Basic introductory stuff goes here...skipping to the good stuff!

"Hunt!" Mark called out, walking into the cluttered office.

It was no secret that Owen hadn't been home in days. His "bed" remained on the leather couch on the side of the room, multiple ties and shirts laid strewn around the room and tons of paperwork practically swallowed his desk. Cristina had grown accustomed to sleeping alone because of the constant turmoil that the new budget had caused. People were now running scared, covering their asses, terrified that they might get the axe.

"Sloan." He sighed, running a free hand through his already disheveled hair. "Look, I really don't have the time right now."

"Then I'll make it quick. Get in here, Grey." He called out, causing Meredith to emerge from the hallway.

"Dr. Hunt." She nodded in his general direction.

"I think I know what this is about." He took a seat behind his desk. "Look, I didn't have it in the budget. Lexie seemed to understand."

"You have tons of underqualified staff in your neurosurgical department and you choose to fire Lexie?" Mark said, leaning forward so he could look him in the eye. "Can you explain that to me?"

"Look, as I said, it was budgetary." He nervously fidgeted. "Her name was brought to my attention from HR."

"And you went along with it?!" Meredith added. "Where's your sense of loyalty?"

"To Lexie?"

"To Cristina!" Meredith crossed her arms.

"I'm not following." Owen was clearly lost.

"Loyalty to Cristina means loyalty to me which means loyalty to Lexie." She explained. "We're all a package."

"Personal loyalties can't interfere with my job. I'm sorry." He focused on his work, trying to ignore the pair.

"Hunt!" Mark's voice grew louder. "Bring her back!"

"I can't." He said simply.

"Why?" Mark grew irratated. "She is better than all the other residents you kept in neuro combined! Skill should play a factor, here. Not just the fact that she was in a plane crash recently or that she is carrying my kid!"

"That is not what happened!" He defended.

"Really?" Meredith added. "Because that's what it's going to look like to the hospital board and the lawyer we use to sue you."

"I cleared it with the hospital board." He smirked. "Nice try."

Meredith paused as if she was slapped in the face. "I didn't want to have to do this, but if she goes, I go."

"If they go, so do I." Mark added, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Derek goes, too. He's already agreed." She said.

"He has?" Mark whispered.

"No, but he will." She shot back. "Shut up!"

"You're telling me that by firing one..."

"You'll be losing four, yes." Meredith finished for him.

"Just hire her back and we stay." Mark offered.

"This is blackmail." Owen stated.

"Call it what you want." Meredith smiled. "Is she back on staff?"

Hunt sighed. "Send her to HR on Monday."

"Yes!" She squealed.

"Oh, guys!" Owen called before they left the room. "If you two pull a stunt like this again, you'll be out the door and on your ass, are we clear?"

"Crystal." She answered, Sloan nodding in agreement.

Later that night, Mark walked into a seemingly empty apartment. Every light was off and there was no signs of a living soul.

"Lex?" He called out, receiving no response. "Lexie?"

He walked into the kitchen to find her laying on her back on the floor.

"Lexie!" He rushed to her side. "What happened?"

"Nothing." She turned her head to look at him. "I'm just counting the tiles in the ceiling."

"What?" He asked, taking a seat next to her sprawled frame.

"Damn it, now I lost count." She shifted her position and focused again.

"Lexie, look. I got your job back." Mark said.

"What?"

"Your job. Meredith and I talked to Hunt and he wants you to go see HR on Monday." He finished with a smile.

"What?" She repeated, sitting up. "You talked to Owen?"

"Yeah. We did it, you're in!" He said, clearly proud of himself.

"I told you not to bother." Lexie pulled herself to her feet and walked to the bedroom.

"Are you mad?" He followed close behind. "Are you seriously mad because I got you your job back."

"No. I..." She closed her eyes and sighed. "I'm not helpless, Mark. I don't need you to fight my battles."

"I was helping you out."

"I told you to leave it alone! I told you not to bother! For once, can you just respect that? For once, just let me figure things out for myself. I can do it on my own, okay?" Lexie ranted.

"Fine." He threw his hands up. "The job is there. Whether you take it or not, that's on you. I'll be back later."

"Where are you going?" She called after him.

"Giving you space to figure things out on your own." Mark stormed out. "Be back later."

"Way to go, Grey. Great form." She muttered to herself.

"All we do is fight, Mer." Lexie spoke into the phone later that night. "It isn't supposed to be like this."

"I'm sure you guys have your rough patches, but I bet there's good stuff in there too."

"Yeah. Sometimes." She smiled to herself. "I just don't need him to save me everytime I fall a little."
"Honey, he wants to save you." Meredith explained. "When you were stuck under that plane and he tried everything he could to save you and still he couldn't, that broke him, more than you realize. So now, everytime you fall a little, if he can fix it, he going to."

"I'm such a bitch." She sighed.

"No, you're not. Talk to him. Listen to him." She chuckled. "Just fix it. You'll be fine."

Mark walked through the door a second later.

"I should go, Mer. Thank you."

"Call me tomorrow." She said as they hung up.

"Hey." She spoke to Mark, tossing her phone on the couch. "Can we talk?"

He nodded in agreement, taking a seat next to her on the couch.

"When I was under the plane..."

"Lex..."

"No, let me get this out." She held up her hand. "When I was under that plane, I thought...No, I knew, I was dead. And then, by some strange miracle, I wasn't."

"I don't want to hear this." He shook his head.

"Mark. I know you tried to save me and then you felt responsible when you couldn't, but I don't want you to feel like you have to save me." She finished.

"But I don't want to lose you. At work, at home, anywhere. You have to be there." Mark took her hand. "You keep me sane. I need you there. I came so close to losing you out there that now if I see you drifting and there's something I can do, I'm damn well gonna do it."

"Okay." Lexie whispered with a smile. "I'm sorry I'm an idiot."

"You're not." He exhaled. "You're just crazy."

"Gee, thanks."

After their conversation, Lexie showered while Mark ordered Chinese. They ate dinner while talking about everything under the sun, laughing at strange surgical stories and rolling their eyes at each other's bad jokes. Lexie threw on one of Mark's old t-shirts, while Mark wore his traditional pajama pants and no shirt to bed. She was glancing through her day planner when Mark joined her.

"Okay, so Tuesday, ultrasound for the baby." She told him. "We can probably find out the sex, put this debate to rest once and for all."

"I will be there." He kissed her cheek. "I wouldn't miss finding out about my son for anything."

"I'm sure your daughter will be pleased to hear that." She smirked.

"You're good." He chuckled. "But, I'm a Sloan, he's a Sloan. We know these things."

"And I'm what exactly?" Lexie laughed. "Lexie Grey, the walking incubator?"

Mark smiled and kissed her lips. "You are the mother of my child and the love of my life. Fair?"

"Whatever." She swatted him playfully before turning off the light and curling up in his arms. They laid in silence for five minutes before she spoke again. "$20 says it's a girl."

"Shut up."

Work sucks so updates are taking longer than expected. Please read and review, guys! Love!