Warning: Rated T for strong language.

A/N: Glad you enjoyed the last chapter. Please enjoy.

Chapter 18 – Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough

Mark

One Week Later…

"I kinda wanted to ask you something," I said, sitting up in my bed, as Lexie's naked form started moving towards my bathroom.

Unlike her, I had the day off, but since she was still in her first internship year at Seattle Grace, she didn't really get that luxury—with the exception of the day we won as part of the contest.

In reality, I had deserved the day off—along with Derek. The last week working together to find a way to save Addie's brother, Archer, had been many hours in the lab practicing on the dummy. Lexie and I had been on almost different schedules because of the case, and most nights by the time I had gotten home, she was back at her place already asleep to be up and refreshed for the next day.

This was the first day in the last week that we had gone to bed together and had the chance to wake up together. I was glad to have the day off, but knowing that she was going to Seattle Grace while I wasn't, only made me want to get up and go in just to have the chance to spend more time with her. These kinds of feelings never happened before. Not even with Addie.

That was probably the one good thing about the last week. Completing the surgery with Derek successfully, meant that Archer and Addie were on their way back to LA for recovery. Addie and I would always be friends, but I was glad that she was on her way home. I could sense the tension with Lexie every time Addison was near, or we had to work together. I couldn't blame her. If she worked closely with a guy, she used to sleep with that she was now friends with, it would make me uncomfortable as well.

Lexie walked back into the room, with her toothbrush in her mouth and a towel wrapped around her creamy flesh. It was a travesty that she was covered up. It was probably best though for what I wanted to talk about. It was hard to admit I was nervous about what I wanted to talk about. This would be the first time in my life that I was ever going to broach this subject with a woman, and the first time in my life I wanted it to go the way I wanted it.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"Are you happy? With me?" I clarified.

Her hand started to slow her pace on her brushing on the side of her mouth as she looked at me. I could start to see the lines of concerns forming on the top of her forehead.

"Yes. Are you?"

"Yes," I said automatically.

I heard the exhale out of her nose, her shoulders slowly starting to slump down as her brushing pace increased again. She was doing that thing again, where she was starring at me and trying to figure what it was that was going on inside of my brain. I was stalling, because if her answer was anything other than yes, I would be visibly disappointed.

As the silence lingered, her brows started to pucker together. "What's going on, Mark?"

"Are you happy with the way things are between us?"

This time, the toothbrush came out of her mouth completely. She marched back into the bathroom, the water turning on and off in seconds, the clink of plastic of her toothbrush hitting the cup, before she marched back into the room.

"You're starting to scare me," she admitted.

This wasn't going the way I planned. This all sounded so much better in my head. I thought if I asked these questions out loud and heard that she was happy with me and that I felt she wanted more that maybe it would make me feel better, but all I was doing was apparently making things worse.

Land the plane, Mark.

"I missed you this last week. We didn't have a chance to see each other much."

Her lips spread into a smile as she moved closer to the bed where I was laying, and sat. She was careful to make sure her towel still hid all of her sexy parts—which was sad for me—but probably also a good thing so I didn't end up getting distracted, or chicken out and reach for the first thing that I know I was really good at making her feel happy about.

"I missed you too," she admitted. "I don't think I slept as well being alone again."

My head snapped up, a warmth spreading through my chest at her confession. "Really?"

A slight flush rose to her cheeks as she realized what she had said. I could still see that uneasiness in her eyes. I could sometimes see guard come up in her because she worried that if she said something it could spook me and send me running for the hills. After all, I was the man that didn't do love and relationships. That was past tense now. That was before Lexie Grey.

Which is exactly why it was up to me to broach this next subject. Because I was the one that needed to be sure in taking any next steps in our relationship so that Lexie wouldn't be too fearful in wanting to take that step-in fear that I might not be ready. If only she really knew how crazy about her, I was.

She shrugged. "Yeah. Your pretty comfortable to sleep next too. Like a very firm pillow."

There was a slight tease to her answer, but her eyes betrayed her. It was more than that. Just like last night was the first night I had really had a good night sleep in the last week. Because last night was the first time this week that Lexie had been back in my bed for the entire night.

