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Once again I am blown away by the response to this story!

I'm so excited that so many of you seem to be enjoying this because, I promise you, I'm having a blast writing it!

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I hope this chapter lives up to expectations and fits with everyone's AU characters.

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Chapter 3

"Where were all the sick and injured people?"

As a doctor, Meredith knew she shouldn't be wishing for people to be suffering and in pain, but there she was. Currently hiding out in the pit and waiting for some mutilated or diseased people to walk (or limp) through the ER doors.

Unfortunately for her, the pit was dead today. So far, all she had to deal with was transferring a teen gymnast with a twisted ankle to ortho and calming a frantic mother who was freaking out over her baby's sniffles.

After the rousing pep talk from her mom, Meredith quickly threw on her scrubs and white coat as fast as she could. Thankfully Alex and April had the decency to not be there. As far as she was concerned, Meredith heard all she needed hear from the both of them. And leaving the ring in Alex's cubby before she left for Joe's the night before said all she needed to say to the cheating bastard for her.

Part of her was still in denial.

Why would he do that to her? She knew he had a past but that was before she came along. That was before he changed for her. Or she thought she had anyway.

What she really couldn't get over, was that it was April. It was the ultimate betrayal. There were no excuses to justify their behavior that she could think of. Did Alex just forget he had a girlfriend? Did April just forget he was her boyfriend?

Her best friend and her fiancé. Why did the last five years of her life suddenly feel like a lie?

Everyone seemed to have found a service and a surgery to be on because, aside from a couple interns, no one else had ventured to the ER the entire morning.

After suturing up a woman's hand after a knife got away from her while chopping vegetables, Meredith decided now would as good a time as ever to take a break for lunch.

The moment she stepped into the cafeteria, she regretted it. She could feel all the eyes on her and hear the whispers that weren't meant for her ears. Throwing a five at the cashier, Meredith snatched up her tray and sped outside.

The sky was thick with light gray clouds that threatened to pour at any moment. For this reason, the patio tables were vacant and she thanked God, or whoever was listening, for this small victory.

She had just bitten into her questionable turkey sandwich when another tray slammed on the table and an exhausted Cristina Yang collapsed in the seat next to her.

"Eight and a half freaking hours and car crash guy still dies," Cristina complained, stabbing at her fruit salad.

Still taken aback from Cristina's sudden and more than unexpected appearance at the table, Meredith stayed silent and continued to chew her bite of sandwich.

"The wife is next though. They thought her heart was fine but she started having complications when they went to put her under to fix her abdominal injuries. I've got to be back up there in like 15 minutes."

Of all the people in the hospital, Cristina was not high on the list of people she expected to approach her.

"Not that I mind the conversation, because it seems like everyone around here now knows of my horrible personal life and you're the first person today to actually talk to me directly instead of whispering about me, but why are you sitting with me?"

"Did you not hear me? I have another surgery in 15 minutes. I needed a place to eat so I don't pass out trying to repair this woman's heart so she doesn't join her husband in the morgue."

"Oh, okay."

Apparently this was Cristina being friends. And she currently found herself in need of a friend right now. She'd take it.

"Do you want me to leave?"

"No! I just wasn't sure what this…"

"What did I say about the moment and the hugging? I thought we had an understanding."

"We do," Meredith confirmed, shaking her head in a desperate attempt to clear it. "I'm sorry. I'm having a bad day." She threw her sandwich down.

"Not as bad as the woman I'm about to operate on," Cristina mumbled.

"I'm avoiding. I'm avoiding a lot of people actually. My mom, Alex, April…" 'And Derek,' she thought, inwardly cringing.

"Cut anyone open yet? That usually makes me feel better."

"No. I've been hiding in the pit all day."

"You voluntarily spent all morning in the pit?" She almost sounded personally offended at the thought.

"Like I said, I was avoiding."

"We could get some scalpels and go find Karev," Cristina offered, only half joking around.

