Meredith was certain her hands were shaking as she clutched Derek's free hand. She was a doctor but right now she hated it. She hated knowing what the possibilities were. Today Arizona and Alex would run tests and in two days they would be back to hear the results and that was agonizing. She knew that there were only a few ways it could go and judging by Ava's behavior and symptoms lately she was terrified. For the past few days their sweet child had run fevers, become very tired and even complained of headaches. It certainly didn't help ease their fears. Not to mention Ava had refused to do anything this morning. Derek had to hold her down to dress her, she wouldn't eat and she wouldn't do anything. As Derek moved into a parking spot, she felt the vomit rise in her throat but she just had to push it away. "We're here."

"It's going to be okay." Derek whispered, squeezing Meredith's hand as he turned off the car.

"Ava we're here." Meredith looked back at her little girl.

"No." Ava crossed her arms.

"No? No what?" Derek asked, getting out of the car and opening the back door to get her out.

"I wanna go home!"

"We're going to go see Arizona and Alex."

"No!" Ava kicked as Derek unbuckled her.

"Ava you have to stand." Meredith groaned, leaning against the car.

"Come on Aves." He lifted her from the car and put her down to try to get her to walk.

"No." Ava stomped, sitting on the ground.

"Ava...up."

"I don't wanna walk." Ava argued, throwing her cup.

"Are you going to sit out here in the parking lot?" Derek asked.

"No!"

"I'll get her." Derek sighed, picking Ava up as Meredith got the rest of their things from the car.

"Thank you." Meredith reached for her purse and the typical bag they brought for Ava.

"Will you please be good for Daddy when we get inside?" Derek asked Ava, walking towards the hospital.

"No needles!"

"One small needle...and then you'll get a lollipop."

"No!" Ava screamed.

"Ava why are you so cranky?" Meredith asked, picking up the glove Ava tossed.

"I hate the hospital!"

"It's going to help you Aves." Meredith breathed.

"Want to push the elevator button?" Derek asked.

"Yes." Ava adjusted the bow on her head, before leaning over to press the button.

"Ava when we're done today we're going to read a book for school." Meredith breathed, knowing Ava loved her schooling.

"No." Ava shook her head.

"That's your favorite word today, huh?" Derek said, getting onto the elevator.

"No." Ava sighed, putting her finger on his lips.

"Yes." He chuckled.

"Ava So..." Meredith stopped, immediately stopping when the doors to the elevator opened.

"We're here Aves." Derek kissed his daughter's cheek. "Why don't you get down and walk?"

"No!"

"Please?"

"No."

"Alright." Derek sighed, following Meredith off of the elevator.

"Ava Shepherd is here for Dr. Robbins." Meredith said to the nurse the desk.

"Hi Ava." The nurse smiled, turning back to Meredith. "Dr. Robbins is waiting for you in the conference room."

"Thanks." Meredith smiled weakly.

"Let's go see Arizona." Derek carried Ava down the hall to the familiar conference room.

"Derek...Meredith...Hi Ava." Arizona smiled as Alex sat down next to her. "Derek Nurse Tina put toys in the corner over there for Ava to play while we speak."

"Oh wow...look Ava."

"Barbies." Ava breathed.

"Go play." He put her down and kissed her head, going back over to the conference room table.

"How is Ava doing this morning?" Alex asked.

"She's...cranky."

"She's been having headaches...she's run a fever the past few days and I just...she doesn't seem to be where she needs to be. As far as ability to do things." Meredith said, knowing that it was possible that Ava was just not feeling well from all of the medication.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Arizona sighed. "But there's no need to be alarmed just yet."

"No?"

"She's been in chemo for quite awhile now. These medicines are very harsh on adults, let alone a small child like Ava."

"We're going to take some blood today as well as do a Lumbar puncture which isn't going to be comfortable for her."

"And that will tell you how the chemo is doing..." Derek breathed.

"It's going to be one of many tests to see if her cancer has spread to her central nervous system." Alex added.

"Oh gosh." He breathed.

"And then we'll do a chest x-ray to make sure the leukemia cells aren't forming a mass in her chest." Arizona added.

