AN: Thank you all for reading, reviewing and following. This took me forever to write, because I re-wrote it several different times. It just wasn't coming out the way I wanted it to.

Also for time its fiction so it doesn't have to be perfect, but reminder it's after the shooting before Zola and Sophia. I guess I am just altering the timeline a little.

I also apologize for any errors. I tried to catch them all, but I always miss something, proofing your own writing is hard work I tell ya.

Enjoy!

"What in the hell are you two watching?"

Meredith jumped and audibly gasped while Lexie screamed as her hand flew to her heart. While the laptop that was between on a pillow fell back closing, silencing it.

"Christina!" Meredith turned to the door. "You scared the crap out of us! I didn't even hear you come up the stairs.."

"You're not at the hospital." Christina pointed out. "And whatever you were watching had a laugh track…disturbing"

"It's my day off." Meredith shrugged. "And it's a show Lexie used to watch with Susan when she was sick as a kid."

"We don't take days off." Christina shook her head as she ignored the references to the show the Grey girls were watching. "We are always at the hospital. That's where we belong." She reminded her.

Meredith glanced at Lexie for a second before turning back to Christina. "Today, I just wanted to be at home. I am tired." That wasn't a lie. She was tired. So tired that her body actually was beginning to ache.

"Sorry" Lexie mumbled as she began to inspect her fingernails. "My fault."

"I brought help," Christina held up a bottle of tequila. "I heard three was down, and it won't be long before the cesspool takes you down." Her nose crinkled in disgust. "If the cesspool brings you down, I'd go down. I can't have that!"

"Oh, god" Lexie groaned as her stomach churned seeing the bottle.

"How's that supposed to help?" Meredith asked, grabbing the laptop and placing it back on the pillow, but leaving it closed. "I am pretty sure she'd projectile vomit that, the second it went past her lips.

"For you!" Christina's groaned in disgust at Meredith's description. "So the petri dish doesn't make you sick, It's like hand sanitizer, you can drink."

Meredith rolled her eyes as she took the bottle. "I will break into this later. Thank you." Another not lie, at some point the bottle of Tequila would be very appreciated.

"I also need her back" Christina motioned to Lexie "She's the intern that sucks the least." She sighed "At least I can count on her to not bring me the wrong patient in the OR." She grumbled as she handed Meredith a paper bag. "So give her that, make her better and both of you get your asses back to work."

Meredith peered into the bag as her eyes lit up. "Yes! Yes! Yesss!" She exclaimed as she got to her knees. "Thank you! Christina. Thank you!"

Lexie's interest peaked as she tried to look into the bag. "What?"

Meredith pulled out an IV bag and the supplies she'd need to administer it. "I have been debating on bringing her in for my fluids. She is so dehydrated."

"Meredith" Lexie groaned.

Meredith waved her hand at Lexie "It's not embarrassing to be dehydrated and Christina is a doctor."

"And my boss…" Lexie mumbled as she settled back against the pillows with a sigh. "And she won't let me live it down."

Christina shrugged "On all the stuff I have on you, this is the least embarrassing."

"She's not wrong" Meredith whispered to Lexie, who rolled her eyes in return but couldn't argue the point as she scowled at them both.

"Let Meredith give that to you. Get better and come back" Christina pointed at her. "That's an order, 3."

"Thank you" Meredith repeated as she got up and went and grabbed a coat rack from her closet that held belts and scarves over to the bed so she could attach the IV bag. "The only thing she's kept down since yesterday is one bottle of water. I tried sprite and toast." She shook her head. "But that didn't end well.I should bring her in."

"I don't want to go in, I won't go in. Meredith" Lexie shook her head "And you know that!"

Christina glanced between Lexie and Meredith. "She's a dramatic ray of sunshine when she's sick...You guys actually seem like sisters now."

"She's not dark and twisty, and I am not dramatic." Meredith scowled at Christina as she reached out and touched Lexie's forehead. "She's Lexie.. Just a feverish Lexie."

