Chapter 20

Derek has been in surgery the whole night. When finally the last patient is on the way to post-op, he calls the Webbers but they don't know where Meredith is. Adele tells Derek that she will start phoning everyone on the invitation list.

"I'll call everyone except your family members, Derek" Adele says.

"Family members?"

"Yeah, your mother and your sisters are on this list."

"What?" He has horror in his voice. "My mother is coming?" It took a couple a seconds before he connected the dots. That phone call last weekend when his mother when she had asked about engagement and he had been so happy thinking about Meredith. His mother had been inquiring about Rose. He has to call her right now.

"I have to call my mother now…"

"Yes you better do that"

"… and my sisters as well. Damn it"

"Call me as soon as you know where Meredith is" Adele says and ends the call.

Derek pushes speed dial to his mum but no answer, just voicemail. He tries her cell phone with the same result. Next he tries his oldest sister, Kathleen, the psychiatrist. She answers after a couple of signals.

"Hi, Sis."

"Hi, lover boy." Oh no, he thinks.

"Do you know where mum is?"

"I'm not sure I can tell you."

"It is very important."

"It is? More important then telling our mother about your engagement this Friday?"

"It is about that. I'm not getting engaged!"

"Trouble in paradise?"

"No Kath, I have never proposed to Rose and I never intend to do it either. I broke up with Rose last week. Well actually I took a break from the relationship last week and broke up with her yesterday morning."

"Isn't that a little bit cruel after all the planning for the party?"

"There has never been a party planned. This is something Rose has made up, to force me into marrying her. Yesterday she claimed to be pregnant, which Addie could prove she wasn't." He took a deep breath and continued, "Last night I went to the apartment and there was wedding stuff all over the place and pictures I've never seen before of me and her. It was creepy." New breath. "Yesterday she was scrubbed in at my surgery and faked stomach pain and yelled about the non existent baby while being wheeled out on a gurney. She is crazy but the psych-consult said it was a mild depression."

"But mum spoke with you this Saturday and said that you were so much in love."

"I am very much in love, with Meredith. She came back for her friends' graduation last week."

"Is she in love with you?"

"She said so, but she is missing since last night."

"All her stuff is gone except for her blackberry which is in the kitchen of her old house."

"Can she be home were she lives?"

"She works for the MSF in Darfur right now and if she doesn't take my job offer then I'm going to join them as well."

"I guess you are in love."

"Were you planning to come to the party?"

"Yeah, I'm leaving tomorrow morning with our sisters and their families."

"Don't, come another time and please tell the others the same and mum."

"It is a little bit late for mum since her flight arrives to Seattle in about 3 hours. You will have to tell her in person."

"Oh no, I have to go. Love you Sis."

"Love you back Derbear."

Meredith is trying to sleep in the trailer after using the spare key from its hiding place. She started out sitting on the couch but it was to uncomfortable and has the last couple of hours been laying in bed. Derek's pillow in her arms smelling his hair products. She is trying to sort out the last 24 hours. She had lunch with Derek and he told her about Rose and the fake pregnancy, as did Addison. During the surgery Rose faked pain and yelled about the baby but Derek didn't follow her. He continued doing the surgery. At the bench he hugged her and talked about always being there for her. Then he offered her, Cristina and Owen extra ordinary jobs and telling her that he had sent in his application to the MSF if she wanted him but didn't want to live in Seattle. She got the engagement invitation after Cristina got engaged. Something is wrong in this picture but it feels a little like Addison showing up. Like Derek is hiding something. At the same time he seemed so sincere. He is the love of her life but she might have to live without him. Tears are sliding down her cheeks. Sometime close to dawn she finally falls into a light slumber.

Derek makes a short phone call to the house and leaves an update and receives one. Nothing is the short version. He has to finish up his post-op patients and a mountain of paperwork. Being Chief is the same as meetings, phone calls and problems in a never ending order. He is just happy he has at least four days of surgery every week. The rest of the paper work is handled by his assistant 5 days a week. When he reaches his office he tells his assistant to take him off the surgical board unless something extreme happens. All he has on his mind is Meredith's whereabouts and Rose's. How crazy is Rose? Their apartment was really creepy and her new baby obsession. When had she done all that wedding planning? He thought about Meredith and how she would probably enjoy a city hall wedding or an outside wedding by his trailer and the wedding reception at Joe's. That would be his goal, to get her to their wedding. This thing with Rose had to be solved today if possible. What shift is she going to work today? It must be somewhat similar as his. He really needed to get her to stop all this nonsense. When passing his assistant he tells him he'll be back but needed to find Rose first.

"Wait, Dr Shepherd. Rose called in earlier and said that her morning sickness was bad so she's still at home."

Derek turns around with a baffled face.

"Rose is not pregnant and by the way. She is not and will never become my fiancée. There will not be any party on Friday. I'll be pleased if you could spread that word down the gossip line." He pulls his phone out and calls the apartment. Still no answer. Before returning to his desk the assistant hands him a written note.

"Rose told me to remind you that your mother needs to be met at the airport at 10 am."

Derek reads the note that contains all flight information.

"Great, this day just gets better and better."

He must hurry getting his most important things out of the way so he could take his mother out for lunch and have time to find Meredith.

When Meredith wakes up she makes coffee in the tiny kitchen and brings it along outside to enjoy the sun. She wonders where Derek is but is determined to wait for him. She knows that he is probably in surgery. She would call him and Cristina but she can't find her blackberry. If she doesn't want to walk into the village she is stuck at the trailer.

Cristina is calling Geneva and there is no answer. She then calls the housekeeper Mrs. Müller who promises to go and look in the apartment. Twenty minutes later she gets a return call saying that Meredith is not there. Owen finds Cristina crying on their bed and gives a kiss and a hug.

"Cris, what's wrong?"

"Meredith"

"Is she hurt?"

"I don't know, she is not there."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, Mrs. Müller confirmed it."

"We have to tell the others."

"Can you do it?"

"Sure" he says and leaves for the kitchen.

Rose is at home, starting t worry because there has only been a handful of RSVP's this morning. There should be a lot more by now but she comforts herself with that they probably call tonight. Instead she makes an appointment at a beauty parlor for Friday. She needs to check the caterer as well. She makes her ready to go there by car.

Derek is waiting outside the arrivals for his mother to exit when he gets a call from Alex saying that Meredith is not in Geneva. In just that moment his mother walks up to him.

"Derek"

He turns around and there she is. He wraps his arms around her and hugs her tightly.

"Hi mum, welcome to Seattle. I'm so happy to see you"

"Likewise"

"I thought Rose was going to meet me as she said on the phone."

"Mum I really need to talk to you. Can I take your bags and we go somewhere and sit down?"

Cristina is stressing, pacing the living room and Owen is trying to calm her down.

"Cris, this is not good for the baby. You have to calm down."

"I can't, my person is missing!" she sobs.

"We will find her. You are her person and she will contact you." Owen pulls her down beside him on the couch and pulls her close against his side, kissing her hair. Cristina is slowly calming down by his touch and listening to his heartbeat.

Rose is on her way to the caterer and Derek and his mother Mrs. Carolyn Shepherd is driving towards the coffee shop.