A/N Don't hate me for this ending but it fit perfectly with the song I wanted to use for the title.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters associated with Grey's Anatomy. They are the Property of ABC Media and Shonda Rhimes.
Note: Title is from the song "Here Without You" by 3 Doors Down. Kinda tells you what is going to happen.
Title: Here Without You
George sat on the end of the bed as a shrill constant beep filled the room. Tears slowly slide down his cheeks as he stared at the floor. He could feel the gaze of everyone in the room on him.
Why had this happened? What had he done to deserve this? What had she done?
"I'm so sorry," George heard one of the Nurses say. He couldn't remember her name but she had blonde hair.
George just nodded and stared at the floor crying.
(flashback)
"I have to go out George," Meredith called to him. They had been together for two wonderful years. And George was going to propose tonight, "I'm all out of Apple Juice and we need more Kleenex."
"Alright," George called after her. It was good that she was going out shopping. It gave him time to actually cook the dinner that he had been planning for the longest time. Ever since their first Date Meredith had fallen in love with Greek Food. So he was making her a Greek feast.
"I'll be back later this evening," Meredith said, "I'm going to go visit Izzie and Denny. Izzie's due in 2 months."
"Send her my regards," George yelled from the kitchen, "Love you honey," he shouted after her. She replied with the same phrase and then left the house.
George sent to cooking his fabulous meal all the while he fingered the engagement ring he had in his pocket. Would he have the courage to do this tonight? Or would he put it off again like he did last time. He took a deep breath and then went back to making the Spanakopita.
George sat at the table and waited. And waited. And waited. Meredith still wasn't home yet. He was worrying as he looked up at the clock. 11 pm. This wasn't like Meredith. If she was going to be late she would have called him.
The phone rang and startled George. He got up and answered it, "Hello? George O'Malley speaking," He listened closely and then dropped the phone nearly falling over.
"Sir?" he could hear the person on the phone saying. He didn't respond, "Sir, are you alright? Do you need someone sent over?"
George fumbled for the phone, "I-I-I-I'm f-fine," He stammered, "I'll be r-r-r-right over."
He hung up the phone and grabbed his coat. This wasn't supposed to happen tonight. Not tonight. It was their 2 year anniversary of being a couple.
"Hey," Meredith said weakly, "I was going to call you but I can't move my arms."
George smiled even though tears were running down his cheeks. He surveyed her mangled body. Her arms were twisted in unnatural positions. Half her hair was burned off. Her legs were twisted right around. And the doctor's told him that her neck had broken so she couldn't feel anything from her neck down. She also had a large gash going from her right ear all the way across to her left ear and one that went from her nose across her right eye and back. Her hair was caked down with blood. He could tell just by looking at her that she wasn't going to make it. The doctor's around her didn't need to tell him. They were giving her Morphine to keep the pain away until the end, "Hi," He said quietly.
"I was coming home when I saw Bright Lights in front of me," Meredith explained in a hoarse voice.
"Some drunk had turned his headlights out and then turned them on when he swerved into oncoming traffic. He's in the next room with Minor injuries," George could tell that the nurse was angry about the fact that the drunk had only minor injuries.
"George I have something I need to tell you," Meredith said her voice getting hoarser and quieter, "I wanted to tell you that the past two years were the happiest days of my life. Every second I spent with you reminded me of what I've always wanted in my life. What I've always missed," George picked up her hand even though he knew she couldn't feel it, "I want you to tell Izzie that I'm sorry. She wanted me to be the child's Unofficial Auntie."
"You aren't going to die," George said, "You'll be able to be the babies Auntie."
"You've always been a horrible liar, George," Meredith chuckled and then started to cough up blood, "I want you to apologize to Izzie for me. I also want you to tell Cristina that if she doesn't marry Dr. Burke soon then I will haunt her till she dies," Her breathe became more and more laboured as she tried to speak, "And," her breath was deep and ragged. She was coming close to the end, "I want to apologize to you George. I'm sorry that I was so blind before. I'm sorry that I didn't love you like you loved me when we first met. But most of all I'm sorry that I have to leave you," She coughed up a little more blood.
"Sh," George said as he held her hand, "I want to apologize to you for the way I treated you after that night. It was uncalled for. And," George choked on a sob, "I wanted to ask you," He pulled the ring out of his pocket, "Would you marry me?" He wanted to make her happy before she left him. And she was always talking about getting married.
Meredith looked at the ring and back at George. Her eyes watered slightly and a smile spread across her face, "I would love to," She said in a hoarse voice.
George slide the ring onto her finger before turning around, "Is there a priest in the hospital?" He asked desperately. They all shook their heads.
"It doesn't matter," Meredith said a pause between each word, "You've made me the happiest woman on the earth just now. I might not be your wife according to the law. But in my heart and mind we will be," her breath became shallower and she struggled to stay a little longer, "I Love you," She whispered. She tried to lift her head but couldn't. George knew what she wanted however. He leaned in and gently placed his lips on hers. Giving her one last kiss. While he was kissing her the constant beep blared through the room.
(End Flashback)
George wouldn't let them touch her. He wouldn't let them turn off the heart monitor either. He just sat there and stared at the ground.
Suddenly he stood up. His face contorted in anger. He stormed out of the room and to the next room over. He saw a man sitting on the bed holding a bag of ice to his head. George walked up to the man and punched him hard in the face. He didn't hold back and personally he hoped that he broke the man's nose. It was no less than he deserved.
