Meredith sat in the gallery watching as Derek worked with a finese.

"You really love him dont you?" Addison asked as she wandered in and sat down next to her.

"More than i'd like to admit." she sighed.

Addison shook her head, "so your falling blindly in love?"

Meredith shook her head, and couldn't help the smile that had formed on her lips. "Oh, no, i've already fallen." Meredith giggled. "and not blindly either. I know he has faults. Obviously, i mean something came between him and Mark. But other than that, i know what he does to irritate me, and vice versa."

Addison nodded, "i worry about you Mer, your my little sister." she sighed.

Meredith looked at her curiously, and waited for her to continue.

"I just dont want for you to get hurt." Addie said quietly.

"Der and i have been together for a year and a half Addie, if he was going to hurt me he would have done that by now. Look you can tell the boys that they have nothing to worry about. They need to spend more time worrying about themselves." Meredith advised her.

Addie sighed as she looked down at Derek and Alex working along side each other. "Has he told you what happened between Mark and him?" she asked

Meredith groaned a little, knowing that this wasn't going to go away. "Yer" she sighed. "but it's in the past. Derek can't control his sisters, or his parents."

Addie looked at Meredith curiously. "Just what exactly did he tell you?" she asked.

"He said something along the lines of Nancy trying to jump Marks pants." Meredith said with a shrug. "He swears that he had nothing to do with it."

"Close" Addie sighed. "Nancy was my best friend, and her mother didnt like me. We both came from Money, but we were very different. Similar interests, but nothing more than that. We both fell for Mark. Derek understood that Mark and I were a couple, but Nancy was insistent that he help her throw the perfect night." Addie said quietly.

Meredith listened to her closely.

"She arranged for Derek to let her know when Mark was going to be in the dorms alone. He did so, apparently she was holding something over his head. Anyway, she snuck in the dorms, and tried to mount him in the middle of the night. Mark and Derek had a massive blow out about it. Mark accused him of setting this up so he could win me over, or something. It was big, and all of Dereks family doesn't talk to either Mark or myself anymore."

Meredith cringed at the thought. "Nancy was like a stalker."

Addison nodded. "Very much so."

"But, who is to say that Derek really did let her know that Mark was alone, or even that he felt that way towards you. Come on Addie, are you suggesting that he is with me to hurt Mark?" Meredith asked her nervously.

Addie sighed. "I dont know Mer, but just be careful, especially around his family. They can be pretty bad at times."

Meredith sighed. "Addie i dont think you have anything to worry about, i mean i spent some time over the summer with them. We didnt have any worries then, they seemed to be fine."

"Just wait till they find out who your brother is." Addie warned her, as she looked one last time down at Derek and Alex before standing and leaving the gallery. Leaving Meredith to contemplate her words.

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Meredith met Derek outside of the scrub room and greeted him with a kiss. She had been longing to do that fom the moment she had stepped into the Gallery.

Derek kissed her back, but could sense that something more was bothering her, than what had already been. He moved his hand across her back before running over her bottom. "You ok?" he asked as he moved in to kiss her one more time.

"Yeah... just... can we talk?" she finally asks as she leaned back into him.

Derek looked her over. "Yeah... i've just got to talk to the patients family, how about i meet you in my office." he suggests

Meredith nods. "Ok, i'll go there now." she says quietly before she steals one more kiss and heads off in that direction.

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As Meredith headed up towards Derek's office, she spotted Mark lingering outside her mothers room. She didnt want to talk to her mother, but she thought she could ask Mark what happened between Derek and him before speaking to Derek about it.

"Mark" Meredith called in a hushed whisper.

She had to do so a couple of times before she finally had his attention.

"What?" he asked as he walked towards her and away from their mothers room.

"What... what happened between you and Derek?" she asked nervously.

Mark groaned, "do you really want to know?" he asked.

Meredith nodded.

Mark sighed and grabbed her by the wrist, dragging her into the closest on call room.

He sat down on the bed, and pulled her down next to him.

"Before i came back home for you, Addie was with Derek, but i had a major crush on her." he started.

