Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy


Chapter Twenty-Nine

Lexie watched Mark sitting across from her with careful eyes. His knee was bouncing up and down furiously. His eyes fixated on one spot on the floor. He hasn't moved from this position for what felt like hours. Meanwhile, Lexie felt like she had a lead weight at the bottom of her stomach. Teddy Altman was currently working on Andrew Sloan who had just suffered from a heart attack in Lexie and Mark's apartment. Now, the young couple just waited to hear how the elderly Sloan was doing.

Their daughter was currently in the care of Callie for the night, until they were able to get out of here at least. All Lexie could do is watch her husband helplessly as he waited news on his father. Just when things were finally going right between the two, this happened. It was killing Lexie that this happened to Mark. It wasn't fair. He and his father struggled so hard to get some form of a relationship. When they finally get a base, it seems like it's all about to dissolve. Like it never happened, and that just made Lexie want to throw up.

"How's he doing?" Meredith asked her sister, coming over with a cup of coffee for her.

"I don't know. He hasn't said anything since we got here," Lexie whispered to Meredith, taking the coffee from her. "Thank you."

"Derek's in there for Mark's sake...I just hope it'll be okay," Meredith said, giving her sister's shoulder a slight squeeze.

"I need to see how he is," Lexie told her sister looking towards Mark's direction. "I'm getting really worried. He seems out of it..."

"Go to him. He's going to need you," Meredith replied. She then gave her sister an encouraging nod before Lexie got up to head over to her husband.

"Mark?" Lexie whispered, trying to get his attention. He didn't seem to respond. His eyes were focused on the floor. He seemed frozen in time, "Mark? Babe, are you okay?"

"Sorry. I just zoned out," Mark replied, blinking furiously. He then looked up at his wife with solemn eyes. Lexie bit her lip. She could see he was hurting on the inside. This was tearing him apart. "What did you ask?"

"If you're okay," Lexie repeated gently.

Mark sighed, shrugging. "I don't know yet...Not until I get an answer."

Lexie nodded, taking a seat next to her husband. She then grabbed his hand and held it tightly in hers, "We'll get through this."

Mark nodded. He didn't say anything though. He just held on to his wife's hand and waited for news about his father.

The two stayed there for what seemed hours. The sun was beginning to rise and that's when Derek Shepherd came out with Teddy Altman in front of him.

"Dr. Sloan. Dr. Grey," Teddy addressed them stoically. She bit her lip, trying to form the words. This was difficult for Teddy Altman. She's told people before about about news. It hurts no matter what and you feel guilty as ever, but what sucks even more is when you know the patient's family. Mark Sloan and Lexie Grey were her collages. She didn't want to do this. Not now and not ever.

"Is he okay?" Mark asked her right off the bat.

"Your father's heart couldn't take it anymore. The cancer spread a lot more than expected. There was nothing we could do...I'm sorry. Your father didn't make it," Teddy told the couple softly.

"He's dead?" Mark asked quietly. Teddy hesitated, but then nodded her head and so did Derek.

"They tried their best, Mark. They really did," Derek said to his best friend. "I'm really sorry."

"Don't be," Mark replied, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I just...I need to go home."

"Don't worry about it. Webber said you two could take the day off," Teddy informed the young couple.

Lexie felt the pit in her stomach get even heavier at the mention of her father in-law's death. She turned to Mark who clearly was trying to fight it.

"I really am sorry, Mark. Truly am," Derek said again, placing a hand on his shoulder. Mark nodded, gripping to his best friend's hand.

"Thanks, buddy. I appreciate it," Mark replied hoarsely, giving Derek a firm squeeze of his shoulder.

"I think we should just go back to the apartment," Lexie announced in a whisper once her husband was finished talking to his friend and Teddy Altman. "Get some rest?"

Mark nodded, taking his wife's hand and following closely behind her back tot heir place. The same place the event occurred.

