Chapter Fourteen: Day Two, Morning Part One

Rosie made it through the night, and Addison was pleased when she spoke to an exhausted looking Meredith.

"Well done Grey," She said with a smile, "you did good."

Meredith exhaled in relief.

Addison looked at her for a few more seconds before a thought occurred to her.

Her intern looked absolutely on the point of collapse, so she knew that she should cut her some slack.

But not just yet.

"Thankyou Dr Shepherd," Meredith said gratefully. "Is there anything you need me to do before I go?"

Addison looked thoughtful for a few seconds before looking back at Meredith.

"Yes Grey there is, but it will be something that you won't be doing during the day. From now on until you leave, every night you will be observing Rosie Craft. You will still need to monitor and record her vitals because she is still at high risk of infection and still too weak to breathe by herself. But you will need to spend the rest of the day with me because we have a case transferring from Mercy West. And I will need all of the help I can get, so no rest today sorry Grey."

Meredith blinked a few times at Addison as shock and anger suddenly ran right through her.

Addison was sentencing her to a worse fate than Bailey sending her to the Pit or doing rectal examinations for the whole day.

Hell, at this very second Meredith would have gladly accepted a day of awkwardness with Derek for the full day as his intern.

Just being able to crawl home to bed with a bottle of tequila would be heaven…or just sleep in general.

"Do you hate me or something?" Meredith suddenly blurted out, unable to suppress her anger.

Addison blinked in surprise at the intern's outburst but she smiled back in slight amusement, "No, but I don't really like you but my job is to make your life as hard as possible till you leave."

Her tone didn't sound serious but there was an undertone to it that made unease spread through Meredith.

Addison was not someone to mess with...

Very consciously, Meredith made her face melt into a blank one and withdrew her anger into a little ball that was bound to eventually give her an ulcer in her stomach.

Her anger still showed in green eyes as she looked Addison squarely in the eye and spoke, "Well it's my job to not like you either, but I don't go out of my way to make your day harder when I could."

Immediately Addison looked at Meredith with unsure suspicion, "What could you do Grey when I am the one who is in charge of you and gets to decide what you do till you leave?"

Meredith blinked and suddenly it occurred to her.

Derek.

Addison's gaze was boring in her and Meredith had to look completely dumb for she knew that if she thought of him then Addison would be able to see him in her eyes.

"Nothing, Dr Shepherd." Meredith finally replied her voice quite but hard at the same time. "I'm going to leave now."

Addison nodded, her expression not at all friendly, and she turned around and began walking away. She called out, "Go and quickly clean yourself up Grey before I show you our special case. See you in ten minutes Grey. Don't be late or else."

Meredith sighed as she watched Satan walk down the corridor in her designer heels, red hair perfectly styled and not a single hair moving out of place, perfect figure and face finally disappear out of sight.

When she did, Meredith suddenly felt the strong urge to cry.

She didn't know whether it was the overwhelming tiredness or the sudden realisation that she realised that Addison had...won.

Despite her wanting to go and disappear forever from Seattle Grace and leave Derek behind and out of her life, Addison had completely tied her off from seeing him at all before her leaving date.

Meredith could not believe it. She was in such a state of shock that she could not take another step in the corridor.

She was never going to have a last encounter with him, no final talk, no more quick glances at him whenever he walked past her in the corridor, no more being able to look at him with good reason whenever he asked her questions about a case she was on.

No more elevator rides with him.

No more Derek.

Full stop.

Gone.

Clutching her hands to her chest as if to protect her heart, Meredith had to accept that even though she had wanted him to avoid her, she had also wanted him to see her. She had actually craved those few seconds that she got every time he looked at her because it meant he was acknowledging her and her existence.

She loved it how his eyes crinkled with happiness and warmth whenever he did look at her for those rare, few seconds.

And in those few seconds she allowed her love for him to shine in her eyes.

But no more McDreamy moments ever again for dark and twisted Meredith Grey...

Tears began to rise in her eyes but she quickly blinked a few times and gave a small sniff to get rid of them.

Now was not the time to break down and cry in the corridor, there was never going to be a time to cry because she had to fully accept the consequences of her actions for transferring.

Having Satan become your boss and successfully bar you from ever seeing the man you love, who just also happens to be her husband, was all a part of the package.

"Crappy package if you ask me..." she mumbled to herself as she trudged off to the locker room to get cleaned up.

