Since Ava's hair had started falling out, Derek knew that there would be a day when they had to make a decision whether to wait or it all to fall out on its own, or shave it off and after Derek discussed it with Meredith and then explained it to Ava, they had decided to shave it off. He knew it wasn't going to be an easy thing to do or an easy thing for his daughter to handle but they were going

to do it.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Derek asked, kneeling down in front of his daughter. He had tried to make the kitchen into a hair salon like one where Ava was used to going and she was sitting in the middle of the kitchen, propped up on telephone books with a towel around her.

"Are we gonna shave it all off?" Ava asked, holding her hands over her head.

"Yup. All of it."

"And you're going to be just as pretty Ava." Hunter said quickly.

"The best princess there is." Mark smiled, before holding up a box. "And when we're done I have a new Barbie for you."

"Will it come back?" Ava asked, holding onto the towel.

"When you're all better, it'll all grow back." Derek told her.

"Okay." Ava nodded, her legs bouncing nervously against the chair.

"Where's Meredith?" Mark asked.

"She went out for a while." Derek replied. He knew that seeing this was something Meredith wouldn't be able to watch so he had suggested she go run errands with his mother and Zola.

"Daddy will Mommy still think I'm pretty?" Ava asked, looking up at her father.

"Of course she will." He whispered, kissing her forehead.

"Okay." Ava sighed.

"Ava, you're going to look so cool." Her brother hugged her.

"But it will grow back when I'm better Hunter." Ava replied, hugging him back as Derek plugged in the razor.

"Yes it will." Derek repeated.

"Cause Daddy said." Ava nodded.

"You give your dad too much credit." Mark laughed, patting Ava on the back. "You ready, kid?"

"Yeah...wait!" Ava shouted.

"What?" Derek asked.

"I gotta have my baby!"

"Here Ava." Hunter reached for the doll off of the counter and handed it to his baby sister.

"Thank you." Ava smiled, hugging her brother again.

"Alright...come on. Ava has a new Barbie to meet." Mark replied, kissing his niece's cheek.

"I'm gonna start, okay?" Derek moved behind Ava, holding the razor.

"Mmm kay."

"Don't mess up Dad." Hunter reminded his father.

"Thanks, bud." Derek laughed, taking a deep breath.

"I don't think he can mess up Hunter." Ava said calmly. "He's just gotta shave everything off!"

"Smart girl." Mark laughed, pulling out a chair and sitting down.

"Okay..." Derek breathed, running the razor over his daughter's head and watching the blonde hair that reminded him so much of Meredith fall to the floor.

"That feels weird." Ava replied.

"It won't take long...I promise." He shaved off more of her hair.

"Look at the camera Ava." Mark held up his phone, taking a picture even though at times it felt wrong. He still felt like it was an important moment and he wanted to show the picture to Lexie, to say how proud of his niece he was.

"Say cheese." Hunter tried to make his sister smile, making a funny face at her.

"Cheese." Ava smiled.

"I want to get in it." Her brother laughed, standing next to Ava and smiling while Derek stood behind them.

"Cheese!" Ava shouted again.

"Even sick she's a little ham." Mark laughed, shaking his head.

"That's my girl." Derek smiled.

"Is my head pretty?" Ava asked, watching as her hair fell to the floor.

"It's beautiful."

"Prettier than Uncle Mark?"

"Watch how you answer that, Shep." Mark pointed at him.

"You will always be prettier than Uncle Mark." Derek laughed.

"Hehe." Ava giggled, covering her mouth.

"Dad...she has a mohawk." Hunter pointed and burst out laughing.

"Hey I'm not a boy!" Ava shouted.

"I know you're not."

"You're as girly as they come kid." Mark laughed.

"And no more mohawk." Derek shaved the center part of her hair. "We're almost done."

"Good." Ava sighed.

"Looking good." Mark smiled, snapping another picture.

"Okay Ava..." Derek turned off the electric razor and looked down at the small amount of blonde hair on the floor. "All finished."

"Kay."

"Here..." Hunter rushed to hand her the hand mirror they had brought in the kitchen.

"Kay..." Ava took the mirror, holding it up in front of her face. Her delicate smile faded as she saw herself. "Oh."

"What's wrong?" Derek breathed.

"I look like an old guy." Ava began to tear up.

"Oh...no you don't, pumpkin." Derek took the mirror and kneeled down in front of her.

"Put it back on Daddy! Get tape!"

"Ava you look great." Mark said quickly.

"You look so cool Ava." Hunter walked up to her.

