Disclaimer: I have a disclaimer...... do you think I own it????? :)

This is my sequel to my story Stuck in the Middle.

Summary: This past March, Meredith and Derek Shepherd lost their fourteen year old daughter Alyssa to cancer. The Shepherd family is in for a rude awakening as they struggle to find the meaning of life, death, and learn to deal with Lyss's in their own way. Join them as they embark on the journey that could make or break their family. It will involve a lot of grief, angst, strife, anger, hurt, and comfort, but also love, compassion, and friendship.

Key Points: Lyss died on March 16, 2025. Addison and Kevin are moving to Seattle. Noah's birthday is in two days.

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March 16, 2025. The day Lyss died. Today was March 27. 11 days since the worst day in the families life.

"Mer," Derek sighed looking down at his wife in their bed. It was already noon and she had yet to get up. After everyone had left after the funeral this is where she spent most of her time. Barely eating, not sleeping, just staring at a picture of their family, their whole family, on the night stand.

"Meredith you have to get up," Derek told her.

"Why?" Meredith whispered her voice cracking in grief. "Because my life must go on, is that it?" Derek said nothing. "My life just can't go on Derek. Our daughter is dead, dead as in never coming back, I just can't come back from it that easily."

"But getting out of bed isn't moving on Mer," Derek said. "It's just doing something you have to do."

"I know," Meredith sighed. She listened for other footsteps around the house but there were none. "Where..... where are the kids?"

"They went back to school today Mer," Derek murmured as he helped her sit up.

"And I wasn't there for them," Meredith muttered.

"They know you're doing the best you can," Derek reassured. But to Mer it didn't feel like that at all. She felt numb, helpless, like she died with Lyss, or at least a part of her did. She knew Derek must feel like that too but he was always the stronger one. She was dark and twisty, that's all she would ever be. Derek helped her all the way up and into the hallway. All the bedroom doors were open at least slightly except one. One that would never be opened again. At least to the person it belonged to. Derek saw what she was staring at and sighed. Gently he led her downstairs.

"It's not fair," Meredith whispered. All the pictures up for the funeral were still everywhere along with extra prayer cards and flowers. Izzie and several others had taken it into their hands to clean up for them and keep an eye on the family but eventually everyone had to return to work. Everyone else's lives were going back to normal while the Shepherd's fell apart.

"I know," Derek sighed and went to the kitchen to put on a cup of coffee. The dinner that Izzie had recently dropped off for them for the day was still on the counter. Everyone was trying their best to help the family but the only thing that would ever make them feel better would be bringing Lyss back. Derek shuddered at the memory of this morning when he had to get Sophia, who he wouldn't let drive, Hayley, Paige, Jake, and Kels on the bus that morning.

Kelsey had practically clung to him in desperation. Sophia stood on shaky legs. Hayley and Paige held hands tightly. And Jake just walked silently looking down. Noah on the other hand, who Derek dropped off at preschool, was still oblivious to everything and was still as happy and full of energy as ever. If it kept going at this rate, the Shepherd family may never get over Lyss's death.

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Hayley and Paige walked hand in hand into their school. The school Lyss no longer attended. As soon as they entered they immediately got sympathetic glances. Everyone knew. Almost everyone went to the funeral as well.

The last time they were in the school was when they got the dreaded call. They were in separate class at the time, but very close. Almost immediately after their teachers had informed them Lyss fell into coma, the two ran into the hallway towards each other's class, met each other in the middle, hugged, and sobbed.

"Hayley sweetie," Hayley's teacher said quietly. Hayley looked up immediately. It was not often that a teacher called a student 'sweetie' or any name other name besides there name for that matter.

"What?" she asked putting her book on the desk. Many other kids watched.

"I'm afraid I have bad news," the teacher whispered, Hayley sucked in a breath and didn't want the teacher to go on. "I'm sorry but it seems that your sister, Alyssa, has fallen into a coma." Hayley's eyes went wide.

"NO!" she wailed and pushed her chair away from her desk and ran into the hallway towards Paige's classroom. Paige was going through the same thing.

"Paige," her teacher said gently.

"Yeah?" Paige asked. "What's up?"

