Chapter Three

First Date

The Starship: Seattle Grace
Destination: The Colony World of Homestead II
Status: Autopilot
Crew: 258 asleep
Passengers: 4,998 asleep, 2 awake
Year: 3486
(39 years to go...)

Mark couldn't believe Lexie hadn't been to the bar yet. But when he thought about it, he had been showing her everything himself and he honestly hadn't thought about the bar in a couple of weeks. His head had been in the clouds discovering how wonderful she was. Everything about her just made him fall in love a bit harder. This wasn't something he ever thought he would get, he'd always been such a lone wolf, there'd been plenty of women in his illustrious past but this felt different. There weren't any reasons not to be with her. His guilt had gone relatively forgotten until he took her to meet the robots.

It was the evening of Lexie's fifteenth day awake. She was keeping track, he wasn't. They approached the bar together, Lexie walking more confidently than she had in days. She was settling into a routine here. Cristina was polishing at the far end of the bar as per usual. She scoffed when the pair approached, clearly she didn't approve of what he'd done. Meredith smiled though, "and who is this lucky lady?" She asked peering past Mark.

Lexie smiled internally when she heard the words, but the moment she looked up she froze. "Meredith, Cristina" Mark glared down the end of the bar, "this is Lexie." He moved to the side and sat down at one of the stools. Lexie didn't move. He looked back at her and creased his brow but she was staring past him. "Are you okay?"

"No-I, I-I. You know what, I'll see you later Mark." Lexie stuttered, turning around and heading back to her cabin with a swift speed-walk. Mark looked back at Meredith and shrugged.

"Maybe you should go after her?" She said, polishing the counter with a damp cloth. Mark nodded, picking himself up and chasing after her. Catching her hyperventilating and pacing in the hallway.

"Lexie? Are you okay?" Lexie tried to nod but tears started to fall down her face. Mark couldn't help it, he hated seeing her sad, seeing her in pain. He put a hand on each of her shoulders and dipped his head to her level. "Whatever it is, I can sort it. Or we can find a way around it."

Lexie shook her head, "I don't think you can."

"Please Lex, what is it?"

Lexie looked back towards the bar and then back into Mark's eyes. "It's Meredith Grey. That robot, it's her, it's exactly her. I've seen her picture on every medical journal for the last year, or eighty years ago, or whatever. She-she's..." But she couldn't finish the sentence because another wave of grief fell over her.

Mark realised as soon as she said the name. He'd heard that name a hundred times on Lexie's video file. He brought her closer to him and enveloped her in a hug, her head resting on his chest. "She's your sister." He whispered into her hair as he comforted her.

DAY 16:
I told Mark about Meredith today. He seemed good about it, he said he liked my ambition, he's started calling me Little Grey just to tease me, which I can't decide if I like or not. But the way he says it I know he means it playfully. Yesterday evening he was so sweet about the robot Meredith. That's not going to get confusing at all. I know I'm supposed to be thinking about possible ways we could get out of this, but I keep thinking about letting it all go to be with him. That's bad, isn't it? Or is it? Maybe it's just because we are trapped here and I know I'm not going to get the career I've always wanted. It's still lingering in the back of my mind but Mark is a welcome distraction. Maybe I can just let him distract me for a bit longer? I can't stop thinking about the way he held me. He was just there, strong and present.

(Day 20)

They were laughing about something. Something that made their stomachs ache with laughing so hard. They were sitting at breakfast, the cafeteria an empty wasteland of chairs except for the cleaning robots. One of which was twitching rather loudly. But Mark ignored it. As they started to calm down, he looked at her seriously. She wiggled an eyebrow at him and looked back down at her cereal.

"Go for a drink with me." It was a statement, not a question.

"Like a date kind of drink?" he nodded. "Why?" A question.

"Because I like you." An answer.

"Why?" Another question.

"You're bossy, I dig that." He smirked like a little kid.

