Grey's Anatomy 1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Miranda says yes…

Dr. Miranda Bailey left the lecture hall of Seattle Grace moved to tears. No matter who Shepherd thought he was, the Chief was always going to be Dr. Richard Weber. Sure she agreed that Derek should go to the board, but his run as Chief of surgery so far had been lacklustre at best. Watching the real Chief on stage, she felt that familiar pride she hadn't felt for him in a long time. Standing there, taking his Hippocratic Oath once again, she knew he was recommitting himself to the medicine and trying with all he had to leave the alcohol behind.

The man, she so admired was like the father she wished she had. Immediately, she felt guilty for the thought. She loved her father, sure, but he didn't understand her. Most times they left things amicable between each other, politely (most times) agreeing to disagree. She needed surgery, it was her passion. Second only to her son (who would have thought you could love something or someone so much?) surgery was the love of her life. Sure Tucker was a good husband, and she had loved him, but he never understood, never fully understood her _need_ to be at that hospital, her _need_ to be able to perform surgeries and save lives. It was her calling, it was her passion, and it was her dream. Tucker knew these things, but he never fully understood it.

Thinking back, she figured it all went wrong when he quit his job to be a stay at home dad. She tried to convince him otherwise, tried to tell him that he wasn't the type who would be happy doing it, but he just made a smart ass comment.

"_Well, someone has to put our child first."_ To this very day, it still hurt her to think about that statement. Was it true? In her mind she knew it wasn't, but her heart, well that was a different story.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't see Dr. Ben Warren until she was literally plastered to his back. Ben swung around in time to catch her before she lost her balance and tripped. Startled into silence and more than a little embarrassed Miranda looked up to see who she bumped into and mentally groaned._ Great._

"Hey there Dr. Bailey!" He was smiling, no, not really, he was smirking. That's when she realized her hands had instinctively grabbed onto his biceps and were still there. Snatching them away, she cleared her throat.

"Uh, hello Dr. Warren, I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." Would she always sound like an idiot around this man?

"No problem, it's not everyday a beautiful woman literally falls into my arms." He bends his six foot frame down to whisper in her ear "Especially one that I've been fantasizing about. When are you going to let me take you out? This is our first night off at the same time since you agreed to go out with me."

He's so close that his breath tickles her ear. Miranda starts feeling tugs and pulls everywhere and despite herself, she smiles.

"Can't you ever be serious? Must be all that gas you work with everyday." Feeling sassy again, she starts to saunter off, but he lightly grabs her forearm.

"Miranda, I'm serious, I want to take you out. Look, I find you attractive, I like you and you said…" She starts to struggle a little, embarrassed he would bring up her outburst from Valentine's Day, "_you said_ that you liked me too. Now all of a sudden, you're dodging me. I mean, if you changed your mind or something, just tell me and I'll back off. I'm not saying I won't be disappointed but I don't want to push myself on you if you're not interested." He waits for what seems like an eternity and slowly releases her arm. Disappointment laced with confusion etches his face.

Miranda glances around, the empty hallway, everyone having gone back to work. This was her day off and it apparently it was his too. Deciding to take a chance and be brave when it comes to her personal life, she begins to speak but he cuts her off, misreading her silence for rejection.

"I'm sorry I never got to show you how good I think we could be together. I'll leave you alone now_ Dr._ Bailey."

Shocked, Miranda stands there frozen. What the hell had she just done? This handsome eligible man had just asked her out, called her beautiful and said he fantasized about her. Why the hell was she so afraid to give it a try?

"I'll go." Turning, he stops and just stares are her.

"What did you say?"

"I said, I'll go. I just need to run up to my locker and get my things. I… I'll meet you out front, by the benches. Just give me ten minutes." Already jogging away, she takes the stairs up to the surgical floor leaving Ben wondering more and more about this intriguing woman.

……………………………………..

They have dinner and talk about work. It's not the kind of conversation she could have had with Tucker. With Ben, she doesn't have to explain the demands of the job; he understands and shares it mostly. They talk about growing up and what prompted them to choose medicine. She teases him about being a "gas man" and he calls her a "cutter." She tells Ben all about little Tuck, neatly sidestepping any details about her failed marriage. Ben waits for her to open up, but she never does. He decides in his mind to give her time reminding himself it's only their first date.

They talk over dinner, dessert and coffee. Having run out of time, they finally decide to leave the restaurant. Walking together to her front door, he takes her keys from her and unlocks the door, then hands them back. It's a very old fashioned gesture, but one she appreciates. Standing there, looking up at him, she realizes she made the right decision saying yes. They walk inside her foyer and he stands there, waiting for an invitation to sit down or join her for a "night cap."

"Miranda, I had a great time tonight." He wants to say more. He wants to know if she feels it too; this pull that draws him to her. He wants to know if she's still in love with her ex-husband. He wants to know if she tastes as good as she looks to him. He reminds himself for the second time that evening not to rush that it's just the first date.

