"So are you two dating?" Derek asked avoiding her eye, he really didn't want to know the answer because he already knew what it would be, but in keeping with his friends charade he had to ask and he had to listen to the answer.

"Yeah," she replied equally as nervous. She had finally cornered him after days of trying, and they were standing side-by-side on the overpass, looking through the glass window and out over Seattle.

"How long?" he added, gaining the confidence to lift his head and look her in the eye.

"A month this Tuesday," she answered with a faint smile.

"I'm happy for you Mer…really I am,"

"Oh don't lie," she rebutted.

"What?" He defended, "I am."

"Come on Derek, fist you left the bar without saying goodbye," she started.

"That was ages ago!" He defended, "I had an early start."

"Then you missed movie night- twice, we hardly walk together anymore and now you hardly talk to me, even when we are on cases together!" she stated getting emotional.

"Meredith, you're over reacting…I've just been busy. That's all." He stated taking all his strength and looking her in the eye. "How about dinner, next Thursday." He proposed, "It will give us time to catch up."

"Ok," she relented with a light smile, "Promise we are ok?"

"Promise." He stated with a smile.

"Good, I've missed you," she replied turning to head back down the hallway.

------------

"You going to survive?" Burke asked, after Derek told him about the scheduled dinner with Meredith.

"I have to…otherwise she will know something is up," Derek replied, as Burke leant over to the intercom and gave Christina a few pointers on the surgery she was doing. Her response was a glare through the observation glass which made Derek chuckle. "She is doing a good job."

"I know, I just can't let her know…yet," Burke replied with a sly grin, "Thinking she isn't perfect keeps her aiming for it. So are you going to tell her?"

"Who? Christina?" Derek asked, slightly dumbfounded.

"No, Meredith."

"What would I say? Sorry I can't have dinner with you because I'm in love with you…or…sorry we can't be friends because it's driving me insane? Somehow I don't think either would work so well, considering she is dating someone else…" Derek sighed.

"Hang in there," supported Burke, "You and Meredith…well…you are you and she is her…you two just are…" Burke replied, tying his words.

"Thanks," Derek replied flatly, "How insightful."

-------------

"You are you and she is her?" Christina asked with a questioning look on her face when Burke met her after the surgery in the scrub room, "You're meant to be the romantic out of us you know."

"How did…" He stuttered

"You didn't turn the intercom off," she replied with a smirk. "So McDreamy has it bad for Mer again?" she asked.

"Yeah," Burke admitted, "But you can't tell her…he doesn't want her to know," he added with a look of warning.

"My lips are sealed…so you thought I did a good job in there…" she added changing the subject and nudging him.

"Urgh!" he protested, "I'm never going to hear the end of this am I?" he replied as he tried to ignore her victory dance.

----------

"What's wrong with her?" whispered George as Meredith threw her things into the locker and slammed it shut.

"Derek just cancelled on their dinner?" Izzie replied.

"I thought she was with Sam?"

"She is…apparently Derek has not been holding up his end of their friendship lately and now he has cancelled on their plans," Izzie explained.

"I'm right here! I can here you…" Meredith huffed

"Mer, have you ever thought that maybe he cancelled because it was your anniversary on Tuesday and it might make it look bad if you go out with your ex two days after?"

"I guess." She sighed, "He did know it was our anniversary…why does this all have to be so hard?" she asked to know one but herself as she walked out of the room.

"Did you talk to him?" Izzie asked after Meredith had left.

"Yeah, I think he wanted to avoid the subject of her anniversary so I suggested pushing it back a week or so."

"Why wouldn't he want to talk about her anniversary?" Izzie asked, "They are friends."

George just gave her a questioning look as he turned to leave, "Think about it Iz," he replied as he left the room.

"Wait…What is going on" she called as the door swung closed.

--------

"You better make it up to her," Christina blurted out when she saw Sheppard at the nurses station.

"Make it up to who?" he asked obliviously.

"Meredith, she's driving us insane- she thinks your avoiding her."

"I am." He replied bluntly, "…hang on, you know…Burke told you?"

"Sort of, he left the intercom on by mistake," she winced. "But, seriously- you've got to make it up to her."

"Ok…" he sighed, "I'll think of something…" he continued, flipping the chart closed and walking down the hall.

---------

Late on Friday afternoon Derek caught the lift just as the doors were closing, "Didn't you hear me call out?" he asked in a huff.

"Yep," Meredith replied, "But I thought as you were obviously avoiding me, you wouldn't want to be alone in here with me." She replied, crossing her arms across her chest and starring at the roof.

"Well, you were wrong…I've been looking for you all day." He replied, when she didn't say anything in return he continued, "I was going to invite you and Sam over for a barbeque on Sunday, there is quite a large group coming…but if you don't want to…"

"No, I would love to!" she beamed, her entire body language changing, "I'll check with Sam and let you know." She continued as they stepped out of the lift together, "Hang on, there he is…I'll introduce you." She continued, tugging him towards the blonde man waiting in the foyer.

He followed and watched as the man bent down and kissed her on the cheek, walking up behind them Derek waited to be introduced. She soon spun around and reached out for him, "Sam, this is Derek Sheppard and Derek this is my boyfriend Sam Atwell."

After the two men had shook hands, Meredith continued, "Derek has invited us for a barbeque on Sunday…you free?"

