Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own them.
This is a new fic I'm starting even though I haven't finished my other one. It's probably not a good idea to have two fics going at once, but I love Mer/Der and can't seem to stop writing about them.
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas – or does it?
Meredith and Cristina were standing by the nurse's station reviewing and talking over a patient's chart when a voice from behind interrupted them.
"Are you guys ready for our annual DATES?" asked the voice excitedly.
Rolling her eyes, Cristina turned around to face the intruder and said in an exasperated voice "Will you stop calling it that? We haven't used that name since med school and it's been four years since we graduated!"
Meredith leaned in towards Cristina, smiled and said "She still uses that name when you're not around."
"Well I think it's stupid and if it weren't for the booze and gambling, I wouldn't even bothering going," Cristina huffed, before grabbing the files into her arms and walking away.
"Izzie, you need to ease up on this. You know Cristina's been unhappy since she broke up with Adam." Meredith scolded her lightly.
Putting her arm around Meredith's shoulder, Izzie led her down the hallway and said "That is exactly why we need our DA…." She stopped abruptly when Meredith turned to give her a warning look.
Placing her hands up in surrender, she said "Fine. I will not mention the "D" word, but we need to pack tonight. Our flight to Vegas leaves at 10am tomorrow. Lauren and Sam will be flying in later so they'll call as soon as they arrive." Giving Meredith one last girlish grin, she turned on her heel and walked away. Meredith could hear her whistling the song "Viva Las Vegas" as she turned the corner and vanished.
Meredith couldn't help but smile at Izzie's excitement. Truth be told, she was looking forward to getting away for a couple of days. She'd been feeling a lot of pressure lately and need the time to get away and just breathe. Turning around and heading down the opposite hallway that Izzie vanished into, she started to reminisce about their med school days, remembering one night in particular.
It was Valentine's Day 2003. Meredith, Izzie, Cristina, Lauren and Sam were friends, who shared a home a few miles from Dartmouth where they attended college together. Meredith and Cristina never particularly cared for this day. In their minds, it was an overrated occasion that gave retailers reason to hike up prices on flowers and jewelry to bleed these poor unsuspecting boys and men out of their hard earned money. Spending exorbitant amounts of money to dine and wine in hopes that they'll get lucky and laid by their wives or significant others.
Needless to say, Meredith and Cristina did not have plans for Valentine's Day but Izzie, Lauren and Sam did. Well, they did until Lauren's boyfriend called to say he couldn't take her out for dinner because he lost all his money betting on a game. The guy Sam was dating broke things off when his real girlfriend from back home showed up unexpectedly at his doorstep. And then there's Izzie, who turned her boyfriend away when she realized it was more fun to stay at home with the "girls".
That night, they ate, gambled and drank themselves to a drunken stupor. And in the midst of their alcoholic drink fest, they swore off men and formed the Dark And Twisty Evil Sisterhood; otherwise known as DATES. This became their ritual every Valentine's Day and after they graduated med school, they decided to move their get-together to a place equally dark and twisty – Sin City, Las Vegas.
This years' get-together was only going to last through the weekend. Since they started their surgical residency, it was impossible for all three of them to have the same days off, so this year they agreed to make it a short weekend thing.
It was after 2pm, by the time they arrived and checked into the hotel. They were staying at the Venetian since the rooms were all-suites which allowed the three of them to share a room. Meredith lost the coin toss so she was stuck with the pull-out bed while Cristina and Izzie each got a queen bed. Lauren and Sam called while they were busy unpacking to say they arrived and after a lengthy discussion had agreed to meet up at Pure Nightclub.
It was late by the time they arrived at the club. It was Friday night so Meredith was not surprised to see that it was already packed with couples, singles and lots of hot looking people. They found a table off to the side and taking orders for drinks, she and Cristina headed over to the bar. While they were waiting for their drink orders to be filled, two guys came up and began hitting on them.
"Hey ladies. You two look too beautiful to be here alone."
Rolling her eyes, Cristina turned around and said "What makes you think we're here alone?"
"Well, if I had a girlfriend as hot as you two, I would never let her out of my sight."
"How charming,' retorted Cristina sarcastically. "It's shocking that some poor unsuspecting woman hasn't snatched you up."
