Title: Sound And Fury

Authors: Sara And Lizzie

Rating: T for language, mild sex

Disclaimer: we don't own grey's anatomy, or any anatomies but our own at that.

Author's Note: Ok. Our first Grey's Anatomy fic. Set after Derek picks Addison and Meredith sleeps with George. Review. No matter how you feel about it, review. Chapters will get longer. .

"This is nothing new, you are slipping through my fingers." -Jack's Mannequin

Meredith sat up in her bed and hugged her knees to her chest. Derek was sleeping next to her. She couldn't quite justify falling asleep next to him yet. Her mind was still reeling at the fact that she was just like her mother now. The other woman.

She chewed her thumbnail and considered this. Her mother had destroyed her father. There were a lot of people left for Meredith to destroy. Addison, for one, who was disabled because her husband had chosen not to save her.

Derek rolled over and blinked up at her. "Hey." He said.

She reached a hand out and he took it, smiling at her face and hair in the moonlight that streamed through the window. HE held her hand and she tried not to ask the questions that threatened to pour out.

She didn't know what it meant or where it was going, but she didn't think he knew himself. So she let him pull her down next to him, but she wouldn't let herself fall asleep. She was afraid to do anything to make it real. She had gotten her hopes up with Derek before, and it only crashed on top of her.

Their third room mate was gone when George and Izzie left for work the next day. They got to Seattle Grace, for about the first time ever, because Izzie wanted to check on Denny.

They stepped off the elevator discussing the grocery list, and rounded the corner and opened the door to an on call room to flip a coin over who had to do the next round of shopping, but stopped short when they saw the room was already occupied.

Derek and Meredith sat on the floor, practically on top of each other, facing the opposite direction. They were eating muffins and drinking from the same cup of coffee. Derek was pointing something out to Meredith on a patient's chart, and she was beaming at him.

Izzie noticed that Derek was wearing the same shirt he had on yesterday, but Meredith had changed. She raised her eyebrows at George and nodded towards the hall way.

"They wouldn't." Izzie said, shutting the door as quietly as she could. "They couldn't. Addison can't walk for God's sake."

George shrugged. "I guess they wouldn't." But he knew they would. He could tell they already had.

Miranda Bailey was a hard ass, and today was no exception. She handed out assignments without sympathy, and without thinking sent Meredith to perform tests in the rehabilitation wing.

Derek left his last consultation of the morning and headed to see his wife.

"Hi." He said, entering her room, kissing her cheek and sitting down in a chair.

"Hi." She said back. Why was it so awkward to talk to Derek? They were married for God's sakes. One thing was for sure, she was not going to say anything about..

"I saw Meredith today." She said before she could stop herself. Shit. There it was. Derek sat up a little straighter.

"Where?" He asked, immediately regretting it.

"I can't walk Derek. It would have had to have been here, wouldn't it?"

"I'm sorry." He said quietly.

She ignored the apology. "She was doing tests. She was glowing. New boyfriend?"

"Wouldn't know." He said easily. "But it wouldn't surprise me."

"She looked really happy." Addison said, testing him. "Thrilled actually. Her eyes were shining."

She looked for signs of jealousy, but his fists remained unclenched and his jaw was relaxed. She raised her eyebrows in surprise, and looked guiltily over at the flowers that Mark had brought for her.

It was true. The spark was back in Meredith Grey's eyes. Last week, she barely said a word to anyone. Today she didn't talk, she bubbled. Derek walked up to her angrily in the hall as she was about to leave the hospital.

"You went to the rehab wing?" he demanded. "What the hell were you thinking?"

She smiled, confused at his tone. "I was thinking Bailey sent me there. So I went. Crazy me." She said lightly.

"Jesus Meredith, Addison saw you."

"I know." Her tone was more serious now.

"Why would you even go there and risk that? God, you need to be the last thing on her mind right now."

Meredith's jaw set firmly. "I'm sorry Derek, but what was I supposed to say? Sorry Dr. Bailey, but I'm sleeping with the husband of a patient there?"

"Don't be a bitch Mere."

"Don't be an asshole Derek."

"Damn it Meredith, just be more careful!"

"I'm not the married one fucking around."

He stared at her angrily and without another word walked away.

Four days. Derek hadn't spoken to her in four days. Four days, twenty three hours and about six minutes, not that she was counting. She trudged into Joe's and plopped down on a bar stool next to Izzie.

"Tequilla." She said. "Keep 'em coming."

Izzie eyed her, her expression a mixture of curiosity and worry. "Fell off of cloud nine?"

"It was quite the crash."

"Meredith, what's going on? Is this about Derek?"

She shook her head firmly. "No. It's really nothing Iz." As if on cue, she spotted Derek across the room talking to another doctor. He nodded for her to come over and she did, sliding off her stool without a word to Izzie. He led her to a corner and ran a hand through his hair.

"Hi." She said.

"I'm sorry."

"Me too."

"Meredith, as much as I want to, we can't do this. We just can't."

"I know." She bit her lip and looked down. "I know."

He eyed her. "And it's ok? We're okay?"

She shrugged. "It has to be okay. It's just embarrassing Derek. I shouldn't have thought…" She trailed off. "It doesn't matter." She started moving. "I'm going home."

"Be careful." He asked, pleading.

"Top priority." She said with a wry smile. She walked away. Right past the bar, and straight out into the night. She slammed the door hard and Derek fought the urge to run after her.

He had expected to feel relieved after this conversation. He expected his guilt would fade and things would lapse back into their usual routine. But he couldn't stop staring at the place where Meredith had just been standing. Now, emptiness replaced the guilt.