<P> After Derek's death, Meredith returns to Grey Sloan Memorial to inform the others of his passing . Following the funeral service, Meredith impulsively packs up her belongings and leaves with the children to San Diego . Months pass by while her friends and family are unaware of her whereabouts . Eventually, parallels show similarities in Meredith's and Ellis' lives: Both have lost the love of their life, both run away from Seattle following their loss, and both eventually give birth to a daughter . Meredith names her newborn daughter after her mother . Although still grieving over Derek, Meredith returns to Seattle with the children and later becomes chief of general surgery . She sells the "dream house" and moves back to her mother's house, having purchased it back from Alex, and now lives there with Maggie and Amelia Shepherd, her sister - in - law . </P> <P> Meredith hosts a dinner party and at the party Callie brings Penny as a date . Later at the event Meredith finds out Penny will be joining her at Grey Sloan Memorial . Meredith eventually forgives Penny, who becomes her favorite resident over Alex's girlfriend, Jo. Alex and Meredith continue their close, sibling - like relationship of being each other's "person", despite Jo's displeasure and inability to understand their closeness . He supports her when she is violently attacked by a disoriented patient, and she supports him through his legal difficulties . Alex initiates a weekly family waffle day where he makes waffles for everyone in the house . </P> <P> Meredith recovers enough to start seeing Nathan Riggs, Owen Hunt's former best friend, by season 13, although their relationship is complicated by the fact that Maggie confesses to Meredith that she has feelings for Riggs and Meredith is not ready to declare their relationship formally or publicly . Eventually she accepts her relationship with Riggs, but it's complicated by the unexpected return of Owen's sister, Megan Hunt, Riggs' fiancée . Meredith finds herself in another love triangle when Megan rejects Riggs because he is still in love with Meredith, but Meredith pushes them to be together . After her relationship with Riggs ends, Meredith is nominated for a Harper Avery Award for her groundbreaking surgery on Megan . In the 300th episode, after failing to attend the awards ceremony to stay for a medical trauma, post-surgery, Meredith learns with all her closest friends in the OR and gallery that she has won the Harper Avery Award . </P> <P> Pompeo discovered Grey's Anatomy after an extended period of doing nothing in the acting profession . Her agent suggested she audition amongst other projects . While casting actresses for the part of Meredith Grey, series' creator Shonda Rhimes said: "I kept saying we need a girl like that girl from Moonlight Mile, and after a while, they were like,' We think we can get that girl from Moonlight Mile .' I spent time with her and got to know her, and then we started casting for the men ." She reported that Grey was not an easy role to cast because of the strong verbal possibilities . Rhimes was informed that the actress in question was Pompeo, who had a deal in place with ABC, having previously tested for a pilot show on the network . It has been speculated that Pompeo was the first character to be cast, but when asked, she said she did not know of this . When asked of how she created Pompeo's character, Rhimes said: </P>

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