Leaning in, he whispered in a creepy tone "Well, we can change that. What's say you and your little girlfriend here join my buddy and I for drinks. We can get to know each other…better."
Laughing hysterically, Cristina turned to address him straight in the face. "Seriously? Do you seriously think a line like that will get you laid? My girlfriend and I are way too sophisticated and intelligent to waste time with you and your boyfriend over there," she said, gesturing towards the guy moving to hide behind his friend. "Now scurry back to the hole you came from and take your boy-penises with you."
The creepy guy stood, rooted to the spot as he was struggling to take in what Cristina had just said. Gathering their drinks, Cristina turned once again and said in an exasperated voice "Why are you still here? Go away. Now!"
The guy that was previously cowering behind the "creepy guy" pulled his friends arms and yanked him out of the club.
"Unbelievable. C'mon, let's get back to the table."
As they walked back to the table, Meredith lost her footing and nearly tripped. A pair of strong arms reached out and steadied her. Cursing silently to herself, she looked up and found herself staring into the deepest, bluest pair of eyes.
"I…uh…," she stuttered lamely.
"Are you okay?"
"I-I tripped and you caught me and…," she tried to explain the obvious. Meredith cringed at her blatant stupidity. The guy must think she's a complete idiot. So much for being 'sophisticated and intelligent' women.
Smiling when he saw that her cheeks had turned a deep red, he said "Yes. You fell and I caught you."
Meredith couldn't help but smile too. He had the most amazing blues eyes that seem to soften when he laughs. She felt his thumb stroke the underside of her arm and looking down, she saw that he still hadn't let go of her.
Oh my god. Is there anything about this man that isn't hot? He's got the strong masculine arms, dark curly wavy hair that just screams to be touched, and the eyes. It's a crime to look this good and be allowed out in public. He looks like he'd be good in bed. Really, really good…
Shaking her head to clear her not-so-pure thoughts of this stranger, she said "You can, um…let go of my arms now."
Not breaking eye contact with her, he smiled again and released her arms. Meredith didn't know why, but the simple act of removing his hands left her feeling cold and alone. Looking past him, she realized that Cristina was nowhere to be found.
"Th-thank you. I have to go. My friends are probably wondering where I am."
Nodding his head, he moved aside to clear a path for her. He leaned in so that his mouth was less than an inch from her ear and whispered "Be careful not to fall again. It would be an awful shame to hurt those lovely ankles of yours." He gave her yet another dreamy smile and walked away.
Meredith stood staring at his retreating back until he disappeared completely into the crowd. Taking a few deep breaths to regain her composure, she walked back to the table.
Derek was still smiling as he walked up to the bar. It took a lot of willpower to keep from turning around to see if she was still standing there. He was intrigued by her. She had a child-like quality about her that made him want to protect her as a brother would a sister. Although the thoughts that ran through his mind as he was holding her, was anything but brotherly. He liked how she felt in his arms, which was probably why he hesitated in letting her go.
He was sitting in the corner booth with his friends, silently berating himself for allowing them to convince him to go to Vegas, let alone to this nightclub. He knew they meant well, but all he wanted to do was lock himself inside his Manhattan apartment and sulk at his mess of a life. He only conceded in the end because he knew that in a few weeks, Manhattan and all the painful memory it held would fade into nothingness. He was looking for a new start and it came in the form of a phone call from his former mentor.
He immediately noticed her as she walked in with her friends. She looked uncomfortable, which was what he noticed first since he too felt the same way. He sat there watching her as they found a table and she and a friend headed over to the bar. There was something about her that fascinated him and he found himself wondering if she was married or had a boyfriend. His smile dropped when he saw two men walk up to them. He prayed they would not be the boyfriends or husbands and soon realized it was not the case when her friend literally laughed them out of the club. Ouch!
Fate must have been on his side when this blond beauty literally fell into his arms. His friends were getting a little too rowdy for his liking so he decided to step away and that was when it happened. He was heading outside for a breath of air when he heard a faint yelp and saw her teetering with two drinks in hand. Reaching out, he grabbed her just in time. The electricity that shot through him when he touched her left him a little breathless. Upon closer inspection, he realized that he was wrong with his previous assessment of her. She was more than beautiful. She was captivating. Everything about her was captivating – her eyes, her smile, her voice, her hair. The smell of her hair was intoxicating. It smelled of flowers or something.
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