Well, it would appear the McStizzie fans are more vocal than the MerDer fans on this story, based on the reviews for that last chapter! I'm glad you enjoyed that little encounter, even though they aren't the main focus of this story. This chapter brings some conversations between Mark & Derek, Meredith & Alex...and unfortunately, brings Jack back into the picture. He's just not a happy camper...

Chapter Seventeen - Talks & Encounters

Mark waved Derek over to his table at The Ivy. It was late on Sunday evening, and the trendy little restaurant was jammed as usual, with both the famous and the notorious. Mark was ensconced at a table near the patio, where he could keep an eye on the women passing by, even though he realized none of them looked like Izzie.

"So, you have that extremely smug look that means you've had good sex," Mark grinned, lifting his glass of Scotch in greeting.

Derek dropped into the chair across from Mark, unable to keep from grinning back. He had just left Meredith, after spending the entire weekend with her. Splitting the time between his house and hers, going out briefly to eat or stroll along the beach, or making sure Stormy wasn't feeling neglected. This in between long stretches of time in bed, discovering the needs and desires of each other.

"'Extremely smug'?"

"Well, I should know, since I believe I perfected that look. Yours needs work."

Derek rolled his eyes, before taking a moment to order a drink from the pretty little waitress that seemed to appear like magic. She hovered a few moments, flirting with him, before sashaying away with a backward glance.

"See, you still attract the girls, Derek. Why are you limiting yourself?" Mark asked, assessing Derek's laid back attire of jeans and navy shirt, the black hair looked freshly styled, thick and full. "Since Morgan left, you've been way too celibate. I was starting to worry."

"Mark, I've told you before - I don't hook up."

"Don't you find it ironic that you're a serial monogamist in real life, but you seem to fuck like a porn star in every movie you've been in lately?" Mark smirked. "The one where you were a bank robber was especially raunchy..."

"It's not the same, trust me."

"Aw, c'mon...you can tell me. You've never wanted to keep on going after the cameras stopped...had a little quickie with the girl later on somewhere private?"

Derek groaned. "God, why are we having this conversation?"

"Cuz I'm curious."

"No, you're just horny."

"That too."

"At any rate, I want to settle down, get married, have a family one day," Derek said, crossing his arms over his chest. "If anything happened, it's in the past, and all I can say is that I was likely young and foolish."

"Yeah, well good luck explaining those raunchy movies to your progeny, Shep."

Derek grimaced. "Hopefully that won't be an issue."

Mark laughed as the waitress returned with Derek's drink. "Yeah, sure." He winked at the girl, earning a saucy smile in return. "So when do I get to meet your new love?"

"I'm not sure if she's ready to meet you. You might corrupt her," Derek countered, taking a sip of his drink.

"I'm hurt, Shep. I can be a perfect gentleman if I'm motivated to be."

"Since when?"

"Trust me."

"Meredith is still recovering from that asshole brother of mine. She's not like the women you usually hang out with."

"Yeah, yeah...I remember seeing her at that party. Very hot, very sexy...but I'm sorry about her experience with Jack." Derek had filled Mark in on the basics of what happened, without going into explicit detail. Meredith didn't need that - she only confided in him or Alex, and he wasn't giving away any of her personal details.

"You still hang out at Moonglow?"

"Sometimes - I've seen him around a time or two. He's always smooth talking some hot babe, or laying the charm on the celebs. Last time it was Tom and Katie - Jack was all schmooze, not a hint of bastard in sight."

Derek frowned. "I'd love to wipe that 'charming' smirk off his face permanently. The way he treated Meredith..."

"Never a good reason for that shit," Mark agreed. "But, all kidding aside, I'm happy for you, man. I'm glad it's working out for you, she sounds like an amazing woman."

"She is."

Derek smiled again, thinking of her soft smile, and her sweet nature. Despite her bad experiences, she was able to trust him and was learning to explore her sensual nature again. Feeling her shuddering release, and hearing her soft sigh of bliss was the best thing he could give her.

"Must have been a helluva weekend," Mark observed, seeing his friend's faraway expression.

"Can we talk about something else?"

Mark shrugged. "Okay, sure." He paused for a moment, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. "I saw Morgan a couple weeks ago."

Derek raised one eyebrow in surprise. "Seriously? Where?"

"Paris, actually. She was promoting the movie there, I bumped into her at a club." Mark looked up at Derek, gauging his reaction.

"How is she?"

"Good, great."

"I'm surprised you were able to have a civil conversation."

"Ah, well, you know...we didn't talk much. Music was pretty loud. But she had her friend, Izzie, with her – you remember her, the girl from Moonglow…?"

"Ah, yes, the one that shot you down, as I recall."

"Things went much better this time, actually. We ended up in bed all weekend."

