Chapter 2

"It must really suck to be you right now?" Alex patted Jake's back as he sat down beside him on the locker room bench.

"Why?"

"Cos Shepherd's back walking the hall's of Seattle Grace!" Alex looked stunned as Jake still looked completely blank.

"Meredith didn't tell you McDreamy's back… Oh dude that's harsh!"

"What is?" Izzy asked looking between an amused Alex and now stony faced Jake,

"George said Shepherd was round your place yesterday to give Meredith the news personally that he was back but she hasn't told lover boy here!"

Izzy smacked Alex over the head as Jake stormed out of the locker room

"You are such an insensitive ass sometimes!"

"What?? How the hell was I to know Meredith wouldn't tell him???"

Jake found Meredith reading charts at the nurse's station and taking hold of her arm he pulled her into the nearest stairwell.

"Why didn't you tell me?" His grey eyes stormy, his olive skin paling in anger as Meredith stared up at him as if he was mad.

"Tell you what?" Meredith demanded angrily pulling her arm out of his grasp.

"That Dr Shepherd came to see you, that he was back in Seattle… We were together all night but you didn't say one word so I had to hear it off freaking Alex of all people!!!" Meredith stared up at him, a guilty flush starting to stain her cheeks as she chewed on her bottom lip.

There was one simple reason she hadn't told him about Derek, she was worried that her own mixed up feelings would be all too clear to him and the last thing she wanted was to hurt Jake. But it somehow seemed she had managed to do it anyway…

"Mer do you still love him is that it?" Jake asked quietly, fear of her answer turning him cold. He loved Meredith with all his heart but that didn't mean that he was blind to the fact that there was still a part of her that he hadn't yet touched. He had just always hoped that with time she would open up more, forget Shepherd and give herself completely to him but what chance of that was there now.

"Of course not, I just didn't know how to tell you so that you wouldn't get the wrong idea!" Meredith looked up at him as she lied knowing that with this lie she was saving him from the kind of pain she had once felt at Derek's hands. Jake was more striking than handsome with rugged features that seemed to draw your attention straight to his expressive grey eyes which were framed by lashes the same raven black color as his close cropped hair.

Now in the oh so easy to read eyes Meredith saw doubt like she had seen at the start of their relationship, it had faded with time but now only to return with the news of Derek's own arrival at Seattle Grace.

"I should have been the one to tell you and I'm sorry you had to hear it from Dr Evil Spawn…" Reaching up she kissed him and felt his instant response as he pushed her back up against the wall.

"Yang you're with Burke, Grey Dr Shepherd and the rest of you with me…" Bailey's orders caused the other four to stare.

"Seriously?" Meredith demanded unsure of the game being played out around her as Bailey gave her a look close to sympathy.

"So it would seem, unless you think I made it up just for the fun of having you screech at me… Now all of you move, don't make me repeat myself!"

"Seriously… Seriously!!!" Meredith demanded of Christina as they stepped into the empty elevator.

"Oh shut up. You love the fact he requested you on his first shift back! Or would you rather spend the day with the Nazi instead of having the pleasure of watching Dr McDreamy drool at the sight of you!"

"I'd rather spend it with Bailey!" Meredith said as she folded her arms across her chest.

"You suck at lying like I suck at being in touch with all the emotion crap; you're just worried what McSoppy will have to say when he finds out the love of your life requested you out of everyone!"

"Christina!"

"Meredith!"

"Oh I hate you!" Meredith said for Christina to simply smile.

"Why because I stop you lying to yourself?"

They hadn't noticed the elevator doors opening until Derek entered, his face lighting up at the sight of Meredith.

"Dr Grey, Dr Yang."

"Oh this is so my floor…" Christina smirked at them both before hurrying through the doors leaving a heavy silence behind her.

"You requested me as your intern…" As soon as she spoke Derek turned to face her

"I did." He nodded smiling.

"Why when you know it's bound to get everybody talking about us and what happened… Again?"

"Meredith cut me a little slack; I haven't been able to request you in a whole year…" Derek was teasing her and though she knew it would only add to the mess that was them she couldn't stop herself from returning his smile.

"Dr Grey are you smiling at me?"

"No…" Meredith tried to frown at him but it was so hard to do when his smile seemed to beg you to smile along with him as his eyes sparkled with mirth.

"Or if not at me maybe you're smiling at the memory of our first elevator ride together… Its not just ferry boats I have a thing for anymore, elevators have never been the same since I met you!" His eyes were sparkling with something else as he stepped closer to her, desire turning them dark as his grin turned to a more intimate smile.

"Dr Shepherd!" Meredith knew that look all to well it was their look, the look that told her exactly what images of her were flashing through his mind.

She tried to retreat but ended up only hitting the back wall of the elevator as he continued to step closer, it wasn't just his proximity to her she was trying to escape from it was the memories that having him so near brought back. Times when it had just been the two of them with no ghost of the heartbreak this one man could bring or this feeling of guilt as she remembered just how much Jake loved her.

"Meredith," he breathed and she knew he was only a fration of a second away from kissing her and though it was what she secretly craved, to let him know that was the same as calling time on what she shared with Jake. So as deftly as a cat Meredith side stepped him as the doors slid open and hurried out into the busy hall.

Derek followed at a slower pace, smiling to himself at the thought of how her breath had quickened at his nearness and how he knew exactly what that look in her eyes had meant. She wanted him as much as he still wanted her but there was something holding her back and Derek intended to fight it untill Meredith Grey was back where she belonged.

Yet her reaction had also reawaked the hope that had been almost killed by his talk with one of his old scrub nurses who seemed to have a soft spot for him which meant she was all to happy to fill him in on all the gossip he had missed. She had told him that is was well known that Dr Harrison was crazy about his fellow intern and though Meredith was less open about it she seemed to feel the same. But he had grimaced when the nurse carried on as she seemed to forget who she was talking too just for a moment.

"But you can't blame Dr Grey for not wearing her heart on her sleeve this time especially after what…"

She had stopped them blushing as she remembered exactly who she was talking too , because he was the reason Meredith Grey kept her emotions out of the public eye.

That thought had soured his mood right up till he had watched those elevator doors glide open to see Meredith smiling at Christina and only then had the sun finally come back out on his day.

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