A/N Thank you for your feedback!

Without further ado.

It was warm, good, safe. His eyelids felt too heavy to lift but he didn't have to. He just slipped from slumber into consciousness, fleetingly, as usual before the sound of the alarm. He huffed lightly, nuzzled his face into the pillow to achieve a bit more comfortable position and was absolutely ready to drift off again.

Before his mind shut again, he felt a delicate touch on his cheek, then a tingling as a stray lock of hair was pushed from his forehead.

"Derek."

He let out a deep relaxed breath. Good, he was still dreaming after all. Or rather he was in this weird limbo when you couldn't tell the dream from wakefulness. Any way, it was good because he was dreaming about her. He would recognize this soft voice anywhere.

"Derek."

The voice was stronger. He became aware of the slight coldness on his body where the quilt left him uncovered. His eyes fluttered open to meet Meredith's green orbs.

"Hey," she smiled. "I'm sorry to wake you up but… I'll need to head out to… well, work soon and there's my mother who can be back from her shift any minute now."

"Oh, right," he muttered understandingly stretching out on her bed. "What time is it?"

"Just over six."

Even though Meredith was sitting beside him in a bathrobe and already wearing makeup, he was still naked under the covers, just as they went to bed last night. They didn't share a sex marathon. The angry intercourse on the living room floor was the first and only one, at least for now. But both of them had been too weak – Derek to stand up and leave, Meredith to ask him to. Instead, she took him to her bedroom. Again.

"Your clothes are all here," she said softly placing his belongings at the foot of the bed.

He slowly sat up, keeping his eyes on her as she crossed the room and opened the closet to choose an outfit for the day.

"Do you regret it?" the question seemed to roll off his tongue.

She gave him a simple look over her shoulder. "No."

"Meredith?" he asked unsurely. "Do you think we can… see each other tonight? I... we should talk. Just talk."

She fully turned to him and answered without giving it much thought. "Okay."

Derek slowly made his way through Seattle Grace Hospital, his workplace, a kind of second home. Now it was also the place where his father died on the operating table. He hadn't been here for more than a week. At first, he was furious with Richard for sending him home. But the Chief knew what he was doing. He hadn't been able to make a damn suture. He was ready now though. Something changed in him last night. He was not exactly sure what and how. Was it the sex with Meredith? Was it releasing the tension he was feeling since the fatal day? The fact that Meredith didn't turn him down? Anyway, it worked. Somehow, suddenly, his father's death didn't seem larger than life. He could see himself working, living, being happy some day. He was ready to get control of his life back. Of course, he could do without the looks of commiseration and encouraging pats on the shoulder he was getting from his colleagues. He wanted to feel normal again.

Well, that certainly seemed normal enough. He chuckled under his breath when he stopped before the door to Mark's office.

Not bothering to knock, he yanked open the door and said with a hint of amusement in his voice. "I guess some things don't change."

His smiled widened as his brother and an intern he was leaning towards jumped apart.

"Derek!" Mark let out a deep breath rubbing his neck distractedly. "For God's sake, don't do that, man!"

"Oh, I'm sorry," he snickered. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything…"

Mark sent him a glare while the intern went beet red.

"No! Absolutely!" she hurried to assure, tucking her hair nervously behind her ears. "It's… nothing… totally nothing! I'll just… go do my thing…" she muttered under her breath embarrassedly.

"Right, Dr… Grey…" He finished with a hesitation in his voice and a small curious frown. When he spotted her in an almost compromising position with Mark, he was slightly surprised. Lexie Grey was a talented hardworking intern, certainly not the one to sleep around at the hospital, especially not with one of her bosses. Just as he vocalized her name, he registered the coincidence. Meredith Grey. Purely a coincidence for sure.

"It's… not a coincidence, Dr. Shepherd," she answered with an apologetic face, as though she was reading his mind.

"What is not a coincidence?"

"Meredith… you know, Meredith Grey, she is my sister," went on Lexie, her eyes wary but determined. "And I know it's… awkward or… but she's a really great person and… she's just doing her job."

"Oh," Derek's eyebrows arched up in surprise. "The world is small."

"It… is," said Lexie, this time unnerved by the apparent lack of stronger reaction. She thought he would be angry and here he was surprised and curious. "My sister, she's… not a horrible person."

