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.. Set after Derek picks Addison and Meredith sleeps with George. Review. No matter how you feel about it, review. Chapters will get longer. We tried to step it up with our grammar, but we still suck. REVIEW, PLEASE. Check out 'A Little Something Called Forever' and 'The Best Laid Plans'. We need reviews to function, so help us out.
"You're gonna get what you deserve." -Something Corporate
It was fun at first. Whittling around San Francisco, drinking coffee and shopping. But now, a week and half later, Meredith could no longer ignore everything she had left in Seattle. She felt a tug in her chest every time she saw something that reminded her of Derek, and that was pretty much all the time.
She hadn't talked to anyone from Seattle since she'd been here, except for a quick call to Cristina, who wanted to make sure she hadn't driven her car off the road. Now, here she was, six o'clock, the end of another day. She flitted between her hotel room and the door, unsure of where to go as the sunset.
A few hundred miles away, Seattle Grace was relatively calm. The four remaining interns were at a nurse's station waiting for Bailey, pretending not to notice that Derek and Addison were leaning on opposite sides of the reception desk, filling out forms and blatantly ignoring each other.
Cristina rolled her eyes and fixed her stare on Derek. "Have you talked to her?" she asked him. The silence shifted from a slow, lazy one, to a tense, charged one.
Bailey came striding over and took at look at everyone. "Who died?" she asked.
"Is Meredith coming back anytime soon?" Alex asked her.
"I sure hope so." Bailey replied, shrugging.
Cristina's eyes never left Derek's. "You haven't called?"
"I don't even know where she is."
"That doesn't matter, Dr. Shepherd. She is where she is because of you."
Derek nodded slowly. "I know." He whispered. "I know."
Addison's head lifted slightly and she looked at her husband. "You haven't called her?" she asked argumentatively.
"It's none of your business, Addison." He said through gritted teeth.
"It is my business, Derek. Maybe you don't love me anymore, but there's a girl out there who loves you a hell of a lot. So much she was willing to give up her job and her friends for you and you're puttering around here like you couldn't care less. So maybe it would be a good idea to call her." She said.
Cristina nodded. "Especially after breaking her down and driving her away." Derek looked around the room. Addison stormed away, shaking her head. Cristina followed suit. Izzie gave him a sympathetic smile before retreating with Alex. George stayed and looked him in the eye.
"You knew all along didn't you?" Derek asked.
George nodded. "I hope you're happy Dr. Shepherd. Because I don't know if she's coming back." He turned around and walked away slowly. Derek couldn't have felt more alone.
Meredith sat on a bench in the winding hills of San Francisco, drinking coffee, staring at the scenery that stretched for miles. The sun was disappearing, and she knew she was at a crossroads. She didn't have to go back to Seattle. She could stay here. Hell, she could go anywhere. The world was big.
Or she could go back. She could march right into Seattle Grace and talk to him. Fix them. She looked around and saw someone striding toward her. There was something a little too familiar about his cocky saunter. Her lips turned up in a smile. "Mark."
"You're tough to track down, Grey."
"I'm sorry." She whispered.
"I'm not the one that needs to here that."
"I'm sure Addison doesn't want to hear anything from me."
"She asked me to find you." Meredith's jaw dropped. "And it's not her I'm worried about. It's Derek. This is killing him. He loves you."
Meredith looked down and took a sip of her coffee. She avoided looking in his eyes. Mark sighed. "He. Loves. You." He said sternly, as though speaking to a petulant child. "He loves you, Meredith, and he gave up his wife to be with you!"
"I never asked him to do that."
"And he did it anyway." Mark insisted. "He really loves you. And you're what? Sitting around whimsically, staring at the Golden Gate Bridge? You're better than this Meredith. Take it head on."
He reached out and squeezed her shoulder. "You say these things," she whispered, "but I don't know if he wanted me to…" Her cell phone rang. She looked at it, her hope rising. George.
"Hello?"
"He came here."
"George, what are you saying?"
"Derek. McDreamy. He came to look for you. Right after he left!" Meredith practically dropped the phone.
"George? Thank you." She hung up and stood up so fast it made her dizzy. She turned to Mark. "I need to get home." He smiled and reached in his pocket.
"Take this." He instructed, producing a plane ticket. She blinked twice at him, her face breaking out into a grin. She reached in her purse and tossed him her keys. "You know the hotel?"
"How do you think I found you?"
"I owe you one, Mark." She said, striding away, her walk turning into a sprint.
Mark chuckled to himself under his breath. "You sure do Grey. You sure do."
Meredith boarded the plane with only what she had when she left. She was sure Mark would take her stuff. Or not. She didn't care. She sat stoically through the plane ride, wondering what the hell she was supposed to do when she got back to Seattle.
And now, she felt ridiculous. She was creeping around the outside of the hospital, not going in for fear of running into him. Or Addison. Addison would probably be worse.
It was raining outside, and she was slinking around like the star of some film noir. "All I need is a trench coat and a cigarette." She muttered.
"Talking to yourself, Grey?" Burke asked as he strode past her.
"No." she countered.
He smiled at her. "Nice to you back. Everyone will be pleased." She smiled weakly, and he continued walking. She almost didn't hear him. "Especially Derek."
"What?" she practically shouted. Burke turned around and smiled.
"He hasn't been his usual arrogant self without you around."
He disappeared inside the hospital. After deliberating for just another moment, Meredith followed. Alex was the first to spot her as she wound through the halls.
"So much for a slow night." He said, nodding his head in her direction. Izzie's head snapped around, and before Meredith could so much as wave, Izzie and George were hugging her.
"What the hell?" Alex said, shrugging, wrapping his arms around her as well. Cristina sat in disgust, shaking her head.
"That is repulsive." She muttered.
"Have you seen him?" Meredith asked, breaking free of the arms that entangled her.
"He's in surgery." George supplied, shooting her a look. Meredith nodded, confirming she wouldn't mention his phone call to anyone else, but mouthed him a silent thank you anyway.
"He's in surgery," Cristina said, "But Addison is-"
"Dr. Grey." Came a voice as heels tapped down the hallway.
"Dr. Shepherd.. You're walking. In heels."
"I make a quick healer. Can I talk to you, please?"
She had no choice but to follow Addison into the nearest empty on call room.