Author's Note: Okay, so I have several ideas, right? And well, I have this thing called a huge amount of fic in need of updating. So, instead of starting new fic..which usually end up being too short, anyway...they'll go here. and one-pieces. Or, in an occasional happening, two-parters. It'll be friendly of most couples...MerDer, Addex, Addek, Azzie, Burktina-and whoever else...oh, and maybe a Cage or two. Anyway, thanks for reading, and even if you don't like the couple that the particular piece is for, maybe try reading, or atleast review...let me know what you think. It's what keeps us writers going!

Disclaimer: I don't own. It sucks, but it's true. :(

Title: Stay With Me

Pairing: MerDer

He slept in the hammock. He slept in the hammock because he couldn't sleep, and because Meredith snored. But this time was different. This time, she was sleeping beside him. It was wierd, really-considering how much they had been through in the past year. Staring at a sleeping Meredith in his arms, he let out a sigh.

She was happy, content. She had fallen asleep after they had talked about the day. It wasn't intentional, really. They were outside the trailer when he pulled her into the hammock. They had just finished dinner, one of the few times Derek was able to use his grill. They laid there-quiet. Small talk was really the only thing that happened.

Derek hadn't planned on falling asleep in the hammock, truthfully. But when he put his arms around her, it felt right. The world faded away, and all that was there was them. And the trailer. And the land. It was darker now, and apparently a light mist had fallen, because his face was decorated with tiny droplets.

Life in Seattle had taken Derek by surprise. He'd planned on hating it, on loathing Seattle so much. He was looking for an excuse to hate it, to make life miserable. But then there was Meredith.

He'd tried to define it, to make sense of it. He was a neurosurgeon, it was something he did.

There was no making sense of it-of his relationship with Meredith. He knew they hadn't gotten past everything, that they still had several conversations that sooner or later they'd have to get out in the open. Derek knew that he'd have to gain Meredith's trust again, and that he needed to do so in a way that made her believe. However, believing requires patience, something Derek never was good with.

With Addison, or with anyone else, he was used to getting what he wanted. He'd say something, and it would come true. He'd want something, demand it, even. And there it was.

Then came Meredith. A tiny, sad-eyed intern who, at her best, was as competitive as he had ever been when he was an intern. She stood up to him, she didn't stand for the sleeping on the couch, or the sleeping outside.

When she found out, Derek was scared. He felt guilty, almost like he'd lose her all over again. And it hurt. Then, there she was. Without explanation, without warning. All she asked is that he stay with her. And stay with her he would. He was a man of reason in New York. Everything had a reason, a rule, a purpose. With Seattle-with Meredith, he had a purpose, but the rules-the rules he still wasn't sure about. The reason...the reason was entirely different.

Meredith stirred in his arms, moving her arm across his chest. This time, she wasn't snoring. This time, Derek wasn't watching her because she was loud, or because he couldn't sleep. Derek felt content-he felt happy. In that moment, in the hammock with Meredith...he felt happier than he had in a long time. He knew they'd talk, and that one day "small talk" wasn't going to be enough. In that moment, it didn't matter. She was there, and so was he. To Derek, that was all that mattered.