Someone help us, 'cause we're doing our best.

Final surgery complete. 17:04, his watch told him. Her mother's surgery didn't start until seven. With a sigh, he took off towards the cafeteria. He tried to hide his surprise as she saw her sat at a table, on her own, no food in front of her. His tray full, he approached her, quietly. He didn't miss the slight jump as he spoke, "Meredith? Can I sit?"

She looked up at him, her eyes slightly wider, "Yeah, yeah go ahead," she motioned to the chair opposite her and he sat, placing his tray on the table between them. He watched her as her gaze drifted to the window beside them. Thinking. She was thinking. And he let her be, making a start on the fries in front of him.

"Look," she started, turning back to look at him as she spoke, "I don't know what this is. I don't know if this will be more than it already is but, I'm interested. I wanted you to know, I'm interested. If you are, obviously, which I think you are. But not now, not right now, I have, I have things I have to do, things that I didn't think would happen again, are happening and I need time, okay?" She looked right at him now, their eyes locked as she spoke. His hand reached to hers, and held it across the table, a soft look in his gaze.

"It's okay, Meredith," he squeezed her hand gently and smiled at her, glad she hadn't yet removed her hand from his grasp, "We don't need to rush into anything right this second, I can give you time. I am interested, I'm really interested. But I'm not going to push you. I can't imagine what you're going through right now," at this her hand released from his and she sat up a little in her chair, he pushed his plate of fries closer to her, "here, please, eat something. I have a feeling you haven't eaten anything beyond the coffee I saw you having this morning, so eat something, please."

She gave him a small, grateful smile, "Thank you, Derek, Dr. Shepherd," she corrected herself, taking a few of the fries and eating slowly. He smiled back at her and opened the water bottle in front of him, taking a quick swig.

They sat there, in quiet, maybe for around half an hour. She ate half of the fries on his plate, blissfully unaware of her co-workers, sat across the room, their eyes curiously watching the two attendings as they sat in silence, stealing glances from one another.

Her attention was back on her phone as it buzzed, a page, Maggie was paging her. "I have to go, I'll see you…?" she asked, as she stood from her seat, putting her white coat back on and her phone into the pocket.

Trying to hide the disappointment in his voice, although he didn't expect their moment to last too much longer, he stood up as well, gathering his tray and dinner things, "it's okay, I'll find you around, I'm sure. I'll message you," he grinned softly, feeling like a bumbling teenager, earning a smile back from her.

"See you later, Dr. Shepherd," she said, the smile still on her face as she turned to walk out the cafeteria.

"Goodbye, Dr. Grey."

She met Maggie just down the hall from their mother's room, "Ready, Mags?"

Maggie released a nervous laugh, "It's now or never, right?" Meredith arms wrapped around her, in attempt to comfort her.

"It'll be okay, Maggie, let's go," she smiled and released her sister, walking with her to Ellis' room. Meredith knocked on the door lightly before going in the room, Maggie close beside her, "Mom, this is Margaret Pierce. Maggie," she introduces Maggie as her sister steps toward Ellis, who sat up a bit more in the bed.

"Margaret… Maggie," Ellis started, "I don't even know what to say, I didn't ever think I'd be able to see you again," she shook her head slightly in disbelief, her hand reaching for Maggie's.

Maggie took her birth mother's hand and squeezed it gently, "I didn't either."

"I just, I need to know. Did you have a good life?" Ellis asked inquisitively, her attention completely on Maggie.

"I did," she nodded with a grin, "my mother, my father, they loved me, they really took care of me. I was really lucky."

At that, Meredith figured it would be best to leave them for a moment, "I'll be back soon before your surgery, Mom," she let her know, getting a nod from her mother. Meredith backed out of the room closing the door behind her. Upon exiting the room, she met Richard Webber's curious gaze. Meredith smiled toward him, walking up to him to limit the listening ears, "It's okay, they're doing okay." Meredith followed his gaze to the window of Ellis' room, where they could see Maggie and Ellis speaking.

"Good, good," Richard nodded his head, "Best to leave them to it," he offered a smile to Meredith as she walked down the hall, needing a break.

Her breaths came a little too heavy and she slipped into the nearby on-call room. Locking the door behind her, and with her back against the door, she slid into a sitting position and closed her eyes, unaware of the eyes that followed her as she hid away in the room.

