A Healing Heart

Chapter 13

With disappoint from Meredith, Derek stepped back from the tequila and decided it probably wasn't the best idea for them to both be drunk, he sat next to her at the bar laughing as she mumbled her words to him. It had clearly kicked in for her.

"Do you have to worm tomorrow?" She asked happily.

"Do I have to what?" Derek asked

"Worm." She turned to him.

"You mean work?" He stifled a laugh.

"That's what I just said." She was confused.

"Okay Mer." He laughed. "No I don't have to work tomorrow."

"You know, I'm hot and my boyfriends an idiot. Wait no, ex-boyfriend." She raised her eyebrows.

"He's an ass."

"You like my ass?" She asked thinking that's what he said.

"Huh?" He was confused now.

"You said you like my ass? No?" She sipped her tequila.

"No, I said he's an ass." Derek laughed at her.

"Oh. Who?"

He looked at her, "doesn't matter."

"I'm go the restroom." She slurred.

"Okay, be careful Meredith." He grabbed her arm loosely.

"Okays dad." She laughed and rolled her eyes.

As he sat waiting for her, he ordered another drink and ordered them some fries go share in an attempt to sober Meredith up a little. She was really drunk and as much as he loved to see her relax he wanted to make sure that she'd be safe enough to stay alone tonight seen as Alex had their daughter.

"You should really watch her." A voice made him turn around.

"I'm sorry what?" Derek asked.

"Your girlfriend, she's pretty drunk and you never know who's around." The man smirked.

"Do I know you." Derek frowned concern rising in him.

He recognised this man, he definitely recognised him, his facial features sent a wave of coldness through his body. He looked at him closely but couldn't pick up on how he know this man. He just knew he did.

"No. You don't." He walked away.

He waited a few more minutes but she began to take too long and that man had really creeped him out in the way he spoke about Meredith. Derek got up, leaving his drink unoccupied and headed towards the restrooms. He opened the door slightly.

"Meredith!" He shouted, he waited for a response and got none.

"Mer? Everything okay?" He shouted. He breathed a breath once she appeared or rather stumbled towards him.

"Hey handsome." She giggled.

"What took you so long, I thought something bad happened." He grabbed her waist and walked her to the stools.

"Thanks for the lipgloss Meredith!" A girl walked past them handing a pink shiny tube.

"Your welcome, we should hang out soon!" She shouted over the loud music.

"Yeah definitely, you have my number girlfriend." The girl laughed as she walked out the bar.

"Who was that?" Derek asked.

"Oh that's Katie, she's awesome... ooo fries!" Meredith gasped as the dish got sat in front of her.

"Oh, do you know her?"

"I just met her in the bathroom like 5 minutes ago." She laughed.

"What goes on in a girls bathroom? I'm genuinely curious because you all seem to come back with new friends." He chuckled.

"Hahah wouldn't you like to know." She winked.

"I do." He smiled.

"I bet." She laughed popping some fries into her mouth.

Derek sat back and watched her, he still found her as beautiful as ever even after everything they'd been through, even as she threw fries into her mouth and ketchup sat on the corner of her lips. However something else threw him off guard, as he watched her he could see that same man also staring at her with a smirk on his face. He didn't like him. He definitely didn't like him. He stared at the man desperate to figure out how he knew him and then he realised.

"Mer, come on we should go." He said as he stood up.

"What, why?" She whined.

"Because... because it's late and we should just go, okay?" He didn't want to tell her the real reason because he didn't want to scare her.

"But my fries." She pouted.

"You can take them with us." He reasoned.

"Ugh, fine." She said as she stumbled off the stool.

"Careful there gorgeous." He heard on the other side of her, feeling another pair of hands hit his fingers on Meredith's waist.

Meredith turned to look at him and then turned back to Derek.

"Derek take me home." She shifted drunkly.

"I am Mer, we're going." He picked her up bridal style and hurried out of the bar.

He quickly found a cab and he carried her in, she fell asleep against his shoulder as they were on their way back to her apartment. Once they pulled up, he carried her out and grabbed her keys out of her bag because he didn't want to wake her. Once the door was opened, he waited in the elevator and opened her front door quickly taking her into her bedroom and laying her in her bed underneath the covers.

Growing up with 4 sisters Derek knew the drill and grabbed the makeup wipes that sat on the dresser and began taking off her makeup gently. He kissed her forehead before leaving her room, closing the door behind him. As he got into the kitchen he grabbed two Advil for her to take in the morning for the killer hangover she was going to have, he left a note for her underneath the pills and hesitantly left her apartment.

He decided to walk to his apartment because it wasn't that far from hers and getting a cab at this time of night in New York City could be difficult, I guess he got lucky with the first one. The fresh air and the lights that lit up the skyline sobered him up and he found himself easily walking through the streets, the smell of garbage making him feel slightly ill. He noticed a figure in the opposite direction to him and he got shivers because he knew who it was.

"Hey. Who are you and what do you want with Meredith?" Derek grabbed the mans arm.

"Meredith." The man tested, "beautiful name."

"You stay away from her." He said sternly watching as the man smirked.

Derek couldn't take anymore and threw the man up against the wall, his forearm up against his throat.

"So help me god if I see you around her again you'll be sorry. Don't you dare do anything you'll regret, I know what you look like and if anything happens to her, you'll be the first person I find." Derek shook before punching him, watching as the man fell to the ground.

He decided to turn back around and go back to her apartment, it made him nauseas to think of her being alone in the state she was in. He never should have left her in the first place.

This guy was creepy and he was afraid for Meredith, he made a mental note to talk to her about it tomorrow because she needed to be aware for herself. 5 minutes later he got to her apartment door and found a spare key in the plant pot, he quietly opened the door and closed it behind him. He didn't hear any sounds coming from her room as he sat on the sofa so he hadn't woken her up. He took off his jacket and grabbed the same blanket Ellyse had a few days before and pulled it over him before falling asleep on the sofa.

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A pretty short chapter but still. Hope you enjoyed! <3