Laughing out loud for the first time that day, Meredith shook her head at her new friend. "As tempting as that sounds, and believe me it is, that would cut into my busy day of avoiding."

"Drinks at Joe's tonight then?"

"That sounds great," Meredith agreed with a small smile just as a chorus of beeping came from the small devices on the women's waistbands.

"Damn," Cristina cursed. "9-1-1. I'll see you tonight."

"I gotta go too," she agreed, looking at her own pager before rising with her tray. "See you."

They both threw out their half eaten lunches and scurried away in opposite directions to answer their pages.

"Hold that elevator, please!"

Meredith slipped past the closing doors just in the nick of time. However, as soon as she noticed the elevator's only other inhabitant, she suddenly wished the it had left without her.

"Meredith," Derek greeted with a hint of surprise and a widening smile. She had to admit, as captivating as it was, smiling wasn't something she wasn't used to seeing him do.

"Dr. Shepherd," Meredith acknowledged, ducking her head and moving to the back of the elevator.

"Dr. Shepherd?" he repeated with mock hurt. "This morning it was Derek. Now it's Dr. Shepherd?"

"Dr. Shepherd," she insisted sternly, "We should pretend it never happened."

"What never happened? You sleeping with me last night? Or you beating me with your pillow this morning? Because both are fond memories I'd like to hold on to," he teased, looking back at her from over his shoulder.

There was that damn smile again.

"No. There will be no memories. I'm not the girl in the bar anymore and you're not the guy. This can't exist. You get that, right?"

Okay, even she didn't believe her.

Derek pulled the emergency stop button before fully turning around to face her. "You took advantage of me and now you want to forget about it?"

That damn gleam in his eye was back now too. 'Damn it.'

"I did not take-"

"I was drunk, vulnerable, and good looking and you took advantage."

"Okay, I was the one who was drunk and you are not that good looking." She couldn't keep smile out of her voice or off her face.

"Maybe not today," he conceded. "But last night, last night I was very good looking. I had my red shirt on, my good looking red shirt, and you took advantage."

"I did not take ad-"

"Want to take advantage again? Say Friday night?"

'Okay, what?' Did Dr. McDreary seriously just ask her out? And he was being flirty and charming and not at all like the man she'd come to know and loathe.

She stood there staring a heartbeat too long before she snapped herself out of her momentary trance.

"No," she stated definitively. "I'm not going out with you. And I'm definitely not sleeping with you again. You're my boss. And my teacher. And you have a wife."

"I'm divorcing my wife." Derek took a step closer.

'Why is it so hot here?'

"You're sexually harassing me."

"I'm riding an elevator."

"Look, I'm drawing a line. The line is drawn. There's a big line." 'Yeah, it's definitely too hot in here.'

Meredith stepped forward to slap the emergency stop button in attempt to emphasize her words.

"So this line," Derek continued. "Is it imaginary or do I need to get you a marker?"

In that moment, Meredith lost all ability to think about anything except the man in front of her. The look he was giving her was this indescribable look of longing and something else Meredith couldn't put her finger on.

Before she knew what she was doing, her lips were crashing into Derek's while they backed into the wall. Their lips and tongues battled for dominance as Derek wrapped two strong arms around her. He slightly raised her up in order to switch their positions, effectively pinning her between the wall and his body. Derek's hands found their way into her long, soft hair. He moaned slightly as her nails softly raked his scalp and tugged on his dark curls.

The feelings coursing through her made her feel like nothing Meredith had ever experienced before. Every nerve in her body was on fire and she never wanted it end.

The loud 'DING' from the elevator both signaled that they had arrived on the 4th floor and caused the couple to reluctantly break apart.

As soon as the doors started to inch open, Meredith pushed away from Derek's embrace with a flushed and frazzled look that only made Derek want to kiss her again.

When the elevator doors separated enough for her to fit, Meredith whipped through them without a second look back.

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