Off the Carousel

I Found You

Enjoy!

The wind ruffled his dark curls, the shining sun sparked across his brow. He looked exactly as he had the last time she saw him alive. Standing before her was a vision. The man who was her world, the man... who helped her become...

"Hi," he said.

He was here? She couldn't comprehend it. Wait... had she died now too? "Am I dead?"

"No," he said. He lifted his hand, fingers stretching and brushing back her hair. Her skin rippled, hairs standing on end.

"Is this real? Are you real?"

"I... can't really explain it. I just... I needed to see you, Meredith. One last time."

He touched her. A spark jolted up her arm. He squeezed her hand. Derek was warm, his skin soft...

Like he had been the last day she'd seen him.

She reached, wrapped her fingers behind his head and pulled him to her. Maybe she was dead, maybe she was hallucinating like Izzie had. Maybe this was some psychedelic trip, she didn't care.

Derek was here, alive. In her arms. She pressed her lips into his own, coaxing him open for her. His tongue stroking the inside corners of her mouth was like receiving life giving elixir. His palm on her cheek, his thumb grazing her earlobe a soothing balm on her grieved soul.

Finally, he pulled away, sliding his hands down her upper arms.

"Derek."

"I had a chance... but I didn't listen."

"What are you talking about? Listen? Listen to who? Derek?"

"Sorry," he shook his head, "It's hard to explain." He took her hand and pulled, signalling for her to sit. She sat beside him on the bridge, the rough wood scraping her jeans as she dangled her legs over the edge. She gripped the thick pole watching the stream tumble and swirl below her. Derek's hand rested on top of hers. "I didn't get it," he said. "It was right in front of me this whole time... and I missed it."

"Missed what?"

"Everything..." he looked down at her fingers peeking out from under his palm. "It was you."

Meredith bit her lip. She already knew that she was his everything. Already knew about the whole 'saving lives with his hands' speech... What could he say now that she hadn't heard before?

"This place... it's a part of me, you know. I never shared it with anyone. I was going to bring you here, after D.C...

"This is a real place?"

"Yeah." Derek nodded, cleared his throat. "You know, I came here, years ago. A few days before I met you."

"You did?"

"After everything that happened with Addison... I needed some... Quiet." His fingers curled gently around her hand. She found herself leaning on his shoulder. If he was a ghost, he certainly didn't feel like one.

"I came here," he pointed downward, indicating the bridge, the stream. "And I found hope. I found you."

"How?"

He smiled, that wonderful Mcdreamy expression only reserved for her. "I'm going to show you. Soon."

"But... you- you're-" Dead. Gone. Buried. Right?