Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's Anatomy or any of the characters.

Hey, everyone! Long time, no update. I apologize for not updating for so long but I hope this chapter will make up for it. I have a couple of ideas of how to wrap up this story and if you have any suggestions, let me know.

Thanks and enjoy!


I stand up and head towards the door. As I put my hand on the knob, all I can think about is getting a drink with Alex.

I walk down the stairs and see Alex and the kids have come back inside from their playing. Alex is sitting on the couch with Meredith and Carolyn. I see Amelia has come back over and is also sitting on the couch, and the kids are playing with their toys on the ground around them.

"Hey. How'd it go?" Alex asks as he looks up at me and I walk into the room.

"It was ok. I got some of the answers I was looking for, so that's good." I smile while I sit down on the couch beside him.

"That's great." He presses a kiss into the side of my head. "You up for going to Joe's later?"

"Absolutely."

"I never thought any of my nieces would be dating Alex Karev." Amelia buts in as Alex and I both blush a little.

"Amelia, could you please not say stuff like that around the kids? They don't know about their relationship to Eleanor, to them, she is just the fun babysitter that works with Mommy." Meredith gently scolds Amelia.

"Sorry. I'm just saying. One day we all could actually be related to Alex Karev."

"Yes, yes. I know, Amelia."

"What were you doing upstairs, Elnor? We missed you down here." I look over to see Zola look at me with a question in her eyes.

"I was talking to my mom, Zola. You know, she lives on the total opposite side of the country in Maine."

"Really? How long does it take to get there from Seattle?"

"It is one really long plane ride from here to Maine."

"Can you take a ferry boat to Maine, Elnor?" Bailey asks.

I chuckle at his innocent question, "No, honey, you can't, but there are some ferry boats in Maine that you can ride once you get there."

"Me and my daddy use to ride ferry boats all the time. He loved ferry boats." Zola tells me. I really love these kids, they are my siblings after all, but I can't help to be just a little jealous of the time Zola had with him, no matter how short.

"I bet you guys had the best time, huh?"

"Yeah, we did. Sometimes I really miss him." Me too, Zola, me too.

With that, the kids go back to peacefully playing, their loud giggles breaking the adults' quiet conversation. Eventually, Alex and I head to Joe's for our long awaited date.


"So, tell me what your Mom said. If you want to, of course." Alex says to me as we settle into a booth in the corner of Joe's. It feels kind of weird, nice, but weird to be alone with Alex after always having kids around us. The last time we were alone, we were walking the halls of the hospital after my appendectomy.

"Well, she basically told me that she and Derek broke up and that he wanted to go back to New York for medical school and she wanted to stay in Maine and start working. Neither of them felt serious enough about each other to do long distance, so they broke up. She found out she was pregnant, got scared, and threw her phone off the side of the ferry, so she couldn't call him.

She said when I was born, I looked so much like him that she knew she had to tell him. So, she wrote him the letter that Carolyn got."

"I still can't believe that she read the letter and kept it from him."

"Yeah, me neither. And get this, mom said she met Derek at the Hatch Science Library at Bowdoin, and that is how I got my middle name."

"Your middle name is Hatch?"

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, it's just not very girly." Alex laughs.

I can't help but laugh too. "Hatch is kind of a bad name but it's my name so you can't laugh at it."

"Yes, I can." Alex's face is now red and tears are forming in his eyes while he belly laughs.

I try to hide my smile and act upset. "Fine, I'm going to go get myself a drink while you stay here laughing like a hyena." I stand up out of the booth and Alex gently grabs my arm.

"I'm sorry for laughing, I do really like your name. Sit back down and I'll go get you a drink, Eleanor Hatch Rhett." He's still chuckling as he walks over to the bar.

While he's gone, I start thinking about my time so far in Seattle. I found out my dad is dead and I'll never get the chance to meet him or hug him or even simply say hello to him. While that's sad, I've found so much more - a stepmother, an aunt, a grandmother that while I don't know how I feel about her, it's one more than I had before. I also found three siblings that one day, maybe, will know that I'm their sister and together we'll all form a piece of our dad that is gone. I also found Alex and while it is much too early to have definite plans with him past tomorrow, I think it could turn into something special.

Alex walks back to the booth and sits a beer in front of me.

"So," It's my turn to tease now, "What's your middle name, Alex Karev?"

He chuckles and smiles at me, " Michael. Alexander Michael Karev."

"Well, Michael is no Hatch, it's much too common, you know?"

"Yeah, well you know, Michael is just about the only common thing about me."

"I think I'm starting to figure that out."


"So, Alex, how was your date?" Meredith asks me.

"It was really good."

"Really good, huh?" Meredith teases.

Eleanor and I had been on a couple of dates since our drinks at Joe's. "Yeah, I mean, Eleanor's different, you know? She understands my life and she likes spending time with the kids and doesn't try to make me be anything other than me."

"You really seem to like her, Alex. You're finally growing up." Meredith jokes.

"I am and I have to say growing up feels pretty good."

"I still can't believe Derek has another daughter - and that she's dating you."

"Me neither."

"Eleanor is daddy's daughter?"

Meredith and I nearly snap our necks to turn and see Zola standing in the doorway with wide eyes.

