A/N: Hello, all! Here is your second update of the night, please enjoy! Also, be sure to check out Lattelady's wonderful story The Demise Of The Dirty Mistresses Club!

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Two days later, Mark Sloan was in the attending's lounge pulling on his boots. He was hurrying, and probably would have made the process go faster if he didn't keep looking at his watch. When the door to the lounge opened, Mark looked up, only to quickly duck his head again.

"Hey," Derek said, coming in the door, and walking over the pot of stale coffee on the sideboard.

Mark grunted in greeting, pulling on his other boot.

"I haven't seen you since Mom left," Derek commented. "You been busy?"

"Yeah," Mark answered, standing and shrugging on his jacket.

"With what?" Derek asked, leaning against the counter.

"Look, Derek," Mark said dryly. "I'd love to stay and chat, oh wait, no I wouldn't." He then zipped up his jacket.

"What's with you?" Derek asked.

Mark shook his head. "You always do this."

"Do what?"

"Pretend that nothing happened when we have a fight," Mark said, patting his pockets to make sure he had his keys. "The only time I have ever seen you show any emotion was when you…"

"Caught you with my wife?" Derek asked, humor in his voice.

"Yeah, that," Mark muttered. His cell phone vibrated, and Mark pulled it out to check it. It had a text message from Lexie: Almost ready? Mark quickly texted her back in the affirmative, and began to leave. "Gotta go."

"Where are you going?" Derek asked. "I thought we could go to the Emerald City Bar."

"I don't have time to go to Joe's, Derek," Mark said. "I am busy."

"Doing what?"

"Jesus, what are you, my mother?" Mark snapped. "I am moving, alright?"

"What? Back to New York?" Derek looked surprised, and was no longer leaning against the counter.

"No, into an apartment," Mark said, trying to ignore that part of him that wanted to include Derek.

"I get off in an hour," Derek said. "I can help you move."

"I don't need your help," Mark said shortly. "I'm fine." He then walked over to the door, and opened it.

"Mark," Derek called. "Come on, I am sure you could use an extra pair of arms. Where are you even moving to?"

Mark shook his head. "No, you don't get to do this. You don't get to be my friend and my keeper. Since you are so involved in what I can and cannot do, why don't you make a list for me," Mark said, bitterness in his voice. "I am sure that will clear a lot of things up for me."

"Come on, Mark," Derek said. "That's not fair."

"Life rarely is, Derek." Mark then turned and left the room. There was a deep regret in all that he could not share with his best friend, and Mark wished that things were different. But at the same time, he had no desire to sit through his friend's deep disapproval. He didn't want Derek to tarnish what he had with Lexie. As he rode in the elevator to the lobby, Mark wondered if this was how it was going to be. Would Derek miss all of these important moments because of his disapproval over Lexie? Mark thought he might as well tell Derek and be done with it. But it wasn't that simple. He remembered the previous night when he had this very conversation with Lexie.

***

They had been in her apartment, packing up her clothes. Mark had been looking around the living room, with distaste on his face. "Please tell me we don't have to take any of this stuff."

Lexie stood in the doorway. "We don't have to take any of this stuff."

"Good, cause it might bring bad mojo to the new apartment."

Lexie laughed. "What is it? Not a fan of the crapartment?"

Mark shuddered. "Is that what you call this place? I wonder why."

"Ha ha," Lexie rejoined. "Be nice to the apartment, or beware of pissing off the one who gives you sex."

Mark grinned. "Oh, I know how to butter her up."

Lexie walked slowly towards him, "Really?"

"Uh-huh," Mark said, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I just do a little of this," he kissed her neck, "and a little of that," then her ear.

"Hmm, you can be persuasive," Lexie said. "Okay, you can mock the apartment all you want."

"I'd rather burn it down," Mark muttered.

"What?"

"What?"

Lexie rolled her eyes. "You are such a baby."

"Why? A guy can't be annoyed that his hot girlfriend lived with some other shmuck first?" Mark shook his head.

Lexie laughed. "First of all, I did not live with George, not in that way. And second of all, I would say you won."

"Hmm," Mark said, rubbing his hand over his beard. "Got the girl, getting the girl to move in with me, still a hot Plastic Surgeon. Yep, I won alright," Mark said with a grin.

Lexie rolled her eyes. "Poor George. In a pissing contest he doesn't even know about."

"No contest," Mark said. "I won."

Lexie laughed, but then quit as she looked around the apartment. "It would have been nice if he had said goodbye."

"Do you miss him?" Mark asked gruffly, trying to push down his jealousy.

Lexie shook her head. "Is that wrong?"

"He was your friend," Mark said cautiously.

"I don't know if that's true. And if it is, it hasn't been true for a long time." Tears gathered in her eyes.

Mark pulled her close to him again. "It will be alright, Lex."

Lexie looked up at him in a way that caused his breath to catch. "I know."

"So about work…" Mark began, not wanting to depress her. "I thought that we should go into the Chief tomorrow and tell him our plan."

"You make it sound so dirty," Lexie murmured. "'Our plan.' Like we are plotting to have sex in every room of the hospital."

"Now that would be a goal," Mark said, chuckling into her hair.

"Not a suggestion, Dr. Sloan."

"Whatever you say, Little Grey."

Lexie laughed.

"So do you want to do it?" Mark asked.

"Mark! I was only kidding!"

Mark laughed. "Not that, tell the Chief." Mark had to support his hands on his knees he was laughing so hard.

