Chapter 10

Part 1: No good day

Meredith was walking through the lobby in search for the Dr Bailey. She had been running labs all day, but hadn't been able to even see a real case let alone scrub in. She seemed to be Bailey's less favorite person that day. All this because Meredith was stupid enough to ask her if she could calm her baby. She had got drunk with Cristina and George the night before well Cristina and her got drunk and George drove, but anyway she had had a headache and the little Bailey hadn't stop crying, screaming at the top of his lung as if his life depended on it and she had cracked and asked Miranda Bailey of all people if she couldn't calm him. Of course that hadn't been the right thing to ask and now she was running errand after errand and being kept away from any real case.

Even if she had no one, but herself to blame for that Meredith was in no mood to admit it. Her head was pounding, her day had been boring and tiresome at best and her love life was hanging onto almost nothing on a good day. If she didn't hit something soon she would explode and she wished that on nobody.

As she was contemplating what she would tell Bailey if she wasn't her boss, Mark walked by her.

"Well, hi to you too!" said Mark surprised that she didn't even stop to greet him.

"Oh, hi Mark! I am sorry. I didn't see you." answered Meredith trying her best not to lash out on him like she would have liked to do with Bailey.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Feeling better?"

"Well, yes. You said you were sick yesterday. That's why we didn't go out like we were suppose to." said Mark getting suspicious.

"Eh? Yes, I am feeling a lot better, thank you. I just have a headache, but nothing serious. I am simply very busy right now, so I should go. Bye Mark."

"Meredith, wait! Are you avoiding me?"

"Why would I?" said Meredith avoiding the question all together.

In reality, she was avoiding him. He hadn't done anything to deserve that sort of treatment on her part, but ever since she saw him drink alone at the bar all form of pretence had gone away from her. She couldn't deny that the Shepard's divorce affected them both more than they let on, but she wasn't ready to admit this out loud.

"I don't know. That's why I ask you."

Meredith sighted and then answered with a lie "I am not avoiding you. I have just been sick and now I am very busy."

"And what about this morning?"

"This morning?"

"Yes, I brought you your coffee and you weren't there!"

"Oh that! I was late. That's all." answered Meredith starting to blush. All this lying was starting to make her feel uncomfortable.

"Have you ever considered acting because your lying is pretty good?"

"What?"

"I saw you and Yang coming to work this morning."

"You were testing me!" said Meredith letting her anger come out.

"You were lying to me!"

"I can't believe it!"

"Why are you avoiding me?"

"I don't have to justify myself to you!"

"Yes, I believe you do! That's part of being in a relationship!"

"I am going. You're obviously in no mood to have a civilize conversation."

"Yes, go! Why don't you? Be as much of a coward as Derek was!"

"Don't bring Derek into this! You didn't deserve his presence after what you did and you know it!"

"What Addison and I did may have been wrong, but their marriage was over and he treated Addison like she didn't exist."

"Oh please! You know very well…" Meredith trailed off just now noticing Derek looking at them from the top of the stairs.

"What? What do I know?" asked an oblivious Mark.

"Since when have you been listening?" Meredith asked Derek.

"Since you told him you were late." Derek answered simply.

Meredith just gave him her most angry look and turned on her heels flushing like a mad woman at the intense embarrassment she felt. Derek didn't need to know Mark and her were going through a rough patch strangely at the same time him and his wife separated. Who was he to listen in to her fight, anyway? Yes, today wasn't a good day for Meredith Grey.

Part 2: Trying it on

Meredith was trying on a dark green satin dress that went down to her knees. She turned around and then pouted, looked at her profile and then pouted some more.

"What's wrong with this one?" asked a very bored Cristina as she picked up a magazine to examine it more closely.

"It makes me look skinny." answered Meredith as she went back to her changing cabin to try yet another dress.

"So you're skinny. Live with it. Now, can we just go before I get sick of it and kill you?"

Meredith didn't answer and simply came out trying to zip on a fifty style pink dress with a big bow around the waist. She made another time her little number before the mirror before sighting in defeat.

"I look like a five years old."

Cristina looked up from her magazine ready to protest, but she was not prepared for the sight of her best friend in such an over the top ridiculous dress and only a big laugh came out.

Meredith turned around frowning in disapproval of her friend behavior.

"Well thanks for the support." said Meredith.

