Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy

Chapter Seventeen

"You look beautiful, sweetie," Arizona said as April showed off her white gown to her bridesmaids. Lexie smiled warmly as the trauma surgeon swirled around in the beautiful gown. She did look like something out of a fairytale with her crown braid and her dress embodied with various white flowers.

Lexie could remember when both her sisters got married– both very different situations. Molly and Eric got married right before he was deployed. It'd been a small affair, but her sister looked beautiful. It was also nice that their mother was there. At least Susan got to see one of her children married before her death. As for Meredith, she and Derek took a trip to the court house. It was quick, but perfect for the two of them. She hoped this would be just as perfect for April and Matthew, despite knowing how much pain this was probably causing Jackson.

"Absolutely stunning!"

"Thanks you guys," April wept, using her finger to wipe away from tears.

"Here," Lexie said, offering the emotional bride a tissue box. April smiled gratefully before she proceeded to take one to gently dap her eyes with– careful not to ruin the make-up that coated her face.

So far, this day had gone…Okay. To begin, Arizona and Callie seemed to be in some sort of funk. Lexie wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but Callie was much more quieter than usual. Arizona was hiding whatever it was as she did her best to be a doting bridesmaid for April, who was also a little more emotional because her older sisters were still giving her a hard time for revoking their status as bridesmaids. This whole wedding seemed like it'd be a disaster.

"I'm so thankful you all stood up for me like this," April said, twirling around to look at the three surgeons. "I needed someone here. This is my big day and I just want it to be perfect."

"Understandable," Lexie said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

However, the knocking of the door startled the four women. They looked to see Jackson's face was peeking out from behind the door.

"No boys allowed!" April shouted irritably, waving her hands at him. "That includes you, Jackson Avery!"

"I was just looking for Lexie," Jackson said, holding his hands up innocently. "I come in peace."

Lexie frowned in confusion. She excused herself from the other girls before making her way over to where Jackson was standing in the doorway. He smiled at the neurosurgeon as she reached him.

"What's the matter?" Lexie asked, her tone laced with worry. "Are you doing okay?"

"I'm…I'm okay," Jackson answered, his eyes lingering to April's form. "How are you doing? Everything okay?"

"I'm alright," Lexie told him. "Is Mark here yet?"

Mark and Julia were in charge of bringing Zola, Bailey, and Sofia to the wedding. Since Lexie was a bridesmaid, she hadn't seen any of them all day because she had to leave for the venture pretty early.

"Yeah. He's got the kids situated with some of April's nieces and nephews," Jackson explained. "Her aunt's been dealing with them for the most part."

Lexie nodded. "Good."

"How's April doing?" Jackson questioned, nervously fiddling with his hands.

"She's fine. Doesn't seem like she's going to back out or anything," Lexie said, looking back at the bride who was took preoccupied with everything going on. She then turned back to Jackson and shook a finger in warning. "You're not going to do anything stupid, right?"

"No. I swear," Jackson said, biting his lip. "I actually came back to tell you something else though."

"What's that?"

"Mark's here but Julia's not," Jackson said, causing Lexie to freeze.

"Ah…Well, why should I care about that?"

Jackson shrugged, almost teasing her in a way. "I'll leave you ladies alone…Good luck."

"You too," Lexie replied quietly.

Meanwhile, Mark Sloan had just made a decision he was either going to regret or thank himself for. He and Julia were given the simple task of bringing the children to the wedding. The kids liked Julia. She was kind and always treated them with respect. There was no reason to hate here.

However, when they'd been driving to the venue, Julia made those doe eyes, the ones longing for children. This made Mark start to feel insanely guilty. And then she said, "Can't wait for us to have some someday." That was enough to make Mark nervous and enough so that Julia noticed.

"I don't know what's with you," she said to him after they left the kids with April's aunt. Julia had pulled him to the side so they were far away from the others, that way none of his co-workers could be used as a scapegoat or he could run away from this.

"What do you mean?" Mark questioned, his eyebrows furrowing together.

"There's something that's not adding up here," she said. "You're not telling me something."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Mark said, biting his lip. He needed to find a way to get out of here.

"Mark, I know something's up! Just tell me!"

"Nothing is wrong–"

"Something is wrong–"

"I love Lexie!"

That was enough. Mark couldn't hold it in any longer. Julia looked at him with wide eyes.

"Julia…"

However, she said nothing. She just nodded and began to slowly walk away. He was about to go after her, try to fight for her, but instead he stood like he'd been grounded there in cement. He could see Webber looking at him with an approving look and could almost hear Derek's voice say, "You needed to let her go. You didn't love her. You don't love her. Don't hold on to her."

Mark knew Julia deserved someone that wasn't going to put her through what he put her through. Someone to give her a family and children. Not Mark. Mark's heart belonged to someone else.

"I swear to God!"

Mark looked to his side to see Callie hiding in the hallway. She had tears in her eyes and she tried to dap them, stop them from running the mascara that coated her eyelashes.

"Callie?"