"Why?" That was it, the last word broke her. She glanced up from her cereal grinning, "okay fine. I will go for a drink with you."

"You gonna be okay with Meredith?" They hadn't been to the bar since the mishap with her sister/robot.

Lexie nodded, letting her hand trail over the top of the table between them. Mark played with her fingers, finishing his toast block and drinking the rest of his coffee. His mind starting to plan the evening ahead. It couldn't just be the bar, he needed something else, something to distract her from Meredith. Because however okay with it she said she was, Mark didn't quite believe her.

He showed up at her cabin door wearing a suit. He swiped his wristband on the door of room 424 and the voice opened it politely. He leant his arm above the doorway and tried on his best smile. The door shuffled into place and revealed an empty hallway. He heard her footsteps on the tile then she came into view. She was wearing a red and orange marbled dress that rested just above her knees. It was tight enough to hug her curves effectively and dipped into a 'v' at the front. Her boots were responsible for the tapping on the floor, they were housing tights Mark was thinking about ripping off. As she approached him, a nervous smile played on her lips. His eyes lit up and his mouth gaped a little. "Wow," he said under his breath.

"Yeah well," she replied, brushing down the front of his jacket and smoothing over his lapels. A nervous habit she'd started a few days ago that he enjoyed nevertheless.

"You look um, breathtaking." He cleared his throat, turning away from her and looking down the hall. She smiled and followed him, pausing every few seconds to look up at him.

The robots were both standing at the front of the bar like they'd been called to attention. "Good evening," Cristina said, she had apparently decided to be nice this evening. For Lexie, not for him. Whoever said androids didn't have feelings.

"Good evening," Lexie replied, taking a deep breath before looking at Meredith and sitting down beside Mark. They ordered drinks. Lexie brushed her hair behind her ear as Mark started up a conversation about their favourite food.

As Meredith poured whiskey and ice into a glass and slid it precisely across the bar, she said, "you two look stunning tonight."

Lexie tried not to blush but it happened anyway, she cleared her throat and took a sip of her drink before replying. "Thank you, Meredith." Then she leaned in and whispered, "we're on a date."

"Oh, I see." The robot replied, actually smiling. Then she whisked herself and Cristina away to the side to give the pair some privacy.

Lexie let out a small chuckle and put her hand on Mark's knee. "Thank you," she said sipping her drink before she could continue.

Mark looked at her confused. "What for?"

"Well, you found me. You got me here, I'm not completely insane. I just said more than two words to the robot copy of my long lost sister and you're still here. And you like me. What more could I want? If you hadn't been there when I'd woken up, in the same boat as me, if you hadn't been there to comfort me. I don't know, I probably would've gone crazy or something." She knew she was talking too much, she realised she was talking too much with a drink still in her hand so she took another sip.

"You might want to go easy on that." Mark said, guiding her hands back to the bar top where she set her glass. "Lexie, all I wanted was to make sure you were okay. I woke up alone, and I remember how long it took me to get my head around it. I just wanted the transition to be easier for you. And I'm glad that it was." He added modestly. Her fingers were twirling spirals onto his leg, another nervous habit?

"So why did it take you so long to finally ask me out?" She said, changing the subject.

"I was giving you space!" He replied argumentatively.

"Ugh space. The one thing I do not need more of!" They laughed at that. "So where are we going for dinner?"

"I was thinking French? Then we can have some fancy desert that I can't pronounce. I know how much you like sweet stuff." He replied, she gasped in faux horror but laughed it off. How did he already know so much about her? And why was it making her feel so turned on?

The restaurant was empty except the robot wait-staff. After Lexie had devoured her caramel creme brulee, and the waiter was clearing their plates, Mark turned to look at her with beady eyes. "That was so good!" She said putting down her spoon.

"Well it was so hard getting in here tonight, it's so busy." He replied smiling as she picked the spoon back up to give it a final lick.

