Warning: mild swearing

Thank you guys for reading, it means alot xx

"You know what I think Mer? I think single life is the best. I should just stay single forever."

"Lexie...we both know that is a complete and utter lie. You hate being alone."

"No really, I'm being serious. Mark can live his great life with Callie and their kid. Maybe I'll adopt, or get a donor. Just me and my kid."

"Ok, now your just spewing nonsense. Shut up and get your butt over here."

"What are you even trying to achieve?"

"We are fishing. And talking about your problems."

"Ha! Like I have problems."

"I'll just let you sit there in your wonderful puddle of denial."

"I am not in denial! I'm feeling great. I'm about to become an aunt, I'm literally out camping with my sister, and I'm living my dream job. Why else do I have to worry about?"

"The fact that your boyfriend is having a child with another woman. That you work with."

"Ex-boyfriend."

"Right."

"Jesus, what the hell...Oh My God Mer I think I've got a fish!"

"What? Let me help."

"Ha, I got you little guy. Do we have to cook him?"

I just burst out in fits of laughter, and soon enough she did too.

"Mommy wake up."

"What?"

'Mommy, Mommy get up get up!'

'Alright, okay. What time is it?'

Zola and Bailey were both sitting on the end of my bed, their big doe eyes boring into mine. They seemed to have been awake for awhile.

"We want to make cookies."

"At 3 in the morning?"

But they were already pulling me out of bed and towards the stairs.

"Lets go Momma."

"This is my favourite recipe. You wanna make chocolate chip?"

"Yeah!" They both chorused.

"This was your Aunt Lexie's favourite recipe. I would always find her making them at odd times at night. Once I even found her making them with you, Zola."

"I made these with Aunt Lexie?"

"Yup. It took her a couple of tries to get them right, but she got there eventually. The first batch she made was awful. They didn't even taste like cookies. They were burnt and salty, your Dad wouldn't stop teasing her about it." I laugh thinking back to the memory of Lexie throwing flour at Derek after he laughed at her.

"Can you tell me about her Momma?" A small voice came from behind Zola. It was Bailey. Of course he wanted to know, he'd never even met her.

"Of course I can. Whatever you want to know."

"What was she like?"

"You Aunt Lexie was the purest person I have ever known. People will always say that about someone who's left us, but Lexie really had the kindest heart out of everyone I've ever met. And she was so beautiful, you don't even know."

"Even more beautiful than you Mommy?"

I laughed.

"Even more beautiful than me. And she had the biggest smile, all the time. Even when she was sad, she always wanted to make other people feel better. She was a doctor, like me, and she always wanted to make her patients happy, as well as make them healthy again. She had something called a photographic memory, which meant she could remember everything perfectly. And she loved the woods. She wanted to take you guys when you got older so she could show you how amazing she found it. She worked with your Daddy, she was trying to become a neurosurgeon, someone who works on peoples brains. She was the best little sister I could have asked for. I miss her very much."

"I'm sorry she left us Momma."

"It's alright. Let's make these cookies shall we?"

"Yeah! Wait, who's going to take us to the woods when we get older?"

"I'll take you, Zo. It's okay, we can still go."

"But who's going to show us how amazing it is?"

"I don't know, Bailey."

"I want Aunt Lexie to take us! When is she coming back?"

"I know you do. She won't be coming back, I'm really sorry guys. But you can think of her as your guardian angel. She is always with you."

"But I want her to come back to take us in person! I want to make cookies with her! If Zola got to make cookies with her, why don't I?"

"Unfortunately it doesn't work like that sweetheart. I'm really sorry."

"But…"

"I know. I do too. Now, let's make these cookies and get back to bed, okay?"

"When you said 'the first time of many', what did you mean?"

"I just...wasn't the best sister. For a long time. I've left her behind more times than I haven't."

"I'm sure that's not true."

"Really, you wanna test that? Let me tell you another story of how I betrayed my sister."

Lexie had seemed off these past few days, but I didn't want to say anything, incase it was out of line. But today at work she wasn't her normal cheery self. And it was weird. I was really worried.

At lunch time I caught up to her, George was in surgery so she had had lunch alone.

"Hey, Lexie! Wait up! Are you ok?"

"I'm good. You don't have to worry about me. I'm fine."

"You know, you can tell me if somethings up."

"Yup. And nothing is up. I have no tea to spill."