Christina moved to the side of the bed and placed her hand on Lexie's forehead next to Meredith's. "She is really warm still..Flu test?"

Meredith shook her head "No, I brought her home last night. Pushed Ibuprofen and Tylenol alternating. Fluids and rest."

Christina looked at Lexie "Does anything hurt?"

"My guess, everything hurts." Meredith muttered to herself earning a glare from Lexie and a raised eyebrow from Yang.

"Nothing hurts" Lexie shook her head "It's the flu, I know it is."

Christina looked to Meredith "Are you keeping your eye on her vitals?" She asked as she grabbed Lexie's wrist in her hand and glanced at her watch. "Any chance it could be an infection?"

"No" Lexie grumbled as she tried to take her wrist back from Christina. "It's just the flu."

Meredith paused for a moment as she thought about it.

"Meredith, it's not an infection." Lexie insisted "Just the flu"

"I think it's just the flu" Meredith looked at Christina for a moment before turning her attention back to Lexie. She grabbed her arm as she began to clean the area where she'd put the IV in. "I'll keep my eye on it. The fluids should help her."

"Call me, if you need extra hands?" Christina offered "And don't get taken down by the petri dish of germs."

Lexie rolled her eyes. "Your concern is heart felt."

"You'll be fine" Christina promised "And back at work quickly. Especially if you don't want me to kill your little friends." She headed for the door. "I've been exposed to this too long." She cringed. Before turning at the door and looking at Lexie. "Whatever is going on Lexie, let your sister help you." She offered quietly before leaving.

"Did you call her?" Lexie asked looking down at the IV her sister had effortlessly and painlessly administered. "That didn't hurt…" She looked impressed

"Nope" Meredith shook her head as she managed to hang the bag to the coat rack. "She came, because she actually cares." She motioned to the IV bag. "She'd never admit that.." She smiled "And of course it didn't hurt. I am good."

"She cares about you..." Lexie nodded tiredly "We all know that."

"You're my sister." Meredith reminded Lexie. "Which makes you important."

"Since when? I am pretty sure I used to be her verbal punching bag, because I was your sister." Lexie sighed as she settled back against the pillow. "The IV is overkill."

"Disagree" Meredith climbed over Lexie carefully to not jostle the IV. "and you won her over by being you." She stretched and stifled a yawn. "I think we should put your show back on. I was actually enjoying it."

"Because The Facts Of Life was iconic" Lexie stated tiredly "I can't believe you never watched it."

Meredith shrugged "I didn't spend a whole lot of time watching TV, or things that weren't medical related."

"Sometimes, TV was my break as a kid" Lexie responded quietly. "My mom and I always watched TV together when I was sick."

Meredith set the laptop back up. As she stretched her legs out. "If I fall asleep, you'll forgive me?"

Lexie nodded "You're tired. I kept you up all night."

"I didn't mind that" Meredith promised "But this bed is so cozy. Is this what sick days feel like?"

Lexie offered a small smile "Sometimes sick days can actually be nice. Though it's better when you actually don't feel like death. "

Meredith was quiet for a few minutes. "Lexie, I know you don't feel good. I know you don't want to talk to me" She wrapped the blanket in her fingers twisting them around keeping her eyes down. Almost afraid of what her sister's response would be.. Do you want me to call someone? Like Molly? Or our Thatcher...Our dad?"

"No!" Lexie sat up quickly and winced as her head began to spin. "No. Meredith! Don't call them. Please don't call them!"

"Okay. Okay" Meredith held up her hands "I won't call them…" The older Grey grew quiet, her eyes focused on the laptop.

Lexie let out a little pent up sigh as her body relaxed some. Her eyes were just starting to close. When her sister's voice jostled her back to reality.

"Every time I close my eyes, I see your body." Meredith's voice was calm and controlled as she fought herself to keep her emotions in check. The last thing she wanted to do was cause Lexie to shut down any further. "The angry welts, the hand print...The dark mass of broken blood vessels around your ribs."