"They're probably gonna want us out of here soon." She said, looking at Mark like she wanted to lick him instead of the spoon. The metal lay on her tongue, she imagined that his skin would taste salty instead of metallic. He was still thinking about her tights, in stretching out his legs their knees knocked together. Even through the material of his pants he could feel how warm her skin was.

Lexie put down the spoon and stood up. Mark followed her abrupt movement, taking a step towards her. He'd done the ninety percent, he just needed her to make up the last ten. Lexie stopped for a second and looked up at him, they were locked in emotional and sexual tension. She had to be the one to break it. She lunged forward and latched her lips to his. After the initial outburst of hot energy, they slowed down. She held his neck in place, her other hand on his chest. She let herself explore his mouth with her tongue, the taste of chocolate still lingering.

She pulled away, breaking their kiss. "Take me to bed, Mark."

They climbed the stairs together. Mark peeled his jacket off of his shoulders between leaning down to kiss her. Lexie unbuttoned the top of his shirt then he gestured for her to turn around. He pulled the zip of her dress down to the bottom and pressed his lips to her bare neck. Her mouth gaped, she let out a breathless moan as he pulled the straps off her shoulders. She stood in front of him in only her underwear, no bra, just tights. Her boots still tapping against the floor. She turned back around to face him, a little jealous that she was the only one undressed.

Mark pulled his shirt off and undid his belt, letting the ends hang loose from his hips. Lexie pushed herself towards him and kissed him fiercely, her hands trailing all over his recently shaved chest. His hands ran up and down her back, massaging each curve. Her hands wrapped around the back of his neck as his came to rest on her waist. One thumb flicked over one of her nipples. She gasped, her mouth opening over his and letting his tongue brush against her bottom lip. She moaned when he kept rubbing that same spot, over and over, like it was going straight between her legs.

She walked them backwards towards the bed and sat on the edge, pulling his belt quickly out from the loops. She unbuckled his trousers and let them fall. She stood up, slipping her hand inside his underwear and grasped his length with her soft fingers. She played with him, she rubbed the tip with her thumb, the nerves bundled and electric. It felt like she was playing music inside of him.

"Let's get into bed," she whispered in his ear, another wave of pleasure rolling over him at the implication. Lexie took her hand off of him and lay at the top of the bed. He crawled over her and kissed her. With his hands planted either side of her he kissed the skin between her breasts and descended further. He dipped his tongue into her belly button and put his hands on her thighs, spreading them. She was still wearing the tights. The thin material that had been teasing him all night long. He didn't think she'd mind if he ripped this one pair. So he smiled up at her for a moment before dragging his fingers either side of her sex. He gripped one side of the material in his hand and the other with his teeth. He ripped it roughly forming a giant hole in front of her panties. He could smell her, how wet she was. "Mark," she was moaning. So he pulled her panties down too, removing everything.

"Are you okay?" He asked, but her head was falling back against the pillows. "Lexie?"

"Keep going." She said breathlessly, struggling to get even the most basic words out whilst his head was between her legs. His tongue lapped between her folds for a few strokes before his fingers slid inside her. He pulled himself up to her head and then positioned himself next to his hand.

"Just a minute Lex," he reached into the draw beside the bed and pulled out a condom. He ripped the packet in half with his teeth and pulled out the protection, he was still fingering her as he put it on. She was moaning into his mouth, telling him he wanted her as he pulled his fingers from inside of her and entered her fully. He started out slowly thrusting, until the pressure was too much and he was moving against her. Harder and harder with each pulse, his lips trying to stay connected but he had to breathe. He came, letting out a strangled moan. Lexie's own climax came as a muffled sound too, lodged in the back of his throat. He pumped slowly until she came down from her high. Eventually pulling out and tying the condom in a knot and throwing it away. He collapsed beside her and lay his arm protectively over her side. She pulled it further over herself until his breath was on her neck and his chest was flush with her back. She turned around to kiss him for a final time before falling asleep in his arms. This was the first night she spent in his bed.