Meredith Gray was a junior; but she felt like a freshman. She did her first two years at NSCC before transferring to Seattle U. She grew up middle class and was getting as much financial aid as she could muster. After her mom left her when she was 5 her Dad fell apart. It took him years to pull himself back together and by that time Meredith was left with a poor taste in her mouth. She pitied him but didn't respect him.

She had a sharp mind. She had always been an excellent student. She poured herself into her work and didn't leave time for much else. She was often alone but didn't really feel lonely. She was so used to it by now.

But, her long time mentor, Richard Webber, had encouraged her to find roommates when she got here. He told her he wouldn't let her become a hermit. Richard had given her an internship at the local paper right out of high school. He was the editor and they hit it off right away. People questioned their relationship but it was never sexual. He was the parent she had always wanted. Smart, driven, ambitious, funny. She had learned so much from him in the few years they'd known each other.

She pulled the scribbled down address out of her jeans pocket. There were "Roommates Wanted" posters all over campus and she just happened to choose this one. It was one of the few places that was a house and not an apartment. She walked to the front steps and knocked nervously.

"What if I move in with psychopaths?" Meredith had hissed while nursing her tequila.

"Then it'll make for a great front page story." Richard quipped back at her.

"I hate you." She laughed.

"No, you don't."

"No I don't."

"You'll be fine Meredith."

She paused and let out a slow sigh. "How do you know?"

"Because I do."

The door swung open and she was greeted by a tiny Asian woman. "Are you Meredith Gray?" she asked, getting right to the point.

"Last time I checked."

"Funny. Come on in. I'm Christina Yang."

Meredith followed her into a foyer. The house was old but beautiful.

"There are 5 bedrooms; 2 full baths. Over here is the kitchen though honestly I can't tell you how well things work in here because I am a terrible cook."

Meredith laughed and followed Christina through the house. It wasn't the nicest place she had ever been but she liked it. It had character.

"There are two other people live here already besides me. Their names are Alex Karev and Callie Torres. They are pretty good roomates. Callies a little neurotic but you'll get used to it."

Meredith stopped in her tracks. "Does that mean you're offering me a room here?"

Christina shrugged. "Yeah, if you want it. You're the only normal person who's come to check it out so far out of like 10 people. This is my dead Grandma's house so I don't want any freaks living here. You don't seem like a freak. Not outwardly anyway."

Meredith laughed. "Well, I don't think I'm a freak."

"Good. Do you need help moving in?"

Meredith dragged the last of her bags into the room Christina showed her when she saw someone appear in her doorway.

"You're the new chick?"

"Um. Yeah, I'm Meredith."

"Alex. What's your Major?"

"Journalism."

Alex smirked. "No way. Me too. Are you in any of Shepherds classes?"

Meredith fumbled through her schedule and cleared her throat. "Um, yeah. Looks like I have him for Digital Storytelling."

"Me too. Don't tell anyone because it'll blow my 'I don't give a crap' persona but I'm actually looking forward to that class. It seems like one that won't suck as much as the others. Plus, most people wait forever to get into one of Shepherds classes."

"Really? Why?"

Alex furrowed his eye brows. "Are you for real? You've never heard of Derek Shepherd?"

Meredith tried to rack her brain and came up empty. "Um, no. Should I have?"

Alex laughed and called down the hallway. "Hey, Callie come here. Newbie has never heard of Derek Shepherd before."

A new face appeared in Meredith's doorway. "Seriously? How have you never heard of Professor McDreamy?"

Alex gagged and Meredith laughed. "Please tell me he doesn't call himself that."

"No, only every female in the student body. Trust me. You'll see what I mean when you meet him. Just try not to drool on your notes."

"I'm sure I'll be fine. I've seen good looking men before."

"Not like this." Callie said with a smirk. Alex gagged again. "Cmon Grey. If you're late to his class he's going to be professor McPissed."

Meredith, Alex, Christina, and Callie carpooled to campus. They all had classes around the same time.

"Newbie's never heard of McDreamy." Alex said from the front seat.

"Seriously?" Christina, who was at the wheel of her barely surviving SUV asked.

"Yep." Meredith said with a sigh.

"He's hot. Not my type, but hot."

"What's your type?"

