A/N Many thanks to Ella Kelly!
jessreads, norafan and MayaMe thank you very much for your reviews, which really inspire me a lot! :):):)
"Forty minutes! There are still forty minutes to go before..." Richard stopped. He didn't even want to think about it, much less to say it in a loud voice. Richard was staring nervously at his watch.
"We have to do something!" Derek said anxiously, "We can't abandon them."
"I know! Damn it! I know!" The chief was gesturing restlessly with a hand and his voice sounded exhausted. He paced nervously up and down, checking his watch every second. Richard felt helpless.
In the elevator
"Forty minutes!" Izzie noticed stealing a glance at the bomb's timer, while she was putting her underwear and her bottom scrubs on. Mark looked at her. He also put his boxers on.
"Forty minutes is too much time. A man could do so many things in that time," he joked, bending down to take his bottom scrubs from the floor.
Izzie sighed.
"But, evidently, it's not enough time to open one damned elevator with two people, who are doing the dirty with a bomb above their heads," she tried to sound ironic, but it didn't work out like that. The stress in her voice drowned out the irony. Izzie grabbed her bra from the floor and started putting it on, when Mark slipped behind her back.
"Let me help you," he said. Mark pushed her hair aside to reveal her bare neck. Izzie felt his mouth touching one of her shoulders, while he was fastening her bra. Then he caressed her shoulders with his hands, pulling her close to his body.
"There's plenty of time, Izzie. I'm sure we'll get out of here in one piece," Mark assured her.
"I'm not sure... I think we are going to die..." her voice thrilled.
"We won't die!" He said firmly. Mark turned Izzie to face her and fixed his eyes on hers. His hands held her shoulders tightly.
"How you can you be so sure of that?!" She exclaimed.
"I've got plans," he informed her.
"You've got plans?" Izzie repeated.
"Yep! I have to keep myself in good shape for my 90th anniversary." Mark smirked.
"If that woman, has had in mind that you would die having sex, not in 90, but in 40!" She suggested.
"You know how old I am?!" He cheered up, "I bet you also know what my favorite dish is!"
"Stop that! I'm talking seriously!"
"I'm serious too. I've never imagined, that I would try to convince Isobel Stevens to have faith that things will come right in the end and not to loose her hope and big optimism."
"I... I'm afraid of that I'll die without doing all I had imagined I would do. I'm scared I'll die before I've told my friends how much they mean to me. I'm so scared I'll die before...before... " Izzie choked. Tears gushed from her eyes.
"Before what Izzie?" He asked.
She dropped her eyes down, as if she was embarrassed to meet his gaze.
"Trust me, Izzie! Say what you want to say to your friends as if they're here now and listening to you!"
She lifted her eyes. Mark read hesitation and indecision there.
"Come on! Go ahead! Do it! Open your heart and say all that is there!"
Izzie held her breath, wiping her tears that had rolled down her face. Mark slowly removed his hands from her shoulders without taking his eyes off of her. She started talking hesitantly in a quaking voice, feeling a big lump in her throat.
"I... I..." Izzie swallowed, "I want to tell my mother, that I'm sorry for all these years that I didn't want to talk to her, but she has never given me the love I needed, when I was a child. I grew up alone in an old trailer, without family, without friends. I only had my mother, but she has never been there or if she has been, the bottle of whiskey, her best friend, was at the top of her list. When my grandmother died, she left me a good sum of money, but my mother spent all of it in one casino in Las Vegas in one night, even though she knew about my dream to study medicine. That was the reason I was working as a model, to pay for my education. But I don't want to die before I tell her, that I'm not angry at her anymore, because whatever mistakes she's made, she will always be my mother... "
Mark stood listening to Izzie carefully, without interrupting her.
"I... " she continued, "When I was sixteen I got pregnant." She paused expecting Mark to make some surprised face, but he didn't. Mark was just staring at her in silence. Izzie took a deep breath and went on. "I gave birth to a daughter and put her up for adoption, because I didn't want to deprive her of a happy childhood. I wanted for her to grow up with a real family and her childhood to be different from mine. Her parents are very nice, kind people, who love her more than anything in the world. That makes me happy, because I know they give her the love that every child needs and should receive from its parents. Although she doesn't want to see me, I have always hoped that one day when she grows up, she would understand me. The only people who know about Hannah are George and Dr. Bailey," she finished, fixing her eyes on the floor. Mark didn't hesitate. He stepped close to her and cupped her face with his hands. She looked at him.
