A/N: read and review

Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's Anatomy

Meredith woke up from her nap and walked downstairs. "Where's George?" she asked looking around.

"He had to run some errands. I'm sorry that you have to go through this Meredith. Remember you are not alone. I am here for you if you need to talk." she pulled out the chair for Meredith to sit down.

Meredith sat down at the table. She ran her fingers through her hair. "I live in Derek's shadow. It's not his fault it's mine. I quite doing surgeries so I could spend more time with my family. I didn't want to be like my mom. Yet here I am just like her. I ran away from my family. I miss the O.R you know. I like the clinic but it's not the same. When I first stopped doing surgeries I would wait until Derek came home and would drill him about every surgery that he performed. Eventually I stopped wanting to hear about it. I guess I became jealous of him. I could have went back at any time you know. I didn't instead I resented him." Meredith laid her head down on the table.

"You're a surgeon Meredith. You shouldn't have to give that up." Lexie squeezed her sister's hand.

"Yeah your right. I am going to go out for awhile. Do you need anything?" Meredith asked.

"No I'm fine. Be careful okay." she stood up and hugged her sister.

"Always, I'll call you later." she said as she walked out of the house.

George drove up to the airport. He was picking up Derek. He didn't like going behind Meredith's back and calling Derek but he knew it was for the best. He pulled up beside the curb and allowed Derek to get in.

"So are you ready?" George asked as they drove away.

"I don't know what to say to her." Derek admitted. On the plane he tried to plan the perfect words to say to her. The words that would bring her back home to him. "What am I supposed to say. I love her more than I have ever loved anyone. She's my best friend. When I hear a joke I always want to rush home and tell her. I thought that she knew how much I loved her. Why wouldn't she." he sighed.

"She is really hurting Derek. I have never seen her so needy before. Meredith is not a needy person. Are you sure nothing else is going on?" George asked.

"Not that I know of. She used to accuse me of smothering her. I just don't understand. I will do whatever I have to do. I will not lose her." Derek would fight what ever obstacle Meredith threw at him. They were meant to be together love like theirs doesn't come around that often. It was worth holding onto.

George and Derek walked into the house.

"Lexie where are you at?" George yelled.

Lexie walked out of the kitchen and stood staring at her husband "You did this. You called him?" Lexie yelled.

"Listen Lexie I did this for Meredith. You didn't see her at the beach this morning. She wanted him hear." George yelled back at her.

"I think your wrong George. You didn't see her break down at the kitchen table. She was a complete mess. She left and I don't know where she was going." Lexie sighed and sat down on the chair. Her sister was exhausting.

"I'll call her cell phone." Derek said walking over to the phone.

Meredith sat at the bar. She hadn't had a drink of tequila since her kids were born. She had given everything up to be a mother. She held the drink in her hand but couldn't get it in her mouth. She shouldn't be here she should have went back to Lexie's house. She didn't want to be around anyone she needed to be alone.

"Go ahead and drink that. It doesn't taste as bad as it smells." the man said as he sat down next to her.

Meredith didn't want company but didn't want to be rude so she simply smiled.

"What is a fine woman like you doing here alone?" he asked as he waved at the bar tender.

"I wanted a drink" Meredith said swallowing the shot.

"Want another shot?" he asked.

"Yes but I can get my own." she made sure he could see her ring.

"Oh so your married. Are you happy?" he asked.

Meredith stared at the wall. She wasn't happy but she loved Derek. She would never fool around with anyone else. "Yes I am very happy." she yelled for the bartender to bring her another shot.

"If you are so happy why are you here? Doing shot's of tequila." he asked.

"It's my night out. Everyone deserves a night out." she said.

Meredith picked up the glass and drowned the shot. Her cell phone started to ring. She looked down and saw that it was Lexie's number and hit ignore. She wasn't in the mood to talk to her. She couldn't believe that Derek hadn't called her. Maybe he was happy that she was gone. This may be the break that he had been waiting for.

"What's your name?" the guy asked.

"Meredith" she said.

"It's nice to meet you Meredith. My name is Keith" he said.

"Listen Keith I came here to be alone. I'm sorry but I just need to be alone." she said as the bartender poured her another shot.

