23 weeks.
"Hey stranger."
"Addison?" He turned around. "What are you doing here?"
"It's nice to see you too Mark." She gave him a quick hug. "And to answer your question Richard asked me come for a consult."
"Sorry, I was just surprised you're here. The Californian sun seems to be agreeing with you."
"That's one thing I don't miss about Seattle, the weather."
"You should wear more sunscreen unless you want me to take care those wrinkles while you're here." He joked.
"I don't have wrinkles." She swatted his arm.
"Mark I was thinking..." Lexie stopped speaking when she saw who he was talking to.
"Lexie, you remember Addison." Mark wasn't sure what else to say.
"It's nice to see you again Dr Grey." Addison said.
"I just remembered Dr Yang needs me in the pit. Excuse me."
"Lexie?" Mark called after her. "Dr Grey? Dammit." He muttered under his breath.
"She's pregnant." Addison commented.
"Yes."
"How many weeks?"
"23." Mark replied.
"Yours?"
"Yes."
"You knocked up an intern?" Addison looked bemused.
"Addie." Mark said in a warning tone.
"Meredith's little sister."
"Addison."
"You're in love with her." It dawned on her.
"It's complicated."
"What is complicated?"
"She thinks I'm going to leave. My attempts at proving other are going slowly."
"A woman who makes you work for it, I'm liking her more by the minute." Addison smiled.
"Addie." He warned again.
"Do you me to talk to her I think I remember a few of your good qualities?" She offered.
"I'm trying to keep my family, you talking to her when you are part of the problem isn't a good idea."
"I've barely ever met her." Addison pointed out.
"She's Meredith's little sister, and I've told her whatever she wanted to know."
"She's a kid."
"She's 24. You fight for the people you love and the things that are important."
"Dr Sloan, there you are." An intern skidded to a stop.
"What is it one?"
"One?" Addison questioned.
"Yang numbered her interns." He explained briefly.
"Dr Karev needs you; there is a problem with the CT."
"He got stuck; I told him Mr Myers was too big to fit in the machine. We'll catch up later."
Lexie was sat alone in the observation room watching as Mark operated below.
"He's good." Addison commented. "Skin graft?"
"On a 14 year old you put a lit firecracker in the pocket." Lexie confirmed.
"I didn't get a chance to say congratulations earlier."
"Thanks."
"Do you know if it's a boy or girl?"
"A girl." Lexie rested her hand on her stomach. "What?" She asked when Addison smirked.
"I'm just imaging Mark trying to keep her away from guys like him for the next 30 years."
"He muttered something about a tower when we found out."
"Can I ask you something Lexie?" Addison sat down. She continued when Lexie nodded. "Why is it you have a problem with me? You're friends with Torres and Mark was sleeping with her, he made passes at Yang and Meredith not to mention whoever else."
Lexie hesitated before she answered.
"He loved you, he packed up his whole life and followed you across the country and ignoring the whole Meredith and Derek situation you broke his heart and for that I have to hate you."
Addison was a little surprised at her honesty.
"I suppose I can understand that, but you have to know Lexie that Mark and I would never have worked out long term. He was there when my marriage was falling apart and we tried to make it work because we thought we should but we both knew it wouldn't work. His way off telling me was sleeping with someone else. One thing you have to understand about Mark is that Derek and his family were the only stability in his childhood."
"I know about his childhood and his lousy excuse for parents, Carolyn told me all about it."
"Derek's mother?" Addison questioned.
"She came to visit a month ago. Kathleen keeps e-mailing Meredith and I pictures."
"Kathleen? She always hated me and I was married to Derek for 18 months before they started sharing stories. They must like you."
"She flew out at Mark's request. She's great."
"You know Mark loves you. He lights up when he talks about you and the baby."
"I know he loves me." Lexie rubbed her stomach.
"Then what is the problem?"
"I'm more like Meredith than we thought, I'm screwed up and don't trust relationships."
"Lexie, let me give you someone advice as someone who has screwed up her fair share of relationships, you're 24..."
"25." Lexie corrected. "I turned 25 last week."
"Does Mark know that?" Addison asked.
"No, it was the day of the intern exams. I'd been studying all week so I barely saw him and by the time I was done he and Derek were in the middle of 14 hour reconstructive surgery. Since I couldn't go and get drunk to celebrate Meredith and I went home had pizza and an ice-cream cake."
