"Finn, relax. Quit fidgeting." Tessa smoothed her hand over her husband's arm, trying to soothe him.

Finn snorted. "I'd relax if your dad didn't still act like I stole you out from his arms every time he sees me. We've been married for two bloody years."

Tessa smiled and pressed a kiss to his freshly shaven cheek as they climbed the last two steps up to her childhood home. "I know it's not fair. I've tried talking to him about it, but he refuses to budge. He says it's because I'm his little girl. I'll try again though." The sigh the followed her reassurance was heavy and Finn hurried to retract his complaint.

"No, I don't want you to stress yourself out. I know it gets your blood pressure all high when we argue so I'll be on my best behavior for you." His large hands wrapped around her waist on the doorstep, pulling her in for a loving kiss. Tessa melted into his embrace, feeling a warm gush of adoration fill up her heart. In front of them, they belatedly realized the door was opening. The sound of someone clearing their throat made them tug apart. An 11 year old Maddie stood there, smirking.

"Merry Christmas, lovebirds."

Tessa strode forward and pressed a loud kiss on the top of her head. "Hey, munchkin. Who's all here?" Finn followed behind, pulling Maddie into his chest.

The pre-teen squirmed out of his arms good-naturedly. "Just because my gross sister likes it, doesn't mean I do, Finn."

Tessa hung up her coat before striding into the kitchen. Her mother stood behind the counter, cheek covered in flour and a more concentrated frown then when she performed surgery. Amelia and Arizona were manning the oven. "Hello?"

All three heads popped up at the sound of her voice. A giant grin grew on her mother's face as she raced to hug her. "Tessa! I was afraid you weren't going to make it! Merry Christmas!"

Mumbling into her mother's shoulder, Tessa answered. "I know; I'm sorry. Woke up late this morning."

Addison held her back from her shoulders, looking her up and down. Something was off. She couldn't see it; her daughter looked perfectly normal in her maroon sweater and black high- waisted skirt. Something was off. Her hands moved to cup her cheeks, making Tessa's green eyes meet in surprise.

"What are you doing?"

The red head didn't say a word, just continued to study her daughter. Finally, she spoke. "Something's up with you."

"I don't know what you're talking about." The young woman pushed her mother's hands off her cheeks and spun to greet her aunt.

"Hey, Amelia. How are you?" The petite brunette dusted her hands off on her jeans before giving her a squeeze.

"I'm good, except your little cousins are surely trying to kill me. They woke us up at five a.m."

"How's Charlie?"

Amelia smiled at the mention of her newest baby. Charlotte Evelyn Shepherd Hunt was born four months ago, joining her older brother, Oliver. While Ollie was a carbon copy of his father, little Miss Charlotte was a Shepherd through and through. "She's great. Actually, Ollie woke all of us up, Charlie included. She adores her big brother, but not after he wakes her up-loudly. She's upstairs taking a nap."

"Well she needs to wake up. I want to say hi," Tessa called as moved to hug Arizona as well. "Hey, Zona. Do you have Sofia today?"

"Yeah, she's here. I think she's in your room with Zola."

Tessa rolled her eyes in mock annoyance. "Who else is here?"

Addison counted off her guests on her fingers. "Callie should be here later, Meredith and Zola, of course Amelia and Owen, you and Finn, Alex and Jo with Logan, and I think April and Jackson said they were coming by. Bailey and Ben said they couldn't make it so it's relatively a small party today."

"Oh, yeah practically tiny." Tessa smirked as she popped a marshmallow from the sweet potatoes in her mouth, dodging her mother's swatting hand. "So why are the teenagers in my room?"

Amelia snorted. "Such disdain in your voice considering you were a teenager not too long ago."

"Almost a decade ago, thank you. God, that makes feel old. And if it makes me feel old, you guys must feel ancient."

"Hmm, and if you keep talking like that you won't know what being ancient feels even feels like."

"Ha ha. I'm going to go say hi to everyone else." Tessa moved from the kitchen to the living room, where all the rest of her family gathered. Meredith jumped up from the ottoman to hug her.

"There she is! God, I feel like I haven't seen you in years. Where have you been?"

Tessa laughed as pulled away and sat on the arm of the couch next to her husband. "Well, most recently, we were in Guatemala. But, you're right. It has been a while. How's Zola?"

Meredith's face fell and she rolled her eyes. "She is a teenager. An angst filled, pink stripe in her hair teenager. Honestly she's just like I was and it makes me want to apologize anyone who knew me as a teenager."

