A/N: Thank you to everyone who has continued to support me and this story. I am very grateful. A special thanks to Kate and Leah - you have kept me positive when I have felt like giving up. So again a very big thank you. I hope you enjoy this last chapter. It is a little sugary and sweet!
Chapter 15 – Goodbye
Set 35 years from the end of Season 10
"Lucas?"
"Hey sis." Lucas replied.
"Smells great in here, what are you cooking?" Matilda asked.
"I thought the old man might be a little down after seeing Aunt Meredith today so I thought I would cook for him."
"You are sweet. Anyone ever tell you that?"
"Absolutely not! My staff at the restaurant all think I'm a Nazi." Lucas laughed as his sister came and gave him a hug.
"So what are you cooking?"
"Well I was going to try out some new recipes I am working on at the moment and then thought dad's palate isn't sophisticated enough for that..."
"Luke! That isn't very nice." Luke glared at Matilda telling her to try and argue the point. Matilda knew she couldn't. "Okay Okay your right. I mean dad's idea of fine dining is lasagne from Emilio's restaurant." She said giggling a little. Her oldest brother had always been good at making her laugh, even if this was at their father's expense.
"My point exactly. Anyway I'm making his favourite risotto and a salad, I even bought beer, which I know I know, mom will have a fit over but surely she can look the other way tonight. He will want a beer"
"Poor dad. I'm sure mom will need one too. " Matilda sighed.
"Poor dad what?" Ryder the baby of the family asked as he walked into the kitchen.
"Rye, what are you doing here?" Matilda screeched as she ran into her baby brother's arms.
"Mom called and told me about Aunt Meredith thought I had better check on the old man. Looks like we all got the same phone call."
"So you managed to get time off from the hospital?" Lucas asked.
"Yeah just tonight. Looks like wonder boy is showing us up again sis." Ryder said to Matilda, while smirking at his older brother who he secretly idolized.
"Hey if it wasn't for me, we all would have serious health issues, due to the diet of fast food, mom and dad would have provided. I had to learn to cook."
"Yeah well it doesn't help that you make us look bad." Matilda chimed in.
"Hey! What's going on?" Alex yelled as he walked into his kitchen. "I thought you three had moved out years ago." Alex continued.
"Daddy." Matilda chastised as she went over to give him a hug.
"Just because you call me daddy, don't think you can get your own way Tilda."
"Why not? It's worked so well for her for Thirty two years." Lucas said under his breath.
"Hey smart ass I have my hearing aids in I heard that Luke." Alex said to Lucas. "And don't think you will get away with it either Rye, why aren't you at the hospital? You are an Intern, you need to be there." Alex said to Ryder, giving out the same discipline to all of his children.
"Alex! Stop it. The kids just wanted to check on you. There is no need to take your bad mood out on them." Jo said.
"Sorry. It's been a rough day." Alex said to all of them. "What are you cooking?" He said walking over to the stove, putting his arm around Lucas to reassure him that he wasn't really angry with him.
"Just Chicken and Mushroom risotto dad, didn't think you would want anything too fancy."
"You're right. It's my favourite. Thanks son."
The Karev family all began talking at once and Alex couldn't help but smile. He was really happy that his children loved him enough to care about what he had been through today. He was so proud of all of them, even if at times he still found it hard to tell or show them how he felt.
Lucas their oldest was a Chef. He owned his own Restaurant and was constantly being awarded for his contemporary menus. He had just celebrated his thirty fifth birthday, and was too busy playing the field to have a serious relationship. It still amazed both he and Jo that Lucas had always had such an interest in food. Neither Jo nor Alex was surprised or disappointed when he said he wanted to be a chef.
Matilda was thirty two and was a Social Worker. Alex was happy that his baby girl wanted to fight the good fight for people who were unable to do so for themselves. Jo wasn't as convinced. Their daughter tended to bend the rules a lot and got herself into trouble because of that. But then again that was Alex and Jo all over so she couldn't really say much. Matilda had recently become engaged to a man she had been working with and was happy.
