A/N: Hi guys! So if you're a reader of Starting Over, I have major writer's block but I promise I'll finish it. It's just that this story has been on my mind for a while now and I'm really excited to write this one. I really hope everyone likes it so please review (even if it's to tell me it sucks). This story is just going to be focused on everyone really. well mostly MerDer and Slexie. It's AU.

Background:

The story starts after Addison comes to Seattle Grace (post "Pick me, choose me, love me" speech). She didn't cheat with Mark, but with some other guy. Mark decides to come to Seattle to be there for Derek after Derek tells him Addison came. Meredith, George, Alex, and Izzie are living together. The original 5 interns are all residents. Christina is still with Burke at this point. Lexie is Meredith's full sister (Ellis's daughter). Thatcher left them due to the divorce. Meredith and Lexie are really close, but are estranged at the start of the story (for reasons to be revealed!)

Ch. 1: Making My Way Back To You

Meredith was lying in bed with a random guy. She had gotten drunk and taken home some remotely attractive guy who had been more than willing to go with her. But now he was on the verge of passing out and she was sobering. She needed to find more alcohol before she started thinking about McDreamy.

Before she could climb out of bed, her phone buzzed with an incoming call. In her hurry to pick up, she forgot to check the number.

"Hello?" She whispered.

A sniffle followed by a sob came through. "Oh my gosh Meredith thank god you picked up. Please don't hang up. I need you right now. I know you said not to call you ever again, but I need my sister." A voice Meredith never thought she'd hear again babbled.

"Lexie, breathe." She tried to soothe her sister. She didn't want to think about what could've happened. She hadn't meant the last words she'd told Lexie. Not after everything Lexie had done for her.

"Chance. He's dead." Lexie said, her voice sounding flat. "My son is dead."

Meredith froze. "What about Jackson?" Jackson was the main reason Meredith had told Lexie not to call her. Chance was Lexie's son. Jackson Avery was Chance's father, who had never really been there for Lexie. But for some reason, Lexie had loved him. And Meredith didn't want to watch her suffer, but her attempt to help Lexie had failed and ultimately led to estrangement.

"I don't care about Jackson." Lexie replied. "I left him. Two hours ago."

"Lexie." Meredith didn't know what to say.

"I spoke to Dr. Webber. He said I could start. I know the interns start next week, and I was supposed to do my residency at Mass Gen, but I can't stay here. I can't stay where Chance died, Meredith. I can't." Lexie rambled.

"I'm here. Lexie, I didn't mean it when I told you not to call. You're my sister." Meredith said. "Did you book a flight?"

"Not yet. I was going to do it after I called you. I didn't know if you were okay with me or not." Lexie answered.

Behind Meredith, the guy groaned. Meredith turned on the light and found his clothes. She threw them at him. "Hold on, Lexie." She covered the phone and waited until he was conscious enough to hear her.

"I think you should go." She said. Thankfully, he was already dressing. Unlike her supposed-to-be one night stand who turned out to be so much more.

"You know what? We don't have to do the thing."

"Oh, we can do anything you want."

"No, the thing.. exchange the details, pretend we care.. Look, I'm going to go upstairs and take a shower. Okay? And when I get back down here, you won't be here. So, goodbye, um..."

"Derek."

"Derek! Right. Meredith."

"The door is right in front of the stairs when you walk down. Can't miss it." She added.

She waited until she heard the door close before she returned to the call. "You're okay with the attic, right?"

"Yeah. Mere, I'm really tired and I just want to drink right now. Can we figure out the specifics tomorrow?" Lexie asked.

Meredith understood. "Me too. Be careful. And call me!"

She heard the click as Lexie hung up. She was too tired to make her way downstairs and find tequila. Not to mention, her bottle was probably empty after all the nights of pounding shots.

GAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA

Mark paused as he saw his best friend ogling a woman who wasn't his wife. A woman he had ultimately not chosen in favor of Addison. And Mark sighed. Keeping tabs on Derek was much harder than he'd anticipated. If it wasn't for Derek's mother who was practically his mother, he probably wouldn't have even left New York. He hated interns. He preferred the private practice he'd shared with Derek.

"You know, staring isn't going to take her clothes off." Mark said, passing Derek a cup of coffee.

"I wasn't." Derek feebly attempted to deny it.

Mark chuckled. "You're not fooling me. We've been friends since we were five."

