Veronica Jones Shepherd stared out the window of her dad's car as they very slowly approached their new home she blew a bubble of gum and turned her head, "dad i'm bored."

"Veronica" her dad replied, "I told you we'll get there when we get there."

"Dad you only call me Veronica when i'm in trouble its V.J and it would be good if we got a rough estimate of travel time to the carnival of the damned."

Derek looked at the clock on his car, "half an hour and will you stop calling Seattle the carnival of the damned."

"Well when you find out how boring it is there your going to agree with me."

Derek smirked in the rear view mirror, "and when you find out how nice it is in Seattle your going to be thanking me on your knees with your head in my hands."

Veronica showed a small grin, "no one does that in the real world dad and Hannah is drooling on the car seat."

Derek stopped at a traffic light and looked at his five year old daughter snoozing in her car seat, "you were doing that to when you were her age."

"Well have you got a cloth?"

Derek pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and passed it to V.J as he approached the outskirts of the city he looked at the buildings and began to imagine how different Seattle would be to New York, New York was a city with many buildings many suburbs and different journeys you could take in life Seattle looked to have one journey which everyone in the small city took together. Half an hour passed and as they pulled up to their new home a large two story house placed in the middle of a quiet street Derek let out a loud whistle, "well here we are."

V.J looked outside the window and made a face, "dad you got to be kidding me."

Derek smiled with the patience of a saint as he looked at his seventeen year old daughter a younger version of her mother only with brown hair and eyes, "what's wrong with it V.J?"

"We're in the middle of nowhere, nobody in sight we're going to hear nothing but crickets and then the crickets will invite their insect friends to feast on us when we sleep."

Derek smirked, "don't forget the zombies."

V.J groaned quietly as Derek laughing took out the suitcases from the car, "the city is only a half hour drive from here and we have such a nice view of the mountains."

"Yeah" V.J grudgingly admitted, "I guess."

"Now your getting into the spirit of moving could you wake up Hannah."

V.J opened the car door and giggled at Hannah sleeping with her mouth wide open, "Hannah we're here."

Hannah just snored and V.J unbuckling the straps on her special car seat gently lifted her up into her arms and made snuffling noises in her ear. Hannah slowly opened her eyes and gasped as she looked at the house, "wow its big."

"Yeah" V.J admitted only to her sister, "I guess it is a nice place sis, come on lets check out your new room."

The next morning

"Its today its today" Derek rolled over onto his back in a sleepy state and felt his little girl crawling on his stomach, "its today its today."

Derek rubbed the sleep out of his eyes with his fingers, "its always today Hannah."

"Its new school day."

"Yeah munchkin" Derek lifted her up and down before kissing her cheek, "its the big day new school in a new city."

Hannah jumped off the bed and ran out of the room, "its today its today."

Derek yawned as he got out of bed and looking himself in the mirror he ruffled his hair with a free hand, "jeez I am getting a few grey hairs."

"Your not a fossil yet dad." Derek looked at V.J in the doorway dressed in her school uniform, "hey sunflower all pumped for your new day at school."

V.J gave her dad two big thumbs up, "as pumped as i'll ever be."

Derek walked over to his daughter and ran a hand through V.J hair, "remember V.J your at a new school."

"So i'll study hard dad" V.J gave a nod more to herself than to her dad, "my SATs are coming up."

"V.J" Derek smiled, "they're not coming up for six months."

V.J looked at her dad with nerves, "its good to prepare now I don't want my option to be to a clown university."

"Well could you also focus on making new friends."

V.J again nodded trying hard not to remember her nickname at her last school the sheep geek, "i'll try dad."

"Now" Derek reached into his wardrobe and took out two suits, "could you tell me which suit looks better the grey one or the black one."

V.J put a finger to her mouth, "the grey one is for old farts so I think you should wear that."

Derek smirked as he took out his black suit, "I think this one is better."

