Chapter 10

The next morning Callie did her normal thing. She wouldn't let Mark Sloan get the best of her. She was gonna hold her head up high and not let it get to her. Even though she was stronger than before, it still hurt. It still hurt to know that Mark had come to L.A. begging for her love, but in Seattle, he still had Lexie. Lexie. How had Callie let herself to think that she could compete with another Grey. She had competed with Meredith for George's heart, and she wasn't going to do it again. She was not going to be some man's last resort.

Callie got ready, looking stunning as ever, she headed downstairs to get some breakfast when she noticed something was off. She looked around the house and noticed that Addison hadn't come home last night. Callie curiousness got the best of her and she reached for the phone and quickly dialed Addie's number. Voicemail. Instead of getting worked up over something that was probably nothing, Callie shrugged her shoulders and headed for the kitchen. After a quick breakfast, she grabbed her purse and her car keys and made her way out the front door. She stopped dead in her tracks when she what was outside her door. There lying there on her front porch was Mark Sloan.

Dumbass

Callie stood there with a irritated look on her face, she crossed her arms over her chest and let out loud exaggerated sigh. She couldn't believe that this jerk off had stayed on her porch all night. When she noticed that he hadn't moved since she opened the door, she leaned down to him and jumped when he groaned. At least he was alive. Dropping her shoulders, she started to shake her head when she heard his phone go off. It was laying beside him, she picked it up so that he wouldn't wake and start begging for forgiveness. She could not handle that right now. Callie silenced the phone and looked at the Caller I.D. Lexie.

Callie groaned and flipped his phone open, "Hello?"

"Callie?" Callie shook her head, Lexie really was dense sometimes.

"Yeah its me"

"Have you seen Mark?"

"Yep, he's here on my porch, come and pick him up before I call the cops" Without letting Lexie reply Callie snapped the phone shut. Callie tossed the phone onto his lap and slammed the door causing him to wake with a start.

She was halfway in her car when he finally realized where he was and started to chase after her. Callie pulled her car out of the driveway and sped off leaving him there with his head hanging low.

Oceanside Wellness Center

Callie walked into the practice and greeted people with a smile as she walked in. Instead of going to check on her patients she headed toward Addison's office. Reluctantly, Addison was there sitting at her desk. Callie sighed in relief and softly knocked on the door. Addison looked up from her paperwork and smiled up at her best friend,

"Hey! I feel like I haven't seen you in forever, how are you feeling?" Callie smiled and shrugged as she took a seat on the couch in Addison's office. Being Callie Torres' best friend that you always knew when something was bothering her, you could see it in her eyes. Addison immediately saw the pain her best friend's eyes and pushed out her chair and walked over to the couch sitting down next to her.

Feeling the relief of her friend, Callie finally let the tears that were building free. Wordlessly, Addison pulled her into her arms and embraced her.

Once her tears had subsided Callie looked up at Addison and smiled through her tears.

Addison smoothed back Callie's bangs and said, "You wanna tell me what's going on now?" Callie nodded and began to tell her story. She told Addison about making up with Mark, the sex on the beach, Lexie showing up at her door, and her finding out that he was still with Lexie. She ended her story with an exasperating tone as she told her how he had camped out on her porch all night.

"I mean, how could he just come here and play me like a fool?" Addison smiled meekly,

"I really don't know what to tell you sweetie, I don't think he wanted to hurt you"

Callie gave out a bitter chuckle, "But he always finds a way to hurt me nowadays."

" I can see how much he loves you Callie, he always has, when we were back in Seattle, I could see it in his eyes, but I also saw it in yours. You have to figure out if you want to be with him, or if you want to be without him. Either way, it's gonna hurt Cal, but the difference between being with him and being without him is that if you're with him, the times when he hurts you, you are going to know that he still loves you, and that he'll always come back. If you are without him, you might never get to experience what good could be from being with him, but you might also find something in someone else. What I'm trying to tell you, sweetie, is that it depends on how much you love him, and if you are willing to be with him through the good times, and bad."

Callie could only nod, she knew that she had a decision to make, and that it was not going to be an easy one. She looked at Addison and smiled,

"Thank you Addie, for everything" Addison smiled and pulled the younger woman into another hug.

"I know you'd do it for me"

Back at Callie's and Addison's house, Mark Sloan still stood in the same spot he had been in when Callie drove away. He had always had a skill at driving the people he loved away. When he heard a car pulling into the driveway Mark looked up hopefully, but cursed under his breath when he recognized who it was.

Lexie shut off the car and walked up to him, "What are you doing here Mark? I woke up this morning and you were gone." Mark nodded before replying,

" I just, I had to talk to Callie"

"But why? Why couldn't you have waited till a decent hour to talk to her?" Mark shrugged and dropped his gaze to the ground.

"I don't know Lexie, I knew that I wasn't going to be able to sleep without talking to her"

"Why is it so important? We said we were going to work things out! We can't do that Mark if only one of us is willing to try." Mark returned his gaze to her and looked right into her eyes.

"That's just it Lexie, I don't want to try and make things work" Lexie stood there with a shocked looked on her face, when the words finally sunk in, she reached forward and slapped him across his face.

Mark moved his hand to his cheek as he watched her stalk back to her rent-a-car. She was about to get in when she stopped,

"I called you this morning, that's how I'd know you'd be here, Callie answered, she said to pick you up before she called the cops. If I were you Mark, I would get the hell out of her way before she comes home, because I am not bailing your ass out of jail" And with that, she climbed into her car, started it up, and sped out of sight.

Mark shook his head at her last comment, he didn't care anymore, he would gladly be arrested if that meant he could get a chance to explain things to Callie. He walked back to her porch and sat down on the swing. He sat there and waited, he waited for her to come home, he sat there and waited for his chance at life.