It caught her off guard. She looked up at Mark and tried to play it off, but even she knew this wasn't something she'd be able to hide from her best friends.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"Arizona…Arizona and I had a fight," Callie said, taking a deep breath. "I thought with Sofia things had gotten better…But she's pushing me away still. She told me to leave her alone…I…I don't know what I'm doing wrong, Mark."

"You're not doing anything wrong, Callie. Arizona is still healing and she's not handling it well," Mark said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder.

Callie nodded, taking a deep breath. She then looked around and frowned. "Where's Julia?"

Mark bit his lip and scratched the back of his head. "Ah…She and I might've just broken up."

Callie's eyes widened. "Oh?"

"I kinda told her I was in love with Lexie."

"OH!"

Before Callie could say anything to that, the sound of the band cued the guests that it was time to be seated. It was time for the bride to march down the aisle.

"I gotta go," Callie said, looking back to where the other bridesmaids were.

Mark nodded as he proceeded to take his seat int he crowd. He ended up beside Jackson, who looked more of a wreck than he imagined. The boy was shaking his knee up and down as he tried to stay still.

"You okay, man?" Mark questioned, nudging him playfully.

"I don't know," Jackson answered.

"Do you need to leave?"

However, that's when the wedding march began– the point of no return. Mark turned to look at the bridesmaids going down the aisle and that's when he caught wind of Lexie Grey. She looked…Beautiful. Her brown hair was in a neat hairdo and she looked pretty beautiful in April's choice of dresses, to which Mark had to say, were not ugly. He thought back to when Karev had married Stevens. The way he held Lexie's hand during that ceremony. The moment he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

When it was time for April to go down the aisle, Mark watched as Jackson stiffened. He placed a hand on his friend's shoulder to show support. However, Matthew looked so happy and in love to see April as the trauma surgeon was escorted to her soon-to-be husband.

As the reverend began to speak, Mark could see the nervous look in Jackson's eyes. However, part of him also caught wind of Lexie's gaze. She looked at him in surprise and he could see a smile start to form on her lips.

"And you, April and Matthew's closest friends and family," the reverend said, "are here today to bear witness to their union. will you promise to love and support their married in all the days to come? If so, please respond 'we will.'"

"We will," everyone echoed. The reverend kept speaking, but Mark watched as Jackson went rigid.

"Ah…buddy?"

Jackson stood up, to which everyone looked at him for it. Mark's eyes widened as he proceeded to pull Jackson's jacket, causing him to get back in his seat.

"What are you doing?" Mark hissed.

"I don't know," Jackson answered as the reverend continued. "But ah…I'm sorry."

"What?"

That's when Jackson stood up again. He proceeded to move to the middle of the aisle. "I love you, April. I always have," the plastic surgeon declared, causing everyone to gasp in the audience. Mark didn't know what to do, but he let his friend do it. He knew this was something Jackson should've done long ago, probably before a wedding, but he let him do it. "I-I love everything about you. Even the things I don't like, I love. And I want you with me. I love you, and I think... that you love me, too."

There was heavy silence. Mark looked up at Jackson as he held his breath and his ground. April, meanwhile, just looked at Jackson in perplexity for a bit. Her eyes going back between Matthew and Jackson.

Before anyone could process what was going on though, April had run off the stage and had grasped for Jackson's hand. The plastic surgeon looked surprised but kept running as the redheaded trauma surgeon led the way out of the barn and into the unknown.

That's when all chaos broke out. Matthew standing before everyone, brokenhearted and in tears, while his parents and family and friends began to swarm him and want to comfort him. Meanwhile, April's family either looked mortified or shocked.

"I always had a feeling she really loved Jackson," Arizona said as she walked forward, her eyes fixated where April just left. Mark was surprised to find her by him, but stayed point. He debated about saying something, but it wouldn't be like him to not get involved.

"You know, Callie really loves you," Mark told her, causing the blonde to look at him in perplexity.

"What are you…?"

"This day is full of just crazy shit and maybe I shouldn't get involved, Robbins, but my best friend loves you," Mark said. "Loves you so much…Now, do me a favor, and get your shit together."

"Excuse me, Sloan?"

"I love you too, Robbins, but remind yourself of the woman you married. Remind yourself of your family and why you shouldn't throw it all away," Mark whispered.

Arizona looked at him in shock before he walked away. Meanwhile, Callie and Lexie did their best to fend off all the angry wedding guests.

"Did you know Avery was going to do that!?" Callie questioned hotly.

"Hell no!" Lexie exclaimed. "I came specifically so he wouldn't. He told me he'd never do something stupid. Promised me he wouldn't do anything stupid."

"Well I guess the men around here are doing some pretty stupid things tonight," Callie muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lexie questioned, her eyebrows furrowing together. "What else happened?"

"Mark and Julia broke up," Callie explained. "Guess him and Jackson are more alike than I ever thought."

Lexie's ears perked up at this. "Oh?"

"Maybe today's a lesson for us all," Callie said, sighing as she ran a hand through her hair. "I need to find Sofia and Arizona…We need to talk."

