Thanks for the reviews!

I'm sorry. It's been ages since I last updated this. There are still some chapters left for this story and I will never leave a story unfinished. So, since it's been so long since the last chapter here a short recap.

Mark had been kidnapped by Anton McGregor, who had been blaming him for the death of his daughter who died on Mark's operating table. He had been torturing Mark with the intent to kill him slowly and painfully but Eric and Steve were able to find and rescue him in time. Mark has an infected wound in his thigh where McGregor had stabbed him with a screwdriver, a long cut along his right upper arm and several cuts on his torso. The forefinger of his left hand is broken and the middle finger badly smashed. Lexie had had a small break down when they brought Mark into the hospital as the relief had washed over her that the father of her child was still alive.

Okay, on with the story now. Just for your information, I'm catapulting us into the future considering Callie's treatment of Mark's finger. We might be able to do something like that in the future but I don't think that the current research is anywhere near that right now. But well, this is fictionland, right? :-) I hope you enjoy! Oh, and this is the second update today. Am I good, or what? LOL.

Chapter 14: The little bundle

"Derek, how is he?" Lexie jumped up, almost running to her brother-in-law who had just stepped into the waiting area.

"We have it under control." Derek replied tiredly. "We've cleaned the stab wound and the cuts and we are pumping as much antibiotics and fluids into him as we can. But we need to talk to you about Mark's hand."

"We?"

"Callie should be here any second." Derek explained.

"Please, don't tell me he is gonna lose his finger." Lexie whispered.

"No." Derek reassured. "No. It's not that bad."

"What do you mean not that bad?" Lexie asked. "So it's still pretty bad?"

"You've seen it, Lexie." Derek told her and Lexie only nodded. It hadn't looked good, but she'd still hoped that it looked worse than it actually was. Derek squeezed her shoulder reassuringly and a few seconds later Callie emerged out of the operating area, approaching them.

"Did Derek fill you in already?"

"Not really." Lexie said. "Only that you two wanted to talk to me about Mark's hand."

"His forefinger is a clean break." Callie elaborated. "He should have no problem with it after the healing process is complete. But I need to make a decision about his middle finger. That's why we are here to talk to you."

"I ... We are not married, Callie." Lexie told her confused. "I'm not allowed to make any decisions. I'm not his medical proxy."

"Actually, you are." Derek interjected.

"What?" Lexie jerked her head around to Derek, a look of complete bafflement on her face.

"Didn't he tell you?" Derek asked surprised.

"No." Lexie replied quietly.

"Lexie, it's Mark." Callie said urgently. "It's his hand."

"I know, Callie." Lexie snapped back. "It's his freaking hand and he is a surgeon."

"Lexie, I know it's hard. How about I just tell you about the options first?"

Lexie only nodded, balling her hands into fists, well aware that Mark couldn't ball his hand into a fist right now and maybe he would never be able to bend his finger again. Callie led her to a chair, pressing her down to get her off her feet. Her worrying about Mark already put enough strain on her body. Standing around could harm the baby and neither Mark nor Lexie needed to deal with anything else right now than Mark's injuries.

Callie was glad that Lexie was a surgeon so she didn't need to simplify what she was telling her about the procedure she would chose as the number one option. There was a higher risk that his finger would end up being stiff for the rest of his life, but using normal techniques would mean that he probably would never be able again to work as a surgeon. Callie knew the procedure was highly experimental and sounded as if it came straight out of Sci-Fi movie. Essentially they would try to make a robotic finger.

"I know the new procedure is risky but it's the only way to give him a chance to recover fully." Callie explained. "He is a surgeon. He needs his hand. You know him better than anyone. Do you think we should choose the safer option, risking that he will never be a surgeon again or are we choosing the more risky way, hopefully retaining full mobility of his finger?"

"Why don't you ask him?"

"He is out, Lexie, and I need to operate now."

"I can't ... what if I made the wrong decision?" Lexie asked barely above a whisper. "He is gonna hate me."

"He is not gonna hate you." Derek assured her. "He loves you, Lexie."