"No one likes to be alone. Even if you think that you need it." he said.

Meredith thought back to another bar scene. She had fallen in love with the last guy she had met at the bar. The sad fact was that she was still in love with him.

"I'm sorry but I really want to be alone." Meredith said as she picked up her drink and moved to the other side of the bar. She sat down and stared into her glass.

Derek walked into the living room. "She's not answering her phone." he said sitting down on the couch. "I hope she's okay."

George looked over at Lexie "She didn't say where she was going?" he asked her.

"No she just wanted to get away. I should have went with her. She was pretty upset when she left." Lexie felt terrible for letting her leave.

"It doesn't make since to sit here. I am going to go and look for her. She's out there and she's upset. I know that she needs me. She needs to know that I love her." Derek said as he stood up to leave.

"I'll go with you." George stood up. He walked over to Lexie "Call me if you hear from her." he said as he leaned down and kissed his wife.

"Call me as soon as you find her." Lexie walked over to the door.

"I will" he said.

"Remember that's my sister" she was worried about Meredith.

The tequila was causing Meredith to forget. She couldn't remember the last time that she was able to forget the pain her heart was feeling. She smiled for no reason. She didn't want to be happy not when Derek was far away. She would love to go home and sleep next to him. The thought of sleeping alone made her want to cry. She didn't want to be alone anymore. She wanted her husband to wrap his arms around her. To carry her up the stairs and lay her down in their bed. That wouldn't be happening tonight he was to far away. He wouldn't be able to comfort her tonight. She stood up and sat right back down. The alcohol was starting to take it's toll. She closed her eyes to stop the room from spinning. She started laughing she had no one to help her up to her room.

Keith noticed that Meredith was about to fall over. He walked over to her. "Would you like some help?" he asked.

Meredith looked up and couldn't believe that Derek was here.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"What are you talking about?" Keith asked.

"You came all this way for me? You do love me." Meredith couldn't stop the room from spinning.

"I think that you have had way to much to drink." Keith couldn't understand what she was saying. That didn't bother him he wanted to take her upstairs to his room.

"Derek I've missed you." Meredith stood up and was about to fall when Keith grabbed her.

"I've missed you too. I have a room would you like to go upstairs?" he asked.

"I have a room too. I would rather go with you though." Meredith smiled. She let Derek walk her out of the bar.

Derek and George walked into the hotel. They had found out that Meredith had a room here. They were about to head up on the elevator when they saw her leaving the bar with a man. It didn't take Derek long to run over to her.

"Get your hands off of my wife." Derek yelled at Keith.

Meredith looked at both men "two Derek's how did that happen. Which one of you are the real one though?" she slurred her speech.

Derek took a hold of his wife "Meredith I think you have had to much to drink" he said.

Keith was about to walk away. He didn't want her husband jumping to any conclusions.

Derek looked at George "Hold on to her for a minute" he said as he walked away.

"Hey stop" Derek yelled.

Keith turned around. "What I was just helping her up to her room."

"Sure I bet that was all you were doing. Didn't you notice that she was calling you Derek? You were going to take advantage of her." Derek yelled he swung his arm back and connected his fist to Keith's jaw.

"Stay away from her" he yelled as he walked back to Meredith.

Derek walked over to George and Meredith. "Let's take her back to your house. I don't like the thought of her in this hotel." he said as he took a hold of Meredith hand.

Meredith looked at Derek "I'm so glad that you're here. I thought you wouldn't come for me." she said as she tried to keep her balance.

George called Lexie and told her to have a bed made up for Meredith.

"I'll get the car wait here." George told Derek.

Derek stood there with Meredith "I'm sorry I could have swore that guy was you. I wouldn't have let him help me if not." she admitted.

"It's okay. I'm just glad that I got here in time. How much did you have to drink?" he asked her.

"I don't know. My head is spinning." Meredith said trying to talk without slurring her words.

George pulled the car up to the curb.

Derek opened the back door and helped Meredith inside.

She looked at "Will you sit with me?" she asked.

"Yes" he said as he got in next to her.

Meredith laid her head on his shoulder. She felt safe for the first time in days.