A/N: More of a writing experiment on my part than anything else. Got tired of looking at it sitting on my computer so here's the story - sans edits and re-writes.

Part I:

"I'll be seeing you, in all the old familiar places, that this heart of mine embraces all day through."

November 2020

Union Square Ballroom

New York City

8 p.m.

The nerves and tension were unusually high for a simple award ceremony. It was a combination of the heady excitement you get at seeing old friends after a long summer vacation, and the apprehension of trying to outdo classmates during college reunions. Snippets of conversations could be heard over the clinking of dishes and silverware, but, truth be told, most people weren't really listening. The guests were more interested in the man sitting behind the podium. He was dressed impeccably, with a crisp white shirt and perfectly placed bow tie. His hair, though significantly grayer, was still as full as ever, gelled and styled in the same way that used to make women, and a fair share of men, swoon. He was smiling, and his eyes betrayed the quiet confidence that comes from a full and satisfied life.

Looking out into the audience, he found all of the colleagues, friends, and family who had been with him for the past twenty years. There was Addison sitting in the front, her unmistakable red hair still as vibrant as ever. She was holding hands with her husband, and they were both laughing at some joke Callie had just told. Miranda and Richard were at the next table, in some type of good-natured argument. Owen and Alex were standing by the door, uncomfortable in their suits and looking as if they both wanted to run out of the room as soon as the presentation was over. Commanding though they were in the operating room, these two felt lost in the sea of formal wear and champagne cocktails.

At the table closest to him, his eyes rested over the heads of Cristina and Meredith. The two women were leaning close to each other, deep in some intense conversation that only they could understand. Ten years and 3000 miles weren't enough to separate the friendship that began when they were girls pretending to understand what life was all about. Not that they didn't have their share of fights, but reconciliation always followed close behind. Meredith's eyes looked up, and Derek gave a wink to his wife. She reciprocated by sticking her tongue out at him. World-class surgeons reverting back to grade school behavior. The psychologists in the room would definitely have something to say about that.

It's odd thinking about how everyone's lives crossed at this exact moment, in this particular room. There were those who could continue a conversation started two years ago, finding that the bonds that were formed in the past had only strengthened in time. There were those who would politely catch up on each other's lives, and then slowly warm again to the idea that the strangers around them were once friends. A few hours and drinks later the camaraderie was back. And then there were the ones who were once so familiar with each other that the time spent apart became an insurmountable wall.

The room quieted down as the chairman walked up to the stand and began his introductory remarks. There were the requisite jokes, of course – none of them funny, but the crowd laughed out of politeness, and maybe a little bit of unease as well. "It gives me great pleasure," the speaker went on, "to introduce to you the highly renowned and brilliant Dr. Derek Shepherd, chief of surgery at Seattle Grace Hospital." The applause was deafening, and somewhere in the distance a few catcalls could even be heard. It was Mark, of course – still with the same mischievous grin on his face. The years had somewhat tempered his wildness, but no number of kids or Volvos could fully erase the boyish charm he still possessed in abundance.

Derek slowly walked to the front of the stage, the carefully transcribed, highlighted, and color-coded index cards left abandoned in his suit pocket. He looked out at all the people sitting across the room, and then began: "Thank you to everyone for the warm welcome. I am truly grateful to be here tonight in front of so many friends. It is an incredible honor…"