The Story of Us
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Rating: PG
Timeline/Spoiler: This is how Don’t Deceive Me (Please Don’t Go) should have ended so there might be a slight spoiler for that episode.
Medical Term: A QRS complex is the large complex (pointed wave) seen on a heart monitor. There is a P-wave before and a T-wave after but they are much smaller and rounded.
The Story of Us
By Lattelady
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Candlelight danced around Lexie as she looked across the counter, trying to understand what Mark was really trying to tell her. His words didn’t make sense because with each new statement she forgot what had come before it. Then everything jelled, caught forever in her photographic memory. Lex felt as if she were trapped in a bad nightmare, one that she’d had before and couldn’t shake off.
“Just say it,” her voice was breathy as she put together the gaps in his sentences. It made the terrible picture in her mind even worse. “Say the words, Mark, don’t make me guess.”
“Callie is pregnant with my baby.” He watched the slim dark-haired woman who meant more to him than almost anything flinch as she absorbed the news.
“You...donated?” But even as she said it, she knew she was grasping at straws.
“No.” He shook his head. It would have been easy to lie to her but he loved her too much for anything but the truth. “I’m sorry, Sweetheart but...no. I slept with her once, a few months ago. You and I weren’t together. Now she’s pregnant with my child.”
“Are...are you going to marry her?” Lexie wrapped her arms around her body and leaned against the counter behind her. It was scant protection from the verbal blow that she was sure was coming. It was either that or run. This time she was determined to stand her ground.
“Good god, no! I don’t love her. I love you.” He moved into the kitchen and turned off the stove before guiding Lex into the living room.
“You want this baby?” She knew him so well; of course he wanted the baby. It made her eyes fill with pain and sorrow. A part of her that had nothing to do with being a surgical resident longed for that child to be hers, growing inside of her. It would be a little piece of him that she would always have, no matter how badly they messed up their lives.
“Yeah, I do.” They sat on the couch facing each other. “I heard its heartbeat. They had to use a special ultrasound machine but hearing it and seeing the QRS complexes made it real.”
Lexie could only nod as her mind whirled. Where did she fit in? What were they going to do? She was sick with jealousy of Callie...Why couldn’t it have been her? Why was this happening now when they’d finally put the past behind them?
“Here drink some of this.” Mark held out his glass of wine.
“No, I can’t. I’d just throw it back up again.” She held up her hand, gently pushing the drink away. She knew the last thing she needed right now was alcohol. Lex had been down that road before and it had led to another man’s bed, terrible hair, and all out disaster.
“Yeah, you’re right, that’s probably not a good idea.” He agreed, as if she’d spoken out loud. “Please, talk to me. I need to know what’s going through your mind.” Mark ran his hands up and down her arms immensely relieved that she hadn’t stormed out his apartment. As long as she was with him, they still had a chance.
“You know, it’s funny, not really funny but...but...” Lex shrugged and went on. “A year and a-half ago, when I moved in here I thought...hoped I’d be the woman to have your baby.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” He’d never known. He’d thought the last thing in the world she wanted was a baby.
“Yeah and scare you to death?” Her laugh had a bitter ring to it but at least she wasn’t crying. She took Mark’s hand in both of hers. “I need to tell you something. Please, listen to me without interrupting, because you’re right, I should have done something to let you know that I thought of us as more than two people who were simply cohabitating. I thought of us as a family.
“I know it took me awhile to make the decision to live with you but when I did, I had no plans on leaving. I thought...well...after all we’d been through, that nothing could tear us apart. Then Sloan showed up and it all went sideways. Maybe I should have tried harder to make you understand but I didn’t.”
“Sloan has nothing to do with what is going on right now.” Mark didn’t know why he was defending his daughter but it was all he could do for the child he’d had and never been able to help.
