Hey, guys! I KNOW this story has been MIA, but I recently begun rewatching Grey's and it really inspired me to continue this story. Thank you all so much for the great reviews! The parts of this chapter will be divided like the episode was, with Emma's stats. Please note that a lot of the medically related stuff will probably be the same because Lexie is obviously replacing Callie in this whole story line.

I don't own anything.

…

-It's A Long Way Back -

EMMA SUSAN SLOAN

ONE WEEK, 1 LB, 1 OZ

"Go, go, go," Cristina, Bailey and Meredith chanted as Lexie attempted to straighten her hand.

"Yes!" Lexie exclaimed as she was almost able to straighten it. But she stopped, if this was so hard, how would she ever be able to operate again?

"Lex, it's okay. You're retraining your brain, it's going to take a while. You're doing great." Meredith said, gently placing her hand on her sisiter's.

"Little goals, remember," Bailey reminded her. "Let me get in there to check her incision."

"Morning!" Mark exclaimed, walking into Lexie's room. "Baby report," he said proudly, walking over to Lexie and kissing her.

"I'm gonna go check on my little niece!" Meredith exclaimed.

Cristina scoffed. Her best friend was acting way to bright and shiny.

"Gimme," Lexie reached for Mark's phone.

"See, she's moving her arm like she's waving. Still hasn't opened her eyes, but she only stopped breathing once last night and her brain bleed's still grade one."

"That's my girl," Lexie said proudly, before her grin slowly turned to a frown. "Mark, is she bigger?"

"Some of us are still working, I have to get in there," Bailey spoke up.

"I have a consult. How are you?" Mark said looking down at Lexie. "I almost got my hand straight. Go, I'm okay, I promise."

"That's incredible, Lex. I love you," Mark kissed her again before turning to leave. "Love you too," Lexie called after him.

"Can I see her today? Please Bailey?" Lexie looked up and Bailey checked her incision.

"I'm sorry, Lexie, but until you can be mobilized, and your infections are completely gone, you cannot see her and she cannot leave the NICU. Little Grey, you know I would if I could, you know that?" Bailey told her. Lexie had begun to cry as Bailey inspected her.

"Yang, tell her I would if I could," she told Cristina as she walked out.

"Lexipedia, she would IF she could," Cristina said robotically.

Lexie began to shake her fist.

"Three, are you giving me the finger?"

"Yes, I am." Lexie responded with a smirk.

"I knew you were my favorite for reason," Cristina laughed and then left.

After she left, Lexie could feel herself beginning to cry again. She was trying so hard to be strong and most of the time it worked. Whenever people were in her room, when Meredith complained about her trial, when Mark told her he loved her and stroked her hair the best he could, she felt strong and brave, but as soon as she was left alone and thought of her sweet baby girl in the NICU, she suddenly felt very small and afraid.

…..

Arizona was in the NICU, examining Emma. She was doing as well as she could, but Arizona didn't want to take any chances.

Callie walked in the room behind her, "Little Grey's doing great. Mark's still pretty worried about her, but she seems to be okay."

"That's good," Arizona said softly.

"Zona, what's wrong?" Callie asked.

"I was supposed to go back to Africa, but I don't trust Stark with Emma. And I can't leave Jessica. Karev suggested bringing them here, but you know that's practically impossible," Arizona said sadly. Callie gently put her hands on Arizona's shoulder's, comforting her the best she could.

…..

"Can I try to sit up?" Lexie asked eagerly as Cristina examined her.

"No, you heard what Bailey said," Cristina responded.

"Why'd I get you? You're mean. Shouldn't you be cutting out someone's heart?" Lexie asked, annoyed.

"Altman and I had a falling out, over you, so I'm giving her space," Cristina responded. "You're good. Need anything?"

"I need to see my baby." Lexie said softly, looking up at Critina with tears in her eyes.

"She's mostly tubes and wires and she looks more like a chicken than a baby, like a featherless, beakless chicken. You wanna wait til she's cuter."

"You slept through all of your patient sensitivity lectures, didn't you?" Lexie asked.

"It was practically psych," Cristina shrugged.

"She opened her eyes!" April exclaimed, running in. "Emma, she looked right at me. I saw her sweet little eyes. They're beautiful. They look just like yours. Oh my god, I should've taken pictures. Why didn't I do that?"

Lexie began to sob.

"Lexie, please don't cry. Oh no, oh no. I'm so sorry!"

"April, go get the pictures." Crsitna yelled before April ran out of the room.

