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I apologize for not updating in so long. Hopefully, followers, repeat reviewers, and people who have favorited this story are still interested.
I walk out the front door and see Alex sitting on the swing. He has his elbows balanced on his knees and his face in his hands. His position is mirroring the one I had earlier.
"Alex?"
He looks up at me with sadness in his eyes but anger on his face.
"What? Wanna tell me that by some weird twist, Mer's also your mom?"
That stung, but I can't say I didn't expect it.
"No. She's not my mom." I walk over and ease down onto the swing.
"Alex, I know you must be hurt and confused. Will you let me explain?" When Alex doesn't respond I take that as a yes. "When I was 10 years old, my mom got married. With the arrival of a stepfather, I started to wonder about my father. I was 12 when I finally got the courage to ask my mom about him. It might have been because my sister, Sam, was born and I saw her with her father. Anyways, my mom told me about my father, Derek Shepherd. When I looked him up, it said that he was a neurosurgeon, a great one. Finally, after years of trying to figure out why I love learning about the brain, it finally clicked. I loved the brain because it was in my blood to love the brain.
When I was 17, trying to figure out what to study and where to go to college, I looked him up again. This time I learned that he worked at the then Seattle Grace - Mercy West Hospital. So I studied, got good grades, graduated top of my class and put in an application to be an intern at the newly named Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.
My first day, I was on Dr. Shepherd's service. Instead of being my father, it was his sister, my aunt. I then found out that Derek had died and I would never get the chance to meet him.
Tonight, I met my grandmother and found out that my mom had sent a letter to her house for Derek telling him about me. Only, he never read the letter because Carolyn hid it from him.
Alex, I know you're hurt and confused because I didn't tell you. I just didn't know how. I was afraid that you would tell people and then the whole hospital would know and I don't want them to. So, if you couldn't tell them, I'd appreciate it."
Finally Alex looks up at me and he looks more hurt than before.
"You really think I would tell people? I know how the hospital works, how gossip is spread around and how if something happens in the morning, everyone knows by lunch. I would've never told anyone because I know what it's like to be gossiped about in the hospital.
What I don't know is why you didn't think to tell me? Why you didn't think you could trust me? I've told you things about my family that I've never told anyone. But, for some reason, you didn't think to return the favor."
Alex and I sit in on the swing with only the sound of crickets.
"Look, I get it if you don't want to see me anymore."
"Ella, I just need a minute. I still want to see you. If you're anything like Derek, then I know you have magic because Derek had used all kinds of magic on Meredith."
"So, what now?"
Alex finally looks at me without the sadness. "Now, we sit here. I'm going to wrap my arm around you. And we're just going to sit here, together, until we get tired. Then, you can take my bed and I'll sleep on the couch."
"Or maybe, we could both sleep in your bed. I mean, just sleep, not have sex because that would be inappropriate with all the kids in the house. Plus my sort of stepmother, aunt, and grandmother. It's also a little too soon in my opinion. You haven't even taken me on a proper date yet. So, just sleep. No sex."
"Are you sure you're not Meredith's daughter because that was a lot of rambling. I don't think you even took a breath."
We both chuckle and start swinging lightly. Everything might just be okay.
I grab the broom and dustpan to start cleaning up the broken glass.
"So, Eleanor is Derek's daughter."
"Yes."
"How long have you known?"
"Amelia, listen.."
"No, Meredith. I mean, come on, I know that most of the time I am not your favorite person but you should've told me. She's Derek's daughter. She's as much as my neice as Zola and Ellis. How did you find out?"
"Apparently she's a bit of a Nancy Drew. She searched for Derek's gravesite and when I went to visit him, she was there. She told me everything and asked about him. I told her as much as I could while being in shock that she was there."
"I can't believe it."
"Me neither. Sometimes I watch her at the hospital and she's so much like Derek. She looks like him, she leans on things, and tilts her head the way he did. It's always hurt knowing that Ellis will never meet him, but knowing he has two daughters he will never meet, kills me."
"You know, maybe in some weird way it's a good thing Eleanor never met him. Now she and Ellis will share something."
I grab a glass from cupboard and start filling it with water from the sink. "I don't think I am going to tell the kids about Daddy's other daughter."
"Well you don't have to tell them now, but it's something to think about in the future."
"I guess. I am going to head up to bed now."
"Goodnight."
"Night."
After such a long, emotionally exhausting day, I finally crash into my comfrotable bed and go to sleep.
