I Will Follow You Into the Dark

CHAPTER 99

After watching Jen walk away, Derek put his arm around Meredith and they walked around quietly, enjoying their remaining time together as much as that was possible. Each time one of them would look at the other, their eyes would meet and a few tears would gather, and neither of them would be able to talk. Finding a quiet nook beside an airport store, Derek pulled Meredith over against the wall and kissed her with everything in him. They did their best to have a quiet goodbye in the midst of the busy airport, but the very public place was a constant reminder of their imminent parting. Derek finally pulled back and looked deeply into Meredith's eyes. He let his forehead fall gently forward until it was resting upon hers. "I can't go," he whispered. "I can't leave you."

"You have to go," Meredith said, trying to look brave and convincing despite the way her heart was breaking. "We'll plan a visit--soon."

"But I just got you back," he said, tilting his head and letting her see how miserable he was at the thought of leaving.

"I will love you forever," Meredith said, "This is temporary. We'll be together soon and never have to be apart again. Now go before you miss your plane." She was crumbling at the thought, but she had to be strong enough to let him go. He'd already given her so much. He had a job and a life that were waiting for him. Luckily for her, she was too upset to remember their parting at the airport so many years before. If she had, she'd never have been able to let him go.

Derek stared into her eyes with a force that made her grateful to be leaning against the wall and supported by the weight of his body on hers. "Not yet," he said as he took her hand and led her down the hallway.


************

They walked down the hallway, and Derek looked into each store they passed. Meredith was too upset about him leaving to pay too much attention to what he was doing. She was just looking at him and memorizing every detail of his gorgeous appearance. As they passed a particular store, Derek stopped, glanced inside and leaned down to Meredith, "I'll be right back," he whispered, kissing her lightly.

Meredith stood there a bit puzzled by his sudden need to shop but just grateful that he hadn't left her yet. She could not even imagine how hard saying goodbye to him was going to be.

A few minutes later, Derek came jogging out of the store and grabbed her hand. He pulled her into the store, and he ignored her questions about what he was doing. Meredith was so focused on the fact that he was acting strangely and ignoring her questions that she did not notice the looks they were getting from the man at the checkout counter.


**********


They passed through the store, and Derek pulled her into the storeroom. He quickly shut the door behind them.

Flashback to a few minutes before when Derek was inside the store:



"Hey, I know this is going to sound crazy, but is that a storage room?" Derek asked, laughing at himself for what he was attempting to do.

"Yeah, why do you ask?" the man asked in response, giving him an appraising glance.

"Well...um...you see...I need to borrow it," Derek stuttered.

"Borrow it?" the man asked, now looking at him as if he were crazy.

"Yeah...just for a few minutes," Derek said, trying to be casual about it.

"What are you...some kind of terrorist? I can't let you in my store room," the man barked, shrugging his shoulders and deciding to ignore the psycho across the counter. He hated that he had no other customers to distract him.

"No. Really. It's nothing like that. I just...I need to talk to my girlfriend. Somewhere private," Derek said, looking earnestly at the man and trying to send vibes that he was not a wacko.

"You have got to be kidding me. Move along, or I'll call security," the man grunted dismissively.

"No. Wait. Please. Have you ever been in love?" Derek asked, trying a different angle.

"Um...yeah," the man answered honestly in spite of himself. Why he was listening to this crazy man was a complete mystery to him. Weirdos passed through the airport all the time. It was best to leave them alone. But there was something about this particular weirdo that made him unable to brush him off.

"I am...I'm insanely in love with a woman, and we've just found each other again after 20 years. I just need a few minutes to say goodbye to her. Please?" Derek asked, trying not to beg but more than willing to do so.

"You're kidding, right?" the man asked, assuming this guy was just pulling a stunt or acting on a dare from a friend.

"No. I'm dead serious. She's the love of my life. Leaving her is killing me. Ten minutes. I'll pay you," Derek said, reaching for his wallet.

"You're crazy," the man said, shaking his head at him.

"Crazy about her. Completely," Derek said, looking the man in the eye to let him know he was serious.

"You're serious?" the man asked, dumbfounded by the whole conversation.

"How much? A hundred bucks?" Derek asked as he looked through his wallet.

"What?" the man asked, clearly flustered by this point.

Derek put the hundred dollar bill on the counter. He looked at the man. "So will you help us?"

"You're crazy," the man said, looking back and forth between Derek and the money on the counter.

"I just want a few minutes alone with her," Derek said, ignoring the pleading in his own voice. "Thanks," Derek said, assuming he'd gotten permission.

"Just don't break anything," the man said as he stomped over and unlocked the door, "and if you're not out in 15 minutes, I'm calling security."


End flashback......


They passed through the store, and Derek pulled her into the storeroom. He quickly shut the door behind them. Moving so quickly that it took her breath away, he crushed her body against the door and attacked her lips with his. Several minutes later, his hands were roaming wildly and his lips were making their way down her neck and across her shoulders.

"Derek, what are you doing?" Meredith asked when her lips were free long enough for her to speak.

"Shut up. No time," Derek said, increasing his lusty assault on her body.

"What are you...Oh, no. You didn't," she said, realizing what he had indeed done.

"I did. We are. Come on...I'll miss my flight...," he said, kissing her again in that knee-melting way.

"You're insane...," she said breathlessly as she regained her composure enough to allow her to talk.

"I'm insanely addicted to you," he said in that low husky voice she adored.

"We're in a store. At the airport," she continued, trying to reason with him, but losing the battle he loved waging against her body.

"Wasting...sex...time..." Derek muttered as he unclasped her bra.

"Derek!" she exclaimed, loving what he was doing to her but still trying to reason with him. He reached up to hold her face in his hands and look deeply into her eyes, "I love you so much that it hurts. Make love to me, baby. Please..."

Meredith started to protest, but then he did that thing. The thing that made her crazy. "Oh...not that..." she moaned, knowing she had no choice but to let him have his way with her.

And, as always, that never proved to be an unhappy decision.