Chapter 3: For Real This Time

Lexie had finally reached a point where she was very close to her due date and the twins would be born any day now. She was about 36 weeks which is considered full term when you are carrying twins. She was really getting into her nesting phase and constantly cleaning and making sure the house was spotless for the babies when they were born and came home. She sighed as she sat down on the couch, when she felt an all too familiar pain run through her abdomen. She put her hand on her stomach as she felt it tighten. She immediately pulled out her phone and called Mark. “Mark,” she said quickly and nervously. “I-I’m in labor.”

“Okay.” He said calmly. “Has your water broken yet?”

“No, but I would like to have these babies in the hospital in a room this time.” She said feeling the contraction lessen as she finished talking.

“Okay, I know. I’ll be home in fifteen minutes to get you.” Mark hung up the phone and quickly rushed to his car and drove home to pick up Lexie and get her back to the hospital. Meanwhile, Lexie timed her contractions. They were about ten minutes apart now she still had a while before she would actually deliver. Although, that’s what she thought with Emma and she ended up giving birth only four hours later. When Mark arrived they quickly loaded in the car and went back to the hospital. This time, they made it through the elevator and into a room safely.  

“Alright, Lexie,” Addison said putting on a pair of gloves. “I’m going to check and see where we are.” Lexie nodded as Addison checked her. “You are about five centimeters. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

Lexie laid in the bed feeling the contractions worsen and lighten up as she waited to be dilated enough to get an epidural. There was no way she was doing a natural birth again. She went through that once in an elevator she wasn’t going to do it when she had the option. After waves of contraction Addison came back and gave her the epidural. It took a few more contractions before it kicked in but it did help when she felt it kick in.

“How ya doin’, Lex?” Mark asked pushing her hair back off of her face and kissing her forehead gently.

“Better now but there is no way in hell you are ever touching me again” She said. “You should go tell Emma that she’ll probably be in the daycare for tonight.”

“Okay, one, you have to stop saying that. And two are you sure? I mean I don’t want to miss anything.”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Mer is here and I won’t be anywhere near having these babies for a few hours so go. I will page you the second anything big happen.”

“Okay.” Mark quickly went down to the daycare and explained everything that was happening with Lexie to their three year old daughter.

“Hey Em,” Mark said kneeling next to the little girl.

“Hi Daddy.” Emma smiled.

“Okay, you are going to have to stay here tonight.”

“Why?”

“Because Mommy is having the twins tonight. So, we can’t go home and we have to stay here. I will come get you right after they’re born okay?”

“Okay, Daddy.” Emma smiled. “Can you stay and play with me for a while.”

“I think I could do that.” Mark sat and played with his daughter for a few minutes before he had a page.

Meanwhile, Lexie laid in her room with Meredith. The epidural was no longer really helping and her contractions were practically on top of each other. She knew it wouldn’t be much longer until these babies were born. "God dammit I forgot how much these hurt."

“Do you want me to get Addison?” Meredith asked looking at the contraction monitor. “I mean your contractions are practically on top of each other and the epidural isn’t working. I can tell.”

“Yeah.” Lexie said through gritted teeth. “Get, Mark. And. Addison.” She was running out of energy and she knew that it would take a lot more before her babies were finally here.

“Okay,” Meredith took out her phone and called Addison knowing that it would be faster than trying to get a nurse to page her.

Addison arrived quickly after that. “Alright, let’s check you out here.” Addison said checking to see how far Lexie was from delivery. “Okay, you’re fully dilated. We need to get Mark in here now.” Addison began to quickly prepare to deliver Lexie’s babies.

He checked quickly and saw that it was a 911 from Addison for Lexie. He left quickly running up to Lexie’s room. Luckily the daycare was on the same floor. He ran down the hall into the room. “What? What is it?” He said with concern in his voice. He knew 911 meant something was wrong or something was happening. He immediately was right next to Lexie’s side. He kissed her on the forehead when he reached her.

“It’s time,” Addison said putting on her scrub cap and gloves. “These babies are ready to come out. Okay Lexie, you ready? On this next contraction I need you to push. Okay and, PUSH!” Lexie pushed in ten second intervals for about twenty minutes stopping to regroup every time her contraction ended.

“Come on, Lex. You can do it. You are doing so good.” Mark reassured her as she was starting to tire out. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Just a couple more, baby.”

“One more push and we should see his head.” Addison said before directing her to push. Lexie pushed, holding Mark and Meredith’s hands, and revealed the top of the head. “There’s the head. Just a couple more pushes and you will have a baby.” Lexie pushed a few more times feeling him slide out easily after the shoulders were delivered. “There he is.” Addison placed the baby on Lexie’s chest watching for the second baby. She had Mark cut the cord before they dried him off.

