The Ways That Count Part Four

"Hello?" Lexie said as she answered the phone.

"Lexie?" A familiar female voice asked.

"Meredith?"

"Yes, hi." There was a nervous pause. "Um...I was just calling, um, I was thinking. I would like to meet your daughter."

The younger Grey sister felt her hands start to sweat. "You do?"

"Yes." She sounded unsure. "Yes. I would."

Lexie swallowed nervously, "Okay. Um...Do you want to come for supper tonight?"

"Uh, yeah...That would be great..."

"Derek can come to, if he'd like."

"I'm sure he would." Meredith told her uncomfortably. "What time would you like us to come?"

"Six? If that works for you."

"Six is fine." She paused, "Would you like us to bring anything?"

"Um. No. That's okay. I'll take care of everything."

"Okay. Derek and I will see you and Ava at six."

"We'll see you then." Lexie hung up the phone. "Ava, hon. Can you go get your coat on? We have to go to the grocery store."

~~*~~

"Mommy. Can we get fruit snacks?" Ava asked from her place in the shopping cart.

"Sure, what kind do you want?"

"The dinosaur ones."

Lexie smiled, "The dinosaur ones it is then." She turned her shopping cart into the isle that had the fruit snacks and collided it with another. "Oh! Sorry!" She quickly apologized as she looked up. "Dr. Sloan?"

Mark looked at Lexie in surprise. "Grey."

"Hi Dr. Mark!" Ava grinned. "Mommy is going to buy me dinosaur fruit snacks."

After his shock wore off, he smiled, "She is? That's nice of her." He locked eyes with Lexie, "You really do like running into me, don't you?"

Struggling not to blush Lexie shrugged, "Maybe you are the one who keeps running into me." She paused, "I thought you lived in a hotel. Why are you grocery shopping?"

He smirked, "Why Dr. Grey; I didn't know you took such an interest in where I live."

"I don't...It's just that, the other day when we had lunch in your office you told me you live at the Archfeild." Lexie explained.

Ava scrunched her nose in confusion. "You live in a hotel?" She paused, thinking for a moment, "Does it have a pool?"

He grinned down at the pint-sized 'Lexie'. "Of course it does."

Her eyes widened. "My Mommy and I love to swim. Mommy looks really pretty in her swimsuit."

"I bet she does..." He mumbled.

"What was that?" Lexie asked.

"Nothing. I didn't say anything...Well, maybe you and your Mom can come swimming with me sometime." He paused, glancing at Lexie, "If it is okay with your Mom, of course."

She nodded, "I think we could do that sometime. I mean if really is okay with you." She paused, "You and Derek Shepherd are friends right?"

"Practically brothers." Mark told her, leaning into his shopping cart. "Why do you ask?"

"Derek and Meredith are coming to my house for super. And I'm freaking out." She sighed, "I'm not sure if I ever should have invited them."

"Why? Are you worried they won't like you?" He almost laughed, but he saw her frown deepen.

"No...Well yeah. Kind of..." She looked down at Ava, who was smiling back up at her.

"Hey." She looked back up at him. "You don't have to worry about Derek. He's a family guy. And you are Meredith's sister, so he'll love you. Plus you got the kid. Derek is a sucker for kids."

Lexie laughed, "And Meredith?"

"Well Meredith is Meredith." He paused, "Tequila. Lots and lots of tequila. You just might win her over with tequila."

"Okay, I'll be sure to buy tequila." She smiled. "Thanks for the advise."

"Mommy, can Dr. Mark come eat tonight?" Ava asked.

"Um...Yeah, if he wants to." Lexie was caught slightly off guard, but for some unknown reason for her, having Mark at dinner would make things less scary.

"Sorry kid." Mark apologized to Ava, "I have to work tonight...Maybe after the three of us goes swimming we can get something to eat?"

Ava nodded excitedly. "Okay."

Lexie smiled, "Thanks again Dr. Sloan."

"We aren't in the hospital Grey, you can call me Mark."

"Okay, but then you have to call me Lexie." If possible, her smile got even bigger. "I should probably go. I need to get ready for tonight...Thanks again...Mark."

"Goodbye Lex."

~~*~~

At 5:43 the doorbell rang.

"They're early." Lexie would have cursed, if Ava had not been with her. She was nearly 4, and like all children, repeated everything she heard. "You ready to meet your Aunt Meredith, Baby Girl?"

