Warning: Some mild language. Rated T.

A/N: MG/Mojotom – That was my small gift in giving you just a bit of both of them as doctors. It was only a dream….

Patsy – THANK YOU so much. That means a lot considering the author's you have named.

Hope you enjoy this next installment.

Chapter 4

Lexie

She somehow found her voice again, scolding herself that she couldn't seem to get her head straight. She was a damn neurosurgeon for gosh darn sakes. She knew what every part of the brain did and what happened if she put her probe in the wrong spot.

Both her frontal and the temporal lobes—which primarily involved speech formation and understanding—were currently failing her this entire evening. Maybe she needed to order a CT scan for herself at this point.

She managed to provide her patient, Mark Sloan, with a rundown of the surgical procedure she had performed, and that she was extremely confident that he would recover without any last affects. She had advised that she was keeping him for a couple more days and requesting at least three CT scans for the next twenty-four hours, to ensure that no additional swelling had occurred and that she did in fact stop all the bleeding in the brain.

"How old are you, Dr. Grey?" Mark asked.

She frowned. "I'm not sure how that question is relevant to your medical treatment plan," she replied.

He shot her that grin again. The one that made her stomach do funny things, and made her lose her train of thought. She looked up at Derek, who just shrugged and silently told her that it was her decision, but she, and he, knew that Mark would keep asking until he got what he wanted.

She took a breath, and tried to answer him calmly even though she felt anything but. "I'm twenty-seven, but I assure you, even though that is on the young side, I am extremely capable surgeon."

He held her gaze, his response and expression ardent. "I wasn't questioning your skills or ability, Dr. Grey," he said.

She shifted her stance. "You weren't?"

"The exact opposite. I was just agreeing with Derek's earlier statement about your reputation and being the best. Thank you for your attention and care to my well-being."

She opened her mouth to say that it was her job, but the words died in her throat. It was her job to ensure that she did in fact care for his well-being, but even she already knew herself, that in the few short hours he had been under her care, it was seeming to be more than just the fact that she was the doctor and he was the patient.

"You're welcome, Mr.—Mark," she said, catching herself when he was about to correct her for using formalities.

She cleared her throat, suddenly feeling like the room was getting hotter by the second. Her patient was awake and he was doing good. She had done her vitals check, and really there was no longer a need for her to be in his room anymore. She really should be getting back to the pit and making sure that her services were not needed.

The hospital had rules that frowned upon doctors forming any sort of emotional attachment to their patients, especially while they were still patients. Something about one of the former doctors here, Izzie Stevens, that her sister went through the internship program with, having fell for a heart patient that didn't survive. When that happened, she had gone crazy, put the hospital in jeopardy, and had to be removed from the program all together. Lexie succeeded by following the rules and knowing them front to back. It would not be good for her to start ignoring them now.

You have the ballerina to focus on. Get out of this room.

"Uh, I have some other patients that I need to attend to. I will be back later to, uh, check on you again. Any other questions before I go?" she asked.

She watched him turn his charming smile on her, and even though she saw it coming, she was still finding herself weak to it. "I'm good for now, Lexie. Thank you."

She didn't think he had remembered her name. He had been given enough gas at that point to knock him out, but when he had put up a fight with her medical staff, she had done the only thing she could think of—and ran to offer him some comfort. He had just gone through a traumatic experience and she had been the first friendly face he had seen.

She had told herself she had made it all up when his face relaxed as she offered up her name, his features smoothing out, allowing them to do what they needed to do in order to save his life. Now, as he uttered her name, the vibration of his voice caressed her skin causing goosebumps in its wake.

She forced herself to turn away, and walk out of the room. She walked out into the hallway, her big sister making a beeline right for her.

"There you are," Meredith said.

She extended her arms as if she was gesturing 'ta-da'. "Here I am."

"I went to grab a coffee and then I came back and you were gone. I was told you were in surgery, but this place is swarming with feds, and apparently it has to do with your case, but nobody will tell me a damn thing that is going on," she rambled, taking a long breath. "What is going on?"

Lexie bit her lip. "I can't tell you."

"Oh, come on!"

Lexie moved behind her sister to pick up all her research and her journals for her inoperable tumor case. "I can't. I am under direct orders. Might as well come from the President of the United States at this point," she replied.

"You can't say anything at all? Nothing?"

