Hidden Truths
Chapter 36: Shiny Happy People
Nina, against all better judgement, was standing in Meredith Grey's house, holding a glass of apple juice in hand while people mingled. She had lost track of Mark earlier and was left alone for the most part. Cristina had been talking to her before she disappeared to the kitchen, claiming she needed more alcohol. That had been almost half an hour ago.
She sighed, looking down at her baby bump. She was wearing some comfortable pregnancy jeans with a green shirt and leather jacket on. Nina ran a hand over her stomach, taking a sip of her apple juice before she decided to go find Mark. She found him in a room with Derek and Owen.
They were talking about windows.
Nina smiled at the sight of Mark and Derek being friends again. Mark had told her about what had happened when he first arrived; it had taken months before Derek let Mark back in. "So how goes the planning for the Dreamhouse?" Nina asked, moving into the room.
Owen, Derek and Mark looked up. "Very well!" Derek said with a grin. "It's going to be wonderful."
Nina walked over to glaze at the blueprints. Mark wrapped an arm around her waist, rubbing her hip. "Maybe sure to have a room just for Markie. I may get sick of him." She giggled.
Mark rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Oh really?" He asked before kissing her cheek.
Derek smiled at the couple. "There will be a room just for Mark. I think Meredith wants a room for Cristina too."
Owen looked a little uncomfortable at that but didn't comment.
"You know, at my parties, we drink beer and dance on tables." Meredith said dramatically, coming into the room looking very beautiful but also bored. She eyed Nina before settling her eyes on Derek.
"Are you insulting my party?" Derek asked, taking a sip of his drink.
"We have a pregnant woman here, Grey." Mark pointed out, gesturing to his wife's pregnant belly. "She wouldn't let me stay if it was that sort of party."
Meredith kept up her fake smile. "It's getting kind of lame out there though. Everyone is here to support you Derek."
"Duty calls." Derek said as the boys moved away from the table.
They all left except for Nina and Mark. Nina continued to lean into Mark, finishing her apple juice while he finished his drink. He rarely drank anyway, claiming that if it wasn't fair for her to drink then he wasn't either. "I think Meredith hates me." Nina said quietly.
"Why would she hate you?" Mark asked, kissing her head.
She shrugged. "Because I helped Derek after he lost his pregnant lady case." She explained. "And then we became very close friends."
"Come on, let's go have fun." Mark said leading his wife out of the room. Nina didn't fight Mark as they went to find Callie. They found her sipping on something while watching Arizona. Mark kept his arm around Nina. "You're staring again." He commented, glazing over at Arizona, Callie's ex-girlfriend.
"I am not." Callie said scowling, but continued to watch Arizona from afar.
"Wanna come back to our place and play board games with Ethan? I'm sure he wouldn't mind having his Auntie Callie around." Mark commented.
Callie sighed, "I don't want to bother you right now. And I don't feel like bothering you with your perfect life." She said before storming out of the house.
Nina felt terrible, and was about to follow but Mark shook his head. "She needs space to cool down." Mark kissed her nose. "Why don't you go get some food? Go to the kitchen. See if you can find something for you to enjoy."
Nina nodded and left to go find something to calm her cravings. She ended up taking a tray filled with mini cheese and ham quiches. She returned to Mark to find Reed flirting with her husband. She listened to see if she could scare the resident.
"Doctor Sloan, I just wanted to say that your work with Doctor Shepherd on that acoustic neuroma was amazing." Doctor Reed said with sparkling eyes. "I was…inspired."
"Thank you." Mark said, giving her a smirk. He always enjoyed being praised.
Nina walked over and frowned noticing just how doe eyed Reed appeared. "Ah, Doctor Adamson!" She said moving to her husband's side, letting Mark take her tray filled with quiches. "How are you? Enjoying your evening?"
Jackson and April watched from afar as Reed's face turned bright red. "Doctor Kn-Sloan! I didn't realize you were here tonight!" Reed said with embarrassment.
Nina kept her body tucked close to Mark's. "Yeah, I found a babysitter last minute so I could support my best friend, Doctor Shepherd." She said smoothly. Mark took a bite of a quiche, unaware that these two girls were having a showdown…over him.
"Ah yes, ha-ha!" Reed said awkwardly. "Oh, I think I hear someone calling my name. If you'll excuse me!" She rushed off and back to her friends. April scowled and scolded her about going after another woman's man.
Nina turned back to Mark. "Are they good?"
He nodded. "Very. Here, try one." He fed her one and she let out a content sigh. Mark really wasn't looking at any other woman. He just wanted her and that made her extremely happy.
~x~
After the party, Nina and Mark returned home. Their babysitter, a young sixteen-year-old girl with wide brown eyes and red hair named Candice but everyone just called Candy, told them that Ethan was wonderful and had gone to bed.
"Thank you again Candy," Nina said as she handed the girl the money she had earned. "I know it was on such short notice- "
"It's fine Mrs. S!" Candy reassured her. "Ethan's an awesome kid. I was just going to sit around and watch Netflix all alone anyway. Why not enjoy it with someone else?"
Nina laughed gently and nodded. "Thank you."
Candy smiled and got ready to go. "See ya Mr. S!"
"See ya Candy." Mark waved to the girl. Candy slipped out of the room. Candy and her family lived down a few floors from them.
Now alone, Nina waddled over to her husband who was in the kitchen. He kissed her lips. "Why don't we enjoy some time alone while Ethan's asleep?"
She giggled. "Well I guess we could…Mr. Sloan." Nina giggled and hurried to the bedroom. Mark speedily followed his wife to their bedroom.
