26Thanx everyone for reading, reviewing, following and faving 😊
I hope you all enjoy this chapter. It was my favorite to write.
Chapter Soundtrack – Sweetest Devotion: Adele
Apparently, all the links I have tried to add don't work so just look me up on Pinterest - Nicci (nyxniques) - to check out my Undiscovered Board.
.
"Seriously?!" Lexie exclaimed to herself as she looked down at the display window. The thing was practically screaming at her.
She jumped up from the edge of her bed and went into her new walk-in closet to find something to wear. She really needed to get this organized now that she had officially moved in with Mark and they were both using it. That would have to wait until later, she had somewhere to be.
.
"Hey Lex." Jackson walked up to her munching on an apple.
"Hi." Looking at the surgical board, she asked. "How long does an orthognathic last?"
Yes, she was still finding her way into these unauthorized wings. Technically, she was still a doctor and she still had her volunteer badge, if anyone wanted to make a big deal out of it. Okay and yes, maybe she took advantage of the emotional attachment that people around here still had to Dr. Lexie Grey and their sympathy for her amnesia. This was an emergency.
"About three hours."
"Good then he should be almost done." She headed to the gallery to confirm that he was in fact closing up and then raced down to the scrub room to meet him. "Your office - right now." She demanded.
"What'd I do?" He asked, completely caught off guard when she suddenly appeared in front of him. He couldn't think of anything he might have done lately to piss her off.
"Hoho." She chuckled hollowly and led the way. As soon as he closed his office door behind them, she whipped around and threw the pregnancy test at him. "This is what you did. You and those blue eyes and your stupid little cute smile, and how you always say and do the sweetest things and your incredibly sexy body and your-can't keep your hands to yourself-self." She ranted. "I can't believe this is happening."
In hindsight on the drive over, she realized this was all thanks to New Year's Eve, too much alcohol, super low inhibitions, and just being completely reckless. Like two dumb horny teenagers instead of grown, sensible adults.
"Lexie." Mark said in wonder as he stared down at the positive pregnancy test he caught. This was the best news he'd ever heard, but he couldn't tell if she was happy about this or not. He was too afraid to look at her and see disappointment on her face.
She huffed out the last of her initial irritation over the poor timing. "You are so lucky, I'm excited about this."
His head shot up, his face filled with shock and restrained happiness. "You are?"
"Of course, I am. My own little person to smother." She raved. Having little ones around you was life affirming and they made everything in this not so perfect world, seem perfect. Sure, being a mom, being responsible for another living being was terrifying. She completely understood her apprehension about it in the past, but now, she wasn't about to let fear stop her from experiencing a joy that she came so close to never having. "Do you know how amazing this is going to be?" She launched herself at him, kissing him deeply.
.
"Robbins." Mark hurried down the hall when he finally found her coming out of the cafeteria with Callie.
"What do you want Mark?" Arizona groaned. He clearly wanted something from her and there was no telling what that was.
"Can you guys keep a secret?" Lexie asked, coming up from behind him.
Lexie being involved made this intriguing rather than irritating.
"Got an ultrasound room we can sneak into?" Mark grinned like an idiot and she had the same stupid happy smile.
She and Callie looked at each other and then back to the anxious couple before they took off, leading the way.
.
"There's your baby." Arizona announced, pointing out the tiny, slightly elongated bean shaped blip on the screen.
"Oh my God." Lexie leaned up to get a closer look, staring at her baby. A teardrop fell from her eyes when Arizona pressed a button and a beautiful whooshing sound, steady and strong, filled the room.
Mark threaded his fingers through the back of her hair and kissed her reverently on her temple. They were really having a baby. He literally used to dream about this happening and at one time, one soul sucking time, thought it never would.
"It looks like you are due... in late September." She revealed with a knowing smile.
It was kind of serendipitous how in a little over six months, a time that represented loss and sadness would be replaced by a new life and utter joy.
That's if the lingering effects of the crash didn't interfere.
"How difficult will my pregnancy be?" She asked both Arizona, and Callie who stood at the end of the examination table.
"Well, the best news is that you had no damage to your reproductive system from your pelvic fracture and that was a miracle in itself." Arizona said while wiping the gel from her stomach.
"All your fractures have healed perfectly. We were really aggressive with your rehab and you've stayed physically active. Yoga is one of the best things women can do during their pregnancy." Callie explained. "But we both know that babies put a lot of pressure on your pelvis and lower back, especially as you get further along and depending on how big the baby gets. There will probably be a degree of pain." There was a good chance that during the last month or two of her pregnancy, she would be on bed rest. "We'll do everything we can to make sure you're as comfortable as possible." She assured her, and Mark who was trying and failing to hide his worry. Lexie was obviously less so and rubbed his arm comfortingly. "And vaginally birth is possible, but I would suggest cesarean to eliminate any potential stress to your pelvis."
