Author's Note: Are you all getting nervous? Scared that Finn will permanently steal Meredith's heart? There's lots more to come...don't worry. Would I leave you hanging? Thanks for the reviews. They have been great!

Chapter Five: Not That Easy

The day after.

The day after is usually one of three things: Embarrassment, wonder and last, but certainly not least, regret. It is easy to get caught up in a single moment, get carried away by a look, a touch, a feeling and when one goes with either of those thingswithout clearly thinking about the situation and what will happen after, things tend to get sticky.

Regret is one of those things that people wish they had thought about a lot sooner and can't understand why they didn't think before acting. Regret is sneaky and its symptoms tend to hide in certain catch phrases like 'I'll deal with it later', or 'what will it hurt?', or 'it just felt so right'."

When one finally takes the time to analyze what they have done they realize that had they thought about said 'thing', they would have been better off at home knitting or cleaning the toilet—because then they wouldn't be in the current situation that is making them half mad.

Today was one of those days for Meredith Grey.She had started her evening rounds at six. She and Cristina had been assigned a patient who with severe epilepsy, who needed to be monitoredin fifteen minute intervals. George was off with Dr. Baily and Alex was with Addison doing a routine tubal ligation.

It was only nine p.m. and Meredith had run into Derek at least twice an hour. He tried to talk and she tried to walk away without causing a scene. She felt as though every nurse, intern and doctor and even the patients were staring at her. She was self-conscious and nervous, which made for unsteady hands–not a good reputation to have in a hospital—and blubbering mouth—also not good in the hospital setting.

"-----and then he told me that he wants to be with me." Meredith explained with a shake of her head. "What do I say to that? He knows what happened at the Prom—he knew and he still took me home and wants to be with me. What's wrong with me? Why can't I just jump into his arms and live happily ever after with my McVet?" She complained.

"I don't know what's wrong with you—it must be serious." Izzy chastised lightly. "You are crazy if you go back to Derek after you've met someone as wonderful as Finn. If I didn't love Denny so much I'd give him to you." She joked.

"Can I have your leftovers?"

The blond raised her eyebrows and gave a wicked grin. "Trust me–there won't be any leftovers. Anyway, I don't share."

"Too bad for me."

"You better believe it. I finally got it right, didn't I"? She grinned happily.

"You sure did, Iz."

"So what are you going to do?" Izzy asked as they rounded a corner.

"I don't know." And the truth was that she didn't. No matter how wonderful of a man Finn was, no matter what he promised her, it still wouldn't change the way she felt about Derek. He could give her the moon and stars and she'd probably still be thinking about McDreamy.

"Mer, did you see the way that Addison looked at you when you got back to the dance?" Izzy whispered as they walked along. Her eyes widened and she tipped her head closer to Meredith's. "It was like the She-Shepard knew exactly what you were doing in the on-call room. She must be psychic or something." She decided with a shake of her head.

"I feel so guilty. I'm a dirty mistress." Meredith mumbled. Suddenly she stopped walking and grabbed onto Izzy's lab coat. "Do you think I'm a dirty mistress?"

Izzy tipped her head and gave her friend a sad smile. "No, I don't. You love him, Mer. Nothing is going to change that. Even though he hurts you time and time again, you still love him and I really wish that you didn't because I hate to see you hurting like this—but if he's really what you want than I'll support you a hundred percent." She reached out and rubbed Meredith's shoulder supportively.

"Thanks Izzy." It had brought a genuine smile a least.

"Now—" Izzy said, in reference to the previous question, as they started walking again. "A dirty tramp, maybe—but definitely not a dirty mistress."

GREYSGREYSGREYSGREYSGREYSGREYSGREYSGREYSGREYSGREYSGREYSGREYSGREY

She and Izzy stopped by to check on Izzy's newly acquired fiancee, Denny Duquette on their way to the lab. Meredith loved Denny–his sleepy doe eyes, his southern drawl, the way his eyes lit up when he saw her friend, his kindness—it was all part of the wonderfulness that made Denny who he was—and now he was marrying her best friend.

Part of her wanted to cry every time she saw the two together because it reminded her—painfully—of the way that Derek used to look at her when they were together—with love, tenderness and that special twinkle in blue eyes that could connect with hers from twenty feet away and set her heart thumping. But the other part—the best friend part—made her be happy for her friend because she deserved nothing less.

"Hello handsome." Izzy said as they walked into the room. She walked over to the bed and leaned down to give him a tender kiss. "You been missing me?"

"You're lucky I got a new heart, woman. The old one couldn't handle being without you."He grinned, reaching up to grab a handful of her hair and pull her down for another kiss.

"Denny—" She feigned prudence. "You're going to get me in trouble."