Lexie shook her head. "Not a word."

Meredith pouted. "Why didn't you page me? I could have taken the case."

"Because it wasn't your case. It wasn't general related. It was plastics and neuro. I had to treat a brain bleed," she clarified, when her big sister looked generally hurt by specifically pointing out general not being needed or wanted.

Meredith let out a long sigh. "You walk away for two minutes and the whole hospital turns into chaos."

Lexie chuckled. "Speaking of walking away, did you happen to get me that coffee?"

Meredith reached over the counter and picked up the cup of coffee. "I did, but it might be cold now. Sorry."

She grabbed the cup, in much need of the pick me up. She really preferred if it was hot, but caffeine was caffeine, and she was pulling an all nighter. With all this additional research that still needed her attention, she was going to need it.

Lexie smiled. "I'll take what I can get."

She took a large gulp, grimacing at the how cold it was, but it was what she needed. It helped that her sister knew exactly how she liked her coffee. Filled with cream and lots of sugary goodness.

"Thanks," Lexie said, bringing the cup back down, shuffling her stack of paperwork in her other arm. "Can you do me a huge favor?"

"Of course."

"Can you cover the ER for the remainder of the shift? I still have all this research, and my patient is still priority that will need checkups every couple of hours. Just come and get me if you need me?"

Meredith sighed, but nodded. Lexie could tell that it was killing her sister to be left out of what was going on. She guessed that was to be suspected, when their mother made every attempt to always give her the highest profile and once in a lifetime case(s). This is one time; Lexie was the one that was needed. It felt damn good for once.

"Thanks, I appreciate this, Mer."

She left her sister, wandering into another one of the empty computer and research rooms on the wing of the floor right behind the nurse's station, powering up a computer and settling in for the night.

About an hour into her studying, Lexie rubbed at her eyes, sitting back in her chair. Her coffee cup was empty, and she had only gotten through a fourth of her research without any viable treatment plan for her ballerina case that didn't end up paralyzing her patient.

As she leaned back and stretched in her chair, the sight of Derek coming out of Mark's room, stopping to talk at the two feds on guard outside of his door, had her stopping. He looked relaxed and even chummy around the two feds. He smiled at the one, patting him on the back, before the same fed used his head to nod in the direction at whatever question Derek had asked.

Why would he be talking to the feds?

Her forehead scrunched, her eyes squinting as she got up from her chair and stopped just outside of the computer room. The whole thing wasn't making any sense to her. He practically looked like he had been allergic just being in the same room with them when Mark had been brought into the ER, and now he was joking around and patting them on the back.

Her eyes followed, as he rounded the corner and stepped into the conference room-private office-Chief Hunt had set up on the opposite end of the wing. This wing wasn't used very often unless there was VIP clients or those that offered a considerable donation to be on a floor by themselves.

She walked back into the room, bypassing her computer and going to the opposite side of the wall. She struggled internally about what she even was contemplating about doing. Morally, she knew what she was thinking about doing was wrong, but even knowing that, she still hadn't turned tail and walked away.

Because what Chief Hunt, Derek Shepherd, or even the feds didn't know, was that in this room there was a vent that if you sat directly next to it and put your ear against it…you could hear any conversation in any of the offices on this side of the floor through the vent.

Lexie knew it was dangerous and illegal to possibly listen in to a conversation that she had no clearance or reason to know about, but something about the life Mark led, and what had happened to bring him to her hospital in the condition he was in, had her taking these desperate measures to find out the information.

She leaned against the wall, slowly crouching down until her butt hit the coldness of the floor. She positioned herself so that if anyone had walked by, the nearest table was covering her and concealing her altogether. Leaning against the vent, she was now privy to their entire conversation. The voices were muffled, but she could still make out the words even if they sounded distant with an echo.

"Derek, nice of you to show up."

Lexie strained to hear, but she knew that voice. It was the voice of the lead agent in charge, Tom Summers, who had interviewed her after she had successfully completed Mark's surgery. He was a rather serious man, one Lexie could appreciate, because she could tell that just like her, Tom liked to play by the rules and do everything by the book.

"There's a lot going on," Derek answered, his voice sounding drained.

"That doctor of his wouldn't tell us anything," another voice said.

She also recognized that voice of Tom's partner, Agent, Bruce Young.

"There are things called HIPAA laws," Derek replied sarcastically.