I couldn't handle the distance between us any longer, throwing her off guard in the process. I had her pinned back underneath me, the little knot in her towel keeping it in place falling from her chest, her wonderful breasts back on display just before they made contact with my chest.

"You're going to make me late," she said breathlessly.

"Luckily, you're sleeping with one of your bosses. I think I could put in a good word for you."

She slapped my shoulder, and I silenced her with a quick kiss before I pulled back. It was time to rip the metaphorical band aid off.

"What if you slept her more often?" I asked.

She laughed. "I am practically here almost every night," she replied, her hand resting flat on my chest.

"Yeah. What if it was all the time?"

Her mouth went to open, before her eyes opened just a little wider. I could see it the moment she realized that I wasn't teasing any longer. That I was being serious and what it was that I was exactly asking of her.

She pushed her hair from her face, wiggling underneath me so that she could sit up a little. I let her, glad when she didn't attempt to push away from me.

"Are…are you asking me to move in with you?"

I hated feeling this uneasy. I hated feeling anything other than confident, because that was who I was. I was confident about three things for sure. My ability to be the best doctor. My looks—because I was damn pretty. My ability to please a woman in bed. This…feelings and being in love with someone. This was really all new to me. I didn't want to do anything that would make Lexie want to run from me.

"That was the plan," I answered hesitantly.

"Wow…" she said her voice trailing off. "You really want to live with me?"

I was going to lay it out on the line now, and the thought that she might walk away like everyone else…scared the hell out of me. She was worth taking the risk though.

"Yes. I love you. It makes me so happy when you are here. When you're with me. I hate it when you leave and go back to your apartment. I know that probably sounds selfish. Maybe that even sounds a bit clingy. I know we have barely been together for a couple of months, but when I know something and feel something as strongly as I do for you…I don't care if it was a week."

I looked up and risked a peek in her direction, her eyes not only softening, but her face lighting up with a bit of a glow. "I love you too," she said.

I turned so that I was laying on my side now, facing her fully. I guess it was a good thing that she was still rooted put in my bed, and not doing whatever she could to put space between us or run away from me.

"If you're not ready, Lex, I understand. You don't have to sugar coat your answer for me."

Her hand came up, until her palm was flat against my cheek. I turned slightly, so I could place a kiss on the palm of her hand. What she did in that moment by sliding closer towards me, made my heart soar with happiness. Even if she was getting ready to turn me down, I was certain that she was in love with me, and she still wanted our relationship. I wouldn't lie that I would be disappointed, but still having her, like this, would be enough for now. I would do whatever it took to make her happy.

"Mark?" She waited until my eyes found hers again. "I feel the exact same way. I hate it when I have to get up and leave here and go home. I won't lie that it scares me. It's a big step when we haven't been together that long…but the idea doesn't scare me." she paused for a second. "Can…I just have a little time to think about it?"

I schooled my expression. It was a long shot that she would say yes immediately, but she wasn't saying no. "Of course," I said at last.

Her features lit up. "Now, since I am already late…you might as well give me a very good reason for being late."

I grinned. "As you wish."

Lexie

Mark Sloan wanted to live with me.

Me.

It was hard not to feel like some powerful god that in someway a man that didn't do relationships or love prior to meeting me was doing both. Wanting to live with me…that was just a bonus.

I wasn't lying to him this morning when I had said that idea didn't fully scare me, but it was still a big step. We were only dating just over a month at this point. The hospital was still getting used to the fact that we were dating. There were still whispers and gossip that floated around, but for the most part, it died down after the first few days. A large part of that happened to be that the more senior attendings like Derek, Callie, and even Arizona didn't seem to have a problem with it. They were happy for us.

Chief Hunt had pulled us into his office after all the drama had calmed down. We had to sign some papers indicating that we were in a relationship. We got the lecture that while at work we had to keep things professional, and Owen was specific in pointing out to Mark that by him being my attending he couldn't show any favoritism towards me as an intern because we were together.

I thought that with Owen things would have been a harder sell, but Mark was quick to remind me that it appeared that Owen and Cristina had a thing for each other. They thought they were subtle—as subtle as Mark and I were at this point—but everyone knew it, they just didn't say it. It would be extremely hypocritical if he chastised our relationship, but then got into a relationship with one of his second-year residents.

