A/N: I know this is the 3rd story I'm working on now and I probably shouldn't have posted it until after finals and finishing another story but… whatever. I don't know exactly how this idea popped into my head but it did. So pretty much Meredith and Derek have been friends their whole lives. That's all I'll tell you because the next few chapters will explain the rest. Italics are flashbacks.

Disclaimer: I asked the New Years baby for Grey's Anatomy but since he's not Santa… I didn't get it so I still don't own it.

***

Staring off into the New York skyline, Meredith Grey sighed. She looked down at her desk once more. It felt like the white piece of paper had sprouted eyes and was now staring back at her, forcing her to make a decision. Seattle. Why did the medical conference have to be in Seattle? He was in Seattle. With his girlfriend…his girlfriend who looked like a horse…his girlfriend who he'd been dating for about a year. She couldn't tell the chief that she wouldn't be going because she'd seem like an idiot if he asked why. She'd have to tell him that it was because her best friend…who she was in love with lived there. She could lie… That was the answer. Lie to the chief! Which would be bad. Very bad. No lying to the chief.

In the past 3 years she'd only seen him a few times. She told herself that it was because of their busy surgeon schedules but she really knew that it was her avoiding him. Sure they talked on the phone almost daily but…that was different. When she talked to him, not face to face, it was like they were only best friends with no feelings. When she saw him…her heart skipped a beat. So she'd been avoiding seeing him.

Now she couldn't avoid anymore. She could just not tell him she was going to be in Seattle…which wouldn't work because she couldn't lie to him or hide anything. He knew her too well. He was the only one. Anyone else she could hide from but…not him. "Stupid mind reading brain man," she mumbled to her self. So she had to tell him. If she told him then she'd have to stay with him…in his very small trailer…where she walked around shirtless a lot. She sighed and put her head into her manicured hands, lightly rubbing her temples with her fingers. Suddenly she was jolted from her thoughts at the ringing of her cell phone. "Grey," she answered quickly.

"Mer," the voice of her best friend said teasingly, "am I not on your caller ID? That would make me sad…"

"Shut up. It's a reflex to answer like that," she responded, a large smile gracing her delicate features. "I didn't even check the caller ID."

"How was your day?"

"My day was…normal. You know practice work and what not," Meredith answered sitting back in her large black leather chair, smoothing her pin straight skirt as she did so.

"Any good cases?"

"I installed one shunt… that's it."

He laughed. "I still can't believe you haven't found away out of that…place."

"I refuse to work in a shit hospital! At Sinai Dr. Quinn was never going to retire…he's ancient!" she exclaimed. "The practice may not have been where I placed my self when we were interns…or now, but…it's better than being the 40 year old resident."

"You tell me this about everyday. You should move out here…there's an empty spot in my department for an attending," he said hopefully.

"Don't tempt me," Meredith joked back.

"I miss my best friend," he whispered sadly.

Meredith sighed. Even though she couldn't see him she knew he had his "puppy dog" eyes on. It was a very good thing she couldn't see them because she knew that if she could then her bags would be packed and she'd be moving to Seattle. "Well," she smiled, "then it's a good thing that I'm leaving in the morning for Seattle, Washington."

"What?" he asked happily. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Chief Scott gave me an invitational letter to the neurosurgical conference this afternoon."

"What time do you get in?"

"Twelve."

"I'll be there," he promised with a nod of his head. "And you're staying with me."

"You really don't-"

"But I want to," he interrupted her mid sentence, not allowing her to protest.

"Fine," Meredith sighed.

"Aw don't sound so excited," he teased. "I have to go," he said sadly. "I promised Rose we'd go out tonight. I hear her car pulling up now."

"Have fun," she told him, trying not to let her jealousy out.

"See you tomorrow," he mumbled.

"Bye Derek," Meredith whispered.

"Bye Mer."

Putting her Blackberry on the desk in front of her she sighed. Avoiding Derek was obviously not going to work, not that she expected it to. He was…Derek. He was the kid she saved in kindergarten with the raven curls.

A confident Meredith Grey walked towards her new school. Her dad had dropped her off, gave her a kiss, and told her she'd be great. She walked towards the main entrance. Noticing a small boy with raven curls, holding his mother tightly she walked over to him. He seemed scared and she felt the need to help him. "Do you want to walk in with me?" she asked him.

The boy turned to look at her. He shook his head no. "Come on Derek," his mother pleaded, bouncing the small girl she held in her arms up and down. "Walk in with her…then you'll have a friend."

"I don't have friends either," Meredith uttered. "Who's your teacher?"

"Mrs. Vershay," he mumbled, still clutching his mother.

"Me too…we could sit together," she told him. "My name is Meredith."

Suddenly feeling more comfortable, Derek let go of his mother and nodded. Meredith extended her small hand to him. He took it gratefully and they walked into school together.

"Was that your little sister?" she asked him.

He nodded. "I've got four sisters. Nancy is 14, Catie is 11, Kathie is 8, and Amelia is 1."

"Whoa," Meredith said.

"I'm the only boy," Derek told her. "Besides my dad. But he's a man."

"I don't have any siblings," she frowned.

"You could have one of my sisters," he told her seriously.

"You don't like them?"

"No," Derek said. "They're not very nice…Kathleen is the meanest. She pulls my hair and bites me!"

"That's not nice," she agreed. They walked into the classroom and sat together.

***

"Bye Mer," Derek said, ending the call.

"Der?" Rose called into his trailer. "Who was that?"

"Meredith," he called back, from his sitting position on the bed. She walked into the makeshift bedroom frowning. "What's wrong?"

"It's just…you talk to her all and…" she trailed off, tears falling down her cheeks, "we never do things together any more and I just... I love you so much and I just want to spend time with my boyfriend."

Derek sighed, running a hand through his hair. Whenever Rose wanted something from him she'd resort to crocodile tears. He usually ended up placating. Opening his arms Rose stepped into them. "I'm sorry," he placated. "I'll try to spend more time with you."

"What about tomorrow for lunch?" she asked hopefully.

He shook his head no. "I'm picking Meredith up from the airport at twelve."

"She's coming here?" she asked, scowling.

"Yeah she's staying with me," Derek nodded, ignoring his girlfriend's scowl.

"But Derek…I'm your girlfriend," Rose told him.

"I realize that," he said. "That's why I'm taking you out tonight," Derek told her, standing up. "Meredith is nothing more than my best friend," he lied. The truth was…Meredith was his everything. She was his strength, his best friend, his family…the love of his life. He knew that he really didn't love Rose but she was a nice girl…mostly and she loved him…a lot. So he obviously couldn't break up with her. But the truth was…one loving look from Meredith and he was gone.

Rose sighed. She really didn't like his relationship with Meredith. They were too close for her liking. It was obvious that she was in love with him. But Rose promised herself that she'd never let McDreamy get away from her. So part of that was pretending to be fine with Derek's relationship with Meredith. "Okay," she sighed. "Let's go out."

"Okay," he nodded walking towards the door.

***

A/N: I hope you liked it! This is going to be a lot like season 5…but they'll be friends. I kinda used the way I met one of my best friends for this story… I was Meredith. She was the crying little kid.