Secrets. We would never admit them under the harsh light of day. We bury them. We put them out of sight, out of mind. But the thing about secrets is that usually, they don't stay buried forever…

Meredith Grey had a secret. She buried it deep into the recesses of her mind. It was painful, even twenty years later, to think about. This particular secret was so big, that if the truth ever came, the consequences could be devastating. She didn't have many secrets anymore, after all her life history was water cooler conversation. She was the slutty-intern-turned-wife of Derek Shepherd, Chief of Neurosurgery at the hospital they owned. Even she had to admit, she had a very complicated life… which was about to get a lot more complicated.

Anna had never been more nervous in her life. She checked her coat pocket and pulled out the thin folded piece of paper. She'd read the name a million times in black and white. But acting on the information in her hands was a completely different story. She pulled her blonde hair up into a ponytail and headed for reception area of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. "Hi, I'm looking for Meredith Grey," she said to a very bored looking receptionist. The woman snapped her head at the guest, "Is she expecting you?" she asked studying Anna. That's a loaded question, Anna thought, as she nervously wrung her wrists. "No, but it's important."

The receptionist made a face, "Honey, it's always important. She's a surgeon."

"Oh," Anna said taking in this tiny tidbit of information. She knew Meredith Grey was a doctor and that she was the owner of this hospital. A simple internet search, had give her that much. "Uh, can you page her or something?" She asked tentatively.

"I'm only supposed to page her unless it's an emergency," the receptionist spat, twirling in her seat.

"It is," Anna pressed, "I'm, uh, her daughter." The receptionist looked at Anna in complete shock. Apparently, this didn't happen everyday, Anna thought fidgeting. "Well," she said picking up the phone, "That's a good reason to me." Anna nodded in response and took a seat in the lobby. She could do this, she thought, taking a breath.

"Kelly," Meredith seethed over to reception, "You only page me if it's an emergency."

"Believe me Dr. Grey," Kelly said gesturing toward a young pretty blonde waiting in the lobby, "You'll be glad I paged you."

Meredith sighed and walked toward the stranger. There was something familiar about her, Meredith thought, as she got closer. Meredith could tell, just by looking at her, that she couldn't have been older than twenty. The young woman was thin, almost waif like, and had her hair in a messy ponytail. She was dressed in a simple t-shirt, jeans, and converse. Meredith had a gut feeling that she knew this girl. But for the life of her, couldn't place her.

"Hi," she greeted standing in front of the girl who was nervously looking down at her hands, "I'm Dr. Grey." The young girl looked up at Meredith and she felt her heart stop. It couldn't be… "Oh my god," she exclaimed making eye contact with the stranger in front of her. She stared into her deep blue eyes and couldn't form a coherent thought, never mind a sentence. "So you recognize me," the girl said smiling as Meredith remembered to breathe. "It's like looking in a mirror," she confessed uneasily. God, her eyes, Meredith thought, not taking her gaze away were the same ones she saw everyday in her own reflection. "We should talk," Meredith said shakily, "I mean I'm sure you have questions and you came all the way out here."

"I actually live in Seattle," Ana said, "But that would be nice."

"Okay…" she said staring at her, "I don't… know your name."

"I didn't give it to you, I'm Anna Howard." Anna stood up and followed Meredith to the elevators.

"I'm Meredith," she said as they walked toward the elevators, "But uh, you already knew that," she stammered hitting the button. "My husband, Derek, is in surgery," Meredith said as the door opened, "We can talk in his office."

"Okay," Anna said watching her push the button for the fifth floor. Anna looked down at her thin fingers and noticed that Meredith had the same ones. "He's the head of neurosurgery," Meredith babbled filling in the silence. "I'm a general surgeon. Ironically, my mother was too."

"Must be why I want to be a doctor," Anna smiled at Meredith, "I'm a pre-med major at Wash U."

"Wow," Meredith said fiddling with her wedding ring, "I mean that's great. Like, really really, great."

Anna grinned at Meredith's approval, "I'm a sophomore," she continued, "I got a full scholarship and couldn't pass it up."

"Definitely a smart idea," Meredith said easily, "med school isn't exactly cheap."

"I bet," Anna said as they got off the elevator, "Where did you go?"

"I went to Dartmouth, for both undergrad and med school," Meredith answered leading Anna toward Derek's office. She stopped in front of his door and swiped her ID card. She opened the door, "This is Derek's office," she said surveying the mess, "He's usually neater," she muttered cleaning off the papers from his couch, making a space for Anna.

