Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy, et al.

Author's Note: If you are reading this story, please let me know if you are enjoying it, your feedback would be great! Thanks.

"Ghost Story" by Sting is beyond one of my all time favorite songs, I could listen to it over and over and over again and did so when I was constructing this piece. If you are not familiar with this song, find it. Listen to it. Love it.

Lyrics for Sting's "Ghost Story":

I watch the Western sky
The sun is sinking
The geese are flying South
It sets me thinking

I did not miss you much
I did not suffer
What did not kill me
Just made me tougher

I feel the winter come
His icy sinews
Now in the fire light
The case continues

Another night in court
The same old trial
The same old questions asked
The same denial

The shadows closely run
Like jury members
I look for answers in
The fire's embers

Why was I missing then
That whole December
I give my usual line:
I don't remember

Another winter comes
His icy fingers creep
Into these bones of mine
These memories never sleep

And all these differences
A cloak I borrow
We kept our distances
Why should it follow I must have loved you

What is the force that binds the stars
I wore this mask to hide my scars
What is the power that pulls the tide
I never could find a place to hide

What moves the Earth around the sun
What could I do but run and run and run
Afraid to love, afraid to fail
A mast without a sail

The moon's a fingernail and slowly sinking
Another day begins and now I'm thinking
That this indifference was my invention
When everything I did sought your attention

You were my compass star
You were my measure
You were a pirate's map
A buried treasure

If this was all correct
The last thing I'd expect
The prosecution rests
It's time that I confess: I must have loved you

Chapter 7 – Ghost Story – Part 1

Derek awoke with a start just as he had every day for the past six days, only today he was afraid to look at the clock, it had to be early, too early to wake up on his day off – he was actually off – and for once in his life he was not looking forward to it.

A whole day off with nothing to do but berate himself for the mess he had made of his life, to stare at his cell phone and dare himself to call Meredith, to just think, think, think until it would be a decent hour to drink. When was that magical hour anyway, he thought dryly. With that he rolled over and glanced at the clock – 4:16 AM – just on the right side of bearable, he sighed and sat up in bed.

At least he had slept a little later every day this week, the shock of Addison and Mark's most recent round of insurmountable torture was beginning to ebb and the wounds in his heart were starting to heal. As luck would have it, they too seemed to be wary of him so he didn't have to do too much dodging while at work. It seemed they were finally getting the message: he didn't want anything to do with them. Ever. Again.

Derek switched on his bedside lamp and grabbed the small dropper of Visine. He squirted some into the inner corner of each eye, he sighed with instant relief. And then there was Meredith, he smiled. Meredith who he loved more than anyone else – he wanted to call her so badly – but he just couldn't, not yet anyway. He was trying to do things right for once in his life, he didn't want to weigh her down with his troubles, he didn't want to use her as a buoy, he wanted to stand in front of her – a whole and healed man – and ask her to give him another chance.

Meredith had saved his life once already – it was high time he saved himself – he needed reflection and a safe distance from her while he healed the internal injuries inflicted by Addison and Mark's betrayal. There was no other way for him to get ready. He couldn't possibly get that fresh start he had been looking for without some time alone, some time to reflect and put himself on trial for his own crimes and transgressions.

He was not the good and decent man he projected, but he longed to be with every fiber of his being. He had caused sufferable harm to Meredith and to Addison (via his emotional affair with Meredith), and even if Addison was selfish and wrong, he could have avoided all of this if he demanded a divorce from her once he left New York. But instead, he ran, he was so pissed and humiliated and broken and he just had to run from her and Mark and all the evil they represented.

Sleep was a hopeless dream at this point and with that Derek got out of bed. He grabbed a cashmere pullover and put it on. He made his way to the small kitchen and started his coffee. He walked back to his closet and pulled out a pair of boxer briefs and some jeans. He untied his pajama pants and let them fall to the ground; he slipped the briefs and jeans on, grabbed a fresh pair of socks and headed back to the kitchen. He sat down and put his hiking boots on, stood and looked outside the window, almost time …almost.

He donned his jacket, filled a mug with some coffee and exited the trailer. The cool, damp air hit him like a wall; he sipped his coffee, the steam from his cup spiraled upward into the fresh air. He sighed and could see his hot breath, he was still breathing, after everything was said and done, he was still breathing, he did have his land, he did have Seattle and he would eventually be blessed enough to have Meredith Grey in his life once again.

He considered sitting on the porch step, but decided against it, instead he turned due east and headed down towards the clearing. Dawn was just about to break; he left the flashlight by the door. All he could hear was the whisper of the leaves of the Douglas firs dancing with the light wind. The cold morning earth was covered with a light frost; it crunched and crackled under his heavy footsteps.

