Irene's A/N: This is really it. The epilogue. This story was born randomly, one summer day when talking about freaky coincidences and lighter themes to counterbalance the Storm plot. Amy and her sass showed up and she didn't want to leave us alone. A year and 17 chapters later, here we are. I hope you enjoyed this story as much as we had fun writing it. Thank you for staying with us on this journey and thank Nicole for all her hard work on this last part. See you for the next Storm chapter, I hope!

Epilogue

Amy held the first letter in her hand, her finger quivering over the crease. Should she open it? If she opened it, would she have to open all the rest, too? Maybe she should wait. No, she couldn't wait anymore.

She tore the envelope open.

Dear Baby, she read. The handwriting was chicken scratch, much like her own. Her parents used to tease her that she was destined to be a doctor, because her handwriting was so messy. She cringed at Meredith's use of the word, "Baby," until she continued:

There's a chance you'll never read this letter. Your eyes might be about as fully formed as they're going to get, but it'll be months before you can see the three dimensional world; and years before you'll be able to read these words.

These past months have been an adventure . . . one I wouldn't take back. Sweet baby, you have no idea how much love I have for you. I never understood how much a mother could love her baby until you came along.

Pregnancy is scary . . . especially when you're young and without a partner, but nothing can substitute for feeling you move inside of me. At first, I thought it was gas, but then the movements grew stronger, and I began looking forward to them because it meant you were okay.

I'm glad you're okay.

With love,

Your mommy.

Tears welled in Amy's eyes. She saw the date at the top of the letter. January 1996. Meredith was about six months pregnant with her, then.

Dear Baby,

No words can describe the way I feel about you. I'm not usually this sentimental. I'm not an emotional person. It must be the darn pregnancy hormones. I cry over everything now.

I just want you to know that you are loved. You'll always be loved, no matter where you are in this world. No matter where I am in this world.

Just know, you are loved.

With so much love,

Your mommy

As Amy continued reading, she wondered if there was a point that Meredith had considered keeping her. Was she toying back and forth with the possible options? At what point had she decided to give her away?

Dear Baby,

I need to name you . . . I can't keep calling you, Baby, can I? Especially since you're not going to be a baby when and if you read these letters.

Except . . . I don't know what to name you. Should I be the one to name you? Somehow, I don't feel qualified to name something as precious as you.

I'll think about it and get back to you.

With love,

Mommy

The next one read:

Dear Daughter,

I haven't thought of a name for you, yet, but it's not fair for me to address you as, "Baby," for you are much more than a baby now. You are my daughter. You always will be my daughter, no matter who you call, "Mom."

Sometimes I think of me pushing you on the swings at the playground, or going to Disney World together. Wouldn't that be fun? I've never been myself, but I would take you someday if I could.

You deserve to have a mom who will take you places and who will show you the world. You deserve to have a mom who will take you trick-or-treating on Halloween and wrap tons of presents for you at Christmas, and take pictures while you open them!

You deserve the best, sweet girl.

With love,

Mommy

Amy's parents had taken her to Disney World when Caden was four and she was eleven. It had been so much fun. They always went trick-or-treating, even this last year, and Christmas had been a huge affair at home until her dad died. Christmas was only a few weeks away now, and it just didn't feel the same without her dad even though her mother had quit drinking cold turkey after Carolyn's lecture.

She opened the next letter.

Dear Amy,

I decided on a name for you, though I don't know if your new family will keep it or not. You're no longer with me, and I miss you. I miss you so, so much, but I know in my heart that it's for the best. Like I said in my last letter, you deserve nothing but the best life. I can't provide you with the best life. I'm just a kid myself. I have dreams of my own, and I'm too selfish to include you in them. I know you're going to think I'm the worst person in the world for this, but believe me, one day I hope you'll thank me should we ever meet again. You're going to live an amazing life, Amy, and it's because you're not with me.

Still with love,

Your other mommy

Amy noted the tone difference in this letter versus the previous ones. It was harsher, though Amy was pretty sure there were more tear stains on this letter than there had been on the ones previous.

It became apparent to Amy that the following letters had all been written after she was born. She wondered how soon after her birth, as she looked at the dates. The very first one, the one she'd just read, had been written on the same day as Amy was born. The following one, was several years later.

Dear Amy,

It's been years since I've written to you, but I thought of you today. Today was my first day of residency. I'm officially a doctor, can you believe that? All day, all I could think about was how I wish you could see me now. I'm no longer the scared teenager I was when I held you in my arms. Well, I'm still scared. Life is scary. It's messy, and it's complicated and we're all screwed.

