"if anything ever happened to me, would you take Henry?"
It's 4 a.m. when she gets the call. She's in a deep sleep after a crazy night in the ER- a five car pileup with 3 brain bleeds- and it takes her a moment to realize her phone is the shrilling noise in the quiet night. Rolling over, she sees Charlotte's name on the phone, and her heart falls into her gut.
"Hello?"
"Amelia, there's been an accident."
And Charlotte describes how a patient of Addison and Jake's had broken into their house, and how they had both been shot in the head, and how they were never in pain. Henry, who's 4 now, had taken a shot to the shoulder, but after a standard GSW operation, is holding steady. Amelia listens quietly, no tears coming from her eyes. She's almost used to it by now- the death. First her father, then Michelle, Ryan, Mark, Pete, Derek.. and now Addison and Jake. Charlotte tells her the funeral will probably be Wednesday, with just a gravesite; it's Friday now, so Amelia has enough time to get things in order at work.
"Amelia, there's something else… Henry, he's yours now. He won't be discharged for a week, probably, but you need to figure our what you're going to do."
She nods, and she knows Charlotte well enough to realize she understands her lack of words.
"There's one more thing.. they shot him last. He watched. And he needs his Aunt Amelia."
Amelia quickly hangs up, and grabs the trashcan, emptying the contents of her stomach into the small bin. Owen immediately sits up and pulls her to him as she begins to sob loudly, the thought of sweet Henry watching his parents die too much for her to handle. He's heard the whole thing, and so he rocks her small frame back and forth while she beats her fists against his chest at how cruel the world is to the people she loves.
A knock on the door, and Meredith and Maggie appear in the doorway; they've been moving Meredith, Zola, and Bailey, and Ellis's old things back to Ellis's old house over the past week, as Owen and Amelia have been moving in to the dream house. Owen quickly explains that there was an accident, and Addison and her husband are gone. Meredith immediately sinks down beside Amelia, rubbing her legs, as she chokes back tears- in some weird twist of fate, she and Addison had never lost touch, even becoming weekly phone-call friends, and the blow hits her hard. Maggie catches Owen's eye and nods, and immediately goes to the computer to book the other 3 a flight the next day, volunteering herself to stay with her nieces and nephews, and to get a room set up for Henry to come home to.
Eventually, Amelia falls asleep in Owen's lap, the exhaustion too much, and Meredith is asleep on his shoulder.
The next day, Maggie drives them to the airport, making Owen promise to call her if they need anything, and when they might return to Seattle. Meredith is better this morning, having gone into work and put things in order before leaving, but Amelia has yet to speak. The concern in Owen's eyes is evident, and Maggie offers him a soft smile as the three of them start through security. Owen carries her bag and only lets go of her hand in order to pass through the scanner. Her skin is pale and she looks like death personified, but he holds onto her as if his life depends on it.
Eventually, they arrive in LA, where Charlotte and Sheldon are waiting at the baggage claim. Charlotte immediately gathers Amelia into her arms, and he sees her shoulders relax for the first time all day. He watches with interest as the two women pull back from the hug and Charlotte tucks Amelia's hair behind her ear, kissing her forehead gently, maternally. Amelia's face twists into a small smile, and for the first time all day, her eyes don't look so dark. Sheldon shakes his hand, and he instead quickly pulls him in for a short hug, having really liked both of these people when he and Amelia had come down for Christmas. Together, the two men pull the three travelers' luggage off the carousel, and Owen takes his while Sheldon carries Meredith and Amelia's, leaving Owen's free arm to hold onto her waist gently as they head to the car.
Nearly two hours later, the quartet arrives at St. Ambrose. Meredith and Sheldon have become quick friends, and the two are gushing over pictures of Meredith's kids. Charlotte has yet to take her eyes off of Amelia for more than a few seconds, and the two of them have come to a silent agreement that the women should go to a meeting as soon as possible.
But first, there is Henry.
They reach the area right outside his room, and he watches Amelia steel herself. She throws her shoulders back and pulls her chin up, and for the first time since Charlotte called he lets himself realize that she will pull through this. He kisses her head- he can't help it, his woman is resilient and beautiful, and they will get through this. She looks at him softly, allowing some emotion into her eyes. He grabs her hand and looks at Meredith, and she nods in understanding- it needs to be the two of them in there for a little while with Henry. Charlotte offers Meredith a tour of the hospital, and she eagerly agrees, and Sheldon tags along.
Nothing prepares him for the next few minutes. Amelia walks in, and Henry's sleepy little eyes open. He is so small in the adult size hospital bed- his tiny body is engulfed in wires, and it nearly breaks his heart.
"Aunt Amy? Where's my mommy and daddy?" and he watches as Amelia climbs into the bed with him, kissing his cheek and smelling his hair. She tells him that his parents are dead, but they're in heaven, together, and watching him right now. Henry's eyes fill with big alligator tears, and Owen grabs his hand quickly, gently rubbing his soft skin.
"Where am I going to go? I can't live by myself; I can't reach the kitchen counter yet." Amelia laughs, softly, at his 4 year old logic.
"Your mommy once asked me if anything happened to her, would I let you live with me. And I said yes, so you're going to come live with Uncle Owen and me, if that's okay with you, buddy."
Henry looks at Amelia, and then Owen, before wiping his eyes and taking a deep breath.
"Can I have airplanes on my walls?"
Amelia laughs, louder this time, and Owen grins widely.
"Henry, honey, you can have anything you want."
