31 weeks.
"So what are you doing after work?" Mark inquired.
"Going home to put my feet up because I think my ankles are starting to swell unless you have a better offer that involves a foot rub." Lexie replied.
"You know you should..."
"Drink more water, I know. Doesn't it seem ridiculous that the cure for retaining water is to drink more?"
"So if my plans also include feeding you and a foot rub?" He suggested.
"Page me when you're done. I have to go and check my interns have managed to spell everything on the medical history correctly before they present it to Dr Torres. I'll see you later."
"Where are we going?" Lexie asked as they drove into a quiet neighbourhood.
"Here." Mark pulled into the driveway of a house with a double garage and a white picket fence. He got out and went and opened the door for Lexie.
"Mark?"
"Just come inside." He took her hand and led her in through the front porch and inside where all the lights were already on.
"Are you going to tell me what's going on?"
"Just take a look around before you say anything." He requested.
Lexie walked through the living room with its open fire place, into the dining room beyond that a door led to the kitchen. Lexie ran her hand across the granite countertops while she looked at the maple cabinets and out the window.
"There is a deck and the garden is all fenced in." Mark told her. "There is a door outside through the utility room."
Lexie continued her tour of ground floor finding a study, downstairs cloakroom and what appeared to be a family room. Mark nodded when she hesitated before climbing the stairs.
"There are four bedrooms, a huge family bathroom and there is storage space and a playroom in the attic."
Lexie continued to look around before she went back downstairs.
"Are you going to tell me what this is all about?" Lexie asked.
"I bought it for you, well for us. Kids need space and this is a great house to raise our family in. It's in a great neighbourhood, a good school district and not too far from the hospital. Escrow closed yesterday."
Lexie glanced around her eyes welling up with tears.
"Come on Lex say something." He prompted looking for a response.
"Can you take me back to Meredith's?" She requested.
"Sure." He agreed a little thrown by her response. "I just need to switch the lights off."
Lexie slammed the door closed before she ran upstairs after leaving Mark in the car.
"I should go and check on her." Meredith patted Derek's leg before getting up from the couch. "Lexie?" She found her sister sat on the edge of her bed tears running down her face. "What did Mark do now?"
"He bought me a house."
"A house?" Meredith repeated. "You didn't like it?"
"No it's perfect. It has hardwood floors and it even has an ensuite with a roll top claw foot bath and huge double shower."
"Then why are you sat here crying?" Meredith asked.
"It's a house. He never even mentioned moving in together and he buys a house."
"Ice-cream?" Meredith guessed. Lexie nodded. "Splash some water on your face and I'll be right back."
"Is she ok?" Derek asked when Meredith came downstairs.
"Mark bought her a house. What possessed him to do that without talking to her first?"
"She didn't like it?" Derek followed her into the kitchen.
"No she loved it, but..." It took Meredith a second to put it all together. "You knew about it? That's what the sudden interest in golf was about."
"He needed a second opinion. He's been trying to find the perfect house that he knew she would like. He had strict standards."
"Why didn't you say something? You couldn't have given her a heads up so she didn't get hit by something so out of left field."
"I love it when you bring the sports metaphors out." Derek trapped her against the refrigerator and kissed her.
"No, I have to go and stop my sister freaking out because your best friend is an idiot."
"So she didn't like the house." Mark stated when he saw Derek the next morning.
"She loved the house." Derek corrected. "She just didn't like that you sprung it on her without discussing it with her. I told you it would bite you in the ass."
"Did she love it?" Callie came up in a happy mood. "If not do you need a roommate?"
"I have a patient." Mark walked away.
"Was it something I said?" Callie inquired.
"Lexie liked it but freaked out and demanded he bring her back to our place. She spent most of the night crying and eating ice-cream with Meredith."
"That's not the reaction you expect when you by someone a house."
"She's a scared kid, who got something huge thrown at her. It's understandable to an extent." Derek pointed out. "I have surgery."
It was a few hours before Callie caught up with Lexie.
"I know it was a shock but did you like it?" Callie asked.
"Why is that everyone else knew he was buying a house but me?" Lexie inquired.
"He wanted it to be a surprise. Did you like it?"
"It's perfect."
"Then what's the problem?" Callie wondered out loud.
"It's too much at the moment. It's just too much." Lexie admitted.
"Dr Grey." One of the interns interrupted.
"What?" Lexie snapped then instantly apologised.
"I have a question about Mr Wilson."
"Will it kill him if it waits ten minutes?" Lexie asked.
"No."
"Excuse me." Lexie walked away, Callie could hear the hitch in her voice.
"Find someone else to ask, Dr Grey is going to be unavailable for the next half an hour." Callie told him before following in the direction Lexie had gone. She found her in the stairwell where Lexie was pacing tears running down her cheeks.
