It's so incredibly frustrating. I know exactly where I want the story to go, I know exactly what I want all the characters to do, and yet for some reason getting them there is proving annoyingly difficult! Anyway, enjoy.

As the lonely night air rolled through her open windows, Lexie found herself strangely unable to sleep. She knew she should be exhausted from the day, but as she heard the great grandfather clock in the hall chime 1:00 in the morning, sleep still eluded her. Frowning, drew back the sheets and rose from bed.

In Boston, whenever she had found herself unable to sleep, a cup of warm milk had always done the trick. She smiled at the memory of the countless nights her mother, and later Molly, would send her back to bed with a cup and a sleepy smile.

The house seemed so much bigger at night, so grand, so quiet, with the only light coming from the moon hanging in the clear Kansas night sky. As quietly as she could, Lexie tiptoed down the first set of stairs, not wanting to wake anyone, mentally retracing her steps to the kitchen.

"Mer please."

The male voice made Lexie stop in her tracks. It sounded like it was coming from the living room, but it wasn't Derek or Richard, and Jackson had gone home for the evening. Who would be calling so late at night?

Her curiosity peeked, Lexie quietly slipped down the second staircase and into the foyer, ducking behind one of the archways. From there, she could see through the parlor into the library. Someone had left the pocket doors open which allowed her to see Meredith and an unfamiliar man sitting on the sofa, lit only by a single table lamp and a dying fire. Even in the poor light, Lexie could practically see the tension in the air.

"I can't Alex."

"Please, Meredith, you know me. You know I would normally never ask and Jo would kill me if she knew I was doing this, but I'm desperate. No one's paid with real money for months now and I don't know who else to turn too."

"And if I could you know I'd give you the money in a heartbeat."

"It's not like I'm asking for the moon Mer."

"No, but it's still $80 that we just can't afford."

In one swift motion the man, Alex, downed the drink in front of him. Meredith did the same.

"Alex, we haven't had a good harvest since the drought came. The only money coming in right now is from the few heads of cattle we haven't lost in the storms and even then this house practically eats money. Both Jackson and Sadie have already had their wages cut twice and Richard's forgone his salary three times this year already."

"Well if they're costing you so much why don't you just lay them off?" Alex stood, frustration making his voice rise along with him.

"And then what are they going to do Alex? If Jackson and Sadie wanted to find work they'd have to leave town, maybe even leave Kansas." Meredith hissed, as if trying to lower his voice for him.

"You don't have money for their salaries but you still have money for fancy new cars? How much does that Cadi run anyways? $4000? 5?"

For a second the room went deathly quiet, before Meredith threw back her head and produced the bitterest laugh Lexie had ever heard. Its sharp sound rang through the room, down the marble floored halls, up the great staircase, until it seemed to fill the entire house with its acid tone.

"Do you know how much we paid for that car Alex? $100. And do you know where we bought it? In St. Louis, where Derek and I went in February to try and sell the Nash."

At her admission, all the anger seemed to leak out of Alex like an untied balloon. They both sank back down next to each other on the couch. He rested a hand on her shoulder, but she just sat hunched over and staring blankly into her empty glass.

"Mer,"

"The man was originally asking $200. He had lost every penny he had and was just trying to do anything for some money. Hell of a deal, fresh off the line, driven twice. He had been out there for four days, each day cutting the price in half. And when Derek offered him that $100 in cash he jumped at it, said it was the best offer he'd had all week. It was then we realized that if no one was going to buy a top of the line Cadillac for $200, what chance did we have of selling the Nash for anything worth the drive?"

She sighed and sat back in the sofa, shutting her eyes tight before sighing again.

"At the end of the month, the cattle will be sold to the meat packers in Kansas City. That plus anything that manages to grow this season will bring in a few thousand dollars, maybe more if we're lucky. If you can just hang on until then, I can give you the money."

But Alex just shook his head. "I knew things couldn't be easy for you, but honest to god Mer I didn't know things were this bad. I can find something else."

"What you can do," Meredith cut him off with a steely, but noticeably tired look. "Is not argue. Because you're right Alex, I do know you. And I know that coming to ask me for help is the last stop before going back to work at that hellhole you called a factory. A place that barely paid you peanuts on a good day and on a bad day could get you killed."

She took his hand in hers.

"Two weeks Alex. That's all I need."

Lexie backed away from her hiding spot slowly, feeling ashamed at witnessing such a private moment. The warm milk forgotten, she crept back up the stairs, only to have to stifle a scream when she was met with Richard standing at the top of the stairs.

