Ok so as always a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed and i would have had this up sooner but i couldnt seem to get it right and 3d life is kinda busy so apologies!!!

Anyway this is more of a filler chapter so all i ask is you Read, Enjoy and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW

Turning over and finding nothing but cold empty sheets in the place where Meredith's warm body should have been Derek woke with a jump, immediately reaching over to switch on his bed side lamp groaning as he caught sight of the alarm clock.

It was two in the morning and he had fallen into bed less than three hours ago and needed to be up in another three but he couldn't just turn over again and go back to sleep not without Meredith. Just lately having time alone had become rare and it had begun to feel like that Mark and Addison were seeing more of Meredith than him, leaving him torn between pleasure that the three were getting along so well and jealous of the time they were getting to spend with her.

The guilt was also becoming harder to shake, guilt that it was Meredith making time to come down for the past two weekends and at least twice during the week. This often meant due to his shifts she was left alone at the apartment waiting up for him to crawl into bed beside her, even if she claimed she was getting more studying in therefore better grades it didn't help the fact he was missing her.

Stood in the doorway Derek rubbed his hands over his face blinking blinded by the light for a second before his eyes softened as they rested unnoticed on her small frame. Meredith was huddled on the couch with a comforter hugged around her with the remote in her hand, the volume right down as she seemed to flick blindly through the channels.

Catching her like this was only confirming his suspicions that everything wasn't quite right with her, more than once just lately he had caught her watching him with the same preoccupied look in her eye.

"Mer?" Her head came around sharply her lips twisting in a poor attempt of a smile as she brushed the hair out of her eyes.

"Hey what are you doing up?"

"I could ask you the same thing, its two in the morning?" Crossing the short distance to the couch Derek sank down putting an arm around her as she leaned against him her head dropping on to his shoulder.

"I know I couldn't sleep, I needed to think so I'm thinking… Did I wake you?"

Meredith felt as if she had been doing nothing but thinking just lately yet she was still no nearer to finding an answer and as Derek's smell surrounded her, his lips kissing her hair Meredith slowly began to relax.

"No but when I woke and you weren't there I missed you… So are you going to tell me what's behind all this thinking?"

"I'm fine!"

"Okay if I know anything about you which is a subject I pride myself on it is that when you say your fine in that voice it means you are anything but!" Derek said moving so she was sat between his legs, slipping his hands underneath the blanket into the loose neck of her t-shirt to massage her shoulders.

"Talk to me Mer... unless you really do want me to... give you my lecture about sharing?" His voice came out as more of a series of yawns but it was that that seemed to reach her.

"My mother I was thinking about my mother!"

Shrugging his warm soothing hands away Meredith changed position again back to the original one as she removed the blanket from around her shoulders to cover them both.

"You can't go on like this Derek and I can't let you, it's not fair my mother is running you into the ground!"

Two weeks of crippling shifts had left large dark circles under his eyes, more lines around his mouth and the weight seemed to be falling off him. The only way they were getting to see each other now was her coming to New York every chance she got and that wasn't so much what she minded she minded what her mother was doing to him. He kept offering to ride up to Dartmouth but she couldn't let him not when it seemed he had hardly enough energy after a shift to get back to the apartment let alone take up a five hour ride.

"Its fine Mer, I'm fine!"

"No your not and this is coming from the queen of the fabulous I am fine line… Derek you've lost weight and you look as close to normal person crap as you could and…"

"I'm an intern Mer, the bottom of the surgical food chain you've said so yourself and it's a guarantee that all interns look like crap even handsome ones like me!" Derek tried but even he didn't believe his own words and he couldn't expect her too.

What he was doing was no normal heavy intern schedule but he couldn't let Ellis Grey win and if it was doing anything at least it was dispelling the rumors that he was getting special treatment.

"Mark and Addison aren't being worked like this and their interns too!"

"So what do you suggest Mer because the only thing that will please your mother is us finishing and is that what you want because I don't and no matter how many times we talk about it that is always what its going to come back to!" Derek groaned running a hand through his hair, his words tinged with anger stemming from frustration the same frustration Meredith was feeling.

She couldn't lie and say that the thought hadn't entered her mind but only to be pushed away and looking into the blue eyes it only seemed more impossible.

"No that's not what I want but I could talk to her I know you don't want me getting involved but I am and maybe I can make her see…?"

"Mer she won't listen…"

"I can try though!" Meredith sighed as she let him pull him closer her mind already made up, she couldnt let this carry on and surely her mother would listen if not to her then she would have to Dr Grant.

"This is a surprise but whether it's a pleasant one still hangs in the balance."