Anna looked around and noticed the degrees hanging on the walls and family pictures on his desk. Anna couldn't help but stare at one particular picture. Meredith noticed where her gaze was and picked up the silver fame, "This was when my son, Bailey was born. My best friend, Cristina snapped this candid of the four of us." She pointed to Derek, "That's my husband." Her finger trailled down toward her two kids, "Zola and Bailey," she said staring at the picture, "Bailey was only hours old here."

Anna nodded, she had siblings. "Wow," she said as Meredith handed her the picture, "I have a brother and a sister…"

"Zola was adopted from Malawi," Meredith looked at Anna, "She came here with spina bifida and Derek fell in love. The second I saw her… I felt the same." She trailed off at the memory. "I tried to pick good parents for you," she said quietly thinking of the Howards, "But I wanted to keep you," she confessed as the painful memories erupted to the surface."

Anna didn't know what to say so she just listened. "Your father isn't listed on the birth certificate because he didn't know," Meredith continued, "We were drunk," she explained, suddenly feeling like this was too much information. "His name is Jake Anderson," she added nervously wringing her wrist. "I do that too," Anna muttered staring at her birth mother, "The nervous wrist thing," she clarified, "That's my tell."

"Mine too," Meredith said sitting down on Derek's worn couch. "This is a lot," she said looking at Anna. "I mean a ton of information."

Anna sat down next to her. She looked at her Meredith, "I mean it's always scary when you're going to meet your birth mother, right?" she joked trying to lighten the mood. "I get it, Meredith," she said, "I'm a twenty years old," she reminded her. "I can take it."

"Grey's are pretty resilient," Meredith added grinning. "You look exactly like I did when I was your age," Meredith shook her head in disbelief, "I seriously can't believe it."

"Well, you must have been pretty popular," Anna chuckled, "Because I get asked out all the time."

"I hope you tell them no," Meredith said grinning, "Because boys are stupid. Really, really dumb. Ask my husband… He'd agree." Meredith's pager suddenly went off, interrupting the moment. "Crap," she swore, "It's the daycare. I've got to take this…" she said standing up, "But you could come, if you want," she suggested, hoping she would.

"Sure," Anna agreed with a nod.

"Mama!" four-year old Zola cried seeing her mother enter the room, "Bailey won't stop crying," she pouted. "Hi, Dr. Grey," Amanda, one of the aides, greeted holding a very fussy Bailey. "I'm sorry to bother you, but we took his temp and he has a slight fever." Meredith held out her arms and Amanda placed Bailey in them, "Oh, Bay," she said kissing his forehead, "He's definitely warm." She looked at Zola, "Hey, Zo, can you go grab your stuff and Bailey's?" Zola nodded and grinned, "Okay, Mama." Meredith looked at Anna, "Sorry, about this."

Anna shook her head, "I totally understand," Anna said.

Meredith propped Bailey on her hip, "Okay, this is going to sound weird and you can totally say no, but I can put the kids to bed and we can finish our conversation from earlier."

"It's not weird," Anna said assuring her, "I'd love to."

Meredith smiled, "Okay then."

"Mama!" Zola said coming over to her, carrying her backpack and Bailey's bag, "All set," she said seriously. "We go home, now." Zola looked at Anna full of curiosity. "Who are you?" she asked eying the stranger. "Hi," Anna greeted, "I'm Anna, I'm a friend of your mom's." Zola squinted her eyes, in thought, "Mama," she looked at Meredith, "I know all your friends."

Meredith laughed, "Well, Anna's a new one."

"Fine," Zola said handing her mother Bailey's bag. "Hey, Zola," Anna said looking at the toddler's backpack, "Do you like Dora the Explorer?"

Zola's eyes lit up, "I love boots."

"Looks like you made a new friend," Meredith whispered as Zola grabbed Anna's hand and started chattering about her favorite television show.

"When you said you lived in the woods," Anna began surveying the gorgeous house in front of her, "I didn't think you meant a mansion." Meredith put her Mercedes in park and cut the engine, "Derek built it," she explained, "It was his dream house."

"He builds houses too?" Anna exclaimed as she got out of the car, "I mean this house is amazing!"

"Wait until you see the inside," Meredith mused getting Bailey out of the car. "Anna, want to read a story with me?" Zola asked, grabbing her hand and pulling her toward the house, "Sure, Zola," Anna grinned letting Zola take the lead. "Zola!" Meredith called after them, "Careful with Anna!"

Anna turned around, "It's fine," she assured her, "I'm used to toddlers. I used to work at a Daycare in high school," she explained as Meredith opened the door. Zola rushed into the house, "She's quick, huh?" Anna mused laughing.

"You have no idea," Meredith said as Bailey started fussing. "Hey, don't worry, buddy. I'm going to get some tylenol so you feel better," she cooed walking into the house with Anna right behind her.