~x~
Mark was ready to head into surgery; he hated causing his patients pain, but he had to focus on saving this woman. Her hand was infected and he had to cut off three of her five fingers. As he entered the scrub room, he saw Miranda Bailey. He gave the woman a nod and walked over to the sink, beginning to wash his hands.
"W-" Bailey looked very determined but also very confused. "Was the sex with Knight – was it lousy? Is that why you cheated on her before? Did she disappoint you?"
Mark gave the woman an offended look in his eyes and he frowned under his mask. "What? No. No!" He told her firmly. He could tell that she was questioning him because of something else, so that was why he didn't shut her down.
"Is one woman never enough for some men?" Bailey pressed on. "I-I-no, I-I really want to know because I- me, I think I'm a good judge of character. I-I am…a good judge of character, and I- and I… and Knight is a good judge of character. And then she trusted you."
As Bailey raved, Mark kept shooting her offended looks under his mask. But he could tell Bailey needed to rant so he allowed it.
"She trusted you and then you go… I-I just want to know." Bailey expressed, looking to Mark for answers on why Ben Warren looked to other women, thinking he was cheating on her.
Mark sighed. "I regret cheating on Nina with Carly. If I hadn't, I would have been there to raise Ethan with Nina. Maybe we would have had a few more kids. We would be able to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary soon. But it didn't happen like that and I hate it. At the time, I felt like Nina was suffocating me. I felt like I wasn't myself but really, I feared the man I was turning into. I thought I might turn into my parents, and I didn't want that sort of marriage." Mark explained, turning to look at his hands. Bailey looked ready to interrupt but Mark continued. "But right now, this time around, I don't plan on losing Nina. She's my everything, Bailey, and I don't want you or anyone thinking otherwise."
Bailey frowned, "How do you know you won't do it again?"
Mark swallowed thickly before answering, "Because I know what I have and I know how it feels it lose my everything."
Even though Bailey wanted to continue, she shook her head and went into the OR. Mark followed.
~x~
After finishing the surgery, Bailey asked if Mark wanted to ask the anesthesiologist to light up the patient. "You could always ask me yourself." Ben Warren said scowling under his mask.
Bailey didn't look at him. "Do you want to light her up?" Mark asked. Ben turned to do his job. Mark studied Bailey; he could see that she need something good to grip to. "No. Wait. I want to do the hair restoration."
"What about the chance of infection?" Meredith asked from behind Mark.
"Infection looked pretty isolated." Jackson peeped up from his seat beside Bailey.
"Do you think we can do it?" Bailey asked, looking pretty hopeful.
"Seems to me, that we are all in need of a little magic today." Mark said, glancing up at Bailey. "Right, Doctor Bailey? Let's do it!"
Bailey smiled under her mask, finally seeing that Mark was much more than just some man whore.
~x~
Nina was floating on surgery high; she had just placed a peace maker in a patient's chest and had made sure he and the woman he was in love with were okay, before she headed home. She changed into her normal clothes and then left the hospital, waiting by the car for Mark. She ran a hand over her baby bump and smiled seeing her husband run to meet up with her. They embraced and kissed. Once they pulled back, Nina spoke. "I never want to ever lose you again, Mark. Ever. Two of my patients…they loved each other but had to walk away. I don't want to regret anything in 50 years." She explained.
Mark smiled gently. "I'm sorry I slept with Carly, Nina. I regretted it as soon as it happened. And I promise never to cheat on you ever again." He leaned down and kissed her. "Also, baby, would you look at this and tell me what you think?" He handed her his phone.
Nina felt tears prickle her eyes as she glazed down at the screen, seeing a Midcentury Modern, a house by the ocean of Seattle. In the deception, it said to have five bedrooms, three bathrooms and it was modern so everything was up to date. It was perfect. "It's perfect Mark…" She whispered happily. Nina pulled him into a hug and kissed him passionately. She felt like she could fully trust him now, because for so long, all she wanted from Mark was to hear him say he was sorry.
~x~
Up Next: Sanctuary: Nina is happy. Mark is happy. They're slowly but surely moving into their new home. If only today would continue to make them happy.
Hey everyone. Yup, tomorrow this story is one-year-old. Wow. I'm shocked! I never thought that anyone would even be interested in it, but you are and I'm so happy! Also, Happy Valentine's Day! ;)
Anyway, congrats to "Mrs. Donald Flack Jr", you're the 200th reviewer! Thank you so much everyone. :) Hopefully, I'll have your fic up soon!
REVIEWS
NicholeR85: Isn't Ethan just the cutest? Haha. I hope you enjoyed!
H: It's okay! Don't worry. :) I love having Derek as Ashlie's Godfather. He's earned it. I'm with you. I wasn't sure about the marriage thing, but I am still rooting for them too. Which is why they're married and happy. Also, to put in extra kick for the whole shooting episodes…spoilers. #BURNTHECOUCH! Who's your favorite character? O.o Ethan will one day be a neuro surgeon 'cause he wants to be like his Uncle Derek. Hehe. And She-Sloan is awesome. I'm playing with the name "Sloanette" too. What do you think? I never liked Percy but his death still hurt me. UGH. Anyway, of course Ethan looked cute. He's a mini Mark. ;) I hope you enjoyed!
Mia: Yes, of course there will be drama. Isn't there always with Mark and Nina?
Mrs. Donald Flack: I'm glad. I love it too. It's my little baby. :) Anyway, Mark should have suffered a little more but Nina is always one to be dramatic. She loves to make sure she is saying a statement. And, well, she loves Mark. Anyway, I'll message you about your reward!
SO, thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I hope you've enjoyed this story! Only two more chapters to go…hehe… ;) Also, go check out my profile for what their house looks like!
Xoxo,
Nerdy~
PLEASE REVIEW!