Author's note: Sorry for the late update. Been busy with schoolwork.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

SIX

It's been a week ever since the incident. It's also been a week when Derek left Meredith alone. And then the kiss with Mark.

She's been avoiding Mark since then. Similar to how Derek is treating her at the moment.

As usual, Derek had been drowning himself in his work, with nonstop surgeries and paperwork. He feels ashamed. He shouldn't have acted the way he did. I shouldn't have ran. He thought, but it was too late. He already did, and now, he couldn't face her.

Derek slumped into the chair in his office. He closed his eyes, wishing he could rest from all the thoughts running in his head. Then he heard the door open. He was greeted by the sight of Mark.

They haven't talked ever since the "incident." They're both avoiding each other so they didn't really have a problem. But looking at Mark right now, the expression in his face tells Derek that Mark is determined to talk today.

"This has got to stop Derek." Derek just scoffed, but he didn't expect what he heard next. "You will have to talk to her eventually."

Derek just stared at his "former" bestfriend. He knows what Mark feels for Meredith, he also expected that Mark already have made his move during this week. But no, Mark didn't make a move, or even talk to her, in fact, he is pushing Derek to make amends with Meredith.

This shocked him, because the Mark Sloan that he knew would have gotten what he wanted. Because that's Mark, a selfish jerk. But looking at the man in front of him right now, he saw the opposite.

Derek nodded. Mark seems to be satisfied with his answer and made a move to leave, but before Mark had a chance to exit, Derek spoke. "You've changed."

"Good or bad?" Looking at Mark's face, Derek knows he's waiting for an answer. But all that Derek gave him was a smile.

Derek was on his way to his office after a surgery when he saw her. She was there leaning at the nurse station. He wasted no time and dragged her in the nearest on call room.

"Derek, what the hell?!" And there she was. He missed her fiery attitude. He missed her.

"I wanted to talk to you." He flashed his McDreamy smile, but Meredith's not having it.

"And 'Meredith, can I talk to you?' isn't good for you?" That made him laugh, then he remembered what he is planning to do so he sobered up immediately.

"Meredith…" All the fight in Meredith flew right out the window when she heard her name. She missed him and the way he says her name. She misses everything. She closed her eyes, trying to prevent the tears already forming to fall.

"You left me, Derek. After I bared my soul, you left me." Her voice broke as she said the last sentence. Meredith felt so small and weak at that moment, and she didn't like it. she hates herself for opening up herself to him, because now, he can see her, the real her. She tightened her arms around her, trying to protect herself for any more damage.

Derek stood there for a moment, looking at Meredith as she wrapped her arms around herself. He can feel the guilt seeping through him. He did this. Then he took a step closer and wrapped his arms around her, loosely at first. When he felt her lean towards him a little, that's the only signal he needed to hug her tighter.

After a moment, he spoke.

"Remember the day we fought because you told Mark about the chief retiring?" When he felt Meredith nod, he continued. "I said that I'm always going to show up."

He felt Meredith move away from him, only far enough she can look at his eyes. "I know." Then she gave him a smile. He smiled back, then leaned forward and kissed her.

"So we're okay?" He asked. "Yes, Derek. We're okay."

But there this thing haunting Derek's mind since that moment. The smile that Meredith gave him wasn't the one that she was able to show to Mark. It bothers him. But he won't let it ruin his newly mended relationship with Meredith. So he just let it go, for now.

It's been a week since their last encounter. Since their kiss. And that kiss has been haunting Mark until now. He kept thinking what the kiss meant. But at the end of the day, the only possible reason why Meredith kissed him is for gratitude.

Although, the fact that she's been ignoring him for a week now kind of gives him a different message. But he doesn't want to let hope creep into his heart because he knows the he will just get hurt at the end.

There was always a connection between him and Meredith ever since their first encounter. They should be together, he thought. But maybe they're not really meant to be together. They were just meant to meet each other, but not to be together.

She's ignoring Derek to, but in a totally different reason. Because she got hurt by him. He wanted to beat the hell out of Derek for leaving her that night, but he really couldn't do anything. He's his bestfriend. And he knows Derek. He knows that fact that Derek wouldn't be able to handle Meredith's past. Even if Mark doesn't know anything about her past, a part of him knows that it's not a pretty picture.

He knew what to do. It doesn't matter who ends up with her, as long as she's happy.

Mark just came out from a very long surgery. He's so tired that all he wanted to do was lie down. So he went to the nearest on call room. He was just reaching for the doorknob when it suddenly opened showing Meredith. He was surprised to see her, face to face, after a week of not being able to look at her properly.

She was about to say something when Derek came behind her. Mark turned her attention to Derek. Ah, so they made up. Mark thought. He, then, willed himself to smile. "I see you've made up. About damn time." He then looked away from the two of them, ready to run. "I'll leave you two lovebirds to do your business." He was about to walk away when Derek called his name. When he turned around, Meredith was already walking away. That's an image that he's supposed to be used to see by now.

"I want to talk to you." Then Derek dragged him inside the on call room. Before Mark even made any remark about the situation, Derek knew him well and beat him to it. "I know what you're about to say so just stop." Then Derek looked at him in the eyes and said, "Thank you."

Mark looked away from Derek. He doesn't know what to say. Or he can't really say what he was feeling. Deep within his soul, he regrets what he did. But he knows it was the right thing to do.

He smiled at Derek and walked away.