It was the week of the intern exam and the interns were beyond stressed.

"Annie have you eaten at all this week," Teddy asked.

"No time. I have to study," Annie said.

"You won't pass your exam if you're starving," Teddy said.

Annie rolled her eyes, "mama drop it. I'll eat when I'm hungry."

"I worry," Teddy said.

"I'm fine mama," Annie said, "you pushing me to eat stresses me out more. I need to go over my notes again. the test is tomorrow. If I'm not in the top quarter of my class I could be on the chopping block. "

Teddy replied, "you need to breathe. Your fine. You know your stuff. You can do your work well. I'm not worried about you or josh."

Annie said, "I can't fail. I was second at the intern bowl I blew the intern appy there's no room for failure mama."

Teddy grabbed Annie by the elbow digging her nails in she hissed, "not here. You want to melt down, go to my office or do it at home."

Owen came around the corner, "what's wrong?"

Teddy snapped, "intern exam, not eating and apparently not sleeping."

Owen said, "I need to go for a walk on my break and clear my head. Why don't you come with me Annie?"

"Uncle Owen I need to study," Annie said.

"It's tomorrow," Owen said, "cramming isn't going to help. But instead of sitting in the cafeteria why don't you sit in my office or mamas office. Work alone or invite a couple friends."

"Mama's office," Annie said.

"Then go," Teddy said.

"Can I have your keys," Annie asked.

"It's on your fob," Teddy said.

"I'm going," Annie said.

Annie walked away.

"Is she okay," Owen asked.

"I don't know," Teddy said, "she's worried about the test and she's not eating."

"What would she eat if I went up to your office," Owen asked.

"Try yogurt or cookies," Teddy said, "tea usually gets her to talk. Early grey with milk."

"Tea and cookies," Owen said, "almonds?"

Teddy shook her head, "can't trust that the ones here haven't touched cashews. I have some from home she can have in my snack drawer. But she will help herself to my snacks if she's really hungry."

"Okay," Owen said, "I'll go up in a few."

"I was going to go up there and feed Allison," Teddy said.

"Take Allison to my office," Owen said.

"We sound like parents," Teddy laughed, "figuring out who will deal with which girl."

"We are parents," Owen said, "I feel bad you do 90% with both girls."

"Annie is mine," Teddy said, "she likes and trusts you but Annie is mine. I know she's 25 but this year has been hard and I'm the only parent she has. I think she's close to letting you into that role but you have to let her open up on her time. I feel bad asking you to deal with her freaking out. Annie freak outs like this are tricky, she doesn't eat, she won't sleep and she's still upset about what happened with Jessica. Josh said she's still having nightmares. Allison you do a lot with, the only thing you don't do with Ali is feed her and once she's getting solids you can do a lot more."

"She's opened up to Meghan," Owen said, "I want Annie to feel like she can come to me whenever she wants with anything. Let me go see how she's doing."

"She needs time. She was closer to Dan before everything happened," Teddy said, "she wants to reach out but you can't force Annie. You know our oldest she'll talk when she's ready. I can push a bit but I usually need to wait for her to open up. I need a night with her and a bottle of wine to get her to open up."

"I'm going to go up with tea and say hi," Owen said, "bring tea and a snack. See what happens. Your office is on my fob."

"Don't push her to eat," Teddy said, "she'll shut down. We just need to get through tomorrow."

Teddy had both hands up to her forehead trying to hide her face. Owen pulled her into a hug.

"Hey," Owen said, " your okay. We're okay. We're all okay."

"How can you be sure," Teddy asked.

"Because she's done harder things than this," Owen said, "so have you."

Teddy whined, "they're supposed to be easier as they get older. Allison should be the stressful one."

Owen kissed the top of Teddy's head, "one intern exam and a meeting with Bailey and Webber. Then no tests until her boards. You need to relax. Both girls feed off your stress."

Teddy nodded, "I really need this."

"Need what," Owen asked.

"For you to hold me," Teddy admitted.

"Then I'll hold you as long as you want," Owen said, "I'll always hold you."

Teddy nodded. She let Owen hold her until she got paged to the pit.

Owen walked to the cafeteria and grabbed tea for Annie and coffee for himself. Drinks in hand he went to Teddy's office. Owen didn't bother to knock, just swiped his fob on the reader and Owen opened the door. He had expected to see Annie studying instead he found her with her head down on Teddy's desk sobbing.

"Hey," Owen said, "Annie it's okay. What's going on?"

Annie jerked upright and covered her face with her hand, "I can't do this."

