Chapter 11:

Author's Note: Warning! As the movies say, this chapter contains a 'scene of sensuality.' It's not much, but then again, I'm not very good at them, so I didn't want to push my luck (or the rating). Enjoy!

. . .

6 AM.

. . .

"Mm," Lexie yawns, stretching contentedly. She blinks at the overhead light, looking to her right and left for Mark. He's nowhere to be seen. "Mark?" Lexie calls, unable to keep an edge of panic out of her voice at his disappearance. "Where are you?"

"Bathroom," he calls back.

Lexie smiles in relief and embarrassment at her quick-to-spark paranoia, wondering if she'd imagined the slight laugh in his voice when he'd answered her. She smiles again, shaking her head at herself before getting to her feet and walking around the bed. She finds him, just as expected, in the bathroom. He's setting down his razor on the white countertop when she walks in. Mark smiles lovingly at her as she steps behind him, wrapping her arms around his midsection and resting her head on his shoulder.

"Morning," Lexie smiles back. She leans over, pressing a kiss into his neck, and feeling genuinely happy for the first time in years.

"Good morning," Mark replies, meeting her eyes in the mirror. His clear blue pupils seem to dance within their confines, brighter than Lexie's ever seen them. "Did you have a nice night?"

"It was wonderful," Lexie smiles, pressing a kiss to his skin again. "Thank you."

"I'm glad," Mark replies, staring at her for a moment before turning around within her embrace to face her. "You're all right?" He asks softly, looking her up and down with careful precision. "I didn't hurt you too bad or—"

"Don't be absurd," Lexie interrupts. She flashes him a brilliant smile, standing on her tiptoes to stretch her legs and kiss his mouth. "I feel deliciously sore."

Mark frowns, pulling away and looking down her body. "I didn't want to hurt you."

"Did you not hear the word 'delicious?'" Lexie smiles. "That's a good thing."

"I wanted this to be perfect," he continues, frowning and ignoring her reassurances. "And I was too rough with you."

She shakes her head, looking him in the eye. "Not possible."

"Lexie," Mark warns, staring back at her. "I'm serious here."

"So am I. You couldn't be too rough with me, Mark."

"I saw the way you winced last night," Mark argues, annoyed at himself for jeopardizing her well being just because he was feeling horny. He sighs, a self-loathing expulsion of air. "And I'm sorry. I should have stopped when you offered—"

"No, you shouldn't have." Lexie cuts in, holding him close. "That needed to happen last night, for both of us, and I am immensely happy that it did." She gives him a small smile. "You remember when we were first together?" Mark nods. "I winced back then, too. It just takes some getting used to, especially if you haven't really...done it...in a while."

"A while?" Mark smirks. "Please, when was the last time you had sex?"

"A year," Lexie admits.

Mark's face blanks. "What?"

"I haven't really—"

"Avery hasn't gotten laid in a year?" Mark interrupts with a laugh. "Good god, it's a wonder he didn't divorce you!"

"Mark!"

"I'm sorry," he chuckles. "But really? You haven't slept with him in that long?"

"I..."

"What?" Mark smiles, his laughter dying down as he wraps his arms around her as well.

"I didn't want to be with anyone but you," Lexie replies softly.

Mark smiles at her words before tilting his head to the side in wonder. "But we… Lex, we haven't been together in years," Mark reminds her. "Not like that."

"No, I know. I just…" Lexie looks down. "I don't know. I always thought of you and I didn't want… I mean, I just couldn't…" She sighs, raising her eyes to meet his. "I just wanted you, is all."

Mark smiles down at her. "I love you too."

"Good to know," she replies, smiling up at him, their lips meeting effortlessly.

. . .

"I love you," he whispers, bringing their hips together in one fluid movement. Lexie sucks in a breath of air as he enters her, unable to hold back a small cry.

"Oh!" She flinches, shutting her eyes tight at the intrusion.

"Are you okay?" Mark asks worriedly, automatically freezing his movements within her. "Did I hurt you?"

Lexie shakes her head quickly, opening her eyes. "I'm fine. I just—need a moment. You're a lot bigger than..." Lexie trails off, feeling him stiffen further inside her. "Oh, stop being so cocky!" She calls, pushing on his shoulders with half-fake outrage. Mark grins at her outburst, feeling himself harden again at her words.

