Annie nervously walked into her orientation group; this would be the group of people she was paired with on a standard time table for the next two years. Her roommates were also in the group but had been at a bar the night before and were running late, Annie was going to save them seats. All of the chairs in the conference room had been arranged in a large circle. Annie estimated that there were 40 chairs in the circle; these would be her classmates over the next four years. A few of the chairs were already occupied. A brunette boy about her age waved at her across the room, Annie smiled and went to sit next to him.

"I'm Joshua Riggs," he introduced himself, "everyone calls me Josh."

"Annabeth McKellar," Annie replied, "I usually go by Annie."

"Where are you from," Josh asked.

"Cloverdale, BC," Annie replied, "you?"

"Portland, Oregon," Josh replied, "it's good to have another west coaster."

Annie laughed, "we might be outnumbered."

"Are you the first in your family to go to med school," Josh asked.

"Which family," Annie asked, "my birth mother and step father or my parents?"

"Both I guess," Josh replied.

"My parents who adopted me as a baby are both in education, my birth mother is a surgeon," Annie replied, "what about your family."

"My parents both work in retail," Josh said , "but my uncle Nathan is a surgeon as well."

"What type of surgeon," Annie asked.

"Cardio and Trauma," Josh replied.

"That's crazy those are mama's specialties as well," Annie replied, " are you thinking of surgery?"

"I haven't decided yet but Uncle Nathan is pushing me that way. What about you," Josh asked.

"I'm considering it," Annie replied, "but I want to see other specialties first before I commit."

"I get that. Do you have siblings," Josh asked.

"I do," Annie replied, "my brother is with the Canadian Airforce and my sister is in grade 12. What about you?"

"I'm an only child," Josh said, "are you close to your family?"

"I'm close to my parents and brother," Annie said.

"You mentioned your birth mother, what about her," Josh asked.

"I'm closer to her than my mom," Annie said honestly, "I did most of my volunteering and observation at her hospital in Seattle. Are you close to your family?"

"I'm closer to uncle Nathan than my parents," Josh replied, "I did some of my volunteering and observing with him but he usually works overseas so I worked with a friend of his from residency."

"I spent some time with mama's friends Owen, Arizona and Callie," Annie replied, "they're good teachers."

Others started to enter the room and Annie realized her and Josh would be on the younger end of their class. She introduced herself to most of the people in the room and realized she would need a couple days to know everyone's names.

Teddy and Henry were walking hand in hand through Boston when a familiar voice called, "Major Altman. Teddy!"

Teddy turned and saw the man, someone she hadn't seen since Iraq and had hardly spoken to since Meghan was captured, " Nathan Riggs?"

"It's good to see you Teddy, are you living in Boston now," asked Nathan.

"Nathan this is my husband Henry," Teddy said, "we're living in Seattle, I'm the head of cardio at Seattle Grace Mercy West."

"Seattle," asked Nathan, "do you ever see Owen Hunt?"

"Most days," Teddy said, "he's the head of trauma at the same hospital. We're still good friends and I'm teaching his wife Christina. Why are you in Boston?"

"Do you remember my nephew Josh," Nathan asked.

"I remember you talking about him," Teddy replied.

"He's starting medical school today at Harvard," Nathan replied.

"What a small world," Henry said, "Teddy's daughter is starting today as well."

"Your daughter," Nathan asked, "the one you told us about in Iraq?"

"Yes," Teddy replied, "Annie contacted me a couple years ago and we've become really close."

"How old is she," asked Nathan.

"Annie will be 21 in October," Teddy replied, "how old is Josh?"

"He's 22 in November," Nathan replied, "I'll tell Josh to look for her, what's her last name?"

"McKellar," Teddy replied, " She's Annabeth McKellar but usually uses Annie. What's Josh's last name?"

"He's Joshua Riggs," Nathan replied.

"Hard to believe their old enough for medical school," Teddy said, " the pictures you had over there Josh was a little boy on his bike."

