When my plane touched down in Seattle I suddenly felt a wave of panic. The last time I saw Owen I was screaming at him, wanting with every fiber of my being for him to get out of my apartment and away from me forever, and now I'd be seeing him for the first time since carrying his child. As confident as I was that this was the right decision to come here and tell him as soon as possible, I was so scared. Scared that he would reject me, and this baby. I feared that he would call my bluff and never speak to me again or want to know his child. But, it was Owen after all. All he had ever wanted was a child. Maybe we wouldn't be together in the end, but I at least want our baby to have both its parents.
I was so anxious to see Owen, I didn't even stop at a hotel first, I went straight to Grey Sloan Memorial. As soon as I stepped up to the main entrance I took a deep breath and walked inside, suitcases and all. Right away I felt lost, I couldn't find anyone I knew. Not one single person. I knew it was Alex Karev and Jo Wilson's wedding day but I had hoped someone I knew would be around. I started to wander aimlessly around the hospital hoping I would bump into someone and I finally did, Dr. Bailey. Right away she pulled me into an emergency surgery on a patient with an abdominal aortic aneurysm, despite the fact that I mentioned that I had just got off a 12 hour flight. But I didn't mind. My adrenaline was rushing through me so fast that I had nothing but nerves and energy working in my favor.
While in surgery, when asked by Miranda why I was in Seattle I confidently asked her if she had a job opening. I didn't mention the fact that Owen Hunt knocked me up about two months ago and I jumped on a plane as fast as I could to tell him, even though I had no idea how he would react. That moment was coming sooner rather than later. After surgery, Miranda and I discussed the job situation and she offered me a temporary position as the Chief of Surgery at Grey Sloan. I was shocked, but happily accepted. This is what I had done the last six years, and even now that I'm pregnant I didn't think that should stop me. I knew if I needed to slow down eventually, I could.
I hadn't planned on telling anyone but Owen about the baby just yet, but while standing by my patients bedside, watching her daughters wedding via FaceTime I was overcome by emotion. I've always been a romantic but now I had a tiny someone making my heart swell with love just about every second of everyday. As I wiped my tears gushing over how beautiful it was, I couldn't help but place my hand on my stomach, letting my peanut know I was there and that I already loved them with all of my heart and soul. And then there it was, the famous question, "Are you expecting?" I hesitated, but then smiled down at my patient and excitedly confirmed, yes I am.
After the excitement of the day, my exhaustion took over as well as the nausea and I crashed in an on call room. I woke up completely disoriented about three hours later, and I never would have expected to see who I saw when I opened my eyes. It was him.
"Teddy…?" Owen stood in the door way of the on call room, completely frozen and with the most puzzled look on his face.
"O-Owen. Hey. I u—." I started to sit up but paused as I concentrated not to vomit all over the bed.
"Are you okay, what are you…what are doing here?" He asked, starting to approach me.
I took a deep breath. But he continued on before I could even answer.
"Teddy, I-I know that I hurt you. And I'm so sorry. I haven't stopped thinking about how I destroyed everything between us that we built over the years. I thought that I had lost you forever…I, I decided to move on." He rambled on, and I looked up at him longingly afraid of what he meant by that.
Did he decide to move on with Amelia? Forgetting about the fact that they had a toxic marriage despite her brain tumor. And he must have read my facial expression immediately, he knew me so well.
"Not with Amelia, necessarily. I mean, we've been working on our friendship but nothing sexual. That's done. But I, I decided to foster a kid. A baby actually, his name is Leo and he's six months old. His birth mother she, shes a good kid but shes been struggling with addiction and shes one month sober now but, Amelia has been helping her with that and I-I don't know things have been good, they've been great but, somethings been missing." He paused, and looked up at me dead in the eyes.
"And what was that?" I finally broke my silence, trying to control my shaking voice finding out that Owen technically already has a new baby and him and Amelia have been spending a lot of time together.
"You." He replied. "It's you. You've been missing, and my life has never been completely right without you in it. You are not my sloppy seconds, you are not my consolation prize. You are the love of my life." He said sincerely.
And just like that, the waterworks started to flow in full force. I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to leap into his arms and forgive him right away. I didn't know what to do next. I just looked him in the eyes, and leaned down to my bag. There was no other way to do it. Wiping away my tears, I pulled out my ultrasound picture and handed it to him. He took it carefully, with a confused and somewhat surprised look on his face.
"What is…are you?" He asked.
"Owen, let me introduce you to our 8 week old baby." I said carefully.
"Oh my god! Teddy!" He jumped up and just stared at the photo with a huge smile on his face. I could have melted right then and there. This moment was just about close to perfect, despite how we left things.
"Are you happy? I mean, you have this whole new life now and a baby, and the way we left things two months ago I-." Owen cut me off.
"Teddy, this is MY child. OUR child. I love Leo but, this was never made permanent. We're hoping that once Betty sobers up and gets her life together Leo will go back with her, he should be with his birth mother if she can." He said walking towards me and taking my hand.
I stood up with him and smiled. He then knelt down, put his face to my abdomen and gave it a soft kiss. I began crying again immediately. And he only made it worse when he started talking to our peanut.
