Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for a crazy mind.

A/N: Thank you for the reviews! Again, this is weirdly long for my standards but I hope this is a good chapter because I've gone over it so many times that my head hurts a bit. I don't know what happened to me, but it's a bit fluffy here and there, so I hope people enjoy it because I'm not much on fluff so it won't happen again for a long time! (:

Also, there's a line in here (maybe two, I can't completely remember) that doesn't belong to me, but to the writers of Greys, try and guess which it is (: Anyway, things are picking up again after this chapter, so stay tuned! And as always, please, let me know what you think (:

He had been staring at the ceiling for a good ten minutes now.

Mark traced a crack on the ceiling with his eyes and once he lost track, he sighed and rolled over on the small couch. If he wasn't so stubborn, he would have gone up and collected the pillows off the floor. If he wasn't so stubborn he would have gone upstairs and apologized to Lexie.

It was too bad he was so stubborn.

It amazed him sometimes how quickly she could switch. One moment everything was fine, she seemed to understand that all he wanted to do was help her, but the next moment...Mark sighed and glared at the wall opposite him. When would this end? When would she finally accept the fact that all he wanted to do was look after her? He was only doing what was best for her, he was respecting her.

For once in his life he was doing the right thing. And she just couldn't see that. It annoyed Mark endlessly but somehow, through all his annoyance, he realized that it was only because she was hurt. She had trust issues, he should know that. Maybe he had to be more understanding, but there was only so much he could take. After all, he was only human.

Growling in annoyance, Mark sat up on the couch. Resting his elbows on his knees, Mark stared at the wall in front of him. It was lined with photographs. From this position, Mark could make out Lexie's grinning face and someone who he could only assume was her mother. They looked alike with their brunette hair and wide grins. His eyes drifted to another photo, this one of Lexie and her parents at her graduation. He narrowed his eyes at the sight of Thatcher's arm wrapped around Lexie's waist. He didn't deserve to be close to her, he wasn't allowed to touch her.

Mark grunted at the anger he felt. He was the reason why Lexie was like this, he was the root of all Mark's current problems. The urge to hurt someone so badly hadn't been so strong until now. As Mark stared at the photograph of Thatcher, Susan and Lexie, he felt like ripping it from the wall. It didn't deserve to hang there, nothing that was linked to Thatcher should be allowed in this house.

Suddenly, Mark frowned as something occurred to him. He hadn't seen Thatcher since that night at the bar. Where was he? For a moment, the thought that he was hurt floated through Mark's mind but then soon came the thought of serves him right. Mark didn't care if he was hurt or drunk somewhere. The longer he stayed away, the better.

Mark sighed as he stood up from the couch. He should apologize to Lexie. He should go upstairs and comfort her, and hopefully forget this ever happened. Turning around, Mark made his way out of the living room and up the stairs. Once he reached Lexie's door, he knocked gently. He waited for a moment and when she didn't call him in, he knocked again and then slowly tried to push the door open. It wouldn't move.

She had locked the door.

Mark sighed, and knocked again. "Lexie?" He called as he leant against the door. "Lex?"

Inside the room, Lexie sat alone in her bed, with all the lights on, including her bathroom light. She stared at the door and continued to chew her bottom lip. Quietly, she asked, "What?"

Mark sighed and gently said, "Let me in, Lexie."

She wanted to. She regretted everything and she wanted to welcome him back into her room but she couldn't do it. At the moment, it felt physically impossible to let him anywhere near her.

"I can't," she called nervously. "I-I can't."

"Why not?"

Lexie shook her head. "You're mad at me," she replied. "You're mad and, and I-I'm sorry."

"Hey, Lex, I'm not mad," Mark replied as he turned to face the door. He placed both his hands on the door. "Come on, open the door."

Lexie thought about it for a moment and wasn't sure what to do. What if he was still angry with her? He could easily be lying to get back into her room. He might be lying and if she let him in...He would hurt her. She just knew it. Cautiously, Lexie called out, "Are you...Are you sure you're not angry?"

"Yes," he said as he silently prayed she'd open the door. He didn't appreciate being locked out on her life. "Does it sound like I'm angry?"

"No..." Lexie frowned at the door and then pushed the blankets off her body. She got out of the bed and slowly walked towards the door. Licking her lips nervously, Lexie gripped the door handle, eyeing the lock at the top of the door. She couldn't help but ask, "Are you going to shout at me?"

