Derek got out of his truck and entered his trailer. It had been a long day, and he was tired. His date with Izzie three days ago had been great.

However, he had been trying to talk to her and she was avoiding him--again. He called her. No reply. He would try to find her at the hospital, but he seemed to always just miss her. And he couldn't always ask after her because that would look suspicious.

Although, this afternoon, he was able to corner her. He took her hands, and had asked her what was wrong. Her eyes had widened in fear of discovery and she shook her head and quickly left.

He was pondering going to Meredith's house to talk to Izzie, but he knew he had to respect her wishes about their secret relationship. She would see him when she needed to.

So, instead, Derek peeled of his clothes and turned on the water to take a shower. He stepped in and begin to soap himself while thinking of a special blond. Maybe it was a good thing that they hadn't seen each other for three days. After all, absence makes the heart grow fonder. In fact, maybe it was a good thing that they were taking their secret relationship slow.

Yeah right, Derek thought. Izzie possessed all of his thoughts now. He couldn't get enough of her and desperately craved for a glimpse of her. To think that one night's brief physical interaction had thrown him on such a whirlwind . . .

Derek was beginning to lather his hair when he heard a faint noise. Probably nothing, he thought. He continued to run his fingers through his hair, imagining Izzie was here instead running her fingers through his hair.

Two seconds later Derek turned around in surprise as the shower door was thrown open.

_______________________

"Are you okay?" Meredith asked. She pulled her sleeves down and her fingers toyed with the ends. She then squinted at Izzie, who was finishing icing a cake. Meredith gave her the 'I'm not judging you' stare, even though Izzie knew well enough she was.

"I'm fine. Although I think I should be asking you that." Izzie stood up and started to put the utensils in the sink.

Meredith now leaned against the door frame. "It's just that you've been acting weird all day."

Izzie froze half way to the sink.

Meredith continued. "I'm thinking I should feel bad that Derek left me for someone else, but it seems kinda surreal now."

"Why aren't you talking to Cristina?" Izzie turned to face her. She really wanted to avoid this conversation, but as a friend she was required to have it.

"I would. Well, I will later. It's just that you always seem to be this fairytale romance person . . . It's like this: you're family." Meredith shrugged her shoulders as if the rest was understood.

Izzie dropped everything in the sink and found herself heavily falling into the nearby chair. "I'm family?"

"Well, yeah." Meredith gave her the 'Isn't it obvious look?,' but she also noticed Izzie's sad big brown eyes.

Izzie tried to change the subject, but her heart started to control her mouth. "Would it be bad if Derek found someone else?" Wrong thing to say. Talking about Derek would definitely make it suspicious.

Meredith gave her a questioning stare. Then she took the seat beside Izzie and started to cut herself a slice of the cake. "I've been going over it in my head. Technically, it's not bad. It's just that it's sudden. You have no idea how many times he wanted something serious. I tried, but I needed time. He seemed like he would wait. But when he found someone else, it made me suddenly realize how I feel about him"

Izzie turned and cut herself a slice as well. This conversation was heading in a direction she didn't want, but she couldn't help it. "Who's the girl?"

"No idea. I bet it's a nurse. Doctors are too complicated," Meredith laughed to herself. "You know, I really do love Derek. At first he was just a one-night stand that I wanted to forget, but he grew on me. We had our ups and downs." Meredith looked at her fingers. And then quiet suddenly she said, "It is bad if Derek's with someone else. I love him and I will fight for him!"

Izzie didn't say anything and a wave of realization hit Meredith. "You know who it is, don't you? You've seen them together, haven't you?"

Izzie didn't say anything.

"You knew and you didn't tell me?" Meredith asked accusingly.

"I didn't want to hurt your feelings," Izzie silently said.

Meredith was silent for a minute. "I guess it's okay. You're family. You were just looking out for me."

Izzie was confused. Private personal Meredith trying the family thing? "What happened to you?"

Meredith sadly smiled. "I'm trying to change. You know, find my place in the world and that happy stuff."

Izzie nodded.

"Who is it?"

"Can you really blame someone for moving on? I thought I couldn't after Denny. And then George happened. Sometimes I wish things could go back to normal. But then, what if someone takes all the pain away? What if someone could make you happy again? Would you care about how others feel? Would you put yourself first?"

Meredith looked at Izzie. They sat in silence for two minutes.

Meredith then broke the silence. "You'll find someone. And no matter who it will be, I will be behind you."

Izzie sadly looked at Meredith, but that someone is the person you love, she thought.

Meredith suddenly found that even though she didn't know Derek's secret girl, Izzie knew something about it and she had to pry the information about her competitor from Izzie. They were family, Meredith thought, and she strengthened her resolve to show Derek her love.

_____________

"What're you talking about?" Izzie pressed her back against the door.

Meredith was towel drying her hair. "You know the part about someone making you happy and if you would care what others thought."

Izzie looked at her questioningly.

"I thought about it. I cared what others thought. I didn't want a disastrous thing. I didn't want to be my mother. But Derek makes me happy, so I shouldn't care about those things, right?"

Izzie started to choke back her sobs. "Right," she whispered. She couldn't tell Meredith that she just came back from a date with Derek.

But Meredith wasn't really paying attention.

"I'm really tired. I'm gonna call it a night," Izzie hastily said and entered her room.

Meredith went downstairs. "Mind if I join you?" she sat beside Alex.

"There's nothing on," came a grumpy reply.

"Why's Izzie all dressed up?" Meredith was starting to feel bad about not noticing before.

