AN: First as always Thank you for supporting me! You are all the best... I always get so nervous before posting.. I hope I don't disappoint especially with this chapter..It was so hard to write what I had envisioned. The next chapter will be better I promise.
TRIGGER WARNING! Description of physical abuse, control and threat of sexual abuse. If any of these trigger you please don't read anything in italics.
"This isn't going to be easy for me to talk about..." Lexie warned her sister. "It won't be easy for you to hear... If you need me to stop.. Tell me."
Meredith still squeezed in next to her sister on the hospital bed wrapped her arm around her Lexie's shoulder pulling her into her side holding onto her.. Just as she'd done with Cristina when she was the one in the hospital bed and her best friend needed her. This giving Lexie the safety and freedom and support to share her real life nightmare.
Lexie had woken up in a bad mood. No.. A Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day kind of mood. Even the reference to one of her favorite childhood books was not bringing a smile to her face. Her mom used to read her that book when she was little, and having a bad day. Since her name was Alexandra it was easy to switch all the lines from Alexander to her name. It usually cured her bad moods, but it wouldn't work this day.
She couldn't pinpoint what exactly was causing it. She had seen Mark on a date with some random blonde the night before. That of course was like a punch to the gut. She shouldn't care who Mark dated, but Lexie did in fact care.
She also had gotten a patient the night before which she considered to be a true nightmare. Mrs. Bensonbum. An elderly woman set in her ways. One who in the past had Meredith has a doctor. Once she realized Meredith and Lexie were sisters it was all over from there. Everything the younger Grey did the older woman compared to Meredith.
"Your sister doctor Grey, always did it this way...Your sister Dr. Grey never had issues before. Your sister Dr. Grey always takes the time to talk with me….Your sister Dr. Grey is a friendlier soul." The comparisons didn't stop to the point the elderly woman had Meredith paged. To complain about the treatment that she deemed unworthy by the younger Grey and had gone into a full fifteen minute rant about how awful she viewed Lexie. And Meredith really should teach her little sister better.
If that hadn't been bad enough, once outside the room. Meredith began to lecture her in front of Alex and Cristina on being more flexible with elderly patients who were just set in their ways. Her own sister hadn't even asked for her side. She'd given Mrs. Bensobum the same friendly treatment she gave everyone else. Meredith should have known that. She should have believed in her!
It didn't stop there. When she got home that night she found Meredith and April in the middle of a movie she'd been asking April to watch with her for weeks now. Of course April began apologizing profusely the minute Lexie asked about it. Stating Meredith had seen the DVD case laying around and stated it looked interesting. So she decided to watch with Meredith and would watch again with Lexie. She'd also offered to have her join them and they could restart it.
For whatever reason all this got to the younger Grey. She declined and just as she was leaving the room. She informed them both she had read the book and the woman on the screen died in the end. Earning a groan from April and a "LEXIE" from Meredith.
Okay so maybe the night before and a horrible night sleep was creating the No Good Very Bad Mood... She just couldn't shake it. So she sucked it up and headed into the kitchen to at least get a cup of coffee.
"Good morning Lexie!" April greeted Lexie in her usual chipper voice.
Lexie exhaled; her mood was not equipped to handle Kepner's early morning bubbliness. "Morning" She greeted her back heading to the coffee pot passing Jackson and Meredith.
"Morning, Sunshine" Jackson tried, earning a grunt in response.
Meredith, reading her sister's body language, decided best to stay quiet. She poured her mug of coffee, grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl and took a seat at the table with the newspaper pretending to find an interesting article.
Lexie grabbed her favorite mug from the drying rack and headed to the coffee pot. She grabbed the handle of the pot pulling it out to discover it was empty. Meredith had just poured the last cup.
"Oh come on!" Lexie groaned as she slammed the pot back down.
"Hey, it's okay" April assured her, "I'll make a new pot" She offered as she reached for the canister of coffee. Her smile quickly faded once the lid was off. "Oh no...shoot."
Lexie peered over April's shoulder to see that the container was empty.
"Crap" Meredith mumbled from the table. "It was my turn to go to the store wasn't it?"
April bit her lip and nodded "I handed you the shopping list yesterday morning…."
"It's still in my purse. I am sorry. I was going to go after work yesterday. I completely forgot." Meredith held up her hands
Lexie let out a deep sigh before placing her mug back on the drying rack. She'd have to get coffee at work.
After a deep sigh she grabbed the fruit bowl wanting to grab a banana. Instead she found two disgusting red apples. Making her lip curl in disgust.
Meredith swallowed a bite of her banana watching her sister closely, realizing she'd just discovered the bowl of now that was just apples. "I'll go to the store tonight Lex, I promise and I won't buy a single apple." She added with a smirk hoping to get a smile.
