DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GREY'S ANATOMY, I wish I did.

John and Meredith spent the rest of the day together. He convinced her to go downtown and they filed charges against Ray and got a restraining order. She finally felt like she was moving on. Well, kind of moving on. She still had strong feelings for Derek. Derek felt so perfect, like she was the puzzle and he was the missing piece. She and John shared a past. They had been through so much, he was her best friend. But she could not stand the thought of not having Derek around. They could never be just friends, there was too much chemistry.

John: So when is the next date?

Meredith: I haven't really thought about it.

John: Well, your time is winding down.

Meredith: I know.

John: You have a very big decision to make. Me or him.

Meredith: What?

John: Meredith, I am no fool. You have feelings for Derek. I can't believe it. I never thought that there was a chance I could lose you. (John's cellphone rang.)

Meredith: Thank God.

John: (Covers the phone.) I need to go to Boston for a client. Will you be OK?

Meredith: I don't need a babysitter!

John: Sure, I can go. How long will you need me there? OK, Yeah go ahead and schedule the flight. Thanks. See you later. (He flips the phone shut.) Are you sure you will be OK?

Meredith: I'll be fine. You need to check on your Mom while you are there.

John: Maybe this is a good thing. She is not doing well.

Meredith: She doesn't have much time left. I wish I could go. I told the Chief I would be in tomorrow.

John: It's OK. She will understand.

Meredith: I'm going to have to give her a call later.

John: I'm sure she'd like that.

John slept in his own room. He got the feeling from her that she didn't want him in there. He wasn't surprised. He hadn't won yet, Derek still had a hold on her. Meredith called Lois before she went to bed. They had a long conversation about what happened with Ray. Lois was so proud of her for standing up to him. Lois knew that Meredith would be OK without her. She could make it on her own. Meredith was getting ready to fall asleep and she decided to call someone else.

Derek: Hello?

Meredith: Hi...

Derek: Meredith... How are you?

Meredith: I'm good. I'm really good. I got a restraining order against Ray today.

Derek: That's great. Don't you feel better knowing that he can't come around you?

Meredith: I feel free. It's such a relief. I miss you...

Derek: I miss you too.

Meredith: The Chief is letting me come back. I'm working tomorrow.

Derek: Good. The hospital isn't as bright without you there.

Meredith: So, I guess I'm going to have to get some dates in, if I am going to reach my quota.

Derek: Is that so?

Meredith: It is. So I was wondering, what are you doing tomorrow?

Derek: I was thinking seriously about going on a date.

Meredith: Oh yeah? With who?

Derek: With you, of course.

Meredith: Pick me up at 5pm.

Derek: Sounds good. Now where exactly do you want to go?

Meredith: Somewhere casual.

Derek: I can't wait. See you tomorrow.

Meredith: OK. Bye, Derek. (She hung up the phone and covered her head. She started laughing like mad. She was giddy, she couldn't wait.)

When Meredith arrived at the hospital everyone was happy to see her. Most of the people knew what Ray did in the operating room. They didn't know about the past. They had an inkling that something happened, they just didn't know exactly what it was. When she walked in the locker room Izzie gave her a big hug.

Izzie: I'm so glad you are back!

Cristina: Yeah, it's been way too lonely around here. I've had no one to complain to.

Meredith: So that's all I am to you, a sounding board.

Cristina: Well, yeah.

Alex: Yang, you are so full of shit! Meredith, she has been miserable without you. (Cristina rolls her eyes.)

George: So how are you doing?

Meredith: I am great! Never better.

Cristina: What happened to my person?

Meredith: She went down to get a restraining order against Ray this morning. I left her there and came home in her place. I am moving on. I feel so great.

George: Oh Mer, that's great!

Bailey: OK people! Let's go. Thompson, I'm glad to see you back.

Meredith: Happy to be here.

Bailey: You are with She-Sloan today. Karev, Shepherd. O'Malley, Burke. Yang, pit. Stevens, you're with me.

Cristina: What? You're wasting my talents on the pit!

Bailey: Yes I am. Go people! (They all scatter.)