"You live with Meredith?"
"In her attic." She confirmed.
"And Mark still lives in the hotel." Addison guessed, Lexie nodded. "What I was trying to say was you are 25 don't make any decision you and your daughter are going to regret for the rest of your lives. There are only so many times you can show someone the door before you force them to walk out of it."
Lexie's pager went off.
"Excuse me. I have to get back to work."
Mark found Addison in the doctors' lounge.
"The coffee is hot."
"I thought you weren't going to talk to her." He poured some coffee.
"I was in the same room it seemed impolite not to congratulate her. But you should be more concerned that you're an idiot than with me talking to her."
"Why am I an idiot?"
"You can't raise a baby in a hotel room Mark, or Meredith Grey's attic."
"I'm working on it." Mark stated.
"I'm serious."
"So am I."
"Work faster and you are an idiot." She stated.
"I thought we covered that."
"She's 25 not 24, it was her birthday last week."
"What?" Mark looked sceptical.
"The day of the intern exams. She had to celebrate by having pizza with Meredith. You should probably come up with a way of making it up to her."
Mark's pager went off.
"The pit." He downed the rest of his coffee. "Thanks for the heads up."
Lexie knew who was behind her even before he whispered in her ear.
"You should have told me it was your birthday last week."
"It wasn't important." She turned around to face him.
"I'm taking you out to a late dinner to celebrate while I figure out your gift."
"I don't need anything other than bigger scrub pants and I can't do dinner I'm here on call tonight. If you want to celebrate we should wait until tomorrow to see if there is anything we should celebrate."
"Tomorrow?" He questioned.
"The intern exam results come out tomorrow,"
"You passed." He insisted.
"I hope so because I can't afford to have to redo my internship. I'm going to miss enough time as it is on maternity leave." She paused before speaking to her stomach. "Seriously?" Mark looked at her. "Your daughter likes to wriggle." She put his hand on her stomach so he could feel, he smiled smugly. "Get rid of that look what I did look, it's not cute or charming it's just annoying and now I have to pee and I'm supposed be scrubbing into an appendectomy in 10 minutes. I'll see you tomorrow." She gave him a quick kiss before running off to the bathroom.
The following day Lexie was leaning against a wall waiting.
"Lexie?" Meredith found her. "Did you pass?" Lexie held up a sealed white envelope. "You didn't open it."
"I can't."
"Do you want me to open it?" Meredith offered.
"I'm going to make Mark open it when he's done with the MRI."
"Do you want me to wait with you?"
"No, he won't be long."
"Hi." Mark said he left the MRI suite five minutes later. "So?"
"I need you to open it." She held out the envelope to him.
"Are you sure?" He asked. Lexie nodded and closed her and listened to tearing of the envelope. "Congratulations Dr Grey, you are no longer an intern."
"I passed?" Lexie opened her eyes.
"You passed." He confirmed. Lexie flung her arms around his neck and kissed him intensely, Mark had to put his hands on her hips to steady her.
"Get a damn room people. Preferably after you've finished work." Bailey walked down the hallway.
"I passed Dr Bailey." Lexie said jumping backwards and blushing.
"Of course you damn well passed. Get back to the clinic where you are supposed to be." She continued walking muttering. "At least we're running out of attending for interns to sleep with."
"I don't think she's getting any." Mark whispered in her ear. Lexie buried her face in his chest so as not to laugh.
"I'm ok now." Lexie let out a breath. "I should get back to work."
"I'm taking you out tonight to celebrate."
"I finish at 4 today."
"I should be done by 7 so I'll pick you up at 7.30, we'll go somewhere fancy."
"Mark, I'll have been here 36 hours when I'm done can we just go somewhere simple that doesn't make my brain ache trying to read the menu?"
Mark thought for a moment.
"Wear something warm and bring a jacket." He kissed her. "I'm proud of you, but I have to get back to work."
"Me too. I'll see you at 7.30."
"You look nice." Meredith commented when Lexie came down the stairs at 7.25.
"Mark is taking me out to dinner to celebrate."
"Are you going anywhere nice?"
