Life After You

7.

After a long night of dancing they dozed off in each other's arms on a park bench. The break of dawn and song of the birds nesting in the park trees stirred them gently awake. Meredith smiled to herself at the beautiful sight before her and warmth that was wrapped around her in the form of Derek's arms. Paris at night was a beautiful sight, and thanks to Derek's persistence she saw it at it's best, from the Eiffel tower that makes Paris, Paris. But Paris at sunrise in the Parc de Monceau was a breathtaking sight as well.

"Morning sunshine." she heard him mumble and place a kiss against her temple.

"Good morning." she smiled.

"What should we do today?" he asked.

"Assuming we're doing anything together today?" she arched her brow.

"If four days is all I get with you, and three of them already gone, I'd say I need another day." he said.

"Fair enough." she nodded "I was thinking of going to the beach today."

"Beach?" Derek raised his brow "There's no beach in Paris."

"Normandy, Derek." she said "I want to go to Normandy."

"You want to go spend a sunny day on the beach where hundreds of our country men were slaughtered?"

"What better way to honor them than to enjoy ourselves." Meredith smiled. Derek shook his head and sighed. "It's only a two hour drive."

"And how exactly are we getting there?" he asked "We're tourists, we don't have a car."

"That's for you to figure out while I go change and grab a suit."

"What?" he frowned "Why do I have to figure it out if you were going anyway."

"Because I doubt you want to hitchhike." she said.

"Hitch hike!" he gasped "That's how you were going to go."

"Yes, and unless you figure out how to get there by nine, I still will."

"You are insane you know that." Derek mumbled as they both stood up of the bench."

"Yes I am, and you love it." she giggled, a smile immediately spread across his face and a feeling of warmth bubble up inside his chest at the thought of the word, she caught onto his expression and blushed "Um, so I better go."

"Where do we meet?" he asked "I don't know where you're staying."

"I'm staying at the Castex." she said. "I'll meet you in the lobby at nine o'clock."

"I'll see you there." he said with a smile.

She smiled back and turned to go, he reached out and grabbed her, swinging her back around and crashing her body into his. She gasped at the gesture but her lips were quickly covered with his own, he gave her a long intense drudging kiss before releasing her to a breathless state. She stared at him in amazement for a moment before giggling and stumbling off.

"Goodbye Derek."

"I'll see you later, Meredith."

Derek started walking to his hotel all the while wondering what mode of transportation they could use to get to Normandy without hitchhiking. He was almost to the front of his hotel when he passed by a shop that caught his eye, he stopped and stepped backward and stared into the window and smiled as light bulb after light bulb turned on in his head.

*******

Meredith Grey was a simple soul, she'd had a pretty easy life beside her parent's dying at a young age. Still though, she was raised thereafter by her Aunt Maggie, a wonderful woman and her father's sister. She taught Meredith to stay focused but have fun at the same time. She was strict but loving, and Meredith couldn't have had a better role model. She taught her to love herself the most, that if she let herself down that she would let everyone else down as well.