieving herself or taking a shower. Realizing the bathroom was vacant, he trekked down the hall.

Derek peeked into Lilly's room, where she was still sleeping, but Meredith was nowhere to be found. It was only when he heard the soft muffling of the television downstairs that he discovered her whereabouts.

He walked down the steps, unsure if he should've been amused or concerned by the sight of Meredith sitting on the couch with Charlie, folding baby clothes. "Are you okay? How long have you been down here?"

"Like an hour. I slept for a while, then the contractions kept getting worse, and I gave up on sleep. I didn't want to wake you up, so I decided to catch up on Lilly's and Jellybean's clothes," Meredith said as she folded a pair of Lilly's leggings.

"You could've woken me up. How far apart are the contractions now?" Derek asked, taking a seat next to Charlie.

"They were every eight minutes, but now they're closer to seven," Meredith replied. "And I'm feeling a ton of pressure on my cervix, which better mean it's dilating. If Dr. Halloran checks me later, and tells me I'm only a centimeter or two, I'm gonna be pissed."

Derek chuckled, picking up a pair of newborn pajamas from the laundry basket. "Well, look on the bright side. It's after midnight, which means by the end of the day, we'll have a baby."

"March 18th," Meredith said.

"March 18th. Sounds like a great birthday to me. Jellybean picked a good date," Derek nodded.

"He did. Or she did," Meredith agreed, squishing a pair of Lilly's socks in her hand when a contraction rolled through her. "The earlier, the better, too."

Derek's heart broke when he saw how much pain she was in, which was only compounded by the fact that there was little he could do to help. "That's it. Just breathe through it. Almost over," he coached.

Meredith dropped her head onto his shoulder in relief once the contraction ended, and she sighed. "What time is it?"

"2:14. Still seven minutes apart?" Derek asked.

"Yeah."

"It's already been six hours. Your labor with Lilly was what? Fifteen?" he recalled.

"Fifteen hours of labor and forty-seven minutes of pushing," Meredith said. "I don't think I'll be in labor that long with Jellybean. Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but it feels that way."

Derek kissed the top of her head and smiled. "Second babies usually come faster. If that's what it feels like, then you're probably right."

"It's just weird not being in the hospital. I mean, I know the baby is fine, but..."

"We have the doppler. Now that your contractions are getting stronger, how about we listen to the heart rate?" Derek suggested.

"Yeah," Meredith nodded immediately.

"Okay. I'll be right back," Derek said, taking the stairs by twos back upstairs to their room to retrieve the doppler. Listening to the heart rate wouldn't ease her pain the way an epidural would, but if it would give Meredith some peace of mind, he was eager to help provide it.

Meredith lay back on the couch and lifted her shirt slightly, just as anxious to hear the baby's heartbeat as Derek was. "Once you find it, just keep the wand there. I want to get the baseline before a contraction, and then during it."

"Okay." Derek squirt the blue gel on her lower abdomen, gliding it over her skin with the wand.

After turning the doppler on, they were met with static for a few moments before Derek found the right spot. Once he did, the baby's loud, rhythmic heartbeat echoed in the room, and they both smiled at the powerful sound.

"There we go. 148 beats per minute," Derek read off the screen.

"Good. That's good," Meredith said in relief.

"Right where it should be. Still kicking, too?"

"Yeah, between contractions. I guess she's trying to get in as many kicks as she can before she's born. Lilly did the same thing," Meredith said. She reached for Derek's free hand when she felt another contraction building, and stayed as still as she could, so he could track the heart rate.

Derek rubbed his thumb over her knuckles as she rode out the pain, keeping the doppler wand on her belly. "Just breathe it out. That's it. You're doing great," he said softly.

Crap, I'd forgotten how much these things suck," Meredith exhaled once it passed. "What was the heart rate?"

"Down to 132 with the contraction; coming back up now, just like it's supposed to," Derek assured her. "Also means good head compression, which means you're probably dilating well, too."

Meredith patted his arm and laughed as she caught her breath. "I'm aware of how weird this sounds, but it's times like these when I'm glad you were married to an OB for eleven years before you met me. You learned a lot of vagina squad knowledge," she said.

"You're right, that's weird," he agreed, wiping the blue goop off her belly.

"I want to take a shower before the contractions get more frequent, and I can barely stand up. Can you help me?" Meredith asked.

"Of course, yeah. Want a bath? Might be easier on you if you're sitting," Derek suggested.

Meredith shook her head. "I would, but I'm afraid my water might break, and I won't know it. If I'm in the shower, I could probably feel it," she said, standing up with his help.

"Okay."

Meredith walked as quickly as she could up the stairs and down the hall, eager to be under the stream of warm water before the next contraction hit. She wiggled out of her pajama pants and t-shirt before they even reached their bedroom, and even in the midst of labor, she smiled at the irony.

"Usually when I take my clothes off in the hallway, it's for a very different reason, like it was supposed to be tonight. Irish potato time and all," she said, pulling her hair out of its ponytail.

