Definitions

By MMW

Meredith pulled into her favorite parking space, the one under the only shade in the entire lot. Turning off the engine, she dropped her keys into her purse, grabbed her files and tea, exited the car and headed into work.  All weekend she'd battled with herself and finally felt that she'd come to terms with the situation. Not that there was a situation, she tried to assure herself, but still, she'd found some sort of peace about events.

Thursday she'd finally convinced herself to ask Vin to lunch and a matinee on Saturday. That way she could have an opportunity to see if there was maybe a chance her more-than-friendship feelings for him were returned. Since it was still early and she knew no one else would be in yet, she grabbed some reports she needed to drop off, headed up to Team Seven's area and stopped cold in her tracks.

Desiree Masters was sitting on Vin's desk. The two were chatting and laughing. She didn't think much of it until Desiree reached out and touched Vin's arm. Desiree was here on temporary assignment to Team Four and Meredith didn't think Desireewas a touchy person and knew Vin wasn't. The way she touched Vin's arm spoke of an intimacy and Vin didn't seem to object.

With a sigh, she dropped off the reports and caught part of their conversation.

"So, since you won't tell me where we're going, will you at least tell me how I should dress on our date?" Desiree asked, unaware her words were causing the quiet admin some discomfort.

Dropping off the last of the reports, Meredith turned and left before hearing Vin's reply. She was late - again. She'd taken too long to come to terms with her own feelings, as usual, and now Vin was seeing Desiree.  At lease Desiree was nice, unlike some of the other female agents, so Vin should be happy.

Releasing a sigh as she leaned against the wall of the elevator, she had started trying to convince herself she would get over her feelings for the Sharpshooter. He didn't seem to mind the touches from Desiree, her close proximity, and he had been laughing when she came in. Regardless of her own disappointment, Vin was still her friend and as long as he was happy, that's all that mattered. Happiness was too rare a commodity in this world to bypass it when it happened to you or resent it when it happened to others.

At least, that's what she kept telling herself - all weekend long.

Now, as she headed in Monday morning, she felt more at peace about things. Yes, she did still have feelings for Vin, but her desire for something more than friendship would be put aside as long as need be. She would just continue being his friend.

Settling at her desk, she put her purse away and set her tea down along with the work she'd brought home with her. Turning on the monitor to her PC, she opened her email and smiled to see the one from her aunt.

Her aunt had taught fifth grade for forty-five years and had all sorts of interesting stories. Meredith had been bothering her for some little tidbits which she was then collecting into a little book for her aunt. Today's tidbits were definitions.

Opening the email, she began reading and laughing, these definitions were funny.

She'd been reading them for a while and had just reached up to wipe tears from her eyes when a voice behind her startled her.

"Whatcha laughin' at?" Vin asked. He'd stopped by to say hi. He knew it was silly for him to feel this way, but he just didn't feel like his day was complete unless he could at least say 'hi' to Meredith.

He knew she only thought of him as a friend, at least he thought she did. He had decided to ask her to lunch and a matinee for last Saturday to see if maybe there was a chance, but then Buck had talked him into going out with Desiree. It seemed Terry, the other temporary agent, would only go out with Buck if someone took Desiree out as well.  So, Vin had found himself with a date for Friday. He'd wanted to ask Meredith about Saturday when he saw her, but Desiree had arrived to talk about their date and then Vin hadn't seen Meredith the rest of Thursday or on Friday.

As for Desiree… She was nice enough, a little too touch oriented for Vin's taste, but he could live with that for a night. They'd had fun on their date, though he caught himself thinking he'd rather be with Meredith several times. He didn't think anything would come of his date with Desiree, not with Meredith haunting his dreams.

Meredith looked up into the blue eyes that still haunted her dreams and mentally ran through her litany of reasons why she couldn't act upon her feelings. He only saw her as a friend; he was dating someone else; he looked happy dating that someone else; she would get over this.  "My aunt sent me some definitions from her years of teaching fifth grade, would you like to see them?" she asked, indicating the email on the screen.

"Sure," Vin responded. He thought he'd seen a flash of something in her eyes - heat? interest? desire? - but then she shuddered her eyes slightly. That bothered him. What did she have to hide from him?

Placing an arm across the back of her chair and kneeling beside her, he got as comfortable as possible to read the screen.

Meredith settled back in her chair, her head resting lightly on Vin's arm as she tried to make sure she didn't block his view of the screen. "I just hit the definitions of the word file," Meredith explained. "I kind of like this one: To enter a cake pan on public official record." she said with a laugh.

"Oh, no," Vin said, having made out one of the shorter definitions. He appreciated the fact that Meredith gave him the time he needed to read the uncooperative letters on the screen. "Chiefly British:  A crafty or delicious person." Vin shoved aside the thought of just leaning over and tasting Meredith. He knew she would be delicious.

They both laughed at that. "Sure, a delicious person," Meredith laughed, fighting her desire to claim Vin's mouth and find out how delicious he was. "How about: To fry one's name in a baked contest: filed for Congress."  She could feel Vin's shoulder shake beneath her head and realized for the first time how closely against him she rested. It had been unconscious and completely natural, but it could give a wrong impression,  something she needed to worry about now that he was dating someone else,  she decided, so she began to sit up a little more, though the two continued to read the definitions.

Vin felt her sit a little straighter and pull away slightly. He hadn't realized, at least not consciously, that he'd put his arm around the back of her chair or that she'd been leaning against him. It wasn't until there was a slight distance between them that he felt the loss of her. Contact with her always felt so right, so comfortable, not like with Desiree where he always seemed to be on his guard. Pushing aside the thought of touching her, Vin focused back on the definitions

The two continued to giggle and laugh over the definitions, completely at ease in each other's company. 

They were startled out of their laughter by the sound of a throat being cleared. Looking in the direction of the noise, a confused and lost looking Desiree stood in the doorway. "I'm sorry," she began, "I'm afraid I got kind-of lost. I was looking for personnel? They are on this floor aren't they?"

Meredith smiled at the woman. The offices of the Denver ATF could be confusing for someone who worked there a lot longer than Desiree. "Yes they are," Meredith responded.

"Let me show you," Vin offered, being polite, not realizing that Meredith felt every word as a blow as she read eagerness to be with Desiree in his tone. "It can be kind of confusing to find your way here," he said crossing to the confused woman who smiled her thanks at Meredith as she turned to follow Vin.

As the two left, Meredith overheard their brief exchange.

"Why didn't you tell me you were dating someone," Desiree demanded, obviously upset over what she'd seen. "I didn't have to go out Friday and I'm not about to cause any problems here."

"Oh," came Vin's reply, Meredith could hear the blush in his voice and picture the gentle coloring of his face. "There's nothing between us. Meredith is just a friend."

Meredith turned back to look at the definitions on her screen feeling like she'd just been sucker punched. Well, at least she knew for sure where she stood. Her role in Vin's life had just been defined rather clearly and to a woman he obviously preferred. Heaving a sigh, Meredith printed out the email to take home and read later. It was time to focus on work.

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