A/N: Thank you guys so much for your reviews, they have been really amazing! The last chapter was meant to set everything up for this one, and I hope you (somewhat) enjoy this updates. I'm sorry I leave it at a sort of cliffhanger, I'll update again soon!

Chapter 17

"You aren't seriously wearing that?" Derek said as he watched Meredith strut around the room.

"Of course I am. It's a Halloween party, and I need a costume," Meredith said, rolling her eyes.

"But seriously, a slutty nurse? Couldn't you wear something different, you know, something that might involve more clothes?" Derek said, taking in Meredith's short white dress with a plunging neckline that showed off her cleavage.

"Derek, I wore this outfit two years ago, and you weren't complaining then."

"Yeah, because I was going to be with you the whole time! No one would have come close enough to hit on you."

"No one is going to hit on me now," Meredith insisted.

"Meredith, you're going to a third year's party with Sadie, and the only people you'll know for the first two hours will be Sadie and Jack, and I'm worried about you," Derek said, giving her a concerned look.

"Der," Meredith sighed, walking over to the bed and sitting down next to him. Cupping his face with her hands, she continued to speak. "I'll be fine. Sadie said that she would stay by my side until you get there, so no one will be hitting on me, or doing anything else that will make you jealous."

"I don't get jealous," Derek said softly, leaning in to kiss her. "Please don't drink too much until I get there, okay."

"I promise I won't," Meredith smiled. "So, what's your costume? I'll have to be able to pick you out once you get off of work."

"I'm going to be a doctor," Derek said matter-of-factly.

"Derek, you're a doctor in real life, so that's not a costume. Plus, you're going to a med school party; don't you think half the people there are going to be dressed up like doctors?"

"Well, I'll be the only one in real scrubs. Besides Mer, I'm thirty, I don't really do the whole dress up thing anymore, and it's starting to get creepy for someone my age."

"I don't think you're creepy," Meredith murmured as she kissed him. "I think you're really hot."

"Good," Derek whispered against her lips.

XXXXXX

Meredith stood by the drinks table later that evening, watching the very crowded party around her. As she suspected, almost everyone had dressed up as doctors, though there were quite a few nurses too. She had kept her promise to Derek; she was tipsy, but definitely not drunk. Sadie had been good company; she hadn't left Meredith's side in the hour and a half since they had arrived at the party.

"Here you go Death," Sadie said, handing Meredith a shot of tequila. "Cheers."

Meredith clinked her shot glass against Sadie's before knocking it back and swallowing quickly.

"Listen, I know we said that we would hang out all night, but Jack told me to dance with him. Do you mind if I leave you for a little while?" Sadie asked, pointing to the middle of the room where people were dancing.

"No, go ahead," Meredith smiled widely as the alcohol hit her.

"Are you sure? I don't really want to leave you by yourself."

"I'll be fine," Meredith insisted, looking towards the clock. "It's ten o'clock now; Derek will be here in less than a half an hour."

"Thanks Death, I'll come back in about five or ten minutes," Sadie promised before heading towards Jack, who was waiting for Sadie.

Meredith looked around the room again. There were a lot of people there, more than Meredith had thought there would be. She hoped that Derek would be able to find her with the throngs of people everywhere. She was thinking about moving towards the door so she could find Derek quickly when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder.

"Hey Meredith," a voice said, causing Meredith to turn around.

"Oh, hey Steve," Meredith smiled, but took a step back. "How are you?"

"I'm doing pretty good. Can I get you a drink?" Steve answered.

"Um, sure, just nothing strong okay?" Meredith responded.

"Alright, nothing strong," Steve repeated as he walked the few feet to the drinks table. He came back a few moments later, a cup in his hand. "I just got you some of the mixed drink in the punch. I don't know how strong it is, so I didn't get you a lot."

"Thanks," Meredith smiled, taking a sip. The two stood there in awkward silence for a minute, and Meredith wasn't sure what to say. She had liked Steve; he had been really nice to her and had been a great study partner during the first month and a half of school. But, she had kind of been mean to him after she and Derek had gotten in that fight, and now the barely talked unless it was about whatever they had to work on together in Anatomy.

"So," Steve said, or more half-yelled, over the noise of the party, "how's everything going?"

"Um, it's going well," Meredith answered before taking a large gulp of her drink. "You know, I'm really busy with classes and work, so I don't really do much. How about you?"