"I can't breathe." Lexie continued to pace.
"That's because you're having a panic attack. You need to stop pacing and focus on your breathing."
Lexie mumbled something and continued to pace.
"Dr Grey." Callie grabbed her by the shoulder and forced Lexie to look at her. "Breathe."
"I feel dizzy." Lexie admitted.
"Sit down and put your head between your legs." Callie instructed. Lexie looked at her waiting for her to catch on. "Right." Callie said looking at the bump. "Just sit down." Callie crouched down in front of her holding Lexie's wrists so she could feel her pulse. "That's it just breathe."
"Please tell me she isn't in labour." Richard Webber walked through the door.
"She's just having a panic attack. She'll be fine in a few minutes." Callie assured him.
"A panic attack?" Richard repeated.
"Mark bought her a house and sprung it on her last night." Callie explained.
"Dr Grey come to my office when you're ready." Richard told her before leaving.
When Lexie's breathing was back under control Callie moved to sit next to her.
"You know he bought the house with the best of intentions. He wanted you to have your dream house; he must have seen fifty in the last couple of months."
"Have you seen it?" Lexie asked, Callie nodded. "It is perfect. I just wish he'd talked to me about it first. He never even mentioned moving in together."
"He told you he wasn't going anywhere and were you really planning on raising the baby in Meredith's attic?"
"I hadn't thought about it." Lexie sighed.
"He wants you all to be a family. He's a guy so he doesn't always get it right, but he's trying. His male provider instincts kicked in, he's starting with putting a roof over your heads." Callie paused. "If you don't want to live there I will."
Mark hadn't seen Lexie at all that day; he was stood writing a notation on a chart the following morning when he heard Lexie call his name. He turned to find her dressed in maternity pants and his Med school alumni sweatshirt which despite the baby bump was still too big for her.
"I guess you're not here to ask if you can scrub in on my surgery."
"I'm here to say goodbye."
"Goodbye?" He questioned.
"I have some vacation days I need to use up before the end of the year so I'm going to visit Molly and Laura for a few days."
"Lexie if this is about the house,"
"The house is perfect. You're perfect. I just need a few days away to clear my head. I wish my Mom was here right now, but she's not and I really need to spend some time with my sister." She stepped closer and kissed him.
"I love you." He whispered press a kiss against her forehead.
"I love you too."
"You're not driving to your sister's are you?"
"No. I'm going to catch a train." She replied, Molly lived a few hours from Seattle.
"Give me ten minutes to reschedule a few things and I'll drive you to the train station." He offered.
"I already called a cab it should be here in a few minutes, I just wanted to say goodbye."
"Let me know when you get there." He requested. Lexie nodded, gave him another quick kiss and walked away wiping away a tear that threatened to fall.
"Make yourself at home." Molly told Lexie as they walked into Molly's house. "I'm just going to put Laura down for a nap."
By the time Molly came back Lexie had already made two mugs of hot chocolate with marshmallows their mother's comfort drink.
"Thanks." Molly said when she took a seat on the opposite side of the kitchen table. "So what did McSteamy do this time to make you run?"
"I wish you wouldn't call him that."
"I thought you all called him that. You have to remember I have seen him and his is very good looking and I'm assuming very good in bed."
"Yes." Lexie blushed.
"So what did Mark do?"
"He bought me my dream house without even asking or telling me he was thinking about it."
"Quick call the FBI and have him thrown in jail for doing something sweet and thoughtful." Molly said with every ounce of sarcasm available.
"Molly." Lexie sighed.
"You ran away because he bought you a house." Molly pointed out.
"I didn't run away. I got overwhelmed at work yesterday and had a panic attack so the Chief suggested I use a few of my vacation days to get away and clear my head."
"The same Chief who was sleeping with Meredith's mother, who is probably part of the reason Dad left."
"We wouldn't be here if it didn't happen." Lexie reminded her.
"You know if Mom was still here she would says that you're an idiot."
"And why would she say that?" Lexie asked.
"Because you have a rich, successful, gorgeous doctor who is in love with you, who told he wants to spend the next fifty years proving he isn't going anywhere, who bought you your dream house and you're going to have a baby in a few months and you're questioning it. You have most women's dreams bar the diamond ring. Being in love can be scary, when someone else has your heart they have your heart they can break it. But life is too short worry about all the what if's of the future because you forget to enjoy the now. You're having a baby with a great guy."
"When did you get so smart?"
"I'm just telling you what you already know." Molly assured her. "There's a few things Mom would want me to tell you about being a parent too."
A few days later Molly was waiting for Lexie to get back from taking Laura for a walk.
"I think it's getting ready to snow." Lexie commented.
"You need to go back to Seattle." Molly told her.
"Fed up with me already?"
"Meredith called." Molly stated.