Meredith dropped his hand, but still listened to him explain. "I was infatuated by her, i thought she was mystical. She was all i could think about when i was here. She was who i looked forward to seeing when i got back. But she was with Derek, and i didn't intend on letting things happen with her." he told her

Meredith shifted back on the bed, so her back was leaning against the wall.

"One night Derek was studying late at the library, and things happened between Addie and i. I wasn't proud that i had betrayed my best friend, but i didn't want it to stop. So i went against what Addie wanted, and i told him about my feelings for Addie, and what had happened. He was hurt, but he confessed that he no longer felt as strongly for her as he used to, so he broke up with her, and gave us his well wishes." Mark pauses for a moment. "Problem is, that Addie's best friend was Nancy, Derek's sister. She wasn't too happy with what happened between Addie and Derek, she thought that they should have been together, it didn't matter what Derek or Addie told her, she would not let it go. So one night, when Addie leaves to go to work, Nancy sneaks in and mounts me, confessing to me that she has always had feelings for me, and that she wants me. I push her off and call Derek." he tells me.

"Derek and I discussed his sisters actions, and spoke to her about doing what she was trying to do. Problem being when Addie found out, she blamed Derek. I was put in the position of choosing between my friend and my lover, of course i chose Addie, and my friendship with Derek hasn't been the same ever since." He finished. He then turned to look at her. "Why did you ask?"

Meredith sighed. "Addie told me about the sister thing, and said that you fell out with him and the whole family over it. She told me that the family wont like me once they find out who my brother it."

Mark shook his head. "Dont worry about Addie Mer, she is still bitter about the whole thing. Derek and I parted on fairly good terms, its just every now and then that we clash, and we have never had issues with his family."

Mer sighed in relief.

"Dont worry munchkin, you're still going to get your fairytale." he whispered. He then squeezed her leg before moving to stand. "I have a patient i need to check on Mer, but maybe we could catch up a little later." he suggested.

"Oh tea." she quickly said as he reached the door. "Derek and I are inviting all the family to tea tonight - that's including Richie - so we can all get to know him. I'll see you at tea tonight."

Mark nodded, "thats a good idea. Will see you then Mer."

Meredith sighed and watched her big brother leave. She was relieved that according to Mark there was nothing to worry about, but she still wanted to talk to Derek about it.

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Meredith reached Dereks office to find the door open and him sitting in front of his laptop. It was obvious that he was pretending to be working.

"Hey" Meredith says quietly as she walked into the room.

"Hey yourself." he replies as he closes his laptop.

Meredith walks over to him, and he pulls her down onto his lap.

"So whats been bothering you?" he asked as he kissed her forehead.

"What happened between you and Mark?" she asked nervously.

Derek frowned. "Why?"

"Addie hinted at something, and i wanted to talk to you about it, but i saw Mark on the way here, so i stopped and talked to him about it, and he just believes that she is still some what bitter towards you in regards to the story he told me, and i really dont want your family to hate me." she rambled.

Derek chuckled slightly before he leaned in and captured her lips.

Meredith frowned when he pulled away. "I was trying to ask you something." she complained.

"and you did, and your little ramble made me want to kiss you, so i did." he smirked.

"How about you tell me what Mark has told you and then i will tell you what i think happened." he suggested.

Meredith frowned but nodded.

She moved quickly and explained what Mark had told her.

Derek nodded throughout her recount.

When Meredith had finished she looked at him expectantly. "That's actually pretty accurate." he said. "Mark told you the truth. I didnt realise though that that was Addie's idea for him to step back from our friendship a bit, but that was what there relationship was like." Derek sighed. "We were good friends until Nancy did that, and no one will care that you are Marks sister. they all loved Mark, the only person who might be rude is Nancy, but she's always like that." he told her.

Meredith nodded and burrowed into him.

"Make you feel better?" he asked.

Meredith sighed. "Yer"

"Good" he said as he kissed her head once more. "Now what did you decide about dinner tonight?" he asked, he had the feeling that Meredith had changed her mind about his offer.

"Yer, is it still cool for the boys to come?" she asked tiredly.

"Yeah mer it is." he whispered. He nursed her close, knowing that she would soon fall asleep in his arms. Sleep is what she needed, he knew from experience with his sisters that the first trimester made them tired.

"yer" she sighed, and soon enough her soft snores filled the room.