Merder fanfiction

Chapter 1

"Do you see them?" Cristina asked Izzie as they entered Joe's. The bar was teeming with the late after-shift hospital crowd and it was hard to hear over the din. It was an effort to work their way into the crowd.

Izzie looked around for familiar faces. She couldn't believe the size of the crowd. Happy for Joe's booming business tonight, but it was too many people for a weeknight. She was too tired to deal with too many people.

"I don't see anyone."

"You don't see anyone? Are you blind Barbie? This place is crawling with bodies." Cristina forged a path toward the bar with Izzie following in her wake. "How can you not see anyone?" Cristina needed alcohol right now. Meredith and Alex could catch up.

"Oh Cristina, you know what I meant. I didn't see Alex or..." Izzie paused as she spotted a familiar male head of dark curly hair at the far end of the bar. "Wait, there's Derek."

Cristina shifted direction, her eyes scanning the bar. "McDreamy's here?" A drunken patron stumbled back from the bar, stepping on Cristina's foot. "Watch it you lush before I remove your liver through your nose!" Cristina pushed the drunk back towards the bar.

"Did Meredith say Derek was meeting us?" Izzie was confused. She only knew of Alex and Meredith. George and Callie were a "maybe." Izzie craned her neck to take another look. Something was off with this picture. Someone had Derek's attention. He was smiling. It was a drunken smile, but it was a smile. And it wasn't at Meredith.

Izzie grabbed Cristina's arm as they neared the couple.

"Damn it Barbie, I'm tired of getting bounced..."

"Shut up! That's not Meredith with Derek."

Cristina and Izzie stopped a few feet from Derek, who was seated, a little unsteadily, at the bar next to a young, slim, dark-haired woman. Her hand lightly touched Derek's thigh as he sipped his drink. His elbow rested on the edge of the bar, along side four empty glasses. The drink in his hand clearly wasn't Derek's first of the night. And the woman, also a little tipsy, definitely wasn't Meredith.

The door continuously chimed, sounding as more people poured into the packed bar.

"I'm gonna kill him." Cristina stared at the couple. "I'm gonna kill that cheating bastard and throw the body under his damn trailer."

"Maybe Derek knows her. Maybe she's the daughter of an old friend. Or..."

Cristina rolled her eyes. "What are you, President of Fantasyland? Look where her hand is! That doesn't look like 'old family friend' to me."

Izzie nervously turned around to view the room. "Where's Mer? She can't see this. She...Alex!" Izzie jumped as Alex appeared next to her.

"Jeez, what's going on tonight – this place is packed."

Izzie looked past Alex. "Shut up Alex, where's Meredith?"

"She had to pee."

"Get her out of here." Izzie pushed Alex towards the restroom as bodies crowded around them. "Hopefully there's a line and Meredith is in it."

"What?"

"Evil Spawn, get Meredith out of here – NOW!" Cristina yelled in Alex's ear.

"Guys..." Izzie glanced at the opposite end of the bar, and pulled on Alex's coat sleeve.

"Damn it Yang!" Alex growled as he rubbed his ringing ear. "What the hell's going on?"

Cristina grabbed Alex by his coat lapels, and spun him again in the direction of the bathrooms. "She can't see Shepard like this. Take her home."

"Guys!" Izzie insisted.

Ignoring Izzie and Cristina, Alex pushed his way up to the bar and motioned to Joe for a beer. He was thirsty, and if Izzie and Cristina were acting weird, he needed alcohol. "Why, is Shepard drunk and disorderly? It's not like Grey hasn't been there and done that."

Joe set the beer in front of Alex. "She's been at it for a while." A none-too-happy Joe nodded toward Derek's companion.

"GUYS!" Izzie yelled.

"WHAT!" Alex and Cristina yelled back in unison.

"We're too late." Izzie said softly as she motioned toward the end of the bar, where Meredith stood in disbelief, her shot of tequila paused midway to her lips.