"Okay," nodded Derek.

"Okay," she breathed out with a smile. "It's really good to see you back, Dr. Shepherd."

"Okay?" choked Mark after her departure, skepticism and suspicion painting on his face.

"Okay," he repeated Derek sitting down in one of the chairs. "Now your turn."

"What happened to you?" frowned Mark and moved closer to Derek sizing him up.

"I've come to terms with some issues, I believe," he answered sincerely. "I'm going back to work."

"Wow, it's kind of sudden."

"It was time," shrugged Derek.

"Except yesterday you were a wreck, not to mention planning how to murder Dunn's lawyer."

"Just as Dr. Grey said, she's just doing her job," he said.

"Hmm," huffed Mark pensively. "And last night you spent at…?"

"Ah, you talked to Mom."

"Of course I talked to Mom," snorted Mark. "You spend another night God knows where and you expect her not be worried."

"Unnecessarily," sighed Derek. "I was just fine."

"Oh, I think you were more than fine," Mark squinted his eyes knowingly. "You saw that chick, the one you cried with. You… you got laid! That's why you're full of I'm at peace crap!"

"I… did," Derek admitted lamely, tapping his fingers at the desk.

"Well, congratulations."

"No congratulations," cut Derek. "I'm surprised she still wants to see me. I was… angry."

"Ah," acknowledged Mark, sitting on his desk with a face of the expert in the field. "So you fucked her. You stormed out of the court, went to the woman you were head over hills crazy about… and you had angry sex with her. Smooth, Shep."

"You make it sound dirty."

"That's what angry sex usually is."

"I guess."

"God, she must have a thing for you because, a little tip for the future, women don't like to be used."

"I just can't believe you said that!"

"Hey, I resent that! I am a very sensitive man."

"You can drop the game now, I'm not the doe eyed naïve intern."

"I haven't touched the intern!"

"Right," Derek stopped him with a roll of his eyes. "Did you know… who her sister was?"

"She did tell me," admitted Mark heavily. "I didn't… want to get you upset."

"I'm not upset."

"Because you get laid. Anyway, you know who that Meredith Grey is?"

"Um, I thought she was Dunn's defense counselor," he said shifting uncomfortably in his chair.

"She's Ellis Grey's daughter," whispered Mark dramatically.

"Ellis Grey? The Ellis Grey?" Derek actually let his jaw slacken. Meredith was Ellis Grey's daughter? Did he seriously joke about medical genius Ellis Grey being a stripper a couple of days ago? Shit, he almost met Ellis Grey last night!

He cleared his throat and asked instead, "I never heard we had Ellis Grey's daughter aboard."

"Oh, Lexie's not her daughter," explained Mark. "Half-sisters, the same father."

Derek nodded slightly. Who would have thought he would learn so many interesting things about Meredith from none other than Mark. Still, he preferred to be learning them from Meredith. He stood up hastily. "I'll talk to you later, I need to see Richard."

"Derek," Mark's voice made him stop at the door. "Good thing you're back. It really… wasn't the same without you."

"Thanks Mark."

"You really rocked there, bitch!" Cristina whispered to her appreciatively as she caught up with her on the corridor.

"Thanks," Meredith smiled. It wasn't like they had breakthrough. But she definitely managed to somewhat milden the image of her client in the eyes of the jurors.

"Don't be so modest, I'm complimenting you here!" growled Cristina. "Seriously, you were like walking on water on something!"

Meredith's smile grew only larger which made Cristina yank on her arm out of a sudden.

"Wait a minute," she breathed out staring at her person unabashedly. "You are… happy…"

"I'm not happy," Meredith shook her head decidedly.

"Fine, then you're not miserable."

"And apparently, it's a bad thing."

"Cut the crap," ordered harshly Cristina. "Tell me you didn't to the thing I think you did you're going to regret."

"Cristina," she sighed at her friend's relentlessness. "Fine, I can honestly say I didn't do anything I'm going to regret. Satisfied?"

"Not at all," muttered Cristina under her breath and followed her down the vast hall. "So, was he any good?" she asked innocently. "Cause he looks like he might be good."

"What… what are you talking about?"

"Look, Mer, me – not an idiot."

Meredith bit at her lip and then fired, "Fine! He came over last night and we had hot angry sex."