"I don't know if I can be in here right now," Mark muttered, looking at where the knocked chair lay on the ground. The same chair his father fell out off. The scene was still the same it was the doctors left it when Andrew Sloan suffered his heart attack. "Soon, but not now. Not tonight."

"Don't worry. I got it covered," Lexie announced, grabbing an overnight bag. "We're going somewhere else tonight. I was going to see if Callie could watch Susie for the night but..."

"No. I want her with us...I'll go get her," Mark stated, walking across the hall to his best friend.

When he knocked on the door, Callie greeted her friend with a hug. Mark held on tightly to her.

"I'm so sorry, Mark. I really am," Callie whispered, giving him a squeeze.

"Thanks, Callie," Mark replied. "Lexie and I...We're going to get out of the apartment. Probably stay at the hotel. We need to clear our minds."

"Yeah sure. Of course," Callie said as the friends pulled away from each other. "Do you want Arizona and I to watch Susie-"

"No. I kind of want her with us tonight," Mark said.

Callie nodded, "Of course."

"Here's Daddy," Arizona announced, coming over with little Susie Grey-Sloan in her arms. Arizona Robbins looked at her girlfriend's best friend with solemn eyes. "Mark, I'm sorry about your dad."

"Thanks, Arizona," Mark replied, taking his daughter into his arms. He gave her a sad, but grateful smile.

"Dr. Mark!" Mark looked down to see Emma Robbin-Torres hanging by the doorway. She had tears in her big brown eyes, "I'm really sorry about your Daddy. I know what it's like and it sucks."

Suddenly, Mark Sloan's heart seemed to break even more. He then knelt down to Emma's height and placed a free hand on her shoulder, "It really does."

Emma nodded as the two then hugged. "I'll see you guys soon. Thanks for watching Susie," Mark told them one last time before he headed back to the apartment to meet Lexie.

From there, the family of three sat silently in the car as Lexie drove away. They didn't stop until they approached a familiar building. Mark looked up to see it was the Archfield hotel. He smiled a bit at the memory. Lexie's voice echoing in his head

"Teach me. Teach me."

"I hope this is okay for tonight," Lexie spoke up.

"Of course, Lex. More than perfect," Mark told her quietly.

"Alright. Let me go get us a room," Lexie announced, getting out of the car.

Mark watched her from a far. To say he was feeling numb might be an understatement. He felt so much confusion right now. How could God do this to him? Just when he finally gets his father to connect with him, this happens? Of all things...Of all bloody no good things.

"It's ready, come on," Lexie said, opening the car door and breaking his train of thought.

"Alright," Mark agreed, picking up their bags. Lexie took Susie as the family ushered their way into the hotel room on the third floor.

When they got into there, Lexie and Mark both felt the memories flood their mind. "Is this the same room?" Mark asked curiously, looking around.

"Actually...It is," Lexie said, blushing a bit. "I'm not trying to make this romantic, but I just...I was curious if it was available. It just happened to be. I don't want to seem incentive-"

"No...I'm glad you got this room. Really," Mark insisted, smiling at her. "Reminds me of a happier time. When a young vixen of an intern came prancing into my room, demanding for me to teach her."

Lexie smirked, "Oh, stop...But...This is where our journey together began."

"Yeah," Mark agreed, smiling as his eyes trailed around the room. "This is where I realized I wanted a family with you. Right in this exact room."

"And look where we are now," Lexie mused, her smile warm.

Mark sighed while he watched Lexie place their daughter down in her travel crib. Susie was sound asleep, unaware that she just lost her grandfather. The man who's lap she had been playing on only hours before.

"Lex...God, I feel so..." Mark struggled to form words. Lexie sighed. Her heart breaking for her husband.

"I know, Mark. I know," Lexie whispered, approaching him slowly. "It's a hard thing, loosing a parent. It's really hard."

