Thank you all for the amazing reviews on the last chapter.
I gotta say, the delay this time isn't that big, is it? I'm really on a roll here right now and I have a clear view of how the next few chapters are gonna play out. We have a major emotional rollercoaster ahead of us and ya'll better buckle up. And PLEASE comment what you think will happen next. I'm dying for your thoughts and theories!
Enjoy this chapter and don't forget to leave a review. And also, am I the only one who has Taylor Swift's Welcome to New York stuck in my head while reading this?


New York. The Big Apple. The city that never sleeps. The capital of the world. The center of the universe.

There were so many nicknames for the big city and Lexie couldn't help it when her photographic memory reminded her that the city was first called New Amsterdam since it was a Dutch colony before England captured it, thus renaming the city in 1665. Either the name, they were here, in the big city, together. Butterflies released in her stomach as she looked out the window of the taxi as they rode over the bridge towards Manhattan. The water looked pierce blue, the boats roamed everywhere and the sky was clear. It felt kind of intimate when the cars passed them in different lanes. It was the same in Seattle, but just the feeling of being in New York made it more special. The sound of the wind swished by through the cracked window, and just by looking over the city, she realized why Mark loved it so much, and how special it must have been to grow up here.

A hand gently touched hers, effectively bringing her out of her daze. Glancing over to the owner of the hand, her eyes locked with Mark's ocean blue orbs and her heart melted slightly when a warm smile covered his face. She could clearly see how happy he was to be back and how much this trip would mean to him in general. All the times they'd talked about his life in New York, there was only positive things he had to say. "Welcome to New York," he said with the warmest tone only Mark Sloan could muster.

Lexie just smiled back at him in thanks. Growing up in Seattle and later living in Boston as a medical student, she didn't have time or money to travel a lot, so she had really been looking forward to spending her first time in New York with the man she loved more than anything in this world. It was like meeting another part of Mark, sort of like meeting his parents. She sensed a lot of him would be revealed this weekend, a lot of stories and memories. And she looked forward to it.

"How does it feel to be back?" Lexie asked with a warm tone, squeezing Mark's hand just because.

"It feels great," Mark replied. You could clearly see the happiness radiating off of him and Lexie loved it. "It feels so much better to be here with you as my company, would've been boring otherwise."

"I bet," Lexie replied with a giggle. Mark had been like a child ever since he ended the second phone call with Webber, basically ordering the chief of surgery that Lexie would be joining him. As expected, Webber had no objections to the matter and she was more than welcome to join the plastic surgeon on this adventure. The moment everything was set up, Mark had been floating on clouds, telling Lexie about everything they would do on the trip (aside from the conference) and all the classic sightseeings he would take her to. New York had always been his home and she was excited for Mark to be her private tour guide. "I'm excited for this trip."

"I'm glad," Mark said and squeezed her hand tighter. "It's gonna be great, Lex. Getting away for a few days, just you and me, and think of something else."

"I know it will," Lexie said and smiled at him. "I'm happy to be spending this weekend with you."

Silence fell between them as they both just smiled at one another. The sound of the wind outside and the hum from the motor in the car filled their ears, along with whatever song was playing on the radio. Lexie felt like they were back in that bubble again, the bubble which contained nothing but the two of them, the bubble where nothing in the outside world mattered. The only thing that mattered was the two of them. The best feeling in the world, according to Lexie Grey.

It didn't take long enough for the cab to approach downtown Manhattan, away from the high traffic on the bridge. Lexie glanced out the window and felt a wave of admiration for the city, it was just like in the movies where the country girl arrives to the big city with hopes and dreams. New York was really as amazing as described by everyone. "Wow." She couldn't help it when the word escaped her, already, parted lips. Lexie was really amazed.

Mark chuckled as he watched Lexie with a cautious eye. He loved those moments when Lexie turned into a child on christmas morning and was just amazed by everything and everyone. He couldn't see her eyes, but he knew it was the puppy eyes. The same puppy eyes that watched his surgery on Mrs. Patterson. That look was his favorite. "Amazed, are we?"

"Well, yeah," Lexie replied in a duh-tone of voice. "I mean, have you seen this city?" Lexie didn't take her eyes off the streets and buildings passing by.

Another chuckle left him. "I have. I grew up here, remember?"

"Smartass," Lexie replied with a wave of her hand to tell him to be quiet. A huge building caught her eye, and the huge sign outside of it made her jaw drop. "Is that our hotel?"

"That's our hotel," Mark replied and had to smother a laugh. "I had Webber set us up in the nicest hotel in New York."

