Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy.

In the past, I have written quite a few epilogues to complete scenes, mostly of Derek and Meredith. During the summer I have continued my fic 'What If' so I never really thought about an epilogue following the last episode of season 8. Because I had some time to kill, I've decided to give it a try. Read my view of what happened out in the woods after the crash. Oh and guys..only nine more days to go ;-)

If you find the time, please comment (love reading them).

Love, McJinx

Epilogue on on Flight

Each of you comes here today hopeful, wanting in on the game. A month ago, you were in Med school being taught by doctors. Today... you are the doctors. The seven years you spend here as a surgical resident will be the best and worst of your life. You will be pushed to the breaking point. Look around you. Say hello to your competition. Eight of you will switch to an easier specialty. Five will crack under the pressure. Two of you will be asked to leave. This is your starting line. This is your arena. How well you play, that's up to you.

Quote by Chief Richard Webber

The clear blue sky rumbled and then clouds split wide open; a brilliant blue and white flash roaring down. The noise was overwhelming and on the deserted mountaintop, a tearing wind ripped the leaves from the trees. The roaring engine of the descending plane shrieked even louder as the pilot desperately tried to pull his plane out of its fatal nose dive. Inside the plane, Derek Shepherd closed his eyes as the cabin filled with sounds of tearing metal. He turned in his seat to grab his wife but luggage from the racks above them came raining down as the plane scrapped along a rock. Instinctively, Derek tried to grab Meredith but the seat next to him was gone. When he opened his eyes, he saw clear blue skies and trees and he automatically raised his arms to protect his head and then there was the thought; This is it! I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die! Derek's whole brain screamed it in silence! Holding, his breath, he nervously wiped his mouth with the back of his arm and the he bowed his head. The plane went into a glide, a very fast glide at that altitude and then finally, there was the inevitable crash that pulled all the air from his lungs…

With a startled gasp, Derek opened his eyes. For seconds he didn't know where he was; only that the crash was still vivid in his mind. How could it be so quiet? Moments ago there was nothing but noise, crashing and tearing. Now everything was quiet. Derek tried to move but pain hammered into him and his breath shortened into gasps.

Plane.

Crash.

Pain.

Derek closed his eyes again and lowered his head. When he opened them again, his hand and arm were on fire and his head felt as if someone had been pounding on it with a hammer, but nearby, he heard someone calling out of him.

'DEREK?'

'DEREK?'

'Meredith?' Derek mumbled her name. He tried to sit up but couldn't because his left hand was caught in a piece of metal debris from the plane. Derek glanced in horror at his hand; it was bloody and swollen and for a moment, he began to panic.

'Meredith?'

'Unnhhh.' Derek tried to pull himself up but it only brought on new aches and pains.

'Meredith?'

Desperately, Derek tried to push the metal debris from his arm but it was too heavy. Panicking, he looked around and without further thought; he picked up a rock and smashed it on his hand to free himself. 'AAAAAHHHH,' Derek's cry echoed through the woods but he was able to pull back his arm. While the pain in his hand seemed to be abating somewhat, just trying to sit upright made him weak enough to nearly collapse. When he looked down, he realized why; blood gushed from a gaping wound on his am. It dangled down his left side and slowly oozed down his hand to the ground. Pain rippled through every inch of Derek's body but he pushed himself up with his good hand. His chest rose and fell with heavy breaths and dirt and blood coated his scrubs but he didn't even seem to notice it as he slowly stumbled away from the wreckage…

…..

'Cristina? I think Derek is dead. He would have come for us by now. He definitely would have come for us by know…I think, he's dead! And Lexie's dead. My husband and my sister are both dead and we are gonna die out here too. We are gonna die out here…'

'Keep it together. Keep it together'

'NO…you keep it together.'

'I'm trying…keep it together anyway.'

'My sister is dead!'

'Keep it together anyway.'

'You think Derek is dead?'

'I don't know. Maybe…but I have PTSD…so you know, I'm not reliable.'

'Cristina? You are still my person even if I can't rely on you.'

'Meredith!'

Derek slowly and cautiously made his way through the woods, when he suddenly heard voices quite close to him, and there just ahead of him was a clearing where Meredith and Cristina were standing.

'Meredith!'

Relief washed over Derek and he let out an exhausted gasp, 'I heard your voice.' Dazed, he swayed from blood loss and shock. 'I thought I was dreaming,' he managed to bring out before he collapsed.

Carefully, Meredith poured water onto Derek's arm to clean out his wound. First, he felt nothing but then a burning grew until he wanted to cry, instead he groaned and clenched his jaw. To keep his mind off the pain, he stared up into the face, he loved so much. Meredith was so close, her tender hands taking care of him. The world around Derek melted, until she was the only one in his vision. The sky could have fallen upon him and he wouldn't have noticed. Absently, he mumbled, 'Where's Lexie?'

Meredith looked down at him and didn't answer but the answer to his question was in her eyes.

'No.'

Derek turned his head to his right and saw Mark sitting next to a piece of the crashed plane. It was only now that he noticed, he was holding someone's hand…Lexie's hand. Derek's face darkened as he looked away, genuine grief washing over it.