"You're going to do all of that today?" Derek asked.

"We are." Arizona replied. "And we'll run a series of tests...then one of you will come with us for the Spinal Tap."

"Mer?" Derek asked, looking over at Meredith who was wringing her hands together.

"I...what about the discomfort she's been having?" Meredith asked. "Is that the confirmation that it has spread?"

"There are a few things that could cause it but let's not assume the worst."

"Right." Meredith nodded, looking back at her little girl.

"Should there be any cancer anywhere else in her body, we'll continue with a more aggressive chemo regimen and then revisit these tests again to see the progress."

"We would also have to determine the progression...if chemo is an option." Alex added.

"Right." Arizona nodded.

"What if it has spread?" Derek breathed.

"We don't have to talk about that right now." Arizona sighed.

"Okay." Derek sighed, looking over at Ava who was playing with her Barbies.

"We'll do what we can." Alex assured them. "But we have to know what the results are first."

"Hmm." He nodded.

"We're going to take her for the blood tests and the x-rays. We'll come get you for the Spinal Tap." Arizona stood up.

"Okay." Meredith stood, walking over to Ava.

"Mommy look." Ava pointed to her favorite Barbie.

"Yes sweetie?"

"Can you play with me?"

"Ava you have to come with me...I have to show you something." Alex reached for Ava's hand. "You're Mom is going to come down later and see you."

"But I love you and I will be waiting until they tell me I can come see you." Meredith ran her hands over Ava's shoulders.

"No..." Ava shook her head, starting to get upset again.

"But Alex and Arizona are going to take good care of you and tonight we can do whatever you want." Meredith bit back the tears.

"Promise?" Ava whispered.

"I promise." Meredith hugged her tight/

"We'll see you later, okay?" Derek hugged Ava and kissed her cheek.

"Come on Ava." Alex smiled, taking the little girl's hand. "I bet I have some treats for you somewhere."

"Okay." Ava breathed.

"We'll come down to get you later." Arizona patted Meredith gently on the back before following Alex and Ava out of the conference room.

"Well..." Meredith lifted the barbie off of the floor.

"Why don't we go get some coffee?" Derek suggested.

"We should wait."

"Okay."

"Derek..." She gasped, turning around and wrapping her arms around her husband.

"Mer." Derek whispered, rubbing her back.

"If they have to stop..."

"We have to be positive."

"I think I need coffee." She murmured.

"My treat." He smiled.

"So now we wait."

"Do you want to go down for her spinal top...or do you want me to do it? I know it's hard for you..." Derek breathed.

"I should be there."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah...I'm her Mommy and I have to...I need to be able to tell her that its okay."

"But if you get upset..."

"I'll be fine."

"Okay." Derek whispered, kissing her forehead. "Coffee."

"Okay." Meredith squeezed his hand before they turned around and walked towards the elevator. She had to be strong because Ava needed her now more than ever and she couldn't have her mother fall apart. They would know soon if Ava's treatments had been working or if it had failed. She had never wanted to be more sick than she wanted to be now. She needed to be strong and she would do that for as long as she needed to.

GAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA

Two days had passed since Ava had more tests run than Derek could count to find out whether or not the chemotherapy that she had been put through over the past few months had been effective. He and Meredith had been more than tense as they waited to find out what the next steps in Ava's treatment would be. And now that the day had come that they were supposed to find out the results, Derek couldn't stop checking his phone, waiting for a phone call from Alex or Arizona telling them the results. He was trying to stay calm to help keep Meredith and Ava calm too but it was obvious to everyone that something heavy was weighing on their minds.

"Anything yet?" Meredith walked into the bedroom with Ava on her hip. "We have to put her on speaker when she calls."

"Nothing." Derek looked up from the book he was reading.

"I'm going to rock with her...she's sleepy after doing school all morning." Meredith laughed nervously as she walked over to the rocking chair in their bedroom. It had become theres after a few months of staying at his Mom's.

"What did you learn today, Aves?" Derek asked.

