Bella smiled as she saw Grace sitting in the kitchen. She was reading one of Ellis' journal. "Hey. How come you're not asleep?" Bella asked.
"I'm getting reacquainted with my mother. Her journals. Derek is asleep though," Grace told her. She smiled. "You?"
Bella shook her head. "No reason. Just thinking. Derek hasn't really talked to me properly since I told him Mark and I were engaged. So I don't know what's going on there," she told her.
Grace smiled. "Give him some time. He's probably coming to terms with his little sister getting married," she said as she smiled. "Don't worry about it. It's going to be completely fine. I promise."
Bella shrugged and took a sip of coffee. She looked to her. "You doing good?"
"Yeah. I'm just not feeling the best. But I'm gonna be okay," Grace told her. She had been feeling weird lately. She just didn't know what it was down to.
Bella nodded. She knew she was worried about her best friend. But she knew Grace. And she knew she would open up to her. Or so she hoped.
****
Derek walked into the kitchen. He looked to Grace. "You know, one of the joys of cohabitation is having breakfast together," he said. He saw Bella walking in. He said nothing.
Grace shook her head. "Well I can't today. Cause Bailey paged us in early," she told him.
"Well I guess you don't have time to look at our work in a major medical journal," Derek said as he handed Grace the journal.
Her eyes widened. "They published our trial?"
Derek nodded. He smiled. "It's on the cover. 'A New Method In Treating Inoperable Malignant Gilomas. The Shepherd Method. What do you think?" He asked.
Grace shrugged. "It's a picture. A big picture of you."
"You're making a face," Derek said, looking at his girlfriend. He turned to Bella. "She's making a face," he said as Bella shrugged.
"I'm not making a face. I love that picture. I have to go," Grace said as she took Bella's hand and dragged her off.
****
Bella found Mark and smiled. "Hello handsome," she said as she kissed his lips. She saw how Lexie was looking over. "I missed you."
"Missed you too. You okay?"
Bella nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Want to slip off to an on call room? I'm horny," she said as she kissed him again.
Mark smirked and took her hand. He lead her to an on call room. "I've been thinking about you," she said as she pushed him onto the bed.
****
After they had finished having sex, they were lying in bed together. Mark was reading the medical journal. The door opened and Callie walked in.
She sat on the bed "God, I've been looking everywhere for you. I interrupted your sex didn't I?"
Mark shrugged. "You're lucky. We just finished. Plus I had an early morning palatoplasty. You see this? "The Shepherd method?" He asked as Bella slipped her shirt on.
"Yeah, yeah, very impressive. Listen, last night, Erica ..."
Mark turned to Bella. "You think they airbrushed his picture? I mean, the man does not have one damn pore," he said.
Callie rolled her eyes. She sighed. "Could you focus? I need you right now," she told them.
Mark shrugged. "All right, well, I'm a little exhausted, but if you want to watch Bella hop on and do all the work..."
"Hey. I'm not a pornstar," Bella said as she looked to him.
"No, I need to talk. Last night, Erica and I... we... we did it. Sort of...."
"Congratulations."
Bella grinned as she sat on the bed. "So you and Hahn?" She asked as she looked to her.
Callie shook her head. "No. No, no. It was not good at all. I choked. I couldn't go down there. I-I tried, but it just felt so weird and clinical, like gynie rotation. I left this morning before she got up. I couldn't even face her. What if ... what if me and Erica are ... what if ... what if we were a mistake?" She asked.
Mark got up. He slipped his shoes on. Bella and Callie looked to him. "Where are you going?" Callie asked.
Mark shook his head. "I can't talk about this," he said as he walked to the door and opened it.
Bella grinned and smiled. "Oh, come on. You love talking about this stuff. Girl on girl. It's hot," she commented as she walked over to him.
"Two girls getting nasty and loving it? That's hot. One girl talking about how much it sucked? Depressing and wrong. Just wrong," Mark told her as he walked out the room.
Bella turned to Callie. "He's probably enjoying it. Just making out he's not," she said as she followed her fiancee.
****
Bella walked over to the other residents. Alex looked to her. "The chief wants us to give George one of our interns?" He asked.
"Except for Grey. She already lost O'Malley."
Izzie rolled her eyes. "Just dump your dead weight," she said.
Cristina looked to him. "Oh, please. They're all dead weight that's why I need all four of them, not three," she said.
Lexie walked the room. Bella saw how she had a bunch of balloons and decorating stuff. "Lex... what are you doing?" She asked.
Lexie smiled. "George is filling out paperwork, getting his real live doctor wings, so I thought now would be a good time to decorate his locker," she told her.
"Give me that coffee," Cristina said as she took the coffee that Lexie had.
