A/N No excuses I know.

Confessions

Bradley Sloan stared at his son at a complete loss for words. He didn't know what to say to Mark. Yes he had known. He had known since Mark was five that his wife was sexually abusing their son. He knew that Mark would hate him for not stepping in and protecting him. Bradley Sloan had been a lousy father. He had always known that and he had always carried the guilt with him. It seemed as though his problems would have to wait. He'd have to talk to Mark about things he didn't know about first.

Mark wished his father would answer. The fact that his father wasn't answering caused a pit in Mark's stomach. He was becoming convinced that his father had known. The anger was quickly rising up in Mark. How could his father not protect him? What had Mark done to deserve this? Mark wished he knew the answers to those questions.

"I did know." Bradley finally admitted quietly, his eyes dropping to stare at the floor. He couldn't look at his son. He couldn't look and see the hate and anger in Mark's eyes. Bradley was ashamed of his behavior but he knew nothing he did could make it better.

"How could you know and not protect me?" Mark demanded. He was furious with his father's admission though he had suspected it.

"I'm so sorry Mark. I should have taken you out of that damn house from the moment I found out." Bradley told him. Mark shook his head. That was not going to work. He couldn't just apologize and have everything be okay again. Mark had never had a good relationship with his father and this revelation sure didn't help.

"Well that's just not good enough." Mark told his father. Bradley knew that Mark had every right to be livid with him. After all Bradley had failed his son. His innocent son who didn't deserve what had happened to him.

"I know and I don't expect it to be. I failed you. I let it go on far too long." Bradley admitted. Mark studied his father. Up until today he had never realized that their eyes had the same color and shape. Mark had always known that he had the Sloan nose. That had been one of the first similarities he had ever noticed.

"How long have you known?" Mark asked. As much as it would hurt, he had to know the answer.

"I think you were five. I came home early from a poker game and I saw what your mother was doing to you." Bradley told him. Mark felt like he was going to be sick. His father had known since then and he hadn't gotten Mark out of there.

"That's why I started getting your mother into some high society events. Then she'd have less time to do what she was doing." Bradley added.

"You could have fucking got me out of there. Instead you were a coward and made your son endure hell for seven more years after you found out." Mark yelled. He was angry and getting angrier by the minute. His father may have felt like he was doing something but even the late nights out with her husband hadn't stopped Elizabeth Sloan from being intimate with her young son almost every night.

"I don't think you realize how powerful your mother's family is." Bradley told him. Not that it was an excuse, but Elizabeth's maiden name was Ford. Usually it would be the woman who married into money, but in this case Bradley had been the one to marry into money. Mark was confused. What did his mother's family money have to do with any of it? Was his father really trying to justify it?

"What does her money have to do with any of it?" Mark demanded.

"Your mother was slated to marry Michael Montgomery. It had been arranged practically since they were in diapers. Then I got her pregnant unexpectedly. Your grandfather informed me that I would marry her because having an unmarried pregnant daughter would ruin the Ford family." Bradley told Mark. Mark was totally lost now. Michael Montgomery was Addison Montgomery's father. So Mark's mother had been slated to marry Addison's father?

"What does that have to do with what she…what she did to me?" Mark demanded.

"Just that even if I had been able to get you away, your mother could have hired the best lawyers and prevented me from getting custody of you. Her family could have covered up the whole truth." Bradley told Mark. It sounded weak even to Bradley and he couldn't believe he had tried to sell that as an excuse.

"She actually scared you." Mark realized as his slate colored eyes widened. He didn't think he'd ever hear that from his father.

"Yes she did. Money in the hands of Elizabeth Victoria Ford Sloan was a dangerous thing." Bradley told Mark honestly. Elizabeth had the power to do anything she needed or wanted with the money she had.

"You still failed me." Mark argued. Mark wasn't even giving his father's revelations any merit with the exception of his father's final revelation. Mark hadn't been the only one afraid to cross Elizabeth Sloan.

"I know." Bradley concurred softly. Bradley knew that he'd never be able to make it up to his son. He knew that trying to would just frustrate them both.

Lexie was at Mark's apartment planning a surprise for him. She knew he hated surprise parties but this was different. She was cleaning up under the bed, when her hand closed over a crumpled piece of paper. She pulled it out and uncrumpled it and her chocolate eyes scanned the paper and her heart caught in her throat as she read the words that her fiancee had written.

Dear Lexie,

I'm so sorry I kept this from you. My mother was a vile evil bitch who I hated with every bone in my body. She violated me from the time I was three until I was twelve years old. I hate her for doing this. She's the reason I can't get relationships right. She's the reason I don't want to have kids. I'm petrified that her sick twisted genes have passed on to me. I don't ever want to put you or my kids through what she put me through.

I love you more than anything in the world but I can't marry you. I can't risk putting you through the pain. I love you too much. Don't come looking for me. I'm going far away where I cannot risk hurting you or anyone else that I love. Don't cry, find someone worthy of your love because if anyone deserves happiness and true unwavering love, it's you. Don't ever think I didn't love you because I do. I love you so much but I'm too messed up. I'm broken Lexie. Broken beyond repair.

Love Mark

By the time Lexie had finished reading the letter, tears were streaming down her face. She couldn't believe Mark had been through this terror. She couldn't believe he was willing to give up on them. She loved him and she wanted to help him through this pain. He wasn't broken. He was the strongest, most wonderful man she had ever met. She couldn't lose him now.

Lexie barely remembered getting into regular clothes or grabbing her purse. All she remembered was pulling her car into the staff parking lot at SGH-MW. She saw Mark's car in it's usual spot and she breathed a sigh of relief. She wouldn't have to go all over Seattle to look for him. As soon as she ran into the library, she saw Derek. She ran over to her brother in law hoping he knew where Mark was.

"Do you know where Mark is?" Lexie asked. Derek looked up and turned around to face his sister in law. He hadn't even noticed Lexie coming into the building. Now that Derek looked at Lexie she looked upset and he was cornered about her. He didn't want to see her upset. Especially if Mark had done something to upset her.

"Yeah he's in his office with-"Derek started to tell Lexie before he cut himself off. Lexie took of before Derek could tell her that Mark was in there with his father. What Derek didn't know was that Mark had thrown his father out of his office only minutes before.

Lexie ran down the hallway and when she reached Mark's office door, she opened the door. Mark was sitting behind his desk shuffling papers, trying to get the encounter with his father out of his mind. He looked up when Lexie came in and the first thing that he noticed was that she was crying.

"You're here?" Lexie whispered. Now Mark was confused again. Where else would he be?

"Of course I'm here. Where else would I be?" Mark asked her as he stood up and made his way towards her.

"Maybe you ran out on me to avoid me feeling pain?" Lexie whispered as she held up the crumpled letter. Mark sighed when he realized what she was holding. No wonder she had been so upset. He opened his arms and Lexie went straight into them.

"I have a lot to tell you." Mark whispered against her soft chocolate colored hair. He held her, knowing that he'd explain everything in just a minute. Right now he just wanted to hold his fiancee.