N/A: First of all I will start by apologizing for the long absence. I had major trouble bringing this chapter up. I had two other attempts, but I think I succeeded with the third.
I was going to end this fic with this chapter, but new ideas popped into my head and now I have 2 more chapters to write. I hope you're going to enjoy these last chapters and I will do my best not to let you wait for so many months again. Thank you for all your support.
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Chapter 37 - Rainy, but warm
Mark ran to the porch, hurrying to shield from the pouring, chill rain.
"Damn rain. Damn Seattle." he muttered under his breath while shaking the rain off his jacket.
Though he had a life here in Seattle now, Mark still didn't get used to its rainy weather, no matter how warm his life had turned in the past months in this sun-deprived city.
As he ran his fingers through his hair and looked out at the door, Mark forgot about the rain and all the things he hated about Seattle. He could never hold back a smile as he came home in the evening and stopped in front of the door. He grabbed the door handle and hurried inside, anxious to see his little girl and his pregnant fiancé. His day had been successful at work today, even amazing, and he wanted to talk about it with his girls, with Meredith in particularly as Alicia wouldn't understand a word.
Mark made a step inside only when he heard his daughter's whimper as she ran to him, calling him desperately, "Daddy! Daddy!"
Alicia tripped over so she stopped to kick off the slipper and pull up her pajamas pants before she picked up her run to her father.
Mark's heart skipped as he saw the serious worry on Alicia's face. He closed the door and knelt down, receiving his girl. Alicia stopped straight into his arms and cuddled there with her new best friend in her arms, a stuffed chipmunk.
"What's wrong, Ally?" Mark asked her, tucking her hair behind the ears.
Alicia pulled back to be able to look at him and sniffed as she frowned. "Mommy's upset."
"What?" Mark asked her, confused. Just then, as he looked up and listened, he heard some muffled shouts coming from upstairs.
"Why is she upset?" he asked Alicia, already standing up and ready to go and check on Meredith.
Alicia held on his hand as she tried to keep up the pace with him. Doughnut came to greet him, but Mark just hissed at him, so the dog whimpered apologetically and stepped aside.
"You know what?" they heard Meredith yelling at someone. "There ain't going to be any wedding!" then the sound of a slammed door was heard.
"Now there's no need for you to snap at me, Meredith!" Izzie seemed to be the one who had a fight with Meredith. "It wasn't me who pushed the wedding date so many times."
"Daddy," Alicia whispered as she looked up at her father as if he could explain what was happening.
Mark wasn't sure what all was about, but he could make an idea, besides, whatever was going wrong, was upsetting Meredith seriously. Hearing her calling the wedding off was as serious matter. He bent down to Alicia and smiled reassuringly. "Why don't you go play with Doughnut?"
Alicia looked worried at him. "And Mommy?"
"I will take care of her. Don't worry," Mark reassured her and spun her around, urging her to go and do something else; just not to assist to what was coming next.
He angrily climbed up the stairs and found his mother in front of the bathroom door, trying to convince Meredith to come outside. Until he reached upstairs, Izzie had left into their bedroom, where probably Derek's sister and mother were too.
Their wedding was now 4 days ahead and the preparations were supposed to get to the end. Some of the guests were due to arrive to Seattle in the following days, but at Meredith's plea, they were going to sleep over at Archfield. As far as he knew, today was the day when Meredith was supposed to receive her dress, so Mark could easily take a guess on what the issue was.
"Go and do something else," Mark said dryly to his mother as he grabbed the door handle.
Crystal didn't argue and stepped back, letting Mark calm Meredith down. As he tried to open the door, Mark found it locked.
"Leave me alone!" Meredith shouted from inside.
"Meredith," Mark answered and knocked once. He listened at the door and could hear Meredith's uneven breathing. "Let me in, Mer," he asked softly.
Mark heard her struggle and soon she was opening the door. Mark walked inside slowly while Meredith walked back to the bathtub, sliding down against it, probably where she had stood so far. Mark closed the door quietly and walked over to the place where she folded her hands in her lap and started sobbing. He put his arm around her shoulders and gently pulled her to him.
