"I hate Paediatric trauma" Lauren sighed and stretched her shoulders as she walked out of the OR with Amelia and Derek. The three Shepherd siblings had to work together on one of the children injured in the horrific car accident but no matter how hard they worked they couldn't save the nine year old little girl. Her head and chest injuries were just too severe and her little heart couldn't take the stress.

"I think you're in the wrong specialty if you hate Paeds trauma" Amelia laughed nudging her sister gently. Just as exhausted, Amelia managed to save the father of the car crash family before helping her sister with the child.

"Every specialty has trauma so changing isn't the answer" Derek chuckled and pushed the door open to get to the waiting room. The three Shepherds had to give the waiting grandparents the bad news on their granddaughter as well as the good news on the rest of the family. That was always the worst part of being a doctor. Their next duty was facing their own mother and her wrath.

"Derek!" Mark called out and caught up with the Shepherds as they headed back up to the Attendings Lounge "What's this about a dinner party at your place tonight?"

"Dinner Party?"

"You don't know anything about it? I just got told to be there at 7 for dinner"

"Hey are we invited?" Amelia laughed "Because this has Mom..."

"No this has Kathleen written all over it" Lauren finished for her sister. There was no doubt that this was the work of their eldest sister. Lauren and Amelia were going to enjoy just watching their brother squirm.

"You two will keep quiet" Derek warned before spotting Meredith by the nurses' station "Meredith, are you organising a dinner party tonight?"

"You haven't spoken to your Mom?" she asked anxiously "She found me, asked if we had enough room for ten or so guests and asked to borrow my keys. I just had to invite your family, my family, Mark and any significant others which constituted as Alex. Those were her words"

"Oh this is going to be fun" Lauren laughed and was quickly glared at by her brother who looked like he was ready to scream.

"She's your mother too Lauren..."

"Yes but I don't get quite as embarrassed by Mom as you" she smirked and took a chart from the station and checked on her patients latest scans and notes. "I have to check on this kid, I'll see you all tonight at the dinner party. I'll bring some wine"

"We'll need it to watch Mom and Derek go at it" Amelia chuckled

"I really hate you two, y'know that right?"

"Uh-huh" Lauren shrugged with a laugh as she went to check up on her patient.

XXXXX

"Knock, knock" Lauren smiled as she leant on the door frame of Alex's bedroom. She hadn't been inside that small room very much since dating Alex. Their time was usually spent out, in the living room or her apartment "I like that shirt on you"

"It looks better on the floor" he smirked as he turned to her until he realised how dirty that sentence sounded "Sorry I start talking dirty when I'm tired"

"I'm sure it would look better on the floor, you have great abs" she chuckled "You did amazing work today; I'm not surprised you're tired"

"Thanks... for both comments"

"Are you ready for dinner? I know I said you wouldn't have to meet my family but I'd love to introduce them to the man that makes me so happy. Nancy asked me if I was taking a page out of Amelia's book and using drugs because my attitude has changed"

"Seriously?"

"Seriously" Lauren laughed and sat down next to Alex on his bed "You've been so amazing over this past month. I think I've made you wait long enough"

"Now?" he asked curiously with a little bit of hope

"Oh no I meant tonight, after dinner" she chuckled

"Lauren! Lauren you're missing all the action!" Amelia called out as she raced up the stairs looking for her sister. Running past Alex's room, she doubled back and leant on the door frame like Lauren had done so earlier "Derek and Nancy are about to go at it. You're missing all the good stuff"

"You're like a little kid at Christmas" Alex laughed

"This is so much better than Christmas. It's Shepherd family smack down. Keep up Dr Handsome"

"Ignore her" Lauren sighed and stood up taking Alex's hand "Come on Dr Handsome"

"Tell me again why we don't go home for Thanksgiving and Christmas more often?" Amelia laughed as Lauren and Alex followed her downstairs to the dining room. The room looked incredible even with Derek and Nancy scowling at each other in the corner. Kathleen did know how to put on a good party. Mark and Lexie were in an opposite corner having a heated conversation of a different matter but everyone had heard that one a million times.

