A.N. Hello! Big thanks to everyone who R&R so far! I finally typed the chapter 6, which is almost entirely MerDer-centred. Hope I didn't go over the top! As usual, tell me what you think.

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Fowler frowned with concern.

"Dr. Grey, should it… Should it look like that?"

"No, it shouldn't," sighed Meredith but continued to work with unwavering focus. "It's the hydrocephalus syndrome, the excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid. How do we proceed with the treatment, Dr. Fowler?"

"The treatment involves placing a tube into cerebral ventricles to drain the excess fluid into other body cavities."

"Like?"

"Er, I think peritoneal cavity, the right atrium and pleural cavity."

"And?" demanded Meredith.

"And… " Fowler raked his memory in vain.

"The gallbladder, Fowler," Meredith's tone was sharp now. "You're specializing in neuro, are you not? The next time I ask you a question, you'd better know the answer. Now, watch carefully, we're going to apply a ventriculo-paritoneal shunt directing the fluid into the peritoneal cavity, where it can be reabsorbed."

Meredith carried on with the procedure. It was essential not to exert any more pressure on the brain tissue than the excess of fluid already did. Further compression would result in irreversible brain damage.

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For Derek Shepherd, the last two hours were more exciting than a rollercoaster ride. Adrenaline was rushing through his veins as he scrutinized her body inch after inch. At one point, she scolded her intern. Bossy, chuckled Derek. It always turned him on…

In his opinion, the operation finished too soon. She was too damn good. Although, she came across a problem she hadn't expected, nothing could throw her off her balance. He was crestfallen when Meredith inspected her sutures for the last time, thanked everyone for their work and hastily leaved the OR. Derek was driven by a sole objective – to catch up with Meredith immediately. He leapt to his feet; apparently, so as everybody else in the gallery.

Behind his back, the Chief Webber was congratulating Dr. Warren.

"Oh, I think congratulations should go to both of us. Meredith spent here almost three years of her internship," answered James.

Richard sighed, "I've often asked myself where she had gone. I've been worried; she just took her papers and hasn't given a sign of life ever since. I'm relieved after what I saw today; and proud she's accomplished so much."

"You'd be glad for her to stay longer at Grace, wouldn't you?" Seeing Webber's concern for Meredith, James started to spin an intricate plan.

"You mean hiring her?" Richard stated the obvious. "I'd be happy to have her; she'd constitute a wonderful addition to my staff. Neuro is one of the fastest developing branches, and with the current shortage of neurosurgeons in the country… She's a competent surgeon, a competent teacher. But let's face it; others have more to offer her than Seattle Grace. A little bird told me she'd be Boston's head of neuro before long."

"I wouldn't be so sure," James dropped his voice a little so that only Richard could hear him. "She doesn't have such ambitions. She's more into research. I know she's got a clinical trial planned out."

Richard regarded him with interest.

Meanwhile, Derek finally managed to get outside through the gridlocked exit but Meredith was nowhere in sight. Where could she be? Where d'you think a doctor could go after an operation? To talk with the patient's family, dumbass!

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Indeed, after leaving the OR, Meredith washed her hands and searched for Dora's parents to inform them about the course of the procedure.

"I think we can call it successful; the prognosis certainly seems promising. We just have to wait for Dora to wake up to see if there's any undesirable consequences." She'd just finished talking when she noticed that Derek was moving into her direction, the corners of his lips raised in a subtle smile.

In the plane to Seattle, she played in her mind the possible courses of action towards Derek. She could be a frigid ice queen, cold-shouldering him on every occasion; or she could show him contempt and animosity he had deserved. No, it's childish! Pretending to have forgotten he existed? Very implausible; stuck my tongue in his mouth too many times… She finally decided on being friendly and detached.Hypothetically, it seemed to be the best solution. However, the practical application was going to prove harder… No, did I just think "harder"? What is wrong with me today, why does everything have to have an innuendo?

