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The next three weeks were the best of Lexie's life. She could never have imagined that it could be like this. That happiness was a real and tangible thing that she could hold onto. Passionate nights were followed by happy mornings when she woke up in Mark's arms and savored the feeling of being wrapped up in him.

At the hospital, Mark strived to be professional, but Lexie knew he was thinking about her from the heated glances he aimed in her direction. They hadn't had sex in the hospital again, they saved that for his hotel room, but Lexie didn't mind. Because they weren't allowed to be physical in the hospital for fear of being caught, Mark had started doing other things to show her that he was thinking of her.

It had started small. A cappuccino here, or a kind word there, but then Mark seemed to like doing things for her. He started dog-earing articles in medical journals that he thought she would like, or teaching her a complicated stitch once she was allowed back in the OR.

He still acted like a jerk in front of others, but he used small ways of showing her he cared.

Lexie thought that he just like taking care of her, since he had never had anyone to care for before her.

Her theory was proved correct when she woke up in the on call room to find Mark pulling the rough blanket up over her shoulders. When he saw that she had opened her eyes, he shrugged and said, "You looked cold."

She had smiled and said, "You don't have to go."

"I really do," he responded. "Or I'll never leave."

She laughed. "So never leave."

Mark had then locked the door and laid down next to her. But instead of reaching for her clothing, he had pulled her close to him, and whispered, "Sleep, Lexie."

Small things like that had convinced Lexie that she was seeing a side of Mark Sloan that few people ever did.

And sometimes, late in the night as he held her close, Mark would talk about his childhood, and the loneliness that had consumed his entire existence back then. He spoke about Derek, and the guilt he still felt. And he spoke about Carolyn Shepherd who had taken him in when no one else had cared.

In turn, Lexie had told him how powerless she felt when it came to her father, and how much she missed her mother. She told him how her sister had always been the favorite, and how Lexie had desperately wanted Meredith to like her. To have a member of her family that wanted her around.

And it was in these moments that the loneliness that had been apart of them all their lives had slowly disappeared. They had started healing, and Lexie could feel herself fall for Mark more and more each day.

It did worry her sometimes. The idea that maybe he wouldn't feel the same way back, that maybe he would leave her if he met someone else, that his fidelity was only temporary. But there was this much bigger concern that she had, that she would miss out on the best thing of her life simply because she was scared. So she forced her doubts to the back of her mind, and focused on him. On how he was now, cause that was all that really mattered.

When Christmas came, Lexie shyly asked him if he wanted to come to her house for the holidays. Mark had looked visibly upset when he told her that he was going to Meredith's.

"Derek asked me," Mark said. "I thought you would want to be with your family."

"I do…" Lexie trailed off. "It's just that you could be there too. They don't know you and they don't talk to Meredith or Dr. Shepherd. We could be a real couple for a night."

"We are a real couple, Lex," Mark had said as he pulled her into his arms. They were sitting on his hotel bed, and had been in surgery all afternoon. "It's just that no one else knows. But we are real," Mark whispered.

"So come," Lexie said, kissing him lightly. "It won't be any fun, but at least we could be together."

"Oh, Lexie," Mark murmured. "Why can't I resist you?"

Mark had called then and canceled on Derek, saying he was going back to New York for two days to see his aunt. Derek never would have believed him if he had said he was returning to see his parents. But in the end it hadn't mattered. Mark had been paged on Christmas Eve and spent the holiday doing a facial reconstruction. When Derek had made a comment, Mark had shrugged and said his flight was cancelled. That night, when he had returned to his hotel room, Lexie had been curled up on the bed in a bright red Christmas sweater.

Approaching the bed, Mark had whispered, "Lexie."

"Hmm?" Was his reply, as she rolled over and slowly opened her eyes. "You're here," She had said, a glad smile on her face.

Mark sat down on the bed and handed her a small wrapped package. "Merry Christmas, Lexie."

Lexie had looked at him in surprise and pleasure. She took the gift out of his hands, and pulled the ribbon of slowly. Then, inserting her finger under the wrapping, she undid the paper without ripping it. Mark smiled to himself; only Lexie would treat the wrapping as delicately as the gift.

Lexie opened the box, and pulled out a silver key with a small card attached. Four numbers were on the card, along with an address. She looked at Mark for an explanation.

"That is the key and the security code to my new apartment." Mark said, looking at her to gauge her reaction.

Lexie's face was blank as she stared down at the key in her hand.

Mark felt the need to explain, "I just wanted you to know that this past month has been the best of my life. You make me want things that I didn't even begin to believe were possible, Lexie," he said in a rush. "I got the apartment because I didn't want to bring you back to this hotel room anymore. You deserve to spend your time in a real home, with a warm fire place and a kitchen."

Lexie looked up. "It has a fireplace?"

Mark smiled. "Wood burning and all." He reached up and cupped her cheek. "I just want you to know, Lexie… I am all in."

Tears started streaming down Lexie's face. She closed her fingers over the key and kissed him. "I can't imagine my life without you."

Mark blinked back the tears that had begun to gather in his own eyes.

"I can't believe you gave me a key already," Lexie murmured.

"It isn't just a key," Mark said, matching her hushed voice.

