NEVER LEAVING YOUR HEART ALONE

DINNER AND A MOVIE

Meredith spent the last few days plotting and planning. Ian had pretty much been staying out of trouble. But he was a thorn in her side. He was always around, making comments and just being Ian. She had tried to get ahold of his father, Ethan, but he was out of town on business, and unreachable. Of course. That is just her luck.

"Isn't it time for you to go home?" Meredith asked as she sat down next to him on the sofa. She handed him a beer.

"Oh, you know you want me to stay." He said with a grin.

"I do not want you to stay." She said flatly, taking a swig from the bottle.

"Oh yes you do." He replied. "So where is Derek?" He asked smartly.

"At the hospital. He got pulled into an emergency surgery. See, that is what happens when you work." She told him smartly.

"Where are Izzie and George?" Ian asked quickly.

"Uh, hell if I know." She said with a shrug, as she took a drink and sat it on the table.

"So no one is home..." He said with raised eyebrows.

"No." She spat. "What the hell are you thinking?" She asked with worry.

"Come on. A quickie, for old time's sake. You know you want to..." Ian urged.

"No. No! I don't." She told him loudly.

"Mer, we are so good together." He whined. "One last time..."

"Yeah, and you are horny, and have gone without sex for too long." She rolled her eyes as she told him.

"No, I would pick you over anyone any day. Come on... I won't tell McDefective." He said smoothly.

"McDreamy, and he is McDreamy and great. He is everything I ever-" She started and was cut off by Ian's soft forceful lips. His lips were so familiar. He pushed her down on the sofa, and laid on top of her. She felt his erection press against her leg. "Ugh, get off of me!" She shouted as she tossed him onto the floor.

"What the fuck?" He asked angrily as he jumped up.

"I told you no." She said as she sat back. "I am in love with Derek."

"That has never stopped you before. Shit, you have always fucked me, Mer. Even when you were pissed at me. Even when you were with that loser, Nate." Ian boasted.

"I told you not to say his name." She said as she glared at him.

"He really hurt you, didn't he?" Ian asked with a faint grin.

"I hate you." She seethed as she got up and walked away.

"What are you going to do when he dumps your ass just like Nate did?" He shouted loudly.

What if he is right? What if Derek does leave me? What if he just walks away? I am married. Boyfriends don't hang around to wait for divorces. They run. Maybe he should have stayed with Holly. Maybe he was happy with her. He was happy, and I screwed that up. I screw everything up.

Meredith grabbed out the cleaning supplies. She threw on the yellow rubber gloves and went to work on the kitchen counter and sink. She grabbed a toothbrush and started scrubbing meticulously. This is what she did when she was upset. She cleaned. She had to. It was really the only time she did clean. She wasn't a slob, but she didn't live to clean, either. It was either scrub the grim off of the tile countertop, or tear the skin off of Ian's face. She was in another dimension. She was happy in her cleaning mode, she shut the world out. A bomb could go off next to her and she would never hear it. She never even heard Derek come in. He tried talking to her. She didn't even hear him.