Keep breathing, stay calm! God, I forgot how… dreamy he is… No, no, no! Just remember – poise, composure. Her heart was beating faster and faster with his every step.

"Dr. Grey!" she was saved by Ana's intern. "Dr. Grey, Dr. Patterson needs your consult!" Meredith cast the last fleeting glance at Derek and hurried after the intern.

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"We need to be very careful with that broken bone; according to the scans it's already damaged the femoral nerve. He's certainly in for rehabilitation. One wrong move may cost his leg altogether," Meredith and Ana discussed the patient's condition outside his room.

"I'll keep you posted when we can scrub in. I can't get to the bone before the swelling's gone, at least partially" said Ana.

"Well, well, well, look who honoured our modest surgical floor with her presence!" Dr. Bailey's unmistakable voice filled the corridor.

"I smell traitor," added Izzie.

Meredith had anticipated a somewhat cold welcome from that direction but it stung her all the same.

"Old enemies?" whispered Ana.

"Old friends," she answered with a small smile. "I'll see you around."

Ana was all bewilderment, "See you."

Meredith turned around and saw three persons from her past, walking out of the patient's room next door.

"Dr. Bailey, Izzie, George, long time no see," she started affably.

"It's Dr. Stevens," Izzie shot back coldly. "And don't let us keep you. I'm sure you're on your way to the OR to have some kick-ass surgery to impress us - a bunch of lowly residents!"

"Izzie, please, don't take it personally," pleaded Meredith. "I'm really happy to see you; I've missed you guys a lot."

Izzie just snorted disbelievingly. George, on the other hand, was torn between siding with Izzie and giving Meredith a warm welcome. He offered, "Have a lunch with us? Like we used to?"

"I- I can't," Meredith heart clenched. She couldn't give a different answer, her daughter needed her.

"Didn't I tell you? She can't sit at one table with us, losers. She's gotta hang out with her super cool friends!"

"No! It's not that- I- I'd really like to, but I just- I have to go" she stammered out. Telling them anything more dangerous; Bailey was already eyeing her suspiciously over her chart.

Meredith made her way back to the pit by taking a little detour so as not to meet any more people she knew. What she told Izzie was the complete truth – she was happy to see them and she had really missed them; but she couldn't let others grill her and demand explanations. She might slip about Bessie, and it was her absolute priority to protect her. Instead, for the rest of the day, Meredith concentrated on doing what she was best at when it came to relationships – avoiding and escaping.

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Derek Shepherd was woken up from the uneasy slumber by a screech of the door handle. He groaned; the last day spent on tenterhooks and the virtually restless night on the couch in his office left him physically and mentally exhausted.

"You look like crap," he heard Mark's comment.

"Thanks," was his sarcastic response.

"I've been worrying about you; what's wrong?"

Derek stared fixedly at the floor. He was being pathetic, pining for his ex-girlfriend.

"Ok, let's cut short the confession part. I know you're so hot and bothered because she's at Seattle Grace; I have a pair of eyes, and I know you. Now, tell Dr. Sloan what's wrong. Your charm doesn't work on her anymore?"

Derek sighed heavily, "I just want to talk to her; I haven't seen her for almost three years. And now she's here, but she's as unreachable as ever. I've seen her several times but couldn't get close to her even for a second. I feel like a stalker."

Mark roared with laughter, "Yeah, I guess if you're going keep on hovering around hospital like that, they're gonna dispatch you to psycho. Get a grip, what you need is a decent dose of caffeine."

However, they never made it to the cafeteria. Derek stopped dead in his tracks as he caught sight of the OR board. He read "Grey, Patterson: compound femur fracture, OR 3". In half an hour…

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The workload of the last day was slowly getting to Meredith. Working long shifts was nothing new to her, of course, but she always had had Bessie near her. She either left her sunshine in hospital daycare or with Stacy. That allowed her to stop for a visit several times a day to give her a hug or read a story. It was something both of them needed.