"Did you need something Miss Lexie?"

She bit her lip, wondering if he knew what was going on downstairs, before quickly shaking her head.

"I was going down for a glass of warm milk to help me sleep, but I changed my mind."

He nodded slowly, eyeing her. "Well then, good night."

"Good night Richard." Lexie breathed, relief flooding her cheeks; making her glad for the darkness of the house. He turned, as if to head back to his room, but then he stopped and looked at her.

"Sometimes the things we think we see or hear during the night aren't appropriate to reveal during the day. Everybody has their secrets, it's best if you don't look for them."

Before Lexie could respond, he had already gone. She looked around, noticing for the first time just how little the moonlight actually illuminated, leaving countless shades and shadows to languish over the house.

As she made her way back to her room, Lexie wondered for the first time how her sister could possibly stand it? To live in a town so small with a house and reputation so big. How did it not just suffocate her?

The sun rose the next morning like it had for the past too many mornings, dry and hot. Lexie descended the stairs slowly, listening for noise. She really didn't want to run in to ether Meredith or Richard, still unsure what to do about last night. Her first instinct was to do as Richard had suggested and leave well enough alone, but that just didn't feel like the right thing to do.

Upon entering the kitchen though, she found Sadie already drying and putting away the breakfast dishes.

"Good morning miss." She smiled and nodded at Lexie.

"Good morning Sadie, is Meredith around?"

"No miss, she had Avery take her in to town a few minutes ago. I believe Mister Derek is in the study though if you needed something."

"No, no I'm fine." Lexie waved her off. Sadie nodded as she finished putting the last of the dishes away before disappearing into the pantry, only to return moments later with a basket full of pears. "What are you making?"

"Well, Missus Karev came by early this morning and dropped off a large bag of pears so I figured I'd peel some so Richard might make a pie for desert tonight." She sliced one in half and offered it to Lexie. Lexie took it and bit into it. The sweet flavors exploded on her tongue like nothing she'd ever had before.

"Oh, OH!" She sighed, whipping at the juice the rolled down her chin. Sadie just grinned as she ate her half.

"They're good aren't they?"

"Oh my god, Sadie these are incredible. I've had pears before but never ones so fresh!"

"The Starks grow them on their orchard a few miles out of town. Honest to god I have no idea how they manage to get those things to thrive the way they do but, for my money, there's nothing finer."

"I second that." Richard said as he entered. Lexie tried to catch his eye but he gave no indication that last night had even happened.

"We were hoping you could make a few of your pies for tonight, while the pears are still fresh."

"Oh did you now?" Richard smiled at Sadie and shook his head, chuckling softly. "I suppose I could so that, but as for the rest of them we can make them into jam and preserves."

"May I help?"

Both Sadie and Richard looked at her in surprise. Lexie felt a blush start rising to her cheeks but worked to fight it. "My mother and sister and I used to make jam in Boston when I was little. With a little help I'm sure I can pick it up again."

"Are you sure Miss Lexie?" Richard asked, sounding incredulous but thankfully not placating.

"I think I would like to." Lexie gave a firm nod, warming slightly at the look of approval on the faces of both Richard and Sadie.

"Very well then, let's get to it." Richard clapped his hands as Sadie handed her an apron.

For the next few hours, the three of them went about slowly turning half of the large bag of pears into several jars of jam. By the time Derek wandered into the kitchen around mid-day the room was full of the wonderful aroma of sweet, cooked fruit.

"Mmmm, fresh jam Sadie?"

"Yes sir, figured we should take care of that bag of pears Miss Jo left for us before they go bad. Richard said he'd turn a few of them into pies tonight."

"It's actually really fun." Lexie piped up from over the pot. Derek raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"I didn't take you for one who'd enjoy cooking Lexie."

"I don't usually, but it's nice from time to time. Sadie and Richard have been helping me."

"Well alright then." He smiled warmly at her. "You're in for a real treat tonight. Of all the things that he makes, Richard's pies are truly exceptional." He snagged a pear from the bag and exited out the back towards the fields.

Richard just shook his head and chucked quietly as he poured hot liquid into yet another set of jars that Sadie quickly capped took them down to the basement to cool. Alone at last, Lexie desperately wanted to talk to him about last night. She opened her mouth to ask him but at the last moment chickened out. "You do most of the cooking then?"

"Sadie and I split most of it, my wife used to be the cook. We mainly just follow her recipes."

