"You okay, man?" Mark asked carefully. It had been ten minutes since Meredith had gone through the airport security, Derek had just stood leaning against the ferry boat wall studying the departure screens memorizing the flights that were leaving and the times.
"No," said Derek not taking his eyes off the screens. "I'm not okay…not by a long shot."
"You'll find her, she'll call or something. The two of you can't keep away from each other," said Mark not knowing what to say to him.
"Denver. She might have gone to Denver or Boston, she used to live in Boston…I could try Boston first," said Derek. "I need my passport and my credit card."
"You can't just go to Boston, you don't even know if that's where she's going," said Mark. "You can't just…you need a plan, a strategy or something."
"No I need Meredith!"
"You can't just jump on a plan to Denver!"
"She might have gone there!" Derek shouted.
"I didn't go to Denver," said Meredith gasping for breath since she had just ran from the departure lounge.
"Oh god are you staying this time or did you forget something?" said Mark.
"I'm staying."
"Then I'm leaving," said Mark. "Glad you changed your mind Grey."
"Thanks," said Meredith her eyes never leaving Derek.
"Call me later," said Mark walking towards the terminal exit.
"I'm sorry I walked away," said Meredith gazing intently at Derek who was watching her carefully. "Please say something."
"Don't ever do anything like that again," he said pulling her into his arms again. "Don't scare me like that, I thought you had gone."
"I couldn't," she said burying her head into his shoulder. "I couldn't breathe…I had to come back. I'm sorry."
"No I'm sorry," said Derek firmly. "I'm so sorry I said those terrible things, I didn't mean them I just…lashed out…I thought you were just playing with me, getting revenge…"
"I couldn't do something like that, I couldn't pretend for a year," said Meredith. "I love you."
"I know you couldn't," he said kissing the top of her head. "I love you too."
"I tried to see when you in hospital I sat outside your room for days, I was there when you started to wake up…they threw me out I wasn't allowed to see you…even the Chief said I couldn't see you because…"
"Because my loving family are manipulative liars," said Derek grimly.
"I couldn't even see you when you woke up, I tried I really did but…"
"Don't cry," said Derek clutching her tighter to him. "Come on, we've done enough of being miserable…can't we be happy now?"
"Bring the deadline two weeks forward?"
"I think a near death experience warrants it don't you think?"
"Yes," said Meredith taking her head off his shoulder. "No more deadline and no more dating!"
"About time," said Derek brushing his lips against hers.
"Come on I want a real kiss," said Meredith her lips still pressed against him. Derek was more than happy to oblige.
----------------------------------------
"Meredith," yawned Derek. They had booked in to a hotel the night before, but Derek had woken up to find Meredith gone. "Mer…"
"Coming," he heard her call from the bathroom. A minute later she came out dressed in a fluffy white dressing gown, her wet, hanging round her shoulders. "Good morning."
"Good morning," said Derek kissing her softly.
"Sleep well?"
"Yeah," said Derek smoothing down her hair. "I'm just going to jump in the shower."
"Okay," said Meredith. Something was not right, they hadn't had sex. They had spent the night in a hotel together and no sex! She was standing in front of his wearing only a bathrobe, that could easy come off with a slight tug…but no Derek was going for a shower. Alone!
"Won't be long."
Derek got up went into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Meredith decided she had had enough. She got up and went into the bathroom.
"I don't think I rinsed off my conditioner properly," she said sweetly. "Do you mind if I quickly do it?"
"Uh sure," said Derek.
"Thanks," she said dropping her bathrobe and stepping in the shower. "I won't be a minute."
Derek stepped aside and let her under the shower, closing his eyes and slowly counting to three. After three he opened one eye, hoping that she was done.
"Thanks that's me done," said Meredith not amused in the least that Derek had just stood there, they were naked in the shower together and he just stood there.
"…Uh…okay…right…that's okay…"
"What the hell is the matter with you?" snapped Meredith.
"What did I do?"
"You're just standing there…doing nothing!"
"Your point?"
"In a shower…a hot shower…naked and you're standing there like…like a useless…man."
"You want to have sex?"
"Not anymore," she snapped.
"Wait," he said stopping her from getting out the shower. "I thought this was another of the time we 'take things slow'."
"When did I say that?"
"You didn't…I just assumed…when this happens you usually ban me from sex."
"Oh this is just like the rest of the times we broke up then?"
Derek could see this escalating into a full blown arguments. So he grabbed her wrists and twirled her round so that her back was pressing against the shower wall, he swooped down and started to feather kisses down her neck.
"If you wanted me that badly you should have just asked."
"You're an ass!"
"I know. I don't care," said Derek kissing her neck, making her squirm.