"Geezers." Alex interjected with made Callie cackle and Christina back hand him without blinking.

"Shut up trailer park. At least I've never slept with someone who had an STD."

"That was once."

"I'm pretty sure once is too many times…" Meredith offered up.

Christina and Callie both laughed. "I like her. I think we'll keep you Newbie."

Meredith and Alex got situated in their seats. Meredith started to through her university emails when she heard his voice.

"Welcome everyone. I'm professor Shepherd and this is Digital Storytelling. Why don't we go around the room and introduce yourselves. Were going to spend a semester together and I'd rather not just say 'Hey you' or mispronounce your name everytime. There are enough professors like that."

Everyone laughed. They'd all experienced it.

Meredith felt her face flush and she tried to sink into her seat. How could this be happening? There were close to 700,000 people in Seattle and he's her professor?

Alex gave her a look but she ignored him. She tried to look anywhere but at him. Or those eyes. God, those eyes.

When it finally came to her turn she was hoping if she stayed silent long enough. Alex would just start talking. No dice. Instead her just elbowed her in the rib cage and she glared at him.

After a minute she stood up and cleared her throat. "Hi." She said.

Derek looked up and caught her gaze. He couldn't help but smile. "Hi."

Meredith pulled her eyes away and tried not to think about the fact that she'd seen him naked. And he looked good. He looked good with clothes on too. But even better naked.

"Yeah, um, I'm Meredith Gray. This is my first year here."

She sat down awkwardly and a few people laughed.

Derek smiled warmly at her. "Well, hello Meredith Gray. It's nice to meet you."

She stared at her hands. "Yeah, you too."

"What the actual hell was that?" Alex asked biting into the world's greasiest pizza slice.

"I don't know what you mean." Meredith shot back.

Christiana and Callie found them and sat down on opposites sides of the table.

"How'd class go?" Callie asked.

"Why don't you ask weirdo how it went."

Christina took a bit into her sandwhich. "Fine, I'll bite despite my better judgement. How'd it go Meredith?"

"Fine. Fine. It was fine."

Callie and Christina exchanged looks with Alex and he laughed. "That's not the only thing she thought was fine."

"Shut up." Meredith hissed at him and kicked him under the table. Alex laughed more.

"Awww. Do you have a case of hot for teacher?" Christina asked gleefully. Meredith groaned and felt her face turn the color of the nearest exit sign.

"She totally does. She was all googly eyed from the minute he walked in. She wouldn't even look at the dude. And then she got all awkward when she just had to say her own name."

"Thanks for declaring my business assface." Meredith mumbled.

"Anytime."

Callie smiled at Meredith. "It's okay, really. It's not the first time someone's gotten love struck in his classes…."

Meredith sighed and knew she would regret what she was about to disclose. "It's not just that." She whispered quietly.

All three of her table mates stopped what they were doing.

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I was wrong. I've met Derek Shepherd before."

"And?" Christina asked.

Meredith groaned and buried her face in her hands.

"I'm a slut."

"Come again?" Callie asked laughing.

"The reason I didn't realize I had met him is because the last time I met him we didn't exactly spend a lot of time talking."

Meredith could see the realization hit them all and Alex nearly choked on his coke.

"Newbie, you are a slut. Getting down and dirty with someone without even learning their name. I wouldn't have chalked you up as a slut. I'm impressed."

Meredith groaned.

"How is he in bed? He looks like he'd be good. He knew what he was doing, right?" Christina asked without missing a beat.

"Ew. I do not want to be here for this."

"He definitely knows what he's doing." Meredith said quietly.

"Okay, I'm done with my lunch now apparently."

"That crap will kill you anyway." Callie said rolling her eyes.

"So will hearing about Grey and Shepherd getting their freak on. I'm leaving. I'll see you guys at home."

"So how good are we talking here? Like, toe curling good or…."

Christina stopped dead in her tracks and looked down at her phone immediately.

Meredith turned around and her eyes got huge. Professor Shepherd was walking directly towards their table.

He stopped and cleared his throat. "Hello, ladies."

"Professor." Callie offered weakly.

"Do you mind if I steal Meredith for a second?"

They both shook their head and Meredith glared at them.

She followed him through the cafeteria and into a small office. He closed and locked the door behind them.