I do not own Grey's Anatomy. If I did, we'd all be in trouble.

Derek went as quickly as he could. He didn't half-ass the surgery, but he was in a hurry. All he could think about was Meredith. He wondered if she was scared. He wished he had told her how he felt. He wished he had told her the truth this morning. That he loved her. That as crazy as it sounded, she was the one that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. They hadn't known each other long, but it was long enough. He quickly closed the patient up, and hurried to the scrub room. The last hour had been hell, but nothing compared to what was to come.

Derek ran out of the scrub room and down the stairwell. He was going down two stairs at a time. Everything was a blur. Life was a blur. He got to the ground floor and was met by a SWAT team. The minute they realized he was a doctor, they dropped their guns down. He saw everyone huddled by the information desk. Richard looked worried. He ran right over, pushing people out of the way as he walked up.

"What's going on?" Derek said loudly.

"Shep, you should probably go." Richard said quickly as he talked to Bill. "We are unsure of how much explosive we are dealing with here. The whole hospital could go. Save yourself." Richard said sadly.

"No, I am not going." Derek spat angrily. "I am not leaving while she's in danger. I will not leave her." Richard gave him a puzzled look. "I can't lose her. I love her..." Derek drifted. Richard had a look of shock, but didn't say anything.

"Where are they?" Derek asked.

"We are fairly certain that they are in the conference room off the south hallway." Bill explained.

"Well, why don't you check the video feed?" Derek suggested.

"Excuse me?" Bill said in shock. "Video feed?"

"Yeah. We have video feed in the conference room. That way we can have conferences with other hospitals." Derek told him with hope in his eye,

"Well, we should be able to tap into that and see what's going on." Bill said. He called over some of the team. They made calls for technical help to come in.

"Shepherd, you are a genius!" Richard said happily.

After awhile they were set up in a office. The tech guys worked on the wiring, and were finally able to tap into the conference room. The screen turned on. There was no audio, but they could see what was going on. Everyone gasped when they saw the man pointing a gun at Meredith. Derek's heart jumped to his throat when he saw the bomb strapped on the guy. Meredith didn't look afraid, and that made them all feel better.

And it's open

For distraction

You found all the words you need

Well I found nothing

I just grumble

'cause I don't know what I feel

"Sit down!" The man yelled at Meredith.

Meredith sat down. He still had the gun pointed at her head. She looked into his eyes. He didn't look like a killer. He had a kind face. He looked like he had been pushed over the edge. He looked like he had given up. She had seen that look in her own eyes no so long ago.

"What do you want?" She asked quietly.

"I should be able to see her. I have rights..." He muttered. He started pacing back and forth. "I have nothing left."

"Maybe I can help..." Meredith spoke as she started to stand up.

"Shut up! Sit your ass down." He yelled as he pointed the gun at her. She sat quickly.

"You don't know pain. You don't know what it's like to lose the only thing you love. You come and work in this hospital everyday. You probably go home at night and put your little eye mask on and sleep on you five-thousand thread count sheets. You probably go to the country club every weekend, and the spa... You don't know what it's like to have everything taken from you." He yelled.

"I do know!" She said loudly.

She thought about Nate. She had given her whole heart to him. She had felt feelings she didn't even know she could. She was going to spend the rest of her life with him. And he just walked away. She thought about all the years that she wasted with Ian. All the dysfunction. She thought about Chase. He sacrificed himself for her. But that wasn't what she wanted. With every thought, her heart broke a little more. She had managed to screw up everyone's lives. Not anymore. She wasn't destroying any more lives. This was done. She was done.

"Fuck this!" She yelled out. She jumped up and walked toward him quickly. He looked at her in shock.

"What are you doing?" He said as he stepped back. "Do you want to fucking die?"

"I have nothing to lose. You took the wrong damn hostage!" She said loudly as she continued walking toward him.

The moral to the story goes

Never leave your heart

Never leave your heart... alone

------------------

"What the hell is she doing?" They all yelled at the screen.

"Has she gone crazy?" Richard asked with a voice full of shock.

"Is she on a suicide mission?" Bill asked.

Derek looked at the screen in shock. What the hell was she doing. This man could kill her in an instant. He looked at her eyes. They didn't have fear. They had sadness. She looked like she was on the verge of giving up. Derek closed his eyes and thought of her face, and the smell of her hair. He was praying he would be able to lay next to her once again.

"Well, he doesn't have as much explosive on his as we had suspected." Bill stated. "It is hard to be sure, but I am certain that if it did explode, it would just take out that room and maybe one or two others. So we are all safe." He said frankly.

