TWENTY FOUR

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Aria finished her morning rounds with Dr. Robbins, feeling a sense of accomplishment. Just as she was about to head off, she spotted Alex approaching, his collar askew. With a smirk, she couldn't resist teasing him.

"Well, well, look who finally decided to join the land of the living," Aria remarked, her tone laced with playful sarcasm. "How long have you been here, sleeping beauty? And here I thought you were the responsible one."

Alex adjusted his collar, a mix of surprise and amusement on his face. "Oh, you think you're so clever, don't you?" he retorted, trying to hide his smile. "Maybe if you had woken me up, I wouldn't have missed out on all the excitement."

Aria handed the charts to the nurses, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Excitement? Oh, you mean all those sick babies who missed out on your magical healing powers? They'll just have to settle for mine," she quipped, tapping his cheek playfully before striding away.

"Aria Grey!" Alex exclaimed, a mix of exasperation and amusement in his voice. He quickened his pace, determined to catch up with her. Aria continued on her way, laughter bubbling from her lips, thoroughly enjoying her own antics.
~
Derek caught up to Aria just as she was taking a kid to get an X-ray. He had a mischievous look on his face as he asked her about telling Meredith about the ring. Aria glanced at him, slightly taken aback.

"Nah, I haven't really had a chance to talk to her," Aria replied, her curiosity piqued.

Derek's request for her not to tell Meredith offended Aria, and she glared at him. "You think I'd spoil your surprise? Come on, Derek, give me some credit. Besides, have you spilled the beans to Yang? She's more likely to spill the secret to Meredith," Aria shot back, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. Derek chuckled at her response, clearly amused by her feisty comeback.

The conversation took a surprising turn when Derek mentioned that Meredith had brought up babies. Aria looked at him, her expression one of surprise. "Wait, Meredith mentioned babies? Like, her having children?" Aria questioned, realizing that she and Meredith had never really discussed the topic of starting a family.

Derek seemed equally surprised. "Yeah, she's your twin sister, but she's never mentioned wanting kids or anything," he said, trying to make sense of it. Aria chuckled, finding the situation amusing.

"Well, we've never really had that conversation. You'd think being Ellis Grey's daughter would make her shy away from the idea. But I guess she's stronger than me in that sense," Aria shrugged, acknowledging the unexpected revelation. Derek looked at her, slightly puzzled, before his pager went off, signaling an urgent call from a patient. He hurried off, leaving Aria to process the surprising conversation.
~
Aria sat quietly at the table, absentmindedly playing with her food. The atmosphere was buzzing with conversation and laughter until Alex, ever the curious one, nudged her gently. Aria looked up, her eyes meeting the curious gazes of her friends.

"What's got into you?" Alex questioned, his expression a mix of concern and intrigue. Meredith, always perceptive, chimed in, "Is there something in the air today? You and Derek are both acting a bit strange."

Aria tried to brush off their observations, insisting that she was perfectly fine. But the group couldn't help but exchange knowing glances, sensing that something was up.

As the conversation continued, the group started discussing different activities they had come across in a magazine article shared by one of Alex's patients. The suggestions ranged from the adventurous to the downright hilarious.

"I would try 15," Meredith commented, her eyes sparkling with mischief. Aria looked at her sister, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

"Don't try 15," Izzie and George blurted out simultaneously, causing the whole group to turn their attention towards them. Their synchronized warning only added to the intrigue and curiosity in the air.

Aria, always one to embrace new experiences, couldn't resist flipping through the magazine herself. She scanned the pages, her eyes landing on activity number 16. A mischievous smile crept onto her face as she mumbled, "I would try 16. Yeah. I've never done that before."

Her unexpected response caught everyone off guard. Aria was usually the responsible and level-headed one, so her declaration sparked a mix of surprise and amusement among her friends.

Alex, unable to resist the opportunity for adventure, leaned in closer, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "You'd try 16?" he questioned, his curiosity piqued.

Aria met his gaze, her smirk growing wider. "I would. I totally would," she replied, her voice filled with a newfound sense of daring.

In that moment, Alex finished his coffee in a swift motion and reached for Aria's hand. Without hesitation, he pulled her up from her seat, their friends erupting into laughter and exchanging playful looks.

Amidst the laughter, Lexie couldn't help but call out a word of caution, her caring nature shining through. "

"Don't do 16 too fast!You can get hurt. Badly." Lexie called out to the couple while Meredith looked at in quizzically.

"I think Alex is rubbing off on her too much." George commented while they exchanged a look with him before chuckling.
~
"Hey, what's going on with you?" Aria asked, settling down next to Lexie at Joe's. Joe handed Aria a bottle of beer, and she took a sip before turning her attention to her sister.

Lexie hesitated for a moment, not ready to reveal her relationship with Mark until he had spoken to Derek. Plus, she knew how close Aria and Mark were, and she wasn't sure how her sister would react. "Oh, nothing much," Lexie replied, trying to brush off the question.

Aria gave Lexie a small, understanding smile. "You know I'm always here for you, right? If you ever need to talk or anything, just let me know," she offered, taking another sip of her beer.

Lexie nodded appreciatively, grateful for her sister's support. "Thanks, Aria. I really appreciate that," she replied, returning the smile. It was comforting to know that she had someone she could confide in, even if she wasn't ready to spill all the details just yet.

As the night went on, the two sisters enjoyed their time together, sipping their beers and sharing stories. It was moments like these that reminded them of the strong bond they shared, a bond that could weather any storm.

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