"Hey. Where's my hug?" A gruff voice called from the other side of the room over the Christmas music filling the house. Alex stood near Jackson, who had appeared after all. April had already cornered Arizona in the kitchen. Tessa grinned broadly as she hurried to her friend.

"Since when have you ever asked for a hug from me?"

"Since when have you never volunteered to give me one?"

Tessa rolled her eyes after he released her. "And here I thought becoming a father would make you more mature. How wrong I was."

Alex puffed out his chest importantly. "Hey, I was already plenty mature; if anything, playing with a toddler all day has made it worse."

"You love it."

"That's very true. My little man's the best. He's out playing with Ollie."

Finn called out to her from his seat on the couch. "Tess, how many villages did we visit last month?"

She quirked her eyebrow at the strange question. "Uh, I don't know. Maybe eight or nine? Why?"

"Your dad wanted statistics, to see if we still needed to save the world."

A round of footsteps pounding down the stairs sounded, and everyone glanced upwards as Sofia, Zola, and Maddie arrived at the foot of the stairs. An old paper was gripped tightly in Maddie's fist, tight enough to have left permanent crinkles in the paper. Confusion was written all over her face as she sought after Tessa. When she caught sight of her sister, she suddenly looked relieved.

"Tessa, I found this newspaper in a box under your bed. It says something about-" She paused as she lifted the paper to read the title-"About famous Seattle surgeons' daughter being found. It has a picture of Mom and Dad. You went missing?"

Tessa sucked in a breath as she glanced at everyone in the room. Her father was pale, eyes glued to his youngest. Of course, everyone besides the three girls knew exactly what she had found; a time they hadn't thought about in years. Tessa finally spoke, but Maddie didn't get her answer.

"Mom? Could you come in here for a moment?"

Addison appeared a moment later, looking annoyed. "Tessa, I'm busy cooking; I don't have time to break up an argument between-" She drifted off as she read the tension in the room. "What's going on?"

Tessa nodded towards her sister. "Maddie found the box."

Her mother's hand flew to her mouth in shock, her green eyes wide. "Oh."

Maddie looked furiously between her mother and sister. "What is going on? Someone tell me!"

Meredith cleared her throat. "I'll uh, take over the cooking with Amelia and Arizona if you guys need a moment. Come on, to the kitchen everyone." The blonde herded the small party into the kitchen.

Addison cleared her throat before glancing at her husband. Derek shrugged helplessly, as if to say, we knew this day was coming. "Honey, why don't you come sit down?"

Maddie nodded before moving to the couch, sitting between her parents. Tessa came to sit on the ottoman, opposite the rest of her family. She sighed, rubbing her hands up and down her arms. She could feel her sister's eyes on her, imploring her to explain.

"Tessa? You're scaring me."

The young woman winced. "I know. I'm sorry. It's just- this something I haven't thought about in a very long time, and I'm trying to find a delicate way to tell you."

The little red head raised her chin defiantly. "You don't have to be delicate for my benefit. I can handle it."

Tessa chuckled humorlessly. She couldn't help it; Maddie sounded just like her. "Mads, trust me. You want me to sugarcoat. If someone told me this, I'd want them to sugarcoat and it happened to me," Before continuing, she ran her fingers through her curls, remembering last moment that her bangs were pulled back with a clip. "Do you remember when you were younger and I would have nightmares?"

Maddie nodded, still looking puzzled. "Yeah. You told me they happened when you were stressed."

"That's right. And that's still true. I have awful nightmares when I'm extremely stressed, even to this day. But, I always dream the same thing."

"What?"

"I dream about the man who kidnapped me."

Maddie didn't react in the way she thought she would. Her face didn't change, nor did she speak. Her face paled, but that was all. Tessa glanced at her parents and winced as she noticed tears growing in her mother's eyes.

Finally ,Maddie spoke. "You were kidnapped? When? I don't remember that." She said it as if because she had no memory of it happening, her family must have been lying, that her sister had never been stolen.

"Before you were born, when I was fifteen."

"But how?"

This was the question she was afraid of. The last time she'd told her story, it had been to Finn and he had immediately pulled her into his chest and made the memories dissipate. Looking down at her wedding ring, she began.

"One day, during the summer I went to the hospital to visit Mom and Dad. Before I got to either of them, a man took me and drugged me. He drove me to this cabin in the woods and left me in the basement to wake up after the drugs had worn off." She had purposely left out the part where he raped her; no need to further horrify her innocent sister.

"When I woke up, I wasn't alone. There was another girl he had stolen there. Her name-" Tessa broke off, her throat suddenly full. She hadn't allowed herself to think about her friend in a long time. "Her name was Violet, and she helped me more than anyone ever has. She protected me the best she could."

