Chapter 2:

When her shift had finally ended Meredith couldn't have been gladder. For the last two hours she had avoided Derek, Addison, the Chief, Dr. Bailey and all of her fellow interns. She had just made it outside the hospital when she heard her name being called. "Meredith!" She looked towards the voice to find Mark sitting on a bench waving her over. "Mark what are you doing here? I thought I was meeting you at the bar across the street?" "Oh you didn't think I was that stupid did you? I knew that if I wasn't here waiting for you then you would have snuck home, as you had no intention of meeting me for a drink." Said Mark giving her a look. She was stuck he knew her so well. "Fine you were right, now I need a drink Sloan. Take me to get a drink." said Meredith smiling at him. She knew she had gotten caught.

When they had walked into Joe's all of the doctors, and nurses who worked at the hospital all stopped to stare at the two when Meredith and Mark walked in together. Once they reached a table at the back Mark looked at her "Does this happen often?" "Does what happen often?" I asked knowing exactly what he meant. "People staring at you and talking about you in front of you like you can't hear or see them?" said Mark looking around at all the people who weren't even trying to hide the fact that they were staring at them. "Oh this has been happening since it got out that I was the intern screwing the attending who turned out to be married." Said Meredith. Mark looked at her with wide eyes before shaking his head and saying "Oh what the Shepard's put us through."

"Why are you here Mark? Why are you in Seattle? I know for a fact it's not because I'm here because until today you had no idea where I was you probably thought I was still in Boston." Said Meredith. "Your right I did think that you were in Boston, and I'm here to bring Addison back home. Did you know that after Derek left Addison stayed with me for four months before she found out about you and then left running to Seattle." Said Mark taking a sip of the burbon he had ordered. "I didn't know that. Does Derrek know that?" "Oh I doubt it otherwise I would have needed more stitches." Laughed Mark taking another drink.

"You know she's not going to leave them. He's not someone that you stop loving and leave." Said Meredith taking a shot of tequila. "I know that's what makes it harder. But now that I'm here I can see that I don't stand a chance. But I also found you here. So no more talk about married exes let's talk about what happened after you left me in Sweden." Said Mark grinning at her while finishing off his drink and waving the waitress over to order more drinks. "Ha let's see where to begin. So when I made it back to Boston my mom was already arranging her affairs, she had been diagnosed already and she was searching for the best facilities. She had already left Mayo and told them that she was leaving to write a new book and guest lecture at hospitals around the world. When I got there she had documents waiting for me to sign the first was for my trust fund to open up so I could finish off my education. The next paper was for power of attorney so I would be able to make medical decisions when she was no longer capable. Then lastly she made me sign a non-disclosure so I couldn't tell anyone about her condition unless it was for medical reasons, like when she came into the hospital a few months ago and everyone found out. After she checked herself into a home in New Hampshire near Dartmouth so I could still visit and attend medical school. I went off to Dartmouth and worked my ass off and graduated top of my class. From there I applied to different programs and choose to come out here as they have one of the best care facilities for my mom and Seattle has one of the best programs, plus my mom owned a house here so I had free room and board. I then had a one night stand with a man who turned out to be my married boss and then after dating him for months I find out that he's married, now I'm just trying to make it through my internship and take care of my mom. So what about you what happened to you after I left?" I asked.

"Well it's nothing like your story, but after you left I stayed in Sweden for a few more days to take care of our legal issues. Then I came back home and Derrek, Addie and I started our own private practice in New York. I continued to go to bars and hit on and pick up gorgeous women. I have never come close to getting married again sober or drunk. Then my two best friends the man I saw as my brother started having marital issues. They began fighting and Derrek began to stay late at work and missing dates. If he was in surgery or a meeting he would send me to the townhouse to go on his date with Addison. He would send me to take her to dinner, to go to plays, or eat the dinners that she had ordered in. He even sent me to his anniversary dinner, he had forgotten that it was their anniversary and thought that it was just another dinner and sent me! I mean who forgets an anniversary even I'm not that bad. Then one night I went over because Derrek was working on paperwork and Addison had cooked a dinner she had already been drinking. When I got there she kept pouring me drinks and I kept drinking. Then after a few drinks on my part and many on hers she started to kiss me and I had always thought that she was good looking and I wasn't thinking straight so I kissed her back. Which then led to us going upstairs and having sex. Then Derrek walks in and catches us. I quickly leave. The next day after I sobered up Addison shows up to let me know that Derrek had left. She stayed in my apartment for the next few months. It was a few weeks before she left when we found out that she was pregnant…I had gone out and I bought a New York Yankees onesie and a calendar with her expected due date circled. When I got home before I could show her what I had gotten she told me that I would make a terrible father that she was going to get an abortion. I knew that she always wanted kids and I told her that, but she told me that she did want kids she just didn't want my kids she wanted his. She was on the next flight out here. So I went into a drinking binge and then I came out here to bring her back but now I see that I can't win her back, but then I ran into you. So there's my story" said Mark finishing the last of his drink.

"Mark….I know how much you have always wanted a family. I'm sorry that she did that to you." Said Meredith taking a hold of his hand. Mark looked at her and gave her a sad smile. "What do you say we get out of here and go back to my place for old times' sake?" asked Mark. Meredith looked at Mark carefully then grinned and took his hand and walked him out of the bar and into a cab that was waiting near the entrance. Mark gave the address to the hotel and the two were off.