I Will Follow You Into the Dark

CHAPTER 102

Later, Jen returned to the apartment. Her jog ended up being a walk because she had called Patrick and begged him to come over. As she entered the room, she smirked at the trail of clothing that led to the bedroom. Laughing, she picked the clothes up and dropped them in a pile outside Derek's door. From that distance, Jen was disturbed to learn that the lovebirds were still going at it. Sighing and rolling her eyes, she walked back to the kitchen and dug her iPod out of her purse. After turning up the volume enough to ensure that she didn't hear them, she went back to work preparing the meal. Twenty minutes later, dinner was ready to cook. She pulled one earphone out and listened, grimacing and replacing it quickly when she heard evidence that Derek and Meredith were still having sex.

Shrugging, she turned to busy herself with other kitchen tasks. As she did, her cell phone vibrated. She picked up and was happy to learn that Patrick was on his way up.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Patrick let himself in, and wandered into the kitchen. "Hey," he said, smiling at her tenderly. "Hey," Jen responded.

"Where is everybody?" Patrick asked when he saw only Jen in the apartment. "In bed," she muttered. At just that instant, they both heard a loud bump against the wall. "Or not," Jen said quickly as she looked up at him.

"Still?" he asked, checking his watch. "Yeah. Like rabbits," Jen muttered. "Poor baby," Patrick said, "and you've been here all alone?"

"Yeah," Jen said flatly, "I wish my fiancé were as happy to see me..."

Patrick walked over and stood behind her. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her close, nibbling on her ear and her neck. "So...this fiancé of yours...I hear he's cool and shares you with your guy friend on Saturday nights...even lets you pretend to be his date at weddings...."

Jen smiled and relaxed into his arms. Patrick continued, "So your fiancé...he's what? Blind...or stupid?"

"Why? Jen asked having no idea what he was talking about. Patrick nipped at her earlobe before whispering into her ear, "Well you're so hot that I don't know why he wouldn't try to take advantage of you."

"Mmmhmmmm," was the only response Jen could muster now that his hands were roaming in a very pleasing manner.

"Where is the guest room?" Patrick asked, not letting himself get distracted from the task at hand.

"Down the hall. Why?" Jen asked, pretending not to know the reason for his question.

"We're guests, aren't we?" Patrick asked as he spun her around to face him and used his body to wedge her against the cabinet.

"Yeah, but we shouldn't," Jen whispered.

"Why the heck not? Like they could criticize," he said, gesturing toward Derek's bedroom as another not-so-muffled moan became audible.

"Dinner...," Jen said, pushing away from him to attend to the meal, hoping that would distract him.

Patrick walked past her, put the baking dish in the oven and added a few pots of food to it, too, before turning to face her. Raising an eyebrow at her, he added, "Maybe you and I should hook up. My fiancée's not that into hot sex, either."

"She's not?" Jen asked, insulted but deserving the jab. "I heard she has many talents."

"Really?" Patrick asked, moving close to her and putting his arms around her tightly.

"Yeah," Jen said breathlessly.

"Jen?" Patrick asked.

"Yeah."

"Guest room or kitchen counter. Your choice."

"Hmmmm," Jen sighed before running down the hallway. She and Patrick had some fireworks of their own.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quite a while later, Derek and Meredith emerged from the bedroom. Both expected to need to grovel to Jen for being so inconsiderate and for leaving her stranded. They were quite surprised to find nobody in the kitchen. "Maybe she went to Patrick's," Derek said as he picked up his phone. "I'll call her and apologize." Jen's phone rang across the room. "Nope. Her purse is here. I'll check outside," Meredith said. A minute later, she came back from the balcony and shook her head, "Not here."

"I'll try Patrick's cell," Derek said quickly, starting to get worried about Jen. Both of them turned quickly as they heard Patrick's phone ringing from its perch on the entryway table. "Hmmm.....," Derek said, grinning wildly, "looks like we started a trend."

"Oh, really," Meredith said, grinning at him and walking over to kiss him, "we sure did start something...."

They were still liplocked where they stood in the kitchen when a sheepish Jen and Patrick emerged from the hallway. There was a screaming silence as knowing glances were exchanged all around. "Anyone hungry?" Derek finally asked, and everyone laughed. They set the table and served the food. Nobody complained about it being well done. They were all famished after so much "exercise." They enjoyed a nice meal and a great bottle of wine. There was enough teasing mixed in to keep things light and fun. The new, expanded version of their Saturday night was enjoyed by one and all.

Saying goodnight, Meredith and Derek thanked Jen for their evening's surprise. "You two are like teenagers," Jen said. "It's cute. Of course, it's easier to handle when I have my own hot bod to hold." Everyone laughed and said goodnight as Jen and Patrick left.

Derek took Meredith's hand and led her back out onto the balcony. They stood there embracing and enjoying the view. He hugged her tightly and whispered into her ear, "Thank you."

"I missed you. I couldn't wait," Meredith said, kissing his cheek tenderly.

"Me, either," he said, "I had an awful day. All I wanted to do was to hold you."

"That's all I ever want.....to be in your arms."

The happy couple stood there a long time just holding one another.


***********


Later, they climbed into Derek's bed, reassembled the bedding so that it would be useful, and snuggled together. "Heaven," Derek said, into her hair. "Yeah," she whispered back. "How long can you stay?" he asked, knowing that her time there wouldn't be long. "I fly back tomorrow night," was Meredith's sad response. "I'll push my early surgery back to Monday," Derek offered quickly, longing to extend their time together as much as possible. "Don't," Meredith said to him, "don't make them wait. "OK," he said, squeezing her more tightly.

"I love you, Derek," Meredith said softly. "You're my whole world, Mer. All I need."

They drifted off to sleep, content and in love.



*******


Meredith woke up the next morning disoriented and alone. Derek was gone. She could feel his absence immediately. That realization was quickly followed by the ever present ache for him. When she finally got out of bed, she found a note from him and the breakfast he had made for her waiting.

She met him outside the hospital after his surgery, and they spent the afternoon riding on the ferry and telling each other all the little things they loved about one another.

Mid-afternoon, Derek drove Meredith to the airport. This parting was as love-filled and full of kissing as the last, but they survived parting without having to commandeer a storeroom. After all, Derek aleady had a ticket to fly out to visit Meredith on Thursday night.