"Looks like we'll be saving Irish potato time for six weeks from now. Jellybean had his own agenda tonight," Derek chuckled.

"Surprise baby. We should've figured labor would be a surprise, too," Meredith said.

"Good point."

Meredith shed the rest of her clothing once they reached the bathroom, then turned on the faucets in the shower. She caught a glimpse of her very pregnant, laboring self in the mirror and bit her lip. "I love being pregnant, but... I'm ready to have my body back."

"I think you look beautiful," he said honestly, helping her step into the shower. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good. I promise," she nodded.

"Okay. I'm gonna go check on Lilly. I'll be right back." Derek put a towel on the hook outside the shower, then left the bathroom. As much as his instinct told him to hover, he knew she would appreciate the privacy, even just a few minutes to close her eyes and relax under the water.

He walked quietly down the hall and opened the door to Lilly's room, expecting to find her asleep. But when he saw her standing in her crib, arms outstretched, he smiled. "Hey, Princess. It's late... or early. Not sure which anymore. Why are you awake?"

"Bean?" she asked.

"Jellybean's not here yet. Soon, though. Is that why you're up? You want to join in on all the action?" Derek asked as he picked her up. He combed her bed head with his fingers and kissed her cheek. "I guess we can make an exception, since this is a special day, right? Come on, let's go wait for Mommy."

"Mama!" Lilly repeated, bouncing in his arm.

"Yeah, Mama's doing so good. Seeing you is going to make her so happy," Derek said as they reentered his and Meredith's bedroom. He put Lilly down in the middle of the bed, then sat beside her.

When she laid her head on his chest, he breathed in the smell of her shampoo, soaking the scent into his memory. "When you were first born, you used to fall asleep on top of Daddy all the time. You were so small. God, it seems like you should still be that size. You're so big now. How did that happen, huh?"

Lilly squished the fabric of his shirt into her fist and smiled. "I big."

"Tell me about it. You're almost two, and in a few hours, we'll have a tiny baby all over again," Derek said softly.

"Baby."

"Yeah, you're getting a brother or sister today. What's your vote, boy or girl?" he asked her.

"Waffle," Lilly answered.

Derek laughed. "Waffle, huh? Are you just putting in your breakfast order at three in the morning? Still have a few hours before breakfast, Lillybug."

Meredith walked into the bedroom in her pajamas, stopping when she saw Lilly sprawled out in their bed. "Hey, you. Did Dada wake you up?"

"Nope, wide awake when I checked on her. I think she senses something big is happening," Derek said. "She also requested waffles for breakfast."

"Waffles sound good, Lillybug. Hopefully your little brother or sister will be joining us by then, too, because these contractions S-U-C-K," Meredith said, trying to keep her face calm when she felt another one welling inside her.

Despite her best efforts, she still grimaced as the contraction intensified, and Lilly frowned. "'Kay, Mama?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Meredith assured her.

Lilly offered her hand for Meredith to hold, and Meredith took it, focusing on Lilly's soft skin and tiny nails instead of the pain. Her daughter's small act of comfort was the next best thing to an epidural, and she was grateful for the gesture. She breathed through the length of the contraction, smiling in relief when it ended.

"Thank you, Lilly. You're a good labor coach, better than Daddy," Meredith teased.

"I'm an excellent labor coach. With Lilly, this baby, future Jellybeans..." he argued.

Meredith pointed her finger at him in warning. "No talk of future Jellybeans until this one is no longer expelling himself from my uterus."

"U-tus," Lilly said with a yawn, making herself comfortable in the middle of the bed.

"Good thinking, Lilly. Let's try to sleep some more," Meredith said.

"Do you think you'll be able to?" Derek asked.

"Maybe a little. The shower helped with the pain, and the contractions are wearing me out. If I'm going to have to push in a few hours, I need to try to get some rest," she said as she rolled onto her side, pillow under her belly.

"Still seven minutes apart?"

"Yeah," Meredith nodded. "Which means sleeping between contractions, but it's better than nothing."

"Mama seep," Lilly encouraged, placing her small hand on Meredith's belly.

Meredith smiled into her pillow and closed her eyes. "See? Better labor coach than you."

...

The next three hours were spent sleeping in the windows of time between contractions. First, seven minutes of peace followed by uncontrollable amounts of pain. Then, six minutes. Then, five. And while the pain was becoming so unbearable Meredith thought she might scream, the five minute intervals also came as a relief, because it was the magic number to call Dr. Halloran and Izzie.

It was approaching six in the morning when Meredith reached over Lilly and nudged Derek's shoulder, wondering how two light sleepers could've put up with her moans, groans, tossing and turning. Derek's eyes popped open when he felt her hand, and he sat up. "You okay?" he asked.

"Five minutes now. Getting closer to four."

With no need for further instructions, Derek grabbed his phone off the nightstand and dialed Dr. Halloran. As he spoke to her OB, Meredith soaked in the few contraction-free minutes. She noticed the peeks of sunshine filtering in through the curtains, and she smiled. Lilly was born on a rare day of Seattle sunshine, and now, Jellybean would be, too.