"What did you need protecting from?" Horror had seeped into Maddie's features, distorting her face.

Tessa again looked to her parents, looking to them for help. Her father only looked back at her helplessly, blue eyes damp and heavy. Her mother had her arm wrapped around Maddie's shoulder, looking just as tortured as her daughter.

"The man who took me, he hurt me. Badly."

"How?"

An almost forgotten but still familiar pain coursed through her. She most certainly didn't want to talk about it. But, her sister deserved answers. After all, these horrid events had indirectly led to her creation.

"I won't go into details. He starved me, beat me. Forced me to do things I didn't want to do."

Maddie's face twisted in disgust. "He- he raped you?!" She breathed in disbelief.

"How do know about that?"

Now the girl looked offended. "I'm not a child, Tessa. I'm not as naïve as you think. You don't need to baby me."

"I'll keep that in mind." A lie, of course. No matter how long she lived, her sister would always be that tiny little baby girl with scraps of red hair clinging to her tiny head.

"It took me four months to finally escape, and it almost cost me my life. It did cost Violet's life. She died of complications from trying to save us."

Maddie turned now to her mother, her pale, teary mother. "I don' t understand. Why am I just now hearing about this? Any of this?"

"That's my doing. I made everyone who knew to not tell you."

Maddie attention flashed back to her sister. Outrage colored her cheeks. "Why?"

Tessa met her angry blue eyes dead on, fully expecting her anger. "Because I was trying to protect you."

"That's not your job!"

"Yes it is. Whether you like it not, I'll protect you for the rest of my life. I'd die for you and not question it. Maddie, you don't understand how messed up I was when I came home. I couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, I jumped at every shadow and trusted no one. I did my best to fix myself before you were born to make sure you never were affected by it."

Still, Maddie didn't look convinced. "So you hid a major part of your life from me?!"

All of the sudden, a burning fire filled her veins and Tessa got to her feet. Her sister had no right to make her feel bad about hiding this from her. She would never regret it.

"You can be angry at me for this all you want, but I don't regret it. That was one of the darkest times in this family's lives and perhaps besides sparing your feelings, I was sparing everyone else's- including mine- for not having to relive it!"

The eleven-year-old's eyes filled with tears as her sister's voice rose. "I can't believe you would do this to me. I hate you!" she leapt from the couch and flew up the stairs. Tessa sat down heavily as the door slammed, her head falling into her palms. She tensed when she felt a pair of strong arms around her, but relaxed when recognized the aftershave Finn put on this morning. She turned into his embrace, tears soaking his freshly pressed dark green shirt.

"Shh, you're okay."

Addison wilted into her husband's arms, much like her daughter had. She had seen the young man come in at the sound of Tessa's raised voice and as soon as Maddie had fled the room, swooped in to comfort her before either of her parents could. It felt odd to sit there and watch her child seek the comfort she'd always been able to provide from someone else. A foreign itch she'd never felt before her daughter got married.

Finn gently pulled back, keeping one arm wrapped around his wife's shoulder. He reached for the glass of water he'd left on the table and brought to Tessa. "Here, you need to keep hydrated. You haven't had any water today."

Tessa looked up at him with wide red eyes, and took the glass quickly. She gulped it down quickly, keeping her eyes on his. "Th-thank you. I'd forgotten."

Finn's smile was warm and filled with adoration as he wiped a stray tear off her cheek. "I know. You just can't let yourself get dehydrated. You'll have to watch yourself more at work. And listen, she just needs time to process. She's not really upset you didn't tell her; she's upset because something horrid happened to her beloved sister and she's never had time to process it. Just give her time."

Tessa nodded as her sweet husband pressed to her temple and disappeared back towards the kitchen. She looked miserably towards her parents and asked barely above a whisper, "He's right, right? I know I did the right thing with all of this."

Her mother nodded definitively. "Yes. I know it was a long time ago and different when she was just a baby and you- we wanted to protect her. Even now I think she's too young to know. Then again, I think if she found out later, this would've been much worse."

The young woman nodded in agreement before her resolve crumpled again. Tears sprang up in her green eyes. "I don't think I can talk to her right now. But I know I need to."

Her father nodded before releasing his wife and scooped his oldest daughter into his arms. "You did well, Tess. I'm very proud of you. I always am, but you handled this better than I could've ever imagined. Just give her some time."

