Hi everyone! I hope you all have fantastic weekend plans!

This chapter is a little shorter than usual, but my brain hurts. GOOD NEWS THOUGH, I have a real, honest-to-god outline written out (this never happens). I'm perfectly on track for phase two of this story.

Thank you all for the comments and happy reading!

"Hey man, I have beer!" Mark calls as he enters my apartment. I've given him the keypad code to my building—which is against regulation—because I'm so tired of his incessant buzzing to be let up. I've overheard some of my neighbors commenting on the nice new boy in 4B; I think they assumed I've moved, or am dead, since I don't show my face much besides going to work. Mark, on the other hand, has helped two neighbors move furniture and another with her groceries.

"I ordered pizza because it's too hot to cook."

New York City is baking under 100+ degrees. The air-conditioning in my apartment can barely keep up and if I start the stove or oven, I'm afraid the whole place will set on fire.

"Bleeker Street Pizza?" Mark asks, putting the twelve pack in the fridge.

I take the beer he offers, "Of course."

"Any news?"

"She'll be here later on today. Alex is going to drop her off and head back to his parents' house. Or, I guess his mom's house now. Meredith said the funeral is on Thursday."

"That's a lucky break, man. He runs away because his father abuses him and his dad winds up dead a few months later. He can get back to his life now. Forget it ever happened."

I take a long draw of my beer. Even if Alex's dad was the scum of the earth, I highly doubt he'll be able to forget about his abusive father. "Meredith said he'll be taking care of his mom now. I guess she's really broken up about it."

"She sits by for years and watches him abuse her son and she's broken up about his death. If I were her, I'd be throwing the best fucking party anyone's ever seen."

I understand Mark's thoughts on the matter, but I don't honestly know what I would do if I were Alex. Granted, my father is a wonderful man, but part of Alex must be broken up about the death of his father. Either way, he'll never have a father again—good or bad.

As Mark continues to spout his very one-sided opinion, I can't help but feel anxious about Meredith's arrival. She text me from her brand new phone this morning to let me know they were on their way. The bus to Port Authority is set to arrive in forty minutes and after nearly an hour of fighting about it, I won't meet her at the terminal. "I'll be living in New York a while. I need to learn my way around," she told me. It helped, some, that Alex was bringing her down to my apartment before catching a train to Connecticut.

There was still a lot to discuss—the parameters of her staying with me and of our relationship in general, but I've decided not to rush anything. Meredith will be staying until her eighteenth birthday, at least, which gives us more than enough time to sort everything out. I refuse to take on the role of her guardian or—shutter—her father, but I do expect that she'll be home by a certain hour and let me know where she's going. After all, this isn't some podunk town in the middle of Nebraska; we live in New York City for Christ's sake.

Meredith wants to start classes in the fall to finish her junior year and start her senior year in tandem, but I know we'll have to request transfer papers for her admittance. Transferring schools can be tracked and if Ellis Grey is still hell-bent on finding her daughter, she'll find her in a flash if I actually enroll Meredith. I can't think of a single way to get Meredith through school without Ellis's watchful eye, not until she's eighteen at least and her records are closed to Meredith's eyes only. But if we wait until October, Meredith will miss the first month of school on top of missing the last two and a half months from her junior year. It seems, at this point, that Meredith's education will have to be put on the backburner.

I have no idea what Meredith will be doing for the next few months. She can't work without proper paperwork and any trace of her can lead Ellis our way. Meredith's concerns from before—about harboring a runaway—are still very real and now that Ellis knows my face, it wouldn't be difficult for us to be found. We both have to be careful, but to lock a seventeen year old girl away for the next two months seems too extreme. I worry she'll grow bored and tired cooped up in my apartment, but I worry even more that she'll be noticed by the wrong person and swooped away to Massachusetts.

The biggest hurdle we have is our relationship. I still don't know what I feel for Meredith, but I do know I like kissing her. I can't like that, though. With kissing comes sex and I don't want to add statutory rape to my already delinquent rap sheet. I have to stay away from Meredith; no touching, no flirting, and definitely no kissing.

"Earth to Derek!" Mark calls, pizza in hand.

I blink a few times and wet my dry lips. How long was I out of it? "Let me take care of that," I reach for my wallet.

Mark kicks the door shut behind him. "Don't worry about it. Where were you just now?"

"Nowhere."

"Meredith moving in here is freaking you out again," Mark sets the pizza down on the coffee table.

I scrub my hand over my face. "It's just a lot to worry about."

"It's what you wanted though, right?" Mark calls from the kitchen, returning with two paper plates. No matter how many times I tell him to stop wasting paper goods, he never listens. I swear Mark is the ring leader in the destruction of at least two forests in the United States.

"Right."

I waited for Meredith until two on the second day of the medical conference. Kathy, Nancy, and Matt thought I was taking in a different talk than them, but I couldn't even think about the conference knowing Meredith was so close. But after two hours, she hadn't shown yet and I had a sinking feeling she wasn't going to. I agreed to meet up with my family at three and in less than an hour, I'd be cut off from Meredith again.

