Alright folks, here is Chapter 7! Sorry it's taken me a long time to update. I have been sick with the flu and an upper respiratory infection. So, I've been all kinds of sick. I hope you all like this chapter. It doesn't have a lot of dialogue but some important things take place. Quite honestly, it's not my favorite, but, this chapter is needed. I am working diligently on the next chapter which is so far off to a very good start. So, with that said, thank you for hanging in there! Also, this chapter is completely un-beta'd so, all the mistakes are mine! Sorry!

--SC

I don't own Grey's, only Shonda and ABC have that privilege.

Chapter 6: Soft Blankets and Hallmark Cards

His heart was beating frantically in his chest as his long legs carried him towards the mound of crushed metal and glass. He dropped to all fours, his body leaning into the vehicle frantically looking for the woman's child. The smell of gas was so strong that it almost over-powered him, causing his body to shake with coughs. He lifted his dark grey t-shirt and put it over his nose to help make breathing easier.

It was dark inside the car save for the faint glow of the map light. He stretched his body as far as he could to look into the back seat. There was no baby seat, only a pale pink blanket, tangled in between two seatbelts. Her baby was a girl. His hand reached for the pink softness and grabbed hold of it, pulling it towards him.

The only proof of this little life's existence was the soft blanket he clutched in his fingers. The smell of gas grew stronger and he knew that he had to get out of the SUV and fast in case of an explosion. Backing his body out, the absence of a windshield caught his eye.

Hurrying out of the vehicle, he stood up and circled the vehicle in hopes of finding something, anything, for a sign. As he stood with his hand on his hips thinking, he evaluated the scene of the accident. He walked towards the guard rail and looked down, his mind beginning to piece the small clues together. The hill had a slight slope and was dark and heavily wooded, but he knew that if the car seat had flown out of the window, its path would have been in this direction.

Carefully holding on to the cold metal of the guard rail, he climbed over and made his way down, slowly so he would not loose his footing on the wet earth. He'd stopped at the foot of the hill, wondering which direction he should go towards when he heard the faint cries to his right. Turning his body in that direction, he walked forward into the thick brush towards the directions of the wails.

He picked up speed as the cries grew stronger, not letting the darkness hinder his efforts.

A pale sliver of moonlight shined down through the trees and onto the car seat, guiding him to his goal. He'd found her! He dropped down on his knees, and lifted the car seat from its side, thankful that it hadn't fallen on its front, and began checking the baby for any injuries.

She was cold, wet, and shivering with only a few scratches from what he could tell in the moonlight, but she was still fully enclosed in the car seat, and for the most part safe and sound. Finally letting out the breath he had been holding, he quickly undid the buckles that strapped her in, and lifted the infant. Cradling her to his chest, he carefully wrapped the infant in the blanket he'd found tangled in the seatbelts of the wrecked car.

He stood there, in the darkness covered by the trees and the soft rain, and just held the little body against his, as his heart slowed its frantic beating. Her wails had softened as his body heat transferred to her. She was safe now. She couldn't have been more than a few months old and judging by the activity of her vocal cords and the ringing of his ears, she appeared to have no head trauma, thankfully.

The sound of approaching sirens caught his attention. He cradled the baby in the crook of his arm as he grabbed the car seat with one hand, and made his way up the hill slowly, to reunite the mother and her child.

He'd been standing there for the last twenty minutes, watching the little baby sleep in a crib in a small room decorated in a Winnie the Pooh theme on the pediatrics floor. He'd ridden in the ambulance with the injured, unconscious mother and the baby firmly in his grasp to Seattle Grace, while Izzie had followed behind in his car.

Miranda Bailey had been on call and was there to greet the ambulance when it arrived. He had reported what happened, given her the woman's vitals and injuries, and followed them into the emergency room, still holding the baby who had somehow fallen asleep in his arms, oblivious to the mass chaos surrounding her. The on call resident for pediatrics was there to meet him as well, ready to admit the infant into their service. Her wails were sudden and penetrating, clearly letting everyone in the hospital know that she was unhappy being disturbed in her slumber, only to grow louder when she was taken away from his warm embrace. He stood there helplessly as he watched the pediatric resident and interns place her in a bed and wheel her towards the elevator, her cries never stopping.

He had tried to offer any assistance he could to the mother, but Bailey had assured him that she and Dr. O'Malley had it all under control. She had told him, in no uncertain terms, that he wasn't needed and to go home.

But he couldn't go home, even if Stevens had arrived with his car . . . no, he couldn't return to his hotel room, not just yet. And so he'd found himself in the elevator, pressing the button for the Pediatrics floor, inquiring about the health of the baby girl he'd found thirty feet away from a ditch, covered by the brush.

He was told she was fine and in good health, save for the few minor scratches on her rosy cheeks. He asked to look at her chart, to make sure for himself that the little patient was alright. He had to see it for his own eyes.

He learned that her name was Emma Grace Stanton. He wasn't particularly a religious man, but he couldn't help but think as he stared down at the head covered in dark curls and her body dressed in warm pink flannel, that it had most definitely been grace that saved this child from the accident. She'd been thrown from a car and lived. She was a miracle.

