AN. So here it is, the new and improve version of McMessy, or Whatever! I'm still reasonably new to writing, so please be kind! This story takes place just after Derek decides he's going to try and fix his marriage with Addison! Reviews are better than money - and all criticism is viewed as constructive so please be honest! Read, hopefully enjoy, and review!

"Meredith? Meredith?"

No matter how hard she tried, George's almost squeaky voice would not be blocked out. "What George?" She yelled back in frustration as she heard him call her name again.

"Meredith, if you don't get up soon you'll be late." George replied in a soft tone, despite the fact he was still yelling. "Tell her, Izzie." Meredith heard George add after a moment.

"Yeah, you'll be late." Izzie called through the door, and eye-roll evident in her tone.

Crap, they're right. Meredith thought to herself in frustration. She needed to get up, she needed to get to work and save lives. Her hangover was telling her otherwise though. In fact, it was pounding on her head screaming for her to stay in bed. Slowly she dragged herself from her warm and inviting bed to the bathroom. Today is not going to be a good day. And not just because she drank her weight in tequila the night before.

/

"Mer, there you are." George said, breathing a sigh of relief as Meredith walked into the kitchen. She looked like hell, even he was willing to, silently, acknowledge that. But at least she was out of bed, and appeared to be sober.

"We almost had to call Cristina!" Izzie smiled sadly at Meredith. Although she knew that her and Meredith worked and dealt in very different ways – she bakes, Meredith drinks – she felt awful for her friend and housemate.

"I just… Today…" Meredith trailed off with a shake of her head. "It feels like the end of the world, or whatever." She said as she tried to force a smile onto her face. She may be feeling like crap, but she didn't need to bring the others down with her mood.

"I know." Izzie said quietly as she poured fresh coffee into Meredith's container. "But tomorrow will be better." She said as enthusiastically as she could.

Oh Izzie, always the optimistic. Meredith thought to herself. Just wait until she started dating one of her bosses, and then had her heart trampled on. She wouldn't be saying tomorrow's going to be better. She'd be… Baking, or something Izzie-like. Although, Izzie probably wouldn't be foolish enough to sleep with one of her bosses.

"Yeah, and Cristina called to say she'd try and get you a good case." George piped in, pulling Meredith from her musings. "Nothing Neuro related."

Well, at least she would, hopefully, not have to see Derek today. Meredith wasn't sure what was worse; having her heart broken and her pathetic attempt to try and convince Derek to choose her over Addison rejected, or, having to avoid a field of medicine that she was really interested in because she'd been foolish enough to sleep with her boss – the man who's famously known as the best Neurosurgeon now on the West Coast. Probably the former is worse. She'd practically gotten down on her hands and knees begging him. 'Pick me. Choose me. Love me.' She shuddered as she replayed that moment in her mind. Could she have been any more clingy or needy? It could have been an insanely romantic gesture of their love, had he chosen her, but he didn't. He chose Addison. His wife. Which is totally Derek. He wouldn't be McDreamy if he didn't choose to try and save his marriage. She, almost, couldn't fault him for that. It didn't mean she couldn't be bitter about it though. And it certainly didn't mean it didn't hurt her. Meredith felt rejected, hurt, heartbroken, and embarrassed. The infamous rumour mill at Seattle Grace would be on full steam today.

/

"Good morning." Cristina said as she walked in step with Meredith and the others who had just arrived at the hospital.

"Cristina, there's nothing good about this morning." Meredith replied seriously as she turned to face her best friend. I have a hangover that literally feels like my brain is dying, I'm the most discussed topic around the hospital. And to make it just a little bit worse, I have to spend the next forty-eight hours working in a hospital where, at any turn of a corner, I could face Derek or Addison. Or worse, both of them together."

"I told you not to sleep with your boss." Cristina replied playfully, never one to hug and coddle.

"Not helping." Meredith rolled her eyes at her as they made their way into the locker room.

"Just… Don't answer any of Bailey's questions and she'll send you to the pit to do stitches or something." Cristina replied after a moment. "You'll diagnose flu and treat paper cuts. No chance of McDreamy down there."