"Thank you for your honestly," nodded Cristina. "Was it good?"

"It was the best sex on my life," Meredith replied patiently in hope Cristina would desist.

"Woah," gasped Cristina and leaned over for discretion. "How many times?"

"Seriously?" Meredith scrunched her face. "What else are you going to ask me? The location? Or the position?"

"Well, if it was the best sex of your life," shrugged Cristina. "Must have been something."

"I… one time, we did it once," admitted Meredith.

"You're falling for him."

"I…" Meredith didn't even have the urge to deny.

"You're falling for him so hard and fast it hurts to watch."

"I'm committing a complete idiocy, right?" Meredith halted abruptly and faced her best friend expectantly.

"Yeah, you are," confirmed Cristina straightforwardly. "But since you haven't quit so far, I don't see you quitting anytime soon."

"It just… feels like I'm going to regret it for the rest of my life if I do…"

"Just promise me on thing. You're playing with fire. Please, try not to burn your hands."

"I will try," she gave her a small smile.

"Good," nodded Cristina and they resumed their walk. "Want to go for a drink? You can tell me more about the best sex of your life."

"I can't… I'm…"

"Let me guess, having more of the best sex in your life."

"No!" Meredith looked at her with half-glare, half-smirk. "We're going to talk. It's time."

Meredith quickly rang the doorbell. She didn't want to spend more time on the staircase outside Derek's apartment than it was necessary. If someone got the wind of the true nature of their relationship, whatever that was, it would be a catastrophe.

"You came," Derek greeted her with a smile letting her come in. He seemed more at peace than yesterday but a tad insecure. And easily handsome with a blue button down and black slacks.

"That's what we agreed on," she answered curiously looking around his flat. The whole arrangement screamed male. Hardwood floors, leather furniture, darker toned colors. It didn't make her feel overwhelmed, rather domestic, safe. "It's… nice in here," she remarked when he took her coat, brushing her arm in the process. It made her shiver, bringing vivacious memories of last night.

"Thank you. I haven't been here for over a week. I cleaned up the whole place this afternoon to make it look habitable."

"It reflects you," she stated with s smile.

"How so?" he asked her curiously inviting her into the kitchen area.

"Well, I can read strength of character, perseverance… deep emotionality. A kind of serenity," she replied pensively.

"So I pass the test?" he smiled up.

"You can say so," she chuckled back.

"Do you want something to drink? I'm… I'm making dinner. Are you hungry?"

"My friends say I'm in a state of constant starvation," she joked. "So, you cook," she said in awe.

"I… it's a steak… but we can order something…"

"Steak is good," she nodded reassuringly and stood beside him. "Just relax, Derek. It's just me."

"Not… not just…" he breathed out when he felt her thumb caress the top of his hand and she climbed to her tiptoes to press the most delicate of kisses onto his cheek.

By the time they sat down to have their meal in the living room lit only by the soft glow of candles, he still seemed just a little tense.

"You seem to know how to romance a girl," she grinned sipping the wine.

"Actually, I haven't…" he hesitated. "I haven't dated anyone for a long time. I figured… I didn't have time. And then my world turned upside down… and I met you."

"Funny how it turns out sometimes," she admitted.

"Unbelievable," he sighed. "So, how was your day?"

Meredith gave him a sharper wary look. "Do you honestly want to know?"

He gulped but looked at her sincerely. "Yes, I want to know. I want to be able to ask you about your day without this hanging around our heads."

"I guess, it was good," she admitted cautiously. "We made progress." She watched him process it slowly but knew better than to elaborate. "How was your day?"

"Not bad either. I went to the hospital, going back to work tomorrow."

"That's great! You feel ready?"

"I think I do. I met your sister today," he chuckled. "Or rather I learnt that Dr. Lexie Grey is your sister."

"Sorry I didn't tell you. I knew you were her boss. I just didn't want to complicate things for any of us."

"That's okay," he smiled calmly. "It was funny though. Uncanny."

"How is she doing?" asked Meredith curiously. "She was so excited when she started the internship."

"She is excited," laughed Derek. "I think she's got it in her to be a great surgeon."

"That's good to hear. I was kinda worried about her."

"Well, she seems to have a crush on Mark."

"Your brother, the plastic surgeon? Yeah, I gathered as much."

