Lexie flipped the switch on the electric kettle and waddled into the living room. She plopped down on the couch and let out a deep sigh. Bailey came skipping in from outside and jumped up on the couch beside. She laid her head on Lexie's lap and took deep tired breaths. She patted the dogs head and closed her eyes. She listened to the long pants from the dog and felt the baby move around. She ran her fingers along her belly and started to hum. The baby stopped squirming and pushed its little hand on her tummy, following her fingers as they moved across her stomach. Derek and Meredith came in threw the door, laughing at Lynn, who stumbled in threw the door. They spotted her on the couch and smiled. Lynn ran to Lexie and threw herself at her mother. Lexie smiled at her and struggled to help the two year old onto the couch beside her.
Lynn rested her head on Lexie's stomach and followed her mother's example by running her fingers across her mother's stomach and singing a song that she learned from The Wiggles. Derek plopped down on the arm chair across from them and sighed.
"Did you have a good walk?" Lexie asked. Lynn smiled up at her.
"We did. Tell Mommy what we saw honey?" Meredith said, sitting on the arm of Derek's chair.
"Turtle!" Lynn smiled and then started gibbering in her own language about the turtle. Lexie smiled down at her and Meredith chuckled.
"This is what you have to look forward too. A conversation that you don't even understand." Lexie said to her with a smile.
"But it was fun to see how excited she got about it." Lexie nodded her head and brushed Lynn's blonde curls out of her face. The baby gave a sharp kick to her rib and Lexie gasped and tried to sit up straighter.
"Hey kid, you ok?" Derek said, calling her kid as he always had.
"Yea, she's got an amazing kick." Lexie said with a sigh.
"Soccer!" Meredith said proudly. "She'll be really good at soccer."
"Why would you want her to play soccer? That's not a real sport." Derek smiled. "Now hockey! That's a real sport." Meredith rolled her eyes and Lexie smiled. The kettle clicked and Lexie sighed. She started to attempt to get up when Meredith stood up.
"I'll get it Lex. You just sit." Meredith said.
"It's ok. I can-"Lexie started.
"When I'm 9 months pregnant you can return the favor." Meredith said with a smile and Lexie nodded. She was amazed at her sister's positivity and determination that this baby would make it. Lynn bounced off the couch and ran down the hall to her bedroom and the dog chased after her. Lexie closed her eyes and rested her head on the couch.
"You look like you're about to explode." Derek said with concern. Lexie stared at him and he smiled. "No offense." Lexie shook her head.
"Thanks for pointing that out. I didn't even think about it before you mentioned it." Lexie said with a smirk.
"I mean, you look really uncomfortable. It must be any day now."
"My due date was yesterday." Lexie said with an uneasy sigh.
"Yesterday, Oh Lex. I completely forgot." Meredith said coming from the kitchen with two teacups. She handed one to Lexie and sat on the couch beside her. She took a sip and looked at Derek. "Oh I'm sorry I didn't even think…" she smiled brightly and he sighed and shook his head. He stood up and ruffled her hair as he went by, and headed to the kitchen.
"Meredith…" Lexie said turning to her sister. Meredith looked at her with bright eyes, completely attentive. "I…I'm sorry that I am doing this to you."
"Doing what?" Meredith said with a bright smile.
"I mean…putting you out like this. I think I've, we've burdened you long enough." Meredith sighed and put the tea cup down. She grabbed Lexie's hand and looked her directly in the face.
"Lexie, I'm going to tell you this again and hopefully for the last time. You are my sister and I am going to do anything I can to help you out. If this is the only way that I can help you out then that's how I'm going to do it. You and I are family and family is there for each. Now stop thinking that you and Lynn are burdening me. I am getting to form a special bond with my niece. That is extremely important to me and to Derek. You can have your baby here. We are not going to be put out by the baby."
"But it'll cry and be up late, make lots of noise." Lexie felt tears in her eyes. Meredith gave her hand a tight squeeze and smiled.
"Look at it this way. It will be practice for when my baby comes. You're teaching us what having a new baby is like." She smiled brightly. The phone rang in the background and Meredith sighed. "That's probably mom. She's got a sixth sense about these things." They listened as Derek answered the phone and when he didn't call for her she turned back to Lexie. "No more of this burdening business. When you're ready you can leave then. But till then you're stuck here, with us, ok?" Lexie smiled and nodded.