"Don't be nervous Mommy." Ava hugged her leg as they walked to the front door. "They'll love ya."

Lexie smiled down at her daughter, ruffing her hair a bit. "You always know how to make me feel better, don't you?" She opened the door. "Hi." She greeted Meredith and Derek with a nervous smile.

"Sorry we're early." Meredith apologized, shifting nervously. She forced a small smile as she looked down at Ava, "This must be Ava."

"Yes." Lexie nodded, "Ava, honey. This is your Aunt Meredith. And that guy standing next to her is Derek. Can you say hi?"

Suddenly feeling shy Ava hid behind Lexie's legs. She waved softly. "Hi." Her small voice was barely above a whisper.

"We brought wine." Derek handed Lexie the bottle. "It's red. Do you like red wine?"

"Yeah. Red wine is great." She stepped aside, "Come on in. The chicken still have about ten minutes. Shall we go in the kitchen and have a glass of wine while we wait?"

"A glass of wine would be great." Meredith scoped the living room as they walked walked to the kitchen There were many photographs on the walls and the the entertainment center, most of the pictures featuring Ava. "You have a nice place."

"Thanks. My parents bought the duplex a few years back. Luckily when we moved back to Seattle this side was empty." Lexie explained, opening the drawer that held the wine opener. "I made chicken and potatoes. I hope that's okay."

"Chicken and potatoes are great." Derek spoke up first, "Do you need help with anything?"

"No thanks. I've got everything under control."

Meredith sat down at the table, and quickly noticed Ava staring up at her. Meredith gave the child an uncomfortable smile. "Hi."

"You are pretty."

"Thank you. You are very pretty to." She sighed. She was so not a kid person.

"I didn't think a bitch would be pretty."

Lexie's eyes widened as she gasped. "AVA!"

Ava turned to her mother, "Mommy...You told Renee that Meredith was a bitch."

"Don't say that word!" She looked at Meredith. "Meredith. I um, I'm so sorry. I...I'm sorry."

Meredith forced a small laugh, "It's okay..." She said dryly. "I suppose I have not been very...pleasant towards you."

The buzzer on the stove went off, Lexie laughed nervously, "Supper is ready."

After several minutes of awkward silences, the only noise being the clinking of their forks on their plates, Derek finally broke the silence. "So Lexie, how do you like Seattle Grace?"

"So far, I like it." She took a bite of chicken. "A little gossipy, but there is some amazing doctors...I got to help Dr. Sloan perform a tymapanoplasty." She smiled, "It was amazing."

"I like Dr. Mark." Ava announced to the table with her mouth full of potatoes, "Dr. Mark is really pretty. Mommy and I are gonna to go swimming with him."

Meredith frowned, "You are going swimming with Mark Sloan?"

"Um, yeah. We ran into him when Ava and I were grocery shopping. We got to talking and he invited us to go swimming at the hotel."

"And you are going?" Derek asked.

"Yes. I mean it was really nice of him to offer. And Ava loves to swim..."

Meredith narrowed her eyes, "Are you sure that swimming is all that you will do?"

Lexie dropped her fork to her plate. "With my daughter there? Yeah. Pretty sure." Her tone was sarcastic.

"Just be careful." Meredith warned, "Mark knows how to work women..." She took a sip of your wine. "I'd hate to see you get in over your head with him."

"I don't think you have to worry about that." Derek told Meredith. "Mark doesn't get involved with women with kids."

Both Derek and Meredith missed the hurt expression on Lexie face. She knew Derek didn't mean anything by it, but it hurt nonetheless. She quickly decided that she was an idiot for even thinking Mark may be remotely interested in her.

Derek looked over at Meredith, "Are you going to ask her?"

"Oh. Right." Meredith took another drink of wine. "Um, Derek's Mom, his sister Lisa, and her two kids are coming for a visit next weekend. On Saturday Derek wanted to have a picnic at the park with them. I thought you and Ava would like to join us..." She paused. "I would like it if you came..."

"Um..." Lexie mentally went through her schedule, "I'm pretty sure we're free. We'd love to come."

"Good." Meredith visibly sighed in relief. "It's my first time meeting Derek's Mom. And she is all about family...I want her to like me. And I need all the help I can get. I think you and Ava being there will help."

Again, Lexie hid her disappointed expression,. She sighed, silently praying this night would be over soon.