"Me too. I guess you're not just a pretty face after all. I guess you might have some brains up there." He cocks one eyebrow and smiles. Happy she's starting to feel comfortable enough to rib him again. He looks at her then; hoping for a sign that it's okay to kiss her. She looks at him, wetting her lips ever so slightly and he takes that as his cue. Bending his neck down and pulling her closer, he gives her a gentle kiss on the lips. He usually likes to take it slow with a woman working his way up to that first touch, that first hug, that first kiss. He's never usually so forward and well, touchy. But with Miranda Bailey, he finds all he wants to do is touch her, imagining her in his arms just wasn't enough, he had to try her out, see if the anticipation lived up to the reality, and it did. When he pulls her to him, the fit, is… right. She's shorter than him by almost a foot, so he has to look down and tip her face up to him.

She puts her hands up on his chest and he pulls her even closer. He kisses her neck, "Miranda, you're so beautiful," her shoulder, "so lovely," behind her ear, "so sexy." Miranda starts to pull away. Sensing her resistance, he stops immediately.

"I.. I can't do this. I think you should leave."

"What? Miranda? Do what? We had a nice date, I thought you were feeling this too… we had a nice time…"

"I'm not some young foolish little … whatever… falling for some lines. I mean, why do you have to say those things?"

Confused Ben cocks his head to the side. "I don't understand…" Raising her voice now she continues to rant.

"Don't be feeding me lines that you've probably used on fifty other women, Cassanova!"

Upset now Ben starts for the door. "You know what lady, you got some serious issues. For your information, I've only had three girlfriends my entire life. If that qualifies me as a Cassonava, then I've been sadly misinformed. I don't play the field, I don't use lines and I damn sure don't waste my time dating women I don't find attractive and think there is a real chance at a life with. I'm a basic man Miranda, I love my job, a good meal, and a good game on tv; anything will do. I like to read at night before I go to bed, I go to church on Sundays and talk to my parents almost every other day on the phone. I've been looking for that someone special for what seems my whole adult life. I'm pretty transparent, if you had just taken the time to see me, actually see me. I don't know if you're still hurting over your divorce, or what other issues you've got, but I think I've just decided that I don't want to be a part of it… I had hoped… " He pauses, hurt etched across his face, hurt and regret, "well, it doesn't matter now. I'll say goodnight and leave you to the rest of your evening." Turning the knob on her front door, he stops when he hears her voice come out in almost a whisper. The pain is so evident in it, he finds it impossible to ignore. Back still to her, he waits to see what she could possibly have to say.

"Wait." Clearing her throat, she raises her voice and says it again. "Wait! I… I'm sorry. I don't know how to do this Ben, it's been so long. You're handsome and I find you attractive too. I shouldn't have made assumptions about you, I'm sorry." He turns to look at her as she rushes on. "I guess… I was a little taken aback by how forward you were, not in a bad way, it's just…. I'm not used to compliments, well, about surgery, sure, but not in regards to my appearance and I'm having a hard time believing you want…that you find me…" pausing he can see she's searching for the right thing to say, "…attractive." She finishes lamely.

Ben strides over to her in two steps, taking her in his arms, it's bold, sure, but this woman, this little dynamo, she's got hooks in him that he doesn't' understand. Conflicted because he knows now that she clearly has some issues, he decides to give her another chance anyway.

"You're beautiful. I thought so from the moment I first saw you. And that mouth of yours? Jesus that mouth; barking orders, so sure, so confident; it's sexy. I find you attractive; I want to explore these feelings. I want to know why my mind and my body seem so drawn to you. I want to get to know you Miranda, really know you. Will you let me?"

In awe of him, she simply nods. He beams at her, and pulls her so close, she damn near pops out the other side of him. Intending to just sample her, he bends his neck down and pulls her chin up. He lightly brushes her lips with his and he's sunk. Someone moans deep in their throat, and her arms come up around his neck and she deepens the kiss. Her hands run to the nape of his neck, as his roam down grabbing her butt and hoisting her up. He spins her around to the wall, pushing her against it. The kiss starts getting out of control, turning into more and Miranda starts to panic.

"No… wait…." Immediately Ben slows down, and eases off. Still holding her up, so they are face to face, he burrows his head in the crook of her neck. Miranda closes her eyes and tries to enjoy the moment. Her heart is still racing and her head is still spinning. She can't believe he's holding her up like she weighs 100 pounds.

"Miranda…" Her name comes out of his mouth on a strangled sigh. "Please baby… let's…"

"…call it a night… now, before we do something else. Something I'm not quite ready for yet." She finishes his statement for him, hoping he'll understand. She's Miranda Bailey, Mandy to her family and friends, she's not the kind of woman who makes out in hospital hallways and has quickie sex in surgical on-call rooms. And she is definitely not the type of woman who has sex on the first date. She's a good girl, and well, when it comes to Dr. Ben Warren, she feels just a little bit naughty.

