Thank you so so much for all the enthusiastic reviews for the first chapter! I'm thrilled that I was able to snag your interest - I'm always a wee bit worried at the start of a new fic whether it's going to go over well! So yes, there is some mystery here, and not only regarding the killings...there's that history between Mer & Der, and what happened to Ellis? I hope you hang in there to discover all the secrets!
There will be many of the characters from Grey's showing up in the this story, some in the persona we know and love...and some in completely different roles. So read, enjoy...and reviews are always welcomed!
Chapter Two
Meredith rested her head on the steering wheel for a moment. This whole situation of returning to Seattle was going to be harder than she anticipated; for one thing, she obviously underestimated her reaction to seeing Derek again so suddenly. A little shiver tickled her spine - whether from him, or from the chill pervading her body, she wasn't entirely sure, but she cranked up the heat. Damnit she forgot how much she'd hated this pervasive rain, another reason why she already missed Los Angeles. Plastic and phony as it could be, at least it was warm. If her mother hadn't called unexpectedly, needing Meredith to stay with her, she would still be there. In fact, she didn't give up the lease on her condo, hoping that maybe she could go back once Ellis was recovered and able to function on her own again.
With a sigh, she buckled up her seat belt, and pulled out into the street, starting towards the precinct. Might as well get this over with, and maybe get some sleep yet tonight. She could see the taillights of Derek's car already disappearing, and the rumble of the expensive engine was fading away. Of course he had the Jag out – it was his pride and joy. He'd much rather drive that than any company issue vehicle. She made her way through the quiet, nearly deserted streets that she remembered well, trying to keep her thoughts focused on this case. By the time she arrived at the Seattle police department, and pulled into an empty parking spot, there was no sleek sports car to be seen. Part of her felt a twinge of disappointment, but she shook it off. Their past was not going to interfere with the present. This was just another case to work on, another murder to solve. Keep the personal aspect under wraps – something she should have done two years ago.
The persistent drizzle had started up again, and she made a dash for the main doors. The homicide division of Seattle PD had the privilege of their own entrance, but she knew it would be locked at this hour, and she didn't have the key yet. There wasn't much activity in the waiting area at this hour of the night, and her shoes made damp squishing sounds across the tiled floor to signal her arrival. The sergeant looked up from the desk, grinning widely when he recognized her. "Hey, I heard you were coming back! Didn't know it was tonight..." he greeted her. Sergeant George O'Malley was a young looking guy, his hair always trimmed neatly, and his dark uniform crisp and dress perfect no matter what the hour. He took his work as desk sergeant very seriously, and made sure no detail was overlooked.
"You and me both, O'Malley. You know how it is." Meredith gave him a tired smile. "No rest for the wicked..."
"I hear you. How's your Mom doing?"
"Getting better. I'm really not sure how long I'll be here."
"Well, go on up. I'm sure there's an empty desk somewhere that you can use for as long as you need to." He buzzed the gate open for her, and she headed for the elevator. For a moment, she considered detouring to the ladies room to freshen up, but shrugged. What was the point?
"Thanks...oh, George...I don't suppose there's a hope of coffee up there?" she asked, looking over her shoulder.
"If there is anything up there, it's sludge by now. I can send out..."
"Never mind..." Meredith waved her hand in dismissal as she walked away. "I'll survive!"
The elevator was still just as creaky and dark as she remembered it. The floor was scuffed from years of use, the walls marred by thousands of elbows rubbing against them. It deposited her at the Robbery/Homicide floor, and she ventured out into the quiet squad room. There were only a couple of other detectives working, and they looked up from their computers and gave her a wave of recognition as she passed by. She homed in on the desk she used to have. It was still in the same spot, with the same scratches on the top, and the same desk chair with the uneven wheels sat beside it. Nice to see nothing changed around here, she thought with a small smile. Even the computer that sat there looked to be the same one she'd used before.
She pulled the chair out, and sat down to jot a few notes down while the scene was still fresh in her mind, as she waited for Derek to show up. At least, she assumed he was still coming back here tonight. The elevator doors slid open again, and she looked up. He was just coming in now, and for a moment she studied him objectively. Did he look a little older, his cheekbones more angular, or was that her imagination, she wondered. Not for the first time, she felt a twinge of guilt at leaving him.