"I'm sorry." answer Cristina trying to catch her breath only to be submerged by another fit of laugher.

"That was the last dress. We'll have to go to another store."

"No! No way, I am going with you to another store. Why do you care so much what you look like anyway?"

"I just wanna look nice for my friends wedding. Is that a crime?" answered Meredith through her cabin door.

"You're such a bad lyre! And I told you already to leave the sarcasm to me."

"Look, I just think it's important for me to look my best."

"I can see that. It's why that I don't get."

"I just do."

"Hmm. I still think it's weird that you suddenly want to look good after I told you both of the Dr. Shepard were invited." said Cristina, a shadow of a smile crossing her thin lips making her look more like the devil than Addison could ever flatter herself.

"Addison is the Dr. Montgomery now. They're divorced and it has nothing to with him." said Meredith getting out of her cabin looking flustered.

"Whatever you say."

"It's the true."

"I believe you." said a still smiling Cristina

"Why did Burke have to invite them?"

"Well, he likes the Dr Montgomery and he already invited almost all the hospital staff so he figured it would have been rude not to invite the Dr Shepard."

"I still don't get it."

"Yeah, yeah! You better move your ass soon or I'll change my mind and let you shop by yourself."

"I'm ready." answer Meredith walking to a fast pest toward the store's doors.

As they walked in search of a dress Cristina stopped and pointed toward a store's window.

"What about this one?"

Meredith looked more closely at the shop window to see a beautiful taffeta red dress.

"Do you seriously want me to look like a slut to your wedding?"

"You think that's slutty? You haven't seen my wedding dress. Burke's mother's gonna drop death. It's white too. She is gonna hate it." remarked Cristina, her smile getting larger.

They continued looking when Meredith without a word of warning went into store.

"You saw something?"

"No, but this place looks sensible."

Meredith started rummaging through the party dress this store had to offer. She went rapidly through them all without finding anything.

"Aw, I'll never find something right."

As she said this, she felt her heels collecting with something soft. She looked down the floor and saw a pile of turquoise silk. She picked it up and saw that it was in fact a gorgeous long cocktail dress.

For the first time all day, Meredith smiled. She knew she had found the right dress. She wasted no time in trying it on.

"It looks good." said Cristina very matter of factly.

"Yes, it does." beamed Meredith.

Part 3: Tension

Derek came out of one of his patient room. He had been nervous all day. Although if you asked him if he was he would have denied it to the grave.

He looked around him trying to find the trace of dirty blond hair and pouty lips, but came up with nothing. He had been looking for her all day, but had been unlucky so far.

Today was the day Derek Shepard decided he was going to tell Meredith Grey how he felt. Her fight with Mark had given him hope.

As he walked toward the lobby, he noticed her bend over looking at a chart. She looked up and saw him. A flicker of fear passed her eyes, but was soon replace with anger. It did not take her one second and she was gone walking toward the stairs, escaping him.

"Meredith, wait! I need to talk to you." Derek shouted through the hospital, capturing everyone attention.

"Dr Shepard, is it really urgent? Because I have to go see the Dr Bailey to give her some important information on a case." Meredith lied through her teeth.

"Yes, I rather think it is."

Meredith sighed and walked down the stairs to meet him.

"Are you still mad at me?" asked Derek.

"Is this what this is about? Because in that case I think I should probably go."

"No, it's not." At this Derek paused "Why are you mad at me this time?"

"That's it I am gone."

"No! No! Meredith, please don't go. I'll drop it. I swear."

"Very well. And for your information I did not appreciate you listening to my conversation the other day."

"I wasn't listening. I just…"

"Hey, Meredith!" they heard George say approaching them. "I was looking for you. Izzie and I were wondering if you would mind if we showed Alex the tapes of your mother's surgeries."

"No, I don't mind."

"Great!" said George smiling before he realized the obvious tension between the two ex lovers "Was I interrupting something?"

"Yes!" Derek answered at the same time that Meredith said no.

"No, George. You weren't interrupting anything." said Meredith looking at Derek with a look that said otherwise.

"Okay. Well, Meredith I'll see you at home. Bye." said George clearly not believing a word she said.

"Bye, George." answer Meredith taking this opportunity to escape.

Derek was left alone, feeling defeated, but he wouldn't stop until she heard him. Meredith would know how he felt if she wanted it or not.