Chapter 27: One of the Guys

Meredith's Point-of-View

This wasn't happening. I felt like I was getting an invasion of Shepherds. I felt like I just couldn't get any peace. I had to leave work early because the nursing home was having a problem getting my mother to take her medicine. I wanted to go get a relaxing cup of coffee afterwards, but as I pulled up to the curb I happened to look over and see a bridal salon, and it just so HAPPENED that Brooke of all women was in there trying on her wedding dress at the exact moment I pulled up to the curb. Pain hit me and I decided a stiff drink was a better idea. I didn't want to get too drunk since surgery was first thing in the morning, but I needed a little pain reliever.

"Tequila?" Cristina asked me as I sat at the bar.

"Please." I sighed. "Stop me at three, I'm quitting."

"You're not quitting." She snorted as she poured the shot "You're not a quitter."

"I am a quitter." I mumbled as I brought the shot to my lips "I'm a big fat quitter."

"You're not fat either." She rolled her eyes and refilled the shot glass "And you're not a quitter."

"I did quit." I mumbled brokenly "I quit everything."

"You didn't quit." She sighed "You gave him an out and he took it. He's stupid. Trust me, I know how stupid Derek can be."

"I ditto that." We heard behind me, Cristina looked over my shoulder and grinned "I thought I heard there was a slutty new bartender here in town."

"And apparently a new bitch just flew in on her broomstick." Cristina laughed as she reached across the bar to hug Amelia. "Um, Meredith this is my cousin Amelia…"

"I know." I smiled through the numbness of my second shot settling in "We met."

"Oh." She grinned and turned to Amelia "So what do you think of your sister in-law."

I flinched as I heard Amelia laugh "I wish….Derek only marries bimbo's who are all wrong apparently."

Cristina eyed me as I made myself stare at the bar and wish I could drown myself in the shot glass "And try to divorce the ones that are right for him."

"What are you talking about?" Amelia giggled, but apparently a look on Cristina's face told her she wasn't joking, I peeked at Amelia out of the corner of my eye to see her expression humble "You're kidding."

I straightened up on my stool but refused to look at her, or Cristina for that matter, but I did throw her a quick glare.

"It's not my fault he's stupid."

"You two…you and Derek were…" Amelia choked out "But.."

"It was just a quick ceremony thing in Vegas." I said quickly before I could change my mind "He needed to get into Canada and couldn't. I am half Canadian so…I married him to get him into the country. That's it. That's all it was."

"You forgot the part where he just handed you divorce papers a week ago." Cristina inserted "Oh and that he's still in love with you."

"He's not in love with me." I muttered. "He's getting married to someone else in a few days."

"Information overload." Amelia mumbled, I looked up to see her shaking her head as if she were trying to sort it all out "Ok so you married my brother to get him into Canada. That wouldn't have happened three years ago would it?"

"Yep." Cristina said as I looked at her hesitantly "His passport was banned so you're thinking correctly Amelia, if she hadn't have saved his sorry ass Derek wouldn't have made it in time."

"Oh my god." She gasped.

"Really it's ok." I said as confidently as I could "I'm fine."

"You're drinking your fourth shot of tequila." Cristina said.

"I told you to cut me off at three." I glared "I have surgery in the morning."

"That's ok." Amelia said, "Some of my best surgeries were done hung-over, and I think you of all people need to drink tonight." I turned to look at her and saw a soft smile of kindness, I was sure she would hate me when she found out, but she almost looked…well I couldn't put my finger on it "This'll be fun."

"What." I murmured "I don't know what you mean but no fun, there will be no fun."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking Cristina?"

"What are you thinking?" I asked nervously, "Cristina?"

She smirked as she eyed me carefully "I'm thinking it."

"If you guys think that you can get me, and Derek together think again." I muttered "There's nothing there anymore, so don't even try it."

"I don't think we have to try anything." Amelia mumbled nearly under her breath. She glanced towards the sound of a door opening and then sighed "I need to use the restroom."

I saw Cristina set a glass down on the bar in front of the stool next to me and then quickly walk away. I tried to wrap my tequila dazed mind around what was happening but before I could get a thought processed a strong musky scent filled the air surrounding me and I heard a pained groan, naturally I looked over. He didn't look happy, he didn't look like a groom about to be married, he looked like he'd had a hell of a day and wanted to just release it into his scotch. He looked over at me exhausted and remorseful as he sipped the scotch.