Derek had been the only son of a wealthy businessman who had been killed during a robbery outside a restaurant. It had been a senseless crime; one that left Derek convinced he wanted to join the police force. Even though the family had been left well off, and his mother had been upset over his choice of work originally, he knew he had to do something more than just take life easy. And so as soon as he graduated from college with a business degree, he joined the Seattle PD. With his intelligence and common sense, he quickly worked he way through the uniform squad, and became a robbery homicide detective before he turned thirty. A few of the older detectives resented him at first, but he won them over with his sense of humor and his willingness to take on any case with a fierce tenacity. Even if his suits were designer label, and his personal car was a Jag, he managed to fit in, and before long they all forgot their original misgivings.
Meredith watched him easily negotiate the cluttered squad room, balancing two cups of coffee. He nodded casually at the others, laughing over some comment they made in passing. Then his eyes met Meredith's, and she bit her lip at the little jolt that still ran through her. The dampness clung to his coat, and made his hair curl even more. Again she thought he looked far too good for this hour of the night, hell...far too good, period. If his face was thinner, it only made him look better, if such a thing was possible.
He set one of the large cups down in front of her with a wink. "I know how much you need your caffeine fix, Meredith."
She was torn. Part of her wanted to make a smart remark and pass up the beverage, but it smelled heavenly – her favorite blend, and she needed it badly. He knew her too well. "Thank you," she murmured, sliding the cup closer. She popped the lid, and inhaled deeply; the steamy goodness was almost enough to revive her without even tasting it.
"You're welcome. Now can we declare a truce, at least?" Derek asked, dropping into the chair across from her. He crossed one ankle over the other knee, and draped his free arm over the chair back. "We have to work together until Mark gets back, and maybe longer, if the Captain thinks we should keep working the case. It's not going to help if we're barking at each other."
Meredith sipped the hot coffee, letting the warmth seep into her body. "Sure. Truce." There was no point in being bitchy, she thought with a small shrug.
"Good. I've got the book on the other case in my desk – we can go over the notes, see what was similar. Go from there," he said. "I know it's late, and you probably haven't settled in yet. We can work up the rest of the details in the morning."
"Sounds good."
Derek nodded, getting up to retrieve the information from his own desk, a few feet away. He still had the same uncluttered desk as always, and even had a small framed picture of her still propped alongside the lamp. The thought he still had it out in the open was a surprise to her after all this time.
Then he dropped the black binder on her desk with the other victim's information – the murder book they called it. It included crime scene photos, notes, the autopsy findings, and any other pertinent data collected. She opened it slowly, her eyes seeking out the picture of the other woman first. "Hmm...kind of similar features, don't you think? Young, blond, way too innocent looking to be dead already." Meredith was accustomed to seeing these kinds of pictures, but it was still gut wrenching to see someone so young dead before their life fully started. She leafed through the notes. "Same kind of thing too – dumped in the alley, purse abandoned...no ID..."
"Yeah, and the note...we really haven't had enough time to check everything out yet..." Derek reached across and flipped the plastic protective sheets with a copy of the note. "The letter 'C'." He shifted a little closer, accidently brushing against her arm as he moved. He was suddenly engulfed in the scent of her hair, still damp from the drizzle. The same lavender essence wafted up to him again, and his body tightened in response.
"Derek..." she murmured, not looking up from the pages. "You're in my space."
Derek grimaced, pulling back. "Sorry." The thought of working alongside of her again, without being able to touch her, was frustrating. Their breakup had been entirely her idea, and it still hurt. He still didn't completely understand her reasons, but on an emotional level, it had been like losing part of himself. She had cut herself off from any contact, leaving her engagement ring on the bedside table after a stormy night of petty arguments.
But for now he steeled himself to be patient. Miranda was right – this was a second chance, and he hoped things would be different this time. For the moment, he concentrated on the details of the case, immersing himself in it, as he always did. Work had helped him keep his sanity before, and it would have to do for now as well.