Suddenly, another girl appeared next to Meredith. A girl that was definitely new. Mark would've remembered someone so attractive.

"Dr. Grey!" Bailey called. Both girls turned their heads.

"And the mystery deepens." Mark commented.

Derek rolled his eyes. "Mark."

"The new one. Good lord, what is it with this hospital and sharing last names? Give me a break." Bailey huffed.

Suddenly, the new Dr. Grey was approaching the nurses' station where Mark and Derek had been observing from.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Grey. Uh, just call me Lexie. I know Meredith is Dr. Grey. I'm on your service today." She was already looking at Mark as she spoke.

"So, you know who I am?" Mark asked.

"Um yeah. Well I figured you'd be Dr. Sloan because he's Dr. Shepherd, which I know from Meredith's description. Crap, I didn't say that. But you're Dr. Sloan. You're head of Plastics and an ENT specialist. You can stitch without leaving scars, which is pretty impressive." Lexie babbled, nervous. God, this was not going well for her first day.

But Mark smiled, amused. Maybe he could handle interns after all. "I'm impressed. That's a lot to remember."

"Photographic memory." Lexie explained, shrugging.

Mark's jaw dropped. "No way. That's so cool! Periodic table. Go."

Lexie blushed. "Hydrogen, helium, lithium, beryllium, boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine, neon, sodium. I can keep going if you want."

"I call her. She's my intern." Mark announced to no one in particular.

Derek raised an eyebrow at Mark's interest. "Interns can't specialize."

Mark scoffed. "That's what you think. Lexie, is it? Let's go check on some patients."

GAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA

"Meredith!" Cristina called as Meredith walked into Joe's Bar. Cristina and Lexie were already seated and judging by the empty glasses, were on their way to getting drunk. Meredith was glad that her sister and her person got along. They were the only two she could confide in.

Lexie swallowed another shot, coughing a lot. She wasn't as acclimated to tequila as Cristina and Meredith, who could pound shots in quick succession. Mark had operated on a little boy who was just a couple years older than Chance, which had brought all the feelings she was trying to smush to the surface.

Meredith grabbed a shot and drank it quickly. "Hey guys. What's up?"

"I'm pregnant." Cristina blurted between shots, before bursting into hysterical giggling.

"I'm a mother who outlived her kid." Lexie half-sobbed, half-laughed.

"I'm a dirty mistress." Meredith drank another shot. "I mean, I've done some pretty slutty things, but I never thought I'd be the slutty intern that's a dirty mistress."

Lexie giggled. "You used to give all your flings heart shaped hickeys, just to make sure everyone knew which boys you'd done and which you hadn't. All the rumors."

"A heart shaped hickey?" Cristina exclaimed. At the exclamation, certain heads had turned to eavesdrop. Mostly the nurses who seemed like they couldn't get enough.

"It's easy." Meredith scoffed, downing another shot.

"And when girls tried to copy her, it looked like somebody tried to attack the guy." Lexie couldn't stop laughing.

Meredith shrugged. "Not my fault."

Cristina snickered. "Just when I think you're boring, you rise. Mer, you rise."

George walked over, concerned. Mostly about Meredith. "Are you guys okay?"

All three burst out in laughter. "Bambi, we're just peachyy." Cristina slurred.

"Splendid." Lexie added.

"Ecstatic." Meredith finished, downing another shot.

George rolled his eyes. "Why do I bother?"

"Because you have a crush on Mere." Lexie replied, causing George to blush. He spluttered and walked back to the booth he was sharing with Izzie and Alex.

"I'm on a boy ban." Meredith decided.

"Already there." Lexie commented.

"I'll join you. After all, Burke and I are no longer." Cristina added. "Let's get out of here. I'm already broke."

Across the room, Mark was snickering as Derek drank another single malt scotch. "Heart shaped hickeys. Did she ever give you one?"

Derek shook his head. "But she's skilled at everything in that area."

Mark paused. "Derek, I get why you chose Addison. I do, but you're so unhappy. I don't like seeing you this way. You're my brother."

Derek sighed. "I made the wrong choice."

"So fix it. Addison's not happy either. She notices you staring at Meredith."

"Since when are you a relationship expert? You've never been in one, as far as I can remember."

"Since I've observed yours." Mark replied. "You should go home." He added, noting that Derek had probably drank too much.

Derek scoffed. "And where is that? I don't know where my home is. Not anymore."