Say when

18

A few days went by and Derek had spent the time burying himself in work again, not willing to stoop himself down to apologizing... but today... today was an emotional day, and a lonely one at that... and he couldn't get his mind off the one person he wanted to be with today...

It was coming up on 6 o'clock and a Saturday at that.. he knew that it was the busiest night of the week and everyone was getting ready for their big shows... but he needed to see her...

He got up from his office chair behind his desk and made his way out of his office.. he walked down the hall already hearing the business in the dressing room...

He peeked his head in the open door seeing almost all of the ladies getting dressed and buzzing about chattering like chickens... he scanned the room feeling a sense of panic hit him...

"Can I help you boss?" he heard Cookie ask and looked over at her to see everyone else stop and look at him in surprise...

"Uhh.. is Meredith here?" he asked...

"No." She replied scanning the room... "She's not here yet, but I'm sure she will be... is there something I can do?"

"No." he said disappointed shaking his head... "Just, just tell her I was looking for her."

"Ok." She nodded watching him back out of the room and retreat to his office...

"What was that about?" Kitty asked furrowing her brow...

"Don't know." Cookie shrugged...

"Whatever who cares." Mimi butted in "I hope whatever it is ends up getting her canned."

"Mimi why are you such a bitch." Cookie hissed out... Mimi turned to retaliate when they heard a loud voice from the doorway..

"HI!!!" they all jumped to see Meredith standing there half dressed with a goofy grin on her face..

"Hey." Coco giggled out all of them with curious stares...

"You ok honey?" Disha asked...

"Fucking GREAT!" Meredith hollered as she stumbled into the room giggling...

"Where is your shirt?" Cookie asked noticing she was only wearing a pair of short jean shorts and a black lace bra... Meredith looked down at her bare torso and gasped...

"Whoa!" she gasped wide eyed "I don't know!" she started to laugh hysterically "That is fucking funny!"

"Mer honey what's going on?" Coco asked cautiously... Meredith hopped up on a chair and spread her arms out and squealed...

"I'M A BIRD!!" she hollered... Cookie walked over pulling her down...

"Shhh... honey be quiet he'll hear you."

"Pfft! Fuck if I care." She grumbled...

"Damn... she's on something and it aint alcohol!" Mimi copped out..

"Shut the fuck up Mimi no one here asked you." Coco retorted... Mimi opened her mouth to reply when a voice at the door put the room in silence...

"What the hell is going on in here!?" they all looked over wide eyed to see Derek standing at the door with his hands at his hips...

"Bye!"

Mimi blurted out before rushing out the door flashing Derek a seductive smile to which he found a little nauseating... he heard shushing going on and looked to see what was going on...

"I wont fucking calm down I'm feeling soo fucking good!" he heard in a familiar voice and looked up surprised and a little relieved to see Meredith standing there...

She pulled away from Cookie's grasp and started twirling herself in a circle in the middle of the room... Derek furrowed his brow and pursed his lips together... he pointed at Meredith... they shrugged wide eyed wanting to help her but not knowing how...

"Ok ladies, why don't you go ahead and go on stage." He said firmly... they looked at Meredith still twirling with a little girl squeal.... They reluctantly left but knew they didn't have much of a choice... after the room was empty he closed the door and watched as she spun around the room... "Meredith."

"It's a merry-go-round!" she squealed... he pressed his lips together to keep from laughing...

"Meredith." He said again walking towards her... she stopped spinning and he watched her body sway back and forth from the dizziness...

"Whoa!" she gasped "The room is spinning!"

"Yeah, wonder how that happened." He retorted sarcastically..

"I know! Its crazy!" she giggled... he furrowed his brow and crossed his arms taking a stand in front of her... "Whoa there's like five of you!"

"Just one." He said placing his hands on her shoulders to steady her... "What happened?" she pulled from his grip and walked over to the window with a skip...

"Hey!" she hollered as she pushed the window open, "We should cliff dive off the roof!"

Derek's eyes widened and he rushed over to her grabbing her waist and pulling her out of the window and sitting her down in a chair...

"Hey! You should sit down." He said firmly... he looked into her cloudy eyes that were busy scanning the room.. "Meredith, I'm sorry for what I said but I need you to tell me what happened."

"Oh I am fine!" she giggled "I'm just enjoying my freaking fricking fucking birthday is all!" he looked at her a little stunned as he gulped...

"To... today is your birthday?" he asked...

"YEPO!" she yelled "July freaking 17th! MY, oh MY birthday!" she rambled out in a loud voice as she bounced her knees up and down tapping her palms on them.. he tilted his head with a slight smile...

"Today is my birthday too." He said in a soft voice...

Her jittering suddenly stopped and for the first time that night her eyes came in contact with his for a moment, the pain in each other's mirrored... he saw tears start to well in her eyes as he took her shaking hands in his own... she whimpered out as tears started to fall down her cheeks...

"Its just another year of my mother pretending I don't exist."

He felt his heart break, knowing all to well what she meant... he reached up and wiped the first of many tears off her cheeks hoping to get to the bottom of this, but more so that the pain that suffocated them this day every year would be healed by one another.