(This little ditty was inspired by a fake 4

(This little ditty was inspired by a fake 4.12 script making the rounds on the boards. It mentioned Derek skipping out on a date with Rose to head for Joe's, and being "satisfied" at watching Meredith turn down a hook-up engineered by Cristina. I couldn't resist doing something with it. As much as I'd love to own GA, I don't. I'm only indulging in some badly needed ongoing therapy.)

"You are good to me Joe." Mark greeted the bartender refilling his empty glass. He couldn't resist winking at the shapely brunette standing alongside him, clearly waiting for Joe. Her frosty smile indicated her card-carrying membership in the anti-Sloan club populated by the SGH nursing staff. Smiling, Mark dismissed her as he turned back to Joe. Her loss.

"I try Doc." Joe set another glass on the bar, and began filling it with scotch.

"And you're leaving me a back up? You are so the man."

"Sorry, but this is for him." Joe placed the glass down for Derek to grab as he sat down next to Mark. He did a double take, very surprised at seeing Derek in the bar tonight. He knew the 'lovebirds' had plans for which, glancing at his watch, Mark knew Derek was late.

"Why are you here drinking my scotch?"

"It's my scotch, and I'm here because I want a drink." Derek sipped his scotch, his tense body visibly relaxing as the liquid slid down his throat.

Mark perused the bar. It was crowded with hospital people he never bothered to get to know. "Where's Rose?"

"At home." The question settled over Derek like a black cloud. "Her home."

"Why aren't you with her? I thought you had a date with her meat loaf?" Mark's gag reflex kicked in. "That's her best dish? Meat loaf?"

"You loved Mom's meatloaf, so don't give me that look. I wasn't feeling up to meat loaf, so I told her I had a late surgery." Derek replied, his eyes also scanning the crowd. He wasn't feeling up to a lot of things with Rose. His lack of guilt over lying to Rose about a last-minute surgery didn't bother him. A month's worth of dates with the scrub nurse were getting to be a tiring obligation. One that he had already decided to end.

"Your Mom made damn good meatloaf, but she wasn't trying to bag a surgeon." Mark sniggered as Derek failed to be subtle as he scoped out the bar. "And she's not here."

"Who's not here?"

"So we're playing that game. You're not looking for 'her.'"

"I'm not looking for anyone," Mark didn't need to know he was here to catch a glimpse of Meredith after not seeing her all day. He had known, when he threw the words 'I can't do this any more' in her face, he never meant them. They tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them. But he wanted to push her, shock her into committing to him. Four weeks with Rose – six mediocre dates and a number of lunches, dinners and coffees – reinforced the fact that he'd take Meredith any way he could get her. Whenever he could get her. He wished he could have acknowledged that before asking Rose out to dinner in a fit of anger.

"Well the person you're not looking for isn't coming in tonight." Mark leaned a bit toward Derek. Acting as if he had a big secret to share. "The person you're not looking for is doing me a favor."

Derek mentally threw in the towel. Unfortunately, Mark knew him. But what favor could she be doing for him? And why? "What favor?"

"You never called Brian back, did you?"

"I had back-to-back surgeries, so I never had a chance." Derek allowed the change of topic. He was almost thankful for it, giving his stressed brain a momentary rest from the only thing on his mind – getting back with Meredith. "I was going to call him back later tonight. Is 'Bagman' still in Chicago?" Brian had been known in their class for being able to 'bag' any female. The number bodies he left in his wake had made Mark green with envy.

"No, he's in town for a conference." A cell phone ring made both men checking their pockets. "Why the hell do we have the same ring tone?" Mark grumbled as he answered his phone. "Hey Brian!"

Derek tried to ignore Mark's side of the conversation. He needed to set his mind back onto fixing things with Meredith, undoing the damage he did, before it was too late. But it seemed their med school buddy needed to thank Mark for the...date? Did he hear that correctly? Mark provided Brian with a date for tonight?

"Yeah, she is great. I had a hell of a time convincing her to go tonight, so if I hear you didn't treat her right, I'll kick your ass back to Chi-town." Mark paused and grinned like he won the lottery. "Hell yes I'll take one! Send it to Seattle Grace."

"You set Brian up with a date tonight?" Derek put two and two together and hated coming up with four. "You set him up with Meredith?" His voice jumped up a few decibels.

"Really? Well, that's great. I'm glad you had a great time." Mark tried to push Derek and his loud mouth away, but he moved out of reach. "Hold it down, will ya?" Mark barked before turning his back on him. "Sorry Brian, Shep was yelling at the bartender for another scotch." When Derek slapped the back of Mark's head, he whipped back around. "Cut it out!" Mark glared at Derek as he kept the phone to his ear. "You don't say...?" Fed up, he made a show of continuing the conversation.

"You set Meredith up on a date!" The bitter taste of betrayal flooding Derek's system was almost too much. It easily topped the night he found Mark and Addison together. "You set her up with Bagman!" The urge to grab Mark's phone and break it in half was strong. Or should he go for Mark's neck?

"Guys, can you keep the commotion down?" Joe stood behind Mark and Derek like a disapproving parent. "And I faint at the sight of blood, so no bloodshed." When both men nodded, Joe disappeared back in the crowd.

"What the hell is your problem?" Mark snarled as he ended his call. "Why are you pissed at me?"

"You set Meredith up with Bagman!" Derek couldn't stop saying the phrase. It was permanently burned on his tongue, and in his brain, as was the image of them...together.

"I know I set her up with the Bagman. He needed a date for a dinner tonight. He didn't know any good females so he called you and me. Meredith was the only one I could think of." Mark replied. "Guess you should have called him back before I did."

"Why Meredith?" Derek wanted to slam Mark's head onto the bar top. "Why not one of your nurses?"

"Why not Meredith? It's only dinner, for pete's sake. He wanted someone who could dress, and speak, to impress some neuro bigwigs. That's Meredith." Mark spoke slowly, as if addressing a toddler. "Not a job for a nurse." Mark bit his tongue. As much as he wanted to say "not a job for Rose" he couldn't do it.

"Why not Stevens?" She was more Bagman's type. Tall, blonde and busty.

Derek was an unreasonable pain in the ass. Mark decided to kill the conversation. "Get out of my face and go stuff yourself full of meatloaf."

"Fine." Derek threw a bill on the bar.

Mark's anger needled him to get the last word in. "Bagman enjoyed their date so much, he's thanking me with a case of scotch. And by the way, she's having breakfast with him in the morning. Enjoy your meat loaf."

The parting words stopped Derek in his tracks. Meredith and Bagman. Breakfast. Were they having breakfast in bed? He had to count to ten before his feet could carry him from the bar. As he pushed his way to the door, an idea started to take on a life of it's own.