Chapter 4:

Author's Note: This chapter picks up right where the last one left off. Thank you to all who reviewed. I hope you like the chapter; please continue to review!

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"You know what this means, don't you?" Lexie whispers, staring down at the diamond ring on her left hand.

Mark looks over at her, raising his eyebrows at his new fiancée. "Hm?"

"You're going to have to have dinner with my dad again," Lexie warns him, finally lifting her eyes to meet his. "And you'll have to meet Molly."

Mark nods thoughtfully, processing this. "Your dad I can handle. Does Molly know about us?"

"She knows about you. She knows we're serious. Not this serious, of course. But I…" Lexie looks down for a second, swallowing. "I didn't tell her—or my dad, for that matter—about…about Michael."

Mark nods; he'd expected this. The first hurdle to tackle back in those early days had always been to tell Meredith and Derek—tell them, tell them, tell them—that it had started to seem like they were the only ones who needed to know. They were the most important, Mark and Lexie figured, since they both saw Meredith and Derek literally everyday. …Somehow her immediate family had come in second. Looking back, Mark's incredibly glad their priorities were so out of whack at the time. Having to go to Molly and Thatcher days or a week later to explain what had happened after they'd lost him would have ruined Lexie, he's sure of it. But, he realizes sadly a second later, breaking the news now probably won't be any easier.

"We'll have to tell them," he says eventually.
Lexie nods slowly in agreement. "I know."

He seeks out her eyes when he hears her melancholy voice. "Hey," he murmurs, giving her an encouraging smile and placing his hand atop hers. "It'll be okay. They'll understand."

"I know," Lexie replies softly. "It's just… getting married, this is our chance to move on, you know? …And the first thing we're doing is telling my family that about the miscarriage," she finishes sadly.

"We have to tell them sometime, Lex. The way I see it, it's better to get it over with at the start and avoid all the uncomfortable conversations that are sure to follow when we tell them we're engaged."

Though she knows he's talking seriously about the idea that her sister or father could bring up the topic of pregnancy, Lexie still cracks a smile at his words. "'Uncomfortable conversations?'" She quotes, amused. "Don't tell me you're going to start harping about our age difference again."

Mark shakes his head; she can see a smile peeking out from between lips. "I've moved past that."

"About time," Lexie notes.

"Shut up," he mutters, nudging her lightly. "You can't tell me it wasn't a valid concern at the time."

"Yes, I can," Lexie replies. "My dad would never have taken notice of something like your age in relation to mine or his. And even if he did, I doubt he would have commented about it to your face. And even if he did comment," Lexie continues, "I don't think anything he would have said to me would have cause me to rethink our relationship."

"And your sister?"

Lexie smiles, getting to her feet. "Molly's another story," she replies, pulling him up by their joined hands. "But I'm certain she'll like you just as much as Dad does, especially after she finds out we're spending the rest of our lives together." She smiles. "She won't have any other choice except to love you like I do."

Mark can't help but grin at her words; he smiles happily down at her while stepping closer. "What?" She wonders, looking up at him and taking in the unabashed happiness on his face.

"It's just nice, is all," he replies quietly, bending down to touch his lips to hers, "to hear you throw around phrases like, 'we're spending the rest of our lives together,' and know that it's actually going to happen."

"Of course it's going to happen." Lexie smiles back, leaning forward to press her lips more firmly against his. "And it is nice, isn't it?"

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"Okay," Lexie begins, taking stock of the situation at hand as they all sit down in the living room a few weeks later. "Now that everyone's been introduced… Dad, Molly…" She pauses to look at each family member in turn, unable to hide the smile on her face. "Mark and I…" She looks over, finding his eyes immediately and pleased to see that he's smiling back. She can barely manage to tear her gaze from his when she says the words. "We're getting married."

Molly Grey is the first to break the silence, jumping to her feet only seconds after she'd sat down. Her face breaks out in a wide smile. "That's amazing, Lexie!"

Lexie can't help but laugh in relief, feeling herself being pulled to her feet and into a welcome hug by her younger sister. "I was wondering when you'd finally get around to it," she mutters happily into her sister's ear. Lexie just smiles in reply, squeezing her sister's hand in hers when the pull apart. As Molly scrambles a moment later to inspect her sister's ring, Lexie glances over to the men in the room—and her eyes almost pop out of their sockets at the sight of her father and fiancé hugging. Thatcher's back is to her, so she can't see his expression, but from the look on Mark's face, it's clear that her father was the one to start it. And apparently he doesn't know his own strength. She bites back laughter when she sees her fiancé mouth 'Help me' weakly. When his eyes narrow at her amusement a second later, she can't hold back the giggles. Molly looks up at the sound, finally letting go of Lexie's left hand.