The house, Anna thought, was even more amazing inside. The view from the bay window was indescribable. "Wow," Anna observed watching the sunset over the lake, "This is breathtaking."

"Best part of the house," Meredith commented studying Anna, "I'll be fifteen minutes, tops," Meredith said, "Bailey looks like he's going to sleep now, and Zola is exhausted too. You can watch tv or whatever," she offered as Bailey put his head on his mother's chest."Not a problem, Meredith," Anna assured her, "I'm pretty good at entertaining myself." Meredith nodded, "Okay, come on Zo," she said, "Time for bed." Zola crossed her arms and glared at her mother, "But Anna said she'd read a story." Meredith looked at Anna, "You don't have to," she said looking at Anna. "No, really, it's fine. I don't break promises to four year olds," Anna said as Zola took her hand, "Alright Zola," she said easily, "Show me where your books are."

After reading, Stellaluna, Zola's current favorite, Anna escaped downstairs while Meredith tried to get Bailey to sleep. She headed toward the couch, and sat down. Her brain felt like it was going to explode from everything… Anna was having a hard time processing all of this. Granted, she had no idea what would happen. Meredith could have sent her away and said not to contact her again. But here she was, in her birth mother's dream house with two siblings. Really, it was a lot. Anna took a deep breath, and turned the television on. She needed a distraction from her thoughts, she flipped through the stations and settled on the news.

She was half-paying attention to the reporter who was talking about gas prices, when Meredith came downstairs. "Hey," she greeted startling Anna. "Oh, hi," Anna said turning to face her. "Uh, do you want anything to eat or drink? I don't cook," Meredith added before making a beeline for the fridge, "I burn everything. But I can microwave the shit out of a frozen dinner," she joked sliding open the freezer door. She pulled out a frozen pizza and held it up for Anna, "Want some?" she asked looking at the direction, "It's like the perfect dinner in 10 minutes."

Anna nodded, "Yeah," she said, "thanks, Meredith." Meredith set the box on the counter and opened the fridge, "We have juice, water and... wine," she said surveying the contents of her fridge. "I can't believe I just offered you wine," Meredith babbled nervously. "I'm twenty-one in few weeks, Meredith," Anna chuckled interrupting Meredith, "But you already knew that."

"We have the same birthday," Meredith added, "I've never forgotten it."

"We do?" Anna was shocked, "Yup," Meredith looked at Anna, "Weird right?"

"Definitely, weird," Anna said in total agreement. "What were the odds of that?"

"I don't know," Meredith said preheating the oven. "But small." She uncorked the bottle of wine and poured a glass, "If you're anything like me, you probably need this too," she said walking over to Anna and handing it to her. "It's been a crazy day," she murmured. "Good," she amended, "But crazy."

"Well, how many times have you had your long lost daughter find you at work?" Anna teased taking a sip of wine. "None," Meredith answered pouring herself a glass, "You're the first," she quipped. "But I do have experience with surprised sisters." Anna's eyes widened, "Really?"

"Oh yeah," Meredith exclaimed shutting the oven, "I went from being the only child to an aunt and sister in a matter of hours." She walked over to the couch and took a seat next to Anna. She tucked her legs under her and proceeded to tell her the story of how she met Molly and Lexie Grey.

"Wow," Anna said after Meredith finished, "Lexie sounds like she was an amazing sister." Anna couldn't help but feel sympathy for her birth mother, she had gone through an awful lot. "She was," Meredith said sadly, "I miss her every single day." She looked at Anna, "What about you Anna? I've been rambling a lot about my life, when I don't think I've asked you much about yours."

"My life's been pretty boring," Anna shrugged, "My mom and dad are awesome, though," she added with a shrug. "No siblings?" Meredith asked curiously. "Other than the two I just found out about… No," Anna shook her head. "Bailey looks a lot like you," she added.

"I'm pretty sure, you've got him beat," Meredith said evenly taking a sip of wine. They settled into a comfortable silence, until the oven went off. "I'll go get that," Meredith said getting off the couch as the door opened. "Hey, Mer, sorry I'm running…" He trailed off once he saw Anna on the couch who looked remarkably liked Meredith, "Uh," he said tilting his head, "another surprise sister?" He asked pointedly at Meredith. "Actually," she began, "This is Anna. She's my, uh, daughter."

Derek's eyes widened, "Daughter?" he choked dropping his brief case on the floor.

Anna laughed nervously, "I just met Meredith today, actually."

"How? When? Why? What?" Derek asked rapidly firing off questions. Anna shifted uncomfortably on the couch, "I can go, or something if you need to talk," she said standing up, "This probably isn't something you find out everyday…"

Meredith glared at Derek and turned to Anna, "No, it's alright Anna. Grab some pizza," she gestured to the steaming pizza in front of her, "Derek and I will be right back."

