57. It's How We Operate

Sloans are unusually fertile.

-Mark Sloan

"Jackson! Jackson, are you in here?" April screamed, entering the bathroom after a few knocks. The man poked his head out of the shower, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, what do you want?"

"Stark just asked me out." The redhead rambled, laughing shakily, "Is that not the weirdest thing you've ever heard?" Brows knitting together, he looked at his best friend like she grew a second head as he slowly digested it.

"One of the weirdest," he admitted as she began pacing.

"Yeah, yeah, it's weird, it's weird, it's weird."

"Isn't he a total douche?"

"There is a nice man under there - under all that old and mean exterior. He's like the Grinch. The Grinch asked me to dinner and I said yes." Jackson's jaw dropped to the floor.

"You said yes?" He exclaimed in utter disbelief. "Are you crazy?" April kept laughing. Oh, my god, she's crazy. "You said yes?"

"Yeah." Blinking, he tried to process the info as she looked around. "Can I pee real quick?"

"Okay, you can't just spring this on me and then change the subject!" April threatened to pull down her pants and Jackson groaned, going back into the shower. "Ugh! Just hurry up."

.

"You are the classic example of failing up. How can you look at someone and a baby appears?"

"Sloans are unusually fertile." He shrugged and looked at his best friend who cracked into a smile. "I'm happy, Derek."

"It's been a long time coming." He stood and hugged Mark who clapped him on the back. "I'm happy for you. You deserve each other. Have you found out boy or girl?"

"She wants it as a surprise." Snorting, the neurosurgeon shook his head. "Don't worry. If it's a boy, you'll know it."

"Oh, yeah, I bet," Derek said drily and Mark pretended to be offended. "What? I was agreeing."

.

Lexie stormed into their room, turning to look at Taylor who followed after her, his jaw clenched. "No, I can't. Moving in… this was a big step in itself. I'm only in my third year - I can't."

"Is this going to be a problem all our relationship? You're scared of commitment. I get it, alright? Your mom died, your dad became an alcoholic and your sister bailed. But I won't leave, okay?" the blond pleaded, coming up to his girlfriend who placed her hands to her head, pacing back and forth.

"That's not my problem. My problem is, you want something I can't give you. I'm only twenty-seven, Taylor. I'm still a kid!"

"And I'm not asking for it now," he said, "I'm saying, somewhere down the road, do you see a future for us?" His eyes narrowed on hers and she swallowed, sitting down on the bed. "See, I'm not a kid anymore, Lex. I'm not the kid who just came out of the army. I'm in love with you, I am, but I want to know if you are too."

"Of course I am, but I have to finish my residency, then my fellowship and establish a practice. I'm too busy."

"So you don't see a future with me. Ever." God, they've had the same argument for the past three weeks. Ever since Lexie had been rambling about Em's pregnancy and Taylor realizing that everyone was moving on without him.

"That's not what I said!"

"Then what the hell are you saying?"

"You're being childish, Taylor. I'm not having this argument with you." Lexie cut the air with her arm, like she was slicing whatever words were coming through his mouth until he didn't have anything left to say.

"Lex-"

"What's wrong with my dreams too?" she asked quietly and he looked away. "I want a family with you but I love my job. Taylor,"

"Nothing's wrong, okay? I can wait." A strained smile as she sat down on the bed. Leaning over, he pecked her on the lips before heading to the door. "I, I'm going to go out. I'll see you tomorrow - we can both think this over."

"Yeah. Goodnight, Taylor."

"Goodnight, Lex. Sweet dreams."

.

"Hey, why're you here early?" Emily asked, pulling her hair out of its twist.

"What're you doing here? You're pregnant," Taylor replied casually as the brunette erased the surgery she had just finished from the board.

"That doesn't mean I can't have a date night with my husband. Palatoplasty," she said as Taylor ran a hand through his hair. "So, why are you here?"

"When did you know you wanted kids?" he asked and she blinked at him. "Wrong time?"

"Uh, no, it's fine. I just need to process that." She paused, waving for him to follow. "Why do you ask?" Shoving her hands in her pockets, Emily glanced at Taylor as they walked down the hallway.