'OK…let's just keep it together…OK.' Meredith said, bring him back to his senses.

'OK.'

Taking in air, Derek focused on his arm. 'Loosen the tourniquet a little bit.'

'You'll bleed to death,' Meredith said.

'I need to save my hand.'

'Well…I'm trying to save your live,' Meredith said stubbornly in a tone that wouldn't allow further objection. Cristina who was rummaging through their luggage, raised her hand in triumph, 'oh, safety pin…safety pin.'

'Bring that,' Derek brought out. 'Have a t-shirt or bandana?'

'Got it.' Cristina said.

'OK…we have to close the wound.' Derek said slowly. 'Use the safety pin…move your way inside and out, and then put the bandana on top of it, and tape it.'

'What's the t-shirt for?' Cristina wondered.

'Put it in my mouth, I'm probably gonna scream a lot and…I'm gonna pass out.'

Cristina put the t-shirt in Derek's mouth and he bit hard down on the cotton, focusing on the wound in his arm. Meredith took in a deep breath and pierced the safety pin through Derek's skin, all the way mumbling, I'm sorry…I'm sorry.'

Derek's muffled screams tore at Meredith's heart and she prayed desperately that he would pass out.

'Please pass out…please pass out…please pass out…please pass out…please pass out!'

Derek awoke hours later, a lingering taste of metal on his lips. He sat up wildly and threw aside the blanket that was covering him. He frowned. He was outside and that was not right. He was supposed to be lying in a warm bed…preferably with Meredith next to him. Taking in a deep breath, Derek shivered because the night air was rather cold. As his eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, he saw vague outlines of the plane wreck sharpen into distinct shapes and realization hit him hard. He was still in the woods where their plane had crashed. Reaching down to gather the cast-aside blanket, he huddled in it for warmth but it was only then that Derek realized, he no longer heard Meredith's soft breaths. A glance beside him proved she was gone. Panicking, Derek got up and ran to the plane wreck, his call ringing out through the silent forest:

'MEREDITH?

Silence. Only, a small whisper coming from inside the wreck. 'Derek…what's wrong?' Derek kneeled down next to Mark and whispered. 'Nothing…go back to sleep. I think Meredith needed to pee. I'm sure she'll be back soon.' Derek carefully tugged his blanket around Mark and left the wreck. He ran across the clearing, looking around wildly, trying to decide which way Meredith could have wandered. Into the forest? What if she'd strayed toward a ravine? Derek's throat closed convulsively and his call was almost a whimper; 'Meredith?'

Suddenly, he noticed a shimmer between the trees and halted. There, in a shadowy spot, lit only by a ray of moonlight, he saw Meredith . She'd flung her body across Lexie's dead form and was sobbing uncontrollably. Derek sighed and watched how tears streamed down Meredith's face. He quickly closed the distance between them and heard how Meredith screamed, her hand outstretched, imploring someone to ease her pain. She opened her eyes when Derek's hand clasped hers. Tears slowly wound their way down her blotched face and Derek pulled her up, folding his arms around her.

'Shh…it's OK…I'm here!'

A small gasp escaped Meredith's lips as she whimpered, 'My sister is dead…Lexie's really gone.'

'I know,' Derek soothingly whispered…'I know.' Sobs came deep from within Meredith, rushing to the surface, emerging in a passionate howl. She sobbed out her heart while Derek soothingly rubbed her back, gripped by her pain. Feelings of grief filled his heart as he realized, little Grey was really lost to them and tears of his own rolled down his face. He leaned down and pressed his lips to Meredith's hair. At that touch, Meredith started mumbling incoherently,' I…I can't…not live without her. I…wanna die too,' she sobbed. Derek felt agony rip through his chest.

'Shhh,' he soothed. 'Don't say that…we'll make it. We can do anything when we're together. Lexie wouldn't want you to give up. She's in your heart Mere…don't you forget that.'

'No…Derek…I can't. God…this hurts so much,' she sobbed. Derek scattered kisses all over Meredith's face.

'Listen to me? Listen?' Derek's voice was soothing but determent. 'You're my wife and I love you! Now, all we have to do is remember that we belong to each other. You, me…and Zola! Can you remember her, Meredith? Remember your daughter?'

Hearing Derek say Zola's name, caused a shiver and Meredith started panting with the effort of holding it together. Her lips trembled in agony. 'I…I am yours…I would n…never forget that…and I haven't forgotten about…Z…Zola!'

Derek's voice was almost hypnotic. 'Good…that's it! We belong together…You, me and Zola. You can't give up on us Meredith…never!' Meredith let out sharp cry of pain, which Derek soothed with his lips. She clutched Derek tighter, feeling all the grief of losing her sister.

'When it hurts too much, we are just going to remember. Remember your sister and imagine that she's with her mom in heaven.' Meredith nodded, closing her eyes, seeing the beautiful picture, Derek created. She knew that when she reached the end, she would end up in heaven and there she would see Lexie again. Again. Just the word, brought a bittersweet smile to Meredith's tear-stained face and then she realized she would make it through this.