ALL CHARACTERS ARE COPYRIGHTED TO GREY'S ANATOMY, I OWN NOTHING! Belive me...you would know if I did!

The wind whistled through the gnarled trees, straining against their tired roots, warped with age. Thunder rattled the houses and lightening lit up Seattle. It must be one of the worst storms of the year but because there always seemed to be a heavy downpour of rain it was difficult to determine. Meredith Grey sat hunched by the window, just watching the rain hit the glass. It was completely dark in her mother's old house apart from a strip of light under Izzie's door. This was a typical scenario, Meredith at her most dark and twisty. Those days were Derek would be on call and she would have a night off, she would just sit and watch. It had been almost two years since her mother's death and it had been playing on her mind greatly, a thing she and Lexie had in common, an absent mother, but for Meredith she'd lost a mother and a surrogate mother. She'd learnt early on, life is tough, but you have to get through it, yes, you have to make it through- one day at a time.

A huge crash of thunder and a hand on her shoulder made her jump. Spinning around to face Derek who had an amused and slightly crooked smile of his face "What kind of person sits in the dark in the middle of a thunderstorm" he asked, tilting his head.

Meredith got to her feet, grabbing her sweatshirt and heading to her room, turning her head to respond "I do and why aren't you working?" She sat down on her bed watching him as he followed her.

He stopped at the threshold to her room, leaning against the doorframe "I managed to worm my way out of it" he stepped into her room and climbed into the bed, wrapping his arms around her and putting his face into the crook of her neck and murmuring "Time for us to be alone". She giggled and turned her head so she could kiss him; loving the safe feeling she always got in his arms. She'd never imagined life could be like this and her life at home could be so...comfortable. "You smell good" he whispered in her ear, kissing her down her neck.

"Oh you bet I do" she murmured, smiling as she looked into his eyes, so mcdreamy! They heard a door shut and Derek sat up, ever since Izzie had walked in on them they'd been slightly more careful. But the footsteps were heavier this time and the voice deeper. It wasn't Alex; it was time for Meredith to sit up as well; why was the chief in their house? Derek left first and she heard their voices, quick and worried.

She moved out into the corridor where Richard Webber stood, her almost surrogate father. Seeing as neither of her parents had done their jobs well enough she'd ended up with two sets of parents. "What's going on?" she ran a hand through her already tousled blonde hair.

"There's been an accident Mer, they need everyone in the hospital" Meredith nodded, this was serious; Derek's forehead always creased when something serious was going on. Like when Addison had come back. They hadn't seen her in a while, a stiff phone call every so often; you can only be so civil to your husband's ex. By this time Izzie and Alex were in the hallway, ready to go. Bracing themselves against the bitter wind and freezing rain they pelted outside toward their cars. Derek shielded Meredith from the rain by wrapping his arm around her, and in the midst of everything Meredith smiled. Her knight in shining amour...when had she got so lovey-dovey?

Meredith and Derek climbed into their car and followed Richard, Izzie and Alex behind them. Meredith tilted her head back, "Do you know anything about what actually happened?" she stifled a yawn, she had been expecting a small amount of sleep but now it seemed like she'd get none at all.

Derek shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road "All I know is that two cars collided and in the dark with so much rain not many people noticed until they'd joined in on the crash"

Meredith shivered "That could have been you"

"I know" Derek murmured, "I thought that too", he took her hand in his "I took a different route from usual today, I wanted to get home to you and there's normally traffic".

Meredith lifted his hand to her cheek and kissed each finger, reminded of the dreams she had had after the house of candles. "You know, a while ago I would always dream you'd been in an accident. It, it scared me" They sat in silence for a long time, after they pulled up outside the hospital nurses arrived to hand them their scrubs and protective wear. Meredith and Derek failed to meet each others eyes. Meredith felt a strange sensation in her stomach, had she committed some wrong in their relationship, being too needy by admitting how much she cared?

She was suddenly pulled backward and felt Derek's mouth on hers. When he pulled her upright her murmured "I would never leave you, never be scared like that. Anyway, I'm a surgeon, I wouldn't put myself in such a high risk situation" He finished with a peck on the check and ran off after the attendings.

Meredith spun round "High risk situation? You're a surgeon for god's sake!" she yelled after him. Then she called to her interns and ran to where the ambulances where coming in, she spotted Christina, Lexie following her looking bewildered. She permitted herself a small smile, Lexie had proved herself time and time again- she'd earned her older sister's respect.

She'd never seen so much carnage from one car accident. So many people were carried into the hospital, groaning in pain and calling out for their loved ones. She took a young girl and with her interns began pushing her into the hospital. The girl was unconscious, her hair matted with blood and across her face. With a spare hand Meredith pushed it away and they wheeled her into a room of her own, checking her for any other signs of injury apart from the gash on her head and a broken arm. After they found none, the stitched her up and Meredith left an intern to deal with the arm, heading back into the carnage.

This was going to be a long night.

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