Derek drove through the city with his youngest humming a silly tune and her oldest playing with her phone drifting into space when he looked ahead and braked suddenly as the traffic lights ahead of him turned red. Derek breathed heavily and saw a girl around V.J's age poking her head out the window of a grey station wagon, "coming through mr fancy car."

"Dad" V.J muttered as she hyperventalited, "you know what you have a big day ahead and I really don't want to tell you off but your driving is-"

"Daddy" Hannah piped up, "your like a bumper car driver."

"Yeah" Derek muttered as he grabbed hold of hit tie to steady his breathing, "well I promise i'll be awake until we get to school." The lights turned green and Derek continued to drive on full alert looking around him for a sign of his destination he turned a corner and with a sigh of relief saw kids getting out of cars just ahead of him. V.J heard in the distance her dad talking as they pulled up to the drop off section but her focus was looking outside the window at the school her dad had picked for them and sighed she was so used to a private school education and she was stuck going to a public school full of bullies and morans who couldn't care less about schoolwork her chances of making friends looked like zero, "yeah okay well this is it have a good day girls."

"Bye dad" V.J said as she hopped out of the car and grabbed her bag Hannah jumped out of the car and immediately clung to her sister, "V.J."

V.J hugged Hannah with one hand, "i'll stick with you sis come on lets find your new classroom."

V.J walked Hannah into the school while her dad watched them from the car smiling to himself. V.J had been the mother figure in Hannah's life since his wife passed away a year ago and even though she would often say her sister was like a little monkey she couldn't get any peace from he knew V.J secretly loved being there for her sister.

On the other end of the school carpark a woman named Meredith Grey had pulled up to the school entrance and looked sideways at her eldest child Debbie grinning at her from the front seat, "now Debbie was that really necessary."

"Yeah misses grey the dude was a road hog he almost crashed straight into us."

"Debbie" Meredith scolded, "he was driving with his head in the clouds but sticking your head out of the window insulting people is very inappropriate and I hope you don't do that to people at school."

"That's a good idea misses grey."

"Don't do that again."

"Fine fine" Debbie muttered with a shrug of her shoulders, "if one of them crashes into us i'll let you do the swearing."

"I would not swear Debbie" Meredith muttered as she adjusted the radio to the news, "I would have a calm rational discussion with the other person."

"Yeah just like you did when that bozo almost crashed into us the other day, Debbie pumped out her chest "you f ing muppet get off the f ing road."

"Mommy" Sam said from the back seat, "what does f ing mean?"

"Its not a nice word honey" Meredith said to her son, "and we should never use it."

"Oh" Sam said, "Debbie don't say the f word."

Debbie smirked as she tickled Sam's neck the boy giggled wildly and grinned, "whatever squirt so I will see you two citizens in the evening." Debbie took off running and Meredith opened the car door to let her five year old boy out, "mommy are we citizens?"

"Yes sweetie" Meredith lifted Sam out of his seat and kissed his forehead, "have a great day honey."

"You to mommy" Sam said as he gave his mom a hug before running into the school.

V.J walked slowly and shyly into the classroom trying to tell herself to be confident and smile most of the other kids in the room gave her a quick glance before going back to chatting with each other, V.J saw a middle aged man who she assumed was her teacher standing up from his desk and she started to approach him, "okay people enough talk lets get this project rolling everyone pair up."

V.J gritted her teeth her teacher hadn't even bothered to introduce her to the class and she had asked V.J to find a partner in a room full of people she didn't know she looked around for anyone that didn't have a partner and turned to find a smiling girl in front of her V.J smiled back until with a feeling of horror she realised it was the same girl who had called out to her father this morning. The girl coughed loudly and V.J saw she was holding her hand out for V.J to shake, "hey new kid Debbies the name."

V.J took the girl's hand she looked like trouble but V.J at this point didn't care she wanted a friend no matter who it was, "hi i'm Veronica Jones."

"Well i'm not going to remember that name, its to long and fancy."

