A/N: I really don't like this one, feels really OOC but I'm posting anyway because then I've completed my goal of writing a christmas fic for all of my pairings! :) Merry Christmas!

"Hey" Mark said coming up behind Meredith at the nurses station and kissing her shoulder.

"Hey" she smiled back "I missed you this morning"

"I missed you too, stupid pager" he grumbled.

"It's hardly the pagers fault Mark" Meredith smirked "Your note said you wanted to talk to me about something"

"Yeah, I was thinking, this time next week it's Christmas Eve, we both have the night off, a romantic meal for 2 at home, just us"

"A romantic meal?" Meredith said slowly "Why? We never do stuff like that"

"Because it's Christmas Eve" he smiled.

"You're gonna cook right because I don't want to poison you or anything"

"I'm going to cook" he smirked "So, Christmas Eve romantic dinner is a go?"

"Yes Mark" Meredith laughed "I need to go and meet the guys for lunch but, I'll see you later?"

"Sure" he said pecking her lips "I love you"

"I love you too" Meredith smiled before heading off to the cafeteria.

~x~

"I think Mark wants something" Meredith said as she dropped her lunch tray onto the cafeteria table before sitting down.

"Huh?" Izzie asked through her mouthful.

"He's cooking me dinner, on christmas eve, a romantic dinner, Mark doesn't do romantic dinners, I don't do romantic dinners, he wants something, he must want something"

"You putting out much Grey?" Alex asked.

"Alex!" Izzie exclaimed.

"What?" he laughed "This is Sloan we're talking about, he probably just wants to bribe her into more sex"

"Thanks Alex, that makes me feel so much better" Meredith said dryly.

"Maybe he just wants to do something nice for his girlfriend at christmas" said George with a smile.

"Yeah, right" Cristina laughed "Sloan doing something nice for someone without wanting anything in return, sure O'Malley, that must be it"

"He does nice things for me without wanting anything in return" Meredith protested "Don't be mean"

"Oh boo hoo" Cristina mocked "Your boyfriend's cooking you dinner, they do that sometimes, get over it"

"I'm sure George is right Mer" Izzie said with a smile "Just enjoy it"

"Enjoy it" Meredith nodded "I can do that, enjoy it" she smiled.

~x~

1 week later.

"More wine?" Mark asked as he sat down at the candlelit table he'd set up in the dining room.

"Yes, please" Meredith smiled, Mark poured out some more wine and Meredith sipped a little of it.

"Did you like the food?" he asked.

"It was amazing Mark" Meredith said squeezing his hand "I love that you can cook, I'd have probably killed us by now otherwise" she chuckled.

"True" he smirked "We've got dessert but, I wanted to talk to you about something first"

"Here we go" Meredith thought to herself.

"Mer, we've been together for, over a year now, and I know it's been hard, and we've had a lot of crap to face, but, we got through it, we got through it cuz we're strong and, because you, you make me a better person, you do, and, I love you more than, I ever knew it possible to love anyone, and I can't wait, to spend the rest of my life with you, which is why, Meredith" he said slipping down onto his knee in front of her "I'd like to ask you, to be my wife" he said showing her a ring, Meredith stared at him slightly in awe.

"Mark I, I don't know what to say" she said tearfully.

"Well yes would be pretty great" Mark said nervously.

"Yes" she nodded "Yes, of course yes, yes I'll, I'll marry you, I love you" she said kissing him "I love you so much"

"I love you too" Mark said kissing her back before slipping the ring onto her finger "Is it ok? I knew you wouldn't want anything too flashy and…."

"It's perfect Mark" Meredith whispered "Oh god I feel terrible" she mumbled as she hugged him.

"What?" he frowned.

"When you asked me to dinner I kept trying to think of reasons why you'd do all this" she said with a slight laugh "I thought maybe you wanted something like, like more sex or…or something and, now I feel like the biggest bitch in the world"

"Honey, you are not a bitch" he said kissing her softly "And well, I did want something didn't I" he grinned.

"Yeah, I guess you did" she laughed softly "So this dessert…" she said stroking his chest a little.

"Strawberries and whipped cream, your favourite" Mark said kissing her neck "We could take it upstairs" he whispered huskily, Meredith stood up and simply walked up the stairs, Mark hurriedly took the strawberries and cream from the refrigerator and followed her to their bedroom.

~x~

2 years later.

"Ok baby, we can do this, we can get you to sleep can't we, you'll sleep for Daddy won't you baby girl" Mark said as he paced his daughters nursery with her in his arms "Come on Em sshhh, don't cry, I've got you, Daddy's got you" he said holding her close "Sshh" he said soothingly "You want me to sing?" he asked "I can sing, ok uh, christmas eve, christmas songs um uh, Away in a manger no crib for his bed, the little lord Jesus lay down his sweet head" Mark sang awkwardly, Emma simply cried harder "Ok, ok you don't like Away in a Manger, Daddy doesn't really know anymore words anyway, ok um, Emma I don't know anymore songs so just, just sleep, just go to sleep" he said stroking her back.

"Want me to try?" Meredith asked from the doorway, Mark turned to her and sighed heavily.

"I didn't mean to wake you"

"I wasn't really asleep" Meredith said walking in further "Give her here" she said taking Emma carefully from her, she held her close and spoke soothingly to her and within minutes the crying had stopped.

"She hates me doesn't she, she hates me" Mark said rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"Mark, you know that's not true" Meredith smirked "She could feel you stressing out, you just need to stay calm, if your calm she'll be calm, loved the singing by the way" she laughed.

"You, you heard that?" he stuttered.

"Yeah"

"Ran out of options" he grumbled.

"Honey, go to bed, I'll put her down and I'll be right there" Meredith said softly.

"Ok" he sighed, he kissed the back of Emma's head and then Meredith before moving back into their bedroom.

"You're stressing your Daddy out baby girl" Meredith said with a soft laugh "Now I'm going to put you back in your crib, and you're going to get some sleep, Mommy and Daddy are right in the next room, goodnight sweetie, I love you" she whispered as she kissed Emma's forehead and settled her in her crib, she took one last look back at her before walking into her bedroom, she climbed onto the bed and got under the covers, she brought her hand to Mark's cheek and stroked it softly "She's just trying to get used to sleeping in her own room Mark, you didn't do anything wrong, don't doubt yourself, you're an incredible Dad"

"Hmm" Mark replied.

"Babe please believe me" Meredith said kissing him "It's just a bad night, there's been a lot of them, she'll grow out of it"

"Maybe I work too much" Mark said quietly "I'm gonna drop some hours, I don't, I don't spend enough time with her"

"Mark, you are not working too much, you work just as much as me, and it's not nearly as heavy a schedule as before she was born, but if you really want to drop some hours, then talk to the Chief, I'm sure he'll understand" she said softly "Now stop thinking, try and get some rest, we've got a busy day tomorrow"

"Remember what we were doing this time two year ago?" Mark grinned "And all day Christmas Day too?"

"I think you'll find it was the same last Christmas what with my sex filled second trimester" Meredith laughed.

"Well babe, christmas is all about traditions isn't it, and if we're quiet…." he mumbled as his lips came to her neck.

"I think I can work with that" Meredith replied with a breath as his lips travelled further south.

The End.