Zola stood smiling at the crowd of family and friends all gathered to celebrate her engagement. James loved her the way the love of your life is supposed to love you so when he had purposed she couldn't say yes quick enough. They had been friends since their under-grad years and once the man finally got the courage to ask her out, everyone told them about the wedding bells they were hearing in the distance. Now they were finally able to say they were engaged.

They had rented out the upstairs of a nice restaurant and invited everyone in Seattle. Now that Zola thought about it, there was probably a severely understaffed hospital and a lot of doctors who aren't allowed to drink because they are on call (what a waste of an open bar). She walked through the party, stopping to thank people for their attendance and their well-wishings. Her mom was in the corner talking to Aunt April. Her mom loves James, and she always made it clear when she didn't like who they dated, but James didn't just love Zola, he loved her whole family, he made their family better and that was good enough for Meredith. Jo was chatting with Wilson and her sister (and maid of honor) Ellis. Bailey was, not surprisingly, getting more food to eat. Everywhere she looked was everyone she cared about. Sophia was with her moms laughing about what Zola could only assume was her latest crazy adventure. Even her Aunt Cristina had made sure to schedule a stop in Seattle during her lecture circuit to make sure she was here. Finally, she found the man she was looking for.

"Uncle Alex," Zola called out when she was only a few feet away. He was looking old these days, hair greying and laugh lines, not the young handsome man he had been when he brought her over from Africa. She loved teasing him about how old he was, but he handled the aging process fairly well.

Alex looked up at the young woman and smiled. "Congratulations," he said while wrapping her in his arms.

"Please, you already knew. James told me about his conversation with you and mom." She gave him a small smirk. Just after the proposal, James had told her about the conversation he had with her mother. He explained that is wasn't so much about asking for permission as much as making sure the Meredith knew that he loved her daughter and wouldn't let anything happen to her, this level of thoughtfulness made Zola smile. But what really touched her heart was that James had made sure Alex was also in the room, James understood the important place Alex held in her family and in her heart, showing just how much he loved Zola. "Can we take a quick walk?" She gestured towards the door.

"Won't people think you are ditching your own party?" He asked.

"The important people know where I'm going. Screw the rest." Alex had to smile at the second sentence, it was good to know his personality rubbed off on her. In response, he held out his arm to hook her hand around.

They exited the door and then made their way out of the fancy restaurant. Choosing to sit at a park bench not far away, thanking god it wasn't raining for once.

"What's on your mind Zo? Why'd we leave a party all about you?" Her uncle asked looking down at her. He had this way of making Zola spill her guts, something even her mother couldn't do, but that didn't mean she was still a little nervous about her next question.

"I've been thinking about everything lately. I have a patient in the nicu who I don't think is going to make it and now I have a wedding to plan, James' parent's are here for the weekend, Ellis is starting her internship soon and my lease is about to end so we are thinking about looking for a new place and for some reason all I can think about is dad." Zola, unlike her siblings, remembered her dad. Maybe not that well but she could still see his smile and remembers him reading her stories. She missed him every day. But as her Aunt Cristina always reminded her, the dead dads club was never one that someone would choose and it really sucks when someone joins the club.

"That's normal, Zo. Of course you would want your dad here. Hell, he would want to be here. I wish more than anything that he could be here, and I know your mom does too. He would never think James is good enough and I'd have to agree with him. Your dad was never dark and twisty like your mom and Cristina and I, he looked for the good in people. But he would never let you go through with this without knowing that if you want to bail at any point, even if you're half way down the aisle just give me the signal and we will book it. Your mom will drive the getaway car I guarantee it." He said laughing at a memory.

"Oh please, you love James." Zola laughed, hitting her uncle's shoulder playfully.

"Yeah, but I love you more." Alex said in all seriousness

"I love you too. That's why I asked you out here. With the wedding coming up I wanted to make sure you knew that you are walking me down the aisle. Ok? I figure if I tell you far enough in advance then you have to show up right?" She tried to make it a joking matter but she saw Alex's smile slip off his lips.

"Zo, I can't take his spot. It's not right." A part of Alex was entirely happy that he meant as much to this little girl as she meant to him. But it didn't feel right, he was just babysat these kids and showed up at birthday parties, he wasn't their father, he knew their father.

"Alex, you know as well as I do that he would want you by my side. Mom said he would be glad that you have been here for us. Everything I have I owe to you," she managed to say before tears started falling. Obviously, it didn't take long for Zola to realize that she was different from her siblings and Meredith was honest from the very beginning how Zola came to be her daughter. It had always started with Uncle Alex. His project to help kids in Africa had brought her home to them.

"Hey, all I did was book the plane, I could never take credit for anything beyond that." Alex would always interior the story to say how it was Derek who knew she was his daughter and Meredith who kidnapped her for a day in the hospital to keep her safe.

"Stop that." Zola insisted. "You brought me here and I am forever thankful. If my dad can't walk me down the aisle then the man who saved my life should, don't you think? Besides," she continued, overruling his attempt to object. "You have always been there for me. You babysat us as kids even when mom was in the hospital for 2 months. You took us to the park and the movies and hung out. You loved us and you were the emergency contact listed second right behind mom's number. Aunt Maggie and Aunt Amy did great helping raise us, so did the entire hospital, but you were the closest thing we had to a father figure. You taught us to stand up for ourselves and me and Ellis have a mean right hook thanks to you. You helped Bailey with all the 'guy' stuff that mom and I couldn't handle. You were a parent to us. I love you uncle Alex and you are walking me down that aisle." She stated firmly. "Besides, I was in your wedding it's only fair that you are in mine."

Alex laughed, suddenly transported back to a couple decades before as Zola and Meredith walked down the aisle as his 'best persons' in place of a best man. Alex had insisted that Zola was in the wedding even though she was too old for flower girl or ring bearer (spots filled by her younger sibling) so she took her spot right next to him during the wedding as one of his people. Alex had tried to love these kids as his own the best he could over the years because they were his family. He never wanted to take Derek's place and refused to let anyone think he was there father but that didn't meant he didn't love them with everything he had. Alex made sure he was at every possible soccer game and piano recital, he helped plan birthday parties and was at every graduation. He cheered loud and was so proud of who these kids turned out to be.

"Zo, I would be honored. Thank you." He said with tears that he refused to shed welling up in his eyes.

"Good. Because I need you by my side in case I decide to run right?" And just like that the tension was lifted. They laughed as they made their way back to the party.

Good Afternoon,

This is a nice little one-shot. I have found myself drawn to Zola more and more each day.

Read and Review,

Story writer