"What?" He bends down, trailing kisses along her neck as he speaks. "I can't help it, and it's your fault anyway. Just stop talking like that and I'll be flaccid in a second."

Lexie shuts up, but flexes her interior muscles, gripping him tightly, and Mark's body does just the opposite of his words.

"Oh, Jesus, Lex," he groans, burying his face into her neck as she squeezes him.

"What?" Lexie smiles sweetly, her laughter tickling his ear. "I can't help it," she mocks.

"You liar," Mark grins back, taking the cue from her jokes that she's accustomed to his size by now. He lifts his head, studying her as he moves. He pulls out slowly before thrusting back in.

"I'm not made of china, you know," Lexie complains at his overly gentle movements.

"You may not be made of china," Mark concedes, "but you're still breakable."

"I'm not that breakable," Lexie argues. "Come on, Mark," she encourages, reaching up to thread her fingers in his hair. She arches her back towards him, loving the feel of their bodies touching, chest to chest, hips to hips, and skin to skin everywhere else. "I'm ready. I love you. Make me yours, now."

Her final sentence comes out like a dare, as if she had expected him to back down. But Mark Sloan never was one to shy away from a challenge. He makes this clear as he withdraws before pushing back in, unable to hide a grin as moan after moan escapes her throat and a few take flight from his as well.

. . .

"If I hurt you..." He trails off as they break apart a few seconds later, closing his eyes.

"This again?" Lexie asks with a groan. "God, it's not like you broke my arm or something! I am fine. And, what? If you hurt me, you 'wouldn't be able to forgive yourself?'" She mocks knowingly. He glances over to her; his guilty gaze letting her know she guessed right. "Well, then," Lexie begins. "You should still be repenting from when we were together."

Mark's head snaps up. "What?"

"Oh, don't 'what' me," Lexie replies with a smile. "We both know you're the king of sex injuries."

"Yeah, okay, that," Mark replies, holding up a finger. "That was different," he finishes, remembering their glory days with a faint air of pride.

Lexie crosses her arms, amused. "Oh, I'm sure it was different."

"It was!" He argues with a smile.

"Now, how was it different?"

"For one, I knew I was never really hurting you."

"Just like you weren't last night," Lexie interjects.

"And two," Mark continues, ignoring her, "I knew that if I did cause you pain, you'd recover. This was ten years ago—you were twenty-four, for Christ's sake, there was nothing I could've done to you that would've really hurt."

"Just like last night didn't really hurt," Lexie replies. "So you see—wait a second. Did you just imply that I was old?"

Mark shrugs, struggling to hold back a grin. "I implied you were young...a decade ago," he adds, ducking away from her shove.

"Mark Sloan!" Lexie calls, outraged.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," he laughs, blocking her attacks.

"If I'm old, then what are you?" Lexie taunts. "Ancient?"

"Oh-ho," Mark laughs. "I see how it is, Little Grey," he growls, ducking down and hoisting her over his shoulder.

"MARK!" Lexie screeches, hitting his back with open palms. "What the hell!"

"You called me ancient," Mark replies over his shoulder as he carries her out of the room. "Insults of that sort are not to be tolerated. Plus, can an ancient person pick up a full grown woman like this?"

"Let me down!" Lexie calls, still hitting his back. "Put me down, you've made your point!"

"Okay," Mark replies easily, letting go of her and watching as she falls backwards onto the bed, half-screaming half-laughing. He grins, watching her plummet, but soon is joining her as she grabs onto the neckline of his shirt while dropping from his arms.

After she's pulled him down with her, Lexie twists them around until she's sitting on his lap, her legs spread out behind her, and his face a mere foot from hers.

"So," she begins, folding her hands over his bare torso, "sex injuries are practically crimes, but dropping your girlfriend right on the floor isn't anything to worry about? No big deal?"

"I dropped you on the bed, not the floor," Mark replies. "It was all carefully planned," he finishes before a half-hidden smile lights up his face. "Girlfriend?" He clarifies.

"Well," Lexie smiles back, knowing he'd catch onto the title, and moving forward so their faces are just inches apart. "I thought that since I won't be anybody's wife in a few month's time, I should be your girlfriend instead. You know, go back to the beginning and everything."

"You wanna go out with me?" Mark jokes.

