Warning: Rated T. No warning

A/N: Just had to give us one more holiday chapter! Two chapters left.

Chapter 24 – Under the Mistletoe

Lexie

End of 2nd Year Residency – December…

After the shock earlier in the year with the gas leak and our entire ER wing going up in flames, things had finally returned to normal.

It had taken almost three months for our ER to be rebuilt and back in working order. Our entire team had put together a fundraiser of our own to help raise additional funds to repair the cost of the ER. Between the funds that Owen had set aside from my initial time with Senator Whitman, and the new fundraiser thanks to the news playing our story, we had secured what we needed to get everything rebuilt and with top notch equipment.

The timeframe in which getting Mark to stop lurking around every corner worrying in the event that the grim reaper was just waiting for me, took about the same amount of time if not longer. It was only after I had begged Derek to have a talk with him that things started to slowly return to normal.

"Derek, I am begging you. Please. You're his best friend. If anyone can reason with him, it's you," I pleaded, once we had entered into the x-ray room of his new cases.

Derek sighed. "Lexie, I'm not sure I am going to be that much of a help to you."

"Why not?"

Derek turned from looking at the x-rays—a rather easy and simple brain tumor case—and looked at me sternly. "Because I have been in Mark's shoes. Let me tell you, it's not pleasant," he replied.

I had known that Meredith had some close calls at Seattle Grace before I had arrived for my internship. I didn't know all of the details, but I had heard about two in particular. The one when an old warhead or bomb had been inside of a patient, and the other when the doctors had been called due to a ferry accident and Meredith and fallen into the water.

"But Meredith was ok. She's fine, and you both are going to be married in a couple of months."

He shook his head. "It's not that simple. It should be, but it's not. I know that I can physically see her. I know that she is alright." He paused, his lips forming downward into a frown, his eyes turning incredibly sad as if he was back there in that moment. "Both times, I wasn't there the moment it happened to Meredith. I couldn't do anything to stop it. I couldn't throw myself in the danger instead of her. All I did was show up late and have to hope that she didn't die."

"That's not your fault." I argued.

"It doesn't matter. I wasn't there. Every time she doesn't pick up the phone, every time she comes home later then when she said she would, every time I hear her scream because there is a spider…I immediately go back to those times that I wasn't there. We're men. It's in our nature above all else to want to make sure that first and foremost you are protected."

I sighed, because I could see the love in Derek's eyes and the fierceness in his words. His worry came from his deep love that he had for Meredith, just as I knew that Mark was doing the same thing because of his love for me. It was hard to fault him for that, because if the roles were reversed and it had been him in the real danger, I wasn't sure I might act any differently.

Derek was looking back at the x-ray now. I know he wasn't looking at it because he needed to diagnose the tumor—that was easily already done—but a way to look away from me so he could collect his emotions and fears he emerged himself back in to talk to me.

"How did you eventually overcome those feelings?"

Derek was quiet a moment, and when he finally responded, it was so low I thought I almost might miss his words. "You never really do," he said. "You just learn to live with it."

Derek had been right. As the days, weeks, and then months went on that I didn't run into any danger, Mark slowly started to relax. What had helped dramatically, was Derek and Meredith's wedding. Well, the makeshift wedding that both Mark and I still felt a little snubbed on.

We were two months away from their wedding, when Meredith and Derek invited us over to dinner one night to drop the bombshell on us.

"I'm sorry, you're what?" Mark asked.

"We're just going to get married by a judge," Derek repeated.

Mark and I looked at each other wide-eyed. Mer was never one to be into a ton of sentimental traditions—even if her first Thanksgiving and Christmas had been hits—but the both of them had been talking about the fact that they wanted to have a wedding and do things right since this was it for the both of them.

"I don't understand…" I spoke up the confusion hard to keep from my tone.

Derek took Meredith's hand in his. "We just thought about it and the pressure of trying to get flowers, cake, and everything else…that isn't what matters," Meredith spoke up.

