Bella groaned as she woke in bed. Her head had been a mess since Sloan had turned up and told them she was pregnant.
It wasn't that Bella was against the whole Mark being a father. She just didn't want Mark to get hurt.
Bella looked to see Mark as he had his head rested on his hand. He was looking down at her. "Why are you looking at me?" She asked.
"I need something from you," Mark said. He smirked when Bella straddled him. "Well that too. But I need you to give Sloan an ultrasound today. It's been almost three weeks."
Bella frowned as she looked down at him. She was sitting on his crotch. "Can't someone from OB do it?" She asked as she rocked her hips against his.
Mark moaned. "She likes you. Everyone does. But us Sloan's. We especially like you," he told her.
The kiss between them got more heated and passionate. Mark ran his hands up her shirt and rested them on her hips.
But before it go any further, the door opened and Sloan burst in.
"Hey do you have any more... oh! Ew ew!"
Mark all but threw Bella back onto the bed. She groaned as Mark got out of bed and went after Sloan.
She rolled her eyes. "There's a door for a reason," she mumbled. She climbed out of bed and grabbed a shirt from off the floor.
"There's no more cereal," Sloan said as she looked to her father.
"I'll pick some up this afternoon," Mark told her as he kissed Bella's lips. "I'll make that up to you."
"Don't worry about it."
Bella watched as Mark walked over to Sloan. "Ellie is gonna give you an ultrasound today," he said. He took out his wallet and handed her some money. "Why don't you get some breakfast at the hospital?"
"It's gonna be more."
Bella inwardly scoffed. She felt as though Sloan was taking advantage of Mark. But didn't want to say anything about it. Knowing it wasn't her place.
"Need some lunch too?" Mark asked. His gaze was on Bella as he saw how annoyed she was. "You okay doll?"
"Yeah. I'm fine. I'm going to go and head to work. I'll see you later," Bella said as she walked into the bedroom and got dressed.
****
Grace smiled as she saw Bella walking towards her. "Wow. You woke up annoyed... what happened? Also, do you think you could tell Sloan to knock before she walks into the apartment. Owen almost gave her a show,"
"Sloan. She's pregnant right? Well I think she's taking advantage of Mark. And she walked in just as we were about to have sex. And then he literally throws me on the bed and goes after her," Bella mumbled.
Grace nodded. "So Sloan Sloan is ruining your sex life with daddy Sloan?" She asked.
"Basically. And then he gives her at least 80 bucks for breakfast and lunch. Like it's going to cost that much," Bella said. She sighed. "I'm being totally immature about this. I can't even make a comment."
Grace smiled. "See. That's where you're wrong. You and Mark have something special. You've been through so much together. And you've overcome all the odds."
Bella sighed and shrugged. "I'm not one to judge someone for being a parent. Especially as my dad is dead and my mom is lovely. But I just don't know what to do," she said as she took a sip of the coffee she bought.
"80 bucks for a sandwich? Wow."
Bella nodded. "I bet she won't even buy any food. And then I'll feel guilty and give her my chicken salad. Which I am actually quite excited for," she told her.
"Talk to Mark. Tell him."
"I can't. Things are okay with us. And I don't wanna rock the boat," Bella said.
Grace stood there and watched as Bella walked off. She knew how Bella and Mark were good together. She didn't want either of them getting hurt.
****
Bella was in the ultrasound room with Sloan. The teenager looked to her. "Hey. Erm. Do you have any cash? I lost the headset to my phone," Sloan said.
Bella sighed. "You could try and hold the phone to your ear? That's a suggestion," she said as she applied the gel onto her stomach.
Sloan rolled her eyes. "Your sister and her girlfriend were the ones who was bitching that I was on the phone too late. If I had a headset, I wouldn't be so loud," she said.
Bella scoffed. "Well if you had your own apartment, you'd be able to make as much noise as you want. But we're all making a compromise here."
Bella began the ultrasound. Sloan looked to the screen. "There's your baby's head," she said as she looked to her.
"It looks like an alien."
"Cute though."
Sloan was looking at the screen. "Is it a girl alien? Or a boy alien?" She asked.
