A.N.- This was my last idea for this story. However, I'm not too keen on ending it yet. Ideas and suggestions are warmly welcomed. Also, I apologize for not doing this sooner, but I thank everyone who reviewed, added this to story alerts, etc. It really means a lot to me, and I get ridiculously excited when I see these things in my inbox. I do a happy dance and my heart swells with joy. Seriously. I've seen this plotline by another author as well. I had this idea right after the finale as well, I'm not borrowing. However, I do enjoy the other story. There really is only one aspect that is similar: Lexie didn't actually die.
Disclaimer: If I'm changing the fate of a character that was killed off of the show, one would think that I didn't own them. They are correct, I own nothing.
Chapter 4: In Which Lexie Was Actually Alive
The death of Lexie took a toll on Mark's physical and mental health, that much was certain. Being stranded in the middle of nowhere didn't help anyone either. Nor did the pilot, who was still stressing about the fact he couldn't feel anything from the waist down. They were alone, in the middle of nowhere, with one man down. Everyone thought it sucked. Mark hated the fact that he just lost the love of his life, Meredith hated the fact that she just lost her sister. Derek, who had grown closer with Lexie over her complicated feeling for Mark, thought it sucked as well. He realized that her feelings weren't that complicated after all, there was only love. Although, he thought, love is a mess all its own. Derek also realized what this would mean for Mark, and it was nothing good. He was sorry he couldn't support Mark the way Mark supported him after Meredith had drowned, and was fighting for her life. Lexie couldn't fight anymore, she was gone. And it sucked.
Cristina barely knew the younger Grey, but she knew that Meredith, her person, had grown fond of her half- sister over the last few years. Arizona didn't really know Lexie either, but she knew what the girl meant to Mark, her wife's best friend and father of her child. The pilot knew he was lucky to have survived when the younger girl had died, but he was still scared out mind that he had no feeling from the waist down. He couldn't even feel when that other doctor stabbed his leg.
Arizona knew that Mark was a mess because of this. She knew that he loved Lexie since, well, forever. Okay, technically not forever, but for a really long time. /she knew how he had struggled with his feelings for her and for Julia. Because even though Julia would give him anything he had always wanted, he still loved Lexie. Arizona knew that Mark would break up with Julia the second they got back to Seattle. She could only hope he didn't live out the rest of his life as a hermit, because then he would be happier with Lexie, dead. And that would mean her efforts to save him from the very welcome arms of death would have actually made him more miserable. And she knew she couldn't live with that guilt.
Mark, despite Arizona's best efforts, eventually fell asleep. She knew the toll the day had took on his health, and settled for just checking for a pulse every minute. Derek fell asleep too, followed by Meredith and Cristina, who eventually gave up on keeping everyone awake and fell asleep herself. That left Arizona, who managed to stay awake by thinking of happy thoughts, and the pilot, whose fear kept him awake, and most likely alive. A breeze rustled the leaves of the trees in the forest, and Arizona wondered if Lexie was in that breeze. Call her silly, but she liked to think that there was another, higher, place. She liked to think that she could see some of her late patients in the clouds, or in a snowfall.
She thought of Callie too, and Sophia. She had to stay alive for them, because the future of Mark was still unsure. Better there be two parents, rather than one if Mark was to die, Sophia would still have Callie and herself. But Mark couldn't die; he couldn't miss seeing Sophia grow up. He was her father, for crying out loud! He better survive this.
Eventually Arizona finally drifted off into sleep, but only after making sure Mark was still breathing…
The doctors all woke up at approximately the same time, hungry and still sleepy. Mark was feeling better as well, the sleep had brought back some of his strength. Arizona knew that he hated that fact, and all he wanted to do was die to be with Lexie.
They heard the thumping at the same time too. It sounded like something banging against metal. Everyone except Mark passed it off as a tree branch swaying in the wind, smacking against a tree. Mark still had hope that it was Lexie. He managed to stand up, only to be asked by Arizona what he thought he was doing.