But I'm a surgeon. You're the daughter of the surgeon.

I hope that, if one day you decide to come looking for me that you'll be proud, and you'll understand why I made the decision I made.

You might think it was selfish, but I truly was only thinking of your best interest at the time. Maybe it's selfish that I put my career before you. I guess it kind of is, isn't it? I just . . . I don't know what else to say.

One day, I hope you'll forgive me.

Love,

Dr. Meredith Grey aka your other mother

Then there was one a few months later.

Dear Amy,

Ever since you were born, I've looked at little girls your age and wondered if one might be you. I imagine your features, but then I wonder . . . do you look like me? You looked like me the day I saw you, except for your eyes. You definitely have your dad's eyes, whoever he is.

Today, while I was looking at the babies in the nursery, it occurred to me that you're no longer a little girl. You're a teenager! I hope you're nothing like me as a teenager . . . I was horrible. Okay, not super horrible. I didn't do drugs or steal or anything like that, but I wore a lot of black and hung out with the wrong crowd. We drank way too much tequila. Wait until you're twenty-one to drink, if you can, though I know it will be tempting to give into peer pressure.

Okay, now I sound like your mom, I guess? I hope your mom is telling you all those things.

Love,

Your other mother

The next one was around five or so years later.

Dear Amy,

I felt guilty when I felt your little brother move today.

That's right, you're going to have a baby brother.

And you have a sister. Her name is Zola. My husband, Derek, and I adopted her from Malawi. She was a patient of ours, and she has spina bifida. It's a really mild form, and Derek put a shunt in her brain (he's a neurosurgeon), so she's a healthy toddler now! I wish you could meet her; I'm sure you'd love each other.

I don't want you to think I've forgotten you because I've started a new family. It doesn't mean I love you any less. I understand if you feel that way, because that's how I felt when I learned my father had started a new family with his new wife. My dad was never really there for me when I was growing up, but he was there for his other daughters, my half-sisters.

It's not about loving you any less. It's about timing, and I'm at a time in my life where I'm happy and I'm ready to be a mommy.

I'm sorry I couldn't be your mommy when you needed me.

With love,

Meredith

Before she could open the last letter, the pilot announced the plane was landing.

"I feel like I'm about to pop any minute," Meredith groaned. Her back was killing her as she leaned against the front desk counter, eying Derek, who was eying his tablet. She had no idea what he was looking at, and she had no problem openly griping about her pumpkin-sized status in front of the whole hospital. It was no secret, after all. She was carrying McBaby #3, and the whole world knew it.

They were having a girl, and from the moment Meredith found out she was carrying a girl, all she could think about was her first pregnancy. It had been nineteen years since she was pregnant with a girl. She was twice the age now she'd been when she was pregnant with her first daughter, and the pregnancy showed.

Meredith had no idea how she'd managed to work the hours she'd worked when she was pregnant with Amy. Hell, she couldn't remember being this exhausted when she was pregnant with Bailey. Had two years really slowed her down so much? She knew pregnancy after thirty-five was considered more dangerous, and with her history, she was a walking case of danger. Her OB-GYN was watching her like a hawk, though, and so far, everything had been smooth-sailing.

Derek being back in Seattle made matters easier. He'd worked out a deal with the president so he could still be involved with the BRAIN initiative from Seattle. They had launched a Seattle-based study, which was stationed at Grey Sloan Memorial. Derek had enlisted a few interns on his team, but he worked fewer hours than he had when initially started working on the project last year from Seattle. He had his interns doing most of the work and reporting to him. Everything was running swell in that department.

They were better than ever, and really only argued about silly things now, like what to name the baby. Derek wanted to name the baby after his mother. Carolyn or Carrie. Meredith had warmed up to the idea of naming the baby Ellis, because over time Meredith had accepted the choices her mother had made. When Derek was away, Meredith truly came to understand her mother's point of view, and why she hadn't been around much. She had left the only man she truly loved in Seattle. She'd worked her ass off to escape her thoughts. Meredith had thrown herself into work when Derek was away, because it was the only way she could stop thinking about him. That's why Ellis was always at the hospital. It wasn't that she didn't care about Meredith; it was that her heart had been ripped apart when Richard chose Adele.