Grace stood there holding a copy of the magazine. "Okay. I don't even want the credit, but the clinical trial was my idea. And I had to beg him to do it, more than once. I had to beg him with sexual favours."
Izzie shrugged and spoke. "It's okay you want the credit. I would want the credit," she said.
Lexie looked over to them. "Interns. You could screw interns. I mean date. Residents could date interns, 'cause we're nonthreatening. I read this study once that said that interns hardly ever file sеxual harassment claims because we feel so weak and powerless in the hospital environment, so that's good," she said.
Bella looked to her and raised her eyebrows. "Right. Okay. Interesting facts 101 of the day," she said.
****
The residents were following Bailey. Bella frowned. "Where are we going?" She asked.
"You'll see when we get there."
"Dr. Bailey, I'm actually on Dr. Sloan's service today," Alex told her as he caught up to her.
Bailey shook her head. "Everyone's off their services. You're all with me," she said.
George had joined the group. He frowned. "Where are we going?" He asked looking around for an answer.
Bailey shook her head. "You'll see when we get there," she told him.
Lexie looked to George and smiled. "Hey, did you see your locker? I put a smelly candle in it, so now your scrubs are gonna smell like cinnamon bun," she said.
Bella and Grace shared a look with each other. "I think little grey fancies Bambi," she mumbled.
"Gosh, thanks."
"Dr. Bailey, Dr. Sloan is doing a transpalatal advancement. I've never seen one," Alex said.
Cristina nodded. Knowing she didn't want to be here. "Hahn said I could scrub in on her aortics," she said.
"Yes and I really need to get to the clinic. I've staffed it with nurses and P. A. S, but I'm the only doctor on call, and I've got administrative work to..."
Bailey turned to them which immediately shut them up. "Today is not about you. It is not about whose services you wish to be on. It's not about your career. This is about me. This is a project I've been working on for a long time, and it's very important to me, therefore it will be very important to you. And the only way we can pull this thing off is if we work together as a team, so today, you are not 15 individual doctors, you are one team of surgeons representing this hospital. Is everybody clear on that?"
Bella frowned as she looked to her. "Um, why would they need so many doctors for one surgery?" She asked in confusion.
Grace shrugged. "I don't know."
Bailey smiled. "Because it's not just one surgery," she said as they walked the clinic. "It's 12 surgeries ... 6 kidney transplants in six O.R. S, all at the same time. Paired matching kidney donation. A 6-way swap ... 6 people donate kidneys to total strangers, six people get kidneys from total strangers. 12 people walk away happy. Paired matching kidney donation. Otherwise known as dude, a domino surgery."
****
Bailey looked to them. "Stan Mercer, 46, chronic renal failure secondary to high blood pressure. His wife here wanted to donate a kidney to him, but she wasn't a match. So she will be donating her kidney to Ms. Chen over there, who is a match, while Mr. Mercer will be getting a kidney from this young man today. Mr. Mercer: Nice to meet you. P. J. uh, kurt walling, 58, chronic renal failure secondary to diabetes. His son P. J. Wasn't a match, so Mr. Walling will be getting Ms. Herman's kidney today."
Mr. Walling turned to Ms Herman. "Thanks for the kidney, Ms. Herman."
"Oh, call me lindsay. We're gonna be pretty close by the end of the day."
The two of them shake hands. Bailey smiled. "And so on and so forth."
Each of the residents looked confused. Bella had no idea what on earth was going on.
Bailey frowned as she looked to them. "Why do you still look stupid?" She asked.
Alex shrugged. "Well, maybe if we had a cheat sheet."
Lexie smiled and took a step forward. "Ms. Herman gives her kidney to Mr. Walling. Mr. Walling's son gives his kidney to Mr. Mercer. Mr. Mercer's wife gives her kidney to ms. Chen. Ms. Chen's sister gives her kidney to Mr. Patel. Mr. Patel's wife gives her kidney to ms. Loring, who came in with her cousin, ms. Gomez, who's giving her kidney to Mr. Cross, the professional flautist," she told them all.
Bailey nodded. "For those of you without a photographic memory, it's up on a board in the conference room."
Bella looked to Bailey. "And why do we have to do all of the transplants at one time?" She asked.
Grace smiled. "So no one backs out at the last minute," she said.
"Why would anybody back out? It's such an incredible thing to be a part of," Lexie said standing by her sister.
Cristina shrugged and spoke. "Well, passing the organ's kinda creepy. I'd back out."
Bailey nodded. "Yeah, yeah, that's why this whole surgery is a giant house of cards. If we lose one donor, we lose them all. So you will not only provide excellent medical care, but you will keep your patients happy. We need to make sure this whole thing doesn't fall apart before the surgery. Any questions?" She asked.