“This isn’t about her. It’s about you and me...us.” Lexie gripped his hand harder afraid that if she let go that her world would fall down around her again. “When you decided you wanted to raise your grandchild and asked me to be his ‘grandnanny’, do you know what you said to me?” Her eyes filled with tears at the memory of what had broken them.
Mark shook his head in the negative. All he could remember of that time was how cold and empty his world had been without Lexie in it.
“You told me it was your last chance to have a family. You weren’t even considering us as one or that we might have children someday. That’s why I left. There are no words to tell you how sorry I am for not standing my ground and fighting for the life I wanted.” She refused to cry. The time for tears was months ago when she’d been falling apart. Mark had taught her to move forward. He’d been there for her even when she’d pushed him away.
“The life you wanted?” He spit the words out afraid that he’d lost her. “Exactly what life do you want now?” He glared.
“I’ve had a life with you and one without you. There is no contest.” She smiled as her eyes filled with tears again. “I want the one with you but we have some things to figure out. You, Callie and I have to find a way to make this work so that no one gets hurt anymore. Because this does hurt me, Mark. I know you’d never do that on purpose, but it hurts.”
“It’s gonna be you, Callie, Arizona and me doing the figuring out. This involves all four of us and very soon a fifth person.” He picked Lexie up onto his lap and held her as she gave into the tears she’d been fighting all night. He knew she was in pain and hated that he’d was the cause.
“This is going to take some time,” she sniffed and held on tighter.
“Will you wait for me to get it all straightened out?” Mark cupped her chin with his index finger and tilted her face up toward his.
“The last time you asked me that you were revising the closure on a young girl’s thigh. It was after the shooting at the college a few days ago. My answer is the same as it was then. ‘I love you. I’ll be waiting’.”
“I love you, Lexie,” he whispered her name as he stood with her in his arms and walked toward their bedroom. If Mark had his way she’d do more than wait, she’d never leave his side again. He was thrilled that he was going to be a father but he finally realized that his real family was with the petite woman in his arms.
Mark Slone was finally part of a couple. He was half of an us and couldn’t be happier.
The End
Rating: PG
Timeline/Spoiler: This is how Don’t Deceive Me (Please Don’t Go) should have ended so there might be a slight spoiler for that episode.
Medical Term: A QRS complex is the large complex (pointed wave) seen on a heart monitor. There is a P-wave before and a T-wave after but they are much smaller and rounded.
The Story of Us
By Lattelady
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Candlelight danced around Lexie as she looked across the counter, trying to understand what Mark was really trying to tell her. His words didn’t make sense because with each new statement she forgot what had come before it. Then everything jelled, caught forever in her photographic memory. Lex felt as if she were trapped in a bad nightmare, one that she’d had before and couldn’t shake off.
“Just say it,” her voice was breathy as she put together the gaps in his sentences. It made the terrible picture in her mind even worse. “Say the words, Mark, don’t make me guess.”
“Callie is pregnant with my baby.” He watched the slim dark-haired woman who meant more to him than almost anything flinch as she absorbed the news.
“You...donated?” But even as she said it, she knew she was grasping at straws.
“No.” He shook his head. It would have been easy to lie to her but he loved her too much for anything but the truth. “I’m sorry, Sweetheart but...no. I slept with her once, a few months ago. You and I weren’t together. Now she’s pregnant with my child.”
“Are...are you going to marry her?” Lexie wrapped her arms around her body and leaned against the counter behind her. It was scant protection from the verbal blow that she was sure was coming. It was either that or run. This time she was determined to stand her ground.
“Good god, no! I don’t love her. I love you.” He moved into the kitchen and turned off the stove before guiding Lex into the living room.
“You want this baby?” She knew him so well; of course he wanted the baby. It made her eyes fill with pain and sorrow. A part of her that had nothing to do with being a surgical resident longed for that child to be hers, growing inside of her. It would be a little piece of him that she would always have, no matter how badly they messed up their lives.