Tessa smiled weakly at him as he released her. She got up from her perch and went quietly up the stairs. She tiptoed past her sister's room straight into her mother's. Lying on the middle of the bed was Charlie, now just coming to from her nap. She wriggled, her little arms waving in the air. Despite herself, Tessa smiled and moved towards the baby. She scooped her up, cradling her against her chest. "Hello, Charlotte. I'm afraid we've never had the opportunity to meet. I'm your big cousin, Tessa. You might confuse me with your mom sometimes because we look just alike. But she's much better than I am, and she loves you very much. She's a great mommy, you and your brother Ollie are very lucky. She's one of my favorite people on Earth." The baby frowned at the sound of her voice, her pudgy fingers reaching for Tessa's moving lips.

Tessa studied the little girl closely. There was no denying that the little girl was a Shepherd; with her dark hair and blue, blue eyes there was no denying her lineage. The only sign she was Owen's daughter was the girl's nose and mouth. That was all Hunt. Tessa stroked the infant's nose, making her giggle. Both Shepherd girls looked up at the sound of a well loved but unexpected voice.

"I thought I might find you in here." Amelia stood at the door, gazing fondly at her two girls. She came to the edge of the bed and perched there next to her niece, reaching for her daughter. Tessa passed her into her awaiting arms, smiling at the baby all the while.

"She just woke up when I came in. I was bragging on how wonderful you are."

"What were you really telling my baby?"

Her niece snorted. "That's all. You're still my best friend, even after all these years."

"Oh, am I? And here I thought that strapping young Scotsman in the kitchen had replaced me."

"Nope. Finn may be the love of my life, but nobody can replace you. You and Maddie are my everything."

Amelia smiled at her as she absentmindedly stroked her daughter's cheek. "Oh, yeah? I bet we'll be put on the backburner not too long from now."

Tessa flicked her eyes to her curiously. "What do you mean by that?"

The petite woman rolled her eyes. "Please. I knew from the moment you came in to the kitchen. How far along are you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," When Amelia pursed her lips knowingly at her, Tessa sighed. "Fine. Thirteen weeks today. Don't tell anyone yet, please. Not even Mom knows, though I suspect she has a clue."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

The younger woman shrugged as she moved her hand to her still flat stomach. She'd been ignoring the urges to do so all day. "We didn't know at first. We thought I had a bad bug from something I ate or the water. I took a test- actually quite a few tests- when we got home. Then, I got it confirmed again at the doctor's. I have a special reveal planned."

"Well, I'm incredibly happy for you. God, I can't believe you're pregnant. It seems like just yesterday your mom and dad we're telling me the same thing. Of course I was the fist person they told. Your dad basically said stay away until I was completely clean."

"Finn's been wonderful. Almost too wonderful. Always hovering, making sure I'm eating enough, staying hydrated. It's all remarkably sweet, but a little too much. I can take care of myself, much as he tends to forget."

"Tess, he loves you. Quite madly, I'll add. Owen did the same to me, and your dad did the same to Addie. They know how much we suffer later on so they try to make up for it. Doesn't work, but the thought is always there."

Tessa reached over and cupped Charlie's soft cheek. "I can't wait till I have my own. I never thought I wanted one, especially just after. Now, I see you and Charlie and that's all I want."

"You were great practice."

"I was lucky enough to have a fantastic aunt. I wonder if my child will get to experience the same."

She heard Amelia hum in sympathy as a soft arm went around her shoulders. "Oh kiddo. She'll come around. That little girl idolizes you. I can't tell you how much she adores you. One year, she wanted to dress up like you for Halloween! She just needs you to talk to her, one on one. Now, perhaps. You know, before we're sitting around a table and you two are throwing tension all over the room?"

"Never one to beat around the bush, are you?"

"Never. Go talk to her."

Tessa nodded grimly before getting up slowly. She started towards her sister's room but froze. She turned back towards her aunt and asked, "How did you know?"

"I've never seen you smile so hard and glow so brightly. There's only one reason you could be that happy."

Her niece smiled brightly, taking a moment to ignore the dark clouds hanging over her head to think about the blinding sunshine to follow. She headed down the hallway, pausing outside of her little sister's room. Her hand rose to knock on the door, but she paused when another voice reached her ear. Her mother was in there.

Addison leaned against her youngest daughter's bedroom wall, arms crossed over her chest.

"Madelyn, please talk to me. I know your little head is just zooming with thoughts. Share them."

Her little girl shrugged, wiping away a stray tear. "I'm actively not thinking. In fact I'm trying not to think."

"Okay. Why?"

"Because everything is too much! That was a lot of information to have dumped on me!"

"Information you asked to know." Her mother pointed out. It only made the confused frustration grow.

"Yeah, well… I didn't know what I was asking for."

