Meredith slipped stealthily into the deserted gallery. In the last hours of the IEPS shift, all eyes were on Ned operating on the open heart. Whereas, Derek was performing a plain textbook procedure – the removal of a tumor from the parietal lobe.

During her training in the program, she witnessed countless neurosurgical procedures, observed many pairs of hands holding a scalpel. She had gained a perspective from which she could now fully appreciate Derek's mastery. It wasn't just about the skillful hands; that was a necessary condition for a surgeon. Being the best meant something more. The best not only knew what they were doing, they felt. The best surgeons anticipated events milliseconds before they happened. Derek possessed this kind of intuition, born out of a bit of talent and thousands of hours spent in the OR. His every move gave out the experience that one day Meredith hoped to acquire.

Derek reached his hand for a scalpel. He grabbed the handle with delicacy but at the same time, decision. Just the way he used to touch her. Meredith's eyes roamed over his muscled arms to his broad shoulders. Time couldn't obliterate the attraction she held for this man. It was like an addiction. You could avoid it, persuade yourself it was bad for you, lock it in the back of your mind and attempt to live without it, but it always raged out to the surface at some point.

"Close up for me," said Derek stepping back from the table. "Nice work everyone."

Meredith was brought back to reality from her Derek-trance by Dr. Bailey's voice.

"Glad to learn that something hasn't changed," said Bailey with satisfaction sticking her head through the door. Her eyes travelled to Derek and back to Meredith who blushed against herself at having been caught red-handed.

"The Chief wants to see you, or, specifically, an army of chiefs."

Intrigued, Meredith followed Bailey out of the gallery to meet the Chief Webber, Dr. Warren and a tall lanky man she hadn't yet met personally. Of course, she knew perfectly well who he was – Dr. Jerry Hoffman, the chief of surgery at Boston Providence.

"It's a real pleasure to finally meet you, Dr. Grey," he reached out a hand, thin smile on his lips.

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Derek stepped back from the operating table and started to take off his gloves and mask. A sudden motion in the gallery caught his attention. He saw its sole occupant leaving her seat and walking out and felt a rush of excitement. She came to see him! He hastened to the door, leaving behind him the knowing looks of the nurses.

However, what he saw behind the door almost brought his blood circulation to a halt. A few yards away, Meredith, surrounded by Webber, Warren and Bailey, was shaking hands with Dr. Jerry Hoffman from Boston Providence. Her facial features expressed pure elation. Unnoticed by anyone, Derek retreated to his office, crestfallen.

He should be happy for her; the doors to her career were now wide open. She was going to be the chief of neurosurgery at one of the best hospitals in the country, before reaching thirty, straight out of the shortened residency. He was proud, of course; he always knew she had it in her. Only, he'd prefer not to be separated from her by the whole country. At least, now, I'll know where she is. He fell heavily on the coach. He didn't know how long he sat there, just staring into space, before he finally decided he could mope more comfortably in his trailer, changed into the casual clothes and trudged to the elevator.

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The break shift had now officially ended. The 8 of them looked proudly at each other as Dr. Warren announced they all made it.

"Tomorrow evening, 6 o'clock, presence obligatory," reminded James about their farewell party.

After saying a few quick goodbyes, Meredith discreetly withdrew.

"Say hello to Bess," asked Ned. He knew she dreamed of nothing else than taking Bessie into her arms.

She stepped into the empty elevator; the door started to close.

"Hold the door!" she saw a hand pushing it back. Seconds later she was staring into Derek's bright blue eyes.

Fate…

He stepped in letting the door close at last; the lift started to move down.

"Hey," said Derek, slightly out of breath.

"Hey," she said quietly.

Their eyes locked in silent conversation that their lips were afraid to initiate. Derek smiled and shook his head, as though not entirely believing himself he was seeing her.

"Meredith," he whispered, and it was like a tender caress.

"I- " he opened his mouth but apparently speech failed him. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, leaving his perfect hair in a mess.

"I still can't believe you're here," he said.

"I don't… believe either," she murmured.

"The moment I saw you in the OR yesterday was the most shocking in my life," said Derek.

"Oh, I had some surprises, too," she bit back with hostility. Derek's comment made her blood boil. "I thought you'd be married with children. What was her name? Rose? I remember she was more than ready to tie the knot!"

"You need more than good intentions to get married," Derek enthusiasm got somehow deflated by Meredith harshness.

"Interesting," she was inadvertently taking on the role of a hurt and abandoned ex-girlfriend and that didn't suit her. But she didn't like feeling vulnerable either; and he was making her feel like that all over again, feel like a deer hunted down by dogs. She knew that state of mind even to well, she experienced it every time their relationship got more serious or when Derek wanted to talk about their future back when they were still together.

"Meredith," he sighed pleadingly. "I'm not saying I'm surprised with you being a good surgeon. It's just… You left, just like that; you didn't even say goodbye. Why?"

All Meredith could do was staring at him. She wouldn't tell him anything.

The elevator was reaching the ground floor. That's it. They were going to part like that; better to leave some things unsaid, thought Meredith, half-relieved, half-tortured.

However, before the lift reached its destination, Derek seemed they didn't have much time and it was now or never. He pushed the hold button without hesitation.

"Derek, what are you doing?" asked Meredith with panic in her voice. "I'm- I'm kinda- I'm in a hurry-"

"Please, Mer, hear me out," his voice was barely audible. "I haven't seen you for years. You're going to leave soon, forever. I just… want you to know…" he paused but forced himself to continue. "I want you to know I've always regretted letting you walk out of my life. I screwed up everything back then. I know I screwed up everything."