"I should go." Lexie mumbled as she tried to stand up only to have her arm yanked by Meredith quickly to keep her in the bed.

"No." Meredith's voice was firm. "You're not going anywhere. You're not running from me or the IV." She took a deep breath "I am sorry, Lexie." Her voice calmer. "I am not mad at you...I love you...and I am scared."

Lexie's eyes filled with tears. "I don't want you to call Molly or dad." She repeated "I love Molly and Dad...but I don't have the energy to make them feel okay." The tears began to fall fast as she swallowed the lump in her throat. "I don't have the energy right now, for anything. Please, Meredith..." Her voice trailed off.

Meredith moved closer to Lexie and grabbed both of her hands and held them firmly in hers. "Do you worry about having to make me feel okay?"

Lexie shook her head as she sniffed back some tears. "You're unbreakable, it seems."

Meredith took a deep breath. "Do you compare yourself to me? Do you think that you have to be strong, because you think I am?"

"Sometimes" Lexie admitted as she avoided eye contact. "You're the strongest person, I've ever met. Ten thousand times stronger than me."

The older Grey kept her sister's hand firmly in hers as she gave them a squeeze. "Don't compare yourself to me, Lexie." She said seriously as she tilted her head to the side keeping her eyes focused on her sister. Studying her as if trying to read her mind. "Don't do that to yourself."

"You're my big sister…" Her eyes looked up and met the worried blue eyes that were studying her intently. "Everyone compares me to you. You're big Grey. I am little Grey…"

"There is nothing, little about you." Meredith whispered "You are a force to be reckoned with, Trust me… You. Win everyone over. You broke my walls down, Lexie Grey. That's not nothing.." She let go of Lexie's hands and grabbed her face and held it in her hands. Her thumbs running circles over her tear stained feverish cheeks. "Lexie, whatever happened to you, is not okay. Nobody had the right to touch you like that. Nobody...and what happened to you. Doesn't make you small. Or weak."

A small sob escaped as Lexie's body began to tremble.

"Okay, okay" Meredith pulled her into her side and held on tightly as she began to rock them both, being careful to not jostle the IV. She used her thumbs to wipe away tears. "We need to talk about this, but right now I need you to calm down, before you get sick again."

"I am sorry, Mere." Lexie managed to get out.

"Stop apologizing." Meredith insisted "Don't apologize for being sick, don't apologize for crying, and don't apologize for whatever happened to you."

"I…"

Meredith held up her hand "Can you agree to let me help you?"

Lexie managed a nod.

"And you know, I don't think you're crazy, right?" The older Grey asked.

Lexie bit her lip.

"I don't think you're crazy." Meredith repeated

"I was in a phys ward" Lexie stated.

"Where you slept, for thirty-six hours." She reminded her "Because your body and mind needed rest...After living through a mass shooting. You saw people die right in front of you. Alex almost died in front of you. There was nothing crazy about that."

"I am not crazy, because I am a Grey." The younger Grey repeated her big sister's words back to her quietly.

"Exactly." Meredith nodded "Someone wise told you that, I think you should listen to them."

"I do." Lexie replied quietly.

Meredith nodded "I know you do, and I know I fail you a lot of the time, but I am not going anywhere. Okay?" She tilted her sister's chin up so their eyes could meet. "Let me take care of you?"

"Okay" She the younger sister agreed quietly. She had no doubt in her mind that Meredith would want to take care of her. Yet she feared when the truth came out it would change everything.

"Callie...hey.. Callie." Derek called out to her as he saw her heading for the cafeteria.

Callie slowed her pace to allow Derek to catch up to her. "Hi" She greeted him with a smile. "I just got done reconstructing five beautiful little fingers, for a kid that got her hand slammed in a car door by her brother." Her smile grew bigger as her eyes lit up. "And she's still going to be able to play the piano. It's a good day."

Derek smiled "Sounds like a good day." He agreed.

