<P> She is particularly close with Cristina Yang, who becomes her best friend and "person". Though she initially thinks poorly of him, Alex Karev also evolves into Meredith's "person" and the two assume a sibling-esque familial relationship . Meredith has a conflicted relationship with Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr .), the Chief of Surgery at Seattle Grace . Richard was very close to Ellis when Meredith was a child, which inclines him to save or mentor Grey and make exceptions for her . Meredith has a habit of "collecting strays", allowing her friends and coworkers to live in the house her mother left her and become her pseudo-family . Meredith is endlessly loyal to those she deems her family, and bends traditional morality as needed in order to keep them safe . </P> <P> Having grown up in a hospital, Meredith shows immense natural talent . She possesses a steadfast, calm ease during medical procedures and emergencies, and is a natural observer of people . She exhibits a knack for catching subtle hints and accurately determining difficult - to - catch diagnoses . Her placid, non-judgmental bedside manner often causes people to open up and trust her . Her surgical skills are solidly impressive and she shows a talent and patience for medical research trials and dealing with psychologically damaged patients . </P> <P> Meredith resists Derek's advances throughout her internship, but is eventually charmed into starting a relationship with him despite misgivings about an intern dating an attending . She is therefore shocked by the arrival of Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh), Derek's wife, unaware that he was married . Derek struggles to choose between the two, but ultimately returns to Addison, despite Meredith begging to be chosen instead . </P> <P> Meredith is devastated and turns to multiple, self - destructive means of coping . Initially she falls on old habits of self - medicating with tequila and sex, and buys a dog . She also tries to resolve some issues by searching for her long - absent father, Thatcher . She learns that her father, who left when she was five and she has not seen since, remarried and had two more daughters . The two do not become close, but Grey becomes fond of her stepmother . </P>

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