𝐈 𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐒𝐄𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 ━ grey's anatomy

000. ━ the halloways

prologue
[ the halloways ]

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐔𝐑 𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐀𝐘 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 years old, he was accepted to Columbia University on the pre-med track, setting him on a path for his career. When he was twenty-one years old, he began med school at Stanford and met Josephine Hawthorne, a fellow med student.

Four years later, months after finishing school, Arthur and Josephine were married. One year later, they became parents for the first time—to fraternal twins.

When the twins were two years old, Josephine began to notice the difference in her husband; he was no longer the man she had fallen in love with. He was much more focused on creating a legacy for the Halloway family rather than being present for his family.

As his stature grew, Josephine spent more of her time raising their children alone. McKenna and Henry Halloway hardly ever saw their father—it was as though he would appear for family holidays and the occasional birthday.

When the twins turned seven, Josephine's mother moved into their large house to help care for her grandchildren while their father began a two-month trip to Europe.

He returned four months later.

On the twins' ninth birthday, their mother treated them to a trip to Disneyland for a long weekend. Their father did not join them.

The year they turned ten, their grandmother died and Josephine fell into a deep depression at the loss of her mother.

That was the first time McKenna stepped up for her family—but not the last.

When they turned twelve, their lives changed forever. And without warning.

McKenna went to open the door of their house on one particular day after school during sixth grade when it was opened from the other side. Their father's younger brother, James, as well as their favorite uncle, stood in front of his niece and nephew.

"Oh, good, you're home," he said, ushering them inside rather quickly and the twins shared a confused look. "There's someone your parents want you to meet."

"Is it another maid?" McKenna asked in exasperation as she and her brother followed their uncle into the drawing room. "I know Dad has specific tastes, but—" Her sentence was interrupted as a cry rang out through the large manor and she looked at James. "Was that—?" Once again, she was cut off by an infant's cry and she glanced at Henry.

"Is that a baby?" Henry asked, finishing his sister's thought. James nodded and gestured to the room. The twins looked at each other and seemed to be thinking the same thing; someone must be pulling a prank on them. Why would their parents ever have a child at this stage in their life?

As McKenna and Henry walked into the room, their mother instantly looked up and the elder twin looked at the small bundle in her mother's arms.

"Kenny, Hen," she said, moving toward them and adjusting the blanket out of the baby's face. "Meet your new sister."

"Sister?" McKenna repeated, looking back down at the small baby. "W—What do you mean 'sister'? When were you going to tell us that you were—"

"We weren't sure if it was going to be approved," Josephine gently told her eldest child. "We didn't want to tell you just for it not to happen."

Henry shook his head in disbelief. "So your solution was to ambush us with the news?" he asked with a small scoff. "I'm sorry, Mom, I love you, but that was a stupid idea."

"Henry—"

"Why would you even adopt?" he continued, this time looking directly at his father. "You're never home to take care of the children you already have, why would you bring another child here just to ignore them, too?"

McKenna laid a hand on her brother's shoulder and he instantly fell silent. She let out a breath and walked forward, looking down at her new sister. "What's her name?" she whispered.

"London," Josephine replied and a small smile tugged at the corners of McKenna's mouth. "You always told me that if you ever had a sister, you wanted us to name her London."

She looked up at her mother. "I was six when I said that," she said. "How could you possibly remember that?"

"It's a gift," Josephine replied with a shrug. "Do you want to hold her?" McKenna nodded and soon the baby was placed gently into her arms. "Be sure to support her neck."

She smiled softly and baby London looked up at her big sister. "She's adorable," she said before looking at her twin brother. "She's adorable, Hen."

He walked over to her and peered over her shoulder, London's small gaze shifting to her older brother. "She is," he agreed with a nod. He glanced over at their father. "So tell me the real reason you adopted her. I highly doubt it's because you suddenly feel paternal."

Arthur Halloway had been silent the entire time. That was unusual for him. He always needed to be heard. He couldn't be ignored. It's what made him so irritable.

"You have told us that you will not be attending medical school," Arthur said, turning away from the fireplace to look at his son. "Neither of you. Neither of you will become doctors. Surgeons. Neither of you will follow in mine and your mother's footsteps."

McKenna blinked at him in confusion. "So—So you adopted a baby girl all because Henry and I don't want to be surgeons?" she asked and Arthur nodded. "That's all kinds of messed up."

"I have worked hard to build the Halloway name," he said and McKenna looked down at London who had fallen asleep in her arms. "I will not have it disappear all because you and your brother chose to do a different career."

"Uncle James didn't choose to be a doctor!" Henry argued, gesturing to their uncle who stood in the corner of the room. "He became a lawyer. Is he a disappointment, too?"

James shook his head. "I'd rather not hear his answer."

"For thirteen years, I have made our last name into something great," Arthur persisted, looking around at his family. "I intend for it to remain great. And if it won't be with you or your brother, it will be with her."

Henry glanced at his baby sister who stirred slightly in her sleep and McKenna passed her off to their uncle.

"Are you going to abandon her, too?" he asked their father, turning back to face him fully. "Do you understand why Kenny and I didn't want to become surgeons like you? It's because you are never home. We have spent every birthday without our father. Almost every family vacation, it's only been us and Mom. Sometimes Nana. We see Uncle James more than we see you and he lives across the country. You've taken away the appeal of being a doctor. We didn't want to be like you. We have never wanted to be like you."

He shook his head. "And if the entire reason why you adopted London was for her to be a surgeon one day... it's messed up. She needed a loving family, but all she got was a family. If we're even that..."

James watched as Henry walked out of the room and McKenna hurried after him. He glanced down at the small baby in his arms.

"Good luck, London... I think you'll need it."