Chapter 51: 51. Change
The change isn't visible at least not in most of us.
-Meredith Grey
"I'm fine." She fiddled with the ring Mark had given her. It was a silver band, shallow grooves decorating it elegantly with a cluster of diamonds around a sapphire, each bigger than the last.
"You saw your fiancé get shot."
"Husband."
"What?"
"We got married, uh, symbolically. He - he gave this to me as soon as he was discharged." She showed him the ring and Andrew Perkins just levelled her with a stare. "And he wants the official papers - we're supposed to sign them today even though today is Cristina and Owen's day. But I want to - I love him and we've wasted a lot of time."
"Is your brother - does he know?"
"Noah? You know him?"
"I know him as well as I know Taylor, which is very well."
"Yes, he knows. He was the first one I told. Anyway, I'm fine - that's the point right? To prove that I'm fine?" She glanced at her phone but it was still silent. "This isn't my first therapy session - I just thought you should know." He nodded.
"I know. The building collapse," he said it quickly, nonchalantly, and she was grateful for it. "Says so in your file."
"But maybe today's a little silver lining." She looked out the window and heard the gunshot in her ears. Pale face, murky eyes, dark blood. "There are two unions happening today. Is it wrong?" She looked at Andrew Perkins straight into his eyes and he raised an eyebrow for her to proceed. "That I'm worried? More worried than when Mark got shot?"
"Are you?"
"What?"
"Or is it some stress from the shooting still?"
"No - what is there to be stressed about? We're okay now." Her voice betrayed her words. "I have to believe that we're okay now." She thought about Lexie, a gun aimed at her head and swallowed painfully. "We're fine."
.
Emily walked down the hall and into the main lobby where the staff were gathering. Hands shoved in her lab coat pockets, she pushed open the door with her shoulder and immediately saw Jackson and Lexie. Taking off her ring and sliding it into her pocket, she came around to see them. Dark bags rested under both of their eyes as she pulled Lexie into a tight hug.
"Hey." She smiled and Lexie grinned back although it didn't quite reach her eyes. Jackson offered a small smile and she embraced him too.
"How are you?"
"As well as can be," she answered and Jackson nodded. Across the room, she saw Mark who grinned at her. Shaking her head, she ignored him playfully and engaged in a conversation with her friends when Derek came in. Clapping for him loudly, they cheered as he made his way up the steps. And he made his speech.
And Derek quit.
He quit as Chief.
"Did he just quit or did I just hallucinate?" Emily asked and Jackson let out a short, disbelieving laugh. "He really quit."
"Yeah." Lexie's eyes widened. "Can he do that? Can he just quit?"
"Well, he just did."
"And we're not questioning his judgement because he totally didn't just come back after recovering from open heart surgery," Jackson added not-so-helpfully.
"No, because he was Chief and the Chief can quit whenever he wants." Taylor came up behind them and they all jumped. The blond looked away guiltily when Lexie's wide eyes landed on her boyfriend. Emily's own heart was racing and she inhaled sharply as Jackson looked ready to strangle the attending.
"You don't just sneak up on people, Taylor," Lexie began and he made placating gestures to no avail. "You don't do that, ever."
"Lex, I know - I'm sorry-" he tried to apologize but she was already stalking away. "Lex-" he tried to go after her but Emily held him back. Jackson did instead, running up to catch up to the brunette. "Emily, I didn't mean to scare you. I - she's been - God, I'm such an idiot."
"You can't blame yourself. She went through something and you weren't there and that wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known that a mass murder would happen in a hospital." Her tone softened and Taylor rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. "She helped save my husband. She - I owe her more than I can ever say because she helped save my husband. So, just give her time." The echo of a shot, the clatter of the casing on the floor. "Be there for her, that's all she's asking of you."
"I know. I just want to help her," he murmured helplessly as his pager blared. "The pit. I'll see you later, Em."
"Bye, Taylor." When she was finally alone, she saw Mark staring at her while Callie talked to him. Approaching him, she took out the ring and pinched it between her thumb and index finger.
