I don't own Grey's Anatomy, I wish I did!

Meredith moaned as she opened her eyes. Waking up from a night of tequila was not something she was unfamiliar with. She felt the wave of nausea take her over as she sat up in bed. She quickly walked to the bathroom and hugged the porcelain God. She always hated herself in the morning. She held her liquor better than the average person, but last night she had consumed quite a bit. Finally she was able to drag herself down the stairs.

"You look like shit." Alex moaned as he held his head.

"You look so much better..." Meredith spat as she grabbed her coffee cup. She sat down and placed her elbows on the table, and her head in her hands. "What the hell did we do last night?"

"I don't know. I don't think I want to know..." Alex said slowly and quietly, trying to keep his head from pounding.

"Good morning!" Izzie chirped as she walked into the kitchen with a smile on her face. "I bet you are loving yourselves this morning!" Meredith and Alex both moaned.

"You guys were wasted!" Izzie laughed. "And you both got in some big fight."

"We did?" Meredith said as she furrowed her brow.

"We did!" Alex said as he remembered. "That guy..."

"Oh yeah. What an asshole!" Meredith said as she remembered. She heard her cellphone go off. She called the voicemail

"Hey Mer, I miss you already. I have been on the plane for an hour, and I already miss you. I'll call you later. Love you." Derek said in the first message. "Hey Mer, It's me again. I just wanted to tell you goodnight. Love you." He said in the second. "Hey, I hope you are okay. Either that or you don't miss me too badly. Love ya." He said in the third. Her face dropped as she listened to the last one.

"McDreamy?" Izzie asked as she shut her phone.

"Yeah." She said plainly. She wished she had answered it. "I'm sure he is at the conference now. I guess I'll call him later." She said quietly.

"Well, we better go." Izzie said with a smile.

"I don't have a car." Meredith mentioned as the headed to the door.

"I don't either." Alex added.

"Luckily I do." Izzie said as they followed her out.

"I don't want to ride in that thing!" Alex whined.

"What is wrong with my car?" Izzie asked.

"It's pink." He responded.

"It's pinkish red." Izzie argued.

"No, Iz. It is pink." Meredith told her.

"Whatever. You guys can walk!" She said as she climbed in her car.

"No, no It's fine. Great, even!" Meredith said, as she climbed in the passenger seat.

"Why do I get the back?" Alex asked.

"Because." Meredith giggled.

"It's not big enough for me back here." He whined.

"Maybe not big enough for your ego." Meredith laughed.

"You are a pain in the ass, Grey. I don't know what Shepherd sees in you." Alex said as he rolled his eyes.

"Don't you wish you knew." She said with a chuckle.

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Meredith was assigned to the Chief. She was secretly having a temper tantrum in her mind. The though of being in an operating room with Richard Webber made her stomach turn. The only thing that could be worse would be getting stuck with her mother. She walked in the scrub room and began angrily scrubbing her hands. Richard was already in the OR. At least she had managed to avoid him in the scrub room.

"Ah Dr. Grey, how nice of you to join us." He said. She wasn't sure if he was being genuine or sarcastic because she was late. She just smiled.

"So what are we doing here?" He asked her. Of course she was right there with and answer.

"Um. In fundoplication, the fundus of the stomach is wrapped, around the inferior part of the esophagus, preventing the sliding of the fundus through the enlarged hiatus in the diaphragm. Are we doing a Dor and Toupet?" She asked. He was obviously impressed.

"A Toupet." He said simply.

"So you are wrapping the fundus around the back of the esophagus?" She asked, loving the fact that she was on top of her game.

"That is correct." Richard replied, as he worked on the patient. "So how have you been?"

"Okay." She returned suspiciously.

"Good." Richard said with a smile. "Have you talked to your mom?"

"No." She said sharply. "And I don't plan to. Things are fine the way they are."

"Are you sure about that?" He asked, unconvinced.

"The fact that we are both in Seattle and the city hasn't blown up is amazing. We don't have a relationship and I am fine with that." Meredith explained.

"But she isn't." Richard replied.

"Yes she is." Meredith answered.