"I guess, that for a mother is real torture to be away from her baby and although you had a child, I think you have made the right decision for your daughter and for you. I'm sure Hannah is thankful to you not only because you gave birth to her and you gave her a happy childhood, and one day she'll tell you that, " he smiled. Izzie had a feeling she was lost...she was lost there, irrevocably sunk to the bottom of those deep green eyes. Izzie swallowed again. Mark glanced at the bomb's timer. -00:25.
"You still have time!" He encouraged her, removing his hands from her face.
"My real life began, when I came to Seattle. I met my first friends here. Thanks to them, I realized what it means to have a family," she admitted.
"Do you know, if you make me cry now, so I'm going to be in trouble and it'll be all your fault! A few hours together with you and all the my years of reputation building will go to the 'll transform me into O'Malley!" Mark looked embarrassed.
"I haven't finished yet! I want to say something to you too! You are the most arrogant, big-headed and selfish braggart on the planet, but only in the hospital. I think you are a good man and there is something in you, which makes me feel a strong and unexplainable thrill. It's true. I've never felt such an emotion with a man, as I've felt with you… The sex was great really great, but it's not only that… I can talk with you.., you make me laugh…, you make me cry…, you piss me off, you make me feel safe..." Izzie glanced the timer 00:15. "You are the first man in my life that has made me feel like a real woman, I can say that now because..." Izzie was interrupted by loud noises. The elevator shook. They heard voices.
"Dr. Sloan, in a few minutes we are going to open the elevator. Stay clear of the door," someone announced.
Izzie stood stiffly. Her eyes opened widely. Mark's voice brought her back to reality.
"Izzie? Are you ok? Did you hear that? They'll get us out of here, exactly as I told you!"
"Yeah, we're going to live! They'll rescue us!" She jumped for joy, but in the next moment, Izzie thought of all she said to Mark few seconds ago and it confused her. She felt her cheeks blushed like a rose. Izzie glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. Mark put his top scrub on. "Good God, Izzie, what did you do? You just told Mark Sloan how much you've fallen for him….and you're going to live... Great!!" she thought.
"Are you going to appear before the eyes of everybody only in your bra and scrub bottoms?" Mark asked, raising his eyebrows. "If you do it, the poor sappers won't know which of the three bombs to defuse first," he smirked, peering into Izzie's breasts. She stood there, still half-naked.
"OK! Are you ready?" a lift engineer shouted.
"Oh my God! They really are going to rescue us!" she exclaimed. Izzie bustled about; Mark took her top scrub from the floor and gave it to her. She managed to put it on right before the door opened with a bang. Some well equipped men rushed into the elevator. They took Mark Sloan and Izzie Stevens out of the elevator.
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"Dr. Webber, your people are safe!" a policeman announced. "The sappers disarmed the bomb."
Richard closed his eyes thankfully, giving a sigh of relief, which had been waiting for more than three hours to come out. Derek smiled was tapping chief's shoulder happily. Adele dashed to embrace her husband strongly covering his face with kisses. Meredith, Cristina and George were learned about the happening late have just arrived now and made their way to reach Richard.
"What's going on? How is Izzie?" They asked at the same time.
"She is very well, take it easy. The sappers pulled them out of the elevator unhurt," Derek hurried to say.
"Thank God!" Meredith exclaimed. "I was scared to death. I can't loose Izzie."
"I know and Mark will pay for the hell he made me live through because of him. I was afraid too. I can't loose my best friend for a second time."
Derek and Meredith stood facing one another, when the whole crowd broke into applause. The policemen came out of the hospital bringing Mark and Izzie. Izzie's friends fell on her neck and Richard and Derek surrounded Mark.
"Are you ok?", Richard asked him after hugging him.
"I'm ok and I feel great!" A satisfied smile spread on his face. Derek looked at him suspiciously.
"You definitely have the look of a man who has just come back to the life," he noticed.
"I do!" Mark nodded. "I've just come back to the life!" Saying that, Mark glanced at Izzie, who was into the arms of her friends. She must have sense his gaze, because she turned to him and their eyes met. The air was loaded with electricity.
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On the next morning
Mark stretched a hand towards the night stand, knocking over everything that was there, while he was reaching for the alarm clock. He switched it off. Mark had set an alarm for 9 a.m. Richard offered to give him a day off, but Mark refused. He explained that he didn't need an entire day off. He said that once he had gotten enough sleep, he would come into the hospital. Mark buried his face under the pillow.