"How's your house?" Callie asked "Little Grey was not looking so hot last night. Did she take Meredith down with her?" She grinned "You should have seen them last night. They were in fine sister form. Meredith actually wrestled Lexie into her sweatshirt."

Derek couldn't hold back a chuckle at that image. "Meredith's still trying to figure out this sister role. It doesn't come easy to her."

Callie shrugged "She says that, but I think she fills it better than she believes she does."

"Agreed." Derek nodded as the two of them continued their walk to the cafeteria. "Can I buy you coffee today?"

Callie paused as she looked up at him raising her eyebrow. "Whatever for?"

"I heard you sent the girls home with a care package" He offered.

Callie shrugged "It's Lexie, She's all baby feisty bunny when she's sick. I couldn't stand by and do nothing."

Derek nodded "Thank you, for looking after my sister." He took a deep breath. "Has Meredith reached out to you today?"

"No" Callie shook her head "I haven't seen her all day, I assumed she got whatever Little Grey had."

"She's fine" Derek promised "She's off today. Stayed home with Lexie. They were up all night."

"Yuck" Callie shook her head as she crinkled her nose. "Why would Meredith want to reach out to me?"

Derek ran his fingers through his hair. As he thought carefully about his next words. "I am not sure how much I can say, without saying too much...Meredith told me this morning she was thinking about reaching out to you." He paused for a moment. "To have you consult."

"On the flu?" Callie raised her brow. "I know I sometimes help in the pit for extra cash...but the flu Derek?"

"Not the flu" He shook his head. "Bigger than the flu." He shifted his weight slightly. "Would you be willing to stop over at the house when you're off and check in with Meredith?"

Callie studied Derek's face for a minute before nodding.

"Please?" He asked quietly.

"Of course, I rode with Arizona. We were going to run some errands together after work. Let me talk to her and work it out."

Derek let out a sigh of relief "Thank you, and can you please not mention it to Mark, at least not right now?"

"I don't like keeping things from Mark" Callie shook her head, biting her bottom lip slightly "But for today, I'll keep it to myself. Until I know something."

"Thank you." He offered her a smile "I don't fully know what we are looking at either. I just know that Meredith is going to need some help and she thought of you."

"I'll swing by, see what Grey needs." Callie promised. "However I think I heard you offer me a delicious coffee?"

Derek nodded "That I did, come on Torres. I'll get you a good coffee."

"Thank you." Callie smiled.

"Derek didn't say, what Meredith needed?" Arizona asked as she and Callie headed up Meredith's front steps. Holding a bag of take out food they'd stopped and grabbed for them. "Hopefully soup and bread is welcomed."

"No, just a consult." Callie shook her head "I think it's regarding Little Grey, Derek didn't want me to tell Mark." She looked down to the bag "And how could soup not be welcomed?"

"Interesting." Arizona said more to herself than Callie. "and you said Lexie was the one who was sick yesterday, right?"

"Mmmhmm" Callie nodded as she went to ring the bell when Alex raced past them on the steps. "Oh, Hey. Robbins" He greeted them "You coming in?"

Callie shrugged "We thought we'd come over here and stand on your porch, sounded like a good date night. We even brought our own dinner" She motioned to the bag.

Arizona elbowed Callie as Alex shook his head. "I was going to invite you in, but if you want to stand here for your date, be my guest."

"We'd love to come inside." Arizona smiled as Alex as he held the door open for them. "We're here to see Meredith."

"I think she's decided to quarantine in her room with Lexie." He shrugged "Don't know for sure but I am running late for a date." Alex called over his shoulder as he rushed past them.

Callie looked over at Arizona "Now what?"

"If Lexie's sleeping, yelling for Meredith isn't exactly ideal." Arizona pointed out. "Go upstairs."

"Upstairs." Callie repeated before heading to the stairs, but pausing briefly to see if Arizona was following her. Where she noticed her girlfriend was still standing in the entryway. "Are you coming?"

