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Lexie, given that she had the morning off, was going through the laundry basket, removing things from pockets and tossing them in the washing machine, which was where she found something that spiked her interest.

"Hey Mer?" Lexie called, hoping her sister would hear her.

Meredith poked her head around the door, "Yeah Lex?"

"Why do you still have Derek's number?" she asked, pulling the napkin out of the pocket, the digits still clear.

"I didn't mean to, you can get rid of it," her sister shrugged, but the expression on her face made Lexie think there was something else.

"Really? You don't care?" she asked as she stood up.

"Nope."

Lexie lunged forward and grabbed the phone Meredith had in her hands, going straight for the contacts.

"Ah HA! You put his number in your phone. Care to explain?" she grinned.

"Fine," she sighed, snatching the phone back. Lexie followed her to the kitchen island, sitting down on the chair next to her.

"He's just a nice guy. He's funny, plays guitar. I can have male friends; Alex is my friend."

"He plays guitar?"

"That's the bit you're focusing on?" Meredith said, raising her eyebrows.

"Well if he's going to be your friend then he's my friend by proxy," Lexie shrugged.

"That's not how it works."

"Protective are we?" she smirked.

"Whatever. What is it with you guys? I have a boyfriend, you've met him."

"No offence Mer but Charlie's kind of boring. Derek sounds a whole lot more interesting," Lexie informed her.

"He's not boring," Meredith defended, "you barely know him. Do you all think he's boring?"

"Kinda, but we're getting off topic. How do you even know he plays guitar?"

"I saw him again the other day, not on purpose, he was just singing when I got there and then he came and talked to me afterwards."

"I won't lie Mer, this guy sounds like he really is McDreamy. What else do you know about him?"

"He's from America. Well kind of, he moved away when he was little. We just talked for a bit before his drinks came. His full name is Derek Shepherd, although I only found that out by chance. But god Lexie, it has to be a crime to have eyes that blue. You didn't see them, because you weren't there, obviously. But I couldn't look away. And when he smiled… Charlie has never made me feel like that," she rambled.

The cogs started turning wildly in Lexie's head. The man had blue eyes and was in a pub in Surrey in the middle of pre-season. He was called Derek. Derek Shepherd… No way. It couldn't be.

"Did he live in Ireland after he moved from the States?" she asked.

"Yes, but how the hell do you know that?"

Instead of replying, Lexie whipped her phone out of her pocket and searched Google for Derek Shepherd.

"Is this the guy you met?" she asked, shoving a picture of him under her nose.

"How did you find him that quickly? I mean I get you can find people easily will social media, but even still," Meredith giggled.

"Meredith, the reason I can find him that quickly, is because he plays cricket for England. You met Derek Shepherd! And he was hitting on you! God I am so jealous of you right now," Lexie said, completely amazed.

"Oh come on Lex, weren't you watching cricket the other day? Do you think he'd be so relaxed about training that he can spend a night out with his friends and talk to girls? It's like, the middle of the season or something."

Lexie sighed. Her sister had a lot to learn.

"Meredith, the season is starting in a few weeks, I was watching an old game. He's in England for pre-season before his club starts playing matches."

"So, he's world famous?" Meredith asked, eyes wide.

"Anyone who has watched cricket will know who he is," Lexie nodded.

"Shit," she said under her breath.

"What?"

"I may have said that I didn't think he could be a world famous anything."

"How did that even come up? Actually, what did you say to explain why you thought that?" Lexie asked.

"I told him he didn't have that kind of vibe," she cringed.

"That vibe? Oh Mer, and he kept talking to you?" her sister laughed.

"Yes."

"So he does like you," Lexie smirked.

"So what if he does? I have Charlie, end of story."

"But it's Derek Shepherd," Lexie replied.

xxxxx

Derek turned up to training the next day, ever so slightly hung over and still overthinking, and Mark wasn't afraid to call him out on it.

"You look like shit," he observed.

"I look better than you."

"Not possible. What the hell is wrong with you, you look like death."

"I'm not that bad, I just didn't sleep much last night," Derek defended, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"And why was that?" Mark smirked.

"Not the reason you clearly think it was. I saw Meredith again."

