Warning: Rated T. No warning.

A/N: Thanks again for all of the favorites, follows, and reviews to this story. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

Chapter 25 – Taking Flight

Lexie

6 Months Later….

24 hours earlier…

I tried to stifle my large yawn as I grabbed my cup of coffee off the pickup station at the nearby coffee house.

"Didn't get enough sleep last night?" April asked, as she reached for her cup of coffee.

I shook my head, as I took my coffee over to the station to grab sugar packets and a coffee stir. "I couldn't sleep."

April laughed. "Mark left yesterday. He will be back tomorrow."

I frowned. "I know."

April shook her head. "It's really cute—in a sickening way—how you two are together." she mused.

"This is the first time that we've really been apart," I informed. "Our wedding is in two months, and we still have a lot of last-minute things to do. The last thing either of us needed is him flying off to Boise to work on this conjoined twin's case."

April leaned against the coffee station and took a sip as I stirred in the four packets of sugar I just put into my coffee.

"Well, that's what happens when your fiancé is the best plastic surgeon. The success of our case here in Seattle Grace was bound to make him their only choice out there."

I placed the lid back on my coffee cup and took a sip. "Yeah, I guess so."

April bumped her hip with mine. "Well, don't worry, Mrs. Sloan won't be too far behind."

I laughed. "I don't ever think I will be as good as Mark. Besides, Jackson still hasn't decided between neurosurgery and plastics. Mark is impressed with his skills."

April shook her head. "You really think your future husband is going to choose Jackson over his wife?"

I grinned. It was hard not too these days anytime someone referred to Mark as my 'husband' or me as his 'wife.' The giddy flash in April's eyes told me that with her being just as much as a hopeless romantic as me, that she knew how much I enjoyed hearing it too.

In two months, I would become Mrs.—Dr. Lexie Sloan—and I couldn't wait. I couldn't remember the last time I had wanted anything more than wanting that very thing right here and now.

If I was a betting woman, April and Jackson wouldn't be too far behind us either. I caught the way that April spent half her time walking around the Seattle Grace halls in hopes just to catch a glimpse of her man. She always found ways to just bring up Jackson if she could, and both of them had that same ridiculous glow that Mark and I always seemed to have.

"Mark would not pick his attending because of who he is sleeping with," I shot back.

April took another sip. "Sure…."

I looked at my watch, realizing we had about twenty minutes before our shift was to begin. I pulled my phone out of my pocket to check the screen and confirm that I had no missed calls or voicemails from Mark.

He had left yesterday for Boise to help with a similar conjoined twin's case they were working on, and with his being in the ER for more than eight hours, and my schedule between surgeries and covering the pit, we had missed each other's call. It was bad enough knowing that we weren't in the same city—let alone state—but now it was twenty-four hours and I hadn't even heard his voice either.

"Mark still hasn't called?" April asked, glancing over to see me once again staring at my phone like a pathetic loser.

I sighed. "No. Somehow, he will end up calling right when I am in the middle of a case and won't be able to pick up."

"I can hang around you all day and cover if he calls."

I looked up and smiled at my best friend and one of my bridesmaids. If it wasn't for the fact that Molly and Meredith were my sisters, I would have gladly asked her to be my maid of honor. I was just glad that she and Jo agreed to be my bridesmaids.

"You're the best friend a girl could ever have," I replied.

"Dr. Lexie Grey?"

I turned at the sound of my name, a smile lighting up my face at the person standing in front of me. "Mr. Jensen?"

He stepped forward to give me a hug, his ever-jovial demeanor present. I wrapped my arm around his shoulder and hugged him back. "It's good to see you dear."

"You look great," I commented, pulling back to admire Mark's handiwork. Almost all of his scars from his skin graph were healed and barely noticeable. It just made me miss Mark all that more.

Andrew stepped back, and grinned. "That man of yours is a miracle worker," he said.

April gasped. "How did…"

Andrew tapped his pointer finger to his temple. I just smiled. Andrew had thought at the time that Mark and I had been together, and had planted the seed that most likely we would end up being together as partners in some way. April didn't know any of this at the time.