The Washington Monument was bustling with people, but much like the day before, I only keep my eyes on lookout for Meredith's familiar blond hair. I see a lot of attractive women, some who also notice me, but I can't hold their gaze for more than a second for fear that I might miss Meredith's approach. Our lunch sits next to me wasted—three turkey sandwiches, some chips, and watermelon. I bought the food at a good looking deli and when I first sat down all I could think about was eating. But now, my appetite is long gone and the knots in my stomach are growing deeper and deeper.

Another half hour passes under the oppressive sun. I'm baking; my skin is red and sweat is sliding down my neck, but I can't leave yet. I worry about what happened. My first thought is that Alex has taken her away. He's run to West Virginia by now. It'll be months until I see her again. But I know Alex wouldn't do anything against Meredith's will, and I desperately hold onto the thought that she wouldn't leave without saying goodbye to me. And then I wonder if they're in trouble. Even if the park isn't monitored at night doesn't mean it couldn't be at some point. Someone found them camping and has arrested them. Meredith is on her way back to Massachusetts; or, maybe, they've found Ellis's hotel room here and handed her off. I wonder if Ellis will start drinking again. Will Meredith run again?

"Derek."

Meredith stands before me. She's breathless and beautiful.

I stand up. "Hey. What happened?"

"I'm sorry," she pleads. "Alex's dad died and we've been trying to figure out what to do all morning."

I shake my head, "I'm sorry." I push all thoughts of my own father dying out of my mind. "But I don't understand."

"Alex's dad is the reason he ran. He's…abusive," she says as if the word sours in her mouth. "Alex wants to go back to be with his mom."

"Are you going?"

Meredith shakes her head. "I can't. You know I can't."

"Come back to New York."

"Derek, I—"

I cut her off, "I know. It's crazy. You can't. You're putting me in danger. I don't care about any of that. Its two months, Meredith. Stay with me."

"It just seems wrong."

"What's wrong is your mother being an abusive alcoholic."

"I don't want to get you in trouble."

"Meredith, I don't care about that. I just want to keep you safe."

She looks to her feet. Her skin is tanned and freckled and her hair seems lighter now. She shuffles her feet and keeps her eyes turned away from mine. I reach through her curtain of hair and turn her chin up. "Stop worrying about me. Let me worry about you."

The corner of her mouth turns up. "My dad used to say that to me."

I take that as a yes. "We can go back today if you want. I'm supposed to fly back with my sisters tomorrow, but I can get us a driver and have us back in New York by dinner."

"Alex is still trying to figure everything out. He's left some things at a friend's house in Richmond. I have to go with him."

"I'll take you."

Meredith smiles and lays her hand on my forearm. "My best friend's father just died. I have to be here for him. Go back to New York. I'll meet you there."

I nod, knowing if it were Mark, I'd want to be there for him too. "Okay. I think we should talk to Alex. Figure out what happens next."

"Come on," Meredith nods and I follow her through the blistering sun, forgetting our lunch but no longer so worried.

"So should I leave before she gets here? I'm sure you'll like time alone with her," Mark winks and throws both of our plates out. Somehow, we've eaten an entire pizza.

I check my phone, just in case she's called, and lean back into the couch. "I want you to leave, but not because we need time alone. It's not like that."

"Not like what? You like her. She likes you. Do I need to teach you about the birds and the bees?"

"This is exactly why I don't want you here. I'm not going to sleep with Meredith. She's not even legal. It's bad enough I could get sent away for a year for having her here, but to add five years because of that?" I shake my head. "Plus, I think the kiss on the roof was a momentary lapse in judgment. We're just friends."

"First of all, you're an idiot. You're not just friends," Mark applies air quotes. "Second, Meredith's seventeen. She's legal."

"She's not legal. Not until she's eighteen."

Mark pulls out his phone and begins to furiously type on the screen. "Do you know nothing?" He walks over to me and presents his phone like a prize on the Price is Right. "Statutory rape laws in New York state that no one twenty-one or older can have sex with a person younger than seventeen. Younger than seventeen," he repeats, as if I didn't hear him. "You're twenty-one, she's seventeen. Completely legal."

I stare at the screen for a good, long minute. I read, and then re-read the laws governed by New York State. Mark is right, of course. Meredith is seventeen and I'm twenty-one; it's perfectly legal. If I was forty and Meredith was still only seventeen, it would be legal. If I were twenty and Meredith fifteen, it would be legal. My stomach flips knowing that Meredith and I could… I shake my head and push Mark's hand away. Even though I can, doesn't mean I will. Meredith is vulnerable and has been through too much in the last few months. She doesn't need some oversexed college kid pawing all over her.

"Great Mark. You can go."

"So this is why you've been so PG with your runaway."