All day everyone was so friendly to Meredith, so concerned. It made her feel good, knowing that people cared. She had a talk with Addison. Addison was happy to hear that she was doing better. She wanted her to be happy, and in her heart she knew that that was with Derek. Derek had Alex running all over the place. Derek seemed especially attached to his patient. Alex couldn't quite figure out why. The man was in his sixties, and this case wasn't and extraordinary one. He was having surgery on his spine. All of the interns meant for lunch and talked about their cases. Meredith excused herself in the middle saying that she wanted to go see the Chief.

Chief: (Hears knocking on the door.) Come in. Ahh Meredith. How's the first day back?

Meredith: It's good. I am happy to be here.

Chief: Good, good. What can I do for you?

Meredith: I was just wondering, how did you find out? About Ray. How did you know what he did?

Chief: Well, I questioned everyone in the gallery and the OR and two nurses witnessed everything. But that wasn't how I knew to ask them.

Meredith: What do you mean?

Chief: It was your Mother. She came in. She poured her heart out to me. She told me everything. She feels so bad that she didn't stop it.

Meredith: Oh, shoot I have to go. Thanks, Chief. (She didn't have to go. She didn't want to hear it. She wasn't ready to forgive her Mother.)

The day went quickly and Meredith couldn't wait for her date. She took a shower and waited in the living room for Derek. She wore a nice long sleeved tee shirt and jeans. She didn't want to go somewhere fancy, she just wanted to be with Derek. It was 5:30pm and he still wasn't there. She started to get upset. Maybe he wasn't interested in her anymore. Maybe now that he had seen her breakdown, he didn't want to deal with it. It was now 6:30pm. She was getting mad. What the hell was he doing? She grabbed her keys and jumped in her car. She was going to see where the hell Derek Shepherd was. She pulled up to the trailer and there he was, sitting on the porch, drinking a beer. She gets out of her car and walks up to him.

Meredith: So now you're standing me up?

Derek: Oh, shit Mer. I'm sorry. I forgot. I had a bad day.

Meredith: OK. I can accept that as a reasonable excuse. Do you want to talk about it?

Derek: Not really.

Meredith: OK. (They sat there a while in silence. Meredith took a swig of Derek's beer. Finally she stood up and grabbed his hand.) Come on.

Derek: Where are we going?

Meredith: Come on. (She pulled him over to the hammock and motioned for him to lay down. He did and she laid there with him. She wrapped his arms around her.) So, Dr. Shepherd, welcome to my office. My name is Dr. Grey, what would you like to talk about?

Derek: What?

Meredith: I'm your in-house therapist. Come on, play along.

Derek: Dr. Grey?

Meredith: Yeah, It's a dig at my Mom. She says real doctors cut. So I use her last name. It really pisses her off. (Derek laughs.) So, what's going on?

Derek: I lost a patient today.

Meredith: I'm sorry to hear that. Now Dr. Shepherd, do you always get this upset when you lose a patient?

Derek: No, Dr. Grey. This one was different.

Meredith: How so?

Derek: Oh Meredith.

Meredith: What?

Derek: I can't take you seriously.

Meredith: Thanks! Come on, talk to me.

Derek: My dad died when I was 9. It was horrible. It was like a huge piece of me a torn out and never replaced. I felt so empty. I was the only boy, so it was my responsibility to do everything the man does in our house.

Meredith: Oh, Derek. I'm so sorry.

Derek: I just miss him. This patient, he reminded me of my Dad. He was around the same age as my Dad would have been. He had the same mannerisms, talked the same. I felt attached to him. He was on the table. I couldn't save him. It was like losing my dad all over again. (Meredith looks up and kisses him.)

Meredith: No one deserves to feel that pain. Believe me, I know.

Derek: Do you have a Dad?

Meredith: A Dad? No. A Father? Yes. I haven't seen him in over 20 years. He left, well my Mother left him. She moved us to Boston. I never heard from him again.

Derek: I wish I could make all of your heartache disappear. You have been through so much. No one should have to go through what you have.

Meredith: What doesn't kill you makes you stronger...That night in the car. You saved me. I don't remember anything, except your face. I remember looking up at your face. You were carrying me. I saw your face, and everything felt better for the moment.

Derek: I love you Meredith. (Kisses her head.)

Meredith: I love you too.

They both fell asleep in the hammock in each other's arms. She never wanted him to let go of her. He felt the same. He held on to her like his life depended on it. Derek needed her. He had never felt like this. Who was he kidding, he couldn't let her go. He needed her to live. He loved her. They were each other's life jacket. He felt like if he let go, he might drown.