A/N All my muses are back!
From A to Z
It was days like this that Mark wondered what on earth had possessed him to agree to have a party. Especially a party like this. He knew that the baby needed a name but having Callie and Amelia decide together that there needed to be a naming party was going to drive him crazy. Both women had promised him that he could veto any name that he honestly hated. Every person coming to this party was bringing a name and couples had to bring two names. Mark knew that they would end up with some geeky names, some classic names and some downright off the wall names. Both Carolyn and Nancy had been against this idea but when Amelia and Callie got ideas into their heads there was no stopping them.
Both Callie and Amelia had been in and out of the apartment all day which left Mark and Lexie very little alone time and Mark had to keep his bedroom door closed so that the noise wouldn't wake the baby. Thankfully there was going to be food at this party because Mark could not remember when he had eaten a good solid meal.
He was also thankful that Nancy and Amelia would be on their way back to their lives tomorrow. Nancy had been nothing more than a royal pain in the ass to him during the entire visit. Yes he loved Nancy like a sister but her constant badgering about how he was going to raise his grandson was really wearing on him. He really didn't like anyone telling him how he should raise the baby. After all he was nervous enough about his skills as a father and Nancy sure as hell wasn't making him feel any better. Amelia had been a big help to him, especially with the baby, but even she was starting to wear on him. Especially with this impromptu party that had been sprung on him.
He was thankful for Carolyn though. She had been a huge help to him over the past few days. She had fed the baby and changed him whenever Mark needed her to. She rocked him to sleep when Mark fell asleep before he did. He knew that the baby would eventually be his responsibility and that Carolyn couldn't stay in Seattle forever. Mark was in no hurry to get her to leave. She promised she would stay for at least another week and maybe even longer if Mark wanted her to.
The apartment was a flurry of activity this evening. People were coming in and out of there and Mark was convinced he was going to snap. The exhaustion that came with taking care of a newborn was catching up to him. Sure he had help but he still did a lot of the work that was involved in taking care of a newborn.
"You know you have officially lost your mind, right Callie?" Mark asked his best friend as he watched her scurry around the apartment.
"Sheesh Mark, be happy that we are doing this for you. That kid needs a name." Amelia pointed out as she walked up alongside Callie.
"Yeah but a party?" Mark questioned both women skeptically.
"Many tribes hold a naming ceremony for their babies." Amelia pointed out.
"Yeah but they don't put the name choice in someone else's hands." Mark pointed out.
"Hey, we said you could veto any name that you hate." Callie reminded him quickly.
"Please Mark, don't name the kid Felix." Amelia told him. Mark looked at her quizzically. Where had that come from? Mark had no plans to name his grandson…son Felix. That reminded him that he still needed to figure out if the baby was going to be raised as his son or his grandson.
"I have booze!" Called a voice from the doorway. Mark recognized that voice right away and he wondered how Callie and Amelia had been able to coax Cristina Yang into coming to his apartment for a party that had to do with a baby. Mark figured that they had probably promised her free and unlimited access to alcohol.
"We're here!" Called another voice. Mark recognized this one too. This voice belonged to Derek, The guy who was going to be the baby's Godfather. Derek and Meredith walked into the apartment with a gift in tow. God Mark prayed Callie had told everyone not to bring a gift. Mark wasn't sure what he would do if every person or every couple brought a gift.
"Yang? Where's Hunt?" Callie called over to the bar area where Cristina was already standing.
"He's coming straight from the hospital ." Cristina informed Callie.
"Where is that baby?" Demanded Arizona as soon as she walked into the apartment. She was still not sure about having kids but she did have to admit that Mark's grandson was simply adorable.
"He's in my room." Mark called over his shoulder. He was starting to wonder where Lexie was. He knew that she had to go in to the hospital but he had been under the impression that it would be just a quick trip and she would be back in his arms before long. Arizona made a beeline for Mark's bedroom and he couldn't help but smirk to himself. This was certainly a way to get the blond peds surgeon into his bedroom.
"Don't even think about it Mark." Callie warned. She knew exactly where his mind was going. Mark was about to apologize when Teddy Altman came into the apartment with Bailey and Ben right behind her. Mark had to wonder how else would be coming to this thing. Had Callie invited the entire hospital? Mark hoped not. He had to smile when he saw Arizona emerge from his bedroom with a bundle wrapped in a fleece blanket. He trusted Arizona with his grandson. After all she was a pediatric surgeon for goodness sake.
