The Call

9

"You're pregnant?" Amelia sputtered.

"What can I say? Derek and I had to make up, and that involved sex. Lots and lots of sex. Now hurry up, I'm getting cold."

xxx

Meredith watched as Amelia moved the wand in small circles over her abdomen. She was scared, scared that this was a mistake because of her hostile uterus. This was impulsive- but in her heart she knew it was good. Amelia needed to see. They both needed to see.

She thought about one of her last conversations with Derek. How happy he was, how happy they both were. I want more... Derek said, of this, of us-of... I wanna have more.

Another baby?

Sure.

I-Seriously?

Now it was happening, except Derek was gone. "Amelia," Meredith said. She had to tell her, prepare her for the possibility. Amelia looked up, her expression unreadable. "I need to tell you that I'm scared. I'm scared of losing the baby."

"I know," She whispered. "I'm scared too."

"But I'll do everything I can to carry it to term."

"I know you will."

"You and me, we share this. We share Derek."

Amelia nodded slightly and continued her exam.

That's when she saw it. "Look!" Meredith exclaimed. There on the screen was a blob, no bigger than a kidney bean. A Mcbean. It wasn't just a fetus she was seeing now, it was hope, it was the future.

Amelia was smiling now too, a hesitant anxious smile, but one nonetheless. "That's what? Eight weeks?"

"Yeah." Meredith agreed. But her heart ached, because she knew that she still couldn't be there right now for Amelia. It would be painful for the both of them. Amelia's pain was just too much to bear and going back home so soon was more than she could handle. Meredith had to find out who she was outside of Derek and the hospital. She had to find her own strength as a mother. "Amelia?" Meredith started, "Um-,"

Amelia's smile disappeared, "You're not coming back, are you?"

"It's still too much. I'm sorry."

xxx

"It's still too much. I'm sorry."

Amelia's heart sunk. She felt like Meredith had slapped her. She felt like she would fall again into the abyss.

"Amelia..."

She looked again at Merideth, saw the mixture of emotions on her face, saw how hard she was trying just to keep it together, and she knew that she had to be strong too.

"You'll come back sometime right?" Her voice cracked. "Sooner rather than later?"

"Seattle is my home, and I'm not my mother."

Amelia cleared her throat. "I'm your family."

Meredith smiled. "Yeah, you are."

"I'm still mad at you. I have abandonment issues."

"You need a Person."

"A Person?" There it was again, what exactly did she mean?

"If you murdered somebody, who would you call to help you get rid of the corpse?"

"I-What?" Where did that come from? Meredith was so weird sometimes.

"A best friend, Amelia. You have a best friend?"

"Uh... I" She didn't know what to say. Honestly she never really thought about it because she always just buried herself in her work. In another life it would have been Addison, but she wasn't so sure now.

"Oh! What about Owen?"

"Seriously? That's the best you can come up with? I thought you didn't like us together."

"I never said-"

"He's in the middle east anyway."

"What? He left? That is so not allowed."

They were quiet for a moment except for the wooshing of the ultrasound. Meredith reached over to the machine and pressed a button. Then she put her hand over Amelia's and guided the wand to a certain spot. "Listen,"

Amelia heard it. The fast thump-thump of the baby's heartbeat, strong and steady. An unexpected surge of emotion filled her heart. She didn't know what it was. She breathed deep and tried not to show it.

"Print a picture," Meredith ordered.

Amelia printed the picture and handed it to Meredith. Meredith clutched it, tracing the outline of the blob with her fingers. Then she and sighed and put it into Amelia's hand.

"You keep it," she said. "You need something to hang on to, okay?"

Amelia stared at the black and white outline of the blob. Tears streamed down her face. "Okay." she choked."Why am I crying?"

"It's good Amelia," Meredith said, her eyes also watering. "You're feeling something. It's hope."

A/N You might be wondering why I didn't keep Meredith and Amelia together. I just think there is something significant about Meredith needing to find out who she is on her own. She needs space- and Amelia doesn't seem to be the space giving type. Epilogue up next!