Meredith

Christina is waiting for her outside the Chief's office the next morning. "So?" Her eyebrows shoot up expectantly.

Meredith smiles. "I'm in. He seemed pretty relieved actually. Said it was no problem, and we could pretend like it never happened. Even promised to call the place in Boston."

Christina's face splits into a grin. "Excellent! Let's go surprise the others…"

Meredith groans slightly as they start toward the locker room. "It'll be a hassle. Canceling that apartment, the room for Mom, all my crap's been shipped…"

"Oh, yeah, poor you." Christina rolls her eyes. "You ready for the date?"

Meredith smiles slightly. "Yeah. Nervous."

"Why nervous?"

"I don't know." She shrugs. "It's Derek, you know?"

"Yeah." Christina laughs slightly. From angst over leaving because of Derek and his wife to jitters of a date with Derek in only a couple days…life at Seattle Grace is funny. As they neared the locker room, she spoke seriously, "Now Tinker Bell, Evil Spawn and Bambi aren't here yet, I'm guessing, since it's not the exact second they're supposed to be." She rolls her eyes and mutters, "God forbid they show up early. Anyway, go into the locker room and hide and we'll surprise them."

"Getting into this, aren't you?" Meredith bites back a smile.

"Sure, why not create a 'moment' like you guys seem to love so much?"

Between telling Christina the entire conversation in the hallway last night and waking up at an unholy hour to talk to the Chief this morning, Meredith had hardly slept. Still, she hardly feels tired. A giddy sort of happiness she hadn't allowed herself to give into last night is properly taking her over, and all her focus is on tonight.

She's still scared and hesitant and nervous and uncertain about giving in to him again and all of that crap. But tonight…it's just a date. As he'd said, it was their chance to do something normal without feeling like it was wrong.

Her chance to be with Derek and feel happy.

The last time she felt like that, back before Addison came back, feels like a lifetime ago, and today she's feeling a lightness that's almost foreign.

She and Christina sit in the empty locker room, waiting their friends to arrive, when Christina glances at Meredith and smiles. "This is a nice change?"

"What is?"

"You. Looking like you might actually be enjoyable to be around. It's nice."

"Um, thanks…I think."

The door swings open and Christina shoves Meredith in the bathroom behind the lockers.

"Morning!" Christina's voice is overly cheerful. Meredith nearly laughs thinking how weirded out the others will be at this.

"Yeah." Izzie's voice is hard. Probably still mad at Christina for the way she's acting.

"What are you so happy about?" This is from George.

"Oh, nothing." Christina suddenly seizes Meredith by the arm. "Much."

"Meredith!"

"MER!"

After about five minutes of hugs and 'oh my Gods' and 'what the hells', Meredith tells Alex, Izzie, and George the whole story.

"So you're dating him tonight!" Izzie squeals.

"You sound like a thirteen year old." Meredith tells her, trying and failing to suppress the huge smile taking over her face.

"I don't care. Oh, God, Mer, you have nothing to wear!"

Meredith smile drops slightly. "Oh…" At the same time, she can't help but to marvel at the change in conversation. The last time she talked to Izzie, it was a heavy conversation to say goodbye. Now they're talking about what to wear on a date…normal, girl stuff.

Amazing how much better life had become just by the words "We signed" and "I'm staying". Amazing how much more hope Meredith has.

"It's okay." Izzie says reassuringly. "We can work something out after work. Don't get assigned to any long surgeries and we can go home and get you fixed up, thank God you didn't have us out of the house right away…"

Meredith meets Alex's eyes as Izzie goes on about it and he winks. Meredith grins, and throws an arm around Izzie, cutting her off, "I can't believe I was about to leave all this." She teases her, laughing slightly.

Izzie turns to look at her, smiling. "You're happy."

"Yeah. See, I have this date, with this really hot guy. He's dreamy, almost…"

George is smiling, too. "I like you this way."

"Well, good. Because I'm going to be around."

Alex looks from Meredith to Christina. "I guess you forgave McBitch over here."

Christina scowls at him. "Shove it, Evil Spawn."

"Why don't you just-"

The potential argument doesn't get a chance to begin as Dr. Bailey walks in. "Morning." She glances up, sees Meredith and grins. "Thought we'd just gotten rid of you…"

"Did the Chief-"

"Yeah, he told me. Welcome back. Not that, you know, you even missed a day. But I'm being polite." Meredith grins slightly.

"Anyway, pre-rounds. Let's get started."

They're halfway through rounds when she hears his voice behind her as she and the other interns follow Dr. Bailey between rooms. "Hi."

She whirls and he's smiling, giving her "their" look. "Hey.

"What time are you off tonight?"

"Seven." Meredith stares into his eyes, marveling at the fact that she actually doesn't feel pained to meet his eyes; his gaze doesn't break her heart anymore.

