Disclaimer: If we owned Grey's Anatomy we'd know Patrick Dempsey. Yeah...that's about as far as that thought goes...brain stops working at the pure thought.

Three days. Three days had gone by since I had seen Meredith. Three days since she had looked at me with venom in her eyes and told me to go away. Three days since I had seen Dillon crying, his little voice telling Meredith I needed to speak to her. Three days since I had really slept. I was starting to lose my mind, I needed to see her. I missed her. Mark had told me to give her time, and I was trying to be good with time. I was. But he never really made it clear how much time this would take. And apparently 3 days was too long. I didn't know how to spend 3 days without her in my life, and if I had to wait any longer I wasn't sure I could make it. I needed her. I missed her more than I thought possible. I missed Dillon.

I hadn't been eating much either, but I knew my mother would be on my case anyway come Sunday. I sighed and went to the elevator, pressing the button with the intent of going down to the cafeteria and attempting food. Nothing in my life seemed to matter anymore. Just Meredith and Dillon. The elevator door opened and I stepped in, not looking up to see if anyone was with me. "Derek?"

I recognized the voice immediately. I had missed that voice nearly as much as I had missed his mother's. "Bud?" I said looking down at a wide eyes Dillon, Sam held tightly in his arms.

"I told Sam we'd find you," he said, a small smile on his lips. "See, Sam, it's Derek. I knew he'd be surgeoning."

"Bud, what are you doing here?" I said crouching down to his level, worried about him. He definitely shouldn't be walking around alone in the hospital. Meredith wouldn't be happy. I took in his wide eyes and noticed the tears that rested in them. "You okay, bud?"

"My mommy had to work so Daddy brought me here," Dillon sighed. "And Sam and I wanted to find you. So we left daycare. Derek, don't you like us anymore?"

"I love you, you know that," I said, resting my hand on his shoulder lightly.

"What about Mommy?" Dillon sighed, a small tear falling down his cheek. "You never come over anymore. Sam misses you."

"Oh bud, I love your mom so much," I said, blinking away tears and pulling him close to me. "We're just working through some things right now."

"You said you'd never leave," he said into my scrubs. "And now you don't come and Mommy won't tell me why. Did I do something bad, Derek?"

"No, Dillon, this has nothing to do with you. And I haven't gone anywhere. I've missed you so much," I told him.

"You read the best," Dillon sighed. "And your rritos are better than Mommy's. Derek, come home with me."

This time I let a tear roll down my cheek. "Oh, bud, I want to. God, I want to. But I don't think your mommy wants to see me right now."

"I heard her crying," he said. "Mommy's sad, Derek. You said you'd never make her sad."

I looked at Dillon and wanted to pick him up and take him home to find his mom together. Because I didn't want to make Meredith sad, the last thing I wanted to do was make her sad. I took a deep breath, thinking of the best way to word this. "Dillon, do you remember your first day of school?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Sam and I were scared. But Mommy said there was nothing to be ascared of."

"You were scared because it was something new," I told him, nodding slowly. "And now, me and your mom, what we have is new for her. She's not used to having a boyfriend. And she's scared."

"When I'm ascared, Mommy makes me pancakes. And Daddy bought me a night lite."

"Well your mommy just needs some time away from me. But I'm not going anywhere, bud," I told him hugging him tightly.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Dillon wrapped himself around me and I picked him up, carrying him out into the bustling hallways. "Derek, Sam and I really miss you. And Mommy misses you too."

"I miss all three of you too. So much Dillon. You three are my family," I told him.

"Dillon Grey!" Lucas's voice came from behind me and I turned to see Lucas rushing towards us. "Where have you been? You can't sneak out of daycare like that. And what the hell are you doing with him?" He turned to me, his eyes blazing.

"Lucas, relax, I just found him and was taking him back," I lied slightly, not wanting to cause any more problems for Meredith.

He took Dillon from my arms and stared at me, "I thought I said I didn't want him around you," he growled.