Addison nodded and felt enough anger diffuse from her daughter for it to be safe for her to take a seat on the bed. "I also believe we told you that as well. I know you feel like we've hidden a major part of our lives from you, and in your eyes we did. But, to us- to Tessa- we were only protecting you from a hurt that she wasn't lucky enough to avoid. She changed so much after she came home. I- I didn't think I would get my sweet girl back. And slowly, she became the Tessa I'd raised, but different. She's still a lot more cautious and cynical. I don't think that will ever change about her."

She stopped, considering if what she planned to say next would truly do more harm than good. "And to be perfectly honest with you, she was absolutely terrified of you."

The little girl looked up, brow furrowed. "Me? Why?"

Throwing her arm around her daughter's shoulder, Addison continued. "Well, it's going to sound silly, but Tess had this thought that she was too damaged to be loved by me and Dad. She was afraid that we would finally see how messed up she was and want another child to replace her. We of course told her that could never happen. And then I found out I was pregnant with you."

Young as she was, Maddie understood perfectly where her mother was going. "She didn't take it very well?"

"Uh, no. She was furious and scared out of her mind. The night we told her she left and moved into Amelia's for two weeks. God, she was so mad at us. It took a really long time for her to trust us and accept that you were coming. It really hurt her."

"You mean I really hurt her." Her blue eyes fell to her folded hands on her lap.

To both of their surprise, a laugh burst out of Addison. Her daughter gazed at her with a mixture of hurt and surprise. The older red head covered her mouth in an attempt to stifle the laughter. "I-I'm sorry, I promise I'm not laughing at you. It's just, that thing you just said about you hurting her sister. It's something she would've said back then. I mean, almost identical. In fact, I think she did say that."

"And that's funny to you because…"

"It's not funny really, it's just- I feel as if I've gone back in time. I feel like I was just having a talk like this with your sister. And no, you did not really hurt her. The idea of another baby scared her. You Madelyn Rose, you she adored."

Maddie suddenly looked terribly torn between believing her mother and the conflicting thoughts still swirling around her mind. "But why didn't you tell me sooner? Why didn't she tell me sooner? It affects me too."

"Sweetheart, you weren't listening to your sister earlier. She wasn't just trying to protect you; she was trying to protect all of us. You can't fathom how much everything changed. Your sister was gone for four months. Four months I didn't know if- at the time- my only child was alive or dead. I couldn't sleep without dreaming about all of these horrible things happening to her. And then she came home, and life was right again. Not completely. Tessa was in the hospital and scared and so hurt physically and mentally hurt I didn't know if I could ever heal her. She kept all that hurt bottled up inside trying to protect her family and that made everything worse. It took a long time for her to realize we were here for her. My baby was broken and we were all broken, too. You made all of that better. Can you really blame us for not wanting to go through all of that again and seeing how much learning all of this hurt you?"

Her youngest child looked away from her, a look of realization crossing her face. "She was really protecting you and Daddy? She was worried about you, because it was so hard the first time."

"Yes, baby. You see, both of my girls were born with hearts about three sizes too big and you feel everything. Tessa always want to absorb the hurt before anyone else can feel it; it's her way of protecting the people she loves. It's what she's always done with you."

Addison watched closely as her girl absorbed all she said. "Do you have any more questions, baby? I'll answer whatever you want."

"Momma?"

It been a few years since her littlest baby had called her 'Momma' and she'd be lying if she said she didn't miss it. She only wished it was reaching her ears under different circumstances.

"What is it, sweetheart?"

"Do you think Tessa thinks I really hate her? I don't. I don't know why I said that."

"Well, baby. I know Tessa loves you more than anyone else on this Earth, and she would lay down her life for you without a second thought to it. I think she knows that you don't mean it. I also think that was a completely awful thing to say to your sister, even if you were upset with her."

Maddie hung her head, shame weighing her down. "I know. I swear I didn't mean it."

The two red heads sighed simultaneously, each for their own reasons. Maddie glanced at her door, as if she knew her sister hung on every word behind it. "Should I apologize?"

"Well, of course you should. But, do you want a few minutes to yourself? So you can think everything over?"

Maddie looked down at her hands. "Yeah, I do. Can I?"

Addison nodded reassuringly. "Absolutely. I'll give you a few minutes. I'll just be downstairs, and if you have any more questions, you can ask me whatever you want."

Tessa heard her mother begin to leave and hurried to hide the fact that she had been listening in. She quickly backed into her own childhood room, pretending to study the pictures hung on the walls. Addison noticed the movement of her oldest daughter, trying her hardest to look nonchalant. "You know, you never were a very good liar. Verbally, at least. And when you're guilty of something, it's blatantly obvious."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh no? So you weren't just listening in on me talking to your sister?"