"No, Lexie," Mark said. "I'm not going to shout."

"But...But you always shout."

Although he felt a sharp stab through his heart at her remark, Mark gently said, "Not with you."

Lexie continued to stare at the lock as she said, "Promise?"

Mark laughed slightly, "Promise."

Taking a deep breath, Lexie stretched up and dragged out the lock. After a moment, she twisted the door knob and slowly pulled the door open. Mark was standing on the other side, smiling cautiously at her. She looked at him, trying to detect any underlying anger, but when she found nothing but sorry eyes and a warm smile, Lexie sighed in relief. She smiled shyly and said, "I'm sorry I made you angry."

Mark nodded, "I'm sorry I didn't understand. I'm sorry I walked out. Are you okay?"

Lexie nodded and turned, leading him back into her room. They sat down on her bed, both staring at her open bathroom door. A minute passed in silence before Lexie spoke quietly. "I'm afraid of the dark. I sleep with my lamp on, as well as the bathroom light on and the door open."

Mark nodded. "Okay," he said, just as quietly.

"I find it hard to sleep even with the lights on. I-I can't seem to shut down completely. I'm always alert, but the lights...they make me feel better. Safer. With the lights on, I can see better in case..." Lexie cut herself off and shrugged, her eyes focused on the light streaming out from her bathroom door. "Just...don't go near the light switches."

He nodded again and his hand moved closer to hers on the bed. He wanted to place his hand on hers, but knew she would react badly, and so settled for just being near her. "Okay," he said. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Lexie nodded. "I should have told you earlier. It's just..." Lexie sighed and shook her head. "I'm twenty-four. I'm twenty-four and I'm fucking scared of the dark like a five year old."

"There's nothing to be embarrassed of," Mark said. He thought for a moment and then said, "I used to turn on all the TV's when I was alone in the house. I couldn't sleep. I hated being alone."

Lexie looked up at Mark and when he turned to look down at her she saw the vulnerability in his eyes. It was then that Lexie realized that this was something special. Here they were and for so long, Lexie had believed that she was the screwed up one, she was the vulnerable soul, but as she stared at Mark, she realized he was just as scared as her. He could relate to her and for once, Lexie didn't feel so alone.

Gently, Lexie placed her hand over his and squeezed it reassuringly. Slowly, she rested her head on his shoulder, moving closer into his side. "Why were you left alone?" She asked quietly.

"My parents didn't care," he replied stiffly. "They hated me."

"Oh, Mark," Lexie said. She brought his hand up to her lips and kissed his knuckles. "I'm sure they didn't hate you."

"No, they hated me. They forgot they even had a kid." He stopped to shake his head. "It was like I was fucking invisible."

Lexie soothingly rubbed her thumb over his hand, silently encouraging him to talk. "You aren't invisible now," she whispered.

Mark paused and looked down at their intertwined hands. He cracked a small smile. "No," he said as he placed his other hand on top of hers. "Not anymore."

It took them a while but soon enough, Mark had convinced Lexie to lie back in the bed. He had got under the blankets with her and was now on his side facing her. They weren't touching.

Lexie watched as Mark closed his eyes and the desire to reach out and run her fingers over his cheek was creeping up on her. She wanted to move closer, to hold his body to her own, but something was holding her back. Something would always hold her back whether she liked it or not.

It frustrated her, angered her more than anything, because Lexie knew that she wouldn't be able to get over this. She would always worry, she would always be cautious, she would always be afraid because it had been ingrained into her mind that men would always, always hurt her. After all, it would only be a matter of time before Mark got impatient and would want more from her. And she wouldn't be able to provide him with what he needed, resulting with him, eventually, hurting her.

Lexie knew this but as she stared at Mark, she wondered if he was capable of what her father regularly did to her. Could a man, who looked like an angel when he slept, be able to torture her? Could he punch her? Could he force himself upon her? Lexie narrowed her eyes at Mark, silently calculating to possibilities. It was possible, Lexie knew that, but as she stared at him, Lexie hoped that it wouldn't happen. Although Mark shouted and tortured interns, Lexie couldn't imagine a scenario where he would do the same to her. He was too kind, too gentle to hurt her.