"Lexie,"

"Ah."

"So, how did you know?" She wrung out her hands, shrugging.

"It just felt right with Mark. Like I never wanted a kid with anyone else before. So, even though it was an accident, it was perfect. I don't know how you know, you just do. And it might not feel right at first, but you can come around."

"I see. How's the little sucker? Boy or girl?"

"Uhm, don't know. I want it to be a surprise." Taylor made a sound of amusement as Emily shrugged. "Definitely has the dad's genes though. Likes to fight with me on the stupidest things. Didn't like lasagna yesterday."

"Mark doesn't like lasagna?" he asked, outraged and she laughed. "Blasphemy."

"It's fine. I've never minded before." The hazel-eyed woman rolled her shoulders and found the blond noticeably silent. "Something wrong?"

"Lexie." She hummed, a sound that she wanted him to expand on that. "Lexie and I have dreams."

"As all us humans do."

"I want a family." There was the problem. "She doesn't. At least, not now. And not in the near future."

"So?"

"Em, I'm thirty-seven. I'm not getting younger."

"Having kids isn't a necessity," she said. They rounded a corner and reached a nurse's station where she took a new chart for her rounds. The plastic surgery was her last one before many cardio ones.

"So you're on her side?"

"Don't you have a job?" When there was no response, she sighed in annoyance. "There are no sides, okay? What's wrong with her not wanting kids? She's twenty-seven! She's a freaking fetus."

"But-"

"She's the love of your life, right?" Emily finally levelled him with a stern glare. When he nodded, she continued, "Then you should be willing to wait." Her hand rubbed his arm and a smile twitched at the corner of her lips, "Not everyone would be ready, alright? Just, go an apologize to your girlfriend."

"I-"

"It's three AM. Go home to your girlfriend."

.

"Oh, yay. Baby shower," Emily muttered, watching the nurses and Callie talk from where she stood near the onesie decorating station. Meredith chuckled as Lexie carefully arched a line of glitter. "You know, I can't believe this. I love the gifts, but I did not need a baby shower. Honestly, Callie did this for herself."

"I can't get over the fact that Mark knows what onesie decorating is," Meredith remarked. Cristina scoffed.

"I can't get over the fact that he made a scrapbooking station," Emily said distantly, watching said man and Arizona talk.

"You know, you've went to every baby shower a knocked up nurse ever hosted. You deserve this," Cristina said and Emily sent her a faux-annoyed glare. Alex grabbed the marker near her leg and started coloring his vigorously. Glancing over, she smiled when it was a messy version of drawn scrubs. "Besides, free food."

"All valid points," Lexie pointed out before glancing at Meredith's onesie. "Oh, my god, are you still blind?"

"That is so ugly."

"I like it. It's abstract." Emily glanced down at the mess of blue and purple glitter, wrinkling her nose.

"I'm not putting that on my kid," she sang before Callie gestured for her to come over for games. Forcing a smile, she sent her friends a pleading glance before pushing off the table and walking towards her mentor and Mark.

.

"Aria." Emily was about to enter the room when she heard Callie's voice.

"What do you want?"

"I have to take you to Dr. Fields for an ultrasound." Peering into the room, she watched Callie set down the set of scans she held. Pulling up the wheelchair, she waited for Aria to get into the bed. Noticing that pain made her wince, Emily sighed. The cancer was progressing. "Aria…"

"I don't want the surgery." She settled into the chair but Callie didn't move. Crouching down in front of the younger woman, she stared at her sister.

"Why? Give me a valid reason."

"It's a big change - I mean, what if this doesn't work, okay? What if the cancer comes back before I get to the second trimester?"

"What happens if it wouldn't have happened but you never knew because you never took the chance?" Callie fired back. "What if… what if you end up getting married and having kids with the man you love because you took the chance? So what? The cancer comes back then we can always rethink the plan."

"I—" Her eyes didn't meet her sister's.

"We can call our parents, Aria. You won't be alone. It's okay to be scared."

"But my leg-"

"This gives you the best chance to give you what you want. Your baby can go on to live with a loving family. And I won't give up on you. I'll be there, every step of the way. We're on a schedule, Aria. Please… say yes."