"Great" Lexie responded with a tight smile before heading to the fridge to pull out the cream cheese. She'd make herself a blueberry bagel with her favorite blueberry bagels she'd picked up the other day and all would be well until she got to the hospital. Or so she thought until she got to the bread box and found it empty. "There was at least one blueberry bagel here yesterday… Where'd it go?" She asked the room.
"Not it.." Jackson shook his head quickly not wanting to be a part of what was about to go down. He quickly drank the milk from his cereal bowl quickly before getting up and putting it in the sink. "I'll be ready to go soon." He added before quickly flying up the stairs.
"I don't know." April responded honestly and quickly as she looked over Lexie's shoulder just to make sure the younger Grey just didn't miss it. "I didn't touch it, are you sure it's not in there?"
"Yes, it's a bread box. April I can see all of it.." Lexie mumbled before turning to narrow her eyes at her sister, placing her hand on her hips.
Meredith tried to hide an amused smile at Lexie's early morning theatrics. "I ate it last night, while watching the movie...I was hungry... I am sorry."
"Of course you did." Lexie threw up her hands.
"Lexie I am really sorry…" The older Grey tried.
"You're sorry?" Lexie scoffed "You got the last of the coffee, the last of the good fruit. You watched my movie without me. You lectured me last night, in front of Cristina who is kind of my boss….remember?!" She began to pace back and forth, shaking her finger in the air.
April had moved to the fridge and was digging around. She pulled out a bottle of orange juice. She was about to offer Lexie a glass but saw that it had expired a month ago. That wouldn't work as a peace offering.
"You lectured me on MY bedside manner of a patient…" Lexie continued to rant. "You didn't even ask me for my side! You just took that crazy old bat's side because she was calling you perfect!" She'd stopped pacing and slammed her hand on the counter. "But I am glad you're sorry!"
Normally most of those things wouldn't get under her skin so much, but for whatever reason, that morning she just couldn't shake anything and everything was upsetting her.
"I am really sorry, Lexie" Meredith apologized sincerely now sensing the deeper issue of what was bothering her kid sister. "I was having a night myself last night.. and I wasn't in the mood. I should have never even indicated that you didn't give the old crazy bat the best possible care. You're great with everyone… That's on me." She pointed to her chest. "Go get ready." the older Grey motioned to the stairs "We will leave fifteen minutes early, and we will stop at Seattle Bagel Bakery. I'll buy you breakfast and a coffee… Okay?" She offered.
"I am not you…It wasn't fair for her to expect me to be you!" Lexie exhaled as her shoulders fell slightly. "I can't be you Meredith.."
"Nobody who matters is asking you to be anybody else but you" Meredith promised "We like you, for who you are… I promise."
"It's true." April added "We do love you for you."
Lexie winced now her sister was being nice to her, and it made her want to smack herself for being a jerk. Maybe she was actually crazy?
"Lex" Meredith said calmly watching her sister's resolve slowly start to crumble. "It's okay" She promised "We all have mornings like this. It's normal, you're not crazy...Go get ready. We will get this day turned around for you."
Lexie rubbed her eyes as she tried to not cry at being frustrated with the world before nodding. "Okay" She agreed quietly before heading up the stairs.
Meredith had kept her promise and she'd taken the younger Grey that morning to get a fresh bagel and coffee. April even chipped in and got Lexie a cookie for later that day if she wanted. It was a kind gesture on their behalves but it hadn't done much for her mood. She couldn't put her finger on why the day felt heavy to her and was making her cranky.
She was spending her day keeping to herself. She'd felt eyes on her the entire day, most likely April and Jackson's doing. Warning everyone to stay away if they wanted to make it out alive. They of course had witnessed her stellar mood that morning.
She just couldn't shake being watched and it was not helping her mood at all.
The heavy feeling of being watched became too much, and she needed to get away. Twenty minutes all to herself.
Without really having a plan Lexie had made her way to the basement. Finding a little abandoned room that at one point construction had started in the room to convert it to an office maybe?
She stepped over some tools to an abandoned office chair. Sliding down she let out a sigh as she closed her eyes enjoying the few minutes of quiet with nobody around. No sisters, no roommates, no patients...Nobody…
"Dr. Grey?"
Lexie jumped when her silence was interrupted she spun in the chair. Nearly spilling out of it. "Mr. Stanford?" She asked in surprise to a patient she and Cristina had come upon on their afternoon in the pit. He'd come in with stomach pain and ended up needing a appendectomy. It was a pretty open and close kind of case.
