Chapter 6: Winning the War

"You will love this place. Everyone hangs here. Joe, the bartender is everyone's favorite person." Mark said loudly, walking up to the bar with Derek following him.

"Any place with good alcohol will do." Derek said. He wasn't one to drink every night, but he liked to have a few drinks after a long day at work.

"And hot chicks too." Mark added.

"All military, I am sure." Derek stayed away from any military girls. They usually had quite the reputation.

"Not all are bad you know." Mark reminded him.

"Not for a good fuck. That is what you want them for." Derek laughed.

"Well, that may be true, but some are… really good you know." Mark said walking into the door spotting Lexie with a group from the squadron… one that was really off-limits. He was her immediate supervisor, and she was young, but there was something about her, more than a good screw.

They walked to the bar and was immediately greeted by Joe, "Sloan, looks like your buddy made it."

"Yep, this is Shep. He has had a rough day trying to get checked in."

"What will it be?" Joe asked.

"Double scotch, single malt for both of us." Mark said while Derek gazed around at the company, his eyes suddenly stopping on a corner table and saw the same green that he loathed… and desired all at the same time.

"So, how was the rest of your day?" Mark asked, not even realizing Derek was in another world.

Derek didn't say a word, but this battle that was happening with his eyes, he was going to win it, and there were no two ways about it. Before they started this war with their eyes, he had noticed her sitting with some other officers he knew he had seen throughout the day at the squadron.

Mark looked at Derek about to ask him what was going on when he noticed his eyes narrowly focused across the room. He slowly looked around the room himself to see what had captivated him. "What in the… hell?" Mark said slowly under his breath when he realized there were similarly matched eyes fixated back on Derek's.

The group of officers came to The Emerald City most days after work to unwind unless they were flying later that night or early the next morning. Meredith, Alex, and Viper always made it with Addison and Izzie joining them most of the time. Today all 5 were able to make it as it had been a long day.

Meredith hadn't seen him walk in and it wasn't until their eyes met that she saw him for the first time. Now, she sat here, with other officers, waging a war she was going to win. She always won and this would be no different.

"Did anyone see the new check-in today?" Addison asked around the table.

"Man candy . . . definitely man candy." Izzie added.

"You girls are pathetic. You have the best man candy sitting right here at the table and yet you are talking about some pathetic enlisted ass. You could have the ride of your life, right here, you know." Alex said smugly.

"A ride of the syph." Addison said laughing loudly. If truth be told, she would do him, but that is all it would be. She had her sights set on… another man, but he was in a position of authority right now. Anything they had going on, had to stay very hush hush and so far, they had done well keeping it under cover.

"Did you really have the syph man?" Viper asked. He was relatively new to the command and heard stories, but never knew if they were true.

"Hell no. That is some sort of rumor. Come on Izz, what do you say. You want to take a ride sometime soon?" Alex wanted her and didn't make it a secret.

"In your dreams." Is all Izzie could say. She knew it would happen, but she wanted to make sure he wanted more than just sex from her. She wasn't the girl to just sleep around like some of the other female officers.

"So, back to the eye candy. He was hot… really hot. I heard he was an ass though, but a hot ass it is." Addison continued to say to Izzie as the guys rolled their eyes, "don't be jealous guys, I am sure there are guys who think you are eye candy, right Meredith?"

Meredith sat at the table, never taking her eyes off of Derek but was in-tuned enough with her surroundings to know she had to speak, "Yes, eye candy." Her eyes challenging Derek… she always won and this battle… she would win.

"Derek… snap out of it. What in the hell are you doing?" Mark asked when he realized exactly what was happening.

"I am winning this war." Derek said quickly without further explanation.

"War? What in the hell are you talking about?" Mark asked looking between he and Meredith noticing she had a similar look to him. He hadn't' talked to Derek since he had been up to her office, but he knew… something happened up there, and he wasn't sure he really wanted to know what it was.

"You were right… she is something alright." Derek said almost smirking… a look Meredith noticed very clearly.

She was fuming. This smirk made her fume. He was talking about her to what she assumed was his best friend. Sloan told her he was picking him up from the airport and she knew they were as good as brothers, but how dare him! She would make him pay.

"Need anything from the bar? I am going." Meredith suddenly said, getting up from the table, ignoring the strange looks she was now getting. Her eyes still doing the dance of hate… the dance of passion.

"Just the eye candy." Addison said in a tone between sarcastic and curious. She noticed what had Meredith so preoccupied and wondered… she looked around the table and no one else had seemed to notice exactly why she was suddenly interested in the bar.

Meredith sharply turned her head around the second she heard Addison say something about the eye candy at the bar. "What did you just say?" Meredith seethed.

"You heard me. I will take the… eye candy. It is a new flavor of drink. I think it is something new in town. Joe should know what it is." Addison played hard and everyone knew it. She was a good pilot and officer for it, but Meredith… she was a threat to Addison. Before Meredith, Addison was the big shot female pilot not only in the squadron but was one of the top on base.

"I am not sure about the flavor you are referring to, but if I did, that flavor would want nothing to do with you." Meredith hissed and immediately turned to walk towards the bar. Her eyes diverted Derek's, although she knew they were staring straight through her.

"Holy shit. She is coming to the bar." Mark said quickly. He knew this was trouble… Derek was in a shit load of trouble. He had never seen that look in his eyes, but it was definitely a look of… passionate lust mixed with pure hatred.

"I won that round." Derek smirked proudly to Mark but quickly watched her strut towards him. This was dangerous, but the forces… pull as they may.