He watched her disappear round the corner before punching a wall and yelling in aggravation.
"I see you're still up to your old ways. Two girls running out of your office within minutes of each other." A voice said behind Mark. He spun round to see a feisty redhead in designer clothing standing to his left.
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"They weren't running ... How long have-" he began before the woman cut him off.
"Can we talk?" she asked, indicating to his office. "We can? Great." She said, without giving Mark a chance to speak and walked in to his office. Mark groaned whilst following her in to his office.
"What do you want Addison?" he asked, shutting the door behind him. He noticed she had already made herself comfortable in his big chair behind his desk.
"Nice to see you too. Is that really how you greet people after five years of absence?"
"Cut the crap Addison, I am in no mood." He said fiercely.
Addison stared at him with a hint of a smile. "We need to talk Mark."
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Lexie Grey was a woman on a mission. She wanted to believe Mark when he said they didn't sleep together but at the pit of her stomach, there was that aching feeling that he was lying. She didn't particularly want to know what had happened between Mark and Zoey the night before in full details but she needed to find out for her own sake. She knew she'd probably like what she was going to hear as much as a patient would like to hear that they were going to die, but she needed to know what sort of man she had got involved with. After searching the entire hospital, she eventually found Zoey Heart in the restroom on the 4th floor. She was sitting on the surface by the sinks when Lexie walked in. She jumped down when she saw Lexie. Lexie's face softened when she saw that she had been crying.
"Before you say anything, it's not me you should be having a go at." Zoey sniffed.
"I'm not here to shout. I just want to know what's going on. Mark says nothing happened but I know something did and I want to know what." Lexie replied, her voice not as friendly as it was a few days ago when they last spoke.
Zoey remained silent as memories of the night before came flooding in to her head.
"Are you going to tell me what happened last night when you went back to his hotel room?"
Zoey looked down at the floor, playing with the tissue in her hands. "He told me he had ended it with you and he wanted to be with me."
"He said what? He told you it was over between me and him?" Zoey nodded. "Okay, and erm, did you-did you sleep with him?"
Zoey shook her head. "No. I promise you, I didn't have sex with him. He said he wanted to wait, to do things properly."
"Meaning what exactly?"
"He said that he wanted to take me out on dates and wait for the perfect moment."
"So you're telling me that he told you we had broken up and that he wanted to be with you?" Lexie asked Zoey who nodded Lexie didn't know what to do or what to say.
"I'm really sorry Lexie. If I had known you two were still together, I wouldn't have gone back to his hotel room – I told him I wouldn't."
"So he told you we had broken up so you would go back and sleep with him only his conscience took over." Lexie's face went from a frown to a smile. "So, we've both been played. I say, we play him – twice as hard."
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"Why are you telling me this now? It's been five years and you're telling me this now!" Mark shouted at Addison whilst pacing the width of his office.
"It's better than in 18 years time when she comes knocking on your door saying, "Hi dad, I'm your daughter, can I borrow 20 bucks?"
Mark chuckled a bit before realising the full extent of the situation. He had a daughter with Addison Montgomery, his best friend's ex-wife – the one mistake he ever regretted. "Sorry but I refuse to believe that. You told me you had an abortion so if you're trying to pawn off some poor bastard's brat on to me, you're sadly mistaken." He said bluntly.
"No I didn't. I said I was going to abort it and I nearly did. I went to the clinic but I chickened out at the last minute. I couldn't do that to something as innocent as a baby. It's not her fault her mommy and daddy were so careless. Listen, by the time I got the courage to tell you, you had run across state to Seattle to make things right with Derek."
"Hello! There are such things as telephone, email, and fax! It's not the medieval times when the only way to contact someone was via carrier pigeon!"
"You changed your number Mark and what did you want me to do? Email you saying this is a picture of our daughter?"
"Yes!"
"Of course because that's not insensitive is it?!"
Mark breathed in and out a couple of times to calm down. "Does Derek know?"
"Oh my g-you're unbelievable! I tell you we have a daughter together and the first thing you want to know is if Derek knows!"
"It's a legitimate question! We've just got our friendship back on track and I want to know if that's going to go down the drain!" He fell silent for a moment before speaking again. "Okay, so we have a daughter together."
"Yes we do."
"Name?"
"Camilla but everyone calls her Cammie."
"Cammie. Age?"
Addison gave him a disbelieving look. "Seriously Mark, you really have to ask me that?"
"Well I don't know do I!"
"Okay, calm down! She's five."
"And erm, does she look like me?"