"I just...Why though?" Mark asked, the tears now falling from his eyes. "Why, when he finally decides to come back into my life, he's taken away? It's not fair."

"I know it's not fair," Lexie whispered, cupping his face in her hands. "It'll be alright, I promise. It's going to be alright."

"No it's not, Lex!" Mark cried out, his face in one of his hands. "My dad's not going to be at the wedding. Susie won't get to know either of my parents. Why does this happen? Why do these things keep happening!?"

"I don't know. I really don't know and I wish they didn't," Lexie confessed, tears welding up in her own eyes. "And I understand you're hurting. I am hurting to. You don't think it bothers me that Susie doesn't even realize that her grandfather just died? That tomorrow morning she'll wake up and not even remember him? I saw the way he looked at her, Mark. Your father truly loved our daughter. He wanted to be a family with us. I know it, deep down inside my soul I know."

Mark sighed, bringing his wife into his arms. "I don't want to plan his funeral," He muttered, burying his face into her shoulder. "I don't want to say goodbye just yet."

"I know, Mark. I know," Lexie whispered, hugging him tightly. "I know."

Mark was silent for sometime. He just held onto his wife, trying to compose himself. Lexie didn't say anything either, she just brushed her hand through his hair. Letting the tears fall soundlessly from his eyes.

"Lexie..." Mark finally spoke up quietly.

"Yeah, Mark?" She asked as he pulled away from his wife's shoulder. Lexie couldn't tell how he was feeling. His face was blank.

"I...I want to move," Mark told her simply.

"Move?" Lexie whispered in confusion, raising her eyebrows. "What do you mean, move? Where? Out of the apartment?"

"I...I don't want to be here in Seattle anymore. I just...I just feel like bad things happen here. I don't want anything else bad to happen," Mark said, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Mark...That's just life. Moving won't change anything," Lexie pointed out. "Anyway what about my residency? I don't have that much time left. Transferring would be a pain in the ass right now. Not after all that work I did just to stay in Seattle Grace."

"It'll be after you finish your residency, but when you start to get offers take it anywhere but here. I won't have trouble getting a job. Lexie, I'm the best plastic surgeon in the country. I've been getting hundreds and thousands of offers from hospitals all across the country for years. I could pick any of them nearby. We could start over somewhere," Mark pleaded. "And you're going to a top contender. People want you to work for their hospitals. You're intelligent, resourceful, friendly- Lex, you're the whole package."

"I thought Seattle was your new beginning?" Lexie whispered, puzzled.

"I thought it was. But I can't keep doing this. I just feel so...I feel so awful on the inside. I don't even want to go home," Mark confessed bitterly.

"Mark, you just lost your father. Let's think rationally about this. We can't...We can't do this. My family's here, our family...Susie's family," Lexie pointed out. "Her godparents! What about you're best friends, huh? Derek and Callie? My sister's here! I'm just finally getting to know Meredith, I don't want to leave! Speaking of- what about me!? How is this fair for me? I finally made friends here. I finally could say that I feel like I belong!"

"Lex, it's just a thought! I just...I just don't want to be in a city where there are so many terrible memories, okay? The shooting, almost loosing you and Susie, my dad's death. Not to mention all the other shit that's happened here- I can't stay in Seattle. Nothing good ever happened here!" Mark seethed.

Lexie was silent for a moment, before she finally spoke, "That's a lie."

"Lexie, that's not a lie-"

"What about me, huh Mark? What about us?" Lexie snapped, she then motioned her hands. "This room. Doesn't this room mean anything to you? You were just joking about it an hour before. Teach me. Teach me. Teach me. Us. We happened here. We fell in love here. We started a family here. You met Sloan here. Your grandson was born here! Sure, we had a break-up, but we got over it because we love each other!"

