A Fight to Remember

Whole and Healed Pt. 1

A/N: Thanks so much everyone! I love you all! Note time change here!

***2007***

Meredith:

I stood in the darkness, alone. The candles were out, the chill air forcing shivers up my spine. Swaying, I stared out at nothing, the champagne bottle banging against my knee.

Fairytale? Yeah freaking right.

He told me to wait... but for how long? Where was he? It seemed like ages since his lips touched mine, ages since my heart buzzed and my world stopped. Ages since I watched him walk back down that path, my lips swollen and my insides burning for him, for us. For extraordinary.

I huffed. Well, no point in freezing my ass. I wrapped my arms around myself and trudged to the trailer. Setting the champagne in the fridge, I pondered making coffee, but settled on tea. As water boiled for tea, I grabbed his ratty blanket to warm up in.

He'll be here. We'll have champagne. And kiss. And do more than kiss. I rubbed my thighs nervously as I watched small puffs of steam escape the kettle.

He'll be here.

I blinked away a vague memory of my father leaving, of Richard walking away.

Don't be ridiculous, I thought. You're just afraid... Afraid of the fairytale. Not the happy Disney one... but the Grimm fairytale your babysitter told you in the dark. The scary one. Dammit! I was going to get my happy ending! But it was late. I'd just pulled an impressively long shift, working with Beth and her parents and all my other duties.

Stay here, he said. Don't move... wait for me, he said. What if something happened to him? What if he was in an accident? Should I call him?

The kettle whistled. Derek'll be here, I told myself. He always comes back. I could do this. I could wait. I poured water in the cup and dropped the tea bag in. I stared out the window, but only my lonely face reflected back.

I had to try to trust him. This was just one of those things, right?

Tea mug in hand, I stepped out the door of the trailer and peered down the road. I stared for several long minutes, but no one came. No headlights could be seen through the woods, and Richard's trailer was empty and dark too.

When the last of my tea was cold and my body chilled from the midnight air, I closed the door. I put the mug down, wrapped myself again in his old yucky blanket and collapsed on the bed. It was too late to do anything now but worry, and I was too tired to worry. I closed my eyes...

The hard electric buzz of my phone jolted me awake. Derek? Frantic, I slapped my hand on the bed, feeling for it. Finally I felt the smooth plastic under my palm. I flipped it open. "Hello?" I rasped into the reciever.

"Meredith," Richard's voice was ominous. "You need to come to Seattle Grace. It's Derek. There's been an accident."

"Richard? Is he-"

"Just come, Meredith."

"No. No... No!" No! No! "No!" I flailed, striking something solid and warm.

"Ow!"

Sunlight trickled through the skylight. I was in the trailer? And beside me... was Derek? Here, with me? Alive? "Wha?" I rubbed my eyes. Derek lay right beside me on the bed, rubbing his cheek. "Derek..."

"Ow," he winced.

"Sorry, I..." dreamed you were dying, or dead. "You scared me."

He warmed my cheek and kissed me lightly. "I went to see Rose, and then I got called in, multiple MVA."