Steve eagerly answered her, launching into his job as a research assistant with one of his professors. As Meredith listened to him, she began to feel a little lightheaded. Guess I may have had more to drink than I realized, she thought, reaching her hand to her face to rub her head.

"Hey, are you alright?" Steve asked, concern in his voice.

"Fine," Meredith answered, though the room was starting to seem a little fuzzy.

"Why don't we go somewhere more quiet? You can sit down and we can just talk for a while."

"That sounds good," Meredith agreed. "I've missed you," she admitted without meaning to. Crap, why did I say that? She asked herself.

"I missed you too," Steve laughed as he placed a hand on her back, leading her out of the main room. She wanted to tell him not to touch her, that Derek would be mad when he found out, but she wasn't entirely convinced that she'd be able to walk straight if he wasn't steadying her.

Steve led her into a bedroom and shut the door. Meredith stumbled over to the bed, plopping down on to the edge. She faced Steve, cocking her head when she saw him watching her, studying her.

"What are-" she slurred, but before she could finish her sentence, he had bound across the room, in front of her before she realized what was happening. He pressed his lips against hers, and Meredith was caught so off guard that, combined with the fuzziness, it took her a minute for her to process what was happening and push him away.

"What the hell?" Meredith cried weakly, her thoughts becoming cloudier by the minute. "You can't do that!"

"Why not?" Steve said, smirking at her as he tried to kiss her, Meredith pushing away from him weakly.

"Derek-" Meredith began to say, trying to stand up, but getting too dizzy. Suddenly, she felt something hard hit her face, and she stumbled backwards, stopping when she reached a wall.

"Derek's not here," Steve said as he grabbed Meredith's arm, pushing her against the wall. Pinning her hands over her head with one hand, his other slipped under her shirt, moving upwards to cup her breast. Meredith tried to fight him off, but she was feeling really tired, and everything was cloudy.

"No, please don't," Meredith pleaded softly, her voice faint and far away.

"Don't worry," Steve whispered, his mouth close to her ear. "Just relax; you won't be able to fight in another minute or two."

Meredith whimpered in response, trying to kick him or shove him or…something, anything. But she was having a hard time coordinating her limbs and putting strength into her actions. She felt her arms slowly go limp, and her eyes began to droop.

Steve was pressing kisses along her neck, and had just brushed his lips against hers again when a familiar voice broke through her fog.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" The voice shouted. He was angry, very angry.

"Derek?" Meredith choked out, her vision blurred as she tried to make him out through all the moving shapes. Suddenly, Steve was no longer pressed against her, and the lack of support caused her to stumble. Finally, she was able to make out the moving shapes. Sadie was standing in the doorway with Jack, looking at the scene with a mixture of horror and guilt on her face. Derek had Steve by the collar, fist raised as he punched him.

"You asshole!" Derek shouted at him. "She told you to back off, so don't you dare touch her ever again. You leave her alone."

Meredith could barely make out the words Derek was saying, everything was spinning. She needed Derek, that was the only thought that was going through her mind. She was so tired, and she couldn't stand up anymore, so she needed to lean on him or something. She tried to take a step forward, but wobbled too much for her to attempt another.

"Derek," she tried to get his attention, but he was too busy screaming at Steve to notice her. Everything was going black, but she needed him, she needed to make him hear her. "Derek," she tried again, using all the strength she could muster to make her voice loud enough.

She vaguely saw Derek turn to her as she closed her eyes, unable to keep them open. She couldn't stand anymore either; she tried to brace herself as she fell, but strong arms enveloped her before she hit the ground.

"Mer?" she heard Derek call for her as he eased her down. "Mer, what's wrong?" his voice was panicked, and she wanted to soothe him, to tell him she was just tired and dizzy, but couldn't. She felt like she couldn't do anything.

"Sadie, call 911!" she heard Derek shout, but it sounded so far away. "What the hell did you do to her you bastard?" Derek shouted, but Meredith wasn't sure to whom. "If you did something to her I will kill you!"

Everything was fading quickly and there was nothing Meredith could do to stop it. "You'll be okay Meredith," she heard Derek say softly and tenderly, and she felt him kiss her forehead. "I love you, and everything will be okay." He was still talking to her, but Meredith could not hear any more as she slipped out of consciousness.