Royal Blood ▪︎ Grey's Anatomy

epilogue

Enora kneels down slowly and clears away the broken twigs, crunchy leaves and dead flowers. "My god, you're still so messy even beyond the grave." She whispers teasingly. She makes sure her coat is under her before she sits on the damp grass, setting a fresh bunch of flowers down. "Hi my boy." She whispers.

The words 'Knox Grey' are etched into the black stone and she runs her fingers over them gently. 'Age of 32' forever inscribed on it. It's been almost 10 years and yet it doesn't get easier. It never does.

Her son lost the battle with his own mind. A battle she couldn't help or stop. A battle he fought so hard for but eventually, he couldn't any longer. And she wasn't mad at him, she didn't see it as him giving up. He just needed to go and move on.

She sits and talks to him for a while, as she usually does whenever she visits. She doesn't get to come as often as she'd like but she uses every moment she can to fill him in on the last thing she has of him.

Noella Knox Morris was born the day he turned 30 and was his shining light. She kept him strong for a short time but the pressure of being a father didn't help. And when Isobel left, that was the final straw. He knew he couldn't give his Noa everything so he signed his rights over to his mom and stepfather.

"Nana!"

Enora looks away from the grave and over her shoulder. "Noella Knox, if you step near that puddle!" She gasps.

Noella giggles, her hair braided back with blue beads on the ends; her daddy's favourite colour. Noella sits on her nana and smiles. "Hi dad." She says casually, looking at the stone.

Enora runs her hand over the girls back; in a few weeks, she'll be 13. "Noa, you only ever sit on me when you want me to give you things." She says raising a brow.

Noella smirks. "Me? Nooo." She sasses, waving her off. "Never!"

Enora smiles gently - there's the Knox shining through. "What do you want." She demands teasingly.

"I want you to not be sad anymore." She shrugs.

Enora freezes. "I....m not sad. Not entirely."

"You are." Noa rolls her eyes.

Enora takes a deep breath. "It's harder... when you remember someone so fondly and they're not there."

Noa thinks on this for a moment. "I remember him. I think." She scrunches her face up as she thinks, looking at the sky. "It's hazy. And I don't know if it's all real but... I do remember him." She looks at the headstone again. "He was funny."

"He was. A comedian at heart." Enora quickly wipes her cheek.

"He would bounce around when he was in a good mood. Like a puppy." She smiles fondly at the memories. "But when he was sad, he'd just cuddle me. I liked that."

She can't catch the rest of the tears. "He liked it too." She whispers.

Noa looks at her nana. "I want to remember that forever. I want you to remember that." She says gently. "He was happy when he was with us. As happy as he could be."

"I know." Enora whispers and sniffs. "Cmon. Let's go before pop gets too hangry." She jokes.

She watches Noella run back towards Corey who's waiting by the car with Buddy and Grey. She then looks back to the grave. "I love you." She kisses her fingers and sets them on the cold stone for a second.

When she gets to Corey, he wraps an arm around her and kisses her head. "Alright?"

She nods and smiles softly. "Cmon. Albert won't like if we miss that award winning goal he claims he's going to make."

"Albert can't even kick straight." Noa sasses.

Buddy laughs. "Neither can you!"

"Hey, I don't need to kick. I got claws." Noa sasses again with a smirk.

Corey rolls his eyes and begins to drive. "Will we ever get peace?" He jokes.

"I hope not." Enora smiles as she rubs his knee. Peace will happen when her life is done. But for now it isn't. It sometimes feels like it's over, especially on the nights she misses Knox, but she tries to remember what she has.

She's got James, Mary, Albert, Logan and Cora. Cora is 7, she is thriving as her dad's only girl. Logan is 10 and he's definitely a middle child.

She's also got Noa, her special grandbaby.

Then she's got Harlow and Megan who are due their son any day. No name yet - they say they won't know until they see him. Harlow is a journalist while Megan takes a more 'whatever I want' approach.

Then there's Rosie. She's flying solo for now, no kids yet and no partner. She's a free spirit with a few anger issues still hidden deep down.

Then there's her two boys, Grey and Buddy. Grey does gaming software from their basement; he's not ready to live alone and neither is his mom. And Buddy is just about to turn 14 and already shows signs on being a talented doctor if he so wishes.

As for the rest of the family, they've all got their own stuff. Once a year, they all meet to toast to Knox and whatever new baby has been born. Meredith currently has over a dozen grandkids and easily 30 great grandkids. She's retired with quite a few awards tucked under her belt. She is showing signs of Alzheimer's but they all knew it was only a matter of time. They're taking care of her thought and that's all that matters for now.

And Enora, well she took over from her mom as Chief. Voted officially by a non-bias board of directors. Still, it feels a little selfish. Hey, she didn't ask for the job. That came due to her royal blood. Royal blood she wouldn't change for the world.