Everly rushed to the front door, "Uncle Leo!"

"Hi Ev," Leo crouched to hug the little girl, "you grew!"

"She always does," Allison smiled.

"You look like a soldier," Everly giggled at her uncle.

"I am," Leo replied.

"You look like mom and dad," Allison replied, "in uniform. Leo are you sure?"

"I am," Leo replied, "mom, dad and nana."

"Chris," Allison added.

"So internship," Leo asked.

"Not bad," Allison replied, "it's a lot and I don't get enough time with my family and I miss my days at home with Ev. I'm not home enough. I miss too much. Army life?"

"Too many rules, not enough women," Leo replied.

"You chose the army," Asher added.

"I did," Leo replied, "but the surgeries are cool."

"No gory details in front of Ev," Asher cut Leo off.

"Like she doesn't hear from Allie," Leo laughed.

"We will talk about the OR after my daughter is in bed," Allison promised.

"You okay princess," Leo asked as the girl sat back in her chair.

"I prefer my chair," Everly replied.

'So do we get to go on an adventure," Leo asked.

"Chair friendly," Allison questioned.

"Of course," Leo replied, "how about the airplane museum?"

"No thank you," Everly replied, "can we go to the art lab at the art museum?"

"We can," Leo replied.

"When," Everly asked.

"That's up to your mom and dad," Leo replied, "I want to go today. I stopped at home and said hi to Charlie and the cats then came here but I have a change of clothes in the car."

"When your room is clean," Allison replied, "the sooner it's done the sooner you can go."

Everly rushed to tidy her room with Leo following.

"Leo, she needs to do it herself," Allison called after them.

"Really Allie," Leo asked.

"Really," Asher replied, "Everly dumped out all her toys. Everly can clean it up."

"I'll help," Leo said, "I want to."

'Leo, she has to learn," Allison replied.

"She will but I can help," Leo replied, "come on Ev."

Once Leo and Everly headed out in Teddy's car for an adventure Allison flopped on the couch with a sigh.

"What are you thinking about," Asher asked.

"I'm switching specialties," Allison replied.

"To,' Asher questioned.

"Pediatrics," Allison replied, "I'm going to be a paediatrician."

"What happened at work now," Asher asked.

"Nothing at work," Allison replied, "it's just not fair to Ev."

"Allie, it's not a good reason to give up on your dream," Asher replied, "we got through college and med school."

"But she's not doing well Ash," Allison complained, "she regressed."

"She's doing well at school, her report card was fabulous, she has friends and loves going to school," Asher assured, "is it her about her chair?"

"Ya," Allison replied.

"She made a choice and used her voice to tell us what works for her body," Asher replied, "you've wanted that for her her whole life. You just don't like her choice."

"But would she be if I was around more," Allison asked.

"No," Asher assured, "she's had an adjustment to the new schedule and you working. You've always been available and in school in her mind dad works and mom goes to school. We've shuffled how she sees us and you going from student to doctor is a big switch."

"But Joshua didn't when Eden started working or Taylor with Carmen," Allison argued.

"The kids were younger," Asher replied, "Allie we agreed you would give it the full year before making a final decision it's only 6 months in. Yes it's been an adjustment but long term I think it's good for all of us. You would always wonder what if. Give it a year, decide in June after your exam. You're over worked right now and need rest. Let Leo have his time with Ev and you and I can have some time."

"We haven't had just us time in ages," Allison agreed.

"We haven't,' Asher agreed.

"One night when she's at a sleepover I should sneak you into an on call room," Allison giggled.

"What happens in those," Asher asked.

"Well other interns and residents use them for…" Allison laughed.

"Oh I will have to come see you on a night shift," Asher agreed, "but I can't if you drop out of surgery. Allie stick with it. You have to finish this year. They say every year gets better."

"It's not about me and you and I," Allison said, "it's about Everly. Ash she needs me more than I need to be a surgeon."

"Allie you've given up so much for Ev and I," Asher said, "we can do this for you. I want you to do this. You need to do this. Allie you will live with the what ifs for ever if you don't see it through. At least finish the year."

"I'll try," Allison replied, 'but if Ev doesn't do better I don't know if I can do this to her."

"Allison she will be okay,' Asher said, 'she's going to more playdates and parties than ever, she's happy at school and her activities."

"But I'm missing so much," Allison groaned.

"60 hour weeks are a lot," Asher agreed, "the 24s are long."

"They are," Allison said, "and the nights. When she was younger and tiny nights would have been manageable because I would have had days with her. But I don't get time with her when I'm 6pm to 8am."

"I know it's hard," Asher agreed, 'and you're missing being home and being a family. What if I bring her by to see you on nights for a bit?"

"We can try," Allison agreed, "but it's hard to let her go and see her grow up."

"It is," Asher said.

