You Can't Run Fools In Love: Chapter 25, a grey's anatomy fanfic

Sorry that the last chapter was so short. It just didn't fit anywhere else so I had to break it into its own chapter. I'd suggest that you all pay close attention to the time line. You may get confused if you don't. Derek left Seattle in June and the last chapter was a few days late in June. This chapter, however, begins in July. There are a few time jumps in this fic. Usually only like a month or something, but I just thought I'd let you guys now to pay attention to that. Anyways, on with the next chapter!

Part 3: Fools In Love
Chapter 25

Friday July 26, 2013

A month had gone by. Derek didn't know why he let it happen. The time just escaped from him while he was busy at work. He never intended on a month going by without seeing Meredith. Never. He still hadn't even talked to her. It was killing him inside. He knew now what Meredith's decision had been. He knew she had put that ring back on her finger and was probably planning her wedding right now. For all he knew, she could be getting married right now. But as long as she was happy, then it was okay. That was all he wanted. She was just holding up to her promise of staying happy.

"Derek? What do you want for dinner?" McKenzie asked as Derek walked into the living room, knocking him out of his thoughts.

"I don't care," he mumbled.

"How's that case at work?" she asked, "I kind of miss working at the same hospital together. Granted, the financial benefits of me going into private practice aren't bad."

"It's fine," Derek said as he turned and headed back up the stairs.

On his way up, his pocket started vibrating, so he grabbed the cell phone and continued up the steps. He stopped when he read the caller-id the first time and then reread it at least a million more times before it processed in his brain. He then hurried up the rest of the steps and into his office. He closed the door and sat down on the couch, not even bothering to turn on the light. He hesitated, but then flipped open the cell phone, "Hello?"

"Derek…"

"Meredith? What's wrong?" Derek asked, panic running through him. He could instantly hear the pain in her voice and the tears she was trying to hide. It began to hurt him even more that he was helplessly in Los Angeles.

Honey, why you calling me so late?
It's kinda hard to talk right now.
Honey, why are you crying is everything okay
I gotta whisper cause I can't be too loud.

"He left, Derek. He just left. I don't even know what happened. He just left," she cried into the phone.

Derek could tell she was hyperventilating, "Calm down, Mer. Everything is going to be okay. I promise." He wished he could actually promise that, but he knew Meredith would take an empty promise at this point in time. Even though the conversation had only just begun, he knew what it meant. It meant that she had chosen Ryan. Even though he obviously hurt her, she chose him.

"I just don't get it," she cried as she tried to calm her breathing down, "I gave up everything. I gave up you. And he just left me. I don't even know what happened. Everything was fine and then he was gone."

"Derek? Come down here please!"

Derek looked up from the phone towards the door and in his head; he saw his wife downstairs calling to him. He rubbed his head in frustration, "Mer, I need to call you later. I need to deal with something, then I can talk to you."

Well, my girl's in the next room,
Sometimes I wish she was you
I guess we never really moved on.

"Oh." Meredith understood. She wasn't going to pretend like she didn't hear the woman's voice. "I'll just, I'll call Cristina or something."

"Wait, no," Derek said before Meredith could hang up the phone, "Did you read it?"

"Read what?" she asked. Her voice had changed from sadness to confusion, but the tears were still evident in her voice.

"The note."

"The note with the m&ms?" she asked, "What does that have to do with anything."

Derek stood up, "No, not that."

Meredith sniffled a little, "Ryan's? What is it a rule for every guy that leaves me to leave a note?"

Derek closed his eyes. He realized that comment was shot at him, "Not Ryan's. Mine."

"The one from eight years ago? Of course, I did. Why are you bringing that up?" Meredith was completely lost. She was tired and a little drunk, so there was no way she could possibly follow him right now.

"No. I left another one before I got on the plane."

It's really good to hear your voice saying my name
It sounds so sweet
Coming from the lips of an angel
Hearing those words it makes me weak
And I never wanna say goodbye
But girl you make it hard to be faithful
With the lips of an angel

Meredith became very silent and Derek almost began to worry, but she said something first, "That's how he found out. That's how, isn't it?"

Derek looked down at his hand and then ran in through his hair, "Mer, I thought you'd see it. It was on the table in the guest room. I'm so sorry."

Meredith sniffled again, "No, it's, it's my fault. I should have been honest with him. I shouldn't even of done anything that night to begin with. There was no reason behind it. It was stupid."

"No, Meredith. It wasn't. I asked you to promise me to never forget. To never forget that feeling. That feeling of us being together," Derek said desperately as he could hear footsteps on the stairs.

It's funny that you're calling me tonight,
And yes I've dreamt of you too,
And does he know you're talking to me
Will it start a fight?
No I don't think she has a clue.

"I never promised," she said quietly.

"Promise me right now. Promise me you won't just let this fade away into the back of your mind and I'll promise to come back for you. Soon. As soon as I can," he said, quieter, hoping that McKenzie wasn't able to hear.

"Derek, I can-"

"No," Derek interrupted her, knowing she was about to cry again, "Just promise me, Meredith. Please. I love you."

Well my girl's in the next room
Sometimes I wish she was you
I guess we never really moved on.

Meredith swallowed hard and went silent. She stared blankly in front of her until she realized she was still on the phone, "Derek, you've never said that before."

"I know, but, I do, I love you. Please," Derek was practically begging her and honestly, he didn't care if McKenzie could hear him. It didn't matter anymore.

"Okay," she whispered as the tears fell out of her eyes again.

"Okay," he echoed, relief flowing through him.

There was a knock on the door and Meredith stood up, "I, I have to go."

"I don't want to say good-bye," was all that Derek could think to say. It was the truth after all. That was the reason he didn't follow her when she fled from him in Seattle. He didn't want to make it final.

"Then don't," she said simply.

"Okay, then," he answered, "I promise I'll come back. I promise."

"Okay," Meredith answered. The line went dead and Meredith sat there motionless for a moment until there was another knock on her front door. As she dropped the phone and stood up, bitter realization ran through her mind. She never said it back.

McKenzie sighed quietly, one hand covering her mouth, the other on her hip. She heard some movement in the office and before she could get caught, she turned and went back downstairs. She didn't have the energy for this right now.

Honey why you calling me so late?

Lips of an Angel by Hinder (Not the country dude who took it and recorded it. I like country, but that was just weird!)