Shortly after Meredith had left him in the cafeteria, he got a 911 page down to the ER. After assessing the patient, and speaking with Kepner, they determined an emergent operation was necessary. He left the patient with Kepner and headed back up to the OR floor to prep for his surgery. He passed Ellis' room on his way, in an attempt to see her again. And he did. And it broke his heart, more so that there was nothing he could do right now. The look on her face when she slid into the on-call room. He would've checked on her, he would've – if it weren't for the patient awaiting him in OR 4.

He was still operating when the clock passed seven, and then eight. Despite his frustration, he didn't let it show, and worked on the patient in front of him. When it was time to close, he passed the job over to his resident, Dr. Edwards, watching from the scrub room as he scrubbed out, ensuring the patient was stable before he headed off, wanting to see Meredith. He had to make sure she was okay – or at least see if he could help in any way, of course she wasn't going to be okay.

On his way, he peaked into the gallery for Ellis' OR, confirming her surgery was going to plan. Thankfully, they were right on schedule. Not bothering to change out of his scrubs, the first place he checked was Ellis' room – that was empty. Family waiting area? Not there. He sighed and dragged his hand over his face. He had no idea where else she would be, he didn't know her hiding places, yet. On his way back to his office to pack up for the day, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and composed a text to her. Let me know how it goes. I can be there if you need me. Not expecting an immediate reply, he hit send and put the phone in his bag and changed, ready to set off home.

Some point between sending the message and reaching his car she had, to his surprise, messaged him back.

It's over, it went well. Thank you.

He grinned, read the message and was about to reply, to say he was glad it had gone well, when another message came through. He was glad he hadn't started driving home.

Drinks?

The surgery had been successful, her mother was in recovery. She'd remain in the hospital for the next few days before heading back to the nursing home. Her mother had woken up from the anaesthesia around ten minutes before, and she was gone again. The gift, as she'd once been told it was, was once again gone. She needed a drink. As though someone was reading her mind, her phone went off in her pocket.

Let me know how it goes. I can be there if you need me.

She grinned to herself, glad to be having a moment alone in her office. She didn't need other people to see the effect he had on her. She sent a quick reply back to assure him everything had gone well and hit send. She put her phone down a moment while she nipped into her adjoining toilet area and changed into the jeans and blouse she'd come into work wearing that morning. Picking her phone back up, she could see the small ellipses signalling that Derek was typing a message back. Before he could, she sent a quick, one worded message, Drinks?

He stopped typing. A minute passed and nothing. Stupid, stupid, she thought. She'd told him she needed time and now was wanting drinks with him. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy who wants to be messed around.

When her phone pinged, she released a breath she didn't even realise she was holding. A little too quickly, maybe, she opened the message.

Meet me out front.

She felt the grin spread across her face and stood there for a moment, composing herself. She was more than excited to see him, but she didn't want him or anyone else to know that. She checked her reflection in the window of her office door and had just stepped out when her phone started ringing, Maggie.

She answered, knowing she wouldn't get away with ignoring her call, "Hey, Maggie, you okay?" she spoke as she made her way to the front of the hospital to meet Derek.

"Did you have plans for tonight?" her sister asked, and Meredith internally debated whether or not to tell her. Then again, Maggie knew when she wasn't being completely truthful.

"I'm going for a drink…" she paused a moment, checking no one was paying attention to her before she continued, "with Derek."

"Oh, that's great, Mer!" Her sister sounded genuinely happy for her, but Meredith did not miss the slight disappointment in her sister's voice.

"Maggie, if you wanna do something, or if you wanna join us…" she started, but Maggie interrupted her.

"No, don't worry about me Mer, I'll be okay," Maggie assured her, "I'll go over to Jackson's tonight," Meredith rolled her eyes at the obvious suggestion in her voice, take Derek home, "he's been asking all week for me to come over for dinner anyway, honestly it's fine. Enjoy yourself!" she laughed softly.

"Okay, but if you need me, call me, okay? I know it's been a hard day, just, call me if you need me?" she told her sister, not about to take no for an answer.

Meredith looked up ahead of her, seeing Derek waiting by the front of the hospital for her and smiled toward him as Maggie spoke in her ear, "I will, I promise, now go have fun! And be safe!" she laughed at her sister's comment and shook her head. Before she could respond, Maggie had dropped the call, so she put her phone away as she reached where Derek was stood.

"Hi," he smiled at her, his hands in his pockets. He wasn't shy, was he? Nervous, maybe.

Her hands retreated to her own coat pockets as a chill swept through the air, "Hey, shall we go?" He nodded in response and side by side, they walked over to the bar across the street, neither one brave enough to speak to the other, not yet.

We just now got the feeling that we're meeting, for the first time.

For the First Time - The Script.