What Meredith couldn't place together was why Ellis hadn't used her pregnancy with Maggie to keep Richard. She knew that wasn't what she was doing now, since Derek had come back to Seattle long before Meredith even knew she was pregnant. Still, Ellis could have told Richard about Maggie. The outcome might have been different.

It was the butterfly effect. What if Meredith had kept Amy? Or what if she had told Derek about Amy sooner? Derek would have sought Amy out sooner, and the rest would be history. How would Amy have reacted if Meredith and Derek had been the ones to find her first?

Maybe she wouldn't be somewhere on the other side of the country, infuriated with Meredith.

It was history now, and there was nothing Meredith could do about it.

It occurred to her that Derek wasn't even listening to her rant. "Uh-hem," she cleared her throat. "Did you even hear me?" She nudged Derek.

"Huh?" He looked up, glassy eyed from his intent gaze on his iPad. "Are you okay?"

"Peachy," she smiled, flirtatiously.

"You're a hot peach," he teased and leaned over to kiss her. She didn't even care about the public display of affection, even though she usually tried to keep that to a minimum. She just wanted Derek's attention. She wanted to be close to him. "And so are you." He rested his hands on her belly, and she half expected him to bend down and kiss her belly there in public. But he didn't.

"You better not be calling our daughter hot," Meredith teased.

"Oh, our daughter will be hot. She's going to be a lady's man if she's anything like her mother," Derek winked. "And we know your genes are dominant."

"Unfortunately," Meredith rolled her eyes. She looked straight ahead and could have sworn she was looking at herself in the mirror.

Her heart skipped two beats when she saw them. They looked so happy and flirtation. Derek's hands were on Meredith waist . . . and . . . Amy couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Meredith was pregnant, and heavily pregnant for sure. She looked like she could pop any minute.

Welp, she hadn't seen that coming.

And she was looking straight at Amy.

Amy turned to bolt, but Meredith and her pregnant self lunged toward her and pinched her shoulder. She dragged her into a nearby room, which appeared to be a lounge. Derek followed, and closed the door behind them.

"What are you doing here?" Meredith hissed.

"I-"

But before Amy could finish her sentence, Meredith continued, "It sure as hell looked like you were going to run, and no, you're not running. Not when you're all the way here in Seattle, which obviously means you're here to see us, and if you came all the way here you're not running again. Trust me, I know a thing or two about running. I ran from my parents, you know. I waited for years to see my dad after he walked out on us, then when I finally had the chance to see him, I couldn't give him the time of day. Of course, that was years after I ran to Europe before I found out my mom had Alzheimer's. I thought she just didn't care to remember anything I told her. So, no, you are not running, Amy Elizabeth. You're going to stay here and listen to what I have to say."

"And that's?" Amy asked, taken aback by Meredith's rant. She was pretty sure it wasn't good for her or the baby, but she definitely wasn't about to argue with a pregnant woman.

"I'm sorry I reacted the way I did when you showed up here last year. You have to understand, I was in shock. I'd . . . never imagined our reunion would be like that. I thought I would be the one to seek you out, not the other way around. I left no contact information on purpose, because I didn't want to be blindsided one day. You blindsided me, Amy, and I'm sorry that I treated you the way I did. I expected your reaction, believe me, I knew I wouldn't be your favorite person in the world. It's not easy to feel like you've been abandoned."

"It's not," Amy agreed. "And unwanted."

"I never didn't want you, Amy."

"I . . . know," Amy said. "I read the letters." A spark ignited in Meredith's eyes.

"You did?" she whispered, her hand falling on her balloon belly.

"I did. Just a little bit ago on the plane. Except the last one." Her eyes froze then on Meredith, noticing a crimson red in Meredith's midsection. Amy looked at Derek, who appeared to be seeing the same. The pigment drained from Meredith's skin, and she fell into Derek's arms.

Derek's heart raced as he held Meredith's body in his arms. She was still conscious.

"Mer, stick with me," he said.

"I'm . . . I'm okay," she said. "Quick, page 911."

Derek nodded, throwing his phone to Amy, too distraught to think clearly. "Open my phone . . . there's no password. Go to Dr. Bailey and text her 911. Tell her we need to prep an OR, NOW! Also, page OB. It's under OB . . . Meredith's doctor is Dr. Ryan, but tell them to send whoever's on call." He picked up Meredith and ran into the hall. "Quick! We need a gurney!" He shouted, capturing the attention of a few nurses, who reacted immediately.

He knew they had to hurry. He held Meredith's hand as they headed toward the OR.

