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.
The battle between our heads and our hearts is agonizing. Because somewhere in between head and heart, we know what it is that we really, truly want. On the rare occasion, that in between beacon of truth sides with our heads. But usually, it tells us to go with our hearts. So, if you can find that place, before your head and your heart rip you in half, listen to it.
8:04 PM
It was an awful process. No one should be stuck in their own wedding rehearsal when they didn't want to marry the person. Meredith sighed and shifted her weight. Paul was beaming. He had intense doubts if she would go through with it, but a rehearsal meant there would be a wedding.
Meredith had zoned out a while ago. The priest was droning on, shifting the bridal party all around. Behind her, Izzie, Cristina and two of Paul's sisters were playing bridesmaids, all wearing colorful sundresses. Tomorrow, they would wear the burgundy colored gowns Meredith had let Izzie and Cristina choose. Behind Paul, Alex, George, Paul's brother and his best friend were dressed in button down shirts and khakis. Burke was reading a poem, Bailey was reading scripture, and the Chief and Adele were present.
Meredith's mother, calmed by the drugs Derek had pushed Meredith to give her years ago, sat placidly in the first row, next to Dr. Webber and Adele, in front of Mark and Addison.
Meredith sighed again. Paul frowned. She knew she was making this difficult for him, but she didn't care. She looked out at and saw Addison and Mark, who had come for moral support, looking at her sympathetically. Meredith forced herself to pay attention.
"And then I'll say the part about speaking now of forever holding one's peace," the priest said, "But I don't think that will be a problem."
It was silent in the church. Meredith didn't look at Addison or Cristina; for fear that one glance would cause them to…
"Excuse me." Came a voice from behind Meredith. Izzie stepped down off the steps so she was closer to Meredith. She looked at the priest and at Paul. "I'm really sorry about this." She said.
Izzie looked at Meredith, knowing that she shouldn't do this, but in her heart, she saw that this picture was all wrong. The bride was supposed to be beaming. The groom was supposed to have floppy dark hair, and blue eyes. They were supposed to be Mr. and Mrs. McDreamy.
Meredith was supposed to look like she wanted to get married. Or at the very least, not look like she wanted to kill herself. Izzie realized everyone was staring at her, and she cleared her throat. Alex put two fingers over the bridge of his nose and bowed his head.
"Honey, why would you do that?" he muttered in her general direction.
"I have something to say." Izzie said. "I should have said it a long time ago. You can't marry him Meredith."
"Izzie, stop it." Meredith hissed.
Izzie smiled and shook her head. "Meredith, I've been where you've been. I lost someone, and it almost killed me. It hurt, and it hurt so much, and it stills hurts. But I'm lucky enough to have someone that I really, really love."
George shot a look at Alex, and he blushed.
"The someone that you lost is back. And I know why you don't want to risk it again. I know Paul is safe. But, God, Mer, there is a little something called forever, and I can't let you spend it with someone you don't love."
Meredith stared at Izzie, completely torn. The priest looked back and forth between the bride, the groom and the rogue bridesmaid. "I've never been in this situation before." He muttered. "Um, yes. Is there anyone else who believes these two should not be wed?"
Bailey and Burke rose, along with Addison and Mark. Dr. Webber and Adele got up, and to Meredith's shock, her mother stood. Ellis looked Meredith in the eyes and nodded at her. Meredith looked behind her. Cristina, George and Alex had their hands raised.
The priest cleared his throat. "Is there anyone else who has anything they would like to say?"
Meredith waited for Cristina to start talking, but it was Addison whose voice was heard. "Meredith, Stevens is right. You don't love this guy." She stopped and smiled. "It's my fault that we're in this position. I asked him, I demanded, actually, that he come back to New York with me. And you know he cried on the plane ride? He thought I was sleeping somewhere over Kansas, and he cried."
She looked Meredith directly in the eye. "Don't think I didn't know, Grey." She said softly. "Three years, and I knew the whole time. He loved you. Hell, Meredith. If you can't be with the one you love, you've got nothing."
Meredith nodded at her, and turned back to look at Cristina, who actually gave her a small smile. Meredith locked eyes once more with her mother, and then it happened. It was like she had the bomb in her hand. Everything just faded away, and all she could see was Derek.
The revelation swept over her, and in those few quiet seconds, she could see everything that had happened between them in bright bursts in front of her face.
"I'm sorry." She said to Paul. "But I love Derek."
Meredith made her way to the back of the church, and her friends followed. Paul grabbed Bailey's wrist as she passed. "Who's Derek?" he asked.
Bailey rolled her eyes. "Dr. McDreamy. Tall, lots of hair, likes to lean against things."
Meredith flung her arms around Izzie in the back of the building. "Thank you." She whispered in her ear.
Izzie laughed. "Better now than at the actual wedding, right?"
Meredith leaned down to her mother's wheel chair and kissed Ellis on the cheek. The elder Dr. Grey grabbed her daughter's hand. "Richard tells me that you're going to be with the handsome neuro specialist."
"Yes, Mom, that's right," Meredith said incredulously. "Derek."
"Good." Ellis said. "Derek loves you."
Meredith looked at her mother quizzically, and then shook her head, turning to everyone else. "He's leaving tomorrow. I have to find him. Now."
"Do you have any idea where he is?" Mark asked her.
Meredith looked out the back window of the church, at the threatening sky and the lightning that was flashing.
"He's got a thing for ferryboats." She breathed.
Mark looked at her like she was crazy. "Ferryboats?"
Addison hit him in the arm. Meredith looked at the two of them. "Can I borrow your car?" she asked. Addison fished in her Dior bag until she found the keys to the rented Lexus.
"Be careful with it, Grey."
Meredith nodded and grinned. "Thank you." She said meaningfully. Addison nodded. Meredith looked around at her friends, her family. She smiled at them, took of her strappy heels and threw them at Cristina.
"Your shoes?" she asked. "Izzie gets hugged and I get your shoes?"
Meredith grinned. "You're my person. Deal with it. Unless you'd rather I hugged you."
"Just go find McDreamy." Cristina muttered, picking up the shoes. Meredith turned, and ran out of the church.
The four remaining interns stood in a group, watching her go, shaking their heads and muttering things like 'I told you so', and 'unbelievable'. Burke left his conversation with Adele and Bailey to amble over to them. He held out his palm.
"Pay up." He said. All four of them just stared at him. Burke smiled. "I believe I put two hundred dollars on Shepherd." He reminded them. "Now, pay up."
It was silent for beat. "We lost a bet to Burke? We lost a bet to my boyfriend? Damn it, Meredith, I'm going to kill you."
"No one likes a sore loser Cristina."