"Ok, I can handle cesarean, especially if it's you doing it." She told Arizona.
"I wouldn't be anywhere else." Her two friends were having a baby and her daughter would have a brother or sister. She would do whatever she could to make this a safe and healthy birth.
.
"Good Morning." Mark whispered to Lexie.
She smiled, waking up to his face right next to hers. "Good Morning." She rolled slightly to stretch.
"Are you ready for today?"
"Very ready." She beamed. Her life was about to change irrevocably, and she couldn't wait.
"How about a bath before we go?"
"That sounds perfect." She reached out to cup his face, brushing her thumb against his cheek. Underneath all that machismo and cockiness, he was so caring and thoughtful.
He turned his head and kissed her palm. "I'll go get it ready and be right back." He climbed out of the array of pillows that had taken over their bed and went into the bathroom to get started on some TLC for her.
.
"Did I miss anything?" Jo rushed into the packed room, taking the seat that Alex saved for her. She was one of the newest interns here at Seattle Grace Mercy West and through Meredith and Alex, she had gotten to know Lexie and formed a friendship with her as well.
"Nope. Arizona just started." A giddy April informed her from her seat next to Jackson.
Everyone was in the gallery to watch the newest baby Sloan come into the world. Anxiously, Meredith and Derek stood by the window on one side and Callie on the other.
The procedure was fairly quick so it wasn't long before they all heard the cries of a baby coming into the world.
"And here he is." Arizona announced to the new parents, holding the squalling baby boy above the drape for Mom and Dad to see him.
"Hi, my little love." Lexie cooed, tears running down her face.
"Hey buddy." Mark greeted his son, just as teary eyed as her. This feeling of becoming a father never got old and nothing compared to it.
"Dad, do you want to cut the umbilical cord?" Arizona asked rhetorically.
"Absolutely." He moved from the stool at Lexie's head and took the offered scissors from the nurse. For a moment, he just stared at his little boy in awe and then reverently cut the cord between the two clamps.
Arizona gave the baby to the nurse who took him over to the incubator for his first exam. "Alright, they're going to get him cleaned up and checked out real quick while I finish up with you and then he's all yours, Mom." She told Lexie.
"Thank you, Arizona." Mark said with such gratitude. He couldn't have trusted anyone else to take care of Lexie and his child.
With a nod, she smiled underneath her mask and went to work delivering the placenta and stitching Lexie up.
Mark rejoined her at the head of the table and leaned in to kiss her. "Thank you." He spoke lovingly into her ear. Closing his eyes, he breathed her in, basking in this beautiful gift that they had given to each other.
"Same to you." She sniffed, consumed by a level of emotions that she had never experienced. She was a Mom.
"Can we get some vitals for Mom and Dad, please?" Arizona asked the nursing staff as they should be finishing up his exam.
"8 lbs. 4 oz., 21 inches long. Rectal temp is 100, pulse is 131, respiratory is 46 and Apgar is 10."
"He's perfect." Mark said to Lexie in relief.
"Beyond perfect."
"Here you go, Dr. Sloan and Dr. Grey." A nurse approached them with the baby in her arms. He was loosely covered as Lexie had opted for some elements of a gentle cesarean birth plan.
She started pulling down her draping while Mark took the baby and unwrapped him fully. When both their skin was exposed, he placed the baby on her chest and then covered them up snuggly. Lexie positioned her son and to her relief, he immediately latched on to nurse. Mark reached out to cup their son's tiny head, softly stroking his hair. A wave of protectiveness coming over him as he watched two of the greatest loves of his life.
"Hello Mr. Leif Everett Sloan. I'm your mommy and that's your daddy." She said, putting faces to the two voices he knew best of all. "We're so happy to finally see you and we love you so much." She started crying in earnest, feeling her baby get the nourishment that he needed from her and the warmth of his little body against hers.
Tears started welling in his eyes again as well and Mark leaned in to press his head to the side of her neck. With one arm holding her baby and the other holding him, they both cried joyfully for everything they had gone through to get to this point, to have this unbelievable moment of love.
Everyone in the gallery and in the OR, was overcome watching the new family form an unbreakable connection.
She hated to interrupt, but there was still work to be done and Mark had insisted on being the one to do Lexie's final sutures. "Okay, Dr. Sloan, I'm done and you're up." Arizona addressed her colleague rather than her friend.
"Alright." Mark detached himself from his family and composed himself, wiping away his tears. "My turn when I'm done." He told Lexie petulantly. He wanted in on some skin-to-skin cuddle time too.
"Okay." She hummed contently. As much as she would hate to let her baby go, she couldn't wait to watch her two favorite people bonding.
He leaned down to kiss her and lovingly caressed the side of her face before The Mark Sloan was back in full effect. "Bikini town here she comes." He arched his eyebrows at her, making her laugh lightly. With a kiss to the top of his son's head, he went to work.
