A/N: Here is the second chapter of the story. Thank you for all the reviews. I do not own Grey's Anatomy or its characters.
"Derek, you can take me to the boy whom these scans belong to, or we can go to the chief and debate it out in front of him, and let him decide. Either way, I'm gonna operate on the kid's face, with permission from his parents of course."
"There is no way in hell that I'm going to allow you in my OR without a fight."
"Then to the chief, it is. Mer, you coming."
Both Derek and Mark were looking at her intently, daring her to choose a side.
"Uh, no. The both of you go and argue to your heart's content, but I'm not going to come in the middle here. You're both my bosses. What I am going to do is go have lunch with my friends. So, Bye." She rushed down the hall in order to find her friends.
Thankfully, it wasn't that difficult, as she found them sitting on a circular table by the corner in the yard, eating their lunch. She quickly grabbed her lunch and went to join them.
"Hey! I didn't think that you'll be able to join us." Cristina said.
"You know, between McDreamy and McSteamy, we figured you'll be busy." Izzie added.
"Oh shut up, both of you."
"Come on, tell us why you're here and not on Sloan's arm wandering the hospital." asked Alex.
"I escaped. They were going into full-on brawl mode which was about to include arguing in front of the chief whether Mark should operate on Jake's face or not."
"Why would Dr. Sloan want to operate on Jake?" asked George.
"According to him, he can make him look normal."
"Man, what wouldn't I give to be a part of such a surgery. I'm awfully jealous right now." Cristina remised.
"Do you think he can do it? I mean, it's bound to have a lot of complications, right?" Izzie asked doubtfully.
"It's Mark Sloan, I may be biased because he my best friend, but he is truly one of the foremost plastic surgeons and ENTs in the nation. His work is amazing. The accident that happened in Dartmouth….. his legs bruised pretty badly. Now, if you look you wouldn't be able to tell even a single one. He is that good."
"What exactly happened there, anyway.. give the full story this time won't you?" Cristina demanded
Flashback
"Alright students, today we have a special guest with us from New York. He is one of the foremost plastic surgeons in our nation, Dr. Mark Sloan. Please give a huge round of applause as we welcome him….. Thank you for joining us Dr. Sloan, the stage is now yours."
The lecture was about an hour long. Unlike most surgeon lecturers, Meredith observed that he was pretty easy going. His lecture wasn't boring or just informative, it was quirky and interesting.
Later that day, Meredith sat in bar, nursing her beer. Mark noticed how beautiful she looked and was immediately attracted to her.
"Can I buy you a drink?"
Meredith recognised him a Dr. Sloan, the speaker from this afternoon.
"You do realise that I'm a med STUDENT."
"You're old enough to drink, so you're old enough for me to flirt with you."
"Well then, buy me a drink, and…"
"And what?"
"We'll go from there."
"Alright, what's your poison?"
"Tequila."
He motioned the bartender for tequila shots for them. They quickly had the shots, relishing the feel of the liquid burning their throats. Mark asked Meredith if she wanted to dance, to which she agreed.
"What's your name?"
"Meredith. You're attractive." Meredith said swaying with the music.
"I know."
"And arrogant." Meredith was about to ask the bartender for a few more when Mark interrupted.
"No more. I'll prefer is you're alert and conscious enough for the night." Mark sensually whispered in Meredith's ear.
"Presumptuous much, Dr. Sloan?"
"Just confident." Mark said, giving his patent smirk.
"Let's get out of here." Mark said after few more minuted of dancing. "You could come to my hotel room or.."
"I live across the street."
"Let's go then."
The both of them got up to leave. Meredith a few steps behind Mark, as she took a second more to adjust her coat. Just then, she saw a car coming towards them at full speed with no intention of stopping at the signal. She swiftly caught up with Mark, enough to grab onto his hand and jerk him away from the road, just in time. In doing so, Mark fell down on the footpath, twisting his ankle and cutting his leg in a few places from the shreds of glass fallen from the nearby dustbin.
"Are you alright?"
"What do you think. Who the hell throws pieces of glass so casually on the damn footpath." Mark replied, evidently hurt.