"Lexie, Lexie," Cristina tried to calm her down as Lexie reached to lift herself up. "No, don't, Little Grey stop"

"I am missing her. She could die and I'll never see her, I could miss her whole life."

"Honey, I know, easy, relax. Lie back down. Want me to go get Sloan or Meredith?"

Lexie cried out in pain as she laid back down. She nodded between her sobs.

Cristina ran off to find someone and find a way for Lexie to see Emma.

…..

Later that night, Lexie was trying to sleep. Mark was lying next to her and gently stroking her hair and talking about his day to try to calm her down, as well as telling her about their daughter.

"What are you doing?" Lexie asked him as he checked his watch again.

"Nothing, you know how much I love you right?" He asked her.

She nodded slowly. "Did you know Karev's trying to bring over a bunch of kids from Africa to get surgeries?" She asked him. "Nurses gossip."

"Go Karev," Mark said with a chuckle, looking in the doorway.

She looked up to see Cristina, Meredith, Jackson, Alex, and April in the doorway. "Ready?" Cristina asked. Mark kissed Lexie on the forehead and got off of the bed.

"Stay still and relax. Let us do everything, can you do that?" Meredith asked her sister as the others began to prep her for transport.

Lexie slowly nodded.

They snuck her gurney down the hallway, being as quiet as possible.

They lead her to the NICU window. Meredith and Alex walked in and put gowns on. Mark squeezed her hand as she looked through the window. She gently put her other hand to the glass as they wheeled her daughter to the window. The other left to give them some privacy, leaving just Mark, Lexie, and Emma. She began to cry happy tears, pressing her hand against the window. "Hi, hi baby. Don't worry, we're gonna be fine. Just fine." Mark grinned, tears in his eyes, and pulled Lexie close, kissing the top of her head.

"I love you. Both of you."

…..

FIVE WEEKS, TWO DAYS

"Just calm down," Mark said sternly to the physical therapist.

"She's a rude, uncooperating," the physical therapist responded.

"My fiancé," Mark interrupted.

"Good luck," he said before storming out.

"Lex, that's the third one this month.

"They don't push me hard enough. We're getting married; I need to get better for you and our daughter,"

"Lexie, you had a traumatic brain injury, it's going to take a little while,"

"Damn it!" Lexie exclaimed, dropping the ball she had been holding.

"Shhh, it's okay," Mark said, stepping forward

"Damn it, damn it! You can hold our daughter, I can't! I can't hold my baby! Don't try to tell me that's okay!" She yelled at him.

"I'm sorry," Mark responded. Pain covered his face, he hated seeing the love of his life like this.

"Mark, I need to be good at this, it's what I do. I need to hold our daughter. Bring me those balls, please."

Mark nodded and went to get the physical therapy balls.

….

Later that day, Mark stood in the NICU as Stark examined his in daughter.

"She's in heart failure now," Stark informed him.

"She needs surgery now?" Mark asked.

"It's possible, her ductus arteriosis hasn't closed." He responded.

Mark turned to Kepner, who was on Stark's service for the day. "Find Arizona Robbins."

"I gotta go tell Lexie," Mark said, walking off.

…

Lexie was pushing a gurney with Cristina on it down the hallway.

"Are you sure you're not tired?" Cristina asked her.

"No, one more lap." Lexie responded.

"Lexie, what are you doing?" Meredith asked her sister.

"She's my new physical therapist because she does what I tell her to,"

Meredith and Cristina began to talk about Altman, but she could barely hear them over the sound of her own breathing.

"Mere, sit, I need the resistance," Lexie told her sister.

"Lex, I don't think…."

"Meredith, sit!" Meredith tolled her eyes and sat on the gurney.

They walked down the hallway some more before Mark walked towards them.

"Everybody off, now!" He yelled, walking over to Lexie.

"I did four laps today," She told him proudly, out of breath.

"Lexie, Emma needs surgery." Mark told her slowly.

"What?" Lexie asked in shock.

"Now, today, she needs surgery. She has weakness in her left ventricle, she needs surgery."

"Oh god, oh god," Lexie began to hyperventilate.

"It's gonna be fine. Robbins is gonna do it and she's damn good," He said.

"Oh god, ow!" Lexie exclaimed.

"Lexie, what is it?"

Lexie pressed her hand to her stomach and discovered that she was bleeding.

"Lexie!" Mark exclaimed.

"Oh god," Lexie fainted on top of him.

"Help! Somebody help," he called trying to keep Lexie steady.

…

"She forced herself into a rupture," Dr. Bailey ssaid as she fixed Lexie's incision.

"I should've seen this coming," Cristina responded. "I checked this wound three times a day, she never complained of pain."