"I counted buttons and Mommy read and we planted a flower in a pot." Ava yawned, curling up on her mother's lap.

"Wow. Good job."

"And she ate all of her lunch." Meredith replied.

"Even better." Derek smiled.

"Daddy?"

"Yes pumpkin?"

"I counted sixty buttons..." Ava smiled proudly.

"Sixty? That's a lot." Derek chuckled, walking over and kissing her head.

"Yeah." Ava smiled tiredly.

"You must be very tired."

"Uh huh..."

"Go to sleep, sweet pea."

"Kay." Ava put her head down on Meredith's chest.

"How do you feel?" Derek whispered, sitting in front of Meredith on the edge of their bed.

"Fine. You?"

"Nervous."

"Me too." She admitted.

"Hmm." Derek breathed, looking down at his phone again. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Derek's phone rang and he quickly answered it. "Hello?"

"Derek its Arizona...is Meredith with you?" Arizona said calmly into the phone.

"Yeah...she's right here."

"Put it on speaker." Meredith whispered stroking Ava's back as she slept.

"Okay...you're on speaker." Derek told Arizona.

"Well I want to start with saying that the spinal tap was clean and there isn't any new cancer." Arizona exclaimed on the phone.

"I...that's...good news." He smiled up at Meredith.

"It's great news." They could tell that Arizona was smiling. "Alex wanted to be here but he's in surgery."

"So nothing new is growing?" Meredith felt her hands shake.

"Nothing new is growing."

"Wow." Meredith smiled.

"The tests did not show any active cancer cells in her body." Arizona informed them.

"That's amazing." Meredith smiled.

"So...what now?" Derek asked, a huge grin on his face.

"We're going to do another round of chemo...it will be a regimen of two drugs that should hopefully eliminate the cells. At the moment we're not going to look at a bone marrow transplant as it doesn't seem to be needed.." Arizona explained. "We'll watch her close and hope that nothing grows and that the cells disappear completely but we would call this a successful testing round."

"So...she's in..."

"Remission. Yes." Arizona replied.

"Oh my god." Meredith gasped.

"After this round?" Derek asked, reaching for Meredith's hand.

"When she's completely cancer free which means the cells are gone we'll start the remission date but given where Ava started this is the best news we could hope for."

"That's...thank you Arizona." Derek laughed.

"I want to start the next round of chemo tomorrow. I want to be proactive and she's already been off chemo for a while." Arizona explained.

"And this will be the last round?" Derek asked.

"We will have to monitor her and run some tests but if the tests come back clear after this round, then yes."

"Wow." Meredith kissed Ava's head as she slept, unaware of what was going on. "And what about the fevers and the other symptoms? You're sure that wasn't a sign of more cancer?"

"I'm sure. It's a lingering side effect of the chemotherapy."

"And the occupational therapist will work with her on anything she's struggling with?" Meredith asked.

"Yes." Arizona replied.

"Thank you Arizona." Meredith giggled.

"You're welcome. I'll let you guys enjoy the good news. Call me if you have any questions."

"Thank you Arizona." Meredith couldn't help but grin as she rocked Ava.

"You're welcome." Arizona chuckled. "Bye guys."

"Bye." Derek breathed, hanging up the phone and looking up at Meredith. "Wow."

"Her body is fighting it."

"She's...a strong girl."

"This...this was really good news."

"We did it." Derek whispered. "She did it."

"She did." Meredith beamed.

"It's almost over."

"I...I know it could turn around here but this...I'm a doctor and this is really good news."

"It's great news.:"

"I...wow..." Meredith giggled, tears in her eyes,

"I love you." Derek whispered, leaning over and kissing her softly.

"I love you so much."

"We love you Aves." Derek breathed, sitting with Meredith as they watched their daughter sleep. The day that Ava had been diagnosed with cancer had been hell and he wasn't sure they would get to this day but hearing Arizona say that Ava was in remission was like having the world lifted off of his shoulders. They still had a ways to go and there was always a chance that things would turn in the

wrong direction again but Derek didn't want to think about it. He wanted to cherish this moment with his family and the amazing news they had just received.