"Bean?" Lilly asked, stretching her tiny limbs as she woke up.

"Hey, baby girl. Jellybean will be here soon," Meredith said, glancing at the clock. "How about we go brush our teeth, then eat some breakfast before Aunt Zee gets here?"

"Teef," Lilly nodded.

Much to Derek's horror, Meredith picked Lilly up and set her on her hip. But Meredith simply waved it off as she walked into the bathroom, leaving him to speak to Dr. Halloran.

"One of the benefits of doing this with no epidural means I get to walk around. May as well take advantage of it, right, Lilly?" Meredith said, sitting Lilly on the bathroom counter. She wet Lilly's toothbrush, squirt a dollop of her toothpaste on the bristles, and gently brushed Lilly's teeth. It was a temporary distraction from the pending pain, so she used the time productively.

"They're both on their way. Should be here in less than a half hour," Derek said, leaning against the bathroom doorway. "I didn't mean to sleep that long. You could've woken me up hours ago, Mer."

"Why would I wake you up? Once the baby is born, I'll need sleep, so I wanted you to get a few hours," Meredith shrugged. "Okay, Lilly, spit."

Lilly spit into the sink and rinsed her mouth with the small cup of water Derek gave her. The normalcy of their usual morning routine made Meredith smile, forgetting for a few moments that she was in labor, until the next contraction came on strong.

Meredith gripped into the ledge of the counter and squeezed it so hard her knuckles turned white. Before the pain made her knees buckle, she squatted down, resting her head on the cabinet door below the sink. "Oh, God," she moaned, trying to stay as calm as she could for Lilly.

"Let it out, that's it," Derek said, rubbing her back with his hand. He noticed the worried look on Lilly's face, and he smiled. "Mama's okay. She's just working really hard to get Jellybean here."

Once the contraction ended, Meredith rose to her feet and leaned her weight against Derek. "I'm not stupid for doing this, right? Because I'd sell a kidney for an epidural right now," she mumbled into his shoulder.

"You're doing great. The first half of labor was slow, but it's picking up now. Every contraction brings you closer to being finished," Derek said, brushing her hair away from her face.

"Okay."

"Mama pee," Lilly said, pointing to Meredith's wet pajama pants.

"What?" Meredith asked.

But when she felt the warm fluid running between her thighs, she connected the dots to Lilly's observation, and she smiled in relief. "My water broke."

"Good, that's good. More intense contractions, but..."

"The quicker my labor progresses, I know," she finished for him.

"How about you change, and I'll take Lilly downstairs to eat. I'll make you something, so you can eat it before Dr. Halloran and Stevens get here," Derek suggested.

Meredith nodded. "Yeah, okay."

"Okay. Come on, Princess. Let's go eat," Derek said as he picked her up and sat her in his arm.

"Waffles?" Lilly requested again.

"You have a good memory," Derek told her. "I promised you waffles, didn't I? Okay, let's go make some."

"Booberry?" she asked.

"You got it," Derek chuckled, both of them leaving the bathroom.

Before changing, Meredith splashed some cold water on her face and brushed her teeth. The pain was unavoidable, but feeling slightly more human was a small comfort she afforded herself.

As she was slipping off her pajama bottoms and panties, another contraction snuck up on her. She hunched over the bathtub to support her, focusing on Derek's body wash sitting in the shower caddy. The crisp, clean smell of the soap still lingered from his shower the night before, and if her uterus hadn't been at war with the rest of her body, she would've smiled at the comforting scent of her husband.

Instead, it made her think of his naked, soapy self that had gotten her pregnant nine months ago, possibly in this very shower. Or maybe afterward, in their bed. Or the couch, on-call room, kitchen counter. Any of those were possible, really. But in this moment, she resented that stupid boy penis of his. A lot.

When the contraction finally ended, she peed, then put on her robe, deciding it would provide the best privacy when Dr. Halloran checked her. Meredith made it downstairs to the kitchen with seconds to spare before her next contraction, and gripped Derek's hands tightly as she rode it out.

"Crap, every one is worse than the last," she sighed, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Do you feel like you need to push?" Derek asked.

"Not really; not yet. It's coming though. There's more pressure with every contraction," Meredith responded.

"Ma waffle?" Lilly asked from her high chair, her hands sticky with syrup.

Meredith smiled as she took a seat next to her at the table. "Wow, Dada made them that fast?"

"I opted for toaster waffles instead. Those are quicker, and I wanted you to have time to eat. I'll make homemade waffles later," Derek said, putting a plate of them in front of her.

"Toaster waffles?" Meredith asked in surprise. "Pretty sure you mocked me for eating these during my intern year. You called them frozen cardboard."

Derek kissed the top of her head after handing her a fork and knife. "Consider it my ode to you for giving birth to our baby today."

"I love toaster waffles, so thank you," Meredith said, taking a bite.

