Lexi felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and she awoke to the sound of her name being whispered.
"Lauren?" Lexi murmured, her voice and eyes heavy with sleep.
Lauren looked sad and Lexi sat up and began rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Lexi's room was the old prop closet. It was small but glamorous. Over the years she had been adding to it and decorating it. It was a cross between gypsy chic and fairy princess.
"Get dressed, there's something we gotta do." Lauren whispered.
Her voice sounded very defeated. Lexi did not question Lauren, only got up and changed into some clothes. The sun hadn't come up yet and it was still dark out when the two got into Lauren's car. They drove in silence. Lexi wanted to ask Lauren what was wrong but instead she placed her hand on top of Lauren's and squeezed. Lauren gave her a quick smile and kept driving. Soon they pulled up into the driveway of a house. There was a man sitting just outside the door. It was Donnie. Lexi beamed like a little kid who just had seen santa. But then she glanced at Lauren from the side of her eye. She wasn't smiling. That's when it hit Lexi. Lexi jumped out of the car and charged towards Donnie. He embraced her as she crashed into him. They stood there for a few moments hugging as Donnie brushed back her hair. Lexi was such a little thing her head just came up to his chest. She met Donnie's eyes with tears in her own.
"No" she said, her voice wavy.
"Shhh" Donnie said kneeling down so that they were eye level. "I gotta go kid. I'm being transferred to Miami. I don't wanna leave you, I don't. You're my best girl. Maybe when the heat goes down I'll come back and visit you and Lauren." Donnie said, his own voice starting to get a little wavy.
Lexi's voice shook and she couldn't stop the tears from falling. "I know why you have to go... but I wish you didn't have too. I love you Donnie. You saved my life... I can't ever thank you enough. You, me, and Lauren.. we're a family."
"And we always will be. You have been like a daughter to me. You will always have a special place in my heart. Now no more tears now." Donnie said whipping Lexi's and his own away. "I need you to be strong now, for Lauren, and for this team."
Lexi nodded and threw her arms around his neck and hugged him.
"Oh baby girl I'm gonna miss you so much.." Donnie said as he hugged her back.
He stood up and kissed her forehead and then he handed her his DEA sweatshirt. "I want you to have this. You and Lauren steal it all the time anyways. I also left you my surf board and one of my guitars."
Lexi took the sweatshirt and nodded gratefully.
"Give a me a minute with Lauren." Donnie said before he walked down the driveway and got into the car with Lauren.
Lexi waited for a few minutes as they talked. They were both going to miss Donnie so much. At least they had a chance to say goodbye. A few minutes later Donnie got out of the car and beckoned Lexi over. He kissed her and Lauren on the cheek and waved goodbye as she and Lauren drove away.
"Goodbye Donnie.." Lexi whispered.
The sun was just coming up as the pair pulled up in the Graceland driveway. Neither one of them got out of the car.
"Lauren.." Lexi said quietly and Lauren looked at her, there were tears in her eyes. "I love you" Lexi said.
Lauren leaned over and hugged Lexi to her. "I love you to kiddo. It's you and me now... and everyone else."
Lexi laughed and so did Lauren. "
Wanna go for a drive?" Lauren said and Lexi nodded. And off they went.
The team was eating breakfast when Lexi and Lauren came in.
"Yo Tie-Die! What's in your hair?" Johnny called out.
He was eating some kind of smelly fruit.
"Highlights" Lexi replied.
Lauren and Lexi had gotta breakfast and their hair done. Two pieces of Lexi's hair was colored. One strand of light pink and a strand of light blue. They looked like cotton candy colors. Both were on the left side of her head next to one another.
"You are one cool cat Tie-Die" Johnny said with his mouth full.
"Why thank you Johnny" Lexi said and sat down.
"There you are my little russian flower." Charlie said coming in the kitchen "come on, we got work to do, go get your sexy student outfit." Charlie said and Lexi took off with a smile.
"Sexy student outfit?" Mike asked.
"Yeah we got evidence that this scumbag professor on campus has been selling drugs to students. Mostly to the girls." Charlie said.
"Wow" Mike said.
"Yeah I know, what a creep right? Anyways that's where Lexi comes in."
Lexi came running back into the room with a bag. "Okay got the stuff, I'm good to go!" Lexi said as Charlie ran her fingers through the girl's hair.
"Excellent my little butterfly let's go. Did you do that to your hair? It looks nice." Charlie's voice faded off as she and Lexi left.
"Can I join you?" Lexi heard a voice behind her as she sat on the beach with her (formerly Donnie's) surf board.
It was Mike. Lexi flashed him a smile and patted the sand next to her.
"So I hear you met Paige." Lexi commented.
"Oh yeah, she's something. A real go getter" Mike said with a bit of a laugh.
Lexi smiled and nodded, "That's our Paige. It'll be good to have her back in the house when she closes this case. So how's Graceland been treating ya?" Lexi asked returning her eyes to the sea.
"It's growing on me. Briggs has finally put me on a case which is great." Mike said.
"Yeah the Bello case, I heard. That's really great Mike."
"Thanks." Mike said.
"Wanna go surfing?" Lexi asked, picking herself up off the sand.
"Na I'm good." Mike said.
"Okay, catch ya later." Lexi said giving him the surfing hang ten sign.
Lexi kicked off her shoes and pulled off her T-shirt. She was wearing a neon green bikini. As she bent down to pick up her board Mike noticed jagged scars of different lengths on the girl's back. The looked like battle scars. There were a few burn marks too.
"Hey" Charlie said sitting down by Mike on the beach. "I heard Briggs put you on Bello. Congrats on your splash."
"Oh yeah thanks" Mike said a little distracted.
"What's up?" Charlie asked, giving him a look.
"Where'd Lexi get scars like that?" Mike asked facing Charlie.
Charlie's face was hard. "If you ask her she'll simple say in another life. That kid's been through more pain and violence then people twice her age. The mod was ruthless... The things she saw..." Charlie cut off.
"So she never talks about it? No one knows?" Mike knew he was being nosey but this kid was as much as a mystery as his investigation into Briggs.
"She talks about it...not very much though. Some of us know more than others. Lauren and Donnie know the most. And she's confided in me a few times." Charlie said standing up and brushing the sand off her bottom and legs.
"I thought no one kept secrets at Graceland?" Mike said.
Charlie gave him a gentle yet serous look.
"They don't, except for Briggs." Mike looked as if he was about to question her before Charlie spoke again. "Those aren't secrets Lexi keeps... They're memories."
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