Ryder at twenty eight had just started his Internship at Grey Sloan memorial hospital. Even though his parents were both surgeons he had never felt the pressure to go into Medicine. Neither Alex nor Jo pushed that onto any of their children. They were very proud of him though just as they were all of their children. Ryder was enjoying his Internship so far and had been dating Lucy Robbins Torres since their last year in Medical School. As the baby of the family he was the last one to move out.
After Lucas had finished cooking dinner and served it, everyone was now ready to hear about how the trip to the nursing home went.
"It was one of the hardest things I have had to do. I promised Mer when she got Alzheimer's that when things were so bad for her that she didn't know me anymore I would stop visiting. That was her wish."
"I know dad. That's great that she could count on you for that." Ryder commented.
"Maybe. I still feel as though I'm letting her down. With Derek gone now, I always felt responsible, I mean other than you guys, she is my family."
"Dad, you did what she wanted. You respected her wishes. That's what best friends do. That's a good thing." Matilda tried to re assure him.
"Tilda is right. This was about what Aunt Meredith wanted, not anybody else. You put her wishes before your own. That takes a lot, very selfless act pop. We are all proud of you." Lucas added.
"Thanks kids. Anyway after my last visit, your mother and I talked about it. Meredith didn't know me anymore, she didn't. I tried everything; I had our Intern photo, photos of us at my wedding, at Zola's christening, at Derek's fiftieth birthday party. Nothing. So after your mother and I talked." Alex said taking Jo's hand in his for the strength to go on. "We decided our next visit would be the last. I spoke with Zola and Bailey and they understood and agreed that it was what their mother had wanted. I just..."
"Daddy. I'm so sorry." Matilda said taking his other hand and squeezing it."
"I know pumpkin." He said kissing his daughters forehead.
After the children had left Jo and Alex sat in the living room and talked about how lucky they were, to have had the life they had had. At seventy they had lived a good life. Alex had to wear hearing aids, and had a hip replacement, but other than that he was fit and healthy.
Jo also was in pretty good shape. She had to wear glasses all the time, had her hair coloured to hide the grey and had to have an emergency hysterectomy after Ryder was born. At sixty five both she and Alex were now retired. Having done that four years earlier. They took vacations with Meredith and Derek before Meredith's condition got too bad and before Derek passed away from a massive heart attack two years ago. They also visited Cristina in London where she had been working for the past twenty years.
"Where has all the time gone?" Jo asked quietly, later that night when they were in bed.
"I don't know. It doesn't feel like that long ago you told me you were pregnant with Luke."
"I look back now, and I am still amazed at how we got through all of that."
"Any regrets?" Alex asked as he turned to look at Jo.
"No. Only that we wasted so much time. But then again maybe if we hadn't of struggled and fought so hard to be together we wouldn't be the people we grew up to be."
"That is very profound Mrs Karev." Alex said lightly kissing her cheek.
"Well I am a very wise woman." Jo chuckled lightly.
"No arguments from me." Alex said grinning at her like he had done all of their life.
"We did a good job with our kids didn't we?"
"Yeah, we did. I am so proud of each of them."
"I do love you Alex and I am so happy."
"I love you too."
"Goodnight. Don't forget we have the Yoga class tomorrow."
"Crap I was hoping you would forget about that. I don't see why I have to twist my body into those positions. It can't possibly help."
"Well it helps keep our bodies in shape. Besides you had three beers tonight." Jo said as she moved further down the bed and laid her head on Alex's chest.
"I hate getting old." He muttered as he hugged her closer.
"Mmm but its great getting old together." She whispered.
"Can't argue with that I suppose." Alex laughed a little.
Alex and Jo spent the night, sleeping wrapped in the safety of each other.
A/N: Thanks for reading. Reviews are really appreciated.