"I have terrible news," he murmured sympathetically. "Your sister fell into a coma, your parents want you to come to the hospital. Your Aunt is down in the office waiting with your younger sister and brother." Paige didn't want to hear anymore. She just got up silently, and walked towards the door. "Paige!" The walk turned into a run very quickly as she got closer and closer to Hayley's class. The two girls saw each other, both running. When they met, their arms immediaely went to a tight hug as tears spilled out of their eyes.

"Paige," Hayley sobbed.

"Hayley," Paige sobbed.

"Lyss...."

Together, they walked towards their homeroom which, of course, was past Lyss's. Room 125. Their pace slowed down as Hayley and Paige approached. Miss Klicka, Lyss's homeroom teacher was outside, keeping an eye on Ava, Hannah, Becca, Nikki, Brittany, and Ali with concern in her eyes. They had only returned to school the day before.

When she spotted them, she recognized them immediately. Especially Paige because she had her for math in 7th grade as well.

"Paige," she exclaimed and hugged her tightly. Paige hugged back tentatively. She turned to Hayley. "You must be Hayley." Hayley nodded as she hugged her to. "I can't even begin to describe how sorry I am for your loss. Lyss was a great student and person and she will be deeply missed her."

"Yeah," Hayley choked out trying not to cry.

"How is your family get along?" she asked.

"It's hard," Paige admitted softly.

"It will get better," Miss Klicka promised before turning back to Lyss's friends who now turned around and were looking towards them. That is when they both noticed Lyss's locker. It was right in the middle of all of theirs.

In big letters there stood 'We'll Miss You Lyss.' Every inch of the locker was covered with paper and on the paper names were scribbled on it. The biggest she could see was Dr. Cole's, Miss Klicka's, several other teacher's of Lyss, and her friends. Everyone had their own last words to Lyss.

On the ground and taped to the paper were flowers as well. Tears began coming to Hayley and Paige's eyes as they scanned it, seeing names of their friends, kids Lyss had mentioned once or twice, and people neither ever heard of. All coming together because of Lyss.

When it was too much Paige began walking away fast, Hayley on her heels, ignoring every protest of teachers or friends.

All teacher's that they saw reacted the same as Miss Klicka. Even ones neither of them knew. The day was a blur for both, but it wasn't until lunch, the only class besides history the two had together that it was too much.

The lunch ladies commented but they ignored it. That wasn't even what set them off. It was looking over at Lyss's old lunch table, both of them. The one with goths and the one with her friends. The three empty seats at the goth table were one's that Hayley and Paige were grateful would never be filled again, but the one at her friends table didn't.

When Lyss was alive, but with cancer, the twins used to go over there everyday to make sure her friends were okay. Look at the empty seat and reassure them all that one day Lyss would be back. That seat would now never be filled by Lyss again.

Hayley started sobbing first and Paige joined in. No one had even made a comment. They all knew why. This behavior, however, only landed the two in the guidance office, sitting down with the smiling counselor Mrs. Reynolds, who had spoken to them before, and Lyss many times during her rebellious phase.

The three discussed the stages of grief, dealing with grief, but none of them seemed to help. Nothing could help them.

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Kelsey felt all eyes on her as she walked through her school to her room. All the older kids anyway. The one's who knew her, or Jake, or even Lyss. She didn't want to be here. She wanted to be at home, with her parents. She didn't want to be in the place where she was told that her sister was dying.

Kelsey watched as their principal talked with her teacher at the doorway. They were talking in hushed whispers. Everyone was watching them.

"Oh god, that's terrible.... her Aunt.... okay, I will send her down," they finally her their teacher talk. Kelsey felt like she was in a dream as she watched her walk over to her desk.

"Kelsey," the teacher sighed. "I'm sorry to say... but your sister Alyssa is in a coma...." Kelsey's eyes widened.

"NO! NO! NO!" she sobbed. The classroom, and hallway, shaking with her desperate sobs. This wasn't the way she wanted Lyss to go.

She knew this was coming for a long time, but she still wasn't prepared for it. Kels just wanted her sister back. She wished she could have been nicer to her, made an even better relationship than the one she salvaged with her through Lyss's last 7 months of life. Now it was all over.

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Jake was angry. No one understood, no one realized what he was going through, and what he wanted. He wanted to be left alone. Just like the day he was told what had happened.

"Jake," his teacher said.

"What is it?" he asked as he put away his folder in his desk.