"Most people call me V.J."

Debbie gave a sharp nod, "that's easier to say, so are you smart?"

V.J thought about the high grade average she had gotten back in New York, "yeah I guess."

"Good" Debbie took out a large textbook and pad, "so here's the book and this is the paper work hard and I will see you later." Debbie turned around and V.J quickly blurted out, "wait where are you going?"

"I'm" Debbie said, "going to go over and do some proprer school work chao." Debbie walked away and V.J watched her join a group of pretty blondes and jocks as she slumped to her chair and looked at the book before looking around at other people, most of them weren't even looking at the book and the teacher had his feet on the desk doing nothing, "I... right."

The class dragged on slowly and finally when V.J had written a number of pages and Debbie had excitedly given her a nudge to give the paper to the teacher the bell had rung. V.J quickly exited the classroom and found herself on a park stool by herself eating the sandwiches she had made that morning wondering how she was going to get through her remaining year of school when a small hand grabbed her jacket, "V.J."

V.J saw it was her little sister and with a grin she lifted her onto her lap, "hey Hannah how's school."

Hannah grinned back at V.J, "I made friends."

"Well i'm glad one of us is making friends."

Hannah touched her sister's cheeks with a small hand, "you got a sad face."

V.J smiled, "i'm okay kiddo so who are your friends."

Hannah waved at a crowd of small children and next second a little boy with light brown hair came running over to them, "this is Sam and this is my big sister V.J."

V.J lifted Hannah back on to her feet and bent down, "hi Sam."

"Hi" Sam said slowly.

"I'll show you my sandwich Sam" Hannah reached into her bag, "V.J made it for me."

"So" a loud voice behind them said, "this is where you snuck off to." V.J turned her head and realised it was the same group of blonde girls from the classroom staring down at her, V.J gulped and stood up.

Hannah looked up at them, "are these your friends V.J."

"Not exactly" V.J muttered.

"Oh we are friends" a girl with blonde curls said, "hey" she stared down at Hannah, "what's up rugrat."

"Hannah" V.J said firmly, "go and play with Sam."

"Look at these two" another girl said as she quickly squatted down to Hannah the little girl stumbled back in fright, "oh choocie choocie coo."

V.J picked up her sister, "leave them alone."

"Oh big talk, so since your doing Debbie's work we thought you might want to do some of our work."

"Sure" V.J said as she put Hannah down and protectively stood in front of her and Sam, "whatever you say Sam Hannah go."

"Good" the girl with blonde curls said, "boo."

Sam started to cry and V.J drew an arm around him, "no don't scare them."

A tall jock of a boy leered at her, "what are you going to do about it." The boy got closer to V.J's face and next second gasped as a fist came out of nowhere and decked him in the jar the large boy fell back onto the pavement clutching his cheek as Debbie drew back her arm, "anyone else want a taste of old betsy."

"Back off Debbie" the girl with blond curls snarled.

"You back off Lindsay" Debbie fired back, "nobody hurts this squirt but me."

"Debbie" Sam gasped.

"Let me guess" Lindsay muttered, "a little brother."

"Guess you do have a brain now back off blondie i'm armed."

"Debbie" a teacher came running over to them, "principals office now."

"Miss" V.J said, "she was just."

"You to um."

"Veronica" V.J whispered in fright.

"Veronica principals office with Debbie the rest of you back to class." Debbie glared at the group of bullies than giving Sam a pat on the back she stared to walk. V.J quickly forced herself to smile at Hannah before she followed Debbie in disbelief her first day of school and she was going to the principals office her dad was going to kill her and what would the SAT examiner think. These thoughts and more kept swimming in her brain as she found herself sitting in a chair facing Debbie waiting for impeding doom. V.J stared at Debbie while Debbie stared back neither one of them had spoken a word and deciding to speak she whispered, "thanks for before."

"What are you thanking me for" Debbie replied, "I was helping my little brother not you."

"You helped my little sister to."