For the most part, I was able to put aside the snide comments and gossip. I could tell that Mark worried about it—and me—most of the time. I expected that people would think I was only with Mark because they thought I was trying to sleep my way to the top, but it was the comments about how gullible and stupid I supposedly was to believe that Mark could be anything other than a womanizing heartbreaker that annoyed me.

Anyone who loved someone could have their heartbroken. It came with the territory. It meant that whatever you felt for each other was real, because you did feel that way. It just bothered me…that even when people could clearly see that there was love between us, how much they still wanted to tear Mark and his character down. I wish I could let things roll off my shoulders and not care as much as Mark didn't seem to care about these things.

I tried not to think about what others would think when they found out that Mark and I might live together if I agreed to the idea. I loved Mark. I loved being with him, and I wasn't just telling him what he wanted to hear this morning when I said that I hated leaving him just as much when I went home…I just wanted to make sure that the reasons we would be taking this step was for nothing more than the love that we had for each other.

"Lexie?"

I turned; my resident George standing behind me. There had still been tension between us since I had basically told him to go and screw himself. He was still my resident and I was still professional when it came to work, but our relationship was strained. I hated it. I missed my relationship with George, before everyone found out about my relationship with Mark.

"Dr. O'Malley. Did you need something?"

This is what our relationship had been reduced too the last week. We were all titles and formal pleasantries and nothing more. It was probably the way it should be, but that wasn't the kind of person or doctor I wanted to be. I didn't care what the training manual dictated when it came to that.

"Yes, I was wondering if we could talk," he replied hesitantly.

"What about?"

"Come on, Lexie. I know you hate this tension between us as much as I do," he said, finally breaking through that barrier.

"I never said I liked it."

"I'm sorry," he blurted. "I should have never said any of those things to you."

"Why? Why did you?"

He shrugged. "Part of it really was because I was worried about you. I've seen the way Sloan's behaved in the last year, and it was hard to even consider that he would change his ways."

I arched my brow. "And now?"

He let out a sigh. "I can't say I am fully convinced, but I can see some change in him and the way he is around you. I guess, deep down, if I am being honest…I am a little jealous too."

"Jealous?"

"It's so easy being Mark Sloan. He's got the looks, the words, the body. He only has to bat his eyes and woman fall all over him. Callie is closer to him then even when I think we were at our best and happy. He seems to have won you over so easily…I just wish it could be that easy for me too."

"Mark's life isn't easy, George. He has a past and challenges just like everyone else does. Yeah, he's good-looking and he has an amazing body—"

"Okay, not helping," he interjected.

I laughed. "George, if you recall, my first day here…I got kicked off his service and was less than professional in how I spoke to him because I thought he was a jerk to you. Because I defended you."

George broke out into a wide grin. "I forgot about that," he said.

"Just because I am with Mark, doesn't mean it changes who I am. I still call him out when I think he is wrong, and I still have to push to make sure that my ideas and thoughts are considered like anyone else."

"I guess," he said. "I guess, I just worried that since Mark doesn't like me…that eventually you wouldn't like me and then eventually hate me too."

I bumped his shoulder. "I can't get rid of you…your my resident."

"Ha-ha."

"George…I know you are my resident. But you are also my friend. I hate to burst this bubble you have on Mark…but even though sometimes he may not like you very much…he would never say or do anything to make me think less of you."

"Thanks, Lexie."

I swung my arm over his shoulder. "Come on. Let's go show everyone else exactly why we are the best team out there."

Mark

I was headed back to my place after a rather intense workout at the gym with my phone buzzed in my pocket.

"Sloan."

"Dr. Sloan?"

My steps faltered, my blood instantly starting to run cold. If I wasn't sweating already from my workout, I was sure I would start sweating. It wasn't just the voice on the other end, but it was why that person was calling me.

"Thatcher."

His voice sounded rough and raspy as if he had just woken up. It was early afternoon, so either he was just coming out of some potential pass out from the night before, or he already had an early start to the drinking today.

"I was wondering if you could come by," he said hesitantly.

"Are you hurt? Do you need medical attention?" I asked.

"N-no. I need to talk to you. About Lexie," he said after a pause.