Derek was speechless as he followed her upstairs into their bedroom. "Derek," she said once she closed the door, "What the hell was that?"

"You don't get to be angry, Meredith," he stated crossing his arms, "You have a long lost daughter that you apparently never mentioned in the what seven years we've been together?" Derek spat feeling hurt.

Meredith sat down on the bed while Derek waited for an explanation. "I was fourteen, Derek," she said looking up at him. "His name was Jake Anderson. We we're just friends until we broke into my mother's liquor cabinet and well you can guess what happened next," she sighed and continued, "Ellis made me put her up for adoption. It wasn't like I had a choice or say in the matter. She was born on my birthday," she added staring at him.

"That explains the birthday thing," he said with a sigh. "She looks so much like you Mer," he said sitting down next to her with their legs touching, "I should expect the unexpected by now," he grumbled putting his hands through his hair. "How are you dealing?" He asked carefully.

"I'm okay," she smiled, "It's not everyday the kid you had at fifteen comes and finds you."

"No," Derek agreed shaking his head, "Definitely not."

"She seems like a really great kid, actually," she mused, "She's pre-med at Wash U. Obviously, she's educated and happy. I picked good parents, which is a total relief. I worried about that," she admitted. "I would have done a crap job being a mom at fifteen."

Derek didn't say anything as she continued, "After her adoption, I completely isolated myself, dyed my hair pink just to piss of Ellis, and generally stopped caring about everything. I honestly don't know how I managed to get through high school. Let alone college."

"I think you turned out pretty amazing Mer."

"You're only saying that because I sleep with you," Meredith teased, "But thanks," she added smiling, "I should probably go back downstairs. If she's anything like me around pizza," she said laughing, "It'll be almost gone."

Meredith returned from upstairs and found Anna sitting at the kitchen island. She was swinging her feet, like Zola did every morning. She was mid bite, when she turned to face Meredith, "Hi," she said putting the pizza back on her plate, "This is, like really, really good." Meredith walked over to the cabinet and pulled down a plate for herself, "I know," she said putting a slice on it. "I'm sorry about Derek," she apologized sitting next to Anna, "He didn't know," she said simply offering an explanation. "I get it, Meredith," Anna shrugged. "It's fine."

"It's really not fine," Meredith admitted picking at her pizza, "I should have told him."

Anna shrugged, "I'm not the same person I was at fifteen either," she added taking a sip of wine, "I think you should get a pass on this one."

Meredith couldn't help but laugh, "Now's a good time to probably collect it. Derek owes me, anyway." Anna looked at her curiously. "Derek didn't tell me he was married, when we met," Meredith shook her head remembering that awkward encounter, "His ex-wife cheated on him so he moved his entire life to Seattle."

"That's kind of a big bomb to drop on someone," Anna said. Meredith nodded. "How did you two meet?" Anna asked knowing there had to be a good story there. "Oh, well we met at Joes," Meredith began, "a bar across the street from the hospital. I was alone, nursing my tequila when he sits down next to me and tries to pick me up. Really, he was very persistent. Today, he still argues that I took advantage when in reality it was him." She laughed at the memory. "We sort of ended up together and I kicked him out of my house the next day. I had to go to work. It was my first day as a surgical intern, and of course I was running late."

"Wow," Anna interjected, "That's insane."

"Oh it gets better," Meredith smirked, "Because Derek the man at the bar turned out to be Dr. Derek Shepherd, head of neurosurgery, and my boss."

"Ouch," Anna gasped, "Seriously?"

"Seriously…" Meredith repeated. "You obviously ended up married," Anna said, "at least you guys got your happy ending."

"Only after a lot of breaking up. He was ready for all of this," Meredith gestured to the house, "Marriage, kids, you know the whole shebang. It took me longer." She looked at Anna, "I held you after you were born. My mother didn't want me to. She said it would be easier. But I had to. I needed… closure." Meredith took a sip of her wine, "You put your little hand around my pinky and held on for an hour while I talked to you. You were perfect, Anna." Meredith felt her eyes pool with tears. She hadn't thought about that day in forever. "In the nursery, they called you Baby Grey," she said, "And for two hours, you were mine." Anna wrapped her arms around her mother's shoulders, "Thank you for telling me that," she whispered as Meredith held onto her as they both cried. They weren't sad tears, they were happy ones.

"Hey Meredith," Anna said once the tears stopped, "I'd really like to know you."

"You do?" Meredith grinned, "Because I want to get to know you too."

"I know you're busy," Anna added, "Being a surgeon and everything but we can do coffee or something, right?"

