Breaking the Silence

Meredith twirled around in the mirror, feeling like she was a young girl again. She could feel all of her cares leaving her body as she let the white fabric surround her. She felt alive. She couldn't wait until Derek saw her in it. The Dress, the perfect dress, that she had found.

She ran out the door of the Bridal shop, and hopped into her car, heading for the love of her life. She couldn't breathe when they were apart. She pulled into the driveway seeing Derek sitting on the porch. He didn't look happy with her. He looked disappointed. Like she had let him down. She frantically tried to get herself out of the car, dress and all, nearly falling on the ground. She was tangled, and everywhere all she saw was white. She couldn't breathe. The pressure on her neck was unbearable. She tried to scream but nothing came out.

His eyes were piercing her skin, visually undressing her. He smirked. She needed Derek. Derek had to save her from him. Cooper couldn't get her. He just couldn't. This was supposed to be happy. She was supposed to come home and surprise him with the Dress. A Panic started to build deep inside of her, and her emotions were uncontrollable.

She lay motionless on the sea of white, tears spilling down her cheeks, and watched as Derek shook his head and walked towards the car. He had Delia, and he was leaving. He took one last look as he turned out of the driveway, and left her there to be alone.

Derek wrapped his arms around her, trying to comfort her from the nightmare she was going through. She had woken him up with her violent thrashing, and whimpers. She looked around panicked until she realized that she was in Derek's arms and he hadn't gone anywhere. She looked up at him through tear-filled eyes and kissed him till she couldn't breathe.

He shushed her, rocking her small body until she calmed enough to talk.

"Mer-"

"I don't want to talk about my dream. It was stupid. Just please pretend like it never happened." She said stubbornly, not making eye contact with him anymore. It broke him. It hurt that they were still going through these things a month later. A full month and it still felt like yesterday. He rolled over and checked the time, realizing they had to up in ten minutes anyway. He snuggled with her for one more minute, hoping it would help, until he finally just forced himself out of bed onto the freezing floor. He changed into the clothes he had laid out the night before and motioned for Meredith to get up and do the same. She finally caved, throwing on her jeans and long sleeved tee. She went to get Delia ready, while Derek gathered their bags and suitcases and packed them in the car.

"Meredith, are you sure you're going to be ok? I can call my mother and we can go in a couple of weeks."

"Derek, I'm fine. It's Christmas. I want to go, okay? Just stop worrying…"

Derek spent the rest of the time in silence, while he checked the house through one more time and got the rest of their carry on bags ready. They had to be at the airport in thirty minutes. He took Delia from her and sat her in the carseat and quickly buckled her up.

"Baby, I'm so glad were going. We needed to get away from all of this for a while anyway. Please just make the best of it. I haven't seen my mom in almost a year. She's happy we are coming." Derek said as he turned the key in the ignition. Meredith didn't say anything to him the entire ride to the airport, nor in the terminal. They boarded the plane and took their seats. Finally, she reached over for his hand and held it, as if she would never get to do it again. She squeezed it letting him know she would be ok. She just needed some time.

She couldn't get Cooper out of her dreams. After he had broken in the house, she had a constant fear that he would show up again. The policeman who showed up had thought that Cooper had died from the shot. It wasn't known that he was alive until the paramedic showed, and found a pulse. They spent hours, dealing with the police, and letting them investigate the house and such, looking for any signs of forced entry or fowl play. Derek got cleaned and stitched up and they took Delia and stayed in a hotel room for the night. Cooper was now in jail, pending a trial, which Meredith was dreading with every fiber of her being. Would she be safe if he got out?

She turned over and looked out the window, getting ready to go to sleep, but right before she shut her eyes, she let out a small, quiet I love you.

"I love you to Meredith." He replied back. They would get through this,…together.