Chapter 19: Bait
Even when her life was threatened on multiple occasions, when she dove into ice cold water, and after she realized that her biology partner was inhuman, Meredith had never been as fearful for her life as she was when Derek Shepherd got behind the wheel of her beloved, old truck. She had no idea how the teachers to student drivers got the courage to sit beside their students, who were practically driving them to their deaths in giant, metal death traps. As promised, Meredith started to teach Derek how to drive. It was a week after the sawmill incident, and Derek had grown closer to Meredith through the course of that week. He walked her to her classes as he did before, but this time he didn't seem as though he was forced into it. In fact, he appeared to enjoy it. He made small talk and smiled more often. It gave Meredith such a nice feeling to know that he was happy. Even if he was faking it for her sake, she was appreciative. She wanted to try and integrate Derek in with the rest of the group, but both parties were still wary of one another. While Derek kept up his guard around anyone who wasn't Meredith, the rest relied on their primal instincts of knowing when a predator was close by. Thus, she switched from table to table every other day. But this wouldn't go unnoticed by Jessica, who was still a bit resentful for their fight, despite the phone call. She questioned Meredith every chance she got about the boy. Thankfully, she didn't say more than two words whenever Derek was present, so nearing the end of the week, Meredith spent most of her time with the vampire to avoid questions. Soon, she hoped, Jessica would exhaust herself. In any case, Derek asked that Friday if he could practice driving. Meredith agreed, and that Saturday, they took her truck to the empty lot at the school, Meredith saying how happy she was that Derek jumped at the chance to drive. It wasn't long before she regretted those words.
To say Derek was a poor driver would be like saying that Niagara Falls is a leak. He couldn't quite understand the concept of keeping his foot on the gas petal, rather than pressing it, pulling his foot away, pressing it again, and so on and so forth. He also turned quite sharply, causing Meredith to grab onto anything and everything insight, including her seatbelt, the dashboard, the handle above her door, the seat, and her own arms. She was just waiting for them to topple over and sit on the roof of the cab, or something along those lines. She had no doubt that by the time Derek finally was able to park, her face had lost any and all color. She turned her head to him, her bones stiff from being so tense.
"You've never driven a car before... ever?" she squeaked. Derek rubbed his temple, shaking his head.
"When I was your age, they were new and for the rich." He looked over to her, biting a part of his lip with his fang. "Sorry..."
Meredith shut her eyes and put a hand on her sputtering heart, calming herself. "No... it's fine. It's your first time. But please try to keep your foot on the petal, ok?" She let her body relax against the seat, her breaths slow. She had almost forgot to take some during the terrifying experience.
"Thanks..."
Meredith blinked her eyes open and looked over to him, surprised. "Um... It's no problem. I mean, I did say I would..."
Derek's eyes had trailed to the steering wheel. He had eaten the night before, so they were once more their alluring, golden color. A little smile came to his lips and he shook his head. "Not that..."
Meredith stared at him, curious as to what he meant. What else could he thank her for? She hadn't done anything else worthy of gratitude, she didn't think. "Well... for what then?"
Derek fiddled with the steering wheel. He picked a little at the pealing rubber of the old thing and shrugged. "Just... being there I guess." He glanced at her and shook his head. "Ah, forget it."
A warm smile came to Meredith's face. She reached over and put a hand over his. He looked at her, though he did not move his head. "Don't worry about it," she said gently. "Besides, you were there for my meltdown, right? It's only fair that I do the same."
Derek kept his smile. "Right..." He paused then, his smile falling. He turned his sharp eyes out the front windshield and narrowed them. "What's he doing here...?"
Meredith looked out as well, noticing Mark Sloan heading towards them. Meredith smiled and got out of the car, relieved to feel firm ground beneath her once more. She hurried to her friend and gave him a hug, glad to see him again. He hugged her back, though with not the force that he was used to giving. Derek slunk up behind her, and even when Meredith wasn't looking, she could tell that Derek was glaring at the young shifter. "What brings you over here?" Meredith asked, eager to keep the mood enjoyable.
Mark scratched the back of his head, finding it hard to smile. Strange, as it usually came so easy to him. Meredith suddenly felt as though something was wrong and asked if he was all right. He said he was fine, but sure didn't look it. He finally huffed and spoke his mind. "Dad wants to set a trap for the nomads," he said.
"Oh? Well that's good, isn't it?" She turned to Derek and put a hand on his arm, trying to ease him. "That's a good thing, right?"
Derek's glower refused to stray. "There's a catch," he grunted. Meredith didn't know if he was talking to her or Mark. The native frowned at him and stuffed his mitts into the pockets of his brown jacket.
"Yeah..." He let out a long sigh, breath trailing from his lips to the air in a long stem of fog. "He wants Meredith to be the bait..."
Meredith felt her heart fall from her chest. Bait? Purposefully putting her life in danger to try and trap the nomads? She suddenly got a vision of herself sitting beneath a box propped up by a stick with a string. She might as well have on a sign that said "Fresh Meat" around her neck. She opened her mouth to respond, when she felt two iron like arms clamp around her torso from behind. Derek pulled her into his chest and growled at him.
