A/N: Hey guys, here's another chapter for you. There are some cliffies in here so watch out for them. And well…gahh, you'll see
Mark stared out the frosted window. It was dark, cold…like any normal December day would be. But it just didn't seem right, nothing made sense. He sighed, looking back at the woman in his bed. After he saw Meredith and Derek, his first reaction was to get even. Like any other guy, he got drunk and slept with a hot vulnerable girl.
"Hi," she whispered, opening her eyes. Pulling herself up on her elbows she asked, "How long have I been out."
"Not long," he smiled, dragging himself away from the window. She was beautiful. Long blond hair floated against her porcelain skin, and her eyes were so blue he couldn't see straight. She was no more than 23 years old, fresh out of college.
"Sorry about last night," she spat, her cheeks reddening. "I don't usually do that."
"Hey, if anyone is to blame it's me." He grabbed his shirt from the floor and quickly put it on. "It's okay though, we can just forget about it."
"Oh, right…" She hesitantly picked up her skirt. Chewing on her bottom lip she asked, "What's your name?"
"Mark," he smiled, extending his hand. "And yours?"
"Tessa," she responded, shaking hard and firm. "Nice to uhm…meet you."
"Likewise," he responded. "So do you need a ride to work or anything?"
She shook her head, quickly putting on her clothes. "No, I bartend right across the way."
"Joes?" he asked, wondering if that's how they met.
"Yep, that's the place…you know that, you were there last night."
"Right," he stammered, trying to collect his thoughts from the previous night. So much had happened that truthfully, everything seemed to be blurred.
"Where do you work?"
"Seattle Grace…hospital across the way," he announced proudly, playing the doctor card far too well.
"Wow!" she exclaimed, "You are a doctor?"
"Yeah," he laughed. "Why, I don't look smart enough?"
"No," she quickly said. "You just look more like a model than a doctor."
"I get that a lot," he grinned, slipping into his shoes.
She smiled back, looking down at her feet. "So uhm," she went on, attempting to start a conversation, "I'm guessing you live in this hotel?"
"Yep, until I get another place."
"Well it's not necessarily a bad place to live, it's very nice," she breathed looking around the huge suite.
"Eh," he shrugged, "It's alright."
"Is this your brother?" she asked, picking up a picture on his nightstand.
"Oh, no…" he said, "That's uhm Derek. We're not brothers." Or friends.
"Oh," she looked back. "So he's like a friend?"
"Sort of, not really…did you bring a coat here?" He had to get off this subject, he hated talking about Derek, especially now.
"Nope." She put on her Uggs then wrote a few digits on a slip of paper. Handing it to Mark she said, "Just incase you get lonely again."
"I look lonely?" he inquired, taking the paper.
"Yeah," she nodded before slipping out the door, giving him one last smile.
"I look lonely," he repeated, staring back at the picture on his nightstand.
It was 6 AM. Rose didn't have to arrive till 7. It was one of the many advantages to being a scrub nurse, no early workdays. But there she was, awake since 5, wandering around her empty apartment. She reached for the necklace around her neck but it wasn't there. She closed her eyes, trying to steady the tears that were slowly forming. She almost hated herself for giving that to him. It was her ring! He was her boyfriend! Yet she gave it all up. That beautiful diamond ring which had so many tragedies, so many lies, so many losses, gone. It hurt so much knowing that it was going to be placed on someone else's left hand, that it would symbolize eternity, trust, love.
"It's not fair," she whispered, clutching her coffee mug. Suddenly, her phone began to ring. She quickly picked it up, needing to know if it was him, hoping, praying that it was him…
"Hello?" Her stomach was full of butterflies and her voice was on the verge of breaking into a million unwanted pieces.
"Rose?" the voice asked.
She dropped her mug, let go of the phone, and watched as it snapped in half. The cup shattered across the floor, its sharp glass piercing the skin on her bare feet. The phone lay broken on the floor, its battery dead from the impact.
"Oh my God," she breathed, the tears already coming down.
Oh my God.
Meredith looked down in awe, amazed at the surgery that was being performed by her best friend. Leaning against the wall, she smiled.
"She's incredible," she heard one voice behind her say. "Like, the best heart surgeon ever."
"That's my girl," Meredith whispered to herself.
"Hey aren't you Meredith Grey?" another voice asked, tapping her on the shoulder.
She turned around, nodding at the fresh pack of interns.
"Oh my God!" the girl squealed. "You made out with Mark Sloan right?!"
The smile on her face immediately vanished. She hated being known as the girl who kissed the hottest surgeon ever. She wanted to be known as a doctor, a respected, talented surgeon. "Uhm yeah…" she mumbled, turning back towards the surgery.
"You're like a legend among us girls," the intern went on. "Was it, like, super amazing?"
She shook her head, wanting so much to punch her out. "Shouldn't you be taking notes on the surgery or something?"
"Oh I am," she replied, her voice way too cheery.
"Good cause knowing the residents this year, you all will have to be on top of your game. The chief just told me yesterday that whoever doesn't know an answer to a question will be let go." It's a good lie she thought to herself.
"Oh my goodness! No way!" they all exclaimed at once. "They can't do that!"
"I'm just saying," Meredith continued, "You better pay more attention to surgeries than who's making out with whom."
Almost instantly, everyone shut their mouths and focused in on Cristina doing what she does best.
"Thanks for the warning," one intern said thankfully to her.
"Oh, no problem," she smiled to herself. But behind her smile, she was hurting. She had no clue where Mark had gone last night. Derek hadn't bothered her at all since the kiss, which was a great thing. But neither one of them could find Mark. So many questions swarmed in her head. He could have left the state. He could have gone back to New York. Hell, he could have left the country for all she knew. But, despite the many reasons why he should leave, there was still hope. She clung to it. There was still a chance that he didn't leave at all, he was still here.
"Dr. Grey we need you right away," a tall skinny nurse said urgently, interrupting her thoughts.
"What is it?" Meredith asked, removing herself from the pack of concentrating interns.
"There's been an accident," the nurse whispered.
"What kind of accident?" Meredith asked.
"Dr. Shepherd and Dr. Sloan, they're in the lobby," the nurse went on, her voice shaking.
"Okay? So?"
"They're in the lobby…under hostage."