"Ah," she murmurs knowingly, catching sight of her father and soon-to-be brother-in-law just before they step away, "Dad did the same thing with Eric." Molly grins, leaning in to whisper in her sister's ear. "You think he thought we'd end up spinsters with how happily he greets our fiancés."

Lexie smiles, murmuring to her sister, "I think he's a little too free with his affection for Mark's taste."

Molly chuckles, eyeing her soon-to-be-brother-in-law as he attempts to put the coffee table between himself and his fiancée's father to discourage further interaction. "Poor guy looks like he's on death's door."

"I suppose I should revive him, then," she replies, stepping forward. "Time for lunch?" She calls to the group, leading everyone to the kitchen. Mark's by her side in an instant; his hand grips her upper arm worriedly.

"Don't you ever leave the room the same time as Molly," he mutters in her ear in a low undertone. "I'll never forgive you if you leave me alone with your father. Never," he hisses before stepping away and taking his seat as Molly and Thatcher file in behind them. Lexie purposely directs her sister to the other side of the table, relieving Mark of having to sit side-by-side Thatcher. Thank me later, she mouths across the table to her fiancé, passing him a bowl of string beans.

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"Well, Lexie," Thatcher begins with a smile an hour or so later, leaning back in his chair after the meal is finished. "That was amazing. I had no idea you could cook so well."

Lexie smiles, taking a sip of her water and glancing down at her empty plate. "Well, truth be told, it wasn't all my doing. Mark helped with the fish."

Thatcher turns his head to his soon-to-be son-in-law, raising his eyebrows expectantly. "Ah, really? You like to cook, do you?"

Lexie bites her tongue, trying not to laugh when Mark's blue eyes seek out hers in desperation. Why? They beg, imploring her not to call the attention of her father.

"Uh, yeah," he replies a moment later, reluctantly meeting Thatcher Grey's interested gaze. "When we're not on-call, it's nice to be able to have real meals at home. Fish is pretty easy."

Molly glances to her sister, stepping in to shift the focus. "Lexie," she calls, turning to her sister, "would you like us to help you clear the table?"

"I'll help," Mark volunteers immediately, jumping to his feet and grabbing as many dishes as he can carry before Lexie can even manage a response. Thatcher and Lexie take their own, following him into the kitchen.

"You know," Thatcher murmurs into his daughter's ear on the way, "I think you've found a good one here. He cooks, he cleans, he's got a steady job…"

"And he loves me, too," Lexie adds with a half-glare at her father, "if the emotional side of things was important to you."

"Of course it's important to me," Thatcher replies with a smile. "I'm just telling you, Lexie: I like the guy."

"I thought we established that at dinner last year."

"That was then, this is now." They both reach the sink, setting down their dishes. Thatcher pauses, catching his daughter's eye. "And Lexie, I like what I've seen so far. He seems like a great guy." His kind smile turns amused a second later. "And we both know that if you find a man who can put up with you for more than six consecutive months straight, he's a keeper."

"Dad!" Lexie protests, her eyes widening in shock and embarrassment.

"He's right, you know," Molly adds, setting her dishes on the counter as well. "How long did the last boyfriend last? Three weeks?"

"Molly!" Lexie glares at her sister, her dark eyes questioning. Whose side are you on, anyway?

"Kidding, Lex," she smiles a second later. She takes her sister hand, leading them back to the living room. "Come on, sit down and have a nice afternoon with your family." She grins over her shoulder. "We can discuss wedding plans!"

Lexie follows along behind her younger sister, yet again feeling that hidden, elusive smile sprout on her face without warning. One of her hands comes up to touch her cheek, as if to check that the expression really was there. When her eyes focus again, she catches Mark's eye just as they're taking their seats in the living room. He's smiling back, and for the first time in a long time, she sees true happiness in his warmed blue eyes.

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"Oh, jeez," Molly notes a couple hours later, glancing down at her watch, "Lex, it's almost five!" She casts an apologetic look at the couple on the couch across from her. "I'm sorry! We've been taking up all your time—"

"Don't worry about it," Lexie cuts in immediately, waving her sister's worries away. "You haven't been taking up any of my time. Actually, it's been really great to see you so much." She smiles again now, and the gesture doesn't feel as foreign as it did earlier in the day. She gets to her feet as her sister does; Mark and Thatcher follow suit. "I feel like I haven't seen you and Dad in forever, so this afternoon was really nice."

"Well," Molly smiles, heading for the door, "you'll be seeing a lot more of me once we get all these wedding preparations under way."

