"Okay…I'm turning in," Derek says as he drains the last of his glass.
"Me too. I promised Izzie I wasn't coming home late or drunk and since half that promise is already shot, I might as well be on time," Alex says.
"Okay. Let's head out. It's almost closing time anyway," Owen adds.
Derek turns to Mark. "You coming?" he asks.
Mark shakes his head. "Nah. I'm gonna hang out here for a few more minutes. I'll catch you tomorrow," he says.
"You sure you'll be okay? I can hang out if you want. Meredith is doing her freaking out 'I don't need you hovering' thing," Derek replies, sitting back down.
Mark shakes his head. "I'm fine. I'm just not anxious to sleep in my empty bed. I'd rather sit in an empty bar," he explains.
"Okay man. But if you need me, you know where I am. Probably getting kicked out of bed by a stressed out Meredith," Derek quips.
Mark manages a weak smile. "Thanks."
As Derek leaves, Mark flags Joe down. "Hey, can I get another scotch?" he asks.
"Sure," Joe says, placing a glass in front of him.
Callie walks in and sees Mark sitting at the bar with a scotch in his hand.
"You look like you could use a friend, Sloan," she says.
"I have a friend. His name is Johnny Walker," he says.
"Yeah. It looks like you two have become pretty close lately. How are you doing?" Callie asks.
Mark looks at her and says, "Do you have to ask?"
"You really love her, don't you?" Callie says, more as a statement than a question.
"Yeah. I do," Mark says, as he takes another sip of his scotch.
"You're so lucky," Callie says, wistfully.
"Yeah…I feel really lucky right now," Mark says, sarcastically.
"I mean it. You did it. You found love. This is what love is…standing by someone through the bad times. You're doing it. I admire you," she says. "Me…I'm still too scared."
"Yeah…I'm doing it. I'm doing a great job standing by her. I'm drunk in a bar with you while she's in a hospital bed. I'm doing a great job," Mark says, snidely.
Callie puts her hand on his shoulder. "You're not a bad guy. This is a lot to handle. Why don't you get out of here. Let's go. Come on. You can stay at my place if you want," she says.
Mark puts down the glass. "That sounds like a pretty good offer. I think Johnny Walker is sick of having me at his place…"
"Bye Joe!" Callie calls.
"Bye!" Joe calls after them.
(Break)
Meredith sits on Lexie's bed holding a box wrapped in wrapping paper. "Cristina said no more apologizing, but I'm going to do it one more time anyway. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Sadie myself. It was cowardly," Meredith says.
"It's okay. You were just trying to be all protective and big sisterly for once. I guess I should appreciate it. Thank you," Lexie says.
"You're welcome," Meredith says.
"What's that?" Lexie says, looking at the box.
"Oh…I bought you a present," Meredith says.
"You did? Why?" Lexie says.
"Because the whole time I've known you I've spent every minute wishing I could have traded places with you, growing up. All of a sudden, we're both here and we're both adults and you've just been through hell and you're keeping such a positive attitude that I don't even know how to respond. You haven't complained once," Meredith says.
"I did complain. I complained to Izzie. Just not to you. I'm not perfect, Mer. This is hard. I don't know how I'm going to get through this. I don't even know what I'm getting through yet. I don't know if I'll ever look normal again…if I'll ever sleep without nightmares of the fire? I just try to get through the day without thinking about those questions…because the nights are long…long and really scary," Lexie admits.
Meredith hands her the box. "Remember when you were trying to get me to stop hating you? You told me a few random things about yourself? Well…here…open this," Meredith says.
Lexie laughs. "I told you I was great with an etch a sketch! What a dumb thing to say…" she recalls ripping the paper off the box, clumsily. Lexie gasps. "Oh my god! It's an etch a sketch! I can't believe you did this!"
"I just thought it might make your time here a little more…I don't know…fun?" Meredith says.
"Thanks," Lexie says, shyly. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure," Meredith says.
"Mark hasn't been here at all today. He promised to stand by me, told me he loved me and then never came back…what's going on?" Lexie asks.
"I'd love to lie to you and tell you that he's working. But the truth is, he's not working tonight. He went to the bar with Derek, Alex and Owen. They needed to get him away from everything for a while. He's in bad shape. He's so scared of failing you. He just needs space to realize he can be the guy he wants to be. He's like the male version of me. Don't feel bad…I do this to Derek all the time," Meredith smiles.
"But I need him here…at night…I need him to be here with me…" Lexie says in a small voice. Her voice cracks and she says, "Damn! I didn't want to cry."
"How about we break out the etch a sketch and pull an all night etch a sketch competition?" Meredith asks. "I'm on call anyway. No reason I can't be on call here. I have my pager," Meredith says.
"Really?" Lexie asks.
"Hey…what are sister's for?" Meredith asks.