Owen grabbed the chair across from Teddy's desk, "what can't you do?"

"This test, start over," Annie said, "tomorrow's review meeting."

"There's tea here for you," Owen said, "do you want to talk to me about any of that?"

"The review meeting," Annie said, "it's Bailey, Webber, Grey and Avery."

Owen nodded, "Bailey and Webber you know. You've known all of them for years."

"But the test and the meeting determine if I get to stay or not," Annie said.

"You're an intern," Owen said, "this is part of the process. You'll do your exam in the morning. Then go to your meeting. Your first they scheduled alphabetically. You set the standard. Go in dressed for a meeting, no scrubs. Ask mama what you need to wear if you have questions. They're going to ask you about this year and how you think you're doing. Be yourself and be honest."

"This years been hard, there've been a lot of changes," Annie said, "more at home than here."

"You've done normal intern things here. Very well because you work hard but you're right the big things have been at home," Owen said, "tell me three things you've done well this year?"

"I've been able to get patients to trust me and built relationships with them, I helped Dr Shepard with her sound waves project and helped identify the maximum safe levels, I worked with Meghan and assisted on her surgery and helped with the recovery process," Annie said.

"You did something no intern gets to do," Owen said, "you were the doctor to bring a national hero from the base to our hospital for treatment. She was injured and had been missing for a decade and within moments you had her trust."

"Because you told her who mama is," Annie said.

"Who knows that detail," Owen asked.

"Me, you and Meghan," Annie said.

"You're a well liked intern," Owen said, "you go in ready to learn and to work hard. You are respectful of your attendings and senior residents. You know your stuff and if you don't you put the time into learning."

"That's the bare minimum," Annie said.

"Do others do it with a smile," Owen asked.

"Not a factor," Annie said.

"Attitude is," Owen replied, "do you know how many intern reviews I did where I said they weren't ready because of attitude."

"If they know what a mess I am and my life is they won't say I'm ready," Annie said.

Owen sat back and took a sip of his coffee, "your not a mess Annie. Our family has had a ton of changes this year. Teddy and I, then Allison. Moving you've moved across the country Teddy across the globe. You started dating then moved in with Josh. I still question if that was the smartest idea."

Annie rolled her eyes, "Josh and I was the best decision I made this year. He actually listens to me and let's me be my own person. Josh doesn't expect me to be a miniature version of mama, I can have my own ideas, thoughts and opinions. You can't say anything about timelines. You and mama moved as fast if not faster. You proposed after 5 months of dating, you bought a house after 2 and a half."

Owen smiled, "I would kick Josh's ass if he did that."

"Double standard," Annie said.

"I'm 42 and Teddy is 46 we've known each other for years. It's not 25 and 26," Owen said.

"Double standard," Annie said, "just like what's expected of me changed when she came back. Before mama came back to Seattle I was one of the interns. Yes I had a name to live up to but it wasn't 24/7 comparison. She won't give me space. She's always breathing down my back."

"What do you mean," Owen asked.

"I was supposed to do this on my own," Annie said, "not to be pulled on to her service when she doesn't feel like training another intern or she has one she can't stand. I'm supposed to be able to do this then call her and tell her about what I did. Not constantly be watched. She doesn't back off. I can't even have an off week without her over mothering. Sometimes she treats me like a baby. I don't know if she's confused between me and Allison but I need to do my own thing."

Owen took a deep breath, "where is this coming from?"

Annie, "it doesn't matter. I can say something but no one ever listens to me. I shouldn't have exploded at you. It's not your problem I just have to deal with it."

"I hear the comments and I see her pulling you to her service whenever she chooses. That's Teddy showing she cares. She's afraid to lose you. It's also how she teaches she picks 2-3 that she likes as interns and junior residents then trains them to be her right hand and then to do what she does," Owen said.

Annie rolled her eyes, "she can't do that. When I'm with her all day at work. I don't want to come over after or on my days off. We need to separate work and family time. I'm not even really part of your family. Yes I'm her daughter and she's the only family I have other than Chris and I wish I could really be part of yours but that will never happen."

"There's two issues there. One I can help with the other you need to talk to Teddy," Owen said, "you have to use your voice Annie. I've taken myself off of the formal evaluation committee for interns and won't be doing any evaluations of your class until you finish your time here. April is doing all of the trauma ones to keep it impartial. Maggie is the only one doing cardio ones. None of the family are doing evaluations."

"Again you don't listen," Annie said, "I need to do my thing, you have to let me be independent. You do it two."

"What do I do," Owen asked.

