The End

Chapter 23: The Magic

11 days had come and gone. Patrick couldn't contain the feeling in his chest. It was one of excitement and fear. This was the only place in the world where the past in the future overlapped. He could hear the bustle of the crew and feel the energy of the set. Nearly 20 years ago, this very show changed his life and it was about to do it again.

He stood at the edge of his trailer, waiting, wondering where she was. The anticipation more than he could handle. The script for todays scenes only a slight distraction for his anxious mind. It had been months since he'd seen her. Since he'd kissed her lips, touched her skin, heard her voice in person.

As if he'd felt her presence, Patrick looked up from the script to meet her eyes. His nerves quieted but his heart bursting with excitement.

"You're here," she said softly. There was a heart aching distance between them. She wanted to jump into his arms but resisted.

A smile broke the corners of his mouth. He nodded and shifted from foot to foot. He didn't have the self control she did. His eyes dancing over hers. Patrick closed the distance between them. "Finally," he said quietly into her ear. He ran his hand through her hair. The shape of her body fitting perfectly against his.

Several crew members passed by, Ellen cleared her throat and stepped away from him, "Camera's up in ten," she smiled.

"See you there," he nodded, desperately trying to keep his cool.

His time spent waiting for this day had felt like a lifetime but the day seemed to pass in a blink. It slipped through his fingers like sand. Images of her flashed through his head like a nostalgic movie. He felt the sweetness of this memory and the day hadn't even ended.

Her face seemed to glow in the California sun. Her smile permanently marking his vision. Ellen's laugh music to his ears. Her touch enough to send every nerve in his body a signal of excitement. If he was being honest, none of this surprised him. He'd spent years experiencing these very reactions to her. He would never grow tired of her. His eyes would never stop wanting to dance with hers. The butterflies would always come alive for her.

He was however surprised by how comfortable he felt. They picked up exactly where they had left off. Well... maybe not exactly. But his time away from the show seemed like days. They had fallen easily back into an enchanting working relationship. He could feel his heart swelling in his chest with each interaction. The 'magic,' better than ever before.

Their chemistry seemed to stop people in their tracks. They watched in awe. Soaking in what it felt like to witness two souls dance. Love coming full circle. History being both glorified and rewritten. He didn't care who knew he loved her. It was quite obvious in the way he looked at her, in some ways it always had been.

For a fleeting moment in time, they were Meredith and Derek again. They owed their own love story to these characters. It warmed his heart, healed him, satisfied him in ways he didn't expect. Bringing Derek Shepherd back to life felt like the final step of resurrecting his relationship with Ellen. Though he knew it was far from the final step.

Still, standing across from her, in front of the cast and crew, it felt like a victory for them. Even if they were still holding hands in the shadows. It felt electric to be with her again. Time had passed, the world had changed, but his feelings for her remained the same.

He couldn't help but picture a life with her. Patrick had spent most of his time on the show avoiding his feelings. Running from what it meant to be in love with her. Today he wasn't willing to do that. There was risk, he knew that. They could fumble along this land of 'almost' for another ten years, only to find themselves more broken than where they began.