<P> Meredith finds out she has a maternal half sister named Maggie Pierce who is now working in Grey Sloan Memorial . Meredith is in denial and rejects Maggie, thinking she would have remembered if her mother was pregnant until she finds a hospital document confirming the revelation . Meredith tries to piece together her relationship with her mother and half sister by going through old videos of her mother . She eventually recovers her repressed memories of the pregnancy when she views her mother's diary and has a change of heart, choosing to accept Maggie and begin building a relationship . </P> <P> Meredith is widowed when Derek is killed in a car accident and was taken to an understaffed hospital . The doctors failed to recognize his head injury in time and allowed personal conflicts to interfere . Derek is declared brain dead, and Meredith must go to the medical center to consent to remove him from life support, shortly before she's hit with the first waves of morning sickness . She tells Penny, the intern who was assigned to Derek that every doctor has "that one" patient who dies on their watch and haunts them forever and "that one will make you work harder, and they make you better ." </P> <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>

Where did meredith grey go after derek died