Just from one night.

"Great. How bout I pick you up around eight?"

"Sounds good." She returns his smile.

"Good." He repeats softly.

"Grey, move your ass!" Dr. Bailey calls, sticking her head out of a patient's room.

"I gotta go…" She tells Derek.

"Yeah. See you later." He smiles at her one last time and she watches him walk down the hallway, a nervous fluttering in her chest.

"See you." She repeats quietly.

Derek

Moving through the halls of Seattle Grace that day, he feels about a million times lighter than before. The Chief called him in earlier this morning to inform him somberly that Addison resigned, gave a weeks notice but was taking today off.

"Meredith also came to tell me she's staying. I'm guessing that had something to do with all this." Derek could see that Richard was not pleased with him, and though he was glad Meredith was staying, he didn't like having part of his surgical staff determined on who Derek was with or wasn't with.

Derek can't blame him, but he had a hard time expressing apologies or concern over Addison's resignation. He's having trouble feeling anything but happy. And excited, of course, about The Date.

Around lunchtime, Derek finds Karev and O'Malley on their way to the cafeteria and grabs them. "I need you two to come see me at the end of the day. Right before you leave. I need a favor. And don't mention it to anyone. Can I trust you?"

Looking curious, the two nod. Alex asks, "And when you say don't mention it to anyone…you mean Mer?"

Derek rolls his eyes at the intern. "Yeah, thanks for pointing out the obvious."

George clears his throat. "Dr. Shepard, why can't you just talk to us about the favor now?"

"Because I have to leave for awhile to take care of some things. Just make sure you come see me, okay?"

"Yes, sir."

"Sure thing."

Meredith

After their shift is over, Christian occupancies her and Izzie back to the house, while George and Alex skulk off, muttering something about patients to check on or possible surgeries.

Once at the house, Meredith glances at her empty room, feeling slightly sick. Suddenly, the whole leaving thing seems like a huge mistake. Even thought Meredith can understand the thought behind it, she doesn't want to think about what life in Boston would have been like.

Christina stretches out on Izzie's bed, flipping through a magazine. Meredith takes a quick shower and is drying her hair as Izzie flips through the outfits in her closet.

"Oh, here!" She pulls out a long, gorgeous, off the shoulder dark blue dress. "This used to be yours, I forgot I had it…"

"What do you mean used to be mine?" Meredith takes the dress from her.

"You gave it to me." Izzie mutters absently, throwing out a pair of heels.

"Um, no I didn't. Why would I give you a dress?"

"Oh. Maybe I dreamed that you gave it to me." Izzie says innocently, her cheeks reddening slightly. Meredith suppresses a giggle.

"Make-up." Izzie throws her bag at Meredith. "Put it on while I pick out your jewelry. And hurry. It's 7:35."

By 8:00, Meredith's ready. She stares nervously at her reflection while Izzie and Christina stand behind her.

"You look great, Mer." Izzie tells her with a grin.

"It'll be fine."

"Yeah…" Meredith breathes slowly, trying to calm her nerves. "It's just a date, right? No pressure."

The doorbell rings.

"Oh, God…" She looks at Izzie and Christina. "I guess I'll see you later."

"You better tell us everything!"

"Good luck!"

She nods and turns to walk down the stairs, her friends following but stopping a the top of the stairs and trying to appear nonchalant as they watch her open the door.

Derek's standing there in his favorite suit.

"Wow…" He breathes, looking her up and down. "You look…you look beautiful, Mer."

She smiles, looking down slightly before raising her gaze to his, suddenly shy. "Thanks. You look great, too."

Muffled laughs are heard from the top of the stairs. Derek squints up to look and notices Christina and Izzie. "I feel like I'm picking you up at a sorority."

Meredith laughs softly, relaxing a bit. "Come on, let's get out of here."

He grins. "Excellent idea." He slips his hand into hers and they leave the house.

"This better be one hell of a date." She jokes as he opens the car door for her. "I gave up a surgery to get out on time."

"What surgery?"

"Aortic aneurysm." She replies.

"Wow." He raises his eyebrows. "I'd better make this a good one, then."

He goes around and sits in the driver seat.

"So…where exactly are we going?"

"Oh you'll see." He says mysteriously. "Somewhere good for our first date."

She giggles, thinking that they're talking of a first date when less than 24 hours ago they had sex in this car.

They've driven for about fifteen minutes when Derek says, "Okay, if you don't mind I'm going to need you to close your eyes for the duration of the trip."

"And I do mind?"

He sighs dramatically. "Then I'd have to pull over and forcibly blindfold you."

She raises an eyebrow. "Wow. Kinky. And a little inappropriate for a first date."

"Well, than you'd better close your eyes."

Laughing, she obeys.