Bella however wasn't listening. She was too busy focused on the screen. "It's not that hard. Does it have a thing or not?" She asked again.
Bella smiled. "I'm not looking at the sex right now. You know what? Why don't we go up to OB. They have better machines up there. We can get someone better than me to take a look at the baby."
Bella turned from Sloan and felt a tear. She knew she was only a resident. But she wanted to go into OB.
She was on the understanding that there were amniotic bands around the baby's legs. But she hoped she was wrong.
****
Mark walked towards Bella. She turned to him. "Hey. I think-."
"You told Sloan you think she's an inconvenience?" Mark asked as he stopped in front of her.
Bella blinked a couple of times. "What? No. Why would I?"
Mark looked to her. "She told me you weren't happy about her late night phone calls. She's my daughter."
Bella rolled her eyes. "I don't know who the hell you think you're talking to. But it's not me. And if you listen, I didn't say anything. I just told her that if she held her phone to her ear, she wouldn't need a headset."
"Is that why she told me you wouldn't even be in a room with her? You're making her uncomfortable Bella," Mark told her.
"Oh. And you just assume I never said I didn't want to be in the room with her!"
"Then why did you page me up here to chaperone the ultrasound?" Mark asked.
Bella sighed. "Because... I'm 99% certain that I saw an amniotic band around the baby's leg," she mumbled.
Mark walked into the room. Bella behind him. He gently took her hand as they looked to the screen. "See. Right there. On the left thigh."
"And on his other ankle too."
"Wait? It's a boy?" Sloan asked, feeling excited at the thought of having a son.
Bella closed her eyes and sighed. "I hadn't got round to telling her the sex yet. But yeah. You're having a baby boy," she told her.
"There's a lot of swelling on the right foot. It's very constricted," the OB said.
Sloan turned to look at Bella. She was confused and scared. "What... what does she mean?" She asked.
Bella sighed. She took a deep breath. "The baby has strands of amniotic tissue wrapped around his legs," she told the scared young girl.
"They're called amniotic bands," Mark said as he looked to his daughter.
Bella took her hand. She smiled. "There's a danger of them compromising his limbs," she told her.
"That's the worse case scenario." The OB said.
Sloan's face dropping once she realized the woman was serious. "He's gonna have stumps?" She asked. She was scared.
"We don't know what we're dealing with yet. But whatever it is, we're gonna take care of it," Mark nodded at his daughter.
"I can't have a stumpy baby! Can you fix it?"
"Hum, I don't know..." The OB told her, unsure of how to proceed.
At that, Mark snapped, making Helena wince at the tone he was using. "You know what? I have an idea. How about we don't answer any patient questions with the phrase. 'Hum, I don't know*?"
She focused back on Sloan, giving her hand a squeeze. "We're gonna fix it. Let's get a fetal MRI," Bella said. She looked to Mark. "You need to calm down. She needs a father right now."
"I'm not sure that..."
Mark turned to the OB. "I wasn't talking to you. You're done," he spat. He turned back to Sloan. "I'm going to get someone."
****
Addison arrived at the hospital. She smiled as she saw Mark. "Hello grandpa," she said as she looked to him.
"You're not funny."
Addison looked around. "Where's Bella?" She asked, looking for the girl who Mark was in love with.
Mark shrugged and sighed. "Off with Grace no doubt," he said as he took Addison off to where Sloan was.
Addison was worried about how Bella was feeling with all of this. She knew it couldn't have been easy for her.
****
Grace and Meredith walked over to Bella. Grace looked to her. "I hear Addison is coming to town. Are you okay?" She asked.
Bella nodded. "I have to be. Mark is doing what's best for his daughter. That's what I love about him. He always wants to do what's right. But I know he and Addison had something in the past. And I don't know how I feel about it."
Grace smiled. She looked to her best friend. "Listen to me. Mark loves you Bella. You're the one who makes him smile. He wouldn't risk all of that with anyone. Not even with your mom. Not when he loves you," she told her.
Bella just had to hope that Grace was right. Especially as she wouldn't know what to do if she did lose Mark.
