Hey guys. so sorry this took forever but ive found out im really crap at getting round to things, I get distracted too easily...oooh look, a duck! So here is the next chapter, eventually! Hasn't quite gone the way i expected but i haven't strayed too far. The lack of Mark and Lexie in my life has made it hard to write stuff, I hate such big gaps between episodes, especially when I know there will be more of the Lexie/Mark drama that is so not going to please anyone but yet we get our hopes up anyway.

To Jime-GA-Lover ta for the advice, hope this is better set out and easier to understand?

Anyways...On with the story

Chapter 3

Everything Lexie had done in the past year had been about Mark.

She had realised her mistake even as she slammed the door shut behind her but there was no going back, not until Mark could understand that there were two people in a relationship. In her heart she knew that what Mark was doing was a good thing, he was taking responsibility for the child that he had created, and having a baby was always one of the things he had really looked forward to doing in life: they had even talked about it once, and even though she hadn't been ready she knew that when she was it was Mark's children she wanted. But he hadn't discussed it with her, he basically told her how it was and expected her to just accept the fact that another woman's baby was going to be part of their lives, so she walked.

But now Sofia was here and she wasn't there to share Mark's dream with him, and that hurt her so much more.

And she had tried to tell him that she still loved him, every action made around him, to her, was an obvious tell that she still cared but he didn't see it anymore. Then Julia had come along and Lexie had gotten so jealous that even Jackson couldn't ignore it anymore and so he dumped her. She had even let it slip that one time with those disastrous words "me too" and still Mark was blind to it. Then valentines day had been the worst. She had gone to his flat to tell him the whole truth so he didn't find out when it was too late, but Jackson was there and she just ended up babysitting while Mark helped Jackson study, hoping for the time when Jackson would leave so she could escape without it looking like she was running. So she decided to give up, maybe it already was too late…and then he walked into her in her own bathroom.

"JESUS CHRIST!" Lexie exclaimed as she bounced off his six pack. "Oh it's you, you scared the life out of me!…Wh-what are you doing here Mark?" She asked confused at his presence.

Mark only half awake and wholly hung-over didn't answer, he merely admired the woman in front of him as if in a dream, which in turn made Lexie, feeling overly self-conscious, pull her towel tighter and cling on to it for dear life.

"Well, you'll have to excuse me" Lexie spoke suddenly "I've got to get ready for work" There had been many times in the past where she had fantasised about various scenarios in which she found herself with a lack of clothes in Mark's presence but she had never felt the urge to escape as much as she did in this moment. She felt trapped and exposed. Taking a step towards him Lexie expected Mark to stand aside but he remained in his dreamlike state.

"MARK" She used his name loudly, trying to shake him out of his trance "You're going to have to move" She added as she looked up into his eyes. Big Mistake! They were the same gorgeously sparkling blue deep…her heart rate quickened…deep…her whole body was reacting…deep…oh she was falling…deeply hypnotic pools that she remembered. She snapped back to her senses. He had a girlfriend, he didn't see her that way anymore. She would always love him, no-one could help that but she had to move on otherwise she would be alone forever.

For the first time in a long time Mark saw Lexie's reaction to him and he knew exactly how she felt. Now he knew for certain - however real this felt, it was definitely a dream. The last time he had seen her look at him like that, with so much longing, so much hunger in her eyes had been right after the kiss that night at Joe's when he had tricked her into having a drink with him.

He slowly moved aside, giving Lexie space to exit the bathroom but as she did her body brushed against his. It felt like an electrical current had shot through him and sent his body into overdrive, he no longer had rational thought. Mark grabbed a hold of her and crashed his lips onto hers kissing her more deeply and passionately than he ever had before and that was saying something.

Lexie only had a second of surprise before she reacted to the kiss. She had felt the same shock run through her body and she was as ready as him for them to be reunited. Except…she was forgetting something…wasn't she?…she was sure…but the kiss lengthened and deepened and that nagging feeling of something being wrong just slipped away because how could this not be right?

"Morning!" April's shrill voice called to Lexie as she approached the nurses station.

"Ugh, April, Why are you always so cheerful on a morning?" Lexie replied rather grumpily.

"The question is, why aren't you? It's a new day, full of opportunities, anything can happen" Kepner told her, as optimistic as ever.

