Blindsided

"It's freezing Derek let's go" Meredith moaned as she wrapped her arms tightly around her body rubbing them vigorously up and down trying desperately to encapsulate herself and secure some body heat. The sun was setting over the creek as it always did around this time and Meredith was now very aware of her lateness. Her mother hated it when she was late for dinner. Being a doctor, Meredith's mother had very little time, or interest, in family dinners so when she did make it home from the hospital she expected full attendance from her daughters and husband, even their dog was expected at dinner. Meredith's younger sister, Lexie, was of course always on time, ensuring her ranking as the 'favourite daughter', as Meredith so frequently called her. While they were indeed sisters, they could not be any different if they tried. Meredith was a rebel, a force to be reckoned with, while Lexie was the complete opposite, pleasant and always willing to please. Their father was a quite man, very reserved, yet caring and Meredith always wondered what attracted him to such a cold hearted woman such as Ellis Grey - an all round BITCH!

Meredith liked to find solace down by the harbour with her best friend - Derek Shepherd. Now that summer was coming to a close, he and Meredith were spending every waking minute together. Soon both would be parting ways as Derek was going to NYU's School of Medicine while Meredith had chosen a more simpler route - education in Dartmouth.

"I'm nearly ready" he called from the boat's deck "hand me those boxes will you"

Meredith looked towards her feet and saw the two boxes of, what can only be described as a box of fish guts, waiting to be boarded.

"You must be joking" she laughed "I am NOT touching that!"

Derek sighed and jumped out from the boat's hull. He scooped up the boxes, one in each hand and threw them onto the ship effortlessly.

"Baby" he teased before flashing his signature smile.

Derek was seen as one of the town's hotties, but Meredith could never look at him in that way. He would always be the boy from down the way that she grew up with, who teased her relentlessly, who pushed her into the creek when she was just five years old when she couldn't swim. People in school would always ask, "why aren't you together again?" and their reply would always be the same, "we're just friends, best friends". Meredith had never wanted anything more. Her life was a inescapable soap opera, there was always some waiting drama around every corner of her house and Derek was the only person she knew would always be there to save her, prevent her from crazy town. A relationship with him would inevitably ruin things, they would end up hating each other, the constant bickering over who dumped who! OH NO, Meredith was staying far away from that ordeal, besides she saw him more as a big brother.

"What will I do without you in New York?" Derek asked as he locked up the boat routinely. Derek had worked for Mr Kelman all summer, mostly fishing, his assistant really. He always had a thing for boats, he loved the rush you would get from the open water. Then again growing up on the Creek it was a little hard not to love the water. Yet while he loved sailing, Derek was always meant for bigger and brighter things. He had wanted to be a surgeon ever since his father died of an undiagnosed brain tumour. He had this romantic idea that he could save everyone from the tumour wrath. Of course Meredith thought he would never actually go through with moving to New York, he hated any kind of city, he was a town boy, always would be. Meredith on the other hand longed to get away from CapeView, her dream was to live away from the clutches of her mother. Ellis Grey had wanted Meredith to go to Dartmouth, but to study medicine, not education!

"You'll survive" Meredith scoffed "you won't have anyone to nag you every second"

"That's what I'm going to miss Grey" Derek laughed as he threw his arm around her and pulled her close "I mean who's going to remind me to shave…or to pay for dinner when I bring a girl on a date…who's going to insist I shower until I get this fishy smell off my hands?" he joked as he waved his fish-smelling hands up under her nose.

"Oh my god your so annoying" she whined hitting him playfully on the arm before wrapping her arms once again around his waist.

"No but seriously Grey…I'm going to miss you next year" Derek wasn't usually one to show his emotions but in that moment Meredith could see his sincerity.

"I'll miss you too" she assured softly "but hey it's not the end, we'll keep in touch, and I'm going to come visit you and your going to visit me right?"

There was a sudden silence in the air. They could hear the lapping water hit the dock, the locals bustling up at Denny's, the local bar. Meredith was now afraid of what was coming next. Derek sighed and brushed his fingers elegantly through his black wavy hair.

"Mer you know I will do anything I can to make sure we can see each other as much as possible but this medicine thing, it's going to be intense and I'm not really sure how much of a hold it's going to take you know?"

"No I know…I'm just saying we need to make sure it doesn't completely take over, at least one phone call a day?" she joked.

Derek laughed and pulled her even closer to him, he kissed her forehead and breathed her in, as if he was making a vivid memory of that very moment.

"It's a deal…but for now lets just enjoy what's left of our summer"