Derek and Meredith looked at each other, something passing between the two of them silently. Mark and I looked at each other again, clearly knowing that something must've happened that made them change their minds.

"I can't believe your going to rob me of giving an awesome best man speech. Better than the first one I gave," said Mark.

Derek laughed. "Well, that's why we are telling you. We are only inviting you, Lexie, and Christina to the judge ceremony as our witness. We've already said our vows to each other. In our hearts, we are married already."

"Vows?" Mark asked.

Meredith and Derek recounted their story of the epiphany they had one day in the locker room. They had been working on a trail study for Alzheimer patients. Their study was yielding some promising work, but it was before that initial first case of injecting the patient with a virus actually worked. They had lost fourteen patients before then, and since Alzheimer's was close to home for Meredith—a disease Ellis Grey suffered from—it was Meredith's fear that brought on the vows.

It was a sweet story. As they rattled off each of their vows, they committed to each other and the idea that it was a private moment between just the two of them, Mark and I couldn't fault their decision. It wouldn't be something for us—if we ever made that step—but I could now see why it was for them.

"If that's what you want, then I'm just glad we get to be there for the official part," I said.

It had been simple, but beautiful. Derek and Meredith hadn't even really made it that public, almost shocking all of our colleagues when they just casually told people when they started questioning about their wedding that they were already married and no wedding was going to happen.

That was already months ago, and I was just about to finish my second-year residency. Our residents were off to take their boards and things could be changing in the upcoming New Year. Those that would wish to stay would become attendings, and those that were getting multiple offers—like Cristina—would possibly be leaving.

I was leaning against the nurse's station, starring at the surgery board for the last five minutes in this head space. How much had changed since I started here. I was excited myself to be my own best resident for when the new round of interns that I had once been were under my command soon.

I was worried that Meredith and Derek might leave. Derek was the best neurosurgeon in the country. He received offers all the time, and now that Meredith was taking her boards—and had made a strong name for herself—the offers were pouring in. Mark had told me that Mass General was coming after her hard, and the thought of both of them moving and leaving was making me nervous and riddled with anxiety. I had already gained five pounds because of my insistent need to eat junk food until I heard what the final news was going to be.

Our former residents would be back today. They had been gone since yesterday taking the boards, and would be checking out today and coming back home. By the time they got back to Seattle, we would know who passed and who didn't.

The fact that it was Christmas time and only two weeks away until Christmas morning, should make me cherry—even with my lightbulb necklace and santa hat on my head—but until I knew what was happening…I was just a ball of nerves.

Que why I was standing and just starring at the surgery board. Meredith, Cristina, Alex, and George's names still written off to the side as unable to perform surgery. Would this be the last time I would see any of their names on the board?

"Hey," Jo said, bumping my shoulder as she came to stand next to me.

"Hey," I replied, my eyes still fixed straight ahead.

"Your still worried about Meredith leaving, aren't you?"

I sighed. "How are you not?"

Jo and Alex were still going strong. They were actually just as cute as Mark and I in my opinion, even if they tried to mostly hide their relationship around the hospital halls. They were very much frequent flyers of the on-call room and storage room when they didn't think anyone was watching.

Jo frowned. "I am a little worried," she admitted. "Alex says he's happy here, but I've seen the offers he has been getting even if he tries to hide them."

I looked away from the board and back at her. "Has he said to you whether he is going to take any of them?"

Her shoulders slumped. "Not directly. Arizona and I have become quite close, and she's been keeping me updated. She thinks if I know that maybe I could use our relationship to keep him here."

I arched a brow. "Do you think it might?"

Jo shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. Arizona was fuming this morning. Apparently, Alex got an offer this morning before we even know the results of the boards from Johns Hopkins Hospital."

My eyes went wide. "Johns Hopkins?" I whistled. "That's a top-notch program."

Jo bit her lip. "I know. He would be stupid not to take it."

