What If? – Chapter 1
A.N: So, here I go again! I didn't think I would write anything else after my first attempt at a story but this idea would not go away so I wrote it down. My new motto is to write things down as soon as I think of them because I tend to have ideas in the middle of the night and then forget them by morning! Anyway, that's not really relevant or interesting! So this is a series of oneshots inspired by what Derek says in 3x01 about how things can change in a split second – these are just ideas about what life could have been like for Meredith and Derek if things had been different. Each chapter is an individual 'what if', and they won't be in chronological order! Everything that happened on the show happened in my chapters up to the point where the chapter begins (which I'm going to try and make a line from the show). You're smart people, you'll get the idea. Enjoy!
What if Rose had never transferred to paediatrics in Dream a Little Dream of Me (5x02)?
Rose approached Derek after the surgery, whispers about Fatal Attraction following her down the hall. "I'm sorry about the hand" she blurted. "These things happen" Derek replied without looking up. "Not to me they don't. Or they didn't before you existed for me. I was known as a damn good scrub nurse before you. And I will be again. I know you expect me to run Derek, but I'm not going anywhere. I won't let you and that little tart drive my out". "Stop right there" Derek interrupted, his voice low and threatening, "you can be angry at me, I deserve it, but you do not get to talk about Meredith that way. She is by far the best thing in my life and none of this is her fault – it's mine. So, Rose, let me give you some advice which will help the two of us get along a little easier – if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything. And," he added as he turned to walk away "if I ever hear you talk about Meredith like that again, you will be leaving and you won't get a choice". And with that Derek stormed off leaving Rose to process the mistake she had just made.
Later that day Meredith rounded the corner and noticed her boyfriend (she was still getting used to calling him that after everything) leaning against the nurse's station. He looked tired, pinching the bridge of his nose as if he was trying to fight off a headache. "Hey" she said quietly. "Hey" he replied his face brightening instantly but his eyes still looked tired. "So, in the interest of being all whole and healed and trusting you, what's wrong?" Meredith asked "because you look upset and we're communicating so I'm asking. Is this because I said I wasn't sure about moving in together?" Derek chuckled, "No, it's Rose" he said and immediately regretting leading with that as Meredith tensed. "No, no, no Meredith it's not that," he corrected quickly and she relaxed. "Good, because I'm still trying to trust you and that would not be good for the trusting and the healing. So what is it?" Derek sighed trying to think of the words that were least likely to make Meredith want to hurt him. Her fists may have been tiny and ineffectual but they could still do some damage especially when fuelled by Rose-related anger, but then he couldn't really blame her – he'd been feeling a little of that himself. "She's staying" Derek said it quickly and then waited for the pain to start, but nothing happened. Meredith was calm, if anything, she was a little confused. "Staying where?" "Here, as a surgical scrub nurse" "Okay...Derek, why is this news?" Comprehension suddenly dawn on Meredith's face and she giggled "you thought she'd leave, didn't you? Or at least transfer?" Derek looked sheepish, "well Mark said that I need to break up with her professionally as well as personally." Meredith laughed, "I know I'm not an expert on this whole relationship thing but I'm fairly certain that Mark Sloan is not the best person to be handing out relationship advice, besides if he broke up with people professionally as well as personally he wouldn't have any scrub nurses at all!" She paused, becoming serious, "Derek, you don't just leave because your boyfriend broke up with you, otherwise I would have been on a plane the minute Addison showed up. I know Rose was a little crazy with the saying I love you after about 5 dates..." "She said she loved me?!" "That is so not the point right now," Derek's lips curved into a smug smile and Meredith rolled her eyes. "The point.." she continued slapping his arm playfully "is that you...are really not that good looking so it won't be hard for her to resist you." She said this in a way which suggested she had just solved all of the world's problems and Derek laughed. "I'll have you know Doctor Grey, that even though I'm not wearing my good looking red shirt, which you found completely irresistible, I am generally considered to be very attractive." Meredith raised a sceptical eyebrow and smiled trying to ignore the fact that Derek was leaning towards her and knowing that if he came much closer common sense would go out of the window and she would end up kissing Derek senseless at the nurse's station. But just at that moment Bailey came round the corner "Shepherd, I'm sure the Chief isn't paying you to stand there and look pretty. Grey, I need a resident." As Meredith moved away she heard Derek murmuring something about who was whose boss but then he came up behind her and whispered "see, Bailey thinks I'm pretty" "Sure she does" grinned Meredith as she hurried down the hall after Bailey.