"We're not calling him that anymore." Izzie said quickly. "McAss. McBastard. Something like that instead. Anyway, what Meredith needs is a good, surgical case to help her through this. Not paper cuts."

"Thank you, Izzie." Meredith smiled at her friend. Not many cases would make her feel better though.

"If I get any good cases, I'll swap with you." George said softly to her. Typical George, Meredith thought, Why can't I fall in love with a George?

"Seriously, stop sucking up." Meredith heard Izzie tease George as she walked away from them. "It's pathetic!" Luckily, Bailey was as clued in as ever this morning, so she assigned Meredith to Plastic Surgery for the day. There wasn't any extraordinary, life altering case to work on, but she did get to scrub in and watch a Rhinoplasty. It helped take her mind of Derek even for a little while. Her good luck wasn't to last though. After forty-eight hours of being on high alert – for personal and professional reasons – Meredith was exhausted and just wanted to go home, or better; to Joe's. She would just so happen to bump into Derek just as she was leaving though. Typical Grey luck.

"Meredith." Derek said softly as he half ran to catch up with her.

"Go away, Derek." Meredith replied coldly, continuing to walk away from him. "I've nothing to say to you."

"Meredith." Derek repeated, almost in a begging tone. He grabbed her gently by the wrist and pulled her to a stop. "Please…" He said quietly as he stepped in front of her, his head cocking to the side slightly. Oh, the Derek Shepherd head-tilt. One of the many things Meredith loves about him. Her heart was melting, and she could feel her eyes moisten despite her best efforts to hold back her tears. Of course, Derek could see this struggle. He knows her too well. "Meredith, please, we need to talk about this…"

"There's nothing to talk about." Meredith replied quietly but firmly. "You chose her, not me." She said, the words leaving a bitter taste in her mouth and an ache in her heart. "There's nothing else to say."

"I have plenty more I need to say." Derek said softly, running one hand through his dark, thick locks of hair – a nervous habit of his. It was enough to draw Meredith's attention to him, to his perfect looks and perfect hair. It almost caught her.

"I don't care." Meredith finally said, snapping out of the gaze he held her in. "We're over." She said in a lower tone as to not cause a scene. "Our relationship is strictly professional from here on out."

"Mer…"

"Derek, please." Meredith exclaimed. "Just stop. Okay. Goodbye." She said seriously, turning on her heels and marching out of there with purpose – trying to show the element of strength. She felt like running from him, running from the gaze and piercing eyes she could feel on her, but she walked. She wouldn't show him that she was breaking. Bypassing her car in the parking lot, she made her way to Joe's. Hung-over or not in the morning, she needed a drink. Actually, she needed several. Joe probably should have cut her off after her sixth round of tequila shots, but he knew better than to get in the way off a pissed of Meredith Grey.

"This seat taken?" A deep and rumbling voice came from beside her as the man waited for no reply to sit down. Against Meredith's better judgement, and probably due to her brain cells currently being killed off by alcohol, she turned and smiled at the man. Didn't she learn somewhere that the best way to get over a broken heart is to hop right back on the horse? Or nearest man, in this case. He was good looking, better than good looking actually. Tall, sallow skin, neat dirty blonde hair.

"Now it is." Meredith replied with a cheeky grin. She looked him over once, and then twice, happy to guess he's at least six foot and well built.

"What are you drinking?" He asked her as he motioned for Joe to come over to them.

"Tequila." Meredith replied, holding up an empty shot glass. "It's been a long day." She shrugged as he raised his eyebrows at her.

"Right." He chuckled softly. "Another beer for me, and another shot of Tequila for this beautiful brunette." He ordered and then paid. Meredith liked him already – a compliment and a free drink all in one sentence. This man knows how to romance a girl! "So, do you have a name?" The man asked her once Joe had served their drinks.

"I do." Meredith grinned at him. "It's Meredith."

"Mmmm. Meredith." He smiled as he licked along his lower lip. "Well, it's very nice to meet you."