Lexie can't help but grin, remembering how her sister had gushed over potential dress, cake, and location ideas over the past two hours… And how Lexie had been just as excited as her sister at the prospect. "Sounds like a plan," she agrees happily.

"I'm holding you to it, Grey," Molly calls, hefting her purse on her shoulder and reaching for the door. She has half a foot out of it when Thatcher Grey's uncertain voice stops them all in their tracks.

"On the phone…" He reaches up, scratching his head and trying to remember. "Lexie, you said there was something else you wanted to tell us, didn't you?"

Lexie feels her throat run dry. She hadn't even thought of it. Of him. In four consecutive hours, she had not spared one thought for the baby she'd lost. In some dark corner of her mind, a voice wonders if that's a record. The inquiry gets stamped out quickly as the memories start to flood in.

She can feel Mark's eyes on her face, see her father's confused expression, and sense her sister's curiosity. "I…" She swallows thickly, but the lump rising in her throat only becomes more entrenched, blocking her voice. She can barely speak.

Lexie takes a breath, marshaling her thoughts. She can feel Mark's steady, worried gaze trained on her face. He's waiting just like they're waiting, on edge and desperate to know what she's going to say. Dad, Molly, something happened a few months ago… "No!" The word escapes her in a burst of sound; surprising the entire party and causing several of them, including Lexie, to jump in place. "It's—It's nothing," she covers a second later, rushing to say the words as her throat constricts. "Nothing."

"You're… sure?" Molly wonders, obviously skeptical as she clings to the doorway. "When you mentioned it on the phone, you sounded like it was something serious—"

"It's nothing," Lexie interrupts. She forces a smile at both her family members before turning to her fiancé. She takes his hand, and its then that he can feel the terror in her grip. If he didn't already know what she was feeling, this would have sealed any curious thoughts. "Right, honey?" She turns her head to his; all he can see is the fakeness of her smile. "It's nothing, isn't it?"

The two seconds it takes for Mark to answer feel more like two years to Lexie. He stumbles through his agreement, eyeing her the whole time, but neither Molly nor Thatcher seems to notice that something's amiss. Molly steps forward a second later and just like that—everyone's saying goodbyes. Molly's hugging Lexie and promising to call in a couple days, Thatcher is shaking Mark's limp hand firmly, and before either of them really know what's happened, Mark and Lexie are alone in their apartment again.

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It takes her two full minutes to find the breath, and then the words, to speak.

"I… I couldn't tell them," she whispers finally, as if her actions needed to be explained. Her voice floats over to him from the other side of her turned back as she faces the closed door. "I knew what would happened once I said it, and I—I couldn't listen to their apologies or—or see that pity on their faces. I just couldn't, Mark. Not from my family."

She turns towards him after she speaks, and he closes his eyes in sadness when he sees how red hers have become.

"M—Molly wouldn't understand," she whispers, her voice cracking. "She had trouble with Laura—but she never lost her. She barely came close. She doesn't know what it's like. And my Dad…" Lexie's voice is choked off in a weak moan. "Oh, god, I can't even think about telling him."

Mark takes in all her words in silence. Eventually, after a minute or two, he sighs softly, opening his eyes. "What I said before still holds true," he tells her quietly. His serious blue eyes find hers. "We need to tell them."

"Not toady," Lexie whispers in anguish. "Please, Mark, I—"

He shakes his head. "Not today," he agrees. He watches her deflate in relief. "But Lex…" He trails off, waiting until he has her full attention. It doesn't take long. When he does, he takes a step towards her. Without even thinking, she reaches out for him, grasping his hands in hers. "Before the wedding, okay?" He whispers. "I—" She watches him swallow roughly. "I can't go into this with you by lying to your family about something so important. I'm not saying I want to back out," he assures her immediately, "I'm not saying I want to postpone…" He takes a deep breath. "All I am saying," he whispers, "is that your family needs to know. They deserve to know." He swallows down all the unshed emotion. "He wasn't just our son," he whispers, his words sharp and breaking. "He was your sister's nephew and your—your dad's grandson."

Lexie sucks in a sharp breath; she'd never thought of it that way. She'd never imagined how others might perceive this loss. It was always so personal. "I know," she replies finally, grasping his words and the need behind them. "And you're right, he's—he's theirs too. They deserve to know. And they will. We'll tell them, we will."

"Before the wedding?" Mark presses.

Lexie bites her lower lip for a second before closing her eyes and nodding. "Before the wedding," she whispers. A second later he steps closer, dropping her hands and wrapping his arms around her back. Her fingers clutch him in a close embrace, and for the hundredth time since that dark day in April, she takes refuge in his embrace. He does the same in hers.

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Author's Note: Slow, rough going, I know. Please leave me a review!