She heard the familiar hum of the engine of Derek's motorcycle at the end of the street at eleven, just as they had planned. Meredith sighed and looked up, glancing out the living-room window one last time. She had been sitting in the armchair since eight. The single lamp she had turned on cast an eerie glow over the coffee table across from her. She glanced at the floor. Her bag was sitting there where she had left it when she would find it after she had dinner with her mother. There had been, it turned out, no need for that.

For five minutes more she stared at her watch. Five minutes had been the plan back when they thought there was a possibility of being caught. Even now that there did not seem to be, Meredith stuck to the plan. At three after eleven, Meredith got up and slung her bag over her shoulder. It felt cool on the skin that was not covered by the spaghetti strap of her dress. She went into the kitchen and grabbed a pen to write a note on the pad stuck to the refrigerator. When the pen did not work she stuck it back into the drawer and grabbed another one.

Mom.

Hope the surgery or whatever you got busy with went well. I'm at the party we talked about, the sleepover my friends planned. You know, for my eighteenth birthday? The one that was today?

See you later.

With that written, Meredith clicked off the lights and walked down the steps of the house. When she approached the motorcycle, Derek's face was illuminated by a streetlamp. The sympathy there made her flinch.

"She didn't show?" he asked.

Meredith shrugged and slung one leg over the bike. "Who's surprised?" she asked. "My fifteenth birthday we celebrated a month later. Don't even ask about my sixteenth. Last year, she forgot. I do not have high expectations."

Derek reached back, squeezing her upper leg. "Well," he murmured. "You can have high expectations about the rest of the night."

Before Meredith could respond, he had accelerated and they were headed off towards his apartment.

On the ride, Meredith attended to the feeling of the wind hitting her face, whipping the strands of hair that were not put into a bun. Her mother liked her hair up, so just for that night she had done it. No. Not thinking about her, she scolded herself. Instead she lifted her face from Derek's jacket and watched the streetlights and headlights pass. She felt the vibrations of the motorcycle close to her skin, felt Derek's body under her arms. This was the life that was really hers, the life she loved. Her mother did not matter here.

At a stoplight, Derek turned back to smile at her. She loved his smile. It captivated her (that was one of her literature teacher's favorite words). She always wished she understood how he managed to make his eyes light up whenever he smiled at her. As if she were the only thing that mattered. She had never felt like that before.

The familiar drive was soon over, and Derek parked the motorcycle in the garage of his building. Meredith climbed off first, holding the strap of her bag against her shoulder, watching as Derek dismounted and came to stand by her. Before she could say anything, his lips were pressing against hers. She let her bag slide down her arm and to the concrete as she threw her arms around his neck.

"Derek," she murmured in his ear. "I'm so glad I have you."

He smiled that smile again, and trailed his hands up to cup her breasts. She moaned into his mouth and spread her hands out against his back. His leather jacket suddenly felt too thick, and she wanted to get it off of him. Not really thinking, she pulled her hands to the front and started to maneuver it off. Derek chuckled against her, and gently moved her hands.

"Upstairs," he told her.

She sighed and reached down to get her bag, but he got there first, putting it over his shoulder and taking her hand. She let him lead her up the stairs and into the apartment. When Derek opened the door and ushered her inside, Meredith was surprised to see the table set. There were two candles on it, which Derek quickly lit. Meredith stood in the doorway, staring as he went to the refrigerator and began pulling things out. There was a bottle of wine, and a plate with—

"A cake? You got me a birthday cake?" Meredith asked, stepping forward. Derek grinned as he set the small, round chocolate cake at the center of his small kitchen table. There were strawberries around the edges and in the flickering light of the candles Meredith could just read the white-frosting which said Happy Birthday, Meredith.

"I got you a cake," Derek replied, sticking two birthday candles into the cake and flicking a lighter to light them. "Now make a wish."

"You are so sappy," Meredith accused, but she knew her smile would give away how she really felt.

"Blow out the candle, Mer," Derek commanded softly. Meredith leaned over and blew. In her head, all that she could think to wish for was that this life would go on forever. "What'd you wish for?"

