Alrighty, people, this is my first ever fanfic, so be gentle. Yes, its a Mer/Der (Is there any other sort?). Also, the events in my story sort of pick up after the episode, "Name of the Game", but there is no extra family for Mer.

oh yeah, and I don't own anything Grey's Anatomy. If I did, this is what would happen:

Chapter One:

Meredith lent back against the shower wall. The bottle of lavender conditioner slipped from her hand as she struggled to fight off the overwhelming desire to sleep. 'Five minutes, Grey, just five damn minutes to get out of the shower, and into bed, ok?" She muttered to herself.
The bathroom door swung open, Izzie's blonde head appearing through the steam. She raised her eyebrows.

"You talking to yourself, Mer, or are you hiding someone in there?"
Meredith jumped. "Just- just talking to myself. Pass me the towel, if you're not going to leave."
Izzie handed her the towel. "So... you had a rough day. Wanna talk?"
"I don't know- are you going to take sides?" Meredith replied bitterly. She instantly bit her tongue.
Izzie flinched. "Yeah, I deserved that. I'm sorry, Mer. I was so busy worrying about George, I forgot about you. Friends?"

She held out her arms for a hug. Meredith sighed, and nodded.
"But I'm not hugging you til I'm dressed. Speaking of which. Have you seen my Dartmouth shirt?"
Izzie crinkled her nose, grabbing a toothbrush. She squirted some toothpaste on it, thinking. "I think it's in the loungeroom. Why do you wear that thing anyway?"

Meredith yawned, as another wave of tiredness swept over her. "Oh. No reason. It's just comfy, ok?".
She left Izzie brushing her teeth, and stumbled into her bedroom. Too tired to bother going downstairs for the shirt, she lay down on the bed wearing only her towel, and was asleep in seconds.

Izzie walked into the room a few minutes later, holding the Dartmouth shirt, and laughed. Meredith was curled into a ball, towel wrapped tightly around her. She was snoring lightly, and had her pillow bunched under her arm. A fresh sprig of lavender lay on the bed beside her. Izzie sighed. No matter how many times Meredith said she was fine, Izzie realised she was lying.

"Night, Mer" Izzie whisper as she turned off the light, leaving the shirt on the bed.
She walked to her room, and picked up the phone. Quickly dialling a number, she crawled into bed waiting on a answer.
Finally, someone picked up.
"Hey, you there? Good. We have a problem."

"Grey! O'malley! Stevens! Yang! Karev! What the hell are you doing!"
The five interns jumped.

"Er, we were, I mean we weren't doing anything, Dr. Bailey, sir, I mean, m'am." George stumbled.

"Exactly! You are interns, not sloths, you are meant to be doing things!"

"We were waiting for you" Alex spoke up, earning him a glare from the Nazi.

"Can't think for yourselves, people? Fine. O'malley, you're with Burke, you too Chistina; Stevens, I want you monitoring Denny, Karev- you got the female Shepherd; Grey- the male one. Move it people!"

"Wow, think the baby kept her up all night?" Christina muttered to George as they walked away.

"I kinda like sloths, you know. Cute and furry." George ran a hand threw his hair, which was now cut properly.

Christina threw him a look.
"Alright, bambi, you finally got laid. I mean, by someone not emotionally unstable."

George twitched at the mention of Meredith, but grinned anyway. "Yeah, maybe. You know where she lives? Right here! How dedicated is that?"

Christina snorted.
"Sure. Dedicated- or pathetic. Whatever."

Meredith hurried to the elevator, throwing herself in just as the doors slammed shut. She hit the one person standing in there.

"Well, good morning to you too, Dr Grey. Running late?"

"Actually I was looking for you. Bailey's assigned me to you."

Derek grinned, his whole face lighting up. "Great. let's have some fun then, hey."

Meredith made a face at him. "So it's a fun case, then?"

Derek grinned. "Oh, are we talking about work? Right, what is my case about?" He pretended to look over his files, as they both laughed.

The doors opened, revealing Addision. She took in the giggling pair, distain on her face. Alex stood behind her, winking at Meredith. She scowled at him.

"You going up?" Derek asked innocently, nodding to his wife.
"Down, actually. You?"
He sighed. "Up. Guess you're catching the next one, hey?"

The look on Addision's face was priceless, as the doors shut in her face.

Meredith burst out laughing, then forced herself to stop.
"Stop. Um, as a friend, can I ask what that was about?"

Derek smiled. "Oh, trust me, as a friend, you'd hate me if I told you."
Meredith's eyebrows left up.
"Oh, now you have to tell me. Please?"

Derek laughed. "How can I resist those eyes?" He grinned at her, and Meredith realised how close they were standing. She smiled back, feeling overwhelmed.
The doors pinged open, and the moment was broken.

"Right" Derek cleared his throat. "Let's get to work, hey?"
"Yes, Dr. Shepherd."
They walked off to the patient's room, glancing at each other quickly.

"So, Dr Mongomery-Shepherd."
"Shepherd. Just Dr. Shepherd, ok? I am married to Derek Shepherd, so my name is Shepherd."
Alex held up his hands.
"Alright. I surrender. Dr Shepherd it is."

Addision sighed. "Just go get those labs, alright? I'll be here when you get back."
Alex sped away, relieved to escape the tension that had been radiating from Addision since the elevator incident.

Addision sighed, rubbing her forehead. Damn her husband, and all the interns. What was Derek's problem? First he refuses sex for almost two weeks, and now he's flirting with Meredith, and shunning her again?

"What have I done this time?" She muttered.

"Well you're standing in my way, for starters." Came an unexpected voice.

Addison looked up. "Oh god, Mark, what the hell are you doing here?"

Mark held his hands up in a similar gesture to Alex. "Nothing to do with you, Addy. I get it- you're in love with a man who's in love with an intern who's in love with him. Whatever makes you happy. I'm here on a case. But I am willing to woo you, if you feel like it"

Addision glared at him.

"Just stay away from Derek, ok. I don't need him upset right now."

Mark raised his eyebrows. "Ok. But before you walk away, I have something important to tell you. It's about Meredith's mother."