Her question was met with silence, and Addison chuckled. "I thought so. I don't mind, but I wouldn't let her find out. She's somewhat sensitive about you at the moment."

Tessa crossed her arms over her chest. "I hadn't noticed," She flashed a sideways glance at her mother. "I couldn't really tell how she took it."

The red head nodded as she stepped farther in the room, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "To be honest, I couldn't really tell. I calmed her down, at least. I think this truly is part of our faults. Not because we didn't tell her, but because we've protected her and kept her so sheltered. As much as it made it us feel good, I'm not so sure it was the right thing to do for her. I don't think she fully understands that bad things can happen to anyone."

"She's too sensitive for this world. Her little heart- it feels it all."

Addison nodded. "She does. Come on, give her a few minutes. Let's go back downstairs and join the rest of the awkward party."

Tessa sighed and uncrossed her arms as she followed her mom downstairs. "I'm not really feeling up to a party."

"Hm. Too bad."

Just as her foot landed on the bottom step, Finn whipped out of the kitchen. She automatically grinned when she saw him; she couldn't help it. "Hey."

"Did you talk to her?" Tessa smiled wider as his brogue made the question come out like, did you talk tae her?

"No. Mom was in there I figured it was better coming from her."

Her husband gave her a knowing look. "Really?"

"Ugh, fine. I got scared. I could still hear her saying she hated me, and I chickened out. God, I am an awful big sister."

Finn pulled her into his arms, smoothing his palm over the back of her head. "Of course you're not. She loves you to death, she's just confused. She'll come around. I know it," Moving his lips closer to her ear, he whispered, "And I know what you're thinking: that all of this means you'll be a bad mother. That's impossible. You're a wonderful woman, wife, daughter, sister, and it's a no-brainer that you'll be a fantastic mother."

Against his shoulder, a few tears fell on his shirt. "How do you know me so well?"

"Ah, because contrary to popular belief, you are not that complicated of a person."

The brunette pulled away, wiping away the remnants of tears of her cheek. "Shush, don't give away my secrets."

Tessa smirked and cupped her guy's cheeks adoringly. She leaned in close, her forehead almost touching his and whispered, "I think you'll be a pretty fantastic father yourself."

Finn smiled and whispered back, "Oh, well there was never any doubt about that one."

The loud sound of someone clearing their throat pointedly startled the two apart. Derek stood at the entrance of the kitchen, staring at them with his eyebrows furrowed. Tessa rolled her eyes at his expression. "Yes, Dad?"

"Nothing. Just wondered where you two had gotten off to. Dinner will be ready soon."

Derek turned to leave, but his daughter stopped him. "Dad, can I speak with you for a moment?"

Without waiting for him to respond, Tessa moved around her husband and stalked into the living room. She heard him follow her steps after a moment of hesitation. She crossed her arms across her chest as he skulked in, as if he knew what she wanted to talk about.

"Dad, you've got to stop treating Finn and I like were teenagers sneaking around behind your back. We've been married for two years! And despite how you act when he comes around, you like him- I know you do. I know you feel protective of me because I'm your daughter, but he wouldn't hurt me any sooner than you would. Please, try harder to be nice to him. He feels like he's disappointed you with his career choices, and he gets enough of that from his own family."

Derek had the decency to look ashamed as his daughter scolded him. He looked up as she finished sheepishly. "I didn't realize how obvious I was being. I'm the father in law; I'm supposed be tough on him."

The young woman arched in eyebrow in a frightening copy of her mother. "And since when have you ever been one to stick to stereotypes? Look, nobody's going to take your place. I was lucky enough to get a wonderful dad, and you'll always have a special place in my heart. But Finn has a special place in my heart too, and I hate to see the most important guys in my life fighting. I love him, and I love you. Both of you need to respect that. Finn does. Can you?"

"Yes, of course. And I'm sorry I didn't sooner. I really do like him, and I can see how much he truly loves you. It just feels so weird for me to see you have a life with someone else. It's so strange sometimes. I feel like you're just a visitor in the home you grew up in."

Tessa nodded in agreement. "I feel that too. It's just life, Dad. I may have grown up here, but it's not my home anymore."

"What is?"

His daughter smiled as she glanced at the Gaelic styled wedding Finn had slipped on her finger almost three years ago. The brilliant green emerald caught the light from between two smaller diamonds. "As cheesy as it sounds, wherever Finn is. But, much to both you and Mom's relief, we've found an apartment here in Seattle. We've already moved in. It's home base now. We'll still go off every now and then, but now we have our own place to come home to."

