. . . . . . . . . .

"Are you ready to go Lexie?" Asked Derek as they walked out to the trauma bay.

"I've waited my entire life for today, but I feel like something's missing." Said Lexie, nervously digging in her purse.

"Little Grey?" He said softly, grabbing her hands.

"Yes?" She responded meekly looking into his eyes.

"You'll do great. You're the smartest person I know, and everyone falls in love with you when they meet you." She laughed loudly.

"Alex forgot he slept with me, Meredith hated me, you picked me up in a bar and Mark called me pathetic for the first year of my life at this hospital."

"Look where you are now. Meredith is your sister and your best friend, I'm your mentor and your big brother and Mark loves you more than he loves himself. Which trust me, is something I never thought I'd ever say in my entire life."

"What about Alex?"

"Well, Karev, he, uh…"

Alex came jogging up and hugged Lexie.

"Good luck, Lexipedia. Don't let them forget you." He jogged off to the bus.

"Now you have everyone accounted for Lex." He kissed her forehead. "Now go kick some surgical ass."

"Thanks Derek. Thank you for being there when nobody else was. When Meredith hated me and Alex forgot me and when Mark was calling me pathetic. You were there when I needed someone. You've truly been a great brother. The one I always wanted when I was little."

"I would jump in front of a bus for you Alexandra. Now, go. I'll see you in New York. I love you." She smiled and hurried off to the charter bus, suitcase in tow.

. . . . . . . . . . .

"Yeah, Mer, We're at the Omni now. But you guys have a long drive ahead of you. First family road trip. Yeah, no, Doctor Webber isn't coming this year. No, I don't know who replaced him. Okay, I got to go. Tell the kids I love em and tell Derek that I'm ready. Yeah, Mer. Bye." Said Lexie, shoving her phone back into her pocket. Really all she wanted to do was curl up in her bed and sleep, but she knew better. Lexie approached the front desk and got her registration packet, plopping down in a plush red chair. She filled out the packet then waited for the elevator to appear. There was a ding, and who other than Mark Sloan was standing there, leaning against the wall, smirking at her.

"Lex" he greeted, his voice sending a shiver down her spine.

"What are you doing here Mark?" She breathed heavily, pushing the button for the eighth floor repeatedly.

"Nervous?" He asked, stepping closer to her.

"Why are you here?"

"Oh, don't get your panties all twisted up. You know the grey lace ones with the little bows."

"You ripped those." She said sharply, pressing the button again.

"Oh I did, didn't I?" She exhaled loudly.

"What? Not happy to see me? Because I am so glad we ran into Each Other. Aren't you?" Lexie's phone broke the silence and she gladly pressed it up against her ear.

"Mer."

"Hi, you know how we borrowed your portable DVD player? Well, I went to put a domino surgery tape in there, but I saw it was Marks face transplant, and I'd never seen it before, so of course I wanted to watch it. Little did I know, my little sister had made a sex tape with Mark Sloan." Lexie winced "so, I was wondering what other surgical films I need to avoid."

"Uh, Pediatric craniectomy, double leg amputation above the knee and finding nemo." Mark was trying his hardest not to laugh, meanwhile Lexie looked as if she was going to throw up.

"Really, Lex? Finding Nemo?"

"It was before the kids."

"I'm sure it was. Good luck, I'll leave you alone. But If I ever see a sex tape from you and him again," Lexie hung up. She looked at him, Cheshire grin spreading across his face, and for the very first time, she fully understood 'McSteamy'. He was very, very close to her, breath tickling her neck and she was breathing in his intoxicating scent. She moved her hand back and inch and brushed his fingers with hers. He grabbed her hand with one of his and used the other to wrap around her waist and pull her back up against his chest.

"You know, you were really teasing me last night." He pushed her hair back to her neck and ran his lips over her ear. "You looked just like you do after I have my way with you. You were hot, and you were sweaty and you were lying there and all I wanted to do was kiss you and touch you and make love to you."

Her breath shook "Mark,"

"Come around New York with me Lex. Let me show you around. You've always wanted to go and now we're here. It's my home, Lexie. And you're my home. So, please."

"I, um, okay. But I have to be back soon, with my boards and all"

"I know. It'll be quick." He whispered seductively as the doors opened.

. . . . . . . . . . .

"Oh my God, Mark, it's gorgeous up here." She gasped from the top of the Empire State Building.

So far they'd been all around New York. Times Square, Central Park and they managed to get to the Museum of Natural History right before closing. They were leaning against the railing, pinkies touching, neither of them moving either together or apart.

"I know, I've told you that a million times. And no matter how many times you watch 'An Affair to Remember', it's not the same."

She laughed softly. "You were right. Thank you so much for doing this for me. This was an amazing adventure, and I'm glad I got to go on it with you."

"I'd do anything for you, Lex. I'm in love with you. I always have been, I always will be. No matter what Derek or Callie or anyone else says, I want to be with you… Forever. When you asked me to teach you, I never expected you'd be the one to teach me. You taught me how to be a good man, you taught me to recite the alphabet backwards," he let out a semi-nervous chuckle, "You taught me how to love. You made a better person, and I can honestly say that I would go through everything, Addison, Sloan, Sofia, Julia, the shooting, Karev and Avery, O'Malley, all of it, I would do it all again, just to be with you. You are my everything, Lex. You brain, my soul, my heart, we fit together like the pieces of a puzzle. I would sacrifice everything I've ever had to be with you, I would give everything up… All I want to do is make you happy. You're gonna be an amazing surgeon. We're gonna have 2 or 3 kids. We're gonna be happy, Lex. You and me. We're gonna have the best life, Lexie. You and me. We're supposed to end up together. We are meant to be. I love you. I love you. I love you. So," he bent down on one knee, pulling a small velvet box out of his left breast pocket. A loan tear fell down her face.

"Alexandra Caroline Grey, will you marry me?"

"No"

. . . . . . . . . . .