"I guess" Debbie shrugged, "hey thanks for stopping those dregs from bullying my little brother."

"I'm glad Hannah made a friend."

"First time Sam had a friend with pigtails."

V.J and Debbie laughed until the doors opened and their parents Derek Sheperd and Meredith Grey came through they ran and hugged their children who groaned in embarrassment.

"Misses Grey" Debbie fought through Meredith trying to kiss her, "we talked about this not in public."

"Same goes for you dad" V.J pulled away from Derek, "save the slobering for christmas."

"V.J" Derek whispered, "I heard what happened."

"You did?" V.J said in surprise.

The teacher on duty told me, "you were protecting Hannah from bullies your age that's amazing."

V.J looked at her dad in disbelief, "wait dad this is the part where you ask what i'm doing in the principals office."

"We'll sort it out" Derek said.

Debbie looked at the man with wonder he seemed so calm so genuine so familiar, "have I seen you before I know your the roadhog from this morning my mom was going to kill you." Meredith put a hand up to her face in embarrassment and tried to smile at the man before her, Derek smiled back at her "i'm Derek."

Meredith reached out a hand to shake and Debbie stood in front of her, "Debbie's the name and this is misses Grey."

"Right" Derek replied, "so you must be this young lady mother."

"I'm Meredith" Meredith walked around her daughter to shake Derek's hand, "Meredith Grey."

"Doctor" Debbie added.

"Yes Debbie" Meredith said looking at her daughter before whispering in her ear, "calm down."

"Your a doctor" Derek said feeling glad he had found a conversation starter, "i'm something of a doctor myself."

"Your mr Shepherd?" Meredith asked.

"Yes."

"Your my new boss."

"Oh yeah" Derek straightened himself up, "i'm the new head starting with us today."

"That's the one" Meredith whispered as she stared into his eyes, "wow I thought we be meeting under different circumstances."

"Yeah so did I."

"Yeah" Derek said, she's very pretty he thought to himself.

"Woo hoo" a girl said, "earth to mum."

"Debbie i'm talking to mr Shepherd."

Debbie turned to V.J with a wide grin, "your last name is shepherd."

"Yes" V.J sadly admitted, "and please don't make any baaaa sounds I already got that fill of it from my last school."

"Actually I was working on a really clever joke about the lord and about how shepherds saw a angel the night jesus was born and how you must be descended from them and you know what i'm just going to say that joke was so baaaaad." V.J smirked she gently punched Debbie and Debbie pretended to be hurt, "wow maybe you should have been the one to punch Dino in the face."

"Debbie" Meredith muttered wearily, "please."

"Oh sorry mom I was just wondering how long we'll be grounded for?"

V.J gasped, "what do you mean grounded?"

"Well" Debbie muttered, "we did start a fight."

"No you started a fight."

"Yeah but you were my wingman or wingwoman and you would have backed me up."

"V.J" Derek said, "i'm not going to ground you."

Meredith put a hand on Debbie's shoulder, "you Debbie on the other hand are we're going to have a nice long talk with me when we get home."

V.J stared at Debbie looking crestfallen and stared at Derek, "wait dad Debbie only started a fight because people were picking on me so-"

"Yeah" Debbie piped up, "its true Merry berry so..."

"Fine" Derek muttered, "no television tonight."

"Debbie Veronica the principal will see you now." Debbie stared at V.J and giving her a calm nod walked with her into the office. Derek chuckled, "is your daughter always so-"

"Over the top" Meredith said, "yeah she is and she's not the best student she usually gives other kids work to do for her."

"Well it looks like they're friends."

"That's good maybe your daughter can get my daughter to use her brains for schoolwork."

Derek was thinking of something to say when his pager went off, "I had better get back to work."

Meredith slowly nodded, "i'm heading that way myself."

"Well I hope we meet again Meredith."

"I'm sure we will."

"Yeah" Derek whispered as he stared at Meredith, "good."