Wounded Ego and Father's pride (Karev/Lex/Mark)

[Dr. Alex Karev]

((The post is for all three of us. Mark if you want to join you can join. I figure that this would be fun with the three of us. It can go in a lot more directions))

Karev had been working all day and didn't stop for lunch. He knew that if he stopped his mind would wander to what Lexie had told him. What would he do if the kid was his? He sighed, knowing exactly what he would do. He would man up and take care of his family like he had before. He worked hard and fast, getting through rounds, charts and a few surgeries, though nothing very major. He stopped up in the NICU to check on a baby that had been delivered early yesterday on his watch. He took the small boy out of the incubator, pulled off his shirt and settled him against his chest as he sat down in a rocking chair. He sighed and closed his eyes, keeping the boy warm wit his body heat. He sat there for a couple hours, again his thoughts being taken over by what Lexie had said. He rocked slowly before stood and put the little boy back in the incubator.

He pulled out his cell phone and text Lexie 'Drinks at Joe's? He hit send and walked to the changing room. He pulled off his scrubs and threw on jeans and a hoodie and jacket. He left the hospital and went over to Joe's and sat down up at the bar.

'What can I get you Karev?' Joe asked as he wiped down the bar.

"Uhm...can I get a...Jager bomb?" he asked as he nodded a bit. "And a beer." he smiled a bit. Joe said it looked like he was having a bad day and Karev just laughed a bit. "Yeah..don't ask." he mumbled as he downed his scotch and then sipped his beer. He sat and waited, wondering if Lexie would even show.

[Dr. Mark Sloan]

Mark tipped his single malt scotch on the rocks down his throat with practiced ease, not even bothering to make a face as the liquid burned its way down his mouth and into his stomach. Realistically, he knew he shouldn't be there, alcohol always lead to bad things after all, like the incident with Annie, but the news had been just a little too much. He waved to Joe, asking for another, which would total up to four, not enough to make him drunk, but definitely enough to loosen him up a bit.

He couldn't help but scowl as Karev sat down next to him at the bar, apparently unaware of Mark's presence. He wanted to beat up the guy, punch him in the face and be done with it, but he wasn't going to go there. Not this time, and he knew it was mostly because he felt guilty. Alex had been there for Lexie when he had pushed her away. And Mark certainly did not condone the relationship, but he was glad that Lexie had someone, even if it wasn't him.

And then there was the baby. The little child growing in Lexie's womb, that could either belong to Alex, or him. Mark didn't know Alex, didn't know what kind of man he was, so Mark had made a mental promise to himself. It didn't matter if the baby was his or Alex's. If Lexie needed help, Mark Sloan was going to help her.

“Same bad news?” He asked Alex casually, tipping his scotch towards the younger man. It was so much more likely to be Alex's. Mark and Lexie had always been sure to be safe, because this was exactly the circumstance that they didn't want, and it had been a long time since they had shared a kiss, much less a bed.

[Dr. Alex Karev]

Alex plunked the shot glass into the beer mug with Red Bull and chugged it fast. He put the mug back on the bar top and let out a hiss through his teeth as the fizz from the drink cleared his sinuses and the Jager warmed his stomach. He grabbed his beer and took a sip from it. He looked at the bar, his eyes looking at all the different colored glasses of alcohol. When he heard Mark's voice he felt distaste sink into his muscles. He sighed and turned his head to the older man. "What?" he asked. "Bad news?" he asked as his brows pushed close. "I don't remember getting any bad news." he told him with a shrug.

"I do remember Lexie coming up to me and telling me she was pregnant." he sipped his beer again. "Whatever your definition of bad is, isn't mine, dude." he mumbled. When that comment left his mouth he half lied. The news wasn't exactly bad, it was unexpected and it was something Karev didn't see in the cards for him for a long while. And before when he saw children he imagined them with Izzie, not that Lexie wasn't great, but he was sure when she pictured kids it wasn't with him either. He sighed and lifted the mug to his lips and swallowed a mouthful of beer. "So she told you huh.." he mumbled. What he said wasnt a question, but statement. "Did she tell you it could be either of ours?" he asked a she pushed his brows together and lifted them up. "What are you gonna do if it's yours?" he asked.