"Stop teasing me," he complained and she chuckled, pecking him on the lips chastely. Callie rolled her eyes as Mark took out something from his pocket. It was her infinity necklace. Her breath hitched when she saw the silver chain, the intertwined rings still shining in the light.
They were forever again. Just like that. A day was all it took, a snap of fingers, a blink, and they were together. Because their problems weren't problems anymore, and for that she was grateful.
Stepping closer, she watched his face steadily as he took her ring and slid it onto the chain before clasping it at the back of her neck for her. "There, with you even in surgery."
"And you don't need to do that which is totally unfair," she quipped, eyeing the silver band around his finger with the same shallow grooves but lack of jewels, and Callie laughed. Glancing at the Latina playfully, she sighed. "Shut up, Callie."
"Whatever. I don't know what they're thinking, putting you on Mark's service after what happened." When Callie's words came slower, the smiles shrunk and there was a silence. "You know, it's weird. I don't see anyone missing but I know—" the woman looked at the masses— "I know they're gone."
"Yeah," Emily reached out to squeeze Callie's hand and the tanned woman smiled at the effort.
"Anyway," she tried to add enthusiastically but it came out forced, "I wanna see Derek's chordoma. You in?"
"Yeah."
.
After looking at the scans, Callie, Mark, and Emily gathered together and began assembling a plan. Once they'd made up a basic foundation and agreed to meet up after their surgeries (except Emily who still hadn't been cleared for surgery), Emily and Mark made their way down to the O.R. floor to check the board. They had some free time and a lot of it to catch up on so as they walked hand-in-hand, the two of them tried to keep their hearts steady in a place they almost died in weeks ago. Down there, they saw Lexie looking at the O.R. board.
"Hey, Lex?"
"Mhmm?" The brunette looked away from the board and smiled at the two. "What's up?"
"Why are you here?"
"Oh, I was cleared for surgery. I'm with Dr. Webber on a gastro-"
"You were what?" Mark snapped and Emily grabbed Lexie by the arm and dragged her towards the elevator. "Is Andrew Perkins crazy?"
"Well," Lexie began as Emily jammed her thumb into the up button, anger etched onto her face. "I'm fine, now. Really. Besides, you're cleared and you got shot." She was met with two icy glares and closed her mouth. It was as if they were two disapproving parents who were about to scold their child's friend's mother. They were on the hunt.
"I had to check you into psych last week. I had to commit you against your will! And he just cleared you for surgery? What the hell kind of doctor is he?" Emily ranted and Mark nodded along to his wife's words.
"You tell him."
There was a small kitchen fire - a middle-aged couple who had forgotten about their stove. The man came in first, a small head lac from hitting his head when he slipped on the water he dumped on the fire while the lady had small burns on her forearm when she tried to dump it into the sink and it sloshed too far. Mark was stitching up the husband while she worked on the wife.
She went to go get her patient's labs. Getting them quickly, she remarked the noticeable emptiness of the hallways. So many had left after the shooting - on vacation, quit - that it made such a difference. Shaking her head, she took a deep breath. She was okay - Mark was okay. It was his first day back and it was supposed to be an easy day. Getting into the elevator, she read over her labs. The elevator doors opened and she walked towards the E.R.
"I-if I give her albuterol and she's on propranolol, then she'll stop breathing. If - If I give her warfarin and she's on ibuprofen, then she'll - she'll bleed out. I give her diphenhydramine and she's on doxepin, then she'll die. So do - do - do you think she wants to die?" The old man murmured something to Mark and Emily walked between the two trauma rooms just to see Lexie glaring at her patient.
"Karev, what's going on over there?" Mark asked, concerned and annoyed all at once "Lex-"
"I think that she wants to die. I think she wants me to kill her." Emily walked up to the brunette as she turned to her patient. "Do - do you - do you - do you want me to kill you? Because you - you could just get a gun—" The word cause everyone to become silent— "and it would be a lot faster."
