Chapter one: The Man in the Parking Lot

It was on a late Thursday night when Meredith Grey swung her bag over her small shoulder and pushed open the door of Joe's Emerald City Bar and stepped outside onto the parking lot greeting a sight that startled her. It was the sight of an elderly man approaching her, or rather approaching the entrance of the bar Meredith stood frozen in front of. The wind made her green skirt flutter around her legs and blew right through her thin blouse. Her hair danced playfully on her shoulders but her grey eyes expressed confusion.

Hold on. Is that... is it... him? No. Can't be him. Probably had too much tequilas. I need to get home before I freeze right here and block Joe's door.

Meredith closed her eyes and shook her head and quickly made her way through the dimly lit lot.

As Meredith closed the front door behind her the sounds of her chatting friends and the tv greeted her. She peeked into the living room and then mounted the stairs as quietly as she could. She didn't feel like having funny conversations now.

"Hey Meredith's home!" Meredith froze on the stairs and forced a smile.

"Hey guys," she replied.

The beautiful blonde Isobel 'Izzie' Stevens looked up at Meredith.

"Will you come down to join us in a minute?" The others, too, looked up at Meredith and their happy eyes only made her feel more miserable.

"I'm sorry, I think I had too much tequilas tonight. And I have a head-ache," she added defencively when George frowned.

"Well... would you like me to go upstairs with you to make sure you're okay then?" Izzie asked, a bit puzzled.

Great. Izzie's coming up to my room and she'll have made me tell about Derek before I can kick her out.

Realizing she took too long to answer Izzie's question Meredith quickly murmered: "Sure," and continued her way up. Izzie jumped up from the sofa and followed her, leaving George and Cristina in front of the tv.

"Do you know if there's something wrong with Meredith?" George asked in a worried voice.

Cristina, who had just moved in with cardio-thoracic surgeon Dr. Preston Burke but was now visiting her friends to keep up her social life didn't bother to shift her gaze from the tv to George as she shrugged and replied: "Besides her obsession with married McDreamy I don't know if there's anything wrong with her. She doesn't tell us it's none of our business. People need private lives George."

George sighed at this predictable reaction of the beautiful level-headed Korean descent and turned his gaze back to the television screen in front of them.

Meredith fell down on her bed as Izzie closed the door behind them and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Spit it out," she said in a 'and-do-not-try-to-argue-with-me' tone.

Meredith stared at the ceiling and sighed.

Okay. Alright.

"It's Derek."

"McDreamy? I thought you guys were friends now?"

"Not anymore. Today he called me a slut."

"He called you what?" Izzie asked infuriated.

"That was after I tried to kiss him in the elevator," Meredith admitted ashamed.

"Meredith!" Izzie's mouth fell open. "I thought you said no more!"

"I know. I know I said that," Meredith answered in a painful voice.

"Meredith."

"I can't seem to help it!" she sat up straight in her bed, "I see him everywhere. During lunch. In the halls. In the elevator! And... and he just keeps smiling at me. And then his eyes sparkle and I drown in them and I try to ignore it but I... I can't... I'm just..."

"Hopelessly in love with McDreamy," Izzie finished her sentence for her.

"Yes. No! I mean, not anymore. Not after he called me a slut. Definitely not after he knew I was looking and he kissed Addison and ruined my day. It was a mean thing to do. It was crap. He has no right to treat me that way."

"Right, right," Izzie said in a slightly sarcastic voice.

"He's an ass and I hate him!"

"Okay, okay." Izzie paused. "So that's what's bothering you tonight?"

"Yes!"

"And you're not coming down to be with your ever-so-understanding, always-being-there-for-you friends?"

"I'm sorry."

Izzie shrugged.

"Okay. Good night then, I guess."

"Good night Izzie. And thank you."

"No problem," Izzie answered as she closed Meredith's bedroom door behind her.

Meredith fell into the soft pillows and stared at the ceiling again.

But what if it was... him?

She shivered and then pushed the image of the man in the parking lot away, trying to think of happy things to dream about.