"That chick who didn't call you back?"

"Way to rub it in, but yes," Derek sighed.

"What did she say?"

"We talked for a bit, everything was fine, I thought I was getting somewhere, I mean she was still talking to me. But then her boyfriend turned up, which would explain why she didn't call."

"Sorry man. Don't worry about it. I'll take you out again tonight and we'll just drink," Mark suggested.

"I appreciate the offer but I think I'm just gonna go to bed, I'm tired and we have a full week of training," he replied.

"Alright Shep, but you can't say I didn't try."

"I know."

"You really liked her huh?"

"Yeah, which is stupid I know, but I can't help it. You know she told me that she didn't think I could be a 'world famous something'," he chuckled, using air quotation marks.

"What?" Mark laughed, "how did that even come up?"

"We were talking about jobs and she didn't think I could possibly be famous, it should have been degrading but it was hilarious," he chuckled.

"Did you tell her?"

"No."

"If you had she would have been all over you. Chicks like the famous angle."

"I don't think Meredith's like that, she doesn't give off that kind of vibe," he smirked.

"What?"

"Inside joke," he smiled.

xxxxx

A few days past and he didn't see Meredith again, not that he was entirely surprised; both of their conversations had happened by chance. He had just walked out of his apartment block, reaching for his car keys to unlock his vehicle when he saw what he thought was Meredith sprint past the car park on the pavement, either chasing something or being chased by the look of it. He dropped his bags by the car and jogged to the pavement, looking in the direction she'd been running to find her stopped at a traffic light, the cars driving past blocking her from her destination.

He called her name and she spun on her heel, her chest still heaving.

"Derek, hi."

"Hi, what are you doing?"

"I'm running, or I was. This damn traffic light won't change colour," she complained.

"But why?"

"I'm late. And I left my car at the hospital yesterday because I went home with Charlie and he had to go to work for some meeting and couldn't take me. And then I missed the bus, so now I'm running to work," she rambled.

"That's quite a story," he chuckled.

"Uh huh, so if you don't mind. I have five minutes to run several miles, I'll see you around," she said, turning back around.

"Woah, hold on. Let me drive you. With the way you're going it looks like I've got to go that way anyway," he told her. He never past the hospital on his way to training, but it was still the right general direction.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah of course. I'm not just going to drive to work by myself knowing you literally have to sprint there, not a chance," he said, shaking his head.

"Thank you," she smiled.

"Not a problem, come on, my car's back here," he said, pointing behind him.

She followed him back to his Porsche and watched him load some sport bag into it (she had never watched cricket in her life, what did she know?) and slid into the passenger seat.

"You know, I'm sorry I said you couldn't be world famous at anything the other day, I didn't realise that you were- Or that you played for- I'm just sorry," she rambled.

"It's fine. How did you figure it out?" he laughed.

"My sister told me."

"You told your sister about me?" he smirked.

"Not what you were meant to take away from that," she said with a roll of her eyes, making him smile.

"Don't worry about it. It's not like I'm really world famous anyway, you'd only know who I was if you watched cricket," he shrugged, "not a lot of people recognise cricketers."

"It's better than being hounded by press all the time though, I would hate that."

Derek gave her a side glance before looking back at the road, he was right about her.

"Yeah, that was never the reason I wanted to play sport professionally, it's just what I wanted to do."

They continued to talk until Derek swung the car into a parking spot as close to the hospital doors as he could.

"Next time call me if you need a lift."

"You're a taxi service now?" she smirked.

"You know what I mean," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Thanks Der, you can do the same if you ever find yourself needing to run to training," she said.

"But I don't have your number," he smirked.

"This again?"

"We could be friends you know. I never said I wanted to date you," he replied, a hint of a smile on his face.

"I'd like that," she smiled, "I'll text you."

"See you later Mer," he grinned.

"Bye Derek," she replied, then slammed the door shut and ran into the hospital.

xxxxx

Later that day, Meredith found herself texting Derek on and off when she got the chance, she thought they would be good friends, he was nice and they got on well together. She sat down for lunch opposite Lexie and pulled out her phone when she heard it ping.

"Who are you texting?"