"Your sister Alyssa," she murmured. Jake stayed silent. "She's in a coma." Jake was still silent. "You and your sister Kelsey are going to the hospital with your Aunt who is in the office." Silence. The teacher helped him up, he couldn't move on his own, but he didn't want to go where she was leading him. She didn't get it, his older sister, only one year apart, his closest sister, was in a hospital bed, dying, sleeping, never waking up.

He walked into school with Kelsey and fell in behind her proectively until they arrived at her class. Jake then went to his. There he was bombarded with sympathy and questions, each single one ripping and tearing at his heart.

No one understood that one of his sisters was dead. One of the 'Shepherd Clan' was missing and would never come back. Everyone was just standing on the outside, looking in on their weary family, not comprehending that without Lyss, they would never be the same.

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Derek didn't know he was doing Sophia a favor by making her take the bus to school. This way, if she had taken her car, her empty parking space would have been noticed. Someone could have been able to tell that she was absent from school.

There was no way she could go back to school. It was all too much. Her younger sister dying, her parents increasing absence, an even more drastic change in role as head of the house. So instead Sophia decided to go to the hospital.

She would be able to sit and think there without her parents because she knew they weren't returning just yet. She knew they couldn't. They had to grief for Lyss and work on their pain, together. She could be left alone to grieve in peace, something she hasn't been able to do all week.

As Sophia settled herself in the tunnels, knees pulled up to her chest, stacked candy bars next to her, she started to sob loud and clumsy sobs. All her emption finally coming out. Of course Sophia was not expecting a visitor.

"Hello? Hello...... Sophia?" she heard someone call. It was her godmother, Cristina. She didn't want to answer. "Soph!" She heard fast footsteps as Cristina finally reached her, but Sophia wasn't able to see her since her eyes were blurred with tears.

"Are you.... what are you doing here?" Sophia still didn't answer and she was showing no signs of calming down. She felt Cristina gently hand on her back, attempting to calm her down but it was far from working.

"Soph, just take deep breaths with me." Still no answer. For a little while Cristina disappeared leaving Sophia to wallow alone for a few moments. But eventually Cristina returned. This time with Izzie right behind her.

"Soph," Izzie said gently. "Sophia, please listen to us. You have to calm down. Please, for us."

"It's okay," Cristina murmured.

"No it's not," Sophia finally spoke. "Lyss is dead."

"I know," Izzie sighed softly. "And I wish that it wasn't true. But this isn't helping you at all." Sophia realized she was right. Gently she rested her head on Izzie's shoulder who held her tightly as her sobs fizzled out.

"There you go," Izzie whispered in her ear.

"It's okay now," Cristina added. Sophia nodded and lifted her head up, her face red and blotchy from crying so hard.

"Now..." Izzie began. "Why aren't you in school?" Sophia began explaining how she couldn't go back. How her family needed her to be strong and be there. How she had to become so independent and take charge of the family. How she couldn't show her own emotion or grieve because her family was in ruins.

"Sophia," Cristina sighed. "This is not all your responsibility."

"Yes it is," she protested. "I am the older sister. I need to take care of my family."

"Soph," Izzie said. "Your a kid. You may be 17 but your still a kid. A kid who can't get control of her emotions right now. That is to be expected. Your sister is no longer here. This is not all your responsibility. Leave your parents and the rest of your family to us. Right now, you have to focus on you."

"Really?" Sophia whispered.

"Really," Cristina vowed. "We'll take good care of you, we promise." Is this a good thing?

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Okay, so this is my first chapter of my sequel. It's more of a introduction to what's about to come. The kids all in breakdown mode, Meredith slowly falling apart, Derek trying to stay strong, the family barely holding on, and the rest of the family trying to help although they are still grieving as well. How does that sound like it is gonna work out? Just remember...... I promise you this will have an eventual happy ending but there has to be a lot of steps, angst, and hurt before we get there :)

Hope you like it!!!!!!!

I'd like to thank 7LuckyStars for helping me like always!

A/N: I have this major History/ English project that is due next Monday and I have not started it yet. It could count for my Graduation Project, and is worth 100 points for History and 300 points for English. All updates for any of my stories is gonna be slow but after May 18th they should pick up again. Also, my math teacher decided to give us several packets of work to be due in a few days.... I will update any of my stories as soon as I can though!

PLEASE R&R!