In the hospital cafeteria a couple interns and a few residents were talking.

"Who's the hot young redhead with Major Hunt," Parker asked.

"He calls her Lyss," Helm replied.

"megan hunt's daughter ," Jo said, "she's his niece. I've seen her around for years."

"She's Lieutenant Hunt's daughter," Parker asked.

"Yes," Jo replied, "raised by our Dr Hunt. Deluca tried to hit on her once and Hunt lost it."

"She's gorgeous," Parker said.

"Red heads aren't my thing," Helm replied.

"I couldn't imagine growing up with Dr Hunt as my parent," Deluca said, "he's a good guy but he's tough."

"She'd be a typical army kid then," Parker said, "she'd know her chain of command."

"Stop gossiping," Meredith scolded, "Alyssa Hunt is none of your business. You have no idea what the Hunt family has been through."

"Is she staying here," Schmidt asked.

"Not permanently," Meredith said, "she's got her life which is what she should have at her age. But she is going to be in the skills lab later. She's an engineer with Mountainside in Canada and can show you all the features of the valves they sent down. She's also talking to us about some new sutureless grafts they're developing. She's on their R&D team. Impress her, we want research grants and partnerships with mountainside"

Arizona walked into Megan's room with Teddy.

"Megan this is Arizona Robbins," Teddy introduced.

"It's nice to finally meet you," Arizona said, "I've heard a lot about you. I used to spend time with Alyssa."

"You know her," Megan asked.

"I took her appendix out but yea I knew her as a teen," Arizona said, "she babysat my daughter Sophia. I was an army kid. My dad was a marine and I lost my brother so I spent some time with her."

"You were her surgeon," Megan asked.

"I was," Arizona said, "we could not get her calm going into the or."

"Owen and I went in with her," Teddy said, "but she was crying for you. It happened a lot the first few years."

"It's when I learned her whole history," Arizona said.

"A lot," Megan asked.

"Yes," Teddy answered, "then in her senior year she started to accept it. She was in college before she was really okay with it all. It took a long time for her to find a balance and she's confused right now."

"Is she talking to you," Megan asked.

"We are," Teddy said, "Catie and Kristy are here now and so good for her. She's really comfortable with them."

"How do they fit," Megan asked.

"Catie is Don's daughter and Kristy is Dave's," Teddy said, "cousins on Derek's side. She's gotten really close to them and they're all roommates."

"How close is she to them," Megan asked.

"Yes," Teddy said, "the summer she was 16 she was hardly home by Owens design he wanted her to have adventures. She went to two weeks of sleep away camp with Catie, Kristy, Taya, Dillon and Dawson. Way up by Williams Lake in Bc. She had so much fun and was so much more confident and happier when she got home. It was church camp but the emphasis was outdoor activites . She loved it and spent her summers in college as a camp counselor because of it."

"We all looked out for her," Arizona said, "she babysat a lot for Sophia and I'd get her talking when I drove her home. She was so good with Soph."

"So she had a normal teenage life," Megan asked.

"Volley ball, dance, violin, youth group, babysitting, she worked at McDonald's for a couple years," Teddy said, "she hung out with friends went to school events."

"Who did she babysit," Megan asked.

"Sophia, Zola Meredith's daughter, Tuck Miranda Bailey's son," Arizona said, "Owen tried to keep her life as normal as possible."

"It sounds like it," Megan said, "things we did. Babysitting, homework, sports."

"Did you play sports before," Arizona asked.

"Soccer," Megan said.

"She's a fabulous soccer player," Teddy said.

"We should play when I get out of here," Megan said.

"I have to go back to Germany soon," Teddy winced.

"Teddy," Megan asked.

"I can't put work off too much longer," Teddy said, "they've said another month."

"You've been here two weeks ," Megan said, "I need your help with my brother and my daughter. I don't know who is more distant. They seem to talk to each other and shut me out."

"Slow with Alyssa," Teddy cautioned, "lyss has been better the last couple days."

Arizona got paged and said good bye.

"Teddy how bad is it," Megan said, "how much did me being captured mess up my daughter?"

"A lot," Teddy replied, "it was hard. Her appy was also the day after disappearing day as Lyss calls the day you were captured. It was always a trigger for her. I would dread it because she would be off for days leading up to it and weeks after. She's gotten really good at managing triggers. She knows who can help her when she needs it. One reason Owen kept her that busy is so that she didn't have time to think and dwell on it."

"How much was she with you percentage wise," Megan asked.

