The treatment plan for Meredith's condition was proving to be pretty straight forward, she was responding really well the medication and steroids she was on and her encephalitis was beginning to clear up, which was so relieving for her because she couldn't wait to go home. In the beginning she argued that she should be able to receive them at home because her and Derek are both doctors but the chief fought against it and so did the majority of the doctors caring for her.

Ellyse had been going to kindergarten as normal because Meredith felt like she was missing out on too much of her childhood and there was no reason for her to not be attending, she didn't want her to fall behind socially or academically. Her family were taking 'shifts' in taking and picking her up everyday and between Derek and Alex, they had found themselves in a smoothly run routine. 15 minutes ago, Alex had left to go and collect Ellyse from kindergarten and Derek had been pulled in the ER for a head trauma. He wasn't supposed to be working but the on-call neurosurgeon claimed he needed Derek as he was the best intern on the neuro rotation which he fought against, however Meredith told him to go telling him that she could do with some alone time to relax and maybe read a book, which is what she was doing until she heard the phone ring.

"Hi mom." she answered.

"Hey Mer, how are you feeling?" Ellis was at Meredith's apartment doing some tidying around for her arrival home.

"Better, I'm just doing some reading."

"Where's Derek?" she asked quickly.

"Oh, he's in the ER, he got pulled down for a head trauma, the near attending wouldn't take no one else the chief said."

"Okay." she said awkwardly, Meredith knew she had something else to say.

"What's up mom?" she sighed.

"I have something to talk to you about, but it can wait until you get home."

"What is it? I don't know when I'll be home, just tell me."

"I'll wait Meredith, it's nothing to worry about." Ellis told her but Meredith knew she could push her over.

"I have nothing else to do mom so spit it out, you can't tell me that you have to talk to me about something and then not tell me, are you kidding?" she laughed and Ellis chuckled on the other end of the phone.

"Okay. Well, I was talking to Richard earlier, our chief in Seattle, he was asking about you. Do you remember him from the hospital when you were little?" Meredith rolled her eyes as she listened to her mom, it was clear who she got her rambling trait from. "Anyway, he mentioned something and I think it's a good idea. What do you think about maybe moving back to Seattle?" she asked with hesitance clear in her voice.

"Uhh, I don't know mom. That's a big deal."

"I know but it would bring me some comfort to have you home, I'd be able to see you all more often and i'm sure Carolyn would love to have Derek closer too. I know this decision isn't about me but.."

"Ellyse has kindergarten here and we're just starting to finally get her back into a routine again, she has friends here, family and so do I." Meredith said, closing her book onto her lap.

"I know you do, but you also have family here." Ellis sad, it was clear she was disappointed, Meredith could tell that by her voice.

"What about my job? Derek's job? It's a lot mom."

"Richard said he can offer you a position here at Seattle Grace..." after no response from Meredith after a couple of seconds she spoke again, "I'm not asking you to decide right now Mer, you have to talk to Derek, but please, just a least consider it."

"I- okay, I'll think about it but I can't promise you anything." Meredith said.

"That's okay, as long as you'll consider it. I think a change will be what's best for everyone." And with that Meredith began to ponder, a change from everything in New York, a change from everything that has happened, a chance to start over once again. Maybe it could be good.

"Meredith? Are you still there?" Ellis asked the silence on the phone.

"Yeah still here, just thinking."

They talked about it a little more before the subject changed.

"Anyway, where is Ellyse? Can I talk to her?"

"She isn't here yet, she should be here soon though. Alex left about 30 minutes ago to pick her up from school."

"Oh okay, well I'll call her before bed if that's okay."

"Of course that's okay mom, I would like that."

"Okay Mer, I'm gonna go, think about what we talked about and... yeah."

"I will do, goodbye mom."

"Bye." Ellis said before she ended the phone call leaving Meredith in a hospital room with a million thoughts flying through her mind.