"Change your mind on babies yet?" Mark called over to Arizona. Arizona turned towards him and glared in his direction. She knew that by not wanting kids she was jepoardizing her relationship with Callie and she was desperately trying to come up with some idea that would keep them both happy. Problem was, there wasn't a really good compromise. Either they didn't have kids and Callie suffered or they did have kids and Arizona suffered.
"I'm here!" Lexie's voice rang out into the apartment a few minutes later. She had gotten held up at the hospital and she had finally been able to sneak out much later than planned. Mark smiled relievedly at Lexie as she reached him and wrapped her arm around his waist. A whole group of people came into his apartment next. April Kepner, Jackson Avery, Alex and Owen all came in at the same time talking about something that had gone on at the hospital.
Now Mark was annoyed at Callie for inviting people he barely knew to his apartment. All he knew about Jackson Avery was that he was cocky but with decent bedside manner. All he knew about April was that she continually got on his nerves with her constantly chipper demeanor.
"Oh Mark? Addison wants to know if she can add a name to the party?" Callie called over the room with her Blackberry in her hand. She had been texting the tall redhead for the past few minutes since the redhead couldn't make it to the party.
"She's not even here." Mark pointed out.
"Yeah but she is responsible for your grandson not being legless." Callie pointed out quickly. Mark sighed, knowing that Callie was right. Without Addison his grandson would have probably lost both legs to the amniotic bands.
"Fine, she can put in a name." Mark agreed. He knew that Lexie was still uncomfortable about his thing with Addison and Mark was working to reassure her that she had nothing to worry about. He suspected that his allowing Addison to put in a name probably hadn't made Lexie all that happy. That was confirmed when Lexie turned her head to look at him questioningly. She couldn't understand why Mark was continually allowing the tall redhead to infringe on his life. True she had assured that his grandson would keep both of his legs but that was where the relationship should have stayed. She didn't like being controlling but she also didn't like the power that Addison exercised over Mark.
"Do all of you exes get to put in names or only the special ones?" Lexie asked. She was trying to control her emotions but really she was upset. Three of Mark's exes got to put their name suggestions in. She understood that Callie was his best friend and Addison had saved his grandsons legs but Teddy? When did Teddy become special enough to get invited to this party? Lexie didn't usually get jealous but now she was starting to think getting back together with Mark so quickly wasn't the best idea.
"Lexie…" Mark warned her. He knew where this was going and he really didn't want to deal with this. Not now when they had an apartment full of people.
"Where's Reed and Charles?" Jackson asked Amelia, thankfully breaking the palpable tension that was growing between Mark and Lexie.
"They're working and they couldn't get it off. Like the Chief." Arizona informed Jackson. If there were two more irritating people than Reed and Charles, Arizona had yet to meet them. Even April wasn't as bad as they were. So Arizona was thankful that she didn't have to deal with them at this party. Everyone knew that they loved each other and yet they couldn't get their crap straight.
"We're here." Called out a voice that Mark knew belonged to Nancy. Nancy and Carolyn had gone out to get the food for the party while Callie and Amelia decorated for the party.
"Thank God, there's food." Alex commented as he made his way over to the kitchen area where Nancy and Carolyn were unpacking the prepared foods and setting them out. They had ordered several party trays yesterday because they knew that they wouldn't have the energy to cook.
"Where's the pot?" Callie asked Mark. Mark tossed her a confused look. He had no idea what pot she was referring to. He hadn't known that pot was going to be needed for a party in which all the food was previously prepared by the people at the deli of the grocery store.
"The pot to put all the name suggestions in. Duh Mark." Amelia informed him. Mark resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Derek's baby sister.
"Grab anything out of the kitchen to use." Mark told both ladies. He turned his gaze back to Lexie and he offered her a smile. He wanted her to know that she had nothing to worry about. Teddy, Addison and Callie were all in the past. She was his future. Lexie didn't return his smile and that alone snapped the smile off of his face.
He watched Amelia go around to the party guests, taking their baby name suggestions and throwing them in the pot. As much as he hated this whole idea, at least the baby would have a name by the end of them evening.
"Okay Robbins you've held that baby long enough. My turn." Called Miranda Bailey as she made her way over to Arizona. Arizona passed the baby to Miranda and almost immediately she missed the weight in her arms. Maybe she could get used to the idea of having a baby in her arms. Maybe she could forfeit the trip to Madrid in favor of staying here, in Seattle with Callie and having lots of little babies.
