"Ok so I am totally kissing the chiefs ass!" Christina says conspiringly to the group as the chiefs retreats.
Merediths pager interrupts the conversation, Derek is paging her, their patients labs are in. "Oh," she says as she gets up to leave, "I said Derek could crash over the weekend…something about his trailer foundations needing attention,"
While Izzie and George share a glance but agree, Christina asks the question everyone wanted to, "Does Sam know?" A look of disbelief in her eye.
Meredith turned on her heel and walked back towards the group, "Not yet, I'm going to tell him when my shift is over…I only just offered…" she replied defensively, catching the other glance between her peers, "We are friends." She reiterates with a smile, "Friends help each other out," she continued before running out of view.
"Friends my ass," states Christian with a mouthful of bread.
Izzie leans back in her chair fiddling with her water bottle as she contemplates the new information, 'going…'she thinks to herself.
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That evening Sam, Izzie and George sat around the table together opening the hot pizza Sam had picked up, "They were just changing when we left," Izzie said to Sam as she put plates around the table, "Shouldn't be too long now."
Moments later Meredith crashed through the door laughing, Derek not far behind. From their place at the table the rest of the household could only watch as they shook the rain from themselves and Derek helped Meredith with her coat. "Hey…it's pouring out there," she said as she moved towards the rest of the group. "Sam, you remember Derek, right?"
"Sure." Sam replied, smiling in an attempt to hide his confusion as he got up to shake Derek's hand.
"Hey," Derek greeted as he shook his hand and took a seat at the table.
Catching Sam's eye Meredith stated, "Oh, Derek's crashing here over the weekend." She explained.
"Oh, what's up at yours?" Sam asked, a slight glare taking over his smile.
"With all the rain over the winter, the land has gotten really soggy," Derek started before taking a bite of his slice, "Which is fine if my trailers foundations had initially set properly, but they didn't…so it's now slowly sliding down the hill and cracking up all the decking in the process." He finished with a smile, hoping to ease the rising tension in the room.
Oblivious Meredith asked, "Which way is it sliding, towards the lake or more towards Sunrise Valley?"
Derek couldn't help but grin a little at Meredith's statement as he recalled a morning he and Meredith had spent together. He had been trying to orientate her as to where they were in relation to the hospital; she eventually caught on and in the process named the valley on the south side of his trailer that the sunrise seemed to fill in the early mornings. "Oh the lake," he answered, "Which is why I needed to get it fixed ASAP," he laughed.
The evening continued almost pleasantly, with Sam politely, but obviously, ignoring Derek as much as possible. After cleaning up and getting out a comforter for Derek, Meredith excused herself for bed, Sam then bid Izzie and George goodnight and followed her towards the stairs. The others watched as he put his arms around her waist as they began to ascend, only to have her shrug them off.
"Three…two…one," George counted quietly as Meredith and Sam entered her bedroom and started fighting. The first line of her attack was heard before Derek switched the TV on, droning out the sound of their voices.
Meanwhile upstairs…
"What the hell was all that about?" Meredith all but yelled as soon as Sam slammed the door behind them.
"I could ask you the same thing!" He retaliated, "I'm your boyfriend, he is your ex- when was that ever going to be ok?"
"You're my boyfriend, you're in my house, with my roommates and my friend…" she spat at him, suddenly conscious of the audience downstairs as the murmurings of the TV rose.
"He is your ex!" he reiterated, "You were all over each other!" his voice still raised.
"When?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him in disbelief as she crossed her arms cover her chest and waited for his reply. "We were at opposite ends of the table, how were we meant to be all over each other?"
"When you came in."
"It was pissing down outside and we were sharing an umbrella!" she retorted quickly.
"At the table." He counted, "What's with all the trailer talk?"
"His home is unsafe and sliding down a hill," she retorted in disbelief.
"Why is he even here?" He finalized, squaring his body off to hers.
"Because he is my friend"
"He is your ex!"
Because he is my friend and because I asked him." She stated her stare unfaltering. "Maybe you should leave."
"What so you can go play happy families with that scumbag!" He answered grabbing his coat and swinging the door open.
She slammed it quickly behind him as he made his way loudly down the stairs and out the front door, ignoring the stares from the three on the couch.
"Maybe I should go…" Derek suggested after the group recovered from Sam's shock departure.
"No…you heard her, you're her friend. Stay." Izzie said as she and George headed up the stairs towards their rooms. George patted Dereks shoulder as he passed, and once again Izzie thought to herself, 'going…'
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Later that night Derek rolled over on the small couch, he couldn't get comfortable and his mind was racing with the evening's events, his body falling silent as he heard an upstairs door creak followed by light footsteps on the stairs. Seconds later he heard a sniff as the person passed behind him and headed to the kitchen, he was unsure whether to say anything when the kitchen light was switched on and he caught sight of Meredith opening the fridge. He listened intently as she moved about the kitchen getting herself a glass of milk, when he heard her sniff again he couldn't help but talk to her. "You always were on for milk at midnight," he said breaking the silence with a light smile.
