Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy, or any recognisable characters.

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Meredith's POV

I survive for the next six months only by sheer determination and luck, my meager supplies only lasted a couple of days and as much as I hate it, I have been forced to steal whatever I need, whatever Vincent needs.

Some days I just want to lie down in the alley where I sleep, and never wake up, but one look at my beautiful baby boy and I know that I can't do that, I have to keep going.

And so here I am, balancing my infant son on my emaciated frame, standing outside a dirty nightclub that is so much more than that. I met another girl my age a few days ago, and she told me that the owner of this place would pay her well for providing her "talents" and "services" to his patrons.

I never thought things would get to this point, I mean, I'm the daughter of one of the best surgeons in the country, a pioneer in her field, but I was never going to be enough for her. Forget her. I just have to get through this.

I pull the tiny scrap of fabric they call a shirt down a bit lower, and without giving myself a chance to reconsider this, I walk through the doors, and into my new life, as a prostitute.

The owner is a disgusting man that reminds me of my rapist, but I force down the urge to run as he explains to me that in return for my services, every night, dusk to dawn, he would pay me a wage that, well frankly having been scavenging for enough to survive for months, it made my eyes bulge out of my skull. I'd be able to rent somewhere, take care of Vincent, maybe even start saving so that I can get out of this life.

He then points me towards a back room, saying that the 'girls' will help me find my way around until I get into the routine, he promises that he takes care of us, I don't believe him for a second, but I gratefully say thank you and promise him that I'll do the best I can here.

As I enter the back room I am nearly knocked down by the smell, cheap perfume, cigarettes, and cheaper liquor, but I force this feeling down too as I walk over to the nearest girl and tap her on the shoulder. "Hey, I'm new here, the boss told me I should come back here."

The girl turns around to face me, and I couldn't be more shocked. "Holly? What're you doing here?"

"I could say the same." She quips, turning her attention to Vincent. "He's gotten so big, how old is he now?"

"Six months." I reply proudly, stroking his downy hair. "So what do I need to do, Jack said I start tonight."

Holly sighs, and in a hushed tone she asks. "Are you sure you want to do this, Deth?"

I glance down at my son, and then tell her. "I don't have a choice."

"Okay." Holly says with a sad smile before she starts to explain things to me, and introduce me to the other girls, who all offer to keep an eye out for Vincent when I have to leave him in the back room, apparently I'm not the first to bring a kid with me.

Within a week I have enough money to rent a small apartment; it's in one of the worst parts of town, not far from work, but it is the best I can do right now, and after living in shelters and on the streets for over a year, it seems like a palace. I place of my own, mine and Vincent's, where I can start to make a life for me and Vincent, a safe life.

It doesn't have much furniture, just a fridge and an old mattress, I promise my self that furniture is the next thing I'll get, that mattress has to go; it's better than anything I had on the streets, but it is repulsive and I would rather sleep on the floor.

For five years, me and Vincent stay living in the apartment, Vincent has a small place to sleep in the back room of the club, it's all he really knows. But now he's starting school, and things are looking up, I've saved away a few thousand dollars and I'm determined that once I've got my days to myself I am going to go back to school, find a way for us to get out of this life.

I put on the nicest clothes I own, just a pair of un-ripped jeans and a newer top, and I dutifully walk Vincent to school and hang around socializing with the forty something year old parents of the other kids, before I slip away and jog to a nearby community college.

It isn't hard to find my way to an information desk, where I ask the woman working there. "Hi, I'm looking into finishing my high school diploma."

The woman looks up at me, and starts to explain everything to me.

Within an hour I am signed up to start next week.

If I ever thought that juggling 'work', a five year old, and study would be easy, I was sadly mistaken, within weeks I'm exhausted and I just want to quit, give up and accept what my life will always be.

But just as I am about to pick up the phone to call the college and say I quit, there is a knock on the door. I sigh tiredly as I pull myself to my feet, and I make my way over to the door, I check the peephole before I open the door, it's just Vincent along with one of the kids from his class and the kids mother. "Hey." I greet them warmly, laughing as Vincent slips past me into the apartment. I turn to the mother, Grace, she looks uncomfortable being here to say the least. "Thanks for this, Grace, really, it's a big help. I've been trying to study and I just lost track of time."

She smiles at me falsely, it couldn't be clearer that she wants to get away from this place just as much as I do as she says. "No worries, Meredith, I'll probably see you around."

"Yeah, see you." I reply as she turns to leave, and I close the door and secure the locks before I go in search of my boy.

Several weeks later I get to work just before I have to start, and am surprised not to see Holly anywhere in the room. I call out to one of the other girls "Where's Holls?"

The girl, Sarah stands up and walks over to me, while one of the other girls calls Vincent over to her. "Holly died today, the cops were around earlier, she overdosed. I'm sorry, Deth."

I can't breathe, I can't think, I am vaguely aware of being guided to the floor as I burst into hysterically sobs. I'm alone again, my only friend in the world is dead, and I can't help but wish it had been me.

TBC...

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