Sorry again for the delay! You may notice I'm kind of doing both Meredith and Derek's POV! This is quite a short update but enjoy x

Meredith tossed and turned in her oversized bed later that night. She was unable to pull her attention from the left hand side of the bed which belonged to Adam and was now vacant. The house was quiet, too quiet the only sound disturbing the silence came from the odd car that was passing outside the house. The red digits of the alarm clock flashed from the bedside locker telling Meredith it was well after 3:00am. Sighing in frustration she pulled her weightless body from the bed, her toes meeting the soft carpet beneath her. She wiped the exhaustion from her eyes and pulled her messy hair back off her face, tying it securely with a hair tie to the back of her neck. Although for the past week and a half she had been exhausted and run down, between spending time with Adam and juggling her new career as an intern, she still found herself lying awake at night, it was like her body refused to let her sleep. Perhaps Adam's absence was too much for her afterall.

Unable to withstand the morbid and dead atmosphere of the house she decided to go for a drive, even in her sleepy state. She grabbed her keys from the dressing table and made her way to the car, locking the empty house behind her. The roads were quiet until she got nearer to the city and now she had a fair idea where it was she was driving to.

On arriving at the hospital she parked the car as near to the door as possible. It was a cold night and she didn't fancy freezing her ass off when walking in. The hospital looked the exact same at night as it did during the day. Doctors sat outside the hospital on the benches, just to escape the hectic bustle of the corridors and loudness of the ER. Meredith proceeded into the hospital and headed straight for Adam's room. She was so thankful that she didn't meet anyone along the way, she was in no mood to explain her reasons for being there. She closed the door of the room quietly behind her and saw her fiance laying peacefully on the bed. She smiled on seeing him and began to approach him slowly. He looked like he had got a little more colour since she saw him earlier that day but then again maybe that was wishful thinking on her part. She realised she had started seeing things lately; like when she had told Dr. Shepherd he moved his hand when really he hadn't. She pulled the chair over closer to the bed and sank into it, her tiredness now really kicking in. Taking his hand in hers she decided to talk to him a little, she had yet to do that, then again with the constant presence of his overbearing mother she had yet to have that chance.

"Hey sweetie" she whispered softly "I couldn't sleep....I miss your snoring" she smiled and could feel the tears now beginning to sting at her eyes. "I'm a surgical intern now...can you believe it? because I can't! you thought i'd go into peads or something ridiculous like that remember, when we first met?" she realised she wasn't going to get an answer but she continued all the same. "God Adam please wake up...PLEASE....I need you!" the tears had now escaped and were streaming down both of her cheeks and she tightened her grip around his hand willing him to wake up.

"Meredith" a farmiliar voice interrupted and she turned to see Derek Shepherd standing in the doorway. She had never seen him at the hospital so late and was surprised to see him there now. "Meredith are you ok?" he continued moving into the room a little. Meredith wiped her teary eyes quickly with her sleeve but it was too late he had seen she had been crying.

"I'm fine...sorry I know I'm not supposed to be here... I just..."

"No no your fine" he interrupted before she could say anymore. He had been in his office with Mark catching up until now and had noticed her sitting in the room when he passed to leave for the night. He pulled the other chair that was in the room over alongside her and sat down, he didn't want to leave her on her own until he knew she was ok. "What's the matter?"

She inhaled and exhaled deeply, her focus still entirely on Adam, he knew what was wrong and yet still felt obliged to ask all the same.

"I couldn't sleep...I haven't slept since his accident...I miss him" the tears overflowed again and she squeezed her eyes tightly together to try and subside them "why did this have to happen to him...to us?"

Derek knew he had to find the right words to comfort her but couldn't find any. His heart broke as he watched her cry, she had no idea what an affect she was having on him, he was just her fiance's doctor afterall. He moved to put his hand on her shoulder, well it was a start anyway! His eyes were full of sympathy and yet at the same time jealousy aswell, he had no one to sit by his bedside if this should ever happen him, he was alone, just like she was alone now. Maybe they needed each other more than they knew.

"It's going to be ok Meredith...Adam will wake up...I promise" he squeezed her shoulder to enforce his promise, a promise he knew was a dangerous one to make.

"Doctor's shouldn't make promises they can't keep" she sobbed as she looked into his sympathetic eyes, she needed more than the promise of a doctor.

"No they shouldn't, your right...but I'm saying this not as a doctor, but as your friend" he smiled assuringly. She finally felt like she had someone in that moment and unable to hide her gratitude she fell into his arms, holding onto him tightly before whispering "thank you Derek"

Derek loved how it made him feel holding her as he wrapped his arms around her tiny frame. His face fell into her hair and once again her fragrance intoxicated him instantly. Was this friendship promise going to turn out to be a mistake?