When she entered the familiar room she nearly ran into Bailey who was just about to walk out of the door, followed very closely by the other interns, her friends.

Meredith quickly stepped out of the way but she found she was greeted by a bored, nearly shocked look on Bailey's face as she looked at her.

"Why are you still here?"

Meredith looked down at the Nazi and still felt only a centimetre tall.

"Dr. Montgomery-Shepherd made me be on-call last night to observe and keep an hourly record of vitals on one of her patients and now I have to clean myself up before today's shift and..." Meredith explained quietly, but she suddenly stopped mid-sentence as she yawned quietly.

Quickly she covered her mouth with her hand, but Bailey just observed her with an angry shocked expression.

"Dr Montgomery-Shepherd made you stay on-call for all of last night and now is making you work another twenty-four hour shift?!"

Bailey's voice rumbled with anger and disappointment and Meredith felt herself shrink a little bit more.

"Ummmm..." Meredith mumbled, fiddling with her hands and the bottom of her scrub top. "Yeah."

Bailey looked at her in shock and then anger clouded her features.

"Did you ask Dr Montgomery-Shepherd why she is making you work another shift?"

Again Meredith mumbled something incoherently and fiddled even more with her hands and couldn't keep eye contact with Bailey.

"I can't hear you Grey." Bailey said in a hard voice.

"No." Meredith replied quietly. "No I didn't."

"And why not?"

Meredith finally looked at Miranda and looked her straight in the eye.

"Because I am a surgical intern, a nobody, bottom of the surgical food chain."

Her voice was steady and her face was blank, but exhaustion was clear in her eyes as Miranda Bailey found herself unable to reply.

Her words rung clearly in her ears and the Cristina, Izzie, George and Alex looked on in shocked silence and interest as Bailey looked at Meredith for a few seconds in silence.

It only took another second for Miranda Bailey's shock to disappear and to be replaced by an unimpressed look.

"I know that already Grey, but even if you are an intern it doesn't mean we try to kill you with overtime. Fatigue in interns leads to higher percentages of mistakes and here nobody can afford to make a mistake!"

Meredith nearly opened her mouth to contradict her about trying to be killed but Bailey just looked at her with a stern look.

"I know what you're thinking Grey and don't even think about saying it! Go and get yourself cleaned up and go back to Dr Montgomery-Shepherd, then come and see me."

Meredith suddenly looked at her in confusion and surprise.

"You Dr Bailey?"

Bailey looked at her as if Meredith was the stupidest person in the world, "Are you suddenly deaf Grey?"

Meredith quickly shook her head in silence, "No ma'am."

Bailey placed a hand on her hip and looked at Meredith with a very sure expression, "Then I will see you later once I have had a word with Dr Montgomery-Shepherd after she has given you today's case."

Without another word Bailey walked out of the door, leaving an extremely confused Meredith and glancing at her friends as they shared her confusion before quickly walking out the door behind the Nazi.

Meredith quickly washed her face with cold water and dried it off. She felt a little bit better and more awake, but she knew it was only temporary.

She needed some coffee.

Glancing at her watch, Meredith knew it would take her less than ten minutes to grab a coffee from the hospital cafeteria, drain it and run back to where she had to meet Addison.

What on earth did Bailey mean when she had said she was going to see her later?

Surely Bailey had not been serious when she had said she would go talk to Addison…

Oh crap…what is she going to say to her?!

Meredith suddenly felt sick with nerves as she raced through the corridors to the cafeteria and the cappuccino machine.

Will Bailey give the impression to Addison that she had complained about how unfair Addison had been treating her?

"But I haven't even complained…" she said quietly to herself as she continued walking but she suddenly came to a stop as a voice suddenly spoke close to her ear.

"Complained about what?"

Meredith shut her eyes and smiled as she stopped walking and turned slightly to the side, opening her eyes to find herself looking at Derek.

"Good morning Dr Shepherd." She said smiling, unable to keep the warmth and happiness out of her voice at seeing him. Overjoyed at just seeing him even though she had been convinced that Addison had barred her from that.

Maybe, Addison wasn't going to be able to keep her from running into him at all.

"Back to Dr Shepherd again are we?" he asked, immediately smiling back at her, his blue eyes sparkling with warmth, charm and humour that she hadn't seen for a little while.

Meredith's grin widened, "Yes we are."

Derek looked thoughtfully at her, still smiling, his eyes dancing on her face, "Hmmm…does this rule have to apply to me too?"