"What would you do?" Lexie asked Callie.

"I'm not his friend right now." Callie replied. "I'm his surgeon. I need to stay as objective as I can."

"Callie, it's Mark!"

"Believe me. I know." Callie told her calmly. "You know what I would choose, Lexie. But you are his medical proxy. You have to make a decision."

"Do the risky surgery." Lexie said quietly. "I'm sure he would want it. Like you said he is a surgeon. Save his finger, Callie."

"Okay."

~M&L~

Lexie sat beside his bed, her hand resting on his uninjured hand. She waited for him to wake up out of the anesthesia. Watching his chest rise and fall just made her happy that he was still with her. Suddenly she heard him groan and he opened slowly his eyes.

"Welcome back." Lexie said quietly."

"I'm glad to be back." Mark replied hoarsely. "How are you?"

"You are asking me how I am? Mark, you are being ridiculous. You are the one you should be worrying about."

Mark gave her a shaky smile and stretched his body carefully, testing how bad it was.

"So clue me in." He whispered. "How bad is it?"

Mark's gaze fell to his hand, knowing that this injury was the worst and could end his career as a surgeon. Lexie squeezed his uninjured hand, waiting for his gaze to meet hers. "Callie told me from now on you are gonna be RoboSurgeon."

"RoboSurgeon?" Mark asked confused.

"Yeah, you know? Like RoboCop."

"That futuristic?"

"Pretty much." Lexie replied. "They reconstructed your finger, incorporating all the bone material they could use. But your finger is half titanium now."

"How does it work?"

"If everything works as planned and heals properly, you should be able to move it almost as if it hadn't been broken at all. Callie used flexible hinges to connect the titanium with your bones and Derek tried to restore all your nerves, using some artificial nerve tissue to repair the damage. It's highly experimental, so the outcome isn't established. But the desired result is that you'll regain full function of your finger."

"Okay." Mark replied quietly, turning his head away from her and Lexie got overwhelmed by a sudden guilt when she saw his reaction as a sign that she'd made the wrong decision.

"I'm sorry, Mark." Lexie spoke barely above a whisper, pulling her hand away from his, her gaze dropping down into her lap. "I've told them to do the surgery."

"No, no. It's fine." Mark raised his hand, hooking a finger under her chin to pull it up. "I know you made the right decision." As Mark saw the still doubtful look in her eyes, he reached for her hand, entwining his fingers with hers. "Lex, I'm a surgeon. I want to operate. I would have chosen this procedure, too."

"You would have?" Lexie asked him, the uncertainty still evident in her voice.

"Yes, I would have." Mark stated firmly. "You saved my career."

~M&L~

He'd send her home so that she could get some sleep for a few hours, eat properly and shower. Lexie didn't want to go but he played the baby card and she finally folded after he'd insisted that it couldn't be good for the baby. Now he was lying wide-eyed in his bed afraid to go to sleep. He had been knocked out by the anesthetic after the surgery so there hadn't been any nightmares, but when he closed his eyes now the numb pounding of his thigh reminded him of the basement he'd been in. He wouldn't admit it out loud but he was scared that he would go back to the horrors and pain in his dreams. He just hoped that the pain meds and sleeping pills they'd given him would numb not only the pain but his brain, too.

But they didn't help. Mark didn't know what time it was when he shot up in his bed, covered in cold sweat, his heart pounding wildly against his ribcage, gritting his teeth as the waves of pain radiated through his body. The smell of his own blood and vomit still stinging in his nostrils as if he was really back in the hellhole, McGregor's eery voice still ringing in his ear. Mark took in some deep breaths, trying to slow down his breathing, slumping back into the pillow. Turning on his side he stared out of the window, certain that he wouldn't go back to sleep any time soon.

~M&L~

"Why do I have to sit in a wheelchair?" Mark whined as Lexie pushed him down the corridor towards the OB/GYN department.

"Stop whining." Lexie huffed. "I'm only taking you with me to the ultrasound if you behave."

"If I behave?" Mark asked incredulously. "I freaking hate this thing."

