Chapter 3

SCENE: MEREDITH'S HOUSE A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER

(Meredith and Derek are eating breakfast when Lexie walks into the room with a towel wrapped around her head.)

Meredith: Morning.

Lexie: Morning.

Meredith: What are you doing up so early on your day off?

Lexie: Um, I'm having lunch with Mark today and there's something I had wanted to do for weeks so I took the opportunity to do it this morning.

(She takes the towel off her head to reveal her freshly dyed brown hair.)

Derek: Oh, you look great.

Lexie: Thank you. That feels good, I just didn't feel like myself as a blonde, and I'm trying to make improvements in my life and this is the first step. It makes me feel better.

Meredith: Well, you look beautiful, but um, I'm not trying to be an overprotective or overbearing sister or anything, but uh, are you sure giving Mark another chance is a good idea?

Lexie: What?

Meredith: Well, it's just, you've been through a lot and Mark put you through a lot, are you sure now is the right time for you to try at a relationship with him.

Lexie: Well, technically, we're not dating, we're just spending time together with the future intention of dating. And you of all people should know it doesn't matter what crap you go through together, as long as you love the person in the end love is all that matters, don't worry about me, I'll be fine.

(She walks out.)

A LITTLE WHILE LATER AT MARK'S APARTMENT

(Mark walks out of his bedroom as Callie walks in.)

Mark: Hey good, how does this shirt look?

Callie: Uh, fine why?

Mark: Just fine? I have to change.

Callie: Woah, really you look great, what are you so jittery about? You have never once asked me how you look, because you usually know the answer.

Mark: I just, I have to look great.

Callie: What's going on?

Mark: Lexie agreed to have lunch with me.

Callie: That's great, are you getting back together?

Mark: Hopefully, but Lexie wants to take it slow so we're just going to spend some time together, I'm fine with that but I hope it doesn't last too long.

Callie: Just don't put pressure on her.

Mark: I won't, the last thing I want to do is drive her further away than I already have. Just- (Sighs) A couple of nights ago we were talking about all of the things that went wrong in our relationship, we both made mistakes, but for the first time it came to light how much I hurt her. First I didn't take her feelings into consideration when I made all of those decisions about Sloan and her baby, and then when she told me what she did with Karev I ignored her and treated her like she was some tramp. I was a hypocrite. I want to make it up to her, that shooting opened my eyes, I want to do anything I can to make sure I'm with Lexie forever, I don't care what I have to do.

LATER IN THE PARK

(Mark is sitting on a bench with a picnic basket next to him when he feels a shadow over him.)

Voice: Sorry I'm late.

(Mark looks up and sees Lexie standing over him.)

Mark: (Standing up) Wow, you look—-

Lexie: (Giving him a look.) What? Beautiful? Awful? Atrocious?

Mark: (Chuckling) No, you were right with the first one, you look gorgeous.

Lexie: Really? You think so?

Mark: (Nodding) Yeah.

(He cups her face and gives her a kiss on the cheek.)

Lexie: (After he's pulled away) Um, so, this was a nice idea.

Mark: Yeah, I thought we'd take advantage of a rare nice day in Seattle and have a picnic. (Picking up the basket.) I got some burgers and fries from Joe's, I stopped by that bakery you love and picked up some brownies, and last but not least, (He takes out a rolled up blanket and spreads it out on the ground) what picnic wouldn't be complete without a blanket to sit on?

Lexie: (Smiling) This is so sweet.

Mark: (Smiling back at her.) I'm glad you like it.

(They both sit down on the blanket and start eating their lunch.)

A LITTLE WHILE LATER AT MARK'S APARTMENT

(Lexie and Mark run in dripping wet and laughing.)

Mark: Well, it was nice while it lasted.

Lexie: At least we got to finish our lunch.

Mark: I'll get some towels.

(Mark goes back to the linen closet and takes out two big towels. He walks back over to Lexie and hands one to her.)

Lexie: (Grabbing the towel.) Thank you.

(She starts drying her hair with the towel but stops when she notices Mark staring at her.)

Lexie: What?

Mark: (Smiling slightly) You really are beautiful, you know that?

Lexie: (Laughing) Oh yeah, I look gorgeous, what with my frizzy, out-of-control hair. My smudgy make-up, my smeared mascara-

(She's stopped when Mark cups her face and kisses her. They break apart a minute later.)

Mark: No matter what, you always look beautiful.

(He reaches up and takes a strand of her hair and moves it behind her ear.)

Lexie: (Clearing her throat) Um, I uh—uh, I should probably get home to uh- Get out of these wet clothes.

Mark: Uh, yeah, maybe.

(They make no attempt to move and then move in and start to make out.)

A LITTLE WHILE LATER

(Lexie stirs and wakes up. She looks around and tries to take in her surroundings. She looks down to see herself covered in a towel. She sees an arm draped around her waist and looks behind her to see Mark sleeping. Her eyes widen.)

Lexie: (Whispering) Oh god, what did you do Lexie? What did you do?

(She gently moves Mark's arm and holds a towel close to her body to cover up. She starts looking around the room for her clothes when Mark wakes up.)

Mark: Lex?

(He looks up and finds her looking for her clothes frantically.)

Mark: Lexie.

Lexie: We shouldn't have done that.

Mark: Lex-

Lexie: No, I'm not blaming you, just, we agreed to take this slow and then we come back here and do this, how are we supposed to work on our issues if we jump each other everytime we're alone together?

Mark: Look Lex. (He stands up, wrapping the towel around his waist.) We had a moment of weakness, an amazing moment of weakness mind you. But I promise you, I can have better self control, really. I do want us to get to a point where we're together again, that's what I want more than anything. Just please don't give up on me. I love you so much and I'll do anything you want. We don't even have to hang out here anymore for the time being, and if we do, we'll just talk, I promise, just pretend my penis is broken again, y'know, without all the pain.

(Lexie laughs.)

Lexie: (Sighing) I guess I can't let one lapse get in the way of us being together again, because that is what I want too, more than anything, so if you think we can be alone together without this for the time being, then I'm willing to work on our relationship.

Mark: (Smiling) Thank you.

(He takes her into his arms and hugs her.)

A/N: There you go, chapter 3, I hope you all liked it, I'm glad you have all bared with me while I get over my serious bout of writer's block, but I'm doing my best to seriously get back into writing. Please let me know what you think.