"Dying changes everything. There is the emotional fallout, sure. But there's also the practical stuff. Who's going to do your job? Who's going to take care of your family? The only good thing for you is you don't have to worry about it. People you never knew will be living in your house, working your job. The world just keeps on going. Without you. They say death is hardest on the living. It's tough to actually say goodbye. Sometimes it's impossible. You never really stop feeling the loss. It's what makes things so bittersweet. We leave little bits of ourselves behind, little reminders. A lifetime of memories, photos, trinkets. Things to remember us by, even when we're gone"

"now i've just got to cut loose before it gets late"

Aurora walked into Mark's room to see Callie sitting by his side, talking to him. "Hey", she greeted softly.

"Hey, you okay?"

"No, not really. I've been trying to distract myself with work but I'm losing my mind. I had to see him before it happens. It doesn't feel real"

"I know"

"I thought I might find you in here", Derek said, walking in and giving Aurora a hug.

"I keep thinking if I say something big enough. Or... Shocking enough, he'll just, he'll open his eyes. Seven hours till 5 o'clock"

"His directions were very specific. If, after 30 days, there are no signs of recovery, Mark wanted to be let go. That's all we're doing... Honouring his wish"

"I know. I just..."

She leaned forward, making her face level with Mark's. "Oh, God. It's so hot in here", she whispered sensually. "I think I'm gonna take off my shirt. Yeah, that's better. Yeah, it's so much cooler with my boobs out". "Well, if that didn't wake him, I don't know what will", Derek commented.

"Yeah"

Callie left the room and Aurora laid her head on Mark's. "I love you, you big idiot", she whispered.

Lucy was packing her suitcase at Meredith's house while Mia slept in her crib a few inches away. Her cell phone and she quickly picked it up, hoping it wouldn't wake the baby. "Hey, Mer, what's up?" she greeted, looking over the crib to make sure she was still sleeping.

"I was just talking to Cristina. She said she had to push her flight"

"Really?"

"She said it was because of a surgery being pushed back and that she's on standby for a later one"

"You don't think she's gonna get on the plane, do you?"

"No, probably not but you're coming, right?"

"Yeah, we're catching a flight straight after so..."

"You have to go so soon?"

"Afraid so, Alex has delayed Hopkins long enough. It's time"

"Yeah, I guess so"

Meredith, Alex, Jackson, Beck and Aurora were having lunch. "You really doing the intern appy?" Alex asked Meredith. "Jealous?" she asked.

"Yeah, right. I heard all the interns are super into me, by the way"

"From who?"

"People"

"So, are you gonna say goodbye to your fan club before you leave?" Aurora teased.

"Maybe Avery can step up"

"No, thank you", Jackson said.

"You're a surgical fellow. Might as well enjoy the perks. Besides, you need to get laid. You haven't banged anybody since you and Jacobs were hooking up"

"Dude, I'm right here", Beck said, irritated.

"Yeah, hey"

"Besides, that's not true. He had sex with April before the boards"

"Are you serious?"

"Thank you for that, Beck", Jackson said, glaring at her. "Oh, you're welcome", she smirked.

Lucy was gathering toiletries from the bathroom when her phone rang again from the bedroom. She quickly ran for it and checked on Mia, but she just moved slightly, staying asleep. "You are so lucky our baby seems to be a very heavy sleeper", she sighed.

"Sorry"

"It's fine. What's up? You sound weird"

"I just saw Callie sobbing in a supply closet"

"Shit. Is she okay?"

"Would you be?"

"No"

He was silent as he thought over everything.

"It's not your fault, Alex"

"Then why do I feel so guilty?"

"You had no choice. It was the only option. Deep down, she knows that"

"She's not gonna forgive me for this one. I was already on thin ice after getting Hopkins"

"She has no right to be angry with you. She's just upset and she will come around. I promise"

"Okay"

"I'll see you at five, yeah?"

"Yeah, I love you"

"I love you, too. Bye"

2010

Mark was explaining a suture technique to Jackson and Kelly in a surgical video. "You're both gonna thank me for this when you've rewatched it for the 500th time trying to figure out how to line up your vertical mattress sutures as perfectly as I can", he said. "Now pan up to my face. You see that? Not a drop of sweat. You know why? 'Cause I'm that good. Now go get scrubbed. You're gonna finish up here". "Wait. Really?" Jackson asked.

