Meredith and Christina, on their way to pit.

"You know that your secret is safe with me, but you should start worrying about Izzie"

"I was afraid that this day will come"

"If Izzie reacted like this, imagine your mom and the chief"

Meredith looked worried at her and she bitted her lips nervously "I know"

"Did you two talk about this?"

"Not really" and she changed the subject "Hey, but you are in the same situation as me; aren't you afraid that someone will find out about you and your boss?"

"No, I am not afraid, because I know how to hide it"

"I am smart too you know, so I will find out one day who is he!" and she smirked at Christina.

"That's what you think! Anyway, what was the reason you were late huh?"

Meredith grinned at her, thing that made Christina to roll her eyes "I don't even know why I asked!"

And Meredith giggled "It wasn't what you think it was"

"So you are going to spend the entire day in pit doing sutures and bandages and the reason for this is not the sex?" she smiled at Meredith "You are definitely not that smart! Oh and … McDreamy?! Seriously Mer, what are you 5?"

"Shut up about it" and she smiled back at her "I'll prove you that I am smart"

"Whatever! Let's find something interesting to do here" while they were stepping in pit.

They looked around, but there were the same banal cases; minor injuries, some flu cases and broken bones. Christina's eyes spotted a male that seemed to have more then just a banal injury "I found something", she said and ran right away to it.

Meredith stood there and continued to look around for something to pick for herself.

"Dr. Grey" a nurse called her and Meredith went to her. She was with a young man with a burned arm accompanied by an older man.

"What happened?"

The old man spoke first "some chlorine hydride was spelled accidentally over his arm"

Meredith asked the nurse for a drug to calm down the patient and to page Dr. Sloan. When the patient was sedated, she started to clean the burn that was extended on the entire arm.

Mark answered fast to the nurse's page and he came down to pit quickly. He checked what Meredith had done so far, then he bandaged it.

"Now Dr. Grey, I need an intern for a surgery, are you interested?" Mark asked her smiling.

Meredith didn't really want to answer his proposal knowing that he asked her that just because she was sleeping with Derek, but she didn't want to spend the entire day in pit "Yes, I am"

"Great, then follow me"

Christina glared her seeing that leaving the pit and Meredith answered her with a smirk.

When they got on the surgical floor, they ran into Bailey. Seeing Meredith there Bailey crossed her arms and gave her a glare "May I know what are you doing here Dr. Grey?"

Meredith knew that she was in trouble now so she couldn't say anything.

"I asked Dr. Grey to assist me on a surgery" Mark answered her, also crossing his arms and looked amused at Bailey's attitude.

"Did she participate at this case so far?" she asked with a harsh tone.

"No, but I think I can choose what intern to have with me in my OR"

"And I also choose what to do with my interns; besides you never needed an intern in your OR and I am sure that you will do just fine this time too without one"

Mark wanted to say something, but Bailey didn't let him even start "If you are doing this just because her last name is Grey, then be sure that she won't step on this floor for a while", and she turned to Meredith "Grey, all of you were banned from surgeries today for the same reason, so if you want to be fair with them then go back down to pit" and saying that she left.

"What did you do that you are banned from the OR today?"

Meredith still looking at the spot that Bailey stood "I was late"

Mark laughed "Really? I guess I should have given you more time for your activities this morning and walk Doc myself again".

Meredith shook her head and without giving him any look, she turned around to elevator and called for it. Stepping inside she found Derek alone in there; she pressed her floor and kept her back turned to him.

She felt him approaching her and saw his arm pressing the hold button.

"Dr. Shepherd" she protested turning around to face him; but he was standing so close to her that her body hit his and her face hit his lips. She pushed him away and pressed the hold button and let the elevator go.

When the elevator got on Derek's floor, he pushed her out of the elevator.

"Dr. Shepherd this is not my floor"

Derek put his hand on her back and continued to push her "I know Dr.Grey, but I want to show you something"

He lede her along the hallway and looking around he opened an on call room and pushed her inside of it. He turned on the light and locked the door; then he took her in his arms and started to kiss her. After a while, Meredith pulled back again.

"Ok, now I know that you are upset on me and I don't know why!" he said rising her chin to look into her eyes and ran his hand through her hair smiling. That made Meredith to crash her lips into his and in the next second, they started to remove their scrub clothes. His hands were running all over her back, while hers were running through his hair. Derek lifted her up and wrapped her legs around him and placed her on bed. He laid her down and got on top of her starting to place kisses all over her body.