"I thought we were staying at the same hotel the conference is being held at?" Lexie remarked and finally glanced over to her fiancé, confusion written all over her face.

"That was the plan, but I figured we would get more privacy if we stayed at a hotel like a block or two away from the conference. And this is closer to Times Square and some great shopping places. We can still walk to the conference." Mark smiled at her and again squeezed her hand. He was genuinely proud of his decision.

"I like that," Lexie replied with a smile. They held eye contact for a moment before she leaned forward and gave Mark a peck on the lips.

"I figured you would," Mark commented once they pulled apart again. The taxi soon came to a stop outside the huge hotel and Lexie inhaled a breath before glancing out again. Mark quickly paid the cab driver and gave him a generous tip before thanking him and getting out of the cab.

After helping Lexie out and getting their luggage from the driver, they stood outside the entrance and just looked at the facade. Lexie was amazed to say the least, and Mark couldn't help but reminisce on some memories connected to this hotel. "You ready?" He finally asked and glanced down to Lexie who quickly met his gaze. A smile formed on her face before she nodded and took his larger hand in hers.

This was gonna be a great weekend.

Checking into the hotel was quick and easy. Once again Lexie felt like she was with a celebrity as Mark casually announced his name to the desk clerk and instructed them to put the tab on Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital. Their room, suite, was on the 29th floor, which Lexie thought was pretty high up. The worst part was that the hotel had 55 floors. This was about as classy as it could get and Lexie felt like a queen. Mark just smirked. After a long elevator ride, they were finally in their room and Lexie thought she was gonna faint the moment she entered. The suite was huge to say the least, the bed was the biggest she'd ever seen and it looked so comfortable, the room was perfectly furnished with the bed, a couch, dining table and the mini fridge. It almost looked more like an apartment.

The door gently closed behind them and Lexie was in a trance when she just left her luggage on the floor and walked over to the wall sized window. Like Mark promised, the hotel had a perfect view over the city. If she looked closely, she could make out Central Park, and she couldn't wait to take a walk there. She was amazed to say the least and for a moment she was worried she was gonna start drooling if she didn't close her mouth soon. "This is amazing."

Mark had put their luggage away and casually removed his shoes as he watched Lexie by the window. He figured he would let her have this moment with New York and just get used to it before they began anything else. A chuckle escaped him as he slumped down on the bed and got comfortable on his back. His hands soon rested under the back of his head and he found himself closing his eyes. The flight had been smooth and easy, but the exhaustion was never inevitable. It was just nice to finally relax. "Get used to it, Lex. We're gonna be here for a while," he commented in a soft tone, inhaling a deep breath and exhaling calmly.

Lexie was speechless. A part of her really couldn't believe how Mark could ever decide to move away from here. He seemed so unaffected by the whole thing right now and she couldn't help but quickly imagine how his apartment looked like, she even bet it was a real penthouse. She made a mental note to ask him all about it later on. A heavy sigh left her as she tried to take everything in. New York was really a stunning city. Deciding she was done drooling about the amazing view, she turned around and quickly scanned the rest of the suite with her eyes before focusing on the gorgeous man resting on the bed. A loving smile formed on her face before slowly walking over to him. The bed was really huge and upon reaching the edge, she had to crawl all the way to his side where he was resting. "Thank you for this, Mark," she said warmly before laying down beside him, gracefully snuggling up close to him and letting out a sigh of comfort when one of his arms wrapped around her.

"Don't thank me, thank the chief," Mark remarked and smiled, his eyes still closed.

"Sure," Lexie replied, understanding what he meant. "But I know you're doing a lot extra about this for me, the private hotel, some upcoming sightseeing, just being alone. I really appreciate it." She was serious as she spoke and she meant every word.

Mark squeezed her arm gently and quickly kissed her forehead. "You're welcome, Little Grey. I'm just happy you're here with me."

"Me too," Lexie replied quietly and smiled as she rested her head against Mark's chest and just relaxed. If she were to die right now, this would be the perfect way to go.

"Ugh, I hate flying," Mark groaned out of nowhere and sighed heavily.

Lexie giggled quietly for a moment before replying. "Why?"

"Just hate it. It's crowded, either too hot or too cold, takes forever, you're just up there in the air with no place to go. I don't like it."

"Well, First Class was rather luxurious," Lexie commented. She'd never flown First Class before and was still on a high after being treated like a queen on the airplane, being served with delicious food and champagne, not to mention the comfortable seats. All for just being a passenger.

