Title: A Little Something Called Forever
Author: Sara and Lizzie
Rating: T for language, and sex
Disclaimer: We don't own Grey's.
Summary: Three years ago, Derek moves to New York with Addison. He finally decides to leave her upon hearing that Meredith is getting married
Author's Note: We're slaves to your opinions, and we need reviews. Ok. It's been a while. But we started college, but we promise we'll be updating this, "Sound and Fury" and "The Best Laid Plans". At least as much as possible. Anyway, REVIEW or we'll kill ourselves.
Extra Special Author's Note: The next few chapters are going to follow a party the night before the wedding rehearsal, and also the rehearsal itself. There will be times and a date to avoid confusion, and also, this is the good part.
June 29, 5:23 PM
Cristina zipped up Meredith's rehearsal dress. "I don't understand why you can't see that this is a big mistake. I don't know what fairy tale you're living in Meredith, but you can't just cast aside the big forever love and expect to have it ten years later."
Meredith sighed. "Cristina, can you stop?"
"No, I will not stop. I'm your person. I have a responsibility to tell you the truth, and here it is. This is your last chance with McDreamy. Marry Paul, and he's going to leave. He'll move away, he'll fall in love. He'll find the girl he can love almost as much as Meredith and maybe he'll get married….." She trailed off.
"Look, the first day I met you, you looked at this guy, and you had stars in your eyes. He was a brain surgeon, not a banker. Maybe you'll be happy with Paul. But he's not that one in a million."
In a very out of character gesture, Cristina squeezed Meredith's shoulder and left the room. Meredith sat down in front of her mirror and dutifully reached for her makeup. It was hard to get excited to rehearse a wedding you didn't want to have.
5:34 PM
There was a knock on her door, and a head covered in red hair popped in. "Talk?"
Meredith nodded. "I'm sorry for the way I acted last night, Grey. I was vaguely out of line."
Meredith smiled in spite of herself. "Meredith, this should be a happy day for you." Addison remarked. "But you look so lost."
"So tell me what to do."
"If I thought I could help you by telling you what to do, I would. But you have to decide."
"I have decided! Paul. Paul, Paul, Paul!" she said, her voice rising. "The only reason I doubt myself is because everyone else seems to think I'm crazy."
"It's not crazy. If you break it off, you'll hurt Paul. Like Derek hurt you. You'll break the commitment, like Derek did."
Meredith groaned. "I feel a but coming on."
"But if you marry Paul, you're condemning yourself. You'll always be in love with Derek. And you'll always be wondering what you could have had with him."
"So you think I shouldn't marry him."
Addison just shrugged. Meredith sighed and looked out her window to where black clouds were gathering in the sky. She shook her head at Addison. "It's going to be one hell of a night."
6:09 PM
Derek sat on the ferryboat, staring at all the clouds. They seemed to symbolize everything to him, and he couldn't figure out why. His trance like state was broken when he felt a body settle next to him.
"Hi, Dr. Shepherd."
"Dr. Stevens." He said, nodding at Izzie. "What brings you out on the river?"
She shrugged. "I come out here sometimes, when I need to be alone with Denny." She stopped and looked at Derek, who nodded at her, urging her to continue. "I mean, Alex understands, he really does, and I love him, but sometimes, I just need to remember that I loved Denny too. And that it never really goes away."
She paused and they both observed the sky. "Especially today, you know. Pre-wedding."
"It's been hard for you." Derek said.
She nodded. "It's been hard for you too."
He shrugged. "I probably shouldn't have come."
Izzie shook her head. "Don't say that, Dr. Shepherd. You love Meredith. And she loves you. She just can't understand it. It's almost too big for her. You did the right thing by coming though."
Derek looked up as they passed the spot where he and Meredith would watch the ferry boats. "It's going to storm, Stevens. Think about what it would be like to be in the middle of that storm. No lifelines, just you and the lightning."
Izzie eyed him, feeling like she was picking up on something he was trying to say. Derek continued. "You'd be against something more powerful than you. Tempt fate. Test your luck."