"Yang, I've been telling Lexipedia to slow down for weeks, the woman doesn't listen. So stop kicking yourself. And just help me fix it."

"How bad does it look?" Mark asked, walking in. Dr. Bailey knew he wasn't supposed to be in there, but decided to make an exception.

His phone began to ring, it was Meredith about Emma.

"How is she?" He answered.

"They're just starting now. BP's 39 over 20,"

"That's way too low,"

"No, Robbins said for a kid this small it's fine."

"She's getting ready to clip the PDA," Meredith told him several minutes later.

"She's closing now," he responded. "No leaks, no bleeders, no sepsis, BP's good so we're home," he froze as loud beeping erupted on the other side of the phone.

"What's happening? What's going on, Grey?" He asked in a panic.

When Meredith didn't respond, he ran to the other OR.

He found her sobbing in the hallway.

"I'm sorry," Meredith sobbed, Mark ran in room before opening the door. "Grey. You need to be in here."

Meredith nodded and walked in.

"You missed the good part, Dr. Grey, " Arizona said, smiling under her scrub cap. "She tried to bleed out, but I wouldn't let her. She's beautiful and fine." Arizona said with a smile before beginning to close.

…..

TWELVE WEEKS, 5 LBS, 8 OZ

"Good morning," Lexie cooed, walking up to her daughter. "Look at how big you are," Lexie smiled picking her up.

"I was just coming to see you!" Meredith exclaimed, walking up to her sister. "Not you, her!" she clarified.

"Please don't tell me to get back in bed, I just go here," Lexie said.

"I wasn't. I was coming to tell you to go home. Bailey said you're ready to be discharged. Don't drop my niece!" Meredith said.

Lexie looked at with wide eyes, "What? When?"

"Your vitals are stable, your balance is good, and you're strong enough to carry Emma around so go. Get out!" Meredith said with a smile, gently tickling her niece.

"Did you hear that, we're going home?" Lexie said softly to her daughter with a wide grin.

"…Wait," she stopped herself, "I'm going home."

…..

Arizona ran into work late. Jessica had been sick and she had thrown up on her right before she left for work.

"Karev, I just go a text! They touched down in DC! They'll be here tonight!" She exclaimed, before running off down the hallway.

…

"Hi," Lexie said with a smile looking down at her daughter. Mark stood across from her and was grinning down at his daughter.

"I don't really wanna go home before she goes and clearly she's not ready to go." Lexie said.

"Lex, shh," Mark tried to shush her.

"She can go," Arizona said with a smile, looking down at Emma.

"What?" Mark and Lexie asked at the same time.

"You're both doctors. As long as she passes the infant carrier test…" Arizona trailed off.

"What test?" Mark asked.

"She has to sit in an infant carrier for an hour with no apnea or bradychardia." Arizona grinned at him.

"She''ll nail that. I'll go get it," Mark kissed Lexie and left to get the car seat.

"Thank you," Lexie said, hugging Arizona.

Arizona walked away.

Lexie looked down at her daughter with a smile, "You're going home baby girl. We both are."

….

"Five more seconds!" Mark called out. He, Lexie, Arizona, Meredith, Bailey, Cristina, Callie, Derek and April were all standing eagerly waiting for Emma to pass the test.

"Five, four, three, two one. That's one hour!" Mark exclaimed.

"You did it, big girl!" Meredith said, proud of her niece.

She walked over with Mark to look at Emma.

Lexie stood in the middle of the room.

"Let's roll!" Mark said.

"Wait, wait, wait, put her down," Lexie said. "Everybody stop, stop, stop!" Mark gently put their daughter down and walked over to her.

"She can't leave, she's been watched by doctors her whole life. Twenty-four hours a day,"

"Lex, we'll be watching her," Mark assured her.

"Her lungs, she could get RSV."

"Any kid could get RSV," Arizona pointed out.

"She's not getting in a car it's not safe! 40,000 people die in car crashes every year,"

"Lexie," Mark stepped closer.

"It's not safe! The last time she was in a car, she nearly died. We both nearly died. Get her out, give her to me Mark." She walked past him towards their daughter.

"Lexie, listen to me," Bailey said, walking over, "You are absolutely right, cars are not safe for children, neither are bookcases or squirrels or strong winds or people who sneeze. They're all gonna get your baby, but honey, you don't feel this way because you were in an accident, you feel this way because you're a parent. It's pass. Mostly. Some of it never will." Bailey told her, securing Emma in her car seat.

Mark walked over to Lexie and pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her as tight as he could. "Let's go home!" He said with a wide smile.