Title: A Tale Of Two Cities

Authors: Sara and Lizzie

Rating: T for language, sex, you know.

Disclaimer: We happen to own our personal anatomies, not Grey's. Or Patrick Dempsey's. Sadly.

Summary: Another shot at Post Prom. It's going to be a little silly. It will be our version of what happens post prom, and then jump a few months in the future when uh, some bicoastal high jinx ensue. So we'll start right after the prom.

Author's Note: The updates on this probably won't be as frequent on this because we are going to be feverishly working on "A Little Something Called Forever", "One Hell Of A Racket", and "Keeping The Faith". But this will be fun. And funny. Review. Consider this the funny version of "Keeping the Faith" because in both stories, Meredith will ask Derek to wait for one month for different reasons. Just read. And review.

Sex with Derek. Denny dying. Izzie. Finn. Addison.

Standing there on those steps, caught between the vet, and her McDreamy, things should have been murky, but suddenly, Meredith Grey could see everything very clearly.

She turned to Finn. "I'm sorry." She told him. She closed the gap between her and Derek, and taking a proverbial leap, she held out her hand. "Let's talk, Derek."

She pulled him outside, and turned to face him, looking right into his eyes. He was smiling at her. "We should make this quick. Izzie's going to need me, and I'm sure Addison will miss you. Derek, when I saw Denny lying there, and I knew that he was dead, and I saw how deeply Izzie felt it, it scared me. The only person I've ever felt that deeply for is you." She paused, watching for his reaction. He was grinning at her.

She took a deep breath and smiled at him. His grin broadened and he allowed himself to hope that maybe this was good news. "And it scared me that I might never be able to love you that fully again. And I know that you chose Addison, and I know why you chose her. But maybe, you might want to re-evaluate?"

He grinned until he laughed. It was the fantasy of the last few months come true. He didn't say anything, he just stood there and smiled at her.

"Derek? Say something." She prompted with a nervous laugh. "This isn't a pick me, choose me, I promise. It's just a-"

"Mer?" he asked. "It's always been you."

Her smile matched his now, so hugged her, and even picked her up. She laughed as her prom dress swirled around her legs. He kissed her, the way he'd wanted to kiss her every time he'd seen her since Addison came back.

She kissed him back for a long time, forgetting that they were standing outside the hospital, forgetting that he was still married, forgetting that she needed oxygen. When she finally pulled away, breathless with lips swollen, she regarded him seriously.

"I need to ask you something."

"Anything." He said, taking her hand.

"I want to wait. For one month."

"Wait for what?"

"To tell Addison. To go through with all of this." He looked uncertain now, and she struggled to explain. "I don't want this to happen because we just had sex, or because everything is so gritty right now. I want to do it right this time."

"And that means a month?"

"You can figure out how to talk to Addison. I can break it off with Finn in the way he deserves. It won't be so…"

"Illicit?"

"Exactly."

He kissed her again, pulling her so close to him she thought she just might melt right into him. He pulled away, kissed her forehead, and then her lips, gently.

"What was that for?" she smiled

"Just cause I won't be able to do it for another month."

She looked at him for awhile, and instead of following her natural instincts and throwing him down on the nearest flat surface and removing all of his clothes, she hugged him. And when he put his arms around her, she felt whole for the time in months.

"We should go back." She said into his chest. "I need to make sure Izzie is okay."

He pulled back from her, arms still around her, and looked at her.

"What?" she asked.

"I can't believe that you're trusting me to do this again." He said, honestly.

She grinned, extracted herself from his arms, squeezed his hands and headed inside. "I have faith in you Derek." She called out before she disappeared through the automatic doors.

He sank down onto a bench, and stared up at the sky, feeling dizzy with euphoria. He barely noticed Addison sit down next to him.

"Hey." She said softly.

"It's a great night, isn't it?" he asked her.

She frowned. "If you don't count the reason for this prom. Oh, and that Steven's fiancée just died."

"But it's beautiful outside, Addison."

She gave him a look. "Sure, Derek."

Addison got up to go inside, and Derek followed, Meredith's words echoing over and over in his head. "I have faith in you Derek."

She had faith in him. That was all he'd ever need.