"She has feelings. Like it or not, you are more alike than you think. Neither of you are willing to bend. I just hope you both don't regret it someday..." He trailed off.

"I'm sure we won't." Meredith said quickly.

"So, where did you go all of those years?" Richard asked. Meredith looked at him in shock.

"You know I went to Oxford. It was on my application." Meredith said flatly, as she stared at the incision.

"But why Oxford? Why go so far away?" Richard asked.

"Um, no reason." Meredith said as her stomach started to turn.

If Ellis ever found out about Ian, Meredith would never live it down. He was her biggest mistake. Her mom would take it as a weakness. She knew if that happened she may as well be an injured animal running from a predator. And her mom is a very successful predator, taking over everything in her path.

"She tried to find you." Richard told her as he looked into her eyes. "You hurt her.."

"She can't be hurt." Meredith returned.

"I was there when she listened to your message. She stood there, and her face dropped. She walked directly to the bathroom. I swear her sobs shook the house." He said sadly.

"Why are you doing this? You are lying. I know my mother! I know how she is! She doesn't cry. She doesn't have feelings." Meredith seethed. "Just stop. Stop trying to push us together. Just stop!" She said angrily.

"I'm sorry I have upset you. But I am not sorry I told you." Richard said. Meredith didn't respond.

She stood there, next to him for the remainder of the surgery. She felt like she was on fire. She knew he was trying to help, but she didn't want it. She was happy. She was happy with Derek and her friends. They were all she needed. She was so happy to escape from the OR when the surgery was over. At least her angry thoughts of her mother were keeping away the sadness she felt from missing Derek.

As she walked down the hallway, she head the loud noise coming from her abdomen. Her stomach was growling. Without Derek there to take her to dinner or cook for her, she had not eaten. She thought about him as she walked down. She knew she had to call him, but she didn't want to bother him. She walked onto the elevator. Her eyes met the brown eyes of her nemesis. She didn't speak. She turned at looked at the door. She could feel the hole that Holly was burning into her back with her eyes. Meredith felt the elevator come to a quick stop.

"You have got to be kidding me!" She shouted loudly. "No!"

"Oh no." Holly said slowly.

Meredith couldn't believe it. How could she be stuck in the elevator with her of all people? Holly picked up the phone and tried to call for help. Of course, it didn't work. They both looked at each other. Both of them would rather be anyone than here. Meredith slid her back down the wall and sat on the hard floor. She laughed under her breath as Holly tried to do the same. Her skirt was restricting her. They sat in an unbearable silence for quite a while.

"So Derek is in New York?" Holly said, breaking the ice.

"Yep." Meredith said coldly.

"I was going to go..." Holly scoffed.

"Oh." Meredith said, knowing exactly what Holly was up to. "What exactly were you going to do at a Neurology conference?" Meredith said with a chuckle.

"Audit." Holly said simply.

"I didn't know you had such interest in the brain." Meredith said seriously. "Especially with your lack there of." Holly gasped.

"You are---are--" Holly stammered. "You stole him from me!" She screeched.

"How exactly did I do that?" Meredith laughed. "Honestly!"

"We were happy." She said quietly.

"No. You were happy." Meredith pointed out. "Derek was not happy. Now, Derek is happy." She said with a smile.

"It won't last." Holly chuckled.

"Don't worry. I'm sure that there is someone in the world that would be interested in a controlling, frigid snob." Meredith said in a sickeningly sweet voice.

"I am not frigid!" She spat.

"Hmm." Meredith said.

"What?" Holly yelled.

"Oh you said you weren't frigid, but you didn't say anything about controlling or snobby..." Meredith pointed out.

"Ugh. I can't talk to you!" Holly shouted.

"Why can't you just drop it!" Meredith said. "If you truly loved him, you would want him to be happy." Meredith said sadly.

Holly didn't respond. They both sat in silence. They knew that no matter what was said, they wouldn't be able to come to an understanding. Meredith knew that she was going to get thicker skin, because Holly was going to be a thorn in her side for a long time. After another thirty minutes, Meredith tried again.