"Hurry. Before I change my mind"

Alex and Aurora were at the nurses station in the peds ward. A man near them, looked at Alex's badge. "Alex Karev. Right", he said. "Hunt mentioned that Robbins really liked you. Mel Barnett. Here from Miami". "Oh, then new peds guy", Alex replied.

"You're headed to?"

"Hopkins, fellowship. Leaving tonight"

"That's right. Great program. And you are?"

"Aurora Sloan. One of our best residents"

"That's great. This is a great program, also. Hunt's been filling me in"

"Did he tell you about our exchange program yet?" Aurora asked. "Dr Karev brought over 32 kids from five different countries in Africa".

"Hunt did mention the program. Admirable work, but I'm afraid it doesn't fit with my agenda"

"We operate on sick orphans. How does that not fit your agenda?"

"Not to worry. I've already reached out to UCLA. The program will continue, just... Not here. If you'll excuse me, I'm trying to close on a house"

He left to take a phone call. "What the hell?" she said.

2009

Mark is talking to the camera in a video recorded at Callie and Arizona's wedding. "I had a patient once who told me about his wedding day and how they asked all the married couples to come to the dance floor to dance together", he said. "And then they asked the couples who'd been only married a year to sit down. And then five years, then ten years, twenty, and so on, until they got to the last two couples. Two sets of grandparents. Been together 60 years. Sixty years with the love of their life. That's gonna be you two at our granddaughter's wedding. Callie... Arizona... Congratulations. I love you". "What about you?" the cameraman asked. "Won't you be dancing at your granddaughter's wedding?"

"Yeah, of course"

"Who will you be dancing with?"

"Well, that's easy. Kelly Ripa"

Jackson was in Mark's room. "So I discharged our cleft baby", he said. "He'll be back in about six months. And I... I decided against reconstruction... For grandpa. I know it's not what we talked about, but... And don't take it the wrong way, alright? Because... You've taught me a lot. But I think... I really know what I'm doing now. So... I'm good. The plastic posse's... Gonna live on... Because... Because I can take it from here. And you'll be with Kelly, and I'll be okay". He left the room just as Richard, Callie, Aurora and Derek entered the room. Lucy quickly rushed into the hospital, pushing Mia in a pram. She left her outside the room with Alex and entered Mark's room. "Hi, sorry, I'm here", she said, hugging them all. They all stood at his one side of the bed, Richard stood at the opposite side. "After I stop his medication, I'm gonna extubate him", Richard explained. "Okay, we're all doctors here. You don't need to say this", Callie interjected.

"I'm not saying it because you need to know the procedure. I say it because even if you think you're prepared for what's about to happen, you're not. Your brain can't fully absorb what you're about to do. But by saying this... I'm giving you a little time to catch up. So... After I stop his medications... I'm gonna extubate him. As indicated in his living will, Dr Sloan asked that, if life-sustaining procedures would only prolong the moment of death, that these procedures be discontinued. Dr Sloan asked that if he was unable to make his own medical decisions, that his directive be honoured by his chosen proxy. His final request was that only comfort care be given to him in his final moments. Once support is removed, he may only hold on for a few minutes... Or the process could take hours. I'm turning the ventilator off. We've sedated him with morphine so he's not feeling any of this. I'll give you some privacy"

He left the room and the four pulled chairs over to the bed and sat down.

Some time later, the four of them still sat by Mark's bedside. Richard, Meredith, Alex, Jackson and Beck were watching from outside the room. "We tried so hard... Out there in the woods", Meredith said. "We thought if we could just get him back here alive...". Beck took in a shaky breath and Jackson grabbed her hand. She shook him off. "Stop", she snapped, standing up. "I can't be here right now". She walked off. Alex checked his watch and hesitantly went over to the room, opening the door. Lucy looked up with tears in her eyes and he nodded at her. She got up, hugging each of them and leaving the room with Alex. "Are you okay?" he asked her. That was all it took. She buried her head in his chest and he wrapped his arms around her back.

Alex and Lucy were walking around the airport, Lucy holding Mia in her arms as they looked around. Alex felt a tap on his arm and they turned around to see Meredith. "Hey. So that's it?" Meredith questioned. "You're not gonna say goodbye to me?" "Mer, what are you doing here?" Alex asked her.

