A quicker update this time because I knew exactly what I wanted to write. I hope you're enjoying the story.

"It's a moderate grade intracranial brain glioma…" Derek explained.

George nodded as he stared at the film; Meredith, on the other hand, was trying to balance a very restless James and examine the films.

"Okay…" George said.

"And see here," Derek pointed at the image. "It's pressing on your parietal lobe and enclosing on your visual cortex…"

George nodded.

"But, you can operate?" he asked.

Lexie, who had joined them in the room, rested her hand on George's arm and looked at Derek and Meredith hopefully.

"I can…but you know yourself…this kind of region with tumours and gliomas, well it is really risky…" Derek said.

"And…if we're successful in removing it George, we're not sure how much sight you will have…if any at all…" Meredith added on.

"But you can operate?" George pressed as he laced his fingertips through Lexie's.

"I can," Derek answered.

"And you will?" Lexie asked Derek.

Derek nodded.

Meredith, on the other hand, was staring blankly at the films while James wrapped his fingers around her necklace. She looked at the image and knew that this surgery would be risky; she didn't know if she could do it and she certainly wasn't going to risk sending George blind, or worse…killing him.

"Meredith…" George said.

Meredith looked up at him and stared into the warm and familiar brown that saw so much; those eyes knew so much about her and yet she searched into them to find the anticipated fear she knew was there.

"Mer…"

"George…I…I just…"

"Meredith…please…"

Those eyes now filled with fear, just as she had anticipated. But as George stared at Meredith, he too, saw the fear that consumed the green gaze that returned to him.

"Okay…" Meredith whispered.

George reached out for her hand.

"It's okay to be scared…" he told her.

Meredith shook her head and tried to avoid his stare while fiddling with James' shirt collar. Her hands shook as she adjusted the t-shirt she'd dressed her son in this morning.

George hugged his friend gently and rubbed his somewhat nephew's back as he whispered in Meredith's ear.

"I'm scared too…"

--

Later that evening, Derek and Meredith were sitting back at Ellis Grey's house; now occupied by Izzie and Alex and a colony of Lily's stuffed animals.

"Lily Karev, you better come and get SpongeBob or he is going to be the Sponge for the dishes!" Alex called out.

Lily squealed and ran into the kitchen to retrieve her SpongeBob toy from Alex's hands. As she ran by Meredith, Meredith took the opportunity to grab her quickly and pick her up.

"Can't your Aunty Meredith have a cuddle?" she asked with a laugh.

Lily laughed and threw her arms around Meredith, hugging her tightly.

"Aunty Mer, can you read our bedtime story tonight?" Lily asked sweetly as Tess climbed up on Meredith's other knee.

Meredith darted her eyes between the two hopeful stares that looked back at her; Lily had Izzie's big brown eyes and Tess's eyes were so characteristically Derek that it was scary.

"Okay," Meredith replied with a smile. "Now, go and wash up and get ready for dinner, it's going to be ready…right Alex?"

Alex turned around and smiled at the little girls.

"Yeah," he answered. "Lily, please don't make a mess either…just go and wash your hands…no bubbles and don't use mom's makeup!"

"Okay daddy," Lily replied.

"Tessie, Uncle Alex means you as well!" Meredith told Tess.

Tess nodded as both little girls ran upstairs giggling.

Izzie and Meredith began setting places at the table; Izzie stopped for a second and stared at Meredith, her eyes glistened with tears and Meredith knew exactly what she was feeling.

"Iz…" Meredith sighed.

"Mer…I'm worried…."

"I know…"

"What if…"

"He won't…"

"But…"

"He's going to be okay Iz…" Meredith promised, even though she didn't know that herself.

"Okay…" Izzie sighed.

Alex walked over to the table and kissed Izzie's cheek.

"You okay?" he asked kindly as he stared over at Meredith with an uncertain look in his eyes. "Are you both okay?"

"We're fine," Izzie answered. "Can you go and get the girls for dinner?"

Alex nodded and wandered up the stairs as Derek walked over and sat down at the table with James on his knee.

"So Iz…how are the monstrous threes treating you and Alex?" Derek chuckled.

"Last night Lily kicked the door off the hinges…" Izzie laughed. "Yeah, they're not treating us well at all!"

"Oh my god!" came Alex's shout from upstairs.

"Uh-oh…" Izzie said.

Alex stormed down the stairs with the two girls and stood in front of the table as he pushed them to the front.

My jaw dropped down to the floor when I stared at Lily and Tess.

"Tess…" I gasped.

Both girls had seemed to find the hairspray and now, Izzie, Derek and I were staring at two little three year olds with teased hair that somewhat resembled a birds' nest.

"Lily…" Izzie gasped.

"What did I say Lily Karev?" Alex asked angrily.

"You said no bubbles and no makeup…" Lily answered.

"That's true honey, you didn't say hairspray…" Izzie whispered to Alex.

"Well, we don't have time to comb it out…lucky it isn't a strong hold," Meredith concluded. "So let's eat and we'll concentrate on our little Cutting Edge wannabes later,"

Izzie nodded.

--

That night, Meredith and Derek were climbing into bed in Meredith's old room when Meredith received a text from George.

- Hope you're not asleep

- I'm not.

- Free to talk?

- 4 u…always.

- Is Derek asleep?

- No, I'll call you in 5.

- Okay. Thanx Mer.

Meredith rolled over in bed to look at Derek who appeared to be momentarily resting his eyes from a very long and dramatic day.

"I'm going to make a cup of tea…" Meredith whispered.

Derek looked up at her and smiled.

"You okay?" he asked.

Meredith nodded.

"I'm fine…" she answered as she leaned down to kiss him and moved to the door where she turned and looked at him with a gentle smile. "I love you…"

"I love you too honey," Derek answered with a smile that slowly turned to a frown. "Are you sure that you're okay?"

"Yeah…" Meredith answered as she turned to walk downstairs.

When she had made herself a cup of tea, she flicked open her cell and dialled George's number.

"Hey," came his soft voice.

"Hey, what's up?" Meredith asked.

"Just wanted to talk…"

"About what?"

The other end of the line went silent; it was almost as though they'd been cut off from each others' lines. But Meredith knew this silence all too well.

"George…"

"I just wanted to talk about this thing…or whatever it is…"

"George…you'll be okay…I know Derek can do this…"

"Mer, when I found out about the baby I was so excited about the fact that I was going to be a dad…"

"You are going to be a dad…"

"Two days later, I found out about the tumour…"

"George…"

"And I am scared of the fact that if this tumour kills me…Lexie…well she'll be alone and…and I don't want that…"

"George…you are not going to die…"

Again, the line went silent and Meredith wanted to say something, but she didn't know just what to say.

"Meredith…I'm scared…"

"That's a good thing George…"

"How?"

"Because if you're scared of dying, scared of leaving your life behind…it gives you one thing to live for…" Meredith told him.

And in that moment; for that precise second, George knew it was true.

I hope you loved the update just as I enjoyed writing it! Meredith is going to need to find her feet in Seattle again, and she is becoming a better person just by experiencing this with George!!

Show some love - it's that little purple button...

REVIEW!!