The Ga on call room

He ended things with Rose

Meredith sat on her porch a long while after Derek had left, allowing her thoughts to consume her. She was in so deep that she didn't even notice the pizza boy walk past her and knock on the front door, delivering dinner.

As Meredith sat there, and let the night chill glaze over her body, she felt herself being internally pulled apart. It was literally a battle between her head and her heart.

Her head was telling her that she's already been in fool me twice territory and she shouldn't make it fool me thrice. Therefore, she should march over to Derek's trailer, pound on his door and yell at him to leave her alone, because she was perfectly happy with Lachlan before she came back to Seattle. Before she came back to Derek. Logically she should tell him that he's four years too late and that he doesn't get a third chance, He was not going to get the opportunity to hurt her again, that his words were just words.

That is what Meredith should do.
However, her heart was singing an entirely different tune. Her heart was telling her that Derek was finally being that man she fell so deeply in love with all those years ago, and that she would be crazy to not allow herself to try this thing between them one more time. Her heart was telling her that only the lucky people get to experience a love like they did, so she shouldn't take it for granted. Her heart was telling her that they were four years older now; she was four years older and that they wouldn't make the same mistakes they did before. In her heart, she knew that if she could look into his crystal ocean blue eyes everyday for the rest of her life, she would die a happy and fulfilled woman. Meredith knew that only Derek would ever be able to make her feel complete. She had been happy, genuinely happy, but there had always been something missing. She had a chance to get that back, would she take it?

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As Derek drove his car towards the trailer he allowed himself to feel a wave of relief wash over his entire body. He was finally on the road to getting his life back, to feeling whole again, and the second step towards this was telling Rose that there was no way that they could continue being together. They were both unhappy and it wasn't fair for Rose to put her life on hold any longer. A little part of him surprised that Rose has stayed by his side for so long. He felt a moment of guilt for the way he had treated Rose, she didn't ask to be caught up in this mess; all she wanted was someone that would love her, and Derek couldn't give her that.

Rose suddenly opened the door to the trailer, calling out to him to come inside, and then Derek knew that it was time to face the music. This never should have happened to begin with.

Derek walked inside, and couldn't help but notice the look on his face; it was a 'we need to talk' look. To be honest, Rose had really been wondering when this would happen. Ever since Meredith Grey had waltzed right back into Seattle and their life, she knew deep in her heart that things would not turn out good for her, but that didn't mean she wouldn't fight it. She did not waste four years of her life for nothing,

As if on cue, Derek spoke.

"Ah... I...I think its time that we talk."

"Okay...."

"This has to end." Derek said. He just ripped of the band aid, no beating around the bush.

Rose noticed something different in Derek's voice, maybe it was a hint of relief, of better things to come; it was something that she hadn't ever heard before.

"What?"

"You heard me." Derek sighed.

"You want us to end. After four years, we end like this. Did I mean nothing to you?" Rose asked, anger laced in her voice.

" Of course you did Rose, I care about you, that's why I'm ending this. In four years we haven't gone too far. That has to tell you something. I'm ending this so that we can both move on and try to find happiness."

"And whose fault is it that we haven't been able to progress? I have wanted you! I have wanted us to have a future, but you don't seem to care!" Rose screamed

"Doesn't that tell you something?" Derek yelled back.

"Oh, so now it's my fault that you couldn't get over Meredith Grey!"

"No, it's not. Rose look I don't want to fight about this..." Derek reasoned.

"You don't want to fight? What do you expect me to do? Give you my well wishes and drop you off at Meredith's house?" Rose demanded.

Derek didn't answer her, but Rose learned all she could from the look on his face.

"My god...you're actually going to try and get her back. Are you nuts? After the way she treated you when you were together? She's the reason you came chasing after me in the first place, to get away from all that crap. What about her boyfriend? Did you just forget about him?"

"Rose..." Derek really didn't feel like explaining himself. " I can't be with you when I'm in love with someone else, I'd rather be alone loving her than be with you. I'm sorry."

"No...you don't get to treat me like a piece of garbage!" Rose raised her hand, as if to slap him, but Derek caught it just in time.

"Don't you dare." Derek warned. "I apologize for the way I've treated you and the fact that I have led you on. I'm sorry that I took four years of your life, but I will not be sorry for loving Meredith. If you knew, why did you stay with me?"

"Because I was hoping that maybe, just maybe, you would be able to get over your pathetic obsession with Meredith, so that we could have a future!" Rose responded.

"Its over Rose, it was over four years ago, we just didn't want to admit that we were wrong about how we felt..."

"I'm not wrong about my feelings for you, Derek, I lo..."

"Don't say it." Derek demanded. "You think you might, but in a few weeks time, a few months time, you'll realize that the relationship between us was not one that could last a lifetime." Derek said softly.

"Derek..."

"No, it's time Rose. You deserve to be happy."

"Fine I'll go, for now. But...how can you be so sure that she even wants to be with you?"

"I can't know for sure, but I'll die trying to find out." Derek replied.

Rose just shook her head and exited the trailer.

For the first time in years, Derek was able to breathe again.