Annie was anxiously pacing the bedroom waiting for Josh to get home. She needed him and what she was going to tell him was not good news. She was late and panicking about it. They had gotten engaged a few months before and knew they wanted children but as third year residents it wasn't time. At least she could count on Teddy not to judge them, she couldn't. But telling Josh what she suspected, that terrified her. She knew she had to tell him first. She hated that their shifts were about 3 3 hours off from each other right now. But with him spending most of his time in the pit and trauma rooms and her stretching between peds and cardio there was nothing they could do.

Driving home, Josh wondered if Annie was okay. She had seemed stressed and distant all day at work. He knew she had a couple of high profile patients in cardio that she was working on with Nathan and a hard peds cardio case she was doing with Teddy. He thought Annie had found her niche caring for Leo and Julie. She was incredible with kids and loved cardio having her doing peds cardio was perfect. Josh parked his Jeep and walked into the house. Seeing Duncan playing games on the tv he knew she was in their bedroom. Annie often preferred to sit there to read or study where it was quiet. She would be curled up with a soft blanket and the cat studying for tomorrow's surgeries with a cup of tea or glass of wine. Annie was still the same introvert he had met in Boston 6 years before in many ways. She was more social now but at home liked calm and quiet. Their bedroom was Annie's oasis, she had spent hours making it cozy and relaxing for both of them. It was both of their favourite room in the house.

Annie was sitting on the bed with her head in her hands.

"Babe what's wrong," Josh asked, sitting beside her.

"I'm late," Annie cried.

"Late for what," asked Josh.

"My period," Annie croaked.

"How late," Josh asked.

"Ten days," Annie sobbed, "I can't be pregnant now we just declared specialties we're not married yet this isn't the right time."

Josh held her close and stroked her hair, "have you taken a test?"

Annie shook her head, "I'm scared to. What if I am?"

"Then we have a baby," Josh soothed, "a perfect little baby."

Annie cried, "we're not ready."

"We're doctors in our mid twenties. If you are, we have a baby," Josh said, "we don't even know yet. You need to take a test. Do you have one here?"

Annie whimpered, "no. If I am, mama is going to kill me."

"Teddy will understand more than anyone," Josh said, "you need to take a test before we spend all night talking about what if's."

"If I am we're keeping it I can't see my baby go to someone else or kill it," Annie cried.

"We will. You know I want kids with you and if we start now we start now," Josh promised, "you need to take a test first. Do you want to come with me to get one or are you staying here?"

Annie stood up, "I'll come. "

They drove to the drug store in anxious silence. Annie sat staring straight ahead trying not to cry.

Josh took her hand, "it's okay. Whatever happens, I'm here."

"I'm scared," Annie said, "I'm not ready. I have a hard enough time babysitting Allison and Leo."

"Ali is a cute kid but Leo is a handful," Josh agreed, "I'm worried too. I just want you to be okay. We need to find out then decide what to do."

"Can you hold my hand," Annie whispered.

Josh wordlessly took her hand. He couldn't figure out why she was so scared. He knew she wanted children and she was amazing with her younger siblings and the kids in peds.

"I want a baby," Annie said, "but we're not ready. We can barely take care of ourselves. We work 80 hour weeks. We're not married yet. We're still renting from mama. Mama will kill me. Even though she didn't plan either of us she told me I had to be smarter than her."

"Teddy will let us stay in the house as long as we want. She's told us that a few times. If we're not married before a baby that's okay. My parents got married when I was ten, Teddy and Owen had Allison at the wedding you held your sister while they said their vows. I love you and I will be with you no matter what," Josh reassured, "but we need to go in get a test so we can answer the question. You can't stress until you get the results."

They entered the store and bought two different tests. At home they slipped back into their bedroom and Annie walked into the bathroom closing the door. Annie set the tests on the bathroom counter and started the time on her phone, she went to sit with Josh on their bed.

While they waited Josh asked, "why are you so panicked? We know we want kids one day."

"Because if I have one now before we get married there will never be a chance for me to make things right with the McKellars," Annie explained.

Josh looked puzzled, "what do you mean?"

"When I went to UBC and moved on campus Dan told me that if I slept around and got pregnant not to bother coming back," Annie cried.

"Then we move the wedding up," Josh replied.

"I seriously can't go back to BC if we don't do things in order," Annie said, "they haven't talked to me in two years but I don't want to do anything that will close that door forever."

Josh held her close and kissed the top of her head, "your dad didn't mean it. No one would actually say that to their kid."

"I haven't seen them since I was 21," Annie replied, "they don't email back. But there's still this voice in my head saying I'll let them down. Dan would shoot me if he knew we lived together. The last time I talked to them they knew we were dating and going to the cabin for New Years. That was before Allison was born. I can't let them down not after everything they did for me."

