Maggie had stepped in as interm chief, while Meredith was recovering at home. She had given the Shepherds a few days off while Meredith recovered and, so they could spend some time as a family. Miranda had come around on one of the day to apologise again and see if Meredith needed anything, Miranda still felt bad for what happened to Grey and wanted to be there for her if she needed anything.

'Do you need anything?' Miranda asked sat at the other end of the sofa from Meredith

'Miranda, I am fine. It still hurts a little bit, but I am fine. I don't have nightmares anymore and I don't need to take the medication now' Meredith said

'I know, I just…'

'Miranda, she's fine' Derek laughed

'I'm sorry' Miranda smiled

'Anyway, how's tuck?' Meredith asked, it had been years since she has seen Miranda's son

'He's alright. He split from his wife a few years ago and he has twin daughters. He's moving back to Seattle next week, and he's been asking about a certain someone' Miranda said looking over at Zola

'Me?' Zola questioned

'Yeah, he's been asking how you are and I'm sure he asked me last night if you were single still'

'Zola and Tuck sitting in a tree. G' Ellis sang like a child laughing

'Shut up Ellis' Zola said

'He'd make a great brother in law' Bailey said

'I may have given him your number' Miranda smiled, then suddenly Zola's phone rang

'Hello…Tuck?...hey how are you doing…that's good…I heard, your mother is in my house now…yeah I'd love to' Zola hung up the phone and saw everyone staring at her, 'What?'

'How's Tuck?' Ellis asked

'He's fine, and it turns out he is coming to Seattle sooner than you thought Miranda. He's in his apartment now and wants to go for drinks tonight' Zola said

'Aww, it's meant to be' Bailey joked

'I better go and get ready' Zola said

'Do you want me to help you pick an outfit?' Meredith asked her daughter

'Thanks mom, I'm going to take a shower' Zola said getting up and going to the bathroom

'I better get going then' Miranda said

'Do you want me to give you a lift?' Derek asked, 'Zola is going to want me to give her a lift, so I can take you both back into town'

'Yeah, thanks Derek' Miranda said, meanwhile Zola had just got out the shower.

'I've got my two favourites dresses out of your selection' Meredith said holding up two dresses. One was a black short tight dress and the other was a red cocktail dress

'I think the black one' She said taking it and putting it on, 'What do you think?'

'You look beautiful Zola' Meredith said

'Thanks mom'

Once Zola was ready, Derek drove her and Miranda into Seattle centre to meet Tuck. Tuck took Zola to a near restaurant and bought her dinner before going to Joe's for some drinks. Tuck had always had a thing for Zola but never thought anything would happen, and Derek had always scared him, so he never dared try and ask her out. When their date was over Tuck paid for Zola's cab back to her house, but before she left they shared their first kiss.

A year and a half later, it was summer, and Derek and Meredith were holding a surprise birthday party for Zola. They had invited everyone around; Derek's mom and sisters, Miranda and Ben, Arizona and Sofia, Richard and Catherine, and some of the other interns and residents from the hospital. They were all in the back garden waiting for Tuck to arrive with Zola, after picking her up from the hospital.

'Right, go upstairs and get changed. I'm taking you out' Tuck said

'I don't really want to go out babe' Zola said

'It's your birthday so we are celebrating, now go upstairs and change' Tuck said, he finally convinced her to get changed. A few minutes later she came back downstairs. 'I have planned for us to go and watch the sunset over the river before we go for dinner'

'Okay then' Zola said

Tuck took hold of Zola's hand and they walked out of the house towards the back garden. When they stepped out of the doors, everyone jumped up and shouted 'SURPRISE!'

'Oh my god' Zola shouted, surprised that everyone she loved was in front of her but in the middle, were her parents and siblings.

'Happy birthday baby' Tuck said

'Thank you' Zola said giving him a hug, 'Did you do this?'

'No, it was your mom and dad's idea' Tuck said, Zola turned around a saw her mom and dad walking up to them

'Happy birthday Zola' Derek said giving his daughter a hug, 'Thanks dad'

'Happy birthday sweetie' Meredith said hugging her daughter, 'This is for you' She said handing her an envelope

'What is it?' Zola asked

'Open it' Derek said

'Wait we need one more person. Miranda!' Meredith shouted Miranda over

'Right, open it' Derek smiled

Zola opened the envelope and took out the contents. It was a pile of papers, but she didn't know what they were for. The front page read 'Grey Sloan Memorial Board', 'I don't understand mom'

'This present is from me, your dad and Miranda'

'Since leaving the hospital, I have been able to spend more time with my family, but I still have board meetings to attend to. I don't want to do that anymore, so I am giving you my seat on the board' Miranda said

'What?'

'We need someone on the board who knows what the younger generations want' Derek said

'Welcome to the board Zola' Meredith said

'Thank you so much Miranda, I can't wait'

'Now go mingle with everyone' Tuck said smiling, Zola walked off with her mom and Miranda to greet everyone.