Henry clarified, "you worked with Teddy and Owen in the military?"

"I did," Nathan said, "tell me about Annie."

"She's a great kid," Henry said, "smart, kind, gentle. She's an amazing highland dancer."

"She does highland dance," asked Nathan.

"She does," Teddy replied, she took out her phone and pulled up a picture from a highland games a few weeks before, "she's amazing. This was her last summer competing and she won everything."

Nathan looked at the picture of Annie in her national, "Meghan Hunt used to have a national just like that."

Teddy smiled, "after she disappeared and they were told Meghan isn't coming home, Evelyn sold most of Meghan's costumes. The family that adopted Annie bought the outfit from Evelyn. It was Meghan's, her name is still embroidered in the lining and Evelyn added Annie's name to it as well. Owen and Evelyn think that Meg would have wanted my daughter to have it. They treat Annie as their own, she even calls him Uncle Owen."

"She called you her sister," Nathan agreed, "it does fit that your girl has it."

"She would have loved Annie," Teddy agreed, "what's Josh like?"

"He's a good kid," Nathan said, "a bit of a jock, confident, brilliant and kind. I don't know how he's my brother's kid. Josh is nothing like his parents. I spend as much time with him as I can."

Henry added, "Annie is a lot like Teddy. Not just in looks either."

"Does she look like you," asked Nathan, "I couldn't tell in the picture."

Henry laughed, "she's mini Teddy. Annie is only about 5'3". But they look a lot alike."

"The first time she scrubbed in with Owen Hunt he leant her one of my scrub caps," Teddy said, "he said he had to stop a few times and remember to call her Annie not Teddy or Altman."

"She scrubs in with Owen," asked Nathan, "I've only brought Josh into the OR a couple times."

"Annie scrubs in with Owen and I as much as we can get her in," Teddy said, "or she's in the gallery watching. It's great for the residents to have to teach her."

"Did you order her first scrub cap for labs here," Nathan asked.

"She has a couple," Teddy replied, "Owen got her her sea otter one when she started coming down a lot so we could identify her quickly in the OR our residents wear plain blue so she needed something that stood out from them, and I ordered a couple for her, one is blue with while polka dots, another has waves and fish, my favourite has pink and purple starfish. Did you order Josh any?"

"I did," Nathan said, "black, blue, grey, green. Nothing exciting."

Teddy laughed, "Annie likes colour, sea animals and polka dots."

"How long have you been together," Nathan asked, gesturing to Teddy and Henry.

"We've been married just over a year," Teddy replied.

"Best year of my life," Henry replied.

"I'm glad you're happy Altman," Nathan said.

Teddy smiled, "I am. What about you Nathan any one special?"

Nathan shook his head, "I don't stay in one place long enough. I still do a lot of contract work with the army and NGOs in the Middle East."

Teddy replied, "I understand. It was good to see you but we should get going. We have a couple things to do before orientation ends, we're leaving in the morning and want to take Annie for dinner tonight."

"It was good to see you Altman," Nathan replied, "say hi to Owen and Evelyn for me."

Teddy replied, "It was good to see you Riggs. I'll pass it on."

As they walked away Henry asked, "who was that? How well did you know him?"

Teddy replied, "Nathan Riggs. He was engaged to Meghan Hunt when she disappeared. It sounds like he's still over there looking for her. I won't tell Owen and want Annie to stay away from his nephew if she can. Owen blames Riggs for what happened to Meghan. Says it's his fault she's gone."

Henry put his hand on her arm, "who knows if his nephew is even in Annie's group. Your daughter is a smart girl, she'll pick good friends. And she has Kevin at home."

"Shes just been hurt so much in the last year I want to protect her," Teddy said, " I hope she can make it work with Kevin. I wish he would have chosen to accept his offer at Yale."

"I do two but she can make it work if she wants it," Henry said.

"It's four years, then residency," Teddy said, "she'll be away for years."