"I don't know. Why do girls get all dressed up anyway?"

"Was it a date?" Meredith was curious.

"No idea. We're not friends," Alex grumbled.

Meredith leaned back on the sofa, an odd thought entering her mind.

_________________________

It took Derek a second to recover from the shock. Izzie was standing before him. However, it was not the way he expected it to be. He had imagined numerous escapades in a steamy shower, but the Izzie in front of him pushed those thoughts out.

"Iz . . ."

She crammed into the small stall, under the hot water, fully clothed and embraced him . . . needing him.

________________________

"So Izzie apparently had a mystery date three days ago," Meredith gossiped to Cristina.

"Who?" Cristina turned to George.

"It's not Alex," Meredith continued.

George was surprised. "Iz didn't tell me."

Just then Izzie walked up. "Hey guys! What's going on?" She eyed Meredith.

"And apparently, she also knows McDreamy's new McSomething," Meredith said. "You have to let me know who my competition is," Meredith pleaded.

Izzie immediately turned on her heels and headed in the other direction.

"What's up with her lately?" Cristina asked.

"I know. She's been so secretive," Meredith said, staring after Izzie. "She's definitely hiding something."

George was still out of the loop and was left wondering how he and Izzie were drifting a part.

Meredith on the other hand was trying to figure out where Derek was and how she was going to tell him what she felt. But every time she had figured out where he was, he wasn't there anymore. Apparently, Derek had also taken the always-on-the-move plan.

And, when she finally saw him around the corner, she started to built up her courage. Love me. Choose me. I'm not like everyone else. I may not be this bright and cheery person, but I can be with you. I can love you. I love you.

Meredith finally found her courage and started to turn the corner when she saw Derek's eyes. She knew that look. He was searching. For someone. Usually he would look like that for her, but now he wasn't. Meredith's breathing caught as she realized that Derek's McSomething ACTUALLY existed. In this hospital. All this time it felt surreal, and now it hit home. He really had found someone.

Meredith peeked around the corner and saw Derek head in the opposite direction. She couldn't believe she was doing this, but she was not going to give up on the man she loved. She indiscreetly, with charts in her hand, walked after Derek. When she sensed Derek was about to stop she quickly entered the nearest room and peeked out the window. She couldn't believe she was doing this, but Izzie wasn't spilling. And then she realized it.

NO WONDER IZZIE WASN'T SPILLING. Meredith saw Derek take Izzie Stevens' hands in his. He said something and all Izzie did was shake her head and leave.

A million thoughts and emotions spewed across Meredith's mind. Mostly betrayal ran through her heart. Izzie didn't say anything because she was the McSomething, or McBlond she thought stingingly. Meredith was too overcome with betrayal to burst out and make a scene. So instead, she watched the two silently separate and Derek watching after her.

__________________

Derek held on to Izzie in her wet clothes as her shoulders wracked with sobs. He continued to hold her as cried, her head fitting perfectly in the crook of his shoulder and neck. He held her as he slowly stepped out of the small stall.

He held her to him, she was leaning against him. and Derek didn't want to fail as her support beam. He got his towel and wrapped himself with one hand as he sat on the bed, pulling Izzie onto his lap.

He then began to peel off her clothes.

_____________________

Izzie liked her date. But even though she and Derek were trying the real deal, she wasn't ready to face any kind of openness with him unless professionalism required it. This was why she had spent the last three days avoiding him. She wanted this to be one of those call-after-the-first-date things, but she knew they were different.

What hurt her more, was that Meredith was willing to fight for Derek. And the truth was, as much as she loved Derek, she would probably back off for Meredith. She already ruined one friendship, she didn't want to ruin another. But she still loved Derek . . .

When Izzie's day ended, she headed home with thoughts on how to make up avoiding Derek. She had the perfect plan when she came home to find Meredith on the porch swing with a suitcase in front of her. As Izzie made it up the steps, she realized the suitcase was hers.

"Mer?"

Meredith gave a piercing glare. "I want you to leave."

"WHAT?"

"Leave. We'll figure out a way to get rid of the rest of your stuff, but I can't spend another minute in the same place as you." Meredith continued to swing while willing Izzie to get her suitcase.

"Mer? What's going on?"

"You know, I thought we were family. I thought we had this bond. I talked to you about all this and you knew the entire time. Were you laughing at me the whole time?"

"Mer . . ." Izzie then realized it. "You know about . . ."

"About you and Derek," Meredith huffed, "Damn, right I do. And you better leave now."

Izzie felt the tears coming. She bent down to grab her suitcase and she turned to leave. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"So am I," Meredith snapped.

_______________

Derek peeled off Izzie's wet clothes and grabbed his robe lying on the bed. He wrapped her body with it and pulled her close to him. He rocked her back and forth as the tears poured forth from her eyes.

He remembered the time he had rocked her back and forth before and how perfectly they fit together.

And before he could help himself, he whispered, "I love you" into her ear.

He waited for her to bolt away from him or do something that would mark this seem too fast. But instead, he heard a quiet, tear-stricken, "I love you, too."

In that instant ,Derek knew. He had wanted them to be together for so long now, but she was afraid of the consequences.

And now, he realized, they could finally be together in the open, but it had come at a price.

_______________________

In my mind, this is where Derek & Izzie's tale ended. Although it was much more descriptive in my mind (I have a tendency to skip many things from my mind onto paper--or online). I don't know if I should continue or not (that depends on your thoughts).

Thanks,
Pepper