Meredith shook her head and laughed slightly, just starting to walking away without even replying.

Derek, despite the fact he had an important meeting with the chief in five minutes immediately followed after Meredith, easily keeping up with her with his long strides.

Meredith glanced back at him as he followed her, "You are definitely stalking me."

Derek looked at her with feigned hurt, "Now you are just being mean to me."

Raising an eyebrow at him she looked at him with a coy smile, "Oh really?"

Derek felt the sudden urge to grab her and push her against the hospital wall and to kiss that smug, adorable look of her face.

Instead, he nodded and tried to look very innocent at her, "Oh really. In fact my feelings are very hurt that you think I am stalking you."

Meredith half bit her lip as a very naughty thought passed through her head and before she could stop herself, she looked at him very thoughtfully with a cheeky smile.

"And is there a reason as to why you are still stalking me?"

Derek stopped walking as she did too.

His expression of amusement slowly turned into one of emotion as he gazed at her.

Meredith felt her heart speed up as he looked at her like that.

She had the distinct feeling that if they weren't in the hospital corridor, surrounded by people and work colleagues, and then Derek would lean forward and have his delicious way with her.

But she knew with deep regret that this was never going to happen again.

"Why are you still here?" he asked, looking at her in sudden confusion.

Meredith blinked at him, taken back by his sudden change in question and not answering her own, "I just am." She replied simply.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

Immediately she replied, "I'm fine."

Derek watched her for a few seconds, his expression very mixed. When he still hadn't replied and Meredith suddenly turned and began walking away without looking back.

"I have a feeling." He suddenly blurted and Meredith quickly stopped and turned around to look at him.

Derek was staring at her with such a torn expression and sadness, that Meredith couldn't help but smile sadly back at him.

"I get those."

"Yeah?" he asked sadly.

"Yeah." She replied.

"And?" he asked, looking slightly helplessly at her.

"If you wait long enough, it passes." She replied quietly, before turning away and walking away again except this time she did look back.

Derek watched her go with great sadness and he felt his happiness walk away once again.

With a heavy sigh he glanced down at his watch and when he saw the time he swore under his breath and quickly raced off in the direction in the Chief's office.

Meredith safely made it back to Addison before her time limit expired and the special case was a lady twenty weeks pregnant with twins, but she had to have heart surgery. Her heart was extremely weak and it needed to be fitted with a pace maker to help protect her heart from going into cardiac arrest from the stress of the pregnancy.

The patient's was Gloria Reina and she was extremely nervous about the prospect of having surgery.

But with Addison's assurance that the sooner they treat her, the smaller the chance of causing stress to the developing babies and the better for her heart.

Gloria had immediately taken to Meredith and had preferred her to Addison instantly.

Addison had noticed, but Meredith refused to make a thing of it.

Showing with a class that Addison did not possess, Meredith did not allow it to affect how she always referred Gloria's many questions to Addison, stating more than several times that it was Addison who was her doctor and a brilliant surgeon, while she was only an intern.

But Gloria was not deterred, as she kept clung to Meredith's every word with assurance and her utmost attention.

Eventually Addison finished talking but her pager suddenly went off. Looking at it her eyebrows furrowed in confusion before glancing at Meredith for a fraction of a second with suspicion.

Within seconds she said she had to go and left, allowing Gloria time to consider her options, but Addison asked Meredith to stay with Gloria to talk with her because 'she seems to like you better than I do'.

Meredith had smiled awkwardly, very embarrassed, at Gloria when an angry looking Addison walked out of the room, leaving them alone.

"Sorry you had to hear that." Meredith apologised but Gloria just grinned at her.

"She's a piece of work isn't she?" Gloria asked, humour sparkling in her voice.

Meredith smiled gratefully at her patient, "You don't know the half of it."

Gloria just smiled warmly at her, "I don't need to."

Meredith just grinned and began explaining the operation and the complications but Gloria just absorbed it all with a smile on her face.

When Meredith finished the long explanation, Gloria just nodded and simply said, "I'll have the operation."

Meredith smiled happily, "Ok, I'll go and tell Dr Montgomery-Shepherd. But you will also have to talk our cardiothoracic surgeon who will be able to discuss what he will be doing."

Gloria nodded, still smiling, "Ok."

Meredith looked at her slightly confused, "Aren't you worried at all about this?"