"No one."

"Who's no one?"

"Derek."

"You're texting Derek?!" Lexie shouted.

"Keep your voice down. It's not a big deal, we're being friends."

"You're friends?" she said, sounding unconvinced, "when did that happen?"

"This morning, he drove me to work."

Lexie's mind was reeling, her sister was making no sense.

"What do you mean he drove you to work?"

"I left my car at the hospital and he saw me run past so he stopped me and said he would take me to work," she shrugged.

"Why didn't Charlie take you?"

"He had an early meeting."

"So you're telling me that Derek Shepherd drove you to work out of the kindness of his heart because your boyfriend couldn't take you, then suggested you should be friends, and now you're texting him?"

"Yep."

"Wow, I don't even know what to say to that."

"Then don't say anything," Meredith quipped.

"If you're going to be friends then you're going to have to learn the rules of cricket," Lexie smirked, "and I know exactly who can help you."

She then proceeded to point her finger at herself.

"But only if you let me meet him."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because otherwise I won't teach you the rules of cricket and you'll look like an idiot and be embarrassed."

"You have yourself a deal."

xxxxx

The next day, Meredith fixed a time with Derek to meet him at the bar at Lexie's request, informing him that she would be coming. He replied saying he would bring his brother, some guy called Mark. When she told Lexie, she nearly squealed in excitement.

"Jeez relax a little, what's the big deal?"

"Mark plays for Surrey too, and England, he's one of the best batsmen in the league," she explained.

"I thought Derek was the best batsman," Meredith replied.

"No, he's one of the best bowlers. He's not a bad batsman but he's further down the line-up."

"Right," Meredith nodded, taking this information on board.

They crossed the street after their shift, noting the two men as they walked through Joe's door.

"Hey," Derek grinned.

"Hey, this is Lexie, my sister. Or half-sister," she said, introducing her.

"It's nice to meet you Lexie," Derek smiled.

"The pleasure's all mine, I'm a big cricket fan so I admire both of you as players," she said, including Mark into the conversation, who was looking at her with interest.

"Right, sorry. Meredith, Lexie, this is Mark," Derek said.

"Nice to meet you, but you two look nothing alike," Meredith observed.

The two men shared a gleeful look before Derek explained.

"Mark's parents died when he was young, through some twist of fate my own parents were able to adopt him, so we've been brothers for a while now."

"I'm sorry about your parents."

"Don't be, they were crap parents, the Shepherds have always been my family," Mark shrugged.

"You a cricketer yourself Lexie?" he enquired, turning back to the previous conversation.

"No," she chuckled, "I'm not that good. I'm a surgeon, first year."

"Interesting. If I buy you a drink will you tell me more?" Mark asked, nodding towards the bar, away from where they were sat in one of the booths.

"Sure," Lexie grinned.

The two of them edged out of their seats and headed towards the bar, leaving Derek and Meredith by themselves.

"For the record, she did want to meet you, but apparently Mark is more interesting," she laughed.

"Well she seems nice. But that happens a lot, I should have known Mark would hit on your sister, he's like that," Derek replied.

"A manwhore?" she giggled.

"Yeah," he chuckled, "but he's a good guy. He's had my back since I was a little kid, I think you have to get to know him to understand it."

"What made you friends?"

"I was scrawny as a little kid, and Mark took it as his personal duty to protect me from the bullies of first grade," Derek laughed.

"I can see that," Meredith laughed.

"I don't know if that's complimenting Mark or insulting me," he replied.

"Neither, it just makes sense in my mind's eye. Plus how can you not be scrawny as a first grader," she giggled.

"I guess that's true," he chuckled, "but I'm a lot more mature than him. I'm just saying."

"Meaning you don't have meaningless one-night stands?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Exactly, or at least the majority of the time. It's kind of hard to have a relationship with someone when you don't even know how to contact them."

"So you're a relationship guy, good to know," she nodded, "although it's pretty obvious."

"How is it obvious?" he asked.

"The vibe," she giggled.

"Oh how could I forget, now it makes total sense," he laughed.

They talked long into the night before they both called it a day and went their separate ways, both of them hoping they could see the other again before too long.