Disclaimer : I own nothing. Grey's Anatomy belongs to Shonda Rhimes.
Author's note : Hey everyone! Thanks for taking the time to read/review. This chapter is happening the same day as last chapter. Don't forget to review! (Don't be shy) :-).
The only sound in the scrub room was the running water and the friction of Derek's hands as he sterilized them. He was halfway done when the door swung open and a curvy blond stepped inside. He looked up and instantly recognized her face from family pictures at Alex's house.
That's the woman from the photos. She must be Izzie, the wife of Meredith's brother. Why is she scrubbing in?
She walked up to the sink, next to him and gave him an ear-to-ear smile.
"Hi, Dr. Sheperd", she greeted while applying the soap to her hands.
"Hello, ?", he said in an unsure tone thinking she had the same last name as Meredith and Alex.
"Dr. Stevens-Grey", she corrected. "I'm scrubbing in instead of Dr. Thomas , he had an emergency. I studied the case but I'll just be observing in the OR."
"Okay, welcome on board.", he replied with a smile.
"Listen", she started. "I want to thank you for everything you did for Meredith. If it hadn't been for you, she would probably still be with that bastard. Thank you"
Derek smiled as he turned the water off.
"I did what anybody would've done and I'm glad she's okay too."
"You know, I saw you too sleeping on the couch last night. I think she really likes you and I can tell you like her too. She feels safe with you."
With that, she walked into the operating room. leaving a very happy Derek.
She likes me. We can do this. We can start something new. I just don't want her to feel like things are going too fast.
After the sugery, Derek decided to pay a late afternoon visit to a redhead neonatal surgeon. He found her sitting at her office with the company of an enormous pile of paperwork to read. He knocked on the door and waited before hearing her "Yes, come in" to enter. He sat down in front of her and sighed.
Addisod up, eyebrows raised.
"Okay, tell me what's wrong."
He told her the whole story, from the moment he first saw her to what had happened just a couple hours earlier in the scrub room.
"So you see my problem? I really like Meredith and I want to be with her but I don't want to rush anything. I want her to feel like things can go at her rhythm. I can wait. I'll wait ten years if I have to.", Derek said as he passed his hand through his dark curls. Addison smiled tenderly at her friend, almost brother.
"Why don't tell her what you just told me? It's that simple."
"You really think so?"
"Yes! I've never seen you like this! I'm happy for you Der. When am I going to meet her?"
"I don't know", he chuckled.
"Oh, by the way, did you get an invitation too from Owen Hunt? He's getting married next week.", Addison explained.
"Oh, yeah, I did. The bride is Meredith's friend actually, Cristina Yang."
"Oh really?", she replied with a surprised tone.
"Yep, she told me she was the maid of honor."
"That's great! Maybe you can dance with her at the wedding and see where things take you,", she said with not so innocent wink. Derek laughed at his friend's suggestion.
"I'd love too but she didn't invite me. I would feel awkward going to the wedding. Maybe she doesn't want to go with me! What if she already has a date?!", Derek suddenly panicked.
"You need to stop, okay. Call her and talk. I'm sure she w-"
Her sentence was interrupted by the sound of Derek's cellphone. He took it out of his pocket and read the caller I.D. He quickly got up with a bright, very bright smile on his face. He pressed a button and put the phone to his ear while mouthing "It's her" to Addison.
"Hello", he said as he left the office.
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Meredith was sitting on the front door steps outside, waiting for her brother. Two jumbo sized empty traveling bags were at her feet and a can of Coca-Cola with a straw in hand. She had ditched her pyjama for a light green long-sleeved sweater and skinny jeans.
What's taking him so long? I really want to get this over with.
Ever since Cristina had left, Meredith had been thinking about the wedding and Derek. She had butteflies in her stomach and was slightly nervous about inviting him. Sure, he was friends with so he was probably already invited but she wanted to go with him.
I'm reasy for that next step. I want to be with him.
By now, everyone at the hospital probably knew what had happened to her because news had a way of traveling fast at Seattle Grace. People would probably be surprised to see her with someone else so fast but she didn't care. Meredfith Grey was set on following her heart, no matter what. She got up, seeing her Alex's car in front of the house. She took the two bags and her drink and got inside the car. Before she could say anything else, Alex spoke.
