I had this idea in mind and I tried to put it down… I hope you like it – please read, enjoy and review!

A big THANK YOU to my lovely Vero (merder32) for being my beta! If you are searching for some great MerDer stories, check her page!

Love,

Hel

Chapter 1

Just coffee

I remember what you wore on the first day
you came into my life and I thought "hey, you know, this could be something".
'Cause everything you do and words you say, you know that it all takes my breath away
and now I'm left with nothing.

"So, you're gonna fly all the way to LA in the morning to attend a medical conference with the Chief?" Cristina Yang asked, lazily nibbling on a muffin.

It was almost midnight, after a twenty-hours-long shift; she and Meredith Grey, her best friend, her co-worker, her person were in the kitchen of Meredith's mom's old house and the table between them was full of muffins. It looked like Izzie, their very blonde, very girly other friend, had been through another crappy moment. She used to bake to deal with things.

"And Shep," Meredith replied, her mouth curving in a soft grin. "I'm going to LA with Chief Webber and Amelia Shepherd. I feel a little sorry for the girl, she wanna be a neurosurgeon so bad but at Seattle Grace we don't have a neurosurgeon worth to be call this way"

"Yeah," Cristina murmured. Amelia Shepherd was not exactly her friend; she and the girl had barely exchanged five sentences in a few years but she understood her need to have a mentor. "I am really lucky to have both Burke and Teddy," she added, referring to her boyfriend, Preston Burke, the Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Teddy Altman, a blonde, funny, but most of all extraordinary capable cardio surgeon who took Cristina under her wing.

"That Nelson sucks. And most of all, Amelia's brother is THE Derek Shepherd, god of neurosurgeon or something like that. I can feel the pressure"

"Yes, whatever, Ellis Grey's daughter. She could even be the sister of a neuro god, but you are the daughter of God. As in blood and flesh god"

"Okay, we're not going to have this conversation again. Plus, you reminded me I have to deal with my mother, tomorrow. So, I need to sleep". Meredith stood up. "Good night, Cris. I'll see you in two days!"

She ran upstairs, changed and climbed on her bed. Exactly then the iPhone on the bedside table ringed. A text from Alex Karev, another co-worker, practically her brother. "Going to LA, uh? Looks like u'll see ur mom. I don'twanna be in ur shoes, sis, but try to have fun! Xoxo"
Cristina was her best friend, she thought while lying down and turning off the light. But Alex – Alex can understand her like no one. She wasn't exactly thrilled about seeing her mom again, but the medical conference sounded like fun. Like work – real work. Like she was going to be a real surgeon, with a different name, a different story, and just her own cleverness. Without being related to Ellis Grey. Or, at least, she could pretend to.

Meredith could feel Amelia Shepherd's eyes on her. She turned her head a little and smiled, tentatively, to encourage the girl to say something.

It was barely nine in the morning, they had been flying for a hour and a half. So, this means they were almost in Los Angeles. Meredith had been lazily reading a copy of Vogue Izzie had left on her bag the night before, Amelia has been listening to music and Richard was still napping.

"You look nice," Amelia said smiling widely, scanning the girl's white tee and the coloured necklace. Meredith raised an eyebrow. "Sorry?"

"Nice. You do look nice. I've always seen you in that crappy scrub…". Seeing that Meredith puzzled expression hasn't changed, she laughed hard. "Oh gosh, what you must be thinking! I am not hittin' on ya, I am straight! I was just tryin' to be friendly"

"Oh!" Meredith exclaimed, a little more relaxed. "I wasn't thinking you were hitting on me, I saw you kissing O-" her eyes drifted to Richard and to Amelia's shocked expression and she bit her tongue. "I know you're straight," she corrected herself. "I am just… not used to friendly chatting"

"How so? You're always hanging out with Yang, you live with Karev and Stevens… am I correct?"

"Yes," Meredith replied, closing her Vogue. She wanted to talk to Amelia, actually. And it was strange because, like she said, she wasn't used to meeting new people, not since she met the other interns at Seattle Grace. Why Amelia never hung out with them? "You are correct but we have a strange relationship, basically constantly insulting each other". Amelia laughed, letting her finish. "Izzie is the only one who's a little sweeter". She looked at the girl with attention: the black shirt, the make-up that lit up even more her pretty blue eyes. Long, light-brown tresses on her shoulders. "You look gorgeous, too. Just to return the favour!"

