Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's Anatomy.

Lexie was in excruciating pain. She felt as though her entire body was being ripped in half. She was currently up on the Labor and Delivery floor, under close monitoring due to her broken rib. Upon her arrival, she had immediately been placed on high-flow oxygen administered through a nasal cannula. Dr. Fields was concerned that her broken rib could cause her even greater pain when breathing than was normal, and had refused to give her an epidural because it would put her at risk for needing an emergency c-section.

Mark hadn't left her side. Lexie didn't know how she felt about this, but she got much greater satisfaction out of nearly crushing his hand in the middle of a contraction than she would have Meredith's.

Lexie had been in labor for almost six hours, and yet she was barely four centimeters dilated. She just wanted it to be over. How someone could sleep while they were in active labor was beyond her, but she figured it had something to do with the epidural. Lexie had never wanted drugs more in her life.

In addition to having his hand crushed, Mark's job was to feed Lexie ice chips. He felt helpless. Here was the love of his life, lying in a hospital bed in excruciating pain as she prepared to deliver their child. And yet, instead of the moment being joyous and beautiful, it was tense and uncomfortable.

Mark knew that Lexie was conflicted about him being there. She had every right to be, he had been awful to her. But there was no where else he would rather be. Not in an OR, or hanging out with Derek or Callie, here, with one, and soon to be two, of his three favorite people in the world.

Lexie was in labor for twenty one hours before she was able to push. "I can't do this anymore."

She cried as another wave of pain ripped through her body. The pain was almost constant now.

"Lexie, you can do this! You're so close! He's almost here!" Meredith encouraged her.

But it wasn't her sister that Lexie needed to hear in this moment. It was Mark. "Mark, please..."

Without hesitation, Mark climbed on the bed, positioning himself behind Lexie so she could lean back against him.

Meredith smiled and slipped out of the room, knowing that this moment was one that Lexie and Mark should share with each other.

Up until this moment, Mark had primarily associated intimacy with sex. But this, Lexie leaning back against him, gripping his hands for support, the way their bodies were pressed together while she pushed, this was the most intimate moment he had ever experienced.

And when Lexie gave that final push that brought their son into the world, the feeling of her collapsing against him as they heard that first cry, it was undoubtedly the most amazing moment of Mark's life.

And when their son was placed in Lexie's arms for the first time, Mark couldn't stop himself from placing a kiss on Lexie's temple. "Thank you." He murmured. "I love you so much. Both of you."

As he cut the cord, severing the physical connection between the love of his life and their child, he couldn't help but notice that Lexie was beaming. "I can't believe that we made him." She whispered. "I can't believe that you and I created this perfect little boy together, and that I get to hold him in my arms."

"So, um, did you have a name?" Mark asked.

Lexie didn't look up from her son as she spoke. "Michael. Michael Everett Sloan."

Mark couldn't love her more than he did in that moment. Of his three children, only his son had his last name. He hadn't expected this. He had expected that his last name would be Grey, or maybe Grey-Sloan if he was lucky. But Lexie had given their son his last name, and that meant more to him than she could ever even realize.

Sitting there in that hospital bed, holding the love of his life who had their son in her arms, reality hit Mark like a brick wall. Lexie was in his arms now, but when she was discharged, she would go back to Meredith's alone. He would visit her and Michael, but that would be all he got. And that wasn't enough. He wanted to be there for everything, feedings and diaper changes and middle of the night snuggles. He wanted it all.

"I'll sleep on the floor." He said, startling Lexie from her fixation on Michael's little fingers.

"What?"

"If you let me stay with you and Michael. I'll sleep on the floor. Or I'll sleep on the couch if you move back in with me. Hell, I'll buy you a house with enough bedrooms for all of us if it means that I get to be there with you and Michael. I don't want to miss anything. I missed most of your pregnancy being a jackass, but I'm not going to make that mistake again and miss out on Michael's life. Even if it means that I have to sleep on the floor."

"What about Sofia?"

"She isn't old enough to spend the night with me yet, and she won't be for a while yet. I'll spend time with her during the day like I always do, but I'm not going to just leave you and Michael. I'll figure it out Lex, but please, let me be with the two of you."

"Okay. But you will sleep on the floor. Work your way up to the couch." Lexie joked. "And don't you dare try to make a move on me."

Mark's heart soared. They had a long way to go, but this was a start.