At some stage that afternoon, I was looking for Charlie; but being the busy teenager she was, I was completely out of luck. I entered the attending's lounge to find Cristina laying on the lounge with her feet in the air.

"Staring at your shoes again?" I commented.

She groaned.

"Could this place be anymore boring…doesn't anyone get sick anymore?" she sighed. "It's so damn quiet…"

"Shhh!" I cried.

Cristina rolled her eyes.

"Oh come on, you've been a surgeon for ten years and you still believe in that crap?!" she said. "Quiet, quiet, quiet!"

"Argh!" I covered my ear quickly and attempted to block out the words that were escaping her mouth. "Shut up!"

I looked around and noticed that Charlie's bag wasn't in my locker.

"Have you seen my daughter?" I asked her.

She shook her head.

"She had that whole post McDreamy look going while she walked out texting on her phone…" Cristina mumbled.

"Make some sense!" I cried.

"She said something about some Mitchell Jeremy kid…"

I groaned and walked out thinking there was a chance she would be at the cafeteria. On my way there, I passed George.

"Hey George…have you seen Charlie?" I asked.

George shook his head.

"No…hey…what's the go with this creep of a freshman that wants to take out Charlie?" he cried.

"Oh…don't you worry…her father will know soon enough and he'll be nothing but a blip on her rebellious radar!" I assured him.

George chuckled.

"Is everything okay?" he asked me.

I nodded and smiled.

"Oh yeah…I'm just tired…" I said quickly.

He shook his head and continued to walk.

"Always here to talk Mer…" he reminded me sweetly. George was always so comforting when I needed him to be; and as a virtual sounding board…I needed him right then…

"George…wait…" I followed him down the hall. "Do you have ten minutes?"

"For you, I've got all the time in the world!" he said with a smile.

"Mark!" Derek called out as Mark wandered by his office.

Mark stopped and quickly poked his head in.

"Hey…what's up?" he asked. "Have you spoken to your daughter about this Jeremy Mitchell who wants to take her to the Spring Fling?"

Derek frowned.

"The Spring Fling is for freshmen…" his eyes widened at his complete realisation that only came from that sentence. "He's a freshman?"

Mark nodded and chuckled.

"See…this is why you and I are friends…" he said. "We could kick his ass you know?"

"Yeah, yeah…the twerp is dead…can I talk to you?" Derek asked.

Mark frowned and looked at him intently.

"I'm listening…"

"I had sex with Meredith last night…"

"You had sex with Derek last night?" George repeated with an astonished look in his eyes; after years of drama, torment and hurt…how could she be so…

Stupid??

"I just couldn't help it George…I mean, he was there and saying all the right things…" I sighed.

Yes I know how stupid that sounded…

"And then he came closer…and closer…and he did this thing that he used to do to make me…well…you know…where he lingers his lips over mine…" I said distantly.

George almost had to wipe the drool from his mouth.

"If I could find Izzie right now…" he muttered.

"George!" I cried.

He looked up at me.

"But Meredith…what does it mean…?"

"I mean Derek…are you two back together?" Mark cried.

Derek shook his head.

"No…I don't know…I mean I guess it means we're trying…" he sighed.

Mark frowned.

"Derek this is Meredith we're talking about…" he sighed. "I mean, the girl could barely hold it together when you were first together…and now you think she is trying?"

Derek scowled at his friend.

"Don't be a jerk!" he cried. "All Meredith wants is a strong and happy family!"

Mark shook his head with resentment crossing his eyes.

"But can you give her that Derek?" he asked.

"I don't know George…I want to believe he has changed…I want that bright and shiny happy ending like you and Iz…but I don't know if he can give me that…" I sighed.

George almost choked.

"Oh please Meredith…you know somewhere deep down that he can…I just don't know why you are so afraid to take the risk…" he cried.

"Because I love him too much to lose him again…" I concluded.

"Because I am afraid that I could hurt her again…" Derek sighed.

Mark groaned and put his head down.

"Just try!" he cried.

"Oh Mer…you've gotta try!" George pleaded.

"I need to find Charlie…I've gotta pick up the kids…" I said quickly as I made my way to the door. "Thank you so much George…you're the best friend ever…"

"I'd say you are the best friend ever…but yeah, you're not so I'm just going to say thank you…" Derek said to Mark.

Mark shrugged and smiled.

"Ah, I try," he said.

