The Ways That Count

This is a total A/U starting with season 4. Lexie has a three-year-old daughter when she starts her internship at Seattle Grace. Then she meets Mark, she can't help but be attracted to him. But will he fall for her, and more importantly can he be a father figure to her daughter?

Part One

Alex Karev slammed down his lunch tray. "Is your sister a lesbian or something?" He huffed as he sat down next to Meredith. He stabbed his fork angrily into his spaghetti.

She shrugged, "How am I supposed to know?" She took a bite of her club sandwich, looking up at curiously,"Why do you think she's a lesbian?"

"I asked her out and she said no." He crossed his arms, "She made up some bullshit excuse that she is too busy."

Meredith rolled her eyes, "You asked her out?" She took a drink of water, "Why would you ask her out? You are supposed to be my friend. Not hers."

"I asked her out because she's hot." Alex told her, "And you are not the boss of me. I can see her if I want to see her."

"Yeah, if she'd actually want to see you." Cristina snorted, she turned to Meredith, "Maybe your sister is not as bad as we think she is. She obviously has better taste then I thought."

Alex scowled. "I will get her to go out with me." He nearly vowed.

"Why?" Meredith asked, "Leave her be. She said no. There are plenty of other hot interns you can screw."

"Not as hot as her." He argued. "Plus you can just tell she's good in bed."

"Ugh. You are disgusting!" Meredith twisted her face into disgust. "Can we please stop talking about how you want to screw Lexie?"

~~*~~

Meredith spotted Lexie, charting, near the nurses station, a few hours later. "Lexie." After her realizing Alex would not listen to her she thought she'd try her luck with Lexie.

Lexie looked up from her chart. A small smile tugged on her lips, happy her older sister was finally acknowledging her. "Yes, Meredith?"

"So...I'm going to have to ask you not to go out with Alex Karev. He's my friend...And it would be weird. Don't you think it would be weird?" She paused. "Plus you have your own friends, don't you? "

The younger sister sighed, struggling to hide her disappointment, "Look, Alex asked me out. And I said no."

Meredith nodded, "Just keep it that way, okay?"

"I have never intended to go out with him." Lexie assured her. "I promise."

"Good."

"Do you have any interesting cases today?"

"Um, not now Lexie...I'm a little busy."

The younger Grey sighed sadly as she watched walk away. She returned her attention back to her charts. So much for sisterly bonding time.

~~*~~

"Lexie!" Alex called out as he jogged toward her. "Hey. You done for the day?"

She kept on walking, "Yup."

"I'm done to..." He paused, "I thought we could go to Joe's and get a drink."

Lexie stopped in her tracks. "Alex...I already told you. I'm busy." She paused, "Plus Meredith told me that you are off limits." She said, rolling her eyes.

"I don't give a shit what Meredith says. I think we could be good together..." Lexie started to walk away again, he quickly followed her, "Come on. One drink. You cannot tell me you don't have time for one drink...Why are we at the hospital's day care?"

"This is the reason why I cannot just have one drink." Lexie opened the door.

"Mommy!" A small girl ran up to Lexie, who scooped her up in her arms.

"Hi baby." Lexie smiled as she held the child. "Alex. This is my daughter, Ava." She brushed some of Ava's hair behind her ear. "Can you say hi to Alex, honey?"

Ava rested her head on Lexie shoulder, as she eyed Alex shyly. "...Hi..."

Alex was almost too shocked to even respond. He forced a small smile. "Hi Ava."

Lexie set her down, "Can you go get your coat and backpack?"

"Ah-huh."

"I cannot believe Meredith didn't tell me...I had no idea." It was obvious that a kid did not fit into Alex's agenda.

She shrugged, "Meredith probably doesn't even know. Or care" She mumbled the last part.

"She's cute." Alex observed, "She looks just like you. How old is she?"

Lexie smiled. "Everyone says that...She's three. Um, I need to talk to Ava daycare teacher." She paused. "I'll see you later?"

He nodded, "Yeah. I'll see you later."

~~*~~

Lexie held Ava's hand as they walked to leave the hospital. "Mommy I drew you a picture today." She held up the piece white piece of construction paper that she held on her hands. "Wanna see?"

"Of course I do." She smiled down at her daughter as she took at the paper from her.

"It's me and you Mommy." Ava started to babble. "We're at the park with Mario and Luigi." She explained, referencing to her two pet goldfish. "And I drew squirrel and named him Tom."

"Should we hang this on the refrigerator when we get home?"

"With the dinosaur magnets?"

"Of course." Lexie became distracted as she looked down at her daughter's scribbles and didn't see the plastic surgeon heading her direction, also distracted looking down at a patient's chart. "Oomph."

They literally walked into on another. Lexie's eyes flashed to his, in panic. "Dr. Sloan." She had only been at the hospital for a couple weeks, and had yet to have any personal experiences with the plastic surgeon, but she heard stories. Particularly the stories of him making interns, like her, cry. "I'm so sorry." She quickly apologized, she could feel her cheeks turn to a shade of pink.

Mark looked from Lexie down to the pint sized child that clung to her hand, and then back to Lexie, he smirked. "I see you have masted the whole cloning thing Grey."

She smiled, "Yeah, she's my mini-me."

"Who is that Mommy?"

"That...Is Dr. Sloan." Lexie told her.

"Dr. Scone?" She repeated.

"No honey...Dr. Sloan..." She said his name slower this time. She could not help but smile at her daughter's mispronunciation.

"That's what I said!" She exclaimed. "Dr. Scone."

"How about you call me Mark." He to could not help but smile at the little girl.

She looked up at him. "Dr. Mark?"

He nodded, "Very good."

"Mommy!" Ava pulled on Lexie's hand. "I gotta tell you something."

"What is it?"

"Closer! It's a secret." Lexie knelt down next to her daughter and picked her up, balancing her on her hip.. Ava whispered loudly, "Dr. Mark...Is really pretty." She looked at her mother curiously. "Mommy...Why is your heart beating so fast?"

Mark laughed, hearing the girl clearly.

Lexie felt her blush deepen. "You think so?" She mumbled. She stood up, unable to look Mark in the eye. "Sorry about that."

He shrugged, "Best complement I got all day."

"Mommy...I'm hungry."

"Should we go home and make supper?"

Ava nodded excitedly. "Can we make tacos?"

She nodded, "We can make tacos." She brushed her hair behind her ear. "Um...Sorry again Dr. Sloan. For you know, running into you."

He crossed his arms, "Just don't let it happen again." He joked. "Have a good night Grey." He smiled at Lexie's daughter, "You to Little Grey. Enjoy your tacos."

"Goodbye Dr. Sloan." Lexie still couldn't look him in the eye.

"Goodnight Dr. Mark." Ava waved at him as Lexie walked with her to the elevator.

Mark smiled as he watched mother and daughter disappear into the elevator. He shook his head. Cute kid.

TBC...?