Maybe a move is what she needed. The past year in New York destroyed any love she had for the city and the more she thought about it, she didn't want her little girl to grow up in a city where such horror had affected her family. Herself, she didn't want to be afraid to walk alone or to be scared of drinking alcohol and having fun. She just wanted to be herself, her mom self and her Meredith self. Seattle Grace was also one of the leading teaching hospitals in the country, it had one of the best intern and residency programmes for her and Derek and Ellis was right, they would be closer to both sides of Ellyse's family which wouldn't be a bad thing at all, she'd have the opportunity to meet her Shepherd cousins and aunts.

She could hear her daughters voice and giggle getting closer in the hallway talking to Alex, so she picked up her book again and looked like she was reading.

"Mommy! I missed you!" Ellyse ran into the room and jumped on her bed.

"I missed you too. How was school today?"

"It was soooooooo good!" she smiled widely and Meredith brushed her curtain bangs out of her small face.

"So good, huh? What did you do?"

"We painted with our hands! We painted flowers!"

Alex handed Meredith over a piece of light pink cardboard with a vase stuck on and on the top of green drawn stems were flowers of Ellyse's small hand in all different colours. She had wrote 'mommy' on the vase and her hand prints had chunks of glitter on that she had thrown on in random spots.

"Woah, that is beautiful Ellyse. Is this for me or shall we put it in your bedroom?" Meredith asked her as she brought her into her side for a cuddle.

"It is for you! I made it all by myself for you!" Ellyse shouted enthusiastically, it was more than obvious that the small girl was very proud of herself for the picture she had made.

"She also ate all her lunch today too, deserves a special treat if you ask me." Alex winked and Ellyse giggled looking at her mom smile.

"I think so too, daddy will be very proud."

"I should make another flower for daddy." she nodded

"You can do, or me and daddy can share this one."

"Okay." she smiled and turned to Alex.

"Uncle Alex took me to McDonalds." Ellyse smirked.

"Did he now?" Meredith smirked, laughing at the thought that her 5 year old had told on her uncle. Alex looked and pulled a sarcastic stern face at Ellyse.

"No I didn't." he lied, winking at Meredith and turning back to Ellyse who was laughing at him.

"He did mommy. Look. I have a happy meal toy."

"Testimony and evidence." Meredith laughed.

"You're a bad secret keeper Ell." Alex said as he shook his head and laughed before he grabbed her off the bed and tickled her.

Her laughing filled the room and her face was red as she was twisting to get away from Alex.

"What's going on in here then?" Derek smiled as he came in.

"Seems we have a lawyer on our hands Der." Meredith told him and looked back over at Alex and Ellyse.

"Da- Daddy help me!" Ellyse shouted through her laughter.

Watching her parents laugh made her laugh even more and her breaths made Alex put her back down, he could tell she was running out of breath.

"No more breaking uncle Alex secrets!" he pointed his finger at her jokingly.

"Okay." she giggled as Derek picked her up.

"Okay, Mer I have to go, I'm scrubbing in on ortho in 30 minutes, all her stuff is in her bag. Bye bean" he ruffled her hair.

"Bye." they all said as he walked out quickly.

"How's your patient?" Meredith asked as Derek kissed her hello quickly.

"He's in surgery, nasty trauma though but hopefully he'll pull through."

"Mommy, show daddy my flowers!"

"Ellyse made this lovely picture for us today Derek." she handed it over.

He smiled as he looked at the innocence in the picture, "this is great Ells, thank you."

"Mommy who's Dewek?" Ellyse frowned.

"What?" she laughed.

"Dewek? You said Dewek."

They both laughed as they explained to her that was her dads name and for the rest of the evening Ellyse had continued to call Derek by his name, rather than 'daddy' which Meredith thought was hysterical. She wanted to talk to Derek about her earlier conversation on the phone with her mom but the time never felt right, they needed to have that talk in private and today she was relishing in spending time with her two favourite people.