Her father's face spread in an overjoyed grin. "That's great! We've wanted you guys to do it for years! What changed your mind?"

Trying not give away her big secret, Tessa shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, we just realized how impractical we were being. It was just time."

Pulling her into a hug, Derek chuckled softly. "That's great. I'm so proud of the person you are, Tess. You are more than I could ever have hoped for in a daughter."

Feeling her heart warm with his praise, Tessa tightened her arms around her father. "Thank you. I've always tried to make you and Mom proud."

The sound of someone shuffling down the stairs caught their attention. Maddie stood there, cheeks red and eye puffy. She eyed her father and sister warily, as if she expected them to start screaming at her. Derek released his oldest and took a few steps toward the little red head.

"Hey Mads. How are you feeling?" His voice was soft and careful, just as his approach.

His preteen finished the last remaining steps on the stairs, arms crossed defensively. "I'm fine."

"Okay…" Derek glanced sideways at Tessa before clapping his hands together. "I'm just going to see if they need anymore help in the kitchen."

Before either of his daughters could argue, he'd fled the room. Tessa glared daggers at his retreating figure. Coward, she thought bitterly. She looked back at her sister, still standing awkwardly by the banister. Maddie was looking everywhere but her, but she hadn't left. She was waiting for something.

Tessa cleared her throat awkwardly. "Can we- can we talk?"

Maddie shrugged, but moved to the couch. Tessa sat across from her, crossing her legs. "Look, I know a lot of really heavy stuff was dropped on you today, and you probably feel like we've- like I've been lying to you. Maybe I have. But it's not something I regret. I'm sorry it hurt you; I figured it would and I didn't want it to. Just don't let what you know now change how you see me."

The girl looked up at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

"I just want you to still see me as your big sister. That's all I am. Maybe you're still too new to what you've learned to really know what happened. I guess as it sinks in, it'll hit you. Maybe you'll search my name. There's tons of stuff online. That's why I never got any social media besides Snapchat. Maybe you'll find the box of stuff Mom has under her bed and see what it says. Just remember, I'm only your big sister."

Maddie was quiet for a moment, her little eyebrows drawn together in a way Tessa found absolutely adorable. Then she asked, "Are you giving me permission to look into it? After twelve years of hiding it?"

"Okay, first of all, do you think I would've honestly told you when you were any younger? You're acting as if you are much older than you truly are. We're getting off topic here. If you really want to, yes. You can look into my kidnapping."

Maddie finally looked her in the eye. "I'm sorry," She murmured. "I didn't mean to say that I hated you. I don't. I love you."

"I love you, too. Maddie, that was a really, really long time ago. Our family went through the ringer, and I'd do anything to take that time back. Anything to take back the pain I caused everyone. Just- if you have any questions when you start digging, ask me. Don't ask Mom or Dad or Amelia. Let them try to forget."

"What about you?"

"Hmm?"

Tessa rubbed her hands together and Maddie got up to sit next to her. "Why can't you forget?"

With a sigh Tessa answered, "Because it's more of my past than it is theirs. I mean, I know they went through their own personal hell and suffered too, but it was different- very different. I still have nightmares. Sometimes I hear a door slam and my heart races and I can't breathe. Finn's been so good about it. He doesn't say a word, just makes sure I'm okay. There are just some things I'll never forget."

Taking the chance and wrapping her arm around Maddie's shoulder, she continued. "But not all of them are bad. I remember reading you stories my senior year and holding you in one arm and my diploma in the other. I remember coming home from school only for you to take your first steps toward me. I remember the first day you started school and cried because you didn't know that Mom couldn't go with you. All of my good memories from when I was younger are from you. You made it all better."

Maddie nodded. "I know. Mom told me."

Tessa quirked a brow. "Oh did she? Well, she was totally right."

The red head cuddled closer to her side. "Tessa, I'm so sorry. For everything. I'm sorry that I made you tell me, sorry that it upset you and Mom and Dad. And I'm sorry I said I hated you. I could never hate you."

Tessa threw her other arm around her sister, squeezing to her chest tightly. "Good. I don't know what you would do, because I love you so much nothing would change. I'd do this every time I see you and you'd just growl."

"I would not!"

"Yeah you would. You do now. It's okay. It's just part of being a teenager. I still do it, if that makes you feel better."

Maddie chuckled softly. "Sure. Is everything okay now?"