"It's my fault," Meredith muttered with hoarse voice, sniffing. "Now I have no wedding dress."
Mark pushed the hair out of her face. "Mer…"
"You know what pisses me off the most?" Meredith continued and looked up at him. "The fact that I have to follow their plan. I don't like their plan and this is my wedding, not theirs. It's ours. You said you didn't care about the wedding so much; what I wear, what you wear. I don't care either."
"Meredith," Mark took her hand and looked into her eyes. "Before we solve this, I want you to calm down. Don't let the blood pressure go too high." He comfortingly rubbed her arm as she slowly started calming down.
She repositioned herself down on the bathroom floor and leaned her body against him, wrapping her arms around her 8 month pregnant bump. "He has been kicking all morning," she muttered. "I think he's calmer now."
Mark chuckled as he gently put a hand on her baby bump. "I bet he was yelling at the bunch of crazy women to shut the hell up and let him sleep."
Meredith managed to smile. She let out a sigh and put her head down on his shoulder. "4 more weeks and a half."
Mark nodded and couldn't hold the huge smile. "It's been quite a ride."
"Long," Meredith sighed.
Throughout the pregnancy Meredith had to take time off many times as the stress and fatigue were causing her blood pressure ran too high and cause distress to the baby. She was on maternity leave now, but there was still no sign of peace and quiet as the wedding was due in a few days only.
This was a moment of peace and quiet; a moment Meredith needed the most. She closed her eyes and just listened to Mark's breathing against her forehead.
Her eyes snapped opened and Mark was about to shout when they heard the door handle moving. Before Mark could say anything, Doughnut came running inside, closely followed by a very worried Alicia.
Mark smiled at her. "Close the door and come here."
Alicia did as her father had told her to do and then turned and looked at them, worried. She couldn't understand why they were sitting on the bathroom floor. Her eyes lingered on Meredith as she suspected she could be sick.
"Come and sit with us," Mark told her, holding his hand out for her.
Doughnut laid down and put his head on Meredith's lap, while Alicia came and sat down between her parents. As no one seemed to do or say anything there, Alicia stood confused and peeked at each of them from the corner of her eyes, waiting.
Alicia could bear the silence a minute only. She let out a sigh and looked at Meredith and then at Mark as she asked, "What do we do?"
Meredith and Mark started laughing.
"We sit," Mark answered.
Alicia frowned, still confused. "Ok," she nodded.
She stood like that for another few seconds and then she looked back at Mark. "Why?"
"Because it's quiet here," he answered.
Alicia still wasn't completely clear with what was going on, but she looked resigned with it. She looked at Meredith with sad eyes and asked quietly, "Are you sick?"
Meredith smiled her at her and stroked her cheek. "I am just a little bit tired."
Alicia nodded her head as she stated knowingly. "I sleep when I am tired and then, when I wake up, I feel a little sleepy but it goes away quickly. Do you want a cookie?"
Meredith giggled at Alicia's cute concern. "I am fine."
"We'll just hide for a little while here," Mark said.
Alicia turned and looked at him, confused. "From whom?"
"Didn't you see the witches?" he asked her.
Alicia's eyes grew huge with horror and put her hand to her mouth as she gasped. "Witches?" she asked in a trembling whisper and grabbed her Daddy's hand.
"Mark," Meredith scolded, laughing. "One of them is your mother."
Mark rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Those nasty women that were upsetting your mother when I came home," Mark explained to Alicia.
Alicia was staring at him now. She turned and looked at Meredith, asking, "He speaks ugly about grandma?"
Meredith nodded, hardly fighting back a laugh. Of course Alicia wouldn't allow having her grandma mocked. She furrowed her brows and her eyes shot glares to her father, "You're a bad boy."
Mark chuckled and smirked at her, "I've been told that before. Tell me something new."
"Grandma says…" Alicia started lecturing in a very serious, adult-like manner. "Children have to be nice with parents. I am nice with you," she pointed out.
"Except for the times when you call me a bad boy or silly daddy, or silly or however names you have given me and I don't know about," Mark replied.
