There was nothing like a lie-in. The one thing the Lexie always looked forward to, afterall, it was rare she got to sleep past 5:30 am since starting her residency. She loved being a surgeon, and would never change it, but she could never cast doubt over her love of a few more hours in bed, a few more hours entwined in Mark's arms. She felt safe, loved, with the sun beginning to cast its rays through the blinds, it was perfection. Or at least it was, until the usual alarm began.
"Grandad! Grandad! Wake up, wake UP!"
With the final "up", Joey put all of his effort into jumping as hard as possible on the mattress, his childish laughter filling the air, his feet getting closer and closer to Lexie. It was only a matter of moments before somebody ended up hurt.
"Oww…" Lexie cursed under her breath. She loved little Joey, really did, but this daily routine was just not acceptable anymore. Her legs were black and blue, made even more noticeable by her pale complexion. Last weekend, at her sister's barbeque, comments had been made by Cristina. Lexie knew her old resident could be harsh, but what she insinuated was just disgusting. Mark would never, could never, do such a thing. Just one look at him in this moment could show anyone that. He was at the end of the bed, lifting Joey onto his back, giving him a piggy-back into the kitchen to make superhero pancakes. Lexie couldn't help but smile to herself.
Who would have thought that this arrangement could have worked? Sloan had been so reluctant to let Lexie, Mark, Callie and Arizona all care for little Joey, poor Mark's heart was broken when she announced that she wanted to give him up for adoption. Noone knew what had changed Sloan's mind, but Lexie had a sneaking suspicion that seeing Mark hold Joey for the first time hadn't only melted her own heart.
After showering and dressing, Lexie saw another of Mark and Joey's heart-warming scenes. It was so nice to see them together, like father and son, sat at the breakfast table, having an in-depth conversation about football. Mark was using the salt and pepper mills to teach Joey some rule or another, and despite not having a clue what their conversation was about, she couldn't help but sit with them and act interested. They seemed so much like a… well, a family. Something Lexie never thought she'd see again after her mother died.
"Hey, Auntie Lex, are you coming to play football with me and granddad today?" Joey's eyes seemed to glimmer as he spoke, an infectious smile spreading across both his and Mark's face as she shook her head in response.
"It's too muddy for me. Besides, I need to pick up a few things from the store."
"The store?" Mark frowned, trying desperately to remember if he'd forgotten any important dates. His Blackberry hadn't shown anything on the calendar, but then again, he'd still managed to miss Lexie's birthday despite having automatic reminders. Mark was so bad with dates that he forgot them before he got time to put them in the calendar. It was lucky for him that Joey had remembered, making Lexie a big card from both him and Mark. He was such a sweet kid sometimes.
"Oh, don't worry, it's nothing. Just a new suitcase, I needed one anyway. Though you did remember to do what I asked?" Lexie paused, waiting for some sort of acknowledgement. When the blank look continued to dominate his face, Lexie's tone hardened, "Mark, it was the one thing I asked you. Is it seriously too hard for you to ask someone if they can have Joey stay tomorrow?"
Mark rolled his eyes behind Lexie's back, as she turned to get the calendar to show him her request. As she fumbled around, Mark's eyes lit up. Winking at Joey and putting a finger to his lips to signal to him to stay quiet, he exited the apartment, re-entering before Lexie had even noticed he had gone. She turned, just as he sat back down, shoving the calendar in his face.
"See. It's hardly a big effort to look at the calendar once in a while, Mark."
Mark's lips twisted into a smile, one that began to infuriate Lexie, until she was turning a rather dark shade of red, unusual for a woman with her pale complexion. Mark couldn't help but laugh; Joey had more sense and excused himself from the table before laughing too at his Auntie Lexie.
"Don't you dare laugh at me Mark Sloan!"
Mark allowed her a few minutes more ranting time; after all, he did still have his cappuccino to finish. It was at the perfect temperature, just right to drink and still taste amazing, and most importantly, be bone dry. He set his cup down and smiled at Lexie, causing her to pause mid-rant, surrounded by confusion.
"If it's ok love, I'd like you to pass me a pen."
Lexie scanned the table. There was no sign of the newspaper anywhere. No newspaper means no crossword. Why else would he want a pen? Still, the look on his face was one full of amusement, so she obliged, handing the blue ballpoint to him. He scribbled something on the calendar, handing both that and the pen back to Lexie. A grin was spread across his face as Lexie looked at the calendar, ready to read it.
Weekend in NY - Joey at Callie's
It took Lexie a few times reading what Mark had scribbled before her face, contorted with frustration, relaxed. She couldn't help but smile as she put the calendar down and moved to sit herself on Mark's lap, kissing him softly.
"EWW!" They hadn't heard Joey enter the room. Lexie pulled away from Mark, and turned to face Joey. She couldn't help but laugh at the half-disgusted, half-shocked look on his face, the kind of innocent look only a five year old could get away with. And as much as she loved this five year old, Lexie wouldn't miss those interruptions on her weekend away.