"Karev, get her outta here," Mark persisted as Lexie crashed into a metal tray, the tools clattering to the floor.
"You know what? So why doesn't somebody find a gun... " Lexie's voice rose to a scream as she pushed it away from her, eyes wide. Emily looked around for somewhere to put her labs and spotted a nurse. Shoving the labs into the woman's arms, she tried to talk to the overworked brunette but she just continued, "And we'll bring her a gun and just shoot her…"
"Karev, help her."
Lexie swung her arm in front of her, knocking boxes of supplies off a tray beside her patient and crouching down as if she were looking for a gun - and in her mind, she was. "I can't step away. Get her out of here!"
"'Cause she obviously wants to die!" Emily ran over and pulled the younger Grey away from where she was yanking open drawers.
"Help! Somebody find her a gun 'cause she wants to die! Somebody find something!" The brunette wrapped her arms around the smaller woman, pulling her away as Lexie struggled against her arms. Scratching at her confines, Lexie's nails scored red marks along her arms and Emily gritted her teeth, continuing to pull her away.
"Alex?" Emily glanced over her shoulder to see him walking away. "Alex!"
"Somebody find a gun!" Lexie screamed and the hazel-eyed woman managed to reach the elevators, pressing the button half-blind.
"Lexie, Lexie! Hey!" Emily held onto the struggling woman until all the fight left her. Lexie was calmer now, still grappling weakly but Emily held on.
"It's okay," she whispered into her hair, "it's okay, it's okay. It's just me." By now, Lexie had turned around and her arms wrapped around Emily as the older woman reached down into her pocket to take out her phone. Shooting a quick text to both Taylor and Meredith, she walked into the opened elevator doors and pressed the floor for psych. She could feel Lexie shivering against her, crying, and a part of her wilted when she heard the soft, muffled sobs. Emily just kept repeating that it was okay but every time she said it, it sounded more as if she were saying it to herself.
"This is completely unfair. Why do you get cleared and I don't?" Emily grumbled and Jackson snickered.
"Honestly, he just likes my pretty face."
"You are no longer invited to my house for spaghetti," she declared and Jackson pouted. "Mark is removing one of the largest chordomas in history and I can't scrub in. You know how infuriating it is?" Emily sighed as they walked past x-ray and up to the O.R. They were five minutes early for surgery and many residents were already inside. Standing near the top stair of the gallery, they watched as Derek, Callie and Mark began the surgery. She looked at the TV for a closer look. Mark looked up into the gallery and so did Callie. Giving them the thumbs up, she forced a smile as they began to divide the palate. "I can't believe I'm not down there."
"Amen," Meredith murmured as they wiggled the palate apart. Derek scrubbed in and began to dissect the chordoma. Taking a few steps down, the two of them sat down in the front row. As the surgery continued, the two friends heard a commotion down the row and turned to see Meredith pull Cristina out of the gallery.
"What was that about?" Jackson murmured in her ear and she looked at him.
"I wish I knew."
Emily pulled her luggage behind her as they entered Mark's apartment again. Pushing him in with the wheelchair, she set down his bags with a huff. "You okay?"
"Yeah, fine." Her husband rolled himself towards the couch and transferred himself to the it. Plopping down, he let out a groan as Emily sat down beside him after locking the door. Leaning into him, she hugged him. His arm wrapped around her shoulders and rubbed her arm, generating enough warmth for her to realize that he was closer to her than he had been in months.
"There was a shooting," she murmured, pulling her knees to her chest and he nodded, kissing her temple. "And you got shot." Tears traced her cheeks and she pressed her face into his neck. "You got shot and I had to listen to you cry and scream. I had to cut into you. I'm sorry." He brushed his lips against her forehead. He could recall the pain acutely, her digging the scalpel into him, but what kind of person would tell her that?
"Hey, it's okay. You saved my life. You saved me and I love you, alright? We're married." He grinned when she chuckled shakily. "And you need a ring. I got you one in the drawer beside my side of the bed."
