I don't own Grey's Anatomy. If I did, I would know what is going to happen in the season finale.

She fell. She allowed herself to let go. She threw all rationale out of the window. She went on another date with Chase. And then another, and another. She knew she shouldn't have. She had been listening to the radio, some self-help woman started talking about love. Talking about how you should never give up. It was better to try and enjoy life. She thought about it. She went to the coffee shop, and low and behold, there he was. Thus, the dating began. They had been dating three weeks. It was moving fast, really fast. But it felt right. He stayed over at her house most of the time.

"Wow." Chase said and he rolled over panting.

"That was good." She looked over at him. He smiled at her.

"Yeah, to say the least." He replied, as he rolled over, kissing her on the chest. "You are just full of secrets, aren't you?"

"You haven't seen anything yet!" She rolls over on top of him, kissing his lips deeply.

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Chase liked to go on dates. He liked going out out. Meredith liked to hang out at home, but she couldn't really cook too well. Chase never had time to cook, so they spent a lot of time eating at restaurants. They had been to nearly every restaurant in Seattle, and yet she hadn't seen anyone from her past. It was like they had been sucked off the face of the earth. Chase and Meredith were in the middle of dinner when he got paged. The life of a doctor. She knew how it went. Soon enough, she would be doing the same thing. He quickly excused himself, and came back to table, letting her her know that he had to go. It was fine, she told him. She finished her meal, feeling somewhat self-conscious, eating alone. She looked across the street. The Emerald City Bar. She could use a shot of tequila. She made her way across the street and walked in, the bell on the door dinging. The bar looked friendly. People were playing darts, talking. There will still no one she knew. She made her way to the bar, sitting down. The bartender walked up.

"What will it be?" He asked.

"Tequila." She stated.

"You will regret it in the morning." Joe warned, looking at her tiny frame, thinking she wouldn't be able to handle her alcohol.

"I always do." Meredith chuckled.

"I'm Joe." He smiled.

"Meredith." She answered.

"Here ya go." He sat the shot in front of her. She poured the liquid in her mouth, feeling it burn as it slid down her throat.

"Keep them coming." She told him. A man sits down next to her, keeping her in his peripheral vision.

"Double scotch, single malt, Joe" He asked. Finally her turns to her. "I've never seen you in here before."

"It's my first time." She said, slamming her shot.

"I'm Derek Shepherd." He said, with a smile.

"Hmm." She turned forward, staring at the various bottles of liquor.

"You're ignoring me." She said boldly.

"I'm trying to." She said plainly, glancing sideways at Derek. Damn, Seattle was one good looking city. The man-candy was endless.

"You shouldn't." He answered. Looking into her eyes, which drew him in like a magnet.

"No?"

"No." He told her, not taking his eyes off of her. "So tequila, a little hardcore. So, are you trying to drown something out?"

"I am hardcore." She said boldly. "And no. I just had a date. A good one, but he had to leave in the middle, so I'm here. Otherwise, I would be laying on my back, staring at the ceiling right about...now." She said, hoping to turn him off.

"Oh." He turned, staring at the bottles in front of him for a few minutes, before turning to her again. "Did you say that just to get me to leave you alone? If you did, it's not working."

"Why? Why do you insist on talking to someone who doesn't want to talk to you?" She demanded, slamming another shot.

"Why do you keep talking if you don't want to talk to me?" He said, smiling at her. She couldn't help but look at him. She cracked a small smile. Damn men. Damn Chase. If she hadn't found Chase, this man just may have been going home with her. She could definitely see him in her bed.

"You are taken. And yet, you are flirting." She smiled, glancing off into the distance.

"How do you know that?" He asked.

"Because your whatever, has just walked in, and gave me the look of death" She said as a tall brunette walked towards them.

She was perfect, not a hair out of place. She had on a pencil skirt, and a nice top. She could hear her Jimmy Choos clicking on the floor as she came near them. She looked out of place. So did Meredith in her black dress, but this woman didn't fit in. She would never fit in. She was too perfect. She wasn't the type of girl to be in a bar with peanut shells on the floor. She smiled as she walked up. It wasn't a nice smile. It was a who-the-hell-are-you smile. She was pissed, she was coming to pee on her territory.

"Derek. I hope you haven't been waiting long." She said in a high pitched voice, and she pulled him close and kissed him. "Hello, I'm Holly. And you are?" She said, extending her hand.

"Just leaving." Meredith responded as she swiftly got up from the bar and headed towards the door. She realized he didn't pay for her drinks. Shit! She turned around, walked back to the bar, and threw money down. "Nice to meet you, Derek." She said, flashing him a smile, then walking away. Holly was taken aback. Meredith knew it would piss her off, that's why she did it.

"She was friendly." Holly said sarcastically.

"Yeah, she was." Derek said happily. There was something about her, the nameless woman. He would see her again, he just knew it. He couldn't wait.

Meredith walked outside, realizing she couldn't drive. She opened her phone, getting ready to dial the cab company. The phone rang, it was Chase.

"Hey." He said.

"Hey." She answered.

"Are you drunk?" He asked, with a smile.

"A little." She chuckled. "I stopped at the bar. I was just getting ready to call a cab."

"Well, I'm done. I'll come get you." He stated, hoping she would agree.

"Okay. I'm at the Emerald City Bar." She told him.

"I'll be there in a few minutes. How much have you had to drink?" He asked, with concern in his voice.

"Enough to let you take advantage of me." She answered with a flirtatious laugh.