"Absolutely," Meredith beamed, "Coffee is always good. You can come to the hospital anytime to visit," she said, "If you ever want to shadow me or even Derek let me know," she offered, "Being related to a doctor isn't a bad thing. Especially, if you want to get into med school."

"Really?" Anna asked as her face lit up. "I'd love to do that. Do you think I could watch a surgery?"

"Of course," Meredith said, "I could definitely sneak you into the OR gallery. Although you might have to wear scrubs."

"Seriously, this is amazing," Anna said in disbelief. "Finding my birth mother is one thing, but finding out she's this incredible doctor who owns a hospital is too much."

"Did you Google me, Anna?" She asked smiling. "Yeah," Anna admitted sheepishly, "Once I got your name. But it was mostly research stuff. Things that are way over my head. There was an article about gliomas and some clinical trial you worked on."

"Derek and I pioneered that one," Meredith added. "There was a lot of stuff about your mother too," Anna supplied, "How she came up with the Grey Method and laparoscopic surgeries. There was an article about her winning some award called the Harper Averys…"

"That's the highest honor you can get in the medical field," Meredith said, "Obviously you do your research." She smiled, "That will come in handy one day."

"Did you know you always wanted to be a doctor?" Anna asked, "Because I sort of felt like I had to."

"No," Meredith shook her head, "For the longest time, I refused to be anything like my mother. I flitted around Europe with my best friend, Sadie, living out of a backpack after we graduated. My mother didn't think I could handle medical school, so to prove a point, I took the MCAT and got in everywhere I applied."

"Was she that bad?" Anna asked, "I mean your mother," she clarified.

"My mother," Meredith began, "was about as maternal as a steak knife. But she loved me as much as she was capable of loving me."

"What about your dad?"

"Thatcher," Meredith sighed, "was a biology professor. He left my mother and I when I was five. Mom got a job in Boston and I went with her. I didn't have any contact with him until a few years ago when his daughter, Molly came in for a complicated pregnancy."

"Molly's your other half sister," Anna noted remembering what she had told her earlier, "Is she younger than Lexie?"

"Yeah, she's only twenty seven," Meredith said, "Lex would have been 30."

"I have an aunt, sister, and brother," Anna mused, "I went from being an only child to this…"

"I basically grew up as an only child, so I get the feeling. The whole concept of family was foreign to me. Derek has four sisters and sixteen nieces and nephews, and trust me the first time I met all of them, my head spun."

"Sixteen? Holy shit," Anna swore, "I mean I have a few cousins but they live in Vancouver."

"Derek's family lives in New York," Meredith added, "Or I probably wouldn't have even entertained the thought of marrying him," she joked half-seriously.

"I should probably get going," Anna said glancing at her watch, "I have class in the morning."

Meredith really didn't want her to leave, "We have extra guest rooms," she blurted quickly, "I mean only if you want to stay. I can always bring you back to campus."

Anna grinned, "Yeah, I think I'd like that."

Meredith nodded and got up, "I'd say we should crack open another bottle of wine."

"Definitely," Anna agreed, "You know, I have to say, your not at all what I expected."

"What did you expect?" Meredith asked uncorking an expensive bottle.

"I don't know," Anna admitted, "I definitely didn't think I'd be drinking expensive wine with you in your amazing house. I also didn't think you'd be so open to me."

"Well," Meredith said pouring two glasses expertly, "you're better than I expected. I mean you're gorgeous, obviously smart, and mature. God, when I was your age I was the definition of irresponsible. I partied all the time, slept with inappropriate men, and flitted through life without any direction or purpose."

Anna chuckled as Meredith handed her a glass of wine, "I'm pretty mellow," Anna added, "Nothing insane. I swear. I've been in a relationship with Brad for almost two years. I don't smoke or do drugs. I tried pot once but it was such a horrible experience I stayed far away. I had my first kiss when I was seven. I played soccer all through high school and had my first real boyfriend when I was sixteen. Oh, I hate the color pink. Chemistry is my favorite subject. For some reason, I love the Red Sox."

Meredith laughed, "That's because you were born in Boston, Anna. I think it's like some innate thing," she added, "And I also went into labor during a doubleheader versus the Yankees."

"No way?" Anna chuckled, "That's hilarious. Did the Sox at least win?"

"They did," Meredith smiled, "I watched the entire game while you refused to leave my uterus."

Anna laughed, "Was I a total pain?"

"Twenty-two hours of excruciating pain," she teased, "You were almost a c-section because you were facing up instead of down, like normal babies."

"Was Bailey?" Anna asked, "face up?"

"No," Meredith shook her head, "My water broke in the middle of the freaking superstorm last May."

"I remember that storm," Anna said, "He was born during that?"