"You got me a ring?" she repeated and he nodded. Raising her head, she planted her hands on his cheeks. "Mark, I am exhausted and delusional because I'm still in shock but did I hear what I thought you said? You got me… a ring. Like, a thing you wear on your finger to signify a marriage kind of ring?" Her eyes widened and he chuckled, tucking a lock behind her hair.
"Ever since Karev's wedding." Before all the crap. "I've wanted to marry you forever. So, will you go into my bedside drawer and get the damn ring so I can put it on your finger?" Kissing him deeply, she smiled into his mouth. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
.
That night, they went to bed after a dinner she had cooked. Having to do everything by herself since she was the one not on bedrest. Mac and cheese was the easiest she could make in a short period of time.
Then, she helped him change into comfortable clothes - sweats - before showering and changing into her own sweats. Slipping between the sheets, she rested her head on his chest as he let out a yawn. They fell asleep easily enough but she only woke when she nearly fell off the bed. Eyes sprung open and she caught herself. Sweat coated her brow as any nightmare she had dissipated in place of hearing tortured screams. Sitting up, she turned to her side and saw that it was Mark.
He was tense, swinging at something invisible in front of him as tears slid down his face. "Don't shoot!" he seemed to mumble and she crawled to his side. Cupping her face in his hands, she saw that his eyes were wide open, unseeing.
"Mark, Mark!" she whispered urgently, ignoring the way he clawed at her arms. He quietened under her voice and she hugged him tightly, careful not to disturb his stitches. "Shh, I'm here. I'm here." His hands flattened against her arms and just wrapped around her arms as they focused on her. The brunette buried her face in his neck as, slowly, his arms wrapped around her waist.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he gasped and she shushed him. "I'm sorry."
"I'm here, Mark. Okay? I'm here." Her hazel eyes locked with his blue ones. "I'm here." His breath hitched and he let out a relieved laugh, tears trailing down his face.
"He was going to shoot you. I couldn't let you die-"
"It's okay," she murmured and he looked into her eyes for some comfort. There was none she could give for her new husband. "We aren't okay. I know, I know. Just… try and sleep." Her fingers combed his hair as he nodded nervously. "I'm here."
They went to city hall, signed the papers and finished. It was done in just about ten minutes and they walked out legally married. No muss, no fuss. Then they drove to Cristina and Owen's wedding.
"Don't even convince me to call myself Dr. Sloan," she warned as they drove to Meredith's house.
"Of course, Mrs. Sloan." Rolling her eyes, she held onto his hand as he drove with the other.
"I cannot believe you convinced me to hyphenate."
"I'm not surprised. You love me too much," he said and she shot him a look as if to say 'Don't test me.' "Thank you, for marrying me."
"You're so very welcome, Mr. Sloan." They stopped at a red light and she leaned over to kiss him. "I adore you."
"I know." In a language they couldn't explain, they knew it meant more than 'I love you'.
.
Mark and Emily sighed in unison as they sat on the couch. After a surgery-filled (or not-surgery-filled, in Emily's case but instead clinic-filled) day, they were relaxing. Despite the late hour, neither of them wanted to sleep. Mark's nightmares had them up the night before and her paranoia the night before that.
Curling up against him, she watched the jaguar nudge her cub on National Geographic. Mark set down the remote as they watched the feline make sure her cub was well hidden before walking away.
"We should eat dinner," Mark whispered, cheek brushing against hers. Sighing, she pecked the side of his nose. "What do we have?"
"Freezer lasagna." He wrinkled his nose and she laughed. "I can go grab something down the street."
"Nah, it's fine."
"No, really, Mark. You need to eat." Getting up, she felt the cold air touch her skin as she walked to grab a hoodie and sweats. She pulled them on over her pajamas, stuffing her feet into socks before walking back to the couch. "What do you want?"