.
They were on their couch quietly relaxing. Mark was reading a medical journal and with her feet in his lap, Lexie was doing some reading for school. She may have deferred for a semester, but she damn sure wasn't going to fall behind.
Hearing a small whimper and gurgling sounds, they looked at each other with dopey grins. They were sure that in the coming years, they would kill for some quiet alone time, but right now they were too obsessed with their son. They wanted to soak up every moment with him.
"I'll get him." Mark offered, lifting her legs to get up. "Hey bud." He stooped down into the bassinet so Leif's bright blue eyes could focus on him. "Did you have a good nap?" He picked him up and held him to his chest, swaying him softly. "I think you did and I bet you're hungry now, huh?" He headed back to the couch. "Well, your Mama's right here." He was about to sit back down next to Lexie when there was a light knock on the door.
"Prefect time." He looked at the clock remembering that they had dinner plans. Lexie got herself situated and he passed the baby to her to answer the door.
"Hey baby girl." He scooped Sofia up before she could go barreling into the house towards Lexie and the baby. "Come on in. He just woke up." He told Callie and Arizona.
They walked in with grocery bags, ready to cook dinner for the new parents. They spotted Lexie on the couch looking so natural and glowing as she sat criss-cross with Leif in the crook of one of her legs.
"Hey guys." She greeted them as they dropped their loot off in the kitchen while Mark and Sofia joined her on the couch.
"Oh, look at that little face." Callie gently sat at her right to fuss over her godson. "Hi handsome."
"How are you feeling?" Arizona leaned down in front of her to get a peek at the newest member of the family and her littlest patient before sitting with Callie.
"Great. My back and hips are a little sore and tight." She told them and quickly added to hold off any admonishment. "But I'm not doing anything." She would kill to do a vinyasa flow right now, but she would do what the doctor ordered and what she knew was best. "It's not like he'd let me anyway." She turned to Mark and affectionately scratched the tired scruff on his chin. He'd been the best the last few days, getting up with her for every feeding, waiting on them hand and foot. He was such a great partner and daddy.
"My incision is fine, no pain, no infection." Mark made sure of that, checking out her stomach every morning before they even got out of bed. She finished giving the rundown to her doctors and then spoke to her fellow mothers. "I'm exhausted, but it's amazing. He's amazing." She marveled, looking down at her perfect little person in total adoration.
Every midnight half asleep feeding, crying fits and blow out diapers would be worth it for that face. She couldn't imagine life without him.
"Hey little love, you got some more company." She said when he squirmed at her voice. "I know. You have so much family that loves you to pieces."
Her father had stopped by while they were in the hospital to meet his new grandson. The day after they were discharged, Meredith and Derek visited to introduce Zola to her cousin. Lexie teased Meredith over her eyebrow-raised look at all the newborn paraphernalia in their apartment. "Are you ready for all this?" In five more months, there would be another SGMW baby in their midst.
"But this person is extra special." She said propping Leif up towards the little girl patiently waiting in Mark's lap. "Can you say hi to your sister, Sofia?"
Mark let her climb in between them, instructing her to be extra careful and she stood at Lexie's side, leaning in to get a closer look at her baby brother.
"Hi Leaf. "
They all chuckled at the three year old pronunciation.
"Close enough." Lexie said.
"Can I hug him?"
"You sure can." She dropped her leg so Sofia could lean over her lap to reach the baby better.
"Do it gently." Mark softly warned as she was getting close to Lexie's incision.
"She's fine." Lexie assured, lovingly stroking her hair.
"Hi brother." Sofia said, getting her face super close to the baby. She leaned in to give him a hug and then a kiss on the nose. Just like Lexie always gave her.
.
"You ready?" Mark asked her.
They were taking a break before making their entrance into the venue and she had to change into a more comfortable pair of flats that still matched her white sleeveless gown.
"As I'll ever be." Lexie stood up from the chair after buckling her sandals and rejoined her two favorite guys.
Graduate student, Mom, and now Wife. Could her life get any crazier? She hoped so because she was loving every second of it.
Wrapping her arms around her husband, she got on her tiptoes to give him a lush kiss, a prelude for later tonight when their baby boy was asleep. "How about you, my little love?" She said to their four month old son in between them in Mark's arms.
The original plan was for him to be with her father, away from the initial fanfare. But the youngest Mr. Sloan refused to be away from his mother any longer than it took for his parents to say "I do" in front of all their friends and family. It was just as well, the new Mrs. Grey-Sloan hated being away from her baby too. Mr. Sloan couldn't blame his son, he hated being away from her for too long himself.
Besides there was nothing traditional about their story and they wouldn't have it any other way.
.
Lexie and Mark – Mom and Dad of Leif Sloan
See, why this was my favorite chapter to write? This is part of the HEA they were totally robbed of on the show.
Let me know what you think! 😊