A/n: it's been a little while…I had a family emergency and things have been hard, to say the least. Updates might be delayed for the next couple of days. Regardless, this is one of my favourite chapters so far so I hope you enjoy it. Loving all the reviews and favourites, keep it up :)

Love y'all,

Meredith was giddy, she had been all week leading up to today. The week had gone by so slow, she saw Derek almost every day, but this was different. It was finally Saturday morning and she had all day to relax and get ready, She even got to sleep in.

Her door creaked open, and she didn't bother to look up expecting Derek or Lexie. "Hey, Grey."

"Mark?! What are you doing in my room! Get out!"

"Relax. I wanted to talk to you."

"About what?" She hissed, glaring at him.

"Your date."

Meredith smiled softly, "What about it? There's no way in hell that you're joining us if that's what you're thinking."

"No thanks, you guys are way too cheesy. I want to talk about Derek."

"Get to the point, Mark."

"You have to be good to him. He's my best friend."

Meredith snorted, "Are you giving me "the talk" right now?"

"I'm serious Meredith, don't hurt him. This is the happiest he's been since...a long time."

She softened, maybe her little sister had taste after all. "Of course I won't. He is making me happy too."

Mark smiled "Thanks. You have fun okay?"

"You sound like my Dad." Mark rolled his eyes and shuffled out of the room. Well, that was interesting. She would have never pegged Mark as that kind of guy. Maybe Meredith didn't know her as well as she thought she did.

Back to getting ready. The only thing Derek told her about their date is to wear something you can walk in. What the heck is that supposed to mean? She decided on jean shorts and a navy striped shirt.

She still had two hours to waste before they were supposed to leave.

Mark inwardly groaned as he shut the door, he didn't mean to be that... awkward he just did want Derek to get hurt again. His friend had already been through enough in the past couple of years.

"Mark? You okay?" Lexie called from the kitchen.

"I'm good." He walked into the kitchen, smiling at her.

"So are you ever going to bring it up?"

"Bring what up?"

"We had sex the other night."

"We did."

"It was really good."

"That it was."

"W-What does it mean?"

"Well, I'd like to do it again sometime soon if that's what you're getting at."

"You're insufferable. Would you like to go out with me? Tonight maybe?"

Mark's eyebrows shot up, he didn't expect that. "Uh-yeah! Sure. There's a good pub a couple of blocks from here that a buddy told me about we could go there?"

"You're not going to blow me off for some blonde again are you?" She asked teasingly

"No. Uh sorry about that by the way." What was this girl doing to him? He never behaved this way around women.

"I'll be seeing you later than Mark."

"Yeah. See you." Shit. He hasn't been on a real date since his highschool days. Even then, it was more Derek's thing than his. He hoped it became his and Lexie's thing.

"Derek just tell us where we are going!" Meredith whined sitting in Derek's car in the middle of nowhere.

"Mer. I didn't tell you when asked 10 minutes ago, what makes you think I will tell you now?"

"Right now you're acting more like my kidnapper than my date."

"You know some people would find this romantic."

"We're driving down some abandoned road in the middle of nowhere, nothing about that is romantic." He looked around, "I know where we are, it's not far now."

"By where, I'm sure you mean the haunted cellular you're planning on killing me in."

"You caught me." She giggled, and they finally pulled into the parking lot.

"Where are we?!" she exclaimed once she saw the cars, but no buildings.

He chuckled, 'I thought you would've figured it be now, but we're going on a hike."

Her nose scrunched up cutely, "A hike?"

"Yeah. you, know you pick a nice trail and you walk and talk about anything and everything, I even brought a picnic." A confused expression was still on her face, had he screwed up? Meredith seemed like the kind of person who would enjoy something like this over dinner at a 5-star restaurant, but maybe he had it wrong.

Realization crossed Meredith's features, and deep red blush immediately followed "I-I've never been on a hike."

At first, he thought she was joking around, but she had a saddened look in her eyes, and he knew she was completely serious. "That's okay. I'm glad I will get to be your first then."

Meredith smiled, grateful and helped him get the backpacks out of the car.

"We'll be taking this trail," Derek spoke up, pointing at the map. "It's a little advanced for first-timers, but it should be fine."

They walked in silence, hands intertwined and Meredith looking at everything and constantly watching where she was stepping. She felt like she owed Derek an explanation for why she'd never been on a hike, like how pathetic is that?

"You know my mother was never around, my dad left when I was five. By the time I could start making my own decisions I was flung into college and partying and sleeping around every weekend along with trying to keep up with my mother's expectations of my grades." She blurted out in one breath.

"Meredith, it's okay I don't care that you've never been on a hike. You don't owe me any kind of explanation. It's not your fault you're parents weren't there for you even though they should have been."

"When did you go on your first hike?"

Derek smiled, good times, "around 8 or 9 I think, my dad took me, he was always an outdoors kind of guy, he took me camping and taught me to fish when I was older too."

"Was?" Meredith whispered back, Afraid of his response.

"Yeah, he passed away about 2 years ago."

"I'm sorry Derek." That was all Meredith could think to say, she had never experienced that kind of loss before.

"It's okay."

"Sorry for kind of ruining the mood."

He smiled, amused, "If it's any consolation I have four sisters, so I certainly wasn't alone."

"Four sisters!? Wow."

"Yeah. It got a little hectic at times, but I wouldn't be who I am without them."

"What about Mark? Aren't you guys brothers or something?"

"Well kind of, we are not related or anything but, my mom and dad basically adopted him when we were kids. His parents weren't around."

"It must get pretty crazy on the holidays." Meredith nervously laughed.

Derek beamed, he couldn't wait for Thanksgiving, "it does, but I love it, and so does the whole family."