"Yes, I had an emergency c-section in the dark," Meredith said tucking her feet under her, "He was early and had to go up to the NICU. I didn't want him to be alone, so I made Derek go with him. My doctor got called to another birth and so one of my interns started to close me up, until he saw that I wouldn't stop bleeding. I had to have an emergency splenectomy. My colleague Miranda Bailey had to perform the surgery."

"So that's why his name is Bailey then," Anna added.

"Yeah," Meredith nodded, "His first name is Derek but because that's confusing, we call him Bailey," she paused, "or according to Zola, his name is Bay or brudder."

"That's cute," Anna mused tucking a fly away behind her ear.

"Tell me about Brad," Meredith added, "You've been dating for two years?"

Anna nodded, "We met in Chem lab. He's really tall," she added, "and he plays basketball."

"I dated a basketball player in college, he turned out to be an asshole though," Meredith said taking a sip of wine. Anna couldn't help but laugh, "Brad's a good one," she pulled her phone out of her pocket, "I have a picture," she said pulling up the most recent photo of her and Brad at a team dinner. She handed her phone to Meredith, "Oh," Meredith said staring at the tall, dark haired, brown eyed man with a protective arm around Anna's shoulders. "He's handsome, Anna."

"He's really sweet, too," she gushed. "I mean he does nice stuff for me all the time."

"That's good," Meredith said watching Anna's entire demeanor change when she talked about her boyfriend, "Nice is good," she affirmed, "Really good."

Anna nodded, "Derek seems nice," she offered changing the subject, "I mean he's letting us talk and didn't freak out on you…"

Meredith laughed, "Derek doesn't really freak out," she shook her head, "He's really good at doing that later, once the reality sinks in. Whereas, I most of the time do the freaking out. My mind tends to wander to the worst case scenario. For example, I was terrified that Bailey was going to born with every rare birth defect possible."

"Maybe medical knowledge isn't always useful," Anna offered, "I'm sure, you've seen it all."

"I've seen a lot," Meredith confirmed, "You're right about knowing too much, though. It can definitely be a burden."

Anna yawned, "I didn't realize we've been up talking for so long," she said glancing at the clock, "I'm sure you have work tomorrow."

"I do," Meredith confirmed, "But I have a late shift. I can definitely take you back to campus, although Zola and Bailey are coming for the ride too."

"That's totally, fine," Anna said stifling another yawn. "Come on, Anna," Meredith said grabbing the plates and wine glasses, "You're obviously exhausted."

"I am," Anna sighed, "I'm drained."

"I have extra pajamas if you need them," she offered looking at her t-shirt and jeans. "Sleeping in clothes kind of sucks."

"I'd appreciate it, Meredith," Anna said sleepily. Meredith nodded and went upstairs while Anna followed behind her. "There's a new toothbrush in the guest bathroom," she said opening the door to the guest room. "This is gorgeous," Anna commented taking in the impeccably decorated room. She went over to the bed, "I haven't slept on silk sheets, like ever."

"Well," Meredith chuckled, "You've been missing out. I'll be right back with a change of clothes, she said before leaving.

Derek was reading the latest issue of JAMA, when Meredith walked into their bedroom, "You've kidnapped your kid now, Mer," he teased as she went over to the bureau, "We were just talking. There's twenty-years of information to learn about her, Derek," she said pulling out a pair of old yoga pants and her Dartmouth t-shirt. "Surreal, doesn't even begin to describe this," she said gesturing, "I have my twenty-year old daughter sleeping down the hall in our guest room."

"Yeah, that's definitely a new one, Mer," Derek added putting the journal on the bed. "And you're okay?" He asked again curiously.

"Derek," she sighed rolling her eyes, "I'm happy. And you're worrying is killing my joy."

"Alright," Derek said picking the journal back up, "I'm not trying to be a joy killer."

"For a brain man, you can be kind of brainless," she quipped as she headed down the hall.

Meredith was restless. Her mind was racing a million miles a minute. "Derek," she whispered poking him in the ribs. "Ouch," Derek groaned rolling over, "We need to work on your wake up techniques."

"Sorry," she apologized, "I can't sleep."

"I was trying to do that," Derek yawned, "But your pointy finger stabbed me in my ribs."

"I was thinking about Jake," Meredith admitted, "I never told him. I should have told him, right?"

Derek rubbed his eyes, he wasn't awake enough to answer her question. "Well," he said slowly, "If I had a kid out there, I'd definitely want to know."

"So this scenario wouldn't happen to you," Meredith joked, "No McDreamy's running around."

"Only the one down the hall," Derek added, "And he doesn't run yet. But once he does we're fucked."

"Derek, I'm being serious… I should tell him," Meredith said making up her mind. "But I wouldn't even know where to look."