"Pull me into things because you want me to learn it even when I'm on someone else's service. You did it the day Meghan came home, you moved me the day Allison was born," Annie yelled.

"Bailey and I moved you on Allison's birthday," Owen said, "you needed to be working and with an attending you trust. You were going to go with Webber until Bailey pulled Meghan into working a week early. Annie, you were to go to the first open OR it didn't matter what it was or which attending you were going. I decided to send you to an OR so you didn't hover. Teddy didn't need that. I did that for Teddy. "

"Meghans ambulance, the highland competition, the wharf," Annie listed.

"Meghan was for her. I didn't know how she would react to me. The day she disappeared we had a very similar fight to what you and I are having now. I needed someone I knew I could get Meghan to trust instantly and that mom would be comfortable with. I asked Nathan to go with me and he was too emotional. He chose to keep Josh with him. Bailey told me I could have you, Liard or Silverstone. You were my best choice. I knew I could get Meghan to trust you the moment she heard your name and saw you. The highland competition you went with Meghan because you know the environment. Meghan took the female residents and interns for that. The wharf I took those I thought could do it. Teddy said you can drive a boat."

"I was 20 the last time I drove a boat," Annie said, "you move me when you want to. I never get a full rotation with anything except general because Webber, Grey and Bailey actually say no to you. How can I decide what I want to do if you keep moving me?"

"I move everyone for trauma," Owen said, "incoming trauma is priority over stable patients and elective procedures. I know I push you. I need to make sure you have the skills you need. I'm trying to protect you."

Annie cried, "it's not your job to protect me. I wish it was. I never would have been stabbed or needed surgery. I have mama and Chris. I have to learn to protect myself."

Owen thought for a moment, "you don't just have mama and Chris. You have me. I think I'm doing this wrong. I tried to protect Meghan and she was really hurt by it and then I lost her for a decade because I said some things to protect her and keep her safe, so she decided to prove me wrong and took a risk flying with a patient and we lost her. Now I'm trying to protect you and I'm hurting you. What do you want me to do? What do you need from me to make this better?"

Annie paused, no one had ever asked her what she wanted or needed before. They had always told her what would happen and what she would do.

"Just listen and treat me like every other intern or resident at work," Annie said, "I'm Grace Altman here. Not Annie. I need to be one of them. No more favors or moving me because you want to."

"At home," Owen asked.

"Just listen to me," Annie said, "stop judging me and Josh. Trust me that I know what I'm doing with my personal life. I'm 25 and I know you're my step dad and you but I need to live my own life."

"I know you do," Owen said, "we're trying."

"I'm trying two. But I'm not used to having mama every day," Annie said, "I'm still adjusting."

"We all are," Owen said, "we haven't had a lot of time to figure out how to be a family."

Annie said, "you mama and Allison know where you fit but I'm not sure where I fit. Ali is my baby sister and I love her to pieces. Mama is mama it's you that I don't always know where I fit with."

Owen asked, "why do you say that?"

"Sometimes you act like my dad. You've been more of a dad in the last few years then Dan but I'm just your fiance's daughter. You have no reason to care about me," Annie said, "then theres days you bark at all of us in light blue like an insane seal. But you've always been uncle Owen. I don't know where I fit with all of this. It's uncle Owen that has my back and is waiting after my first surgery to tell me I didn't fail. You acted like my dad that night."

"I can be uncle Owen as long as you want. If that's your name for me for the rest of your life I'm happy with that. But you and Ali are my girls. You've been family since the first time I brought you into the OR without mama," Owen said.

"When she's old enough can I bring Ali into her first surgery," Annie asked.

"Mama wants that," Owen said, "if you're still at GS you can scrub in with them. Who knows where fellowships and jobs will take you."

"Hypothetically if I was to ever get married how would you react if I asked you to walk me down the aisle," Annie asked.

"I would be thrilled," Owen said, "do you think you'll want me to."

"You're the closest thing I have to a dad," Annie said, "when the time comes with the right person I want you to walk with me. Let mama do the crying mom thing."

"Annie I want you to know that you can come to me any time with anything. I want to be there for you as much as you want me to be," Owen said, "it's your choice."

"I do want to talk to you and to mama but not here," Annie said, "no family stuff at work. I have to just be one of them. It's made it hard for me to make friends other than Jenna, Duncan and Cassidy. People don't trust me."

"I'll try," Owen said, "I understand what you're saying. We're your attendings here and your parents at home. Seperation of home and hospital. Please when you're ready talk to mama about it. You need to tell her how you feel."