Lexie knew this, but still, she shuffled away from his sleeping body.

As she created more distance between their bodies, Lexie sighed and rolled over. She stared at her half closed bathroom door and felt a calm wash over her at the feel of the light shining out from the door. After a moment, Lexie let her eyes close and tried to force her mind to relax. She waited for it to come, the quiet lull of sleep, however Lexie felt everything. The light shining down on her face, the dip in the mattress next to her, her heartbeat, her shallow breathing. Everything became louder at night, everything was more pronounced when her body was on alert for danger.

Lexie groaned slightly and closed her eyes tighter, the pain it caused doing nothing to calm her. When mattress shifted underneath her, immediately Lexie tensed. After a moment, she heard Mark's rough voice.

"It's hard to sleep when you don't feel safe in your own house, isn't it?"

At first she didn't say anything, opting to keep her eyes closed instead. But as his words filtered into her thoughts, Lexie quietly replied, "I thought it would be easier. With you here."

Mark stared at the back of her head and tried not to reach out and hold her. It was getting more difficult by the second. "But it isn't that easy."

"No..." Lexie clenched her eyes shut tighter as she felt hot tears prick her eyes. "Nothing's ever easy."

There was a pause as Mark fell silent, trying to find the words to reassure her. Lexie let out a shaky breath as she fought back tears. Before Mark could say anything, she spoke. "I thought...I thought that this would be easier. Having you here but not...here with me."

She stopped herself then, trying to find the words to explain herself. Lexie sighed in annoyance and quickly turned over to face Mark. He was watching her intensely and Lexie looked at him determinedly. "I'm still standing by my no touching rule, but God damn it, this is not easy."

Mark stayed silent for a moment, waiting for her to continue, but when she didn't, he spoke quietly. "I know."

At first, Lexie felt disappointed that that was all he said, but then she sighed and continued. "With you here in the house with me...It's supposed to make me feel better. Knowing that you're here...it does help. I-I feel better knowing you're here but...I-I just wish I could..." She broke off then, not ready to say the words. Luckily for her, Mark could.

"I wish I could hold you, too."

Her eyes snapped up to his and even in the dark, his eyes burned bright blue. Lexie smiled shyly at him but as soon as it came, the smile disappeared and she looked down at the space in between them. Refusing to look him in the eye, in case she chickened out at the last moment, Lexie quietly spoke. "I want to be normal. I want to be able to hold your hand, or to hug you, or to just be next to you without this stupid gap. I want to do it. But...I can't and I don't know what's wrong with me."

"There's nothing wrong with you, Lexie," Mark interjected gently.

Lexie laughed dryly. "Something is wrong with me."

"Lexie–"

"I don't want you to be nice," Lexie said forcibly. "I don't want you to try and convince me that nothing's wrong because I'm not stupid. You're not stupid. God, I can't even touch you because I'm too fucking scared."

"There's nothing wrong in being afraid."

His voice was soft but the strength behind his words made Lexie look up at him. Her eyes were wide and she felt the tears rise again. "I don't want to be afraid," she whispered as her bottom lip shook. "I want you to be here with me, not just here." It was becoming increasingly hard to speak as the tears rolled down her cheeks. "I-I want to know what it feels like to be wanted by a man. I want to sleep without...without having to listen out for noises I-I want to feel safe in your arms."

As Mark watched Lexie cry silently, he fought the urge to raise his hand and wait to be called on. Instead he gently asked, "Am I allowed to touch you now, or do I have to wait until you start hyperventilating before I can do anything?"

Lexie laughed through her tears and nodded as she stretched out her arm. Mark smiled and moved closer to her, allowing his arm to wrap over her small waist. Soon enough, Lexie's head was tucked underneath Mark's chin and the pair found relief in each other's arms.

Minutes went past in silence as Lexie's tears subsided and she felt calm under the influence of his warmth. As Lexie's eyes finally floated close, her mind instantly went into overdrive. She had to stay awake, she had to stay alert, she couldn't let herself fall into a trap, into a position of weakness, she had to–

"Stop thinking." Mark's gruff voice interrupted Lexie's thoughts and she opened her eyes to come face to face with his throat. She watched as his Adam's apple bobbed when he spoke again. "I'll be here. Close your eyes and stop worrying. The world isn't going to end; nothing's going to happen if you go to sleep for a while."

