Chapter 60: Derek's Birthday

Meredith drove her silver Porsche like mad. It was an ordinary day, quiet day at work. Why would she be in such a hurry? Yet, she was. She couldn't get to the trailer fast enough. It was absolutely imperative to get back. Come to think of it… she didn't have the faintest idea why she needed to be at the trailer. But an inner force pushed her forward… Wait! She was driving a car? Since when did she have a driving license?

There was no time to ponder this, she ran up to the trailer and wrenched the door open. Her eyes immediately fell upon a pair of legs lying motionlessly on the floor. She lunged herself forward, cold fear gripping her chest… An ear-splitting shriek escaped her throat. No! Tears streamed down her cheeks as she sank to her knees. This could not be happening! It was the one person in the world who cared for her… Her entire form shivered uncontrollably. She wanted to help, to save him… but she knew it was for nothing. His brown bloodshot eyes were opened wide, as though in gentle astonishment. A used syringe was lying beside him on the floor. A cord was tied up tightly around his skinny bicep… The pale skin around the veins was scattered with multiple traces of injections.

She couldn't bring herself to touch him… she just held her numbed hands before herself. She couldn't touch him… but she was certain he was cold… just like that patient who died during her mother's surgery.

Meredith sobbed; where she was going to go now? All by herself? Her eyes moved reverently over his body, his handsome face covered with heavy stubble… the careless smirk he always wore… his brown longish hair that begged to be trimmed. Chace… the only person that didn't seek escape from her presence. She'd say to him one last goodbye. She lowered her lips to his, like she expected… ice cold… She lifted her head slowly and opened her eyes. Something changed…

His body was bigger, more muscular. It swelled like an inflatable doll. The stubble darkened. A bump grew on his nose. His hair thickened and blackened, his perfect hair… His lips were now stretched in a gentle good-natured smile. Only his eyes were as wide as before, though baby blue.

Meredith's heart stopped beating, it must have stopped beating. It wasn't possible to survive the pain as excruciating as it was now. Her heart must have stopped functioning for her face froze in a tormented grimace, a pained scream died on her lips… Derek… the only man that truly loved her…

However, her heart ruthlessly resumed its pace and liberated the piercing cry that ripped the surroundings and reverberated outside.

"Derek!" she sobbed and heaved herself to a sitting position, bringing her wet face to her knees and covering her head with her arms. She couldn't catch her breath, held hostage by cold fear. Something was different yet again… She wasn't on the floor, she was somewhere soft, and seconds ago it was warm. She cautiously peeked around her. She was indeed in a trailer, only it was Derek's trailer.

It meant… that was just a bad dream, a nightmare. But it felt so real. Still affected by her vision, she scanned the floor half-expecting to see Derek's lifeless body. She breathed out shakily, combing her fingers through her hair. No, he wasn't there but… he wasn't in the bed either. A flutter of inquietude made her stomach churn but then she had to laugh at her stupidity. He had probably sneaked out to catch their breakfast. A tired giggle escaped her throat, Derek, her own private hunter.

She heard thunderous footsteps on the deck and the door was yanked open impetuously. Derek ran in, in full fishing gear, immediately assessing the situation, anxiety written across his face.

"Meredith?" he asked out of breath, with worry apparent in his voice. "Did you… did you scream?"

"I'm sorry," she sighed waving her hand, "I've had a nightmare…"

He quickly moved to the bed, sitting on the edge and scooping her in his arms.

"It's just a bad dream," she protested lightly, but secretly grateful. The warmth of his arms had healing powers.

"Apparently a really bad one," muttered Derek into her hair, rocking her gently. "You're all shaken up."

"Well, it was bad…" she admitted reluctantly reveling in his touch.

"Has something been on your mind lately?" he asked frowning slightly, angry at himself that he might have missed something. "I've never seen you sleeping bad."

"You never have," she pulled away a bit to look into his eyes and confessed, "I rarely have them. But it was pretty bad at one time… when I was in college, after all that affair with Chace… It was always the same dream, me going back to the trailer to find him drugged dead."

"But you didn't in reality?" reminded Derek.

"I didn't, it was just a figment of my over productive imagination," she sighed. "And it was horrible. I blocked it out of mind effectively and it never returned… until today for some reason."

"You had the same nightmare today?" he asked with astonishment.

"Basically," she shuddered, "only ten times worse, you were there…"

"Me? In your nightmare? What was I doing?"

"I ran into the trailer, I saw Chace and… and the he sorta… morphed into you… I… I know it's stupid," she rolled her eyes.

"Was I… dead?" he winced.

"Yeah," she said with a small voice.

"Then I agree, it is a bit stupid. I don't do drugs, you know," he attempted to put some humor in the situation.

"I know," she chuckled, her hand caressing his chest through the thick layers of his clothing. "You're an incurable health nut."

"Meredith?" he went on, praying to calm his racing heart down before Meredith picked up his nervousness. "Do you have any idea why it all came back?" He was afraid she might be apprehensive at their fast-developing relationship. They were going steady, almost two months after the mixer. He prayed for her not to have any doubts, not today, not on the day when he was going to the jeweler to pick up the ring…

"I don't know," she sighed with a small smile and put her arms around his neck. "Maybe I just don't want to lose you."

"You won't," he whispered leaning to kiss her on the lips. "I'll be right back to make you something to eat. I abandoned the trout I caught on the path from the lake when I heard you."

"Aw, my knightly fisherman," she giggled as he went out to recuperate the fishing equipment he left behind.