"I'm surprised you're not in the kitchen with Kathleen" Lauren chuckled to her Mom who was already sitting at the head of the table. Kissing her Mom on the cheek quickly, Lauren sat down beside her as Amelia sat across from her sister.

"Can I get you ladies anything to drink?" Alex asked. Each of the three Shepherd's asked for their respective drinks as Alex disappeared to the kitchen. Anything to postpone meeting the family. Alex wasn't exactly the man women took home to meet their families but he really liked Lauren which just made him nervous.

"I have never seen Derek so on edge before" Meredith sighed softly as she joined Alex in the kitchen getting drinks. She couldn't stand how worked up Derek's family made him.

"At least you've met his family. I just feel like the outsider. I'm trying to avoid meeting Lauren's Mom"

"Derek and Lauren's Mom is great. She's nothing like my Mom, she bakes and she sews and she has photos of her five kids in her wallet. She's the typical Mom"
"I think that's what scares me" he sighed softly "I want to make a good impression"

"Just be the guy Lauren likes so much" Meredith smiled and handed him Carolyn's water, Lauren's wine and the two beers for him and Amelia. "The sooner you get in there, the sooner it's over"

Alex smiled weakly and walked back into the living room. Derek and Nancy were still in a private yet heated discussion in the corner as Alex set the drinks down on the table and gave them to their respective Shepherd women.

"You're that lovely young doctor from this afternoon, telling me my children had to go save some lives yes?" Carolyn chuckled as Alex sat down beside Lauren.

"Yes that would be me. I'm Alex Karev; it's nice to meet you"

"You must be the boy behind my Lauren's smile. She hasn't smiled like that since..."

"Mom please" Lauren sighed wishing her mother wouldn't start naming any ex-boyfriends.

"Let's just say it's been a while" Carolyn smiled "You're a surgeon too? What's your specialty?"

"I'm a Resident at the moment so I don't really have one just yet but I seem to have a talent for Paediatrics or so I'm told"

"Arizona has had his name down for the Paediatrics fellowship since before I even got to Seattle" Lauren smiled. She hadn't told Alex that which caused the 'she did?' look on his face. Resting her hand on his knee, she assured him that he had that fellowship for when his residency was over.

"How is Arizona? Amelia says she's in the Congo or something? What took her there?" Carolyn asked remembering the bubbly blonde girl from Lauren's med-school days. Someone like Arizona Robbins was hard to forget.

"It's Malawi and she got the Carter Madison Grant. She's saving the world one African child at a time"

"Ok who's hungry?" Kathleen called out as she walked into the dining room with a large roast turkey.

"Wow Kathleen this looks amazing" Lauren smiled as she stood up and helped Meredith who had started bringing out more food.

"Well if you came home for Christmas or Thanksgiving more often, you wouldn't be so surprised" she shot back quickly at her little sister. Amelia laughed loudly even though she'd missed a fair share of holidays over the past few years. "I thought I would cook all the Shepherd classics now considering you three probably won't come home or the holidays this year"

"Don't speak so soon big sister, maybe we might" Lauren smirked even though she probably wouldn't get back to New York for the holidays. Kids still got sick through that season like any other time of the year.

"Yeah, no we won't be there" Amelia laughed and helped with the last of the food before sitting down.

"I'd like you all to be together for the holidays this year" Carolyn commented softly

"Us Mom, you'll be the main attraction" Lauren chuckled as everyone took their seats around the table.

"No, no I won't" she sighed softly and took Lauren and Amelia's hands gently. Everyone looked to her with confused expressions on their face. "It's great to see all of my children, including you Mark and your loved ones all together like this. Family is really what's important in life"

"Mom, what do you mean by what you said? Why wouldn't you be around for the holidays?" Nancy asked ignoring her mother's comment about family "What's going on?"

"I was hoping to get through dinner before I had to tell you all this but I know how impatient all my children are in particular"

"Mom..."

"The reason I came to Seattle and dragged Nancy, Kathleen and Amelia along with me, is because I wanted my family together because I haven't been given enough time to make it to the holidays. I have Stage 3 Stomach Cancer"

Thoughts?

I bet you didn't think that was why the Shepherds came to town. How will everyone react? How will Lauren react? She is an oncologist