Taking Bessie to Seattle Grace was out of the question and as a result, she hadn't seen her daughter since the lunchtime the day before. She called last night after getting out of another surgery but Bessie was already asleep.

Meredith glanced at her watch absentmindedly as she rose from the gurney in the basement she had occupied for the last three hours of an attempted rest. Damn it! She had a surgery in fifteen minutes.

She ran to splash some cold water onto her face, grabbed a strong coffee and dashed to the OR.

She was relieved not to meet Derek along the way. Honestly, he's been everywhere. She saw him so many times yesterday, but, luckily, the day was hectic and she really didn't have time to stop by and greet him.

The briefest of encounters brought about a pang in her heart, but it also made a wave of heat washing over her. It was a sweet torture.

Five minutes left, just in time! Meredith threw the empty cup to the bin and entered the scrub room at full speed only to freeze instantly just behind the door.

"Dr. Shepherd!" she spluttered. Derek was standing beside Ana, both washing their hands.

"Dr. Grey," he nodded and despite the mask, she could tell he was smiling. Apparently, it was a freaking Clark-Kent-like superpower of his. Superman could see through solid objects, McDreamy could make her weak at her knees, just by flashing a smile through his surgical mask.

"What are you doing here?"

"The procedure's about to start and you weren't coming. Thought we would have to start without you, Dr. Grey."

"Yeah, right; were you trying to steal my surgery, Dr. Shepherd?" Meredith asked playfully before she could stop herself. No!!! How wrong! Have I just flirted with him???

Ana was looking at her behind Derek's back, clearly intrigued with their verbal exchange.

"My evil plot has been thwarted, I guess," Derek played along.

"It has, now get out of my scrub room." Get out before I start to drool!

"Ouch, bossy," McDreamy feigned a hurt tone, took off the mask from his grinning face, gave her the look and went out. The ass, he was enjoying himself! Hell, she was too…

"Old… friend?" asked Ana innocently, her lips curved in a smile.

"Shut up," huffed Meredith.

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Several hours earlier Meredith was pacing up and down, in front of the OR board. The procedure she carried on with Ana went without complications, for the patient at least. Derek had left the scrub room but watched her again from the gallery. His presence was more and more unnerving. After she did her job, she hastily left not to give him a chance to catch up with her.

She was back to Seattle for a few days only. After this shift, she was going to leave and lay fundaments for her life somewhere else, probably on the eastern coast. It would feel wrong, however, to leave without telling Derek anything… Nor could she imagine leaving Seattle after telling Derek something… Damn James, it was all his fault that her life got messy yet again!

The possibility of revealing what she had been hiding for so long seemed surreal. She hadn't planned it. No one was ready for it. But that reasoning didn't block the remorse that began to trouble her. She always pushed aside feeling particularly guilty about keeping her secret from Derek. After all, he was the one who had dumped her, the insensitive jackass that had got tired of waiting for her and chose that stupid nurse.

However, she felt bad for Bessie. Unwillingly but most consciously, she was condemning her for a childhood without her father. Several weeks ago, Meredith experienced the most trying moment of her motherhood, and it was more painful that the twelve-hour labour she went through. Bessie was almost two-years old, but she was a bright kid. One evening, she asked Meredith where was her daddy and when he was going to come to her. Meredith explained patiently that he was a great doctor, saving people far, far away. She put her daughter to bed with a warm smile on her face and went to the living room where she sat all night crying careful not to make any noise.

Right now, Meredith was walking up and down the corridor, nervously twirling her fingers. According to the board, Derek was performing an operation at that very moment.

Don't you dare going near that OR! Nothing good will come out of this.

I'll just have a glance, just a glance. I'm leaving; I have right for a quickie- NO! I mean a quick look!

Oh, sod it! She turned to go towards the ORs. She couldn't resist the temptation.

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A.N.2 I decided to change the story rating due to the more mature language and more steamy content that is going to appear in foreseeable future. I hope you're Ok with that. Again, let me know! Cheers!