Welcome to the sequel of Dream Catch Me.
At this point, about six or so months have passed since we left off.

"Mommy!" Tess shouted as she ran through across the upstairs floor of the town house; her feet hit the ground in hard thuds and Meredith wondered if sometimes she was the size of an eight year old, rather than a three, nearly four year old.

"What is it sweetie?" Meredith asked at the foot of the stairs.

"Momma!" James shouted.

"Tessie, what's wrong?" Meredith asked again as James crawled around her feet and tugged at the hem on her beige slacks. She looked down and smiled. "Not now honey…"

"Outside…" James smiled.

"Oh…buddy…" Meredith sighed picking him up. "Tess, come down here please and talk to me!"

Tess took a firm grip on the banister of the staircase and slowly made her way down the steps; each foot easing onto the hardwood floor, careful not to slip and fall completely.

"Mommy…I want to go to the park!" Tess told Meredith.

"Park!" James squealed.

Meredith looked down at her two children who were staring back at her hopefully; pleading for her to take them to the park across the road.

"Okay, that should be okay," she smiled. "Just let me call daddy and tell him what we're doing, maybe we can go to the hospital to see him once we've had lunch, how does that sound?"

"I wanna see daddy now!" Tess said excitedly.

"Park!" James cried.

"Yes, the park first, and then we'll go and see daddy!" Meredith answered.

They stepped outside onto the porch and Meredith breathed in the warm sunshine of San Francisco…but she couldn't help but think of Seattle; while she'd never dream of weather like this in Seattle, there were other comforts that she found in the icy chill of the air and the dampness from the constant rain.

"Come on mommy!" Tess pulled at Meredith's hand and James leaned forward to coax his mother's movement.

"Okay, okay…" Meredith sighed as they made their way across the very quiet street and over to the busy park where Tess ran over to the swings and James made his way to the sandpit.

--

Meredith and the kids made their way through the big doors of San Francisco Memorial hospital. The kids loved going to the hospital to see Derek, only because the residents loved them, and particularly Dr. Kylie Jordan, who Meredith had become quite nice friends with over the period of time she'd been in San Francisco.

"Meredith!" Kylie called out.

Meredith whipped around.

"Hey, have you seen my husband?" Meredith asked.

"He was in surgery last time I checked the board…" Kylie answered; she looked down at James and Tess. "Hey guys, I have some jelly babies in my locker, do you want one?"

"Yeah!" Tess squealed.

"Lolly!" James yelled.

Meredith laughed and looked at Kylie.

"If you keep spoiling my children, I will have no way of bribing them when they're being naughty," she told her.

Kylie laughed.

"Well, a few lollies aren't going to spoil their dinner…"

Meredith and the kids followed Kylie to the locker room where the kids sat contently and chewed some lollies quietly.

"Hey all," Dr. Sam O'Reilly entered the room. His dark hair flicked across his forehead as he looked down at Tess and James.

"Hey Sam," Meredith answered.

"What's happening kids?" Sam asked.

"Kylie gave us lollies!" Tess answered.

Sam chuckled.

"Lucky girl!" he replied as he turned to Meredith. "I just saw Dr. Shepherd a second ago…he said he was going to his office to have phone sex with his beautiful wife…"

"Sam!" Meredith cried. "Little ears in the room…"

"Oh they don't know what I am talking about…" Sam chuckled.

At that time, Derek passed by the locker room and stopped.

"Hey!" he said happily.

Tess and James looked up to have their faces shine brightly with happiness.

"Daddy!" Tess said excitedly.

"Daddy!" James yelled.

Both children ran over to Derek, excited to be spending their first lunch with their father in over a week.

For a moment, Meredith felt happy in her new lifestyle.

--

Later that day, Meredith sat on the lounge at home while Tess and James both took afternoon naps.

As she flicked through her copy of San Francisco Memorial's weekly newsletter, the house phone rang loudly and incessantly.

"Hello?"

"Meredith!" came a very familiar voice.

"George?" Meredith asked.

"Yeah…"

"Oh my god! It's so good to hear from you…"

"Meredith…"

"Seriously, it has been too long…how is everyone?"

"Great…um, Mer…"

"And Lily? I bet she is growing up…"

"Yeah…she is a little princess…Meredith…"

"I haven't spoken to Cristina in a little while…."

"Meredith!" George cried.

"What?" Meredith asked.

"There's something I need to talk to you about…" George sighed.

Meredith froze at the uncertainty in his voice.

"What is it?"

"Meredith…is Derek home?" George asked.

"No, why?"

"I need a consult…"

"For a patient? What about the new neuro attending…is he not that good?"

"No, Meredith…I need a consult…"

Meredith went silent on the other end of the line.

"I'm sorry…what?"

"Meredith…I need a neuro consult because I have a tumour…"

George's words stung Meredith's ears like she could never have imagined…it seemed so blunt and yet so unreal for the fact that this was more real than she could ever have imagined.

"What?" Meredith asked in disbelief.

"Is there any chance that you and Derek could come home…?"

"George…when…how did you…I mean…"

"Meredith…I need you and Derek to come home…"

"Okay…we'll be on the next flight out…"

"Meredith…"

"What is it George?"

"I'll be okay…"

"I know…"

"I'm going to have two world class neurosurgeons…"

"One…I'm just the apprentice…"

"Since when does the apprentice sleep with the boss?" George chuckled. "Oh wait, at Seattle Grace…it happens all the time…"

"George…" Meredith sighed.

"Yeah?"

"I have to book our flights…we'll be there as soon as we can…"

"Thank you…"

"George…"

"What?"

"We love you…"

"Meredith, I'm not dying…"

"Just saying…"

"I'll call you later…"

And with that, Meredith hung up the phone and stared straight ahead, wondering if she could ever be away from her family again…

Because that is what George was…

Family…

And Meredith never gave up on her family.

I hope you are excited for the newest Shepherd adventure!!

REVIEWS!

Amy.