"How are things?" Andrew asked.

I smiled. "Well, you will be happy to know that you were right about Mark and I being partners. We are getting married in two months."

For a couple of seconds his face lit up, before he frowned as he looked around the coffee shop. "Where is he?"

"Handing out more miracles," April answered with a smirk taking a sip of her coffee. "Boise working on separating conjoined twins."

There was something in Andrew's face that I didn't like. His eyes glassed over for a second, before he shook whatever it was—most likely a vision—and masked his expression away.

"What is it?" I asked.

His lips turned upwards into a smile, but I could tell it was a forced smile. Not his normal easy-going smile. Even when he had delivered the news about the message from George's dead father, or Meredith holding back on deepening personal relationship, or calling me out about my darkness, he still managed to lighten the situation. This…this was different and I didn't like the look he was sporting.

"Uh, nothing," he said quickly.

I turned to April. "Do you mind giving me a minute with Andrew? I'll meet you outside."

April looked at me for a moment, a look of worry crossing her expression before she nodded. "Ok." She turned to Andrew. "It was nice to officially meet you, Mr. Jensen."

"You too, Dr. Kepner."

April's feet faltered for a moment, because up until now, she had not formally met Andrew, and he would really have no way of knowing her last name. April managed to close her bottom lip and headed out of the coffee shop to wait outside for me.

I turned back to Andrew, my hand coming up to rest on his lower arm. "Andrew, what is it? What did you see? Is Mark…is he ok?"

He swallowed. "Um, yes."

My eyes narrowed. "Why am I having a hard time believing you. I thought you said it was your job to pass along messages as they come. Even if they are ones that can be difficult."

He smiled. "I see now that all of that darkness's has left you, that your fire is back."

"You're stalling."

His eyes casted down, his hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck. "It's weird. It's not really a message I got…it's just weird bits and pieces I was shown. Almost like small puzzle pieces to a bigger picture but they don't make any sense."

"What did you see? How many?"

"Two."

"And you don't know if Mark is, ok?"

He let out a long breath. "The first I could see the clarity that I always knew was there. The clarity he would get when he found his home." His eyes looked back at me and his mouth did spread out into a genuine smile. "You." He let out another sigh. "Then it was almost like a wall was just slammed in front of me. One moment I could see and the next I am just shut out. All I see is grey."

I realized in that moment I was gripping the coffee in my hand a little tighter then the recycled carboard would be able to take. "W-what does that mean?" I asked.

Andrew gave me a slight shake of his head. "I don't know. It could mean a number of things." He looked at me and I could tell he could easily read the concern on my face even if he hadn't been a physic. "It's not always bad, Lexie."

"Then why do I have this sickening feeling based on how well I could read you that you can't be certain that it's not bad."

Andrew didn't say anything for a moment, and then as if nothing happened, he snapped back into his jovial demeanor. "Everything will be fine, Lexie. I'm sure of it. Married in two months, huh?"

I nodded even though that very notion just minutes earlier had made me the happiest person in the world, I suddenly felt nothing but dread. The fact that I hadn't talked to Mark in twenty-four hours was making things worse.

"Yeah. I would love to have you there if you can give me your address, I would send you an invitation."

Andrew smiled. "That would be great." He pulled a card out of his pocket and handed it over to me. "It was great to see you again, Lexie."

I didn't want Andrew to go, I wanted to ask him more questions, but this was the first time that it seemed like he didn't want stick around any longer for a conversation. Nothing like the Andrew I had come to know.

"You too, Andrew."

He gave me one last look, and then turned and walked out of the coffee shop.

"Hey, you sure your, ok?" April asked once we changed into our scrubs.

My phone was glued to my hands, but now that I was changed into my scrubs my phone would have to stay in my locker. I had tried to contact Mark after I left the coffee shop, but just like last time, his phone went straight to voicemail.