Lexie fought a grin at his response. Their lifestyle aside, she actually liked Derek Shepherd. From the moment she met him and observed the way he watched over his best friend, defended his character to her, and even regarded her with instant respect, she felt this instant big brother vibe. She loved having a big sister in Meredith, but she always wondered what it would have been like if her mother and father had one more child and given them a brother. If they did, she imagined Derek would have been what she would have hoped for him in a brother.

Derek filled both of the agents in on Mark's prognoses, and her medical treatment plan in observing him for the next couple of days before she had felt comfortable in releasing him from the medical care. The two lead agents seemed to push the issue in wanting Mark discharged faster, but Derek had immediately squashed the idea, putting his own foot down.

Why is he offering this information to the feds? Could he…

Lexie's bottom lip fell open. Had she been wrong about Derek from the beginning? Was he a rat? Was he selling out his best friend by talking to the feds and giving them information, they needed to put Mark behind bars?

That notion should not bother her at all. If what Mark and Derek did was anything like they depicted in television shows or the movies, then Mark and Derek were not good man. It shouldn't matter that one would turn on the other, especially if that meant bringing down bad man and stopping illegal activity in her own city.

Yet, even with that in mind, she couldn't help but feel this surge of protectiveness roar inside of her that wanted to instantly protect Mark. The man had just recently taken a hell of a beating, and doing everything he could to recover, and now there was the possibility that his best friend and brother had turned on him and been against him for how long, she didn't know.

She adjusted her position and pushed her ear even closer to the vent to listen to the rest of the conversation.

"Things are unsteady out there right now. Someone just made an attempt on his life. Mark needs to get back out there. He needs to be seen," Tom stressed.

Derek let out a long sigh. "I know that. I am working on that. I have assured our men that he is alive and well. They think he is under our doctor's care back at his mansion," he replied.

"We've picked up chatter with the other heads of the crime organizations that they are uncertain that he lives. There are questions about whether he is even fit to lead after he allowed Sergei Anatoly to get so close to him," Bruce added.

Who is Sergei Anatoly?

Lexie knew by the origin of the name it was Russian. Was this Russian the one who had hurt Mark? Suddenly, she wanted to know why he would want to do that. Already, one thing was for certain, she knew that Derek Shepherd, Mark's most trusted confident was in fact betraying him by working with the feds.

"How many times do I have to tell you that it was Mark's strategy all along," Derek snapped.

Tom let out a humorless laugh. "To go in alone, let himself get caught and then get the shit completely beat out of him to an inch of his life? What the hell kind of plan is that?"

"A plan that got you what you needed," Derek replied.

"I am about up to here with you two playing cowboys at the expense of this operation," Tom growled. "This has been years in the works. You don't get to go off and play lone ranger without the approval of this command."

Operation?

"You are about to here?" Derek mocked his voice turning cold. "Seven years. Try seven years of doing this day in and day out, while you sit in your fancy office thinking that you know what decision is best. You aren't out here in the real world watching everything unfold around you. Having to make split decisions on a dime all to make sure that you get to live another day."

"That's the job," Tom commented.

Job? Operation? Something more is going on here.

"Fuck you," Derek said curtly.

"You watch what you say to us," Bruce chimed in.

Derek let out a laugh that even through the vent Lexie could tell was meant to be one of disrespect. "We've scarified a lot for this job. So, maybe before you open your mouth and act like your better, you watch what you say."

"You knew what you were signing up for when you agreed to the job. You had a chance to turn it down. If you couldn't handle it, then you should have said no," Bruce argued.

Lexie heard a thump, followed by a groan, and if she had to guess, Derek and just shoved one of the two agents against the concrete of the wall.

"Let him go, Agent Shepherd, or I swear you will face every reprimand I can throw at you," Tom warned.

Agent Shepherd…oh, my god! Derek Shepherd was an FBI agent. That meant…was Mark one too? She rewound the conversation up until now in her head. He didn't just reference himself, but he used words such as "we've" and "two". We're Mark Sloan and Derek Shepherd FBI agents all along?

Lexie's heart started to beat faster. She felt entirely numb as the conversation went on. This information was huge, and extremely dangerous for her to know. Not just for her, but for them if by chance any of this information got out and in the open. What had Tom said, this operation had already been going on for seven years?

There was silence for a moment, before she heard another grunt, making her believe that Derek had done what he was ordered of him and let Agent Young go.