The relief that Derek felt at Meredith's reaction to the news that Rose would still be around was replaced with a sense of dread when he has scrubbing in for surgery the next day and looked up to see Rose prepping the OR. While he was contemplating how he would act around her and how he was going to avoid getting stabbed again Meredith walked in and started to scrub in. "Bailey said you needed a resident" she said in response to his confused look. "I did but I thought Karev was working on this case." Meredith raised her eyebrows, "are you saying that you'd rather spend hours in the OR working in very close proximity to Alex?" Derek shot her their 'look' and Meredith was sure if there hadn't been a room full of people just the other side of the glass one of them would have been well on their way to being naked by now but Derek's look quickly changed to one of concern. "First of all, you are the only resident whom I like to spend hours pressed up against. And secondly, the only reason I asked is that I didn't want you to be uncomfortable." As he said this he tilted his head towards the OR where Meredith saw Rose giving her a glare which made her certain that if looks could kill Derek would currently be calling a code to try and revive her. "Derek, I'll be fine. I probably thought far worse about her when the two of you were dating, I'm the dark and twisty one remember?" She chuckled but Derek stayed serious "I'm sorry you had to see us together. You didn't deserve that. I'm surprised you never cut me with a scalpel." "Wait, that was Rose? That was how you cut your hand? Wow, she really is a little bit crazy." Glancing over at Rose again Meredith had an idea; she took Derek's injured hand in her own and gently kissed the scar left by the scalpel. Derek smiled, "I'm going to have to scrub in again now" he whined. Then he leant over and kissed Meredith softly on the cheek and whispered "it was worth it though." When Derek finally joined her in the OR he realised that it actually didn't matter that Rose was standing on his left, it could have been anyone. What actually mattered was that it was Meredith who was standing on his right.
The following evening Derek was slouched in one of the chairs in the lobby. Although his patient had lived it had been a long surgery, full of complications and all he really wanted to do now was go back to Meredith's house and curl up in bed with her. Although, technically it was his house now too. Meredith had been nervous when she has first asked Derek to move in but they had soon settled into a comfortable routine, taking baby steps, part of which was Derek waiting for Meredith when his shift ended. As he heard footsteps approach he looked up smiling but his face fell when he saw it wasn't Meredith standing in front of him. "Doctor Shepherd," Rose's smile was sickly sweet and Derek's gaze was drawn to the large piece of black liquorish which was stuck in Rose's teeth but he said nothing. "What can I do for you Rose?" he asked tiredly. "Been stood up?" she giggled batting her eyelashes. "No he hasn't" came a voice from behind him and he felt her hand on his shoulder. Smiling, he turned to face Meredith and mouthed thank you while gathering his things. "Are you ready to go sweetie?" Meredith asked. "Sorry to drag him away Rose, it's just that Derek moved in and our roommates are on call tonight so we really can't wait to get back and have the whole house to ourselves." Derek's eyebrows shot up so far they almost disappeared into his hair but Rose was oblivious to Derek's surprise at Meredith's behaviour because she was too bust giving Meredith a death-stare which Meredith was returning with equal venom. Derek grabbed Meredith's hand and pulled her away before the violence that seemed to be on the verge of breaking out actually happened. As they walked away Derek murmured "did you just call me sweetie?" "I did but it was just to make a point and if you ever tell Cristina I said it, I will be the one stabbing you with a scalpel." Derek laughed out loud and pulled Meredith towards him and captured her lips in a kiss that was rapidly passing the PG-13 boundary when Cristina Yang's voice rang out across the lobby "Get a room! This is a hospital; you're making the sick people even sicker. No one needs to see that!" Derek and Meredith continued on their way laughing but just before they reached the door Meredith turned back towards Rose who stood rooted to the spot watching them "Oh, and Rose...you have something in your teeth." And with that she led Derek out of the hospital without looking back, leaning into the fear to get her happy ending.
A.N: I guess the point I wanted to make here was that it actually doesn't matter whether Rose is there or not (believe me I am not disagreeing with Shonda's decision to get rid of her). But for Derek, it doesn't matter because he has (finally!) made the right choice and Meredith is the only one he cares about having next to him. And Meredith...well, she's just having a little fun! Please drop me a line and let me know what you think!