"Did something happen?" Lexie was instantly concerned.
"McSteamy has steam coming out his ears. He's snapping at everyone, he's made two nurses and half the interns cry. The nurses are threatening to go on strike until you get back. Everyone is avoiding him if at all possible."
"Meredith called?" Lexie questioned.
"I know it surprised me too. But she sounded desperate. Call her pager and she'll call you right back."
"The cookie baskets were a good idea." Derek fell into step with Mark.
"What?"
"It helped calm them down."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Mark asked.
"The cookies you sent the nurses."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Mark stopped and turned to look at him.
Derek looked passed him.
"She does not look happy. It's been nice knowing you." He patted Mark's arm and walked towards the woman. "It's nice to have you back."
Mark turned to see a very pissed off looking Lexie with her arms crossed resting on her stomach.
"I thought you weren't getting back until tomorrow night." He walked towards her.
"I had to come back to avert a nurses strike."
"What?" He was confused.
"Let me guess your surgery got cancelled."
"They needed the OR."
"No, the Chief couldn't get a nurse to go with ten feet of you willingly let alone in an OR. What the hell were you thinking? The first thing I learnt in med school is you don't piss off the nurses, they are either your best friend or your worst enemy. They work hard and they don't usually get enough credit for it and they certainly don't get paid enough for you being a jerk because I went to see my sister."
"Lexie." He stepped closer.
"You really don't get how bad you've been do you? The nurses were camped out in the Chief's office this morning they were all refusing to work with you until I got back."
"Why?"
"Mark, you've been yelling at people for no reason, you made two of the nurses cry not to mention what you've done to the interns. Derek is the only person who will come anywhere near you and that's only because he's seen you like this before. You yelled at Callie yesterday."
"Who ever told you that was exaggerating."
"Thank God, you're back." Cristina walked up and hugged and then walked off.
Lexie looked after her before turning back to Mark.
"She doesn't hug people unless they need their nerve system suppressed or Hunt is having another PTSD incident."
"Is the best place to have this conversation?" Mark remembered where they were.
"Right now I'm not a Doctor I'm an angry fat woman."
"In here." Mark, a hand on her back, guided her into an empty room. "Go ahead."
"I was gone two and a half days Mark, you know I haven't seen Molly in almost a year."
"I know."
"Meredith called Molly, she's never called Molly. They only ever speak on the phone if Molly calls looking for me."
"I know and I'm sorry." He stepped closer. Lexie put a hand on his chest to stop him getting any closer.
"I'm still mad at you and it's not just wrecking my vacation you need to apologise for."
"Cookies." It dawned on Mark what Derek had been talking about.
"You also sent flowers to the nurses you made cry. I think saving you from getting fired counts as an emergency that you gave me the credit card for."
"Ok." Mark conceded.
"But you need to apologise to them in person." Lexie told him.
"Fine."
"And you're going to do something nice for the interns."
"They're just interns." Mark reminded her.
"So was I until a few months ago. I'll figure something out with the Chief."
"Fine." He tried to kiss her.
"Wait, you need to buy furniture and redecorate."
"Does that mean you're moving in?" He asked hopefully.
"I don't think you asked."
"Do you want to move in with me?"
"Buy a decent couch and we'll talk about it." Lexie wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "You don't get to make big decision without discussing it with me first."
"Deal and I'm sorry."
"Good." Lexie ducked away from his grasp.
"You're killing me." He groaned.
"To clarify you're going to stop being a jerk, apologise to the nurses, do something nice for the interns, buy a couch, discuss life changing decisions with me and since you wrecked my vacation you're going to pay for whatever I decide to do in the next 36 hours."
"Did you want to be a lawyer when you were a kid?" Mark asked.
"No. I always wanted to be a Doctor. Unfortunately it was the one job my father would have rather I didn't choose, I think he would have preferred it if I came and told him I got a job as an exotic dancer rather than that I had gotten into Med school." Lexie noticed the way Mark was looking at her. "Jerk." She swatted his arm causing him to smirk. "I'm going to go and find the Chief and then Meredith, so I'll see you in 36 hours."
"Come on Lex." He pleaded.
Lexie kissed him.
"If you wreck what's left of my vacation having any more kids will be the least of your worries." She warned him.
"Why do you have to see Meredith?" Mark shifted uncomfortably.
"Because I had to leave the sister who is brutally honest with me and tells me what I need to hear whether I want to hear it or not so I'm going to find the sister who tells me what I want to hear whether she believes it or not."
"You Greys are complicated."
"You wouldn't have us any other way." Lexie stated before leaving.
Lexie found Meredith in the clinic.
"I'm sorry I had to call." Meredith apologised when she saw her. "I wasn't sure what else to do other than lock him up until you got back."
"It's ok, he's being punished and having to make suitable amends. You have the day off tomorrow right?" Lexie asked.