Meredith had to admit she was feeling much better now. She always found amusing the little taunt between father and daughter, especially when Alicia was right. Meredith didn't know anything about Alicia's birth mother, but she could see part of Mark's temper in Alicia's; she was as stubborn as he was and she always had the right replies as he had.
"Ok, that's enough," Meredith cut in. They were funny, but one of them could also become rude to the other.
Both of them took deep breaths and calmed down, smiling more relaxed now.
"We play hide and seek?" Alicia asked excitedly, clapping her hands.
Doughnut stirred and looked up at Alicia's clap, ready to react if it was necessary.
"We don't play hide and seek," Mark answered. "We need to solve the problem with have with the wedding," he explained and looked at Meredith. "What's the matter?"
Meredith sighed and leaned against the bathtub, surrounding her bump with her arms. "The wedding dress is not fitting me anymore," she muttered. She took a deep breath and looked at Mark, "I know you don't care about the dress and party and… I don't think I care anymore either. It's too stressing. Why people get this complicated with their weddings? I mean, the ceremony is the most important. You sign a paper and you change your last name. I don't understand…"
Mark silenced her as he put a finger against her lips and smiled. "You say you don't care about the party." Meredith shook her head. Mark thought for a moment and then concluded, "You don't even know half of the guests." Meredith nodded. Mark let his finger slip from her lips. "What do you say if we take two witnesses and Alicia and we try to get an appointment to the city hall sooner than the wedding day?"
As he asked her that, Mark could see Meredith was thrilled with the idea. "What about the wedding dress?"
"You can throw it away and find a pregnancy dress," he shrugged. "You'd look great in a night gown too."
Meredith giggled, visibly flattered with Mark's compliment. "I like my wedding dress, but being pregnant and with its design…" she sighed. "I look like… a planet in this dress."
As she looked up at Mark, Meredith saw his face red, crumpling as he was holding back a laugh. Meredith giggled and slapped him playfully. Mark finally burst loudly into laugh and pulled her into his arms. "No mother of my children looks like a planet."
Innocently, not understanding them very well, Alicia stated, "You look like a mommy."
"You tell her that," Mark chuckled and pulled his daughter into his arms as well. He kissed each of them on the forehead and then pulled Alicia away to be able to look at her. "What do you say if we don't have a party for the wedding?"
No party? Alicia mused. She didn't like that idea so much. She had been looking forward to spending time with her cousins and wearing the beautiful dress Meredith had chosen for her.
Mark could easily read her. "Your birthday will come in two months and we could have small party then. Then, after your brother is born and he will be old enough to travel, we'll fly to New York and visit your cousins." Alicia smiled, but she wasn't entirely comforted with that. "Meredith isn't feeling very well and the wedding party could make her feel even worse. We don't want her to get sick, do we?" This kind of emotional blackmail would always work with Alicia and Mark knew it very well.
"I don't want to," Alicia smiled reassuringly at Meredith.
Meredith felt pity for Alicia. She didn't want to disappoint her. "Mark," Meredith wanted to ask him, but he anticipated it and shook his head.
"She understands perfectly and she's not disappointed," he said, stroking Alicia's hair. "Right, Ally?"
"I am not," Alicia smiled.
"Besides," he added. "With no party going on and with the cake already paid, who do you think will eat it?"
Alicia gasped excitedly.
"See?" Mark laughed. "Problem solved. God I am good," he sighed proudly.
"Ok, if you're this good, then are you sure you can get an appointment to the city hall?" Meredith asked him.
Mark smirked at her. "Didn't you see my previous blackmail?" he asked, tilting his head to Alicia.
"What if it won't work?"
"You don't have to worry about anything. I assure you I can get an appointment. Trust me."
Meredith looked doubtfully at him. "You're not going to get to jail after this, are you?"
Mark laughed and shook his head. "I promise."
Meredith had to admit that his confidence was defending. "What witnesses are we going to take? I want Cristina."
"And I want Derek. Another problem solved."
"How about your mother, Mark? She's been waiting for this wedding since the day you were born," she pointed out.
Mark rolled his eyes dramatically. "I could ask my mother to come."