"Oh. Alright," Lexie said as her fellow bridesmaid disappeared into the crowd. She could see Amelia in the audience, cackling at what just happened, while she stood by Owen Hunt who seemed rather amused by the brunette Shepherd. Alex Karev also looked rather amused while Jo and Stephanie Edwards discussed the events that transpired.

Then she saw Mark. He had Zola and Bailey with him. He looked like such a dad. However, when his blue eyes caught wind of hers, he managed to smile.

"I am excepting you didn't know your date was going to run off with the bride?" Mark questioned curiously as he walked over with the kids.

"Not at all," Lexie said, chuckling as Zola clung to her skirt. "However, I'm going to suggest we slip out of here before things escalade further. Not going to lie, Matthew's aunts can be kind of scary."

"Tell me about it. They've already grilled me twice for sitting by Jackson," Mark murmured. "I stole some cake, a couple of goody bags, and the most expensive bottle of champagne I could find. Now, I suggest we run for it. Okay?"

"Stealing, huh?" Lexie quipped, a grin appearing on her lips as she took Zola's hand and followed Mark out to the parking lot.

They had their own party at home. Zola and Bailey were off the walls from the wedding cake they'd eaten and were tuckered out by the time the sugar wore off. Which, allowed Lexie and Mark to have their own fun.

"This feels wrong," Lexie said through her giggles as she twisted the cork off the bottle. "This was supposed to be for Matthew and April's big day."

"Well, now we're celebrating April with a different guy," Mark said as Lexie shot the cap off in the dark. It was enough to make the two of them laugh as the champagne poured out. They proceeded to hold out some paper cups and fill them up to the brim. "To Jackson and April."

"To Jackson and April," Lexie agreed happily.

They held their glasses to the sky before downing them each. As Lexie finished hers, she looked to Mark who couldn't help but smile in her direction.

"What?"

"Nothing," he replied. He shrugged as he looked around. "Last time we were out here, you kissed me."

"Me kiss you? I think it was the other way around, Sloan," Lexie said, shaking her head in amusement.

"True, but I think you initiated it after," he teased, causing Lexie to roll her eyes.

"You can be such a pain."

"I am a pain but you know you love me," Mark sung.

"I do," Lexie replied softly, causing the two to pause for a couple of quiet moments. She cleared her throat. "You think they're going to be okay?"

"I think so," Mark replied. "Jackson and April are both strong individuals."

Lexie nodded as she poured herself some more champagne. "That's true…I just hope they know what they're doing."

"I think that they truly love each other and that they will put the work in," Mark trailed off. "You don't just break up a wedding like that if it wasn't important. And you know Jackson, as well as I know him…You know him enough to know he's rational. He doesn't do things unless he's certain."

"That's very true," Lexie said. "And so does April…She always thinks everything through. She knows what she wants…"

"What about you? Do you know what you want?" Mark asked quietly.

Lexie paused and shrugged. Her eyes locking with Mark's as she breathed out, "I…I don't know."

"Me neither," he said.

"What happened?" Lexie questioned gently, changing the subject. "With Julia?"

Mark's eyes fell on his glass of champagne. "I let her go…"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Eh. There's not much to talk about," he answered truthfully. "I couldn't hold on to her any longer…I care for her, but I don't love her. I couldn't keep her trapped with me when I didn't feel the same."

"But I thought you did," Lexie spoke softly. "She's…She was perfect."

"But I didn't love her," Mark shot back. "It's cruel to do something like that…I couldn't string her along. Tell her I felt the same, give her kids…"

"You're not getting any younger," Lexie joked.

"Exactly. Life is short and I want to spend the rest of it with someone I love. Someone who I have an amazing life with already," Mark said, his throat tightening. "Someone I love more than I thought I could love someone…."

Lexie trembled. "Mark…"

"I…Those two years without you were absolute murder," he confessed. "I…I messed up. I was so stupid, and there's no excuses, Lexie. No excuses for what I did, but…"

"I missed you too," Lexie cut him off with a gentle smile. She cupped his cheek, her thumb brushing over a corner beneath his eye. "I think we saw an obstacle and we got scared and we pushed each other away… But after all of this, after all the obstacles we had to go through together these last few months… I think you've shown me how you can be someone I can trust. Someone who is loyal."

Mark smiled back at this. Lexie ran her hand through his hair and with bated breath, leaned over and kissed him. This surprised the plastic surgeon, but he took everything about it in and pulled her closer to him.

However, the ringing of a phone cut them both off. They both stopped at what they'd been doing. Lexie's cheeks were burning and Mark had cleared his throat.

"Let me get that," Lexie sputtered.

"Yeah. Yeah," Mark said, clearing his throat. He silently cursed himself as he paced back and forth. He shouldn't have done that. He should've been strategic about it. He should've–

"Mark!"

Lexie had come running back. There were tears in her eyes as she tried to control them all from falling.

"What's wrong?" he had a frantic look in his eyes.

"It's Meredith," Lexie said, hiccuping. "She's gone into labor."