Can't Help Falling in Love

28

"You, my son, are one hard man to find," Michael sighed as he got out of his truck and looked out over the lake.

Derek frowned as he looked up from his fishing pole. "Dad, what are you doing here?" he asked. "It's six in the morning."

"Which begs the question of what you're doing in the middle of the woods instead of in bed like a normal person," Michael said.

"Couldn't sleep," Derek murmured.

"Well, thanks to you I didn't sleep," Michael sighed as he sat down beside his son. "I've been over every inch of Seattle looking for you since about four o clock yesterday afternoon."

"What's wrong?" Derek frowned. "Is everything okay, Mom and the girls...they're okay, right?"

"Of course they're okay," Michael nodded. "But I want to know why my son, who just graduated from medical school at the top of his class is living in the middle of the woods."

"I just needed a break," Derek sighed, casting off again.

"Hmm," Michael nodded, reaching for the spare fishing pole on the ground and baiting it. "Meredith?"

"It's been over six months, Dad," Derek sighed. "And I can't get her out of my head. We were supposed to leave today. We were supposed to be together for the past six months, and we were supposed to leave for a romantic two months in Europe. And instead I'm here, in the middle of the woods fishing at six in the morning because I can't stop thinking about Meredith Grey."

"Because you love her."

"I've tried to stop," Derek said. "I've tried to stop because she's with someone else and she's happy. But I really don't think I can be happy without Meredith. I can't imagine myself with anyone else."

"So you think the best way to pretend to be happy is to come up here?" Michael asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's always been where I've thought the best," Derek shrugged. "I know it's far away from the house and the lake we usually go to is a lot more convenient, but...there's just something about this place that makes me feel at ease. It's the only place I can get the racing of my head to stop. And I don't have to listen to Mark and Addie go at it like rabbits."

Michael laughed slightly. "Did you ever think of talking to Meredith?" he asked. "And I don't mean following on some stupid plan that her sister cooked up with your friends, but just talking to her?"

"She doesn't want to talk to me, Dad," Derek sighed.

"Hmmm," Michael frowned, reaching into his pocket. "That's interesting. She came into the store yesterday, seemed pretty desperate for you to have this for today."

"What...." Derek frowned as he looked down at the envelope, his name printed in Meredith's neat teacher handwriting. "She came to the store?"

"If I were you, I'd open that up," Michael said. "That girl seemed pretty determined for you to have that."

Derek frowned as he opened the envelope, inhaling sharply as he looked down at the single piece of paper in his hand. "Dad," he breathed. "Is this...."

"I'm no genius, Derek," Michael said. "But from what I can gather, this is her version of an apology."

"But...she's supposed to go with Andrew," Derek frowned.

"Maybe she doesn't want to go with him," Michael said. "Maybe she realized that you bought her these tickets, and she wants to go with you."

"And she's leaving it up to me whether I come or not," Derek breathed. "What time is it?"