"What will everyone else say? Won't they be mad?" Meredith asked then.
"Do you care?"
Meredith shrugged, not very sure.
Mark groaned at her answer. "You have to think very well what you want, Meredith. Either we go on with the preparations for the wedding or we just go to the city hall and get married. I am up to whatever you choose. But, I don't want to hear complaints later."
Meredith would have liked to have her other friends with her; George, Izzie, even Alex and Dr. Bailey. Those were like family to her. "Maybe we'll have a small gathering one day."
Mark smiled and nodded. "We could arrange something. As for what people will say… They don't have to know," he stated. "We can tell them the next day after we got married."
"What if you're mom doesn't agree with it?"
Mark briefly closed his eyes and suppressed a groan. "Then she's not invited. Although I don't think she will disagree. Much."
Mark took Meredith's hand intertwined his fingers with hers. "So?"
Meredith smiled and nodded. "Ok. Let's do it."
Mark turned and looked at Alicia. "Al, this is secret plan. None has to find out about it. Are we clear?" he asked her and drew an imaginary zipper across his lips.
Alicia knew what that gesture meant already. She smiled mischievously and nodded as she did the same.
"My a… bottom is numb," Mark winced, correcting his language, as he stood up. "Are we good to go outside now?" he asked Meredith, but not really expecting an answer as he was holding his hand out for her.
Meredith bit her lip and smiled apologetically at him. "Can't we sit a little bit longer?"
"On the bathroom floor?" Mark smiled, less excited. "Nice. Fun," he grumbled as he took his seat back down on the floor.
Meredith giggled as she scooted closer to him and wrapped her arms around his. Mark kissed the top of her head and soon gave up on his grumpiness.
"Ok, so what are we going to do on the bathroom floor?" he asked. "I have some ideas, but Ally needs to go."
"I don't want to go," Alicia whimpered.
"She doesn't want to go, so my ideas failed," Mark chuckled. "So?" he asked Meredith.
"I don't know," Meredith giggled. "We sit and hide here."
"Are we hiding in the bathroom in our own house?" Mark asked, making a face.
"We just sit here together, Mark," Meredith said. "It's a nice bathroom," she mused as she looked around. She giggled when she saw Mark's worried face.
Doughnut lifted his head as if something had disturbed him, and smelled Meredith's baby bump, bringing his muzzle closer to it. He suddenly jumped up and became more alert. He leaned his head down and his muzzle started patting Meredith's baby bump.
Alicia and Mark were looking curiously at the dog, Mark being ready to shoo him away from Meredith. Meredith giggled and made them a sign to stay still and quiet.
Doughnut didn't seem to be able to calm down until he didn't solve the mystery. He started smelling Meredith's bump all around until Meredith burst into laugh and took his head between her hands, playing with his ears.
"There's a baby in there, Doughnut," she told him and then turned to the others. "He felt the baby's kicks."
"And that's a reason to behave this creepy?" Mark frowned.
"Leave him alone," Meredith rolled her eyes. She put a hand on her baby bump and told Doughnut, "The baby went back to sleep now."
Doughnut smelled Meredith's bump again and as nothing was coming from there anymore, he laid down and put his head back on her lap.
"Seriously now, what are we going to do on the bathroom floor?" Mark asked Meredith.
"Let's talk about Alicia's day," she suggested and smiled at Alicia as she twisted a lock of her hair around her finger. "How was your day at kindergarten, Ally?"
Alicia just shrugged, letting them know that nothing from her day deserved to be related.
Mark was about to protest when Doughnut stood up again. This time, he turned and watched the door, so the others knew someone was coming.
The door opened indeed and Crystal sneaked her head inside, a little surprised to find everyone sitting on the bathroom floor. She knew Mark's temper, so she hesitated before she quietly asked, "Is everything alright here?"
"Yes," Meredith smiled reassuringly.
"We sit," Alicia cleared that out. "We hide from the witches," she stated innocently, forgetting that the term of 'witch' had been used rudely by her father.
Crystal though didn't have trouble understanding which the witches were. She shook her head disappointingly as she looked at Mark.
"Do you need anything?" she asked them. "Blanket, pillows, something to eat?"