"I like you, Meredith Grey," Amelia declared, as a matter of fact.

"Why do you never come to Joe with us?"

"I don't wanna intrude, I suppose. You guys seems like…family".

Meredith smiled a little. She wasn't used to the whole family concept at all. Family. Family involved a loving mom, a funny father, a sweet little sister, maybe. Family meant cookies baked together on Sunday mornings or afternoon strolls in the city. And holidays, and kissing each other good night. Family means love, and Meredith Grey has seen no love in her life at all.

"Feeling free to do so, the next time. Come alone, or bring a guy. Are you dating O- are you dating someone?". Apparently, Meredith knew about her fling with Owen Hunt, one of the residents. "Mmh, kinda," she explained. She knew better than to admit she might have a relationship with one of the bosses, she witnessed how it was hard for everyone to accept Burke and Yang, at the beginning. Plus, being the baby sister of Derek McDreamy Shepherd, the neuro god, was enough; she doesn't want another reason to make people think she has her shoulders covered.

But in the little time she'd been talking with her, Meredith seemed nice, funny, and definitely worth-trusting. "I have feelings for him and I am try to sort out if he might like me back. What about you?"

"Oh, I am dating Josè since I was a sophomore"

"Josè?"

"Josè Cervo," Meredith explained. One moment of silence, and then Amelia's hard, loud laughter. "Oh god! Tequila!"

"Yes," Meredith giggled. "I don't date. Never have, never will. One of the few things I learned from my mother. Men are distracting, and I don't need distraction. And I am not the kind of girl who falls in love. Trust me, I learned better!". She bit her tongue, having said more than enough. Amelia's nice eyes were on her face, but she didn't ask more.

There was a moment of silence, then Meredith, again, asked: "So, neuro, uh?". They were barely two months away their final exams and everyone was freaking out about choosing an area. Making up a work, choose a life. Cardio or neuro, general or ortho. The work you are going to do your whole life.

"Yes! Totally into the brain. I knew so since I started med school, and even if I tried changing my mind…"

"Why would you do so?"

"I'm gonna be the other Shepherd all life long, I suppose"

"Welcome to my life," said Meredith, her voice full of sarcasm. "I am the mini-Grey, can't you see it? The daughter of the legend. And I wish practically twice a day I can do something else!".

Amelia was about to reply, her eyes full of understanding but Richard's voice scared them saying: "Looks life someone found his twins!"

"How long have you been awake, Chief?" asked Meredith, giggling a little. He was right. Her and Amelia were similar and that felt strangely nice.

"What happened to calling me Richard? I knew you since you were five, carrying Anatomy Jane through the whole hospital. Besides – we're not working"

"Well, technically we are," Amelia commented grinning at the situation.

"If Amelia calls you Chief, I'll do the same"

"How about Amelia calls you Richard, too?" the soon-to-be neurosurgeon asked.

"I guess…" he said. "Very well, seems like we're about to land. Who wants Starbuck's breakfast?".

Two hands were raised, with two shining young pair of pretty eyes.

"What a crappy idea," Meredith murmured to herself. She was standing in a conference room full of physicians, in a fancy indigo dress, with her hair pulled up in a chignon; she spotted a group of people in the middle of the room, enamored with a doctor who was making small talks. Her mother, of course.

"Are we going to greet Boston Mass General Head of Surgery?" Richard said, his face relaxed in a kind smile.

"Oh gosh," Meredith breathed, but Amelia unconsciously saved her. She spotted a group of five and exclaimed: "Guys!" running toward them. Two of them were African-American, along with a good looking man and a stunning, tall red-head girl hugging Amelia. The last one was a man – no, not a man, more like a god. Tall, well-built, with dark, perfect hair, a dreamy smile and two blue-ocean eyes. He and Amelia looked alike.

"Is he Derek Shepherd, the god of neurosurgeons?" she asked to Richard, but realized she was left alone. In that moment, Amelia called her. "Mer! Come here!".

She reached for her friends, her own green eyes drooling in a pool of blue.

