After 16 years, Justin Chambers' beloved character Alex Karev's story came to an end in this Thursday's "Grey's Anatomy" season 16 episode 16. The long-running ABC medical drama finally revealed what happened to Karev after Chambers exited the show abruptly, earlier this season. Read on to find out.

[Spoiler alert! This article contains spoilers for "Grey's Anatomy" season 16. Do not read further if you haven't watched the episode.]

Wednesday's episode "Leave A Light On" finally provided closure to Karev fans after explaining his off-screen departure and it was quite unexpected. Chambers, who joined the series as an original cast member, was last seen November 14 episode ahead of the official announcement of the Chambers' departure. However, lack of proper send-off left Karev fans wondering and clamouring for a closure.

In episode 16, it was finally revealed that Karev left his current wife Jo, as played by Camilla Luddington, to reunite with his ex-wife Izzie (Katherine Heigl) and their two children. All of this is revealed through four letters that Karev sends to his wife Jo, Meredith (Ellen Pompeo), Bailey (Chandra Wilson), and Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.).

Though the letters he revealed that he has reunited with his wife Izzie, who was a cancer survivor and was last seen in Season 6 of "Grey's Anatomy." Also, he revealed that they had twins who are now 5 years old. Alongside this, he said goodbye to each of these people in their individual letters.

"You are my best friend and I will miss the hell out of you," he tells Meredith in the letter.

As for Jo, he apologised to her for ending their marriage through a letter and admitted having loved Izzie always. In letters to Bailey and Webber, he thanked them for helping him grow and become the man he is today.

While we are still grasping all the information, "Grey's Anatomy" showrunner Krista Vernoff talked about how difficult it was to write off Alex Karev. Here is what she has to say about Chambers' departure.

"It is nearly impossible to say goodbye to Alex Karev," she said: "That is as true for me and for all of the writers at Grey's Anatomy as it is for the fans. We have loved writing Alex. And we have loved watching Justin Chambers' nuanced portrayal of him. For 16 seasons, 16 years, we have grown up alongside Alex Karev. We have been frustrated by his limitations and we have been inspired by his growth and we have come to love him deeply and to think of him as one of our very best friends. We will miss him terribly. And we will always be grateful for his impact, on our show, on our hearts, on our fans, on the world," Vernoff said as quoted by Deadline.

Grey's Anatomy
ABC

"Grey's Anatomy" season 16 airs Thursdays at 9:00 pm on ABC.