He neared Doc's grave and a fleeting thought raced in and out of his mind – he wasn't truly alone – it felt good to have Doc buried here on his land with him forever and always, especially since Meredith loved him so much, "Hey Buddy", he said as he walked by.

Derek smiled and made his way down to the water. He stopped near a cluster of fir trees. He leaned his back up against the trunk of one and just waited. Any minute now, he coached himself. He took another sip of his coffee and relaxed his muscles like he had every morning so far this week. He let his mind wander – without control – he was transported in time, his eyes closed.

He could see Meredith in the distance, standing on the mezzanine level at the hospital; he approached her slowly so he could stare at her quiet beauty. He could see her eyes sparkling as she looked out over the horizon through the expansive glass window wall. She was leaning on her forearms against the glass railing. He remembers she took his breath away as he walked slowly towards her; she was so beautiful it almost hurt, then, as if on cue, she turned to him and his heart skipped a beat.

He walked up to her and stood next to her and although his forearm barely touched hers, he felt an invisible pull on his heart strings – something he should have been used to –something he would never grow tired of. He looked at her from the corner of his eye.

"I can't believe you would consider moving out of your trailer. The view alone …" her sweet voice trailed off.

"See the mist rise off the lake …" he finished her thought.

"Yeah."

"Yeah," he paused and answered her unasked question. "I'm not moving." She looked at him knowingly, and boy did she know.

With that, Derek opened his eyes and saw that beautiful sunrise – the mist easing off the lake – every morning, without fail, it was like an opera curtain opening to reveal a glorious stage set. The cool air invoked an involuntary shiver that shot through his body, officially waking him up. Derek took the last sip of his coffee, now on the cold side. He shook the mug out.

He turned and headed back to the trailer, once inside, he got rid of the cup and decided he should do something, fish maybe, but he would need to get some supplies first. He exited the trailer again and got into the car and drove down the bend and over his property line. He made his way to a small bait and tackle shop in the nearby town about fifteen minutes away.

Thank God he didn't sell this place, it was his heaven on earth, just that he could walk out and fish anytime he wanted should have been enough, but it wasn't just that – it was everything – the whole package, the infinite possibilities, the untouched nature, the wealth of space.

His job kept him on his feet all day and he had to be on top of his game all day, every day lives depended on him, and quite frankly, he came to depend on this place. He needed this place for solace and reflection and he wondered how he lived in that vacuum of a life back in New York for so long. How did he cope? How did he release the tension? Maybe he never really did.

Damn he remembers how good it felt to tell Meredith he wasn't planning to move out of the trailer that day, because in all honesty, only she would have understood.

***

He remembered every minute of the night be brought Meredith out to the trailer for the first time, he was nervous, beyond nervous. What would she think? How would he explain himself? He was worried because he felt like he was falling in love with Meredith Grey and what if, what if, she expected more than this, a trailer in the middle of nowhere, what if she wasn't ready to see him as this man?

She already wanted more from him and he was prepared to give her more, he was, what he said earlier that week was the truth, they were in a relationship, he would term it a relationship. There was no doubt in his mind he wanted this relationship with Meredith, a very long relationship. But he was also scared, scared that the truth would destroy her, and ultimately it did, it broke her, he broke her.

He remembered driving towards the ferry boat dock with her, he could tell she was excited or nervous, kind of like finally being tall enough to go on the big kids' roller coaster, but then having to stand in line and watch the roller coaster zoom over the tracks, while the nervous excitement seeped in, Meredith looked kind of like that. She smiled and squeezed his hand as the tires crossed over the ferry threshold.

Once on the ferry boat, they made their way up to the helm. It was dark and cold outside, but that did nothing to dampen the fire that burned in his heart. The way she looked with the wind raging through her hair, it made her look wild and carefree. Derek stood in back of her as she peered over the side of the railing. He put his chin on her shoulder and hands on the railing, effectively boxing her in.

Her floral scent swirled with the natural salt of the earth and water and intoxicated his senses. He felt high and nervous and excited and scared. She turned her head and kissed him sweetly on his cheek. His skin seared to her touch, first warming his cheek, then his heart, then his core … he was rock hard in a matter of minutes.

"So, where are you taking me, Derek?" she asked playfully, the sexy timbre of her voice calming his nerves.

"Patience, patience, all in due time, I want to show you something."

"Is this like a 'I'll show you mine if you show me yours, kind of thing', because, I can feel yours, and I got to tell you, it might be a bit too cold out here for me to show you mine …" she said as she turned around in his arms.

"You felt that, did you?" he smiled.