"I saw you come down here" He smiled, closing the door behind him. "Are you okay?"
Lexie placed her hand over her heart "You scared me." She smiled as she headed for the door. Her plan is to leave the room and have him follow her. "I am good." She nodded "But you're technically not supposed to be down here. Personnel only."
"I won't be long" He promised "I have a question for you." His smile not quite meeting his eyes.
There was something about his smile that made Lexie uncomfortable. Making her wish she had roommates, patients or sisters near by.
"I couldn't help but notice your name is Dr. Grey" He asked again "Is there a connection to Ellis Grey?"
"Oh" Lexie nodded with a smile "Yeah she was my…." Before she could say.. she was my father's first wife, or my sister's mother…" The smile on Mr. Stanford's face had turned to a look of pure rage as he lunged at Lexie. His hands shoving her fast and hard across the room. Her body slamming into the wall. Lexie felt the wind leave her body.
"Your mother ruined my life." He advanced her. "I have been waiting to make you feel the pain I felt the minute I saw you in the hospital all those years ago."
Lexie inhaled quickly once her wind came back as she threw up her hands to try and protect herself. Being in front of the wall with him looming over her she didn't have anywhere to go. "I don't know what you're talking about, Mr. Stanford. Please…"
"Your mother ruined my life!" He repeated as he grabbed her hair pulling her to her feet. Lexie audibly cried as she tried to free herself. Before she had the chance to react he slammed her into the wall again. He used one hand to pin her to the wall, while his fist connected to her chest.
"Please" Lexie begged, gasping for breath. She couldn't see straight. Her heart racing. She tried grabbing onto his wrists in attempts to stop him. "You're hurting me! Let me go."
"Hurts doesn't it?" He sneered leaning closer to her. "Being slammed into walls, getting hit only where your clothing covers. "Invasive" He added while hand went between her thighs. Forcing them apart. Squeezing them as he leaned in "Having someone have all the power over you…."
"Please….don't." Lexie cried out quietly as tears rolled down her cheeks. Her thoughts kept going to Mark or Derek wishing one of them would for some reason be in the basement. They'd hear her cries...and then her mind flashed to Meredith. This man thought she was Meredith. He wanted to hurt her. What if he did find Meredith?
"You think you have the power?" He asked his fingers, continuing to squeeze her thighs. "I could you know" He laughed "Take you right here…"
Lexie swallowed hard. As afraid as she was. She knew her power was in her voice. She had to keep him talking to distract him. "I don't know why you're doing this….What did...El..my mother do?" She asked quietly.
His hand roaming between her legs left suddenly, he managed to slam her again into the wall before turning her and slamming her front into the wall. His hand slapped her back so hard it echoed off the walls. Lexie's screams muffled by his hand over her mouth.
"Your mother played judge and jury." He sneered, pressing his body close to hers. "Do you like this? This is how I grew up...My brother.. Everyday.. Pinned me like this."
"I am so sorry" Lexie cried out "But what does this have to do with El...My mother?" If he thought she was Ellis's daughter she'd have to play the part.
"My mom walked in on my brother pinning me against the wall...She stepped in. Tried to save me." His tone grew quiet "My brother was fifteen and big...He turned on her. He attacked her.. My father heard the screams and came running and my brother turned on him.."
"That must have been horrible for you to see" Lexie whimpered slightly as pain shot through her body.
"I was just a little kid" He responded, his voice trailing off. Clearly he was remembering that night. "One minute we were a family of four, the next my brother was taking a bat to my mother and hitting her over and over and over while she screamed and her bones broke."
She swallowed hard, she could taste blood in her mouth from where she'd bitten on her lip, while she fought the urge to puke.
"My father and brother fought and struggled and eventually he got control. and some how he got him calm and got us to the hospital. I thought the nightmare would end…"
"What happened next?" Lexie asked quietly knowing the more he talked the more distracted he was.
"Your mother happened next…" This time his voice was dangerously quiet. "We got her to the hospital, and your mother entered the room and became the judge and jury. She looked at the situation and instantly thought my father beat her! Beat my brother.. Beat me" His grip tightened as he slammed his knee against Lexie's back before spinning her around his fist connecting with Lexie's stomach making her double over. This time he let her fall to the ground.
"Your mother took her into surgery. Let her die. Reported my father to the police." He kicked her down as she tried to sit up. "They came arrested my father. CPS placed us into a home together. Where my brother beat me and raped me every night until he was arrested for arson."
"Mr. Stanford…"
"Alan" He dropped to his knees next to her. "Mr. Stanford was my father… Who died in jail because nobody ever believed he was innocent!"
"I am so sorry, that was awful for you." Lexie apologized as she tried to crawl away only to have him grab her ankle.