"And this is news…how?"

"I like her. She's hot, and yet…she's got a way about her that I can't get out of my head." Mark paused. "I saw her again in New York."

"Seriously? Twice with the same woman?" Derek teased him. "Isn't that against your rules, or something?"

Mark rolled his eyes. "No…well, yeah. But she's great, seriously."

"Hmm…do I detect a note of meaningful interest there?" Derek raised one eyebrow in question.

"Hell, I don't know, man. This is uncharted territory for me."

"Well, good luck with that. Call me if you need my 'monogamist' advice," Derek smirked.

The next morning, Meredith strolled through her quiet salon, humming happily to herself. She put the first pot of coffee on, as usual, thinking of how much she had enjoyed the weekend with Derek. As the fragrant brew gurgled into the pot, she heard Alex clomping through the back door, his heavy boots announcing his arrival.

"Well, aren't you the happy girl," Alex noted. "Someone had a good weekend. I like this much better than your old Monday morning persona."

Meredith swatted his arm. "Smartass." She did feel happy, and if she had any aches, it was due entirely to a different reason than before. The little twinges were a pleasant reminder of Derek's thorough exploration of her body. Of how he had made love to her with endless sweetness, doing his best to give her new memories, taking away the bad ones.

"Oh, you lucky woman," Alex teased her, seeing her expression. "Can I say I'm jealous - Derek is smokin' hot, babe. He's gonna be a big star again, trust me. Guys like him that mature into their looks, with excellent bone structure and that sinful hair...mmhmm...hang onto him, honey."

"He deserves to succeed - he's one of the good guys."

Alex poured them both a cup of coffee. "So, dinner was good...?"

"We, um...actually didn't make it as far as dinner on Friday," Meredith confessed with a little giggle.

"Didn't think you would," Alex smirked.

"We spent all weekend together, Alex. I didn't realize it could be like this. I mean, we spent time together before, but now...there is that added layer of intimacy. Like I look at him, and I can't help but touch him, reassure myself that he's actually with me."

"You've got it bad, then. Should I start planning for the wedding now?"

"Wedding? Alex, seriously, I don't think we're at that point yet. I don't want to rush into anything again - look what happened before." She shuddered delicately at the mere thought of Jack again.

"You had the wrong guy before - Derek won't mess with you. I can see it when he looks at you - you're all he sees, you're his woman. Not in a caveman sense, but in a soulmate sense. He loves you, Meredith. He just doesn't admit it yet."

Meredith bit her bottom lip, thinking about Alex's words. "Oh, I don't know...love is kind a big step already."

"Mer, it's not like you just met the guy - you've been getting to know him all this time. That you're having fun in bed is the inevitable next step." Alex winked at her. "You can tell me, you're falling in love with him too, aren't you?"

Meredith dropped into his chair, twirling it around for a moment, avoiding his question. Was she falling in love? If that meant feeling giddy and intoxicated by his touch, and enjoying the quiet moments mixed with the heady passion, maybe it was love.

"God, Alex...maybe I am," she said quietly, stopping the spinning to stare at her friend.

"Good - can I be the maid of honor at the wedding?" he teased her. "But no pink...that's so cliché..."

Jack sat at his desk at the restaurant, sipping coffee and thoughtfully perusing the papers in his hand, frowning slightly. Then he flipped through a stack of photographs, a scowl darkening his features even more. It was nearly enough to make him throw up, seeing the happy smiles of the people in the photos. Anger and resentment twisted inside of him like a hot poker, and he threw his coffee cup across the room, where it clattered against the door. Coffee oozed down the oak, and spattered the rug, as he swiped a hand over the desk, sending the papers and photos flying wildly.

"So damn happy...we'll see about that..." he muttered to himself. "Nobody gets the better of Jack Archer..."

Meredith took another look around the kitchen, as she waited for Derek to arrive. This time it was her turn to provide dinner, not something she normally did, but she wanted to do something special for him. Stormy watched sleepily from his perch at the wide window, where the last rays of afternoon sunshine bathed him. His tail flicked lazily back and forth, a little rumbling purr in his throat, and his nose twitched in appreciation at the aroma of food.

It was a Saturday evening, and she knew Derek had been filming today, some extra shots that had to be retaken for the movie. She glanced at her watch, realizing he was running late. It was some horror movie this time, something with plenty of blood and gore, and she wrinkled her nose at that. Not her kind of movie.

Strolling through the airy living room, she gazed out the windows for a moment, appreciating the view. Dusk was just beginning, and she could see the vast array of twinkling lights of L.A. stretching away in every direction. Sometimes she pinched herself that she was living here, in this luxurious house, so far removed from her hometown. And that she was falling in love with a sexy and amazing man like Derek.