Meredith looked up at the sound of her mother's brisk voice as the door she hadn't heard open closed with a definite click.

"But I warn you Meredith I have no time for any of your juvenile dramatics, I'm due in surgery in twenty minutes!"

The previous ten minutes before her mother's arrival had been spent preparing herself, reining in her temper and her work was put to test now as she had to bite down on her bottom lip, to stop the retort that was on the tip of her tongue at yet another reminder of just what was her mother's one and only priority.

"Then your in luck I haven't come to fight I've come to talk…" Meredith managed to get out hating the fact she knew her mother understood full well how much of an effort this was taking.

"Well this really is a day of surprises isn't it I mean you seeking me out to talk when usually it is you doing everything in your power to avoid being in my company!"

Meredith looked up as her mother took the seat on the other side of the desk, green meeting green for the first in weeks.

"Yeah well you've left me no choice have you…" Her hands clenching in to tight fists as she pictured the drawn exhausted Derek who had sat up with her last night.

"I don't see what I have done now but then again what's new you seem to have blamed me for every wrong in your life for as long as I can remember!"

"Seriously you think your blameless whe… …" It took every bit of will power she had to stop herself falling into the same pointless arguments, pointless because her mother never listened.

"I'm not doing this now that isn't what I came here for I came to talk about Derek!"

"And what do we have to discuss about Derek Shepherd I thought I made my feelings clear on that matter and they have not changed so I see no need in repeating them!" It was a mocking voice that complimented perfectly the mocking gleam in her eyes as with disdain she looked Meredith over.

"Mom you know what your doing and it has got to stop…. Me you can screw with all you want but Derek leave him out of it he doesn't deserve this!"

It was a task not to raise her voice but that didn't stop the passion in her voice or control the fire in her eyes.

"These games of your's they aren't fair, you're his boss he cant fight back but I will, I wont sit back and let you use him like this!"

"Are you threatening me young lady?" Ellis Grey asked in a voice that would of sent anyone of her interns or residents scurrying for cover but not her daughter, Meredith answered her fire for fire.

"Yes it's simple if you won't stop then I'll go above you I'll talk to Uncle Miles… …We both know he has a soft spot for me just like his wife does and then there's that guilt I'm sure after all these years he'd like to take a bit of that off his shoulders… Some might say that day I walked in on you two was almost lucky!"

Meredith spat out in disgust and though her mother shrugged her shoulders as if she didn't care Meredith knew her mother saw all too clearly the truth in her words.

"Does he know you are here fighting his battles, is that really what you admire in a man Meredith? I mean I brought you up to be better than this and granted I hear your grades have dramatically improved but you are eighteen and too young to throw your life away over some man!"

"But he isn't just some man… You should be glad I've found someone like him, Derek is honorable, kind, caring and he will be an amazing surgeon someday and you know it but none of that should matter it should be enough that I love him!" She hadn't planned on saying that it had just slipped out and it was ironic the first time she said it out loud she said it to her mother of all people.

"You don't even know what love is!"

Her mother dismissed her scornfully but Meredith shook her head a slight smile lifting her lips knowing once she would have agreed with her but Derek he had changed that, changed her.

"I used to think that too but Derek I love him and even if this doesn't work then I'll know at least in one more way I am not like you, that I am able to love someone who isn't myself!"

"Do not talk to me like that young lady I wont stand for it!"

"And I wont stand for you screwing with Derek's career so we are at an impasse… If you don't fix this Mom then I will really show just how much I can embarrass you and I wont stop at Uncle Miles!"

"Meaning what?" Ellis Grey demanded all pretenses forgotten as she surged to her feet both hands planted palm down on the desk.

"Meaning that if you can be the boss from hell I can be the daughter from hell, what it is they call it Satan's spawn and all that after all I am your own flesh and blood?"

Still seated Meredith mirrored her mother's stubborn expression.

"You don't have to like me with him; you don't even have to acknowledge it but all I'm asking is that you treat him as you would any other intern…!"

"He will only hurt you Meredith, you wait it may not be tomorrow or next month but one day he will and you will see all along how right I was!"

"Don't you get it that's for me to find out not for you to tell me, just let this go mom because I will not stop seeing him?" Getting up without a backward glance Meredith walked to the door of the office her hand stopping on the handle as her mother spoke.

"You're making a mistake Meredith!"

Walking away from her mother's office Meredith did her best to shake off the cloud that had descended whilst she was in her mother's company, trying not to let her words penetrate or poison her. This couldn't be a mistake, Derek could not be a mistake nothing that felt this good could be wrong and her only hope was that this had been enough for her to give Derek a break.

