Disclaimers: Grey's Anatomy characters belongs to their owners. Fanfictions are just for fun and/or a way of coping with the long wait between seasons.

AN: So this is my first Grey's story. It's easy to tell that english is not my first language but I'll try my very best. You guys can correct me if you want, I'll be happy to learn and maybe improve. About any possible OOCness, I should warn you guys it may happen. This story is about how I wanted things to happen, after all. I'll try not to do it too much, though. Well, I'm happy to publish this and honestly hope you like it.

She drank every night.

She walked away from his life a couple months ago. She meant well though. She just got out of the way of a father and a daughter so they could be a family. She always had this policy of stepping back when she couldn't belong. Walking away, now that hurt like a damn. She made some really dumb decisions back then and couldn't even feel sorry about it. Her sister even tried to talk her out of it, to no avail. Now she's been living with her sister's sorry eyes around her. And by the end of the day she found herself at the same spot on Joe's. So, she drank every night.

"Seriously, I don't get it." - Meredith sighed, watching her sister in sorrow.

Derek took a sip of his scotch in silence.

"I mean... she's bright and shiny. She had this happy upgrowing and whatever. How can she be this broken over... nothing?"

"What do you mean with 'nothing'?" - Derek snapped out of his silence - "She's brokenhearted, it's not 'nothing', Mere..."

"She's young and... and... she barely had time to fall for him, I mean... come on, he's McSteamy! You're not supposed to fall for McSteamy!"

Derek sighed and took her hands to get her attention - "They were in love. They still are. Did you talk to her?"

"I figured she wanted to be left alone. I know I would."

"She's different from you, you know? She's daring, strong minded and hopeful, but completely defenseless. My guess is she's not coming out of this without help."

"Did you talk to her?" - Meredith eyed him suspiciously - "Because you're not supposed to. I'm the sister, you should not beat me to it..."

"No, Mere, I didn't talk to her. Tried to but she's just... I couldn't reach her." - Derek spoke quietly - "But I did talk to Mark. Long conversation and all. He's been miserable but won't budge. Says she's the one who decided to leave him and respects her wishes."

"Wait a minute. Her wishes?" - Meredith's eyes went wide - "What do you mean by that? What wishes? Oh don't tell me... she wanted to... to marry or something?"

"No, look... Mark told me she left him because he invited his daughter to live with them, so they could take care of her baby and all. According to his version, Lexie told him she wasn't ready to raise a kid or play step mom or grandma, whatever that means. And with that she left him."

"Well of course she's not ready, she's kind of a kid herself." - Meredith shrugged - "Besides, it was kinda painful to watch my little sister handing bucks to her boyfriend's daughter who's all grown up and even looks older than her."

"Ok now you're being mean. It's not the world's fault that your sister looks like a sixteen drinking carton juice." - Derek managed to smile as he remembered his mother's comment about 'Mark's lovely girl'.

"Well... we know for a fact that she's not drinking apple juice lately. Who's to take her today?" - Meredith handed his coat and grabbed hers.

"You need to talk to your sister so you're picking her today. I'm going back to the hospital."

"Ok then, see you later."

They kissed briefly and Meredith walked to her mission. She was ready to face some old alcoholic drama queen but when Lexie turned to her, she looked just broken. A broken sixteen who shouldn't be allowed to be out this late. A drunk broken sixteen who should have her ass kicked because she shouldn't be out this late, let alone drinking.

"Come on, Lexie, time to go home."

She offered no resistance. Meredith took her arm and led her out of the bar into the car. She grasped the wheel, still trying to reconcile her feelings about her sister. Maybe that's why she's been so adamant in keeping the distance. Being a sister was no walk in the park after all. Lexie's quiet voice took her out of her reverie.

"You're having a hard time figuring out how to feel about me right now."

"What? No, I..."

"You think I'm overreacting. And you think I'm too young to be like this. You think I shouldn't hurt this much because I barely lived with Mark. You think there was no love between us so I shouldn't be like this."

"Lexie..."