"Hmmm, I did, a little hard to miss," she flirted, bringing her hand down to caress his cock through his pants.

And then he kissed her senseless, because there was nothing else to say, no words could express how he was feeling, with her hair blowing in the wind and her eyes wild with that playful mischief he loved so much, only kisses would suffice.

He deepened the kiss and she moaned with pleasure into his mouth. Without moving his mouth from hers, Derek untied the waistband of her ecru cashmere coat, letting it fall open ever so slightly. He took one hand and snaked it around her tiny waist, he brought her flush against him, he felt the warm soft flesh of her lower back and she gasped at his cool touch.

Derek unclasped her bra and let her beautiful breasts relax, he brought his hands to her abdomen and made his way up to her breasts and gently ran his the pads of his thumbs over her nipples. They hardened to his touch and the thought of running his tongue over those beautiful raspberry pleasure points, only made him even harder. She squirmed in delight and broke away from the kiss only to lean back against the ferry railing.

"Careful, careful, you could fall," he said breathlessly. She opened her eyes and gazed at him, Derek could see the small white caps form as the water hummed below them, he diminished the space between them in an instant, hugging her close.

"You'd catch me though, you could be my knight in shining, you know …" her sexy voice trailed off as she captured his lips in hers for another round of all consuming kisses. He kissed her deep, damn he wanted to take her right then and there, he didn't care less who would see them – there was just something about Meredith – something that made him feel, well, not normal.

"You bet I would, anything for you," he said and he meant it, there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for her. They stared into each other's eyes, the protective bubble he loved so much came, and nothing else mattered.

The ferry began to dock. Derek hugged her again and reached up to refasten her bra. He tied her coat and pecked her on the nose and they made their way back to the warmth of the car.

He remembered daring himself over and over and over again to tell Meredith about Addison that night, but then they got to the property and he was so nervous that she was going to run in the opposite direction once they got there, that he didn't. There was no excuse for his actions, he was already in love with her by then, he should have respected her enough to be truthful with her.

Then, when he told her where they were and pointed to the GulfStream, she smiled, her eyes twinkled, she held her hand out to him in acceptance and it took all he had not to melt with relief. He wanted to spill his guts out and tell her everything … but they made love instead.

When he awoke the next morning, he couldn't have been happier in his life, it was like a beautiful dream that he just couldn't wake up from, nor did he want to. Ever. He kissed her bare shoulder, her alabaster skin glowed in the pre-dawn morning light, she rolled over towards him and closed the small distance between them. He put his arms protectively around her.

"Don't wake me up," she pleaded softly. "I don't ever want to wake up, I love it here Derek, I love it …," her voice trailed off, everything was quiet for a beat.

"Me too," was all he could say, a big smile plastered to his face.

"You can kiss me though, you can keep kissing me, kiss me everywhere …," she demanded softly.

"What if I want to show you something first?" he all but whispered.

"Derek, you're hopeless," she sighed breathlessly.

"Not that, I mean, I could show you that, but I wasn't talking about that, come on …" he kissed her neck relentlessly with teeny tiny kisses, tickling her.

"Derek, that tickles!" she giggled.

"I know, but it's a good way to wake up, come on," he pleaded.

She looked up at him through her lashes, her green eyes sparkled in amusement. "You know tickling is the most basic form of torture, you do know that don't you?"

"Nope, I didn't, sorry, but I really want to show you something," he glanced at the clock. "And if we don't get you dressed right now, you're gonna miss it!"

"Fine, what are you so excited about?" she looked at the clock. "Seriously Derek, it's not even five yet, you do know I'm off today … you do remember I am an intern, right?"

"Yes," he chuckled. "But I really want you to see this, I want to see this with you, we can sleep again in a little while, please Meredith," he pleaded.

Derek got out of bed and quickly got dressed. Meredith stayed in the bed and watched him, he looked over at her and smiled widely, she smiled and without words he could see she was more than happy and content. He gathered her clothing from the foot of the bed and grabbed an extra sweater for her.

"Come on," he said with a big smile. "Trust me, you don't want to miss it," he took her hand and pulled her from the warmth of the bed.

"It's freezing in here!" she yelped and began to get dressed as quickly as she could.

"Sorry, sorry, I'll turn on the little heater," he did so and went into the kitchen to start the coffee. He around and Meredith was at his heels.

"Hug me, I'm cold."

"Yes ma'am, it's the least I can do," he kissed the top of her head and smoothed her wild tresses with his fingers, she moaned in sleepy pleasure. He turned back to the coffee pot with Meredith in his arms and without letting go of her, he managed to get the coffee into the mugs.

"Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," she answered without missing a beat. He handed her a mug and they stepped outside the trailer, he took her hand and led her down through the clearing to the edge of the water. She hugged him close and he would have it no other way, he was truly in heaven, heaven on earth.

"Oh, Derek," she sighed as the sky started to lighten before them.

She held her coffee cup and he could see her watching the world come to life, he could see her future – maybe even their future – full of infinite possibilities, her eyes were shining. She closed them and small tears popped out and traveled down her face. His eyes began to sting at the sight of her and he pulled her even closer. She wiped her tears away quickly.

The sun had come up beyond the thick morning clouds, it made the lake look like a glassy ice skating rink, one hard enough to walk on, like you could just take one step out there and well, walk on the water. The mist started to rise from the water, but between the sky and the mist, there was no beginning and no end – earth and water and air and sky – melded together and it was glorious, magical, and truly breathtaking.

"Derek … I …thank you, thank you for waking me up," she said quietly.

He bent down and put their coffee mugs on the ground and stood up and kissed her. Her lips felt cool but inviting, she tasted of coffee, he swept his tongue into her warm mouth and pumped her lips. She deepened the kiss and brought her hands up and caressed his skull through his hair, her hands went down to his waist and she tugged on waistband of his jeans, her cool fingers shocked his skin.

"Meredith, this is my perfect morning, I just love it out here, but I love it even more because you do," he choked out as he hugged her.

"I do, I do love it … this is heaven on earth Derek," she sighed.

All he could was nod with a knowing smile. Meredith stared out over the lake, then she turned to him suddenly, her mischievous smile in tow, her green eyes began to smolder into that wild, passionate color he loved so much.

"What?" was all he could muster.

"I think we need to go in the water, it's calling for us, we should go in and –"

"Meredith, it's freezing, it's not calling for us, it's –"

"Oh Derek, you only live once, the mist, it's so inviting, it is, isn't it … plus once we get in and move around, we won't feel it!"she squealed with excitement.

Derek was stunned as Meredith began to untie her shoes.

"You're serious?"he asked incredulously.

Suddenly clothing was flying every which way, she yelped as the cool air hit her skin, but she was radiant and excited. Lastly she took her shirt and the sweater he had given her off at once. She stood before him naked and closed the distance between them. She was flush up against him and he could feel her body heat as it radiated off her glowing skin. She tested the weight of her breasts in her hands, moving her thumbs over her nipples. She took his hands and brought them up to replace hers, her perfect raspberry nipples puckered even harder under his touch. He was a goner.

She reached up and he could feel her hot breath breeze past his ear. "I want you," was all she whispered. He felt like the ground dropped out from beneath his feet, his knees buckled and his cock hardened as if on command.

With that she made a mad dash for the water. Derek stood there and smiled, tears came to his eyes for some reason. She yelped in the cold, invigorating water and then she was gone. She was a beautiful swimmer – a good swimmer – she stroked with precision – like a seasoned swimmer –her movements were nothing short of breathtaking. He could see the perfect globes of her ass cheeks in the gray water as she swam further and further away from him. Her beautiful arms as they came up and out of the water, strong and purposefully. She was gorgeous out there; he could have watched her breast stroke … forever. She stopped and turned towards him, tenaciously treading in the water.

"How come I'm here and you're still there?" she called to him, her eyes sparkling. "I said I wanted you, isn't that enough?"

In the distance, he could see her nipples bobbing in and out of the murky water, she smiled. God she must be cold was all he could think as he tossed his clothing aside, made his way to the water's edge and dove in for his prize.

The water was more than cold; it felt like small icicle knives piercing his flesh, everywhere, there was no way to get away from it. He swam as fast as he could towards Meredith. He reached her within a minute.

"I knew you couldn't resist," was all she could say before he devoured her lips with his. He held her and kissed her with more passion and abandon than he had kissed anyone before in his life. He stood and held her in his arms. She felt warm and inviting and sexy and sinful. She wrapped her legs around his hips and his cock instinctually found her warm, soft and slick folds. Without another word he entered her swiftly, filling her up.

"Oh, Derek," she clenched her delicate muscles around his throbbing cock.

"Tell me what you feel," he said, his voice shaky with emotion.

"You feel … I feel …you feel cold and hard and …,"she looked into his eyes with her passionate ones. "Fill me up Derek, deeper, harder, just fill me … completely," she heaved quietly into their space.

And so Derek did just that, he thrust upwards and Meredith clenched around him. He knew he wouldn't last long, not with the intensity of the warm caverns of her core. Every time he moved out of her he could feel the cold water shock his cock, the little splinters of ice cold water attacked him, but as soon as he was out, he was back in, he was safely home. She was warm; she devoured him, fitting around him like a glove.