“Yeah, I do.” They sat on the couch facing each other. “I heard its heartbeat. They had to use a special ultrasound machine but hearing it and seeing the QRS complexes made it real.”
Lexie could only nod as her mind whirled. Where did she fit in? What were they going to do? She was sick with jealousy of Callie...Why couldn’t it have been her? Why was this happening now when they’d finally put the past behind them?
“Here drink some of this.” Mark held out his glass of wine.
“No, I can’t. I’d just throw it back up again.” She held up her hand, gently pushing the drink away. She knew the last thing she needed right now was alcohol. Lex had been down that road before and it had led to another man’s bed, terrible hair, and all out disaster.
“Yeah, you’re right, that’s probably not a good idea.” He agreed, as if she’d spoken out loud. “Please, talk to me. I need to know what’s going through your mind.” Mark ran his hands up and down her arms immensely relieved that she hadn’t stormed out his apartment. As long as she was with him, they still had a chance.
“You know, it’s funny, not really funny but...but...” Lex shrugged and went on. “A year and a-half ago, when I moved in here I thought...hoped I’d be the woman to have your baby.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” He’d never known. He’d thought the last thing in the world she wanted was a baby.
“Yeah and scare you to death?” Her laugh had a bitter ring to it but at least she wasn’t crying. She took Mark’s hand in both of hers. “I need to tell you something. Please, listen to me without interrupting, because you’re right, I should have done something to let you know that I thought of us as more than two people who were simply cohabitating. I thought of us as a family.
“I know it took me awhile to make the decision to live with you but when I did, I had no plans on leaving. I thought...well...after all we’d been through, that nothing could tear us apart. Then Sloan showed up and it all went sideways. Maybe I should have tried harder to make you understand but I didn’t.”
“Sloan has nothing to do with what is going on right now.” Mark didn’t know why he was defending his daughter but it was all he could do for the child he’d had and never been able to help.
“This isn’t about her. It’s about you and me...us.” Lexie gripped his hand harder afraid that if she let go that her world would fall down around her again. “When you decided you wanted to raise your grandchild and asked me to be his ‘grandnanny’, do you know what you said to me?” Her eyes filled with tears at the memory of what had broken them.
Mark shook his head in the negative. All he could remember of that time was how cold and empty his world had been without Lexie in it.
“You told me it was your last chance to have a family. You weren’t even considering us as one or that we might have children someday. That’s why I left. There are no words to tell you how sorry I am for not standing my ground and fighting for the life I wanted.” She refused to cry. The time for tears was months ago when she’d been falling apart. Mark had taught her to move forward. He’d been there for her even when she’d pushed him away.
“The life you wanted?” He spit the words out afraid that he’d lost her. “Exactly what life do you want now?” He glared.
“I’ve had a life with you and one without you. There is no contest.” She smiled as her eyes filled with tears again. “I want the one with you but we have some things to figure out. You, Callie and I have to find a way to make this work so that no one gets hurt anymore. Because this does hurt me, Mark. I know you’d never do that on purpose, but it hurts.”
“It’s gonna be you, Callie, Arizona and me doing the figuring out. This involves all four of us and very soon a fifth person.” He picked Lexie up onto his lap and held her as she gave into the tears she’d been fighting all night. He knew she was in pain and hated that he’d was the cause.
“This is going to take some time,” she sniffed and held on tighter.
“Will you wait for me to get it all straightened out?” Mark cupped her chin with his index finger and tilted her face up toward his.
“The last time you asked me that you were revising the closure on a young girl’s thigh. It was after the shooting at the college a few days ago. My answer is the same as it was then. ‘I love you. I’ll be waiting’.”
“I love you, Lexie,” he whispered her name as he stood with her in his arms and walked toward their bedroom. If Mark had his way she’d do more than wait, she’d never leave his side again. He was thrilled that he was going to be a father but he finally realized that his real family was with the petite woman in his arms.
Mark Slone was finally part of a couple. He was half of an us and couldn’t be happier.
The End