"Anything already did" Lexie murmured, too quiet for April to hear. "So whose service am I on today?" She asked her chief resident.

"Well Alex told me about how you were in need of non-critical patients, so that's either plastics or ortho. Then Jackson said…well…anyway, I figured you'd prefer ortho." April backtracked.

"Oh god yes!" Lexie shouted in relief, she coughed. "I mean, if that's you're decision April, then its OK by me." She gave Kepner a fake smile. "Hang on, Alex told you ab-, Jackson said what exactly?"

April flustered. "Well, I mean, no, it's just, it wasn't, I didn't mean…"

"Ugh forget it, I'm off to find Callie" Lexie stormed off, today was just getting better by the second!

"Dr. Torres, I'm on your service today, what are we working on?" Lexie asked her attending as she walked up to her and took the chart.

"Ah, Grey, Good morning, how are you today?" Callie inquired.

"Just fine" Lexie replied bitterly "Ready to break some bones"

"And how was Mark this morning?" She questioned, OK, she was snooping.. Something had gone on she was sure, why else would Lexie be in a bad mood if it wasn't for Mark.

"What? How do y- why you asking me?" Lexie became defensive.

Callie tried to play down her comment. "Well I just thought you might have seen him this morning, he got pretty hammered at Joe's last night and Derek had to carry him out of the bar, I just wondered how hung-over he was?"

"Very" Was Lexie's sullen reply "So do you need me to take Mr Harris down to x-ray?" She asked about her patient making it clear that that conversation was over.

Callie found Derek, Leaning over the nurses station talking to his wife who was charting. She didn't really want to interrupt but she had to know what happened after she left Derek and Mark last night.

"Hey guys" She announced her arrival. "So come on, spill. Any loving happen last night?" She asked, ready for some juicy gossip.

"Excuse me?" Meredith asked affronted.

"Oh God, no, not you two, that would be rude to ask. No I meant Mark and Lexie" Callie hurried to explain.

Meredith looked none the wiser.

"You know, because of mine and Derek's plan, Mark staying at yours…" Callie looked at the exchanged glances between the couple "You didn't know?" She asked Meredith, confused.

"So that's why you rushed me out of the house this morning?" She accused her husband

Derek looked guilty. "Well, I figured if I told you, you wouldn't leave Lexie in the house alone" he admitted.

"Damn right I wouldn't, she's not in a good place right now relationship wise and you two trying to match make is only going to make it worse for her. She needs to get over him, move on. Her and Mark are doomed to fail and the sooner everybody realises that the better!" She chastised Callie and Derek.

"I know you're just trying to look out for your sister Mer, but Mark is our best friend" Derek told her, pointing between Callie and himself. "And he is hurting just as much. He's in a relationship that is based on some twisted version of happiness and not love, just like Lexie was. And that's not good for him, Julia or Lexie." He looked at Callie for support.

"I-I'm not so sure it was a good idea, us interfering" Callie hesitated to say. "I think Mer is right. I've got Lexie on my service today and her mood is beyond foul, I was kind of hoping you'd heard something last night or this morning, but I'm pretty sure they've talked."

"Great, just great!" Meredith replied through gritted teeth, "Next time you two try matchmaking proven failures remember your amazing track records with relationships!" And with that, she walked off in search of her sister.

Meredith came across Lexie in the lift. She knew straight away that something was wrong. Lexie was always good with patients, putting their needs first, making them feel at ease, but here she was holding the back of a wheelchair with a patient looking scared to even breathe in case she took it the wrong way.

"OK, before you say anything, I didn't even know Mark was in the house this morning" Meredith started slowly, trying not to make any sudden movements. She saw the patient roll his eyes in understanding: Grouchy women either meant period or men and this obviously meant guy trouble.

"Yeah sure, whatever you say Mer, I mean, it's only your house, why would you know who sleeps there?" Lexie replied snidely.

Meredith sighed. "Derek snuck him in last night and rushed me out of the door this morning, I never saw him. Do you really think I'd leave you in the house without letting you know? Seriously?" She asked her sister, shocked that Lexie didn't think that she would have her back.

Lexie just glared. "So what's up then? Something obviously happened this morning" Meredith asked.

"Oh so you just came for the gossip did you, be the first to find out how pathetic Lexie Grey is so you can spread it round the hospital!" Lexie snapped back.

