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

Meredith was feeling very guilty about what she had to tell John tonight. She was choosing Derek, she was picking Derek. It almost didn't feel real. She and John had such history, and that was what it was going to be, history. She felt ever worse because she told John it was over with Derek. He was going to be completely blind sided tonight. For so long she did what everyone wanted her to do. Today was going to be the day when she steps forward, paving her own path. She was going to start fresh. Meredith and Dr. Bailey both scrubbed in on the abdominal hernia surgery, It was taking a very long time, it happened to be strangulated. She kept having a lingering feeling that something was going to happen, along with a piercing feeling in her back.

Bailey: So nice flowers. What did he do?

Meredith: Who?

Bailey: The man who sent you the flowers.

Meredith: He said something he shouldn't have.

Bailey: An you forgave him?

Meredith: Of course.

Bailey: It wasn't your husband was it?

Meredith: (Shocked, and for some reason feeling like she couldn't lie.) Uh, no.

Bailey: He's in love with you, you know. Dr. Shepherd. I won't say anything, but so help me God, if anything changes. If you start getting all of the good cases, if you get special treatment. You'll wish you were never born.

Meredith: Dr. Bailey-

Bailey: That's all. We're done here. Let's close up. This man is going to be feeling a lot better. (They are now in the scrub room.)

Meredith: Dr. Bailey, it's very complicated. This situation. My husband--

Bailey: Do I look like I want to hear about your personal life?

Meredith: Uh, no. (Just then Miranda's pager goes off.)

Bailey: It's the pit, let's go. (They run off.)

Nurse: We have a trauma victim coming in estimated time of arrival is 10 minutes. He has massive injuries to the chest. They are saying it's surgical.

Bailey: OK, we need to page the other available interns. (Izzie and George were available. Everyone gets suited up.)

Izzie: I hope it's good. Sloan had a breast augmentation. The patient did not need it. I hate plastics.

George: Shepherd's case got bumped. I was on my way down here anyhow.

The ambulance pulls up. The doors fly open, revealing a rather strange case. Meredith only heard bits and pieces, she was too entranced by what she saw.

Paramedic: ...old male...bp is...impaled..

Meredith: (Looks at George.) Is that a-

Izzie: Oh my God, it's a fence!

George: He has a wrought iron fence sticking out of his body! (The man had three pieces of wrought iron fence sticking out of his chest.)

The paramedics pull the patient's gurney out and they begin wheeling him in.

Paramedic: The fire department had to cut the pieces off of the fence.

Izzie: Oh my God, Mer. (Meredith walks up alongside the man.)

Meredith & Bailey: What?

Meredith: Oh my God, John! (She screams.)

John: Mer- calm down, it's OK.

Meredith: (Crying.) What happened? Oh my God. (Her chest tightens.)

Bailey: Meredith you need to go. I'll send someone out to let you know what's going on.

Meredith: What? NO! THAT IS MY HUSBAND! I am staying with him. (She grabs his hand, and walks beside him. Meredith looks at the promise ring Derek had given her on her finger. She slowly slides it off an places it in her pocket.) I pick you, John. I pick you. (She whispers.)

John: Please, let her stay. I need her with me.

Bailey: It's against hospital policy.

John: Screw hospital policy.

Bailey: (Looks at them both.) Fine, but you better stay out of the way. Izzie, I need you to get every available surgeon, all surgeries that can be, need to be bumped. We need tests George. No MRI, we need to find out what this thing punctured. John, you don't worry, you'll be fine.

Derek, Dr. Webber, and Dr. Bailey were gathered looking at the results at the tests. John was laying in the OR, Meredith was standing next to him.

Derek: Shit! SHIT! This is bad. (Dr. Burke walks up and looks at the results.)

Bailey: It is right into his liver, spleen and gall bladder.

Derek: And wedged in his spine.

Burke: He is never going to make it. Look at this fence, it has barbs on the end. They will do more damage going out than coming in.

Dr. Webber: Well, we're going to try.

Burke: Why waste my time?

Bailey: Because that is John Thompson, Dr.- Meredith's husband.

Burke: Oh. Damn-it. (They continue to try and figure out how they will proceed. Meredith is still in with John.)

John: Mer- No matter what I want you to know I love you.