His looked over the chart once more, making sure that she was fine, that nothing had been missed. His eyes focused on one bit of information that he had somehow gone unnoticed by him, causing his eyes to shut briefly in an emotion that he could only describe as pain.

Emma Grace Stanton was born on November 10, 2006.

The same day his own child would have made his entrance into the world.

Izzie rushed into the ER, anxious to find out about the condition of the woman and her baby. She had tried to hurry as fast as she could, but she'd gotten caught in the traffic created by the accident as well as the down pour that had made the roads dangerous. She knew that she could have followed the ambulance and it's break neck speed, but she didn't want to take any chances with Mark Sloane's beloved car. Besides, it wasn't everyday that she got to drive a car that was worth over $100,000 dollars. She just wished she could have enjoyed it more.

The first person that she saw was George and she made her way over to him. "George!"

He turned to her surprised and the look of anxiety that briefly flashed in his eyes wasn't lost on her. "Izzie, hey!"

She went up to him, slightly breathless. "Were you here when a woman, early thirties, with a baby came in?"

"Ah, yeah, I was. She's stable but we're running some tests right now. Sloane actually came in with her. He said he witnessed the accident." He looked at her curiously. "How did you know about it?"

Izzie swallowed not sure if she wanted to go into details of how she knew about the accident. "I, ah, I was driving and I saw what had happened. I pulled over and helped out. Sloane pretty much had it under control."

She inwardly sighed as George appeared to accept her explanation. For some reason, she didn't feel like explaining that she had been with Sloane or why she'd been with him. She was still trying to figure that one out herself.

"Stevens, what are you doing here?" Dr. Bailey's sharp voice rang out through the hall way and Izzie turned around promptly to face her.

"I witnessed the accident, and helped Dr. Sloane out, and wanted to see if I could do anything here."

Dr. Bailey exchanged files with the nurse before turning to look at her. "You're not needed. We've got everything under control. Go home."

"Yes, but I would really like to—

Bailey turned around and glared at her. "Do you think I like to talk to hear my own nasally voice? Go home, Stevens. You're services are not needed. Come along, O'Malley, I've got a patient who's been complaining of severe cramps in the abdomen as well as vomiting . . ."

George turned to her and shrugged his shoulders as he raced to follow Bailey. Izzie stood there, annoyed at the feeling of being useless. She looked around the ER hoping to find Mark, knowing that Bailey wouldn't have turned him away. Maybe he would let her help him. When she saw no sign of him, she went to the nurses' station. "Hey, Turner, have you seen Dr. Sloane?"

He looked up at her from the files he was filling out, and paused in thought. "The last I saw of him was when he headed to the elevator about 15 minutes ago."

Izzie knew that his answer didn't really help her out in finding the man. "Thanks." She started to walk towards the elevator but stopped and turned to Turner was again. "Do you happen to know how the baby is . . . the one brought in from the accident? Has any family been contacted?"

"She's fine. Peds has her now, while her mom's in scans. She's still unconscious. The husband's been contacted and will be here in a few hours. He was out of town on a business trip in Portland. "

"Thanks, Tuner!" She said over her shoulder as she made her way to the elevator. Once inside she pressed the button for the fourth floor, planning to check up on the little patient before returning to her search for Dr. Sloane.

With the ding of the elevators, she walked through the doors and made her way to the nurses' station and asked about the newly admitted patient. Izzie smiled when she heard that the baby had been given a clean bill of health and when asked for the room number, she couldn't hide the surprise from her eyes when she was told that the little one already had a visitor. Izzie made her way quietly to the room, and opened the door softly. Her hand went to her mouth in surprise at the sight that greeted her.

Mark Sloane was sitting in the hospital's rocking chair, holding the sleeping baby wrapped in a pink blanket.

Izzie could do nothing but stand there, hidden by the door, and watch the man rock the baby back and forth. She had no idea how long he'd been in the room with the little baby, but she couldn't help but feel like she was somehow intruding.

He looked comfortable, cradling the baby in his arms with his head against the rocker and eyes closed. The scene before her looked like a campaign from Hallmark for Father's Day cards. It was . . . touching and completely unexpected. She couldn't deny that it was a look that suited him well. She'd never really thought of a man like Mark Sloane as one that would deal well with children. But the image before her and the memory of him refusing to let anyone hold the baby but him seemed to prove her wrong.

She saw him open his eyes and felt as if she had been swiftly punched in the gut when she saw the look of pain cross over his features. She watched as he stood up carefully and pulled the infant closer to him before placing her back in the crib and stood there, watching the infant sleep.

Izzie quietly back tracked her steps and rounded the corner, praying that he wouldn't see her. She listened for the sound of his shoes against the linoleum and when she heard his approaching footsteps, she started walking towards him. She lifted her head and acted surprised when she saw him.

"Oh, Dr. Sloane! I was looking for you!" She noticed he had switched his emotional gears as he put on an air of surprise when she called out his name. "I was looking everywhere for you and then I decided to try up here—

"You ready to go, Stevens?" He asked casually.