She felt the baby do his or her usual morning stretches that accompanied breakfast, and the realization that these were the last movements she'd feel from inside, maybe ever if this was their last baby, filled her with a sense of sadness she didn't expect.

Meredith set down her fork and placed a hand over her belly, her palm absorbing the little kicks. After the risk of miscarriage from the IUD at the onset of her pregnancy, she remembers the relief that washed over her when the baby kicked for the first time, a sign that he or she was safe and healthy.

Every wiggle, kick, stretch, and roll after that felt like a gift, one that neither she nor Derek ever stopped being grateful for, because things could have easily ended so differently.

"You okay?" Derek asked when he noticed her staring at her belly.

"Yeah, just... remembering what it feels like to share my body with a baby. I'm going to miss that," she said softly.

Derek put his hand next to hers, smiling when he felt the baby's foot tap dancing just under her ribs. "Me, too."

"I'm not saying we're ruling out having a third. It's just hard to think about that when a small human being is trying to force itself out of my vagina," Meredith said before taking a sip of water.

"Bagina," Lilly said, munching on her waffle piece.

"Oh, God," Derek sighed in amusement.

"She's about to watch me give birth. Maybe it's a good thing she's familiarized herself with that word," Meredith shrugged. "Are you ready to watch me give birth all over again?"

Derek smiled. "Watching you give birth to Lilly was the most incredible thing I've ever seen. First, her little head full of dark hair, then her ears, shoulders, and then lying on your chest, staring at both of us. Nothing else in life compares to that."

"I needed to hear that. It helps me get through these," Meredith said, her breakfast forgotten as she had another contraction.

"Can I do anything? Rub your back?" Derek offered.

Meredith waved her hand at him before he could touch her, and she felt the sting of tears in her eyes caused by the pain. By this stage of her labor with Lilly, she'd been blissed out from the epidural, so the frequency coupled with the intensity of these contractions made it seem like they may actually kill her.

The only thing that kept her from collapsing to the floor in exhaustion was the knock at the front door, signaling Dr. Halloran and Izzie's arrival. Derek quickly ran to the foyer to let them in while Meredith regained her strength.

"Kay, Ma," Lilly assured her, patting Meredith's shoulder with her sticky hand.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Meredith agreed. She forked the last few pieces of waffle left on her plate and ate them despite her lack of appetite, giving her body the fuel it needed to get through the next few hours.

"Good morning," Dr. Halloran greeted, she and Izzie walking into the kitchen with Derek.

"Zeezee!" Lilly clapped.

"Hey, you!" Izzie said with a smile. "Is Mommy having a baby today?"

Lilly nodded. "Ma baby."

"Thanks for coming. I know it's early," Meredith said to both of them, cleaning off Lilly's messy face with a wet wipe.

"Hey, the sun is up. That's more than I can say about most homebirths I get called in on," Dr. Halloran said. "How far apart are your contractions now?"

"Every four to five minutes apart when Derek first called you, now getting closer to three. My water broke right after he hung up with you, too," Meredith said.

"Okay. And you're still feeling the baby move?"

Meredith tapped her fingers over her belly affirmatively. "Yeah, kicking right now, actually. The contractions are getting worse, too, and I'm starting to feel more pressure."

"Sounds like everything is progressing the way it should. Would you like to go upstairs, so I can check you?" Dr. Halloran asked.

"Yeah," Meredith said, standing up with Derek's help.

He went to reach for Lilly in her high chair, but Izzie picked her up before he could. "I got her. We're right behind you," she said.

"Thanks, Stevens," Derek nodded.

Once they made it upstairs to the bedroom, Meredith tiredly but eagerly lay down on the bed, anxious to see how much progress she'd made overnight, and how much longer she needed to go.

While Izzie set up the fetal monitor and the other supplies they'd need for delivery, Dr. Halloran scrubbed her hands in the bathroom, then pulled on a pair of gloves.

"How about you sit next to Mommy, Lilly?" Derek said, knowing Meredith needed Lilly as much as she needed him.

"Okay, relax your legs for me. You'll feel my fingers," Dr. Halloran warned before examining Meredith's cervix.

Meredith flinched in discomfort and squeezed Derek's hand, silently hoping for good news.

Dr. Halloran patted Meredith's leg when she was finished with her exam, smiling at her in encouragement. "Looking good. You're one hundred percent effaced and almost eight centimeters. It won't be much longer."

"Really?" Meredith asked in surprise and relief.

"Really. And the head is at plus two station, so when it comes time to push, I don't think it'll take very long," Dr. Halloran predicted.

"Does it feel like a boy head or a girl head?" Derek joked.

Dr. Halloran laughed, draping the blanket over Meredith's waist. "I wish I were that good. Kudos to you guys, though, for going the whole pregnancy without opening the gender envelope I gave you. Most couples crack under the pressure by the third trimester."

"I still can't believe you didn't open that envelope, Mer," Izzie confessed.

"Nope, I didn't, which is good, because now I have more motivation to push this baby out and finally know. Plus, I told Derek to hide it from me last month, so I wouldn't be tempted," Meredith admitted.