"Something to eat," Alicia smiled.
Everyone laughed while Alicia looked frustrated at them, not understanding what was so funny.
"We're good here," Mark nodded. "We're not planning on sitting here all night."
"Ok," Crystal whispered and pulled her head back, closing the door.
Alicia stood up and walked at Meredith's side, bending to her ear and whispering, "I need to pee."
Meredith giggled and pointed to the toilet, "I think you know where it is."
Alicia looked at Meredith, now and then glancing at Mark.
"What is it?" he asked them.
"She needs to pee," Meredith answered.
Same as Meredith, Mark pointed to the toilet. "It's right behind you."
But finding the toilet didn't seem to be Alicia's real problem. She was staring at her father now, expecting. Mark and Meredith looked at each other, confused.
"You can't stay," Alicia finally muttered.
"What? Why?" Mark asked, even more confused.
Meredith was the first one who understood. "Are you ashamed of your father?" she giggled.
Alicia glared at her, but nodded her head.
Mark was staring at his daughter, dumbfounded. "But I gave you a bath last night and you didn't look shy."
"Daddy," Alicia whimpered.
Mark looked at Meredith as if he wanted to make sure that he wasn't imagining things.
"Maybe it's just a phase," Meredith giggled. "Help me up," she propped her hand against Mark's as he wrapped an arm around her and helped her stand up.
"Where this phase showed up from?" Mark grumbled, glancing with a glare at his daughter. Alicia was getting impatiently as Mark was late to leave the bathroom. He held his arm around Meredith as they walked to the door, but he stopped and stopped Meredith too. "Are you going to pee your pants if we don't leave?"
"Mark," Meredith scolded and opened the door, pushing him outside. "She's growing up, Mark. You should get used to this idea."
"She's not even five yet," Mark grumbled. "Go and lay down. I don't want to see you wandering all over the house. You need rest," he said and walked her to their bedroom, opening the door for her. He switched the lights on and didn't let her go until he took her to the bed and helped her lay down. "Do you need anything?"
"Will you join me soon?"
"What do you want me to bring?" he smiled.
"Ice cream, Ally and the Snow White Dvd," she answered. Mark frowned. He had expected to something else, something that required privacy. Meredith giggled. "Maybe after Ally goes to bed," she answered, knowing what he was thinking. "But you know we have to be careful with my blood pressure."
Mark chuckled. "Is sex all you can think about?"
"Like you aren't," Meredith laughed, pinching his hand.
"Me? Never," he acted innocent, but his cocky smile soon betrayed him. He kissed her hand and then leaned down and dropped a kiss on her forehead too. "It will worth the waiting. By all its meanings. I am going downstairs and see if I can shoo those women out of our house. Call me if you need anything," he said and brought Meredith's mobile phone closer to her on the nightstand.
Meredith nodded, so Mark stood up and turned the lights off as he walked out of the room. Alicia could still be heard in the bathroom, talking to Doughnut. He rolled his eyes and shook his head before he headed down the stairs.
Mark heard voices coming from the kitchen and the rage he had felt when he came home returned and ran through his system. He stomped into the kitchen and everyone went quiet.
His mother, Izzie, Derek's mother Crystal and his sister Clara, and Cristina were sitting around the table. Mark took a deep breath, and surprisingly, he kept his voice calm. "I don't know what's wrong with you people. You know very well about Meredith's condition and you keep stressing her with the wedding and the wedding dress. If Meredith didn't need me when I came home, I would have thrown you out myself. Now, I am just going to ask you to leave the house. Quietly. It's late and we're all tired of you."
"I tried to…" Cristina wanted to excuse herself, but Mark cringed and held his hand up.
"I am very disappointed of you," he said. He looked at the women and waited.
Everyone started standing up, muttering something under their breaths.
"I said quietly," Mark reminded them. "You stay," he told Cristina, grabbing her by the arm.
"Why?" Cristina wanted to pull her hand back, panicked.
"Just stay and wait," he said dryly. He let go of her arm and walked the others to the door.
His mother stopped and smiled at him as she whispered, "That wasn't so rude. Congratulations."