She also noticed that his voice seemed normal as well. He really was good at hiding behind that mask of his. If she hadn't seen the display of emotion with her own eyes just a moment before, he would have appeared as right as rain. "Yes, I am. I was told that the mother should be fine but she's having scans done now and that the baby is perfect."

"I've also heard that. And the baby is fine, I checked on her myself. She's sleeping now."

"That's good." Izzie fiddled with the charm on her necklace as she racked her brain for things to say, to make sure that he didn't know she'd seen him with the baby. She had a feeling he wouldn't have been too pleased. Normally she wouldn't have minded calling him out, but this . . . this was a new dimension to the man and one that she knew she had treat carefully. Mark Sloane was incredible fragile at the moment for reasons she could only guess about and ones that for some reason, told her to tread lightly, very lightly. She cleared her throat. "I wanted to help out, but—

"Bailey told you weren't needed and to go home?"

She laughed softly, and in her mind, somewhat forcefully. "Yes and in those exact words. She turned you away, too?" They walked to the elevator and got on.

"Yes, she did. I didn't bother to argue with her or to tell her remind her that I am her attending . . ."

Izzie looked at him knowingly. "She terrifies you, too?"

"Just like Freddie Kruger."

"I think she even scares the chief a little, too. One time, there was this huge pile-up on some interstate, I can't really remember which one . . . Anyway, the chief had tried to cut back our hours only to increase the nurses' hours, and they went on strike and it was pure hell. Well, Bailey hunted him down . . ."

"Was the chief hiding away in the supply closet?" He asked. She looked at him and noticed he had a very small grin on his lips, but the sadness in his eyes wasn't entirely gone.

She continued on normally. "I believe he was in the bathroom connected to his office. Anyway, she found him—

Izzie's words dropped off when she saw tension take over his body as the doors opened and Dr. Addison Montgomery stepped on, standing slightly in front of them. The smile was instantly wiped away from his lips and instead was replaced with a rather deep frown. Addison seemed to have noticed as well.

"So, I hear you two saved a mother's life as well as her baby. Good job." She offered a smile before turning around. "Were you two together when you happened upon the accident?" Dr. Montgomery's eyes briefly glanced her way, but mainly focused on Mark, her voice dripping with polite interest and the slight hint of hidden disapproval in the woman's voice didn't escape Izzie.

Izzie's ire flared up towards the woman and just as she was about to tell her that they were together when they arrived to help, Mark's voice stopped her.

"I arrived first on the scene shortly followed by Dr. Stevens." He said making eye contact with Addison when she turned around. Izzie watched them with interest.

"Dr. Stevens actually did a wonderful job taking care of the mother while I went and looked for the baby. In fact, I'm sure that if it was not for her, the mother's condition would be far worse." His eyes met Addison's, heavy silence full of tension radiating between them.

His praise stunned her as well as it did Addison, and she couldn't help but blush at his rarely given words of praise and the weight of neonatal surgeon's gaze on her. But the awkwardness of the situation was beginning to get to her, praise or no praise, and he desire to speak was growing stronger by the second. Just when she opened her mouth, Addison's voice broke the awkward spell.

"Is that so? Well, Dr. Stevens that's wonderful to hear. You never seem to disappoint," She said right as the doors opened and exited the elevator, never looking back at the glare Izzie was sending her through the slits that were her eyes.

Her lips opened to let out a particularly cutting remark about the red head, but closed them again when she saw Mark clenching his jaw, blatantly disregarding her presence. Instead she just crossed her arms and decided to keeps her opinions to herself, making the rest of the elevator ride in silence.

They walked out of the hospital together, both not really caring who saw them at the moment and made their way over to his car. He leaned against the car, covering his eyes with his hands before turning around sharply and pounding his fists on the hood as well as kicking his wheels. Izzie just stood their quietly and watched him.

He stopped and turned to her and held out his hand, snapping at her. "My keys?"

Izzie drew back slightly, caught off guard at his rude demand before gaining hold of her senses. "Listen, I'm not really sure what's wrong with you, I can only guess. But one thing I do know is that you're pissed off and are in no condition to drive."

"Give me the keys, Stevens!" He said through clenched teeth.

"No! You may not value your life, but I value mine!" She stalked towards him and pointed to the passenger's side. "Get in the car, I'm driving."

He stared her down trying to intimidate her, but she held her ground and only relaxed when he went to the passenger's side, opened it, climbed in, and then slammed the door shut behind him. Pulling the keys out of her purse, she got in the car and put the keys in the ignition. Starting the car, she turned to look at him slouching down in the seat with one arm propped against the window, a hand covering his eyes.

She sighed to herself as she pulled out of the parking spot and left the hospital. The only sound that could be heard was the soft plops of rain against the windshield and Izzie had a rather heavy feeling that it was going to be one hell of a long drive.

Ok, well there is Chapter 6! I wonder where they are going? Hmmm...I'm sure we'll find out in Chapter 7. So, if you review, I just maybe inclined to finish chapter 7 faster! Hee hee hee! I hope you enjoyed it!