Author's Note: This is the last chapter of this story. Thank you so much for reading! I hope you liked it. Feel free to let me know what you liked or didn't like in the comments. And if you have any ideas of something else you'd like me to write, I'm open to suggestions!

Amelia approached Owen's trailer and knocked softly on the door. She saw his car so she knew he was home.

"Hey," he greeted, casually, as he opened the door.

"Hi," she said, sheepishly, "Can I come in for a minute?"

"Sure," he said and swept his arm as if to say 'come on in.'

They stood not too far from the doorway.

Amelia spoke first. "I need to apologize. I acted totally irrationally yesterday and I shouldn't have gotten angry. You didn't do anything wrong."

"No, I understand," Owen countered. "You're grieving. I didn't realize what I did, but I see why it upset you, and that's the last thing I wanted to do."

"I didn't – I don't – want to feel anything. I thought about drinking, and I was very close to actually taking a drink, but I got interrupted. And I'm kind of relieved that I didn't get to take even a sip," she admitted.

Owen ran his hand through his hair. "Do you need to go to a meeting? Do you want me to come with you?"

She shook her head. "I'll go to one soon, but I'm fine for right now. I'm just staying away from anything that might tempt me. I just don't know what else to do to stop feeling. Distractions aren't working."

He nodded. "I know you don't want to feel anything, but I think you need to feel the pain now in order to move on. Otherwise you'll never get past this."

She took a deep breath, nodded, and looked at the floor. "It hurts. Everyone I love dies. We were right to end things between us before they went too far or you'd probably be the next one dead!"

He knew she was using her dark sense of humor to cover up the hurt she was feeling.

"I know it seems that way, and it's not fair, but not everyone you love will die prematurely."

She nodded again. "I just feel so alone sometimes."

"You're not alone."

"I know. It's just hard to…" she trailed off as she felt the tears coming and she couldn't stop them. "Derek has been there for me my whole life. He helped me every time I screwed up. He's been there to cheer me on when I succeeded. I don't know what it's like to live without him, and I didn't want to know."

Owen wasn't sure if he should comfort her or give her space. He stood back for a minute, until her crying escalated. This was the first time she had really cried since she learned of her brother's death. She sunk to her knees.

Owen walked forward and enveloped her in a hug. Amelia began to sob into his shoulder.

"It's okay. It's okay to cry and to feel. It's normal for you to be feeling this way now."

"I know," Amelia managed to squeak out.

"I know you know that logically, but emotionally I don't think you're allowing it in yourself."

She nodded, then pulled back and wiped at her eyes. "I don't need to be a mess right now."

"You're not a mess. You're –" Owen stopped himself.

"I'm what?" Amelia asked.

"I was going to say you're beautiful, even when you're sad, but it's not the right time to say things like that."

"Owen –"

"I know. We're just friends."

She nodded. "For the time being, at least, it's better this way."

"I understand."

They sat there a little longer, and then Amelia composed herself.

"I'm sorry about this." She gestured to the tears on her face.

"You have nothing to apologize for."

"I should get back and help Meredith make phone calls."

"Alright. I'll be here if you need me. Seriously. Don't keep everything bottled up."

"Got it, Chief!" she joked. "And, thank you."

Meredith saw that she had a voicemail and pressed play. She was slightly surprised when she heard the voice on the other end. "Hi Meredith, it's Addison. I heard about Derek and I just wanted to say that I'm so sorry. He was a great guy, and he really loved you and the kids. He talked about them every time we spoke. I heard he was leaving his job in DC for you. That's big. I could barely get him to come home from his job that was like 20 blocks away in New York. So I know he really loved you. Jake and I are flying in tomorrow, to be there for Amelia. I hope that's okay with you. I was worried it might be awkward, but Amelia's like a sister to me so I couldn't even consider not coming. I guess I'll see you soon. Let me know if you need anything."

A few weeks later, Amelia walked into the house after work.

"I ordered a pizza for dinner," Meredith said, as she entered the room.

"Sounds good," Amelia replied. She looked around. "Where are the kids?"

"In the playroom, watching Frozen for the umpteenth time."

Amelia smiled. "I guess they just can't let it go!" she joked.

Meredith half-smiled and sat down.