Soon both of them dropped breathless and resting in each other's arms. When her breath normalized, Meredith got up and started to dress herself. Derek came behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist with the hands on her pants' cord "Can I help you with these?" he asked while he was kissing her shoulders.

Meredith pulled away without saying anything and continued to dress. Now Derek was sure that something was wrong, so he didn't continue and started to dress himself too.

After she finished dressing, Meredith set down on bed with her face on ground. Derek dressed himself and set down next to her "Meredith"

Meredith raised her look at him and he could see that she was about to cry. He brushed her face and pulled her in his arms "What happened Mere?"

Still resting her head on his chest "This was the last time Derek! We have to end it"

Derek pulled himself back and raised Meredith's head starring into her teary eyes "Why?"

She took off his hands from her face "My friends already know about us and they probably hate me now, and soon the others will find out too and we can't risk our careers, you can't risk your reputation for sex"

"But Meredith, I thought I made it clear to you yesterday that what it is between us is not just sex; you are also my friend and a very important person for me; Meredith, you are my girlfriend" and he wiped the tears that had started to wet her face.

"I am?"

Derek smiled at her and pulled her back into his arms "Of course you are babe"

Meredith wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight.

"Meredith, we will clear up this thing with your friends; I think I showed you by now that at hospital we were totally professional" and he laughed a little "Ok, excepting the small teasing that I am doing to you when we are alone in elevator! And we'll talk to your parents too; this is an unwritten rule so there is nothing legal that they can do to us"

Meredith pushed him away and unlocked the door "I am sorry but I can't do it!"

"Meredith" but she had already left the room, letting Derek in shock "How this could happen all of the sudden? We were doing so fine this morning" he sighed and laid back on bed thinking about what is it to do and questioning himself if for Meredith was just sex. He stood there with all those questions and thoughts running through his mind until he was paged and had to leave.

When Meredith got out of the on call room, she decided to get down to pit by stairs. Ellis saw her daughter when, Meredith was about to get on the stairways. Meredith saw her too, but she tried to avoid her. They haven't spoken to each other since Ellis slapped her and right now she wasn't feeling able to face her; but unfortunately for her Ellis wanted to talk to her.

"Meredith, are we going to try to have a mature relationship or you are going to avoid me forever?" and Ellis grabbed Meredith's arm, making her to face her. Then Ellis saw Meredith's tearing eyes.

Ellis rolled her eyes with disillusion seeing her crying "For God's sake Meredith, you are a surgeon or… at least you want to become a surgeon and a surgeon doesn't cry"

"Well I do cry!" and she stormed out door and started running on stairs.

She got down to pit and found Christina fighting with a nervous patient. Christina and another two nurses were trying to calm her down, so Meredith went there to help them too "What happened to her?"

"She is heroin addicted and she is having a seizure for not taking her dose" Christina said while she was trying to tie her hand down.

After what the patient calmed down, Christina asked one of the nurses to send her to toxicology.

"This is surely a bad day" Christina complained throwing away her gloves.

Meredith didn't reply and went to take a patient. Christina saw that something was not right with her, so she followed her. Meredith started to clean a superficial wound to a man; in the meantime, Christina came next to her and stood there just starring at her.

Meredith started to give her glances until one point when she stopped and looked at her annoyed "What do you want Christina?"

"What happened with Sloan? I saw him taking you away from here"

Meredith sighs and starts stitching the man's wound "Bailey caught me there and send me back"

"She really is pissed on us"; with that statement Christina was trying to involve Meredith into a talk, but she realized that Meredith's mood wasn't a great one.

After what Meredith finished the stitching, Christina grabbed her arm and pulled her away.

"What are you doing Christina?" Meredith protested

"Betty, please bandage this one for Dr. Grey!" she asked a nurse that was around there.

The nurse came and took Meredith's place "Sure doctor"

"Christina, as you said Bailey is already pissed on us, if she finds out that we are not working, we'll become experts in running labs and writing charts, not in surgeries.

"Let me be the one worried about this; you are coming with me" and she continued to drag her until they reached the basement.

Christina set down on a stretcher and motioned Meredith to get up too. Meredith rolled her eyes but she sat on it too, next to Christina. The silence fell over them for a few minutes; minutes that Meredith spent them starring ahead in blank and Christina giving her glances from time to time to see if she is going to start talking soon.