[Dr. Mark Sloan]

“That's the part I meant,” Mark explained, “that it could be either of ours.” He swallowed the shot and sniffed before setting the glass back down on the hard wood of the bar. He didn't really want to be talking to Alex of all people about the situation with Lexie. He had wanted children with Lexie, in the back of his mind, he had assumed that she would be the one he settled down with, had children with, was happy with.

“If the child's mine, I'll do what I have to do,” Mark shrugged, like there really wasn't another option, which to him, there wasn't. “Potty training, parent teacher conferences and college funds.” He added, not really as clarification, more so a reminder. Whether the reminder was to himself or to Alex, he wasn't quite sure.

“She's not going to be able to do this alone, but that child shouldn't have to deal with any resentment. If you don't want to stick around- if its yours, I'll take care of them. I know you are still in love with Stevens,” Mark offered, his voice calm, soft and collected. He wasn't accusing, wasn't threatening, for once in his life, Mark was actually thinking about someone other than himself.

He turned away from Alex, not bothering to gauge facial reactions. He was a little too far gone on alcohol to gauge accurately anyways, and he waved to Joe for another, placing his keys on the bar preemptively. He knew the routine, Mark had gotten sloshed at Joe's many times before.

[Dr. Lexie Grey]

Lexie had finally let the secret out of the bag that was eating her up in side. She knew it was the right thing to do but it made her feel terrible. She knew it was better than holding it in she knew that it would have come out sooner or later. She was now going to have to go to her OBGYN and then she would know what to do next. She was finally going to get everything checked out and see when her conception date was and give her some answers of what she was going to need to do. Since she talked to Alex and Mark she realized she had more support than she thought.

Both Mark and Alex had said that she wasn’t going to be doing this thing alone and that’s what made her feel better. Of course talk is just that and she wasn’t sure if they would stand by her through all the doctor appointments and the 18 years that preceded the actual birth. She knew of so many single mothers who struggle to give their child everything they needed. There was nothing written in stone that they actually were going to help and support her emotionally and physically. Lexie made her way to her OBGYN into the waiting room she made her way to the receptionist area and signed her name on the sign in sheet.

She waited for fifteen minutes till the nurse said her name and escorted her to the exam room. She asked her to disrobe from the waist down and gave her a sheet to cover the exposed area. The nurse told her the doctor would be in shortly and just to relax. It was easier said than done she was making herself dizzy with all her thoughts. She had to remind herself to just be calm that it was going to be okay even though she really didn’t believe it. She didn’t like being on the other side of being a patient but it made for better understanding.

Her OBGYN finally entered the exam room and did the routine check and confirmed she was pregnant. Of course she was she thought even though taking several pregnancy test and them all being positive she still thought there was a chance that they were defective. She was able to tell how far along she was by the sonogram. When she did it and seen the tiny little embryo and heard the heartbeat make it so real and tears started to form. She felt differently than when she came and she had a little more to think about.

When the doctor was giving her some prenatal vitamins she felt her cell phone go off. She seen it was a text from Alex to meet at Joes she text him back agreeing to meet him there. “I’ll be there I’m finishing up at my OBGYN” she texted back. She now had answers for them and she didn’t know how they were going to take it. She grabbed everything that the doctor gave her and she made her way to Joe’s. She prepared herself what she was going to tell Alex when she got there she finally made her way to the bar and stood at the door for a second longer before she entered.

Lexie entered the bar and looked to see where Alex would be. She noticed him already at the bar having a drink. She then noticed Mark right next to him her jaw felt like it physically dropped. She didn’t expect Mark to be there but it was better off this way. She didn’t expect this but she didn’t expect anything that was going on this past couple of months. She made her way to the bar and greeted them both “I’m glad your both here.” She said simply trying to keep things calm. She just wanted to not have any more drama go on tonight and hoped they would remain civil."How are you both?" She asked

[Dr. Alex Karev]

Alex looked at Mark as he spoke to him and he rolled his eyes and took another mouthful of his beer. He swallowed it and put the mug on the door and looked at him again. "Dude...Izzie left. I got over it so stop bringin it up." he said to him. "If the kids mine I'm gonna be there for it you don't have to offer your superior fathering skills." he said, his voice dripping with venom. He shook his head and sipped his beer, his mind moving fast. He knew that he would be there for the kid. When crazy Rebecca came to him saying she was pregnant with his kid he was scared and was no where near ready for it. When he saw that little baby on the surgery table with his heart beating out of his chest his heart changed in the blink of an eye. Any kid that was his he would never leave. He had grown up fatherless and basically motherless and he would never let his kid end up like that.