Looking her deep in the eyes, he sees the conflict there. He sees all the passion he is feeling, but also he sees a little fear. It's the fear that has him setting her down on her feet. He runs his hands over her hair and brushes a kiss on her forehead.

"Okay, we'll take this slow. Talk, get to know each other; try to put the horse back behind the cart." Kissing her gently on the tip of her nose, he says, "goodnight Miranda. I'll see you in the morning," and walks out he door.

"Goodnight," she whispers to herself. Allowing herself one moment of foolishness, she twirls around in a circle giggling like a little girl in a candy shop.


	2. Chapter 2

Don't own Grey' etc... blah blah.

A/N: So it's been a loooooooooooong time. I stopped this story when I found out Jason George was leaving the show...and now he's back, and I am determined to give Bailey a decent love story fan fic. Her character is strong for sure, but it doesn't mean she can't be sexy and loving and funny all in the same. Anyway, this chapter was written right after the first so it follows the timeline of last season. I will fast forward after that and bring us up to speed with the Eli incident and then move back to Ben. This will probably be a ten chapter story folks. I will really try my best to update often! I hate to be left hanging and I am ashamed to say have done it to readers in the past... not this time. I will finish this fic! So without further delay...

Chapter 2: Uh-Uh, It don't work like that!

Ben whistled his way into the surgical locker room. He had hoped to run into Miranda before shift, but as usual, she was already making rounds. He was still thrilled from the night before. Their first date had been a success, in the end anyway. It was an emotional day because she had shared so much of her personal feelings with him. He figured today could go one of two ways. She would either avoid him, embarrassed by what has already happened between them, or she would be hostile. He hoped for neither reaction, but expected the latter.

Working his way over to the surgical board, he spotted Dr. Robbins chatting with Dr. Torres over coffee. Making a quick cursory glance at the board to make sure nothing had changed since the night before, he approached the couple.

"Morning ladies; beautiful day, isn't it?"

"Good morning Dr. Warren, I was just telling Dr. Torres here the very same thing; nothing better than seeing the sun shine in Seattle!"

"Agreed. So, uh, have either of you seen Dr. Bailey this morning?"

Knowing looks passed between the couple, not unmissed by Ben. Clearing her throat, Callie responded. "Not as yet. Why would you be looking for her?"

Nosy women. It didn't bother Ben if people knew that he went out with Miranda, but he thought it might bother her. Erring on the side of caution, he casually replied. "We have a surgery later, just needed some information. See you ladies around."

Callie slumped; clearly disappointed on not being able to rib Bailey. Arizona, however, undeterred, poked her in the side and pointed to the board. After closer inspection, it was apparent that Bailey and Warren didn't have any scheduled surgeries together that day. Callie rubbed her hands together devilishly.

…..

Miranda scrubbed her left hand and forearm, keeping count in her head as she always did. She always scrubbed each arm for two minutes. Looking at her patient through the glass she saw he was about to be put under. Seventy two, seventy three, seventy four….

Arms came up around her and soon her neck was being nibbled on. Before she could react, Ben reached out and grabbed her elbows, holding them away from her body and him while still behind her.

"Wouldn't want you to have to start over; your patient is just about under." Crooning in her ear, she could feel the smile in his voice, and it pissed her off.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll move your damn hands and back off Dr. Warren!"

Ben sighed, apparently he was right, it was going to be hostile.

"Just came in to say good morning and give you a quick good luck kiss before your surgery."

"And what makes you think I need your luck or want your kisses. Hmph, you think just because…"

Cutting her off and turning her to face him, he pulled her closer, contaminating her hands.

"_Doctor_ Warren, I'm giving you until…"

"You know Miranda, I've changed my mind. You're going to have to have to rescrub. I want a little more than a nibble this morning. I think I'll take a whole bite." And before she could protest any more, he was kissing her, in front of God and, well, staff. She was pushing at him, but he wouldn't relent, not until he felt her give and relax into the inevitable. Once she did, he stopped. Bending low to her ear, he whispered.

"We'll talk later Miranda. But I'm gonna tell you this right now. Don't mistake my being easy going with my being a pushover. If we are going to build something here, we are equals in this relationship. I'm not going to excuse you being rude or embarrassed by us. Either we are going to try this, or not. I don't hide; I'm proud to be with you and I don't expect you to slap me away when I try to show you a little affection."

She started to speak, but he pressed on. "Granted, that was a little more than I meant to do in a public setting, but I could tell you were ready to bite my head off, regardless of whether or not I touched you. It would have meant so much to me if you had showed me how you were really feeling this morning. _I_ wanted _you_ to know how I felt. I'm happy. We had a great time last night and I went to bed and woke up with you on my mind."