"Well people say she looks like me but because they assume Derek's the father they say she has Derek's eyes … but they're your eyes. You can see for yourself if you want to, she's in the Day Care Centre downstairs now."
"What did you say?" Mark asked in a panicked tone.
"She's downstairs in the Day Care Centre … shouldn't she be? I mean I thought that's where the children go when mommies and daddies need to do something important like work."
"Oh you're hilarious, Addie. You know that girl who I broke up with before I slept with you?"
"The girl you were desperately trying to get over?"
"Ye-es. That's the one … well she works downstairs in the day care centre! If she's seen her … her being our-our-our erm …"
"Our daughter?"
Mark nodded. "…She'll freak!"
"Look she doesn't know who I am so the likelihood of her knowing my little girl is also your little girl so calm down and don't worry about it."
Mark nodded. "Yeah you're right. Okay, I'm calm. So … does Derek know?" Mark asked.
Addison sighed before shaking her head. "I wanted to tell you first before we tell Derek."
"We?" Mark repeated.
"Yes, Mark, we." She said in a patronizing voice. "We might as well bite the bullet and tell him together. That way, if he gets mad, we can defend each other."
Mark thought about it. She did have a point; he would be able to get his anger out in one go and wouldn't have to hunt anyone down and punch him – again. "Okay, we'll tell him together. Let's go."
"What? Go where?"
"Well now's as good a time as any."
"You want to tell him now?!" Addison looked at him as if he was insane.
Mark nodded. "Don't look at me like that. I've got enough problems without this getting in the way."
Addison nodded. "Fine, let's go."
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"Are you sure you don't mind me staying with you?" Zoey.
"Don't be silly it's fine." Meredith replied. "You might have to suffer the couch though … rest of the rooms are already occupied."
"That's not a problem, thank you, I really appreciate it."
"What do you really appreciate?" Derek asked Zoey, walking up behind Meredith and kissing her on the cheek.
"Oh she's staying with us for a few days until she sorts something a bit more permanent." Meredith answered.
"Why? What happened with staying with Mark?"
Zoey looked at him with narrowed eyes. "How did … Oh never mind." She said smiling knowing full well Meredith must have told him. "It didn't quite work out."
"Oh? Why what happened?"
"That's what I've been asking for the past 10 minutes and she's not giving me anything." Meredith laughed.
"It doesn't matter okay. All you need to know is that I want nothing more to do with that bastard."
"Speaking of bastards …" Derek motioned his head behind Zoey, indicating Mark was approaching.
Zoey sighed. "I gotta go. See you later." She said before walking off.
"Yeah, I got rounds and interns to educate. Lunch?" Derek nodded and kissed Meredith a goodbye before she walked off.
"I don't know what you've done but you did bad." Derek joked as he was bent over a chart he was working on for a patient that had just got discharged.
"Derek the three of us need to talk." A female voice spoke.
He looked up to find Addison and Mark standing before him. Looking between the two of them he could tell it was serious. "Oh you have got to be shitting me. Please tell me you're not getting together. That would explain why Zoey wants nothing more to do with you …"
"No! Derek! We're not getting together!" Mark exclaimed. "But we do need to talk … preferably somewhere quiet."
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At the Grey household that evening, Derek was in the kitchen talking quietly with Meredith. He had just told her what Mark and Addison told him earlier that day. She was trying to convince him to tell Zoey before anyone else did.
"Mer, I don't think that's a good idea … she's been hurt enough by him." He told her. "I think we should wait for Mark to tell her. It'll be better coming from him."
"Do you really think Mark will willingly tell her that two weeks after they broke up, he slept with his best friends wife and now they have a baby together?"
"Well I told her as soon as I found out about the two of them and she thanked me then … maybe I should tell her … because hey, let's face it, he probably won't tell her."
Meredith nodded. "I'm going to bed now. Night, love you." she said kissing him lightly on his lips. "Night." she called over to Zoey who was curled up on the couch. Derek watched her go up the stairs mouthing "tell her" to him. Derek mouth back "I will" and walked over to Zoey who was watching the T.V. "Hey Zo, mind if I join you?"
Zoey shook her head. "Nope not at all but you have to be quiet."
Derek laughed. "Meredith's the same. So what are you watching?" he asked as he made himself comfortable next to her.
"Made of Honour."
"That sounds familiar … wait is that that film where that guy falls in love with his best friend who asks him to be her maid of honour?"
"Mmm hmm."