The surgery on the twins was going to span on two days, and he was hopefully going to be on a plane later this evening to come back home. I was hoping to have heard from him before the start of my shift, but I couldn't wait around any longer.

Sighing, I placed my phone in my cubicle, grabbed my lab coat and shoved my arms through.

"I'll be fine," I replied my tone deadpan.

I could feel the weight of April's stare on me. "Ever since you left the conversation with Mr. Jensen you haven't been the same. Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?"

"Thanks, April. I'll be ok."

We walked out of the locker room to officially start our day.

Mark

"Dr. Sloan?"

I half-turned back to see Boise's neurosurgeon, Candice Peete jogging to catch up with me. With her scrub cap gone, her blonde hair was still up in a tight ponytail. She greeted me with a wide smile.

"Dr. Peete. What can I do for you?" I asked.

Her steps slowed as she walked in pace with me. "I just wanted to thank you again for all of your help on this case. Because of you, both of these babies will have functioning limbs and mobility. You do amazing work," she complimented.

I nodded in thanks. "You did great work in there as well, Dr. Peete."

"Candice, please," she corrected.

With the surgery now done, the only thing on my mind was changing, grabbing my luggage and seeing if I could get to the airport and get on a flight as quickly as I could to get home.

I was on day two of not seeing Lexie—or talking for that matter—and I didn't like it. Since she had come to Seattle Grace and started working here, since we had started dating, we hadn't really been apart. After what happened with the ER over six months ago, I barely liked being away from her for a few hours let alone days. Especially without communication.

While it was nice to be needed by Boise and be able to bring good press for Seattle Grace by helping on this surgery, it also came at a trying and difficult time. Lexie and I were planning on getting married in less than two months, and with our busy schedules—mostly hers with moving closer to becoming an attending, we still had a lot of wedding prep to do.

Not that it really mattered to me what flowers we had or what the color of our cake was. I would marry Lexie in a bathing suit, just as long as we were able to say 'I do.' I only planned on getting married once, and Lexie was it for me. I wanted the wedding to be perfect. A way to cement our love for each other, but I would forgo it all as well if it wasn't something Lexie wanted.

I knew she wanted the cake, flowers, guests, and the whole nine yards. While Derek and Meredith might be ok with their post it note wedding and quickie ceremony with the judge, Lexie was the kind of woman that wanted everyone that was important in her life to see the commitment and declaration of love she was making by becoming my wife. I wanted the same for her in return. After all, I was a man. What man didn't want others to know the woman he loved belonged to him?

"It was great working with you, Candice," I said as I started moving towards their private locker area.

The scuffle of her feet behind me told me she was trying to catch up. "Mark, I was hoping that maybe you and I could grab a drink." I stopped to look at her, her cheeks flushing with a tint of red. "I, um, would love to learn more about plastics," she added.

The old Mark—the Mark that didn't do relationships and was only interested in sex—would have jumped at what Candice was offering, because that was really was, she was saying, even if the words weren't coming from her mouth. That was the old Mark. Who I was now, was a man that was in love with a brown hair, brown eyed spitfire back in Seattle Grace and was only interested in her.

"Thanks, but I don't think so. I have to get back home. I have a lot going on," I replied, doing my best to let her down as gently as possible.

Candice gave me that knowing smile that she understood. "That's too bad." She outstretched her hand. "It was nice working with you, Dr. Sloan."

I took her hand in mine. "Nice working with you too, Dr. Peete."

After I changed into my clothes, I checked my phone again, the screen lighting up to let me know that I had a voicemail waiting.

"Hey, honey. Looks like we missed each other again. I'm sure by the time you are getting this, I will already be on shift. I miss you. I can't wait to see you tonight. Give me a call, and let me know when you get in. I love you. Bye."

I sighed, missing Lexie just as much as I could tell in her voice that she missed me. Something was different about this last voicemail. Her tone was tight. Her words were slow as if she was having a hard time trying to think of each word before she spoke it. It was not the Lexie I was used too. It made me worried about how much stress she was carrying these last two days while I was gone.