"Dr. Bailey says OR 3 is clear!" Amy announced, running behind them.

"Derek, relax. It's going to be 'kay," Meredith's voice was feeble, and the fear in her eyes told him that she wasn't sure if she believed those words, that she was just saying that to make him feel better. Hearing her say those words, in a way, did make him feel better.

He nodded, kissing her forehead. When they arrived at the OR, he saw Dr. Robbins and Dr. Bailey.

"You're a fetal surgeon, not OB," Derek protested.

"Dr. Ryan is delivering triplets in OR 4 and everyone else is off, so you're stuck with me," Robbins replied. "What happened?" She looked at Meredith.

"S-She just started bleeding," Derek said. He knew what was likely happening, but he couldn't bring himself to diagnose it.

"It's a placental abruption," Amy said confidently.

"Who's this?" Dr. Bailey asked. "She looks too young to be an intern."

"I'm a medical student," Amy said; Derek noting the slight fib. "Okay, pre-med," Amy rolled her eyes. "But I know what a placental abruption is. You have to act fast."

Dr. Bailey grimaced, taking the reigns of the gurney. "That's what we're doing. Derek, you know the drill . . ."

"You're . . . you're going to have to deliver the baby," Derek stammered. "It's the only way you can save my wife, and I need to be there for my daughter's birth."

"Derek, we can't have you in there, but you need to go get some O neg. She's already lost so much blood. Hurry!" Dr. Bailey snapped into Nazi mode, and Derek couldn't argue with her anymore.

When Amy heard the mention of blood, her stomach tightened.

"What's your blood type?" Derek asked as she followed him to the blood bank.

"It's, uh, O positive."

"That's Meredith's blood type," Derek said.

"Oh," Amy murmured, cursing herself. "I wish I could help, but . . . I can't."

"Do you have a condition that prevents you from donating? You're tiny, barely heavy enough I guess. Meredith couldn't donate until after she gained ten pounds when she was pregnant with Bailey."

"Yeah . . . I'm only 108 pounds," Amy said, though she was 112 at her last doctor's visit. She'd weighed 108 since she was sixteen. 110 when she was on her period, but her hemoglobin was too low then since she was borderline anemic anyway. She'd never successfully donated blood.

"Ah, you have to be 110 to donate. I'm sure you'll fill out in the next couple years," Derek said. It felt odd talking about her weight with a man . . . a man who was her biological father, but she was going to be a doctor, and she supposed it would soon be normal conversation. Surely there would be stranger conversations to be had.

"Meredith and I have the same blood type, but it'll be too late by the time I donate," Derek said. They rushed to the blood bank and grabbed a couple stacks of O-neg, both racing back to OR3. Apparently Dr. Bailey really didn't want Derek in the OR, because she had a nurse or intern or someone waiting outside, blocking Derek's entrance. Amy's stomach churned, having a horrible feeling that something terrible was going to happen since Dr. Bailey wouldn't let them in the OR.

"Are they okay?" Amy pleaded.

"I know nothing. I'm just supposed to keep Dr. Shepherd out. Whoever you are, keep him out, okay?" the intern/nurse/whoever said, and Amy's heart sank. She'd just finally decided to come to Seattle to get to know Meredith, and now it might be too late.

"She can't die," Amy said out loud, and she watched the tears rolling down Derek's cheeks as they found a seat in the hallway outside the OR. "It's not fair . . . she can't."

"What's going on?" a man's voice interrupted Amy's plea. She hadn't met the man before. "I got a page from Dr. Robbins that Meredith was in the OR. Is the baby okay? What's going on?"

"We don't know anything," Derek said.

"What? They're keeping you in the dark? I'll go in there . . . "

"No you won't!" a sharp voice interrupted. It was dark-skinned older man Amy had also never seen before. Beside him, a curly-haired light-dark skinned female.

"Someone has to tell us something," the woman said as another woman appeared. Amy recognized this woman from her previous visit to Seattle. Dr. She Shepherd. Derek's sister. Her aunt?

"Who's she?" Alex asked, pointing at Amy.

"Hey, isn't that the girl who hit on you last year?" Dr. She Shepherd asked; Amy was surprised she remembered that. Amy blushed.

"I . . . " Derek said. "Ideally, Meredith would be here for me to tell you all this, but . . . this is Amy."

"I thought I was your only Amy," Amy rolled her eyes.

