Chapter 35: Effort

Meredith's Point-of-View

"You've been gone for a few days." I heard in a sneering voice next to me. I turned and solemnly glared at Jackson.

"So." I shrugged "Am I not allowed to take off for a few days?"

"You're allowed." Jackson said, "Especially when your ex-husband runs off and gets married." I tried not to flinch, or make a face of any kind "Except, I just saw your ex-husband in OR 2."

By the look in his pretty blue eyes I knew I wasn't getting away without dishing any info, "He's still my husband." I mumbled under my breath.

"What was that?" he smirked. I threw him a look of irritation.

"He's still my husband." I sighed heavily "He never signed the papers; we're still married and he obviously dumped Brooke."

"Thank God!" Jackson groaned "I thought you two would never figure each other out."

"Don't hold your breath, he still has a lot of figuring out to do."

"Oh, is this the part where you're going to make him suffer for making you watch him philander around with another woman?"

"No." I scowled "This is the part where I make him figure out what he wants.. what I want. What we need."

"Uh-huh." Jackson smirked unconvinced. "So, where have you been the past few nights."

"Out." I blushed.

"You couldn't have possibly been out with a dreamy neurosurgeon, getting naked in his shiny trailer in the middle of, nowhere could you?"

"It's not out in the middle of nowhere, it's in the middle of the woods." I defended, Jackson grinned "Crap."

"So, you finally consummated things, huh?" he grinned wider, if that was even possible "How was it?"

"None of your business."

"Oh come on, you tell me everything."

"The only thing I'm going to tell you is that it's not going to happen again, not for a while, he's got a lot of figuring out to do." I said all in one breath "So until then you've got to keep it down."

"What, what are you talking about?" He laughed nervously.

"You either need to stay at Cristina's house or put a muzzle on the both of you. Hearing you two going at it all night long isn't good for my celibacy."

"You…you know, you know about Cristina and me." He gasped "Shit, she's going to kill me!"

"You were screaming her name." I rolled my eyes "What is it with men like you and Derek losing your balls when you find a strong independent woman?"

"It's not that we lose them so much as, we just like what you do with our balls." He said, I looked at him with disgust "Too much information?"

"You're my brother, who wants to hear their brother talk about a woman playing with their balls?"

"So, what's your plan?" he asked to change the subject "Make him butter you up?"

"I'm not a biscuit." I muttered "He's got to do better than butter me up."

"So what is it about you strong women wanting us to work to get into your pants?"

"Effort Jackson," I sighed "It's all about effort."

"Is it effort, or the thrill of the chase?"

"Effort."