These are the chapters I have had waiting for a couple months. I have the next 4 ready to go.

Later that evening Annie and Josh returned to the hospital to check in with the McKellars. They had left the hospital around 2 after spending some time with Annie's parents and returned around seven to check in. They knew Leslie and Dan hadn't had a chance to leave the hospital and likely hadn't eaten.

Annie texted, "heading back to the hospital we're going to stop for Greek for mama and uncle Owen what would you like?"

Leslie, "don't worry about us."

Annie, "you need to eat. This place does great chicken souvlaki. We'll eat with mama and uncle Owen in her office. Josh likes the lamb skewers. Are you hungry? What do you like?"

Leslie, "we could eat. Order what you think for us, we trust you."

Annie, "we'll probably do the family pack with chicken and lamb. What do you want to drink?"

Leslie, "we trust you."

Annie, "we're going to get a mix of plain and sparkling water. See you in half an hour."

Leslie, "did you get any rest?"

Annie, "a three hour nap. We're off tomorrow. I'll sleep in then."

Leslie, "Annie you need to rest."

Annie, "I napped. We're only going to come for dinner then go home. We need to get Ali and Leo from Evelyn. Then take them home with us. They'll sleep on an air mattress in our room. We've done this before."

Leslie, "you don't go to them."

Annie, "sometimes. I'd rather be home though. Plus they think it's a treat to have a sleepover with Nee."

Leslie, "Nee?"

Annie, "Allison couldn't or wouldn't say Annie until August. They both call me Nee half the time. We make it fun. Movies and popcorn, bubble baths, good stories."

Leslie, "practicing?"

Annie, "just bonding with my little siblings. We've done this since Allison was about 6 months."

Leslie, "really?"

Annie, "Josh helps. Leo prefers him so we divide and conquer. We're going to call for food now. Well let you know when we're at the hospital and ask the nurse for directions to Teddy's office. The chief's office. We'll eat at the conference table there."

Leslie, "why?"

Annie, "calm, quiet, we can close the door and the blinds and be a family. I nap on her couch when I'm on overnight. No one bugs me like in the on call room."

Annie and Josh carried dinner and paper plates up to Teddy's office.

"You get stuff organized," Josh suggested, "I'll head up to icu for your parents."

Annie agreed, "I'll get organized and mama's office is on my fob. I can't believe my parents are here."

"You okay with this," Josh asked.

"I have to be, I don't have a choice I'm being civil here," Annie replied, "if Jessica's tumor is as bad as Amelia says they could be here a while. But I don't know how they'll pay for it. Jessica wouldn't have medical insurance of any sort."

"They'll send her back to BC when she's stable enough," Josh said.

"So I get a few days with mom and dad after begging them to come see me since I was 21 and they're gone again," Annie said.

Leslie walked in with Teddy, "no Annie. Dad and I will come when we can. We never meant to go 8 years sweetie."

Annie said, "you'll need to show me. And it's not just me and Josh now. I can deal with the unknown but my daughter won't understand why granny and grandad don't care."

"Granny," Leslie said, "whose grandma?"

Teddy smiled, "I am. Josh's mom got Oma."

"I'm still stuck with Auntie Meghan," Meghan said entering the room.

"You'll go home and take care of Jessica," Annie said, "but you'll come meet your granddaughter when she comes?"

"Of course," Leslie said, "I'll figure out driving down on my own so I can come to the shower if there is one."

"There will be," Teddy said, "I'll let you know."

"Good," Leslie said, "I'm already building the baby's first library."

"You don't need to do that," Annie replied, "I've been buying lots of board books and picture books."

"Send me the titles," Leslie said, "but I'm building a collection and dad is building a cherry wood bookshelf. We had to figure out delivery but we would have gotten it to you before she was born."

"We haven't started the nursery yet," Annie said, "we need Duncan out, he's not getting it."

"I can do it as the landlord," Teddy suggested.

"Please," Annie said.

"Have you picked anything," Leslie asked.