"Why yes," Lexie replies seriously. "I do." She pauses, staring at him with amused eyes. "So what do you say?"

"I say yes," Mark replies automatically. "I'll be your boyfriend. Again," he adds.

"And I'll be your girlfriend again."

"I love you, Lex," Mark whispers, leaning forward to meet her lips.

"I love you too," Lexie replies, slightly breathless as their lips fuse together. "So much."

Mark kisses her back automatically for a minute before opening his eyes and separating their lips. "Wait," he tells her.

"What?" Lexie complains, leaning forward even though he's pulling away.

"Wait, I have a very important question."

"Is it really more important than what's happening right now?" Lexie whispers, her lips attached to his neck.

"Well, it might be, depending on your answer."

"Fine," she sighs, pulling away to look him in the eye. "What is it?"

"If we're starting from the beginning, does this mean I get a repeat?"

"A repeat of what?"

"Of you showing up at my door and stripping off all your clothes," Mark grins.

Lexie lets out a loud and annoyed groan in response, ducking her head against his chest. "That's never going to go away, is it? You'll never forget. You'll never stop talking about it."

"What can I say?" He smiles, leaning down to kiss her head. "It was pretty memorable."

"It was stupid, is what it was," Lexie grumbles into his chest. "There was a huge chance it could've backfired spectacularly."

"But it didn't. And it wasn't stupid, it was smart. Brilliant, even." He grins. "And I liked it."

"Yes, I am very much aware of how much you liked it, Mark," Lexie snaps, lifting her head up. He tilts his head, pouting at her. "Not happening," Lexie decrees, enunciating each word clearly. "Never happening. Not again."

"Oh, come on! What's there to lose this time? And you said go back to the beginning!"

"Yeah, and then what comes next? You want me to break your penis again?"

Mark's face goes white as a sheet, causing Lexie to giggle at him. "That is not funny," Mark warns her seriously when he can speak. "That is not a laughing matter. How would you feel if I…" He trails off, searching for an equivalent. "How would you feel if I broke your vagina?"

Lexie waves a hand. "Please. There's nothing you can break down there. And even if you did," Lexie replies, leaning towards him. "I wouldn't care because my entire sense of self-esteem is not centered on one single organ."

Mark smirks at her obvious annoyance. "I'm not the only one, you know."

"Yes, I know," Lexie replies, kissing along the length of his jaw. "Men are idiots."

"And women are…" Mark closes his eyes at the sensation, trying to think of an adequate comeback while her hands begin wandering across his body. "…rude," he finally settles on.

Lexie moves backwards, pushing down on his shoulders so he'll lie back in bed. "Took you a while with that one, huh?" She asks, settling her body above his. "Clever."

"Your lips happen to be very distracting," Mark mutters, looking up at her. Lexie grins down at him.

"Hm…" She bends down towards him as his hands hold her hips in place above him. "What else can I distract you with?"

. . .

"Tell me a secret."

Mark glances over at her through the darkness, amused. 'Really?' his eyes seem to ask.

"What?" Lexie smiles, catching his drift. "You don't have any?"

"Well, my biggest one is right here beside me…" He pauses, rolling his lips together as he debates whether or not he should tell her. He stretches his neck against the pillow behind him.

"I'll tell you one if you tell me one," she offers.

"Okay," Mark replies, turning his head to look at her. "Go."

"Well," Lexie replies, shifting her head on her own pillow to look him in the eye. "You're my secret, too, and…" Lexie smiles nervously, brushing some of her hair out of her face. "When I moved to Portland, I… I tried to find you a job at the hospital, at OHSU."

"What? Why? I have a job here."

"No, I know. I just… I missed you."

"Wait, you… You wanted me to come with?" Mark asks, grasping onto her words with astonishment. "Why?"

"I missed you," Lexie repeats, looking into his stunned eyes. "And I… I wanted you with me."

"I think that might've blown our cover," Mark replies softly.

Lexie smiles. "I know," she shakes her head. "It was stupid of me."

"No, I think it was sweet of you," Mark argues softly. "Though it wasn't very well thought-out, it was still…"

"Stupid," Lexie finishes with a sigh. "It was a dumb idea." She flourishes her hand. "Hence it being a secret."

"Well, were there any positions?"

"As the Oregon Health and Science University?" Lexie asks with a skeptically raised eyebrow. "Seriously?"

