Under the Night Sky

Chapter 41

August was slowly dying but the heat wave didn't give in even for a day. It was already sweltering despite the early hours.

The day started most usually. They woke up, had a round of morning sex and then another in the shower. They read the news and ate their breakfast making light conversation. What came next though was not a part of their usual routine. Derek took his compact suitcase, which seemed to weigh a ton dragging him back, and put it in the back of Meredith's jeep while she locked the door to the house. Bert ran around them barking madly as though sensing something out of element was up.

"You'll be good to Mer, you listen to me?" Derek rubbed Bert's head affectionately. "No pranks and no lice, bud."

Meredith chuckled as she halted beside them. "You're ready?" she asked him quietly. Thanks to Owen she was able to see him off to the airport.

Derek got to his feet with a sigh, his eyes sweeping the house and its surroundings.

"Can't really say I am. But I'll be okay," he nodded, "because I'll be looking forward to being here again."

"Me too," she said softly and looked away, tucking her hair behind her ears nervously.

"Mer," Derek blocked her way and placed his fingers under her chin to make her look at him. "One word of yours..." he whispered, almost begging.

"Let's... let's go," she cleared her throat, moving away.

But before they could get in the car, Meredith's cell rang in her pocket.

"Hey, Iz, what's up?" she asked grooming her voice as cheerful and casual as she could. "Is Owen doing okay?"

"Yes, he's doing great but... Mer, have you left for Vegas with Derek yet?"

"No, we've just walked out of the house. What's wrong?" she felt a sense of foreboding, glancing at Derek apprehensively.

"I feel really awful to say this... but we need another pair of hands. There is a line of patients. Mrs. Marsh again with some imaginary problem, Jackson's little brother with a broken arm and a group of tourists with food poisoning. We'd deal with that alone but I've got a call from Lisa Walsh's husband..."

"She's in labor, isn't she?" Meredith sighed resignedly. "I'll be right with her, Iz." She pocketed her cell and turned to look at Derek apologetically, who seemed both understanding and disappointed.

"Ah, Rachel curse strikes again?" he smiled sadly.

"I guess so," she nodded, swallowing a lump in her throat. She wasn't ready for that. She was supposed to have another few hours with him to get used to the idea that Derek was leaving today, for good.

"Meredith..." he walked up to her.

"I... we need to think how you're going to get to Las Vegas..." she said distractedly scooping her long hair away from her face. "Tucker, I'll ask Tucker if he can do us a favor."

Before he could say anything, she darted out of the driveway across the road to Baileys' house.

Derek pinched the bridge of his nose nervously. He thought he had a few more hours left with her, to look at her, to inhale her flowery scent, to hear the throaty timbre of her voice. And now it was taken away from him. He was a doctor too, he understood. But he wasn't going to let her get away with avoiding in these last few minutes.

"You can go to Vegas with Tucker. He was going to the city in the afternoon to run some errands but it's no problem for him to go earlier. He'll be ready in a couple of minutes," she recited at the top speed.

"Okay, thank you," he chuckled putting his hands on her arms soothingly. "Now can you slow down and look at me?"

She bit her lip, her breathing quickening instead of relaxing. Her fingers flexed nervously as she kept her arms limply at her sides.