Meredith: John! You are going to fine. Quit talking like that! I'll be right back. (Meredith went to look at the results, but they wouldn't let her in. They told her to go be with John.) What were you doing John? How did this happen?

John: I was getting something for you. It's in my-

Derek: OK, John.

John: Wait--Meredith, can you go get the box that is in my jacket?

Meredith: John, I can't leave.

John: Please, it's important. (Meredith went on a search for his jacket and what it contained. Derek was in the OR with John.)

Derek: OK, I won't lie, It's pretty bad, but not unfixable.

John: Derek. I need you to promise me something.

Derek: OK.

John: I need you to promise me that you will take care of her.

Derek: John, you will be fine. You can take care of her when you recover.

John: Derek, I have 3 metal poles sticking out of my body. I think it's safe to say I am not going to walk out of here.

Derek: You don't know that.

John: (Smiles.) I do. There are some things you should know. She loves cheesecake, never eat the last piece. If she thinks a movie is sad, she will quit watching, she will just walk out of the theater. She is amazingly strong for her size. She is afraid of squirrels, she was chased by one when she was a kid, she is convinced they all want to attack her. She is sure that peanut butter is full of bugs, that that is what the specks are, but somehow she still eats it. She has to have the right side of the bed, that is not debatable. When she is upset she will act like she needs to be alone, don't let her, you have to hold her until she calms down. She gives you her whole heart, don't ever break it. For the love of God, do not sleep with someone the night before your wedding, she might going on a killing spree. So promise me, Derek. Promise me you will take car of her, and love her forever. I can't leave her alone.

Derek: (Tears welling up.) I promise. (He begins to walk out.)

John: It was always you Derek.

Derek: What?

John: She was always going to pick you. I knew that night we saw you at the restaurant, that I had lost her forever. Don't let her feel guilty about that.

Derek: OK. (Meredith walks in holding a small box. Derek walks out to join the surgeon who are planning their course of action.)

John: Did you open it?

Meredith: No.

John: Open it. (Meredith opens it.)

::FLASHBACK::

John: I wish I could afford to buy you something more, Meredith. (They are at the local jewelry store. John is buying her a real engagement ring. When he proposed he gave her his high school class ring.) Someday I will buy you something more. When I am practicing law, I'll get you the ring you want.

Meredith: I love the one you got me. (It was gold with the tiniest diamond ever.)

John: I you could have any ring, which one would you pick. (She picked something nicer, but still fairly modest.)

Meredith: I like that one, but this one is mine. (She motions to one he got her.)

John: I love you, Meredith Grey!

::END OF FLASHBACK::

Meredith: Oh, John! (It was the ring she had picked. The exact same one. She had never forgotten it.)

John: You don't know what I had to go through to get that! (Meredith slide it on her finger.) Meredith, look at me. (She does.) You will be OK.

Meredith: What do you mean? (She is getting upset.)

John: Derek will take care of you. He is a great guy. (She starts to speak.) Let me talk! He is the guy. The guy for you. He loves you so much. I can see it. You love him too, and that's OK! Don't feel guilty of funny about being with him. I couldn't want you with anyone else. I don't want you to cry, or be sad. I want you to go on with your life. I want to live everyday to the fullest. I want you to smile and sing, and live out your dreams.

Meredith: OH, John. I'm so sorry. (She is crying.) I ruined your life. I made you suffer everyday. It wasn't even your fault, it was mine! You wasted your life on me.

John: NO! You were never a waste. You made my life worth living. You are the reason I breathed in and out everyday. Everyday was great because you were by my side. I will never regret you. Everyone has one person that was put on this earth for them. You were mine Meredith. You are the reason I was born. You are my everything. Now listen to me. You have to get a hold of the senior partners, they know where all the investments and accounts are. The account numbers and passwords are in the law book you gave me when I graduated. They are on page 525, our wedding day. There is a lot of money. Do whatever makes you happy. You were always right, it's just money. Love is the most important thing, and I love you, Meredith Grey. (He uses her maiden name to symbolize that he is letting her go.) I always have. Let me feel your lips one last time. (She kisses him a sweet, loving, passionate kiss.) I have to go...

Meredith: What?

John: (Smiles.) I have a date with our daughter... (He flat-lines. The surgeons run in.)