"Meredith, it's 3:30 in the morning," Derek pointed out, "I'm sure he's not thinking about you and his long lost daughter."

Meredith sighed, "You're right. But I'm going to check the internet," she decided getting out of bed, "I mean a simple search might give me some information."

"Whatever, Meredith," Derek said turning away from her, "Just don't wake me up again, I have rounds in three hours."

Meredith snuck downstairs, careful not to step on the one creaky stair on the stairwell. She went into the kitchen and found her ipad on the countertop. A simple search, she thought full of nerves, can't hurt. She turned the ipad on and pulled up google. Jake Anderson, Boston she typed into the search bar. She had 12 million hits to go on. She tried her luck with the first one, thinking that this search might be harder than she thought. She scanned the page, it was for a law firm in Brookline. There was a brief bio and once she got to the end of the page, there was a picture. "Holy shit," she swore. It was him without a doubt. He had the same angular jaw line, deep blue eyes, and thick black hair perfectly cut. He did well, she thought as she clicked on his email link. She stared at the cursor. The black line was taunting her… She bit the bullet.

Hi Jake,

I know this is completely random, but I was wondering if you could give me a call. I don't even know if you remember me, but we were neighbors twenty something years ago. I have something to tell you and it's really important. Please call me at 206-555-3902.

Thanks, Meredith Grey

She re-read the email a million times. She didn't really know what to write because writing, 'Hey, we have a twenty year old daughter that I put up for adoption,' didn't sound like a good idea. She knew this information warranted a conversation, no matter how awkward and uncomfortable this was going to be. Once she hit send, there was no going back. Derek was right. Jake should know. What he did with the information would be completely up to him…

"Meredith," Derek whispered seeing her in the kitchen, "You've been down here for hours." He came over and gave her a quick kiss, "I see you found out some info," he added looking over her shoulder at the screen. "That must be Jake. Good thing he's not as good looking as I am." he added seeing the picture. Meredith nodded, "I really don't know how your ego fits in this kitchen," she teased looking at the screen, "But yeah, he works at a law firm in Brookline. It's ironic really, considering how we were both screwups." Derek poured himself a mug of coffee, "I take it you contacted him."

"I emailed him my number and asked him to call me. It's a long shot, but what you said got me thinking."

"Anna seems like a great kid," Derek commented, "Just from our very brief meeting that is…"

"I'll tell you all about her later," Meredith promised. "I'm driving her back to campus in a few hours. Bailey and Zo are coming for the ride."

Derek nodded and grabbed his cereal from the cabinet, "Maybe she babysits," Derek said pouring himself a bowl, "We always need a good sitter."

"I could ask," Meredith went over to the coffee pot, "I can't believe she wants to get to know me."

"Why wouldn't she?" Derek asked confused, "You are her birth mother. I'd say that's pretty important, wouldn't you?"

"I guess," she said pouring herself a steaming mug of coffee, "I didn't think she'd like me."

Derek shook his head, "You're a very hard person to not like, Meredith Grey. Trust me, I tired."

Meredith was about to snap at him but her phone rang. She glanced at the screen. It was an unknown number with a 617 area code. "Derek," she whispered, "I think it's him. What do I say?" she asked nervously.

"You can try answering the phone," Derek retorted, "I mean then you might actually talk to him."

"Right," Meredith said as she tentatively hit accept. "Dr. Grey," she greeted professionally. "Well if it isn't Meredith Grey," Jake's familiar voice teased, "I mean when I got your email I was shocked to say the least."

"It's been a while," Meredith commented, "I mean over twenty years."

"It has," Jake agreed, "You're email sounded like you really had to talk to me, and I couldn't not call you…"

"Right," Meredith took a deep breath, "I have to tell you something. Are you sitting down?" She asked concerned, "Because it's important."

"Merry," he said using her childhood nickname, "spit it out."

"Do you remember when we raided my mother's liquor cabinet?" Meredith asked trying to keep her voice even. "Which time?" Jake chuckled, "Because you and I got into her liquor more times than I can count."

"The time you and I had sex, Jake," Meredith said getting frustrated. "Oh," he said slowly rather confused, "I definitely remember that time."

"Okay, well I got pregnant," Meredith blurted. "And Ellis made me give her up for adoption."

Jake was speechless and the silence seemed deafening, "Jake," Meredith said softly, "Are you still there?"

"Uh, yeah," he stammered into the phone, "I have to admit I wasn't expecting that."

"Me neither," Meredith mumbled, "But the reason I'm calling is because, well, she found me yesterday. Her name is Anna, she's twenty-years old, and a sophomore at Washington University."

"Anna," Jake repeated, "pretty name."