They drive another ten minutes, Derek entertaining her by singing along with the radio, when she feels the car pull to a stop. "Don't open!" He directs her quickly.

"Okay…"

"Hold on, I'm coming around, go ahead and unbuckle…"

Meredith fumbles with her seat belt, hearing his car door slam. In a moment, hers opens and Derek's hand takes her arm, gently guiding her out of the car so she's standing.

"Couple more steps." He tells her as they walk forward a bit. "Okay…open."

Meredith opens her eyes and gasps softly. They're at the pier where they used to come to watch the ferryboats. The one they'd driven to on a whim every once in awhile, spending the night in the car and watching the sunrise over the water.

On the pier, a table's been set up and quiet fancily decorated, two long candles in the center, right next to a bottle of wine chilling in an ice bucket. All around the edge of the pier are smaller candles, all lit, revealing the flower pedals sprinkled all across the pier.

"Oh my God…" Meredith breathes.

Derek's watching her a little anxiously.

"Derek it's gorgeous. But…you didn't have to…"

"I know, I know." He jokes, leading her slowly over the pier. "I'm coming on a bit strong for a normal 'first date' situation. I was hoping, though…" He pulls out her chair for her and she sits, still staring around in awe. "…that you'd make an exception."

She meets his gaze as she sits down and says softly, "It's beautiful, Derek. Thank you."

He smiles, looking slightly relieved and proud of himself. "You can thank Alex and George, too…I recruited them to help set up." He reaches down beside his chair, opening a large basket. "Don't worry, though, I didn't cook…take out from a very snazzy restaurant that I thought of taking you to but…" He waves his hand around. "I prefer the view here."

"No arguments there."

They're halfway through the main course an hour and a half later, talking easily and lightly as though no time has passed between them being together and now. Meredith is feeling amazingly happy, ready to admit to herself that the past few weeks were worth it just for these moments.

At one point, after they've laughed together at something Derek said, he reaches across the table and takes her hand. "I've missed this. Seeing you smile."

Blushing slightly, Meredith replies slowly, "Yeah, I've..I've missed you making me smile."

Nodding slightly, he leans across the table takes her face in his hands, kissing her.

When they break apart, he clears his throat nervously. "Look, Mer, I know…I know this is supposed to be a simple, normal date but…there's some stuff I really need to say about, well, everything, which I've been good about not mentioning but I really just need to tell you this…"

"Okay…"

His hand back in hers, he starts slowly, "I screwed up a lot. With us, I mean. I hurt you, and I told you last night that I hated that more than anything. You deserve someone a lot better than me, someone who doesn't hurt you or lie to you or put you through Hell but…I love you, and I'm just really thankful to get a second chance here, with you, because I don't deserve one…but even though being, um, being apart from you has been torture, it at least showed me how much completely in love I am with you and how I need you, because I think that's the difference between loving someone and being in love with someone, the needing, the 'cant-live-without-you' feeling.

"And that's me with you, and it's pathetic that it took me being away from you to understand it fully but I'm glad that I get that now. And now that I get that I really don't ever want to have to be apart from you again." He takes a deep breath. "Now I know that you said you didn't want this to mean anything beyond a first date, and I know you said you weren't sure about us and the future, so I hope you can forgive me for doing something really, really inappropriate for a 'first' date, but I'm gonna…"

And then, shocking Meredith completely, Derek moves from his chair and kneels down on one knee. "Oh my God…"

He smiles. "Meredith…"

"Derek…Derek, what are you doing?"

He pulls out a small box and opens it. "Will you marry me?"

Meredith gapes at him.

Derek

The speech had gone well. She looked like she was melting during it, which was good. Romantic, honest. The shock factor was definitely there.

She's staring at him, her face pale.

"But…your…your divorce isn't even final!" He had anticipated this protest and is ready with an answer.

"I know! And I'm not saying I want to start immediately planning a wedding or even think about setting a date…but you know we're going to do it eventually and I…I'm ready to make the commitment! I want this to be a sign that this is serious, and I want it to be a promise that you're the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. I love you, Meredith. I need you."

Tears fill her eyes slowly, thinking about how good it feels to hear him say that.

"So…will you?"

Okay, y'all. I think the next chapter of this is going to be the last one, and I'm willing to try my best to post it before I go out of town on Sunday, but to do that I'm going to need a lot of reviews from you guys. Preferably long and detailed, because I have this thing lately that I do where I read my stuff and end up hating what I wrote, so I need feedback! Also because I'm a little nervous about this chapter, since it's mostly fluff and I've gotten so used to writing angst. While I LOVE the proposal speech and the pier set-up, I"ll end up changing my mind and deciding it was a dumb idea, so I want to know what YOU GUYS honestly think.

Oh and for those of you who reviewed Ch. 1 of Jigsaw, thanks a lot. I'm hoping to update that sometime tomorrow, so keep checking!