Letting her go and stepping back, he took his hand and ran it gently over her cheek. "Good luck, I'll see you for lunch." And he strode off.

"Of all the…well that's just… where the hell does he get off…" She was angry, but she could still smell his aftershave and still feel the warmth on her lips. Instinctively, she reached up and gently touched them with her own fingers. Okay, maybe he was a little right about her coming out swinging, but she was spooked and thrilled and she still couldn't believe he wanted her. Picking up her scrub brush to restart her process it was then she remembered what he said towards the end of his tirade. _"I'll see you for lunch."_ Searching her mind, she realized they made no plans, he just assumed they would eat together. She smiled to herself, he was a cocky SOB, but she kinda liked it.

…

Miranda took her tray and scanned the cafeteria. Ben had sent her a text asking her to meet him around 1 for lunch. Not seeing him, she stood there awkwardly, not knowing exactly how to proceed. She rarely sat down for lunch and if she did, it was never in the cafeteria. She wasn't good with socializing and hated small talk. She noticed Grey, Yang and Karev seated not too far from where she was standing and quickly averted her eyes. She didn't want to explain why she was there and she certainly didn't want a pity invite. It still hurt her not to see George sitting there with them. She missed him terribly. Giving herself a mental shake, she decides to wrap up her sandwich and go find an on call room to wolf it down and take a nap. Just as she was turning to leave, Ben came jogging into the room.

"Hey, sorry I'm late. I was in surgery and it went a little over. I hope you weren't waiting long." As he was speaking, he gently took the tray from her hands and guided them over to an empty table, all but pushing her down into the chair. "Be right back." Bending down he gave he a quick kiss on the lips and sprinted over to the line.

She touched her lips with her fingertips and marvelled at how quickly and how easily he could make her smile and get her fired up. Still feeling a little dreamy, her eyes looked up and saw Callie and Arizona smirking at her from across the room. Damn. Sending them her fiercest scowl, she quickly wiped the smile off her face and averted her gaze. She was just going to have to nip this propensity of his for P.D.A in the bud before people started thinking she'd gone soft!

Ben wondered what was making Miranda scowl; probably the fact that he had kissed her in public. If he didn't have such a warm and inviting experience with her the previous night, he would have given up, thinking she was a cold fish. But she was soft on the inside and was so damn sensitive. He suspected that most people wouldn't know that about her and he was also starting to realize what an honor it was to get to know the real Miranda.

Setting his tray down in front of hers, he doesn't bother to turn the chair around, just straddles it and faces her. Her pulse jumps at the pure testosterone that he seems to emit. Grinning at her as if he can read her thoughts, she decides to rib him a little.

"So, read any good magazines lately? You know as a _surgeon_ I never have that kind of time, especially while I'm working."

"Oh, so you got jokes, huh? Look, I was smart enough to choose a field where I still get paid as much, if not more than you do and I do less. Of course, you got to have real guts to be in Anesthesia, I mean, when something goes wrong, we get hit hard. We can't hide behind our malpractice insurance."

"That's cause your jobs so easy even a chimp can do it. I'm surprised anyone would even insure you… ya need to get it right the first time. There's no excuse, take the height and weight and be done."

"Ouch, really? That's all you think there is to it? Dr. Bailey, I had no idea you were so ignorant."

They keep ribbing each other, insults flying in good nature for a full five minutes. She brings it all to an end when she blurts out, "You know if you weren't such a good kisser and a good conversationalist, I wouldn't see a reason to keep you around..."

Ben cocks his eyebrow. Interesting. "So, you enjoy the kisses do you? Seemed to me with the exception of last night, anytime I touched you today just pissed you off. And I have to say, I kinda like pissing you off. You get all riled up, it's sexy. I think I'm gonna kiss you again" Miranda wants to protest, but she is in a trance, he's gorgeous and smart and funny and he is interested in her, so she decides to let him kiss her here in front of everyone. He starts to move his chair closer, but the friction of the action scrapes the chair on the floor and makes a loud rude noise. Everyone in the cafeteria turns and looks in their direction. Seconds tick by and finally the lull returns as everyone goes back to their conversation.

Ben closes his eyes and sighs in embarrassment. He knows when he opens them she will be there, mocking him. Deciding to man-up, he opens his eyes and is not surprised at all. She's laughing; uncontrollably.

"You know, you really know how to take a brotha down Miranda."

Still laughing, she manages to get words out. "Smooth, real smooth! You just knew you were going to reduce me to a puddle at your feet with your suave moves and you silky voice. Ha!" Taking a final bite of her sandwich, she rises from the table. "I'll see you later smooth operator."


End file.

Grey's Anatomy, Angst, Romance