"Well, you hate being called Amy," Derek shot, fire in his eyes. "Anyway, by some odd coincidence, Meredith and I met at a bar in Boston when I was at a conference there. One thing led to another, and apparently we conceived a baby. And . . . this is Amy."

"What?" everyone gasped.

"Dude, you're making shit up," the white guy said.

"Alex, no . . . I'm afraid not."

"Wait, how old is Amy?" Amelia asked. "And why was she named after me?"

"Well, her full name is Amy Elizabeth." Amelia's face whitened at that.

"I'm nineteen," Amy replied.

"You cheated on Addison first?" Amelia gasped and she punched her brother. "I cannot BELIEVE you, you ass! You made her feel like crap all these years for cheating on you with Mark. You freaking asshole. You had better call Addie and apologize!" Amelia punched Derek a few more times.

"Hey, hey . . . I barely even remember the encounter. I think I was so embarrassed and ashamed, that I repressed it from my memory. I only started having flashbacks after Amy showed up here last spring. I . . . know I messed up. I'm still trying to figure out how I'll tell Addison."

"Here, I'll help you." She Shep pulled out her phone.

"Hey," Amy sniped. "Do you think you could cut the guy a little slack? I mean, he was young and stupid. They both were. And it's been years. Do you really think his ex-wife is going to give a rat's ass? And speaking of which, his wife and baby are in a life and death situation right now, and all you freaking care about is him apologizing for a mistake he made nineteen years ago? Seriously, grow the fuck up and get your priorities straight. I don't care if you're my aunt and namesake or not!" Amy shouted louder than she had planned.

Amelia's eyes widened. "Yep, she's definitely yours and Meredith's."

Just then, Dr. Robbins came out. "Derek, there's someone you should meet."

Arizona rolled the baby out in her incubator. Born at 34 weeks, two weeks before Bailey, she was tinier than Bailey had been. Her hair, though, was light like Bailey's. Her eyes were still closed, so Derek couldn't tell if the baby had Bailey's, Amy's, and his blue eyes, but he already sensed that she did. She had Meredith's nose . . . the same nose that Amy and Bailey had. Dr. Robbins handed him a pair of gloves that he quickly put on, so he could reach inside the incubator and touch his daughter.

"She's a little small, but otherwise she's perfect. We'll want to monitor her tonight in the NICU, but her lungs are strong. I don't think she'll have to stay long," Dr. Robbins updated them.

Derek's eyes filled with tears. "And Mere?"

"Dr. Bailey's sewing her up right now. She lost a lot of blood and did lose consciousness, but we think she'll make a full recovery. Before she was knocked out, she asked that you stay with the baby until she wakes up. Meredith was very optimistic that everything would be okay."

"And the baby's name? Any last requests?" Derek choked up, wishing he could be as optimistic as his wife.

"She said you'd talk about it when she woke up. Like I said, she was very optimistic. Not sure where dark and twisty Meredith went."

"I think she transferred it all to me," Derek sighed, feeling more dark and twisty than he should looking at his new beautiful daughter.

"I'll take over it from here," Alex said, taking ahold of the incubator, and Derek, Alex, and Amy headed for the NICU, leaving the rest of the crowd behind.

When Meredith opened her eyes, she was met with a face identical to hers.

"How is she?" Meredith asked. "Is Derek with her?"

Amy nodded. "Yes, he hasn't left her side. He asked me to check on you. I'm glad I was here when you woke up."

Meredith smiled. "Me, too."

"I was worried," Amy admitted. "I couldn't imagine never getting to know you . . . I thought I'd waited too long, and I was going to regret that for the rest of my life. Well, I regret it already. I should have come sooner."

"You would have come last Christmas if the weather had allowed," Meredith smiled.

"True," Amy shrugged.

"Maybe you were supposed to wait until now," Meredith said. "I guess, there's a reason things are the way they are."

"Yeah," Amy agreed. "There's a reason, all right."

"I'm glad you're here," Meredith smiled. "How is she? The baby?"

"Beautiful," Amy said. "She looks like me in the picture my parents took of me the day I came home from the hospital. A little tinier, but the features are the same." Amy walked over to her bag and pulled out a small photo album. She brought the album over to Meredith. "I thought, maybe you'd want to see some pictures of me when I was little, so I brought this." She opened to the first page and showed Meredith the first photo in the album. "This is me, the day I came home with my parents. I was three days old."