"Not traditional girly but Robins egg or periwinkle blue," Annie said, "we don't have a crib yet but I was thinking darker wood and I have pale grey bedding with little white hearts on it."

"I'm building a bookshelf and would like to do a rocker in cherry," Dan said.

"Cherry is my favorite," Annie said, "you remembered."

"Of course I did bear," Dan smiled, "you always told me that when you grew up you wanted cherry wood in your house. I chose dark cherry because you used to love it."

Annie almost hugged Dan, " thanks dad. You'll come with mom to meet the baby."

"Do you know the name so I can put it on the bookshelf," Dan asked.

"We're not telling," Josh said, "no one knows except us. We've chosen her name but want to keep it to ourselves."

Teddy shook her head, "you won't hide it from me until she's born."

Annie laughed, "we are. But can we eat?"

"Hungry," Teddy asked.

"Starving," Annie laughed.

Teddy laughed, "that's so different for you. Why don't you go first."

Annie replied, "let mom and dad go. There's lots and I can be patient sometimes we did the 10 person ¾ chicken skewers the rest lamb."

"Only Josh and Owen like lamb," Teddy said.

"I'd like to try it," Dan said.

"Dish up and have a seat," Owen said, "sit anywhere."

"Thank you," Leslie said.

They all dished up and sat around the conference table. While it wasn't a dinner table it felt like a family dinner. Meghan and Nathan joined them for the meal as well having hardly eaten since the night before.

Leslie paused noticing they didn't say grace before eating. She knew Annie and Josh went to church when they could and they had been married by a pastor. But Annie had moved away from the Religious upbringing she had had. She hadn't been able to reconcile her medical training and the beliefs of the church she grew up in. Annie had a hard time understanding why god would give her a gift to heal and to save lives if that wasn't what the church taught her role was.

After dinner Annie said, "I'd like to check on Jessica once before we go."

"I'll come with you," Josh said.

"We'll tidy up and meet you up there," Teddy said, "we're going home so don't worry about the littles. Go say hi then take care of yourself."

"I'll help you tidy up," Annie said, "Josh can you take mom and dad up to the icu?"

"I will," Josh said, "see you up there."

"I won't be long, I just need to ask mama something," Annie said.

When Josh and Owen had walked Leslie and Dan to the icu Annie turned to Teddy, "I'm doing okay with mom and dad but I don't know if I can do it when Jessica wakes up."

Teddy said, "don't be in there by yourself. You're not her doctor so there's no need for you to go in there. I'll go, or Josh, or Owen. You could ask Meg or Nate."

"I will," Annie said, "but mom and dad are okay with me."

"They've been great from what I've seen," Teddy said.

"Baby seems to be a turning point for them," Annie admitted, "they've been the best they've ever been about contacting me. I've heard from them once a week since New Years after they got over the shock. But she keeps reaching her hand out to me."

"She wants to feel the baby kick," Teddy said, "I know you sent her the video from when Cassidy was playing with the new ultrasound but you can see it and I can understand it but Leslie won't know how to watch it."

"She was really active when we did that," Annie said, "and I was poking and playing with her to get her to move more. I know Cassidy and I shouldn't have been playing with the new machine but she wanted to try all the settings and features before she had a mom on the table. And I wanted to see my baby so I was happy to be the guinea pig. Should I let Leslie feel?"

"That's your choice," Teddy said, "you have to be comfortable. Cassidy needed to learn the new machine. I get that and you should have those fun moments. I was a guinea pig for friends in med school learning to do them with you. I like that memory. You have video of your little one moving at 27 weeks, that's going to be a good memory."

"We'll see what the situation is," Annie said, "I feel huge and miss my normal clothes."

"It's still small ," Teddy said, "but do what you want. I know you're not a fan of people, especially your mom touching you. You don't trust them and after everything that's happened I get it. I think she sees it as part of celebrating with you."

"If it feels natural I will," Annie said, "but she's dancing right now."

"Can I," asked Teddy.

Annie nodded and took Teddy's hand placing it where the baby was wiggling.

"She is active," Teddy grinned.