"Yeah, that sounds great," Sam replied, "What can we bring?"

"Umm, a salad would be good- everything else is sorted," he replied as his pager went off. "Sorry, I've got to get this," he continued, "Come anytime after eleven." He called over his shoulder as he headed towards the stairs, thankful for the interruption.

---------

"Are you going to survive?" Burke asked, patting Derek on the shoulder as they watched Meredith and Sam walk towards the trailer, hand in hand.

"I'd rather have her friendship than nothing at all…so I guess I will have to," Derek replied as he stood up to greet them.

"Hi!" He smiled as he shook hands with Sam and kissed Meredith on the cheek, "Glad you could make it."

"Hi." and "thanks for the invite." Came their replies, "Where can I put this?" asked Sam, referring to the large salad bowel he was carrying.

"Fridge, inside." Derek directed, he was about to lead him in to the trailer when another car pulled into the drive and he hesitated.

"I'll show him, you greet your guests," offered Meredith with a smile as she headed inside.

As she stepped over the threshold she glanced around, nothing has changed, she thought to herself having not been inside since before Addison arrived.

Looking back through the window she caught sight of Derek hugging another woman, she could only see her long black hair curling around her shoulders. The pang of jealousy in her gut came as a surprise, she knew she wasn't over Derek completely, but she didn't even know who this woman was.

Sam came up behind her playfully bumping her aside, "Move over rover," he joked, walking past her and to the fridge.

"Oh, don't put on that shelf," she stated reaching forward and taking the bowl from him, "It's a little wobbly," she continued moving some of the other contents and placing it on another shelf. As she turned around he caught her in a kiss, she was caught off-guard for a few seconds before pulling away. "Sam!" she stated a little angrily before regaining her composure, "We can't…he is my boss."

"It's not my fault I can't resist you," he playfully retorted with a mischievous grin.

"Come on…" she sighed with a laugh, "Let's get out there."

------------

Later, everyone was having a great time- the guys had migrated to the barbeque; Derek was inside getting drinks with the dark haired woman who had been introduced as his friend, Sally, while the girls were sitting chatting on the deck.

"I can see why you loved it out here Mer," Izzie sighed as she stretched out in the deck chair, enjoying the warm sun.

"Izzie!" Meredith replied in a harsh whisper.

As a quick glance passed between the girls Christina caught on, "Sam doesn't know about Derek, does he? You haven't told him!"

"I have told him…" Meredith stuttered

"What did you tell him?" Izzie asked her voice low.

"He knows the whole story…That Derek was married and broke my heart…" she stuttered.

"Does he know it's that Derek, the one he is laughing and joking with…your boss Derek?" Izzie asked, knowing Meredith well enough to know that they weren't getting the whole story.

"…Not exactly…" Meredith sighed, "I never got around to telling him and then Derek blurted this invite out and I didn't think before accepting…" she admitted, "But he does know Derek and I are friends…and that we walk together sometimes…"

"You've got to tell him," Izzie stated.

"No she doesn't…" Interjected Christina, "It's not like anyone here is going to say anything about it, we are already walking on eggshells around the three of them anyway…"

"I'll tell him," conceded Meredith, looking at Izzie- before he gaze shifted to Christina, "Just not today."

---------

"How do you know your way around this kitchen so well?" Sam asked as he watched Meredith directing George around the small space as the two of them finished getting the salads ready.

"Good layout…I guess…" she stuttered in reply, turning her back on Sam as George scurried outside. "Ooh we can start, Bailey and Tucker are finally here…" she continued, changing the subject as she followed George out the door.

--------

They all had a great time and stayed late into the afternoon, eating, drinking and chatting. Meredith had watched intently as Derek had walked Sally to her car and hugged her good-bye, laughing at a joke she had obviously made. The pang of jealousy returned when he leaned in and gave her another hug, kissing her on the cheek again before she got in her car and drove away.

As the group started to pack up and leave, Meredith approached Derek, "Thanks for today" she grinned, leaning in and giving him a hug. "It was nice to be back," she whispered in his ear, sending chills down his spine.

He quickly retreated when he saw Sam looking on; "Thanks for coming," he smiled, having gained his composure once again.

"You still owe me a dinner," she stated with a raised eyebrow, "We hardly got a chance to talk, you were playing a good host too well."

"Yeah, sure." He replied, "Soon".

"Promise?" she asked, slightly pouting.

"Promise," he smiled, unable to resist her face.

She had just about reached the car when she turned and called, "Walk tomorrow?"

With his back turned he winced slightly, having hoped she would forget, "Sure…tomorrow," he called back waving good-bye to her.

----------

Meredith leaned over and accepted a kiss from Sam, as she got into the car. "Was that the Derek?" he asked, a serious look on his face.

"Yes…sorry," she sighed, sorry for the obvious hurt she had caused him.

"Are you over him?" he asked, turning away to start the car.

"Yes…I think so…we are just friends now," she replied, forcing herself to meet his eye.

"Ok…" he sighed. "I wish you would have told me."

"Sorry," she repeated reaching over to take his free hand in hers, relieved when he smiled and gave it a squeeze.

-----------

A/N

Well I hope you enjoyed it, to answer a few questions- yes it is going to be a M/D fanfict eventually, as I have said before- it is how I hope the show turns out.

Thanks for all your comments and reviews! I love any kind of feedback (hinthint!)

Mwa