Cristina nodded and raised her hand. "Um, I heard when they did a domino at boston gen, the residents all got to keep one of the dead kidneys in a jar aa souvenir," she said.
"I want a kidney in a jar."
Meredith nodded. She smiled as she got a glimpse of James. "Me, too, can I have a kidney?" She asked
"Well, if they get kidneys, I get a kidney."
"Quantities are limited. I asked first. Can we?" Cristina asked. She saw how Bella rolled her eyes. "You take Sloan's penis home with you."
"Yes I do. And it does a whole lot more than float in a jar," Bella said.
Bailey shook her head. "No one is taking home a kidney in a jar. Diseased kidneys are not tchotchkes for your coffee table. Now go. Go."
****
Derek walked over to Grace and kissed her lips. "The chief has got me doing press all day with journalists. My face is starting to hurt from smiling," he said as he pushed the button to the elevator.
Grace rolled her eyes and sighed. "I already pushed that," she told him.
Derek smiled. "It comes faster when I push it. You come faster when I push it," he said as he winked.
"Oh, must be that Shepherd method."
"Funny."
Grace nodded and rolled her eyes. "I think I'll take the stairs," she said as she turned to walk off.
Derek frowned. He looked to her. "Grace, are you bothered by this?" He asked.
Grace turned back to him and fake smiled. "Why would I be bothered? You can't call it the Shepherd-Grey method because then people would think you had help," she said as she walked off.
****
Derek was talking with Mark. He sighed. "She's barely a second-year resident. I made the virus," he told her.
"She assisted. When Michael Jordan scores, no one cares about the assist. Mark: I don't know. Scottie Pippen..."
"You know what I mean."
Mark shrugged and sighed. "These women, they overthink everything," he said as he looked to him.
Derek looked to his friend. "Somebody's cranky today. What is that? "Experimental treatments for cleft palates. You're working on your own clinical trial, aren't you?" He asked.
Mark shook his head. "I'm ... I'm just... I'm doing a little research."
Derek smirked. "See, the very sight of me reminds you that you've not made one worthwhile contribution to medical history, doesn't it?" He said.
"Get out."
Derek laughed as he went to leave. "You should read my article. It will enrich your life, make you a better man!"
"I'm saving it for the bathroom!" Mark called after him.
****
Callie walked into the attendings lounge. She saw Mark. "Apparently, Erica loved it, the non-sex sex. I think she might want more," she said.
Mark shrugged. "Happens to me all the time with Bella. I barely remember it, her mind is blown," he said.
Callie rolled her eyes. "That's your sage advice?" She asked as she looked to him.
Mark rolled his eyes. "I'm a world-class surgeon, double boarded in plastics and E. N. T. I have more meaningful and worthwhile things to do than dispense sex advice," he told her.
"Yeah, like what?"
Mark scoffed. He was annoyed with how people thought of him as nothing more than a man whore. "Nice," he said as he stood and walked off.
"Oh, come on. No, Mark, I need your help!" Callie called.
****
Bella saw Mark and frowned. She walked over to him. "What's wrong? You've got a face like a smacked ass," she said. She took his hand. "Babe. What's up?"
Mark pulled her close and sighed. "Crap day."
Bella smiled and kissed him. "Want me to come over tonight? I can bring takeout and we can watch a movie?" She asked.
Mark nodded. He held her close and sighed. "Thanks baby."
****
Grace walked into the cafeteria. She frowned. "Excuse me. What is going on?" She asked.
Lexie turned to her sister. "Trying to decide which of our interns to give to George in front of us. They're deciding in front of us, like livestock at a state fair," she mumbled.
Bella grinned. "I think I'll keep lexopedia. She remembers many things. Things I'm too lazy to remember sometimes," she said.
"And she bathes, which is much more than I can say for ... stinky two over there. You smell," Cristina said.
"Well, graciella charts like crap. But she can put in a line. Claire, on the other hand, nearly castrated a guy with a catheter," Izzie said as she looked to the other residents.
"We can hear you."
"I might dump pierce."
"Ooh, how does he suck?"
Alex shook his head "I just hate saying the name pierce," he said with a shrug.
Lexie turned to her friends. "We should revolt. They'd respect us more if we didn't participate in our own humiliation," she mumbled to them.
Graciella nodded. "Yeah. You revolt first, and I'll follow," she said as she turned to her.
Grace turned to Bella. "Hey, have you heard from U. N. O. S. Yet?" She asked.
Bella shook her head. "They're still searching for a match. But so far, nothing," she said as she took a bite of her salad
Izzie nodded. "I hope they come through. My guy really needs a kidney."
Bella rolled her eyes and sighed. "Yeah, they all need kidneys, Izzie."
Grace shrugged. "If Derek needed a kidney, I wouldn't give him one. He'd take the credit. He'd say he magically grew it himself," she said.
