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Meredith sighed as she moved quickly through her classroom as she handed out papers to the class. She was trying to control the children who had been excited all day. The annual fall picnic was taking place this afternoon, and although they were supposed to be getting work done this morning, they all knew that they were going to have an afternoon of fun and games and none of them were able to concentrate on their practice writing.
"Alright," she announced as she stopped in the front of the classroom. "I know you're all excited about this afternoon, but no one is leaving the classroom if you writing isn't finished. So let's get going so we can have some fun outside, okay?"
That worked to quickly quiet down the classroom, and Meredith sighed in relief as she made her way to her desk, sitting down as she reached for the spelling tests from earlier that morning, wanting to get them done before the end of the day. She smiled as she listened to the quiet whispering of her students, always amused by the way they thought everything they talked about was the most important thing in the world.
"My mommy's bringing apple pie to the picnic," Sawyer whispered loudly at the cluster of desks in front of her.
"My dad's bringing apple cider," Charlie said.
"My mommy made pumpkin pie," Meg reported. "But she had to go be a doctor. So my Uncle Derek's going to bring it."
Meredith froze, her hand poised over the stack of spelling tests. The last thing she wanted was to deal with Derek Shepherd today. Actually, she didn't want to deal with Derek Shepherd ever, but it was worse when he was here, trying to distract her from her job. The man was infuriating, and she knew that she was in for a long afternoon.
"Miss Grey?" there was a quick knock on the door and a woman leaned into the room. "There's a slight problem with the picnic supplies."
Meredith sighed as she stood and moved towards Jack's mother, trying to ignore the way she was shaking as she thought about Derek Shepherd. She didn't want to allow that man to have so much power over herself. "What's wrong?" she asked, hoping that this wouldn't be a complete disaster.
An hour later, she found herself running around her empty classroom, trying to find extra tablecloths and wondering why she had decided to become a teacher. Sometimes brain surgery really did sound easier than managing a picnic for twenty five six year olds, even if she did have help from parents. And annoying uncles with perfect hair.
"Isn't there a party going on somewhere around here?" a familiar voice asked from the doorway and she froze for a moment before she stood and turned to face him.
"Look, I know you're here for Meg, and that's great, really," she nodded. "But I can't deal with this right now, so you should just go outside with the rest of the parents."
Derek frowned as he crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. "Deal with what?" he asked.
Meredith rolled her eyes. "This," she said, gesturing to him. "You being all McDreamy and trying to get me to go out with you. I'm in the middle of a crisis, and I can't deal with you hitting on me right now, so just…go see Meg."
Derek sighed as he pushed himself off the doorframe and stepped towards her. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"Everything," she sighed, dropping into the nearest chair, even though it was much to small for her. "I know you think it's stupid, but it's really important to my students that this picnic is perfect. And since it's important to them, it's important to me."
"I don't think it's stupid," Derek frowned, moving to crouch in front of her. "Maybe I can help. Tell me what's going on."
"Well, I have six students who are allergic to apples, and they're upset that they can't take part in the pie tasting contest, and the mom who was supposed to bring the pumpkin pie never showed up, so there's no desert for the kids that are allergic to apples," she sighed. "And the tablecloths are flying up into the food on the picnic tables, which makes even more of a mess than the kids have already made." Meredith sighed as she stood and moved towards the closet in the corner of her classroom. "I think I have some lolly pops in here somewhere, but that's not nearly as good as the apple pie the other kids are having."
"Okay," Derek nodded. "This is all pretty fixable."
Before Meredith could respond, a mother walked into the room, smiling sympathetically at her. "Miss Grey, there's a problem with the speakers," she said. "We're trying to find another way for the students to play musical chairs, but the boom box isn't loud enough without the external speakers."
"Great," Meredith sighed, dropping the pile of napkins she was holding onto the nearest desk. "Um…I'll see if the custodians know where we can get some different speakers," she said. "Just…let them play on the playground until I can figure something out."
"Okay," the mother said before she turned and walked back outside, leaving Derek and Meredith alone in the room.
"Look, you can just go out with the students, I'll try and figure this out," Meredith said. "I just…can't deal with this right now."
"I can help," Derek nodded. "Pumpkin pie, sturdy table cloths and speakers. Anything else?"
"You…what?" Meredith asked.
"Give me half an hour," Derek said, leaning towards her with a smile. "I promise I'll get everything you need to make the picnic perfect."