"Ya, but at least I'll marry you before he or she is born." He joked. He had a great sense of humor. "And just think—it'll give everyone else around here something to talk about."

Meredith couldn't believe how great his color was—how alert he seemed— after one day of having his new heart. He was a new man and anyone could tell that he not only appreciated the chance to live—he reveled in it.

"Hello Doc."He acknowledged Meredith who stood in the doorway. "Aren't I the luckiest man in the world?" He looked at Izzy with such passion and longing that it nearly made her blush.

"You sure are." Meredith smiled. "How are you feeling today, Denny?"

He glanced at his bride to be. "Like a million bucks, Doc. Like a million bucks."

"Good. I'm glad to hear it." She waved the chart she was holding to Izzy. "I'm just gonna go down to the lab and get this out of the way. You two visit and I'll be back in a few minutes."

Izzy nodded. "Thanks. I'll meet you in the break room in a bit and we can finish our conversation."

"Sure thing." She turned to leave. "See you later Denny. You look great."

"Thanks, Doc."

She was halfway down the hall when she heard her name. Damn! Was there no one in the entire hospital who needed some kind of emergency surgery? Or perhaps an arm bandaged or maybe there was a floor that needed washing? She didn't stop, didn't look behind her, just headed toward the side door that would take her to the stairs.

"Meredith!"

It clanged loudly as she pushed hard and took the steps two at a time. Hell, it was only four floors down. How long would it take? She jogged on, ridiculously aware that running away was not the answer––but couldn't stop herself.

She heard the steel door hit the wall with a clang for a second time, then her name again.

"Meredith! Wait up!"

"No!" She shouted, looking up at him. He wore the most curious expression–anger mixed with hurt and little dash of amusement as well. "Go away!" He looked sexy today, she mused, as she turned her back again. Annoyed with herself for even thinking it—when she should not have been thinking about how hot he looked in that damn blue scrub outfit––she continued on her way.

"I need to talk to you–can't you just stop running?" He joined in, taking the steps three at a time, desperate to catch up with her. He had things to say, dammit! She at least had to hear him out. She'd been pining away for him for a full year and when the time came that he was ready to commit to her she ran away. His anger and desperation sped up along with his heart rate as he tried to catch her.

"I said go away!" She called again.

"Meredith!" This time he was angry. "Just stop! I need to talk to you!"

She continued on, careless of the fact that one of her shoe laces had come undone. She had hit the third landing when she tripped and fell hard against the concrete, landing on her arm. She knew it wasn't broken, but it hurt like hell.

"Awwwwwww." She cried out. "Awwww! Awwwwww!"

His legs, which were long and fast, descended down the rest of the steps at lightning speed until it seemed only likes seconds before he was there crouching down beside her. "Honey, where does it hurt?"

My heart—that's where it hurts----because you broke it. Jackass!

"That's a stupid question." She gritted out between clenched teeth as she tried to deal with the throbbing pain that had moved up into her shoulder. "Can you please go away now?" She laid her head on the cool concrete and closed her eyes.

This is really embarrassing. I'm a dirty mistress and I'm lying on a concrete floor because I'm running away from the man who made me a dirty mistress.

He gave her an impatient, although slightly amused look. "I think you sprained your arm, Mer. Do you really want me to leave you on the stairwell and just walk away?"

She lifted her head and gave him a dirty look. "Don't call me 'Mer'. You don't get to call me that name." She laid her head down again. "Not anymore."

He stood. "Okay. Fine. You win."

"What does that mean?"

"You don't want to talk to me. I get that. I just thought that we should talk about what happened between us last night. But obviously you are----"

She cut him off. "I'm what? Too upset?" She snapped. " Too emotional to deal with the fact that we had sex—with your wife and my boyfriend down the hall—which was terrible of us by the way—is that what you're trying to say? That I'm not capable of carrying on a conversation just because I'm lying on the floor in a less than ladylike position----with an arm that feels like it's going to fall off?"

"Actually—" He said wryly. "I was going to say 'in too much pain', but what you said works too."

"Oh."

"Ya." He bent down again. "So, do you want help or do you want me to get Dr. Stevens for you?"

"I think you've helped me quite enough."

He was hurt but he knew that he deserved it. She was upset and she had every right to be—but this time it was different for him—all she had to do was say the word and he'd sign the divorce papers and he'd never look at another woman again—all she had to do was say it.

"I'll get Dr. Stevens for you then." He said, knowing that now was not the time to make her talk. He'd only get yelled at. "But I want you to meet me as soon as you get off work in the morning. I'll wait for you at the front. We have to talk and I'm not letting you get away from me."

"Ya right." She mumbled. "You said that the first time around and look where it got me."