"You can't wear that to school." Meredith sighed as she shifted the laundry basket from her hip to hip. She bent down to pick up another discarded piece of clothing that most likely belonged to the tall angry teenager who stood in front of her.

"Why the hell not?" Lydia asked. She propped both of her hands on her slender waist and glanced down at her outfit. A wispy silk dress draped her lithe form with a very dangerous low cut neck allowing copious amounts of her creamy skin lacy red bra room to breathe. Impatiently awaiting an answer she tapped her vintage clad platform cork heeled wedge.

"First of all those are my shoes, and second of all no one will take you seriously if your bra's hanging out and third of all watch your language."

"If I put on a cardigan will it make you feel better?"

"Yes." Meredith nodded and playfully slapped her baby sister's bum.

"Besides these shoes aren't' even yours their Elis'." She pointed out making her way to her room.

Meredith shrugged realizing she was right and remembering to scold her about snooping around in the attic for her mother's belongings. Sure, Elis Grey wasn't the most fashion forward woman of the 70's but with the right accessory you could make do. Well at least that's what Lydia had told her when she first caught her sifting through the dusty boxes labeled 'clothes' and 'tapes'. Lydia had come to live with Meredith and her nine-year-old son Whitaker just a over a year ago. Thatcher and his wife were planning on retiring in Maine but couldn't due to the fact that Lydia was sixteen and still in high school. Agreeing that switching schools that late in the school year wad a bad idea. They asked Meredith if she would become Lydia's guardian. After much consideration and Whit's fervent blessing Meredith welcomed Lydia into her home. Which worked out really well for Meredith in the long run. She got to know the sister she barely knew and had an in house babysitter for when she was in the hospital working late, which was very often, or for when she had a date, which wasn't very often. After the prom when Meredith had chosen Finn, Addison and Derek agreed that it would be best if they worked on their marriage in New York. A month and five positive pregnancy tests later Meredith found herself an unwed single mother. She explained to Finn that the love wasn't there and she was carrying another man's child and the two mutually agreed to go their separate ways. With much help from her roommates Meredith was able to raise Whit with a loving and full family. Unlike the one she had when she was growing up. And now Lydia completed that family, she fit in perfectly with her uncanny resemblance to Meredith. She had the same rusty gold artfully curled hair, and sea green engaging eyes. The only difference was that had a few inches over Meredith. Other than that people mostly had mistaken the pair for mother and daughter. They did indeed fight like mother and daughter over everything, like clothing. But Meredith found that she did love and care for her half sister as if she were her own daughter.

"Is this better?" Lydia called interrupting Meredith's thoughts. She stood before her now in a small blue cardigan and regular flip-flops.

"I think it's going to rain." Meredith said as Whit came bounding down the stairs in his rain boots. His curly dark brown hair was flopped in front of his face covering his deep blue eyes. He had his hands thrust into his almond colored corduroys that were beginning to fray at the bottom but were obscured from sight tucked into his wellies. The cotton of his Abercrombie oxford shirt was soft after many cycles through the washing machine. Whit had always had an annoying habit of wanting to be the best dressed and having Lydia with her generous credit card (courtesy of Thatcher) had piqued his interest even further. She just assumed it was one of his many traits along with his blue eyes that he received from Derek. They were the spitting image of each other, whenever she looked at him her heart panged with guilt and sadness knowing that he would never get to know his son and that she would never get to see him.

"It always rains here. It's freaking depressing." Lydia mumbled.

"It's Seattle." Whit countered. He grabbed the laundry basket from his mom and ambled down the stairs shaking his head at his cousin's antics.

"Why don't you head downstairs I'm sure Izzie has started breakfast for you." Meredith laughed walking in the direction of her bedroom.

"What are we doing for dinner tonight?" Whit asked Izzie as he stuffed some more French toast into his mouth. Lydia shrugged her shoulders as she munched on one of Izzie's infamous cranberry muffins.

"I thought we were gonna grab a movie and dine in?" Alex said as he dropped a kiss on Izzie's bare shoulder. He crossed the room and motioned for Lydia to get off of the fridge where she had propped her self against.

"Let's get Run Lola Run." Whit suggested.

"Your mother would kill me if you watched another movie with language unsuitable for someone your age. Remember 'Wedding Crashers?'" she asked. Throwing Alex an angry stare.

"Well he wasn't suppose to tell anyone and Lydia said it was cool."

"Who listen's to a seventeen year-old?"

"I don't, not anymore." Alex finished buttoning his shirt as Izzie handed him his plate. Alex and Izzie had a complicated relationship. After Denny and Addison and Mark the two had begun a casual relationship. A little too casual for Meredith's taste with Whit's impressionable mind. But she got over it because Alex's constant presence was another fatherly void being filled. Of course there was also George who lived with and was engaged to Callie and Preston who was married to Cristina.

"Let's just get it anyway, Mer's gonna have a long surgery tonight."

"How do you know that?" Izzie asked taking a seat near Whit.

"She always does." Replied the teenager with a mischievous smile.

"I like the way she thinks." Alex nodded.

Izzie sighed letting a mischievous grin of her own slip. "Alright but if she finds out this was Alex's idea."

"Why me?"

"Because Mer would throw me out on my ass if she knew I corrupted her sweet baby boy."

"No not because of the language you use around him at all." Whit joked raising his eyebrows for effect.

"Don't say ass." Izzie reminded him and grabbed his throwback Captain America lunch box. "You guys better get going." She said to Lydia and Whit.

"I need lunch money." Lydia claimed to no one in particular. Alex pulled out his wallet and handed her some money.

"Hey Mer, were leaving!" She shouted in the direction of the staircase.

"Okay wait." Meredith called as she bounded down the stairs. "I have to work late tonight. So Lyd can you pick up Whit from soccer practice?"

"Sure and we'll just meet Alex and Izzie back here for dinner and a movie." She said shooting a knowing glance at Izzie.

"Oh sounds like fun. Okay go you're gonna be late." She bent down to kiss Whit on the forehead and kiss Lydia's cheek.

"Bye mom." Whit called as Lydia grabbed the keys to her Saab and kissed Alex and Izzie goodbye also.

As soon as the two left Meredith turned to Alex and Izzie. "Alex what did we say about traipsing around the house in your boxers?" Alex looked down and sure enough he was standing in the middle of the kitchen in his underwear.

"The kids didn't say anything."

"That's because they're use to it which is bad. I want them to have a relatively normal life."

"I don't think they're missing out on anything. They live a pretty good life Mer you're doing the best you can." Izzie reassured her with a pat on the shoulder. "I gotta get ready. See you at the hospital." She said with Alex following. Meredith looked around her kitchen taking in the tell tale signs of a busy morning and sighed wishing that her life wasn't and was different all at the same time.