"I don't know. I told him not to pick anywhere too fancy, I don't have any appropriate clothes that fit and I only bought practical maternity clothes since I spend most of my life in scrubs." Lexie explained.
"Hi." Mark let himself in. "You look great." He gave Lexie a kiss hello. "Ready to go?"
"Let me just grab my jacket and purse."
"Grey." Mark said when he saw Meredith watching him.
"Have her home by curfew it's a school night." Meredith warned.
"Yes Mom." He teased. Meredith tossed a cushion at him which he caught.
"I'm not going to ask." Lexie shook her head. "Bye Meredith."
"So where are we going?" Lexie asked as Mark drove.
"You'll figure it out."
They drove for another five minutes before Lexie recognised the route.
"This is the way to Derek's land."
"A picnic doesn't involve reading a menu. It's a pretty decent view even in the dark and there are plenty of candles left over from Meredith's house building efforts." Mark explained.
"That is incredibly sweet and thoughtful."
"Since I haven't had time to get you an actual gift." He reached into the backseat and handed her a gift box. Lexie opened it and smiled.
"Maternity scrubs. Thank you."
A while later things were starting to get hot and heavy.
"Mark wait," Lexie put a hand on his chest. "I can't."
Mark groaned and rolled onto his back.
"I didn't mean it like that." She whispered. Mark looked at her but she continued before he could ask the question. "I didn't mean I can't have sex with you. I meant even if I was the type of girl who had sex outside, which I'm not, I'm five months pregnant I need a bed."
"Derek gave me the keys to the trailer in case you needed to use the bathroom."
"A man with a plan." Lexie smiled. Mark kissed her again before scooping her up in his arms. "You're going to throw your back out."
It was almost midnight when Lexie sat up and started to search for her discarded clothes.
"What are you doing?" Mark asked.
"We left the candles still lit. If this place burns down Derek will kill us."
"Relax, get back in bed and I'll take care of it"
When he got back five minutes later he found Lexie on the phone.
"No, I'm not coming home... I'll tell him... See you at the hospital." She hung up.
"Who was that?"
"Meredith. She said to tell you that you missed curfew." Lexie yawned. "Sorry."
"We should get some sleep." He climbed in and settled her down against him.
"Tell her that." She put his hand on her stomach where the baby was moving.
By 4 am Lexie was up and dressed.
"Mark." Lexie shook his foot. "I need you to drive me to work."
He mumbled.
"Then I'm going to take your car, you'll have to call someone to come and get you."
"The clutch sticks." He muttered into the pillow.
"You're really going to make me drive alone in the dark back from a place I've only ever been to once before in the middle of the night in a car I've never driven? Ok." She picked up his keys.
"Give me a minute to get dressed."
"Thank you."
Addison was walking talking to Callie when she stopped.
"Why is Mark asleep in a waiting room chair?"
"Because I made him get up at 4 to drive me to work and the on call rooms were occupied." Lexie answered from them. "I supposed to wake him up now."
"Hang on a minute." Addison pulled her cell phone out her pocket and took a couple pictures while Callie asked a nurse to page her as she walked over and held it close to Mark's ear.
"What the...." He awoke with a start and saw the three women in front of him. "I didn't wake up in the middle of a Dickensian nightmare did I?"
"No you didn't turn into Scrooge while you were asleep." Lexie got the reference and handed him a coffee cup. "But this your eight am wake up call. A Cappuccino with a double shot as requested and I'm supposed to remind you that you're holding a staff meeting at 8.30."
"You're holding a staff meeting?" Addison questioned.
"I'm the head of the department I have staff so I have meetings,"
"He has an office with a couch too." Callie pointed out.
"I was also supposed to tell you not to let it run too long as you have surgery at 9.30." Lexie added.
"Is that your way of saying you want in?" He rubbed a hand over face.
"No I've been banished to Peds since I was late because you couldn't decide what you wanted at the drive-thru."
"You weren't banished. Arizona requested you." Callie told her. "She has a three year old with brittle bones who broke both his legs and three ribs which punctured his lung. She needs to keep him still so he doesn't do any more damage; he screams and tries to get up if he is left alone. His father is somewhere in the middle of the Pacific with the Navy and his mother went into labour a few hours ago she needs someone to sit with him and make sure he's ok. She thinks you're good with kids."