"You don't have to," Meredith shook her head. "I'll just figure something else out."
"Meredith," Derek said softly, and she felt her breath catch in her throat at the soft way her name sounded on his lips. "Let me help you with this."
"Okay," she heard herself saying, suddenly wondering why her knees were weak. "What are you going to do?"
"Trust me," Derek said with a smile, brushing his hand over her arm and winking. "I'll make sure you get your perfect picnic. Just go outside and enjoy spending time with your students. I'll be back soon, I promise."
"Okay," she repeated. "Um…thanks."
"My pleasure," Derek said softly, looking closely into her eyes for a moment, causing her to stop breathing and suddenly realizing why Izzie had dubbed him McDreamy.
"You should go," she whispered, suddenly breaking the moment and moving towards the door.
"I should," Derek nodded as he followed her. "I'll be back soon."
Meredith smiled slightly, trying not to think about the fact that she couldn't wait for him to come back again. She wasn't sure why he was so different now, but for some reason she was completely breathless and weak in the knees just thinking about the way he had looked at her.
XXXXX
Derek smiled slightly as he walked around the side of the school to see Meredith Grey standing in the middle of a group of children, smiling widely as they ran around her, giggling as she handed apples out to the class. She was completely breathtaking, and he couldn't help that hope she would want to give him a chance to know her. He had to know her.
When her eyes landed on him, she raised her eyebrows curiously as if asking what he had spent the last half hour doing. He smiled and began walking towards her, captivated by her gaze.
"Pumpkin pie, as ordered," he said as he set the plastic tray down on the bench of the picnic table where they met. "And plastic table clothes. They're heavier, so they won't blow into the food, and you can just wipe them down and keep them in their classroom to use again."
"Oh," Meredith nodded, reaching for the tablecloths. "Thanks."
"No problem," he nodded. "And I couldn't get speakers, but I've got the next best thing. Or, what I hope is the next best thing."
"And that would be?" Meredith asked, raising her eyebrows.
Derek smiled as he held up the guitar case in his hand. "Me."
"You?" Meredith repeated, staring at the guitar case before she stared into his eyes again. "You play the guitar."
"I play the guitar," Derek nodded, a smile on his lips.
"Oh," Meredith nodded. "Um…okay. I guess. You know how to play musical chairs, right?"
Derek rolled his eyes. "Of course I know how to play musical chairs," he said. "I'll be fine."
"Okay," Meredith smiled, moving back towards the kids that were running around the playground. "Um, I guess I'll get them set up while you tune the guitar?"
"Perfect," Derek nodded, setting the case down and pulling his guitar out. Meredith watched him for a moment, trying to calm herself as she felt a sudden rush of heat wash over her at the sight of Derek cradling the guitar close to him.
She swallowed hard as she forced herself to look away, quickly herding her students as they ran excitedly towards the circle of chairs that were sitting in the middle of the field. She stepped back as she watched Derek step into the middle of the circle, guitar strapped over his shoulder.
"Alright, who's ready to play musical chairs?" he asked, laughing as the kids all burst into cheers of excitement. Derek laughed as he strummed a few chords before beginning to sing softly, a song that Meredith recognized as a popular children's song that Meg was always humming under her breath.
She smiled softly as she sat down on the picnic bench, watching as Derek laughed and joked around with her students. She suddenly wasn't sure why she had been so infuriated by him for the past few weeks. He was obviously very good with children, and she couldn't help but feel a stronger attraction towards him at the sight of him with a guitar in his hands. Maybe going on a date with him wouldn't be as bad as she'd originally thought.
"Alright, we have a winner," Derek's laughing voice said as he turned towards Meredith. "Do we have a prize, Miss Grey?" His eyes sparkled slightly, and she nodded as she reached for the plastic bucket of candy sitting on the picnic table.
"Alright, Brittany, come on over to pick some candy from the candy jar," she said. "And everyone else, it's almost time to go home. Let's each take one thing inside so that we can all get home quickly."
There was a frenzy of activity as students ran towards parents, handing them goody bags before they ran towards the picnic tables, gathering paper plates and tablecloths as they filed back into the classroom.
"Well, that's one way to clean up the mess," Derek laughed from behind her as he snapped his guitar case closed.
"I guess," Meredith smiled. "Look, I know that you're probably taking Meg him and you've already helped so much, but if you want to stay for a couple minutes after I get everything settled inside…."
