Whatever It Takes

Chapter 26

The sweet smell of bacon filled the air mixing with the crisp sunshine in the air as Meredith tied her boots and stood up straightening out her clothes...

She looked across the room into the kitchen to see him standing in front of the counter dishing a spoonful of the breakfast he'd concocted onto a plate...

"You don't have to do that."

She said nervously chewing on her lip.. Finn looked up at her and gave her an awkward grin...

"Do what?"

"Make me breakfast." She replied "It was really great that you let me sleep here last night, it helped.. but you don't have to do the whole breakfast thingy.. I have to get to work soon anyways."

"But the breakfast thingy is good." He smirked as he set a plate down with a glass of juice "And if you have to get to work then all the more reason to eat."

"Finn."

"Meredith." He said sternly "Its just food."

She rolled her eyes and walked over to the breakfast bar and sat down at the plate he'd made for her, picking up the fork and taking a bite of eggs.

He smiled seeing the pleased expression she was making as she chewed the food...

"This is really good." She said through a mouthful.

"It is." He confirmed "Maybe you should come back and see what dinner tastes like."

"What?" she said choking on the bite of bacon she'd just inhaled..

"Dinner." He replied "tonight."

"It wasn't the dinner part." She replied "It was the me coming back for the third night in a row that caused the choking."

He furrowed his brow seeking further understanding and she cleared her throat and took a sip of juice...

"I like you.. I like that you're very nice, and a great listener.. and I even like the dating thing... but I cant be staying at your place 3 nights in a row.. people would talk."

"People always talk." He shrugged "And so what if they think things.. is this about Derek?"

"Oh." She said raising a finger "This is so not about Derek, this has nothing to do.. I do not want to talk about Derek."

"Are you going to talk to him?"

"I don't want to talk about him, so what makes you think I want to talk to him?"

"I don't know." He replied "But I'm sure there's things you need to talk about."

"Would you look at that." She said hopping up looking at her wrist, "Its time for me to go."

"Meredith." He said as he stood up and helped her into her coat "If you don't want to talk about him, alright.. but you might want to consider talking to him. You know.. get some kind of closure."

"Closure?" she wrinkled her brow and shook her head "No, I'd rather do the whole avoiding until he leaves thingy."

He shook his head at her stubbornness and sighed in defeat.. he knew that being around Derek was painful, but he also knew that people need closure... he reached out to her helping her in her coat and smiled.

"Hmm." He smirked "How bout right now you do the hugging me goodbye thingy."

She rolled her eyes and smiled as their arms casually wrapped around each other... she stood there a few moments and closed her eyes taking in his woodsy scent and exhaled...

She felt a knot form slightly in her throat, with his arms around her she felt something for the first time in five years... she felt safe.