"Yes."
"Do you want to spend the day hanging out with your pregnant sister on Mark's dime?" Lexie suggested.
"I'm supposed to be having dinner with Cristina tomorrow night."
"If she doesn't mind me being there I think Mark can spring for the most expensive restaurant in town."
"Deal." Meredith smiled.
The three women sat dressed up looking at the menus.
"I have a question." Cristina stated. "What is up with your interns and the spelling thing?"
"You haven't of Lexie rule?" Meredith asked. "Derek and Mark think it's hilarious and exploit it."
"So does Dr Robbins." Lexie added. "My interns can't spell so I made the rule unless they can spell what is wrong with a patient or their treatment they don't get near the patient."
"They can't spell?" Cristina questioned.
"One of them couldn't spell appendectomy a week ago."
"How did they get through med school?
"That's what I'm wondering." Lexie agreed.
"What are we eating?" Meredith inquired.
"Why is it the more expensive the restaurant the smaller the amount of food you get on your plate?" Cristina wondered out loud.
"I have a confession." Lexie admitted. "All I really want is Chinese food and to get out of this dress it itches."
"Thank god." Meredith sighed.
"Chinese food is good." Cristina agreed.
"Are you ready to order?" The waiter came over.
"We're all doctors and we have to leave." Lexie told him. "There is a twenty dollar tip in it for you if you can find us a desert that doesn't have eggs in it that we can take with us."
"I'll see what I can do." He left.
"Nicely done." Cristina stated.
"The other thing I learnt from the European History Major, it's not lying if you tell the truth and leave parts out at least what he thought, I disagreed."
A few hours later Lexie was lying propped up on the couch with Meredith and Cristina sat on the floor next to it occasionally tossing popcorn at the screen as they watched a movie.
"Want a beer?" Derek asked when he came in with Mark.
"Sure."
"She learnt a new trick." Lexie told Mark putting a piece of popcorn on her stomach, and then giving the baby a gentle prod the popcorn went flying into the air.
"She is probably objecting to being prodded." Mark suggested as he sat down putting Lexie's feet in his lap.
"I object to being kicked in the kidney all day but that's life." She shrugged. "So did you have a nice day at the office dear?"
"If you think spending twelve hours teaching interns how to suture is a good day."
"I'm sure the Chief and I can come up with something else if you don't think it is the right punishment." She offered.
"No. Speaking of punishment how much did it cost me?"
"Pedicures, manicures, massages, dinner." Meredith agreed. "By the way I like the house."
"If you wanted to show it to her you could have had your keys." Mark pointed out.
"I told you buy a couch and we'll talk about it." Lexie rubbed her stomach.
"You couldn't just pick one out and I'll pay for it?" Mark suggested.
"No. But we did buy you a bed, it's getting delivered in a week and you don't have to pay for it for six months." Lexie told him.
"Cristina, you have to try this mattress." Meredith told Cristina. "The only reason we got up was because the sales people were giving us strange looks. I almost bought one."
"Bought what?" Derek came in and handed Mark a bottle of beer.
"The perfect mattress." Meredith replied.
"They bought me a bed." Mark explained. "I should have probably mentioned all the furniture from my condo in New York was getting shipped out here, including my bed."
"Incinerate the mattress." Cristina stated.
"I'm with her on that one." Lexie agreed. "And it's not like you don't have room. Trust me you'll love it."
"Lex, I'm doing a corpus callosotomy tomorrow." Derek took a sip of his beer. "You want in?"
"Splitting a brain hell yes." Lexie agreed.
"Hey!" Cristina processed.
"You're doing a valve replacement tomorrow." Derek pointed out. "What about you?" He asked Meredith.
"Owen's planning on putting me in charge of the pit for the day. Something about time and crisis management."
"At least he isn't leaving you in charge of four pigs with just interns." Cristina pointed.
"Hey!" Lexie protested. "And duck." Meredith ducked so she could get up.
"Where are you going?" Mark asked.
"To change again. These clothes itch."
"It's her fourth outfit today." Meredith explained.
"Do you remember when Beth was pregnant with Connor that she kept breaking out in hives?" Derek sat down in the spot Lexie had vacated. "Addie ran all those tests only to figure out it was something in the dye of Tim's football shirt."
"It doesn't quite beat Hope calling me to find out what to do when she realised her boyfriend was allergic to latex." It took Mark half a second to realise what he had said.
"What?" Derek asked as the mention of his eighteen year old niece.
"At least she was trying to be safe."
"Shut up it's getting to the good part." Cristina chastised still watching the movie where there was a huge explosion.
"Of course she likes action movies." Mark sighed.
"I'm not going to watch that romantic sappy crap." Cristina stated. "And Owen still has a problem with explosions."
TBC