"Would you go with him?" I asked.

She shook her head. "You know I can't. I don't have any big names behind me. No one wants a green resident. I would have to wait until I could pass my boards and make a name for myself."

"What are you two talking about?" asked April as she approached us. Her face turned somber. "What happened now?"

I hadn't realized that in listening to Jo and her situation, I had started biting my nail. Seattle Grace and taken back the number one spot in teaching hospitals after Owen and Richard's successful implementation of their resident and internship program. It was no wonder why all of a sudden everyone was coming after our doctors to make those offers.

"On whether Alex is going to go to Johns Hopkins and if Meredith and Derek are going to leave for Boston," I answered.

April's face softened. She was the only one of us girls that didn't have to worry about that. Her boyfriend wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Jackson was in the same year as us, and they wouldn't have to worry about anything like that for another year.

After Jackson had confessed to Mark and I that he was still in love with April, we had encouraged him to tell her how he felt. He had been extremely nervous that she had moved on from him now that she was dating Matthew, but what I had suspected had been true. While April was dating Matthew and happy, she wasn't in love with him. Not like she had been with Jackson. It had always been Jackson.

April had been taken back at first. Surprised was an understatement. Worried that maybe she had been dreaming, or that Jackson was playing a joke on her, but he had taken it all in strides. He reaffirmed his feelings and even took it a step further per Mark and Derek's advice by making a big gesture to prove his feelings. He told his mother Catherine Fox, right in front of her. After that…there was no question in April's eyes that what he felt for her was true. They had been dating ever since.

"Maybe they will surprise you," she offered ever the optimistic of the group. "Alex adores you, and Meredith has really surprised everyone with how much she has grown into loving having a sister—not that I am surprised since it's you—so maybe they will stay."

"It's Johns Hopkins," Jo said pointedly. "He would be stupid to pass that up."

April scoffed. "I don't know…I think you are worth more than Johns Hopkins."

Jo wanted to sneer and make a comment, but it was hard too considering the nice comment April had made. Even though it should be about securing her future first with the best offer and hospital, all three of us knew that was difficult considering the men in our lives. These weren't just boyfriends that we were all having a good time with. Each of us had admitted the men we were with…were men that we expected forever with.

My mind instantly went back to the moment I had woken up from the ER accident. That very real dream of prediction of my future. Mark and I together happy with two kids. Seeing them grow up and become adults that both of us could be proud of. Having even a glimpse of that…even if it was something my own mind had conjured up for me…it was hard not to think of that all the time.

I didn't have to worry about when the time came for me. If Meredith and Derek chose to leave…there was possibility that I could move to where they were. Mark was the best plastic surgeon and E.N.T. in the country and received just as many offers as Derek. Mark would come with me…that was for sure. As long as I was good enough to back up an offer to go there. It would still be a whole year though, if Meredith and Derek decided to leave.

"Kepner, Wilson, Grey…I don't pay you to stand around all day," Owen said as he rounded the corner.

"Sorry, Chief," April said immediately.

Jo and April said their good-byes, and even though I should get my feet moving, I still stood there starring at the board. The garland that was hanging in front of the nurse's station was digging into my back, the Christmas lights draped over the white boards made the sometimes-dreary hospital look festive…my mood was still anything but cheery.

"Lex?"

I smiled, turning to my right at the voice. Mark was walking towards me. He had a surgery earlier in the day, Jackson being the lucky one to have been assigned to his service that morning. I would have killed for the opportunity to have been distracted.

He stopped next to me, mirroring my stance with his back against the nurse's station as well. Our shoulders were touching. "I had a feeling this is where I would find you," he said.

"Do you really think she is going to go to Mass General?"

He inhaled a long breath before exhaling. "I don't know. Derek is supportive of whatever she wants to do…but I have faith she will see all that Seattle Grace has to offer that Mass General cannot."

"Oh, yeah, what's that?"