Since Christina wasn't that kind of person who would have placed a comforting arm around a person in suffer or who would say a comforting word when someone needed it, she was trying to show some support in her manner and now she let Meredith to talk first.

She did not like Meredith when she first met her; because of who she is, because of the treatment that Meredith could have received from the others doctors and because she believed that she might be arrogant. The real reason she agreed to move in the same house with Meredith Grey, was her last name; she always put her professional career on the first place and never stepped back from any situations that could have bring her an advantage, and seeing in Meredith a strong candidate for the best surgeries she decided to keep her closer.

But all these were at the beginning, before she got to know Meredith better, before she got to know Ellis Grey, the mother. She was still respecting Dr. Ellis Grey, but she also started to respect Meredith; for her way to face all the situations caused by her name, for still acting professional despite her name and her relationship with Derek.

Meredith didn't seem to start talking soon, so Christina decided to break the silence "Meredith"

Meredith broke the gaze and looked at Christina without any expression written on her face; she was just looking at her.

"You know I won't judge you and I won't tell anything about you and Shepherd" she tried to make this clear to Meredith, thinking that this might be the problem. Meredith turned away her look from Christina and stood quiet. "And you shouldn't worry about George or Izzie, coz I will make sure to beat the crap out of them if they say a word to anyone"

Meredith continued to look ahead, but now her eyes started to express emotions and let the tears come out of them, rolling over her cheeks "It wasn't just sex"

"I know and as I said I am not judging you; you and I are different in some ways and alike in others. For example, you like to live the feelings and I do not, I always repress them; you are a smart girl and so am I" and she saw her not paying too much attention at her words "And I could continue, but I really don't like talking by myself so…"

And Meredith looked at her. She really didn't seem to have listened Christina so far "He told me that I am his girlfriend"

"That is good, right?"

"And I broke up with him" she started to sob.

"Meredith, he is a grown man and if he said that, it means he doesn't care too much of what could happen when your parents will find out and you should not care either. You are an independent woman now Meredith, or at least that is what you made me believe about you! Give yourself a little happiness and screw the gossips! It's not easy, but you can have it all!" saying this she stood up and started walking "Are you coming?" she asked her without looking at her.

Meredith wiped her face and followed her.

"This talk stays between us! And I hope I didn't play the shrink role with you for nothing and that you have listened to what I said" Christina continued, still without looking at her.

Meredith followed her in silence back to pit.

---------------------------------------------------------

Shortly after Meredith left Derek in the on call room, he was paged and went to answer the call. After the consult he stepped out of the patient's room and looked around like he was trying to find someone.

"Hey, lover boy!" Mark saw him and came smiling to him. Derek gave him a glare and looked down in his chart "What is this supposed to mean?" he asked him with a harsh tone.

Mark saw him angry and when Derek started to walk, he followed him "What happened to you?"

Derek stopped and looked at him "Have you seen any of Bailey's interns around here today?"

Mark smiled "If you are looking for an intern in particular, then yes I saw her", but for his statement Derek answered him with a glare "Ok, now tell me what happened?"

"I asked you something Mark, have you seen any of them today?" Derek almost yelled at him.

"Ok, ok, take it easy! Yes, I saw Meredith…like an hour ago or so; I wanted to take her from the pit and assist me to a surgery, but Bailey sent her back. From what I understood none of them is allowed on the surgical floor today because they were late for work!" and Mark remained surprised when he saw Derek leaving without saying a word.

---------------------------------------------------------

Later Christina took Meredith for lunch. Walking in the patio, they spotted Alex and Izzie sitting on a table there. When Meredith saw Izzie, she stopped and put her tray down on a free table, far from the one that Izzie and Alex were sitting at. "Let's stay here!" she said.

Christina turned around to her and glared her "Do you really want me to kick your ass Meredith? Will you give Izzie the satisfaction of seeing you scared of her?"

Meredith sighed, picked up the tray and started to follow Christina. Arriving at their table, Meredith set down quiet next to Alex and Christina in front of Izzie.

"Hi Mer!" Alex saluted her.

"Hi Alex!" she replied avoiding to look at Izzie and opened her casserole with food.

Everyone, except Meredith, looked at each other, then Alex and Christina fixed Izzie with their looks, making her to sigh.

"You know Meredith … it doesn't bother me the relationship you have with …McDreamy (with an amused tone)…but it bothered me that you didn't trust in telling me. I mean we share the same house and it is your house and you can bring your boyfriend over there; you don't have to hide somewhere else. That is your home and your privacy too, so I will respect that! What happens in your house it your business as long as it stays just in there!"