"I should probably go." Lexie blushed. "If you're around in 36 hours when my shift ends I'll need a ride home."
"You should take it easy." Addison told her.
"Getting twelve hours off is taking it easy."
"He has spies all over the hospital keeping an eye on her." Callie told Addison when Lexie was gone. "He might not understand it works the other way as well and they tell her everything too."
"Did you want something or are you just here to annoy me?" Mark inquired.
"I need you to help me rebuild a guy."
"This isn't going to end in tears like the titanium guy is it?" Mark asked.
"No, he has a broken pelvis and shattered his femurs. I need to operate but he won't let me if it going to leave a scar so he can still wear a Speedo. He has giant beer belly, so it's better for the world if he doesn't."
"Give me ten minutes to take a shower and change. And what about you?" He looked at Addison.
"I was just taking pictures of you drooling to send to everyone you know." Addison smiled.
"You should get him to tell you about the secret house he's buying Lexie." Callie suggested.
"You're buying a house?" Addison questioned.
"He thinks it will convince her he's staying in Seattle."
"Why do I tell you anything?" Mark looked at Callie.
"Because I'm your person and Shepherd was busy and you needed a second opinion. Ten minutes." Callie walked away.
"You don't think she'd want to pick her own house?" Addison asked.
"She doesn't have time I'll show her when I find the perfect one,"
"Do it before she's born."
"I thought you were leaving." Mark recalled getting up.
"My patient had a slight complication I'll be here for a few more days."
Ten hours and two surgeries later Mark stood at the nurses' station in the paediatric surgery department watching as Lexie held the little boy's hand and read him a story.
"She's been doing that all day." Arizona came up to stand next to him. "She's good with kids."
"She's good with knowing what patients need to hear." Mark paused. "Did his mother have the baby yet?"
"Not yet."
"That doesn't look good." Mark said as Lexie stood up rubbing her finger down the boy's cheek before pulling back the covers and pulling up shirt examining his stomach. Arizona was already through the door.
"His abdomen is rigid and distended. That wasn't there an hour ago." Lexie pointed out the mark that was growing.
"He's bleeding out." Arizona concluded before yelling. "Helen, I need an OR now and 8 unit of B Positive." She turned back to Lexie. "You need to get his mother to sign a consent form."
"Mrs Thompson." Lexie walked into her room grateful she wasn't in the middle of a contraction. "I know this a bad time but I'm Dr Grey."
"Ben?"
"We need to take him back into surgery. We think that one of his broken ribs may have nicked something other than his lung." Lexie explained.
"I need to see him." Mrs Thompson started to get out of bed.
"Mrs Thompson, I know this is scary but right now the best thing you can do for Ben is to stay here and concentrate on having this baby and letting us take care of him. Dr Robbins is one of the best surgeons in this hospital."
"He's my baby."
"I know. But we'll take care of him and when we're done you can introduce him to his little brother or sister." Lexie squeezed her hand.
"You'll be there?"
"Every step of the way. I'll come and tell you how it went as soon as we are done."
"Ok." She conceded.
"I need you to sign this consent form."
"Look after him."
"Good luck with the baby."
Mark was waiting for Lexie when she got out of surgery.
"She had a boy about twenty minutes ago,"
"I need to go and tell her Ben made it through surgery." She started walking.
"You need to eat." He corrected keeping pace,
"Later."
"Or now." He handed her a sandwich.
"Thanks." She had eaten most of it by the time the elevator arrived. "You're going to be there when I go into labour right?" She asked as they rode to the floor OB was on.
"I keep telling you I'm not going anywhere."
"Good because I don't think I could get through it by myself."
"You don't have to get through any of it by yourself." Mark reached over and stopped the elevator before kissing her until she was breathless.
"What was that for?" She asked when she could speak again.
"You looked like you needed it." He started the elevator again.
"Wait here." Lexie said when they were outside the room. "Mrs Thompson,"
"Ben?" She looked up to see Lexie while holding her baby.
"He's ok. A small fragment of bone from his rib lacerated his diaphragm damaged his spleen which we had to remove. But he's a fighter; he should make a full recovery."
"Thank you. Can I see him?"
"In about an hour when he's out of recovery and settled in the PICU, I'll come and get you." Lexie told her.