In a few minutes he lazily turned on his back, trying to wake up fully. Izzie's image emerged in his mind. A pleasant excitement passed throughout his body. It was so great to wake up with her face in his mind, but what would have been more great would have been if he had waken up next to her hot naked body. He sighed deeply. It was evident he had urgent need of one cold morning shower to extinguish that vehemence.
Mark slowly lifted himself and sat at the end of the bed, running a hand through his hair. What a night that was! He still couldn't completely believe what had happened and now everything seemed like a dream. The sex he had with Izzie was great; the connection between them was really strong. At the mere thought of her gorgeous body, the need for a cold shower became more intense. Mark stood up and, naked, headed to the bathroom. Mark got in, turning the cold valve of the shower. He needed to cool off. Izzie had a fire effect on him. Mark soaped his body. The cold water couldn't freeze the reflection of this girl. While they were making love, there was a strange chemistry between them, which was missing in any other woman he had been with. Yeah, the sex with Izzie was different, the way she gave to him, the way she touched him and kissed him was something he had never seen in other woman. Mark turned the valve off and grabbed his towel. After he brushed his teeth, he went to prepare himself for the hospital.
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Meredith's house
Izzie was lying in her bed, her thoughts were running but only in one direction- Mark Sloan. "Oh, God what a big mess I made in only a couple of hours." She hadn't slept a wink all night. Izzie turned over in the bed, still feeling the traces of Mark's hands all over her skin and his hot kisses on her mouth. Izzie underwent something incomparable with him, but the trouble was that she told him. She could imagine all the comments and hints that he would make with her from now on. What an idea was that to inform Mark Sloan that he was the greatest lover in her life. God! Izzie grabbed the pillow, covering her head with it. How would she look him in the eyes, after all that had happened in the elevator... Although all that made her to cross the threshold of the heaven. Mark was tender and passionate, even now, her heart pounded wildly at the memory of his kisses and caresses. She felt so good in his arms. Izzie had a desire to be in the same position that she has been in a few hours ago- at the top of the pleasure! She pulled the blanket toward her. The thoughts about Mark were interrupted by a crash as Cristina rushed into the room.
"Why you are still in bed?" Cristina threw herself on Izzie's bed.
"Why do you burst in my room that way?" Izzie retorted.
"What way?" Cristina asked innocently.
"Like this, without knocking," Izzie explained.
"Since when do I have to knock?!"
"Cristina! You can't go inside my room without warning!"
"Why?"
"Because it may be rather awkward..." Izzie made a delicate hint.
"If you mean that you may have been in bed with some of the people you usually have sex with, they are not here. Evil Spawn just went out and Bambie….Bambie..Who is wants to have sex with Bambie?"Cristina wondered, making a disgusted face.
"Cristina, shut up!" Izzie hissed.
"Ok,ok! Don't you get out of the bed? Are you planning to stay here the whole day?" Cristina asked.
"I don't want to get up. I prefer to remain here," Izzie declared.
Cristina looked confused.
"So you won't get up and you will not prepare breakfast for your poor starving friend.. "
"Excuse me?!" Izzie didn't believe her ears.
"I'm just asking!" Cristina justified, "I woke up so early when my shift doesn't start until afternoon in order to come to see how you are feeling and I consider, that for the concern I have shown, at least you could do to repay me is to prepare a delicious and nourishing breakfast.."
"You didn't even ask me, how I am!" Izzie was indignant.
"I see you are in good health! I think, that after all had happened last night you should start enjoying the little nothings in life," Cristina advised her.
"Seriously?!" Izzie lifted from the pillow staring at her friend.
"You know what? When I woke up this morning I have said to myself: 'Cristina, your favorite friend Izzie could have died yesterday without revealing the mystery of her incredible muffins, but today is a new day. She is still alive and she would probably be wild to get up early to prepare our favorites muffins… ' But what happened? I've found you in the bed. You could have already prepared three large baking tins with muffins."
"Get out of here! I don't want to bake any muffins! I won't move from my bed at all!" Izzie stated.
Cristina looked at her suspiciously.
"What's up with you?"
Izzie lifted her eyes shyly and dropped her head on the pillow, exclaiming theatrically.
"Oh, Cristina I did something!"
"What have you done?"
Izzie looked around and whispered.
"I did something… inappropriate..!"
"What inappropriate thing have you done, Izzie?", Cristina asked mockingly, "You killed someone! Or no maybe you ran over a dog on the road accidentally and then you buried its carcass in he back yard!" Saying that, Cristina got out of Izzie's bed and she was just about to leave the room disappointed, when Izzie's voice made her stop.
"I had sex with Mark Sloan!"