He sat on his bar stool and sipped his beer. "If the kid is yours..you're more than welcome to step in and be daddy." he said. "I won't stand in your way. I know you want this with her more than you have with anyone else, and the fact that I can't say that isn't going to make me any less of a father." he told him. "If you were in my position, dude, you would be punching out any other guy who was acting high and mighty and basically flippin you off like you're doin to me. I'm a good guy and I'm going to be a damn good father if the kid is mine." he told him, his voice rising a bit. He heard Lexie and he turned to look at her on his chair. "Hey." he said to her. "So..." he trailed off. "What did the OB say?" he asked as he folded his arms across his chest. "Who's is it?"

[Dr. Lexie Grey]

Lexie could tell that she had came just in time before an altercation escalated into something more. She could see them having a fall out right here in the bar and that would just be bad. She could tell what was on their minds and she thought that she needed to just come out and say it. There was no way she could ease this in to the night. She had to tell them something because it was something she thought that needed to be said. With everything that’s been going on she wouldn’t have been able to do it alone and she appreciated their support.

“First off I want to thank you both for being so supportive and making this difficult citation a little more bearable.”

She said simply as she was trying to bring up the courage to just let them know. Lexie was pregnant there was no denying it now she now had to tell the father of her child that he was going to be a dad. It wasn’t easy for her to come up with the words but they knew that it could be one of them. That made the next part a little easier but not much. The shock factor may have already set in for the two men but this was going to make it real. Their life was about to change in the moment she knew that was going to be unforgettable.

“Im..8 weeks pregnant.”

She said simply as if it rolled off her tongue maybe trying to reconfirm herself. It was a little late to find out about being pregnant but the signs and symptoms she had were not all that apparent. She had been through so much in the past couple of months that she thought it was stress. She did have little morning sickness but she thought that it was something she ate. She didn’t gain any weight and she always had a little irregular period so when she had little spotting she thought it was her period. She didn’t think she was pregnant.

“Mark..the baby is yours.”

She said matter of factly. The moment she found out how far along she was the moment she realized how she came into this situation. That week she conceived was the week she had to change her birth control because of recall on the one she had used. It must have completely crossed her mind when the night Mark and Lexie had a night of passion when Sloan was out for the night. She must have been caught up in the moment and didn’t realize that the birth control wasn’t 100% effective because her body didn’t take the month needed for it to completely work.

[Dr. Mark Sloan]

Mark could have sworn that his breath caught in his throat when Lexie finally filled them in on the situation, and he wasn't sure how to react. He was excited, and he was scared. He was happy, but they were at a weird junction in their relationship and he wasn't sure how to handle it. He didn't know what she wanted. Had Lexie wanted Alex to be the father, was she going to keep it?

This is what he had wanted, a family with Lexie, to be an expecting father. But he hadn't wanted this situation. Mark hadn't wanted to wonder whether the baby was his or not. He certainly hadn't wanted Lexie to be sleeping with another guy. He hadn't wanted them to be broken up at the time. So instead of jumping for joy, he asked, “you were on birth control, we were careful, how?” He asked, genuinely curious. He wasn't accusing, just inquiring.

He backhandedly waved to Joe for another scotch, knowing that he'd need it before the night was over. He didn't want to think about how Alex was taking this. The situation was incredibly awkward, and Mark had never really been good at awkward situations. He glanced at Karev, a smug sort of smirk unconsciously appearing on his face as he silently gloated that the child was his, not Alex's.

And silently he began to calculate. Mentally going through the math, how much he should set aside for his future child's college fund, if they could fit a baby into his apartment, of whether he should purchase a house. He made a mental note to talk to Callie about a baby shower and considered how they'd arrange babysitting. But he had to remind himself. This didn't mean they were getting back together.