"Derek sent you." Arizona reminded her. "He didn't mention me at all."

"And you're the one holding the soup. Which I might add was your idea!" Callie pointed out. "Come on."

Arizona rolled her eyes. "I don't see how this involves me, Calliope" She mumbled as she followed after her anyways.

"You know, I used to live here... sort of" Callie asked looking back behind her. "With George."

"I've heard that." Arizona stated while rolling her eyes as they made their way to Meredith's room.

Callie tapped quietly on the door. "Is this awkward?" She asked Arizona. "Are we being awkward?"

Before Arizona could answer Meredith's door opened. The older Grey poked her head out. She raised her eyebrow in confusion at seeing Arizona and Callie standing in the hallway, before realization hit in. "Derek?" She asked with a knowing smile.

"Yeah.. Sorry.. We should have called first." Callie admitted "He just asked me to come over…."

"We brought soup!" Arizona offered cheerfully holding up the bag.

"You should have led with that." Meredith stood aside and motioned them in. "I was trying to figure out what to make that was safe for both Lexie and I to eat, that wouldn't kill either of us." She laughed "Lexie's already sick, taking her out with my cooking sounds cruel."

Arizona and Callie stepped into the room to find Lexie curled up on her eye side, her glassy tired eyes locked on a computer screen.

"Look Lex, Callie and Arizona brought real food" Meredith offered her sister as she shut the door behind her. "You've been spared from me trying to make you something to eat or burning the house down."

"Hi, Little Grey." Callie offered a smile to Lexie "Still not feeling so great?" She asked concern filling her eyes as she crossed the room to the side of the bed, her hand instantly going to Lexie's forehead. "Meredith, she's still really burning up, as hot as yesterday?"

"Not as hot as yesterday, "It's down a little, but I can't keep it down." She exhaled, sounding and looking frustrated. "Christina brought over an IV bag. She's had fluids. She's kept down a piece of toast, but the stupid fever won't come down."

"Those were good things.." Arizona encouraged as she set the bag of take out down. "All good signs, sometimes fevers are just stubborn." She tried to encourage Meredith, as she would a worried parent with a sick child in front of her. "Maybe a little soup will help."

Meredith exhaled as she tilted her head back letting out a long slow sigh. Her eyes closed as she tried to gain composure. "I know…" but her sister's fever seemed set on mocking her. She was a doctor. Treating a fever should be easy. "But for whatever reason it is really making me nervous."

"I am fine" Lexie mumbled, taking her eyes off the screen to look at Meredith. "You've gone a great job helping me. Honest."

"Grey, what's going on?" Callie asked Meredith as the older Grey began to pace the room. "Something is going on with you, you're so tense. It can't really be just about a fever."

Meredith looked between Lexie and Callie. "It is not just about the fever." She said to Callie before looking at Lexie. "Lexie, I am going to take care of you. I promised you." She brought in her lip and bit down. Trying to decide what was best for her sister.

"Meredith..." Lexie started to protest as the two Grey sister's locked eyes, having a silent stare down. "It's just Callie and Arizona." Meredith said after a minute. They're safe… and we trust them. I trust them!"

"Grey..." Callie repeated her head tilting to the side. "Meredith, take a breath. You're not making any sense."

"I can go." Arizona stood t sensing the tension building in the room before heading for the door only to have Meredith reach out and catch her arm stilling her instantly.

Meredith looked between Callie and Arizona. This wasn't how she saw this playing out. However it seemed to be in her favor. Having Arizona there was a blessing in disguise. Arizona was great at being a great source of comfort. Nurturing came easy to her. Lexie wasn't a child. However right at this moment she was vulnerable like one. Arizona's presences could be the calming hand they needed. This way Callie and herself could focus fully on the injuries. Arizona's nurturing presences could work on helping Lexie stay calm.

"I. Love. You. Remember that." Meredith whispered to Lexie before looking over to Arizona. "Arizona, I'd like you to stay. We are going to need your help too."