All he could hear were her moans of pleasure as they were intensified by the sound of the splashing water. All he could see was the mist around them and the murky water as it reacted to their movements. He reached down and pressed his thumb onto her clit. She gasped with pleasure and tortured pain.

"Derek, not yet, I don't want to, not yet …," she muttered.

He removed his thumb and brought his hands up to her sides. She tightened her legs around his waist; she clenched her muscles around him again with full force. He nipped at her neck, collarbone, ear lobes, covering any skin within his reach with kisses. He ducked his head down and swept his warm tongue over the cool hard peaks of her ripe nipples. He bit down ever so slightly and Meredith gasped with pleasurable bliss.

Her walls began to tighten around him more intensely that he ever remembered. "I'm close, Meredith, please, I'm close, I want to cum with you, please," he pleaded with her.

There was no waiting now, the intense pressure was building for the both of them and he suddenly looked into her eyes, they were so deep and wild, he could get lost, they went on forever and ever. She looked so beautiful, his bottled emotions were uncorked and with everything he had he longed to be even deeper within her depths.

Derek picked her up and brought her down hard on his cock, he did this several times in rapid succession and Meredith thrashed her body in the water, anticipating his every move. He was ready to explode and Meredith clenched around him … they simultaneously released into each other, grabbing for each other to keep it all, to hold on to the unearthed emotions. He reached up and cupped her face in his hands; he stared deep into the eyes of his life preserver, his Meredith, his angel.

Without warning he exploded, he could feel his warm seeds spraying against her cervix and beyond. He could feel the warmth of their fluids around them as it flushed back into the cool water. Meredith was always a more than generous lover and he could tell she wanted more and deeper, without words her eyes told him she wanted it all: mind …body …spirit. A flash coursed through him at that moment: could she possibly be in love with him? She gazed at him through her eyelashes; she smiled as her post orgasmic bliss overcame her.

He was without words, Meredith collapsed against him. Their breathing became regulated and with strength he didn't know he had, Derek began walking her towards the shore, his softened cock popped out of her. The cool water felt like a betrayal to him after being submersed in her hot core for so long. He looked into her eyes again as his feet eventually made land fall.

He still held her cold, naked body to him and bent down to gather up their clothing, making a mental note to come back for the mugs. He started to walk quickly towards the trailer when Meredith spoke quietly.

"Derek look …," Meredith sighed.

He turned around to look at the lake. The mist was there – hovering – it all looked so peaceful and serene.

"It's like we were never there, it's all the same, it's like we were … ghosts."

"Hmmm, yes," was all he could get out. He looked into her eyes, she was happy and sated and without a shadow of doubt in his mind, he was in love with her.

He raced with her in his arms towards the warmth of the trailer. He crossed through the door and dropped her in the bed. She laughed and he covered her with the duvet. He started the shower for her and came back, throwing on some clothing. He ran his hand through his hair and looked at her. Her bright eyes were shining, her cheeks flushed and she looked absolutely stunning. He smirked at her and checked the water again.

"It's ready for you," he said, never taking his eyes off of her, the sight of her in his bed.

"I'm warm now, I don't want to move," she pouted.

"Meredith, this trailer isn't equipped to waste hot water, come on!" he encouraged with a chuckle.

"Only if you come with me," she said as she got out of bed.

"Meredith, have you seen the size of that shower?"he asked pointedly.

"Doesn't matter, I want you in there with me," she demanded with a smirk.

She walked around the bed and into the small bathroom, taking his hand in hers as she walked by. Derek stripped and joined her. They stood close together as the hot water cascaded around their bodies. He turned her around and lathered her body with soap. He felt her smooth skin and supple body as it began to warm to a more normal temperature.

Meredith turned around and faced him; she swept her long slender fingers over his temple and cupped his face in her hands.

"Derek, don't ever sell this land," she requested quietly. "Promise me you won't – I don't usually ask for promises – but just this one time, please don't ever sell it or move … just please make that promise."

A small tear popped out of her eye and he wiped it away with the pad of his thumb, he kissed her and her tongue swept into his mouth. He could feel the warmth from her kiss and hot water aside; it was her kiss that warmed him from the inside out.

"I promise," was all he said.

***

Derek pulled out of his reverie and up to the bait and tackle shop. He would never forget that day. Addison showed up only three days after that and the dream of it all, the ghost story would be gone – but not forgotten – the memories would never sleep. Derek collected himself and got out of the car with a sigh and went in to see about those fishing supplies.

Chapter 7 – Ghost Story – Part 2 of 2