He smiled. "You." he grinned. "And of course, me."

I laughed, laying my head against his shoulder. It was normally frowned upon for doctors who were couples to be overly affectionate while on duty, but it never stopped us, and no one practically cared since everyone was dating each other these days.

"You always know what to say to make me feel better," I said.

He placed a kiss on the top of my head. "It will all work out," he said to my hair.

I lifted my head, our eyes locking. A second later, he cleared his throat. "Actually, there was another reason I came to find you."

My eyes lit up. "You have a case you need me for?"

He shook his head. "Nope. But I got us the night off. And I am going to take you on a date."

My lips spread into a smile. "Oh. Just as equally exciting. Where are you taking me?"

"It's a surprise."

I groaned. "You know how much I hate surprises."

He laughed, and kissed the top of my head again. "I know. But…I promise it will be worth it."

I crinkled my nose. "Fine."

"Well, I better get back. Jackson should have our patient back in the room and I need to oversee post ops," he said.

"Ok. I'll see you later."

He started to walk away, but turned back. "Lex."

I turned just in time to see him stride back, both his hands on my face as his lips crashed down on mine. He kissed me with such as passion that every fear, every concern, and every sad thought I had that day just flew from my mind. When he pulled back, it took me a moment before my eyes fluttered open.

My breathing started again, slowly, my eyes quickly darting left and right to see a few other nurses and doctors looking in our direction. Smiles and longing were a couple of the looks that were shooting in our way.

I tried to clear my throat. "Uh, um, what was that for?"

He smiled and looked up. It was the first time I had noticed it. Mark leaned down stopping just at my lips, but not touching. "Mistletoe," he answered.

I grinned, and he used the excuse to kiss me again. I definitely was not complaining.

Mark

"You ready?" I asked, once Lexie changed back into her jeans and sweater, as I helped her into her coat coming out of the locker room.

"You really aren't going to tell me where we are going?" she asked.

I took her hand in mine, our fingers interlocking. "Nope."

The drive from the hospital over to where I was taking her had only been ten minutes, but Lexie had spent the entire way asking where it was, we were going and what we were doing. It was hard not to grin as her pout got more pronounced the longer, we drove on that I did not answer any of her questions, or only provided vague responses.

When I pulled the car into the busy parking lot; Lexie's glance was out the window, her entire face lighting up once she realized where we were.

"We're going ice skating?" she asked.

I turned off the engine and turned to her. "We are."

I opened my door and quickly came around so I could open the door for her and offer my hand to help her out.

"I haven't been ice skating in I don't know how long. This is amazing."

I grinned as we turned and started walking towards the outdoor ice ring. "This is nothing compared to Rockefeller center. Remind me to take you there when we visit."

Lexie's arm looped through mine. "I would love that. I've never been to New York City."

I filed that away for the next time we both took vacation to take her there. Since I lived in New York for the longest time, I could show her all of the best restaurants, bars, attractions, everything that I knew she would like.

For now, a simple and small outdoor skating ring with two Christmas trees—one on each end of the rink—that was much smaller and didn't have the same 'ah-ha' effect like New York, but it served its purpose.

I rented both of our skates from the office and quickly stopped at the refreshment center and picked up two steaming hot cups of hot chocolate. It was cold out, and we would be out here for a while.

"Thank you," Lexie said, as I handed her pair of skates and hot chocolate over to her.

We both laced up our skates and made our way over to the rings opening. It was already packed being early in the evening with families of young children and other couples.

Lexie squealed when she noticed that we weren't the only two here that she knew. That was part of my plan. Meredith and Derek, Alex and Jo, Jackson and April, Callie and Arizona, and Owen and Cristina were already here and skating. Or at least some of them were trying to skate. Meredith and Cristina were hanging on to Derek and Owen as if their very lives depended on it.

Lexie turned to me in surprise. "What is everyone doing here?"

I smiled. "Once I told everyone about my idea to take you ice skating and get your mind off everything, everyone else wanted to come too."