Tucking her finger under her sister's chin, Tessa made Maddie look her in the eye. "Everything's always okay with us. C'mon, I think dinner's ready."

Tessa was right; the rest of the party had already gathered in the dining room. Everyone was searching for the little Santa with their name printed on it, courtesy of Maddie. Derek sat at the head of the table, Tessa on his left and Addison on his right. Maddie sat next to her mother while Finn parked himself next to his wife. Still decked out in her apron, Addison came sweeping in, a large bird in her hands. She set it down on the table with a proud, "Ta da!"

Her family clapped as she disappeared only to reemerge, a bottle of red wine in her hands. Several glasses shot out, each eager to be filled. Tessa sipped the water Finn had brought to the table, even as her mother reached for her glass. Her hand shot out, stopping her. "I'm good, Mom. Thank you."

The red head quirked a brow. "But this is your favorite. I picked it up just for you."

Tessa smiled. "I know. And thank you, but I just don't feel like drinking today."

With narrowed eyes, Addison turned and placed the wine on the kitchen counter. She moved to join her family again, remembering at the last moment to remove her apron. Her family was quiet as they waited her return. Maddie flashed her a small smile as she sat down. Addison bent down slightly and whispered into matching red hair, "Are you okay?"

Her daughter nodded before reaching for the bowl of green beans. "Yeah. I'm okay."

The gentle tapping on a wine glass caught her attention. Derek was standing, glass raised. "I'd like to make a toast to my wonderful wife, Addie, for arranging this delicious looking meal. I'd also like to thank her for putting up with me for 28 years. I don't know I ever lived without you, Ads. You're my soul mate, and I love you. Merry Christmas."

The table collectively raised their glasses and toasted Addison's name as she blushed and ducked her head. "Thank you, Der. I love you too. Thank you for giving me my beautiful girls and the people sitting around this table. Okay, everyone. Dig in! And Tessa, before you say a word about my cooking, Amelia, Arizona, and Callie helped me. I was supervised."

Tessa held her hands up innocently. "I didn't say anything, not even when I was in the kitchen earlier!"

"Fair warning."

Soon, the room was filled with the sound of laughter, talking, and plate scraping. Tessa smiled at her family absently, her mind drifting to the extra high chair that would be next to her next year. It was a thought that made excitement fizz inside her. She was having a baby; by June, she would be a mother. She was making Derek and Addison grandparents, Maddie an aunt, and Finn a dad. And she couldn't wait any longer to tell them.

Tessa sat there, barely picking at her food until everyone else was asking for dessert. She saw her opportunity and she was taking it. Leaning into her husband, she whispered, "I think it's time for another toast."

Clearing her throat as she got to her feet, Tessa raised her water glass. "I just wanted to thank everyone here for allowing me to be a part of this family. It's a weird one, most definitely, with all these different people coming together in the strangest ways. That being said, I wouldn't want it any other way. I was lucky to grow up with it, Maddie was lucky enough to be born into it, and I'm extremely thankful that my child will be able to grow up in it," She looked towards her parents, small smile playing on her lips. "So, Merry Christmas, Grandma and Grandpa!" With that, she lifted her glass and took a delicate sip.

Addison and Derek automatically lifted their glasses and downed the contents. It wasn't until the glasses were set back down on the table they registered her words. Then, the toast sunk in. Addison looked at her daughter, then to her husband. When Meredith leapt from her seat and pulled Tessa into her arms, the tears started falling down her cheeks.

"Oh, Tess! Is it true?"

"No, I'm just calling you old," Her daughter smirked from Meredith's arms. "Yes, it's true. I'm thirteen weeks, so I'm due in June."

Congratulations echoed from around the room, and even Ollie clapped happily at all the noise around him. Addison yanked her husband to his feet and pulled their oldest daughter into their arms. Tessa locked her arms around them tightly, tears shining in her eyes. "Are you happy?"

With her head pressed against her dad's chest, Tessa looked up at her mother expectantly. Choking back a half sob half laugh, Addison reached out and cupped her grown daughter's cheek. "Oh baby, I couldn't possibly be happier."

Thinking back on the last eight years, Tessa realized she agreed wholeheartedly. She had a wonderful family, a sweet husband, and now her very own baby. "Me too."

So, that's a wrap! 16 months and 35 chapters later, Maybe she Wouldn't be Gone has reached an end. Thank you so much for following along, for reviewing, and mostly for liking Tessa and her story as much as I did. I honestly wouldn't have reached this point without you guys reading. I am planning on starting a new Derek and Addison story soon, but i can't promise how soon it will be up. I doubt that it will take too long; I have trouble staying away from them! Thank you so much!