"40," Teddy guessed, "it was always depended on Owens call schedule. If he was working and I was off she was with me then your mom then Christina. We had a plan. When she was with me she came to my house. I was 5 minutes from Owens and it was easier for me. In summer she would beg and plead until I took her home to swim because the rule was no swimming alone. "

"I still can't believe he bought her a pool," Megan said, "music lessons when she was little was him. He thought it would be good for her. I was in med school he was already a resident and Owen put her in music lessons and dance class I just had to sign the waiver. It is not the dance teachers fault if Alyssa gets hurt."

"I know he really pushed her music lessons and for her to stay in band at school," Teddy said.

"His guitar was his outlet when we were younger," Megan remembered.

"They play together sometimes," Teddy said, "Christmas carols."

"Is he a pushover as a parent," Megan asked, "who disciplined if you had her that much?"

"Both," Teddy said, "I've grounded more than once. Taken her computer. Checked her phone. But I'm also the one who taught her to put on make up and do more than a ponytail with her hair. To teach her how to dress herself and look beyond the latest trends to what fits her and looks good on her. And she can wear the latest trends she's got the body type to but she had to be taught to present herself in more than jeans."

"Her top and sweater yesterday were really cute on her," Megan said.

"Christmas," Teddy smiled, "a German brand I love that when I saw them the top and sweater screamed Lyss. I love that green on her. The sweater also goes with a dress from the same brand. It looked really polished at a conference a couple months ago."

"So her learning to dress herself and pick out clothes," Megan asked.

"Owen was really good about basics and good basics," Teddy said, "and would give her the budget in cash and send her shopping with me."

"So as long as she was covered," Megan said, "I know I dressed provocatively and when I was younger, before Alyssa I made some horrible choices."

"Her dad," Teddy guessed.

"I shouldn't have been sleeping with Derek, she wasn't planned, I was 19," Megan agreed, "but I don't regret my daughter. I love Alyssa, the thought of coming home to her of being able to see her again and hug her kept me going."

"Megan," Teddy said.

"Did anyone ever talk to her about really making sure you like him before," Megan asked, "I can't see my brother talking to her about respect and being respected."

"I did," Teddy assured, "Megan I talked to her and Christina did surprisingly. Christina would lecture her about being respected for your mind. She would have seen respect with Owen and Christina at home, she saw it with Henry and I. Her highschool boyfriend when he dumped her it was my day and she was crying on my couch but then Henry got her laughing when he offered to take a baseball bat to Evan's knees. We all taught her in our own way."

"Henry," Megan asked.

"He was amazing," Teddy replied, "and he was great with Lyss."

"How well did she know him," Megan asked.

"She lived with us part time," Teddy said, "Henry would drive her to school or activities. He was the better cook and had her help in the kitchen. Telling her he passed was hard. She didn't take it well. None of us did. But at the same time it was Lyss and knowing she depended on me that kept me sane. Knowing I would pick her up from dance or volleyball and someone was looking for me, someone was waiting to see me."

Alyssa appeared in the door holding a tote bag full of something heavy looking and a smaller CVS bag.

"Mom, auntie Teddy," Alyssa said.

"Hi Ladybug," Megan greeted, "come sit with us."

"Hey Lyss," Teddy greeted with a hug, "text books?"

"I stopped at grandmas and CVS," Alyssa said.

"Why," Megan asked.

"Photo albums and nail polish," Alyssa replied.

"Do you want some time," Teddy asked.

Alyssa nodded.

"I'll be back," Teddy said, "I need to check in with work anyway."

"Photos or nails first," Alyssa asked.

"Photos," Megan said, "what did you bring?"

"Grandma makes scrapbooks," Alyssa said, "she has a bunch from when I lived with her and then until I graduated college. But I grabbed the other two albums as well. I didn't want her to make scrapbooks with them because it was your writing and notes on the back."

"Your baby pictures," Megan asked.

"Yes and our Disneyland trip," Alyssa said.

"I want to see what I missed," Megan said, "I replayed those memories in my mind for years. I want to see what I missed."

"Where do you want to start," Alyssa asked.

"When you were 12," Megan said.

Alyssa found the book marked with "Alyssa ages 11-14" on the spine. She passed it to Megan and watched as she turned the pages. The first few pages of the book included pictures of Megan on a leave with Alyssa, hiking, camping and on the beach. The two of them with Owen and Beth, with Nathan, Alyssa and Nathan.

Megan pointed to a photo of Alyssa and an asian woman in scrubs, "who's that?"