"Absolutely not," he said immediately. "She's not sticking her neck out like that." Meredith was sure he didn't mean the obvious pun. "No way. Never."
"You think I like the idea any better?" Mark snapped, shooting daggers at the vampire. "Besides, it's not like it was Dad's idea alone. Your lovely father agreed on it."
Derek's eyes became dangerous slits. "Liar," he hissed. "Carlisle wouldn't put her in danger like that. He's supposed to be protecting you and the humans, not using them like toys."
"Derek," said a familiar, female voice. The three of them turned to see Rosalie and Emmet appear as if from nowhere. Rosalie now wore a fluffy, marshmallow type jacket that was a bright, pale pink. Emmet wore his usual gray sweatshirt. They made their way over to their brother, who was giving them a look of pure disbelief. "Carlisle and Mr. Sloan had an agreement last night. They decided that since they value Miss Grey as some kind of toy, she would be perfect in bringing them out of hiding."
Derek's grip on her only became tighter. Meredith felt the circulation to her arms cut off but didn't say anything. She was too afraid to tell him to let go. "Der..." said Emmet calmly. "It's not like she's going to be there all on her own. You, me, Alice and Dad'll be there to catch them. That's why it's called a 'trap', you know."
Derek looked at him helplessly, opening and closing his mouth as if to say something. He shook his head and pushed his eyes to Meredith's neck. He was acting like some child who didn't want to let go of his favorite play thing. Meredith remembered him talking about still having a teenaged mentality. Maybe because he had lived so long, it moved between a mature state of mind to a childish one. He could very well be unstable because of it. Then again, Meredith wouldn't know. She'd never lived to see a century. Not yet anyway. Then again... maybe mentality had nothing to do with it. He had told her about his first love, as did she. It wasn't like before, where they had no real connection between the two of them. Where they didn't talk to one another because they were both two stubborn to do so. They were both there when the other had their moment of weakness. Meredith had seen him cry. Derek had seen her do the same. They had held one another through heartbreak and loneliness. To say that they continued to have no connection was simply idiotic. Meredith reached up over his grasped and gently touched her fingers to his hair. He lifted his eyes so that only she could see them. She began to think.
If the nomads had done any good, it was giving her a friend in Derek Shepherd. Through his gaze, she could tell that he cared – truly cared for her now. After witnessing his first love kill herself... She could imagine how uneasy he would be letting someone he had just gotten close to willingly be put in danger. Still... Meredith had to consider herself in this. It was true that she feared the nomads more than anything else in her life. But it was like she said before to Mark. She was tired of feeling like the damsel in distress all the time. All she could really do was cling to that crucifix and cross her fingers. What if she was found without it again? She was with Derek the last time, but he couldn't be with her forever. Perhaps... this was something she could do to make herself feel less helpless. She slowly took herself away from Derek's grip, silently telling him to let her go. He did, though against his will. After looking at one another for a moment, Meredith turned to the other three. "One condition. Rosalie." She looked to the blond, who stared right back. "Can you make sure that my dad is safe? I know vampires can't come into a house without being invited, but I don't want Victoria or Laurent tricking him into coming out..." James didn't seem the type to be sly like that. She hoped, anyway.
Rosalie glanced at Emmet before agreeing. "Sure. I'll keep a watch on your house from a tree or something. I won't intervene unless I have to."
"I'll be there too," Mark added. He sulked and looked away. "I can't help with the trap because my scent is too strong. They'd be able to smell me if I was hiding. Anyway, I'll keep him company on the inside."
Meredith nodded. "Then, I'll do it."
"Wait a minute, Meredith." Derek took her shoulders and turned her. "Please... You don't have to do this. It's your choice. No one is forcing you. Please don't put yourself in this kind of danger...!"
Meredith looked at him a bit more and then smiled gently. She took his cold cheeks into her hands and leaned forward, kissing his forehead. Something she had to boost herself on tiptoes to do. When she got back down to her heals, she kept her smile. "I'll be fine. You won't let anything happen to me, right?" Derek stared at her, shoulders slumping. He then turned his eyes down and shook his head. "Then I'm safe. I know you won't let anything hurt me."
Rosalie put a hand on her shoulder, and she looked to her. With a nod, the two vampires turned and walked off, easily making their way to the forest. Meredith turned to Mark, who was glaring off to the side. Meredith was sure he was angry that he couldn't be there. She tore from Derek and patted his arm, giving him a friendly smile. "Don't make your dad worry. Go on." Mark looked at her for a moment before glowering at Derek. In a sudden movement, he lurched forward and gave Meredith a swift kiss to her lips. He then turned on his heal and moved to his truck, slipping into the driver's seat and driving off. Meredith was left in a slight state of shock. She turned her eyes to Derek, who was staring at the black truck, mouth agape. They made eye contact and Meredith touched her lips. There was a silence between the two of them. Finally, Meredith began to laugh a bit. She felt as though things were suddenly less tense, somehow. She moved over to the truck and got back in her seat.
"Come on, Derek," she called. "You still have a long way to go!"