"I'd love to stay," Derek nodded. "And I actually don't have to take Meg home, she's going home with her friend Allie today."
"Oh," Meredith nodded. "Okay, well, I have to get in there to do dismissal, so if you want to come with me."
Derek nodded as he followed her into the classroom. Dismissal was quick and easy, with a majority of the parents already there to assist with the picnic and simply taking their children home. Within twenty minutes, Meredith found herself alone in the classroom with Derek, not having missed the careful way Derek had made sure that his niece was ready to go to her friend's house and had everything she needed before she left school for the weekend.
"Thanks so much for saving the day earlier," she said with a smile as she moved through the classroom, running a wet paper towel over the student desks.
"No problem," Derek said as he dumped a pile of used paper plates into the trashcan.
"Although, I have to say, I never pegged you as a guitar player," Meredith laughed as she stopped in front of him, throwing the paper towels into the trash before looking up into his eyes.
"Don't peg me," Derek shook his head, smiling softly. "I'm not peggable."
"You're totally pegable," Meredith laughed as she stepped away from him, moving towards her desk. "And you're not peggable as a guitar player."
"I've played the guitar since I was old enough to hold one," Derek said as he leaned against her desk, arms crossed over his chest. "My dad owns a music store, he loves music. He started me on every single instrument as soon as I was old enough to understand the concept of making music."
"Really?" Meredith asked. "What else do you play?"
"Nothing anymore," Derek shrugged. "The guitar was the only one I liked enough to keep playing."
"And why was that?" Meredith asked.
Derek smirked as he leaned closer to her. "It helps with the girls," he whispered. "Don't think I didn't see the look on your face when I pulled that guitar out."
Meredith rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she said.
"You know, I am available for…private concerts," Derek said with a smile as he breathed into her ear.
"Okay, seriously, why do you say things like that?" Meredith asked. "Because today you were all perfect and dreamy, and then…you go and say things like that that make me feel like you only want to be with me because I'd be a good lay. It's like there's two of you, and I really like one of you, but the other one just makes me so mad, and I don't know which is the real you…"
"Do you want to get coffee with me?" Derek interrupted, smiling softly at her ramble.
"I…what?" Meredith asked.
"Do you want to go out with me?" Derek asked softly.
"Which you is asking?" Meredith asked. "The dreamy you or the stupid you?"
Derek laughed as he leaned closer to her. "The real me, Mer," he said softly. "And I like to think that's the dreamy me."
Meredith sighed for a moment as she stared at him, wondering whether she should believe him or not. After a moment, she sighed and nodded. "Fine," she said. "I'll go out with you. But no stupid comments about sex or sleeping together or…sex."
Derek smirked. "Am I that hard to resist?" he asked. "You look at me and think about sex?"
Meredith rolled her eyes. "You know what, forget it," she sighed as she reached for her coat. "Just…go home and use your hand."
"No," Derek laughed, reaching out to grab her arm. "I'm kidding. Meredith, I'm kidding."
"Well, I hate it when you kid like that," she snapped. "So if you're going to keep making stupid comments like that, you can just forget about your little coffee date."
"I'll stop," Derek nodded. "Come on, Mer, let's go. And if I make one comment that you deem inappropriate, you can leave, without me trying to stop you."
Meredith sighed as she stared at him. "Fine," she said. "I'll have coffee with you."
"Okay," Derek nodded. "Are you ready?"
"What…now?" Meredith frowned.
"Oh, do you have plans?" Derek asked, suddenly feeling vulnerable. "I just figured you'd have time, but if you have plans we can reschedule."
"No," Meredith shook her head. "I don't have plans, I was just…I'm in my teacher clothes and I just finished work…"
"Well, I personally think that you look adorable," Derek said as he reached out to help her into her coat.
"Are people supposed to look adorable when they go on coffee dates?" Meredith asked.
"I have a hard time imagining you anything but adorable," Derek said as he placed a hand on her lower back and guided her into the empty halls of the school.
"Oh," Meredith said. Obviously he didn't find her to be sexually attractive in the same way she found him to be.
"I…" Derek started, but quickly shook his head. "Never mind."
"What?" Meredith asked.
"I was going to say something else, but I'm afraid that you would see it as inappropriate and leave," he said. "So I stopped."
Meredith smiled up at him as she stepped closer to him, so that his hand now rested on her hip, slung low around her waist. And she couldn't help but feel like she had just stepped home.