"Don't change the subject"

"Don't make this a thing"

"Don't make this a thing? Mark is dying right now. And that's it? You're just gonna leave, too"

"Meredith, what the hell?" Lucy said. "We're gonna be on the other side of the country", Alex said. "It's, we'll talk. It's not like...". "That's what Cristina said. It's not the same", Meredith said. "Nothing is the same. Everything is different. Everyone's leaving and everyone is dying".

"Don't make this our problem. We're finally getting the hell outta here. I can't keep standing around being the guy who should've been on the plane that crashed. I shouldn't be here, Mer. We should've left this freakin' place three months ago"

"Alex!"

"Get off"

"Mer, I'm sorry but we can't just stay in Seattle just because you don't wanna be alone", Lucy said.

"Look, Hopkins won't wait forever. We've got a plane to catch, so bye"

"No, not like that. We can't say goodbye like this"

Meredith glared at them and walked off.

"Mer!"

Beck sat on the roof of the hospital, looking out at the sky. "I've been looking everywhere for you", Jackson said, sitting next to her.

"Why are you out here? Is Sloan dead?"

"I don't know. I couldn't stay and watch"

"It's just crazy. All we did was board a plane to do a really cool surgery and... Eight of us boarded and only six of us came back. Now only five of us are still alive"

"I'm so sorry"

"It's fine"

"No, I mean what I said before you got on the plane. I just can't stop thinking about it and it was so incredibly stupid"

"Jackson, you're not the reason the plane crashed. I don't blame you for some stupid idiotic comment you made to me when you were angry. I haven't thought about it. I've been kinda preoccupied"

"Shit, I'm sorry. I'm making it all about me"

"It's okay. I just don't know when it's gonna end. I was finally starting to feel okay again, after the shooting. I was adjusting to normalcy again and then... It's like every time I try to stand, I'm just knocked back down again. I can't get back up"

He was silent, not knowing what to say.

"I appreciate what you did for me. Helping me get back on my feet. Even after the way I treated you"

"Hey, don't worry about it. You're my friend before any of that other bullshit we went through together. Whenever you need me, I'm there. No matter what"

"You're a really good guy, Jackson"

He smiled softly.

"You can hold my hand now. If you want to"

"I want to"

He grabbed her hand, intertwining their fingers. She leaned her head on his shoulder.

Callie, Derek and Aurora were still sitting next to Mark. They watched his vitals slowly drop until the monitor started beeping. Aurora gasped and it quickly turned into a sob. Callie and Derek quickly began to cry, also.

Mark held his daughter, rocking her back and forth. He looked at the camera and put his finger to his lips, smiling. "I didn't say anything", Kelly whispered back from behind the camera.

"You wanna hold her?"

"I'm holding the camera"

"I can hold the camera. We'll swap"

She laughed, handing him the camera and taking the baby. She smiled, staring at Sofia's adorable little face. "See? You two look perfect together", he commented.

"She's perfect, that's why"

"Gets that from her father"

"That's what you like to think"

Alex and Lucy sat next to Meredith at the bar. Mia was in a pram next to them. Meredith was on Facetime to Cristina, her iPad propped up against a glass. "What are you doing here?" she asked them. "Hey, who is that? Point me", Cristina said and Meredith did so. "I'm sorry about before," Alex said. "You should be", Meredith replied. "I'm sorry, too". "I thought you said they were leaving. I thought you said you were leaving", Cristina pointed out. "The guy replacing Robbins is just gonna mess the place up", Alex said. "Besides, I don't even like Baltimore". "That's code for he chickened out", Lucy added. "So what are you saying?" Meredith said.

"He couldn't get on the plane"

"I couldn't go", Alex sighed. "He chickened out!" Cristina exclaimed. "What a loser", Meredith said but she smiled and hugged him.

Lexie Grey

1984-2012

Mark Sloan

1968-2012

Kelly Ripa

1984-2012

hope you enjoyed! comment your opinions! song is going going gone by bob dylan

also, i read that this episode has a lot of timing and continuity errors concerning the flashbacks that mark was in. i left them in the way they're displayed in the episode but apparently the 2010 video with jackson learning a suture should've been in 2011 and the 2009 video from callie and arizona's wedding also should've been in 2011. i don't think it matters too much, just thought it was weird and that i should mention it