"I can't tell you or it won't come true, right?" Meredith asked, hesitantly. She could not remember the last birthday party she had been to, but she was pretty sure that those were the rules. Derek nodded, and handed her a knife to cut the cake. She did so, and when she got to a strawberry, she plucked it out and held it up, letting Derek eat it from her fingers. Then she leaned in to kiss him, tasting the strawberry juice on his lips as she ran her tongue over them.

Derek poured them both wine, and they sat down to eat their cake. "It's good," Meredith commented.

Derek raised his eyebrows. "What were you expecting? I only get the best for you, Meredith."

Meredith shook her head. "I may never know what I did to deserve you in my life."

"Well, I'd say putting up with the past eighteen years is a start," Derek said, sipping on his wine.

"Cheers to that," Meredith agreed. She finished her cake before him, and watched as he brought the last bite to his mouth. A crumb rested on his bottom lip, and Meredith stood up. She set herself on his lap, and stuck her tongue out to grab the piece. He put his hands on her back to support her, and she trailed her kisses down his neck. His hands began to clumsily undo the bun in her hair, and she reached back to help him pluck out hairpins, not removing her mouth from his skin. She then shook her hair down so it fell around her shoulders.

His hands caressed the bare skin of her shoulders and she opened the top button of his shirt, pressing her lips to the flesh at his collar. He kept his hands going up and down her arms, his touch sending shocks through her. Then, suddenly, one of his hands was on the inside of her thigh. In retaliation, she nipped with the edges of her teeth at the skin that she had gently been sucking on. Derek gasped, and Meredith sat up, smiling impishly.

"Derek?" she asked. "Can I have my birthday present now? I think I've been pretty patient."

He laughed, bringing his mouth down to suck on her shoulder. "I have a favor to repay, first," he growled. "Bedroom."

She shivered and stood so that he could get up. As he did, she took her wine glass and drained it, her hands shaking slightly.

"You okay?" Derek asked. His eyes searched hers, and she tried to meet them with confidence.

"Yeah. Nervous, but fine."

"If you don't want--."

Meredith set down the glass, shaking her head. She stepped over to Derek hooking her fingers into the space between the buttons on his shirt. "I want you, Derek. I have no doubts about that."

He nodded. "Okay." The smile went to his eyes, and Meredith saw something else there, a hungry look that made her want him all the more. His arms went around her, and he started fumbling with the zipper at the back of her dress as they staggered to his bedroom. He had just managed to slide it down when they stepped over the threshold, and the black fabric fell to the floor. Meredith leaned on Derek to step out of it, kicking off her shoes as she went.

Derek gently pushed her down onto the bed, and brought his head down to lay a kiss on her belly. He started trailing kisses down her abdomen, but Meredith reached up to push him off, sitting and working her fingers over the buttons of his shirt.

"If I don't get clothes," she explained, "Neither do you." She pulled off the shirt and yanked at his undershirt, so that she could run her hands over and along the hair on his chest. He sighed when she did this, and she smiled, reaching for his belt buckle, but he grasped her wrists. She looked up, glaring, but he shook his head.

"Patience," he murmured.

"I've been patient enough!"

By way of an answer, Derek pushed her back against the pillow again and resumed his kissing. One of his hands rested on her inner thigh and as he kissed her, Meredith became increasingly aware of that hands proximity to the throbbing place between her legs. His kisses started to linger just above there as well, for such a long period of time that she groaned in frustration and reached down to move his hand.

"What do you want me to do, Meredith?" Derek asked. "Tell me."

"You know," Meredith moaned. "Derek…"

"Tell me, Mer," he repeated.

"Unh. Touch me, Der. Touch my clit." The word aloud was unfamiliar, but as soon as she said it, he moved, one finger gingerly rubbing over it and Meredith gasped. Then he began flicking and rubbing alternatively, so that just when she would get used to a rhythm it would change, causing her to squirm in surprise. His fingers were rough, but the roughness felt good. He looked up at her, there eyes meeting as she silently pleaded with him not to stop, never to stop, and then as she was looking he removed his finger and lowered his head, beginning to suck where his fingers had left.

Meredith threw her head back and moaned at the shivers running through her. She felt her muscles start to tighten, and she clutched at the sheets, holding back to revel in the feeling of his tongue licking and flicking and the sucking of his lips. She felt her body careening towards climax and she fought it.