Gloria shook her head, "No I'm not. It takes a lot but I believe the love for my unborn children will pull me through this. But if something does go wrong, it was just simply meant to be."

Meredith nodded with a slightly understanding smile, "Ok Gloria, I will see you later."

Gloria nodded and rubbed her swollen stomach, "Ok Dr Grey."

Meredith turned away but Gloria quickly asked her, "Excuse me Dr Grey?"

Turning around, Meredith looked at Gloria with her eyebrows raised, "Yes Gloria?"

"What's your first name?"

Meredith smiled warmly, "Meredith."

Gloria smiled back, "Thank you Meredith."

Meredith nodded and walked out of the room, at the same time her pager went off and she quickly glanced at it.

Bailey's number appeared and Meredith's stomach turned over.

The message on her pager said she had to go the Chief's office.

A/N: Hello again readers. :) Thank you so much for the great reviews and all of the helpful and insightful comments that I got. I always love reading those because it helps me plan an even better plot. Now I suspect you have noticed is that this chapter has 'part one' written at the top. Well the simple reason for that is that when I originally wrote this chapter it was just too long to have as one consecutive chapter.

So I have split it up into two parts.

I will update the second half ASAP but you lovely readers will just have to be satisfied for the moment with this mega long chapter. It is nearly 3000 words!!!!

But things are already slowly starting to change at the hospital and I want to see if you can pick what is going to happen in the next chapter. :D

Lol, you don't have to if you don't want. :)

Anyway, sorry for not updating sooner and I hope this chapter makes up for it, but if anyone is like my sisters who have been my preview audience at home before I post it…

You might be wanting more.

I hope so. :) And if not that's ok too. :D I always post regardless if no one reads it and if I don't get a single review. :)

I have skipped a lot of chapters and I just finished typing the final confrontation chapter between Meredith and Derek because I had an inspiration hit so now I have a lead up point to write towards. YAY! And what a chapter it is too:D

And as always I answered all of the reviews I received. Good grief!!!! Over 70 reviews!!!! This now makes it my most reviewed story! Woot:D

Thanks again to everyone who reads this and enjoys reading it. :)

DeniseSB: I honestly did not think about Addison setting Meredith up like she did with Izzie, but did this more for the fact that she made her be on-call after working a full day. I was just making Addison being extra mean to Meredith because I could. He he he. But I loved the idea of Meredith just talking to a baby patient and so I ran with it. :D Glad you liked it though. :D I'm interested as to what of what is going to happen next. I am enjoying myself very much with writing this story.

LittleMissKnowItAllTalksToMuch: Hey. :) Glad you liked the moment between them. They are so addictive to write for… Thanks for the great review and I'm glad you think I'm doing ok. :D

InGreyEyes: I love Dreamy Derek too but he does annoy me a lot from time to time. Lol. I hope you will stay turned to see what will happen. :D

MissRe: Hello again. :D Evil Addison is fun to write too but I think I am going to have to pull a back with her evilness because now she is just becoming too mean. Lol. And I can't have that happen. But I'm glad you liked the baby bit and another McDreamy moment. I just can't help but add him into my chapters. Lol. It just makes things so much more interesting. greysanatomy l0ver: Hello. :D Glad you liked the update and that you agree that Meredith should leave…and yeah there will be a lot of missing going on. :) I hope you like the update. :D

TVHollywoodDiva: I know…I'm going to give her a break soon. :)

sweetgreuy: My mum gave me that advice as a kid not to date till I was in my thirties and I just could not resist putting it in. :D You are very introspective. :D It's great! It shoes you truly see what the character thinks and feels and why they act. :D But yes poor Derek definitely got himself in a rut to be blunt.

I wish fic reading was my major, but I just try to write good fanfiction lol. Thanks for another great review. :D

McKenzieMac: LOL! Yeah I guess she should have, but then she would have gotten into a lot of trouble for it. Lol. :) But it would have been funny. :D Thanks for the review.

snv3: Yeah I've read lots of fics with Meredith against having children and not being a good mum. But she has a soft spot for children (it's obvious by her addiction to go and look at the nursery) but I agree with you. I think she could be a great mum if given the right chance. Glad you liked another moment between the intrepid pair and I hope you will like what I have got to dish up in my next chapter. Thanks for the review. :D

malfoyie456: lol, yeah she is a bit. :) Meredith is tough and I don't want Addison to break her down. :D Thanks for the review and I hope you will continue reading. :)