Lexie was always one of my favorite characters and I was very sad when she died. This story is an alternate story line where Lexie and Mark are still alive and they finally get the happy ending they should have had.

Lexie woke up in a cold sweat. She could feel her heart racing and her hands shaking. It was another nightmare. Ever since the plane crash she had hardly slept a whole night without a bad dream. The only reason she managed to get any sleep at all was because she was sleeping next to the love of her life.

Mark Sloan was a handsome man. He was a successful plastic surgeon, a ladies' man, and a loving father. Mark could have had any woman he wanted, but he felt like the luckiest man alive to have Lexie. They had almost been torn away from each other once, and he now knew that he would never take the chance of losing her again.

Mark remembered the agony of the plane crash. The days on end with no food, no water, and no help. Lexie and Mark had been lucky; they managed to walk away from the crash almost unharmed. Some of his friends were not so lucky. After that fateful night, he vowed to never lose sight of his love for her again.

Mark was startled awake by Lexie stirring. It hurt him to see her so broken, but he was determined to fix her. He slipped his arms around her waist and kissed her forehead. Oh no, there was no way he would ever let her go.

Soon after they were both jolted awake by the incessant beeping of the alarm. 5:00 am again, time to get ready for work. That was one thing they didn't teach you in medical school. Waking up early never gets any easier, especially not when that means parting ways with the person you love. After a quick breakfast and coffee they were off. Another day of saving lives and slowly putting themselves back together.

Lexie passed by the memorial for her sister Meredith on her way inside of Seattle Grace Hospital. It had been almost a year since the crash, and facing reality hadn't really become any easier. Sometimes she wondered why it had to be Meredith instead of her. Meredith had been so important to her. Much more than a sister, but rather a best friend.

Lexie went through the motions of her day as usual. She checked on her patients, performed a few routine surgeries, and helped teach the new interns. She was doing her best, but her days were still filled with apathy and pain. She needed a new beginning, something to make her happy about her life.

After work she went to the locker room to get changed. Mark was meeting her for dinner, and he told her to dress nicely. She slipped on her black dress and put on some makeup, she was never the type of girl who liked to call attention to herself, but for Mark she wanted to look beautiful. Lexie had always been known for her brain. With her photographic memory she had never had much trouble in school. Unfortunately her intelligence sometimes came at a price. She had never met a man who understood her so well until she met Mark. They had gone through their fair share of rough paces, but she couldn't deny that she loved him.

When she arrived at the restaurant she was greeted by Mark, staring at her intensely with his beautiful blue eyes. He had a hint of a secret in his eyes, like he was hiding something from her. She didn't care, it had been a long day and she was starving. This was one of her favorite Italian restaurants of all time and she was looking forward to a big plate of chicken alfredo. As they ate dinner and discussed their days, Mark looked uneasy. Lexie asked what was wrong, but he simply said he had a very special surprise for dessert. After their meal they headed out onto the back porch for dessert.

It had a beautiful view of the ocean and a gorgeous Washington sunset. Lexie was transfixed on the view until she heard Mark calling her name. When she turned around he was kneeling on one knee before her. Lexie's heart jumped into her throat.

Mark starred at the beautiful woman before him. They had been through so much in the past year, and one thing was certain, he never wanted to see her hurt so bad again. Mark loved her like he had never loved anyone before, and he wouldn't be happy until he made her his wife.

He lovingly gazed up at Lexie and said "My dear beautiful Lexie, I can't imagine my life without you. We have been through so much together and came out the other side. I don't ever want to wake up a single day without you next to me. What I'm trying to say is, Lexie, will you marry me?"

For the first time in a year Lexie felt like her old self again. Silent tears rolled down her cheek as she choked out a quiet, but blissful, yes.

To be continued….