This one takes place at the beginning of season 11. IT gives another scenario where Derek can be saved without twisting a moment too much. It does change things drastically. I do include a lot of transcript from the end of season 10 and the first episode of season 11.

Derek: I took the job!

Meredith:And you were supposed to be stepping back. You said, "take this year and make it count."

Derek: "And I'll make sure you can do it."

Meredith: And you lied!

Derek:Sorry. I lied. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Meredith:So, you got your thing, and I gave up that piece. And I found a way to make it work with my job, my kids, and my research with less help from you, and I did it.

Derek: You're not a victim. I'm killing myself just as much as you are.

Meredith: And then you wanted...

Derek: I'm flying back...

Meredith: More pieces and more pieces.

Derek: And forth across the country... Twice a week...

Meredith: And now this is just too much.

Derek: So I can spend time with my kids...

Meredith: You can't just drag us away...

Derek: And be a good father.

Meredith: So I can come live in your shadow.

Derek: "Shadow"? You have a job. You're gonna be working at James Madison.

Meredith: Right, that's how my father got his first job here. They wanted my mom, so she had to call the university and pull some strings and find something for Thatcher to do. It's called a trailing spouse.

Derek: This is not like that.

Meredith: This is exactly that. And it's not what I signed up for.

Derek: You know what? You're-you're being selfish.

Meredith: Well, I have to be, Derek, because you believe that your career is more important than mine.

Derek: At this moment in time, it is!

Meredith: No, not at this moment... always. You will always be that hot-shot surgeon, and I will always be that young intern who fell in love with you.

Derek: If that's how you see yourself, that's your problem. I can't do anything about that.

Meredith: That is not how I see myself.

Derek: That is the issue here. [breathing heavily] D.C... You can do your surgeries, you can do your research, you can do the portal veins. There is nothing you can do here that you can't do there.

Meredith: But I don't want to! [sighs] We're not just talking about my job, Derek. We're talking about my life. I grew up here. I made my family here. I helped to rebuild the hospital here that has my sister's name on it, my mother's name, my name. I live here. My life is here. I don't want to leave.

Things were always quick to ignite between Meredith and Derek. Bothhad tempers, although Derek's was decidedly worse.

Derek: Hi.

Meredith: What are you doing here?

Derek: I just got off the phone with the white house. I resigned from the brain mapping initiative.

Meredith:What?

Derek: I'm not moving to D.C.

Meredith: Why would you do that?

Derek: Well, I don't want to live anywhere else when my kids are growing up here. I don't want to be apart from them, or you. No job is worth that to me. I want to be with you and the kids here.

Meredith: No.

Derek: What?

Meredith: This is not what we discussed. I mean, you should call them back and tell them you were kidding. I did not ask you to do this. I never wanted you...

Derek: I know you didn't. I chose. I chose you and the kids.

-end transcript-

Meredith looked up at him. "No. I'm not letting you give this up. I've had time to think about it. Before Christina left she gave me some words of wisdom. She told me that I am "a gifted surgeon with an extraordinary mind." She told me to never "let what [you] wants eclipse what [I] need." She acknowledged that you're "very dreamy. But [you're not the sun. I am."

I"m trying to do what is best for our family." Derek protested.

Meredith shook her head, "I know. But you know what, maybe this time it is me being selfish. We shouldn't sell the house here. I don't want to stay in D.C. forever, but Christina is wrong. I am a talented and skilled surgeon, but moving to D.C. for this does not diminish my skills. It doesn't make me shine less brightly. And you know, aside from Alex, there is no one left from my intern class at Grey-Sloan. Maybe I was just letting fear hold me back. Maybe I'm afraid that I'm not good enough, but I am." Meredith turned towards her husband. He was smiling down at her. His eyes sparkling.

"You are so much more than a trailing spouse. Any hospital would be lucky to have you. They're excited for you to come." He grabbed her hand and squeezed. "Are you sure, though? You are the kids are more important than anything else. I want you to be happy."

"The more I think about it, the more I think that a fresh start might be good. Out there they won't see me as the intern, and I won't be haunted by all of the horrible things have happened at Grey-Sloan, Seattle-Grace Mercy Death. I won't have to operate in an O.R. where I almost died because of a bomb, or where I had to give instructions to an intern to try and save my life before I passed out after giving birth to Bailey, or I won't have to be reminded daily of you nearly bleeding out on the bridge to your office or the O.R where I lost our baby or the one where I was willing to give up my life to save you and I thought I watched you die in. I won't be haunted daily by Denny and George and Lexie and Mark and my mom and Susan and all of the others that have died." Meredith paused for a moment to look into his eyes, staring across the bar table at him. She took a deep breath, "Maybe I need to get away from here more than I realized."

"Meredith, I don't want you to feel cornered. I approached this the wrong way. I think we both need time to really think about everything." He rubbed her hand. "But this time, we will make the decision together. It is your life, too."

"Let's go home and talk about it." Meredith squeezed his hand and rose. "Come on."

"Don't you need to tell Alex where you are going." Derek reminded.

"I think he's hiding in the bathroom. You should tell him. He's already annoyed at me. I interrupted his sleep this morning and kicked Jo out of bed."

"I guess I can relate to Jo more than I can Alex on that one." Derek chuckled. "I'll be right back."

"I'm sure he will be relieved to not have to deal with me all of the time." Meredith grinned, feeling like a weight had been lifted. "I can be a lot to handle."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

******How Meredith realized that moving to D.C. Didn't diminish the brightness of her career and saved the life of Dr. Derek Shepherd.**************