"Oh, just that room?" Derek yelled. "Did you just say that?" He snapped. "I love that woman more than I have ever loved anyone in my life. And you tell me that we should all be safe. Well if she isn't here, it doesn't matter if I am safe!" He shouted. Everyone looked at him in shock. He looked back at the screen, and had to look away. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.

"Hello?" Richard said as he answered the phone.

"Richard. What is going on?" Ellis asked quickly. "I just walked into the house, and I see that there is a hostage situation at the hospital. Are you okay?" Ellis asked.

"Yes, Ellis, I am okay." Richard said. Everyone looked at him. Derek listened intently.

"Well, what is going on?" Ellis questioned.

"A man came in with a bomb strapped to him. He took a hostage." Richard explained. He didn't want to offer up that it was Meredith.

"A hostage. Oh. Well who is it?" Ellis asked.

"Ellis. It's Meredith." Richard said slowly. He heard the line die. "Ellis? Ellis?"

----------------

Run for shelter

An umbrella

Fights the rain but not the wind

And I'd be silly

To start preaching

'cause I don't know which point to make!

Meredith walked forcefully towards the man. He kept backing up. His eyes were wide.

"Do you want to die?" He asked quickly.

"Here's the beauty of it..." She smiled. "I have nothing to lose."

"Wait. Stop. Quit." He stammered. Finally he raised his gun. "Sit down!" He yelled. She kept walking. The phone rang and the both looked over. "Answer it." He said forcefully.

"You answer it." She snapped back. He fired a shot at the ceiling. "Sit down! Answer the phone." He yelled again.

"Go to hell." She said.

"One last time." He yelled. She kept walking. "Fine." He fired a shot at her feet.

"You almost shot me, you son-of-a-bitch!" She yelled as she jumped up.

"Next time I will!" He responded. "Now please. I am in a bad way here. I have nothing against you. This is not personal. Please, just sit down." He said with desperation is his voice. She looked at him and sat down. The phone rang again. He ignored it.

"You know, if you want something, you have to tell them. They aren't going to read your mind." She said bluntly as she rolled her eyes.

"Are you hungry?" He asked.

"Seriously? Are you really asking me if I am hungry?" She spat out. "Yeah, I think you have killed my appetite."

"Well, I am hungry. I want steak. Do you like steak?" He asked her. She stared at him in disbelief. "Hey!"

"Yeah. I like steak." Meredith said, nodding her head.

"Good. What kind of dessert do you like?" He asked.

"You are crazy, do you know that?" She asked.

"You aren't so sane yourself." He retorted.

"Cheesecake. I like Cheesecake." She told him with a chuckle. The phone rang. He answered and gave them their food order. Then he hung the phone up.

"What is you name?" He asked her.

"Meredith." She responded shortly.

"I'm Brian." He told her frankly as he sat down. "I am not going to hurt you, Meredith."

"I gathered that when you hauled ass away from me." She laughed.

"You have a cute laugh. It's sweet." He stated. She gave him a funny look. "Don't worry, I am not hitting on you." He said with a smile.

"So what do you want?" She asked.

"My daughter. I just want to see my daughter." He told her.

The moral to the story goes

Never leave your heart

In a box

Locked up

With cold cold ice

Never leave your heart

...Never leave your heart... alone

-----------------

"Was she laughing?" Richard asked with a puzzled look on his face.

"What the hell is going on in there?" Bill asked.

"She's okay. Obviously she's okay. She wouldn't be laughing if she weren't okay." Derek responded with a smile. It gave him a small amount of contentment.

"Does Dr. Grey know this man?" Bill insinuated.

"What are you trying to say?" Derek snapped as he walked up to him.

"Well, I have to say I have never seen a hostage react this way." Bill retorted as he looked into Derek's eyes.

"No, no. I assure you Dr. Grey does not know him." Richard said, clearing the air. "She is just trying to save her life." They heard someone run up from behind.

"Is she okay?" Ellis shouted loudly. "Is my daughter okay?"

"We were able to tap into the conference room's video feed. She appears to be okay." Bill answered.

"Well what the hell are you going to do about this? That is my daughter in there. Get off of your lazy asses and do something about it!" She screeched.

"Ellis, they are doing the best they can." Richard said as he wrapped his arm around her.

"This can't happen. She's my baby. Nothing can happen to her. I need her." Ellis said softly.

"Oh no you don't!" Derek snarled.