I let out a sigh. It was the first time I had actually heard the man call out his daughter's name. Every time Lexie had talked about him or the one time, I had even been there…it was always Molly he was calling out for. As if he had forgotten all about the fact that he had another daughter. The only daughter that had come back to see him time and time again when he didn't deserve it. When he lifted a hand towards her, hurt her, and yet she still came back. Because she loved him.

"Thatcher, if you want to talk about Lexie, then I can bring her by and we—"

"No!"

I let out a sigh, opening my car door and throwing my gym bag in the back seat of my car. "Listen, I'm not sure if I am comfortable meeting behind Lexie's back. You're her father."

"Please," he pleaded. The man on the phone sounded broken and desperate.

I was still having a hard time finding any sympathy for the man that put himself in this position in the first place, but I loved Lexie. The only thing I wanted to do was protect her, especially from the constant hurt and abuse that Thatcher had handed her the last couple of months.

"Fine," I said at last. "Give me about an hour and I will be over."

I sat in my car for a moment and debated. Did I go straight home, shower and head to Thatcher's place, or did I go to Lexie first. I still didn't feel right about going behind her back and meeting with her father when she didn't know about it. We had agreed when it came to Thatcher, we would do things together. The instinct and need to want to protect her was strong. If I could do something to help without having to worry her any longer, then it could be worth it. Right?

I turned my key into the ignition, my car purring to life. I pulled out of the parking lot my decision already made.

"Lex?"

She was walking down the hall with George, her expression surprised to see me here. The entire drive over I debated in my head time and time again about coming here first. Ultimately, it was her father, and she had a right to know. I would be mad, if I found out she went over there and put herself in danger and kept me in the dark. I couldn't do that to her.

She must've seen something in my expression, her easy-going look dropping from her face. "Is everything ok?"

"I need to talk to you," I said tersely.

She looked over to her resident, who easily encouraged her to come with me. For once, I was grateful for George, and not annoyed by his presence. He nodded to me in greeting before briskly walking away. I was glad to see that whatever tension between them seem to be gone now.

Lexie looped her arm through mine, as we moved our way towards the on-call room. I was glad I had enough sense to swing back to the apartment first, shower, and change, before coming back to the hospital.

"What's the matter?" she asked once we were alone in the room together.

"Your father called."

Her face scrunched up in shock. "He did. Is he ok? Is something wrong?"

I rubbed the back of my neck, because deep down the sound of his voice told me something was wrong. "He sounded ok. He wants me to come over. He said he needed to talk."

Her brows scrunched together in confusion. "You? What could he have to talk about with you?"

I shrugged. "I don't know."

"Well, I have a couple of hours left on my shift. As soon as I am off, we can head over," she said, and I could see the wheels turning, her mid running over her schedule in her head.

"Lex…he doesn't want you to come."

"What? Why? What did he say?"

I frowned. "I don't know. I told him I wasn't comfortable going without you, but he pleaded for me to come alone." I paused. "I don't want to do anything you wouldn't want me to do…but if he wants me to come alone, I'm afraid if I don't, he won't really say what he wants."

"But…I'm his daughter."

I could see the hurt on her face, and it was killing me inside. I didn't regret my decision to tell her, but something was going on with Thatcher and if we really wanted to get to the bottom of what that was…me going in alone was the best chance and getting the answer.

"I don't think he is doing this to try and hurt you, Lex. I think…in some weird way, he wants to protect you."

She scoffed. "Now, he wants to protect me. After months of taking his hits."

I grit my teeth, because even thinking back to the way he grabbed at her in front of me…knowing that she had suffered injuries time and time again made my own anger simmer to the surface. This wasn't about me and my feelings on the matter. It was about her.

"I know. I just want to know what you want me to do."

I know she was trying to hide her hurt at being left out, but I could see the curiosity in her eyes to want to know what this was about.

She sighed. "I don't like it…but if he wants to talk to you, only you, you're the only person I trust."

I pulled her into my arms, wrapping my arms around her back. She came willingly, her own arms wrapping around my waist. She would never know how much her placing her trust in me like this meant to me. That even though she was hurting inside at her father keeping her at arm's length, she believed in me to handle this for her.