I slipped my arms through my leather jacket, and grabbed my carryon luggage in my hand. I figured that Lexie would already be on her shift like she said in her voice message, but I still wanted to confirm and let her know that I would be on my way.

"Hey baby. I miss you too. I am on my way to the airport now, and before you know it…I will be home. I can't wait until I can wrap you back in my arms. I am looking forward to a perfect homecoming. I love you, and I'll see you soon."

My plane was supposed to be boarding at this point. We were already thirty minutes past takeoff, but we had yet to even board the plane. Every time I checked in with the worker at the counter it was a different reason.

Our incoming plane was late.

The plane we were supposed to get was now being diverted to another delay that was far greater than ours.

Now, our delay was due to the incoming plane having mechanical issues.

The worker could no longer tell me when we were expected to board and our new takeoff time, but that she would keep us posted once she knew. She asked that we remain close by so that we could hear updates and procedures, but as the minutes ticked by…the chance that I might be flying home tonight to see Lexie was getting slimmer and slimmer.

"Hang on, Lex. One way or another…I am coming home as soon as humanly possible."

Lexie

"Ok, that was literally the grossest thing I have ever seen," Jo said, once April, myself, and Jackson all made our way towards the locker room.

"Yeah, I lost my appetite for the day," April agreed.

Our last emergency patient had been a man that had a rare disease where his body was covered in boils and bumps, and his limbs had actual pieces of branches growing from it. At one point, Dr. Bailey had screamed and almost ran from the surgery room when she cut off a huge chunk from his finger and a large spider came crawling out. If it hadn't been for Jackson stepping in to kill the spider, we would have lost Dr. Bailey.

I grabbed my phone, instantly pulling up my voicemails and listening to the messages that Mark had left for me. The first message was to let me know he had gotten mine and that his surgery had been successful and that he was on his way to the airport and would see me later tonight. When he mentioned the homecoming, it was hard not to smile.

After being together for more than a year, sleeping next to him every night, it was hard now these last couple of days to attempt to fall asleep without him. I found that I was tossing and turning and not really sleeping, and usually if I did get to close my eyes for even a little bit…I somehow ended all the way up on his side, clutching at his pillow and his faint scent.

At least all of that was going to change tonight.

Then I got his last message.

"Lex, I'm still delayed. I'm sorry. I am doing everything I can to try and get home, but I am not sure if I am going to make it in tonight. As soon as I know…I'll call you. I love you."

I took the phone from my ear, my lips turning downwards into a frown. Looking at the time on the phone, Mark should have landed and already be on his way home by now.

"You, ok?" Jackson asked.

I looked up and tried to muster a smile that I know didn't really fool anyone. "Mark's having a hard time trying to get home. Said the plane is experiencing mechanical issues. Doesn't look like he will make it back tonight."

April placed an arm around my shoulder. "I'm sorry, Lexie." She looked over at her boyfriend and Jo. "How about you hang out with us tonight? We can go to Joe's and play darts and just drink. We could all use it after the case we had today."

I shook my head. "You guys go ahead. I don't think I will be much fun tonight. I'm just going to go home. Maybe Mark will call or ended up getting a flight, and I would rather wait for his call."

It took a little more convincing, but I managed to convince them to go ahead without me, while I went home to another empty night at our apartment. There still weren't any incoming calls from Mark. Every time I tried to reach him; his phone went straight to voicemail.

"What are you doing here?" Jo asked, her forehead puckered as she looked shocked to see me dressed in my scrubs.

"Reporting for my shift," I answered, perplexed at her question.

"Lexie, no one expects you to be here. You should…be at home. With Meredith and Derek. I thought April was going to keep you company."

This conversation was getting more and more confusing by the minute. "What are you talking about? Why would April be coming to see me? Why should I be home with Meredith and Derek?"

Jo's stance shifted, her expression turning uncomfortable. "Lexie, after last night…"

"What about last night?"