"Derek," she moaned. "I want you…"

"Cum for me, Mer" he murmured. "I know you want to. Come on, baby. It'll make it easier."

She gasped as he resumed sucking, feeling her body start to betray her, to obey him. She was wet, and she wanted him inside of her, for her muscles to clench around. She continued to fight, whimpering with the effort, until Derek thrust a finger between her slick folds and she lost control. She cried out his name as his massaging of her clit with his thumb and the finger pumping in and out of her made her cum.

She lay breathless for a minute, and watched in bleary ecstasy as Derek finally began to undo his belt buckle. She tried to sit up, she wanted to help, but her head was light and she fell back, watching him slide off his pants and roll a condom onto his erection.

"Are you ready, Mer?" he asked huskily, positioning himself on top of her.

She nodded, biting her lip. "I want you, Derek," she said, firmly.

"Okay," he said. "You are so beautiful, Mer. You were gorgeous when you came."

"Just for you," she replied, reaching up to run her hands over his chest. "Anything for you." She slid her hands down his body, along his thighs, rubbing and listening as his breath caught at her touch. He met her eyes, and then slowly began to thrust himself into her.

"Relax," he whispered as she whimpered. "Relax, Mer. Move with me." He thrust, in and out, in and out. His breathing grew shallow, and her mind moved away from the pain as he pulled out and let the tip of his swollen cock rub against her clit. It hurt, but Derek seemed to know that, and know how to distract her. Then, repositioning his weight, he reached his thumb down to increase the friction on her already throbbing clit and she felt another climax approaching. It was different, more intense, but at the same time further away, because her mind was only half there and half on the throbbing. Then Derek pulled out for just a second, focusing all his attention on her clit, and she was coming again.

"Oh, Derek," she moaned. "Oh, God."

"Meredith," he said, his voice more a growl. She stared into his face as it changed, his muscles relaxed and she felt him come, amazed that she did that, that he was coming or her, in her, and her mind lost sense of everything until she felt Derek's weight on top of her. He quickly rested most of it on his hands, and then rolled over, but for that moment she loved the feel of his heat above her.

When she could breath normally again, she murmured. "Derek?"

"Yeah?"

"They say your first time is supposed to be bad. If that's bad, then what's good?"

Derek laughed and rolled to face her, kissing her cheek. "Don't worry," he assured her. "I'll show you."

She smiled, kissing his nose.

After a few minutes, they got up. Meredith got into the shower and Derek changed the sheets. When she emerged clad in pajamas, she was surprised to see him setting on the bed, a wrapped rectangular box in his hands. Meredith flopped onto the bed, lying on her stomach facing him.

"What's that?" she asked, curiously.

"Your birthday present," he replied, holding it out to her.

Meredith stared at the box; but did not move to take it. Instead she looked up at Derek. "But… you gave me my present."

Derek smiled and leaned in to kiss her forehead. "I consider that a present for both of us," he explained. "A present that will keep on giving. But this is special. This is for my girl, my wonderful Meredith on her eighteenth birthday."

Meredith felt her eyes well up with tears, and she quickly blinked them back and sat up to slowly peel the turquoise wrapping paper off of the box. When she had thrown it aside and revealed the velveteen jewelry box she gasped and looked up at Derek who was watching her expectantly.

With shaky hands, she opened the box to reveal a silver star on a thin silver chain. "It's beautiful," Meredith breathed. "It's really for me?"

"It's really for you. It's small enough that you can hide it, so your mom won't see it and people at school won't wonder, but you will know it's there."

"We'll know it's there," Meredith corrected.

"Right," he agreed, reaching over to take it from her and remove it from the box. "I thought about a heart," he continued, bringing it around her neck. She put a finger to it as he fastened the clasp, "But that's too cliché for us. Plus, you're my star. You have shown me a path I never expected to take, but which has been the best I've taken in a long time."

Meredith had no idea what to say to that, so she just turned around to catch his lips with hers. "I love it," she replied. "No one has ever gotten me anything I love more."

Derek smiled. "I thought you would like it. Actually, I knew you would."

"Cocky ass," Meredith breathed.

"You love me."

"Yeah," she agreed, settling back against him and bringing his hands around to rest on her stomach. "I do."

A/N It kind of makes me sad for the 'real' Mer, how different this time would have been. Anyway, review!