[Dr. Alex Karev]

Karev sat there and listened to Lexie tell him the kid wasn't his. He mentally let himself relax for a moment before he looked at her again. "Whatever." he said with a shrug. He was relieved and a little upset. Him being a father wouldn't have been the worse thing in the world. He ordered a scotch and swallowed it down, shaking his head a bit as the warmth hit his stomach. He chugged down the rest of his beer. When he caught Mar's smug look he clenched his fist, white hot anger shooting up his spine and through his veins. He pulled his arm back and the muscle in his jaw jumped a few times. He threw his fist forward and connected with Mark's cheek. He swung the punch and continued with the follow through, his whole body twisting. "Wipe that smug look off your face jackass."

He got down off his barstool and swung again, hitting Mark's jaw. He grunted as the aftershock of it ran up his forearm. He shook his hand a bit, pulled out his wallet and slapped down a ten. He turned to Lexie, "We were fooling around for longer than eight weeks." he said as he clenched his teeth. He turned and headed for the doors. He pushed them open and walked out of the bar, his temper flying, him on edge. He clenched his fists again a few times and shook it as it started to bruise.

[Dr. Lexie Grey]

“I know, I..I had to change birth control because of a recall and I guess it didn’t fully take effect.”

She said that was her only logical explanation she really didn’t know how this happened but it did and part of her wasn’t sure how she was going to handle everything. She wasn’t sure how to react to the fact that Mark was the father of her baby. She knew that he had always wanted this more than anything but there was so many underlining factors. Like the fact that within the two months they had grown apart and she fell for Alex. This was something that she knew wasn’t going to be a normal reaction because it wasn’t a normal situation.

“I don’t know what else to say..”

She said simply knowing that there wasn’t more that she could say that would ease any of their minds. She hoped that now everything was handled that she could now figure out what she needed to do next. Would she keep the baby? The idea of being a mother was starting to grow on her but there was still her career she was worried about and the sacrifices she was going to have to make. There was a lot to parenting it was the most important thing Lexie would do in her life and she wasn’t even close to being prepared.

“Alex…”

She said her heart sinking feeling terrible as he stormed out of the bar part of her wanted to go after him and talk to him. She needed to be with Mark though telling him she knew she needed to make sure he was okay. She could handle things with Alex later on but right now she knew that could wait. Mark and Alex were both to the point of being drunk and she hoped that this would be the climax to their evening seeing as Alex was getting heated. She never meant to hurt him she honestly didn’t that’s why she ended things.

She knew that he would always love Izzie and she couldn’t compete with that. She knew that feelings she had for Alex was more than he had for her. She let herself be fooled by telling herself that he was able to get over Izzie but the moment when he was dying his basic dying wish was that Izzie Stevens wouldn’t leave. She knew that moment that she couldn’t fool herself any longer and that the relationship was pretty much over. Lexie sighed still looking at the door but then bringing herself back to Mark.Are you okay?” She asked simply wanted to know how he was handling things

[Dr. Mark Sloan]

Mark couldn't help but let out a chuckle as he rubbed his jaw. It was going to bruise, but from what he could tell, it wasn't broken. It was a powerful punch, but the one from Derek when he first arrived at Seattle Grace? That one had been much worse. Especially because he had actually deserved the punch from Derek.

“I'm fine, Lexie,” he smiled, patting the bar stool next to him where Alex had been sitting, encouraging her to take the spot. “There's a lot we have to talk about now, I guess,” He sighed slightly, unsure of how to lead all the questions that were floating around his head. Most of the time he could control his ADD, but it wasn't working right now.

He tossed back the shot, and put the glass back down on the counter. His mind was still reeling. The baby was his, not Alex's. He was going to be a father, a real father this time, not like with Sloane. He'd be able to play catch, go to parent teacher conferences, read bed time stories. He was excited, giddy with enthusiasm. He just had to make sure that she was going to keep it.

[Dr. Lexie Grey]

Lexie smiled as he said he was okay she was glad she couldn’t believe Alex went off like that she just hoped that he was okay and was able to sober up. She sat down next to Mark she didn’t expect the day to trun out the way it did but it did. Now they had a lot of things to discuss and she hoped that they could both come to an understanding on how they would go about everything. Lexie felt a little more at ease now that she knew who the father was and that everything seemed to be going well. She just now needed to figure out the rest.

