Chapter 2

"Karev, Yang, O'Malley! Where the hell have you been? Rounds started 5 minutes ago!" Bailey questioned them as they left the locker rooms. "And where is Grey? Stevens I understand, but if Grey doesn't show up before it's time fore her to present there will be hell to pay!"

As Dr. Bailey, Christina, Alex, and Gorge crowded around a patients bed, she asked who was presenting.

"I am!" Christina said.

"Go ahead then Dr. Yang" Dr Bailey remarked.

"Ok, Mrs Paterson, admitted after collapsing, her vitals are stable and her BP is back to normal. But an MRI shows a tumour on her lower intestine, judging on its shape it looks benign, but its growing of any artery causing blood loss."

"Good work Yang, book an OR for this morning, then prep her for surgery. Once you've done that you can scrub in."

Christina nodded in acknowledgement and went of to book an OR, as Bailey and the others moved onto the next room, where Dr. Shepard was waiting.

"Who's presenting?" Demanded Dr. Bailey.

Alex and George remained silent.

"Where the hell is Grey?" Asked Dr. Bailey storming off.

Alex and George followed her but Dr. Shepard pulled George aside.

"George, can you please tell me where Meredith is?" George made movements to get away, but Derek held onto his arm, "Please?"

"No, I can't" He replied sounding stressed.

"Please, I need to check that she's ok."

"Ok?" George said shifting his weight from one foot to another, "Why, what happened?"

"Nothing, nothing happened George, she had a rough night, that's all" Derek said.

""She had a rough night? Meredith?" George questioned in disbelief, "Meredith? What about her friend, Izzy? She didn't have a rough night?" His voice was rising, "And no, I can't tell you where Meredith is because I don't know, she didn't come home last night. Her friend needed her and she wasn't there!" He was almost shouting.

"George, calm down" Derek said as he tried to move George to the side of the corridor, away from the staring faces.

"No, No! I will not calm down" George yelled, then he turned and marched off down the hall, in the direction that Bailey had disappeared in.

Dr. Shepard was left standing there, with an astounded look on his face, looking around he could see the faces of everyone round looking at him in complete silence. When they saw he was looking they all sprung into action.

'Great' He thought, 'Every time someone yells at me lately, everyone is round to watch.' And with that in mind he turned and walked off in the other direction.

Derek came to a stop outside a closed door and knocked quietly, there was no answer so he opened the door a crack and looked in. He could see Meredith lying on the bed, sound asleep with her prom dress spread out looking so peaceful. With the smile on his face that he always got when he saw Meredith, he went in and sat next to her on the edge of the bed.

"Meredith" Derek whispered in her ear, "Meredith, you need to wake up now." He continued as he brushed the loose strands of hair off her face.

She stirred, while he continued to run his hands through her hair, remembering how good it felt, and smelt for that matter, the scent of lavender evoked pleasant memories.

"Derek, what are you…Why am I here?" She asked noticing her surroundings.

"You didn't go home last night, you must have slept here." He replied.

"Oh god, what time is it?" Meredith looked at her watch, "No, I'm late, I have to go." She said as she went to stand.

"Wait" Derek said as he stopped her, "You probably don't want to go out dressed like that, I can go and get your scrubs if you would like."

Meredith noticed that she was still wearing her prom dress, and nodded in acceptance to Derek's offer, with a slightly apologetic smile.

As he stood to leave with a short laugh, Meredith, filled with a sudden desire to know, asked him, "Did you mean what you said last night, about loving me?"

Derek turned back to face her and while looking her straight in the eyes answered: "Yes, everything I said I meant All I want is you, all I want to do is make this all up to you. I made a huge mistake. I know I don't deserve you, but I want you, I need you."

Meredith nodded. This was becoming a regular action of hers, she seemed constantly lost for words. Derek hesitated then turned around and went out into the corridor, shutting the door behind him.

Meredith sat back down in a daze. He had just declared his love to her and all she could think about is the way he looked at her. Like she was the only thing he ever saw, which just made her love him even more. She knew this was bad and that he hurt her before, he broke her. But all she could see was his face looking at her, his smile, speaking the words she longed to hear. He loved her! He told her, outright, not that he missed her, or that he wanted her, that he loved her. With that in her mind Meredith was suddenly filled with the desire to be happy again, to feel the touch of someone who loved her.

The door opened a crack and Derek slipped back in holding a pair of her scrubs, his eyes smiling.

Meredith stood up and with a faint smile and walked around him and locked the door.

Turning back to face him she said, "You know this still isn't enough."

"But it's a start?" Derek questioned as he moved closer to her with their look on his face.

Enthralled by his eyes she responded in a barely audible whisper as she stepped in to kiss her, "It's a start."

He wrapped his arms around Meredith, still kissing her, and ran his fingers through her hair. He pressed her up against the wall, and they kissed each other with all the passion and lust they had kept stored up for the past months and hadn't released last night. Derek started to lift Meredith's dress off over her head while kissing her neck then moving down to her chest. Every time he kissed her the more he wanted to again, the more he loved her. He moved away from the wall, and collapsed with her onto the bed. As Meredith was slowly unbuttoning his pants she realised how right it felt and whispered in his ear "I love you".

She felt Derek hesitate then once it had sunk in; he continued to kiss her all over with even more passion then before.

Lying there in his arms Meredith absently ran her fingers through his hair. God how she had missed the feeling of lying in someone's arms completely at ease.

This feeling didn't last for nearly long enough as, Derek while tracing circles on her back, softly asked her, "Did I tell you I'm leaving Addison?"

At this Meredith froze, Derek's mention of his wife brought her crashing back to earth, reminding her of the fact Derek had a wife.

As she stood up, disentangling herself from Derek, taking a sheet with her, he blurted out, "Oh, Meredith. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"No, stop! You called me a whore, and now I'm a dirty mistress again. And on top of that all now I'm a home-wreaker."

He tried to grab her hand, but she pulled away from him.

"When I called you a whore I was out of line, I was jealous. I had no right. I'm sorry for that, I never meant to hurt you. Secondly, I never saw you as my mistress, you were the woman I loved, and if you will let me, I want you to be that again. And you are not a home-wreaker; Addison and I were over well before you, before Mark even, and I told Addison last night."

Hurriedly putting her scrubs and doing her hair up, she muttered, "I…I have to go, I'm late".

As she slipped out into the hall to go and find Bailey, she left Derek sitting there with a new resolve.

'He would get Meredith Grey back, no matter what it took or how long. He would have her once again.'

A/N: Ok so here is the second chapter, which was originally part of the 1st chapter. Again reviews are welcome and needed – please. Please say which bits you like (if there are any ) and any criticisms you have, they are greatly appreciated.