"Christina," Alyssa said, "she had me go to the skills lab with her and we dissected a pig heart. Auntie Teddy had her teach me."

"Why," Megan asked.

"Christina was a resident," Alyssa replied, "Auntie Teddy was her teacher. Christina was working on teaching her interns and they used me as practice. Because I wasn't scared of her like the interns were."

"The interns were scared of her," Megan asked, "you weren't?"

"She was Christina," Alyssa replied, "she cares she just doesn't show it well. She still emails me. In some ways she got it. She lost her dad when she was really young and her mom didn't understand her."

"Tell me about this one," Megan pointed to another picture.

"That's Uncle Owen's first wedding," Alyssa replied, "Christina didn't want to wear white. Grandma was shocked."

"Who are the other people," Megan asked, "did you know them."

Alyssa pointed, "thats Meredith Grey, Lexie Grey her sister, Lexie was killed in the plane crash, Mark Sloan died after the plane crash too. That's Derek Shepard he was married to Meredith until he was hit by a semi truck, he was Amelia's brother. Arizona you've met I think, Callie, Alex Karev, April Kepner and Jackson Avery. I liked most of them. Dr Sloan made me a bit uncomfortable."

"You've lost a lot of people," Megan commented.

"I'm good at going to funerals," Alyssa said, "we had one for everyone but you."

"Because I wasn't dead," Megan said, "I think my mom refused to until she knew 100% for sure."

"It made it harder," Alyssa admitted, "not knowing. Having never had a way to say goodbye."

"I'm so sorry Alyssa," Megan said, she reached over and wiped the tears from Alyssa's cheek.

"It wasn't your fault," Alyssa said, "it was the bad people."

"No," Megan said, "if I hadn't insisted on going on that chopper. If I hadn't fought with Nate then radioed Owen about it. I wanted to get on that chopper to get away from Nate, to get to Owen where I knew someone would look out for me."

"Why did you choose Uncle Owen for me," Alyssa asked.

"He was my first choice with grandma as the second," Megan replied, "I knew he loved you. I didn't want my mom to have to raise a grandchild, not because she isn't a good mom but because she raised her kids alone, she was finally able to live for herself. Owen was planning to go home, marry Beth and have kids. You would have had a normal family life. I knew Owen would do everything in his power to keep you safe and loved and happy. From the time you were a newborn I trusted him with you more than anyone else. He was better with you than Derek. You were about 8 weeks, Derek was off god knows where and I was completely overwhelmed and Owen just picked you up out of my arms made you a bottle and sent me for a shower. Your music and dance lessons were him."

"Really," Alyssa asked.

"I couldn't afford it," Megan said, "it took everything I had to keep a roof over our heads, you fed and pay for daycare. Owen wanted you to have music and dance classes so he decided to pay it."

"Me fed not us," Alyssa asked.

"When things were really tight and I was waiting for a pay check or student loan check sometimes I skipped meals to make sure you were fed," Megan said.

"Uncle Owen let that happen," Alyssa asked.

"When he'd find out he would buy groceries or call mom," Megan said, "we didn't live with him because it was what either of us wanted. We lived with Owen because it was best for you. But you took your first steps in that apartment andYou were in my room until you were three and a half."

"Then what happened," Alyssa asked.

"Owen moved out to start residency," Megan said, "I made the place work for a year and moved into Owen's room. Then in Maryland it was a big old place three bedrooms."

"I remember Nathan moved in," Alyssa said, "he always made bacon for breakfast."

"Yep you had your room, Nate and I then Owen and Beth in the master," Megan remembered, "you learned to ride your bike there. And went to kindergarten. I started my intern year and you started school that year."

"Nathan didn't like when I crawled into bed with you," Alyssa remembered.

"The first time you surprised him," Megan said, "he became a parent to a 5 year old overnight."

"How did you know," Alyssa asked.

"He was friends with Owen for a long time first," Megan said, "even when you were a newborn he was around. But I slowly fell in love with him. I began to trust him slowly. He earned my trust."

"But moving in," Alyssa asked.

"That was a leap of faith," Megan said, "I had to trust him. My mom didn't support it. She never dated after my dad died."

"Grandma has a boyfriend," Alyssa said, "Uncle Owen doesn't like him."

"Oh," Megan asked.

"He's like Uncle Owen's age," Alyssa said, "he doesn't like that."

"He told you that," Megan asked.

"No I heard him ranting to Amelia," Alyssa answered.

"And Amelia," Megan questioned.

"She's okay," Alyssa shrugged.