She took a peek at her reflection in the mirror in the front foyer, adjusting the black silk blouse, undoing an extra button just to be daring. Then the doorbell rang, and she smiled happily, crossing over to open the door. "Derek…thank goodness…I was getting wor-" Her voice broke off, as she looked at the huge poinsettia plant that greeted her. "What are you doing?" she asked, laughing. But the man that looked around the plant wasn't Derek - it was Jack.

"Surprise…" he said, with a nasty grin, grabbing her arm with his free hand before she could slam the door in his face.

Meredith gulped, a frozen pit of misery gripping her stomach as she tried to break away. Jack pushed her backwards into the foyer, carelessly dropping the potted plant aside, letting it crash to the floor. Dirt and shards of pottery scattered, and Meredith bit back a little shriek of fear.

"Leave me alone, Jack. You can't be here – the restraining order…"

"Doesn't mean shit," he sneered. "You practically have to be handcuffed to a cop for that to be effective. It'd be all over except for the crying by the time those idiots get here." His light blue eyes were fixed on her, and despite his façade of charm, Meredith recognized the monster lurking beneath the surface.

"How did you find me?"

"Oh, darling, you know it's easy these days…there are people who do that for a living. And you haven't exactly been in hiding lately, have you?"

Meredith twisted away, intending to grab the phone from the kitchen. "I'm calling the cops anyway, Jack. Leave me alone."

Jack shook his head sadly. "I just came by to give you something you left at my house. You really should take better care of your things, Meredith."

"Whatever it is, I don't want it." Meredith inched backwards, her heart pounding. Sweat popped out on her skin, and her eyes darted towards the door, hoping that Derek would show up soon. He would be furious to find Jack here with her.

"C'mon, babe, you know you do." Jack reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew the small velvet box she recognized from her engagement ring. "Just take this and we'll start all over again, just you and me."

"No, are you crazy?" she whispered. "It's over, we're not getting married. Ever."

Jack snorted. "Oh, but I still love you, Meredith. Even if you're fucking my brother…you have now, haven't you?" His tone was soft, but there was derision beneath the tone that gave away his anger.

"That's none of your business any longer, Jack." Meredith took another step backwards, but he advanced faster, invading her space.

"You can't deny it, I have proof." Jack reached into his other pocket and threw a handful of photos at her. They drifted to the floor untouched, and her eyes widened in shock.

"You had me followed? You slimy bastard..." Meredith hissed, her eyes flicking towards some of the upturned photos, realizing there were shots of Derek and herself walking along the beach, sharing a bottle of wine at the bistro, kissing outside in the twilight.

"You're expecting him right now, aren't you? Is he coming to save you, like some knight in shining armor, hmm? Does he do things to you that I didn't? Does he make you scream when you come?" Jack's eyes were wide, his breathing quickening, as he reached out to touch her.

"Don't…" Meredith twisted away, and a small blur of fur streaked past her, landing with a feline howl on Jack's upper leg. Stormy had leaped past Meredith, sinking his claws into the flesh of the inner thigh, making Jack stagger backwards with a hoarse shout of pain.

"Damnit, get the fucking cat off me…" he shouted, batting at the cat, hopping on one leg.

At that moment, Meredith saw movement at the door, and she sagged in relief to see Derek walking inside. His eyes swept the scene, noting the upended plant, the dirt tracked along the floor. Then he was running over to her without stopping, brushing past Jack. "Are you okay?" he asked, his indigo eyes dark with worry, as he checked for any bruises or signs of injury.

"Fine…just shaken up," Meredith confessed.

Derek turned to look at his brother then, his mouth set in a grim line. Stormy had given up the attack, but he remained beside Meredith, his ears set back, as he watched Jack carefully. The little cat's tail was still puffed up in anger, swishing back and forth.

"Goddamnit…he bit me!" Jack bellowed, clamping a hand over his thigh. "I could get rabies..."

"Good, maybe he should have bitten you a little higher," Derek commented without a trace of sympathy in his voice. "Get the hell out of here, before I kick your ass!" He took hold of Jack's shoulder, ready to push him towards the door. His brother stumbled, pitching forward, pulling Derek with him to the floor. For a minute, they wrestled together, Jack's bulkier body winning the fight and he pinned Derek down, his fist raised. Both men were panting, as they stared at each other. Time seemed frozen, before Meredith made a move to grab Jack's arm to hold him back.

The sound of police sirens suddenly pierced the air, and Jack swore, glancing towards the still open door. "What the hell...?"

"I called the cops before I came inside," Derek said. "You're not too smart, parking that Porsche outside. As soon as I saw your car I phoned 911. They should be here to arrest your ass pretty quick." He pushed Jack off of him, and scrambled to his feet, wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Think you're fucking smart, don'tcha?" Jack ran for the door, moving quickly despite the injury to his leg. "This isn't over yet."

