This story is dedicated to edlovesjuicyfruit. I know you're not a big Derek and Angie fan, well... at all... but read the end notes and I'm sure this will all make sense.

Hope you guys like this one - there's a sequel coming to it, though I don't know when I'll get around to it.

"Derek?"

28 year old Derek Stiles stood as perfectly still as he ever had in his lifetime. His brain had hit a mental traffic jam, so many thoughts, feelings and responses clouding it and rendering it useless to work given the shock he had just received.

"Derek… please, say something…"

It didn't matter that it was the voice of the love of his life speaking to him. At that time it could've been a complete stranger and it wouldn't have mattered – nothing could pull him from this state of psychological limbo he was suspended in.

The only thing he could bring himself to do was lower down onto the edge of her bed, still staring blankly out into what had become an endless abyss.

She continued to try to speak to him over and over again, her words passing through him as if she was talking to someone completely different. In his state of panic he disregarded everything else but the two words that had started this freefall.

"…I'm leaving…"

Tears collected in his eyes and quickly poured over the edges of his eyelids, running down his cheeks. This would be the point where he was supposed to reach up and wipe them away, but he was still so stunned by her revelation that his mental paralysis even put a halt to simple commands.

"Derek, Derek please don't cry…"

Angie Thompson began to sob, watching as he became fully devastated by the decision she had made. She threw her arms around his body and felt no comfort come from it, the stone stance he had assumed making her realize that she was no longer hugging her loveable Derek Stiles. She wasn't sure what he was now, looking in his eyes and seeing the spark completely gone.

One thing she did know, however, is that it was all her fault. In two years they had grown so close to one another, falling in love and even discussing marriage on more than one occasion. He made her happier than she ever felt she could be, and somewhere deep down she really believed that the strength of their relationship was no match for a little bit of distance.

"Please, please can we talk about this?"

Mind still spinning with thoughts, Derek slowly turned his head to look at her, feeling his hand be encircled by both of hers.

"What is there to say?" he whispered, catching a bitter salty taste as one of his tears dropped into the corner of his mouth.

"Derek, we can survive this… it's just a new job!" she argued in between sobs.

"A new job?" he asked, gaze turning immediately vindictive. "A new JOB?!"

Anger got the better of Derek as he rose to his feet, his subconscious mind throwing his body into a feverish pace.

"You didn't even tell me you applied! You didn't think about us at all, Angie. It's across the country!"

"We can overcome the distance, Derek…!"

He stopped in his tracks and glared at her, hands firmly set on his hips.

"I would agree with you if it was for a short time. But you took a full… time… job, Angie. You know that I'm not leaving Caduceus any time soon – so how can you lie to me and honestly tell me you believed I would be okay with this?!"

She was silent, save for short bouts of weeping that consumed her body. Rays of sun trickled in through the window, seemingly taunting the two of them and the heartbreaking scene unraveling in that small bedroom in Angeles Bay.

"… I… don't know, Derek."

His two hands came to rest over his eyes at her words, blocking her from his view. In his self-induced darkness he could only see memories of their past – they had been so happy, so perfect for each other… why was this happening?

"So I guess this is it then – you're really leaving me. It's really over…" he muttered, dropping his hands from his face, still refusing to look her in the eyes.

"It doesn't have to be, Derek… it doesn't. I love you…" she whispered, shakily rising to her feet. She paced cautiously towards him, hands nervously playing with one another and rested against her stomach.

When she arrived at him and reached a trembling hand up to touch his face tears dropped down her cheeks, watching him gently lean his head into her touch. Impulsively his hand came to rest over hers, his eyes closing again as the warmth of her touch began to eat away at any wounds her words had just caused.

Her other hand sliding around and resting on the small of his back, Angie rose up onto her tiptoes, putting her face level with him. He cast a glance toward her momentarily, and upon noticing she was so close diverted his gaze away again, feeling tears accumulate in his eyes once more.

It was tender moments like this that made him who he was. The happiness he felt whenever he remembered she was his was something that projected from him on a daily basis. He loved life for everything it had to offer, knowing that as long as she was by his side, her hand to hold… that nothing could bring him down.

For a brief moment he forgot her news, allowing himself to simply indulge in a moment with the only woman he had truly ever loved. The woman who he thought maybe one day, he would be lucky enough to call his wife. Thoughts like this raced through his mind, painting him an unrealistic portrait to cover up the crumbling of his very heart and soul, which he had given to her the very day they had met. It was almost all better – his mind worked to clear away the bad, instead focusing on the beautiful woman in front of him whose lips were closing in on his own.

Moving at an incredulously slow pace, Derek felt Angie's upper lip gently connect with his bottom one, both of their mouths open. He had honestly forgotten about everything until the moment he felt that touch, a tingle shooting down his spine that reminded him of one thing, and one thing only.

"…I'm leaving…"

And when the words echoed in his mind again his utopia was destroyed, the final piece of his sanity fleeting as he realized her words would haunt him every day until the day he met his demise.

Angie gasped sharply as she was hastily shoved away from him, putting an end to their kiss before it could complete itself. She looked at him questioningly, her right hand slowly coming to rest on the lip that had just met his.

"Do you love me?" he asked sternly, eyes now not afraid to meet hers, as he knew that this had to be done.

Angie nodded furiously, trying her best to catch her breath as she choked out, "Y-Yes, Derek… I l-love you more than… anything."

He paused at her answer, never doubting her sincerity for an instant.

…The only thing he doubted, was her commitment.

"Then stay."

Angie just stared at him, hands dropping to her sides. "What?"

"You heard me." Derek replied, blinking to clear the blurriness brought on by a fresh set of forming tears. "If you love me like I love you, then you'll stay. You can say whatever you want but we both know that this won't work if you go…"

He paced toward her, his hand reaching down and grabbing hers loosely.

"I want to be with you forever, Ang, and you know that… Please… Please don't throw this away."

She turned her big green eyes up at him, a finger wiping underneath her right one to catch a falling tear.

"It's the opportunity of a lifetime, Derek…" she whispered, looking away from him. "But I know that I couldn't stand to not see you all the time… I know it would be hard, but I love you… I'm sure there's a way—"

She cut herself off, knowing full well that the only way to keep him was to stay.

"Can I have some time… just, to think?"

Breaking her train of thought was Derek's hand underneath her chin, lifting it up gently until her eyes met his. He nodded gently to her request, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around her.

"…I love you."

Angie sighed, breathing in the scent of him.

"I love you too, Derek…"

It wasn't long after that Derek lifted her into his arms, walking over and laying down with her in the middle of her giant bed. Holding onto her for dear life he gently drifted off to sleep, fearing that it was going to be the last time he would ever be able to hold her in his arms again. To feel the warmth of her pressed against him, to smell the honey vanilla shampoo that wafted from her blonde locks, to listen to her gentle breathing, reminding him with every inhalation that she was next to him…

But most importantly, holding her reminded him that with her, he had the world in his arms – that everything he ever wanted or needed was his forever.

For Derek though, forever had come too quickly.

Eyes blinking open in the morning sun, Derek gently rolled his tired body to the right, noting that the only thing next to him was an unmade side of the bed, sheets gently rumpled from where Angie had laid the night before.

And in the place of the one he had loved so was the sight that was sure to plague Derek for the rest of time… a handwritten note gently placed on the pillow by her that very morning.

"I'm sorry…"

See, I was challenged to write a fic where Derek and Angie break up, and I finally did it. And may I say, it was hard, but J.F you were right - sometimes challenging yourself really does pay off! So, I thank you for the inspiration, and thus dedicate this to you.

Hope I didn't depress anyone too much! See you guys later! :D