"She's not around," Megan pointed out.

"She's not," Alyssa replied, "when can you leave the hospital?"

"When the hole in my abdomen closes," Megan said.

"It's not getting better," Alyssa asked.

"I know you avoid all the medical time," Megan said, "you can be here it's okay."

"I try to do my work stuff in the morning," Alyssa replied.

"What are you working on," Megan asked.

"Sutureless grafts," Alyssa replied.

"Oh," Megan said.

"It's still in the R&D phase," Alyssa replied, "I'm to talk to surgeons."

"You," Megan asked.

"I have the connections," ALyssa said.

"Your aunt and uncle," Megan said.

"Yep," Alyssa answered.

"How do I get you to trust me the way you trust her," Megan asked.

"I need time," Alyssa said, 'mom I need time. I'm trying, I'm still processing, everything I believed about my identify, who I am has shifted."

"What do you mean," Megan asked.

"I thought I was an orphan," Alyssa replied, "you were gone and Derek doesn't have much to do with me."

"How does that work," Megan asked.

"He might say hi if he's in town," Alyssa shrugged, "but I was an orphan who live with her uncle and his wife who didn't always appreciate a teenager in the house."

"So that's why you had Teddy days," Megan asked.

"I asked her," Alyssa said, "she never said no. Then it became a regular thing and eventually they worked it out so I had a schedule. Christina tried, she really did. She just loved surgery more than she loved people."

"But you said you're still in touch with her," Megan said.

"I am," Alyssa replied, "when Mackie and I backpacked Europe for almost a month after college we spent 2 nights in Zurich with Christina. I had told her Zurich was on our itinerary and I wanted to say hi and grab dinner or coffee and she told me to stay with her. We spent 4 nights with auntie Teddy. That was a lot of fun. She took the days off and showed us around we went hiking in the mountains."

Alyssa turned the pages in the album and found the summer she was 14.

"Where was that," Megan pointed.

"Edinburgh Scotland," Alyssa said, "Grandma, Uncle Owen and I went. We went to Scotland and England and Uncle Owen almost killed us driving on the wrong side of the road."

"Best part of the trip," Megan asked.

"We took a train through the highlands and saw Loch Ness," Alyssa said, "and the Harry Potter studio tour in London. We went to Abbey Road where the beatles recorded. But my favourite vacation is still our Disneyland Trip."

"When we figure out how to get Faroke here and I'm healthy I want the three of us to go," Megan said, 'family road trip."

"I'm driving,' Alyssa said.

"You," Megan asked.

"You currently don't have a car or a licence," Alyssa replied, "I have both."

"When I have both," Megan said, "you can trade driving with me."

"Where," Alyssa asked.

"I've always wanted to drive across the country and do route 66," Megan said.

"That's a long drive," Alyssa argued.

"Family bonding," Megan said.

"We'll see what I can get off," Alyssa said, 'I have three weeks of vacation a year."

"Not much," Megan commented.

"It's not but I'm a junior engineer," Alyssa said, "I don't have my Professional Engineer yet, two more years."

They sat in silence again looking at the photos with occasional questions and comments. Megan teared up seeing Alyssa's prom and her first day of college, days she had dreamed of having with her daughter.

"Mom," Alyssa asked.

"I'm so sorry lady bug," Megan said, "I never wanted to miss all of this."

"It never felt right," Alyssa said, "you were always missing."

"I would have been," Megan assured, "I wanted to."

"Are you okay that I'm not a doctor," Alyssa asked.

"Are you happy," Megan asked.

Alyssa nodded.

"Do you feel like you have purpose," Megan said, "like you can help others?"

"Does volunteering with Search and Rescue count as helping," Alyssa asked.

"It does," Megan agreed, "can you do it?"

"Yes and I know a lot of first aid," Alyssa said, "I can do stitches if needed."

"Who taught you," Megan asked.

"Uncle Owen," Alyssa replied.

"Alyssa were you loved," Megan asked, "did you have adults who loved you for you and would be there no matter what?"

"Uncle Owen, grandma and Auntie Teddy," Alyssa replied.

"Good," Megan said, "I've talked to them and they all love you."

"They tell me all the time," Alyssa said, "since I went to college Uncle Owen texts me every morning to say good morning and tell me that and Auntie Teddy always sends a good night."

"Good," Megan smiled.

"What about Faroke," Alyssa asked.

"I talked to him early this morning," Megan said, "he's okay. He wants to meet his big sister."

"I want to meet him," Alyssa agreed.