"12 more weeks," Annie said, "if I'm not moving enough she gets hyper."

"Hopefully," Teddy said, "you were 10 days past your due date before I went into labor. It's your first, first babies are usually late."

"Don't tell me that," Annie groaned, "wasn't Allison a week early?"

"Second baby and I was 46, totally different," Teddy said.

"You're not supposed to tell me mine could be late," Annie said.

"They come when they come," Teddy replied.

"I know but I'm trying to tell her that she's coming on her due date," Annie giggled.

"We should head up," Teddy said.

"Washroom first," Annie said.

"I'll wait for you," Teddy said.

"I can go to the icu on my own. Just let them know I'm heading up," Annie said.

Teddy walked into the ICU and joined the gathered family outside Jessica's room, "Annie's on her way up she just stopped at the washroom."

"Is she okay," Leslie asked.

"She just needed a moment to ask me something," Teddy said, "typical first baby things. She's good."

"She trusts you," Leslie said.

"We spend a lot of time together," Teddy said, "she'll come to you when she's ready. I know she's talking to you more in the last couple months."

"She has been and is sending pictures and videos," Leslie smiled, "there was one a couple days ago she sent but I don't quite know what I'm seeing."

"Ask her to show you," Teddy said, "OB isn't really her thing but she knows the basics we all do. And she works with enough mothers around heart defects so she does it a lot."

"I just want to hug her and feel her bump," Leslie admitted to Teddy.

"Let her come to you," Teddy said, "we still wait for her to come to us for hugs. The only person who can just touch her is Josh. She doesn't like people randomly touching her. She'll swat your hand away. It happened to me yesterday in the scrub room."

"I'll wait," Leslie said, "but it's not easy. I want to celebrate this with her. We've missed so much."

"I know," Teddy said, "but we have to respect Annie's wishes."

"Do we really just sit here and wait for Jessica to wake up," Dan asked Owen.

"At this stage yes," Owen replied, "she's breathing on her own and we'll keep lowering her sedation until she's fully off it. She is on heavy pain meds which do make you sleepy. But her stats look good."

"She's not going to like the scars," Dan said.

"I got Jackson Avery our head of plastics to close with a special technique that produces minimal scarring," Owen explained, "but with a major trauma like this it's inevitable. Her chest tube will be the easiest to hide but the laparotomy luckily I was able to do a minimal incision, it'll be smaller than Annie's scar. Nathan did have to go down the center and crack her chest. That scar will be the biggest but it's what we had to do. Jackson closed that as well it will be as minimal as we can make it."

"How did you operate without consent," Dan asked.

"Annie gave us verbal consent and signed the forms," Owen said, "as her sister Annie could act as next of kin. The sharpie on Jessica's arm is Annie's writing."

Dan looked at the writing "Jessica Courtney McKellar. May 30, 1994. Call Leslie and Dan in Cloverdale T Altman, O Hunt , J Riggs have the number. All life saving measures given. G Altman."

"It's still weird for us to hear her called Altman," Dan said.

"It took us awhile to relearn. It was easier for Teddy because she had to fill out all the medical forms and permissions to bring Annie on to the base in Germany with her and scrub in. That's why she's still Annie at home. Teddy and I never switched her first name at home. We use Annie with her always, we just tell people it's her childhood nickname. It never felt right to say it to her face but we use it with other people who don't know her as Annie. Josh uses Annie as well so do her friends," Owen said, "Grace is only used professionally. A friend whose since passed, brilliant neurosurgeon suggested I change her contact name in my phone so it came up with Altman."

"When she was in school did you see her a lot," Dan asked.

"I did," Owen replied, "I would go to Boston 3 sometimes four times a year for conferences or workshops, guest teach a class or two at Harvard in her last three years. I'd go and make sure she was okay. Have dinner a couple times while I was in town. Let Teddy know how Annie was. She's always been family. When she did her sub internship for three or four weeks she called to stay with me. I was in a one bedroom apartment at the time so I set it up for her to stay with my mom."