"I know you don't like me very much right now, but I need to sit here." He said in a rough voice "I need to just sit and drink."

"Ok." I said, having forgotten about anything or anyone else in the bar. I started trailing my fingertip around the rim of my shot glass as we sat in silence for a few moments. He finished his scotch and then stared at the empty glass.

"I have no friends." He said, "Mark was my friend, and you know how that ended." I nodded but just let him talk "I'd be having a bachelor party right now but I have no friends."

I felt bad for the guy, I knew it was my weakness and it'd gotten me in trouble more times than I could count. But I knew what it was like to not have any friends. The only constant friend I'd had was Jackson, and he's what kept me afloat through most my life, I owe it to him. But I knew the pain of not having anyone, against my better judgment I reached out and tapped my palm against his forearm.

"I'm your friend." I said, he looked up solemnly "I may not know much about bachelor parties but I'm your friend…I can be one of the guys."

His flat line lips turned up a little and he let out a dry chuckle "Right. You don't have to do that."

"What." I smirked, yes, my tequila was in full force now "You don't think I can be one of the guys?"

"Another tequila?" I heard Cristina return and looked up.

"Yes." I sighed, "I guess we're having a bachelor party." Her brow raised, I glared "Shut up, I'm being one of the guys."

"Ok." She said in a way that made me feel stupid or crazy, maybe both. "So just keep them coming?"

I nodded and turned to see Derek looking hesitantly at the bar in front of him, I didn't want him to feel discouraged, I wanted him to have fun.

"So what is the one thing you always wanted to do but never did."

"What?" he snorted "Is that what you think guys do on bachelor parties?"

"No." I shrugged "But it's what they should do. It's their last little bit of single freedom so they should do something big, something they normally wouldn't do, and something they probably won't ever do after they're married." He looked thoughtful and a smile crossed his face "So, what'll it be?"

"Hey Derek." I heard Amelia say a little too cheerfully, I knew what she was up to, but it was too late to back away now, I'd gotten his hopes up "What's going on?"

"Apparently I'm having a bachelor party." He said and flashed a smile my way, it felt warm "Meredith is trying to talk me into doing something crazy before my life ends."

"What a nice way to speak about your upcoming marriage."

"Like you weren't cussing it all day long." He glared at her, then turned to me "I haven't really thought about it, but I guess one thing comes to mind."

"What is it?" I asked.

"My mother made me learn to play an instrument, and the only one I really wanted to was the guitar."

"Oh god." Amelia groaned "You played that thing all night long."

"I had to practice getting any good at it." He grinned.

"So, you want to play guitar?" I asked.

"I always wondered what it would be like to have gone into the entertainment business." He said, "I never had the guts to." He sighed "I guess that's the only thing that comes to mind really, can you think of anything Mia?"

She shrugged, and I grinned. I turned to the bar to see Cristina just happening to walk by. "Cristina!" she stopped "Does Joe still have that John Denver signed guitar in his office?"

"Yes." She said slowly, as if she didn't like that I was asking that "Can you go get it."

"No." she said with wide eyes "No one is allowed to touch it."

"You know." I said as I tapped my finger to my chin "I think I heard a rumor about you doing the dirty with someone behind the bar last night, the memories of that are pretty sketchy but give me a minute and I can.."

"I'll be right back."

I smirked, Derek looked at me and frowned "Is that rumor true?"

"You know what they say about rumors."

"Yes." Amelia said tensely "You do know what they say about rumors."

"Derek?" I heard in a voice I wasn't too fond of and turned away from him and the bar to stare at the stranger seated three stools down from me "What are you…" and then I felt her piercing eyes on the back of my head "What is SHE doing here?"

"What does it matter, looks like you've got company of your own." Amelia muttered.

"Amelia!" she gasped in a fake voice "I didn't know you were in town already."

"I didn't really want—"

"Amelia." Derek muttered, let out a sigh "I'm here having my bachelor party, what are you doing?"

"Having my bachelorette party." She frowned, "I still don't know what your EX-wife is doing here." Yes, let's put an emphasis on the ex-part, because that doesn't hurt, not one excruciating little bit.

I glanced over my shoulder at him, he was looking at me with a pondering look for a moment then turned to Brooke and gave a cheesy smile..

"She's one of the guys."