Okay, since my exam session is over and I've been baking this story in my metaphorical oven for a little while, I'm just going to share it.

It's not a story in the proper sense of the word, but a series of one-shots, 26 to be precise, each one inspirated by an adjective. Honestly, I borrowed this idea from nattylovesjordy (ID:1276108) who wrote something similar for Bones. Her story is called "Love and Twenty-Six Adjectives". If you like Bones, well, check that out!

Anyway, I'll point out in each chapter to which part of the show the one-shot is referred, even if sometimes it might be obvious, then it would be followed by a song that has been either inspiring or meaningful for the adjective/one-shot. You decide if this is something you wish to read more of or it just needs to go back in my hard drive.

I hope I'll keep the canon Shonda Rhymes set in every one-shot and I warn you, some might be short, some other long, some other happy while other sad and depressing so well, just be patient. I know you are very patient. It will be told mostly by Meredith's PoV, it was simply easier for me to be in her shoes, both in first or third person. You'll notice when Derek will take over.

The title for the whole series is from the well known song L.O.V.E. by Nat king Cole or many other artists (maybe Michael Bublé covered that, uh?).

I planned sorta-weekly updates but you know how things go, right? So well, yeah, it's time to read this story!

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy. It's in my Christmas wishlist, though. It's never to early to start one, right?

Anonymous: Having an unknown or unacknowledged name.

Set before everything. I know we got to see the scene at Joe's only in Season 3, but this is my little version of it.

Suggested Song: The Geese Of Beverly Road – The National

"Serve me the sky with a big slice of lemon"

Meredith sat at the bar stool and sighed, ordering a shot of tequila, her poison of choice for the night.

She was proud of what she had accomplished during the day, but still she knew it wasn't enough. She was going to be a surgical intern in merely twelve hours and she couldn't wait for it.

Okay, she was scared, but she knew she could stand up for herself, she had done that all through med school, after all, no thanks to her mother.

Ellis had been transferred into a facility exactly that morning, and not without a fight. She had been her best self, in the end, shouting at kind nurses and blabbering about surgeries she had to get to. Then all of a sudden she quieted and revolved in her own universe, staring blankly at the new panorama outside the windows covering the whole wall in the visitors room at Roseridge.

Meredith listened to the noisy hum of people in the bar, feeling a little over dressed for the casual place. She had escaped the intern mixer with joy. She hated those events, because that's when her mother's name came out more often than ever.

Joe's bar instead was absolutely anonymous.

She knew most people in there were doctors: their pagers well on display, their faces tired, eyes rimmed with twelve-hours shifts. She knew a doctor's face.

And she recognized it even in the stranger that sat two tables away from her. His hands said surgeon as well, but she couldn't tell the specialty. Or maybe he was a lawyer and the smell of alcohol in the air had already an effect on her. He looked like someone who enjoyed talking anyway and he had a dazzling smile.

The man turned to the bartender with a gentle smile as he approached her, ordering a double scotch, single malt, then grinned.

He was in a red shirt but she knew right away that blue was his color when their eyes met, barely for a second. Yep, definitely blue. She could easily get lost in all that blue that stared back.

The smile though was what killed her resolutions.

"Is this seat taken?" he asked in a husky, gentle voice. He seemed a gentle guy all around, surely not the type of guy she usually brought home from a bar.

Meredith shook her head kindly in reply to the question, because despite the flavor for straight tequila, she was still a nice girl, with manners. Her mother had taught her at least those.

"So, is this a good place to hang out?" the stranger asked, and her eyes fell on his hair. It looked like he spent a lot of time on it, before going out. Was that a habit? She couldn't tell. He fascinated her.

"I wouldn't know, never been here before" she replied elusively, shrugging her shoulders before gulping her shot and asking for one more.

"You know, I haven't either. First time here, I'm new in town" he paused, waiting for a reply that never came "I've never been to Seattle. I have a new job, so" he smiled and again, Meredith felt all her resolutions of going home early-and-bright crumble.

He was so damn attractive.

"Aw, you're ignoring me" he smirked, cockily, confident. It seemed a little different now, than how he looked just a few moments before. There was a certain spark in what he did.

"Trying to" she smirked back, honestly, giving another go at her tequila.

The liquid burned down her throat, but not half as heatedly as his eyes on her. He had a way to look at her that never, ever she had felt. He made her shiver.

"You shouldn't ignore me" he smiled, sipping his drink

"Why not?" she asked, even before realizing it and he smirked triumphantly

"Because I'm someone you need to get to know to love."

Love. Love was a big word. But he didn't seem to have thrown that carelessly. He meant it, in a weird, crazy way, he meant it.

"Really?" she asked, a little amused and yet, scared as hell.

"Oh yes" he almost sighed, his tone joyful, filled with expectations, confidence and a little bit of hope, maybe?

"So if I'll know you, I'll love you" she smiled again for good measure and he nodded, his cockiness doubled, his head tilted to the side for a charming effect that had Meredith shivering again. She could blame the tequila, but she knew, it was something else entirely.

"Oh yes" he hummed

"You really like yourself, uh?" she smirked

"Just hiding my pain" he smiled, but something happened in his eyes, a veil of sadness lingered there. He chuckled though and everything dissolved.

He looked expectantly for her to continue the conversation, straightening up, then smiling softly again. Meredith though kept playing with her empty glass.

"Was that too much?" he asked, almost concerned, setting down his scotch. "I'm not really good at this" he admitted, suddenly vulnerable but yet, still fascinating. Maybe it was his game plan from the start, Meredith wondered. In fact, her head was working like crazy to place all the pieces of the jigsaw together and still, there seemed some details missing.

"It's fine. I just had a long day" Meredith admitted, her expectations for the following day, her first day, suddenly growing and multiplying.

"I can go, if I'm bothering you" he retreated a little at this, sliding his empty glass towards the bartender then straightening up to half-sit, half-stand on the stool.

"I don't mind you" she admitted. Even if he did weird things to her stomach when he smiled.

"So you'll keep ignoring me while I talk?" there it was again, the cocky smirk.

"Probably" she smiled back, a small, drunken giggle escaping her lips and she saw his grin stretch wide on his face.

At this point, Meredith decided that if he would take advantage of her, he totally could. She was open to every possible alternative the dark-haired, blue-eyed stranger offered her.

Maybe she could seriously love him, at least for one night.

AN: Seriously, loved it? Hated it? Think I'm going crazy?

I hope you'll be there to read B.