Annie walked into the icu, "mom, mama how's Jessica?"

"Still sedated but off the vent," Teddy said, "stats are good. Hopefully she'll be awake in the next few hours."

"Do you understand any of that," Leslie asked Annie.

"I'll show you," Annie said, "just let little miss finish her fling first."

"Fling," Teddy laughed.

"She's really active tonight," Annie said, "she was actually pretty calm while I was in the field and operating. Wiggling a bit but not bouncing or kicking."

"I noticed that with Alison," Teddy replied, "she was calmer when I was operating or running around the hospital then when I was still or relaxed."

"Chris was like that as well," Leslie said, "Jessica didn't move much."

"Both my girls were really active. Annie more than Allison," Teddy said, "it's still true in their energy levels."

Annie looked at Teddy who nodded.

"Do you both want to feel," Annie asked.

"I thought you would never ask," Leslie beamed.

"Give me your hand," Annie smiled. She placed Leslies hand where her daughter was dancing. Teddy seeing the spot added her own hand.

"What's going on," Dan asked.

"Baby fling," Annie replied, "she's a little wiggle worm. Do you want to meet her?"

"I do," Dan said.

Teddy moved her hand away to allow Dan to feel the active baby. But Teddy stayed right behind Annie close enough Annie would know she's right there.

"We should check on Jessica then I really need to go to bed," Annie said when she had had enough of being touched.

Teddy gave her a smile and a subtle thumbs up. Annie had done well being touched by her parents. Leslie had listened and done things on Annie's terms.

Annie led the way into the room and allowed Josh to explain the machines and what they did.

As they were standing there Jessica's eyes opened.

"Where am I," Jessica whispered.

"Grey Sloan memorial hospital in Seattle," Josh said, "I'm dr Riggs, one of your surgeons and your brother in law. Your parents and sister are here . They're anxious to see you."

"I don't have a sister," Jessica said.

"You do, remember her name is Annie," Leslie said, "she moved away a long time ago but this is her hospital. She's a surgeon here."

"Hi Jessica, it's been years," Annie greeted.

"Annie is dead. I killed her," Jessica said tossing her head against the pillow, "put a knife in her back and she was gone. Jessie wins, Annie loses, life is fair. Sister gone, I don't need her. We didn't want her. That whore is another imposter."

"You did hurt Annie but she's here," Leslie said, "she saved your life."

"I can't do this," Annie stammered before sprinting from the room.

Annie was running as fast as she could. Josh had his hands full of tubes and couldn't drop them to run after her but he knew where Annie would go. She always went to the same spot hiding on the back stairwell the one only used for fire drills or their private conversations.

"The stairwell," Josh said.

"Josh, I'll take over," Owen said, "go with Teddy."

Teddy had taken off after Annie but Annie was faster. Teddy heard the door to the stairwell slam. Teddy threw open the door and sprinted into the stairwell pounding down after Annie. Teddy caught up with her at the bottom and pulled Annie into a tight hug.

"It's okay sweetheart. I'm here, I have you. Josh is coming, just match my breathing and your heart will slow to match mine," Teddy soothed. Teddy was having trouble holding Annie as close as she needed to to make deep pressure work. While Annie wasn't very big yet Teddy was afraid of holding her too tight. Slowly Annie's breathing began to slow to match Teddy's. Josh waited gently rubbing Annie's back while she calmed down. He knew that once someone started deep pressure with Annie they had to wait until Annie was calm to let go. There were only two people in the family who could do it: Teddy and Josh.

Annie sat on the steps Josh took the seat beside her. Teddy joined them sitting a couple steps below.

"That was going well with mom and dad until she woke up," Annie said.

"It was," Teddy agreed, "they're excited for you."

"But Jessica really wants me dead," Annie said.

"I'm going to force a psych consult and get more information about the tumor from Amelia," Teddy said.

"Jessic won't have insurance and it would bankrupt mom and dad," Annie said.

Teddy nodded, "I have a pro bono budget and my discretionary budget to help. She did have travel insurance that we'll use first and I'll use one of those budgets after."