"You two want kids?' Owen called over to where Miranda and her boyfriend Ben were standing with the baby.
"We're discussing it but Miranda won't say yes until we have something a little more permanent between us." Ben told Owen. Miranda glared at him over the baby's soft head. She couldn't believe that Ben was freely spilling the private information that they had been discussing. It was no one's business if and when they decided to have kids together.
"Wait, you haven't proposed yet?" Derek demanded as he looked at Ben. From all the rumors at the hospital, it sounded like a proposal had already occurred but that Miranda and Ben were just keeping it under wraps for now.
"Nope, because she won't let me." Ben told Derek. Miranda shot him a second glare. It was more complicated than that. The two of them loved each other yes, but so had she and Tucker and look how that one turned out. Miranda was terrified to enter into a second marriage. Scared for herself and her son.
"Okay, let's name this kid." Amelia announced breaking up all conversations that had been going on. Derek and Owen both made a mental note to talk to Ben later when they could get the full story. Nancy put the pot full of tiny scraps of paper down on Mark's lap. Lexie left his side to go stand with Meredith. Lexie was still pretty upset with Mark but she didn't want to ruin this party for him. She knew that he needed help in naming this baby.
Mark didn't like having a party when he was having a disagreement with the woman that he loved. He wished that she would stay by his side as he worked on picking a name for the baby. It didn't feel right, not having her beside him as he made another decision that would affect both of them. The first two names he picked out of the hat were Isaac and Adam. He cringed visibly at both of them. No way would this baby have a first or middle name of Adam or Isaac.
"You hate them both but you still have to guess who picked them." Amelia told him. She could tell that he hated both of those names, in any order.
"Okay, what the hell. Isaac is a pretty biblical name from what I remember of the few times I attended church as a kid. So going by that…April suggested that one." Mark guessed.
"How did you manage to figure that out?" April demanded as her cheeks flushed. She knew she should have gone with a less obvious one.
"Just a lucky guess." Mark told her. He looked around again trying to decide who had suggested Adam.
"Derek had a fish named Adam so this had to be his." Mark finally guessed. Derek was already shaking his head and Callie was laughing.
"I was the one who suggested Adam. I couldn't think of any other name." Callie told Mark, still laughing.
"Okay Calliope, you are never naming our kids. I'll pick the names." Arizona told her. Callie's eyes filled with tears when she heard what Arizona had said. She was basically consenting to having a family. She wanted a family with lots of babies.
"Zona, are you sure?" Callie asked softly. Arizona nodded in answer to the question. She wanted babies with Callie. She knew that Callie would be a fantastic mom and she could not wait to have a family with Callie.
"Yes." Arizona whispered back.
"Okay, this baby still needs a name." Amelia yelled above all the buzz that Callie and Arizona's surprise decision had created. Mark's hand went back into the pot and he fished out two more names. Gabriel and Dakota. Mark was becoming more and more convinced that this was the stupidest way to name a baby. These names were all awful.
"Okay Dakota is one of the weirdest names I've heard in awhile and I'm guessing that whoever suggested this one doesn't really even want to be here. So Cristina, it's got to be yours right?" Mark guessed.
"Wrong." A tipsy Cristina sang out. She was very greatful for alcohol at this party. The tequila was what was keeping her sane during this party.
"Dude it was mine and you're right. I don't really want to be here but Torres threatened me." Alex informed Mark with a shrug of his shoulders. Mark's eyes turned to the second name Gabriel. He recognized the handwriting. The same handwriting that had been on his discharge papers after his penile fracture last year.
"Gabriel is Owen's. I recognize the handwriting." Mark announced to the group. Owen nodded in confirmation and instead of saying something to Owen about the stupid name, Mark pressed on. He wanted to give this kid a name. It was taking too damn long.
He fished out three names this time in hopes that this would go faster. He pulled out Lucas, Liam and Ethan. Finally some good names. Liam and Ethan were less common names which Mark liked. Lucas was too damn common.
"Lucas has to be Addison's. Her friend has a baby named Lucas. I met the baby when I was in LA with Sloane." Mark guessed. Callie was already shaking her head. She knew which one was Addison's and they hadn't seen it yet.
"Nope, it's not Addie's." Callie informed him.