"And you wanted him running unattended around a hospital?" I asked him, trying to keep the anger out of voice for Dillon's benefit. He was already so unsure about me right now, unsure that I wasn't leaving him, so he didn't have to see me angry.

"He escaped from day care," Lucas sighed. "So don't try to blame this on me. Dillon, let's go."

"Bud, I'll see you later," I attempting to reassure him as Lucas started to walk away. "I promise."

"No! No!" Dillon screamed, kicking at Lucas. "Daddy, let me down! Derek, I'll go fishing! I'll go fishing and you don't have to surgeon the fishy! The fishy can die! You promised! You pinky sweared! You're a liar!"

I knew I shouldn't chase after him, not with the battle that Meredith was fighting. But Dillon obviously needed me and that was all that mattered. "Bud, bud," I said calmly, putting my hand on Lucas's shoulder, keeping him in place. And then an idea dawned on me. "Dr. Kelley, there's a cardio consult needed in room 5632. Go take care of that, I'll take your son down stairs."

Lucas stared at me for a second and then at Dillon. "Dill pickle, be good. And do not sneak out of daycare again. Mom will be here soon." He placed the still sobbing Dillon in my arms and then turned and left.

"Dillon, you don't have to go fishing, you don't have to do anything. You're perfect just the way you are. And I love you. I promised to always be here and I will. I'll always be your daddy Derek," I whispered into his ear.

"But you're leaving," he sobbed. "You gave me to Daddy and you don't want to see Mommy. And you don't call me at home. And you won't read me stories or make me into a ritto. And you don't say good night to Sam anymore."

"Dillon, there's nothing I want more than to see your mommy and tuck you in and say goodnight, but it's complicated," I said sighing. "When you get older life sometimes gets complicated."

"What's comlicated?" he asked as he tightened his hold around my neck.

"It means it's messy," I explained.

"Then clean it up!" he insisted. "When my room is messy, Mommy says to clean it up. So clean it up."

I wish it was that simple, I wanted it to be that simple. And maybe it could be. "That actually might be a good idea, bud," I told him smiling.

"Okay," he nodded. "Sam and I have an idea."

"You do?" I asked, my eyes widening in exaggerated interest.

"Sam and I think you should come over tonight," he said excitedly, the tears stopped. "Mommy's making bsghetti. And you talk to her. And Sam and I will be really quiet. And then it will be fixed."

I smiled at the prospect of it being that easy, and knew it was very unlikely. Meredith was a spitfire, she didn't get over things, she yelled. But that was okay, I could deal with yelling. "I'll be there," I agreed with his plan.

"Good," he nodded. "And maybe you should bring ice cream."

"Is that for you, Sam or your mommy?" I laughed, feeling better than I had in days. Because I had a plan, and Dillon was on my side, and my son was in my arms.

"Me and Sam. And Mommy. As long as it is sawberry."

"I'll bring ice cream," I said as we reached the day care.

"Okay, Derek," he smiled and then kissed my cheek. "I'll see you later. Love you."

"I love you too," I told him, giving him a quick kiss back and placing him on the ground so he could run back into the nursery. I had a plan. Well not really a plan, but it was something. I had no idea what I was supposed to say to her. But she had to let me in, I had made the promise to her son, and she would never let Dillon down. I could get in and then the words would come. They had to.

"Derek!" he came running out again, a smile on his face.

"Yeah?" I smiled at him.

"Your face is scratchy, so you need to make it smooth," he said. "And bring Mommy a present."

"Your as bossy as your mom," I laughed.

"I'm not bossy," he shook his head. "I'll see you later, Daddy Derek."

"See you later, bud," I told him.

He smiled and ran back into the nursery, Sam hanging from his uninjured hand. I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. I was going to get my Meredith back. Dillon and Sam and I had a plan. And I was going to talk to my Meredith. I had given her time, but now I would get her back.

"I know here you hide, alone in your car, know all of the things that make you who are, know that good bye means nothing at all..."