Author Note - Thank you for all the follows/faves and reviews. This chapter is for animexchick, a review from her made me realise I'd left a plot hole, this includes the fix, so thank you.
Sometimes we're tested. Not to show our weaknesses, but to discover our strengths.
I am responsible for what I say, not what you understand.
Grace hated the fact that she couldn't go check on the interns after their test, but she had an awful headache today. She'd had to get extra meds and the lights were off and the blinds angled to keep the light out as much as possible.
'Gracie?'
She weakly waggled her hand towards the door when Mark spoke.
The door slipped shut again and a moment later the bed dipped slightly behind her and a hand smoothed over her hair. 'Hey there, Gracie. How you doing?' Mark kept his voice low.
'M'kay.' She replied quietly. 'Jus' a headache…not so bad.'
'Don't tell lies, it's naughty.' Mark said as his hand kept moving across her hair. The action more soothing than she'd ever admit.
Grace smiled slightly. 'Says you.'
Mark chuckled softly and then sighed. 'I've told the nurses to keep me updated, but I'm going to be busy since the interns are busy most of the day.'
'Yeah…keep me updated…too?'
'Sure.' Mark leaned over her and kissed her cheek. 'I'll be back as soon as I can.'
Grace nodded and let herself drift off to sleep again.
The next time someone came in, it was dark outside her window.
'Gracie, you awake?'
Grace blinked and saw Mark at the door with others behind him. 'Markie…'
Mark walked over and knelt beside her bed, taking her hand in his. 'We thought we'd stop by before we went to Joe's for Burke's bachelor party.'
Now they had moved into the room a little, Grace could see Preston and Derek more clearly.
'I also wanted to know if you still wanted to go to the wedding tomorrow.' Preston said quietly.
Grace smiled. 'Wouldn't miss it,' she replied. 'Though, I'm not sure I'll be dancing.'
Preston chuckled. 'Well there goes that plan. You were the only one I wanted to dance with besides Cristina.'
'Stick to your soon-to-be-wife,' Derek said, nudging Preston. 'I was going to switch between her and Meredith.'
'You stick to your almost wife, and you stick to your girlfriend,' Mark told them firmly. 'I'm the only one she's dancing with tomorrow. And you will be dancing.' He said with a soft smile and he brushed her hair back. 'Even if you stand on my toes and I hold you up.'
Grace managed a chuckle. 'You've got yourself a deal, Markie.' She blinked a couple of times. 'You'll have to get Debbie to attach a portable IV thingy.'
'IV thingy?' Mark asked, holding back a laugh. 'I thought you went to Harvard?'
'Shush you…' she swatted his arm.
'Okay,' Mark said with a smile. 'I'll swing by your place and pick out a dress and stuff. Then I'll come back and help you fancy yourself up. Then I'll spring you from the joint.'
Grace nodded slightly, starting to drift off again. 'Good plan.'
'Sleep,' she felt a kiss on her forehead. 'I'll see you in the morning.
The next day Mark came by in the morning with a covered dress over one arm and a bag on the other.
'Okay, this is your stuff,' he hung the dress up and put the bag on the bed. 'I talked to that red-headed nurse…Olivia, she said she'd come by and help you get ready. I'll be back in time to take you to the church, but right now I've got to go check on my patients, so that I can take you to the church.'
And then he was gone again, without her even saying anything. Grace saw Debbie appear at the door.
'That was what Mark is like when he has three coffees and no breakfast. Could you get someone to throw food at him please?'
'Literally? Because you'll have volunteers coming out your ears then.'
Grace chuckled and went back to her own breakfast. 'As long as food gets in his mouth…'
Debbie chuckled. 'I'll sort him out. I'm not letting you go with him if he's going to pass out from hunger.'
Grace smiled as Olivia stepped back to admire her work. 'Not too pasty and hasn't-seen-the-sun-for-months?'
'You look stunning.'
She turned and saw Mark smiling at her from the doorway. 'Not so bad yourself.' That was a lie, he looked like sex on a stick. 'Thanks, Olivia, I really appreciate your help.'
'No problem Doctor Mason.' The nurse smiled as she left the room.