"Whatever's good. I don't want you gone for too long," he said and she sat down, elbow against the back of the couch and cheek against a fist. Staring at him, she inhaled softly. What a beautiful man.
"There's no gunman," she murmured and he turned to her. He was growing out his beard again, something she appreciated more than she could say. Leaning over, she pressed a soft kiss to his upper lip but he pulled her into a longer one, hand coming to her cheek. Her hand cradled his jaw, breath shuddering against him. "There is no gunman."
"We can keep telling ourselves that forever," he said, "doesn't make it seem more real that he's dead." She was silent, staring at him. "You've gotta go." Just as they parted, there was a frantic banging. Springing together, the two ducked behind the couch. With their hearts in their ears, Emily held Mark to her frantically. Their breaths came quick as Mark's fingers dug through her hoodie.
"Emily! Em? Are you in here?" Releasing a sigh, Emily sat up and pushed herself off the floor. "Emily, please," the man on the other side pleaded, sounding close to tears. "April told me I woke her up, and I don't want to keep the others awake four nights in a row. I just - I don't want to sleep at the hospital." The brunette glanced at Mark who still held her wrist.
"It's Jackson. Jackson needs me."
"Em-"
"Jackson will come with me to get dinner. I promise, he'll be with me the whole time." Mark nodded with a swallow and then did she realize his fear. He didn't want to be home alone for such an unknown amount of time. "I promise, I will be back. I always come back." With that, he let go and she went to the door.
Opening it, she sidestepped when Jackson stumbled in face first. He must've been leaning against it. Catching himself, Jackson turned around. The eyebags under his eyes were intense and she had the good sense to stabilize him.
"Jackson, I have a game plan, and you will follow it." He nodded dazedly and she took his hand. Grabbing her purse, she dragged Jackson out of the apartment, locking it behind her. "We'll have dinner, then you and Mark will sleep, and I won't be walking around the apartment like some ghost, and we will be fine for one night. That's what we need. Just one night."
Jackson nodded, in some spell as they went to the streets. Emily had her eyes to the stars as she ignored the burning in her eyes.
She needed just one night where everything would be fine.
"Dr. Moore." Starting, Emily closed the binder hastily and looked up. "Uh, sorry, but Derek knows you need a lab coat and he put me in charge of that while he's recovering. Interim Chief and all of that."
"Yeah, of course, Dr. Webber. Uhm, why do you have to come to me about it?" The Chief glanced around before leaning against the counter.
"Well, Sloan told me you two got married?" Oh. Emily tried to make her mouth work as she thought of the man still recovering from the surgery back home. "And, I just wanted to ask if you two officiated it, or-"
"No, uh, we didn't. We're waiting until he gets better but I mean, yeah, we're married and I, uh, what is the question?" Webber smiled and Emily tried to match it.
"I wanted to know what you wanted stitched on your lab coat." Nodding, Emily tapped her pen against the counter.
"Dr. Moore is fine, Chief." Opening her binder again, she was about to continue writing when she sensed that he was still there. "Something wrong, Chief?"
"Congratulations, Dr. Moore."
"Thank you, Dr. Webber."
"Taylor," Emily began as she spotted the trauma attending. The man was fiddling with his phone as he signed off charts. "How're you?" She was just going to Perkins for her session.
"Fine. You came in with Avery this morning, right?"
"Uh, yeah, he crashed at my place. Why?" The blond shrugged.
"Altman swapped you and him today, so you're on my service." She nodded and was about to continue on her way when Taylor called after her, "Is… Is Lexie alright?"
"Shouldn't you know?" she snorted amusedly but the man's face dropped. "Taylor, is everything alright?"
"Yeah, fine. Have you seen Lex anywhere?" he asked and she ran a hand through her hair. "I've been looking for her for a while."
"Yeah, she's in the resident's lounge," she informed and he smiled gratefully, heading in that direction. Of course, later she'd hear about how Taylor was keeping her from surgeries and babying her from the woman herself. It's not like it was unwarranted - the brunette herself was worried about Lexie constantly. But after the psych ward, she seemed better although a bit of dark humor here and there.