After a few hours the sun started leeking into the hospital room. It was after 7:00am and both Derek and Meredith sat asleep in each others arms in the corner of the room. Neither had meant to fall asleep but exhaustion crept up on them both and they just drifted off within a blink. Meredith had worn herself out from crying in Derek's arms which eventually led to her slipping into an unconcious state and Derek was lulled soon after, listening to her breath against his chest. The sun was getting brighter and it soon stirred Derek from his blissful state. He stretched his arms a little and his sudden movement woke Meredith. She turned her head to look up at him and smiled.

"Oh my god...I can't believe we both fell asleep in here" the fact that she had fallen asleep in her fiance's doctors arms nevermind her bosses didn't bother her in the slightest, in fact awkwardness was the last thing she was feeling as she pulled herself out from under his arms.

"Yeah" Derek sniggered sitting himself more upright "sorry I didn't mean to fall asleep aswell"

"No no that's ok really" Meredith assured him as she wrapped her sweater around her. The hospital was always a little chilly in the morning. She walked over to Adam and kissed him softly on the forehead before stroking his blonde hair back. Derek was now beginning to feel a little awkward being in the room and so stood up to leave.

"Well I'm gonna go" he began as he motioned towards the door. She turned to look at him, she was so greatful for his company the night before she wasn't about to let him leave without him knowing it.

"Okay" she began to walk over to him and within seconds she had closed the gap between them and embraced him in a tight hug "thank you for last night" she pulled away and he felt a twinge pull at his heart "I don't really have many friends here and I'm just really glad I've found one...even if you are my boss" she joked, lightening the situation a little. Derek smiled back at her, he knew that having her as a friend is the most he would ever get from her.

"Your welcome Meredith" she noticed immediately the way he looked at her, and she finally realised why everyone referred to him as McDreamy because that's exactly what he was. An abrupt entrance suddenly pulled them from their situation and Derek noticed the presence of an older woman, probably in her late fifties walking into the room. She was an extremely well kept woman and reminded him a little of his mother.

"Meredith" the woman acknowledged as she looked over and back between Derek and Meredith.

"Judy" Meredith acknowledged back. Derek finally realised that this must be Adam's overbearing mother he had heard about but had yet to meet. She was never in the room when he came to check on Adam and wondered why she had yet to request an update from Adam's attending. "Um Derek this is Judy...Adam's Mom"

Derek smiled over at the woman before holding his hand out to take hers but she refused it simply looking on him with fierce eyes. She scared him a little, there was a frightening and condescending aura about her which was not at all friendly.

"Judy this is Dr. Shepherd...he's Adam's neuro attending" Meredith explained. She knew exactly how this woman's mind worked, always coming to exaggerated conclusions. Once Judy knew who the man was her behaviour changed into a warm and friendly nature. She held out her hand and he shook it instantly wanting to give this woman no reason to hate him!

"Oh Dr. Shepherd it's so nice to finally meet you"

"Oh the pleasure is all mine Mrs Holt" Derek realised he was sucking up completely to this woman but then again he was always guilty of sucking up to mothers, it was his thing! Judy laughed nonchalantly and both Meredith and Derek noticed that she was batting her eyelashes at him. Derek blushed and Meredith simply rolled her eyes, being all too familiar with her future mother-in-law's tendencies to flirt with attractive younger men.

"Well I have to get going...I have rounds, I'll be in a little later to give you an update on your son's condition" Derek gave her one more smile before leaving, closing the door behind him.

Meredith went back over to stand beside Adam. She was waiting for the onslaught of questions to come from Judy but none came. Instead the woman followed her movements and stood at the other side of her son, her eyes never leaving Meredith.

"Why was he here this early?" Judy asked suspiciously. Meredith stuttered a little before replying. She knew she couldn't exactly tell her she slept in his arms all night so she searched for another explanation, the long pause not exactly helping her innocence.

"Oh I um...saw him passing and I called him to know something about Adam's labs but turns out it was nothing, I was just over reacting as usual" You could always tell when Meredith was lying because you could just about see her wisdom teeth when she smiled nervously and Judy was well aware of this fact but chose not to go any further with her questioning.

"He's extremely handsome" Judy commented casually as she moved to sit down on the chair, her eyes still on Meredith.

"Yeah I guess so...but I only have eyes for Adam" Meredith brushed the back of her hand over his cheek, he was a little cooler than usual but she knew that was normal in coma patients.

"Well that's good" It sounded like a warning more than a statement and thats exactly how Meredith took it up.

"What are you suggesting Judy?...that I have a thing for my fiance's doctor? my boss?" Meredith, unable to control her anger, snapped at the elder woman.

"I never said anything of the sort Meredith...you suggested that yourself"

Meredith puffed in anger, gritting her teeth together before storming out of the room. Truth be told she couldn't stand her fiance's mother, she was cruel, insensitive and vindictive and Meredith found it extremely difficult being in the same room as her for more than ten minutes. She always had a way of making Meredith feel small and inadequate, Meredith was the last girl she would have picked for her son to marry and she was just dying to find a reason to pull them apart!