"Did you get the chart I asked Edwards to bring you?" Amelia asked, after getting no response to her Frozen joke. "I thought you might be interested in the case."

Meredith kept staring ahead.

"Meredith? Did you hear me?"

"What?" She snapped back to reality. "Yeah, the patient…um…I glanced at it and put it on my desk for tomorrow."

"Everything okay?" Amelia questioned, looking skeptical. She caught herself as soon as she finished speaking. "I mean, you know, aside from the obvious."

Meredith bit her lip and looked down, then back up at her sister-in-law.

"Is this about me living here now that Derek's gone? I know I probably should have asked if it was okay that I stay and I should've apologized for telling you that you don't know what it's like to lose the love of your life. Obviously I had no idea Derek was going to die soon, but I still felt pretty crappy about it. And I know I was his sister, not yours. If you want me to leave, I get it. Or if you want me to pay rent, I will. I can start looking for a place though –"

"Amelia, no, I didn't even consider asking you to move! You might not be my biological sister, but you're family. The kids love having you here, and you probably help keep me sane too."

"Thanks. You're part of our family now too and I love having the kids around." She thought for a minute. "So, if this isn't about me moving then what's wrong? It seems like there's something you need to talk about, but don't want to say."

"I'm, uh…I'm pregnant." Tears sprang to her eyes as she said it aloud for the first time, and she didn't know if she felt happy or sad at the moment.

"Seriously? Oh my God, congratulations…I think…it's obviously not the best timing…wow." She was shocked.

She sat down at the table with Meredith as she thought about the situation more. "Derek would've been so happy."

"Yeah."

The doorbell rang.

"I've got it." Meredith jumped up.

"Zola, Bailey, pizza's here!" Amelia called.

"But Elsa is still singin' Let It Go!" Zola protested.

Amelia laughed. "I'll come pause the movie for you."

As Meredith and Amelia set the table, the doorbell rang again.

"I'll finish cutting their pizza, you get the door," Amelia instructed.

Meredith nodded and opened the door.

"Alex?" she said, surprised to see him. "What are you doing here?"

"Jo's working late so I figured I'd come see how you guys are doing. And I brought ice cream." He held up the bag as he spoke.

"Well, you can come in then!" Meredith joked. "Want some pizza?"

"What kind of a question is that?" quipped Alex. "Of course I want pizza!"

They all sat down to eat.

"Do you think daddy eats pizza in Heaven?" Zola asked.

Meredith wasn't even sure if she believed in Heaven, but Derek's family was Catholic and it gave a more pleasant image of the afterlife, especially for the children. And she did believe in some type of afterlife, since she had seen Denny, Bonnie, Dylan, Doc, and her mother when she'd drowned after the ferry crash.

"Yes, I think he can eat all the pizza he wants," Meredith answered.

Zola smiled, then tilted her head up and said, "Daddy, look, I'm eating the crust because it's your favorite part!" Then she turned her head and smiled at her aunt.

Amelia smiled back. This was her "new normal" for right now, and she was going to make the best of it.

Derek looked over the edge of the ferry and smiled to himself. Everything in his life was going so well. His kids were doing well. He and his wife were finally done fighting, and they were even thinking about another baby. Finally, after traveling back and forth across the country for so long, he was going to be able to enjoy any free time he had in Seattle. He planned to spend as much time as he could with his family before the kids grew up too quickly. Maybe he'd even get to go fishing, which he hadn't had time to do in a while. He decided to make some quick phone calls before his short trip to Washington DC.

"Hey, Amy. I'm on the ferry. Seattle looks so beautiful from here. I forgot to tell you that I put some notes on your desk for the new case coming in today. We're gonna be an unstoppable neuro team when I get back from DC! I'm really looking forward to being back home for good. Anyway, I'll see you in a few days. Love ya, sis."

"Meredith, hi, I'm on the ferry. I didn't get to talk to you before I left this morning so I just thought I'd call and say good morning. Sometimes I forget how much I love ferryboats, but when the weather is as perfect as it is today I can't imagine any place I'd rather be. Except home with you! I can't wait to get back from DC and spend all my free time with you and the kids. I'll call you tonight. Have a great day. I love you."