Heading towards the conference room, she saw the trauma therapist sitting at the head of the table, reading a file. Rapping her knuckles on the door, she entered and he smiled. "Dr. Moore, welcome. Have a seat."
"Thank you," she closed the door behind her, hearing its soft click as she settled in a chair diagonal to him.
"How was your day?"
"Good." She held a pen deftly between her fingers, dragging the tip of it along the glossy table surface. "My husband got shot."
"Yes, he did." Perkins sensed that she was about to say more as she looked up at him.
"If you were a surgeon, would you operate on the person you loved? Life or death, gun to your head. I mean, you have this pressure of saving someone, plus they mean something to you." She tapped the pen against the table. "I did - I had to or else Mark could've died. He could've developed a pneumothorax and bled out. You know, I just found him again and we can barely be alone. Yesterday, had to leave him alone to buy dinner. I came back and he was locked in our room. Which is understandable, because I do the same."
"What exactly are you scared of?"
"The shooter, isn't it obvious? Our heads still think he's alive, roaming this hospital like a ghost." Her eyes closed as she ducked her head, remembering that day in aching clarity. Then her mind flashed back to Boston, months ago when the world fell around her.
"What else?"
"Nothing. It's just that."
"Are you always this dismissive of your own problems?" His eyes pinned her down when she looked back up again and she looked away. "Dr. Moore-"
"Bad things keep happening and I've learned very quickly what to do," she said and he made a 'huh' sound. "A lot of shitty things have happened this year. Most of us - if not, everyone - has PTSD from that day." She watched as he fiddled with the yellow slip. "I'm terrified of losing him. Utterly terrified." He clicked the pen. "I turn around for a second and I'm scared that the second I take my eyes off of him, he'll be dead. That I'll find him lying somewhere in this hospital, bleeding out because I couldn't get there in time. Because if I'm not there, I feel like that's on me."
"Dr. Moore-"
"I can't help it, Dr. Perkins. It's how I think and the shooting happened and we will never have enough time. I just wish there was a way for me not to care so much."
"It's a hard lesson for a doctor to learn," he said as he signed her sheet. "But I want you to learn it well before I do. You're cleared for surgery, Dr. Moore." Taking the slip, she thanked him. "I hope I don't have to hear your name again from your brother. Unless it's in a good way," he added and she grinned.
"Thank you, Dr. Perkins."
.
"I just watched someone confess their love to my patient. It was the most terrible, corny thing." Emily arched an eyebrow as Mark came up to her, kissing the spot near her ear. He wrapped her in a hug from behind and she melted against him.
"You told me you loved me when I was switching O.R.s during a kidney transplant. Nothing can beat that," she drawled and he sighed.
"And then two other musketeers came in with the first one."
"Absolutely terrible," she continued and he pouted. "Sorry, it's my first day back on surgery. I need my hands in a body."
"If I didn't know you, that'd be absolutely mortifying to hear," he whispered and pressed a kiss against her mouth when she craned her neck to look at him. They stood there, him hugging her for as long as they could until their pagers pulled them away from each other.
.
Mark looked up, fiddling with his pen as Little Grey smiled, hands stuffed in her pockets. "Dr. Sloan, Dr. Bailey needs a consult in room 11-35."
"I'll be right over." His eyes followed after the small brunette and he couldn't help but feel a surge of overprotectiveness for her as he saw his wife approach the woman.
"Did you get the consult?"
"Yeah, he said he was coming." Emily had an easy smile on her face at that and the two surgeons walked away, Mark's gaze resting on his wife. Glancing back, their eyes met and her eyes crinkled at the edges before walking away with Lexie.
"Look away," Callie sang as she tapped on the keyboard.
"What?"
"Stop staring at her." She was stopped by a nurse with labs and read them over before thanking the nurse and continuing on. Lexie was waiting for her and the two linked arms, heading off. Emily's hair was in tight braids, a miracle considering her unruly hair. But, they both had a lot of time on their hands in the mornings they couldn't sleep.