The acknowledgment of Izzie made Christina's countenance blessed. She immediately turned to Izzie jumping in her bed.
"You know, I want all particulars!" She said shortly.
"But there is something worse..."
"What?" Cristina's eyes sparkled.
"I liked it! I really liked it so much! He is unbelievable! We were talking, and of course he made some of his stupid remarks, but I felt good talking with him…then he kissed me and i went weak in the knees, then we had sex,.. The most amazing sex in my life, and then I told him so many things... "
Cristina was watching Izzie, stunned.
"Oh, Cristina what am I going to do?"
"You and McSteamy had sex!", After Cristina recovered from the first shock, she repeated it again. "You and Mark Sloan have done dirty things in the elevator with a bomb... "
"Saying that makes it sound so rough and primitive and it wasn't that. It was great! You know what? I think he is not a bad guy.. "
"You fall in love with every man that you have sex with!" Cristina accused.
"It's not true!" Izzie defended herself, "The truth is that there is something that makes him different."
"Yeah, he knows exactly where to find a woman's clitoris." Cristina rolled her eyes.
"Don't be so crude!"
"I'm not crude! You are a doctor and you should be comfortable with those words, and I guess I'm right?" Cristina raised her eyebrows in question. She giggled slyly.
"Yes, you are right!" Izzie exclaimed, "Cristina, he is a really arrogant, audacious and self-confident asshole…., but there is something that attracts me deeply. I think I like him!"
Cristina made her usually disgusted face. Izzie didn't pay attention to her countenance; she continued talking with sparkling eyes.
"Even with the treat of the bomb, I've never felt such a great thrill in my life.."
"Oh dear me! It all starts again! And I just wanted a breakfast..."
Izzie looked at her, offended.
"Why you are such a bad friend?!"
At that moment someone knocked on Izzie's door. Two heads turned to look in the room cautiously: George and Lexie.
"Hi Iz! We came to see how you are today," George said.
"I'm ok, thank you! I was just getting out of bed," Izzie informed him.
"Is that so?" Cristina said, astonished.
Izzie slipped into her Hello Kitty slippers and gave her friends a happy smile.
"Shall we have breakfast?" She asked.
"Oh Yeah! Finally!" Cristina grinned
"I'm glad you are all right. You look great!" George noticed.
"Of course she looks great, after hot sex with McSteamy!", Cristina said casually.
"What?" George exclaimed, terrified.
"Cristina! I didn't want anyone to know about that!" Izzie shouted.
"What?! This is George!" Cristina said calmly.
"You and Sloan?!" George exclaimed after her. Izzie headed to the stairs and the others tried to reach her. "You and Mark Sloan, you and Mark Sloan!" George repeated the same thing over and over again.
"Yes! I had sex with Mark Sloan, but I warn you to keep your mouths closed. Do you get it?" Izzie shook a forefinger severely.
"You can rely on me!" Cristina said first.
Izzie suddenly stopped. She drove Cristina to the corner, wagging a finger before her face.
"Keep your mouth shut!" Izzie hissed.
She got down the stairs and the others followed her.
"I can't believe that you could have died, having sex with Sloan? How could you have done that?" George looked disappointed.
"He is sexy!" Lexie said spontaneously. The four were already in the kitchen. George looked terrified at Lexie. She looked confused.
"I'd like to say...he is attractive…I mean, he looks great…he has a hot body and…" Lexie was completely embarrassed under George's bad gaze.
"Actually… he is awful!" she declared finally.
Izzie opened the refrigerator, and the others took their seats at the bar, waiting for breakfast. They heard the slam of the front door. Meredith and Derek appeared holding hands, with pleased smiles on their faces.
"Hi everybody!" They greeted briskly.
"Hi!" Izzie, Cristina, George and Lexcie replied together.
"Ok .I'm going upstairs to get ready. See you later, Derek!" Meredith said, kissing him.
When Meredith left, Derek turned to the people in the kitchen. All of them made themselves distracted; no one looked him in the eyes.
"What are those faces?" He asked suspiciously.
"What faces?", Cristina innocently asked.
"Well you look strange... Whatever! " He shrugged his shoulders. "Ok, I just came to drive Meredith. I'm in a hurry. We are going to have coffee with Mark before work." Saying that, he turned to leave. BANG! BANG! BANG! There was a crash. Mentioning Mark's name, Izzie dropped the whole bowl with the batter for the muffins on the floor. Derek frowned at her.
"I…I'm sorry…Damn!" Izzie blushed, bending down to mop the floor. She felt all of their eyes fixed on her.
"