****
"As the legs continue to grow, the bands will cut off their circulation. If we wait, we risk severe damage to the left leg. Possible loss of the right entirely," Addison said.
"But if you don't operate, you're not going to kill the baby. We can rehabilitate the remaining parts of his legs after he's born. And we can fit him with prothesis. It's entirely possible that he will walk," Arizona told the young girl.
"Oh my god."
Mark sighed. "Honey. We've got options here. If we operate, Dr Montgomery can remove the bands. And he'll be just fine. Or we could wait a few weeks until he's bigger and stronger. And the surgery is less risky," he said.
Bella smiled. She took her hand. "You don't even have to choose yet. You have time to think about it. I know this isn't easy for you," she told her.
Sloan's eyes looked around the room. Her gaze landed on Addison and Arizona. "Well which one of you did he sleep with?"
Arizona shook her head. "No. Not me."
Addison turned to Mark. She was shocked. "You told her?" She asked.
"She's my kid. We were bonding," Mark said with a shrug.
Mark. I don't think you're supposed to bond with your kids that way. She's only a teenager," Bella said as she smiled.
"See. Ellie is right. You shouldn't bond with children that way," Addison told her ex.
"Hey. I'm still getting the hang of it. I'll have it for the next time," Mark said as he looked to Bella.
Addison looked to Bella. She could see she wasn't herself. She needed to get her on her own to talk to her.
Sloan turned to Addison. "So you're sure he didn't knock you up and leave you with a child to raise on your own or something? You're not really pissed and trying to get revenge?" She asked.
"No. It was a long time ago. But now I'm going to do everything I can to help you with your baby," Addison told her.
****
Grace moaned as Derek pulled out of her. She smiled. "Amazing," she said as she kissed him. She saw him taking off the condom.
Derek looked to her. "You're worried about my sister aren't you?" He asked.
"How could you tell?"
Derek smiled. "You're her best friend. You're as good as sisters. You care about her. And you think that Mark is pressuring her into helping with his pregnant daughter."
Grace blinked. "Wow. You're good. Yeah. I am. I mean, Bella ... I know she isn't as strong as she makes out. She's been through so much. But she embraces everything. I just don't think she can do this. She can't be a stepmom to an eighteen year old. And I want so badly to confront Mark. And tell him that. But I also don't want to come between them," she told him.
"The way I see it, just caring about Bella and being there for her is enough," Derek said. He smiled.
Derek had to admit that even he was worried about this whole situation. And that things were hard for his sister right now.
****
Addison found Bella. She sighed. "Come on Bella. It's just us now. how do you feel about this?" She asked.
Bella shrugged. "I love Mark. So I have to be okay with it. I can't stop him from being a father. It's too cruel."
Addison shook her head. "I'm not talking to you about Mark. I'm asking how you feel about this. Mark's pregnant daughter living with your sister. It can't be easy. For any of you. I'm shocked Callie Torres agreed to it," she said.
"It's not. But it's fine. If I want my relationship with him to work, I have to do the right thing," Bella said as she stood up and walked off.
Addison sat there and frowned. She knew Bella. And she knew that she couldn't handle all of this. But she was putting on an act.
****
Bella was stood by Mark in Sloan's room after her surgery. Mark looked to his daughter. "If Dr Montgomery had hit it during the procedure... it's dangerous," he told her.
"What about that band that's squeezing his thigh. What? He's not even gonna have knees?" Sloan asked with tears falling down her cheeks.
"Sloan. You could have died."
"I can't have a gimpy kid!"
Mark frowned. He looked to her. "Honey. I know I haven't been your father long. But you say gimp one more time, I'm gonna smack you," he said.
Bella bit back a smile at Mark being a father. She knew it was the right thing to do.
Sloan shook her head. "You don't get it. He needs legs okay? He doesn't have a dad. He's got a stupid slutty mom. Don't you see? I've already hurt him enough by giving him me as a mother. He needs feet," she sobbed.
"Sweetie-."
"Look. I don't know how to take care of any baby. I can't have one that's hurt. I just can't handle it. My mom doesn't even talk to me. I'm doing this alone," Sloan sobbed.