"It's okay babe," Josh replied, "they let you down. And you know how proud Teddy and Owen are of you."

"They won't be when they find out," Annie said, "baby out of wedlock."

"Teddy wasn't married with you or Allison. Hell she wasn't even dating Owen until a few weeks into being pregnant with Allison," Josh said, "Allison was at our graduation and no one knew. Don't you think if she was dating Owen he would have seen us graduate."

"Thank you for reminding me that my baby sister is the product of a one night stand between my mama and what was her best friend," Annie said, "if they were together Owen would have been at graduation. He would have come if mama or I had asked him but I felt weird asking so didn't."

The timer beeped.

"You look," Annie said, "I'm scared."

"We'll go together," Josh replied.

Josh guided her to the bathroom. She looked down at the sticks.

"Not pregnant," Annie read, "I'm not pregnant then where is my period."

"Stop stressing," Josh said, "think like a surgeon."

"Check thyroid," Annie replied, "last time my thyroid was out of wack I was in high school and my period went haywire. I've been eating so it's not that, my sleep schedule has been really weird but I don't think it's that it's never affected it before. I've been a day or two late when I've been really stressed but never this late."

"Blood work tomorrow then," Josh said.

"I'm relieved and slightly disappointed at the same time," Annie admitte.

"You were so panicked," Josh said, "like panic attack bad."

"I want to have our baby but not yet. One day when we're not residents work 100 or more hours a week," Annie replied.

"Should we go back to using condoms," Josh asked.

"The IUD is fine," Annie replied, "there's something else going on."

"You do still want our baby one day," Josh asked.

"I do. Just once were married and done with residency," Annie replied.

"If it had been positive what would you have done," Josh asked.

Annie said, "called OB for an appointment to check it's healthy. Feel terrible about getting drunk last weekend . We would have been having a baby. We'd have a lot to figure out but that was never a question. I would never abort or give up my baby. "

"We're on the same page," Josh nodded, "my thought was that we figure it out and have our baby."

"Wedding first," Annie insisted, "then we can discuss babies."

"Babies," Josh asked, "plural."

"I want two kids," Annie said.

"I always wanted a sibling," Josh agreed.

"Siblings are okay sometimes," Annie agreed.

"When they're 20 years younger and you don't live with them," Josh teased.

"We see them most days," Annie said.

"Are you okay," Josh asked.

"Calmer now but I want blood work to confirm," Annie replied, "and to check my thyroid."

"We'll sort it out," Josh promised, "get someone to run blood work tomorrow. It'll look suspicious if I do it."

"Who do I ask to check it," Annie asked.

"Jenna or Julia," Josh replied, "keep Cassidy out of it."

"Jenna is in San Francisco to see her grandma and Julia is in Pittsburgh for a funeral," Annie replied, "Cassidy would gossip."

"Then Teddy, Meghan, Bailey or Grey I guess," Josh replied.

"I do want kids when the time is right," Annie said.

"After residency," Josh agreed.

"When we're married," Annie said, "maybe when we're fellows and can actually stick to 80 hours a week."

"When you can actually slow down," Josh agreed, "you tell me when you're ready. It's your body you have to decide."

"I want our baby when it feels right," Annie said, "but we both have to be ready."

"I want to do it when you're excited," Josh said, "not to come home and find you panicking."

"I didn't expect to panic," Annie admitted, "we need to wait until we're at least fellows. We don't know where you'll be for fellowships. I don't want to move with a baby or toddler. That's not fair to a kid to move and be unsettled."

"That's a ways off," Josh said, "they'll be fine as long as they're with us."

"I want us more stable first," Annie said, "we're still trying to pay for student loans and a wedding."

"We're not as bad off as we could be," Josh said, "your loans are way less than mine and mine aren't terrible."

"We were lucky to have scholarships and family that helped when we needed it," Annie agreed.

"We were Teddy and Nathan were pretty generous with us," Josh said.

"I tried not to take advantage. It was one thing to fly me somewhere to see her but I felt bad using the credit card she gave me unless I really needed food," Annie said.

"I did the same with Nathan," Josh admitted, "food and an interview suit."

"My interview dress and shoes," Annie replied, "but I do want a baby with you just not right now."

"Now that you've calmed down what would you have done if it had been positive," Josh asked.

"Call OB to confirm and make sure things looked okay, probably called mama to freak out," Annie said, "but we would have been having a baby and trying to figure out how to raise a child and train in two demanding specialties."

"We would have made it work," Josh said, "our baby would be loved and celebrated and welcomed by our family."

"After Mama and uncle Owen killed us," Annie said.

"Have you talked to Teddy," Josh asked.

"I was more afraid to tell her then to tell you," Annie replied.

"You should tell her," Josh said, "theres a million other reasons why this is happening and she can help you figure it out."