Her mood brightened considerably when she spotted two very familiar heads bent over a stack of charts at the nurse's station yet dimmed again when she saw the blonde hovering next to them.

It was irrational to be jealous she knew that she didn't even know the girl and they were all interns at the same hospital but there was just something about her she couldn't like and though she would never question Derek's or her trust of him this girl obviously had other plans.

From where she was stood Meredith had the perfect view of the way Hayley's brown eyes never lifted from Derek's face, how her hand touched his arm when she spoke and she had a funny suspicion that Mark was watching her just as closely.

"Hard at work is he?"

Meredith nodded as one of the men she had been talking about with her mother came and stood next to her.

"Looks like it, I only came to see my mother but now I'm here… …"

"You'd like to have lunch with him!" Dr Grant nodded putting a hand on her back as he guided her forward.

"Well we can fix that… Dr Shepherd Meri here needs taking to lunch would you mind?"

With a chuckle knowing just how much she hated that shortened version of her name Derek turned around his eyes warm. a smile on his lips. Though it had been only a few hours since he had left her in bed this morning he had missed her, worrying about whether she was feeling any better or if she'd managed to get any sleep.

"It would be my pleasure."

Uncaring of his bosses presence Derek bent his head to kiss Meredith's waiting lips , his palm against her face his thumb stroking over her cheek and the show of open affection only seemed to pleas Dr Grant.

"That's settled then and I'm sure Dr's Sloan and Lewis wont mind taking those charts off your hands and Meri dear I will see you soon!"

As he walked away Derek's arm went about her shoulders, his mouth brushing her forehead as he folded her into his arms.

"You saw your mother?"

"Mmm,"

"And?"

"Not now, I've just used my connections to get you to myself and I don't want to talk about my mother and though I don't mind Mark I won't share with girls who have crushes!" She breathed before covering his mouth with her own drawing his tongue into her mouth as his fingers locked into her hair.

"Jealousy is hot!" He groaned drawing away when Mark coughs became less discreet and a paper ball hit him in the back of his head.

"Grey why wasn't I included in that lunch invitation?" Mark demanded leaning back against the nurses station but it was Hayley's glare that was holding Meredith's attention.

"Because if I dragged you both into the on call room people would really talk and I think Addison would have something to say!"

Meredith teased turning her back on Hayley as she kissed Derek's cheek

"Plus Derek's like me he doesn't share!"

"I don't, now come on!" Derek laughed tugging on her hand all too happy to have her to himself because though she may be smiling he meant to get to the bottom of what else was lurking in her eyes.

Waiting till Derek and Meredith were well out of sight and ear shot Mark moved around the nurses station where Hayley was still watching after them.

"You do know you haven't a chance?" Mark said as he took one of the charts from the top of the pile Derek's leaving had left them with.

Struck by the fact that it wasn't only on Addison's prompting that he was getting involved in this, something that he would usually stay the hell out off, it was Meredith too he liked her really liked her and more than that he liked what happened to Derek when he was around her. It was as if the seriousness that had crept over him over the last few years just slipped away leaving behind the Derek Mark remembered.

"A chance with what?"

"Oh come on the only person who doesn't know how big a thing you have for Derek is Derek!" Apart from a mild blush that crept its way over Hayley's cheeks there didn't seem to be any other reaction.

"What's your point Mark?"

"My point is Derek has a girlfriend and where as before Addison I never had a problem with sharing myself around Derek he has always had enough morals for the both of us!"

"So why is he dating an eighteen year old girl then because that really says alot for his morals?" Hayley bit back as Mark began to laugh.

"Have you seen Grey the kid is hot and by the size of Derek's smile I'd say that goes for in the bedroom too and then you have the fact and some may call it a little one but he is in love with her?"

"Love yeah right… Neither you or Addison know what you're talking about so both of you can shut your mouths and mind your own business!" Hayley hissed her brown eyes glowing with annoyance and Mark only shook his head.

"That's the thing Derek is my business, he's my best friend and … …" Mark stopped abruptly as he saw the woman walking towards him.

"Dr Shepherd where is he?" Ellis Grey demanded and Mark had to open and close his mouth a few times before he could get the words out but Hayley got in first and he could have kicked himself for it.

"He's having lunch with your daughter Dr Grant gave his permission."

"Right… …. …" Ellis Grey paused totally ignoring Hayley her eyes on Mark "Well when he gets back tell him to find his resident he's off my service!"

Again so i really do apologise for this chap cos it sucks but i promise the next one will be better and that one should be up by Mon/ Tues next week or sooner but no promises...

So for now PLEASE LOVE IT OR HATE IT REVIEW!!!!!