"Dr. Grey?" I looked past Jo to see Owen coming at me with that same shocked expression. "What are you doing here?" he asked in the same tone as Jo.

I could feel my frustration mounting. "Why does everyone keep asking that? I work here."

Owen and Jo looked at each other, something silent passing between them, which suddenly made me uncomfortable.

"What is going on?" I asked.

Owen turned back to me. "Lexie, do you not remember my phone call to you last night?"

I was about to instantly respond with an answer no, but the way both of them were looking at me so intently, it gave me pause. I paused for a moment, but I would remember if Owen had called me. I didn't even have a drink. I didn't even remember when I had actually fell asleep. I had tried to stay awake as long as possible to see if Mark was going to come home, but he never did.

"Chief, you and I never spoke," I finally answered.

He looked at Jo again, and this time his shock turned to one of genuine concern. "Lexie, I called you last night."

"What for? Is everything ok?"

Owen did that thing that everyone knew about and dreaded ever seeing. That face that told you that you were about to get very bad news that you didn't want to hear. News that could alter or change the course of your life. I was right. And I didn't like it.

"Lexie, the plane that Mark was on…it didn't make it back last night."

I swallowed. The world seemed to be going on around me, but I wasn't hearing anything else. It just felt like muted voices and sounds going in and out of focus as both my heart and breathing seemed to stop all at once.

"W-what…do you m-mean? What are you saying?"

My voice was frantic. I couldn't have heard him correctly. What he was saying could be true.

Owen confirmed the words again. Just like every doctor had to say the words when their loved ones had died. It was an obligation that you couldn't try and soften the blow, or skirt around the cold hard truth. You had to say the words. We did everything we could. We attempted all life saving measures possible, but your—insert relationship here—did not make it. Your loved one died.

Owen went into details of when he got the call. The plane Mark had been on had somehow crashed. Search parties were sent out…but there was no known last location. They were afraid that the GPS system in the plane was damaged during the crash. They were working on the last coordinates they received but as of the last eight hours they had not heard anything.

Owen took another breath before telling me that authorities did not believe there would be any survivors based on the potential crashing site. Based on the mountains and wooded terrain and conditions of weather…the likelihood of survivors was only four percent. Just four percent.

"This…this can't be happening," I croaked.

My hand reached out to steady myself, anything, but it was Owen that reached out and grabbed for me to make sure I didn't fall. He barked and order at Jo—I think to get me a cup of water—but I didn't want anything. I wanted this to be a dream and to wake up from this hellish nightmare.

"Chief…"

Owen's voice was pained, his expression taking on a haunted look. "Lexie, I'm so sorry."

"He could still be alive," I said defiantly.

Owen nodded. "You're right. He could."

"I need to get out there. I need to start searching."

"Dr. Grey, there—"

"No. This can't be true. This can't be true," I exclaimed.

I turned away from Owen as he shouted my name. I was running, but I didn't know where. My body felt numb. My heart was heavy. My mind sounded like static on the television waiting to find a station that could pick up anything that made any sense.

I found myself in the locker room, sitting on the bench as I stared at Mark's cubby. There was a clean folded pair of dark blue scrubs and his white lab coat. My fingers absentmindedly traced his name in the right side of his coat, and tears slowly started to fall from my eyes.

I placed the coat down, a tube of deodorant, a bottle of his cologne, and a picture of us made up the rest of his belongings. I picked up the picture of us, starring at the happy couple frozen in time. He was dressed in a suit, me in a dress as his arm draped over my shoulder, my arm around his waist, my cheek to his chest as we poised for a picture at the courthouse for Meredith and Derek's wedding.

We are so happy in this picture.

So, in love.

So alive.

I wasn't prepared for how difficult the thought of never seeing Mark again would crush me. I thought I after being trapped in the ER I had truly imagined how difficult that would be. In that scary situation, I was the one to die. I was going to leave him behind, while he had to go on and live without me. Without us. I loved him. I couldn't live in a world where Mark Sloan did not exist.

