Chapter 52: Protective of Each Other

"Chief!" George's voice stopped her before she could get on the lift.

"George?"

"Sorry for holding you behind," he breathed out catching up with her. "It will take just a minute…" he balanced a tower of documents in his arms searching for the right one. "Here, it is… the list of guest for the mixer. If you could approve it… so I can give it to the security…"

"Sure," she nodded.

"Oh, and a…" he hesitated. "I need to know if… you're bringing an escort… We need to know the number of guests…"

"I'll be with my date," she sighed, "but he works at the hospital, so he'll be here anyway. No need to make any changes to the list. Where should I sign?"

"Dr. O'Malley," she repeated clearly when he didn't respond.

"Oh, right," he cleared his throat. "Here… Uhm, thank you."

"Thanks," she nodded and jumped into the lift, not noticing the look on her deputy's face. The information she threw so lightly, the information that the woman he adored and admired for past months was coming with a date, a male date, made his heart freeze. He tried to tell himself that maybe it was just a friend. She had to have some company since Dr. Montgomery was coming with Sloan.

However, at the back of his mind, he realized the truth. He never seen her talk with any of the doctors on the subject other than professional topics. She must have kept the relationship very quiet, probably to avoid gossip. She shouldn't have hid it if it was just friendship. George let out a tormented sigh, he blew his chance, as always.

Half an hour after their breakthrough conversation, Derek was forced to end his break and let go of Meredith's voluptuous body. Having convinced her to take a cab instead of driving alone in the pouring rain at this hour, he reentered the laboratory where Dr. Miles was already waiting with an empty coffee cup.

"Where are Willard and Michaels?" he asked taking his place behind the computer screen energetically. "Slacking off?"

"I gave them a free evening," smiled Gretchen. "They were complaining they didn't have anything to wear for tomorrow's mixer."

"And they want to find something at this hour?" chuckled Derek.

"Better late than never," shrugged Gretchen and walked up to him slowly. "I'm sure we'll cope with the workload alone."

He nodded absent-mindedly, studying pensively the test results on the screen.

"You're looking all freshened-up after the break," she remarked stopping behind him.

"Oh, yeah," he let out a small laugh. He felt as though he had got a new lease of life. Tomorrow was a big day for him and Meredith. They were going to officially become Derek and Meredith, or like she probably would prefer, Meredith and Derek.

"So, about this party tomorrow," she leaned on his desk looking at the screen from behind his shoulder. "Might be fun."

"Have you ever been at an intern mixer?" he snorted. Well, tomorrow it certainly would be out of ordinary, at least for him.

"I guess everything depends on the company," she remarked coyly while her locks grazed his shoulder.

"True," he agreed distractedly.

"Great that we seem to have similar views on that subject," grinned Gretchen. "I also think we might keep each other's company incredibly well."

"I'm sorry," he turned his swivel chair to face her with a small frown.

"Don't be," she shook her head moving between his legs. "There will be nothing to be sorry about."

He pushed the chair back immediately and stood up. "Dr. Miles-"

"It's Gretchen," she nodded. "I've been giving you covert signals for the last three weeks. But you're not some playboy, are you, Derek? You need more incentive. So, I thought that it's time to stop beating around the bush and the party seems like an excellent opportunity."

"I did notice the signals," admitted Derek keeping the distance so the brunette wouldn't invade his personal space. "But I ignored them, I'm in a relationship." He was avoiding Gretchen's attentions since she arrived but apparently, she was a woman who didn't put up with taking no for an answer.

"With that imaginary girlfriend everyone talks about, but no one has ever seen?" laughed Gretchen.

"She's not imaginary," he sighed. "You'll be able to meet her tomorrow during the mixer."

"You're joking," she chuckled though her smile was artificial. Derek Shepherd looked too serious, too confident to lie.

"Look, Gretchen," he sighed. "I'm enjoying our cooperation, professionally. You're a great surgeon and colleague and that's all I'll ever have to offer back. I'm hoping you'll accept it." He looked at her expectantly.

"Oookay," she prolonged her answer affectedly and smiled. It wasn't wise to push him tonight. She would have to wait and see who was that mysterious lady of his heart, and then plan her course of action accordingly. Gretchen Miles always won, sooner or later. She always got what she wanted.

"I'm glad to hear that," he breathed with evident relief. "Shall we get back to work?"

"Of course," she nodded squinting at him as he resumed his activities. She smiled to herself wickedly, it was all in anticipation.

Meredith opened the closet and carefully inspected its contents. She had nothing new to wear for the mixer, she didn't have time to look for anything but… some of her older creations would do. No one from Seattle Grace saw her in any of them. She slid the hangers with her clothing one by one until she came across the perfect outfit for the evening.

She took it off and held it in front of her looking at her reflection in the tall mirror. Derek would love it. It was a simple party dress, nothing fancy. It was black and strapless, the ruffled bodice dropped enticingly just a smidge in the valley between her breasts. The rest of the silk material would loosely embrace her body from the wide belt to just below the knee.

"I think you might have gotten too fat for that."

Meredith's head whipped towards her friend who was smirking at her leaning on the doorframe to the empty room that they used as a wardrobe.

Meredith narrowed her eyes at her, "Better look at yourself. I'm very physically active, thank you very much."

"Oh, sorry, I forgot," Addison swatted her forehead. "It was a whole three days since I was woken up in the middle of the night by you screaming for more."

"I meant jogging, you whore," Meredith stuck her tongue out at the red-head.

"Sure, you did," Addison nodded her head and crossed the room to throw herself on the bed. "Someone wants to look good…"

Meredith ignored her best friend and lurked back to the closet going through numerous shoeboxes.

"… for a certain brain surgeon…" went on Addison but Meredith didn't let herself to be provoked.

"I talked to Mark," Addison rolled her eyes and said bluntly, "who talked to Derek…"

"Let me guess… who talked to me…" finished for her Meredith.

"And who seems to be the happiest guy on the planet," smiled Addison.

"That's good," nodded quietly Meredith opening one of the boxes.

"What brought that rapid change of heart?" asked Addison. "You said you had your mind made up during lunch."

"I… just couldn't tell him no," said Meredith pulling a pair of delicate black high heels.

"You've really changed," Addie stated in wonder. "Pre-Derek you…"

"Didn't have much concern for feeling of other people?" offered Meredith stoically. "Don't make a saint out of me, Addie. I agreed to go with Derek for completely selfish reasons… I don't want to lose him."

"You wouldn't lose him," the red-head shook her head.

"That's what Derek said," sighed Meredith. "But you know what it's like… you either adapt to change or you get left behind."

Addison rolled from the bed and rested her chin on Meredith's shoulder.

"This change is for the better."

"I hope so."

She was never afraid of the change but right now, it scared her. She was leaving her life in Derek's hands. They were quite capable hands but even the best made mistakes.