"It's behind the box of Muesli in the cereal cabinet. I knew you'd never look there, since you think it tastes like a bowl of twigs," Derek chuckled, fixing Lilly's sock.

"Good thinking," Meredith credited. "It really is just the forest floor in a box, though."

"It really is," Izzie chimed in. She squirt some gel on Meredith's belly and rubbed it with the fetoscope wand to check the baby's heart rate.

Izzie found the heartbeat within moments, and they all listened to the strong sound. Meredith smiled when she heard it, but it fizzled when a contraction barreled through her.

She resisted the instinct to roll onto her side, so that Izzie could monitor the heart rate, and held Derek's hand tightly instead. The pain was so severe that she couldn't speak, but forced herself to breathe as best she could for the baby's sake.

"144 before the contraction started. Dipping down to 120 during it," Izzie said.

"That's it. Deep breaths, in and out as best you can," Derek said softly.

"Mama?" Lilly asked in concern.

Derek smiled at his daughter, so she wouldn't be afraid. "Mama's okay. She's just trying to get your brother or sister out of her belly."

Once the contraction passed, Meredith reached for her bottle of water on her nightstand and took a large sip. After catching her breath and giving herself a few seconds of rest, she smiled at Lilly, too. "I'm okay, Lillybug."

"Baby's heart rate is back up in the 140s. You're doing great," Izzie said, wiping the gel off Meredith's belly.

"Can I walk around some? It helped me dilate with Lilly, and I need to get those last two centimeters," Meredith said.

Dr. Halloran nodded. "If you feel up to walking, of course you can."

"I'll help you," Derek said, putting his hand behind her shoulder to help her sit up.

Meredith swung her legs over the side of the bed, and once she was sure she had her balance, rose to her feet. "Ready, Lilly? Let's go for a walk," she said as Derek picked her up.

"Would you like one of us to go with you?" Dr. Halloran offered.

"No, we're okay. We won't be long," Meredith said.

"Okay. We'll keep setting up in here then. No peeking in the cereal cabinet," Izzie teased.

"No peek," Lilly echoed.

"No peeking," Meredith promised.

She, Derek and Lilly left the bedroom and began walking the short distance of the hallway toward the stairs with Charlie in tow. "He probably needs to pee," Meredith remembered.

"I can take him," Derek said.

"I'll go, too. I need some fresh air," Meredith replied.

"Okay."

Derek grabbed a blanket off the couch and wrapped it around Lilly in case it was chilly, then they headed outside to the backyard. Despite the late winter date, it felt more like spring with the warm morning sunshine, and Meredith soaked it in as much as she could before her next contraction.

"Mother nature loves our kids. She gave them both sunny birthdays," Derek mused, Lilly in his arm while Charlie relieved himself and ran around the yard.

"I was thinking that, too," Meredith smiled. "You told your mom and sisters I was in labor, right?"

"Last night, yeah. I called my mom and told my sisters in a group text. I texted Lexie, Cristina, and Mark, too. They said they'd spread the word," Derek nodded.

"Good."

She bent over the patio table when a contraction came, the intervals between them getting shorter and shorter. She knelt down, using gravity to help get her those last two centimeters she needed.

"Less than two minutes since the last one," Derek said as he checked his watch.

"I need to push," Meredith said during a quick exhale. "Derek."

"Okay, let's go. Come on, Charlie!" Derek called, sliding open the door to the patio.

Charlie trotted inside, and Derek stood next to Meredith waiting for the contraction to end. She closed her eyes as she intense pain rolled through her and eventually dissipated.

"Ready?" Derek asked.

"Yeah."

Meredith went back inside with Derek and Lilly close behind. Just as soon as they took a walk downstairs, they trekked back up, Meredith determined not to give birth on the steps.

"She feels like she has to push," Derek told Izzie and Dr. Halloran when they walked into the bedroom.

"I know it's hard, but try not to. Let's see if you're ready," Dr. Halloran said.

Izzie and Derek helped her into bed while Dr. Halloran pulled on a pair of gloves. Lilly quietly watched the commotion going on, sitting on Derek's side of the bed.

"Do you want a mirror?" Izzie asked.

"Yeah," Meredith said.

Without being prompted, Lilly took Meredith's hand. "Baby, Ma."

Dr. Halloran examined Meredith, but only briefly. "You're right, Lilly. Baby's right here."

"Seriously?" Meredith asked.

"That's the beauty of second babies. Your body knows the drill this time around, and things happen faster. You'll be crowning with the next contraction, so when you feel it, I want you to push," Dr. Halloran instructed.

"Holy crap," Meredith whispered, smiling at Derek despite the pain she knew was coming.

Derek leaned down and kissed her, the adrenaline pumping through his veins a mile a minute. "I love you so much."

"Love you, too."

Meredith grabbed hold of Derek's hand, Lilly still holding the other one. She took a few deep breaths in the lull between contractions, and when she felt the next one hit her, she pushed.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten," Derek said softly.