After the punch he left the room and went to the abandoned hallway. He sat down on one of the beds and pulled his legs up to his chest and cried. He didn't even try to hold it back. He cried like he'd never cried before. People had seen him go down this way but he doubted they wanted to talk to him. They must think he wanted to be alone. But it truth he wanted someone to talk to so badly at the moment.
He felt someone sit down on the bed beside him and he heard Cristina start talking, "I thought you might want someone to talk to."
George looked up at her and whispered, "Thanks."
"Don't think that I'm doing this for you," She explained, "I'm doing this because Meredith would have wanted me to."
George smiled. Cristina as she's always been, "She said that either you marry Dr. Burke soon or she will haunt you."
"She did, did she?" Cristina raised an eyebrow, "Well I hope she knows that I won't be an easy person to haunt."
"I think she does," George said.
"So spill it," Cristina said in normal Cristina fashion, "What's bugging you?"
"She was fatally injured in that accident," George said, "Her arms and legs were twisted around. Her spine was broken. She had two gashes all the way across her face. And the drunk guy? He had a bump on the head and maybe a sprained wrist," George felt his sobs renew, "What did she do to deserve to be killed like that?"
"Life works in mysterious ways," Cristina said, "Those who die, might have been destined the live. Those who live might have been destined to die. Nobody knows when their time comes. And nobody ever will. When they die they die. And you can't stop it."
George listened to her, "If you are trying to comfort me you aren't doing a good job of it," he replied to her.
"Who said anything about comforting you?" She asked looking at him with a raised eyebrow, "I just said that I would talk with you."
"Meredith Grey was more than a friend," Derek said at her funeral, "She was the person that everyone wanted to be around. She was the kind of person that you wanted to sit next to you in grade school. She was the kind of person that you wanted to ask to the dance but never could work up the courage," He looked at George, "And the person that would change her entire life around for you."
George sniffled and let the tears flow as he listened to the Eulogy. They had asked him to do it but he knew that he wouldn't be able to. He sat next to a semi-lucid Ellis Grey who looked sad at one second and then a blank expression the next. Beside Ellis was her nurse and Thatcher Grey. Behind them sat Izzie and Denny, Alex, and Cristina and Burke. Alex had flown out from New York to attend this. He was still working with Mark Sloan. Addison had left Derek a year earlier for Mark and Derek never remarried or dated.
"When I first met her we were both very drunk," Derek continued, "We slept with each other and she threw me out in the morning. She didn't know I was her boss and I didn't know she was my intern. But that didn't stop us. The thing to stop us was the arrival of my Ex-Wife Addison. Then she started to sleep with any male that crossed her path. That was until she slept with George O'Malley. Then she found the person who completed her. The person who was meant to be with her. The person who completed her soul."
Derek looked at George, "I've known George O'Malley for a few years and I know Meredith would have wanted you to be happy. She would have wanted you to not grieve for her for too long and to go on with life and find a new person."
George drowned out the rest of the eulogy losing himself in his memories. All too soon he felt a hand touch his shoulder. Izzie was practically pushing him forward. Thatcher and Ellis had already gone up to the Casket and now it was his turn.
He stood up slowly and walked slowly towards the casket. He stopped halfway and took a deep breath before continuing. This would be the first time he would see her since that day. He reached the casket and looked in. She lay there and looked so peaceful. They had done a beautiful job of fixing her up. She was dressed in a white satin dress with her favourite necklace around her neck. Her hair cascaded loosely around her shoulders and her hangs were held back with a beautiful butterfly hair clip that George had gotten her for her birthday last year.
Her eyes were closed. He stared at her for a moment, "I want to give you something," He whispered into her ear. He knew she couldn't hear him. But he was still going to whisper anyways, "I figured that you might like this," He reached into his pocket and pulled out a beautiful diamond ring. He lifted her left hand off her chest and slide the ring onto her finger, "Now you are mine forever," He whispered once more around a silent cry before turning around to go and sit back down.
George stood there with a small group of people at the open grave. One of the people, he believed her name was Josephine, one of Meredith's cousins, was singing 'Amazing Grace'.
George threw a rose down onto the lowering casket feeling his heart beating with the jumpy rhythm of the lowering. Tears continued to fall as he watched in silence. Ellis Grey kept asking, "Who's funeral is this?" to which Thatcher would simply reply, "Meredith's."
George knew that Ellis suffered from Alzheimer's but he still couldn't stand that she didn't know that her own daughter was dead. It infuriated him beyond all levels. But he kept the feelings bottled up so as to not ruin the ceremony.
People added their flowers before leaving. All too soon George was left by himself before the now freshly covered grave. The priest had even left, "Hey Mer," He said as he looked at the grave, "Most people would wait a while before doing this but I just couldn't wait that long," He pulled an envelope out of his pocket and placed it on the grave. It read "To my Butterfly," on the top and underneath in small letters it said, "From your Fuzzy-Wuzzy."
He stood and watched as it started to rain slightly. A butterfly flew from behind the grave marker and landed briefly on the envelope. It then flew up landed briefly on George's cheek and flew off. George brought his hand up to his cheek. The slight wetness from the rain made it feel as if someone had kissed his cheek. He smiled and a new batch of tears fell. Not tears of sadness though. Tears of happiness. George knew now that even though Meredith wasn't here with him in person she would always be there for him in spirit. And she would also be with him through the butterfly's.
A/N Ok You can hate me now for killing Mer off. But I liked this paragraph. What do you think? Comments are welcome and rewarded with cookies. You like cookies right? Thanks for reading and stay tuned for another story from moi. Still going to be George/Meredith though. Would you expect anything less from me?