Meredith's eyes watered when she saw the tiny face, the one she remembered from so long ago. She stroked the photo with her finger, noting how happy the man and the woman in the photo looked.

"They were so happy," she said.

Amy nodded. "They were . . . they'd tried for three years to have a baby before they adopted me. Of course, then came my brother . . . "

"It tends to work like that," Meredith laughed. "The kids, gosh. Where are Zola and Bailey?"

"Callie took them home. Something about a playdate with Sofia," Amy answered. "Oh, I kind of told your sister-in-law off."

"Amelia?"

Amy nodded. "I don't think she likes me very much."

Meredith laughed. "Why'd you do that?"

"Because she was being a brat to Derek . . . Derek kind of told everyone about me, that I'm your daughter and everything. Amelia made a big stink about it, and threatened to call his ex-wife."

Meredith frowned. "He should tell her," she agreed.

"Yeah, but her timing was kind of terrible," Amy said. "It was when you were in the OR. By the way, what's the baby's name? Everyone's making bets, apparently. Alex is betting on Robbin or Arizona, since you named Bailey after Dr. Bailey saved your life."

Meredith giggled. "I don't think so. I think Derek and I are going to have to talk about that still. If you get me a wheelchair, we can go meet him in the NICU."

"Um . . . your incisions still need to heal. I'm not sure if that's a good idea."

"We'll make it work," Meredith said. "I've done this before."

"Shouldn't we ask Dr. Bailey?"

"Dr. Bailey, Dr. Smailey." Meredith rolled her eyes.

"Okay . . . " Amy didn't want to fight her biological mother when she was just starting to sort of like her. She went ahead and grabbed a wheelchair from the hall. She really hoped Meredith wouldn't rip her stitches; Amy would feel terrible if that happened. Slowly, she helped Meredith into the chair, watching Meredith wince as she found a position that appeared less painful. Amy still wasn't comfortable with sneaking around like this, but it seemed like something Meredith was used to doing.

She rolled Meredith to the NICU, as she requested. Somehow, they managed to avoid all other staff personnel. It was the middle of the night, so that probably helped.

An uncannily familiar woman had entered the OR with a man Derek didn't recognize in the least. The triplets Dr. Ryan had been delivering were also in the NICU with his baby daughter. They were in the incubators next to her. Three girls. Their names were Daisy, Petunia, and Violet. All flower names, he noted. They couldn't be bigger than two pounds each, all significantly smaller than his new baby girl.

Their mother looked so damn familiar, but he couldn't place her.

"Hey, Dad!" he heard a familiar voice. His heart leaped when he turned around and saw Amy coming toward him, pushing Meredith.

He was too shocked to see Meredith to respond Amy's use of the word Dad. "Meredith! You're awake. You shouldn't be here, should you? Did Dr. Bailey say it was okay to be here?"

"Oh, please. You couldn't keep me from my girl any longer," Meredith retorted. "I can't lose another moment with my babies." She looked up at Amy.

"Derek? Meredith?" a voice gasped, and Derek turned toward the mother of the triplets. That's when it dawned on him.

"Rose?" Derek's eyes widened.

"Rose? There's only one Rose I know . . . " Meredith's eyes widened. "You . . . you're the scrub nurse."

Derek noted the confusion on all the women's faces surrounding him.

"You have a new baby?" Rose asked, eying the incubator in front of Derek. "Ah, a new little girl. Well, I see you two are still together. Everyone told me you were meant to be, and I see they were right."

"Yeah, and you're married now?"

Rose nodded. "My husband, Antonio, is wonderful. We went through three rounds of in-vitro, and finally all our hard work paid off. Three healthy babies. Of course, they have a long road ahead, but I'm optimistic. I'm healthy. They're healthy. We're all healthy and happy. God is good."

"He sure is," Derek agreed. "I'm glad you're happy, Rose. You deserve to be happy."

"Thanks. You, too!" Rose smiled. Then her gaze directed to Amy. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but overhear. Did she call you Dad? You never mentioned having a daughter when we were together."

"Um . . . it's complicated," Derek said, eying Meredith who laughed.

"Wait, you two?" Rose pointed between the two. "Wow, the gossip mill never filled me in on that one. Go figure. I never had a chance, did I?"

Derek shook his head, placing his hand on Meredith's shoulder. "I'm afraid not."

"Oh well," Rose shrugged, heading back to her babies.

"Um, who was that?" Amy whispered.

Meredith and Derek looked at each other and giggled. "We'll tell you when you're older," the both said at the same time.