Mark chuckled and kissed his mother on the forehead. "I will talk to you in the morning. Get some rest."
With all the unwelcomed guests gone, Mark returned in the kitchen, where Cristina was impatiently waiting for Mark to come and explain her why he had retained her. The front door opened and soon Derek showed up in the kitchen as well.
"Why was my sister ready to kill someone?" he asked with a chuckle.
"Because they failed in killing Meredith," Mark rolled his eyes. He took two beers out of the refrigerator and put them on the table for Derek and Cristina. Derek said he wasn't going to drink, so Mark opened it for himself. "I talked to Meredith about the wedding and we changed the plans a little," he told them when they were all sitting around the table.
Mark was interrupted as Doughnut ran inside, closely followed by Alicia. Mark picked her up and put her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her.
"Meri is snoring," she whispered to him, giggling.
Mark chuckled and kissed her. "We want to call off the wedding," he went on telling Derek and Cristina about his plan.
"Again?" Derek asked, surprised. "Mark, the wedding is only four days away."
"But…" Mark cut him off. "We are going to get married earlier. Hopefully tomorrow at the city hall."
Cristina and Derek looked at each other, confused at first.
"Meredith agreed with it?" Cristina asked him.
"Yes. I just need to get an appointment. You two are going to be our witnesses. Also, we want to keep this secret from the rest of the guests."
"How about your mother?" Derek asked him.
"I will tell her tomorrow," Mark answered. "This wedding puts too much pressure on Meredith and she doesn't need it."
"That sounds more like Meredith," Cristina sighed with relief. "Izzie had poisoned her brain with her ideas."
"Cristina, I need you to come with me in the morning and find a dress for Meredith. She says she doesn't care much about it, but a little she does. And Derek, I want you to go and pick up the rings from the jewelry store. We were supposed to take them tomorrow anyway. In the meantime I will call for a limo."
"And my dress, daddy," Alicia reminded him.
"What about your dress?" he asked her.
"Izzie has it," Cristina answered for Alicia.
"Can you retrieve it by noon?" Mark asked.
"Can you fix my face afterwards?" she asked back.
Mark smirked at her. "You won't recognize yourself."
Cristina rolled her eyes and stood up. "Can I be excused now? I am about to have an aneurysm in my brain."
"You can go," Mark chuckled.
Derek stood up as well. "I am going to go too then. It looks like you need rest here." He bent down to Alicia and kissed the top of her head. "You don't need to walk us to the door." he stopped in the doorway and said to Mark, "Are you sure this is what you want?"
"Very sure. I know your mom and sisters are involved in this but..."
"I know," Derek smiled reassuringly. "Is your wedding after all. Good night, Mark, Ally."
"Bye, Deri!" Alicia waved at him.
Left alone, Alicia cuddled into her father's arms, putting her head on his chest. "Why doesn't it rain so much here, Daddy? Lucy said it rains when the sky is crying. Why is the sky crying?"
Mark dropped a kiss on her cheek and hugged her tighter. "Maybe there are many sad people in this city."
"I am not sad," she stated, turning to look at her father. "I am happy."
Mark smiled at her. "What do you say if we take Meredith, the baby and grandma and go back to New York?"
The look on Alicia's face as he suggested that surprised Mark. She didn't look happy at all with the idea. She started shifting in his lap and avoiding to look at him.
Mark sighed and smiled as he kissed her. "You already have a life here. We have a life here already."
He didn't like the rainy Seattle, but he had to admit that he liked the life he had there.
"What do you say if we take the rain coats and take Doughnut out for a short walk in the garden?" Mark suggested.
"But Daddy, it's raining and I am not allowed outside in the rain," she sounded like she was scolding him.
Mark smiled and put her down. "I know, but it's summer and warm outside and we're taking the raincoats with us. This way we give Meri time to wake up so that we can eat ice cream and watch Snow White together."
Alicia was child though and Mark's plan would have loved to any child. "I'll put the shoes on!" she shouted, running out of the kitchen.
Mark chuckled smugly. Yes, rainy, but warm. He really liked his new life in Seattle.