Clutching the picture in my hands, drops of my tears fell onto the picture. I was plagued with only the regrets I had. Did he really know how much I loved him? Had I said the words to him enough? Would I be strong enough to survive what comes next?

As I looked back down at the picture, a distant tone filled the back of my head. I tried to drown it out. I didn't want anything to bother me in this moment. See anything. Talk to anyone.

The sound was louder, but my attention was on the photo. I closed my eyes.

I blinked open; but when I did…I wasn't at Seattle Grace. I wasn't even at the hospital. I was home in our apartment, only a light glow from the lamp on the side table was on, the same lamp I had turned on when I had gotten home from the night before.

I pushed myself up from the bed. I was still dressed in my jeans and sweater. The last thing I had remembered was sitting up and waiting as long as possible to see if Mark would end up making it home. I must've fallen asleep.

I rubbed at my eyes, pushing my hair away from my face. The sound was back. Not just any sound. A Ringing. My cell phone.

I jolted from the bed towards my nightstand where I had left my phone, the device lighting up, and buzzing against the wood.

"Hello. Hello," I stammered, my voice quivering and unsteady.

"Dr. Grey."

It wasn't Mark. It was Owen.

"Chief Hunt."

There was a sigh on the other end. There was that dip in his voice, causing my heart to lurch, because I had heard Owen use this tone countless times before.

"I'm sorry to disturb you so late," he said.

I looked back at the nightstand. The clock read two in the morning. I had been asleep for only forty-five minutes at best, from the last time I had looked at the clock before I must've closed my eyes.

The next words out of my mouth were the hardest words to say, considering the knot in my stomach and the frog in my throat. "What's wrong?"

"Lexie…the authorities just informed me…the plane Mark was on…it's reportedly crashed. They've sent out search parties, but we don't know exactly the coordinates of where the crash occurred. They're out searching…but they don't expect any survivors."

My whole world fell apart.

After Owen's call to me, his next call had been to Derek and Meredith. They had made it over to our apartment in record time, collecting me and a bag before insisting that I come and stay with them. Until….

There was no until they found him alive.

There was no until we were reunited.

It was the until…until they recovered his body and everything would be made real to me.

No one had faith or hope that he would be able to survive a plane crash. Seattle Grace had been the main emergency hospital a few months back after an airliner went down. Everyone but a teenage girl had perished. To this day, no one could clearly understand how she had survived outside of calling it a miracle.

No one was expecting a second miracle. No one was expecting Mark Sloan to come back home alive. To me.

I sat on the couch as Meredith and Derek did all the talking and interviews to Owen and the airline that had called. The airline had confirmed that Mark had checked in and that his boarding pass had been scanned. Confirmed his seat location near the wing and that he had been on the plane.

The sparkle of my ring stared up at me, and all I could do was stare at it mutely. Twisting the gold band on my finger over and over, as I felt nothing but anger at the fact that I was being robbed of the man I love.

I was angry. Angry that I never would get the chance to walk down the aisle. Tell Mark I loved him as I said 'I do' and became Dr. Lexie Sloan. Robbed of that future that I thought I was going to have. The husband, the kids, the happiness.

I was mad at myself that instead of giving in to Mark at a short engagement, I had dragged my feet because I was worried about the fact, I wasn't an attending. That I was still so young. Now, I would never know what it would feel like. I could hear the cracks inside my chest slowly starting to give way…knowing it would be any moment before my once whole heart broke into a mound of pieces.

I sat there and listened to Derek and Meredith whisper behind me. About me. Who would sit with me? Who would take on the burden I would become because my life would cease to exist without Mark?

For a moment, I could truly understand and sympathize with my father. Was this what it felt like when my mother had died? Was this how gut wrenching, soul killing, heartbreaking pain that he had lived with day in and day out without my mother present?

Could I blame him now if the alcohol helped muted that pain? Right now, I wanted to mute that pain. I didn't want to feel anything at all.

I registered there was a knock at Meredith's front door, the conversation between Derek and Meredith stopping. Meredith came into my view to come sit next to me meaning that it had been Derek who had gone to answer the door.