"These are my friends, Naomi and Sam Bennet, fertility and cardiothoracic surgeons. They run a practice here in LA"

"Nice to meet you," she said politely, shaking hands. "Meredith Grey, I am an intern at Seattle Grace like Amelia"

"Grey?" asked the good looking man. "As in…" and his eyes searched for Ellis.

"Yes, as in related to Ellis Grey," she explained, rolling her eyes. "I'm her daughter"

"I'm Mark Sloan, and this is my wife, Addison Montgomery" he said, embracing the stunning beauty. Addison Montgomery? She was a superstar! Meredith couldn't ever imagine she would look like that.

"I'm a plastic surgeon and she's a neonatal, we work at Mount Sinai"

"And this," Amelia said, embracing the last man, "He's my brother"

"Dr. Derek Shepherd," he said, and his voice was calm, low and sexy, just like him.

"Nice to meet you, too," she smiled. "Now would you please excuse me, I have to find my mother"

"Are you gonna play the princess part, Mer?" Amelia said, laughing.

"I can't avoid it any longer!".

But apparently, luck was on her side. She was about to go to her mother, when a voice announced the meeting was about to start, so for the following two hours she was trapped in a small, comfy armchair, next to Amelia.

Derek Shepherd was actually very curious about hearing Dr. Grey's speech. She was a living legend, everyone studying medicine or working in the field knew about her. However, the truth was he wasn't really positive about her being this extraordinary. He simply thought she was slightly overrated.

Anyway, after about fifteen minutes, he had to realize she was even better than what he had heard through the grapevine; she was confident and brilliant, funny and intelligent, and totally fascinating. Blonde, short hair, and piercing eyes behind the glasses. Cold eyes. Nothing like her daughter – Derek had heard exactly one sentence from the young woman, said three times. But he had immediately discovered passion, a hidden sweetness, and strength. Things, he thought, she hadn't took from her mom.

"As most of all surely know," continued Dr. Grey, "my daughter, Dr. Meredith Grey, has almost finished her internship in surgery. I have to admit I was slightly pissed off that she chose my old friend Richard Webber instead of me," she stopped for a few second, waiting for the crowd to stop laughing. "But anyway, I would like to have her up here for a moment – I am positive you want to hear what is going on with the future of medicine!".

Meredith wanted to die in that precise moment. Her mom was Satan. She was even worse than what she had always imagined. Looking terrified to both Richard and Amelia, she decided she had just one thing to do: stand up, climb on the stage and prove herself.

She walked to the stage, hoping that her dress was alright, wishing to not fall from the heels or making a fool of herself. Her mom smiled confidently at her, while Meredith considered different options to kill her and made it look like it was an accident.

She took the microphone and started speaking.

God, help me, please. Just help me – I'll stop the whole tequila thing, but please, please, let me get through this!

She spotted a pair of piecing blue eyes from the first chairs – Derek Shepherd was scanning her from head to toes. And not in a wrong way – with curiosity, and interest. From some strange reasons, that look gave her strength.

I can be even more arrogant than you, mom.

"Good day, ladies and gentlemen. As my mother introduced me, I am Meredith Grey and in two months I'll have my final exams. I worked for the past few years at Seattle Grace Hospital, in Seattle, Washington. My very first day of work, Dr. Richard Webber told us we were about to live the best and worst years of our lives. I didn't know what it meant, but now I do realize it with full conscience. I became a doctor myself, and I have seen my colleagues working small, little miracles all the way.
Dr. George O'Malley was call 007 the day we started. After a few weeks, he did surgery in a elevator, during a black-out, following the advices of our Head of Cardiothoracic, Dr. Preston Burke. I am sure everyone in this room knows him. Actually, Dr. Burke and Dr. Teddy Altman fight almost every day because they both want to be assisted by another one of my colleagues, Dr. Cristina Yang.
I could go on for hours, but I'll give you just another example: I am sure everyone here knows Dr. Derek Shepherd. Well, I have the pleasure to work with her sister, Dr. Amelia Shepherd. She didn't have the luck to have a mentor, during her internship. Anyway, I saw her performing an emergency craniotomy with the only help of her strength her knowledge, because she doesn't have time to wait for our Head of Surgery without losing the patient.
And then, there's me – I am about to have my exams, like I said before, and hopefully I will soon be a general surgeon. I don't know where I'll go, maybe I'll stay where I am working with Drs. Webber and Bailey as an equal. But believe me, and remember, in ten years: Drs. Cristina Yang. Amelia Shepherd. George O'Malley. Isobel Stevens. Alex Karev. Meredith Grey. You haven't heard the last from us. Thank you for your attention".

