"Mark, what is this?" called Abby. It had been a week since he had told her he loved her, but they hadn't really talked about it. Things had just gone on as normal: they were sleeping together most nights but they weren't really a couple.
"What is what?" said Mark, coming into the hallway with Joe in his arms. "Oh I brought some stuff over from my place, you know clothes, razor and stuff."
"A razor. You? When exactly was the last time you shaved?"
"I have to trim," smirked Mark, going back into the kitchen.
"A fucking suitcase…" said Abby, slowly started to freak out.
Mark had started doing little things that were scaring her. When he finished a late shift at the hospital, he would put his arms round her and then go to sleep, and he held her while she was sleeping. It unnerved her. He kissed her in the morning before she went to work; not tongue or making out, just a simple kiss on the lips. That was not the Mark Sloan she knew. She knew it was too late for her to tell herself she couldn't fall for him, but she couldn't love him or be with him. He was Mark Sloan. He was a man whore, completely incapable of being faithful and Abby wasn't about to let another surgeon break her heart.
-------------------------------------------
"Alex, are you still not speaking to me?" said Abby. They had just finished rounds and Bailey had assigned her and Alex to the pit. "I had to tell Izzie."
"You are my sister, you are meant to be on my side. Why did you have to tell Izzie? She isn't speaking to me."
"Can you blame her? You screwed Dr. Montgomery in a supply closet, and she is my best friend. What did you want me to do?"
"Nothing!" said Alex angrily.
"This isn't my fault, you shouldn't have cheated!"
"You are hardly in a position to give anyone relationship advice!" snapped Alex.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"You and Sloan! You think he'll stay with you and the kid? I wouldn't be surprised if he has a scrub nurse bent over the table right now!"
"You don't know what you're talking about!" said Abby, but it was obvious to Alex that he had hit a nerve.
"He might give you the speech, tell you he loves you. But as soon as a piece of skirt catches his eye, he'll be gone just like Gareth," said Alex viciously. "And take the kid with him."
"And you'll die drunk and alone!" Then Abby stormed off.
-------------------------------------
"Izzie, you have to help me now," said Abby.
"I'm kinda busy right now," said Izzie. She was prepping a transsexual for surgery, today he was getting brand new silicone breasts.
"Do you mind if I talk to your doctor while she takes your temperature?" said Abby to the patient. "It's important."
"Go ahead."
"What is it?" sighed Izzie.
"I'm freaking out and you have to help me or I'll end up making some huge mistake like picking up some guy at Joe's… Izzie help me," whined Abby.
"Tell me the problem then."
"I told him I loved him, remember?" said Abby, Izzie nodded. "He said it back…"
"Then he loves you too!" Izzie squealed.
"Yes… but he is being all… leaving stuff at my place, kissing me and… Izzie stop smiling like that!" said Abby furiously. "Anyway… I can't love him, and I know it's too late to say that. But it's Sloan, he has screwed every woman in this hospital… no I can't have a thing with him… I can't fall in love with a cheater… no I can't… tell me I'm right."
"Well…" said Izzie as if she was thinking hard.
"Yes Dr. Stevens, tell Dr. Taylor what you think," said Mark. He was standing in the door way, looking none too amused.
"Oh… um I need to get Mr… Miss Jones down to the OR," said Izzie uncomfortably.
"You're deserting me?" hissed Abby.
"Good luck," whispered Izzie.
"Dr. Taylor, Dr. Burke needs you in OR2," said Mark professionally.
"Mark…"
"He is doing a transplant that should keep you busy for a few hours."
"Alright then, Dr. Sloan"
"Why won't you talk to me?" said Mark before Abby left. "Why do you have to make this so hard?"
"I don't know… I'm trying," said Abby.
"You call not picking up some guy at Joe's trying?"
"Ah you heard that? But I didn't… I knew I would end up doing something stupid like that and I went to Izzie."
"Come and find me before you leave?"
"Alright," said Abby. "We're both emotionally retarded, I don't know how we are supposed to talk."
"Hmmmm," said Mark, then he kissed the top of her head. "You better go Burke is waiting."
-------------------------------------------------
"Come on," said Mark, taking Abby by the arm as she came out of the intern locker room.
"Owww where are we going?" protested Abby, but letting Mark lead her anyway.
"We're talking remember," said Mark.
"But where? We have to pick up Joe…"
"It's been done… we're talking in here," said Mark, opening the door to an exam room. "I put Mr./Miss Jones' chart outside, nobody will disturb us."
"Where is Joe?"
"With Dr. Stevens."
"Okay… so… what do we do now?" said Abby, looking around awkwardly.
"Uh…" said Mark, now that he finally had her he didn't know how to start.
"We could just have sex instead of talking."
"No… we're going to talk, not have sex."
"Well that's a first," said Abby.
"Come on Abby… we need to set rules and… structure," said Mark, obviously struggling.
"Can't we just email each other a set of rules?"
"Are you trying to annoy me? I'm trying to be all deep and meaningful here!" scowled Mark.
"I'm sorry, I just don't know how to…" shrugged Abby helplessly.
"Alright then I'll make it easy for us," said Mark, forcing Abby to look at him not at the floor. "Lets give it a try, properly. We at least have to try."
"That is exactly my problem, we can't try properly… it is us. We are emotionally retarded: you can't keep your scrubs up for more than a few hours, I'm damaged by the whole cheating ex husband, and you are just scary and damaged from the whole McDreamy/McWife thingy…"
"So… we can do it," said Mark, lifting her chin. "I know there are major reasons not to but… I know you love me, you said it yourself and I—I love you and that is not easy to say. We're great together, I mean the sex is… wow. We argue like an old married couple and I finally learned how to handle you when you're PMSing, and I think that is big… come on Abby, what do we have to lose by just trying?"
"It's not just us anymore though, is it?" said Abby, but she was definitely weakening. Mark just seemed to be saying all the right things. "What if we do try and it gets all fucked up and awful? It's Joe that gets caught in the middle, and that isn't fair."
"But what if it works out and he gets to grow up with his parents together and… maybe a few brothers and sisters."
"Whoa, I'm still not over giving birth to him, never mind anymore babies," said Abby warily.
"But it is a possibility though?"
"One day maybe," said Abby grudgingly.
"You know for us to have more kids together…"
"I get it," said Abby irritably.
"So… come on I know you want try too," said Mark, looking deeply into her eyes. She could tell how hard this was for him.
"Yeah… but…"
"I won't break your heart, trust me," he said softly, brushing his lips against hers. "You won't come home and find me naked on the dining room table with anyone else."
"I would hope not."
"I know how huge this risk is… I know how messy this could get, that's why it's taken me so long to say any of this. But… I think we can do it and if we don't we won't put Joe in the middle. Come on, if this does turn out to be a huge mistake, he's too little to understand. I love you Abby, I've never been like this over anyone not even Addison."
"I had all these reasons… and you just tore them to shit," Abby half moaned, hitting Mark's chest so lightly he barely even felt it.
"We're meant to be."
"I know."