/

"… And that's all I remember…" Meredith whispered quietly into the phone.

"Seriously?" Cristina asked laughing. "Seriously? He's in your bed right now?" She asked, not able to hold back the almost evil cackle that past her lips.

"Worse." Meredith groaned quietly. "He's naked in my bed." She said regretfully as Cristina erupted on the other end.

"Is he at least good looking?" Cristina asked once she'd calmed herself down a little.

"From what I can make out…" Meredith replied as she studied the sleeping figure. "He's facing the other way, but I can tell he's tall, and has strong back muscles. He has nice hair too, I have a thing for hair."

At this Cristina snorted. "McDreamy with the perfect hair breaks your heart, so you jump into bed and do the McNasty with McStranger." She teased.

"McSteamy." Meredith replied.

"What?"

"He's McSteamy. He looks like a McSteamy." Meredith explained. "And the sex… From what I can recall, the sex was steamy."

"McSteamy?" Cristina repeated, testing how it sounded. "I like it. Much better than McDreamy."

"So… What should I do?" Meredith asked her seriously. "Wake him? Or should I just leave him here and go to work? Let him figure out himself that he needs to leave…"

"Wake him." Cristina replied after a moment. "It'll be awkward, but at least you can make sure he leaves without steal anything."

"He's not going to steal anything!" Meredith chuckled. Typical Cristina response.

"Who's not going to steal what?" A husky and sleep-filled voice came from the bed as the man beneath the sheets stirred.

"I've got to go." Meredith said quickly, and hung up the call before Cristina could reply. "Uh… Good Morning…" Meredith said awkwardly as she came face to face with the man. Well, at least his face matched his body, and what a body he has – Meredith thought as the sheets were kicked off him and he revealed to her his full glory. "Uh… Um…"

"Mark." The man, now to be known as Mark, smiled.

"Yeah, Mark." Meredith shook her head slightly. "Of course. I'm…"

"Meredith." Mark grinned as he sat up on the bed. "I remember. "

"Ah, good." Meredith nodded. "Right. Well… I've got to get ready for work, so you need to leave. I'm… Going to go shower, and when I'm back you'll be gone." Déjà vu. Meredith couldn't help but thinking of her very first morning with Derek.

"I have a better idea." Mark replied cockily. "Call in sick, and we'll continue where we left off last night."

"I can't, sorry!" Meredith couldn't help but chuckle in response. "My job is important to me."

"And I'm not?" Mark asked her, feigning hurt.

"Bye, Mark!" She laughed as she got up from her seat and moved into the bathroom, seemingly changing her mind as she poked her head back around the door. "And don't steal anything!" She added playfully.

/

"Get much sleep last night?" Izzie asked Meredith as Meredith quickly scuttled around the kitchen trying to get ready in time for work. There was a slightly irritable tone in Izzie's voice.

"Eh… Yeah." Meredith shrugged, pouring her coffee into it's container. "I slept fine." She lied. In reality she'd gotten maybe an hour total of sleep. Mark had a really good stamina.

"Good." Izzie faked pleasant. "At least one of us did. Unlike George and I. We were up all night listening to you fall in the door at, who only knows, what time and then have really loud sex all night."

"Oh right… Sorry about that, Iz." Meredith apologised sincerely.

"It's alright." George said softly after shooting Izzie a look of disapproval. "It didn't really bother us."

"Seriously, George?" Izzie replied, throwing a kitchen towel at him. "Stop sucking up!" She chuckled. "So who was he then? Someone from the hospital?"

"God, no!" Meredith smiled. She was not going down that road ever again. "Just some guy I picked up at Joe's. We're going to be late if we don't leave now…" Meredith frowned as she looked to the clock, hopeful that their impending lateness might halt the questions she could feel Izzie itching to ask.

"Fine." Izzie sighed. "But I expect full and dirty details later." She warned Meredith. "I saw him leave, and I have to say I'm impressed, Mer."

"Izzie!" George exclaimed in no more than a squeak.

"Sorry, it's been a really long time." Izzie apologised with a low chuckle.