Mark grins. "It was nice of you to try." His eyes soften, glinting slightly in the dark room. "It's nice to know you were thinking of me, for however brief a time."

"B—Brief a time?" Lexie repeats incredulously. "Are you kidding me?"

"What?"

"Mark." Lexie says his name slowly, shaking her head at his assumption. She shifts towards him, looking him in the eye. "Mark, you were always on my mind. You were the only one who never left. I thought about you all the time."

"I…was?"

"Of course you were. I even… I kept seeing you, you know, those first few weeks. Everyone I saw kind of looked like you. I think I was literally going crazy trying to find you."

"I was right here," Mark reminds her softly. "I never left."

"I know," Lexie replies quietly. "But I… I was terrified you would. I thought you would…" She bites her lip, looking to the ceiling to avoid looking him in the eye. "I thought that when I left, you would finally cut your losses, find someone else and…and move on without me."

Mark opens his mouth assure her that would never happen, but she doesn't see him and doesn't stop speaking.

"And as fair as that would be, the idea—it—it terrified me, Mark. I worried like crazy each time I came back to Seattle because I couldn't stop thinking that I'd come back one year and you'd have a girlfriend or a fiancée or a wifeor…" She sucks in a breath, reaching up to wipe her face quickly. "Or that you would've fall in love with someone else and you'd—you'd leave me behind."

"Lexie, honey…"

"The thought of you moving on without me… It kept me awake every night. And I know," Lexie's voice hardens and Mark knows she's directing her anger and fear inward, "I know it would have been more than fair for you to move on. It would have been what you should have done. I know that. But I… I couldn't help myself from wanting just the opposite to happen." She finally returns her gaze to his, giving him a watery smile. "You have no idea how huge a relief it was to see you by yourself at Meredith's every time I came back. As awful as it seems, I wanted you all to myself."

"You have me all to yourself," Mark tells her softly.

"I know. And you have me all to yourself. I'm all yours and only yours," Lexie replies, being able to finally smile as she realizes the words are true. "Okay, your turn," she says a moment later. "Secret. Go."

Mark takes a breath, staring into her eyes before speaking. "You said you wished your baby was mine?" He asks softly. She nods, staring back at him. "I've wished for…years…that Sofia was yours. Since the day Callie told me she was pregnant, I—I've wished it you who had come to me. I wished it was you telling me you were having my baby."

"Oh, Mark," Lexie whispers, her eyes wide.

"Everything would have been so much simpler," he continues without meeting her eyes. "Even if you didn't want it, we would never have broken up over it. I wouldn't have let us. And if you had kept it, then we might… We still might've been together all this time. We could have even had a child and—and a real life together by now." He finally looks over to her, blinking slowly. "I really loved you back then, you know that?"

"I do," Lexie replies, reaching out and stroking the curve of his face gently. "I've always known. And we're together now," she reminds him softly. "That's all that really matters."

"I know."

"We'll make a real life together. I promise we will."

"I believe you."

. . .

"Okay," Lexie calls almost an hour later, untangling their limbs from one another. "Move, I gotta get up."

Mark grunts in response, his face pressed into a pillow.

"What?"

"Don't go," he repeats, turning his head to look at hers. "Stay in bed with me," Mark replies patting the vacant space beside him with an open palm.

"You've really gotta build up your stamina before you can go about making offers like that," Lexie laughs, getting to her feet.

"Shut up," Mark replies. "I got like one single hour of sleep last night. Anyone would be dead."

"Notice that I'm not," Lexie points out with a smirk. Mark frowns, narrowing his eyes. He opens his mouth to reply, but she speaks first. "Okay, now it's almost eight o'clock, so I really need to leave," Lexie informs him, pulling on her discarded clothes from last night. "I should have been at Mer's hours ago." Mark looks up as he hears her rummaging around, blinking the tiredness from his eyes.

"What are you going to do?" He asks, getting to his feet and pulling a pair of boxers on.

"I'm going to go to Meredith's." Lexie looks over her shoulder at him as she finishes getting dressed. "And then I'll go back to Portland and get an attorney."

"Will it be difficult?" Mark asks quietly as he moves to stand behind her. He rests his hands on her waist as if without a thought.

Lexie pauses, thinking. "I don't know," she says finally. "I guess we'll have to see."