"I can't ask you to do that," Annie said.

"You're not sweetheart," Teddy said, "no one is asking, I'm telling you that this is what can happen. Let me do this for you. Maybe we can finally have your whole family together if we get Jessica the help she needs. Amelia can get the tumor out, it's Amelia she won't rest until she does."

"Have you talked to mom and dad," Annie asked.

"Owen and I have talked about it together and we wanted you to know before we did. If you're not okay with it we don't have to. We can get her stable and send her up to Vancouver General or Royal Columbian in Vancouver and you can be done with it," Teddy said.

"Why now," Annie asked, "things were finally turning a corner with mom she was talking to me every week and actually listening and being a mom for the first time since I was 19," Annie said, "she gave up on me the summer I was in Surrey Memorial."

"That's partially me," Teddy said, "I took over your care. I acted to protect you because you hadn't learned you have a voice and opinions yet. You were just starting to learn. You've only really trusted and used your voice since the fall."

"I have to protect my baby. I'm learning to fight for her," Annie said.

"Fight for yourself two," Teddy urged, "don't leave tonight running away."

"She wanted to kill me, she meant it," Annie said.

"We're going to be the bigger people," Josh said, "we can go but at least say good night to Leslie and Dan."

"I want to go home and go to bed," Annie stated.

"Take a few more minutes to collect yourselves then come say good night. No one will hold going to bed now against you," Teddy said.

Annie and Josh sat in their hiding place a while longer.

"Let's go say good night," Annie said.

"Just the icu waiting room," Josh said.

Annie took a deep breath, "I can do this."

"They'll have her sedated now," Josh said, "restraints if needed."

"I won't go in her room alone but when I'm ready I have a few things to say," Annie said.

"I know you do," Josh replied.

"Say good night to everyone tolerate another set of hugs from my parents," Annie said.

"Let's go," Josh said he pulled her up to her feet. Josh could tell Annie was exhausted, their nap had not been long enough.

Annie led the way back into the ICU waiting room.

"Hey bear are you okay," Dan asked.

"I am. I just needed a moment," Annie replied.

"Are you sure," Owen asked.

"We were just coming to say good night," Josh said.

"You've had a long day," Teddy agreed.

"We have," Annie agreed, "so have you."

"We're going to go soon," Teddy replied, "I got you covered tomorrow. You need to rest. You'll come back on Tuesday rested. If I was you I'd see Carina if something doesn't feel right."

"I see her Wednesday before our CABG," Annie said.

"Whoes Carina," Leslie asked, "what's a cabbage?"

"Carina DeLuca is the head of OB," Annie replied, "a CABG is a coronary artery bypass graft; it's a heart surgery. I'm doing one with mama Wednesday afternoon."

"Your doctor," Leslie asked, "is she good?"

"Yes," Annie replied, "she's excellent the best we have."

"It's who delivered Allison," Teddy said, "Carina is my first choice as well. Italian trained and incredible best success rates and lowest c section rate in Seattle. She's good, very supportive of her patients and their choices. She's actively working on ways to reduce interventions for most mothers. She's excellent. I'm surprised we've been able to keep her but I give her a lot of freedom for her research."

"As long as you trust her," Leslie said.

"As soon as we did the blood work and had confirmation Carina was my first stop to make sure it was all looking good," Annie said, "but we're really just here to say good night. I'm off tomorrow but might pop in at some point in the afternoon to see how things are going."

"Good night sweetheart," Teddy said hugging Annie.

"Good night mama," Annie replied. She went around the room saying good night to her other three parents. Owen followed them out of the ICU.

"I had a chance to talk to Dan," Owen said, "reminded him of your boundaries, that you will see them when you are comfortable, you decide how much contact you have and they have to have your permission to touch you."

"Thank you Uncle Owen," Annie replied, "we'll see you Tuesday?"

"I'm off Tuesday this week so Wednesday," Owen said.

"Good night," Annie said, giving Owen a quick hug.

"Good night little bear," Owen said, returning the hug.