"Excuse me?" Ellis said rudely. "I don't see what this has to do with you, Dr. Shepherd."

"You don't get to play victim here. Meredith is the victim. She is the victim of a man with a bomb, and she is a victim of you." He said angrily, pointing his finger in her face.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Ellis shouted, causing everyone around her to look.

"I am the one that picked up the pieces after the last time you tore her down. I saved her. She almost--" He stopped himself.

"She almost what?" Ellis asked loudly.

"Nothing. You don't even deserve to know. I respect you professionally, Dr. Grey. I have been your doctor for years. But personally, personally I can't respect you. You tear her down every chance you get. I won't put up with it. So cut the doting mother bullshit. Everyone here knows better." Derek retorted.

Ellis just looked down. They noticed the food delivery guy walking up to the door. He had four styrofoam containers in a bag. He looked nervous as he walked through the front entrance. The negotiator immediately called Brian.

----------------

Meredith looked around the room. She had been in here many times. Never like this. This was different. This room would never be the same to her. It's beige walls and navy blue blinds. She was beginning to hate this room. The phone rang causing Meredith to jump. Brian looked over at it. He finally decided to answer it.

"My hostage and I will meet you at the end of the hallway. If you try anything, I will blow us all up. Do you understand?" He told the negotiator. "We will talk after I eat my meal."

Meredith looked up at him. She couldn't believe that she was in this situation, and yet she was relatively at ease. She looked up at the clock. It had been hours. She should be home. Not sitting in this damn room, waiting to be blown up.

"Let's go." He said. She stood up. "I have to hold the gun to you. They have to see that I am serious." He explained.

"So what if I make a run for it?" She asked with a snicker.

"I will shoot you." He said plainly, with a shrug.

"That doesn't make sense." She said. "You just said--"

"Let's go." He said as they walked down the hallway.

She knew that he said he wouldn't hurt her. For some crazy reason, she believed him. The problem was the bomb. What if it was unstable? She had no idea how it worked. She didn't know anything. They made their walk down the hallway. He pressed the gun to her temple as they reached the end. There were several cops standing around. As they made their way out there, everyone gasped. Meredith saw Ellis. Ellis looked worried. That surprised her. It surprised her that she cared enough to even show up. Richard also looked worried. He gave her a faint smile. The other interns were no where to be found. Then she saw Derek. Her green eyes met his blue. She didn't have to say anything. He looked worried. More worried than he should be. That made her feel bad. Meredith stuck her hand out to grab the bag of food. The minute she grabbed it, Brian turned around and led her back.

"Do you have any family?" Brian asked Meredith as she picked at her steak.

"No, not really. My mom is a power monger. She ran my dad off. She was always too busy for me..." Meredith trailed off slowly.

"My dad was a drunk. He used to beat up my mom. Finally my mom just took off, and left me there with him. He died of scirrosis of the liver a few years later. Luckily I was close to eighteen." Brian explained.

"I'm sorry. I can't imagine..." Meredith trailed off.

"Well, it sounds like your life wasn't perfect earlier." Brian said with a faint smile.

"So what is it that you want?" Meredith asked.

"I want to see my daughter." He answered. "Anna..."

"Where is she?" Meredith asked.

"She's here. In this hospital, right now. She has leukemia." Brian told her as he cringed.

"Why don't you see her?" Meredith asked dumbly.

"I loved Jenna so much. She was Anna's mother." Brian started. "Jenna and I were high school sweethearts. We were in love. It was all consuming. We had plans. She wanted to be a pediatrician. She could have too. She was smart. And I was going to be a cop. Imagine that...an officer of the law. Not now." Brian told her. "Now I am holding people hostage."

"It's never too late..." Meredith said, hoping to make her captor feel better. She sat back and listened.

"It is. It is too late. Jenna got pregnant. We were seventeen. It scared the hell out of me. I was young. I wasn't done having my fun, ya know? So I took off. I left town. I went to college for awhile, then dropped out and got a job as a painter. I always missed her. I always had that ache in my heart for her. I left my pregnant girlfriend because I didn't want to grow up. How bad is that? Finally I came back. Not for her. Ten years is a long time. I was sure that she had moved on, and I didn't want to ruin her life. I was at the gas station, pumping gas. I looked over, and there she was. Our eyes met. We didn't even have to talk to communicate. She was dating a lawyer. We started to talk again. She kept me from Anna. I understood. She didn't want me to hurt Anna like I hurt her. It picked up right where it left off. We were just like we were the day I left, like no time had passed. Finally she let me into Anna's life. It was wonderful. Then I found out she was sick. She has leukemia. It didn't matter. I had them, and that was enough. We would make it through anything. Jenna's parents hated me. They blamed me for everything bad that had ever happened in her life. And most of it was my fault. It was a Tuesday. Anna wanted chocolate milk. She didn't like the hospital's chocolate milk. She said it tasted like chalk. So Jenna walked to the carryout down the road. She was just on her way back, when a truck flew through the red light and hit her. She died immediately. I never told her I loved her." Brian said sadly.