"We've all grown up together as our family," Allison said, "I feel guilty."

"Allie you don't get to feel bad about this," Asher said, "you are following your dreams."

"I'm finally making some money," Allison replied, "I finally have a grown up income."

"You are," Asher agreed, "we're not stressing and fighting about money."

"We have the mortgage and my student loan but it's not bad," Allison replied, "we could owe a lot more for med school than we do. We were lucky that way."

"It's only really your last year and a bit when you were doing clinicals with crazy hours and couldn't work," Asher replied.

"And travelling to conferences," Allison replied.

'We paid your flights and food," Asher replied, "you mooched rooms off your family."

"If they were going, why not stay if Grey Sloan was paying," Allison asked.

"I agree," Asher replied.

'We paid for some meals or if I went with Annie," Allison replied, "mom and dad fed me. I ate the free food at conference events."

"Allie see it though. Stay with surgery," Asher said circling back to the important topic.

"You won't hate me," Allison asked.

"No," Asher assured, "Allie don't hold your self back for me and your perception of my ego. Allison I want you to do this. You need to do this for you. You've put so much of what you need to do aside for me and Ev that you have to do this. If you don't you'll regret it for ever and I won't stand in your way."

"Everly," Allison said, 'and we want more kids when I'm a couple years into residency."

"We can do it," Asher assured, "Allie we can have it all. We will have it all. I love you and I am going to do this with you. We will do it together."

"Can we," Allison asked.

"We can," Asher promised, "we will."

"Everly," Allison asked.

"Is fine," Asher assured, "we knew that her chair was an option for her. If she wants to use it for now its her choice. Let Everly have her voice. We've decided for her up to now."

"I know it's hard to let go,' Allison replied, "but she's using her voice and choosing for her body."

"She is. Allie let it go," Asher replied, "we're not giving up on physio or her having the skill but if she's going to be happier."

"I know," Allison replied, "I just don't want her being bullied."

"We'll deal with that when it becomes a problem," Asher said, "no worst case scenarios."

"I'm trying," Allison replied, 'I just want her to be happy.'

"She's with her favourite uncle she's having a good day," Asher replied.

"She is," Allison replied, "Leo's sent me pictures and suggested we meet them for dinner."

"We should," Asher replied, "what is he suggesting?"

"Everly wants chinese," Allison replied.

"Let's go meet them," Asher agreed.

That night Teddy and Owen along with Annie, Josh, Ellie and Heather joined the younger group for dinner, they hadn't been together in a long time. Teddy smiled listening to how animated Allison, Leo and Ellie were talking about med school. She knew Allison had been struggling with the time residency took but was going to see where she could help with the scheduling to make it easier on Allison.

"You okay," Teddy asked as her and Allison walked out of the restaurant after dinner.

"Trying to be," Allison replied, "how did you not feel guilty about working the way we do when Leo and I were younger?"

"I was an attending then chief," Teddy replied, "I took time when I needed it. If you had a school thing I didn't schedule surgeries only clinic and made sure I left on time. I did paperwork after bed time."

"I just don't get enough time with my family," Allison sighed, "I can't be the same parent I was before residency. I feel like I get less time with Ev and that I'm not as present for her."

"You are very present when you're with her," Teddy replied, 'you have always been a very attentive parent and your daughter feels safe and loved with you. Allie this year is hard, being an intern is designed to be tough, it should be hard, you should be asking your self the hard questions. This is where you are supposed to be."

Allison replied, " Leo doesn't question."

"Leo only has Leo to worry about," Teddy replied, "you can do this. Allie, trust that Ev is okay, that Asher is okay. You two have something I didn't have until my 40s and you found it at 17. Yes you've worked for it and you two have worked hard but it's right."

"I don't want to let Ev down," Allison replied, "to teach her that my job is more important than her."

"You're not teaching her that," Teddy replied, "and I'm sure dad and I sometimes gave you the impression our patients came first. And you're trying to avoid that with Everly. You are okay baby girl. You are doing well. You are working under the new system and 60 hour weeks rather than the 80s Annie did or the 100s dad and I did. Yes it's a lot more hours than Asher works."

"He's done 60 before when we were younger and totally broke," Allison answered, "and he still does when needed. Theres weeks we both work 60+ hours.'

"Don't go over your 60," Teddy cautioned, "you can say no at 60 only go over if it's something that interests you and you want to learn it."

"I try," Allison replied, 'when I go over it's because I get caught in the OR and a surgery runs long. I have ortho next and I might take some extra hours because that's what I want to specialise in."

'Talk to Asher,' Teddy replied, "you can make it work and you don't have to feel guilty. Get through internship and it'll calm down."

"I'm trying," Allison replied.

"Your doing more than trying," Teddy replied, 'but go hang out with Leo."

"I will he's spending the night on our couch," Allison replied.