"Rumor has it that your mother was an award winning surgeon. She let my mother die and then ran to you when you came in with a boo boo on your lip" He laughed "She ran to her picture perfect family."
Picture perfect family? Despite the pain Lexie found herself rolling her eyes. It was almost laughable. Here this man was mad because he felt his family was judged on one viewing, yet he was doing the same with one interaction with Ellis Grey.
"Listen Alan" Lexie struggled to get out "My...mother had to report what she saw. That was her job! Afterwards it was up to the police and CPS to figure out the truth.. They failed you" She managed to scoot back a little. "Your mother most likely bled to death internally before she got to the hospital and there is nothing nobody could have done to save her."
"My brother abused me for years, while you led your perfect life with your perfect mother. Who let my mother die." He reached for her again. "I have been dreaming about this moment since the night I saw you… Destroy her world like mine was destroyed."
Alan reached for her again and this time Lexie was prepared. She aimed her knee directly where she and Cristina their performed their surgery just a few weeks prior betting the area would still be tender if enough force were to hit. Which did bring him down.
Lexie took this opportunity to scoot back further remembering where she saw an abandoned screwdriver, when she first came into the room. Without putting more thought she gripped and slammed it into his thigh causing him to scream as she got to her feet.
"Alan I am sorry your mother died, and CPS and the Police never put together who did it…" She scurried back "And I am sorry she died during my mother's surgery.. I can place money that loss haunted her the rest of her life." She knew Ellis Grey liked to win. Every loss would have been taunting her... "She didn't walk away that night not feeling the loss of your mother."
Lexie backed for the door "And she suffered trust me... Her life was anything but Picture Perfect... She suffered and so did her family... "
"You stabbed me you Bitch" He yelled as he got his feet.
"You got your revenge" Lexie warned as she backed away from the door "You're on my turf, I go up the stairs, and I cry for help and you will go to prison like your father did" She tried to sound braver then she was before she managed to get the strength to run. She ran until she managed to get upstairs to the safety of a bathroom stall.
She knew she should call for help.. But she couldn't She had become frozen in fear. What if nobody believed her. What if they thought she provoked it? What if he walked and got a hold of Meredith?
All she knew was she had to get out of the hospital.
Lexie was never so glad the house was empty when she got home.
Meredith had left her car keys in Lexie's locker so she and whoever else was carpooling home could get back to the house. She'd met up with Derek and the two had gone out to run errands together and would be home later after a date night.
Lexie herself moved the car keys to April's locker since agreed to be the DD for the crew that were going to Joe's after work and she had no interest in going.
As the adrenaline and fear had worn off. Lexie knew she was in no condition to drive. She briefly considered calling her dad to see if he'd pick her up. It would be easy to tell him she had a migraine and wasn't feeling well. She'd even considered asking him if she could spend the night at his house. That way she'd avoid running into anyone in the house. Last minute she decided against that. She wasn't up to being questioned by her father, on why she wouldn't want to go home to a house full of doctors if she wasn't feeling good.
Finally deciding she wasn't in the mood to interact with anyone she called herself a cab.
The minute she got into the house she dropped her phone, purse and keys on the counter next to a freshly stocked bowl of fruit not an apple in sight. Meredith and Derek must have gone shopping and restocked before heading out for their date night. Despite how terrible the day was. The bowl of fruit brought a small smile to her.. She just wished she could enjoy it
Finally after what seemed like a lifetime, Lexie had managed to get to the safety of her room. She slowly peeled her clothing off carefully, discarding them. Standing in front of her mirror she winced as already deep dark, ugly bruises were already forming.
It was a horrifying sight. She ran her fingers across her ribs and let out audible gasp as pain radiated through her body. She almost doubled over.
The younger Grey didn't even bother getting dressed, fabric was too restricting. She locked the attic door so nobody could just walk in on her and slowly and painfully crawled up her bed. Wanting nothing more then to put her head on her pillows and forget the whole day.
Yet Something caught her eye. Two bags of mini peanut butter cups rested on her pillow with a hot pink sticky note.
If you need to dance something out, call me. -Meredith
Up until this moment she'd managed to keep her tears at bay, but her sister's sweet gesture broke the wall as Lexie crumbled and allowed herself to cry the gut wrenching pain filled tears she'd been holding at bay.
The only positive outcome that had come from this horrific day, was Meredith was in fact safe and unharmed. Lexie would do everything in her power to keep it that way.
"Go" Lexie encouraged as Meredith's pager went off after the third time. "You need to go."