She gracefully climbed down, in the exact moment the crowd started clapping fiercely. Even her mother was smiling.

Actually, being a star is hereditary, thought Derek, smiling.

Meredith had actually survived.

The conference day, the lunch with her mom and doctor Webber, where she had let them do all the talking. Her mom had been brilliant and polite, maybe even kind to her. Maybe Meredith's speech was giving its fruits.

It was five in the afternoon, and she had just discovered that day was Amelia's birthday. She had promised the girl she was going to "party away the night", in Amelia's words, with her, her friends – as in drs. Montgomery, Sloan, Bennet and her brother. And Josè Cuervo, obviously. Since she had talked so well about her during her speech, Amelia had promised her a whole bottle.

So, with jeans, a t-shirt, and sneakers, earphones on, sunglasses and hair pulled up in a bun, Meredith was walking across the promenade, trying to figure out what she would buy for Amelia.

"Dr. Grey?" a voice called her. She raised her head. Oh, God.

"Dr. Shepherd!".

He smiled. Oh, what a smile.

"I wasn't sure it was you. I mean, with the sunglasses and everything…". He looked amazing in jeans and a shirt, even better than the morning. And despite her resolution on not to dating and not to feel attraction for any guy, she still was allowed to look.

"Oh, yes, I am taking some time off. I spent the day between my mom and that terrible dress, so I just wanted to relax and drink a coffee, plus I need to find a gift for Amelia, so-".

She was rambling. How impressive. Little she knew, Derek was completely fascinated. He couldn't believe his luck, in meeting her casually. She was beautiful, even more than in the morning. Plus, she was smart. Really smart. And he found that rambling attitude pretty sexy – along with the honey hair, the green eyes, the slender legs and the full breasts – yes, he had actually looked.

Derek met a lot of woman every day. Nurses, interns, patients. Women, young women, girls. He can acknowledge sexy women, but never, not in ten years, has he felt the same attraction he was feeling in that moment for Meredith Grey, a girl he had know for a few hours. It was a pretty strong attraction, too. Making him want to speak to her, to know her ideas, her vision of the world and her dreams. Making him want to sweep her off her feet, kiss her senselessly and making love to her from that moment to the following day, ravishing her skin, tasting every inch of her amazing body.

"A gift for Amy, uh? What do you have in mind?"

"I don't know. I don't have any ideas"

"Do you want some advice? I think I can manage buying a gift for my baby sis". He smirked at her, and she instantly knew why he was called McDreamy. Her knees felt like jelly, she could feel her throat closing in fear. He was danger. And despite she knew she had to run away, she asked: "What did you get her?"

"Just an iPhone 6. I didn't have time to find something better". Again, that smirk. And Meredith couldn't resist teasing him back: "Arrogant much, aren't you, Dr. Shepherd?"

"Always the arrogant, Dr. Grey. Arrogance, along with geniality and sex-appeal, wins in every situation".

Her stomach groaned in desire.

"You're extremely full of yourself, I see"

"Me? It wasn't me telling every single neurosurgeon and general surgeon in the country that they will remember me, in ten years!".

Touché.

She smiled widely at him. Screw the fear. We're just talking.

"That was payback for my mom's own arrogance. I'm sorry if I did mention you, anyway"

"You could buy me coffee as a truce. What do you think?".

She remained silent for a few moments. Coffee. With him. Coffee with the most good-looking guy ever in a great city, under a bright sun, with a lazy, sexy wind coming from the ocean…

It's just coffee. Get a grip, Mer. Just coffee.

"I'm sorry, dr. Grey, I didn't mean to cross a line," he said while her silence. She smiled sweetly: "No line crossed at all, dr. Shepherd. And it's Meredith, just Meredith. Anyway, aren't you a gentlemen, asking a girl to buy you coffee?" she smirked, seeing him blushing. How adorable he was. "Lead the way, is there a Starbucks somewhere?".