"And you'll call me…and tell me when it's all over?" He asks hesitantly.

Lexie looks over her shoulder, meeting his eyes. "I'll call you the minute I get to Oregon," Lexie replies without hesitation, turning around to face him.

"You will?" He asks, surprised. Lexie nods, one of her hands drifting down to her waist to cover his.

"I'll call you when I get back, I'll call you when I tell him, and I'll call you when I serve the papers." Lexie pauses. "And I'll call you every day because I'll miss your voice." Mark smiles softly at this. "I'll call you every night because I'll miss the way you wish me a good-night." She tips her head forward, leaning her forehead again his. "I'll miss the sound of your voice and the way you talk. I'll miss you. So, yes, I will call you."

Mark smiles, tilting his head to the side to kiss her cheek softly. "I'll be waiting by the phone," he replies. A quiet minute passes before the pull apart, stepping out of each other's arms. He takes her hand, leading them both reluctantly to the door.

. . .

"Do you… Do you realize what today is?" Mark inquires quietly a minute later as they reach the front door.

"No," Lexie frowns. "What day is it?"

Mark shakes his head at her forgetfulness, leaning forward to kiss her softly. "It's Christmas," he murmurs against her lips. Lexie closes her eyes at his words, stepping forward and kissing him back as her hands hang onto his ribcage. She can feel his lips flick upward at her response, but he forces himself to break their contact a moment later despite her efforts to prolong it. "Lexie," he whispers, lifting a hand to hold her face a few inches from his. "It's okay."

"I can't leave you now," Lexie manages tearfully, hugging him to her. "I can't leave you alone on Christmas."

He smiles slowly at her. "You aren't leaving me. Not really."

"But I am," Lexie replies, biting the inside of her lip to try and control her tear ducts. "We're standing by your front door. I'm going back to Oregon."

"You were the one that said you had to go," Mark reminds her. "If you remember, I was happy staying in bed with you and never bothering to get up."

Lexie smiles, dropping her head forward until it rests against his chest. He sighs softly, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. "I knew I could get you to smile," he whispers into her hair.

"I'll miss you."

"I'm not far away," Mark replies. "You can always come back."

Lexie looks up, wiping her face quickly. "Do you mean that?"

He stares down at her. "Of course I do."

"Okay," Lexie whispers, taking a step back. "Okay. I have to go."

Mark nods, reaching for the doorknob. "You'll call?" He asks as he opens it.

"All the time," Lexie promises. She takes a breath, taking the first step outside his door. "This is it."

Mark nods, forcing himself to stay on his side of the door but looking her right in the eyes. "It is."

"I'll be back," she tells him. "I will and I—" She breaks off, closing her eyes as she shakes her head back and forth rapidly for a split-second. Mark stares at her, wondering what she's doing. He doesn't have time to ask, though, as in two quick steps, she's returned to his arms, covering his mouth with hers. "I love you," she says against his lips.

"I know," he replies through her desperate kisses. "Lexie," he manages, after finally tearing his lips from hers after many unsuccessful attempts. Her eyes snap open in surprise, shocked that he'd pulled away. He chuckles slightly, staring down at her. "As much as I want to continue this, you have to go, dear."

"I don't want to."

"I don't want you to, either," Mark agrees. "But this has to happen if you're going to come back permanently."

Lexie takes a deep breath before releasing it slowly. "Okay," she whispers again, taking a step back. She adjusts the purse on her arm. "I'll be going now."

Mark nods, knowing she isn't expecting a response. She's only speaking aloud so she can follow her own instructions.

"Good-bye," she tells him softly, reaching out her right hand tentatively towards him. Mark takes it, squeezing her fingers momentarily before moving forward and bringing her hand to his lips. He kisses her knuckles softly before lowering her hand and then finally letting it drop gently back to her side.

"Good-bye, love," he whispers, watching her go. He meets her eyes each and every time she looks over her shoulder, and he reluctantly heads back inside the now-empty apartment when the elevator doors close before her.

. . .

The Space Between what's wrong and right

Is where you'll find me: hiding, waiting for you.

The Space Between your heart and mine

Is the space we'll fill with time.

. . .

Author's Note: Not going to lie, so much happened in the last couple chapters that even I forgot it was Christmas. Review please and tell me what you think. :)