Meredith continued to eat all this time, without even looking at Izzie. Her words made Meredith to choke down the food she was eating.

Alex saw that she wasn't feeling well, so he placed gently his hand over hers, trying to comfort her.

"Hey, McDreamy is here!" Izzie said looking over to Derek who was buying himself a coffee from the coffee cart.

Meredith and Derek gave each other a few glances, until Derek left the patio.

"You don't have bad tastes in men Meredith!" Izzie continued her gab about Derek.

Christina glared her "They broke up, so shut up now Izzie!"

"What?" both Alex and Izzie jumped by the hear of Christina's words.

"Why Meredith?" Alex asked trying to make her look at him.

Meredith continued to eat with her looked fixed over the tray and her eyes started to tear again.

"Why did you do that Meredith?" Izzie asked her "It was because of me?"

But stood quiet again, and just Christina answered her with her glare that was telling her that 'yes, because of you'.

"Meredith!" Izzie said with guilt in her voice "You should fix this right away! I'll help if you want"

Meredith threw the fork away on table and she got up and left.

Alex wanted to go after her, but Christina told him to give her some space.

---------------------------------------------------------

Meredith needed a place to be alone, so she chose to go to basement. There she set down on the same stretcher that she and Christina stood earlier. She brought her knees to her chest and buried the head in them. Once she has settled on this position, the tears started to flow her eyes again. "What if I rushed with that decision?" "Did I do right what I did?" "Why can't I be happy? Don't I deserve to be happy too?" "Why do I always fall for the wrong man?" That kind of questions started to run in Meredith's head, but she couldn't find any answer for them.

She felt someone hovering over her head and then a hand running through her hair. Soon those were followed by the stretcher's move under someone's weight and by the physical touch with that person's body.

Meredith finally wiped the tears and looked up ahead. She already knew who was sitting next to her, so she avoided looking at that person.

"You know Meredith… I don't give a damn on what the others think about what I do, as long as I know that I am doing the right thing". Derek spoke after a few moments of silence since he got there and then he paused again "As long as I am happy the gossips don't hurt me and I don't want to hurt you either, so we'll do it right, but…" he sighed and looked at Meredith.

She looked up at him too and he wiped her cheek with the thumb "but I want you to give us a chance"

"Sometimes it is not easy to be happy; sometimes it also hurts when you are happy" she finally spoke "And me… I am most of the times so …dark…and twisty; you don't need all these"

Derek smiled at her and kissed her forehead "But I wouldn't care as long as I suffer with you!"

"Would you want to share my pain with me?"

"If this is how I can know you by my side, then yes! But you have to stop running away from me; no matter what problems we have, never run away without giving us another chance!"

Meredith looked into his eyes biting her lower lip; she saw again his dreamy smile printed on his face; a smile that always was making her thoughts running crazily in her head; a smile that always was giving her hope and confidence; a kiss that made her jump into his face, crashing her lips into his. Derek took her in his arms and held her tight.

"I'll stop tonight by your house and we'll talk to your friends!"

"Tonight? It can't be"

"Why?"

"Because I am on call"

"You didn't tell me that you are going to work tonight"

"I was planning to, but since you kept me occupied all morning … I forgot!"

Derek chuckled and gave her another kiss "Ok, but we can go and talk to your parents"

Meredith's forehead got frown and she looked at him scared.

Derek took her head in his hands and looked into her eyes "It'll be fine Meredith! This is the right thing to do!"

"Ok" and she sighed.

Derek took her hand and led her to elevator. When they stepped inside, he let her hand go and pressed the floor where the Chief's office was. Since they weren't alone in there, the ride was quiet and they were just giving each other glances. Derek saw that Meredith got more and more scared as they were approaching the chief's floor, so he comforted her with a smile.

When they got out of the elevator Derek put his hand on her back and led her to the chief's office.

With a few steps before the office, Meredith started to walk with hesitation. They saw both, Ellis and Richard in there.

"It'll be fine you'll see!" he tried to comfort her again, but Meredith stopped her track and looked at him.

"I can't do this Derek! Not today!"

"Meredith!"

"No Derek! What if it is too early for this? I mean we know each other just for a few weeks; what if … no ! I can't do it! I am sorry!"

Derek sighed and looked at her "Meredith, it is not too early! At least not for me!"

