AU ending to episode 7 of season 3, Where The Boys Are.
It almost killed her but Mark looked like a beaten puppy and Derek had hurt her one too many times so she shook her head and walked away. Just walked away from Derek and Mark and all the chaos in the bar until she was in the park lot by her jeep.
"A fresh start?"
His voice scared the hell out of her, causing her to jump slightly as she turned around to look at him.
"The world has been telling me not to be with Derek from day one," she finally admitted out loud with a sigh as she leaned against her vehicle.
"And my words of wisdom was the tipping point of the scale?" He leaned against the jeep with her, neither looking at the other now.
"You had a fist thrown at you the moment I met you, the world is not in your favor either, Sloan." Meredith offered a half smile as she started to dig around in the bag on her shoulder.
"But that fist belong to my ex best friend - that hardly counts." He shifted forward, plucking her keys from the bag before she could. "Come to my hotel, we could continue the drinks we were having before we were interrupted."
"You're breaking all three rules again right now," she shook her head as she glanced at her keys and then him before the driver side door. "Get in."
"I'm staying at the Archfield," Mark announced smugly as he crossed around to the passenger side, getting in and closing the door before handing over the keys. "It's not Joe's but they have good alcohol."
"You just want to get me drunk so you can seduce me," Meredith laughed as she closed her own door and took the keys. Neither of them noticed a pair of eyes watching from the doorway to Joe's as she started the jeep up and drove away.