"He loves her and she loves him," Henry replied.

"You're a romantic softie," Teddy teased.

"One of us has to be," Henry said, "you only let me and Annie see your soft side."

"I don't have to be afraid to show you or her my soft side," Teddy said, "the moment I held her as an infant my heart melted, then when I met her two years ago at UBC I have no way to describe what I felt. All of a sudden I knew she was mine. I hadn't even talked to her. She was walking ahead of me on the path at UBC and I just knew that was my Annie."

"I think I took longer to grow on you," Henry said.

"It wasn't the most conventional approach to dating," Teddy smiled, "married first to put you on my insurance then getting to know each other."

"I know I was in insurance mooch first," Henry said, "then I made you fall in love with me."

"I fell sooner than you knew," Teddy said.

"But you were caught up with being a mom and didn't want to say anything to her or I," Henry said.

As they got out of the car Teddy hugged Henry, "I should have told you sooner."

"I should have made you see my love sooner two," Henry said.

They walked up to Annie's building and waited for her to let them in.

"Mama , Henry," Annie greeted, "how was your day?"

"It was good," Teddy replied, "we found a cute place for lunch and walked around Boston."

"Ran into an old army buddy of your moms," Henry said.

"I thought Uncle Owen was your army buddy," Annie said.

"There were four of us uncle Owen, Meghan, myself and Nathan Riggs," Teddy replied.

"You never talk about Nathan," Annie said.

"I know. It's all tangled up with losing Meghan. He was her boyfriend for a long time then they got engaged the morning before she disappeared," Teddy explained.

"I met a guy in my orientation today named Josh Riggs, I wonder if their related. Josh was really friendly," Annie said.

"Nathan has always supported Josh," Teddy said, "he's here doing the same thing I am. Helping josh get organized. I don't trust Nathan after what happened I don't want you to get too close to josh."

Annie rolled her eyes, "mama I have a boyfriend it's not like I'd date josh. Any guy I meet here is just a friend."

Henry laughed, "told you Teddy Bear."

"Eww mushiness," Annie giggled.

Teddy smiled, "tell me about your first day."

Annie gushed, "mama it was amazing! There were like 50 other people in my group and they were all like me! We spent the morning getting to know eachother then they had a few different doctors' lectures. There was a Dr. Catherine Avery who spoke this afternoon, something about her reminded me of Jackson at home."

"Dr. Avery here who will be teaching you is Jackson's mom," Teddy said, "if you end up talking with her it's okay to politely let it slip that you're my daughter. I am teaching her son after all. Or I can tell Jackson to tell her."

"Tell Jackson," Annie said, "it would be easier if I used your last name."

"Don't worry about it, you look enough like me that once she knows my daughter is here Dr. Avery will figure it out. If they talk about Ellis Grey in your classes," Teddy said.

Annie interrupted, "that's Meredith's mom."

"It is," Teddy said, "there's a lot of pressure on Meredith and Jackson because of their names. It will make it easier for you to keep using McKellar. You don't like the spotlight. I'm good at flying under the radar but Riggs will tell his nephew to look for you. But how was the rest of your day?"

"It was really good," Annie said, " I think this might be where I fit."

"I thought you would," Teddy smiled, "but we're only here for one more night so lets go grab dinner."

"You're coming back around my birthday," Annie asked.

"The conference is October 6-9 so I will be here for your birthday," Teddy smiled.

"It will be my first birthday without mom and dad," Annie said, "they haven't even texted today."

"Do they have your new number," Teddy asked.

"They do," Annie replied, "they texted me yesterday."

"They'll call," Teddy assured, "it's the first day of school for them as well."

"That means a half day and staff meeting," Annie said.

"Text them quickly then lets go," Teddy said, "we're starving Henry."

"Okay," Annie replied, "hungry hungry Henry is not fun."

"I heard that Miss Annie," Henry laughed.

"You know you're going to miss me," Annie said.

"We will sweetheart," Teddy said.