The Ga on call room

Derek knows now

Derek stood in the office, thinking about what had just happened. Lachlan was right, Derek was still the same person he was four years ago. He hadn't changed. The only thing that had changed was his love for Meredith; it had grown.

However, everyday that he had spent without her was another day that he had spent with Rose. Derek knew right then and there that Lachlan had a head start in this 'race' for Meredith's heart. Derek could claim that he and Meredith had a history, a past, but that all meant nothing when Lachlan had the most important thing; he had Meredith's trust.

Trust, reliability and stability were three things that women like Meredith would always appreciate. Derek didn't give her any of that, and he had his past track record to thank for that. Derek could proclaim to love her until the day he died and beyond, but those words just meant nothing if she didn't believe him.

Derek was suddenly brought out of his moment of self-pity by Izzie yelling out that dinner was on the table. Derek was at a loss over what to do at that moment. Should he pretend that the hospital had paged him and that he needed to leave? or did he just go into the kitchen, while he and Lachlan pretended that they didn't even talk?

Deciding that the second option was probably best, so that he didn't cause any suspicion Derek made his way back into the kitchen, however, he soon noticed that Lachlan wasn't there.

"Everything alright Derek?'' Izzie inquired, putting the roast lamb in the missile of the table.

"Yeah, just the hospital." Derek replied, holding his cell phone up in the form of a explanation.

" I swear that place owns us." Alex muttered as he filled up two plates of food.

"Feeling a bit hungry Alex?" Derek laughed as he looked at the food Alex was taking.

"No, one plate is for Lexie. She wasn't feeling well, for some reason she's even got evening sickness, she's laying in bed, so I thought I would bring something up for her." Alex replied.

"She's lucky to have you." Derek pointed out.

"Nah, I'm lucky to have her."

Alex's last words went straight to Derek's heart.

" Everyone, you can stop panicking, I'm home now. All is right with the world." Mark said as he entered the kitchen, setting his briefcase down.

Mark only received glares in return.

"What no one's happy to see me?" Mark asked, confused.

He caught Meredith's eye, and watched as she pointed her head in Izzie's direction, with a warning glare.

"Iz, what's wrong?" Mark asked tentatively.

"What's wrong? Are you seriously asking me that?" Izzie wondered.

"I'm only one hour late...and dinner is only just ready..." Mark trailed off, as everyone in the room watched the exchange with amused glances.

"I'm not talking about dinner, but now you mention it, don't make being late a habit...I'm talking about the phone call I got from the caterer this morning, who tells me that he is two seconds away from pulling out of our wedding, because you managed to insult his vanilla slices!" Izzie ranted.

"I...it wasn't like that...he..." Mark began, looking for a distraction, and he soon found one. "Hey where's Lachlan, did he finally flee back to London, after receiving some of Cristina's warm hospitality?"

The smile that had previously graced Derek's lips quickly disappeared, having just a faint idea as to why Lachlan was not present.

"Don't try to change the topic Mark, I want an answer..." Izzie told him.

However, Meredith took note of what Mark had said, and she had been wondering the same thing. Lachlan had walked out nearly twenty minutes ago with his cell phone and was yet to return.

"You didn't see Lachlan at all, did you Derek?'' Meredith asked.

"No, why do you ask that?" Derek replied quickly

"No reason, I just thought you may have seen him while you were on the phone...I think I'm going to go find him. It looks like we'll be here for a while." Meredith said, gesturing to a bickering Mark and Izzie.

Meredith walked out of the kitchen, and Derek turned his attention back to the goings on in the kitchen, trying to ignore the nervous feeling in his stomach.

" I didn't mean to insult the guy Izzie, it just came out..." Mark tried to defend himself.

"It always just comes out, Mark! You need to think before you speak." Izzie told him.

"Yeah, well I'm not as bad as some people..." Mark said looking at Derek.

"Don't bring me or Rose into this Mark." Derek groaned.

"I'm not, I'm just saying that there are worse people than me out there..." Mark trailed off, but he was suddenly interrupted by screaming.

Everyone looked at each other in alarm, while the pit in Derek's stomach grew.

"Why did you do it Meredith? Why? Did I hurt you that bad?"

"I didn't Lache...I have no idea how he knew!" Meredith snapped.

The group in the kitchen exchanged nervous glances

"How else would he know those things Meredith. I know hurt you, but that was no reason for you to go tell your ex-boyfriend about my private affairs!" Lachlan yelled

Izzie and Cristina whipped their heads around to look at Derek, while realization dawned on Mark's face and he glared at Derek accusingly.

"Don't you dare yell at me! If you just take your head out of your ass for one second and listen to what I'm trying to tell you..."

"Okay, so if you didn't tell Derek about what's been going on between us, then who the hell did? It's none of his business..." Lachlan demanded.

At this piece of information, Izzie whipped her head around to Mark, who was gritting his teeth at Derek.

"Unbelievable" Izzie hissed.

Cristina had an amused smirk on her face as she shushed the group so that they could here what was going on.

"I have no fucking clue, but if you know me at all Lachlan Jackson, you KNOW that it wouldn't have been me!" Meredith screamed.

There was only quiet murmurings following that, so the group on the kitchen couldn't hear what was going on.

"Damn McDreamy, you really know how to fuck things up." Cristina told him, being serious for once.

"I..." Derek began

"I warned you Derek." Mark said. "And now...not even your hair will save you..."