Lexi was awoken from her dreams by a knock on her bed room door.
"Hey Lex, you awake?" It was Charlie's voice.
"Yeah.. what's up?" Lexi called back, as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
"There's a break in a case you're need on." Charlie answered.
"Ok, coming." Lexi said.
Lexi got dressed, washed her face and headed down stairs.
"HAPPY 18th BIRTHDAY LEXI!" Everyone screamed as Lexi entered the Kitchen.
A huge smile spread across Lexi's face. Everyone took turns hugging her and wishing her a personal happy birthday. Lexi was 18 now, a legal adult.
"Shall we give her the family gift?" Paige said.
"I don't know... I'm thinking we should wait awhile..." Charlie replied sarcastically.
Lexi gave her a playful push. "Charlie!"
"Alright, alright. It's in the closet over there." Charlie said.
Lexi ran up to the broom closet and everyone followed. Lexi opened the door and Lauren and Donnie jumped out.
"Lauren! Donnie!" Lexi beamed. She embraced them with everything she had. She was so happy to see them she almost cried.
"My best girl's all grown up, happy birthday Lexi!" Donnie said.
"Yes happy birthday darling!" Lauren chimed in.
"Alright, alright, there'll be plenty of time for that later." Briggs said. "They'll be spending the 3 days with us."
"Yeah Tie-Die, let's have some cake!" Johnny said.
After everyone had sung happy birthday to Lexi and she had blown out her candles and made a wish it was time for the opening of presents.
"Yo! Open mine first!" Johnny said.
Lexi laughed as Johnny pushed in a rather large box.
"What the heck Johnny? Did you seal a baby elephant from the zoo?" Jakes said jokingly.
"Nooo. Open it." Johnny said as he rubbed his hands together.
Lexi opened the box to reveal a speaker for her to plug her guitar into.
Lexi gasped. "Thanks Johnny! I love it!"
"Alright open mine next." Jakes said.
Lexi shook the box close to her ear and then began to open it.
"It's an iPod.. thought you'd need a new one on account of me drunkenly breaking your's last week.." Jakes said.
Lexi smiled disappeared for a moment. "Wait? What?"
"Uhhh who's got a present for the birthday girl next?" Jakes said as he backed out of the kitchen and quickly headed upstairs.
"Thanks Jakes." Lexi called after him with a smile while shaking her head.
"Me. Open mine." Charlie said coming forward.
Lexi took the present from her hand and opened it. It was an elegant old jewelry box.
"It was my grandmother's. She passed it down to my mother, who passed it down to me. And now I'm passing it down to you." Charlie said.
"Oh my gosh.. Charlie.. are you sure?" Lexi said.
Charlie nodded. "I couldn't think of anyone I'd rather pass it down to then you."
Lexi smiled and gave her a hug. "Thank you."
"Me next! Me next!" Paige said grinning.
Lexi took the box in her hand. She felt the weight of it and looked at Paige with a knowing grin. "Is this what I think it is?"
"Maybeee." Paige said.
Lexi tore the box open. It was a 9mm hand gun. Lexi's face was lit up with a smile.
"Which goes with my gift." Mike chimed in, handing her an envelope.
Lexi opened it up. It was an early acceptance letter from the police academy. Lexi gasped in delight as she jumped into Mike's arms and hugged him.
Mike laughed as he caught her and hugged her back. "Congratulations.. you start next month."
"I too have an envelope for you." Donnie said as Lexi turned to face him. He handed it to her.
"So when Mike told me a couple of weeks ago that you got accepted into the police academy I just knew it would only be a matter of time before you were done with training and an official agent. Due to obvious secrecy issues you can't be called special agent Graceland so..." Donnie said as she opened the envelope.
Lexi face froze as she read the paper inclosed. "You gave me your name.."
"Yeah well, I thought Alexia Banks had a nice ring to it. We're official family now kiddo... what do you think of that?"