'Derek, may I ask you a question?' Tuck asked

'Sure Tuck' Derek said taking a sip of his drink

'I love your daughter more than anything, well apart from my daughters. I know Zola loves me as much as I love her, and my daughters love her too. I want to ask you for your daughter's hand in marriage' Tuck asked

'You want to marry my daughter? You…You want to marry…' Derek started, 'I'm joking, of course you can Tuck. When are you going to ask her?'

'I actually have the ring now, I was thinking of doing it later'

'Sounds great Tuck, now let's enjoy the day' Derek said shaking Tucks hand before joining the party.

The presents that Zola had been given, she had put them in a pile inside to open them later and then she would say thank you to everyone. She made sure she spent equal time with everyone, she caught up with her aunties that she hadn't seen in months and spoke to her cousins.

'Hello darling' Carolyne said walking over to Zola

'Hey nan' Zola said hugging Derek's mother, 'How are you?'

'I'm good, a bit tired after looking after the grandkids but I love it. How are you doing? You father told me you are chief resident'

'Yeah, I am, I got it the year Bailey started working at the hospital. I'm also now a member on the board, that's what Miranda gave me for my birthday'

'You take after your parents. How's that boyfriend of yours?'

'He's great, I love him so much. He has twin daughters and I love them too'

'That's lovely darling, well you go and spend some time with your friends'

'See you later nan' Zola said before hugging her again and walking off towards Sofia

'Are you ready?' Derek asked Tuck who was pacing inside

'Yeah I think so'

'What are you going to say?'

'That I love her, I want to spend my life with her'

'Let's do it now then' Derek said, Derek and Tuck walked outside and made sure everyone had a glass of champagne.

'Excuse me everyone, I would like to say a few words. I just want to wish a very big happy birthday to my amazing girlfriend Zola, she has made me so happy over the past year and a half. She is amazing and never questions me. She hasn't even questioned why I haven't given her a present yet, but I have it here. So, Zola, come here babe' Tuck said holding his hand out for Zola to take, and he looked over her shoulder and nodded at Derek

'I love you so much Zola, you are amazing and beautiful and everything I could wish for in a woman. I didn't know what to get you for your birthday, but then it hit me. There is only one thing that I could get you' He took out a little box out of his pocket, 'Zola Grey Shepherd, will you marry me?' He asked getting down on one knee

'Yes! Yes, I will' Zola said tearing up. Tuck placed the ring onto her finger, stood up and kissed her. Zola looked down at the diamond on her finger with tears in her eyes before looking at her fiancé and kissed him again. Everyone started clapping and cheering.

'Did you ask my dad?' Zola smiled

'I did' Tuck said

Zola looked around to find her mom in the group of people, she saw her mom stood behind everyone with tears in her eyes. Her mom's eyes hit hers, then she turned and ran off. Zola saw her mom run off, so she ran after her. She found her mom sat on the nearby dock with her feet dangling in the water

'Mom?' Zola said walking over to her, 'Mom? What's wrong?'

'Nothing Zola, just go back to the party. I'll be there in a minute'

'I'm not going anywhere mom, not until I know what's wrong' Zola said sitting beside her mom

'When your dad first came to me about adopting you, I thought he was crazy. We were talking about having a family, but I didn't know if I was ready to be a mom. But he talked me into it, then you needed your surgery. I stood outside the OR the whole time, I paced outside the whole time. I was scared that anything could go wrong and that we could lose you' Meredith said looking out across the water with tears building up in her eyes again, 'Then you came home with us. We were a family, you were everything I needed other than your father. Then Bailey and Ellis came along, and I thought you would feel different, but you never did. Not that I know of. We were a family, the 5 of us. I didn't have to worry about you leaving, or moving out. But now you're engaged and then you'll get married. You'll move out'

'I'm not going anywhere mom'

'What if you do what your father did? He got married, then it didn't work, and he left. He moved across the country, he very rarely sees his family. He doesn't see is mom, his sisters. I don't want that to happen. I don't want it to be like that, for me to only see you once a year, only see you at Christmas'

'That won't happen mom, I'm going to stay in Seattle. It's where I have always lived, I don't know anything other than Seattle, and I would never want to move away from you. I couldn't imagine my life without you and dad, Bailey or Ellis'

'I have spent my whole life with people walking away from me. My father walked away from me, my mother spent my childhood at work and then she didn't even recognise me when I was older. Even your dad walked away from me once, Christina walked away. I can't have you walk away Zo'

'Mom, listen to me. I would never let a man come in between me and my family. You taught me that, I would never let Tuck make me move across the country, I am staying in Seattle. Seattle is my home. I am going to go back to work on Monday, have my first meeting with the board. I will become an attending soon, then I will become the next chief when you retire or give up the role' Zola said smiling

'I love you Zo'

'I love you too Mom, now let's get back to the party'