"Agent Sloan just put his life on the line to give you a major lead on this case. He basically just handed Sergei Anatoly on a silver platter and changed the game for our next power play. So, before you order me to come in here and think you can just bark orders at me, you remember that. You respect that Mark and I have the balls to do out there, what neither of you would have been able to do," Derek replied bitterly.

"You listen to me you little shit—"

"Bruce, enough," Tom interjected. "This isn't getting us anywhere. We have to make a play and we have to make one fast. We need to talk to Agent Sloan."

"Not tonight. Not enough privacy," Derek replied instantly. "Dr. Grey is due to check on him again," he paused, and she guessed he was looking at a clock before he added, "in another fifteen minutes. She will be checking in on him every two hours for the next twenty-four hours. We can't discuss anything with him tonight."

"I agree," Tom said.

"I don't have to remind you that we have to be careful. While your cover is that you here because others might think another hit might occur here, that isn't far off from the truth. We don't know if any of the other gangs have sent anyone here not believing our story about Mark recovering back at his mansion. So, that means stop carelessly beckoning me to come to you," Derek reminded.

"We can't make any promises," Tom said.

"Use the bathroom paper towel holder for drops. I'll make sure to find a safe way to arrange to meet once we are able to tomorrow," Derek said.

"Fine," Tom agreed. "In the meantime, Agent Young and I will continue to pull everything off the device Agent Sloan used when meeting with Anatoly."

"Let me know when you have anything. I will need to make a couple of calls to check in with the men. They will want an update, so I will need to provide some breadcrumbs," Derek said.

Lexie backed away from the vent, as the three of them finished their conversation. Just as she tried to pull away, her necklace caught in the parallel lines of the vent, yanking her harshly back against the wall. Her hands reaching out to shield her face from smacking directly into the metal.

She groaned as her shoulder took the brunt of the hit against the cement and vent.

"What was that?" she heard Bruce ask.

Crap!

"I heard that too," Derek said.

Double crap!

She frantically positioned herself again so she could lean forward, biting her lip to keep from making another noise as a throbbing ache in her shoulder from where she hit it against the wall started to bother her.

"It sounds like it came from the other room," Tom guessed.

Lexie managed to free her charm from the vent, just as the door on the other side of the room where the three man had been talking opened. She had to get out of there and now. If they had any idea that she had been in the room and eavesdropping on their very private conversation, she would be in a boat load of trouble.

She pushed to her feet, and raced to the door. She stopped, groaning as she turned around and almost forget about the stacks of journals and research cases, she had left on the computer station. She immediately ran back, rushing to grab everything, and made quick dash for the door.

As she exited, she had been lucky that the hallway was empty. She ran in the opposite direction, racing for the empty alcove at the end of the hallway. That was her best chance to wait there, and hope that she would have a chance to get out before they would spot her.

She had made it to the concealed spot just in time, peeking around the corner, just as Derek and Tom came down the hallway and walked into the empty room.

Her chest was still heaving, her breaths shallow as she tried to get her breathing back under control. In that moment, all she could think about was that she had been remarkably lucky to remember to go back, get her journals and research and flip off the light before she had exited the room. She was sure that when they walked into the room, it would be as if no one had been in there.

Derek walked out of the room, turning to a nurse that was coming back down the hallway. "Excuse me, do you know if someone was working in this room this evening?"

Lexie's eyes went bug-eyed. She didn't think after they had gone into the room and saw that no one was occupying the space, that would have been the end of it. She mentally started to recall if anyone had known—besides Meredith—that she had been in the room. She didn't think so, but now she couldn't be certain.

The nurse shrugged. "I'm sorry, I am just getting back to my station." she paused. "But I can ask around if you would like me too."

Derek looked back to the room. "That won't be necessary. Thank you, for your time," he said.

Lexie sighed in relief, her hand coming to her forehead once all three of them walked away. She waited until Derek had gone back into Mark's room, before she dropped off her research paperwork and started to make her way back for that second checkup that he had indicated she was due to complete.

How was she supposed to go in there now, after what had just occurred? She could do this. She was a doctor, and she had to deliver bad news all the time—especially with dealing with neuro cases that sometimes was a walking death march of terminal like cases. She could walk into that room and act like she did not know the two men in the room were not undercover agents for the FBI for the last seven years posing as mobsters.