Meredith sank to the floor, the rush of adrenaline leaving her shaking, as she heard Jack's car squeal away from the curb. Derek sank down beside her, cupping her face in his hands, giving her a quick kiss. From behind them, the sirens wailed to a louder crescendo, and then two cops were coming through the front door.

"Hold it right there," one of them barked, eyeing Derek suspiciously.

"It's okay...I'm the one that called you. The one who was assaulting Meredith is gone."

"Just get up slowly, sir. Can we see some identification?"

Derek groaned silently, helping Meredith to her feet. Stormy hissed and made his escape back to the kitchen. "It's okay, officer. Derek didn't do this - it was his...I mean, my ex-fiancé that barged in here." Meredith eased in front of Derek, meeting the officer's eyes. "I'm Meredith Grey, and there is a restraining order against Jack Archer, the man who did this."

The officer had his notepad out, scribbling as she talked. "We will confirm that, ma'am, but in the meantime, I still need some ID here." Looking at Derek, who reached for his wallet. "You need a doctor?"

Meredith shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Just a little freaked."

"Understandable, ma'am." He inspected Derek's driver's license, and nodded. "All right, sir, sorry about that - can't be too careful. Now, about this attack. Any other damages done besides this...?" He indicated the mess on the floor.

"No, he was just trying to coerce me into taking him back. Can I press charges?" Meredith asked firmly, her anger at his actions bubbling up now that she was able to think clearly.

"Of course. He's violated the RO, but it may be difficult to prove anything in court."

"Wait...my cat attacked him - he'll need some stitches, I'm sure."

The officer's mouth quirked upwards at the mention of the cat attack. "Well, we'll do our best to get him, Miss Grey. We'll go to his house, see what he says. Unfortunately, Mr. Archer is quite well known in this city - might be just a fine, or a warning."

Derek put his arm around Meredith's shoulders, meeting the officer's eyes. "That's crazy."

"I agree, that's unfortunate, but we see that a lot, I'm afraid." He closed his notepad, and nodded at his partner. "Look, if you have any further trouble - call me. Ask for Officer Gordon. I'll be in touch if I have any information, or have any other questions."

"Thanks, I guess," Meredith sighed.

The two officers departed, doing their best not to walk through the debris on the floor, closing the door behind them. Meredith turned in Derek's arms, looking at his face carefully. "Let me clean that up," she said, touching the little cut on his lip.

"I'm okay. I'm sorry I was late," Derek murmured, brushing her hair back. "Damn director kept changing his mind. When I saw Jack's car outside, I saw red...I can't believe he really is that stupid to come here."

"It's worse - he's had someone following us," Meredith told him, indicating the photos littering the floor. Derek stooped down to pick up a couple of them, and he shook his head in disgust. "What does he hope to prove?"

"I don't know, honey."

Suddenly Meredith started to giggle, putting her hand over her mouth to stifle the laughter. "Oh, god...Derek..."

"What?"

"Oh, I just had a sudden vision of him visiting the ER, trying to explain why he has a cat bite on his inner thigh...!" Meredith giggled a little harder, leaning into Derek, who smiled despite the situation. "It just struck me as funny...!"

"Stormy needs a reward for that," he agreed. "Extra kitty treats." Derek looked down then, seeing the little cat winding around his ankles, rubbing his face over Derek's jeans. "There you are - attack cat. Good job."

"We need to clean up that plant. Poinsettia leaves are poisonous to cats," Meredith murmured, turning to head to the kitchen for the broom.

"Wait..." Derek took her hand again, pulling her closer. His mouth slanted over hers, slow and warm, as his hand slid into her hair to hold her. Meredith felt her whole body respond, the desire for him pooling like sweet honey in her core. Her arms slid around his neck, her body supple and eager against his. The length of his lean body thrilled her, and his pure masculine scent surrounded her. Arrows of erotic need darted along her spine, as his mouth trailed from her lips to her earlobe. His warm breath fanned her, his tongue just touching her. "I know, this isn't the right moment, but I suddenly want you more than ever."

Her hands trailed down his back, along his shirt, pulling it free of his jeans. Touching the hot skin over hard muscle, all she could think of was having his strength around her, of making love to him until they were spent and breathless. "I want you, too..."

"We seem to have a problem with keeping a dinner date," Derek laughed softly, releasing her just enough to look at her, his eyes smoky with desire.

"We do at that," Meredith agreed. "But can we hold that thought until we clean this mess up?"

"I can do anything for you, honey." Derek winked at her. "Get the broom and I'll sweep up while you make sure the food isn't ruined."

Meredith hurried away, smiling to herself, her body humming with desire and anticipation. Even after the debacle the evening had started out with, it was going to be okay after all.