Where You Belong

81

Derek sighed as he listened to Meredith's cell phone once again go to voicemail. It had been hours since he had sent her back down the aisle to her friend, and he hadn't heard from her. He was currently sitting on their bed, leaning against the headboard, cell in hand, praying for her to call.

"Hey. It's me. Again. I'm not trying to... Could you just call me, or text me? Just let me know you're okay. I'm getting worried. I hope Cristina is okay. Tell her...well, she probably doesn't want to hear anything from me. Just...let me know you're okay. Please." He paused. "I love you, Meredith. More than anything. I..." He trailed off as the recording cut off with a beep.

He sighed; it wasn't like he had anything left to say anyway; it wasn't his first message. It was a little after midnight, and despite his limited sleep the last week, he found he couldn't sleep now. Not until he knew she was okay. Her words to him earlier had Derek worried. After everything that had happened... She deserved peace. They were supposed to have danced together and laughed as Cristina got dragged into reception activities she would hate. And then they were supposed to sleep the day away tomorrow, spend some actual time together, and pack for their flight the day after.

He had expected to spend Sunday, the day between Burke and Cristina's wedding and their flight to New York, resting and happy. He had expected to tease his fiancée about her nerves. He had expected to reassure her; to convince her that his family would love her. He had expected quiet.

But it was now the first hour of Sunday morning and nothing was going as expected.

Upon hearing from Izzy that Meredith was with Cristina at her apartment, and that Burke was gone, Derek had tried to contact the older man. But Burke was nowhere to be found or heard from. After being forced to answer too many questions when he had shown up at the hospital several hours earlier, Derek had given up and gone home. If Burke didn't want to be found there was nothing he could do about it.

A knock at the bedroom door pulled him from his thoughts, and for a moment, Derek's heart leaped, until he realized Meredith wouldn't be knocking on their own door. "Yeah," he called.

The door opened and Izzy's head peeked in. Her eyes were red. She had been crying. Derek knew she had spent some time with Cristina, until realizing it was better if just Meredith stayed for now. "Is there any word from Meredith?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

"Have you called her?"

"Several times. Her cell goes straight to voice mail."

Izzy sniffed. "Poor Cristina."

He nodded. "I cannot believe Burke would do such a thing."

"He seemed so sure. But the things he said to her..."

Derek offered her a sympathetic face. "At least Mer's with her."

Izzy nodded. "Yeah."

He sighed and stood. "I'm going crazy here. I'm going to go back to the hospital; see if I can find myself a surgery or something. Can you call me if you hear from Mer?"

"Of course."

It was almost seven that morning when Derek scrubbed out of the surgery he had stolen, with minimal guilt, from one of his residents. It had been successful, but now left him exactly where he had been hours before. Anxious and waiting.

"I see you're here too," Bailey stated, meeting him at the door to the scrub room as he dried his hands.

He nodded. "Couldn't sleep."

"How is Cristina?"

Derek shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't heard from anyone since the church yesterday." He reached to his waist band for his cell phone, and breathed a sigh of relief when he read the small screen. Three messages. All three from their home phone. Finally.