Lexie turned bright crimson. "Oh, um, I dunno. Do we have to tell him?"

Mark, still laughing, said, "Why wouldn't you want to tell him? It's not like there is any reason to hide things now."

"Well, maybe…" Lexie said, biting her lip. "It is his hospital and he does deserve to know, but I don't really want to be part of the hospital rumor mill. I mean, once everyone knows it will be analyzed and dissected and then people will start taking bets on when we are going to break up."

Mark rubbed her arms. "Come on, that's not true."

"No," Lexie agreed. "It's much more likely they will take bets on how long before we are caught having sex in the on call room."

He smiled. "Oh, come on Little Grey. Where is your sense of adventure?"

"I am all out of it just now," Lexie replied. "Is there any way we can tell the Chief and ask him to keep it to himself?"

"You want me to ask the Chief of Surgery to lie for us?" Mark sputtered.

Lexie wrapped her arms around his neck, and gave him the big doe eyes, "Please?"

"Yeah, okay," Mark said, caving right away.

"Good," Lexie replied. She then looked around and said, "I think I have finished packing."

"Finally," Mark groaned. "Can we get out of here now, before I catch an infection?"

Lexie shook her head. "Men are such babies."

Mark grabbed all her suitcases, slung her bags over his shoulders, and picked up two boxes, "You were saying?"

Lexie grinned, "I was saying how lucky I am to have a big strong boyfriend to carry things for me, and who lets me drive his expensive sports car."

"Nice try," Mark said, walking out the door and down towards the car.

Lexie had then grabbed her purse and locked the door behind her, closing one chapter of her life.

***

Mark smiled to himself as he got off the elevator. He could hardly believe that he was in this spot. If you had told him two months ago that he would fall in love with the younger sister of Meredith Grey and be moving in with her, Mark would have recommended upping your medication. But here he was. When Mark saw Lexie across the lobby, he smiled. She was so amazing, and she had proven that when they had gone in to tell the Chief earlier that day.

***

"Richard will see you now," Patricia said, ushering them into the office. Mark had placed his hand on the small of Lexie's back, but dropped it when he saw the curious look in Patricia's eyes.

"Ah, Dr. Sloan, Dr. Grey," Richard said as they came into his office. Mark closed the door behind them. "What can I do for you two today? Do you need a consult on that burn victim you are treating?"

"Uh, no, Chief," Mark said, sitting down in one of the chairs in front of Richard's desk. Lexie followed suit.

"Then what is this about?" Richard asked, speculation on his face.

Mark suddenly felt as though he was in the principal's office. He cleared his throat, "Well, Dr. Grey and I came here today to tell you that…"

"Yes?"

"Um, we're sort of involved," Mark said, finishing awkwardly.

"Good Lord," Richard said, rolling his eyes. "Dr. Sloan, is there any way you could restrict your bedtime activities to outside this hospital?" He then sighed. "I better call Patricia; you'll need to fill out another form."

Mark had sputtered, but Lexie had squeezed his hand. "That's what we want to talk to you about, Chief," Lexie said, cutting in. "You see, Mark and I would appreciate it if this could remain between us."

"You would appreciate…" The Chief trailed off. "And why would I do that?"

"Because we are not hurting anyone with this relationship, but if others were to know about it, it could damage both our careers."

Mark looked at her like she had grown two heads, but Lexie seemed calm.

"How so?" Richard asked.

"Well," Lexie said, "If this were to become common knowledge, I believe that I would be treated differently by the staff and my fellow interns. There would be a lot of jealousy and I think that certain people would assume that I am working Plastics so often because I have a special relationship with the attending."

Richard tapped his fingers together. "Go on."

"Mark and I have been seriously dating for a month," Lexie said, causing Richard to look back and forth between them in surprise. "And I think you would agree that we have kept it out of the hospital and remained professional at all times."

Richard nodded.

"So there is no reason to suppose that we would act any differently now that you know. Please understand, Dr. Webber, I am very interested in a career as a Plastic Surgeon, and I want to learn from the best. I don't see any reason why I can't learn from Dr. Sloan simply because we are in a serious relationship."

Richard and Mark looked dumbfounded. Finally, Richard said, "Exactly how serious is this relationship?"

Mark then found his voice, "We are moving in together, sir."

The Chief looked contemplative. "Alright, you will have my secrecy."

Lexie and Mark smiled at each other.

"But," the Chief said, holding up a finger, "At any time that I feel your personal relationship is compromising the care of my hospital, I will not cease to make sure you never see a Plastics rotation again, is that clear Dr. Grey? And," he said, getting on a roll, "I want you to be on other rotations from time to time, Dr. Grey. I meant what I said about not wanting residents and interns to specialize."

Lexie nodded. "Of course. Thank you, Dr. Webber, for your understanding."

Richard nodded. "Get back to work now."

When Mark and Lexie left his office, Mark pulled Lexie into the empty conference room across the hall. "You were amazing," he said.

"It is all in the tone of voice," Lexie said primly.

"Is it totally wrong that I am turned on right now?" Mark asked.

Lexie smiled. "Not at all. We can continue this later, Dr. Sloan."

Mark groaned. "This is going to be a long day."

***

Puling out of his reverie, Mark walked across the lobby to Lexie's side. "Are you ready to go home, Dr. Grey?" He asked her, as they left the hospital together.

"I am ready, Dr. Sloan," Lexie said.

When she saw that there was no one else in the parking lot, she took his hand.

*

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