"You can still hardly put any weight on your leg and I don't want you to collapse on the floor because it gave out under you. Do you want to come with me or not?"

"Of course I want to come with you."

Lexie smiled, happy about the usual banter between them. But she knew that he'd put up a front for her. The night nurses had told her that he had nightmares, waking up screaming, trashing around in his bed. She could see the dark shadows under his eyes and he'd lost a few pounds over the last couple of weeks.

She'd tried once to talk to him about it, but he'd refused to give her anything. He'd just told her that it would go away eventually, that he just needed to get out of the hospital and she didn't push him, thinking that he just might need some time. Having nightmares after what he'd been through was a normal reaction.

When they reached the exam room, Dr. Reilly already waited for them. "Dr. Grey, Dr. Sloan, let's take a look. Shall we?"

Lexie climbed up on the chair and pulled up her shirt and Mark stared with wonder at the bump that was clearly visible. He'd completely missed it with everything that had happened to him over the last weeks. First the abduction, then the surgery and the physical therapy he had to go through to get his strength back in his leg and trying to make his finger work again.

With awe he stretched out his hand, pressing it against her stomach. "I'm sorry, Lex."

Lexie looked at him confused, laying her hand over his. "What for?"

"For being so self-involved over the last few weeks." Mark replied quietly.

Lexie squeezed his hand, chuckling slightly. "Mark, it's not a big deal that you didn't realized that I'm getting fat."

"You are not getting fat." Mark said harshly, his fingers tightening on her stomach. "You are carrying a Sloan."

Lexie smiled broadly upon hearing this statement, as if carrying his baby meant that she was entitled to get fat. "I know that I'm carrying your baby, Mark."

Mark raised their entwined hands and pressed a kiss against hers, his eyes glued to hers until Dr. Reilly cleared her throat. "I'm ready."

Mark and Lexie both turned their heads towards the screen, looking excited at the pictures of their baby.

"Do you want to know the sex?" Dr. Reilly asked.

Mark looked quizzically at Lexie, waiting for her answer.

"I don't know." Lexie replied unsure. "Do you want to know?" She asked Mark.

"I don't care as long as it's healthy. I don't need to know the sex if you want to be surprised."

"No, I think I want to know."

Mark looked at Dr. Reilly and nodded his head. "So, we want to know if you can see it."

"Okay, let's see if the little one is cooperative." Dr. Reilly scooted over Lexie's stomach until she paused and said. "Here it is."

Mark and Lexie looked at her, waiting for her to reveal the sex of their child. Dr. Reilly smiled broadly when she saw the anxious faces in front of her, stating softly. "It looks like it's going to be a boy."

"A boy?" Lexie asked breathlessly and Dr. Reilly nodded.

"We are going to have a son?" Mark asked disbelievingly before his eyes searched Lexie's. "You are carrying our son?"

Tears welled up in her eyes as she saw the awe on Mark's face. "Yes, and you know what?"

Mark shook his head slightly, still not completely comprehending that the love of his life was carrying his son. Lexie smiled shyly, taking in a deep breath before she told him. "Is it weird that I'm happy that our child is going to be your first son?"

A big smile erupted on Mark's face and he replied quietly. "No, it's not weird." Laying his hand on her stomach again, he whispered. "Though it doesn't matter, Lex. I love you. No matter if it's a girl or a boy. It's our child."

"Carrying your child makes me the happiest woman on this planet. I don't know why I waited so long."

A lonely tear slipped down her cheek and Mark raised his hand to brush it away gently. "Lex, we'd agreed to stop dwelling on our past mistakes. We should focus on our future together. Focus on our child."

"Focus on our future?" Lexie asked softly. "I can do that."

"I know you can. You and me, Lex." Mark leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers before he whispered. "And the little bundle that will join us in a few months."

Lexie laid her hands on her stomach, whispering. "Our little bundle."

Mark leaned his forehead against hers, his hands resting on hers. "Our little bundle."

Forgotten were the nightmares, the abduction, everything they've been through together. Just now the only thing that mattered was the heart that was beating under their hands, the life they'd created together.