"I didn't mean it like that-"

"And what about Susie? Nothing good happened here, what about our daughter! Our daughter was born here! She is loved here. I'm not ripping her away from her family. Every single doctor in that building is our family. Meredith, Derek, Callie, Arizona, Alex, Jackson, April, hell! Even Cristina! Damn it, we're not leaving. You can't just decide things like this, Mark, and expect I'm going to agree!"

Mark sighed, biting his lip, "Lexie...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...I don't want you to...I just want you to think about it."

"Yeah. I will think about this," Lexie announced bitterly, picking Susie up from her crib. "At Meredith's."

"Lexie!" Mark cried out in fear. "What are you doing?"

"You are clearly not in a right state of mind. You need alone time or something," Lexie retorted, narrowing her eyes at him. "Mark, we're a couple. Couple's discuss things."

Lexie Grey then became to stomp out of the hotel room. She was about to open the door when Mark blocked her way. Susie was crying at this point.

"Mark Sloan, I swear to god move this instant," Lexie ordered fiercely.

"Lexie, please don't go. Please," Mark begged, getting on his hands and knees. "Please. I'm sorry. We won't move. I'm stupid I even suggested that. I just...I'm so sorry."

Lexie suddenly stopped what she was doing. Suddenly, she realized she was the one acting rash now. Lexie sighed, walking over to Mark Sloan.

"No...You're not stupid. I'm sorry, Mark. I just...I'll think about it. I'm sorry. I was just so angry, I wasn't thinking," Lexie told him softly, cupping his cheek. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I'm sorry for pushing another big decision on you," Mark whispered, rubbing his eyes. "I just feel like I'm falling apart, Lex."

Lexie then hushed him, bring her husband into her embrace. Susie in between the two, her crying subsiding as the family of three sat on the floor.

"How about this, let's just think about this rationally...Okay? Because we have to make a decision sometime soon. My residency is ending in a few months. We'll need to figure out where we'll be living permanently. How's that sound?" Lexie suggested calmly.

"Alright. We'll compromise," Mark added.

"Of course. I don't want to do anything you don't want to do. If this place is really bothering you, then we'll figure something out. Let's just wait and think this out. A lot happened today," Lexie told her husband softly, stroking his hair. "Okay?"

"Okay," Mark agreed, hugging on tightly to his wife and daughter.

A week later Mark Sloan stood on Derek and Meredith's property. An urn in his hand with Lexie right beside him. It was just him, Lex, and Susie in her stroller.

Mark decided it would be best not to hold a funeral since he wasn't sure if anyone would come. Maybe his father's old colleges, but Andre Sloan's been retired for quite some time. He sighed, standing still with his wife and daughter.

"I guess this is it," Mark said, holding onto the empty urn. Meredith and Derek let him scatter his father's ashes near the woods by their house. At least it was somewhere peaceful. Mark felt at peace.

"Yeah," Lexie agreed softly, hugging onto his arm.

"At least we left on good terms," Mark said.

"Exactly," Lexie replied, comforting her husband.

"I just wish we had a nice picture of him and Susie...I don't think we have any," Mark mentioned quietly.

"I think I can fix that," Lexie responded, handing him her cell phone. Mark took it curiously to see a picture of his father holding Susie. "Right before..."

"I'm glad we have this," Mark muttered, a smile appearing on his face.

"So...Are you sure about the final decision?" Lexie asked her husband softly. "Are you ready to do this?"

"Yes. I've never been sure of anything in my life...We just have to mention it to the others," Mark muttered, scratching the back of his head.

"We'll worry about that later. For now, let's just take in the moment," Lexie suggested.

"Yeah. I like that idea," Mark agreed, hugging on tightly to his wife and daughter. Nothing could be heard by the stillness of the forest.

Mark and Lexie were about to make the decision of a life time. Problem was, none of their friends knew yet.


A/N: So...Cliffy! What did Mark and Lexie decide to do!? I am proud to announce, there's one more chapter and the epilogue! I can't believe I'm almost done! :) Thanks for reading! And keep a look out for the next update!