The 'Grey's Anatomy' Midseason Finale Ended With a Paternity Mystery for Amelia

We knew that the Grey's Anatomy Season 16 fall finale would have some shocking moments, but there was one complicated storyline that we were not expecting — Dr. Amelia Shepherd's baby daddy drama. 

During the season premiere, Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) learned that she was pregnant, presumably with friends-with-benefits Dr. Atticus "Link" Lincoln (Chris Carmack). 

But, it was then revealed on the fall finale that she was further along in her pregnancy than she expected, which now puts the baby's paternity into question. One of the potential fathers is Amelia's ex-husband Dr. Owen Hunt— who happens to have recently welcomed his first child with Teddy Altman. 

When Amelia first found out she was pregnant, she was hesitant about having the baby in general, let alone having it with someone she had only known for a short while. The character had previously given birth to a baby with no brain on Private Practice, and she was scared of all of the things that could go wrong. 

But, after talking it over with Link, the two were prepared to raise a baby together, and they even became more serious romantically.

When Amelia got her first ultrasound during the fall finale, she learned she is actually significantly further along in her pregnancy than she realized. 

"Everything fine?" she asked during her first ultrasound."Perfectly fine. But you're not 20 weeks pregnant," Dr. Carina DeLuca, who was conducting the ultrasound, said. "You're 24."

"No, that's not possible," Amelia responded. "Because that could mean... oh god. No."

With the change in her pregnancy timeline, Amelia realized that her ex-husband, Dr. Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) could potentially be her baby's father.

Owen and Amelia had an off-and-off relationship on the show. The pair got married, divorced, and they even reconciled during Season 15 when Owen adopted a son named Leo. The pair was happily raising Leo together and helping Leo's birth mom, Betty, get sober, when Dr. Teddy Altman (Kim Raver) returned and told Owen she was expecting their baby together.

Amelia soon figured out that she couldn't compete with the spark between Teddy and Owen, which has been there for years before Amelia even worked at Grey Sloan Memorial. When Teddy gave birth to their daughter, Allison, Amelia had already moved on with Link. But that slight overlap in the demise of her relationship with Owen and the beginning of her new one with Link is the crucial time when Amelia got pregnant. 

This information was all the more heartbreaking for fans because Link and Amelia had become so excited for their baby. Earlier in the episode, the pair had wondered if the baby would have Link's eyes, and who it would look more like. 

This potential issue could bring Amelia and Owen back together (even though Owen was also considering proposing to Teddy) and divide Amelia and Link for good.

Fans weren't exactly thrilled to learn about Owen potentially being the baby daddy, especially since Amelia has dealt with so much heartbreak on the show — from dealing with her brother Derek's death to having sobriety issues to her divorce from Owen. Link and Amelia's relationship has gotten a lot of positive attention from viewers. 

While we of course won't learn who the father of Amelia's baby is until at least Jan. 23, when the show returns, we have a sneaking suspicion that Amelia might keep the news to herself for a while. After all, she kept her pregnancy private for a bit and has been known to be more private than some of the other characters.

Season 16 of Grey's Anatomy has been jokingly referred to as the baby season, as Dr. Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) also announced her pregnancy. This news was shocking for the character, who thought her pregnancy symptoms were signs of early menopause. 

But, Miranda experienced some bleeding during the November 21 episode, while treating one of the fire captains from Station 19. She, unfortunately, had a miscarriage, but she continued working to distract herself from the loss. At the end of the episode, her husband Ben Warren (Jason George) was drinking at a bar when a car came through the roof, potentially injuring everyone inside. 

It's unclear who got hurt during the accident, but the heartbreaking moment didn't look good for Miranda's husband.

Plus, after learning that her mother left her at a fire station when she was a baby, Dr. Jo Karev (Camilla Luddington) decided to volunteer for Safe Haven to help other babies who were abandoned. She ends up growing attached to one of the babies, and she brings him home to potentially raise. 

She and husband Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) had spoken about having a family, but we have yet to see his reaction to the unexpected third person in his apartment. 

There's a lot to digest from the fall finale of Grey's Anatomy. We'll be counting down the days until January 23, when the hit medical drama comes back.