Before Dr. Halloran could tell her to push again, Meredith felt her body pushing for her, and she pushed for ten more seconds until the contraction ended.

"Oh, Meredith," Derek whispered, his eyes focused on the baby's tiny head.

Despite the pressure and burning pain, Meredith lost her breath when she looked in the mirror. The head of the little person she and Derek made nine months ago, right in front of her. "Oh, my God," she said in awe.

She noticed Izzie had her head turned away out of respect for her privacy, but at this point, Meredith threw modesty out the window. "Iz, you can look."

"Really?"

"You have the same parts I do. I don't care," Meredith said, inhaling when another contraction built.

With Meredith's blessing, Izzie turned around, tears stinging her eyes, too, when she saw the baby. "Meredith."

Meredith pushed past the pain of the baby's head, and was about to push again when Dr. Halloran shook her head. "Stop pushing, stop pushing," she instructed.

"What? Why?" Meredith panted, squeezing Derek's hand harder as she fought the urge to bear down.

"The cord is around the neck. It happens; don't panic. Just wait until I can unwrap it," Dr. Halloran said calmly.

"Baby?" Lilly asked.

"Baby is almost out," Derek said, trying to keep it composure for Meredith's sake as he watched Dr. Halloran remove the loop of cord from the baby's neck.

"Okay, it's off. Just take a breather until the next contraction. I'm going to suction the mouth and nose," Dr. Halloran said as Izzie handed her the suctioning bulb.

Derek wiped his eyes on his sleeve when he saw the baby's small face for the first time, every perfect detail. "Looks like you, Meredith."

"He's right," Izzie said.

"Really?" Meredith asked.

Lilly cocked her head in curiosity at the head she saw in the mirror. "Baby," she said.

"Yeah, there's your brother or sister," Derek nodded.

"I need to push," Meredith said, gritting her teeth as she pushed as hard as she could.

She, Derek, and Lilly watched as the shoulders emerged, followed the rest of the baby's tiny body. Dr. Halloran quickly suctioned the mouth and nose again, then laid the baby on Meredith's chest. "Baby's out. 7:18 AM."

Derek blinked away the tears in his eyes, certain his mind was playing tricks on him. "Meredith, it's a boy!"

"What? No it's not," Meredith said in disbelief, too caught up in holding the baby that she'd forgotten all about the gender. But sure enough, when she looked between the baby's legs, she smiled in stunned, overwhelming happiness. "Oh my God, it is," she said. "Hi, baby."

Derek kissed her again, their son between them. "God, I love you."

"We have a boy," Meredith murmured against his lips.

"Lilly, you have a brother," Derek told his daughter as he snapped a few pictures.

"Hi, baby," Lilly greeted the little boy, whom Izzie was drying off with a towel.

"He's beautiful," Meredith said, smiling at the baby when he looked at her with bright, blue eyes, identical to Lilly's. "Hey, you. I love you so much."

Izzie secured the cord clamp and handed Derek a pair of scissors. "Right between the clamp and my fingers," she said.

Derek easily cut the umbilical cord, then gave Izzie the scissors back, not taking his eyes off his son. "So worth waiting to find out."

"It was," Meredith said, offering the baby her finger. He wrapped his hand around it and squeezed tight. She kissed his forehead, his loud cries quieting when he relaxed into her warmth.

"I told you this one would look just like you. Nose, chin, light brown hair. He's incredible. You're incredible," Derek said sincerely.

"Seriously, Mer, that was impressive. Four pushes, less than ten minutes, and boom, baby. Your mommy is a rockstar, Lilly," Izzie complimented.

"Yes, she is," Dr. Halloran agreed. "Told you second babies were quick."

Derek ran a hand through his hair and let out a breath. "Very quick. My head is still spinning."

"Mind if I check him out? I keep him right here on the bed," Izzie said.

As much as she wanted to hold him and never let him go, Meredith nodded, kissing the baby's hand. "Yeah, just keep him warm. I don't want him to cry."

"We brought a portable warming mattress. It's already nice and snuggly for him," Izzie promised as she gently cradled the baby in her arm, then laid him on the warmer.

The baby fussed when he was removed from the comfort of Meredith's warm skin, but before he could cry, Lilly let him take her finger like she'd just seen her mom do, and the baby grabbed hold instantly, turning his face toward her.

Meredith and Derek watched the first interaction between brother and sister, who stared at each other in fascination. Derek got a picture of the two of them, and decided it should be the one to announce their son's arrival.

He added it to the group text with their family and friends, captioning it with the words "It's a boy! We're shocked, too" and sent it out to the world. Within seconds, his phone chirped with responses, but he was too wrapped up in watching his son and daughter to pay attention.

"Lub you," Lilly whispered to the baby, already in big sister mode after mere minutes.

"He loves you, too," Meredith said.

"He's a healthy boy. Heart rate is 146; 48 breaths per minute. His hands and feet are a little blue, which is normal, so I'd give him an APGAR of nine," Izzie assessed. "Any guesses on his weight and height?"