"It's mine." Arizona told him. She could tell that Mark's patience was wearing thin and she was trying to make this easier on him.
"Yes, I think we'll let Zona name our kids." Callie commented with a quick smile. Lucas was much better than Adam.
"I'm going to keep Liam and Ethan on the short list. So no one tell me who suggested those two, okay?" Mark told the group. He fished his hand into the pot again and this time pulled out four slips of paper. Skylar, Jonathan, Blake and Asher. The only one he liked in that group was Asher. That was a great name without sounding too geeky or too common.
"Skylar is another weird one, so this has to be from Cristina." Mark guessed.
"Dammit." Cristina muttered. She didn't really care that Mark had guessed it so quickly but she did wish that she had picked a different name. Maybe not one so obviously different.
"Jonathan is classy. Like Bailey. Bailey's classy." Mark guessed.
"Don't even think of buttering me up Sloan." Miranda warned from her position on the couch with the still unnamed baby boy.
"So that's a confirmation?" Amelia asked hopefully.
"Yes, unfortunately Sloan got it." Miranda confirmed.
"Now, Blake is another odd one. Meredith is this one yours?" Mark asked the woman who was still standing with Lexie.
"No it's not." Meredith informed him. Blake was not a good name for a baby and she hoped Mark wouldn't give the baby that name.
"It's mine." Came a quiet voice from the back. Teddy hadn't spoken during the entire party and she picked this moment to inform the group that Blake was her suggestion.
"I'm putting Asher on the short list so don't tell me who suggested that one." Mark told the group. Callie and Amelia looked at each other at that moment and Lexie happened to see that look. Her stomach tightened. She was willing to bet that she knew exactly who had suggested Asher.
Mark's hands went back into the pot and he fished out three more scraps of paper with names written on them. Dylan, Noah and Ryan. Instantly he knew that Ryan was Carolyn's. The late Christopher Shepherd's middle name had been Ryan. Mark wasn't sure how he knew that, he just did.
"Carolyn, Ryan was yours, right?" Mark asked quietly. Derek, Nancy and Amelia looked away from Mark and towards their mother.
"Yes." Carolyn Shepherd confirmed simply.
"Dad's middle name." Derek murmured. All three siblings were surprised that their mother had suggested that name for Mark's grandson.
Mark liked Noah for a name. Sure it was super common, but it was one of the common names that Mark actually liked.
"Don't tell me who suggested Noah. That's going on the short list." Mark told the group. He looked at the final name in his hand. He knew the writing. He had grown up with the writing.
"Amy, Dylan was yours right?" Mark asked. Amelia was about to yell at him for using the nickname that only Derek and her mother could use, but she didn't.
"Yes." Amelia confirmed. She was never good at names but she had seen this one in a book recently and had liked it.
Mark fished out the last three slips of paper from the stainless steel pot that he was holding on his lap. Logan, Jacob and Caleb were the last three names in the pot. He knew he had four on the short list already and he wanted to add at least one more.
"Jacob has to be Derek's right? Classic Derek." Mark guessed.
"Wrong." Derek told Mark.
"Jacob is mine." Meredith informed Mark. Mark was surprised. Such a classic name from the formerly dark and twisty Meredith Grey? Mark was having a hard time hiding his surprise.
"Caleb is mine." Jackson told Mark. Jackson was getting bored and he really just wanted to leave.
"Okay, we'll keep Logan on the short list so no one tell me who suggested it." Mark told the group. He turned to Amelia who had been writing everything down.
"What names do we have for the short list?" Mark asked. Amelia finished writing something down and then handed it to Mark.
The Short List
Liam
Ethan
Asher
Noah
Logan
"Can we leave if we don't want to stay?" Alex asked. His name wasn't on the short list and he really wanted to go back to work. He had eaten the food and pretended to care about the little rugrat's name for as long as he could but he was so done.
"Fine, leave." Callie called to him grumpily.
"Everyone who wants to leave, can go." Nancy announced. She didn't want to be here either but apparently she had to. Mark was family and sometimes you had to do things for family. Even if you didn't want to do them.
More than half the partygoers left the apartment when Nancy made that announcement. The only ones that stayed were: Meredith and Derek, Callie and Arizona, Lexie, Amelia, Nancy and Carolyn and Ben and Miranda. The next order of business would be to narrow down that short list. Something that could probably be easier to do now that more than half of the partygoers had left the apartment.