Meredith took a deep breath and jumped out of bed. On any other day, her concern about the return of her nightmare would be greater but today she just blamed it on her efforts to make the day special. It was November 12th, Thursday and… Derek's birthday. She had carefully planned the celebration, leaving birthday boy in a blissful ignorance. She didn't mention the importance of the coming day and she was pretty sure Derek didn't have any idea she knew. But thanks to her and her shitty past the day had already begun less than perfect. She just knew the right way to repair it. She dropped her, or rather his, shirt she had hastily put on to bed last night and trotted to the small kitchen area. She eyed the counter… it was small, that was the reason why they never thought of doing it here but if she pushed the microwave aside…

Derek reappeared seconds later; as soon as his eyes found her the net with the trout slipped from his hands and splashed on the floor. He saw her naked more times than he could ever count, but he would never get bored of feasting his eyes upon her supple body. She always succeeded on taking him by surprise.

"Meredith…" he panted; suddenly afraid he might suffocate in his warm clothes he wore to protect himself from the November chill. "You're naked…" Not exactly the smartest remark, but hell, he was hot and hard and not exactly able to think about anything else than the nakedness of the most beautiful woman he ever saw.

She giggled at his awkwardness, she always did, with the ever-present note of disbelief that she could actually have that effect on him after all those months of being together.

"What are you going to do about this?" she asked coyly.

"I'm…" he muttered.

She laughed even harder. "I suggest you drop your clothes and join me… and wash your hands touching your slimy swimming friend," she eyed the deceased trout laying forgotten on the floor.

He moved to the sink and cleared his throat, trying to act like a gentleman. She woke up screaming from a nightmare. He wouldn't like to use her vulnerability, even if she had nothing against it. "Mer, uhm," he began but got immediately distracted with her nipples, hardened with cool air.

"Yeah?" she urged him, fidgeting on the counter.

"Meredith, maybe we should… talk some more…" he offered half-heartedly.

"We've already talked, now I want you to fuck me," she ordered and added jokingly, "and please, bear in mind that I'm ready to disregard the fact that you smell like fish. So, drop your clothes."

Now he was the one to laugh at her impatience. He did what he was told, quickly stripping under her scrutiny and stood between her legs.

"This brings back memories," he smiled up at her, his hands wandering from her knees up her thighs to rest on her ass.

"Yeah, really good memories," she grinned, tracing her fingers over his shoulders.

"I think I did something like this," he said slowly and thrust into her without warning not bothering to test her readiness. She was always ready for him.

"I think you did," she moaned appreciatively. "And then I did this," she clenched her inner muscles around his shaft making him hiss, "and this." She yanked at his hair roughly gaining better access to tease his Adam's apple with her lips. She chased it with a giggle when he swallowed hard.

"Will you order me to call you Dr. Grey?" he muttered immobilized inside her.

"Nope," she shook her head biting on his ear, "you can call me anything you want, Der."

"Love," he whispered gently looking with pure worship into her eyes. "Let me make love to you…"

She allowed him to move inside her, but his thrusts were far from the roughness of their first time. He pushed into her torturously slow, making sure she had the time to feel him, all of him. And she did; the overwhelming pleasure born in her core slowly took control of her entire body. She was certain Derek left an invisible imprint on every cell in her body as she yearned for him with all her being.

The burning ball of her orgasms slowly built inside her, Derek's slow meticulous strokes bringing her closer and closer to her release. She managed to look at his lovely face through the fuzziness that was overtaking her brain. Who would have thought when they first pleasured each other that they had a future like this? He was supposed to be just a quick fuck, an accident on the job so to speak, a one-night stand… and he turned out to be the love of her life.

Derek observed with growing pride and excitement the pleasure playing in Meredith's irises. He achieved what he hoped for when he first crossed the threshold of her house, the irreplaceable spot in her life and heart. He continued loving her slowly and sensuously, determined to make her touch heaven, even though his twitching cock kept demanding going harder and faster. But he resisted his animalistic instincts, they would surely come in handy some other time.

His efforts paid back and he was rewarded with the magnificent sight of her coming, her eyes almost completely covered by her lids, the rosy hue on her porcelain skin, her lips parted to catch the breath that escaped her, her swollen breasts that bumped his chest repeatedly… The screams that she let out while she rode her orgasm were the most enticing sound he ever heard.

Showing a considerable amount of self-control, he prevented his own release as long as he could, prolonging her pleasure. Only when he noticed she was winding down, did he push into her core with more force, the powerful friction causing him to shoot his seed deep over her walls with a moan.

They continued their sweet embrace, waiting for their erratic breathing to regularize, their sweaty foreheads together, their breaths mingling, feeling absolutely sated and peaceful. Finally, they dragged their tingling selves to the shower. Derek washed himself at the top speed and hurried to make them breakfast while Meredith stayed a while longer under the shower, reviewing once more in her head the order of the day so as not to ruin Derek's surprise.

When she joined him in the kitchen wearing her ratty little Dartmouth t-shirt Derek liked to say she looked so good in, the one with a hole in the back of the neck, he was already dressed and ready to go, the warm pancakes waiting for her.

"What, no trout?" she smirked pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"That will have to wait for later, I wouldn't have time to clean it as you decided to engage me in a very time-consuming activity," he quipped. "I'll be running late for surgery…" Not exactly, but he might if he spent too much time at the jeweler's.

"So, I'm going to see you later," she smiled at him with shining eyes. She minced to him and he caught a whiff of a flowery scent. She had just put the conditioner on her freshly washed hair. She leaned to him putting her hand on his chest, and kissed him. It was soft, quick, kind of like a habit, like they would do it every day for the rest of their lives. Then she sat at the table to read what she left out from the yesterday's newspaper and he went out to work.