Your life depends on it.

She swallowed, trying not to think about the fact that her ability to walk into his room could potentially cost her everything. Her work—concentrating on her work was always something that got her mind off the terrible things that would try and worm their way through. Studying medicine; and as a doctor now, it had always been her escape when anything ever troubled her mind.

She requested the newest CT scan she had ordered from the nurse, held it up, and took a look. She was glad to see that there had been no additional bleeding, and even that the swelling was already starting to go down. She had done a great job, and if she could just go in there and focus on giving that quick information along with an exam, she could walk right back out with none the wiser.

She put the scan back in its protective holder, and handed it back to the nurse. She took a moment, to steady herself, turned, arched her back to put her chest out, her hands in her coat, and entered the room.

Everything went out the window, when she saw him smiling back at her as she entered. His eyes lit up, and when they did, her chest started to beat a little harder, her pulse started to pick back up, and she could already feel her tongue getting heavy as if someone had just numbed it with some sort of lidocaine.

How did a man recovering from a brain surgery, with his head wrapped in bandages still look incredibly sexy. It really wasn't fair. Even on her best day in her blue scrubs and lab coat she wouldn't look as good as he did right now.

The part right now, was what was unnerving her the most. How after a few hours after his surgery, he could seem so focused. That focus, directly on her and her every movement. How she thought she was going to be able to walk into this room and act like nothing had changed since the last two hours …was crazy.

"Dr. Grey," Mark said in the decadent low and sultry voice that always made a warm sensation run up her spine to the back of her neck and spread through her entire body like it was some kind of disease.

"Er, how, um, are you feeling?" she asked, stepping further into the room, moving towards his bed.

You're doing amazing. Just keep forgetting the entire English vocabulary.

Mark grinned. "Great. Now that my doctor is back to check on me."

She refused to look up at Derek, even though she could feel his eyes on her. Out of her sidelong glance, Derek's arms were crossed over his chest, his scrutinizing gaze studying her. She tried to push it out of her mind, only to flush, and trip over her feet—having to reach out and grip the guardrail of his bed to keep from falling flat on her face.

Just great.

"Are you ok?" Mark asked, his arm trying to reach out to catch her, but with all his tubes and wires hooked up to monitor him, he couldn't do much.

She groaned. "Fine," she replied, smoothing out her scrubs and her coat.

She pulled her light out of her pocket to perform her test, but once again distracted by his high elegant cheekbones and dark brows to match his dark hair. Her eyes traveled down to his solid jaw, with just the perfect amount of thickness to his beard. The man was what she figured she would see on billboards for underwear model ads. She bit her lip just thinking about what he looked like in nothing but underwear—or nothing at all. Now, she was back to flustered and turning as red as a tomato.

Tumors. Brain bleeds. Leaky aneurysms.

"Is something wrong?" Derek asked.

Lexie blinked. "Huh? No, sorry," she said, shaking away her highly inappropriate thoughts. "I'm just going to do a quick exam," she informed.

This time, she had successfully—well, semi-successfully—completed her neuro exam, confirming her thoughts based on what she had seen in the CT scan. Mark Sloan was going to make a full recovery and should not have any lasting long-term effects.

She put the flashlight back in her pocket, and alternated looking between the two of them without spending more than a few seconds in between each glance.

"Mark, your recent scan looks good. No additional bleeding and your swelling is already starting to go down. As I mentioned before, I will be ordering a couple more every few hours. I am quite confident that you will make a full recovery with no lasting effects," she advised with a smile.

Derek sighed, and Mark shot her one of his smiles that showed the whiteness of his teeth.

"Thank god," Derek said.

"That's great news, Dr. Grey," Mark said.

"I told you that you had a hard head," Derek teased at his best friend.

"Well, if you don't have any other questions for me, then I will be back to check on you in a couple of hours."

She turned, closing her eyes, her whole face scrunching, hoping that neither of them said a word to her as she was leaving.

"Actually, Dr. Grey, I have a question for you," Mark said.

Dang it. Too slow.

She turned, plastering on her friendly doctor face. "Of course. What can I answer for you?"

"How quickly can I get out of this bed? I have, uh, things I need to attend too," Mark said.

Lexie felt Derek's eyes on her again, so she refused to even look at him. "If things continue to progress as they are, then I would have no problem with you trying to walk tomorrow. Limited," she corrected having seen his hopes go up immediately.