His eyes were glistening slightly as he said, "I gave up on you. You told me not to give up on you, and I did. I was too foolish to realize that you were scared but you were trying to open up to me. I want you to know that I've regretted my mistake ever since. If it hadn't been for me, we could've been together and happy. We could be…" he stopped, his tired eyes boring into hers.

Meredith was lost for words. She had wanted to hear all this so much. Only, two and a half years ago, when she discovered she was pregnant. Instead, she saw Derek and Rose walking hand in hand to the hospital elevator, this very elevator, in fact. In the ensuing five minutes, she went through all staged of hell – despair, anger, fury, vindictiveness, jealousy and determination.

Maybe it was due to the emotional turmoil or unstable hormone levels, but she took her papers, packed her bags and boarded a plane. She decided she didn't want to have anything to do with Derek Shepherd, as for the baby, he didn't deserve to know about him or her. What for? So that he would abandon them one day? Crush them like her father did? The tiny being growing inside her body didn't need that jackass of a man for a father. And now… It was too late, too late for the truth and too late for them.

At Meredith's lingering silence, Derek seemed to lose the hope for her opening up and dropped his personal tone.

"By the way, congratulations," he tried to sound casual, clearing his throat to cover a sniff. "I'm really proud of you. It's quite an achievement to become a head of department at your age."

Meredith remained silent. That wasn't exactly accurate but she felt in no shape to correct his mistake.

They were interrupted by somebody's shout.

"Who's holding the damn elevator? Let it go!"

Derek reluctantly pushed the button and the door opened.

"At last," snarled Cristina. She spotted the two of them and smiled, "I guess I should have known… I was just going up to look for you."

"And I was just leaving," said resolutely Meredith, her eyes not meeting Cristina's… Derek's monologue was still ringing in her ears.

The awkward moment was interrupted by the appearance of a young woman in intern scrubs. She had dark hair and a pleasant face.

"Dr. Yang!" she exclaimed. "Good that you're here, I thought you went home ages ago. I just got Mr. Jenkins's lab results and I wanted to make sure-" she stopped in halfway through her sentence as she noticed Meredith in the elevator. Her face lit with enthusiasm.

"Dr. Meredith Grey!" she squealed. "Dr. Grey, I'm so, so happy we've finally met. I've been trying to talk to you but we've always missed."

Thank God, thought Cristina. Well, and thank me.

"I watched your procedure. It was awesome, I mean, really amazing!"

"Sorry," said Meredith. "But who are you?" She was tired, she was an emotional wreck, she was missing her daughter, she just wanted to het out of that elevator and away from Derek still standing at her side.

"I- I'm-" the girl become nervous and started to stutter.

"She's one of my stupid interns," butted in Cristina shooting daggers at the girl. "Show me the labs… The results are stable. Nevertheless, you have to monitor the situation carefully. You're on call right? Then go!"

The girl seemed unwilling to depart but left with a last look at Meredith.

Derek opened his mouth but apparently thought better of it as Cristina scowled at him.

Weird, what is going on? Is there something between her and Derek? Cristina's so going to give me profuse explanations.

"So," Cristina looked smug. "Are you ready to go? Or would you rather stay locked up in the elevator for a while?"

"I'm ready, absolutely," said Meredith hastily. She turned her head and looked straight into Derek's eyes.

"Goodbye, Derek,"

He nodded; the word "goodbye" got stuck in his throat.

He watched her retreating form as he sat on a chair near the exit door. So, that's it. She was leaving again. This time he saw it coming; it wasn't any less painful, though. His briefcase slipped out of his grasp to the floor and bent to pick it up when he heard two agitated voices passing by.

"Shut up!" exclaimed a feminine voice.

"I'm telling you!" said another. "I was just scrubbing out from the craniotomy with Shepherd and I heard everything!"

Ah, nurses…

"She must be crazy! To reject an offer like that!"

"That Boston doctor certainly went crazy, crazy with rage! He was absolutely furious. To fly across the continent for nothing!"

The conversation was turning very interesting for Derek.

"I still can't believe it."

"Believe me; Bailey, the Chief and the program doctor were there too. They didn't look too surprised though. Maybe except Bailey. She hasn't had such a shocked look since her intern cut the LVAD wire."

"I don't understand what it was all about," the second nurse had trouble comprehending the whole situation.

"It's obvious," the first one dropped her voice confidentially and stated knowledgeably, "If you don't know what it is all about, it's always about one of the two things: money or sex. Well, sometimes it's both, but that's beside the point. She didn't accept a thousands-of-dollars post; we can rule out the money. And that leaves us with-"

"With sex!" giggled the other woman.

Derek was getting restless. What does this mean? Did she… did she actually refuse the job offer in Boston?

"But who? How? When? You think she picked up some cute doctor in the big world?"

"Not necessarily," the nurse paused ambiguously but couldn't keep her thoughts to herself. "I think it's McDreamy all over again."

"What? Impossible! She's just come back to Seattle!"

"Whatever you say; but have you seen McDreamy lately? He's looked like he was on drugs."

"But what about her?"

"She must still have the hots for him; she came to watch him operate!"

"God, he must be amazing in bed if she's chucking her career for him- " The gossip nurses finally disappeared behind the door.

Derek was even afraid to think, let alone hope…

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A.N. So, that was the lucky (I hope) seven and the MerDer confrontation, not what some of you expected, though, I think. I still hope you enjoyed it.

R&R and big thanks for the reviews, you're amazing! Cheers!