Thank you for all the reviews.

I literally had just started typing this when I got a text that my best friend was having her baby so I abandoned writing that day and went to be with her and meet my new little 'niece'.

Also, happy (belated) holidays. I know where I'm going with Blindsided and Be with You, it's just that the words for this story just keep coming at me.

I think what I'm going to do is go month by month with every other chapter. Even chapters will be in Seattle, the odd in Los Angeles until MerDer are back together.

Thirty days. That is how long Meredith Grey has been in hiding just seventeen hours south of everyone she knew. Her phone was always going off with phone calls or texts. She figured they had reached out via email, so she hadn't even logged onto her account since before Derek went missing. Their persistence of talking to her was really just pissing her off. So much that she went out and bought a new phone with a completely different number that only those in California had. Her original phone however remained untouched and uncharged so that the battery would die out.

Addison had been a Godsend to her. In the days following her arrival in Los Angeles, Addison had helped her find a rental home near her own house, and got Meredith a position at Seaside Wellness. Not only did she help Meredith get set up in her new life, she kept to her word and kept a close eye on Meredith.

When Addison had given Meredith her first check-up for her third pregnancy, Meredith had told Addison about the difficulties she had during her previous pregnancies; miscarriage, hostile uterus, the c-section that resulted in her fourth near-death experience and all. At that point, the neonatal surgeon decided that she would help the younger woman get her baby into the world safely, no matter what it took.

Meredith Grey had been graciously welcomed into the office by the other doctors. She worked alongside Sam in general medicine. She worried at first about being the outcast, not knowing anyone, not knowing if Addison had told them back when she first arrived years ago who Meredith Grey was to her, unsure if she really made the right choice for her and her children. For the first week in LA, Meredith was sure that she had made the biggest mistake of her life by up and moving to California without a word to anyone.

By week two, she and Addison had formed an oddly close bond, and Bailey and Zola got along great with Henry. Meredith was beginning to feel comfortable in her new environment. And that was the week that her phone really started going off with text after text, call after call. It was maddening, really, which led to Meredith's resolution of getting a new phone.

Addison had helped Meredith get a house on the beach, just four down from her own. It was a decent price that Meredith was willing to pay to get out of that damn hotel room. When she had decided to leave Seattle, Meredith knew she would need cash, but she also knew that if they thought hard enough, they would find a way to track her down if she used any of her accounts, so she was thankful that she and Derek had started the 'rainy day' jar of money. No one else knew about it, and it was enough to buy tickets to LA. Living expenses, though came from accounts that she had set aside for the kids, or for dire emergencies.

Yes, she felt bad about taking the money from her kids, but she would have to just start doubling what she puts in each month. It's not like they would know anyway

The house that Addison had found for her was two stories with three bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, a finished basement and garage. It was what Meredith called a steal. Not only was it a beautiful home, but it was right on the beach and Meredith only had to pay two thousand five hundred each month, which, in Meredith's opinion was a great price for one: being on the beach, two: the size of the house, and three: just the fact that there is a place so cheap to rent in Los Angeles.

One day, there was a pause in patients, and Meredith had more free time than she would have liked to have, so she decided to write Alex a letter.

Alex,

I'm okay, the kids are okay. We are all safe and in touch with an old friend of mine. I know everyone has been trying to reach me, but I just want time to myself and the kids for a while. I'm saving you the trouble of digging further than you already have by letting you know that I have changed my number because the amount of times people from Seattle had tried to contact me was ridiculous. My email remains unopened since before Derek died. There isn't going to be a return address on the envelope because I do not need you or anyone else flying out to where I am before I'm ready for it.

Tell Amy she can stay in the house and that I'm sorry for leaving her without any family.

Tell Maggie I'm sorry for just up and leaving her.

Tell Richard and Bailey that the three of us are safe.

And remind yourself that you guys did nothing wrong, this was all on me. Alex, I didn't leave you forever. I will be back eventually. And…if you happen to go to Derek's grave at any time or even Amelia or Maggie…can you ask them to leave lavender flowers at the grave? If Derek's is watching, he'll understand.

You're my best friend, Alex. And I want you to know that everything you have ever done for me is greatly appreciated. And I love you.

Meredith.

It took her three weeks to send that letter, but when she finally did, she felt as if a weight was lifted off her shoulders. Meredith was satisfied in knowing that she could at least try to ease some of their worries by writing this one letter to Alex. But she decided then and there that the letter she was sending would be her last form of contact for a while. She definitely didn't need them to find her, not when she was just getting settled in Los Angeles.

Super weird chapter, IMO. It's a filler, that's for sure. I've just been so occupied with that cute little baby that I couldn't fully focus on writing for a few days. But I'm back.