"That's exactly what I'm saying. I will after the exam," Annie said, "I need to study. Then Andrew Deluca has some big review games for all of us at 6 that I want to go to. All I know is I need my phone."

"Don't think Andrew doesn't get watched and picked at because of his sister," Owen said, "Carina watches him and looks out for him"

"I know," Annie said, "but they're different departments."

"I'm going to go to my office and get some paperwork done," Owen said, "are you okay?"

"I am," Annie said, "I just need to focus."

"I'm going to go," Owen said, "make sure you have a snack mama is worried about you not eating."

"I will," Annie said. She stood up from Teddy's desk , "thanks for listening to me Uncle Owen."

"Any time Annie," Owen replied.

Annie gave him a quick hug before he left.

Owen was walking down the cardio hallway and ran into Teddy.

"Give her some space," Owen said, "there were a lot of tears. You two need to talk after her exam and her review. Get through tomorrow."

"What did she say," Teddy asked.

"Not here Teds," Owen said, "we have to let her be one of the residents here. Separation of home and hospital. Call her tomorrow after the exam and her review. That's all she's scheduled for."

"Really Owen," Teddy asked, "what are you helping her hide from me?"

"Not hiding anything," Owen said, "she just needs to talk to you when she's ready."

"Do I need to worry," Teddy said.

"No you don't," Owen said, "just let her be 25. Let her be a normal resident. We're all off on Saturday, I'm going to take Allison and you can make plans with just Annie. I think she misses time with just you."

A while later Annie found her way to the hiding spot in the basement with the rest of her class.

"You've been gone a while where were you," Josh asked.

"I'll tell you at home," Annie said.

"What did you get pulled into some weird surgery," asked Jeremy.

"No," Annie said, "I was just somewhere quiet to study. I needed a bit of time on my own with my notes. We're all banned from surgery this week which is stupid."

"Where did you find somewhere quiet to study," asked Cassidy.

"I was helping with some research then I stayed in mama's office," Annie admitted, "but I'm off her service for a while after this."

"You pissed off your mother," Jeremy said, "what did you do?"

"My decision," Annie said, "just have to tell her."

"Do you know what you're doing," Josh asked.

"I think I do," Annie said, "she'll understand. I'm on plastics next week. I've hardly worked with Dr. Avery."

"We worked with his mother in Boston," Josh pointed out.

"Catherine Avery is intense," Annie said, "our Dr. Avery seems more chill."

"I like dr. Avery," Cassidy said, "he's a good teacher. We're always hands on in his OR."

"More time with mama Altman," Jeremy said, "I'm okay with that. She's the best teacher we have in cardio."

"Who's ready for tomorrow," Jenna asked.

"I think so," Annie said, "I'm looking forward to whatever Andrew Deluca has planned for us. Tomorrow after the exam and reviews, why doesn't everyone come over."

"What's your plan," Jenna asked.

"Snacks, drinks, let loose," Annie said.

"Party at mini Altmans," Cassidy yelled, "tomorrow night."

"Hey," Josh said, "I live there."

"Grace and Josh are having a party tomorrow, our last night as interns," Jeremy yelled.

"Come over," Annie said, "we'll have a few drinks. Light the fire pit."

"We'll do burgers and hot dogs," Josh said.

Cassidy whispered to Julia, "who do you think Duncan will have in his bed by the end of the night?"

"Whoever she is she'll be hot," Julia said.

"Always is," Cassidy said, "and never us."

"They only stay over a few times," Annie whispered, "you can do better."

"Okay dr my boyfriend and I have been together since med school," Cassidy said.

"Not as easy as it looks," Annie said, "relationships are hard."

"Then add a psychotic adopted sister," Jenna said.

"I'm done with them," Annie said.

"What about your hot brother," asked Jenna.

"With Becky still. I hate Becky," Annie replied, "she has no ambition. I mean she teaches preschool but has told me she doesn't want to work once they have kids. Like really?"

"I don't get girls like that," Cassidy agreed, "teach preschool if that's what you want but don't give up your dreams for a man and babies."

"Most of us will be single forever," Julia said, "the one decent guy in our class is taken."

"What about the residents," Annie said, "we're only interns for a few more days."

"There's some hot residents," Julia agreed.

"Then start flirting with them," Annie said.

"I'm not good at flirting," Jenna laughed, "ideas?"

Annie laughed, "I suck at it. Just ask josh. It took me all of med school to tell him I liked him. Then 6 weeks later we were living together."

Julia asked, "what was that about?"

Annie, "I was renting mama's house from her and needed a roommate to make the rent manageable. Josh was in Duncan's room for like a month then we realized he was always in my room anyway. Then Meghan was found and mama came back from Germany."