"Oh my god!"

Meredith looked towards the door, at Derek's tone. "Derek what is it?"

"Where's Lexie?"

For the first time since my nightmare and the phone call from Owen, I perked up just a little brighter. It couldn't be….

I reached down for my remaining strength and sat to turn towards the hallway in family room.

"Mark?"

Mark

"Mark?"

Everyone was looking at me like they had just literally seen me come back from the dead. What the heck was going on? I looked from Derek to Meredith and finally to Lexie.

Her eyes were swollen and red rimmed. Her arms were tightened around her stomach, dressed in a pair of sweats and my Columbia sweater. The sweater not too long ago she had refused to ever be caught wearing. Now she wore it all the time.

She had been crying and that protective urge inside of me was growing stronger. When I had gotten back to the apartment, I had seen that she had left in a rush. Different articles of her clothes were left on our bed and in the drawers and her suitcase was gone. Any attempt to try and reach her on her cell phone, and it had gone to voicemail.

The first place I had thought to come was here, and I was glad for that. Because even though she looked as if she was close to falling apart, she was alive, breathing, and she was relatively ok.

"Mark?"

Her voice was barely above a whisper. It was as if saying my name would suddenly make me disappear and she was afraid to have hope that I was standing right in front of her.

"I tried to call, but you didn't pick up." I turned to my brother and Meredith. "What's going on?"

Derek was still wide-eyed, his expression baffled. That wasn't normally like Derek. He was like me…always ready and able to just jump in in the most extreme of situations. Something was differently wrong here.

"What's going on…is that we all expected you to be dead!"

It was my turn to be surprised. I looked to Derek's expression and then to Meredith and I saw no trace of laughter or even some indication that this was a new joke they were playing. Finally, my eyes traveled back to Lexie, and seeing a fresh new stream of tears rolling down both of her eyes, suddenly made me want to lash out at this ridiculous notion they were putting out into the universe.

My feet move forward no longer caring about the fact that I was supposedly dead as I stopped right in front of Lexie. She was looking up into my eyes now, so many questions just swirling there. How? When? Why? More importantly…hope that whatever she was told hadn't been true.

"Mark?"

It was the third time since she had said my name in that question format as if I had just materialized out of nowhere. The only thing I could think to do to snap her out of this…was to grab hold of her and pull her into my arms. She came willingly, her arms coming around my neck as she hung onto me for dear life. I squeezed her back tightly, my face in the crook of her neck as I pulled her closer to my chest. Derek and Meredith had come around to enclose us in a circle that confused expression still on their faces.

After a couple of minutes, I was able to coax Lexie into sitting down next to me, even though she refused to let go of me in any capacity. I had finally learned the reason behind why everyone looked so forlorn and upset—while at the same time shocked—when I had come through the door.

The plane I was supposed to be on had crashed. The theory that the GPS on the plane had been damaged and confirmed that they didn't know the whereabouts and were still out searching to see if there were any survivors. They didn't believe there were any.

I pulled Lexie closer to my side, as I bent down and placed a kiss to the top of her head. She had relaxed slightly, but there was still a part of her that was holding back. As if she still didn't believe that me sitting here was real.

"They said you were on the plane," Derek offered to break the silence in the room. "They said you had checked in, your boarding pass was scanned, and they confirmed your seat location."

"That's because I was," I answered. "After a series of delays and then finally a mechanical issue, we had started the boarding process. I was on the plane." I paused, because in that moment, I realized how different things could have worked out if what happened next did not actually happen. "One of the flight attendants knew I was a doctor, and while the remaining passengers were boarding, a medical emergency had occurred at the gate. She asked if I could assist."

"So, you got off the plane," Meredith offered up.

I nodded. "We were at the furthest end of the gate in that terminal. It was going to take at least ten minutes or possibly longer considering the time of night before any paramedics could arrive. I was their best chance," I replied.

"Talk about divine intervention," Derek noted.