“Oh, I don’t want to do it again.” Lexie said with tears of joy in her eyes as the baby boy was lifted off of her chest and taken to be examined.

“Well, you have to. The baby’s crowning. I need you to push for me.” Lexie pushed letting out a small scream as the baby’s head was beginning to be delivered. She pushed again screaming louder as she tried to gather all of her energy she had left to get this baby into her arms. The head was finally delivered. She pushed again and delivered the shoulders and the baby slid out easily after that, wailing as Addison placed him on her chest and had Mark cut the cord once again.

Mom and babies were both healthy as Addison left the now larger family alone with the newborns. The boys weighed around six pounds each which is bigger for twins. Lexie thanked her as she left. “They are beautiful.” Lexie smiled looking at the baby in her arms and up to Mark with the other in his arms. “How about you name one and I name one?”

“That sounds good.” Mark looked at the baby in his arms. “Ethan. Ethan Alexander.” He said confidently after a minute. “After you. Unless you don’t like it.”

“Mark, I love it.” Lexie smiled. “Ethan Alexander Sloan.” She looked at the baby swaddled in a blue blanket in her arms. “Greyson. Greyson Everett.” Lexie smiled. “After you. Do you like it?”

“I love it. Greyson Everett Sloan.” He smiled. “I told Meredith to bring up Emma to meet her brothers.” Mark smiled.

“Thank you.” She pulled Mark's face to hers and kissed her lips. “I love you so much.”

“I love you.” Mark smiled. “Look at my baby boys.”

“Big and strong just like their daddy.” Lexie smiled. “Are you happy?”

“Of course I’m happy. I have two handsome boys and two very beautiful girls.” Mark shot one of  his famous McSteamy smiles over to Lexie. “I don’t think it could get any better.”

“It could.”

“It could?”

“I have you.” Lexie pulled her eyes away from the baby in her arms and looked up to her husband.

“I love you.” Mark kissed his wife. They still hadn’t gotten used to the fact they were married. Even after a nine months it was still a new subject.

A little while later Meredith arrived with Emma. “Are they here?” She said excitedly walking into the room.

“Yes, they are.” Lexie smiled. “But you have to be quiet because they’re sleeping. It’s been a pretty big day.”

“Oh, okay.” Emma whispered. “What are their names?”

“The one that Daddy is holding and has a green blanket is Ethan and the one I am holding with the blue blanket is Greyson.” Lexie spoke softly.

“Can I hold one?” Emma asked nervously.

Lexie looked to Mark. “I think that would be okay but you have to sit in the chair and let me help you.” Mark handed Ethan to Meredith before he sat Emma in his lap. Meredith came over and placed the baby in Emma's arms that were fortified with Mark behind them. "Mark sure you cradle his head." Mark said. "He's cute isn't he?"

"Yeah." Emma smiled and nodded. Lexie watched Emma and her new baby brother for a while. She handed the other baby off to Meredith who was overjoyed with her new nephews. Lexie tried not to sleep but eventually her body took over and she passed out from exhaustion. When Lexie awoke she smiled at the sight of the two babies asleep in their plastic bassinets. She looked over to Mark sitting in the chair who was sleeping with Emma also asleep in his lap. She loved the sight of her big family in the room together. She couldn’t wait to get home with them.

Alex came in later. “Hey,” he said quietly walking into the room seeing as Lexie and the kids were all asleep. “I thought I’d come check and see how everyone was doing.”

“Everything’s great.” Mark smiled to the baby in his arms. He was continually switching between holding each of the boys.

“They’re adorable.” Alex smiled. “Ethan and Greyson.” He read the name cards on the plastic bassinets. “I like their names.”

“Thanks.” Mark laid the baby down in the plastic bassinet.”

Lexie and Mark were up with the boys every couple of hours all through the night. “I forgot about this part.” Lexie sighed as she nursed the boy in her arms. In the dark, she wasn’t exactly sure who it was but she knew that both boys needed to be fed anyways.

“I didn’t.” Mark sighed trying to quiet the other screaming baby.

“Shut up, I’m the one who has to get up and feed them every two hours.” Lexie groaned desperately needing sleep.

“I’m up right now aren’t I?”

“There’s nowhere else for you to go.” Lexie looked at Emma. “How is she sleeping?”

“She’s Emma. She sleeps through anything.”

“True. God, she looks so peaceful. I wish I could be doing that.”

“I know.” Mark sighed.

At about three the day after she gave birth Lexie and her boys could finally go home. Sore and tired she climbed into the wheelchair and her two babies were placed in her arms. She smiled looking down at the two of them sleeping in her arms. They had Lexie’s hair They looked just how Emma looked after she was born. The same dark unruly hair and bright blue eyes. She was wheeled downstairs to Mark and Emma who were waiting with the car. She put her two boys in the car with Emma in the very back and moved up front. The larger family then headed home for the first time together.