"Thank you."
"He's beautiful." Lexie commented looking at the baby, "Did you pick a name yet?"
"Liam after my husband's father." Mrs Thompson started to cry. "Sorry."
"It's ok; you've had an emotionally draining couple of days."
"I just wish Benjamin was here."
"Someone said he was in the Navy." Lexie recalled.
"A Lt Commander. He's a Naval Aviator on the George Washington. He was supposed to be home a month ago but his deployment got extended."
"Is there anyone else I can call for you? A friend or family member?" Lexie offered.
"We're both only children and we only moved here from San Diego six weeks ago after Ben's doctor referred him to a study they are doing into his disease."
"I'll come and get you can see him." Lexie squeezed her hand.
"Dr Grey." Mrs Thompson stopped her. "When it's time get the drugs, whatever they say about natural childbirth it hurts."
"Thanks."
"How is she doing?" Mark asked when she left the room.
"As well as can be expect. But I could do with a hug."
"You've had a tough day." He pulled her into his arms. "I'm here for whatever you need." He kissed her forehead.
"Need." Lexie mumbled. "Who is still here?"
"What?" He was thrown by her question.
"Who is still here?" She repeated.
"Derek is finishing up his surgery and should be done in about hour, Torres is waiting for Robbins, Yang and Meredith are around somewhere."
"What about Dr Hunt?"
"He's on call tonight so he's probably in the pit."
"I need to talk to him I'll see you tomorrow." She took off leaving Mark standing there. Lexie found Owen filling out a chart. "Dr Hunt."
"Dr Grey." He looked at her.
"I know it's late and this is going to sound like a strange question but you were in the Army right?"
"Yes?" He wasn't sure where she was going with the question.
"You don't happen to know anyone high up in the Navy do you?"
"Why do you want to know?"
Lexie filled him in.
"I know a guy; give me a few minutes to make a couple calls." He returned ten minutes later with a piece of paper with a name and number on it. "That's the name of the person who is currently on duty at the Pentagon who might be able to help but you have to realise it's 2 am there and they might not be able to help."
"It can't hurt to ask. Thank you."
It took several calls and faxes, plenty of time on hold and a mad dash to borrow Derek's laptop before Lexie made her way back to Mrs Thompson's room.
"Is it time to go and see Ben?"
"In a few minutes, but there is someone who wants to talk to you first." Lexie opened the laptop and hit a button a man appeared on the screen.
"Hey Sarah."
"Benjamin?" She looked at the screen then at Lexie.
"I'll leave you to catch up." Lexie smiled.
"Stay."
They talked Mrs Thompson introduced her husband to their newborn son and she had Lexie explain about Ben's condition.
"Honey, I have to go my ten minutes is almost up. The Captain put in for emergency leave for me so hopefully I'll be home in a few days. I love you and the boys."
"We love you too." She wiped away a tear as the screen went black.
"I'll get a nurse to come and take Liam to the nursery and I'll get a wheelchair to take you down to see Ben." Lexie said closing the laptop.
"I don't know how you managed that but thank you."
"I'll be right back Mrs Thompson,"
"Sarah." She corrected.
"I'm Lexie."
Lexie was making notations on Ben's chart watching as Sarah spoke softly to her son.
"I heard what you did." Arizona stopped beside her.
"I was just trying to get a message to him to call her. The Navy did the rest, but I think it's what she needed. Someone she loves to tell her everything will be ok."
"That's whatever one needs." Arizona agreed. "Part of being a good doctor is realising that sometimes it's not just your patient you need to take care of but their families too. You figured out what she needed and helped her. I'm proud of you." Lexie blushed. "It's late so I'm going home and you should try to get some sleep, the on call room is free and Lawton is around."
"I'm going to wait to see if she needs anything."
"Then get some sleep. Doctor's orders."
"Ok." Lexie agreed.
When Arizona came in the next morning and went to check on Ben only to find Lexie asleep in the chair next to his bed.
"Has she been here all night?" She asked the nurse.
"His heart rate was fluctuating wildly after his mother left. It calmed down as soon as soon as she sat with him."
"Find out if Mark Sloan is here and tell him I said he should come and buy her breakfast." Arizona requested. "And let Dr Yang know I'm keeping her on my service today."
TBC