Of course her pager would go off, right as Lexie finally opened up to her, about what happened." Meredith had tried to ignore the first page as she didn't hear it. The second page she glanced at it, and the third she knew she needed to go. Yet she couldn't move. Hearing what Lexie had just shared. Hearing pain, broke a piece of Meredith's heart in a way she'd never experienced before. Froze her in place. She had silent tears rolling down face, as she could now visualize how each and every bruise formed on Lexie's body. The fear and pain her sister had gone through all alone.
Lexie gently grabbed Meredith's hands and held them in her own. She held them tightly for a second giving it a squeeze. "We can talk later. You're a doctor... You have to go. Someone needs you."
"You need me." Meredith argued "and I don't want to leave you, right now."
"Best part is, you're mine." Lexie reminded "You're my sister and nobody gets to take that away from me. Nobody, but I get to share you with the world...and you're needed!"
"His hands were between your legs...Did he?"
Lexie shook her head "No, he just wanted me to think he had all the power... He never had all the power.."
Meredith's pager dinged again causing the older sister to cringe. She let out a frustrated cry.
"You have to go..."
Meredith went to shake her head. She knew Lexie was right. She knew she had to get up and go. Her brain knew that but her heart was arguing it.
"Meredith!" Lexie pushed her shoulder with the strength she had. Which surprisingly was enough to push her forward causing Meredith to have to put her foot down quickly to catch herself as she was shoved off the bed. "Now."
Meredith exhaled loudly, shoving her pager in her pocket. She grabbed a throw blanket from the end of the bed and tucked it around Lexie. "If I am being honest I don't feel comfortable leaving you all by yourself right now."
"There is a schedule." The younger Grey reminded the bigger one. "Arizona has it covered, I bet you anything someone walks through that door with some sort of excuse of why they want to hang out with me…"
"You're onto the schedule too, huh?" Meredith asked, heading for the door and before she could reach it. Derek and April entering together. "Hey" Derek said quickly to his wife as he reached for her arm. "There is a situation, all hands on deck. They've been paging you."
Meredith winced and nodded "I know, I do. I am sorry. I was in the middle of something I couldn't walk away from at the moment."
April moved to an empty chair by Lexie's bed and offered her a smile.
"Isn't it all hands on deck?" Meredith questioned as Derek waved to Lexie giving her a smile. "You okay?"
Lexie nodded, raising her eyebrow "Good, now... and I can be alone…" She added it for April's benefit. "If it's all hands on deck."
Derek and April exchanged glances before April shook her head "Chief ordered me to take a break. Too many hours without one… and it's quiet in here."
Lexie shrugged "You can stay, if you hand me a cookie." She pointed to the canister by her bed.
April laughed and nodded getting up to get the cookies. "Deal."
"Get some rest, Lex" Derek encouraged Lexie as he ushered Meredith out the door.
"What is happening?" Meredith demanded once they were in the hallway as Derek pulled her quickly away from Lexie's room.
"Meredith" He led her to some chairs and motioned her to sit down. "Can you please sit down?"
Meredith shook her head in confusion "Why are you being weird? What is the situation?"
"The man that attacked Lexie...He was here." Derek stated.
"Yeah, Derek. I know." Meredith nodded "That was kind of what was keeping me from answering my pager, Lexie finally told me what happened. I have details. If I can get her to re-tell it. We can get a case against him. Lock him away."
Derek grabbed Meredith's hand as he knelt in front of her. "Mark followed him…"
"Oh, God" Meredith gasped "Please tell me Mark didn't kill him! Please. Lexie couldn't handle Mark going to prison over this.."
"No" Derek shook his head "Mark's fine, He was going to get his license plate.. I think. Maybe scare him. I don't know." He admitted "The guy must have been scared Lexie was going to report him or already had.. He got into his car and he sped out of here…"
"Okay…. and?" Meredith asked "That's not great, but we haven't filed a police report yet. So we can't really do anything about him leaving." She paused for a moment " As much as I'd like to kill him myself…"
Derek winced slightly.
"Derek!...What is going on?" Meredith demanded.
"He was going fast.. I don't know if he saw them or not...He didn't slow down...He struck two people in the crosswalk who were entering the building before he lost control of the car himself and ran into a parked ambulance."
Meredith's jaw dropped "What, so we have him? He's here?"
Derek shook his head "He wasn't wearing his seat belt, the force of the impact ejected him from the car and he died instantly after slamming head first into the pavement.
"Oh" Meredith was all she could not knowing how she felt. Or how it would make Lexie feel. "I see.. Well he can't hurt Lexie again.. Or hurt me…"
"But he did." Derek said quietly "The people he hit in the crosswalk, coming into the hospital… Were Thatcher and Molly, they were on their way to see Lexie…."