Much later, Meredith pulled into the driveway at her mother's house. She glanced at her watch – after three a.m. already. Her eyes felt scratchy, and the tequila had long since burned away. She grabbed her purse and keys and headed for the front door. The porch light still glowed warmly, illuminating the doorway. The drizzle had stopped, leaving only cool damp air behind.
Inside the house, another lamp was lit in the front hall. Meredith dropped her purse on the table, and eased her shoes off. The house was quiet as she moved to the kitchen. Too early for more coffee, too late for tequila, she mused, stifling a yawn. Better just get to bed.
"Meredith..."
"Mom..." Meredith turned in surprise. "You should be in bed."
"Bah, I'm feeling a bit better." Ellis waved her hand dismissively. She leaned on her cane with her other hand. "I'm a doctor, I think I know how to tell if I'm feeling better."
"Seriously?" Meredith raised one eyebrow, as she joined her mother. "You didn't even want to admit you had a mild heart attack, and you're not fully functional, according to Dr. Yang. It hasn't been long since you were in the hospital...as a patient, not a surgeon, I might add..." Still, she realized that doctors were their own worst patient; she'd heard all about it over the years.
"I was worried about you," Ellis admitted. "Your first night home and they call you out. I have a mind to speak to Richard about that."
"It's my job, Mom...there's always going to be dead bodies late at night, unfortunately..."
"Still...no time to settle in..." Ellis shook her head. "So did you see Derek?" Ellis liked Derek, she always had, and she never truly understood the reasons why Meredith had left him. Actually, she never understood her daughter in a lot of ways – especially the fact that Meredith hadn't wanted to follow in her footsteps and become a surgeon. Being a cop was the last thing Ellis had wanted for her only child, but somehow Meredith persevered, and she loved the job. Still, Ellis worried about her constantly, having seen firsthand the things that happen to police officers on the job...gunshots, knife wounds, beatings...it was dangerous. Maybe it was selfish, but she was glad to have Meredith home again.
Meredith nodded, helping Ellis towards the stairs again. "Let's just both get to bed again. I need to be back at work again soon. And you need to rest."
"Don't change the subject," Ellis chided.
"Mom, not now, kay?"
"You'll have to deal with this sooner or later," Ellis smiled gently at her daughter. "My fault for bringing you back here, isn't it?"
"It's okay." Meredith guided Ellis up the stairs, and they paused at the top. "I guess I should have known I couldn't escape forever."
"No, dear. Running doesn't help." Ellis kissed Meredith's cheek and turned to her bedroom. "We'll talk tomorrow night. Get some sleep."
"Night Mom." Meredith sighed tiredly, heading for her old bedroom. She navigated around the jumble of open suitcases, then dropped onto the bed, not even bothering to undress. She pulled the comforter over herself, and fell asleep almost immediately. Her last thought was of Derek's dark blue eyes on her, as if he could see right into her heart. Seeing she still cared about him, more than she should. Then nothing else, as sleep claimed her.
In his loft penthouse, Derek poured himself a small shot of his favorite single-malt Scotch, and stood staring out the windows that overlooked Seattle. The lights twinkled out in the darkness, looking serene, but he knew better. There were a lot of ugly things going on under that peaceful surface, just like that murder tonight. Ever since his father was killed, he knew that life could change in the blink of an eye.
He sipped his drink slowly, savoring the aroma and the smoky flavor that seeped into his tired body. For a second, he looked towards the direction where he knew Meredith's house was located, wondering what she was doing. Seeing her tonight had opened up the flood of emotions that he'd been keeping locked up since she left him. He knew on some level she would show up eventually, with her mother sick, but it had been like ripping the bandage off a wound to see her without warning tonight.
"This isn't helping...suck it up, Shep..." he chided himself softly, echoing Webber's words to him earlier. He swallowed the rest of the alcohol, recognizing that he was already obsessing about her. And realizing that life was changing again, only this time, he hoped it was for the better. He shook his head at his thoughts, and headed for his bedroom, where he pulled the drapes shut, and quickly undressed. Sliding under the cool sheets, he lay on his back and looked up at the ceiling, arms crossed beneath his head. Meredith's soft sea-green eyes haunted him tonight, stirring up more memories of nights they had spent together here in this bed. Memories that were sure to play out in his dreams...