-1Meredith looked in the wall sized mirror at the small stitches in her head. A week had past since the fall and she was getting her stitches out after her class. Lindsey was the first to arrive as usual but she didn't have her stuff with her.
'Hey. Listen the girls have said that you should spend the rest of the week on a break,'
'I'm fine,'
'We know you're fine but you need time off so we'll be back next week ok?'
'Fine but it just means I'll have to make you guys work your asses off next week,'
'We can deal with that,' Lindsey disappeared, leaving Meredith at a loose end.
'I heard that you had a free day and I was wondering if I could take you for dinner before I take your stitches out?' Meredith turned and smiled at Derek.
'Who told you that?'
'A certain sister of mine who doesn't know I'm here,'
'We'll you may have just got yourself a date,' Derek smiled and followed Meredith out, waiting for her as she closed the studio up.
'So where do you want to go?'
'Any where but Chinese,' Derek opened the car door and gently took Meredith's hand.
'how about we get Take away and we go and watch the ferryboats?' Meredith smiled.
'Ferryboats? I love ferryboats…used to go out on them when I was younger,'
'I have a thing for Ferryboats,' Meredith caught a glimpse of the Mc Dreamy smile and she could feel her stomach flutter. Pulling into the Ferryboats, the smell of Italian food filled the car, Meredith becoming more and more hungry. Derek carried the bag down to the bench that sat at the edge of the pier.
'Old franks bench,' Derek looked at Meredith.
'When I was younger, this was where I ran to when me and my mom fought. She would never find me and I even slept In the old boat house. But there was this old guy called Frank and everyday, he sat on the bench and talked to his wife. He would have hour long conversations with her. One day I asked him why he was here and he said that she loved ferryboats and that when she died that she would be by the ferryboats,' Derek smiled at the story, the image of the old man visible in his head.
'He was really nice…always giving me money and convincing me never to run from a fight but every time I came out he would congratulate me on being the bigger person and walking away from the fight,' Meredith started eating the pasta slowly, watching Derek as he stared out onto the horizon.
'why do you like ferryboats?' Derek turned to face Meredith.
'My dad had an obsession with water. He hated it and couldn't even think about getting on a boat. We had a fight over my mom and what I thought about how she had handled a fight. We were standing up on the ridge, my dad waiting for my uncle Gerry. I walked away after he screamed at me and I went on a ferryboat. He couldn't get me and it was only when I was out there on the water that I realised how peaceful it really was,'
'Just like me then. Running from the fight,'
'Just like you,' Meredith emptied the tub and walked over to the edge of the pier. It was pitch dark, the darkness falling suddenly.
'Come with me,' Derek was confused.
'Where?'
'Just come with me,' Derek took her hand as she lead him down onto the beach. Slipping her shoes off, she told him to do the same, not letting him know what they were about to do. Meredith lead him further out onto the beach, until the sand underneath them was wet.
'Just go with this ok,' Derek nodded his head. Meredith took his hand and placed it on her waist the other one still in her hand.
'You know how to dance?'
'I never dance in public,'
'But do you know how to dance?'
'Kind of,' Meredith reached up and whispered into Derek's ear.
'Dance with me,' Derek smiled and slowly spun Meredith around, surprising her. She leaned up against him and moved in time with him. She could feel the sand between her toes and the way his body slipped with each step. He never faltered once, always keeping her moving. Slowly they stopped. Meredith looked up her eyes linking with Derek. She smiled gently before kissing him. Derek gently pulled away and brushed her hair out of her face.
'Was this what you expected?' Meredith seemed confused
'Stitches and kissing on the beach?' Meredith laughed gently before leaning back up and kissing Derek again, her hands finding the side of his face. Slowly they started dancing again, Meredith's head resting on his chest.
'We should get your stitches out,' Meredith looked up to Derek and smiled broadly. They walked back up to the car, hand in hand.
'You gonna be taking them out for me?'
'I wouldn't trust anybody else,' Meredith pinned Derek up against the side of the car. Derek went to turn her but she pressed her body against his.
'You take out my stitches and you'll get a surprise,'
'What is it?'
'You'll see,' Derek chuckled slightly.
'Let's get these stitches out then,'