"That's a load of rubbish. Meredith made me watch that – god who would agree to do that? Is he wearing a skirt?!" Derek cried out.
"Derek, it's a kilt."
"Poor bastard."
Zoey giggled. "Looks a bit like you. Except he's better looking." She teased.
"Excuse me, I'm so much better looking than him!"
"Nah, that guy has better hair."
"Whatever you say …" Derek smiled. There was a short silence before he spoke again. "Do you mind if we pause this? There's something I need to talk to you about."
Zoey pressed pause on the remote and nodded. "Sure. What is it?"
"Um, remember Mark slept with my wife – well ex-wife now."
Zoey nodded. "It's not exactly something I can easily forget …"
"Well um … she's here in Seattle, working in the hospital."
"What?! Who is she?" Zoey shrieked.
"And before you freak out even more …"
"Who is she Derek?"
"She's the new Neonatal surgeon."
"I'm going to fucking kill her!"
"That's not the worst part … Zoey … she has a five year old child."
"So?"
"Zoey work it out. I was married to her for 11 years and not one child … five years ago, she slept with Mark …"
Zoey felt her world collapse around her. "She has a child with Mark." She said quietly.
Derek nodded slowly. "She does."
Zoey sat there quietly. "Oh my god ..."
"What?"
"Is she a redhead?"
"Erm ... ye-es." Derek aswered slowly.
"She ... her ... I've met her already."
Derek stared at Zoey blankly. "What do you mean you've already met her?" he asked. There was just no way she could have met her already.
"Well she dropped her kid off at the day care centre this morning. God! For five years I've wanted to meet this woman and tell her exactly what I think of her and when I do, I don't even realise it and miss the opportunity!" she exclaimed.
Derek laughed. "There's still plenty of time for that … she's sticking around for a bit remember?"
"Yeah, of course. I'll do it tomorrow." Zoey said with a sharp nod of the head.
Derek shook his head smiling; he knew there would be no stopping her. "Okay, so what happened with Mark?"
"What do you mean?" she asked yawning.
"Why are you staying here with us and not at his hotel?"
"'Cause … I walked in on Mark and Lexie … kissing."
"But you knew they were together." Derek said confused.
"No, Mark said he ended it last night with Lexie. I told him I would only go back with him if he ended it and I know that sounds really mean but I didn't think he would actually do it … well I guess I was right on that front 'cause he didn't actually end it if they were kissing … anyways that's why I went back with him otherwise I would have come back here with you and Meredith … or at least I would have asked first."
"Okay and now breathe." Derek joked. "Wow, Mark does like his girls who ramble … ouch!" Derek laughed as he got a pillow swung at the side of his head. "Was that really necessary?"
"Yes!" Zoey said sulkily, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Aw, you're so cute when you sulk like that…" Derek teased knowing she hated been called cute. Right on cue he got another pillow thrown at his head. Laughing, he said, "Okay, listen. On a serious note, they may not have been kissing. It may-"
"I saw them Derek! I know what kissing looks like and they were definitely … okay they weren't actually kissing but I know they were about to …"
"I don't believe that. Listen, Mark has spoken to me about this situation the three of you are in and I know he cares about you – I would say he loves you even."
Zoey rolled her eyes. "Yeah right."
"I'm being serious. He told me he wants to be with you and that he was going to break up with Lexie for you. I know he wouldn't lie to you so you must have been mistaken when you walked in on Mark and Lexie – it couldn't have been what you thought it was."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. I mean, I know he's not the same man as he was five years ago. Hey, do you think you could talk to him? Tell him that I made a mistake?"
"Yeah, of course. You know I love you guys and would do anything to help."
"Thanks. Hey, tell him how sorry I am and that I want to make things right."
"Yeah, will do. Okay, I'm off to bed now. Are you going to be okay?"
Zoey nodded. "Course I will." she said smiling.
"Good. Night Zoey." He said, kissing her cheek.
"Night Derek." She waited until Derek had gone upstairs before she picked up her phone and sent a text. A couple of minutes later she got a reply saying "Good. Phase two will start tomorrow. That bastard is going to wish he never messed with us."
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Lexie rolled over as she heard her phone beep. She looked at the text that read, "Phase one complete. Start of phase two?" she quickly sent her reply as Mark came out the toilet. "Who was that?" he asked her.
"Oh that was Meredith asking if I was coming home tonight. I told her I wasn't." she explained.
"Good." Mark grinned at her who disappeared back in to the bathroom.
Lexie smiled back slyly. Messing with his head is going to be too easy. She said to herself quietly.