Grace carefully got to her feet, which weren't in heels, her legs shaking slightly. 'You always were good at picking out dresses. This didn't come from my closet.'
Mark shrugged. 'I passed the shop on the way to your place.'
The dress was beautiful. It had thick shoulder straps and a bandage style top that was a dark purple. The skirt was swishy and floaty, just how she liked it and had black vines covering the purple fabric. Mark had also brought a black shawl, black shoes and a black handbag from her apartment. As well as a purple jewellery set.
Olivia had curled her hair and pulled it back with the fancy black hairclip Mark had brought and done her face up in a way that didn't show the pain caused shadows on her face.
'Well, I love it, thank you.' Grace felt her knees give way, but before she could fall far, Mark had her in his arms.
'I got you.' He said as he helped her into the wheelchair.
Grace smiled up at him as passed her handbag over. 'You always do.'
Grace and Mark were near the back of the church, where her wheelchair could fit, so they could hear Cristina's freak out quite well.
They looked at each other and hid a smile. Then, Preston walked down the aisle, towards the back room, as he passed them, Grace caught his eye and knew straight away there would be no wedding today.
A few minutes later Grey came out the back room and walked down the aisle. She reached the front and turned to face the room, after a long moment she finally spoke.
'It's over. You can all go home. It's over. So over.'
Grace saw the look on Derek's face but before she could speak, Mark did.
'She broke up with him.' He murmured in Grace's ear. 'That was her breaking up with him.'
'Yeah, it was,' Grace replied as Grey went back into the back room and everyone started talking.
Mark and Grace had waited until most of the guests had left before trying to make their way out of the building. Once outside, Mark had tucked a blanket across her legs.
'Well, looks like we're all dressed up with no place to go,' Grace said with a smile as she watched Grey get in her car and quickly leave.
'How about we go to dinner somewhere nice then?' Mark said after a moment.
Grace thought for a moment and then pulled her cell from her bag. She ignored Mark's questions while she exchanged texts.
He stopped though when Derek walked over to them. 'Derek. You alright?'
Derek managed a slight smile. 'Yeah.'
'No you're not.' Grace said with a snort. 'You're joining us for dinner by the way.'
'That should probably be a question.' Derek replied with a chuckle. Grace just looked at him until he nodded. 'I'm joining you for dinner.'
'Yes, you are.' Grace looked past him and saw Addie. 'Addie, you're coming as well.'
Addie looked startled for a moment and then walked over. 'I'm coming where?'
'I don't know,' Mark said with a shrug. 'She just started texting someone.'
Grace got one more text and smiled happily. 'Okay, I got us a table at the needle in forty minutes.'
'How'd you do that?' Addie asked curiously. 'It usually takes a couple of weeks to get a table there.'
'A five years ago the chef's wife was in a car accident, I managed to save her baby's life.' Grace explained. 'And two years ago the manager went into preterm at 28 weeks, I helped then as well. As a result, I can usually get a table if I really want one.'
Mark started laughing. 'Is that how we got one when I visited last year?'
'Yep.' Grace said as she smiled up at him. 'Now, let's get going.'
'Yes, Ma'am!' Mark said with mock salute.
As the four of them started walking towards the car park, Grace was happy to see that Derek didn't look quite as bad as he did before.
'So, are you going to tell me where you are?' Grace asked later that night after Mark had brought her back to the hosptial and left for the night.
'You tell Sloan everything, and he has a big mouth.'
Grace chuckled. 'Not everything, I can keep a secret.' They both knew what she was talking about.
'I never thanked you for that, did I?'
'You didn't need - '
'Yes I did.' Burke cut in with a sigh. 'You put yourself in a risky position. Even if you aren't practicing at the moment you still consult on cases, write articles...you still could have your license revoked or...something. I should have thanked you a lot sooner.'
Grace smiled into the phone. 'You're welcome Preston. Send me an email now and again, yeah?'
'I will. Oh, and try to have your head fixed before it fails on you? You have two good hands, you should use them.'
Putting the phone down as Preston hung up, Grace smiled at his advice, knowing his words would bounce around her brain everytime the topic came now.
But she couldn't, not yet.