"Um, okay." Amy frowned. "But can you at least tell me my new sister's name?"

"Baby sister!" a little girl's scream filled the room.

"Shhh," Alex's voice soothed as Zola ran toward Derek, Meredith, and Amy. She was dressed in scrubs and gloves. "She couldn't wait, so I snuck her in."

"Uncle Alex gots me all 'tected, so I don't gets baby any germs!" Zola announced proudly, showing off her gloved hands.

"Did he, now?" Meredith smiled.

"Bailey's in the nursery still, napping," Alex explained.

"What my baby sis's name?" Zola demanded. "Can it be Princess?"

Derek and Meredith laughed. "Your baby sister is a princess," Meredith said, "but I think we should name her something more . . . what about Princess Ella?"

"Ella Carolyn Shepherd?" Derek suggested.

"What a pretty name," Amy agreed, smiling at her new little sister. "Hi, Baby Ellie."

"Amy!" Zola noticed Amy then for the first time.

"Do you remember me, Zola?" Amy asked.

Zola nodded. "You singed with me!"

"She still sings that song you sang with her last spring," Meredith chuckled.

"We stand on floors, and we sit on chairs!" Zola sang, clapping her hands.

Two days later, they were all home, happy, and healthy. Amy had been a huge help. Derek had never considered the advantages of having an older daughter could bring. He wished Amy had been there when Bailey was a newborn. Life would have been a lot easier on him and Meredith.

He was in awe of Ellie as he looked over her crib. The small crib was set up in their room, since he'd thought they'd have more time to get the nursery ready. Princess Ella had other plans. She would be moved to her room once it was finished and ready for her.

In the meantime, she would share with them. It made nighttime wake-up calls easier, too. Derek hoped Ella wouldn't be a screamer like Bailey.

Meredith appeared deep in thought on the bed. "Hey, what's on your mind?" he asked.

"You know, Amelia's right," Meredith said.

"That was random. What's Amelia have to do with anything?"

"You have to tell Addie that you cheated first."

Derek sighed. "Does it really matter? It's been almost twenty years."

Meredith furrowed her eyebrows. "Derek . . ."

"Okay. I'll call her right now, say, 'Guess what, Addie? You're not the one who wrecked our marriage! I did. I slept with Meredith before I even knew she was Meredith. Oh, and we had a daughter!' Sounds like a fantastic conversation to have with my ex-wife."

"You have to be honest with her. It's only fair she knows, and she has to hear it from you. It might be ancient news, and maybe she won't care, but you still should tell her," Meredith urged.

"Okay." Derek said, sitting on the bed. "I'll call her right now."

So he did just that.

"Derek?" Addie's voice filled his ear.

"Hey, Addie. How are you?"

"Fine . . . you don't call me to ask how I am, though. So what's up? Do you need a consult or something?"

"No, nothing like that," he said. "Everything's great. Actually, Meredith and I just got home from the hospital. We have a new baby girl. Her name is Ella."

"Congrats! So you called me to tell me you and Meredith have a new baby? I could have found that out on Facebook," Addison said.

"That's not it . . . um, there's something else."

"Okay, can you hurry? I'm about to deliver septuplets."

"Wow, you're busy. Um, yeah, well this is awkward, and old business for what it's worth. But just so you know, you weren't the one who ruined our marriage. I did only a few months after we were married. I cheated on you, Addie."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"The conference I went to in Boston. Remember that? When you went on vacation with Sam and Naomi?"

"Kind of. I don't know, there were a few conferences you went to and I went on vacation with Sam and Naomi. You were such a penny pincher and didn't want to do anything fun. Wait, you were cheating on me all those times?"

"No, not all those times. Just one time . . . apparently I met Meredith at a bar and, well, you know the rest."

"I'm really confused right now. This is ancient history, Derek."

"Well, Meredith and I have a nineteen-year-old daughter. Her name is Amy Elizabeth. Meredith gave her up for adoption when she was just a few hours old, and I found her. I don't suppose you remember the baby we found outside NY Pres?"

"The baby in the cardboard box with the post-it note? That baby?"

"Yes, that baby."

"I always thought she looked like you, but I convinced myself it was a weird coincidence. I told Mark that if I didn't know better, that baby was yours. The way you looked at her, too . . . I was jealous, because I wanted you to look at our baby like that."

Addison managed to punch Derek in the heart with those words.

"I'm sorry, Addie."