"Come on, Let's go to my place. I'll bandage you up."
"Aah! I don't think I can walk."
"Yes you can. Put your weight on me, and try."
"You're a light weight. I'll crush you."
"No you won't. Are you gonna try getting up or should I leave you alone here to fend for yourself?"
"Geez, relax." Mark took Meredith's hand and listen himself. Meredith put her arm around his waist supporting him.
"What floor do you live on?" Mark asked Meredith as they entered the building.
"Fifth."
"Oh God! I can't climb five floors."
"Stop being a baby. And there…" Meredith said pointing ahead, ".. is the elevator."
"Thank God!"
As they entered her loft, Meredith switched on the lights and then guided Mark to the couch.
She then hurried to find her first aid kit and a glass of water for Mark.
"Okay let's see." Meredith said, removing Mark's shoe, sock and lifting his pant, to give her a better view. She saw a few shreds of glass, that had inserted themselves on his leg and that his ankle was swelling.
"Meredith, first give me something for my pain."
"Uh, sure. Here." Meredith said passing Mark a pill and the glass of water.
"Thanks, and, thank you for pulling me back, back there. You saved my life."
"Please, I couldn't let someone as charming as you come in front of the car, could I?" Meredith joked.
She then took the tweezers and started to pull out the glass from his leg. By the time she was done, the pain medication had started its effect and Mark was feeling much better. Soon, Meredith took out the needle and suturing thread to stitch his wounds.
"Stop! What are you doing?"
"Suturing your leg."
"I do not want scars on my leg for the rest of my life. I'll do them."
"Are you sure?" Meredith asked doubtfully.
"Yes. Watch and learn. If you suture like this, you will never leave a scar on the patient's body."
Meredith keenly watched as Mark expertly began stitching up his wounds. His method was a bit different from what she had learned in school. He was indeed good at what he did. Soon, only one wound was left to be stitched. Mark was observing how intently Meredith was watching him.
"You wanna do the last one?" Mark asked.
"Really?" Meredith asked excited.
"Yes. Do not make me regret it."
It was a relatively small wound that too on the back side of his leg. Mark figured that however good or bad a job she did, it wouldn't bother him that much. Meredith went about her job and was quickly done.
"You're a fast learner Meredith, and good hands too." Mark was seriously impressed at the job she did. She was almost perfect, brilliant for someone who did it for the first time.
"Thank you Dr. Sloan." Meredith said embarrassed.
"I've gone from Mark to Dr. Sloan now?"
"Uhh.. sorry."
"Relax Mer. Now can you pass me the bandage."
"Yeah, here."
"So, tell me about yourself." Mark asked bandaging his twisted ankle.
"What do you wanna know?"
"Anything, you last name, speciality you're interested in, crimes you've committed." Mark said chuckling lightly.
"Well, my last name is Grey, and yes, Ellis Grey is my mother. Speciality, I'm not sure right now, maybe general or neuro. And as for crimes, speeding and underage drinking, though I've never been convicted for the latter."
"How was it growing up, having the legendary Ellis Grey as your mother?"
"Empty." At his confused face, she continued. "Ellis Grey was always the surgeon, never the mother. We didn't have any family traditions, hell we never even celebrated Christmas or Thanksgiving or Easter. She pushed my father away, and he wasn't man enough to fight her, so he left. I pretty much grew up myself. To everyone, it seems an honour to have Ellis Grey as your mother, but in reality I would prefer any other mother compared to her."
"Oh, wow! Sorry, I just didn't expect that."
"Yeah, no one does."
"You're pretty cold or unattached towards it."
"Years of living by yourself, makes to come to terms with reality. It did effect me when I was young. I would see parents of all the other students in class come for annual day programs, sporting events and all. For sometime, I would keep looking at the door, hoping she would turn up. Soon, I understood the reality, which was that my mother just didn't have the time for me. Ever. I got used it."
"No one should have to experience that. But, I can relate, at some level."
"What do you mean? Even you had ignorant parents?"
"My dad died, when I was young. Our family was pretty well- off, so money wasn't exactly a problem. My mom made her friends and social engagements her life. She could bother less about me. One thing though, where I had it better than you, was that I had I pseudo- family."