Derek laughed. "I was convinced he was a girl, so I'm not sure how good my judgment is. He looks around Lilly's size when she was born, though. I'd say six something."

Izzie placed the baby in the cloth sling scale, then picked it up off the bed, the resistance making the needle on the scale bob back and forth. "Six pounds, nine ounces," she read once it steadied.

"Two ounces more than Lilly was," Meredith said.

"And he was born a week early," Derek added. "Couldn't wait to come see us, right, buddy?"

Once Izzie laid him back down, she made sure he was flat on his back, then measured his head circumference, followed by his height, jotting the numbers down as she did so. "35 centimeters for head circumference; 18 inches in height."

"Same as you, Princess," Derek told Lilly.

Lilly helped Izzie take the baby's handprints and footprints, providing a good distraction for when Meredith delivered the placenta. Afterward, she was sore and worn out, but felt well enough to quickly shower with Derek's help, eager to have her son in her arms again, five minutes already too long.

"Is he okay?" Meredith asked as soon as she left the bathroom, changed into a pair of sweatpants and one of Derek's dress shirts, so she could breastfeed more easily.

"Of course. Lilly hasn't left his side. He even had his shots; we figured you wouldn't want to be here for that," Izzie said.

"Thank you," Meredith sighed in relief and reached for the baby, who was donning a blue cap and a diaper. "Mommy's got you," she cooed to him.

She laid him skin to skin on her chest, and he closed his eyes, content to be in Meredith's arms again. She breathed in his sweet baby smell as Derek draped a warmed blanket over his back.

"Thank you both so much," Meredith told Izzie and Dr. Halloran. "I wasn't sure I could do this, the home birth thing, but I'm so glad I did. So... thank you."

"You did all the work. You trusted your body, and you got through it. You should be proud of yourself," Dr. Halloran praised.

Derek squeezed Meredith's shoulder. "Yes, you should."

"Thank you for letting me be a part of all this. I got to see my godson being born. I'll be grateful for that forever," Izzie said softly.

"Of course. We wanted you here; we love you," Meredith told her friend. "Now come here and kiss him. I know you want to."

"I really do," Izzie admitted, leaning over the bed and kissing the back of the baby's blue-capped head. "I love you, and I promise, your parents will find you a name. I'll make sure they do," she teased.

Meredith bit her lip. "Yeah, we really need to do that."

"Congratulations, big sister. Aunt Zee loves you, too. Thank you for all of your help. Your brother is so lucky to have you," Izzie said as she kissed Lilly's cheek.

"Lub," Lilly smiled at her.

"It's up to you, but if you'd like, I can hang around downstairs for a while. You had a smooth delivery, but it's good to have someone around just in case for you and the baby. You won't even know I'm here. I'll take Lilly for a while later on, too, if you wanted to rest," Izzie offered.

"If you don't mind, sure. That would be great. Thank you, Iz," Meredith said appreciatively.

"Happy to do it. I'll make you some food and finish your baby laundry in the meantime," Izzie said.

Meredith laughed. "See? This is why we love you."

"If you need anything, or have any concerns, call one of us right away," Dr. Halloran insisted.

"We will," Derek assured her. "Thank you both. We appreciate everything."

Once Izzie and Dr. Halloran left the room, only the four of them and Charlie remained. After the whirlwind of activity over the past few hours, the quiet was welcomed, and they spent many long minutes just staring at the baby, who was blinking up at them in curiosity.

"This is crazy," Meredith whispered, rubbing her finger over the baby's soft hand.

"Yeah, it is," Derek said, Lilly on his lap. "We have two kids. And one of them is a boy."

"I know. I feel like I'm going to wake up any second," Meredith admitted. The baby began rooting around on her chest, eager to eat, and she smiled at him. "Are you hungry, sweetpea?"

"Baby eat?" Lilly asked.

Meredith nodded. "Yeah, Mama's going to feed him. You caught on pretty quick, so hopefully, your brother does, too," she said, moving him lower on her chest, so he would be level with her breast.

After a few unsuccessful attempts, Meredith remembered the trick she figured out with Lilly, and placed the baby's hand on top of her breast to give him a better grip. With Meredith's help, he managed to latch on and began nursing, much to her relief.

"That's my guy. Good job," she said, putting her hand over his back.

Derek watched at how in sync Meredith was with their son already, and he smiled. "You're a natural. Having two kids suits you."

"Thanks," Meredith said softly. "I promise you can hold him when he's done eating. I don't mean to hog him."

Derek laughed. "You just spent eleven hours in labor. You get to hold him as long as you want," he pointed out.

"Eleven hours of labor and ten minutes of pushing. With Lilly, it was almost sixteen hours. Definitely an improvement," Meredith said.

"Just think how much quicker your labor with baby number three will be," he teased.

Meredith narrowed her eyes at him. "Funny man," she said sarcastically. "We should probably play the lottery, though. March 18th at 7:18 AM, and eighteen inches long. Eighteen is his lucky number."