Mark took her hand. He smiled. "Listen. You're not stupid. And you're not slutty. The Sloan's... we're passionate people. You dragged yourself across the country so you could get help taking care of this baby. That's not being stupid. That's being a mom. I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Or to the baby," he said.
Bella placed a hand on Mark's shoulder. She smiled. "Dr Montgomery is the best at what she does. There's a 95% chance. That's pretty good. She is the best. So maybe you should go to LA."
Mark turned to Bella. He smiled. He turned back to Sloan. "We're going to LA," he said. He looked to Anna and then to Sloan again. "Hey. Stay. After the baby is born. Live with me. And Bella. We can get a new apartment. We can you raise the baby."
Bella face dropped. She looked to Mark in complete and utter shock. She didn't know what to think. She had no words.
"I don't know anything about being a dad. You don't know anything about being a mom. Maybe we can figure it out together," Mark said.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Bella stood there in shock. Not believing Mark had all but signed her up to becoming a mother.
****
Bella was pacing the residents lounge. Grace walked in. She frowned. "I got your page. What's up?"
Bella turned to her. "Mark. He... he told Sloan she could stay and that I would help him raise the baby with her. Grace... I didn't sign up to being a mom. I can't be a mom. Not to a teenager. And not to a poorly baby either. He said we could get a new apartment together to raise the baby."
Grace frowned. "Wait. He told Sloan you would help him raise the Bella? Ellie... you can't lie to me. Your face tells me you don't want this..."
"I know. I'm happy he wants to be a father. Especially as I don't want a baby yet. But I just can't raise his daughter's baby. It's weird. And not to mention I'm not a huge fan of Sloan. She interrupts my sex," Bella mumbled.
Grace sighed as she looked to her best friend. "You need to talk to Mark. And tell him how you feel," she told her.
Bella knew how Grace was right. But part of her couldn't help but think that it was going to change everything between them.
****
Bella was in the apartment. She looked up as he walked in. She sighed. "Is Sloan still in the hospital?" She asked.
Mark nodded. He loomed to her. "I came to get some stuff for the flight. Bella..."
"No. You signed me up to do this. I don't think I can do this," Bella mumbled.
"I should've asked you first, but I was so excited, and I was so sure it was the right thing. And you know why? 'Cause of you. Since you, I know for the first time in my life what the right thing is," Mark said.
Bella sighed as she looked to him. "I'm happy for you. I really am. Something happened to you today. You became a dad. A real one. And Sloan, against all odds, became a mom. But I didn't. I was barely ready to move in with you. Never mind your daughter and grandbaby. I just... I don't want this Mark," she said.
Mark frowned. "This is what you do for family right? And how is this any different to us having a baby?"
Bella felt a tear slipping down her cheek. "I completely understand why you're doing it. I just don't understand why I'm doing it."
"I think you're doing it for me," Mark told her. He didn't know why Bella was so against this.
Bella shook her head. She sighed. "Don't make me out to be the selfish one Mark. You don't get to unilaterally decide to let a teenager and her infant move in!"
Mark looked to her. "We can get a new place. She needs us. Bella, I thought I missed this. This is a chance for me. Don't make me choose between you and her."
Bella nodded. "Cause you'll choose her?"
"Yeah. I'll choose her."
Bella looked to him as she took the ring off. "I'm not ready to be a mom. So I think for now, we have to be over," she said as she handed him the ring and kissed his lips.
Mark watched as she walked out. Knowing this wasn't what he wanted.
****
Grace heard a knock at the bedroom door. She went to answer it and saw Bella. "Why are you knocking? What happened?" She asked. She saw how her best friend had been crying. "Bella. What happened?"
"I think we broke up," Bella sobbed. She saw Derek asleep on the sofa next to her. "Oh. Sorry," she mumbled.
Grace frowned. She pulled her into her arms. "No it's fine. He's asleep. What happened?" She asked as she looked to her.
"We had a huge fight about how I wasn't ready to be a mom. And he said don't make me choose. I knew he would choose his daughter. And I'm glad he did. But now what do I have? I don't even have Mark anymore."
Grace held her close as she sobbed. She knew how Bella had been holding in her emotions. But could she be the rock that Bella needed right now?