Disclaimer: I own nothing except for Will and Abby

There was movement everywhere. Bright lights, greens and reds, crowds of people. Hustle and bustle. Meredith knew going shopping nine days before Christmas was a bad idea. Weaving her way through people she finally shoved her way to the kids section. Once there Meredith was at a complete loss. What the hell were you supposed to buy a three year old? Clenching her hand around the strap of her bag she swerved into the first clear isle she could find. Grabbing the first pink thing she could see Meredith's eyes travelled down the length of the shelves until they landed on the back of a tall dark haired man.

Oh god…bad dilemma

Her breath caught and a strangled yelp erupted from her mouth before she could stop it. The toy pony she had grabbed fell to the ground with a soft clatter and she made no move to pick it up. She was rendered speechless and immobile. Out of the thousands of people packed into the building she had to wander into him. What were the odds?
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Derek blinked at the two boxes in his hands. Would Peter prefer the racing car or the motorbike? And what the hell was he supposed to get Ella. Derek scowled, angry at himself for not spending enough time with them to know what they would prefer. He was distracted from his task at the gasp from behind him and then the sound of something dropping. Swivelling around on his heel Derek felt his jaw fall to the floor as his eyes landed on the girl behind him.

My Christmas present came early…wait what the hell are you thinking…bad Derek!

"Meredith…" Came his hushed voice as he blew her name out as he released the breath he was holding

"H-hi"

Wow stuttering…what an intelligent girl you must look

Both stood and stared. The presents in Derek's hands lay loosely at his sides while the toy on the floor was completely forgotten. The constant buzz of the crowd around them died away until they were left in complete silence, the only thing connecting them was their eyes, staring deeply into the colors that they had never found in another person, no matter how hard they had both looked it was never the same. The wail of a small child nearby broke through there haze and both shifted, severing the connection.

"What are you doing here" They chorused breathlessly, their voices in perfect sync.

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The silence stretched again as Meredith blushed and Derek smiled nervously.

Run…run run run run run

It was the only word coursing through her mind and Meredith desperately wanted to follow it through. Seeing him here, standing in front of her, so real and as good looking as ever. It had rocked her to the core. But she couldn't bolt. She was rooted to the spot.

And all she could do was answer his question. Since she actually knew the answer to her own. He obviously hadn't moved from New York since arriving. Bending down she scooped up the plastic pony to stall for time and on straightening had to take a step back when she found him now directly in front of her.

Urgh…why couldn't he have gotten uglier…damn him!

Taking a deep breath Meredith averted her eyes from his penetrating blue ones in an attempt to stop her mind from spinning.

"I'm staying with Will over Christmas"

"Oh"

Derek tilted his head to the side, studying her as she tried her best to look anywhere but at him. Some things would never change. Like that fact that her smoky grey eyes still beckoned him to tell her his deepest darkest secrets and her lips still enticed him to the point of no control. Everything about her would stay etched into his mind forever. The way the small upturn of her mouth in a tiny smile could coax him into a grin even when he was in the foulest of moods or how her hair would fall across her face, tempting his hand to reach out and tuck it behind her ear to stop her feeble attempts to blow it out of her eyes.

My God she's still beautiful…maybe even more so than before

And it was true. Derek had to shove his hands into his pockets in an effort to stop himself reaching out for her. Yes some things would never change…but there situations had and he had to keep reminding himself of that fact. He actually felt the urge to pinch himself to make sure she was actually standing in front of him.

"What are you looking for?" Derek asked in an attempt to break the silence

She can't have kids…please let her not have kids

"I needed to buy a present…Carla has a three year old"

"Ahhh…I should have guessed" Derek said, smiling in relief

Seeing him flash his pearly whites only made Meredith's breathing even more difficult

He knows he has this effect on me and he's milking it…jackass

"What about you?" Meredith inquired, fearing the same thing he had

"Oh you know…lots of nieces and nephews"

Duh Meredith!...of course you know…how could I have forgotten…him and his stupid smile

"Oh right yeah…well I've got to go" Meredith said as she started backing away. The quicker she escaped the better. She needed to be as far away from Derek as possible before she died from lack of air. "See you later Derek"

"Bye Meredith, tell Will I said hi…it was nice to see you again" He said offering a smile. He could immediately pick up her jittery nerves and his automatic response was to sooth them like he used to. But that was the past. Funny how five minutes in her presence could send him right back to where they used to be.

"Yeah you to" And with that she had whipped around and she and the pony disappeared into the crowd. He tried to find her in the moving mass of people, wanting one more glimpse, but she was gone. Again.

Sighing heavily Derek raised his arms to look at the toys in his hands

Now, car or motorbike?

But for some reason his mind wouldn't stay on the task at hand. It kept wandering back to a certain someone who has unexpectably stumbled back into his life causing it to again spin in a different direction.