"Very bad ass." Mark nodded.

"What's a bad ass?" Ava whimpered, feeling the top of her head for the first time.

"Mark..." Derek groaned.

"She does." Mark laughed.

"I think it looks great, Aves." Derek whispered, pulling the towel off of her and helping her down from the chair.

"Yeah Ava...you look real cool." Hunter assured his sister. "Very pretty."

"She looks so little man..." Mark shook his head.

"Do you want to take another picture?" Derek asked.

"No man..." Mark stepped forward, lifting his niece up. "Hey Ava."

"What?" Ava whispered.

"What's cookin' good lookin'." Mark smirked, knowing he could always make his niece smile.

"Not funny." The little girl tried not to smile.

"Ava...Daddy has an idea."

"What?" Ava looked up, unable to move her right hand from her now bare scalp.

"What if Daddy shaves off his hair too?" Derek offered.

"No!"

"Why not?"

"I like your hair." Ava murmured, hiding her face in Mark's shoulder.

"I'll do it, Ava." Hunter said. "We can match."

"Yeah!" Ava gasped.

"Hunter...are you sure?" Derek asked as Hunter handed him the electric razor.

"Yeah...I have less hair then you Dad and Ava and I will match...like twins or a superhero and his sidekick." Hunter explained.

"Good kid." Mark shook his head, patting his nephew on the back.

"Okay..." Derek reluctantly agreed, putting the towel that had been on Ava around Hunter. "Sit down."

"Mommy's gonna think we're cute Hunter." Ava laughed as Derek got ready to shave Hunter's head.

"Hey uh...is Meredith going to care?" Mark asked.

"I don't know."

"Come on Dad!" Hunter laughed. "Shave my hair!"

"If your Mom gets upset...this was your idea." Derek turned on the razor and started to shave his son's head.

"Look." Mark laughed as Hunter made silly faces.

"He's funny." Ava giggled.

"He is funny." Derek laughed as his son's hair fell to the floor.

"Wow that tickles." Hunter laughed.

"Told ya it feels funny." Ava stood in front of her brother.

"I'll be right back...I just got a page from the hospital." Mark looked down at his waist as his pager beeped.

"Okay Hunter." Derek turned the razor off. "You're turn to look."

"Here!" Ava handed him the mirror.

"Woah cool!" Hunter gasped, hopping off of the stool.

"Derek I'm home..." Meredith walked into the kitchen, stopping suddenly when she saw Hunter and Ava.

"Look Mommy we match!" Ava grabbed Hunter's hand.

"You shaved his head." Meredith said as she lifted Ava into her arms.

"I wanted to do it for Ava." Hunter answered before Derek could say anything.

"You...that was really nice of you Hunter." Meredith smiled, her eyes watering.

"Why don't you two go upstairs and pick out a hat for Ava to wear." Derek suggested.

"Okay Dad." Hunter grabbed Ava's hand.

"Ava...be careful sweetie." Meredith kissed her cheek. "You look perfect."

"Thanks Mommy!" Ava hurried off with her brother.

"I need to go do a load of laundry."

"Mer..."

"I...Ava's nightgowns are dirty from her getting sick on all of them so...:" Meredith shook her head quickly.

"I offered to shave my head but Ava said no." Derek walked over to Meredith, wrapping his arms around her.

"We need to get her some clothes that fit a little better."

"Meredith."

"What?"

"It's okay."

"I'm fine."

"Yeah..." He sighed, pulling away from her.

"You did a good job...with their hair."

"Thanks."

"Are you mad at me?" Meredith crossed her arms.

"No Meredith. I'm not mad at you."

"Good." Meredith nodded.

"I just...nevmind." Derek sighed. "'You said you have laundry."

"Right."

"I'll clean this up."

"Alright." Meredith watched him carefully.

"What?"

"Nothing I just...it was weird to see her without her...she really looks sick right now."

"She is sick."

"I know."

"Hmm."

"Well I'm going to go do laundry then read a book with Ava."

"Okay."

"Alright..." Meredith wasn't sure what to do next. She wasn't even sure what they were supposed to say. She turned around and began to walk away, pausing for a moment.

"Let me know if you need help." Derek breathed.

"I will."

"Okay..." Derek grabbed the broom from the corner of the room and began to sweep up the hair that was left behind on the floor. It was a reality. His daughter was sick, really sick, and losing her hair wasn't even the worst of what would happen. But he had a nagging feeling that his wife hadn't excepted reality and the way she had reacted to seeing Ava without her hair only made that feeling

stronger.