"My guy's been sick for 15 years. Can you imagine having your life on hold like that? Plus, he's got such a crappy kid."
Steve, the intern put his tray down. "Hey! Did I say you could put that down? No, so pick it up. Weak. No stamina," Cristina said.
Alex shrugged. "Yeah, but he takes orders."
"True. True."
****
Derek walked over to his girlfriend. He sighed. "i am not gonna do this with you," he said as he looked to her.
"Do what?" Grace asked in confusion. She was annoyed at how Derek hadn't mentioned her.
Derek looked to her. "Have this silent fight. I'm gonna write the editors and have them print a correction ... the Shepherd-Grey method."
Grace rolled her eyes. "I don't want you to give me credit because you're mad that I'm mad. I want you to give me credit because you think I worked hard for it and I deserve it," she told him.
Derek smiled. "You don't deserve it. You're a baby. You have the potential to be a good surgeon, maybe a great one. But you haven't even scratched the surface on what you need to learn," he said as he took her hand.
Grace shook her head. "It was my idea and I hate that picture," she said as she walked off.
****
Bailey walked over to the residents. "What are you people doing?" She asked.
Izzie smiled. "We were just, uh, just deciding which of our interns to give to George," she told her.
Bailey rolled her eyes. "Oh, you think I got to choose my interns, and I picked you people 'cause you're all such a surgical dream team? You ... you're lazy. You're whiny. Butterfingers overhere is downright depressing, and you, Yang, you ... you're just annoying. Shepherd is a lovesick fool. And Grace over there is more and hot and cold then I've had hot dinners," she said.
Webber took the cards from them. "Choosing their own interns... what are... what... give me those damn cards. O'Malley ... you have interns," he said as he walked off.
****
Bella walked into the hotel. Mark was there in bed. Bella walked over to him and smiled. "Derek told me you were looking into your own trial. Are you okay?" She asked.
"I'm fine baby. I've got the Sloan method," Mark told her as he pulled her onto the bed.
Bella grinned. "The Sloan method?" She asked as she felt him pulling her jeans off. "How about you show me the Sloan Method," she said.
"Happily."
"I want to lose myself in you," Bella said as her eyes never left his as he pulled her beneath him.
Mark smiled. "I'm pretty sure it's me who loses myself in you," he said.
Mark smiled, lowering himself enough to kiss her, while still allowing space between them for her hand to continue to stroke him.
"I love you," Bella panted when his lips moved to her neck and hand cupped her breast, thumb grazing her nipple.
His mouth engulfed the other, tongue swirling her hardened nub as the hand previously on her breast trailed lower, slipping between her legs, dipping into her warmth.
Bella's breathing became heavy, her free hand gripping into his hair when his fingers moved to tease her clit.
"I need you..." She groaned, tugging his lips back to hers as her back arched and hips bucked against his fingers. "Please." The plea sounded strained as her body worked against her.
Mark settled himself between her legs, removing her hand from him as he lined up with her entrance.
Both of her hands were either in his hair or on his cheek, keeping his mouth close to hers as he eased in. Her breath hitched as he bottomed out and his body pressed flush against hers.
"I could stay like this forever," He purred, pulling back just enough to look at her.
"It's almost a shame we can't," Bella said as she kissed him. .
Mark smirked, his hand cupping her cheek as he pulled out leaving just his tip, then thrust back into her.
"This is somehow better though..." She moaned, pulling his lips back to hers while ignoring the smug smile spreading across his face.
He continued to push into her, taking his time as they had all day. It may have been a Wednesday evening, and he was tired. But he wanted to make Bella feel special. He knew how Derek had barely been talking to her.
"Fuck..." Bella groaned as his pace picked up, her hips grinding against his.
Her head was the first to arch back, then her body as her hips stilled against his, she could feel every inch of him moving inside her as she tightened around him.
Mark grunted against her neck, holding back as long as he could before giving into his own release, his full weight coming to rest on top of her.
"I love you too," he said. He panted against her neck.
"I know," said as she smiled running her hand through his hair. She looked to him. "You don't have to publish in a journal to prove you're something. You're everything to me. And the babies we are no doubt going to have, you'll be their everything too."
Mark looked to her. "You want kids?"
"With you. Yes."
****
"I can't believe you got me a kidney in a jar. It's so cool," Grace said as she got off of Derek.
Derek smiled. "I called you a baby. And I shouldn't have. I'm sorry," he said kissing her lips.
"I am a baby. I've got a lot to learn. But as long as I have you, I'll be even more popular than the Shepherd Method," Grace said as she kissed him again.
****
Mark was watching as Bella slept. He was shocked he had said she wanted kids with him. He wanted nothing more than to have a family with her.
But he had no idea how it was about to go wrong between them.