They sleep in Henry's room that night, squished together on a cot in the corner. Henry had cried off and on all day about never seeing his mommy and daddy again, and Amelia had even cried with him for a little bit. Charlotte had come around 6 to take Amelia to eat and to a meeting, and Meredith had taken her place by Henry's side. The little boy had taken to her immediately, and Meredith told him story after story about Bailey, and how the two would probably be best friends when they got to Seattle. Henry had smiled for the first time all day, and Meredith even FaceTimed Zola, Bailey, and Ellis so the kids could all meet. She gently explained to Henry about how Zola and Bailey had just lost their daddy, too, and how losing your daddy meant you got ice cream at night, sending Owen to the cafeteria for some frozen yogurt. It had taken him a while to settle after Meredith left and Amelia came back, but eventually he fell asleep curled up into Owen's side while watching a baseball game on TV. Amelia had quickly snapped a picture before Owen slid carefully out of the hospital bed and onto the cot next to her. She told him about the meeting, and he kissed her gently as he turned the lamp off and pulled her into his chest.
"Owen? Are you okay with taking Henry, really? I don't know if we'll ever be his parents, or if we'll stay the cool aunt and uncle, or what. But this… this is for the rest of his life, and I understand if-"
"Amelia. I'm in, I'm all in. You have me, and Henry has me. The two of you will get through this, and I'm going to stay right here. I love you, and I'm not going anywhere."
It's all she needs to hear.
Wednesday comes, and Owen stays with Henry in the hospital while Meredith and Amelia go to the funeral. He wants to be there for her, but she's in good hands with Meredith, and someone has to stay with Henry. He barely knew Jake Reilly and Addison Montgomery, and so he stays in the hospital room with their orphaned son while they are buried in the ground. Owen and Henry watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Jake and the Neverland Pirates and talk about baseball players until Amelia returns, her black dress slightly wrinkled and her mascara smeared across her face, but there is no invisible weight tied to her feet, and he knows she is truly dealing with the situation well. She is by no means okay, but she is strong, and that is what counts. She curls in bed with the two of them, breathing in Henry's scent. Meredith follows soon after, and she sits in the corner and explains that she, Sam, Sheldon, and Cooper are going to go through the house tomorrow and pack Henry's things, and if there is anything Amelia wants from the house.
"Her Yale sweatshirt. It's in the top shelf of her nightstand, probably. She wore it the first time Derek brought her home, and the last time I saw her."
Meredith nods, making a note of it, and Owen squeezes her hand.
It's Tuesday, and after staying 5 nights with Charlotte and Cooper, Meredith, Henry, Owen, and Amelia are being dropped off at the airport so they can fly home to Seattle. A driver is driving Henry's things to the dream house, and Amelia has Addison's sweatshirt in her backpack. Owen pushes Henry's wheelchair while Meredith and Charlotte check their bags, and when it comes time to say goodbye, Charlotte leans down and kisses Henry on the forehead before hugging him and telling him to be good. Then, she turns to Amelia, and hugs her tightly before kissing her too.
"Amelia. Take care of yourself. And take care of him." Amelia nods, and they tell each other goodbye, and "I love you."
Charlotte looks at Owen.
"Look, I like you. I love them. Please.."
"Charlotte, I'll take care of them. We will call you, as often as you want. And you and your family always have a place in our home." He says exactly what she needs to hear, and in a moment of emotion, Charlotte hugs him tightly.
Amelia grins, and the new trio and Meredith head on into security.
They get back to Seattle, and to the dream house. Maggie has painted Bailey's old room across the hall a light blue, and there is a plane on the wall and several hanging from the ceiling. Even the boy's bedspread is covered in planes, and Henry is immediately excited. Amelia grins, but soon frowns as he winces in pain from his excitement. His shoulder is not yet healed, and while the flight was easy in first class, the rocky driveway had obviously been uncomfortable for him. She carefully takes him into the bathroom and gives him a bath, the warm water soothing his aching little body. Owen lifts him out of the tub before helping him dress and then taking him downstairs for dinner. By this point, Meredith and Maggie have gone home to Meredith's kids and the three of them are now alone. They feed him spaghetti, which he throughly enjoys, and, quite impressively, isn't messy with. He falls asleep on Owen's chest, and together, they carry him to bed.
After tucking him in, they walk hand in hand to the doorway. Amelia breathes a deep sigh, and Owen kisses her neck, then her cheek, then her lips. She smiles gratefully up at him, and he lets his hand drop to the small of her back.
"This is our life now, sweetheart. You, me, and Henry."
In a slightly morbid twist of fate, the universe has given her all she's wanted.
It's 14 years later, and Henry is due back from college at any moment. It's Christmas, and he's flying in from Yale to Seattle, where everyone has gathered. Charlotte, Cooper, Mason, and the triplets; Naomi and Sam; Sheldon; Violet and Lucas; Meredith and Zola and Bailey, who are home from Harvard, and Ellis; Maggie and Richard; Avery, Kepner, and their kids; Arizona, Callie, Sophia and her brother Mark. 16 year old Addison Michele Hunt is perched on the couch talking animatedly to the 17 year old Mark Christopher Robbins Torres, and everyone is pretending they don't see his hand on her knee or his arm around her shoulder. Addison- Addie- has her father's red hair and her mother's piercing blue eyes, making her eerily similar to her namesake. She is tall and thin, and a total knockout. As soon as her brother walks through the door, she springs up, running and launching herself into his suitcase-clad arms. He drops his luggage to hold onto his baby sister while Amelia snaps a few quick pictures, tears glistening in her eyes. Eventually, he sets her on the ground and turns toward Amelia.
"Mom. I brought you a new sweatshirt. I knew Mommy's finally ripped, and so I thought maybe you could wear this one, if you wanted. And I got all A's this semester, and I brought Dad a new coffee mug, and…" Amelia hugs him tightly, glad her baby boy is finally home. He walks over to his Dad, and Amelia walks outside onto the back porch into the cold night.
"Merry Christmas, Addie. I kept my promise; I took care of him."