"It must be nice." She commented, and Derek resisted the urge to invite her to come home with him. She must have her own plans, he told himself.

The trail narrowed and Derek could tell they were getting close, The view was amazing once you got to the top. The sound of rushing water filled the air, and they came to a small stream.

"We don't have to cross that right?"

"We do. Don't worry it's shallow, just roll up your jeans and carry your shoes."

Meredith watched him pull off his running shoes and socks and roll up his jeans. This must be a joke, right? There was no way she was crossing that stream. "Can't we just go around it?" She asked nervously

"No, unless you want to walk for another 3 hours. Trust me Mer, the view is worth it."

She nodded tentatively and slowly took off her shoes and rolled up her leggings to her knees. "You know this is crazy right?"

"Mer, this is a shallow stream. You should've seen the one I crossed with Mark trying to get to the best fishing spot before him."

"Okay. but If I get swept away, or get leeches and lose my leg I'm blaming it on you."

He chuckled, "Deal."

They made their way across the stream in no time, Meredith hand death grip on his hand the whole time. "See that wasn't so bad right?"

Meredith huffed, "I guess not. I'm still never doing that again."

"We have to cross on the way back you know."

"You're carrying me." Derek laughed and intertwined their hands, swinging them back and forth.

After climbing uphill for a while, they finally reached the cliff, it was just as beautiful. You could almost see the whole city.

"Look, you can see the peak of Columbia from here."

Meredith smiles, "This is awesome! How did you find out about this place?"

"When my dad passed away, I used to come up here to think. It was kind of a getaway place."

Meredith smiled softly, grateful that Derek would show her something that meant that much to him.

"I can see why you would like this place so much."

He nodded, "Shall we eat?"

"On the ground…?"

"No, there's a restaurant just over there."

"Shut up," she hit his arm, "you know what I meant."

"Yeah, I brought a blanket, you'll be fine."

She watched as he brought out a red-plaid blanket and a small cooler.

She giggled as they sat down, "I feel so domestic."

"Having dinner on a cliff with an amazing view is domestic to you?"

"Either that or it's cheesy."

Derek shook his head in amusement, "I guess you're not getting any of the wine I packed then. All for me."

"Ok I take it back, you're very romantic or whatever." She leaned over and pecked his lips, and snatched the bottle away from his grasp.

"Be my girlfriend." Derek blurted, watching her pour the wine. He couldn't wait any longer, He needed Meredith to be his girlfriend. She was perfect.

Meredith choked on her wine, she certainly wasn't expecting that "I-...um ok?" She stuttered.

"Okay?"

"Okay." She confirmed in a stronger tone.

Derek grinned goofily, "Sorry for blurting it out like that, but I like you, Meredith, like a lot. I need you to be my girlfriend."

Meredith giggled, "I already said yes, you don't need to go all cheesy." Derek rolled his eyes, taking back the wine and pouring his glass.

"Cheers to your cheesiness." Meredith giggled, clinking her glass with his.

"You're gonna tease me about this every chance you get aren't you?"

"Pretty much."

He smiled, putting their glasses down and pulling Meredith into his lap, handing her a sandwich. They ate in content silence, leaning down for little kisses every so often.

"Thank you, Derek, This day has been amazing."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

"I'm serious, I've never been on a date like this, it was way better than any five-star restaurant with hundreds of people, I'd take this over anything."

He smiled, happy he was right after all. "I promise I'll make all of our future dates just as amazing as this one."

"I will look forward to all of them."

They slowly started packing up the picnic, and headed down the trail, holding hands. Once they got back to the river they started to take off shoes and roll pants, but before Meredith stepped into the rushing water, a pair of arms wrapped around her middle hoisted her up.

"Derek!?" Meredith shrieked loudly, as he shifted her around till he was carrying her bridal style.

"You said you wanted me to carry you."

"That was a joke!"

He grinned furiously, "Too bad."

He put her down, and she turned around and slapped his chest. "Ow!" He exclaimed.

"You scared the crap out of me!"

"You told me too."

"I. Was. Joking."

He chuckled, "you should be thanking me, I saved you from getting swept away and getting leeches."

"Shut up."

"Yes, sweetie."

Her nostrils flared and she glared at him, "You are not calling any sort of pet names. It doesn't matter if you're my boyfriend or not."

"Hmmm...You're hot when you're bossy."

She slapped his arm, lighter this time a smile creeping on her face. "No pet names that are too cutesy, the rest are okay."

"Deal."

She hummed, satisfied that she got her way and they made their way back to the car.

"We should go on another hike sometime."

"I could teach you to fish."

Meredith's nose wrinkled in disgust, "No. Definitely not. Fishing is gross."

"Guess I'll have to cancel our next date then." She shot him a death glare, "I'm kidding, relax women."

They pulled into campus a while later, both having big smiles on their faces from laughing and talking the whole ride back. "You wanna watch a movie?"

Meredith snorted, "You feel like spending even more time with me?"

"Yeah. I will never get bored of spending time with you Mer."

She nodded brightly, "As long as 80% of it spend making out I'm in."

"Mmm, That's definitely a given."

"And I'll sleep in your room too?"

"A given too, you practically do it every night anyway."

She rubbed her neck sheepishly, "I do don't I?"

"Yeah, every time." He looked back at her grinning but softening seeing her guilty expression "It's okay Mer, I don't mind. I love getting to fall asleep and wake up next to you."

"You're sure?" Meredith was embarrassed, she never really realized how many nights she spent in Derek's room until he mentioned it.

"I love it, I promise."

They got in the door, Derek helping her take off her coat and headed to his room.

Once the Movie and the many, many makeout sessions were finished and they were just laying in each other's arms slowly succumbing to sleep.

Then Meredith realized something, She was falling for Derek Shepherd. And she was falling hard. And was strangely okay with it.