She was about to reply but thought against it. She didn't need to appear any more vulnerable to him. Swallowing nervously, Lexie waited a beat before she closed her eyes, the initial darkness increasing her heartbeat. In an attempt to remain calm, she focused on Mark, on his breathing, on the heat that was radiating from him, on the small, circular patterns he was making on the small of her back. It felt...good. Knowing that he was here–really here with her–able to keep her safe and hidden away from any lurking danger – it felt good.

And what felt better was the feeling of happiness that rushed through her when Mark whispered: "I'll be here, Lex. I'm not going anywhere. Close your eyes and I'll still be here."

The next morning Lexie's eyes drifted open to be greeted by the sight of Mark's neck. She smiled slightly at the thought of him not moving away from her during the course of their sleep. He had stayed, just like he said he would. Sighing happily, she leaned in and placed a small kiss on the base of his neck. When he didn't stir, Lexie repeated the action continuously, taking her time to glide her lips over his skin.

Mark groaned slightly and refused to open his eyes. "Why are you awake?" He murmured as he pulled her closer to him.

Lexie placed her hand on his chest and softly nipped at his skin. "It's time to get up," she replied simply. She kissed him again and then began to pull away from him. She stopped when he groaned in frustration. "Problem, Dr. Sloan?"

He had grumbled something under his breath but Lexie didn't catch it. And so, she smiled triumphantly at him and leaned back in to quickly kiss him on the cheek. She then removed herself from his hold and rolled off the bed, landing gracefully on her two feet. "Come on," Lexie laughed when Mark muttered into the pillow, effectively burying his head. "You're acting as if it's the end of the world."

"It is," he murmured darkly into the pillow. "I need sleep."

"You've had sleep," she replied cheerfully. "Now, it's time to save lives!"

"I don't save lives. I save faces. And boobs. The world can live another day without a plastic surgeon," Mark mumbled, not paying attention to what he was saying. Yawning, he turned on his side and said, "I haven't slept that good in ages. I'm not getting up yet. No-one's going to die if the plastics guy is missing."

"Mark Sloan!" Lexie said sternly, her hands firmly on her hips. "If you think all you do is face lifts and...and breast enlargements then you are wrong, mister! Now, now get out of bed now before I...before I kick you!"

That caused him to snort. "You'll kick me, Grey?"

Lexie nodded defiantly at him, "I'll kick you!"

Slowly, Mark prised his eyes open to look at Lexie. He smirked at her; he always enjoyed it when she was flustered. "Fine," he drawled. "I'll get up." Mark glanced at the alarm clock and took note that he had half an hour to get to the hospital. Whether he liked it or not, he had post-ops to tend to. That thought didn't stop his teasing however.

Mark grinned up at Lexie and stretched out an arm. "Quickie?"

Lexie narrowed her eyes at him. "Seriously? You're really going to go there?"

Mark laughed as he got up from his position so that he could sit on the bed, facing Lexie. His grin resembled one of a mischievous boy as he replied, "Thought I'd try."

Lexie rolled her eyes and laughed. "Shut up," she said before turning around and walked to her closet. Pulling it open, she grabbed her Harvard jersey and slipped it over her tank top. When she turned back to face Mark, she rolled her eyes again at the predatory look on his face. "Up. Now."

Mark sighed dramatically. "Slave driver."

Lexie laughed and shook her head. "Hey, I have the day off today so really, I should be complaining about getting up, not you."

"If you have the day off, then why are you up so early?" Mark questioned as he got off the bed and walked over to her. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled when she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Because," she drawled out, "I want to get ahead of things. I have studying to do, plus there's laundry to do as well as some bills that need to be taken care of and, oh!" Lexie's eyes widened as she remembered. "I have to go grocery shopping...Maybe I'll write a list."

Mark frowned at her. "You're doing this, all of this, on your day off?"

Lexie looked up at him as if he had grown another two heads. "When else would I do it?"

Although it annoyed him, she had a good point. "You're meant to rest on your day off," he reminded her; however the reminder was falling on deaf ears. As Mark watched her, he knew she was thinking more about her list than listening to him. He sighed heavily and placed a kiss on her forehead. "You amaze me sometimes, Grey."