Her eyes softened, her arm that was still looped through mine, pulled at me until there wasn't any space between us. She looked up at me, and I could see the look in her eyes, knowing exactly what she wanted. I dipped my head down so our lips could meet.

"Thank you," she whispered, once we pulled apart.

It had been a while since Lexie had been on a pair of skates, so I made sure to stay right by here side as she started over to our group of friends that were waiting for her. She lost her balance only a few times, but I was right there to catch her and make sure she didn't fall. I would always be there to make sure that she didn't fall.

"You guys…" she shouted as she got within ear shot of everyone.

Jackson had his arm draped over April's shoulder. Derek had his arm securely tightened around Meredith's waist—whose feet kept shifting back and forth—as well as Cristina and Owen, while Alex had both arms wrapped around Jo's waist her back to his front chest. All of our friends and colleagues looked relaxed, their cheeks and nose showing a slight redness from having been in the cold for a little while.

"We hope you don't mind that we crashed your date," said Meredith.

"It just made it even more perfect," replied Lexie.

Owen cleared his throat. "Well, maybe I could make everyone's night just a little bit more perfect."

Everyone turned to Owen, but I was the only one that already knew what he was going to say. He had told me once I had set up this date night with everyone else coming to attend.

"Your tests results came in. All of you passed," Owen informed, his face lighting up.

Jackson, April, Jo, and Lexie hollered and clapped, each of them forming their own little circle to hug their loved ones. As I watched her laughing and hugging with her group of friends, I still couldn't believe that someone as loving, beautiful, and perfect as her was and still is interested in me. A guy that had a hard time opening up, and spent the majority of my life sleeping around with woman that didn't matter to me. Only Lexie mattered to me.

Lexie turned to me, catching me starring at her. Her eyes lit up, her lips turning upwards into a wide smile as it showed off the perfect white of her teeth. Her group was still celebrating and laughing, but she took that moment our eyes met to tell me with her lips that she loved me. I mouthed it back to her and nodded my head to let her know that her group should go and enjoy a skate together.

"I know we said we weren't going to discuss work, but I am really proud of all of you attendings and residents. Our intern class wouldn't have had a one-hundred percent pass rate without all of you," said Owen.

"Now, we just have to keep our residents who will be becoming attendings," Arizona commented.

Callie smacked her in the hip, seeing that Arizona's comment was directed at Alex with whom she was starring at. "Forget her. She really is happy all of you are getting wonderful offers," Callie interrupted.

"No…no…I'm—"

"Arizona!" Callie interjected, giving Arizona a look.

Arizona sighed, but stopped the rest of the words from coming out of her mouth. Everyone looked out at the ice rink and saw our group of interns halfway around the ring and coming back towards us. They were laughing and smiling and it made my chest swell.

"You ready for this?" Derek asked.

I nodded. "I am."

"Your sure? This is really what you want?"

I tore my eyes from Lexie and her group and back to my brother. "Yeah."

Derek slapped me on my shoulder. "Alright." He turned back to the remaining group standing next to us. "Let's do this."

I took a deep breath, glad for the fact that my hands were wearing gloves already absorbing the sweat from my hands. Once Jo, April, Jackson, and Lexie rejoined the group, each of them moved over to their perspective partners.

"You, ok?" Lexie asked me, once she was nestled into my side, her arm clutching at my waist.

"Great," I replied, trying to school my expression.

"Hey! I have an idea. We should do 'who's most likely' 2.0," said Derek.

Lexie laughed. "Uh, not sure that is the best idea. It didn't end so well last time."

Jo laughed. "I don't know…I think it ended up working out for everyone," she commented, turning to Alex with her own little smile.

"Okay…but that's more of a drinking game. How would we play here?"

Callie spoke up. "How about…that whoever gets the most votes have to take a lap around the ring?"