Meredith looked stunned and was beginning to get annoyed with Lexie's attitude. "No, as a matter of fact I didn't! You're my sister Lexie, I was just trying to find out if you were OK and letting you know that you can talk to me without worrying about anyone finding out" She tried to reassure her.

Lexie huffed. "Come on Lex, you love to vent, I'm here, just go for it." Meredith coaxed.

"FINE!" Lexie submitted. She told her sister what had happened in the bathroom earlier.

"So you slept with him" Meredith stated .

Lexie's eyes widened "What? No!"

Meredith looked unconvinced. "He kissed you, you slept with him." She stated again.

"He…he has a girlfriend" Lexie said as if that were a good enough rebuttal.

"He's Mark, you're Lexie, that's what you do." Meredith explained.

"Well not anymore" Lexie told her sister. "It's mistake after mistake. I mean…he couldn't get away fast enough this morning" she ranted. "SHIT!" She hadn't meant to confess.

"LEXIE!" Her sister chastised.

Lexie's patient cleared his throat, the two doctor had clearly forgotten he was there. "I never realised there was so much drama in hospitals" He grinned, trying to lighten the mood in the confined metal box. "I can tell you two are sisters by the way, you've really got that protective/confiding/judging/disapproving thing down to a tee." he informed them.

Meredith looked at him shamefaced "I'm so sorry about this Mr-?"

"Harris, Liam Harris" He shook her hand "And don't worry about it, everyone likes a bit of gossip even when they have no idea who you're talking about"

"That's very true" Meredith replied with a smile.

Meredith's pager went off just as the doors opened. "911" She said, looking at the person stepping into the lift. "And I'm very sorry Liam but I'm leaving you with both parties" She mouthed a regretful sorry to her sister before scarpering from the scene.

As the doors closed the atmosphere grew very tense.

"Great!" Lexie said through gritted teeth.

"What's that?" Mark asked, ready for a confrontation.

"Nothing" She mumbled

"No, you said something"

"I just wish the lift would speed up" Lexie replied, trying to keep calm.

"What you mean is you don't want to be trapped with me" Mark deduced.

"Do you blame me?" She answered "I mean you're the one who couldn't stand to be in the same bed with me this morning, you suddenly get a guilty conscience and you can't get out of the door fast enough. Need I remind you that you kissed me, you pulled the towel off me, you pulled me to your bed and you-"

"And you" Mark interrupted before she delved into too much detail. "you were the one that broke up with me, told me to leave you alone and as soon as I get a girlfriend you start saying and doing all this stuff, turning up at my flat on valentines day, so what was that about Lex? Huh?"

"Th-That was, were not, that has nothing to do with this" Lexie stammered.

Mark looked at her knowingly "Oh, I think that has everything to do with this. You come round to your ex-ex-boyfriends flat to "talk"" He air quoted. "And when you realise your ex-boyfriend is there you freak out and try and run. So don't try and tell me it isn't connected. Just tell me what's going on with you because you're acting even crazier than usual."

"Well maybe you should just commit me to the psych ward again then" She shouts at him

"Lex" Mark sighs, feeling the guilt of what he had done that time once again.

"What?" She replied "I'm obviously crazy, because I'm still in love with you even though you break my heart over and over again!" There! She had finally told him. Only it didn't feel like the relief she thought it would.

An uncomfortable silence fell over them until the doors opened to allow Lexie to escape, holding on to the handles of the wheelchair for dear life. As she walked away a sob escaped her, now she didn't need to be strong anymore.

"Hey, it'll be OK" A voice told her. It was then she remembered that she had a patient with her.

"Oh God! Mr Harris, I'm so so sorry." She apologized. "That was totally unprofessional of me. You must think I'm a horrible person"

"Actually I think you're brave" He replied honestly. "At least you told him, right? Do you realise how many people let that chance slip by?"

"I think I'm one of those people, I think I left it too late" Lexie confided.

Liam had seen the shocked look on the male doctors face, it seemed like it was the last thing he ever expected her to say and yet the only words he ever wanted to hear "We'll see…"

We cant have them happy just yet, then there would be no story! Thanks for bearing with my extreme laziness, I'll try and get the next chapter up slightly quicker

Please REVIEW, it's what keeps me going, knowing someone is still reading :)