Hello everyone! I am so excited about tonight that I feel like I am about to bounce off the walls! Let's hope for some solo Slexie scenes!

Some of you asked about what is going on with Addison, so I just wanted to clarify. The scenes with her are based on a spoiler that is floating around. Spoilers: Her brother Archer has a brain disorder and she comes with Naomi and Sam to Seattle Grace to see Derek. There is also a photo of her flirting with Mark in which he seems to be repulsed by her. I added that in this scene for fun.

Many of you with recognize Naomi and Sam from Private Practice. I only watch that show sporadically so I have not incorporated any side story with them into this chapter. If I have anything wrong about them, that is why.

Also, I feel like I should point out that I don't hate Addison. I like her character, but I find the way she treated Mark and Derek to be sorta bad. She has grown a lot, but when it comes to Mark I think she can be pretty selfish (i.e. sleeping with Alex during the pact.)

Anyway, on with the story!

Enjoy tonight's episode!!!!

*

By the end of the day, Mark was exhausted. His supposedly light day and easy surgery had turned dark quickly when the patient had coded on the table. Mark knew there was nothing more he could have done, but the patient's death still weighed heavily on him. He had gone into plastics partly because of the low mortality rate, and as a result each death seemed to count for so much more, rare as they were.

All Mark wanted to do was go home and spend time with Lexie, but he had been roped into going for a drink with Derek, Addison, Sam, and Naomi. They had tagged along with Addison for Archer's case. Derek had mentioned rehashing old times, but that sounded more like a chore to Mark than anything else. His friends seemed to love mentioning all his exploits, things Mark would rather forget.

Mark called Lexie, but she didn't answer. He swallowed his brief moment of panic and told himself that she was probably sleeping or out with Molly. He left a brief message on her phone mentioning that he was going to Joe's to meet Derek and the group, and that he would see her soon.

When he arrived at the bar, Mark took a weary glance around and found the table in the back corner which his friends were sitting at, already covered by several glasses of beer and a pitcher.

"I see you all started without me," Mark said with a tired grin as he sat down in the empty chair between Addison and Derek.

Naomi and Sam greeted him, pouring him a glass of beer from the pitcher. Mark tired not to flinch as the cheep liquid slid down his throat. He liked his alcohol expensive or not at all.

"So Mark," Sam said. "I need you to settle this highly disturbing rumor which Addison told me earlier. You are getting married; say it isn't so!"

Mark laughed at Sam's teasing tone. "It's true, I'm afraid. Her name is Lexie and we are getting married on Saturday."

Addison grinned. "She's Meredith's little sister. Apparently Mark took one look at those big brown eyes and wham! Love at first sight."

Mark shook his head ruefully, ignoring the tone of Addison's voice. "That's not quite how it happened."

"I don't know," Addison said, shaking her head. "There is something about these Grey women. First Derek and then Mark. Explain to me how such rational thinking men can be seduced by women like them."

Mark bristled as Derek glared at her.

"I know you did not just insult my fiancée," Mark said, biting off the words.

"Okay, let's just calm down," Naomi said. She looked at Mark and smiled, "I am happy for you, Sloan. I am sure she is lovely."

Mark nodded. "She is. She is also pretty amazing. She has planned and organized a wedding within a week. I don't know how Lexie does it." His words contained a little bit of awe.

"Damn!" Sam said. "I never thought I would see the day when Mark Sloan would be felled by a woman."

"Not just any woman," Mark said. "Lexie's different."

"He loves her," Derek said in a teasing voice.

"Dude, what are you like…five?" Mark asked him with a laugh.

Sam and Naomi grinned.

"It's nice to see some things back to the way they used to be," Sam said.

Mark smirked at Derek. "What can I say? I keep him around 'cause he needs me."

"Whatever," Derek said with a laugh. "He came to Seattle to 'get me back'." Derek put air quotes around the phrase.