(Break)
Callie and Mark sit at her kitchen table with a bottle of wine.
"Our lives suck!" Callie says, slurring her words slightly.
"My life sucks worse," Mark says, slurring his words also.
"You get 30 seconds to tell me why you win the bad life award…" Callie says.
"Come on…do I really have to explain it? I had lousy parents, then I screwed up Derek's marriage…I screwed every nurse in the hospital but couldn't find love. I screwed you, a lot…but then it turns out that you like women better than my highly skilled penis, and then I screwed Little Grey who turned into Lexie Grey who turned into the love of my life who turned into a girl who needs a good guy right now. She needs someone who can be there for her. How can I be that guy? I've never been that guy for anyone…" Mark says.
Callie puts her hand on his shoulder. "You've been that guy for me…remember after Erica left?" Mark says.
"I remember. You were a mess over that ice queen," Mark says.
"Now it's my 30 seconds. First, George O'Malley marries me, then he cheats on me with Izzie Stevens who tries to fight me in the cafeteria. I go from chief resident to failure at chief resident. I have a lesbian experience with Erica who leaves me after I defend Izzie Stevens who stole my husband, and then, I developed a little crush on an intern…who goes crazy and eventually dies. In between all of that, I sleep with you, until you really fall hard for Little Grey and now, I haven't gotten laid in a really long time and I'm drunk and horny and I can't even touch you because then I'd be stealing you from poor Lexie who is lying in her hospital bed pining away for you," Callie says.
"You won when you mentioned being married to O'Malley! Jesus, Torres!! What we you thinking?" Mark says.
Callie smiles, "The same thing you were thinking when you did half those crazy nurses," she says.
"I miss Lexie. I miss her stroking my hair. I want to lie next to her and stroke her hair, but she doesn't have any anymore. I think I win…even if you did have to sleep with O'Malley for a while," Mark says.
Callie runs her fingers through Mark's hair. "Like this?" she asks.
"Like that," Mark says, closing his eyes.
"Lay down. You won the crappy life award," Callie says.
"What's the prize?" Mark asks.
"Me," she says, climbing on top of him as they both close their eyes.
(Break)
"You need to just move in here," Owen says.
"I like having my space. You can't just tell me to give up my apartment!" Cristina says.
"I know…but I'd like to have you here all the time," she says.
"No you wouldn't. Trust me. Besides…I signed a lease with Callie. I can't just bail on her," Cristina says.
"I'll buy her out of the lease if you want," Owen says.
"I'll be back in an hour. I just need to get some clothes," she says.
"Fine. See you in an hour," Owen says, sulking.
(Break)
"I have so much work to do. I can't right now!" Alex says.
"I waited while you screwed a dead guy for months. Get in bed. Work later!" Alex says, kissing the back of her neck.
"Fine," Izzie sighs as she laughs and kisses him back.
"You're so beautiful, Izzie Stevens," Alex says.
"Remember the patient who used to talk in the third person?" Izzie giggles.
"Alex remembers," Alex says.
"Izzie thinks Alex is pretty cute!" she says.
"Alex likes when Izzie smiles. Alex hasn't seen Izzie's smile much this week," Alex says.
"Izzie's been stressed out. Izzie feels like everyone is stressed and doesn't know how to handle it. Izzie's also worried about Lexie," Izzie says.
"Alex knows how to take Izzie's stress away…" Alex says, slowly removing her shirt and kissing her stomach.
"Izzie thinks Alex might be on to something!" Izzie says, giggling.
(Break)
Callie and Mark wake up in Callie's bed. They stare at each other with regretful eyes.
"Mark – I –I'm so sorry. I don't even know …" Callie stammers.
Mark holds his hand up. "Don't. Just don't say anything…" he says.
"For what it's worth…" Callie begins.
"It's not worth anything. I mean it. Don't say anything," he says.
Cristina turns her key in the door. "Damn!" Cristina says, outloud. "Where is my I.D. badge?" she says to herself. Cristina runs to Callie's room.
"Callie! Have you seen my…" Cristina flings open the door.
"Oh my god!" she says, slamming the door shut and leaning against it.
***
Okay…I know I'm an hour late, but better late than never! Thank you for the reviews all of you! As you know, I love to hear from you guys whether you have positive or negative things to say. However, to "m" who wrote an anonymous review which I could not respond to, I sincerely apologize if you think I have been insensitive to burn victims, however, this is a fan fiction. Bad things will happen to characters because otherwise the story would not be interesting. I'm not "doing this to Lexie…" It's fiction! As far as my being insensitive, that was never my intention, and if you have a way I could treat the subject more sensitively, please let me know. To the rest of you…I'm so glad you are loving the story! I love writing and hearing that all of you are reading. Please keep reviewing!!!!! You all rock!