"Zola." Meredith sighs.

"Is Eleanor daddy's daughter? How come she didn't tell us?"

I look at Meredith and wonder how in the world she is going to explain this to Zola.

"Come here, ZoZo." Once Zola has settled on the couch between me and Meredith, she starts explaining Eleanor's existence. "Before Daddy met Mommy, he had a girlfriend, when they were in college. Together, Daddy and Eleanor's mommy made her. Daddy and Eleanor's mommy broke up and Daddy didn't know that Eleanor was born."

"Kinda like Ellis?" Zola interrupts.

"Yes, like Ellis. When Eleanor got old enough, she started asking about her daddy and her mom told her everything she knew. After Eleanor graduated from medical school and had to find a hospital to do her residency, she came her because she thought she could meet your daddy."

"But she can't because he's dead."

"That's right, Zo."

"But, how come she didn't tell us she is our sister?"

"Well, I think Eleanor didn't really know how to tell you and I think she wanted to get to know you guys a little better."

"Is she going to call you mommy now?

"No, sweetheart. I'm her step-mom. She has her own mommy."

"Can we call her sister?"

"Well, you will have to ask Eleanor but I think she would be okay with that."

"You know, Zo, I was thinking about calling Eleanor and asking if she wanted to come over later. Maybe you guys could talk then?" I tell Zola while she seems to be absorbing everything.

"Can I tell Bailey and Ellis?"

"Ellis might be too little to understand but we can tell them too."

"Okay, mommy. I always wanted a big sister. Do you think I have a big brother too?"

Meredith and I both chuckle. "I don't think so, sweetie."

"I'm going to go call Eleanor." I kiss both of their heads as I get up and head towards my room.


I feel my phone vibrate and when I look down at it I can see that Alex is calling. I go into a linen closet so I can have some kind of privacy.

"Hello."

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"Scut for Amelia. You'd think that I would get some kind of family special treatment, but no." I joke and hear Alex take a deep breath.

"Yeah, about that. Um, Meredith and I were talking earlier and Zola overheard her call you Derek's daughter and she had to tell Zola everything."

I'm frozen. "Zola knows?"

"Yeah."

"Well, how'd she take it?"

"Pretty good. She wants to tell Bailey and Ellis and call you her sister. She also asked if she had a big brother."

I can tell Alex is trying to lighten the situation but I can't help but still feel sick. "She wants to call me her sister?"

"Yeah, she does. Are you okay with her knowing?"

"Yeah, I knew I would have to tell them eventually but I just didn't know how I would do it. I'm kinda glad that I didn't have to do it but at the same time I wish I could've been there, you know?"

"I do, but Meredith did a great job and I really think the kids are going to be excited about it. So, I was going to ask before everything but do you want to come over later? We can order food, watch a movie, and you can tell the kids everything with Meredith and me there."

"Yeah, that sounds good. I'm off at five so I'll be there a little after."

"Alright, it'll all be okay. Don't worry. I'll see you in a few."

"Ok. Bye."

I put my phone back in my pocket and lean my head against the wall. I was so worried that the kids would be mad at me. I don't know why, it's not my fault that we have the same dad, but I had this dread that would be. The fact that Zola has taken it so well, makes me feel positive about Bailey's and Ellis' reaction.


I drive to Meredith's house with a pit in my stomach. How am I going to explain everything to the kids? I am comforted a little by the fact that Zola already knows and that Ellis is probably still too little to really understand. I'm also glad that Alex and Meredith will be there.

I pull into the driveway and sit in the car for a minute and gather myself. As I am walking up to the door, Alex pops out of it.

"Hey. I saw you pull in. How are you feeling?"

"Like I'm going to throw up." I say with a wry smile.

Alex rubs my arm in an attempt to comfort me. "I know this is a lot, but the kids already love you. I think you've replaced me as their favorite person besides Mer. They'll be okay. Zola is already excited and Bailey and Ellis will be too."

I am really glad he's here. I step forward and put my arms around his neck to give him a hug. "Do you think they'll hate me?" I whisper my fear into his neck.

"Why on earth would they hate you? You're in the same boat they're in." Alex pulls back to look me in the eyes. "They won't hate you."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

I take a deep breath. "Okay, let's go."

We walk hand in hand into the living room where Meredith has gathered the kids.

"Hey, guys." I smile shyly at them.

"Elnor, Zo says you have to tell us something," Bailey says.

"Yeah" I sit down on the coffee table in front of them and Ellis crawls into my lap. Meredith and Alex stand in the corner of the room watching and waiting to answer any questions. "So you know how you guys all have the same daddy?" They nod. "Well, it turns out that I have the same daddy as you."

"Isn't that awesome!?" Zola exclaims.

"Is mommy your mommy?" Bailey asks.

"No, she isn't?

"So, we have the same daddy but not the same mommy?" Bailey asks trying to figure things out.

"Right. What do you think about that?"

"Are you my sister like Ellis and Zola?"

"I am, Bails."

"Well, alright." Bailey says simply and comes over to give me a hug as best as he can with Ellis on my lap.

"Are you okay with that Bailey?" Meredith asks from her spot in the corner.

"Well, I wish it was a brother but that's ok."

We all chuckle at the blunt honesty of his comment.