Now I had previously named all Derek's sisters but we now know that two of them are Nancy and Kathleen, so for creative purposes the other one (who for me is the one directly older than Derek) is Audrey. Oh and in my story Derek's Dad is still alive… for now.

Now in the cafeteria, Derek sat across from Lily who was nursing a coffee. Meredith was feeding Thomas his bottle beside him.

"Lily… you need to tell me what's wrong?" Derek said, worried that her tumor had returned.

Lily sipped at her drink and steady her breathe.

"Lily" Derek said more forcefully. Meredith leant over and placed her hand on her husbands.

Lily's eyes snapped up to her brother.

"Sam said I should fly out straight away"
"Sam? Who's she"

Lily rolled her eyes.

"I've told you this Derek… you don't listen"
"I do listen"
"No. You used to listen… but you're busy now, you've got your own life, I get that"

Derek sat shaking his head. Lily was rambling.

"Sam… is a he. He's my boyfriend"

"Your boyfriend… when did you get a boyfriend".

"I met him after I left here when I was here for Thomas's birth… remember I went to Boston for the book signing I couldn't get out of".

Derek nodded.

"He's a lecturer there, in Literature, he asked me to speak to his class…. Anyway… you know how the rest goes, I moved there about a month later" Lily said.

"You moved to Boston, You live in Boston?" Derek was sure Lily hadn't told him any of this.

"I'm based there, yes… I've told you this already…" Lily sighed. Since Thomas had been born Lily had spoken to her brother less and less. He was busy. Meredith was busy… they had their own life and Lily understood that, but she had made contact when she had decided to base herself in Boston. They always checked in.

"What does this have to do with why you're here Lil?" Derek was getting impatient.

"I'm getting to that" She ran her hand through her hair in frustration.

"Dad's been coming to Boston every 3 weeks or so to see me… well I thought it was to see me, which is strange, right?" Lily looked at Derek with questioning eyes. She had always felt a distance between herself and her father.

Derek squinted his eyes slightly as if contemplating the question.

"Anyway, there would always be some other reason, a medical conference… which is normal, a case consult, perhaps, but he's always have lunch with me too" Lily paused to rub her eyes.

"It's been 5 visits in 3 months… and call me cynical but I started to wander if he was coming for something else… or maybe someone else" Lily looked at her brother pensively as Meredith's grip on his hand became a bit stronger.

"Someone else" Derek repeated his mind racing.

"I followed him" Lily said quickly almost embarrassed.

"You followed Dad?" Derek asked.

Lily nodded.

Meredith's pager went off.

"I gotta go… fill me in" She kissed Derek's lips quickly, passing Thomas to Lily.

"I followed him last week when he came to visit, back to a hospital… which is normal, and I felt better… but I still got out" Lily's voice was quickening as she tried to explain.

"I followed him to oncology and I thought I took a wrong turn… a nurse asked if she could help, I must have looked lost and I asked for Dr. Shepherd thinking he must be seeing a patient.." Lily stopped.

"Lily?" Derek's concern was growing.

"The nurse looked at me and said Thomas Shepherd, when I said yes, she asked if I was a relative, I said I was his daughter and she said she was pleased" Lily shifted Thomas as he squirmed in her lap.

"She led me to a curtain, then she pulled it back and there was Dad"

"What?" Derek was confused.

"Dad had cancer Derek… he's been going to Boston for chemo, Mom doesn't know"

Derek looked at Lily in disbelief and she nodded, tears spilling over again.