Everyone agreed to the terms and we started. We started off with a couple of easy questions, before moving into some harder ones, like Alex being chosen for most likely to accept an offer taking him away from Seattle Grace.

Arizona had just circled back from her lap in the last question that was asked. She was now up to asking the next question. Her eyes flickered to mine and I nodded for her to go ahead.

Arizona pushed her hair from her face. "Ok. Who is most likely to get engaged next?"

There wasn't even a hesitation when everyone shouted Lexie's name. She gasped, her mouth falling open. "What! That's not true." She turned to me, but I just shrugged. "We have been dating for a while. Not surprising they would choose us," I offered.

"Fine, I will go and take the lap. But you wait…my next question is going to make you all so uncomfortable."

When Lexie pushed off to go and take her lap, everyone's eyes turned on me. My entire insides felt like they were in the middle of fight club on the inside. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the little black box that had been sitting there since I had changed back into my clothes from earlier.

"This is so awesome," April squealed. "Thank you for letting us be here."

I nodded. "I know she would want you all here."

"What are you going to do if she says no?" asked Alex.

Jo slapped him on the chest and fixed him with a look. "She isn't going to say no. She loves him."

"Yeah, but I thought she wanted to be an attending first," Alex argued back.

"Karev, shut up," Callie interjected.

"Ok, she's coming," Jackson noted as Lexie was gliding effortlessly back towards our group.

She looked so beautiful as each leg pushed forward and brought her closer and closer to us.

"Good luck, buddy," Derek said quickly, before each of them backed off a little.

Lexie skated up to a stop, looking at each of our friends before she looked back at me. For a moment, I felt like I wanted to throw up, but then just seeing her face, her presence so close just melted all of those nerves and fears away. Just like they always did whenever she was near me.

Lexie picked up something was different from when she left as she looked at each of our friends. "What's going on?" she asked.

I took that moment that she was looking away from me to get down on one knee. When Lexie looked back over at me, her eyes went wide-eyed, her mouth slightly agape.

"Mark…"

"Lex, you mean the world to me." I paused, making sure I had my balance, the ring directly out right in front of her. "Ever since the day we met, you laying on the bathroom floor with that hideous blue shower curtain wrapped around you."

Lexie laughed, but I was aware of our family and colleagues behind us looking on confused at each other.

"Wait, bathroom floor and shower curtain?" asked Meredith.

"Where was this?" April asked.

I ignored them all. "You had me captured from that very moment. I think I tried to deny my feelings for you even then. Tried to tell myself that someone like me didn't deserve someone like you. I still don't know what the hell I have done to earn the love and respect of someone like you. To know that throughout these last couple of years you have chosen to stick by my side."

Lexie let out this giggle that was a mixture of a half giggle and half excited cry as she wiped away the streams of tears from her cheeks.

"I love you, Lexie Grey. I will always love you. I had fallen for you since day one and there was no turning back for me. There will never be another for me. So, I am down on one knee…asking you to become my wife and make me the happiest man on earth."

Lexie wiped at her eyes, but her lips quirked upwards into a smile. She half-turned back to the group, and I tried not to groan with the cold of the ice seeping through my jeans and basically freezing my kneecap off.

"Let me ask this…whose most likely to get a proposal and say yes?"

There were a few hoots and hollers before she turned back to me, her eyes flashing with love and happiness as she bit her lip.

"Lexie!"

Her name was on the lips of all of our friends and colleagues.

"Well?" I asked.

"Yes. Yes, forever and always yes!"

I grinned; surprising myself with how quickly I was able to get to my feet to take the ring from the box, slip it on her finger, and pull her into my arms so she was fit snuggly against my chest. When I pulled back; I kissed her passionately, before placing additional kisses over her lips, cheeks, and jaw.

"I love you," I said.

"I love you more," she whispered back.

Our group of loved ones enclosed us in one giant big hug. This was the happiest day of my life, and it couldn't have gone more perfectly.

A/N: Thanks for reading.