"How far?" she finally asked quietly and Callie's hand rested on her knee.

"Just below the knee. We're trying to save as much as possible. Time is of the essence here." Aria's gaze drifted to the door, meeting Emily's gaze who gave her a slight nod.

"The baby will be okay?"

Callie didn't answer. Instead, she said, "This is our best shot."

"Okay. Okay, I'll do it."

.

As they entered the scrub room, she raised an eyebrow at Callie. "You're scrubbing in?"

"Why not?"

"It's your sister."

Scoffing, Emily scrubbed in faster before drying her hands and heading for the door. Bumping the button with her hip, the door swooshed open. There was Dr. Hunt, prepping the patient.

"You might want to tell Callie she's not scrubbing in."

"Torres, you can't scrub in," Owen called out and Callie sent them a glare through the glass. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Callie throw down the towel. "You can watch from the gallery - Moore will do just fine and I will be right here."

"If you screw this up, I will murder you. The both of you," she yelled and they gave her a thumbs up.

.

"Moore, you okay?" Owen asked when she paused for the second time in five minutes. Her eyes closed as she tried to pinpoint the feeling in her gut. She swallowed, eyebrows knitting together.

"There's a fluttering. I can… uhm, feel something."

"Where?" the attending continued as she put the bone saw down and rolled her hands into fists.

"My abdomen." Owen took off his gloves and surgical gown, taking a step forward and crouching beside the surgeon. His hand landed on her rounded abdomen, moving up and down. "Further down. Farther. Yeah, right there. Wait, it's not there, right now," she said and she reached for the bonesaw only for it to return. "Okay, there! It's there, and uh, what, I don't know."

"Is everything okay?" Looking up at the gallery, they saw Mark and Callie standing there by the intercom. Mark, in particular, was white with worry.

"Sloan, come in here." Mark paused for a moment before running out of the gallery. Only minutes later did he arrive, a mask tied around his face. "Crouch right here and place your hand where mine is." Mark came over and Emily looked down. Their eyes met and she shrugged.

"What's happening?" Owen came behind her as Mark's hand replaced his on her abdomen. The fluttering returned followed by what felt like gas popping and she winced.

"You don't happen to be pregnant, Dr. Moore, are you?"

"I am," she whispered and Mark's sharp inhale of breath had her even more curious. "Why? What is it?"

"Your baby's kicking. That's what it is." Mouth dropping open behind her mask, she felt her hands tremble as she looked to the prepped leg that had yet to be cut through the bone. "Congratulations."

"Our baby's kicking?" she repeated, dumbfounded and Mark stood up, pressing his mask against hers briefly when she turned to look at him.

"We've got a soccer player on our hands."

.

"You were so sexy in that surgery," Mark murmured as he trailed kisses down her neck. Pulling the blanket tighter around the two, she giggled and twisted to kiss him. His hand rested on her rounded abdomen as his other pulled a tendril of hair from her face.

"She's stable too. No signs of infection," she whispered, eyes closed as he began to roll her onto her back. Draping himself over her, he kissed a trail down across her collarbone as she smiled. "What are you doing?" the brunette asked, amused. His hands ran across her bare body as he pulled back the cover to reveal the bump.

"Loving you," he mumbled and he rested his head lightly on her abdomen. "I love you, and I love our kid." Her hand cupped his cheek, stroking the skin under his eye before bringing him up so she can kiss him deeply.

"I love you," she whispered and he smirked, tilting his head to suck on her neck. Hands running through his hair, she gasped as he aligned their hips. "Really? Now?"

"What can I say?" A hand on her waist as he slowly sunk into her, he let out a breath. Biting his shoulder, she tried to stifle her moans as he joined their mouths again. "You're irresistible."

"As are you, darling," she teased and he laughed heartily before silencing her for a long while save for the screams of his name.

.

"Hey." Starting awake, Emily rubbed at her eyes as she glanced up. Callie smiled. "B.P's good?"

"Why're you here?" She yawned, stretching. "Isn't it your day off?"

"Yeah. Isn't it yours?" Standing, Emily checked Aria's stats and wrote them down. "Baby's a bit stressed - how long has it been like that?" Callie asked and Emily looked at the fetal monitor.