"I think so. What do you say, buddy? Is that gonna be the number on your baseball uniform one day?" Derek asked his son, who looked at him contentedly.

"Oh, go call your mom," Meredith remembered. "I'm sure she's at home, staring at the phone. When you get back, we can browse the baby name book. Our child needs a name ASAP."

"Good idea," Derek said, sliding Lilly into his spot when he got off the bed. He kissed the top of Meredith's, Lilly's, and the baby's heads, then took his phone off the nightstand. "I won't be long. Are you okay for a few minutes?"

"I'm good," Meredith nodded.

"Okay."

Meredith hugged Lilly close, the feeling of having both of her children in her arms better than she ever imagined. She wasn't sure she'd ever have one baby, so to have two almost felt surreal.

"Thank you for helping Mommy today, Lilly. I needed you with me to help get your brother here," Meredith told her.

"Bubba," Lilly repeated.

"Seriously, are you as shocked as I am? If your brother is anything like Daddy, I'm in trouble. That charming, dreamy thing is probably encoded in the DNA," Meredith joked, looking down at her son. "He's not even an hour old, and he's making me swoon."

"Pay?" Lilly asked.

"It'll be a while before he can play with you, because he's so little. But you're his big sister, which means you get to help Daddy and me take care of him. You can hold him, help dress him and change his diapers, and sing to him, and do all of those things that big sisters do," Meredith explained.

"Poo?"

Meredith laughed. "If he's anything like you, he'll poop a lot. He might even inherit your poop corner when he's old enough."

"Hey," Derek said when he walked back into the bedroom, smiling from ear to ear. "My mom said congratulations, and to tell you she loves all of us. I told her we'd Skype later on, if you're up for it."

"Of course, yeah. I want her to see him," Meredith agreed. "Was she as shocked as were that it was a boy?"

"Not really, no. She said it was my Grandpa Will coming through on the wish he had for me when I was a kid," Derek said as he got back in bed, careful not to jostle Meredith or the baby.

"Grandpa Will... your mom's dad, right? The one that knew she was going to marry your dad after their first date?" Meredith recalled from the conversation Derek's mom had shared at Thanksgiving.

"Yeah. After my dad died, I spent a lot of time with him. He knew I needed a father figure, so he stepped up. Other than Mark, he's really the only one I talked to about my dad. About how I'd never get to do all of those things boys do with their dads. Fishing trips, baseball games, all of that."

Meredith looked down at their son, who was only gently nursing now that his stomach was full. "I'm glad you at least had him to talk to."

"Me, too. You know, the summer after my dad died, my grandpa took Mark and me on this week-long camping trip. He's the one who taught me to fly fish," Derek shared.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. He's the one who taught me how to shave, too. He said I needed to learn all of those things, so I could teach my son one day. So I could do everything with him that my dad and I never got to do," Derek said.

"Now you get to do all of that with him," Meredith said, the baby's eyes slipping shut when he finished eating.

"It's funny; he always said to me 'I know you're growing up in a house full of women, so the odds are stacked against you, but you'll get a son one day to help even out that ratio. It may take a miracle, but you will.' I'd always laughed it off, but..." Derek's voice trailed off as he stared at his son. "... turns out, he was right."

"This little guy's been a warrior from the start. I'd say miracle is the right word for it."

"Miracle and then some. Both of you," Derek said, combing his fingers through Lilly's curls.

Meredith smiled at her son, whose long eyelashes fanned over his cheeks as he slept on her chest. The longer she stared, the more convinced she was that the Shepherd charm was genetic. "How about we name him after your grandpa?"

"Really?" Derek asked.

"I mean, maybe not William, because Will and Bill are too close to Lilly for nicknames, but... something similar to William?" Meredith suggested.

Derek reached for his son and cradled the baby's tiny body in his arm. He only woke up for a few seconds at being moved, but after stretching, curled into Derek's chest and fell back to sleep, safe in his hold. He felt the warmth of his son's body and the steady inhale and exhale of each breath through his shirt, the love he felt for his son already so consuming.

"Liam."

"Liam," Meredith echoed. "I love it." She took the baby name book off the nightstand and thumbed through it until she found the name. "Liam. Origin: Irish. Meaning: strong-willed warrior," she read off the page. "Holy crap."

"Are you messing with me, or is that really what it means?" he asked, grinning when Meredith showed him the page for proof. "Strong-willed warrior. If that's not a sign from above, I don't know what is," he laughed.

"Okay, buddy, you have a name," Meredith told the baby, who opened his eyes when he heard her voice. "I think he approves. Right, Liam?" she asked, imagining calling her son by that name for the rest of his life. "Liam Christopher, after your middle name and your dad's?"

"Liam Christopher," Derek considered when the baby outstretched his palm. "High five. Liam approves," he said as he tapped his son's hand back.

Lilly kissed her little brother's hand, smiling when he studied her face, each of them the spitting images of their parents. "My Liam."