There comes a time in everyone's life when we have to make those really hard decisions.  You know the one's I'm talking about.  The life changing decisions.  That can change your future for a lifetime.  When I went to med school I had the choice between John Hopkins School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, UCSF School of Medicine and Stanford University School of Medicine.  I ended up choosing John Hopkins School of Medicine.  But you always wonder sometimes if you made the right decision.  You always wonder what would have happened if you chose the opposite.  And then sometimes... it's too late.

-

"I'm officially out of the running for chief residents," Alison said to Mark and Derek as she let out a frustrated sigh as she crossed her arms.

"What makes you think that?" Mark asked.

"Because I'm basically done being a resident already.  I mean I'm going to be taking my exams and boards pretty soon."

"Are you studying for it?" Derek asked her and she gave him a deadpan look.

"I've been studying for them for three months when I have time."

"What are you specializing in?"

"Neonatal and fetal with pediatrics," she said and Mark had a proud smile.

"You know Addison is so proud of you and how far you've come," Derek said speaking of his ex-wife.  

"She's honestly been the best mentor and attending I could have ever hoped for.  Tough but amazing."

Addison and Alison had such an incredible bond and understood each other.  After Alison was able to see beyond Addison's past, she realized what an amazing woman and surgeon she was.  Alison had admitted that right now was a tough time on her.  Not only was she having to study for boards but she fractured her femur and now can't perform surgeries for a while.  

*

"Which of the following physical characteristics are commonly used to determine gestational age?  Choose all that apply," Mark asked his girlfriend.

"Oh that's easy!  It's creases on the feet, nipple formation and cartilage in the ear."

"Good," he nods his head.  "All of the following are observed in the post mature infant, except which of the following?"

"Abundance of langue and abundance of vernix."

"True or false.  Caput Succedaneum can vary in size and may extend across suture lines."

"True."

"The respiratory rate of a newborn after the transition phase is about how many per minute?"

"Thirty to sixty."

"Open," he told her and she opened her mouth as he threw a popcorn in her mouth and she ate it.

"Premature infants are at higher nutritional risk than term infants because they have less accretion of minerals and less storage of nutrients.  True or false?" 

"True."

*

"I'm so glad you're back," Alison greeted Addison with some coffee that would bring good juju for her today.  "How was Los Angeles?"

"It was good, yeah.  It was nice seeing Naomi and Sam.  A nice change.  I was actually offered a job there."

"Wow, that's amazing, Addison.  Are you going to take it?"

"I'm not sure.  I'm not really sure much of anything right now.  I used to be so sure.  While I was there I found out that I only have two eggs left.  Two..." Addison said and Alison could see she was about to cry.

"Don't cry," Alison soothed her attending as she wiped her tears away that were threatening to fall.  "If you start to cry then I'll cry and the coffee I brought you was supposed to bring good juju not bad," she said making Addison laugh slightly.

"Thanks," Addison said calming down now.  "Okay, let's get you answering some questions.  What is topical clotrimazole?" Addison asked her resident as they were in the NICU.

"It is treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis in pregnancy."

"Good," the attending smiled and moved onto the next.  "What are types of spontaneous abortions?"

"Threatened, complete, inevitable, incomplete and missed."

"What are the two primary functions of the ovary?"

"Ovulation and hormone production."

"Correct."

*

"Hey, want to take a small break and have some lunch with me?" Mark asked his girlfriend as she was looking at her notecards she had made and nodded her head.

"Yeah, I'm starving," she said.  "Plus I have some time before therapy."

Meredith saw Alison and Mark walking together somewhere and decided to go talk to her.

"Hey," Meredith greeted the blonde and she smiled before hugging her.  "It's good to see that you're up and walking."

"Yeah," Alison smiled.  "Callie wants me to walk often so Mark and I are getting lunch.  It's good to see you doing better too."

"How's the walker, grandma?" Meredith teased her.

"Don't be rude," Alison joked back.  "I'm sorry about your mom and Susan as well."

"Thanks," she half smiled.

"And about what happened with your dad earlier.  He had no right to do that to you."

"You heard, huh?"

"I may not be working right now but I still hear everything," she said smiling slightly.  "Good luck on your test today."

"Thank you," Meredith told the resident as Mark and Alison began to walk away.

*

"So Derek is really okay with us being together?" Mark asked Alison as he stole a fry from her plate and she playfully glared at him before taking one herself.

"Not sure," she said shrugging her shoulders.  "Just said that he's going to have to get used to us.  I told him I didn't need his approval."

"Which you don't," Mark agreed as he puffed his chest out slightly.  He was proud of girlfriend for speaking up to Derek.  He knew how hard it was for her.  "And you are going to kick ass on your boards."

"Damn right I am," she said smiling at Mark.

"I still can't believe we have to go without sex for three months," he complained.

"You can do it you big baby," she teased him.

They both knew that their relationship wasn't just solely based on sex but it didn't hurt that they both enjoyed it.  A lot.  Just being able to spend time with her was different for Mark.  A good kind of different.  One that he had to admit he never saw himself doing.  He remembered having this conversation with Alison the night before.  She was so patient with him.  Especially when he told her this.  She didn't judge him knowing that everyone had a past.  If anything she felt like she was the luckiest girl.  

*

It was the end of the day and Burke had allowed Derek to invite Alison to his bachelor party at Joe's Bar since she was close with him.  She loved now being on crutches.  If she had to choose between the crutches and the walker, it would be crutches.  It was hard at first adjusting to them but once she got the hang of them - it was easy.

"I still can't believe you two snuck around for two months and that you," he nodded his head toward Derek.  "Didn't notice," he said chuckling and shaking his head as all three of them laughed as well.