"I'm sure you are, but it was nineteen years ago. You and I were never meant for each other, obviously. You and Meredith were. If anything, this weird freaky revelation proves that. I'm glad you're happy, Derek. Now I have to go deliver these babies. Talk to you later."

And the line went dead.

"Well, she knows," Derek told Meredith. "And, as I predicted, she couldn't care less."

He watched Meredith smile as she stroked their newborn daughter's blonde hair strands.

Amy was honored that Derek and Meredith had trusted her so much, trust that she wasn't sure she deserved. Derek had even trusted her with the keys of his Porsche!

She still hadn't read the last letter. Partly, she wanted to wait to read it with Meredith and Derek. Meredith knew she'd read the letters, but she hadn't brought them up again. They'd been so busy tending to Meredith and the baby's health, that it wasn't their number one priority.

Plus, Amy was worried that when Meredith and Derek found out the truth about why she was in Seattle, all would go to shit. They would see she wasn't the daughter they thought she was, and she was really nothing but a low-life scum.

There was so much she hadn't told them yet.

She waited until all three of the children were asleep in their beds. Ellie slept in a small crib in Meredith and Derek's room, since they hadn't had time to set up the crib before her unexpected arrival. Meredith had thought she had at least two more weeks to go, since Bailey had arrived when she was 36 weeks pregnant. Amy had been born around then, too, though Meredith hadn't received consistent medical care when she was pregnant due to insurance barriers, so she hadn't known for sure how far along she was when Amy was born.

"So," she approached Meredith and Derek with the final letter in her hand. "This is the last letter . . . I never got a chance to open it."

"Oh, Amy," Meredith said. "It says everything I told you before I went into labor. There's nothing you haven't already heard in there."

"You're sure?"

"I wrote it shortly after you took off. It says everything I wanted to say but was too scared to say at the time," Meredith said. Amy tore open the letter.

Dear Amy:

I'm not good with words. Greys never were. My mother wasn't a woman of many words, either. We're not sentimental people. It's always been difficult for me to connect with family, so I hope you'll understand that it wasn't my intent to scare you away like I did.

I hope you'll accept my apology.

Love,

Meredith

PS: I know I'm not your mom. You have a mom, and it sounds like she's a great one.

"You are my mom," Amy said hoarsely. She then eyed Derek. "And you're my dad . . . and I wouldn't have it any other way. I love you both so much, and I'm glad to have found you."

Both Meredith and Derek had tears in their eyes when she said that.

"And . . . I totally understand why you did what you did, and you're right. I have an amazing family back east. My adopted parents always did what was best for me, though I often overlooked all the amazing things they did because I felt like something was missing . . . and now I see what was missing. It was you guys. I'm so lucky to have two families now. Thank you, Meredith, for giving me this life," Amy said, tears flooding her face. "I . . . now know I'm strong enough to raise him or her, too."

Derek and Meredith's faces froze. "Wait, what?"

"I'm . . . I'm pregnant. When I got on the plane, I wasn't sure if I could keep him or her. I came here because I wanted to seek understanding . . . to see your lives in action again, to confirm that I could eventually have everything if I gave the baby up and continued my life at Columbia, you know, to become a doctor. But . . . I got so much more than that. The minute I saw my new sister, I knew I had to keep my baby, and I have more than you had. I have two moms, a dad, and even a grandmother, all of whom I know will be with me every step of the way."

Meredith and Derek's eyes widened as they looked at each other. "We're going to be grandparents?" Derek blurted out.

"Oh, say it's not so. I'm too young to be a grandma. We're gonna have to come up with another name."

Derek laughed. "Grandma Meredith."

"Grandpa Derek," Meredith threw back.

"So you're not going to lecture me for being nineteen and pregnant?"

"Well, I'm the last person to lecture you. You might want to call your other mom for that. Have you told her?"

Amy shook her head. "I haven't . . . I told Grandma. Apparently my mom told her recently that she can't wait to be a grandmother, so I don't think it's going to be a huge deal . . . the bigger deal, I think, will be when I tell her I want to transfer to Seattle to finish my undergraduate."

Meredith and Derek extended their arms to embrace Amy. Their family was finally complete.

Sometimes the heroes of our tales

become part of our lives

-Instanzia, "Ghosts of the Past"

Nicole's A/N: That's it! Thanks for your support! Now go brush up on Storm because Irene and I are working on updates. :) Again, if you'd like to follow my original writing journey, PM me for info.