"I can't." Callie closed a chart, clearing her throat and grabbing his face to force him to look away.
"She just married you and it is not the time for you to make babies because there was a shooting and you got shot. I'm sure you'll make very pretty babies, but you need to look away." When Mark didn't reply, Callie added, "You know when you scrub in with her today, you're gonna have to keep your eyes on the patient."
"Are you sure?" Callie arched an eyebrow and Mark sighed. "I'll try to look away."
.
"Junior prom, Sarah Richardson and Penny Caraway, together." Alex whistled at Jackson's smirk. "I knew exactly what I was doing."
"I'm going to end myself," Emily mumbled under her breath and Jackson shot her a look. "What? I do not need to see you like that."
"You've already seen it."
"Jackson, I hate you." Emily pushed off the counter with a disgusted scoff and leaned in beside Meredith instead. At their expected looks, she sighed. "Fine. Eighteen." Jackson sighed exaggeratedly and she glared daggers at him. "Second boyfriend. Ashton Delacroix."
"Foreign? Ooh," Meredith hummed and Emily smiled despite her mood.
"A beautiful boy. Broke up the next year. Had to move back to France." Emily sighed longingly just as a new pair of footsteps alerted them all of a new presence. Meredith nudged her and the brunette looked up to see Mark there. His dark eye circles weren't as prominent but still, he looked exhausted. Meredith's lips twisted into a frown as Cristina and Alex both stood up straight.
Walking over to him, Emily cupped his face before traversing down to his neck and holding his neck. His forehead against hers, he closed his eyes.
"What is it?" Her words fanned over his cheek as he took deep breaths, hands curling around her wrists.
"I needa sleep before the surgery. Can't sleep well without you." Making a wordless noise, she hugged him before waving to her friends. They all had a sympathetic expression etched onto their faces. Mark wrapped an arm around her shoulders and her arm slithered around his waist as she helped him to the nearest on-call room. Behind her, she could hear Cristina start up the conversation again and she was grateful they didn't make a big deal out of it. As her hand rubbed up and down his side, she felt the scar where the bullet entered his chest.
"We can both catch up on some sleep," Emily finally said as he opened the door. Kicking off her shoes and diving into bed, her eyes were already closed as she snuggled against the pillows. He climbed on after her, holding her body close as her fingers flicked the light switch off and they were plunged into darkness. In their hurry to get onto the bed, they didn't see Amelia Shepherd watch them with wide shock on the top bunk of the other bed.
.
"I saw Mark Sloan go into bed with a woman and he didn't sleep with her," Amelia said to Meredith as Meredith did her charts at the O.R. floor nurse station. "Is he in surgery right now? I really wanna ask him about it." The neurosurgeon backed up to look at the board.
"He's in on a surgery," Meredith murmured as she signed her name and closed the chart.
"So who's the woman?"
"Uh, Em." Blinking, Meredith waved her hand and corrected herself. "Emily. Dr. Moore? She's Mark's wife." Amelia's eyes widened and the blonde looked up.
"Mark's married? When - what? I -" Amelia stopped herself before starting again, eyes squinting, "Was it some crack wedding in Vegas? 'Cause those don't really count." Meredith chuckled before looking at Amelia, tired eyes causing her smile to look like a hoax. Closing the binder, the blonde stood beside her husband's sister.
"They got married after the shooting."
"So, it was impulse."
"Amelia-"
"No, never in my life have I ever seen Mark hold a steady relationship." The neurosurgeon smirked. "Besides, last I heard, Mark didn't know what a girlfriend was."
"They're sickeningly sweet. Trust me, they were together even before they were together." Meredith's words were punctuated by two people walking out of a scrub room down the hall, laughing their asses off. Meredith and Amelia turned to see Mark and Emily link arms and walk towards them.