"But, I do need to find Charlie and talk to her about this Jeremy Mitchell…" Derek said.

Just in sync with each other, we both made our way out into the parking lot where from opposite ends of the hospital entrance we both saw Charlie.

And then we saw something else…

This was bad…

Not good…

Terrible…

A much older boy, who appeared to be the notorious Jeremy Mitchell, walking over to the beautiful fifteen year old girl sitting on the park bench.

"Hey!" Charlie said happily as she stood up on her tip toes so that Jeremy could kiss her.

"Oh my god…" I gasped as I watched them lock in a passionate kiss.

"Oh my god!" Derek shouted.

I saw him as quickly as I heard him.

"Derek!" I cried as he marched over to Charlie and cleared his throat.

"Charlotte…" he said.

Charlie pulled back from the kiss and let all the colour drop from her complexion as she came face to face with her dad.

"Dad…"

I raced over.

"Charlie!" I cried.

"Mom…"

Charlie looked back at us completely mortified.

"And you must be Jeremy Mitchell…the seventeen year old freshman who wants to take my fifteen year old high school daughter to the Spring Fling…" Derek interjected.

Charlie looked at me desperately.

"Charlie, we have to go and pick up the kids from school, now let's go..."

Derek frowned and looked at me.

"Meredith…we don't know this kid…" he said to me.

I shook my head.

"Derek…not now…" I told him.

"Charlie, maybe your friend should come with me to my office…" Derek said to Charlie.

"No dad…" she said quickly.

"Fine, I have two questions now…" Derek said.

"Yes sir…" Jeremy spoke up for the first time.

"Number one…what car do you drive?" Derek asked.

Charlie groaned and her cheeks turned a shade of pink.

"Uh…a um, Vespa…" Jeremy stuttered.

"A Vespa?" Derek snorted. "It's not even a real motorcycle..." he pointed to the scar on his forehead. "This is a real motorcycle!"

"Derek!" I hissed.

"Number two…are you going to college?"

Charlie nearly choked on her embarrassment.

"Yeah, I want to go to med school!" Jeremy said happily.

"Oh that's great Jeremy," I attempted to lighten the conversation.

Derek didn't take on the opportunity.

"Charlie…don't date a doctor…medicine ruins every great romance…" he said resentfully as he walked away.

I turned apologetically to Jeremy.

"I'm sorry Jeremy…" Charlie sighed. "I have to go…"

Jeremy went to kiss her but I pulled Charlie back.

"Don't kiss my daughter near me please…" I told him.

He nodded and walked away quickly.

"Let's go young lady!" I told Charlie with a frown.

A couple of nights later, I was lying in bed when I heard the thud of footsteps outside my bedroom door.

"Charlie…" I called out.

She poked her head through the door.

"Mmm, what is it mom?"

"Are you okay? I know that Spring Fling is tonight…" I sighed; she was still a little upset from not being able to go.

"I'm okay, I'm just going downstairs to get a drink…" Charlie said.

"Come here for a second honey…" I pushed my new reading glasses down to the bridge of my nose as I lifted my head from my Neuroscience text book.

Charlie wandered over and sat on the edge of the bed.

"He's a nice boy Charlie…but I just…you're just not old enough…I'm sorry…" I sighed.

"Hmm…whatever mom," Charlie replied flippantly. She leaned over and kissed my cheek. "I'm going to bed…love you…"

"Goodnight sweetie, I love you too…" I replied as I watched her walk out of the room.

It wasn't before long that I went to round on the kids and tuck them in, just as I had done since they were little and like I would do right up until they left home.

I opened Riley's door to see him sleeping soundly; walking over to his bed I ran my fingers through the thick curly locks on his head.

"Good night sweetheart," I whispered as I leaned down to kiss his forehead. "I love you so much…"

"Goodnight mom…" Riley murmured.

I looked over on the other bed to see Mia sleeping on top of her covers.

"Goodnight my little Mia…" I sighed. "It won't be long til you see daddy now angel…"

As I closed the door, I wandered over to Charlie's room.

"Charlie…" I said quietly as I knocked on the door.

No answer.

I figured she must be sleeping so I opened the door gently to see an empty bed.

"Oh my god…" I gasped.

She was gone.

You know I can't help myself when it comes to a cliffhanger... that's not the last of Jeremy and Derek - there is more; just slightly indulging you into the drama a little - more confrontation to come...

REVIEW PLEASE!!