"And I just might want to. See you in a few minutes." She shut her phone. She heard the now familiar ding of the bell as the door opened behind her. She turned to see Derek standing there.

"I wondered if you were driving." He said. He looked at her, taking her in, looking at her curves.

"Why do you care?" She snapped.

"I have friends and family who could be in your drunken path." He said plainly, no emotion attached.

"I don't drink and drive. I'm waiting for my ride." She answered.

"Well, I can wait with you. A pretty girl like you shouldn't be standing her by herself. Especially when she's drunk." Derek said, staring into her eyes, which, once again, sucked her in.

"I am not drunk. I am fine. I can take care of myself." She retorted. She tapped her foot. "Oh, here's my ride. Thanks or whatever." She said as she climbed into Chase's Astin Martin.

"Or whatever?" Derek said to himself. His eyes followed the car as it drove away. He was hoping her would see her again. There was just something about her. He walked back into the bar.

"Where did you go, Derek?" Holly asked him with a questioning glare.

"I was getting some air. Alone. All by myself." He answered quickly. Why did he lie? What did it matter?

"Oh." She answered skeptically. "Well, are you ready to go home? You have had enough to drink."

"Yeah. I'm ready." He answered dully. "But I think I know how much I can drink."

"It's not good for you. Tomorrow you aren't coming here. What did you have for dinner? I hope you didn't have red meat! You need to eat healthy, Derek." Holly scolded.

"I had chicken." He answered with a low voice.

"Good." She answered.

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Meredith had planned on going to the mixer. She put on a nice black gown, and black strappy shoes. She had all intentions. Chase was working. She wasn't going to take him with her anyhow. At this point she didn't need anyone from her future job to know that she was dating the Head of Cardio at Seattle Presbyterian. She wanted to make it fairly, and she didn't want anyone to think she she hadn't. She slowly walked into the room. Everyone was talking, and laughing. She didn't fit in. She slinked along the wall. Finally she saw him, Richard Webber. He was slightly older, but it was him. She turned on her heel. She couldn't do it right now. She knew he was Chief of Surgery. But she would deal with it when she arrived at work tomorrow. Right now, she needed a drink. She nearly plowed over a brown haired man and she quickly walked towards the exit. Joe's looked like a beacon. She couldn't wait to feel the burn of the tequila. She quickly walked across the busy road. As she crossed the road, she heard something fall. She looked down just to see her cellphone as she kicked it. It slid right into the storm drain. "Shit!" She yelled out. She bent down. It was gone forever.

The bar was busier then the night before. She noticed Derek at a table in the corner with the brunette from the night before. Holly, she actually remembered her name. Isn't Holly poisonous? That was horrible. You don't even know her. Why do you care if she's with a man who you don't know. Especially when you are kind of with someone? She quickly made her way to a stool, avoiding eye contact with everyone. Joe walked right over.

"So, did you regret it?" He asked with a smile.

"Regret what?" She asked, distractedly.

"The next morning. The tequila." He said.

"Oh...no. It was great." She said with a smile, remembering the amazing sex she had with Chase after her tequila adventure. That's what she calls them, her 'Tequila Adventures'.

"Seriously? I'm impressed. You don't look like you could handle it." He said surprisingly.

"I am an old pro. So, give me a shot, and keep 'em coming. Oh, and call me a cab at ten." She ordered.

"Okay. Coming right up." He answered.

"Imagine seeing you here." Derek said as he walked up, ordering drinks. He ordered a cosmopolitan for Holly. Meredith had to laugh at the drink. "What?"

"Nothing." Holly came up as Derek started to talk.

"I'm Holly. I introduced myself yesterday, but you-" Holly stated before being interrupted.

"I'm Meredith. Now if you excuse me, I am here to get drunk." She turned on her stool.

"Meredith..." Derek whispered to himself.

"So Derek, you need to stop sleeping on your stomach. It's bad for you neck! And if I see you eating french fries again, you are in so much trouble. Oh, and that red shirt, it has to go!" She nagged, he just sat. Meredith listened to her nag at him for twenty minutes before Holly's cellphone rang, and she left. Derek glanced over at Meredith who was beginning to laugh.

"What?" He laughed.

"Oh, I was just thinking. It's probably safe to take your balls out of your back pocket now." She said dryly. His face looked of shock.

"Wow." He answered, taking a drink.

"Just looking at you, I would have never guessed that you would be such a--well, a pussy. God." She stated, the shots making her a little bolder than usual.

"I am not!" Derek answered.

"Are too." She teased, gazing into his eyes.

"Well, you are nervy." He retorted with a huff.

"I can't help that she has you by the balls." She laughed, slamming her shot.

"I am a man!" He smiled at her. She looks down.

"I can see that!" She smiled, his face turning red. "Very much so."

"You are taking away my innocence here." He said, flirting with her.

"I bet you aren't that innocent!" She returned.

"I have a feeling you aren't yourself. So, I have finally learned your name. That's a step." She said, taking a sip of his drink.

"A step towards what?" She said peeling a peanut shell.

"That, we will see." He raised his eyebrows, smiling.

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Okay, I hope it is going along alright. My fics seem to start out kind of boring. Questions will be answered soon. Ian was Meredith's husband. Nate was her boyfriend. You will learn more about this soon enough. Chase Carter, it does sound kind of suit-y. I didn't realize that! This will be the only update of the day, because I am going to see Snow Patrol tonight!!