Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's. Shonda does, and I envy her! lol

Notes: In this story, the 3-arc episode doesn't happen, except for the thing with Meredith in the bathtub. The story takes place about a week after Ellis told Meredith that she's ordinary. And please forgive me if I have some errors in grammar, English is not my first language.

"Hi," Derek said leaning on the nurses' station, smiling his famous McDreamy smile.

"Hey," Meredith replied not looking up as she continued writing on the chart.

Derek waited for her to look up, but she didn't.

"Meredith…" Derek sighed.

"Derek," Meredith said, finally looking at him, "Drop it."

"Meredith…", but he was cut off by his pager. "I have to go," he grunted. "I'll see you later." He gave her a kiss on the cheek and walked off.

Meredith finished the charts a couple of hours later, slightly getting annoyed by Derek wanting her to tell him whatever is going on. He's been bugging her for almost a week now. And she just didn't want to talk about it. This whole thing with her mother is difficult and she just wanted to forget all about it. So now she was determined to avoid Derek all day.

But Meredith should have known better as she was waiting for the elevator.

Elevator dings and opens. Derek.

Crap. Meredith unwillingly entered the elevator.

"Hey," she said hugging the charts to her chest, looking straight ahead. Sending the message that she doesn't want to talk.

"Meredith…" Derek sighed as he lightly held her elbow.

"Derek," Meredith said facing him, "I don't want to talk about it!" she said firmly.

"Mer, please. Just…"

Elevator dings and opens and a bunch of people enter.

Derek let out a frustrated sigh, letting go of Meredith's elbow and brushed his hand through his hair.

Ding. Everybody moved out of the elevator.

"Meredith…" Derek lightly grabbing her arm as the elevator door closed behind them.

"Derek," Meredith clearly annoyed this time, "I have work to do. I….I can't do this right now." She snapped as she wiggled out of Derek's hold and hurriedly walked away.

Derek ran his hands through his hair yet again. He was beginning to get frustrated at this whole ordeal himself. He watched her retreating form for a moment, his hands on his waist. Whipping his head from Meredith's direction to where he was supposed to be headed. Considering if he should go after her. But he needed to do that consult for Bailey. He sighed and walked off, determined to get hold of Meredith in a while.

However, mush to his disappointment and Meredith's luck, the day turned out to be one of those days. The hospital overflowed with patients that needed surgery. There had been an accident in the freeway. Meredith had been assigned to work with Burke. And he was stuck with Alex Karev all day.

00000000000000000000000000000000

"Can you close up for me?" Derek addressed one of the doctors. "Ok, thanks." That was the last of his surgeries for today. He walked out of the scrub room and headed to his locker. After changing out of his scrubs, he went to the lobby to wait for Meredith. He was looking forward to the ride home because it would be the perfect time to get her to talk to him.

After a few minutes if sitting in the lobby, his pager went off. It was from Meredith. "Went ahead…rode with Izzie…"

Derek let out an infuriated sigh as he hurriedly gathered his bag and coat and headed for the parking lot. Meredith was avoiding. She has been avoiding for almost a week now. She's been doing a great job at it also. But he wasn't about to let her avoid him tonight. This avoiding has got to stop.

Everybody could see that she was no fine despite her efforts of insisting that she is. Ever since that day that her mother came into the hospital completely lucid, she was not OK. Clearly, something is bothering her and Derek is pretty sure it was something her mom had said to her. And he needed her to tell him about it so that he can help her.

Derek drove to Meredith's house as fast as he legally could. He didn't want to give Meredith the chance to have the excuse that she's already asleep when he got there. And lucky for him, she was still awake, pulling the covers off the bed, when he arrived.

Derek leaned at the bedroom door, crossing his arms over his chest. A soft smile on his face as he watched her removing the covers. She always did it in a certain way, folding the covers backwards three times and then arranging the throw pillows at the bottom of the bed.

Meredith briefly glanced at him, acknowledging his presence. And that was his cue to speak.

"Why didn't you wait for me?" He walked towards her, still smiling.

"I'm too tired," she said sitting on her side of the bed, not meeting his gaze.

"We're always tired," Derek chuckled, trying to lighten the mood as he moved to sit beside Meredith, stroking her hair. She was avoiding again. She's good at that. But he's not going to let her do it this time. Because whatever it is that's bothering her this time, it's destroying her. And it hurts to see her like this.

Meredith knew what was bout to come and she wanted to avoid it.

"Derek, I'm too tired to….."

"Meredith, you have to talk about it sometime. You can't do this forever." Derek said forcibly, getting frustrated at Meredith's unwillingness to open up to him.

"You know what? Maybe I do! So why don't you just stop hovering over me about it!" Meredith said standing up, yelling at Derek.

"I. DON'T. WANT. TO. TALK. ABOUT. IT. Why can't you understand that?!?"

"Ok. This has got to stop!" Derek also stood up, his voice raising. We was getting angry by the moment. He was getting fed up with Meredith's avoiding.

"Yes! I totally agree! So stop bugging about it!"

"Stop it!" Derek forcibly grabbed Meredith's arms. Trying to shake some sense into her, "This self pity thing you're doing? This keeping it all to yourself thing that you've got going on? IT HAS GOT TO STOP!"

"Do you think I want to feel this way?!" She angrily moved out of his grasp. "This is difficult for me!" They're both yelling at each other by now. Tears of anger, frustration, sadness and everything else that she's feeling started flowing down her cheeks.

"I can see that! Don't you think I can see that? I have been very patient with you! I tried –"

"I'm not a child, damn it!"

"Then stop acting like one! God, Mer! I have been putting up with this for almost a week now! I have my limits, I wish I don't, but I have!"

"I don't need you for this! What part of I don't want to talk about it don't you understand??!!??"

With that, there was an immediate change in Derek. There was silence for a long time. They just stood there looking at each other. And the finally, Derek looked away.

"This is not how this works." Derek whispered bitterly, looking at Meredith. "If you don't trust me enough to tell me these kinds of things, then maybe we shouldn't be doing this!" With that he left, slamming the door behind him.

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OK. That's it for this chapter. I hope you liked it. I've already started with the second chapter. I'll try to put it up as soon as possible.

In the meantime, I would like to hear your reviews! Thanks!