Lexi didn't answer. When she looked up she was smiling with happy tears forming in her eyes. She set the paper down and hugged Donnie. Lexi couldn't help but whisper her new name in her head. Each time, making her smile grow bigger. "Thank you Donnie. Thank you."
Briggs was next. "I know it's not much but, I know you've had your eye on some decorations for you room at that one shop at the pier so I got ya a gift card."
Lexi whipped her happy tears away and gave Briggs a hug and told him thank you.
Last but not least it was Lauren's turn. Lexi turned to her and smiled. Lauren took something from her bag and hide it behind her back. "So... this was really hard and took a really long time to find but... I thought you'd like to have it.." Lauren said sentimentally. She pulled her gift from behind her back and placed it in Lexi's hands.
Lexi stared at it in awe and in silence, for she thought they had all been destroyed.
Paige peeked over her shoulder. "Who's that a picture of Lexi?"
Lexi liked her lips, looked up at Lauren and smiled. Tears forming in her eyes again. "Its my mother.."
Lauren smiled back and she and Lexi embraced.
"Thank you.." Lexi whispered.
3 days later...
Lexi had just got back from dropping Lauren and Donnie off at the airport. Saying goodbye to them was never easy... But before they left Lauren had told her that she and Donnie were getting an apartment together and that they planed on turning the guest room into a room for her... so that in the future she could visit when ever she wanted.
Lexi sat in her room researching human trafficking. When Paige knocked on her door.
"Hey.. feel like helping me kick down some doors?" Paige said from the doorway.
"You bet." Lexi replied with a smiled, hopping up and heading out the door.
"Hey Charlie can I get your advise on something?" Lexi asked, walking into Charlie's room, holding some clothes.
"Always my little Russian flower. What's up?" Charlie answered. She was sitting on her bed.
"Carletoe is taking Johnny to the club tonight and I'm going to be in the crowd watching his back just in case something goes wrong and I need to call for backup." Lexi started.
"Ok, what can I do for you?" Charlie asked.
"Help me pick out an outfit?" Lexi asked.
Charlie smiled. "Of course. Let me see what you got for me to work with."
Lexi smiled back and jumped on the bed next to Charlie.
The next day was a busy one for Lexi. She was with Paige in Sylmar for most of the morning before traveling with Mike and Jakes to strip a bus. They didn't find their drugs and they didn't find their traffickers. All and all it had been a busy yet unproductive day. Lexi was headed up the stairs to her room to take a nap when she heard Mike and Paige talking in the living room about the Tinkers Bells.
Paige was telling Mike how she couldn't wrap her head around the idea of Sex Traffickers, and Mike was telling her how human trafficking is an entirely different monster.
Paige was right when she said that the people involved were sick. Lexi had never been trafficked but she knew what it was like to live life as a slave. To be treated less than human. Maybe that was why Lexi was so desperate to help Paige find these girls. Before she slipped upstairs she admired the way Mike put his arm around Paige, pulled her close, kissed her head, and comforted her.
Lexi was awaken from her nap by a knock at the door. It was Jakes.
"Hey uh... you wanna go outside and I'll.. teach you how to throw a football?" Jakes said. He looked sad and lonely.
Lexi shook the sleep from her head and smiled a little smile. "Yeah, sure. Let me just grab my shoes and pull my hair back."
Lexi did so but when she returned Jakes was nowhere to be found. She tried calling his cell but he didn't answer. That's when she noticed his six-pack of beer missing from the fridge.
"Oh Jakes... Please be safe.." Lexi whispered to herself and maybe to God as well.
That night, Lexi went to bed with a resolution... a plan. She and Paige HAD to find these girls. If given the chance Lexi was going to execute her plan. It was dangerous and risky... and one thing was for sure... Paige wasn't going to like it.
:) R&R! Thanks so much to everyone that's Reviewed, Followed, Favorited, and Read this story... You are the reason I write :) What did you think of Lexi's 18th Birthday? Who's gift or gifts were your favorites? What do you think Lexi's plan is? Find out next week :) Peace.
Also.. to see the pic of Lexi's mom check the website :)