"I didn't know you were married." Lexie remarked. Neither Meredith nor Derek had ever mentioned that to her. Richards's eyes filled with a dull pain.

"I'm not, not anymore."

Lexie wanted to bite off her tongue.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. It's none of my business." She tried to apologize but Richard just waved it away.

"No, no that's all right. Adele's been gone almost two years ago now. Doctors called it Alzheimer's, said it made her memory disappear." His eyes took on a faraway look as he focused on the fruit in front of him. "I wasn't much of a husband, and our marriage wasn't a very good one, but watching someone fade away like that, it never gets to a point where it ever becomes easy."

The room was quiet, with only the sound of the dry earth outside and the slowly bubbling compote for company. Finally Lexie put her hand over his and managed a small smile. He looked at her, studied her face, before he returned her small smile.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's alright." He responded before looking over at the fruit in the pot. "You know, I won't need that many pears for the pies tonight. You think you could take a basket over to Pastor Taylor and his wife?"

Lexie nodded. She filled the basket with about a dozen pears before Jackson walked in, his shirt soaked with sweat.

"God it's hot out there."

"As opposed to every other day." Sadie quipped, surfacing from the basement with a cool drink which she passed to Jackson who merely grinned at her as he drank.

"Jackson, would you drive Miss Lexie over to Pastor Taylor's so she can drop off some of these pears?" Richard asked in a tone that suggested it wasn't actually a suggestion, but an order.

"It's fine, I can walk." Lexie protested but Jackson just shook his head.

"Nah, it's no problem." He smiled as he led her out to the garage where the Nash was parked. It was a quick drive but once Lexie felt the full force of the heat outside she was grateful he'd agreed to do so.

As they drove up to it, Lexie could see that the church itself was a fairly simple structure. White, weather beaten clapboard with several tall stained glass windows along its sides, a pair of large, polished oak doors at its front, and a steeple that could be seen for miles. A small addition on the back held the rooms for Sunday school and funeral services.

To the left of the church a dirt road continued on a few hundred feet until it came to the pastor's home. Like the church it was painted white but it could not be described as a pretty building. What had originally been a small house had been gradually expanded over the years with no architectural plans to speak of. Instead, rooms were added where convenient, making the house appear almost as if it were melting under the relentless Kansas sun.

Jackson stopped the car out front but before they could even get out Lexie saw April rounding the corner of the house.

"Well isn't this a pleasant surprise!" April gushed as Lexie exited the car. She gave Lexie a warm hug that caught her off guard, but one she returned none the less. "What brings you out here today?"

"Jackson drove me over to deliver some pears." Lexie smiled, gesturing to the car as Jackson climbed out, basket in hand. At the sight of Jackson, April's back straightened and she tucked the few loose strands of fiery red hair behind her ear.

"Afternoon Missus Taylor." Jackson smiled. Lexie found it very curious that all of his swagger and bravado was somehow missing.

"Good afternoon Jackson, just take those inside and set them on the kitchen table." He nodded and disappeared into the house. "Can I offer you some iced tea?"

Lexie shook her head. "Thank you, but I should probably head back. I left Richard and Sadie in the middle of making jam."

April nodded. "Alright. Um, Lexie, do you think I could borrow Jackson for an hour or so? I have some chores I need done and Matthew went into town for the day."

"It's really not up to me, but if he says so I'm sure it's alright. Should I come back and get him?"

"Get him from where?" Jackson asked, reappearing on the porch.

"I was just asking Lexie if it'd be alright if you helped me with a few things around the house. She was wondering if she should come back and get you."

For the briefest moment, the most peculiar expression flashed across Jacksons face, but it was gone before Lexie could recognise what it was. "That's quite alright Miss Lexie, I can walk back to trouble."

Lexie nodded. "Alright, I you're sure. Should I let Richard or Derek know you'll be over here?"

Jackson shook his head. "It's fine, it's a pretty slow day today. I'll be back in an hour or two."

"Why don't I come by the house tomorrow and we can have lunch, just the two of us?" April suggested. Lexie grinned.

"That sounds great, I'll see you around noon then?"

"Perfect, now you get along. You have jam to make." April said with a laugh before turning and leading Jackson inside.

Lexie started the drive back to Meredith's, but as she looked at the melting house in the rear-view mirror, she couldn't help thinking that there was something she was missing.

I hate this ending, really I do. But I just couldn't seem to turn out anything better. I think more of April's story will be reveled in the next chapter or two, plus much more Lexie and Meredith and Lexie and Mark. This really is more of a filler chapter isn't it?