So here is the chapter where it all starts to get exciting. I've been writing a lot lately so I have a solid cushion of chapters on my computer waiting to be updated. What are they waiting for? Reviews of course! Please enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or quotes from Grey's Anatomy, nor do I own the lyrics to Carrie Underwood's song So Small.

Chapter 13- So Small

When you figure out love is all that matters after all
It sure makes everything else seem so small

A few days had passed since Melanie had talked with her mother. She hadn't talked about it, but she regretted what she said. Yes, she had been hurt, but she should have known better than to retaliate. Mel wasn't one to regret things, but she regretted those words the instant she had turned away from her mother. Luckily, the hospital had been busy the past couple days and she had barely had enough time to breathe much less think about what she should have said. At the moment she was answering a page, but when she got to the room it was empty or almost empty.

"Dan," she sighed. "You can't keep doing this. I do have work to do."

"I know," he said before giving her a kiss. "And I'm getting better. I just feel like I haven't gotten to talk to you in a few days."

"The hospital's a madhouse. I just haven't had time. You really should understand," she replied, her arms around his waist.

"I do understand," he responded. "How did coffee with your mother go? You never did tell me."

"She hasn't changed," she declared. "I really don't want to talk about it."

Dan nodded his head. "Ok. I did want to talk to you about something though. I've been wondering, do you think it's time to go public?"

"I don't know," Mel stammered.

"You don't know?" he accused.

"I haven't really thought about it. Give me some time, I'll let you know soon," she promised.

Dan was speechless. He wanted to be there for Melanie, but it was like she wouldn't let him in. "Mel, I feel like I'm the only one actually moving in this relationship. If I didn't know better I would think that you didn't want this."

"Of course I do," she pleaded.

"Then can you start acting like it? I want to be able to kiss you and not care about who sees. I want to be able to deliver flowers to your house and not worry about your roommates seeing," he argued. "Do you have anything to say?"

At that her pager started going off. "I have to go." She started to leave, but paused. "I really do want this. I'm just not sure of anything right now."

Her page turned out to fairly simple. It was only stitches. By the time she finished, it was lunch time. She went to her usual table to sit with Hannah and Erin. Since they had started, the three of them had lunch together almost every day. They knew she was dating someone, but they knew nothing more than the absolute basics. His first name and that he was amazing. "Hey Eir, Hannah," she greeted.

"Hey Mel, how's your day going?" Hannah asked. Erin was concentrating on charts for her surgery later.

"Not that great," Melanie responded.

"Your mom?" Hannah asked.

"Not really. Dan and I had a fight," Mel confessed. "He wants to take the relationship public and I'm just not sure. I try to be a private person. I just need to make a decision. How's the search for your mom going?"

"The good news, I got the records I needed," Hannah began. "The bad news, I only got a last name."

"That's not that bad," Mel encouraged. "It's something."

"True," Hannah conceded. "Does your dad know anyone whose last name is Stevens?"

Mel thought for a second, "Well Izzie's maiden name is Stevens, but I think she might be too young. She would have had to be like 16 to be your birth mother."

"I'd want more evidence before I approached anyone about that anyways," Hannah concluded.

"We'll figure it out," Mel heartened.

"Joe's tonight?" Hannah asked.

"I can't. I'm on call tonight." Mel answered. "It's been a busy day. I have been in the ER all day, but there's been nothing more surgical than stitches."

"I'm sure something will come along," Hannah responded.

At once all three pagers went off. That was usually how these lunches ended. Mel went to the ambulance bay. Reilly came up to her, "We have a single vehicle accident coming in."

"What happened?" Mel asked.

"The woman was car jacked and then when the car crashed, she was robbed," he responded. "We're looking at several broken bones and to top it off she's pregnant. It's going to be a challenging case, and I know you're up to it." Melanie was taken aback, Reilly never gave overt praise. It was always hidden in his statements. "Don't make a liar out of me Cassidy."

"Yes sir," she said as the ambulance pulled up. The back door swung open and the EMTs pulled out the stretcher. For the first time in her life Melanie froze completely. For a second she couldn't hear anything but her own heartbeat. "Sir, what's the patient's name," she uttered.

"It's a Jane Doe," the EMT replied.

"Cassidy, get moving. Unless you think you're too good to treat a Jane Doe?" Reilly snarled.

Melanie felt like her feet were stuck in the ground. "No sir," she squeaked. "The patient's not a Jane Doe. Her name is Kathleen Starski."

"How do you know this Cassidy?" Reilly asked.

Melanie gulped, "No matter what I'd always recognize my mother."

"Get the patient into Trauma 1. Cassidy you're off duty now." Reilly barked.

Melanie watched as her mother was rolled into the ER, when it all hit her. It was no longer important what her mother had said or done. Melanie knew in that instant she'd do a million Hail Maries for her mom not to be on that stretcher.

Please leave a review for inspiration and as always thank you for reading. -Jen