"Don't know. Aria's taking the surgery well so I don't know why it's that high." Emily replied, glancing at her mentor. "Should we page O.B.?"

"Yeah, let's be safe. She's only twenty weeks pregnant." Nodding, the resident did as she was asked and in no time, a woman in pink scrubs came down with an ultrasound. Aria was just rousing by then. "We're just checking the baby, Aria."

"If you say so, Cal. But if there's something wrong with the baby, I swear to God-"

"Yeah, you'll kill me. I know."

"So." the O.B. cleared her throat. She felt around the bump, did an ultrasound and checked decels before examining her cervix. "Do you feel pressure in your lower back?" she asked, pulling down her gown and frowning.

"Yeah. I thought it was just from the amputation. I've had to be in this one position for a long time." A nervous laugh. "Why, is there something wrong?"

"Not at all. Can I talk to you outside?" The O.B. turned to Emily who nodded, following her out as Callie sat by her sister's bedside.

"Yeah, sure. What's up?" she asked as they stood near the nurse's station. Emily took in the O.B's set jaw and serious expression and straightened up, eyebrows knitting together. "Is something wrong with the baby?"

"Lower back pressure and vaginal bleeding could mean a weakened cervix. So, I did an exam and she is the one in one-hundred. The baby is pushing down and her cervix is already opening."

"What? Can you perform a cerclage?" Her blood ran cold. "Is there anything we can do to-" The O.B. held up a hand and bit her lip, thinking.

"This baby needs three more weeks to survive, if we're lucky. The cerclage might buy us that if she isn't dilated enough. The amputation had her confused so she hadn't called for help. I'm willing to try as long as the patient consents."

"We can't have her baby die. The only reason we cut off her leg was because of the cancer."

"I was informed. This isn't normally done for pregnancies this far along but it's our only shot," the O.B. said, sighing. "I'll inform Dr. Torres. Can you assist?"

"Yeah, sure."

Two surgeries in two weeks overwhelmed Aria but when it was mentioned that it was for the baby and not for herself this time, she firmly agreed. Callie watched from the gallery once more as they sewed the cervix shut and the baby was once again, safe inside her.

Arizona and Callie were off to their bed and breakfast three weeks later once the ortho surgeon was sure her sister wouldn't spontaneously go into preterm labour. It was up to Emily to keep up to the charts even though she herself was twenty seven weeks pregnant. It helped, though, when Mark would bring her dinner, or when Jackson helped her with charts. Sometimes, she sat in the peds ward with Alex or watched Cristina perform a surgery with Teddy. There were the times she was peacemaker between Lexie and Teddy, or reading in a conference room with Derek as he worked on the trial.

Sometimes, Meredith would surprise her by dragging in a disgruntled Mark who would, over time, persuade his wife to rejoin him in their bed at home.

And one night, when Mark and Emily were under the O.R. board finishing up their last charts, they heard footsteps. Glancing up reflexively, Emily's eyes widened when she spotted her brother. "Noah!" she exclaimed, getting up and launching herself in her brother's arms. "You're here!"

"Always stating the obvious." He grinned, hugging back. "Theresa and the kids are here too. Ollie and Will have spring break. Mark—" The older Moore turned to his old friend and hugged him— "congratulations. You knocked up my baby sister."

"Yeah, sorry about that," he joked back, beaming. "How long are you here?"

"Don't know. I just came here for some fresh air and to work out my new clinical trial," the man answered, eyes crinkling at the edges as he rested a hand on his sister's bump. Emily jutted out her hips proudly when Noah cracked a smile. "Wow, feisty one you've got in there, Emi."

"I know. Twenty seven weeks and completely healthy." Noah wrinkled his nose as Emily glanced between Mark and Noah. "We should catch up over dinner! What's this new clinical trial about?"

"Oh, it's just something I've been working on for a while now… so basically, I want to try to improve the treatment of HLHS…" Noah began and Emily, completely enraptured, followed her brother home where she cooked him dinner as he explained how he was going to save a million unborn babies in the future.

A/N: Edited - November 21, 2018

Next: Song beneath the song.