A/N: I'm so happy you all liked this story!

***

Meredith looked at her watch as her plane descended into Sea-Tac airport. She knew in about twenty minutes she'd be staring into the crystal eyes of her best friend. Smiling at the though of seeing her best friend, Meredith felt the plane jolt, signifying the landing. "Attention passengers," a flight attendant said over the loud speaker, "welcome to Seattle, Washington. The current time is 11:45am," the flight attendant continued although Meredith stopped listening. She smiled at the familiar landscape outside her window. Clouds covered the dimly lit sky; giving Seattle it's rainy look although it wasn't raining. Departing the plane she quickly hurried though the terminal, quickly stopping only to go to the bathroom.

Grabbing her bags off the belt, Meredith walked forward, searching for Derek. She didn't notice when she walked into the chest of a well-dressed man. "Hey stranger," he said, extending a hand to Meredith who was on the ground.

"Derek!" she exclaimed taking his hand, pulling until she was off the floor, then jumping into his arms.

"Hi," he replied, throwing his arms around her center.

Meredith took a step back, examining her best friend after about six months apart. "You're skinny," she commented.

Derek looked at his friend. "I shouldn't be…I swear all Rose eats is junk and she forces me to eat it."

"I did the same thing," she shrugged, "you never complained."

"Yeah but when I say junk I mean candy. You just eat crap…way to easy heart attack crap."

"Ew. How can she only eat candy?"

Derek shrugged, wrapping an arm around Meredith's shoulders and grabbing her bag. She wrapped the arm that wasn't holding her purse around his waist as they walked through the airport. She really hoped he couldn't feel her heart beating out of her chest at his embrace. Somehow his embrace seemed to always make her feel better, safe…loved.

"Meri?" young Derek Shepherd called into his new best friend's house. He continued into her room finding his best friend curled into a ball in the corner of her pink room, her blonde hair flowing around her tiny form.

"Go away," she whispered into her knees.

"No," he insisted sitting next to her. They sat silently for minutes.

"My daddy's gone," Meredith whispered putting her head on her friend's shoulder. Derek wrapped an arm around her pulling her into his tiny chest. "He told me that he wasn't coming home…and he said I couldn't go with him."

"My dad could be you dad," Derek nodded.

"Really?" she asked, her bright green eyes, glistening with tears looking up at him. He bobbed his head up and down eagerly.

"He's already gots 5 kids but I bet he'd like another one," he promised. "He said that he really likes you after I broughts you to my house a lot."

"Really?" she whispered.

"Yup," he promised, giving his best friend a tight bear hug. "My daddy says bear hugs make people feel better," Derek told her seriously. Suddenly her tears stopped and she unwrapped her arms from her knees and let her legs stretch out. Hugging her best friend, she smiled a little, believing that she didn't really loose a father but gained a new one.

***

"Welcome to Casa de Shepherd," Derek said as they walked into his trailer. Seeing a brown haired woman sitting on his bed startled him. "Rose, what are you doing here?"

"Hi honey!" she said walking towards him, ignoring Meredith, and wrapping her arms around his neck to kiss him. Meredith cringed inwardly, jealousy pinging in her heart…well brain.

"Hi Rose," Meredith said, trying to break the kiss.

"Meredith," she smiled still latched on to Derek's arm.

"Rose, I was kinda planning on just spending some time with Meredith today," he told her cautiously.

"But you said we could all have lunch today," she pouted.

"I specifically said that Meredith was coming today and I couldn't have lunch with you today."

"You don't mind if I tag along, right Meredith?" Rose smiled sweetly, turning to her boyfriend's friend.

"Oh…I mean…um if Derek is okay with it then..."

"Perfect!" she exclaimed happily.

"Rose I actually wanted to spend time with Meredith…alone. I haven't seen her in six months," he emphasized months.

"Fine," Rose huffed, storming out of the trailer.

"You could of let her come with us," Meredith said.

"You don't want to spend time with your best friend?" he feigned hurt.

"Well now I'm not so sure he's not an axe murderer because of this beard," she laughed petting his face where a thick black beard sat.

"You don't like it?" he frowned stroking his cheek.

"Der, you know I love you right?" Meredith said with much difficulty, hiding the fact that it wasn't family love so much as…love love.

"Um…yeah."

"Well, sometimes we've got to come out and tell the people we love the truth. You're beard makes you look like a creepy woods man that's going to bring people out here and kill them," she remarked seriously.

"Thanks Mer," he retorted sarcastically. "I like it."

"Looks like you're going rogue," she muttered under her breath.

"I'm going to ignore that," he said. "Come on, I have to show you something," Derek grabbed her hand, effectively dragging her along after him. They trekked through woods, and up a hill.

"It's times like these when I think you're going to kill me."

He laughed. "Shut up Mer."

They walked a few feet further before stopping. "Wow," she said, eyes wide open.

"I never got a chance to show you this before…this is the reason I bought all this land."

"Wow…" Meredith repeated, admiring the view. Off the cliff you could see all the lights of the city, glistening in the darkness and dreariness of Seattle.

"I want to build a house at some point, up here," he told her. "When I find the right girl."

"Rose?"

"Maybe," Derek lied, it wasn't Rose. It wouldn't be the girl after Rose…it had to be Meredith.

"Will you ever settle down Derek? You're 36. You've only been close once with-"

"Don't say it," he growled.

"With Annabel," she continued, knowing he needed to hear it.

"Mer-"

"Then," she proceeded, ignoring his objections, "you ran. You picked up and ran Derek. You came out here and that was it. You didn't tell your family. You didn't tell me…"

Hearing the sadness in her voice Derek took a step forward, enveloping her in his arms. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you," he whispered into her hair.

"Why did you do it?"

"I needed to get away…"

"Derek, you were distant for a year out of the three that you were dating. You had to know something would happen. I mean you never went home… you were always at the hospital. Hell, Annabel asked if you were sleeping with me," this caught Derek's attention. "Every time I asked you about it you brushed it off. What was wrong?"

"I fell out of love with her," he admitted quietly. "I just couldn't end it. I mean it still hurt that she had the audacity to go out and screw other guys when we were still together but… I really moved out here to get away from…life. I needed space."

"From who?"

"No one in particular," he lied. Really he needed space from Meredith. One relationship was over. He knew he'd never really be serious about anyone but his Mer…so he ran, taking time to think. There was a line, a boundary… between friends and…more than friends. He ran to think about how to cross it because he really wanted to.

Meredith sighed. "Okay enough heavy conversation for the day."

Derek nodded. "I think there's a burger with your name on it somewhere. And maybe a shake."

"Yum," she smiled as they walked back down the cliff.

***

A/N: I really hope you liked it! It was actually not hard to write, which made me happy.