"Derek, are you feeling alright?" Mark asked. "I think you are imagining things."

"Nice," Derek said.

"And on that note," Mark spoke, standing. "Excuse me kiddies, I am going to get myself a real drink. I'll be right back." He walked over to the bar, and leaned on it. Catching Joe's eye, he said, "Joe, can I get a scotch? Make it four fingers."

"Sure," Joe said as he poured the drink. "How's Lexie?"

Mark grinned. "She's good. Almost fully recovered and being a pain in my ass."

"And you love every minute of it," Joe said.

"Absolutely," Mark replied, picking up the drink when Joe finished pouring. "Thanks."

"You give her the best from me, and congratulations."

"I will," Mark responded.

Joe turned away to help another customer, leaving Mark to his drink. He sipped it slowly, not eager to go back to the table and continue to feel those hostile waves coming off of Addison.

"You can't be serious about this."

Mark turned to see Addison standing right behind him. He sighed as he swiveled on the stool to face her. "Addison, go back to the table."

"You can't do this," Addison said. "You are not the marrying kind."

Mark looked at her steadily. "What point are you trying to make?"

"Why are you doing this?" Addison asked, shaking her head. "When we were together you couldn't be bother to even attempt fidelity!"

"Addison," Mark said calmly. "There is no comparison between my relationship with Lexie and the one that I had with you. They are not even in the same category."

She looked at him skeptically.

Mark shook his head. "You couldn't possibly understand."

"Try me."

"What's the point?" Mark responded. "Even if you tried, you could never see what I was saying. For you I fit into one category: Mark Sloan, manwhore. To you I am not capable of being anything else. So much so that you have rewritten history so that it fits perfectly into the little box that you want it in."

"What the hell does that mean?" Addison demanded.

"It means that all that went between us has been carefully reedited in your mind. I was the pursuer, instead of you kissing me after drinking all night. I was the one who wrecked your marriage instead of you coming to me after that night and wanting to keep it going. I was the one who cheated on you, though you called Derek's name in bed and made me feel lower than what was on the bottom of your shoe. I was the one responsible for the failed pregnancy, though it was you who made the appointment, signed the papers, and had an abortion." Mark took a sip of his scotch. "You have a very selective memory, Addison."

"That's low, even for you Mark," She said, her voice shaking.

"It's the truth. I am not afraid of the truth anymore, and I am certainly not fearful of seeing our relationship for what it was."

"And what was it?"

"A one-sided love affair," Mark said. "Nothing more. I fooled myself into believing that I loved you, and you pretended that I was Derek."

Addison shook her head. "That's not true."

"It is true," Mark said calmly, rubbing his right arm through his grey sweater. "That's why our relationship fell apart."

"Our relationship fell apart because you could not keep it in your pants," Addison said. "You couldn't even make it sixty days without—"

"Don't!" Mark snapped. "Don't you dare. For your information, I made it the full sixty days, Addison. It was you who didn't. I saw you coming out of that room with Karev; I saw you! So don't you, for even a moment, presume to judge me."

Addison's mouth opened and closed but no sound came out.

"I have changed," Mark said. "Because of her. So don't. Just don't, okay?"

"You never broke…" Addison trailed off. "Oh, Mark," she said, her eyes getting moist. "I am so—"

"Save it," Mark said. "I don't want to hear it, okay?"

Addison leaned forward putting a hand on either side of him. "It's not over between us, surely you can feel that? It's still there, the attraction."

Mark laughed. "No, Addison, it isn't." He quickly moved out from the circle of her arms, and faced her. "I love Lexie. It isn't a fad, or something I am trying out for fun. The thought of living without her makes my chest grow tight, and when I thought I had lost her I nearly died with the pain of it all. The thought of tossing all I have with Lexie away for a trip down memory lane with you sounds like the worst idea you've ever had. I would never do that to her."

"You did it to me," Addison said quietly.