"So, what do I need to do to make myself healthier." Meredith asked.

"Are you asking for my help?" Holly said, happy she was the top dog for a moment.

"Yes." Meredith spat. "Just this once. I am hoping to be a bone marrow donor." She explained.

"For the girl that you have been visiting? Anna?" Holly asked with raised eyebrows.

Meredith nodded. Holly went on for what seemed like forever. She was in her element as she talked about nutrition. She knew that Meredith had a strong connection to Anna. She knew it, and she wondered how low it would be to take advantage of it.

Finally, two hours later the elevator doors opened. They were stuck in between floors. Meredith had never been so happy to see them open in her life. The rescuers pulled Holly up first. Meredith helped her climb up. She was really hoping she would fall. But then again, Holly would probably eat up the attention. Meredith chucked when they pulled Holly up. She wasn't looking purposely, but she caught site of Holly's panties. They looked like something her grandmother would wear, if she had one. Poor Derek, is all she could think. They easily pulled Meredith up and she sighed loudly when she rose to her feet.

"Oh my God!" Izzie said loudly. "You are both still alive?"

"Barely." Meredith said. "That was hell!"

"I bet!" Izzie agreed. "Oh yeah, don't go to Joe's tonight." Izzie told her.

"Why? You don't want me going with your boyfriend?" Meredith laughed.

"No. I'm not Holly! It was cute, seeing you guys all drunk and stupid." She laughed as she thought back. "Seriously. I promised Derek that I would feed you. I am cooking dinner. You better be there."

"Okay, okay." Meredith laughed. Of course her pager went off. "Crap, it's Bailey!"

"I will see you tonight!" Izzie yelled.

"Okay!" Meredith yelled as she trotted off.

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Meredith never did have lunch. She was paged by Bailey and pulled into an emergency surgery. A man had swallowed a fork and perforated his esophagus. The surgery took what seemed like forever. It was a good surgery, and she was happy to be in on it. But she was happier to be done. When she got to the locker room, she sat on the bench and rubbed her sore feet. She knew she had to get home. She was happy to climb in her old Jeep and drive the familiar route home.

Meredith opened the front door, kicked her shoes off, and threw her stuff on the table. Izzie was standing in the kitchen cooking up a storm. Meredith laughed at Izzie, she was so focused on preparing their meal, she didn't even notice that Meredith had walked in.

"So what are we having?" Meredith said loudly, causing Izzie to jump.

"Crap, Mer!" She shouted. "You scared me!"

"Sorry." Meredith laughed.

"Um, roast chicken, mashed potatoes and peas." Izzie told her. "You need to eat healthy. Especially since you didn't have lunch." Izzie explained.

"Sounds good." Meredith answered. "Do you need any help?"

"Actually yeah." Izzie said happily. "I have had to pee forever. Can you stir this gravy?"

"Yeah, I'm sure I can manage that..." Meredith laughed.

"Don't burn it!" Izzie warned. "Just keep stirring."

"Yes, Ma'am!" Meredith returned.

Meredith kept stirring the gravy. This isn't that hard, she thought. She thought about Derek. She had to call him when Izzie came back in. She didn't want him to think she didn't care. She was deep in thought when she heard the doorbell ring.

"Iz!" Meredith yelled.

"I'm getting it!" She returned.

Meredith continued to stir. She figured it was Alex. She better get her ass back here quick, Meredith thought as she looked at the gravy. It was looking less and less edible. She head footsteps behind her.

"Hello, love." She heard an all-too-familiar British voice say.

Meredith thought she had heard wrong. Her stomach twisted and turned. Her heart was in her throat. She was beginning to sweat, and her heart rate was through the roof. She turned around. The spoon dropped to the floor. Gravy splattered all over. She looked into his eyes.

"I---Ian, wha--what are you doing here?" She stammered, with a shocked look on her face.

"I am here to take you home." Ian said confidently.

SHIT!

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Looky who came back to stir up trouble... Thanks for reading and the reviews. It sucks when you don't get any, it makes you feel like no one is reading. I didn't realize anonymous readers could review, I fixed it...No excuses!