"I'm sorry. I got held up at school by a kid. He needed advice. Girl adivce."
Meredith giggled, reminded by what it was like to be a teenager in love.
"Awww, that's adorable." she gushed. Alex chuckled and put his foot on the accelerator. "What was his problem?"
"He has a crush on this girl in his class but she's in the popular crowd and he's a nerd. He didn't know how to approach her."
"What'd you tell him?"
"I told him : 'Stop being such a wuss, be yourself and go talk to her.'"
She laughed at how direct her brother could be sometimes.
"I'm sure you helped him. You're really great with those kids.", she said, eyeing his profile.
Alex's expression darkened and he cleared his throat. She looked at him quizzically, wondering what was on his mind.
"I might be good with the kids but I'm not such a good big brother. I'm sorry Mer. I practically pushed you in his arms. I'm the one who introduced you two. If it wasn't for me you would never have met him and none of this would've happened. I let you down."
Meredith looked at her Alex, completely dumbfounded. She was not expecting this to come out of his mouth. He had already apologized and she had already told him it wasn't his fault.
How long has he been holding this in?
"Alex, listen. You did not let me down, Finn did. You do not owe me any apology, Finn does. There is no way you could've known what would happen. I love you and you're the best big brother in the world.", she said, her hand firmly holding his forearm. "Now, I don't ever want to hear you say something like this again, okay?"
"Okay.", he sighed. "Are you sure all your things will get in the bags?".
"Yes, I'm sure. We're just going there to take the rest of my clothes and my personal things. I don't want the bed. I don't want the couch. I don't want anything Finn and I ever shared.", Meredith let out. "Well maybe except for that new toaster oven we got. It cooks everything just right! I'm so not leaving it there."
Alex glanced at his sister and smiled.
They pulled up in front of the appartment building. Alex took the empty bags and together, they walked up the stairs and entered Meredith's former flat.
"Go get the toaster oven before we forget!", she ordered from the bedroom. She took a bag and proceeded to collect the rest of her clothes. When she was done, she went over all the drawers and the night stands and got all the paperwork and personal stuff that belonged to her. While Alex was in the living room, she went in the bathroom and collected her things. Ten minutes and bag full of stuff later, she was finished. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror and did a double-take.
The necklace! I'm still wearing the necklace Finn got me.
She took off the gold jewel and held it to the daylight coming from the window.
Hmm. Must be worth a couple of hundred dollars.
That's how Alex found her.
"What's that?", he asked pointing to the necklace.
"That's how he would usually apologize for hitting me. With gifts. I think I'm gonna sell it.", she responded.
"That's my girl! What are you gonna do with the money?", Alex replied.
"I have no idea."
Meredith giggled and put the necklace in her pocket.
Alex took the bags and they headed to the car. When they got home, Alex went to the living room to watch a football game while Meredith went up to her room.
Oh! I have to call Derek.
She jumped on her bed, took the phone and dialed Derek's cell number without looking at the buisness card he gave her because she knew the digits by heart.
"Hello", Derek said, trying to sound casual.
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Meredith did not seem to notice.
"Hey.", she replied, also trying to hide how nervous she felt. It also went totally unnoticed by Derek. "How are you?"
"I'm great. You?", he said, finding a chair to sit on in an empty on-call room.
"I'm good, thank you. You must be wondering why I'm calling!", she laughed nervously.
"You can call my anytime you need. I like hearing your voice", he admitted. Meredith's heart made a small jump and a wide grin appeared on her face.
"Um...you know there's a wedding coming up. My friend Cristina's wedding. She's a resident here and she's getting married to Dr. Owen Hunt. It's next week. Like I told you, I'm the maid of honor and I was wondering if-You don't have too if you don't want b-"
"You want me to go with you?", he asked. He sounded confident but inside, he was hoping, almost praying she would say yes.
"Umm...yeah! Yeah. Do you want to?", she asked.
"I would be honored."
Meredith giggled and mouthed a "Yes!" to herself.
"Then it's a date. We could see each other tommorow at noon on the bench and I'll give you all the details."
"Okay, great. I'll see you tommorow.", he said with a huge smile on his face.
"Okay, bye."
"Bye."
Derek hung up the phone, still smiling.
It's a date.