“Your right we do. Where do you want to start?”

She asked simply she knew his mind was probably going a mile a minute just like hers. She wanted to know what questions he had for her she knew there had to be a billion of them. She wanted to make sure he was able to get his concerns out of the way so they could help each other out on this wild journey that both of them didn’t expect. She thought it was wild how the reason she left him was now the reason they were able to mend things. She hoped that things would continue to be calm and little drama surrounded her.

[Dr. Mark Sloan]

Mark huffed softly, absentmindedly rubbing his sore jaw. It was crazy, he thought to himself, that the reason they had broken up was now the reason they were talking again. “You're going to keep it, right?” he asked quietly, getting that concern out of the way first and foremost. He asked mostly out of respect, though if she said no, he'd fight her tooth and nail to make sure she had it, even if she handed it over to him in the end.

He had already had one baby pried from his arms, and Mark had absolutely no intention of letting another one get by him. True the other child had been his grandbaby, not his child, but it was in effect, the same thing. Mark glanced over at Lexie, doubt clouded his face. This wasn't going to be easy, not for either of them.

And while Mark knew he could step up and be a good guy, he couldn't help but doubt his ability to be a father. His own parents had been horrible to him, and he couldn't help but think that good parenting had to be genetic. He wanted this, so badly, but he wasn't sure he was cut out for it. He'd try, damn hard, to be a good father, but still...

[Dr. Lexie Grey]

She knew that the first question that would come out of her mouth was if she was going to keep the baby. It was a very logical question because up to today she really was sure what she was going to do and now that things seemed to have settled and she was more at ease with things she had an answer. She just wasn’t sure if how he was going to react to it she hoped he was going to be supportive and understanding because she wasn’t able to do it on her own. The mere thought sent her into panic attack.

“I have thought about all my options adoption, abortion, and keeping the baby. I really didn’t know what I was going to do until today and when I heard the heart beat I knew without a doubt in my mind that I want to keep our baby.” She said with a smile “I hope your okay with this.” She said trying to make him feel a part of the process as much as possible. She knew he wanted to be a father and although she was scared and feeling every kind of emotion she somehow had a feeling that things would be okay. No matter what happened she knew that there would be a chance for happiness.

Lexie had hoped that she could meet this challenge of being a new mom head on and that it would come naturally for her. She had fears that she wouldn’t be able to do it. Now that he mother wasn’t able to guide her and give her helpful wisdom she was going to have to go through the motion. She knew that there were things that a book wouldn’t tell you that with repetition and learning from experience is the only way to know. Like the first time her baby gets sick or the first time the child falls and has a scratch she a doctor knew what to do but as a mother she would have to get herself together just to be able to care for her child.

[Dr. Mark Sloan]

Mark nodded, satisfied that she had decided to keep the baby on her own. Not having to fight her about it was quite a relief. He turned the face her on the stool, these next questions? He was completely serious, and quite unsure as to how he was able to retain his composure so well, after all the alcohol he had put into his system. “If we're never married, I have no legal right to the child. Would we share custody? Would you consider moving back in and us both maintaining custody?” He left the one question hanging, he wouldn't ask, not now, not yet.

Mark wanted a family, and that did of course require children, but it also required a wife. He didn't want to be one of those families, who fight over where the kids are going to spend Christmas and Thanksgiving. He wanted it all wrapped up nice a neatly, in a big house with a white fence and a wife and children. But he couldn't ask Lexie to marry him. Maybe, maybe if they got to a better point. Children had been what was keeping them apart, and now that issue had been resolved, so Mark held a little hope. “And will you let me go to the doctors appointments? All of them?”

He didn't want to be left out of the loop. Lexie had already gotten to hear the heartbeat, and he didn't want to miss anything. Mark wanted Lexie to move in, so that he wouldn't miss the little things, like the baby kicking. He wanted to be able to decorate a nursery with Lexie, he wanted to be able to talk to the little thing, because maybe baby could hear him. He wanted this, and now that he had a chance to have it, he wasn't going to let Lexie take it away.