"I'd rather work it out with you," Annie whined.

"I know but I can't be your doctor and your fiance," Josh said, "I worry about you too much to be the doctor here."

"When the time comes and it is a baby I want to find out just you and I," Annie said.

"We will," Josh promised, "but tomorrow you need to talk to Teddy or Meghan and sort out what's going on. You haven't been yourself for a couple weeks."

"I'm just tired and cold," Annie said, "I'm fine."

"Your not doing your full work out, you finish at the gym before I do which never happens," Josh pointed out, "I can keep up with you on a run you've always been faster. Get your hasimotos checked."

"I hadn't even noticed that," Annie said, "I'll look at it tomorrow. Probably just a medication adjustment."

"Have you eaten," Josh asked.

"Not yet. I was too stressed," Annie replied.

"Take out," Josh suggested.

"We have a frozen pizza and some veggies," Annie said, "let's just do that it's here and it's easy."

The next day at work Annie approached Teddy quietly after rounds. Annie wasn't on Teddy's service this week so it was abnormal, they were normally pretty good about giving each other space unless directly working together. They had been working together more often as Annie's specialty was with in Teddy's department.

"Mama do you have a moment," Annie asked.

"Annie what do you need," Teddy asked.

"I think I'm having a flare up of my Hashimoto's disease and I need to figure it out," Annie said.

Teddy replied, "why don't we step into an exam room and you can tell me what the symptoms are. But you should be talking to another doctor. I really can't treat you. I just saw Grey in the hall. Why don't you talk to her."

"She won't get mad," Annie asked.

"She's a doctor," Teddy said, "it's a minor problem. She's excellent. Go grab her and ask."

Annie nodded, "okay. But one of the symptoms had me pretty scared last night."

"What is it," Teddy asked gently, she could tell Annie was really stressed.

Annie whispered, "missing period. I took a test there's no baby."

"How late," Teddy asked, looking serious.

"Ten days," Annie admitted, "but two tests said no and those are pretty reliable."

"They are," Teddy agreed.

"But I panicked," Annie said, "we're not ready."

"But it wasn't your plan and you panicked," Teddy replied, "what did Josh say?"

"We went and got the test and he held my hand the whole way to get it and back. He was really supportive," Annie said, "he was completely calm. He was way calmer than I was. He promised that we would find a way to make it work and if we wanted we could move up the wedding."

"Good," Teddy said.

"We can't not yet," Annie said, "we have to be married first. I can never go back to BC if we don't do things in order and you would kill me."

"I can't say anything," Teddy said, "you and your sister weren't planned. Yes I was dating your biological father but Allison is honestly a one night stand with my best friend. That thank god Owen wanted me and to be together as a family."

"You wouldn't be angry," Annie asked.

"No, surprised, shocked, but not angry. I would have been by your side every step of the way," Teddy said, "but you need to go get Grey, Bailey or Meghan to do the tests. I can't do this as much as I want to you know I legally can't treat you."

"Is it weird that part of me was slightly disappointed," Annie asked.

"Not at all," Teddy said, "you love kids and you want your own. You'll be a good mom when the time comes. You're great with your siblings and patients."

"I want children but I don't know how we would make it work as residents and before we're married," Annie said.

"I know sweetheart," Teddy said, "this is part of medical school life delay. You're 27 it's a perfectly normal age to be having babies and starting your family."

"After residency," Annie said, "I can't do the hours I do now and have a baby."

"I don't do that much less, I still do my full 80," Teddy replied, "but we make our schedules work and rely on family to help when we need to. But your still stressing about what's probably your thyroid or you're over stressed again. Go find an attending who can help you figure this out. Do you want me to come?"

"I'll go," Annie said, "it's just blood work. I can do this."

"When you're ready I will be with you every step of the way," Teddy promised, "and whenever it happens Josh will be there. He loves you. But go find someone who can figure this out. An attending please not one of your friends. "

"Cassidy is too gossipy," Annie agreed, "Jenna and Julia are both out of town for family reasons. First female attending I find."

"Someone from General would be best," Teddy said.

"Bailey or Grey," Annie agreed.

Annie sported Meredith in the hall, "dr Grey do you have a moment?"

"How can I help you mini Altman," Meredith asked.

"It's a personal question," Annie replied.

"Medical," Meredith asked.

"Yes," Annie confirmed.

"Then let's step into the exam room and talk," Meredith replied.

Closing the door behind them Meredith asked, "why me and not your mother?"

"She's family, she can't do what we need to. She recommended I talk to you," Annie explained.

"What are your symptoms and what do you think it is," Meredith asked.