"Mama Altman coming back wasn't the plan," Julia asked.

"No," Annie said, "she was in Germany enjoying what she was doing before Allison. She was single."

"Her and Hunt weren't together," Cassidy looked shocked, "I thought they did a long distance thing."

"No," Annie said, "he was her best friend. Then he went to see her and three months later she's back here having his baby. I've never asked what happened. I don't want to know. She was supposed to stay in Germany and come visit for thanksgiving then if we could make it work I would have gone to see her at Christmas if not she was coming here."

"I seriously thought you were here to be taught by your mother," Julia said.

"This was my first choice of residency for a few reasons," Annie said, "but mama wasn't a factor. This time last year she was happily running medcom. I knew Uncle Owen would be here but that was okay. It was fine when I did my sub internship here. He checked in because that's just uncle Owen but I did my thing here. It worked."

"Where does uncle Owen come from," asked Julia.

"I've used that since I was 19 or 20," Annie said, "it started one summer when I was in the hospital after an emergency laparotomy and mama came up to Cloverdale from Seattle. Uncle Owen drove her up because she was too panicked to do the three hour drive. That was the summer I started spending more time with mama and less with the family that raised me."

"What happened," Julia asked, "that's a trauma surgery."

"My other sister beat me with a pool cue," Annie said, "a year and a half later she stabbed me in the back with a steak knife. That's the scar on my back. You guys only know the cute sister. But she messed up my plans for my residency."

"You don't like Allison," Cassidy questioned.

Annie pauses, "I love Allison. But she's changed my relationship with mama. I'm not used to having mama around day to day. We've never lived in the same city until this year. She would be in Germany or Seattle and I was in Boston or Vancouver. One of us would go visit for a week or two then do our own thing again. I miss curling up on her couch with a bottle of wine to talk about boys and how much dating sucked or rocking something and being able to call and tell her. Or traveling somewhere neither of us had been because we had a few days. We'd just throw a couple days worth of clothes in a bag and go."

"You two look really close," Julia said, "the day they brought meghan Hunt in you basically jumped on mama Altman."

"I thought that was a surprise visit," Annie admitted, "she wasn't supposed to be coming until October at the earliest and it was August. Her and I are close. But there's a line. You get to call your mom and tell her how you rocked a surgery, mine is in the gallery."

"But yours understands," Cassidy said, "she knows what you're doing and how hard this is."

Annie replied, "she does but I don't get the opportunity to go cry to my mama when I fail. There's no tears in the OR. You cry at home. I have an off day and just need to vent but she wants to talk through my mistakes it's always a teaching moment. I know what I did, sometimes I just want to vent and cry. I need mama not an attending at home."

Josh came back with the other guys, "Deluca is waiting for us."

"Coming," Annie said, hopping off the gurney.

Josh and Annie hung back and let the group get a head of them.

"You okay," Josh asked.

Annie replied, "I had a good talk with uncle Owen. I finally told him what's bugging me and that I need them to be attendings here and my mama and step dad at home. That we have to find the balance."

"Separation of home and hospital," Josh said, "I need to have that talk with Nathan."

"I love having them and I'm happy mama is finally with Owen but it's changed my relationship with her," Annie said.

"You miss going to see her and having way too much wine and gossiping," Josh said.

"And our adventures," Annie said, "personally I like the time we just showed up at Klausman in Zurich and she demanded to see Christina Yang. We had fun on that trip. We took the train to Zurich and saw all sorts of stuff we'd never seen and ate way too much Swiss chocolate."

"Tell her," Josh said, "let Allison get a bit bigger and suggest one of your adventures. You were really close and had ways of being close without being in each other's bubble every day."

"I want to go for dinner with her without Allison," Annie said, "to show up and it not be nap time or snack time. It was fun and cute at first, now I just need a couple hours to talk to mama without Allison or Owen there."

"Then tell her," Josh said.

"She won't listen," Annie said, "no one other than you ever actually listens to me."

"Get through the exam tomorrow and your meeting then talk to her," Josh said.

"That's my plan," Annie said.

They joined the rest of the interns in the skills lab and played a long and competitive game of Kahoot. Julia won the whole thing.

Annie and Josh drove home quietly and went their separate ways to study. Annie took her books to the bedroom and worked through a few sample questions.

"Babe," Josh called, "I'm ordering Pizza is pepperoni good?"

"Whatever is fine," Annie said, "I'll only have a piece or two."

They had their Pizza then finished studying in separate rooms.