Chapter 6: The Half-Sister
Meredith, age 27
Meredith was trying to think of what she had in common with her father Thatcher, to whom she had been estranged. He was clumsy, socially inept, stammered constantly, and was unable to string together a coherent sentence. Her father was unlike her.
Except, unbeknownst to her, she didn't even have that in common. Thatcher Grey was not her father—Saul Rubenstein was.
Ellis Grey, Twenty-six years ago, Seattle, Washington
It was eight in the morning, and Ellis was woken up by the sound of Saul Rubenstein's snoring. She sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes; the whole bed seemed to vibrate more with each snore, and she could barely suppress a laugh, despite the horrifying mess of it all.
Ellis was to be married to Thatcher next week, and she was in bed with a man who was decidedly not her fiancé. To be more exact, it was one of her many one-night stands from Emerald City Bar. Except, this one was different—she knew who he was, and was aware that he had feelings for her. Ellis silently reprimanded herself; she knew better than to sleep with a man who was emotionally attached to her. She supposed the Long Island iced teas might have impaired her usually sound judgment. And what was worse, she forgot to take her birth control pills.
She knew Saul from work—the handsome man with the pale blue eyes, who had a slight tendency to be overemotional. Still, she was engaged to Thatcher, a safe sort of man, with a loving heart and stable income, enough to support a family. Saul, in contrast, was a new attending, and Ellis had no idea what his morals and character were like.
………….
Ellis Grey, one month later
"I'm pregnant."
Saul hugged her; he and Ellis were leaning on a side of an isolated hallway in Seattle Grace Hospital. Ellis would not look at him. "Congratulations, I'm thrilled!"
Ellis did not know what to do just then, Saul looked so happy at the idea of becoming a father. His grandparents were long gone, and his parents never played a large role in his life. It was his biggest dream to have a family he could call his own; Ellis knew that what she was about to say would devastate him completely. "But I'm getting an abortion." Saul's face fell, and his eyes began to tear.
At Seattle Grace, Ellis never wore her wedding ring, and she knew the baby was not Thatcher's. The honeymoon was boring, and Thatcher, apart from his wealth, had nothing to offer her. Sure, Thatcher was caring and sweet, but Ellis needed passion. Trouble is, the passion led to undesired consequences.
"Don't you want a baby, Ellis? I thought you of all people, loved children," Saul asked, his voice low. He gazed at her, as if in question.
"Yes," her voice trembled. "Yes, for God's sake, of course I want a child." She looked pleadingly into his eyes. "I want a child more than anything in the world, but this was not supposed to happen. I wanted a child with Thatcher, not you." With that, she walked off. Saul stood still for several minutes, attempting to digest all that had just happened.
Ellis Grey, Eight months later
Interestingly enough, Ellis did not have an abortion. She told Thatcher she was pregnant, the circumstances of which he did not question—despite the fact that there was no way in hell he was the father. Strangely enough.
Meanwhile, Saul was a physician at a California hospital. He was so distraught after hearing Ellis would have an abortion, that he quit being an attending at Seattle Grace that same week. Saul wanted a family so much, but knew he could not dwell on that which he could never change. He fled Seattle Grace for an affiliated sister hospital in California, working alongside a certain brain specialist by the name of Dr. Yang.
And so, at precisely 8:13:40 am on a snowy December 23, Meredith Grey was born at Seattle Grace Hospital.