"That's because you're not used to it," Mark replied with a chuckle. "Just wait until you're a world known, fancy surgeon. You'll be flying First Class so much you'll be sick of it."

"As long as it means I can enjoy fancy hotel suites with you, I'm good." Lexie smiled lovingly at the thought of spending more time with Mark like this in the future.

"Agreed," Mark replied with a smile on his face as his arm wrapped tighter around his woman.

"But for now, you need to shower," Lexie commented with a more serious tone. She was very comfortable where she was right now, but they would have to get going to the conference soon. "You smell like airplane."

Mark huffed loudly at her remark. "And you don't?" He asked with a joking tone. "You better join me in the shower then, Little Grey."

"I would, but we don't have time for that. There's a conference, remember?" Lexie was tempted to accept his suggestion, but there would be more time for that later.

Mark sighed and rubbed his eyes with his free hand. If only they could just skip that. "Oh, yeah… The conference."

Lexie giggled and nudged him gently. "Come on, the faster we get there, the faster we can come back here. Now get in the shower."

"Fine," Mark muttered in a joking tone and released Lexie before getting up. "But you're gonna clean yourself up too. I can't walk around with a slob at that conference."

Lexie eyed him for a moment, subconsciously tugging at her lower lip with her teeth. "Get that shirt off and head into the shower and we might have a deal." She figured she deserved some eye candy.

Mark grinned at the woman in his bed as he slowly started to unbutton his shirt, watching her eyes glued on him as he did so. If she wanted a show, he'd give her a show. "Deal."

About half an hour later, Lexie was kneeling in front of her open suitcase, gently roaming through her clothes and trying to figure out what to wear. She had come so far to put on a pair of black jeans and a bra, but she couldn't figure out how casual the outfit should be. Plain t-shirt? A dress shirt? Blouse? Cardigan? Hoodie?

"What do people wear to these events?" Lexie asked, having enough of her own confusion and decided to just ask the man who knew. She'd noticed how Mark dragged up a pair of black suit pants and a blazer, although he wore that kind of outfit on a regular basis so that wouldn't have to mean prom-theme.

Mark took a moment as he finished buttoning his pants, still shirtless. "Well," he started, pulling a little at the clothing to even out any and all creases. He quickly glanced towards Lexie, her back still turned to him, before made his way over. "Me and the other attendees will most probably wear something formal like a blazer and or a nice blouse. You-" he paused as his arms wrapped tightly around her, his chin resting on her shoulder. "You could pull off a trash bag."

Lexie could basically hear the smirk on his face. "Wow, okay." She chuckled lightly and tried to gather herself. "A blouse it is, then," she added and turned her head to kiss him quickly. She was met with a smile and another quick kiss before he released her. The smile was evident on her face the whole time as she pulled out a dark red blouse and a nice cardigan. Dressing herself didn't take more than a minute and upon deciding she was done, she turned to Mark who was trying to choose between two pieces of clothes.

"Which one?" Mark asked and turned to Lexie as he held up one dark blue shirt and one lighter grey.

Lexie eyed the items carefully as she slowly walked towards him. Both of them were nice and he always looked stunning in whatever color he chose. Although one of them had an upper hand, according to Lexie. "Blue."

Mark frowned and glanced between the two, as if he wanted to let the shirts have the finale say. "Really?" He realized he'd had his mind set on the grey one.

"Yes," Lexie replied simply, offering him a smile and waited for him to put it on, although she did enjoy the sight of his naked upper body. "When in doubt, go with blue. It highlights your eyes."

A small laugh left his lips at his girlfriend's remark and he was reminded of another perk of being in a relationship with a woman. Fashion advice. "Alright, I'll remember that," he commented and smiled as he put the grey shirt down on the bed and casually dressed himself in the blue shirt. Mark buttoned it in record time before reaching for the 3 ties he brought in various colors. "Which one?" He asked, repeating his question from just moments ago as he held the items up for Lexie to see.

This time, Lexie didn't even think about it for a second. "None."

Mark frowned. "What?"

"You're not wearing a tie," Lexie stated and casually fixed the last details on his collar. "It's not that formal, right? We're not going to the opera. You can pull it off without a tie."

Mark's frown quickly turned into a loving, amazed smile. "Alright, savage," he commented and chuckled as he put the ties down. After checking his suitcase and making sure he had everything, he made a small nod and turned back to the woman of his dreams. "Okay, then. I guess we're ready." He didn't wait for Lexie's confirmation before he turned and reached for his shoes and sat down on the bed, preparing to put them on.