"I am sorry Derek, but I can't! Please let's just not tell them right away! Please!"

She could see that Derek was disappointed by her hesitation "Derek, my relationship with my mother is not one of the greatest and if she finds out about us…" the thought that was running through her mind made her shook her head with horror "…I don't think I could take it now!"

"But you know it will be worst if she finds out in a different way!"

"We'll take care not to find out!"

"But your friends already know about us, do you think you can trust them?"

"Yes, I do trust them! Please Derek, just not today!"

Derek shook his head with disapproval, then he gave her a smile "Fine! Not today!"

Meredith smiled back "Thank you!"

When they were about to turn back and leave the office door opened and Ellis stepped out of it.

"Dr. Shepherd, Dr. Grey! Do you need anything?"

Derek and Meredith looked at each other, none of them not knowing what to answer.

"Umm…no! Dr. Grey and I had a little dissension, but we resolved it!"

Ellis looked at her daughter and shook her head "Again? This attitude doesn't put you in a good light Dr. Grey! Dr. Shepherd you are free to take any decision you want regarding her behavior and do not let her last name to stop you!" and saying that she left.

Meredith looked at Derek furious "Thank you for that!"

"I'm sorry! That was the only thing that came in my mind!"

"Your first thought was to deepen the problems that I have with her?"

"No! Actually, my first thought was to tell her that I am in love in with her daughter; that was my second thought!"

"Fine, let's just go now before Richard gets out too!"

Derek returned to his work and Meredith to pit.

Christina was already there, when Meredith arrived, and she saw instantly a totally different mood on Meredith's face.

Meredith went to received a patient; a 10 years old boy brought by her mother.

"Hello! I am Dr. Grey!" she said smiling to that woman and to her boy.

"Hello Dr. Grey! I'm Jessica and this is my son James!"

"Nice to meet you James!" she said to the boy who was looking pretty sick. "What is the problem?" She asked the mother.

"Well… since yesterday he started to feel very bad, very wick and nauseous; he throws up a lot, and often with blood; and he hardly can eat anything."

"Did he have fever too?"

"No, without fever!"

"Do you feel any pain James?" and James shook his head "Ok, then I'll have to take a look with the endoscope in his digestive tract!"

"Does it hurts?" the boy asked with a crying voice.

Meredith bent down to him and smiled "I'll do my best not to, ok?" and the boy nodded. Then Meredith looked at his mother "It is an unpleasant procedure, so we can do it under anesthesia if you agree"

"Is the anesthesia risky?"

"No, it is not risky!"

"Ok then!"

"Ok, first we'll take some blood samples for some tests and when we receive the results we'll start with the procedure! It shouldn't take too long! James, I am going to draw some blood from your vena ok?" and the boy nodded scared.

All that time Christina was looking at her; when Meredith left with the blood samples, she went after her.

Meredith stopped her track and Christina, who was right behind her, almost hit her.

"I think I know where the laboratory is, Christina, so you don't have to come with me!"

"Wait, not long ago you were crying your eyes out because of McDreamy and now you come back looking like …"

"Bright and shiny?" Meredith smiled at her

Christina raised an eye brow "Yeah… ! Whatever! And you are expecting me to let you go without telling me what happened in the mean time?"

Meredith chuckled "I didn't have sex!"

"ok, this is not exactly what I wanted to know, but I suppose that things are right again, aren't they?"

Meredith nodded

"This means that you listened to my advice!"

"I did"

Christina patted her shoulder "Good girl, now go and find the laboratory!"

The rest of the day was very busy for Meredith, so she and Derek didn't see each other again. At the end of the day, when in the work started to slow down, Meredith went down to basement decided to have some rest. She laid down on a stretcher and closed her eyes; she had almost fell asleep when she felt someone kissing her lips; she opened the eyes and saw Derek bent over her head and smiling at her.

"Hi!" he whispered and Meredith sat up "Hey! What are you still doing here at this hour?"

Derek sat down next to her "I had a late surgery and I couldn't go home without checking if we are still together or not!" and he laughed at her.

Meredith hit him playfully "The last time I checked, we were"

Derek gave her a quick kiss on cheek "Great! But my real reason was to tell you good night!"

"Good night Dr. Shepherd!"

Derek laughed and cupped her face and kissed her "Good night Dr. Grey!"; saying that he jumped off the stretcher and walked away, not without giving her another smile and a wink.

Meredith smiled and watched him leaving.