"Thank you." Meredith wrapped her arms around her sister and gave her a tight hug. Derek came threw the kitchen door and looked at Lexie with a glum expression.
"Who's on the phone?" Meredith asked. Derek looked at Lexie.
"Phones for you." He said to Lexie. "I think you might want to take it in the kitchen." Derek said. Lexie nodded and he offered his hands to her. She grabbed his hands and pulled her off the couch. She sighed and waddled into the kitchen. She picked up the phone and listened. There was a soft breathing on the other end.
"Hello?"
"Lex?" She choked. It had been so wrapped up in preparing for the baby that she had barely thought about Alex.
"Alex." She said.
"How…how are you?" He hesitated before he asked.
"I'm fine thanks. The size of a whale but that's to be expected."
"And Lynn?"
"She's fine Alex." She heard him sigh and then they went silent. She listened to the sound of his breathing and could almost hear his brain trying to work up something to say.
"Alex, why did you call?"
"I…I want to come and see you." Her breath caught.
"To what? Why?"
"Because…I miss you." He sighed. "It's not the same without you here. Look Lexie I know I've been a total dick. I'm…sorry." Lexie sighed and the tears poured down her cheeks.
"I can't…I can't think." She admitted.
"Please Lex, let me come and see you." She sighed and wiped her cheeks. She debated how she should answer. She didnt want to be the first to cave and immeadatly take him back, but then again he had made a big move in calling her and asking to come and see her.
"Fine." She half whispered and she heard him sigh.
"Thank you. I've missed you guys so much. It so…quiet around here."
"Why because I'm not there to nag you?" She said bitterly.
"No, I miss the sound of your breathing when you're fast asleep, or the sound of Lynn running down the hallway in the morning. The house is empty without you here." Lexie sighed.
"I don't want to get hurt again Alex and I'm not about to put our daughter back in the same situation we just left."
"I am promising you now that I am going to change and we will work on this… together."
"Stop by on Friday. Around lunch. Lynn will be awake then and Meredith and Derek are at work."
"Thank you."
"See you then." She said and hung up the phone. She sighed and stared at the phone. She felt a tight pressure in her stomach and sat down. The pressure in her stomach increased as she thought about Alex coming to visit in just two days. She shook her head wiped away the remaining tears and stood up to go back into the living room. All of sudden a sharp pain rippled threw her lower abdomen and she bent forward. She took a sharp breath and placed her hands on the counter to support herself. She heard her name being called from the living room.
The kitchen door opened and two hands were on her arms in a matter of seconds. She was seated at the table and Meredith knelt in front of her.
"Are you ok?" She asked.
"I think…I think something's wrong." Lexie gasped again as a new wave of pain took over her body.
"Have you been feeling this way for a while?" Meredith asked.
"I felt funny this morning. Like there was pressure when I woke up and a couple of times it was strong but nothing like contractions, well not really. These are…" She held her breath and squeezed Meredith's hands.
"Are contractions. Come on. Time to go to the hospital." Meredith said. "Derek grab Lexie's over night bag that she's packed in her room please." Meredith said. Lexie watched her sister flutter around the house grabbing anything she would need. She seemed to zone out occasionally. All she could think about was getting the baby out. She remembered kissing a crying Lynn in Derek's arms and then Meredith helping her put her seat belt on. She didn't remember much of the drive to the hospital just that it took an agonizingly long time.
Once at the hospital she was put in a wheel chair and brought to the nearest room. She got undressed rather quickly and Meredith sat beside her filling out all the paper work asking her agonizingly plain questions that Meredith didnt know the answers too. Lexie felt the now familiar pain in her lower abdomen and Meredith reached out her hand. Lexie grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly. She waited out the contraction and when it passed she sighed and remember giving birth with Lynn. It was a lot scarrier and she wasnt alone in the fear. Alex had stood by herside the whole 15 hours and had cried when the baby was placed in his arms. He told her later that he was just tired and it was the stress finally releasing, but Lexie knew it was because he was happy and proud to have a child. She sighed and felt tears in her eyes.
"Meredith?"
"Hmm?"
"Call Alex, please."