"I couldn't sleep," she replied in the direction of the couch as he sat up. "Sorry about earlier…with Sam…I"
"It's ok," he interrupted, "Come sit," he continued, reaching a hand out towards her.
She sat beside him and leant against his shoulder as he wrapped a protective arm around her, "It was bad," she started.
They talked for hours; he listened as she recited their fight and countlessly apologized for seemingly being the cause of it. She however insisted that it wasn't his fault and that she didn't want him to worry about it. At some point in time she laid her head on his leg, stretching out over the couch while he stroked her hair mindlessly. They had been in a comfortable silence for a few minutes when she asked, "Can you lay down…I just want to be held."
Wordlessly he moved behind her on the couch and covered them both with a blanket, she sensed his awkwardness as to where to put his arms, she caught his hand in hers and wrapped it tightly around herself, while she laid her head laid on the other. "Thank you." She whispered as they fell into an easy sleep.
The next morning, as the sun was rising, Izzie crept down the stairs as to not wake Derek. "Going…" she thought to herself when she saw Meredith fast asleep curled up in Dereks arms.
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Derek woke before Meredith the next morning; he could smell her hair before he even opened his eyes, it was one of the things he missed most about being more than friends with her. Wanting to skip the awkward 'good mornings', he kissed the back of her head lightly before slipping out from behind her and heading to the kitchen.
"Morning," he greeted Izzie who was bent over reading the newspaper.
"Sleep well?" She questioned with a grin.
"Yes, I did thank you," his reply equaling her sarcasm as he pored himself a cup.
"You still love her, don't you?" Izzie asked in hushed tones with a glance towards the couch to check Meredith was still asleep.
"Who told you?" he asked his voice slightly above a whisper.
"You." She answered simply with a pleased grin, "But don't worry I already guessed…it's kind of obvious."
"Oh," he replied grinning guiltily as he looked up from his mug of steaming coffee.
"Don't worry…she is clueless, truly believes the two of you are friends."
"So do I," he convincingly stated, "I would just rather be more." His head dropping as he admitted the last part.
After gulping down the rest of his coffee after greeting a disheveled looking George, Derek went to grab his coat to leave, "Where are you going?" Questioned Izzie, "I thought you had the day off."
"I do," he replied, "I just thought I would get out of here…let her…do what ever she does…" he replied as he ran a hand through his hair and looked at her sleeping form.
"Uh ah…no you don't!" George replied shaking a finger at Derek, "We played the 'cheer up Mer game' for a long time after what happened with you two last year, now it's your turn…it is part of the friend-thing."
"Well you are her friends too, and your more experienced…" Derek defended.
"And we will help you," Interjected Izzie, "But she will be worse if she thinks you snuck out on her."
After a second of contemplation Derek agreed, not that he had much choice as Izzie and George were blocking his escape route.
When they finally all got out of the house later that morning Meredith, as expected, was in a bad mood. She had skipped breakfast, hardly spoke and it had taken Izzie forty minutes to talk her into coming out with them all.
As they headed towards the car, Meredith moved to sit in the front seat, taking his opportunity Derek dashed forward and grabbed the handle as she tried to open the door. "Derek," she whined.
"What?" he asked, "I'm the guest- you're meant to be nice to the guest and I want the front seat," He protested.
"It's my car!" she counted, her voice raising a little.
"So?" he questioned, holding the handle tightly and bumping her with his hip.
She bumped back into him, trying her best to push him out of the way- although her tiny body was not succeeding.
"Derek! Just move!" she said getting frustrated.
"NO!" he replied, sticking his tongue out at her and cracking a smile.
"Very mature," she replied trying her best to maintain her straight face, but failing miserably. She broke and smiled- her first proper one for the day.
"Ooh, is that a smile Dr Grey?" he teased. "I do believe I have won," he announced to George and Izzie who were watching his antics from the stairs with amused faces. However as he bent to take a bow Meredith moved to get into the front seat, knowing what she was going to try he turned quickly and caught her as she stepped up into the jeep. "No you don't," he laughed, picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder.
With her laughing in hysterics, he stepped away from the car and spun in circles a few times before opening the back door and releasing her onto the seat- pinning her down as she tried to escape. After she relented and he managed to get the door shut he turned to get into his victorious front seat, only to find Izzie sitting in it with the door locked.
"Oh not fair," he exasperated as Meredith laughed from the backseat.
Turning he crawled into the back seat and ceremoniously pouted, crossing his arms over his chest to add to the effect.
"Aww, poor baby," Meredith teased as George turned out of the driveway.
Izzie watched Meredith slide over next to Derek through the rear-view-mirror; 'Gone' she thought to herself as she watched Meredith tuck her arm into Dereks and lay her head on his shoulder.