Disclaimer: HOLY SHIT WE WON! Okay, we didn't. Shonda did. Because we don't own Grey's.

I noticed her the second she walked into the bar, the bell tingling above her head. She was running a few minutes late but I didn't really mind. It was worth it to see how beautiful she looked. Relaxed and casual, but beautiful. It almost seemed unreal that we were actually finally going out after so long of me chasing her. Her eyes met mine, and I smiled at her, getting up to go greet her.

"Hey," I said softly as we met in the middle of the bar. I noticed then she had a little bit of make up on, not a lot, just enough to make her look, well, different. And beautiful in a new way. Even her hair seemed a little styled, but otherwise, she wasn't dressed up. She wasn't like the women I had dated in the past, the women who spent all day prepping themselves. "You look beautiful."

She wrinkled her nose at the compliment. "Thanks but it's nothing. I just got off work and threw this on, really it's nothing. I mean, I don't look that great," she said shrugging me off. She paused and looked me up and down, finally meeting my eyes. She smiled at me gently, in that teasing flirtatious way that had captured me in the first place. "You look good though."

It was then that I noticed that we, well, matched. She was wearing jeans, a lavender sweater with a white button down underneath and I was wearing jeans, and a red sweater with a white button down underneath. I let out a chuckle as I surveyed her, "You've been stalking me, Meredith Grey."

Her eyes widened in that adorable way they managed to do ever so often. "What are you talking about?" she asked, sounding worried.

I laughed at her worried expression and then took her hand. "Nothing, you look beautiful," I smiled softly at her. "Really, you do." And she did. She looked amazing and I couldn't take my eyes off of her. "Are you ready to go?"

She looked around the bar, a slightly confused expression on her face. She then looked at our hands still grasped together and finally back up at me. "Go? Derek? Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise," I winked at her. "You didn't really think our first date would be in a bar, did you?"

"I didn't know what to think," Meredith said shrugging slightly. "It's been a while, I mean not a long time, but well long enough time since my last date. And I don't know you. It could of...I just didn't knw what to think."

I nodded at her words, sensing that this was new to her. Hell, this was new to me too. I dated, of course I did. But it was the first time in a long time I was out with a woman who captured my attention so easily as Meredith Grey. "Don't worry," I squeezed her hand, "we'll take this slow. You just have to trust me. Have faith."

"Faith," she said nodding slightly at me. I could still see the doubt in her eyes and I still wondered what exactly it was that made her so nervous. But those kind of questions would have to come late. For now she was following me out of the bar and trusting me to surprise her and that was enough. I wasn't used to taking it quite this slow but Meredith appeared to be worth it.

I opened the passenger side door for her, closing it after she slid into my car and then moved to the other side. I started my car and found myself taking her hand again as I drove out into the Seattle night. "Do you like movies?" I asked her, suddenly realizing that I didn't know a thing about Meredith Grey. Not one thing. Except that she was a physician's assistant and she had attended Dartmouth. Otherwise, nothing.

"Umm...yes I like movies," she responded, sounding like was slightly unsure of the answer. She wasn't looking at me, she was looking at our linked hands between us. I was slightly worried she's pull hers away but she didn't. "I like movies," she said again, sounding more sure this time and giving my hand a gentle squeeze.

"Good," I nodded. "And picnics? How do you feel about picnics?" Her hand was warm in mine, and fit perfectly in my own.

She smiled at me, a real genuine smile. "Picnics are nice," she said nodding but then gesturing to the dark sky outside the window. "But isn't it a little late for a picnic, Der?"

Der. I liked that. The last person who had called me Der was Talulah, and it was cute when she said it. But when Meredith said it, there was a teasing quality to it. It sounded almost sexual coming out of her mouth. "Oh, Mer," I let out a mock sigh of frustration, "It's never too late for a picnic and a movie."

In response her giggle filled the car. "You're taking me out for a picnic and a movie? Seriously? Isn't that a bit...cheesy?" she asked me, laughter making her voice sound more bubbly and bright than usual.

I laughed right along with her as I turned down a street, looking for a place to park. "There's nothing cheesy about Movies at the Mural, Meredith. It's a Seattle tradition!"

"Movies at the Mural?" Meredith asked me sounding skeptical of my idea. "That is definitely cheesy, Dr. Shepherd."

"Definitely not, Ms. Grey," I smiled at her. "Cheesy would be dinner on ferryboats with an orchestra playing." I parked my car and got out, opening her door for her. "And are you seriously telling me you've never been to Movies at the Mural?"

"No, Derek, some of us actually have reputations to maintain. If Cristina sees me out here she'll never speak to me again." Her words were of complaints but as she said them she slipped her hand back into mine as if that's exactly where it belong. "At least you brought food," she teased as I grabbed the full picninc basked out from the back.

"Always a necessity," I nodded and then led her to a bare spot on the grass, unfolding a blanket for us to sit on. She still looked around nervously, as if expecting Cristina to appear at any second, but I pulled her down to sit next to me, my arm automatically going around her shoulder. "I promise, I won't tell Cristina if you don't tell Mark."

"Who's Mark?" she asked, sounding curious as she eased in next to me. I was surprised to feel her body automatically relax against mine, bringing herself even closer to me as she squirmed around looking for the most comfortable spot.

"My best friend," I smiled at her as she settled herself just under my shoulder. I couldn't help but breathe in that flowery scent as I ducked my head down to whisper in her ear. "He's, well, he's a man's man. My sisters call him a manwhore." I chuckled lightly. "And Cristina is..."

"She's my person," Meredith said simply as if it was the most normal thing in the world to have a person. But her smile widened as she said it, so I assumed being one's person was a good thing. Wonder if Mark qualified as my person. "She works at the same hospital as you actually, you probably know her."

"What service?" I asked, the thought crossing my mind that I should probably get to know Meredith's person very well. And perhaps try to get on her good side.

"She's a cardio resident," Meredith said as her head found a comfortable spot on my shoulder.

I thought for a moment about the cardio residents. I didn't often work with them, but when I did, well, there were only a few I could remember. And then, the petite Asian woman that had been with her in the bar the first time we had met suddnely clicked in my head. "Yang," I replied. "Cristina Yang?"

"That's her," Meredith said, suddenly a frown crossed her face. "She's not as scary as she seems. Okay, maybe she is, but only when you annoy her."

I laughed lightly. "Yeah, she's a character," I murmured but then fell silent as the movie started. Her hand found mine again as we sat underneath the moon, cuddling and watching Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. It was all a little bit surreal. Usually, on first dates, I felt pressured to talk, but with Meredith, I was completely content to sit in aboslute silence.

She seemed to feel the same, she just rested against me, a content smile relaxing her gorgeous features. I couldn't believe I had met her, that one night in a bar I had accidentally stumbled upon her. It was surreal. I had dated plenty of women before, but none had been like this. Not one woman I had met had fit me quite like this. As we sat in silence and watched the movie, Meredith fit.

But the minute I first met you, I could barely catch my breath.