"So, you talk about… him…" he murmured, his eyes twinkling suddenly.

"Well, she talks about her job 90% of time," she shrugged.

"Oh, did she say anything about me?"

"Sure," she answered non-commitally.

"Oh, come on," he whined. "I need to know whether I should send her on scut next time I see her."

Meredith giggled freely, a bit elated they were able to maintain an easy conversation. "Well, I heard that you're a neurogod and a great guy."

"Good, she might deserve to be in my OR," he nodded with amused approval.

"God, that was such I'm-surgeon-almighty tone!" she called on him.

"It was not," he rolled his eyes.

"It so was. Trust me, I can tell."

"Your mother?" he asked with barely contained excitement.

"You know about that too?" she slapped her forehead in a desperate gesture.

"How could you not tell me your mother was the Ellis Grey?"

"Precisely because you want to dump me now and run away with her!" she grinned.

"I so do not!" he huffed. "But I wouldn't refuse meeting her…"

"Seriously?" her eyebrows rose hilariously. "You're like a giggling schoolgirl."

"She's a celebrity," he defended himself.

"My mother doesn't like giggling schoolgirls. Besides… you know it's impossible right now."

"Yeah," he sighed.

"But you know what?" she bit her lip. "My Mom thinks you're talented."

"No way! She heard about me? The Ellis Grey thinks I'm talented?" Meredith almost burst laughing. Yup, a giggling schoolgirl.

"You know, if we're already in the boosting your ego mode, I'll let you know Lexie told me you're really popular at the hospital," she said with a sly grin.

"Popular?"

"McDreamy," she quipped.

"Okay, we're changing the subject."

"No, no, I think it's really fitting!" she laughed softly.

"Go on, make fun of me," he dropped his hands in defeat.

"Seriously, you're McDreamy. The eyes… and the hair… and the smile…" she trailed off feeling herself blush as he now gazed at her attentively.

"Don't mind me, go one," he encouraged her good-naturedly.

A bit disgruntled that the tables were turned Meredith finished flustered, "And you're a great cook."

"Obviously," he snickered, her eyes sweeping her completely cleaned plate.

"You better not be suggesting that I eat too much."

"I'll be happy to cook for you any time," he assured with a disarming charm. "I have dessert," he promised standing up to collect the dishes but she caught his wrist and prompted him to sit beside her on the couch.

"Let's just… I don't know… be about us for a moment. I love that we get to know each other but…"

"Just us," he repeated taking her hands in his.

"Derek… are we… are we trying to have a relationship?"

"I'd want that… very much."

"From a normal person's point of view it's impossible."

"Are you assuming we're not normal?" he chuckled lightly.

"Not quite," she replied humorously. "There must be something wrong with our heads."

"More likely with our hearts," he whispered.

Speaking of hearts, the one beating in Meredith's chest pounded like mad at Derek's admission.

"So you think it's worth it too, right?"

"Of course it is, you're worth it," he whispered as they leaned forward so very slowly meeting in a delicate kiss, just a brush of lips.

She exhaled deeply and lowered her eyes for a moment. "Derek, I… we need to take things slow. Not… not a repeat of last night every time we see each other. This is not a cheap affair for me or a way to get more thrill."

"No, it's not," he agreed. "It's real. And I'm not really a guy who chases for casual relationships."

"I figured you weren't. But… this is not a normal situation, it's as far from normal as it can possible be. It's easy to misinterpret feelings."

"Except that I'm not," he smiled. "I am a bit overwhelmed with everything that's been going on but… I'm sure of this… with you…"

"But if anything changes… please, tell me," she whispered as he moved closer to take her into his sweet embrace. She got a momentary flash from her childhood of the man she knew was her mother's lover leaving Ellis.

"It won't," he murmured softly. "I don't think I could handle it."

"Just be honest," she said, her fingers tracing patterns over his side. Right now, he was with her in flesh and blood and they were making a sort of commitment. And it was incredibly big of Derek.

"I don't want to hurt you too."

"I know."

They completely relaxed into each other, allowing themselves relish their newfound intimacy.

A/N As always, asking for your commentary.

I have received quite a number of questions about my other fic, "I Am The Ocean", so let me answer them here. I didn't abandon it but somehow I've been always more busy with another story. I am going to post for it in the near future and I'm sorry for keeping you hanging.

Em