Snapping out of her daze, Lexie looked up at him, confused. "Only sometimes?" She asked teasingly.

"Fine," he relented. "All the time. You blow my mind. There."

Lexie laughed and stretched up to softly kiss him. When she dropped back down and twirled away from him, she replied, "That's more like it!"

Mark shook his head slightly and scratched the back of his head. He watched as Lexie walked over to her bedroom door with a spring in her step. He moved in the opposite direction to retrieve his belongings from her desk chair and when he turned back, she had already left the room. He smiled slightly and followed in her steps, however his steps certainly had less spring in them.

While they had breakfast, Mark complained about having to go to work without her, and Lexie frantically scribbled down the list of things she had to do. It was obvious she was only half-listening to him but it didn't annoy Mark as much as he thought it would. As they stayed together longer than they should have, Mark found himself rushing out of her house; however he made sure to stop and kiss her before he left.

"I'll see you after work."

It was more of a statement than a question and Lexie smiled against his lips. "Okay," she murmured as she kissed him again, tightening her arms around his neck. "I'll see you then..."

"Okay," Mark said as he kissed her again. "I'm going."

Lexie nodded slightly as she slipped her tongue back into his mouth. She smirked when Mark groaned and tightened his grip on her hips. She pulled back slightly and whispered, "Go then."

"I am going," he said forcibly as he drew her into another kiss. He kissed her briefly and then took a step back from her. "Okay," he said sternly. "Going."

Lexie's lips curved into a small smile and she waved slightly. "Bye, then."

Mark groaned slightly as he took in the sight of Lexie standing bare foot in front of him, looking pure and innocent with ruffled hair. Suddenly, he wished he could see her like this every day. The thought left his mind as quickly as it had arrived and Mark let out a short breath. "Okay." He nodded his head, "I'll see you tonight."

Lexie nodded her head also, mirroring his professional air. "Okay, I'll see you then, Dr. Sloan."

Mark's lips twisted into a genuine smile. "Smartass," he muttered before turning and opening the door and leaving.

Lexie stood in the hallway for a moment, smiling after him, before she sighed and walked back into the living room. She looked around at the empty room and wondered what to do now. After a moment, she decided it would be best to get ready and then start on her list. Turning swiftly on her heel, Lexie made her way back to her bedroom.

It didn't take her long to get washed and changed and as Lexie walked out of her bathroom, she heard a knock on the door. Frowning, she glanced to her alarm clock, and immediately wondered why anyone would be at her house at eight in the morning. When there was no second knock, Lexie shrugged, putting the noise down to a salesman or someone similar.

Moving over to her CD player, Lexie hooked up her iPod to the device and sorted through her songs. Unable to decide on a song, she hit the Shuffle button and smiled when the rough voice of Eric Clapton graced her ears. Her smile widened into a grin when she recognized the lyrics to 'Wonderful Tonight.'

With the music loud, Lexie moved to the small basket of laundry that sat in the corner of her room. She dumped the contents onto her bed and began to hum along absentmindedly. As she worked, she didn't hear someone knock on the door again. As the track skipped to an upbeat Maroon 5 song, Lexie was unaware that a set of keys were slowly opening the front door. As Lexie began singing along, her voice loud and off-key, she wasn't able to recognize the thumping on the stairs, or the muttered curses.

It was only when her bedroom door slammed open that Lexie jumped and whirled around.

Thatcher.

It took her a moment to react. First, there was her increased heartbeat, the lump of muscle accelerating at the presence of danger. Then her breathing increased as she felt her chest shake. Following this was a dry throat, dilated pupils, tense muscles.

And then, in the careful sequence, came the realization that her father was standing in front of her.

In her room.

"Get out."

Each word was punctuated with hate, rage, unsteadiness. Lexie watched as he stared at her, his face dark, shadowed. This time, unlike all their previous encounters, she couldn't tell what he was thinking. Before, she would be able to see the anger smeared on his face or the confusion and uncertainty in his light eyes. Now however, everything was absent. Sound, emotion, soul. She was staring into an empty vessel, eyes cold and hard.

Powered by the rush of energy, the need to get out of the room, Lexie spoke again, her voice strong. "Get out of my room."

Eyes narrowed, lips licked slowly, Thatcher turned around to stare at her door. Then, before Lexie could register what was happened, he locked the door.

"No."