Lexie smiled lovingly at the gorgeous man in front of her, subconsciously biting her lower lip for a moment before turning around to her purse. After taking a moment to reconsider, she gently started digging after the item she'd consciously hid in the bottom of the bag. Lexie had made the decision the morning after New York was decided, then she ripped apart a piece of paper before leaving for the airport, and while Mark was in the bathroom on the plane, she'd grabbed a pen and written something down on the piece of paper. And now she was finally ready.

"You ready to go?" Mark asked, done with his shoes and now just sitting on the bed while watching her.

"Yes," Lexie replied, her voice a bit distant as she eyed the piece of paper between her fingers. A small smile grew on her face and a moment later, she fisted the paper in her hand, effectively hiding it, before turning around. "But before we go," she started and took a few steps towards Mark, "there's something I want to give you," she finished, stopping right in front of him. The excitement filled her eyes and she could barely contain the smile on her face. Giving him no time to ask questions, she simply handed him the piece of paper.

Mark was eyeing her with a questionable look as he took the small item from her fingers. He gave it a quick look, his mind trying to determine what it was without even looking at it, before throwing a quick glance back at Lexie. She didn't say anything but her eyes simply told him to open it. With a sigh, he glanced back down to his hands and gently unfolded the carefully folded note, curious about what it was.

His confusion just grew at the sight of what was written on it. A date. Day and month, not that far away from today.

Mark frowned. "What happens then?" He asked gently and looked up at Lexie.

"Well," Lexie replied, dragging out the syllable just because. "If all goes as planned…" She paused for another moment, gathering herself to finally utter the words. "We'll get married that day."

Mark froze in his spot on the bed and for a brief moment, he feared that his heart had literally stopped beating in his chest. His eyes were big like golf balls as he just stared at the beautiful woman in front of him. Lexie wanted to marry him? Of course he knew it since she said yes to his proposal, but after everything they'd been through recently, he had just let the thought go while he waited for her to be ready. And now, that moment had finally arrived. She was ready, and concretely suggesting a date for their wedding. Was he dreaming?

Lexie frowned when Mark suddenly looked like a statue and the smile faded from her face. "If… If that's what yo-you want, of course." She rushed to redeem herself, fearing that she'd moved too fast. "Unless you wanna postpone it further, like th-that's alright too, I just- Mark, what are y-"

Lexie was cut off mid sentence when Mark suddenly stood up, with the widest smile on his face, wrapped his arms around Lexie's waist and lifted her up. The squeal she let out was like music to his ears and they both laughed together as Mark spun her around, only for him to then gently throw her onto the bed, his body following suit. They continued to laugh in happiness as their faces were merely inches from each other, breathing each other in and just being happy. Mark's hands moved up to cup her head as he gently started stroking her hair. Her arms around his neck tightened a bit and they both found happiness in each other's arms. Mark smiled lovingly at her and just felt at loss of what to say or do. "That day will be perfect," he started and kept stroking her hair. "Whatever I have on my schedule that day can be postponed, all I want is to marry you."

The smile was back on her face as Lexie just stared into Mark's gorgeous, blue eyes. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Mark replied and didn't waste another second before leaning down to capture her perfect lips with his own. Lexie responded immediately, and on reflex Mark deepened the kiss at once and became more and more passionate. The mood grew intensely and he felt himself heating up more and more.

"Mark." Lexie tried to gently break what was going on. Not because she didn't want to, but because they were running out of time. "Mark, wait." She placed her hands on his shoulders, a silent motion to get him to stop what he was doing.

"What?" Mark asked as he pulled away, concern written all over his face.

Lexie couldn't help but laugh a little at the clueless look on his face. "We can't, we're already running late. We gotta get going."

"Ugh," Mark groaned and closed his eyes in annoyance as he ducked his head. He'd once again completely forgotten about the conference and now wished they could just skip it and spend the evening in bed. "Did you really have to announce this right before we had to leave?" He was joking of course, and it only made Lexie giggle.

"Come on," Lexie replied with a smile and made a move to get Mark off of her so they could get going. "The faster we get there, the faster we can come back here." They smiled at each other as Mark moved away from her and stood up, taking her by the hand and helping her to her feet. As they stood there in silence, just watching each other and just being close, that bubble feeling surrounded them again. That wonderful feeling that the world contained only the two of them, that nothing mattred but Mark and Lexie.

Lexie looked deeply into Mark's eyes and wondered if that feeling would be permanent once they got married.