"Missing period and a negative home pregnancy test, I have a copper IUD so pregnancy is highly unlikely," Annie said, " I was diagnosed with hashimotos at 16 but began having symptoms when I was 14. I've been feeling cold, tired, my hair and nails are brittle. I go to the gym or work out every day but I'm sluggish and weak. I've been on 75 micrograms of synthroid since I was 19."

"It sounds like it could be your Hashimotos," Meredith confirmed, "I'll order labs and we'll see but I'm going to refer you to endocrinology. Any allergies I should be aware of? Medical history?"

"Strawberries and cashews," Annie replied, "the nut allergy is anaphylactic. I had 40% of my liver removed due to trauma when I was 19 and was stabbed by my sister at 21 but other than that nothing major. Tubes in my ears when I was 5."

"I'll order labs," Meredith said.

Meredith said, "I would advise getting more of the family history from Teddy."

"It's not on her side," Annie replied, "my biological father has never been in the picture. He left but the time she was three months pregnant with me. I've never met the man, he refused to give her a medical history when she asked a few years ago."

"Go talk to her," Meredith said, "you have a very understanding and loving mother. I wish mine had been able to be a mother and not just a surgeon."

"Shes already worried I don't want to add to it ," Annie replied, "me getting sick or hurt really upsets her."

"I'll do the blood work and we'll see what it is I'll page you when I get it back," Mereidth said.

"Thank you Dr. Grey," Annie replied.

"Of course mini Altman," Meredith said, "don't you have rounds."

"Cardio with Riggs sr," Annie replied, "we rounded at 6:30. I'm already done that and my first surgery for today and it's only 10:00."

"Military attendings," Meredith laughed, "they like you up and at it early."

"More surgeries that way," Annie replied, "we have two valuable replacements later."

"Cardio just like your mom," Meredith smiled, "they say it runs in families."

"Your mom was general wasn't she," Annie asked.

"She was," Meredith responded, "she was amazing but not a mother. Your mama is a great surgeon but she knows her kids."

"She knows all of us and Josh," Annie agreed.

"Now get to work and I'll page you when I have your blood work back," Meredith said.

Hours later Meredith paged Annie.

"Well it's your thyroid," Meredith said, "your TSH is at the top of the chart. You need an endocrinologist consult. I've sent the referral. But for now we need to adjust your synthroid. I'm prescribing 125 and check up in a week to see if the level is coming down. Your TPO is also elevated so it's an immune reaction."

"You ran an HCG test what did it show," Annie asked.

"Normal," Meredith said, "your not pregnant. But you are very anemic."

"I'm on supplements a fairly high does that I take daily but this has happened before," Annie replied, "can you put in for an infusion sometime this week?"

"Before you go home today," Meredith said, "after your surgeries."

"Thank you," Annie said, "I'll fill that prescription before I go home."

"Already sent down for you to pick up," Meredith replied, "your welcome mini Altman."

Waking down the hall Annie texted Teddy.

Annie, "all good. Just thyroid and anemic. New dose of synthroid and getting an iron infusion before I go home."

Teddy, "Everything's okay. You still want to do that pacemaker at 5?"

Annie, "Nathan doesn't have me scheduled for anything then. I'm in unless I get pulled to a trauma."

Teddy, "my office at 4."

Annie," see you then."

Annie ran down to the pit to find Josh.

"Everything okay babe," Josh asked.

"Hashimotos flair up," Annie said, "TSH and TPO really elevated but I start a new does of meds tomorrow morning. I'm also really anemic. I have a surgery with Nathan, an iron infusion then a pacemaker with mama."

"Your okay," josh asked again.

"I will be," Annie replied, "we tested for what we worried about last night it's all clear."

"Okay," Josh said, "can you breath now?"

"After I get a hug," Annie said.

Josh gave Annie a hug and held her close.

"This the girls are coming over so I can finally ask them to be my bridesmaids," Annie said.

"Kicking me out," Josh asked.

"Just Saturday night. You can come home after midnight but we'll have a lot of wine," Annie said, "Duncan is here overnight."

"I'll find something to do," Josh said.

"Thank you," Annie said, "Steph is sleeping over and wants to see you."

"We haven't seen Steph in a year," Josh agreed, "it will be good to say hi."

"I'm getting excited," Annie said, "seven months and we'll be married. We need to finish our guest list soon."

"We do," Josh agreed.

"We have the venue, the caterer is booked but we need to do a tasting, my dress has been ordered," Annie listed.

"Your dress," Josh said, "you didn't tell me."

"Mama and I were just browsing. We didn't plan on buying a dress that day but I put it on just to see if I liked the style and it's perfect," Annie beamed, "you have to wait to see it."

"When can I see it," Josh asked.

"When I was down the aisle," Annie said, "it's bad luck for you to see it before the wedding. But it's white and I feel like a princess."

"I can't wait to see it," Josh said.

Both their pagers went off for an incoming trauma and they ran to the ambulance bay.