"You think I'm too damn young to be this drunk and broken over a guy. You think I should be grounded for the rest of my life for this."

Meredith actually laughed at her sister's drunken accuracy. Lexie just dished out everything Meredith was feeling. She decided to humor her sister.

"Well.. yeah. You should be grounded until you're 40 for drinking like a sailor and staying out this late, and to top it all, for sleeping with a man who's almost double your age. You should date boys, you're little Grey! Do you know what McSteamy guys do to little Greys? They eat them for breakfast!"

Lexie chuckled at Meredith's mock lecture. - "Well I'm easy breakfast then. After I'm done being grounded can I drink again? Mom?"

They laughed even harder, Meredith gasping for air while Lexie tried to see through her tears and drunken state. Meredith recovered first and decided to ask the lethal question.

"Lexie... what happened?"

Lexie looked down at her hands. The gesture and the dejected look in her sister's face almost made Meredith regret the question.

"I can't get over Mark." - She spoke almost to herself - "Pathetic as it sounds, I just can't. Been trying so much in so many ways I'm sure you disapprove..."

"Yeah... well, can't really blame you for anything though." - Meredith countered.

"Anyway, I suck at getting over. I can't. That's it." - Lexie concluded her thoughts.

"Except that was not what I asked." - Meredith tried again - "I asked what happened as in why did you left Mark if you love him this much."

"I had to. You know, when you can't be what someone needs you should just back off. That's what I did. I backed off. I can't be a step mother, I can't be a grandmother, I was barely ready to move in with him. I know it seems like I'm whining but I swear I've never hurt like this over something that should be so simple... but I can't, I just can't accomplish... I'm not a good partner, I don't know how to do this and I don't know if I can. There, that's why I left him. He's a father now, and a grandfather, he deserves better."

Meredith nodded her head in agreement. She wanted to tell her sister that everything would be alright but that would be some big fat lie.

"So, Derek's right once again. You and Mark... you're both miserable." - Meredith's simple statement made Lexie finally look up to her.

"Mark has moved on. He's with doctor Altman now and she's a very grown up woman." - Lexie stated.

"According to Derek, Mark is actually miserable. And as for I've heard, Teddy is a very grown up woman who doesn't want anything serious at the moment." - Meredith answered, surprisingly comfortable with this new big sister role.

"Well, he also slept with doctor Montgomery."

"Didn't they all? We might as well do it too, you know, just to fill the pot already." - Meredith chuckled at her own lame joke then turned serious again - "Lexie, you slept with Alex not a day after you left him."

"I was drunk. And I was trying to remember what girls my age should be doing, you know, jello shots and stupid things..."

"Well I think you should just remember why you choose him in the first place. I don't recall you complaining about the lack of 'girl's your age' stuff."

"Says the one who wanted to ground me for life for sleeping with an elder." - Lexie mocked with a sad smile.

"You know I didn't mean it. At first I did. I've never wanted you to become McSteamy's breakfast, I even made Derek warn him off."

"'Little Sloan is not to enter Little Grey'. Yeah, I've heard this story. Creepy, you know? And it's 'big' Sloan, by the way."

"Too much info, Lex." - Meredith snorted - "Well, my point is, why won't you try? You're supposed to be the bright and shiny one who always dares to move. Mark won't go after you because he thinks he's respecting your wishes to be away from him and his life. But he's miserable and probably missing you like hell."

"What if he's not? What if he's already with someone else? I messed up, Meredith, and I can't even imagine how to fit into his life as it is."

"You know what? I'm done talking. As much as I'm enjoying being the wise big sister I have to stop now, my head hurts and you're so drunk you can't put two and two together. We're going home and you're going to think it over."

"But..."

"We're going home. To sleep. And from now on you are going straight home after your shift. No more drinks for you, understood?"

Lexie shook her head in disbelief. - "So I am grounded for life."

"Just until you get yourself together." - Meredith smiled warmly - "Put the seatbelt, we're leaving now."

I'm not sure it ends here but... well thank you for reading. See ya!