A/N: I was listening to my country playlist and felt the urge to write... Well I guess you could call it a song fic. This is a one shot... Almost a drabble.

Disclaimer: I own neither Life with Derek nor the song referenced, which is not so much referenced as it is used for the dialogue. The song is "If you see her/If you see him" by Reba McEntire and Brooks & Dunn... And it's one of my all time favorite songs.

Five years

Five years. Five years of avoiding family reunions and rarely coming home for the holidays. Five years of little communication, five years without seeing her best friends and her family. Five years of college, alone in a different country. Five years of building her own life… With out him.

Five years of time spent on the phone, talking to her mom, talking to her sisters, even talking to Edwin… But not talking to him. Five years telling Emily the same thing.

"If you see him, Em, just tell him I wish him well. I still miss him… more than ever… but please, don't say a word?"

And five years of Emily's promise, "I won't."

XXX

Five years. Five years of wondering, and hoping she'll come back. Five years of no emails, no love letters, no conversations of any kind. Five years of no bright blue eyes, no bouncy chestnut hair. Five years of a future that has no hope in it, no life, no love. Five years of living his own life… With out her.

Five years of time spent wondering where they both went wrong. Five years of wishing to fix it. Five years of hearing secondhand about her new life, new friends. Five years of telling Sam the same thing.

"Sam, man… If you see her, tell her I'm doing fine… Tell her I still think about her, will you? Ask her…. Ask her if she ever wonders…. No. Just tell her I'm fine."

And five years of Sam's promise, "I will."

XXX

Sitting in a crowded bar, in a corner table far from the noise and stink of closely pressed bodies, she looks up at a voice. "Welcome back to London!"

"Hi Em, what's up?" she asks wearily. She's only been back for five minutes, but somehow, it's as if the last five years hasn't happened and the pain is back, as fresh as it was then.

"Are you okay," Emily asks, concerned by the lack of excitement.

Her brilliant blue eyes fill up with tears as she tells Emily, "I still need him… After all this time. I don't know why we let each other go." She sniffles, pulling a tissue out of her purse. "Nothing's changed, I've tried to push it away… But deep down, the fire still burns for him, and only for him. Emily… I've changed my mind. If you see him, tell him… Tell him nothing's changed. Tell him that even if it takes forever, say I'll still be here."

XXX

At the same bar, he sits nursing a beer. He hasn't even seen her yet, her plane probably landed not long ago... But even so, it still feels as if the past has been swept away and all he wants is to go back to how things were... Five years ago. "D, man. What's going on with you tonight? Why are you so down? I know she's back, but…"

"Sam… I still want her. I just… I don't know why we let each other go. And if you see her… Tell her the lights still on for her. Nothing's changed…. Tell her if it takes forever, I'll still be here waiting. Always."

XXX

And somewhere in a crowded dance floor, two friends of friends meet to compare notes, before going off in separate directions to deliver a message…..