"Did I? Or did I just do something that you expected all along? Do you think that there was ever a time when I wasn't conscious of the fact that I was your second choice? I knew you didn't love me, Addie, and no matter what feelings I had for you, it wasn't enough. I couldn't make you love me." Mark then smiled, as if to himself. He looked up; his eyes warm. "But you see…it isn't like that with Lexie. She loves me without conditions, without pretexts. I don't have to pretend to be anyone else with her. She wants to be with me, even after knowing all the bad stuff that I have done. She wants to have my children. She wants all that I can give her, and that is worth everything to me!"

Addison looked shaken, and Mark began to feel guilty.

"Look, it's all in the past," Mark said. "Let's just try to leave it there, okay?"

Addison nodded. "Will you excuse me? I'm just gonna…" She trailed off as she turned away and headed for the bathroom.

Mark shook his head and sat back down at the bar. The bell on the door jingled, and someone took the stool next to his.

"Hey, Stranger."

Mark turned with a smile on his face. "What are you doing here?"

Lexie grinned. "I got your message, and I thought I would join you."

"You should be resting," Mark said. "You will need your full strength for Saturday."

"Believe me, I will be fine for Saturday," Lexie said. She then inclined her head. "Where are your friends?"

Mark nodded to the back table; Lexie turned her head and saw them. "I just needed a moment," he said.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Lexie asked, putting her hand on his own.

Mark pulled her on to his left knee and locked his hands around her back. "They just see me in only a certain way, you know? Not like I…"

"Not the way you want to be seen?" Lexie guessed.

"No, sort of like that worst version of myself. The one that friends are supposed to pretend that they don't notice. That is all they see."

Lexie shook her head, smiling. "What fools they are. But I can't help but be glad that I see you so clearly."

"Why?" Mark asked, his face confused.

"Because it means that you show me something that they were never lucky enough to see. That our relationship is special."

Mark grinned. "Well, you know, I have never asked a woman to marry me before, let alone been madly in love. That is a whole lot of special, Lexie Grey."

"Will you promise to say romantic things like that to me for the rest of our lives?"

"I don't do romantic," Mark growled.

"You do with me, Mark Sloan," Lexie said.

"If you say so, Little Grey," he replied, his words filled with affection.

She glowed as she looked at him. "You are so marrying me."

"Just try and stop me," Mark said with a grin before claiming her lips with his own.

At the table in the corner, Naomi turned to Derek. "That must be Lexie," she said.

"We certainly hope so," Sam added.

Derek turned and saw them at the bar. "Yep, that's Lexie."

"She's young," Sam said. "Younger than I expected."

"She's a Grey," Derek replied. "They come out of the womb grown up."

"They make a cute couple," Naomi said.

Derek smiled to himself thinking of all the time and energy he had wasted trying to keep them apart when he should have set them up from the beginning. "They are perfect for each other," Derek stated.

Sam, Naomi, and Derek turned away, feeling as if they were intruding on a private moment.

"I want to meet her," Naomi said.

In the doorway of the hallway to the bathroom, Addison Montgomery stood silently as she watched Mark kiss his fiancée. She knew without question that it was Lexie; she had seen her briefly the last time she visited Seattle Grace. As Addison watched Mark break the kiss and rest his forehead against Lexie's with a smile on his face, Addison realized fully all that she had given up.

Part of her had always wanted to love Mark, but she had never been able to trust that he could love her back. She saw now that he could. The way that he was looking at Lexie showed, beyond all doubt, that Mark Sloan was capable of deep love. His expression could only be described as pure adoration.

And he could have given that to her.

Addison knew that if she had let him, Mark would have loved her deeply. She had not believed him when he had tried to get closer to her. But this girl, this younger Grey, she had seen something in him that Addison never could.

She smiled to herself. For though she felt a deep and abiding jealousy, Addison wanted Mark to be happy at the end of the day.

He had found someone who loved him deeply, who he loved back just as much.

We should all be so lucky.

*

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