"Maybe it is her," was his reply and he strode off towards the sound. The others contemplated whether to bring him back or not. In the end, the figured it was best for his mental health to see that the younger Grey was truly gone.
Mark was shocked as well when he saw her moving, banging against the metal that was crushing her. He had hope that she was still alive, but doubted that that was actually the case. It was a medical miracle, and he sure as hell wasn't going to waste it.
"Lex!" He cried out, and went as quickly as possible over to where she was laying.
She looked up, and he could see the tears in her eyes, "Where were you," she tried to accuse him, but her voice wavered, showing her true feelings of betrayal and hurt.
"Lexie, you died. Well, no, obviously you didn't die. But we thought you died. Blame the person missing a shoe for me not being there. She insisted I had to help," Mark rambled, "I just wanted to be with you, but Arizona made sure I stayed alive. I have to thank her for that, because we wouldn't have found you alive otherwise. That, and I could be dead, and then we couldn't be together again. This is the universe, Lex, giving us another chance. We were meant to be."
"Did you really mean what you said before Mark, about us getting married? " She asked, a bit unsure but still wanting, no needing, to know the answer.
"Of course Lex, I love you. I wish I had stayed here. How long have you been awake?" He asked, avoiding the word alive, which brought back too many memories of her death. No, not death. He wasn't exactly sure what is was.
"A while," she said sheepishly, giving him the most of a grin she could manage, "Around dawn, I think."
"That's good. That's a good sign. Okay, Lex, you need to hold on. I swear I will be back in just a minute; I have to get the others though. They're probably going to think I'm insane, but we need to get this plane off of you."
"Okay," she said, with another small grin.
Mark went as quickly as he could back to the makeshift camp. When he arrived by the edge, he called out, "She's alive!"
"What, Frankenstein?" Was the reply. The voice sounded like a groggy Cristina without her coffee."
"Lexie! She's alive! You guys need to come help!" Mark cried out again.
Everyone looked at each other. Could it really be, or was it the grief talking? Finally Meredith decided she couldn't take the chance if Lexie was alive, not to help her. She got up, followed by Derek after some nagging on Meredith's part. The others, except Arizona, followed suit and went over to the eager looking Mark at a relatively fast pace.
Mark seemed displeased with the amount of time it took for them to get to where he was, and the still skeptical looks on the others' faces. He lead them to where Lexie was, under the plane.
"Hey," she said, her voice a little louder, "I was wondering what was taking so long," she said good naturedly.
"Wait," Meredith said, "You're joking with us, and we all thought you were, well…"
"Dead?" Lexie supplied. "So did I. Now, can you please help get this plane off of me?" She asked, breaking her stoicism a little bit, not that she wanted to, but that plane hurt.
It was a team effort, but finally they devised a way to get the metal off of Lexie. The others put their plan into action, and Mark got ready to pull Lexie out.
Soon, she was in Marks arms, while the others examined her for injuries. They knew there was going to be internal bleeding, but nothing was showing at the moment. They also knew that she would need numerous surgeries to replace the crushed bones of her lower body. But she was alive, and that's really what mattered to all of them, especially Mark and Meredith.
Mark and Derek picked her up, and carried her back to the "camp".
Both Arizona and the pilot were waiting for the others to return, and to tell them of how Mark was delirious. So of course it came as a shock when they others returned, carrying Lexie's body. Arizona figured they would leave the body, for it would only hurt Mark more. What was even more surprising though, was that he put her down and the younger Grey even offered a greeting to the pilot and Arizona.
Before anyone even had a chance to say anything, the group heard the familiar sound of helicopters. This time, they didn't pass by, but descended to the ground.
A.N.- I'm not sure if this is how I planned it to be, I honestly can't remember. I think I'm fond of this story though, so it's okay. Again, leave your suggestions in a review, because I really don't want to end this story just yet. The next installment will be when I have an idea. Until then-
Shiftyeyesandanevilsmile