I rubbed my jaw. "I am coming to realize that." I instinctively pulled Lexie closer to my side. "It was a family of four that were supposed to be on the plane as well. The father just suddenly collapsed and started convulsing in the gate area. I stayed with the family until medical transport could take him to the hospital. His wife had told me he recently had been in a car accident and complained of headaches and dizzy spells. This was the first time he had passed out. I recommended an immediate neuro consult, concluding he had a seizure at the airport."

"You missed your flight?" Meredith asked.

I nodded again. "The whole thing had taken at least thirty to forty-five minutes before first responders could arrive. Since the family was obviously going to go with him to the hospital, they couldn't justify holding the plane any longer for just me. They were already behind. I was given a voucher for a hotel and told they would get me out on the next available flight. I stayed at the airport. The gate attendant worked her magic and reached out to other airlines in the airport and had me moved to a different airline. The first flight out of Boise and back here…and I was given the seat."

"Thank god you're alive," Derek said.

Meredith looked at me and then at Lexie who was quietly sitting at my side. She looked as if she was still in some kind of dazed coma.

"Derek, I think we should go and call Owen and give him an update," Meredith suggested.

Derek looked over at me and then smiled. "I think that's a great idea. We've set up one of the guest bedrooms if you would like some privacy and an opportunity to rest."

Once Meredith and Derek left, silence filled the room. Outside of the small little breaths Lexie would take, or the sniffle in her nose, she hadn't uttered a word other than my name since I had walked in the door. She was still clutching my arm, her cheek rested against my chest. I wanted to take Derek's offer and have some privacy.

Knowing that Lexie wasn't going to want to separate, I adjusted my position so I could free my other arm and place it under her knees before scooping her up and cradling her to my chest as I walked to the stares of Meredith house and climbed each step until we were in the guest room that Derek had mentioned they had set up.

Now that we were alone, there was tiny spark of life returning to Lexie as I deposited her on the edge of the bed so she could sit. Her hand instantly reached out to grip a hold of my shirt. I made sure to stay close to her, letting her know I was there.

"Lex…"

She looked up at me absentmindedly. "You were dead. They said you were dead…"

I took her hand in mine and squeezed it so she could not only feel but truly understand that I was alive. I was here and with her. "I'm here, Lex."

There was a glint of fear in those brown eyes of her. "You can't leave me. You can't…I can't…you…"

I pulled her in closer to me, wrapping my arms around her as her face burrowed into my chest. "I'm here, Lex. I won't leave you. I could never leave you. I love you." I assured.

I could feel a new set of wet tears on my shirt as she sniffled again. "Andrew said there was a wall… and then I dreamed you were in a crash, and then Owen called and said you were in a crash. I thought I lost you forever…" she rambled on, not exactly finishing each of her sentences before moving onto the next.

"Andrew? Andrew Jensen?"

She leaned back, using the back of her hand to wipe at her nose. I used the pads of my thumbs to wipe at the drops of tears from her cheeks. "I ran into him at the coffee shop. I told him we were getting married, and then that look came over him. I could sense something was wrong, and he just said there was a wall. He couldn't see. He couldn't see, and then I was told you were dead," she cried.

She hugged me again, as I rubbed circles on her back. "I won't leave you, Lex. I told you I plan to marry you, and I haven't done that yet."

She snapped back instantly. "I don't want to wait anymore." She pushed her hair from her face. "When I thought you were…dead…and that I would never get to marry you…"

"You will, Lex. Our wedding is only two months away."

She shook her head frantically. "I don't want to wait two months anymore."

I could see that fear in her eyes again. I knew what that felt like considering I had experienced the exact same thing when I had thought I lost her in that explosion in the ER not only a few months ago.

"Lex…"

"I promise this isn't just a knee-jerk reaction, Mark. I've waited long enough. I've made enough excuses and those excuses almost cost me you and the thing that I have wanted most since we first met. I just want to marry you."

A smile formed on my lips. "Ok. Let's do it."

A/N: And now we are on our final chapter of this story.