"What do you mean pseudo- family?" Meredith interrupted.
"Let me speak. So, opposite to our place, lived the family of my best friend. Even our fathers were great friends. They were a huge family, four daughters and one son. They took me in. I used to celebrate all festivals with them. Never did they make me feel anything less than their own. So, even though I'm biologically an only child, I have four sisters and a brother."
"Must have bene nice, I envy it."
"I get you. I can't even imagine what I would have been like if those guys weren't there for me. I'm gonna be forever grateful."
"You still meet them on a regular basis?"
"I try to. Mom, I call her that, checks up on me every month or so. But, we're all grown up now, so it's difficult to meet that regularly. I try and fill the void with work, alcohol and women."
"That's something we have in common. Tequila and men that are bad for me."
"So, I'm bad for you?"
"Maybe. I haven't decided that yet."
"I am very, very bad for you." Mark whispered in Meredith's ear.
Meredith chuckled and shifted her face a little so that it was directly facing him. There faces were just inches apart, and in a second, Mark closed the gap to pull her in an amazing kiss.
"Wow! That was…." Meredith said a minute later, gasping for air.
"Amazing, it indeed was." Mark smirked. "By the way, tell me about those felonies you committed…."
End of flashback
"Like that, we spent the entire weekend talking and occasionally kissing. It dint go further than that. The both of us felt an eerie sense of comfort with each other. I was able to talk to him about everything, from family, to studies, to boyfriends. And so was he. When the weekend ended, at it was time for him to catch his flight, back to New York, we exchanged phone numbers and kept in touch."
"Just a minute, you just met him once before today and he became this important to you?" Alex asked confused.
"Not exactly."
"Explain Grey." Cristina told irritated.
Flashback
"Mark, I need you."
"Grey, what's wrong?"
"My mother.. she.. she has.. Oh God, I can't even tell you." Meredith was trying her best to keep it together but was not sure how successful she was being.
"Yes, you can. You can tell me anything. You know that."
"I..I legally can't."
"What do mean, anyway, where are you?"
"Boston."
"Send me the address, il be there by tomorrow morning."
"No, you don't need to come."
"But I am. You won't win this Mer; send me your address."
Mark knew as soon as she said the first word that something was wrong. Terribly wrong.
Next morning, he was standing in front of the house, whose address Meredith had given him. He rang the doorbell, and soon Meredith opened the door, wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt.
"You look like shit, Grey."
Meredith let into his arms and started sobbing uncontrollably. Mark just kept patting her head and whispering soothing words in her ear.
"Sorry for that. I just…."
"No need to apologise, Mer. Never."
"Come inside." Meredith led Mark inside and they sat on the breakfast bar.
"Whose place is this?"
"My mom's"
"Okay. Now you wanna tell me what's wrong?"
"My mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's." She said, her eyeing watering at the thought.
"Shit! Mer. Where is she?" Mark said putting his hand on her shoulder and steadying her.
"I just admitted her at a care centre. It's a nice place. It's just….."
"I know. It can be difficult."
"It's not just the fact that she is so terminally ill. There is so much… She expects so much…."
"What do you mean?"
"She doesn't want anyone to know. She made me sign a document. So please, no going to the media." Meredith said, trying to lighten up.
"Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me. Cross my heart."
"Thank you. She made me her medical proxy and her next of kin. There is so much paperwork, so many decisions are to be made. I feel so overwhelmed."
"Come here." Mark said, pulling her into a hug. "Now listen, I will go with you to the care centre. I will sit in the car, and wait for you. Anytime you feel confused or if it gets too much, you excuse yourself and come to me. I'll help you out."
"You'll do that for me?"
"I didn't come here to sit in the house all time, Grey."
"You're amazing. Truly."
"I know. I am the best."
"So, let's go."
End of Flashback
"That was a second and last time we met before today. He was my rock during the entire time. I took me four days to set everything up for my mother, and he was there every step of the way. then, I knew that I will never get a friend like Mark in my life. Even when I shifted to Seattle, he called me almost everyday until I started my internship to make sure I had everything I needed and I was alright." Meredith told her friends.