"No offense, Dr. Grey, but there are important things that need to be dealt with," Derek chimed in.

Lexie turned her gaze on him. "I'm sure you do, but I am also sure that you can handle them, can't you?"

His eyes flickered at her, and she had realized what she had just said. If it had been any other time, it wouldn't seem so obvious, but she was sure between her nervous energy—even if it was part because of what she heard and part because of how attractive her patient was—she knew that the look Derek gave her meant he knew better.

"What's going on here?" Mark asked.

His glance kept alternating between her and Derek, his brows pinched together.

"Lexie knows," Derek announced.

She didn't know if she was more shocked by the fact that he had just suddenly dropped all familiarities, and addressed her head on. He was calling her to the carpet to see if she was brazen enough to lie to him or admit she had been a big fat spy.

"Knows what?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Mr. Shepherd," she replied, emphasizing on the formality again.

Derek smirked. "Lying is not becoming of you, Lexie. It's also very dangerous."

"Would someone tell me what the hell is going on!" Mark yelled.

His hand came to his head, his eyes scrunching shut in pain, Lexie rushing to his side. "Talk to me. Are you ok?" Her light was already out, ready to spring into action.

"I'm fine," he mumbled. He looked back up to his friend. "Talk," he ordered in that voice that even she knew was not to be defied. She had to admit he was really good at it.

"Dr. Grey here knows about us," Derek announced.

Mark grimaced. "It's not a surprise, Derek. The feds would have told the hospital upon our arrival of who we are. She was bound to know what it is that we do."

Derek shook his head. "No. She knows about us," he clarified.

Mark turned his gaze from his friend to her. She felt that familiar heat coursing through her at the weight of his gaze. It was just like that first moment when she had laid eyes on him, and he had been staring at her like he was searching into her soul. Now, she could no longer look at him any longer either.

"Lexie," Mark said.

She did her best to hide any sort of expression that could give her away. In fact, she was the doctor in the room. She was the one that didn't owe them any explanation other than her medical advice, and since she had done that already. She pursed her lips and met his eyes.

"Yes, Mr. Sloan."

His lip twitched at her calling him by his last name again, some of her bravado slipping a little bit. Her chest tightened, as she finally met his gaze and he held her there. She felt trapped and unable to look away.

"What is Derek talking about?" he asked. She went to open her mouth, but he cut in before should could even respond. "And before you tell me nothing, or you don't know what he is talking about, think very carefully," he added.

She narrowed her eyes at him, which only made the corners of his mouth twitch slightly. She was a doctor, not a child, or one of his gang cronies. He had no right or ability to demand or talk to her that way in any capacity.

"All I know, is that you two are mobsters. Criminals. And I have no business wanting to know anymore about that. Are we done?" she asked a bit more harshly than she intended.

"Lexie," Mark coaxed gently, "this is important. Very important. We need to know what you know," he said.

She wasn't stupid. She wasn't going to outright admit that she had been snooping. She was sure there was a crap load of jail time ahead of her if she admitted that directly to the feds.

"I told you already, I—"

"Don't say you don't know anything," Derek interjected. "You might be smart, Dr. Grey, but even you make mistakes. Like leaving the computer up in the research room on a medical journal about tumors on the spine."

Lexie gasped, her attention turning back to Derek's whose brow rose in challenge to say otherwise.

"A mobster! Get out of my way, Jackson, I swear!"

"Great," Lexie muttered.

All three of them turned, at the sight of her sister trying to barge her way into the room, but currently being held back by Jackson as well as the two feds that were coming to his assistance.

"Hey! Hey! It's fine, let her go," Lexie said, coming to the front of the room, to diffuse the situation.

Jackson and the two feds guarding outside the room let her big sister go. "Lexie, I tried to stop her—"

"It's fine," she cut him off. "I got it. Don't worry about," she assured.

Meredith stomped into the room, Lexie following behind her gritting her teeth. Meredith looked at Mark and then at Derek, her gaze faltering before she looked at her. "A mobster. You took a case on a mobster?"

"Meredith, you aren't supposed to be in here," Lexie said calmly.

"You're my sister. You shouldn't have kept them from me. You shouldn't even be around evil men like this."

"Meredith!" Lexie chided.

