Whatever It Takes

Chapter 22

Tell me that it's better when you're all alone, Tell me that your body doesn't miss my touch,
Tell me that my lovin' didn't mean that much, Tell me you ain't dying... When you're cryin' for me
--Aerosmith


"Meredith."

She heard the name, her name roll off his tongue like velvet like it always did. She felt panic start to surge through her bones as she realized she was not only not alone anymore, but she hadn't been the entire time. She'd never let anyone, not even Christina see her breakdown, and now...

God must have been on her side that moment because the elevator doors swung open and she gasped for the breathe she'd been holding since she heard his voice... she darted from the confined space into the lobby, hearing the heels from her boots clicking against the tile floor as her pace quickened...

She was starting to gain hope seeing the doors to the outside in the distance but her hope was short lived when she heard a sound of fast paced foot steps behind her...

"Meredith!" He screamed out.

She tried to quicken her pace to get away from him without causing a scene as she could already feel a few sets of eyes on her.. she didn't make it half way through the lobby before feeling a strong hand gently take hold of her tiny arm, she felt her feet fail her and come to a halt..

A part of her melting at the touch yet another part of her cringing at her lost getaway. She took in a deep breath and turned on her heels quickly opening her eyes as she straightened her face to look into the face of the man she'd gone so long without...

She opened her mouth and said the only thing her mind would allow her and it wasn't much...

"What do you want Derek?" she spoke, he furrowed his head and slightly reared it back in a stunned manner..

"What do I want?" He asked as if trying to clarify the sentence "I don't see you for 5 years and all I get is a 'what do you want.'?"

"Well now you've seen me." She said and turned starting to pull away. He tightened his grip on her and pulled her back keeping her planted... "Derek."

"Meredith, we need to talk."

"I don't see the need for that."

"Seriously?" he almost hissed out "You just up and leave with no explanation.."

"I gave you explanation in the divorce papers I sent out."

"Yeah." He breathed out, his serious mood lightening a little as he looked at her meekly pressing his lips together and mumbled out.. "About that..."

"What?" she frowned "I didn't make it difficult, I split everything down the middle, what was yours was still yours, what was mine is still mine all you had to do was sign them and give them to your lawyer and I think it was more than fair after you..."

She started to ramble and stopped seeing a mysterious look in his eyes.. the eyes she could always read like a book, she suddenly realized something and looked at him and gasped as her eyes widened..

"You didn't sign them!"

"Um." He mumbled "No."

"Why in the hell-" she started out furiously...

"Meredith?" she heard off to the side.

She looked over shortly and looked back at Derek then did a double take as her eyes widened and she painted on a nervous smile..

"Finn!" she gasped as she watched him reach her..

He leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her cheek that caused Derek's hardened facial expression to drop instantly..

"What are you doing here?"

"When you left this morning you told me that you got off at 8 so I thought I'd come and see if you wanted to grab dinner." He said with a curious smile...

"Oh." She replied nervously noticing out of the corner of her eye the shocked and sickened look on Derek's face "I right, um.. I.."

"Meredith.. aren't you going to introduce me?" she heard off to the other side of her...

Her eyes widened as she looked over at Derek nervously and then back at Finn, she opened her mouth to speak but before she could she saw Finn stick out his right hand...

"Hi, I'm Finn." He said with a cocky smile "Meredith's date."

"Derek Shepherd."

He said smiling through his teeth as he returned an aggressive handshake that caused a few of Finn's knuckles to crack..

"Meredith's husband."

"Oh god." She muttered under her breath...

Finn's brow wrinkled slightly as the new information absorbed and he looked at Meredith, then back at Derek, then and Meredith before finally getting it...

"Finn." She finally squeaked out "I, um..."

"I'll just." He started out calmly "I'll just wait for you at the door."

"Thank you."

She whispered out of relief, he gave her a friendly nod and walked off... Meredith turned back to Derek and flashed him a death glare...

"Seriously."

"Seriously." He frowned back "You sure didn't waste any time moving on did you?"

She opened her mouth to reply but her tongue seemed to knot up with emotion... he had NO idea what she went through, what she had done the last five years.. he had no idea how hard it was to even breathe without him in her life...

And now finally, after all this time, after all that had happened... he was going to say that... she resisted the urge to slap her small palm across his stubbled cheek and clenched her jaw as a fiery gloss glazed over her green eyes...

"Finish what you came here for." She muttered out in a thick breath.."Finish up your patient, finish your surgery, and leave Seattle! There's nothing more to discuss here, there's nothing to talk about so just sign the damn papers already!"

She turned gave him a cold look before turning on her heels and storming off.. he felt a lump of regret fill his stomach knowing he should have just waited until she was ready to talk, that was definitely not how he wanted it to go.

But seeing her like that.. in pain. He just couldn't.. but now, all he could do was watch her run off... again.