"Lexie. Stop. Just tell me wants up."

"No and no. Just leave me alone Meredith."

Later on that day I saw her walking to the car park with George, before I noticed Thatcher walking towards them. He looked drunk. Stumbling, with what looked like a bottle of scotch in his hand.

"Lexie!" He drunkenly shouted.

She whipped around, she had obviously not realized that he was there.

"Dad! What the hell are you doing? Did you drive here drunk?"

"That...is none of your business."

"Dad, just let George and I drive you home."

"No! Your just an ungrateful bitch who left me just like your mother."

I could see the shock and hurt on her face, and as George pulled her backwards away from Thatcher, I realized I should go over there and help. But I couldn't move, so I just watched George try and talk him down.

" , I am more than happy to drive you home."

Lexie turned to look at him.

"No, George, I'll just drive him back it's fine."

They both flinched as the bottle of scotch was dropped on the concrete.

"You left me."

"No, Dad, I just needed to live closer to work."

"You left me, just like everyone else."

"Dad…"

It happened so fast. He just looked up at her and raised his hand and took a swing. George managed to pull her back before he could do any real damage. I should have gone over there. But George was already putting Lexie into his car, comforting her in a way I never could. So I just thought, 'Well, George is already taking care of it, they don't need my help.' So I walked back to my car and drove home. That night deciding to just put the whole thing behind me, forget it ever happened.

"I should have stayed to make sure they were okay. I mean, he tried to hit my little sister! Instead, I walked away, like I always do."

"That was only twice. You surely made up for them with so many other memories."

"Yeah, we can talk more about all thats wrong with that sentence tomorrow, I'm late."

"Bye then."

"Bye."

I had asked Maggie to pick up my kids after school and daycare, because they hadn't seen her in a while and I assumed they missed her. But when I got home, Maggie was sitting alone on the couch.

"Maggie? Where are my kids?"

"Honestly Mer, I do not know. As soon as I opened the door, they ran away from me. Zola didn't even talk to me in the car."

"What did you say to them?"

I was trying to wrap my brain around why my kids would start acting like this.

"Nothing! I swear."

"I have an idea. I'm going to talk to Zola, then I'm going to bring her down to talk to you."

"Okay."

I came up to Zola's bedroom, and softy knocked on the door.

"Zozo? You in there?"

"Come in Mommy."

"Hey there Zo. So Auntie Maggie tells me you aren't speaking to her. It's hurting her feelings."

"I don't want her here. I want Auntie Lexie."

"That's no reason not to talk to her, Zo."

"But I'm afraid that if I talk to her I'll forget about Auntie Lexie."

"Oh, Zola. I understand. But I'm going to make you a promise, okay?"

"Okay."

"I am going to make sure you never forget Auntie Lexie. I can tell you stories about her whenever you want. I can even put a picture of her up in your bedroom if you like."

"Yay! Can I have the one from when I first met her?"

"Of course you can. I'll put it up today. And whenever you want, I can tell you about her. Just ask."

"Okay Mommy. I'm sorry for not talking to Auntie Maggie."

"It's ok Zo. Now let's go apologise in person, okay?"

"Let's go!"

"Auntie Maggie! Auntie Maggie!"

I watched as she leaped on the couch next to Maggie, her face lighting up with excitement.

"Yes Zola?"

"I'm very sorry for not talking to you. I was scared that if I talked to you, I would forget all about my Aunt Lexie. And I don't want to forget about her."

"Oh, Zola. I'm sorry too. I would never want you to forget about your Aunt Lexie. I forgive you. Can you forgive me?"

"Of course I will Auntie Maggie. Can I tell you about her?"

"Yes! I would love to hear all about her."

"She had dark brown hair, and was always smiling. She was so so pretty, I'll show you a picture later. She looked like a Disney princess. She was a brain doctor, and always made her patients happy, even when they were sick. She wanted to take me to the woods when I got older, so we could see the beauty together, but now we can't. I miss her Auntie Maggie."

"I'm so sorry Zola. Why don't you tell me more about her? She sounds amazing."

Maggie was not lying. She was amazing, a real life Disney princess. For a least an hour that night I watched and listened to Zola tell Maggie about Lexie. I wish she was here to see this.

Third chapter out! Tell me your thoughts. Thank you for reading and love you guys!

Izzie xx