"She's gorgeous, Jake," Meredith added, "I'm bias but she looks a lot like I did."

"Then I'm sure you're not wrong," Jake said softly, "Does she know about me?"

"I gave her your name," Meredith admitted, "My husband, Derek, is the one who pushed me to call you," she said looking at Derek who was listening intently to their conversation. "He said he'd want to know if he had a daughter out there in the world."

"You should thank him," Jake said. "Does she want contact?"

"I don't know," Meredith said as she took a sip of her coffee, "but I can pass along your email and phone number," she offered.

"Yeah," Jake finally said, "this is sort of a delicate situation."

Meredith nodded, "Definitely, but she's really mature, Jake. She's got a steady boyfriend, a great adoptive family, friends, and a plan for her future."

"So nothing like us then?" he retorted laughing, "Although," he began thoughtfully, "considering you're a doctor and I'm a lawyer, we did a lot better than our parents expected."

"Given the shitty hands we were dealt, Jake, I'd say we surpassed expectations," Meredith smiled at the thought. There was comfortable silence between the two former friends. "Merry, I have to ask… Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?"

"That's sort of a loaded question," Meredith lamented, "I was a petrified fourteen year old, Jake. I didn't understand the gravity of what was happening to me. Growing a person is a lot of work, and Ellis was less than understanding of the situation," Meredith admitted. "She threatened me with everything you could think of. She pushed for an abortion," Meredith continued, "She warned me that if I told you she'd get you arrested for rape."

"God, Meredith," Jake said shocked, "I had no idea she was such a bitch."

"Well, Ellis Grey wasn't known for her parenting skills," Meredith mused, "Or her people skills actually."

"Holy shit," he swore, "I really don't even know what to say to that."

"You don't have to say anything," Meredith said, "It's in the past, Jake. I'm over it. I've come a long way from that petrified pregnant fourteen year old."

"I'll say," Jake added, "My assistant is shooting me death looks from her office."

"It's fine. Go be a lawyer, Jake," she laughed, "But I will definitely pass on your information." She promised before he hung up.

She turned to Derek, "That went better than I thought it would," Meredith said taking a breath. "He's the same old Jake."Derek looked at Meredith pointedly, "I really hate your dead mother." Meredith sighed, "Yeah, me too." Derek put a hand on her thigh, "Seriously, Mer, I'm really sorry you had to go through that."

"What doesn't break you, makes you stronger right?" she joked flashing him a small smile, "And as you said, we've been through an alarmingly high number of bad things and came out relatively unscathed."

"Merry?" Derek said testing out her old nickname, "Seriously?" Meredith playfully swatted his chest, "Shut up, we were kids."

"Merry, Merry, Merry," he teased, "It doesn't sound like you."

"And Derbear sounds so much better?" she mocked, "Really, Derek?"

They didn't hear Anna come downstairs, "Derbear?" she asked sleepily, seeing the duo banter over coffee. "Did I hear that correctly?"

Derek shook his head, "My sisters are satanic," he said simply. "Want a cup of coffee?"

"Sure," Anna said as he got a red mug out of the cabinet and handed it to her, "I've got to make rounds," he said giving Meredith a quick kiss, "I'll see you later, Mer." He looked at Anna, "It was nice to meet you, Anna," he added smiling.

"You too, Derek," Anna said pouring herself a cup of coffee. "Anna," Meredith said once Anna sat down, "I just got off the phone with your birth father…"

"Oh," Anna looked at Meredith, "and.." she prompted.

"He said he'd be interested in talking with you and that I can pass along his contact info."She paused, gauging Anna's reaction, "Only if you want it," she added.

Anna put her fingers around the mug, "Yeah," she said finally, "I do."

"He's a lawyer in Boston, now," Meredith informed her, "He's a partner at his firm in Brookline."

"I hit the genetic lotto," Anna smiled, "I mean really, a doctor and a lawyer. What are the odds?"

Meredith couldn't help but laugh, "We were only responsible for your genetics, Anna, your adoptive parents nurtured you. I'd say they definitely helped shape who you've become."

"Oh definitely," Anna grinned, "My mom is a chef at Ria's in Pike Place and my dad works at the Seattle times," she added thinking of her parents, "My mom is the kindest person I know. She's the type of person who would do anything for anyone anytime. And my dad, he likes to fix everything. He actually built me a treehouse, when I was five, in our back yard. It's still there, today."

"They sound like great parents," Meredith smiled, "You're really lucky."

"Luck has nothing to do with it Meredith. You picked them for me," she reminded her. "So it really is all because of you."

Meredith grinned as they sat together drinking their coffee and watching the sunrise. Today, she thought, was going to be a good day.