"She knows, Brian. She knows you love her." Meredith explained softly and compassionately. Her eyes were tearing up.

"It doesn't matter, Meredith. You have to say it. You have to mean it. I wish I had had the chance. I would say it in a second. I loved her so much..." Brian trailed off. "Have you ever loved someone like that?"

"I have. I do." Meredith answered, think of Derek.

"Tell him. Tell him how you feel." Brian told her.

"I'm afraid." Meredith said quietly. "Every time I do, my heart gets broken."

"Don't be. You will be fine." He said with a smile. "If it is meant to be, it will be." They were quiet for a few minutes.

"So why can't you see her?" Meredith asked with a furrowed brow and shrugged her shoulders.

"Like I said, Jenna's parents hated me. When Jenna died, they got custody of Anna. They won't let me see her. I have tried. They won't let me. I love her. I know I wasn't there all her life, but she is still my baby and I love her..." Brian said, as he ate his last bite of food.

"Well, let's go see her." Meredith said quickly. "Let's just go see her."

"With a bomb strapped to my chest?" Brian asked her.

"Take it off." She said simply.

"I won't even make it down the hallway." Brian explained.

"Keep it on. We'll take it off before we go in." Meredith said. She felt a connection with him. She wanted to help him.

Brian made a call to the police. He explained that they were going to another floor. He wanted to see his daughter. He would turn himself in the minute they stepped out of the room. Meredith had made him feel better. Meredith convinced him not to give up. She stood up and walked towards the door.

"Come on..." She said, waving him along.

Time went slowly. She looked at the Brian. Now he had a tiny glimmer of hope in his eyes. He looked as if he was ready to fight. He was ready to make it work. This felt right. He needed to see his daughter. She got to the door, and began to turn the handle. She looked back at him, he was walking toward her. She pulled the door open and walked out. She looked back once again. Is seemed so stupid. He tripped on the rug. He tripped on the freaking rug. She saw a look of panic on his face as he began to crash to the floor. She started to close her eyes and braced herself. The explosion shook the hospital. Her body was hurled into the wall. Everything went black.

--------------

Her whole body hurt. Every inch hurt. Everything was dark. She couldn't open her eyes, not yet. Her head hurt badly. It felt like someone had beat her in the head with a tire iron. The light was going to make it ten thousand times worse. She heard machines beeping. She knew she was in the hospital, but she didn't know why. She didn't remember what had happened. She could smell him. Although it hurt, her mouth made a faint smile.

"Derek..." She whimpered. She felt him squeeze her hand. "Derek..."

"I'm right here, Mer." He said softly.

She slowly opened her eyes. It immediately felt like someone had stabbed her in the eyes.

"What happened?" She asked softly. Her voice was weak.

"There was a bomb..." He started to say. Think it hit her. She remembered.

"Oh my God!" She cried out.

She began to bawl. She remembered. Brian was dead. He was there, and then he was gone. He never got a chance to see his daughter. He lost the love of his life. He never got a second chance. But she had a second chance. For the first time in her life, she realized she needed to use it. Derek leaned in and cradled her.

Am I frozen?

But it's summer!

Is that rain or is it me?

Yes I'm melting

Please be happy

One day

We just might swim

"Derek..." She said softly between whimpers.

"I love you..." She said whispered. "I love you so much..."

"I love you too, Mer." He said.

She motioned for him to get up on the bed. Meredith pulled him close. He spooned himself against her. With his body next to hers, she felt safe. She felt content. She could feel his warm breath on her skin. He kissed her softly on the head. She couldn't believe what had happened today. She was distraught. But she had Derek, and he was all she needed.

The moral to the story goes

Never leave your heart

In a box

Locked up with cold cold ice

Never leave your heart

...Never leave your heart

Never leave your heart... alone

--------------

So she lived. I didn't hurt Derek. And she told Derek she loved him...a very big step. There will be fluff for awhile...then more drama. Please Review.