"I will call you the moment I know anything," I said, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

"Thank you," she whispered into my chest.

When I showed up at Thatcher's home, I expected much to be the same. To walk into a home littered with alcohol bottles, furniture thrown everywhere, and Thatcher stumbling from one room to the next. It wasn't what I found.

As I opened the front door, the house wasn't as clean as it could be, but for once it didn't reek of booze or food that had been left out for days.

"Thatcher?"

"In here."

I stepped further into the house, recognizing his voice coming from the family room of the home. When I rounded the corner, Thatcher was standing in the room. There was luggage sitting at his feet. He still looked haggard, but this time he was different from the last. He wasn't sloppy drunk. He wasn't stumbling over himself. His eyes were still glassy, which meant he had a drink or two, but he wasn't drunk.

My frustration was simmering to the surface again. "Your leaving?"

He stood there, his hands in front of him, fidgeting as he looked away from me. "It's what's best."

"How is this best? Best for who?"

"For Lexie. Who else?"

I took in a long breath to keep from lashing out. "I think you are doing this for you. You would rather run away then face the music."

He finally looked up. "She deserves better," he said softly.

"Your right. She does deserve better. She deserves better than you just taking off without even so much as a good-bye. She has looked after you even when you made it difficult. She took hit after hit from you both physically and emotionally, coming back each time because she loves you that much and believes in you. This is how you want to repay her?"

"Can't you see that I am doing this for her!" he shouted. "I've done nothing but hurt her. Disappointed her time and time again. I am not strong enough to fight the demons that have taken over me."

"You're a coward."

His eyes met mine and that anger I had seen in him before was sparked. That was fine by me. It was what I needed. I would take any other emotion other than him acting so defeated. If push came to shove and he tried to take a swing, he wouldn't be much of a match for me in his weakened state.

"I don't expect you to understand."

I let out a humorless laugh. "Oh, I understand. I understand better than anyone. My dad left me too after my mother died. I didn't have the upbringing that Lexie had. I didn't have a father that showed me the love that you apparently showed her. It still didn't hurt any less when he abandoned me and left me parentless."

"Sometimes the best thing a parent can do when they know they are only toxic to those they love is leave them before they can do any further damage."

I shook my head. "And where will you go? Some other town so you can continue to feel sorry for yourself and drink yourself into an early death? Is that what you want Lexie to have to believe and question?"

He shifted on his feet uncomfortably. "No. That's why you're here. I see how protective you are of her. I see how she looks at you. Like my Susan used to look at me," he said, his voice hitching. "Tell her I went away in search of trying to find myself. To heal. Whatever it takes that she doesn't throw her life away worrying about a man who is already gone."

I stepped forward; my voice sounding dangerously calm when instead, inside, all I felt was rage. "You brought me here so I could help lie for you. To go back and sell the woman I love a lie to make yourself feel better?"

"No! To give her a chance to have a real life and not focus on me."

"Don't do this Thatcher. I am telling you; this is the wrong decision." I warned.

He swallowed, his eyelids dripping to half-mast. "My mind is made up. I'm leaving. It's whether you will help me or not."

"I won't lie to her for you," I said immediately. "She has stood by you. She has tried to take that pain, those demons from you…and you are choosing to walk away. You can't even bring yourself to at least say good-bye. It's pathetic. It's cowardly. It will break her heart. I won't lie for you to do that to her."

He bent down to pick up the one suitcase, the weight making him stumble a little bit. "I figured that might be the case. You love her. You will take care of her."

His comment wasn't a question but more of a statement. He didn't need to ask, because he knew that I would. "I will fight for her. I will always fight for her. It's shame that you won't do the same."

"Can you just do me one thing?"

I could see there was no changing his mind. He was going to do this regardless of what I said. He was going to walk out of her life and not look back. I didn't know if I could or would want to do what he asked of me, but I would hear him out.

"What?"

"Tell her I love her," he said.

A big part of me wanted to say no, because I couldn't understand that doing this actually meant he loved her…but knowing how crushed Lexie was going to be when I had to tell her this news…it was the least I can do.

"I will tell her."

"Good-bye, Mark Sloan."

"Good-bye, Thatcher Grey."

A/N: Thanks for reading.