"It isn't?"

"No," he said. "I want you to move in with me."

Lexie gasped. "But it has only been a month."

Mark shook his head. "That doesn't matter. It feels like I have known you all my life. I want you to live with me, Lexie. I like the way your toothbrush sits next to mine. I want to make it a permanent toothbrush cohabitation situation."

Lexie laughed when she saw his impish grin. "What a mouthful." She took a deep breath, and then said, "Okay."

"Okay, what?" Mark asked.

"Okay, I'll move in with you," Lexie clarified. "But you realize everyone will know."

Mark shook his head and kissed her forehead, "I don't care," he murmured against her skin. "I want everyone to know that you are mine. When we go back to the hospital in a few days, I am going to tell Derek. No more hiding, Lex."

Lexie felt her heart swell with love for Mark. She wanted to tell him how she felt, but something told her it wasn't the right time. Soon. She cleared her throat, "Well, my present is going to seem really lame after this," she remarked.

Mark's eyes brightened. "You got me a present?"

Lexie nodded. Getting off the bed, she walked over to her purse and pulled out an object shaped like a book. "Merry Christmas, Mark."

Mark ripped the wrapping off and laughed when he saw what it was. Cosmetic Surgery for Dummies was emboldened on the cover.

Lexie smiled at him. "Look inside."

Mark opened the cover, and pulled out an envelope which had two plane tickets inside. They were to New York. He looked up at her with a puzzled smile.

Lexie came over and straddled his lap, smiling when he instinctively pulled her close. "I finish my internship in four months," She murmured, kissing him. "I get two weeks off when I do, before I start my residency. I know we haven't made plans of any kind, but I wanted you to know that I am in this for the long haul." Lexie tilted her head towards the key. "Great minds think alike, I guess."

Mark laughed. "What am I going to do with you?" Mark asked, dragging his lips across her jaw.

"I can think of a few things," Lexie replied.

He smiled against her skin. "I can't wait to show you my favorite places in New York. You are going to love it."

"I am sure I will," Lexie said, arching her back as Mark's lips moved down her body.

Against her belly, he said, "There is this great place in Central Park where you can't even tell you're in the city at all."

"Uh-huh," Lexie replied, fisting the sheets as her moved his fingers up her thigh.

"And my favorite Italian restaurant; we'll have to go there too," Mark said, as he began to gently rub his fingers against her panties.

"And you will love—"

"Mark!" Lexie burst out. "Stop talking!"

He grinned and moved back up her body, kissing her lips lightly. "Patience, Little Grey. I'll take care of you."

Lexie mewled, and Mark began his tortuous descent again.

***

When Mark returned to work on Monday, he made a detour by the coffee cart first. He ordered two, and began walking slowly towards the surgical board where he knew Derek would be. When he arrived, he handed Derek his drink without saying anything. Derek nodded his thanks.

"How was your Christmas?" Derek asked.

"It was great," Mark said with a grin.

Derek frowned. "You spent it in surgery, right?"

"Um, yeah," Mark responded. "I meant after. After was nice. What about you?"

Derek grunted. "Eh. Meredith nearly set the house on fire with her cooking, and I spent the evening refereeing between her and Christina. Oh, and apparently Izzie is crazy and can see ghosts, and she thought that Christmas Dinner was the best time to reveal this. George got drunk and cried like a little girl, and Alex ended up breaking a window and needing stitches."

"Hmm, that's nice," Mark said, trying to figure out the best way to tell Derek about Lexie.

Derek laughed. "Now, I know you weren't paying attention. What is going on with you?"

"Um, I need to talk to you about something," Mark said. "Something personal."

"What?"

"Well, you see there is this thing…"

"A thing?" Derek repeated.

"A thing," Mark said again. "And I need to talk to you about this…"

"Thing?" Derek suggested helpfully.

"Exactly."

Derek smiled. "What is it, Mark? You're all twitchy."

"Am not."

"Are too," Derek said with a laugh. "Spit it out."

"Okay, here goes," Mark began.

"Mom," Derek said.

"What?" Mark said.

Derek pointed, and Mark turned to see Derek's mom standing there smiling at her son.

"Mom," Derek called, smiling when she walked over. She kissed Derek and hugged him.

"My God, Derek. You are skin and bones." She then looked at Mark and gave him a smile.

Mark breathed a sigh of relief and then hugged the woman who had been like a mother to him. "Mom," he said to her as she hugged him. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, when Derek didn't come for Christmas, I decided to come out to Seattle and see what was keeping him here." She looked at Derek pointedly. "I want to meet Meredith, Derek."

Mark started to chuckle. "Well, good luck with that. I am just going to go now."

"Wait Mark," Derek said desperately. "What about the thing? The thing you were going to tell me?"

Mark chuckled. "Oh, I golfed under par last week." He grinned at his best friend.

"You're evil," Derek muttered.

Mark kissed Carolyn's cheek and said, "I have to get to surgery, but I will see you later."

She smiled. "Of course, you will. We are all doing dinner tonight," she commanded.

Mark laughed. "I'll be there. Have fun, Derek."

"Evil!" Derek called after him.

Mark's laughter echoed down the hall.

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