"Hi baby," he said softly, "I am over the moon about you. I don't think you'll ever know how happy I am to have you, but I'm going to do my damnedest everyday to prove how much I love you." He then stood up, took both my hands and looked to me with those crystal blue eyes.
"And to you. From this moment forward I'm going to show you every minute, of everyday how much I love you. I love you Theodora Altman. I love you so much. Thank you for coming back, thank you for coming here and not keeping my child away from me. Thank you." And then he pulled me into one of the deepest kisses ever, and our whole messy past just melted away with one embrace. We were starting new. All three of us.
Six months later
The months flew by and before I knew it, I was exactly one month away from my due date. Owen and I decided that we wanted to be surprised about what we were having until the baby was born. The staff at Grey Sloan was very supportive of my new position, for the most part. Me becoming Chief was a bit of an adjustment for everyone but things fell into place soon enough and even Amelia and I became friendly. Surprisingly enough, when everyone soon found out about me, Owen and the baby they were overjoyed, saying that we were always meant to be and having this baby was just the cherry on top of our fate.
Betty sobered up, moved back in with her parents and took baby Leo with her who was now just over a year old. She still keeps in touch with Owen and Amelia, letting them know her and Leo are doing okay which I think is sweet.
Owen bought a whole new house for us, and we just moved in about a month ago. It's gorgeous and charming, right by the water. The baby's room has the perfect view, and I can't wait to rock him or her in my beautiful new rocking chair, from Amelia. We just finished decorating their room yesterday, and its perfect. The walls are a comforting pale yellow, gender neutral, with a decal above the crib reading "Sweet dreams my little angel." We hung photos of our pregnancy photoshoot along the sides of each of the two windows, as well as cute framed quotes. Small stuffed animals and baby nick knacks are placed all over the room. It was becoming so real, my son or daughter would be here really soon, and my heart is so full. Placing my hand on my stomach, I rub it gently and smile down just as I did all those months ago on the plane. "I can't wait to meet you," I say out loud to my belly, "I love you so-." And just like that, I feel a sensation that can only indicate that my peanut can't wait to meet me too. My water breaks.
I had already been in labor for 12 hours and I could barely stand it anymore.
"Breathe Teddy, breathe. It's okay, we're going to meet our son or daughter soon!" Owen comforts me, while wiping sweat from my forehead with his one hand and holding my left with the other."
"Oh god! Oh, Hunt this hurts! I know it'll be worth it in the end but oh my god! I want this kid out of me!" I cry. I hadn't even started pushing yet and I was ready for it to be over.
Just then Carina DeLuca came in, she has been my OB my whole pregnancy since I arrived in Seattle and she had taken such good care of me, and my baby. I really liked her a lot. If I couldn't have Arizona, I'm thankful that I have her.
"Okay, Teddy, lets see how you're doing." She checked me out and then looked up at me and Owen with a sweet smirk. "Are you two ready to become parents?"
Owen and I just looked at eachother eagerly, and nodded yes to Carina.
It was here. The moment was finally here, for me to bring our little boy or girl into this world. Preparing ourselves, Owen put on arm around me and continued holding onto my left hand. I'm surprised I didn't break it, god bless him. And then, Carina instructed me to start pushing. It was so much work, painful, exhausting, but something I wouldn't have traded for the world. After an hour of pushing and ready to give up, I suddenly felt the relief of my body releasing my baby into the world. He or she cried immediately and I laughed and cried with joy and relief. Owen was beside himself, crying too and running over as soon as it was out, cutting the cord.
"What is it honey?!" I asked, exhausted but happy.
Tears in his eyes, he placed the baby on my chest, and I had to catch my breath, then cried harder than I ever had before.
"We have a little girl!" I exclaimed.
"Yep." Owen nodded smiling, and looked lovingly at me and our new daughter.
Carina then slowly walked over and took our little girl to check her out quick and clean her off. Within minutes my sweet girl was safe and warm in my arms, wrapped in a soft pink blanket. She was so perfect. Completely healthy. Chubby cheeks, full lips, soft strawberry blonde hair and beautiful eyes, they looked like mine.
"She has your eyes babe." Owen said smiling in awe at our daughter.
"She has your hair!" I laughed.
A few hours later, after we all got some rest and the baby had nursed for the first time, Carina came in to check on us.
"Do we have a name yet?" She asked smiling down and softly rubbing the baby's head while she slept.
"I think so," I said looking over at Owen smiling.
"Carina," Owen said as he gently picked up the baby who fussed slightly but stayed asleep, "We'd like you to meet Annabelle Evelyn Altman-Hunt." He said proudly.
"Annabelle was my best friends name," I said softly and stroked my daughters cheek.
"That is so beautiful you two, congratulations." Carina replied.
I couldn't believe how happy I was. I just had a baby with the love of my life, we have a beautiful daughter, and for the life of me I could not get over how lucky I felt. Everything had fallen into place. Everything had worked out. It just goes to show that life will not always going to go as planned, but you expect the unexpected and I couldn't wait to see what the universe had in store for the three of us.