Author's Notes: A short chapter, but this is where the story naturally broke up. Next chapter will have Mrs. Shepherd! If there's anything that you'd like to see in this story, just let me know. I'm starting to wind it down, but I'm having a hard time connecting some chapters. Hope that you're still enjoying it!

"Are you sure you want me here?" Lexie asked for what felt like the thousandth time as they waited at arrivals for Sloan's flight.

Mark laughed and grabbed her hand, intertwining their fingers. "Lexie, you're already here. We came in the same car. How exactly are you planning on escaping?"

"It's an airport. There are cabs all around here. I could escape very, very easily if you decide that you don't want me here to pick up your daughter," she hissed at him.

Mark shook his head and cupped her cheek, brushing a gentle kiss across her lips. "Lex. Calm down. I want you here. And I'm sure that Sloan will be excited to see you."

"Oh gross!"

Lexie smirked. "Wanna bet?" she whispered, before they both turned to Sloan, who was standing in front of them with a disgusted expression on her face.

"I go away for two weeks and you guys hook up? Come on!" The girl shook her head, trying to keep the disgusted expression on her face, but she broke and laughed, smiling at the two in front of her. "Jesus, it took you long enough. If I had to sit through another dinner where you two were just staring at each other and laughing at each other's dumb jokes, I was going to puke. And I hate puking – morning sickness taught me that much."

"How was the trip? Was the flight ok?" Mark asked, moving to grab Sloan's bags.

Sloan smiled. "It was fine. Seeing my mom was…really good. It was really good to be back there with her and see some of my friends. But I'm also glad to be back here. It was weird being there and being pregnant…like actually pregnant." Sloan shook her head and turned to Lexie, her eyes gleaming. "Now I want to know how you went from definitely not dating to kissing in the airport. But not like…too many gross details."

Lexie laughed and shook her head, as they made their way out to the car.

As much as Lexie would have liked to have stayed with Sloan and Mark, she had the night shift for the next three days at the hospital. She sighed, taking another sip of her coffee as she continued charting. Normally she'd be doing charts in her favorite supply closet, but the hospital was quiet enough that she was sitting on one of the gurneys out in the hall.

"Hey."

Lexie looked up at the familiar voice. George. She sighed softly and steeled herself. She'd barely spoken to George in weeks and could only imagine what he'd have to say. "Hey."

"Can I sit?" he asked, and she nodded, scooting over on the gurney so that he could sit next to her.

"So…you and Sloan? After all that denial that anything was going on? Were you sleeping with him the whole time?"

Lexie sighed, shutting the chart. No beating around the bush, then. She shook her head. "Not that it's any of your business, George, but no. I haven't actually even slept with him at all. Well once, but it was literal sleeping, not sexy sleeping."

"But he dropped you off at the hospital today."

Lexie rubbed at her forehead. "Oh my god, seriously that's all that it took to get the rumor mill going?"

"You also were wearing his Columbia sweatshirt when you got in today," George said, his voice way too neutral to be true. He was obviously masking his real feelings.

"Just out with it, George. What do you really want to say to me?" she asked, finally looking at him.

"It's just…Mark Sloan, Lexie? Do you know how stupid you look thinking that you're dating Mark Sloan?" He reached out and rested his hand on her shoulder. "I'm just worried about you, Lexie. I'm your friend."

Lexie's jaw tightened and she shrugged his hand off her shoulder. "No, you're not, George. I'm not sure if we were ever really that good of friends to begin with. I am dating Mark Sloan right now, but I've been friends with him, actual friends, for months! And he's been a much better friend to me than you ever were, ok?" She shook her head and laughed bitterly. "I was crazy about you, George. And you…you had no clue. Every time I did something to try and get you to notice me, you just…you blew me off!"

"And it's not like…like you have to love me back. You don't. But you weren't even…you weren't even a good friend, George! After the whole thing with Sadie…where were you, George? You were there to give me a stern look and pretend like you were worried? Mark was actually there for me."

She hopped off the gurney and shook her head, grabbing the charts. "I like spending time with him and his daughter, George. Ok? And I really don't care what anyone else has to say about it – I'm dating Mark Sloan. So what? I don't care what anyone has to say about it. Especially not from someone who claims to be my friend, but isn't." She sighed and shook her head. "I need to get these charts done, Dr. O'Malley. Go ahead and page me if you need me for something. Otherwise, I'd really like to just be alone."

She'd managed to steer clear of George for the next few hours. It was 2am and she was headed down to the ER when she rounded a corner and literally ran into Mark. "Oh!" she exclaimed, her hands pressing against his chest. "Sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going. Sorry." She looked up at him and smiled softly. "Hi."

"Hey. I was hoping to run into you. Maybe not so literally, but it works," he murmured, craning his neck to gently kiss her. It was a short kiss, but when they broke apart, Lexie couldn't help the grin on her face. She started walking again and Mark fell into step beside her.

"What're you doing here? You were off tonight."

"Car accident. Callie called me in for a consult. Thought I'd try and find you before I left." Mark stopped suddenly and grabbed Lexie's arm, making her stop as well. "You ok?"

She shrugged. "I'm fine…it's nothing." Mark looked at her, clearly not believing her. She sighed, looking around and pulling him towards the nearest on-call room. She practically collapsed on the bed and Mark sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I talked to George. He thinks that I'm an idiot for dating you. First Derek and now George…"

Mark pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I'm sorry, Lex. They're all just worried about you."

Lexie shook her head. "They shouldn't be! They don't…they don't know us, Mark. God, it's not like you're the big, bad wolf. George has no idea what he's talking about." She leaned against him and sighed, nuzzling his neck. "Ugh…I hate the night shift."