"Hey, Mer." Emily smiled, letting go of Mark's arm. Turning to the neurosurgeon, she arched an eyebrow, the smile turning curious.
"Amelia, this is Emily. Emily, this is Derek's sister, Amelia."
"Another sister." They shook hands and Amelia raised her eyebrows as if to question what she said. "Oh, I met Nancy."
"Oh, you met the bitchiest one out of the all of us. You're the wife - wow, you're beautiful." Emily smiled sheepishly and turned to Mark. "You do not normally go for girls like this. Normally, they're dumber."
"Amy-"
"Congratulations, Mark. She's just too good."
"Thanks." Mark's face softened when he turned to look at his wife. "She really is."
.
"Stop bullying her," Emily murmured from where she sat in the booth with her friends. Alex snorted and took a swig from his glass. Playing with the shells of the peeled nuts that had long since been eaten, she glared at Jackson who sat across from her.
"Come on. Just admit it. You're still a virgin," Alex pressed. Flustered, April looked at her drink and Emily sighed.
"No, I'm not."
"Hey, there's no shame in it." Jackson downed the rest of his drink, assuring his friend and Emily struggled for a subject to take the spotlight off of the brunette.
"Really?"
"No, there's shame."
"Hey, I got cleared for surgery today." Her hazel eyes locked onto April's and she sighed as Alex ignored her. Resting her head on his shoulder, she just closed her eyes for a moment. "Okay. It's not like we've been friends since our intern year. No, I'm not important." April gave her a sympathetic glance.
"A lot of shame. Tell her, Mer." The blonde struggled to say something but forgot it, causing her friends to laugh. She asked about Cristina again as Lexie settled beside her sister. The brunette swirled her drink as she talked about her day and recalled how Bailey screamed like a baby at the sight of a spider.
"Well, nobody gives a crap if you're crazy. We're all crazy." Jackson peeled a net, popping it into his mouth.
"Yeah. look at April. She's still a virgin."
"Taylor does. He's been like a guard dog on my ass and he stares at me all the time like I'm some psycho. Wait, you're a virgin?" April set down her drink, finally finished.
"I'm a virgin. Yes. So what? It's not something I talk about, okay? We all have things we don't talk about. Alex, you've been afraid of the elevator for, like, a month but I never said anything because it's none of my business. And, Jackson, you wake up every night screaming because you have nightmares, and, Meredith, you don't talk about Cristina because you're afraid she's never gonna be the same Cristina again. Emily, you're too nice to everyone because you're scared everyone's going to drop dead the second you don't have your eyes on them. Your dark circles are nearly swallowing your eyes and you can barely keep your eyes open. And Lexie, Taylor doesn't think your a psycho. He loves you - that's why he's been so protective because he thinks he's going to lose you. Of course, he feels like he can't say anything because of the shooting.
Look, We all have stuff we don't talk about. I am a twenty-eight year old virgin, mainly because I wanted my first time to be special and then I waited too long and partially because I'm pretty sure guys find me annoying. I'm a virgin. That doesn't make it drinks conversation. We all have stuff we don't talk about." She downed the rest of her drink as Emily split into a wide grin. Everyone was in a silence as Meredith shared the same smile that rested upon her friend's face.
"Oh, April, I'm liking you more and more."
.
"How were drinks?"
"I need to sleep." Mark frowned at the flat tone in his wife's voice. "I need to sleep, and I can't." She laid there, hands on her abdomen as she stared up at the ceiling. Mark rested on his elbow, flicking a curl off her face.
"What do you need?" Turning to him, she offered a slight smile. "Jackson? Alex? The Greys?"
"I need a wedding night," she whispered and he rolled atop of her, mouth melding against hers. His arms tucked the covers tight around their bodies as her hands wrapped around his chest. Pulling her shirt off, one of his hands shifted the pajama shorts down her waist while her hands ripped his tee off.
"That is something I can do."
A/N: Edited - November 3, 2018
Next: Emily finds herself a new patient. Or, the part where Mark and Emily find their happiness.
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