Izzie nodded, feeling like she was beginning to understand. "It's something to think about, Derek. Dr. Shepherd."
"Derek." He said. "It's Derek."
6:47 PM
Meredith stood at her bedroom window staring at the clouds. She didn't even hear Paul come in. She didn't know anyone was there until he stood next to her.
"Meredith." He said brightly. She turned to him.
"Hi." She said.
"I need to tell you something." He took a deep breath, and Meredith almost rolled her eyes at his theatrics. "I know how bloody awfully I've screwed this up. The mere fact that you've given me another chance just means so much to me, darling."
He took both of her hands in his. "I'm so honored that tomorrow, you'll be my wife."
Meredith forced herself to smile. "It's going to be great, Paul."
Meredith left Paul in her room to change, and practically smacked into Bailey on the way out.
"Dr. Bailey!" Meredith said. "You're here. In my house."
"Very observant, Dr. Grey. Glad to see your skills are top notch, even on your days off." She commented, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She grabbed Meredith's wrist. "Come on, I need to talk to you." She guided Meredith outside, to her car.
"You okay, Grey? Medically speaking?"
Meredith closed her eyes. "Addison told you."
"Addison told me, and she also told me that she took a great personal risk in finding out this information. You owe her."
Meredith nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay."
"Good. Now, not medically speaking, what the hell are you doing, child? You're getting married tomorrow, and I hadn't been invited to the wedding I would think it was a funeral."
Meredith threw her hands in the air. "I've been sleeping with Derek!" she said, wondering what had caused her to admit such a thing.
Bailey smirked. "And what the hell else is new? Meredith, as long as you've been my intern, you've always been all sorts of mixed up over Dr. McDreamy. Face it Grey, you love him."
Bailey opened her driver's door and got inside the car. "Be the woman I know you are, and do something about it."
7:13 PM
Meredith was watching her drive away, open mouthed, when Derek pulled into her place.
"Hey." He said to her, getting out of the car. "You okay?"
She smiled at him, and shrugged, letting the pre storm breeze blow her hair all over her face/
"You look scared." He told her, candidly. He met her eyes, and then she looked back at the storm clouds. This whole thing was a storm cloud. A set up. Meredith understood that on some level Derek knew he would probably not get her back. But he went through it all for her anyway.
"I am scared." Meredith admitted. "I'm scared I'm making the wrong choice. I'm scared to look you in the eye after yesterday. I'm scared to lose you again."
"Maybe you are making the wrong choice Mer. But no one can tell you what choice to make. I wish I could. But I can't. It has to come from you. And I can't stay here without you," she said, "so maybe you will lose me. But only you can make the choice."
He touched his hand to her cheek, and then turned back to gaze at the storm. After a while, he turned to her again. "Meredith." he said. "Remember where we used to go? And watch the ferries?"
She nodded. "What if you were just out there? In the middle of a storm?" He asked. "What if you just had to face the lightning and everything? No life lines."
"If you had to test your luck against everything?" Meredith asked, getting the distinct feeling he was trying to tell her something.
"Exactly." Derek said.
"It's something to think about." Meredith told him.
"Tell me about it." Derek paused and looked at her. "Look I came to wish you luck tonight. I'm not going to make it."
Meredith nodded. "And tomorrow?"
"I can't watch you get married to someone who isn't me."
"And the day after tomorrow?"
He shrugged. "Who knows?"
She smiled an emotionless, humorless smile. "You're leaving."
"Seattle won't be worth it without you."
"Look, I just came to say goodbye, Meredith. I'm leaving tomorrow morning."
"Where are you going to go?" she whispered.
He attempted his cocky grin. "Somewhere I'll find another girl to take advantage of me in a bar."
She nodded, trying not to cry.
"I'm sorry." She said.
"I know you are." He told her. "Goodbye Meredith."
"Goodbye Derek."
She stood on her street, and she watched him get into his car, and drive away from her.
And then she started to cry.