Meredith stopped; her lips pressed together as she looked back at both men. Lexie watched as her eyes remained on Derek a little longer. His cheek twitched as he returned the gaze, and in that moment, she wondered if in spite of everything, there might be a mutual attraction between her big sister and Mark's friend.

"Meredith, I understand you might be concerned, but this is my patient. Not yours. You're not supposed to be in here, and you and I could get in trouble just by you knowing what you know," she explained.

Derek stepped forward. "How did you come to learn of who we are?" he asked.

Meredith turned her scrutinizing gaze over to him. "I'm not the one who owes any answers," she replied a little coolly.

"Dr. Grey," Lexie warned.

"Grey? So, you two are sisters," Derek said.

Meredith narrowed her eyes. "Do you mind?"

Derek grinned. "I do. You aren't supposed to be in here."

"Listen, McDreamy, you might think you perfect hair, green eyes, and smile might work on all the other ladies out there, but it won't work on me, so back off."

"Enough!"

The three of them turned, the demand coming from Mark. He had managed to sit up in the bed, his expression a wince based on his scrunched up facial features. Now, Lexie was starting to get mad, because everyone was seriously endangering her patient who was recovering from a serious brain bleed.

"Dr. Grey," Mark said, turning his attention to her sister, "I assure you; we don't mean you, your sister, or anyone at this hospital any harm. In fact, we are indebted to you," he said, his tone diplomatic.

"We don't want anything from you, but for you to leave as soon as you can," she replied curtly.

"That's it!" Lexie shouted, stepping forward, turning so Mark was to her back and her sister and Derek faced her. "My patient is suffering from a very egregious brain bleed. Meredith, out, now," she ordered.

"I—"

"I said, out!" she cut her off, and for the first time ever held her ground.

Meredith looked generally hurt that her sister was throwing her out, but she was going to follow right behind her. While she could understand and appreciate her wanting to look out for her, she had no right to come in here, and right in front of her patient make it seem like she was in over her head or too weak to handle the situation.

Meredith turned on her heel, giving Derek one final glare, and stormed from the room.

"Excuse me," Lexie said, following after her sister. "Meredith wait!" she called once she exited the room.

Her sister turned abruptly, her now anger turned on her. "How could you embarrass me like that?" she asked, folding her arms against her chest.

Lexie's eyes widen. "Embarrass you? How could you do that to me in front of my own patient," she bit back.

"He's a mobster, Lexie."

"That I am well aware of, he is my patient. My question, is how did you come to know of this information?"

Meredith shrugged. "It's not important. It's not the kind of patient you should be around."

She felt her defenses slamming up. The same defenses she always got when it came to her mother and sister constantly thinking that because she was the baby of the family, she needed to be babied or protected. That she had chosen the wrong specialty; therefore, needed to be coddled for when the time came that she failed.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Meredith sighed. "He's dangerous. Men like that will take one look at you and…"

"And what?" Lexie asked, when her sister didn't finish her statement.

"You know…think they can walk all over you," she admitted.

Lexie licked her lips, trying to keep the anger and hurt from spilling out of her. "Like you seem to think you can," she observed.

Meredith had the audacity to look at her as if Lexie had just slapped her across the check. "What? No…that's not what I meant."

"Yes, it was. Let's get one thing straight. I don't need you or anyone to protect me. I am not weak. I am not so gullible as you would like to believe," she said angrily.

"Lexie…"

"This is my patient, Meredith. My patient that I saved, and I fixed. Not you. If I need a general consult, I'll be sure to let you know. Otherwise, stay out of my way, and don't even think about stepping foot back into that room. You don't have the clearance and you aren't wanted."

When she managed to take a breath and look back at her sister's face, she saw the water starting to brim at the back of her eyes.

"You got it," Meredith said, her voice wobbling before she turned and walked away.

Lexie rubbed at her eyes, feeling that everything was just going the wrong way. She had just hurt her sister—albeit years of pent-up feelings she had pushed down—but she hadn't meant to be that awful to her. The best thing would be for both of them to cool off, and she knew she would have to address what she had done later.

For now, she was aware she had two federal agents back in the room behind her that she knew were not going to let her off as easily as her sister had just done.

She started to back away, turned, and marched back into the room.

She had to face the music.

It was now or never.

A/N: Thanks for reading. Don't forget...Q/A at each start to the chapter if you leave a question in your review!