"She's not my runaway." I stand from the couch, desperately needing to space myself away from Mark.

He grins. "I'll go, but only because you look like you're going to puke. I hope you have some condoms." And with that he leaves me in the silence of my apartment.

I manage to not dwell on the legality of a possible sexual relationship with Meredith and in no time, the front door buzzer slices through the still air. I jump up and let them in. When I open the door, I notice Alex standing in front of Meredith looking surprisingly happy.

"Hey man," he sticks out his hand which I shake. "Thanks for taking her in."

"I'm right here, you know," Meredith grouses and pushes her way into the apartment.

I smile at her, "Yeah, well I wasn't going to leave her out in the cold. There's no telling what kind of trouble she might get into."

Meredith drops her backpack onto the floor and returns my smile. "Hey Derek."

"It's good to have you here."

I release Alex's hand and wrap my arm around Meredith's shoulders. She folds into me and I turn my cheek to rest against her head.

"I'm sorry about your dad, Alex."

He shakes his head with a smile. "Believe me, no one is sorry about my dad. Except maybe my mom." I reluctantly release Meredith. "Despite everything, she still loved the bastard."

"Well, then my apologies to your mother."

"Thanks man. I'm happy to head home. I only wish this one could come with me," he nods towards Meredith. They share a look. It's insignificant, really, to an outsider, but I can see the meaning behind it; they'll miss one another. Seemingly, Alex has been her lifeline in all of this and vice versa; with Alex's departure, Meredith has no ties to her previous life here in New York.

"Maybe you'll see her in a few months."

Alex turns his gaze to me and I understand how much faith he is putting in me; after all, this is only the third time we met, and both other times were short in the grand scheme of it all.

"Can you two stop talking like I'm not here?" she scolds.

For a long moment, Meredith and Alex just smirk at each other, but I see something changing. I reach for Meredith's bag, "I'll put your stuff in your room," I say and give them a moment alone.

I spend way too long in the guest bedroom. I reconsider the overall design of the room first. My mom and Nancy decorated my entire apartment, but standing in the guest room seems depressing now. It's stark white with green and blue accents in the bedding and curtains. The desk is bare besides a lamp and the side table only has an alarm clock and another lamp. There are no pictures on the wall and no real indicator that anyone's ever lived in this room.

And then I consider Alex and Meredith's friendship. She told me there was once more to their relationship. Did they date? How long were they sleeping together? (I'm not an idiot. I know, beyond reasonable doubt that they have slept together.) And then I wonder if they decided to rekindle aspects of their relationship; maybe they're still sleeping together. Maybe that's why this is so hard. It wouldn't be absurd to consider Meredith and Alex having sex again. I pace the length of the room wondering.

"Your neighbors probably hate you with all that pacing."

Meredith is crouched over her backpack, pulling the contents out and tossing them onto the bed.

"Where's Alex?"

"He left."

"Oh." I kind of wanted to say goodbye.

Meredith rests back on her heels and looks up at me. "He wanted me to thank you again for agreeing to this. I promise I'll be the perfect roommate. I'll even get a job and buy groceries."

"First off, I've been asking you to stay since I first met you. And second, you don't need to get a job or buy groceries. I'm happy to do all that for you."

"I'd like to though. I know I can't work in an official capacity—you know, signing papers and offering up my social security number—but I can work under the table. Make some cash as a waitress at a pizza place or something like that. I'd help me." Meredith turns her backpack upside down onto the bed. "I'm afraid I'm going to be bored. I can't go to school and you'll be busy during the day. I feel like I need something to do or I'll go crazy."

Meredith still has the clothes I bought her before she left. I smile and pick up a particularly battered teddy bear. "I'll ask around and see if there are any openings."

She snatches the bear back. "Thanks. And keep your paws off Snuggles."

"Snuggles? Like the teddy bear from the commercials?"

Meredith buries the bear beneath her pillow. "I'm a 90s kid. Snuggles was big back then."

"Snuggles is a stuffed, animatronic teddy bear. Snuggles was never big."

"Don't you have stem cells to research or something?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. Do you need anything before I go?"

Meredith starts to fold her clothes and place them nicely on the desk. I really should invest in a dresser. "No, I think I'm set."

"Help yourself to any food. And," I reach into my pocket and hold out a house key to her, "so you can come and go as you please." I shrug. Meredith takes the key. "The front door code is 3176."

Her hand curls around the key. "Thanks."

It's weird to have Meredith in my apartment again, but it feels completely and utterly correct. It feels like she never should have left in the first place. The time away almost seems like it never happened and Meredith's been here since the beginning. She seems comfortable and confident within the four walls of my place, so giving her a key only feels natural.

"Yeah, okay. I should go."

Meredith offers me a soft smile and returns to her things. I notice she slides the key into her pocket. "Oh, and Meredith?"

She looks up.

"It's good to have to back."

Her smile grows into something real and genuine and her entire face glows with the bright possibilities of tomorrow.