"He's just apparently really oblivious," Alison said laughing as she took a sip of her water not being able to have any alcohol.  

"Hey," Derek took offense to what she said and threw a peanut at her making her throw some back.

"Children," Mark let out a sigh as he took a sip of his beer.  "I'm surrounded by children," he said making Burke smile.  "So, you ready for the big day tomorrow?"

"I am.  Cristina has been a trooper throughout all of this along with having to take her intern test.  She's amazing."

"Thank you, by the way.  For all of the cakes I got to taste.  They were delicious," Alison told Burke.  

"All of your help with the cakes helped," Burke told them all.

"What cake did you choose?"

"The red velvet one."

"Ohhh that was my favorite," Alison remarked as she then saw Addison walk up to them.  "Hey!"

"Hey," Addison greeted the group.  "This is what you invited me to?  This is your big bachelor party."

"It was last minute.  I needed some more bodies," Derek said.

"And at least I'm not the only girl anymore in this group."

"Which would explain why I'm here," Mark explained.

"Well I am not stripping," Addison said.

"I've seen it already."

"True," Mark agreed and Alison slapped his shoulder and he winced.

"I haven't," Burke said.  

"Yeah, well, why don't I buy you a drink instead?" Addison offered Burke and left to the bar area. "It's on me."

"I'll give you a hand with those," Mark said as he got up.  

"So now that I know that you two are dating," Burke began to ask a question to Alison.  "Does it ever bother you seeing them talk?" He asked gesturing to Addison and Mark.

"Not at all," Alison said shaking her head.  "I trust the both of them."

"And it's not weird for you?" Burke asked Derek.  

"Oh it's so weird," Derek let out a big laugh.  "But I'm trying to get used to it.  Has Cristina written her vows?"

"I don't know, I guess we'll find out."

"Have you?" Alison asked Burke.

"I did," he nodded his head with a soft smile.

"I bet your vows will make Cristina and all of the women swoon," Alison said.

"What makes you think that?" Derek asked.

"He's a heart surgeon.  Duh," she said and Burke agreed.

"I am a heart surgeon man.  And I am a romantic."

"See," Alison said.

"How's Meredith?" Burke asked Derek as he was eating some nuts.

"I have no idea," Derek shook his head.  "It shouldn't be this difficult.  Should it?"

"Probably not.  Then again when I see Cristina walking down that aisle tomorrow."

"It will all be worth it?"

Burke nodded his head and Alison smiled.

"So, how was LA?" Mark asked Addison as they were up at the bar.

"LA was different," Addison said with a smile.  "Look, Mark.  Things don't have to be awkward between us.  We tried and we did our best.  You have Alison and you guys are very happy together.  I support you two together.  Just because we failed as a couple it doesn't mean we can't at least be friends.  Friends?"

"Friends," Mark said with a smile.  "Thank you.  For supporting Alison and I," he said and walked away with the beers.

Alison could see Derek was now talking with a younger woman.  A woman who wasn't Meredith. While it wasn't a sin to talk to other women who he wasn't dating - she saw the way that woman was looking at Derek and could tell she was flirting.  

"Who do you think that woman is talking to Derek?" Alison asked.

"No idea," Mark answered.

*

"Every surgical patient in the hospital is your patient," Richard began.  "Whether you're the one who cut them or not.  The scalpel stops with you.  You need to be able to look them in the eye and tell them your team did everything they could to save someone's child.  Their husband.  Their wife."

Alison's family had gone home earlier that week.  She had enjoyed their time here but she was glad to have it be just her and Mark.  Besides it was a little hard with the living situation.  Since Alison only had one extra bedroom, Adam and his wife Katie ended up staying in a nearby hotel which they didn't mind.  

"You get caught up.  Taking care of other people's families," he said.  "And the responsibility makes you take care of other people's families.  That you sacrifice your own."

Burke's bachelor party ended up getting canceled early as all three men were called into work.  Mark kissed Alison and was on his way with Derek and Burke as she went home to sleep.  She wanted to get some sleep in before they all went to Burke and Cristina's wedding later that day.  Mark was her date.

"They found the fourth climber," Miranda told Mark and Derek as they walked over to her.  "Vitals are stabilizing after fluids but-"

"Thought he was dead," Mark commented.

"He was according to his friends.  Did the CT show bleeding?"

"We haven't done a CT yet," Miranda explained as they walked to the patient's room.

"You haven't done a CT yet?  You said there's a head trauma."

"Yeah, there's been a little head trauma.  Ice axe to the head."

'What the hell happened up on that mountain?" Mark asked as he looked at their patient and they both gloved up.

*

"I never really got the sense that you wanted the job," Richard said.  "Seems to me you got the in the race to play off some kind of unfinished business you have with Derek."

"I was in this to win, sir," Mark said looking defeated for the first time in a while.  "I don't know if he's your new chief but if he is he got there because I made him fight for it."

"You made them all fight for it," Richard said.

"So I'm not going to be chief?"

"No, you're not."

*

"There he is," Mark announced about Burke which made him smile as he came into wash his hands before surgery.  "T-minus five hours.  And how's the best man?  Up to the challenge?  I was an excellent best man."

"Worst case scenario is that I sleep with your wife in ten years," Derek said laughing making Burke as well.

*

"You didn't get chief?" Alison asked when she saw Mark's sullen face and he shook his head.  "Aw bubs, I'm sorry," she said pouting and hugged him.  "If it makes you feel any better I think you would be great."

"It's alright," he let out a sigh as he shrugged his shoulders.  "I don't know if I really wanted it anyway."

"That is not true.  You spent hours rehearsing your speech with me.  You wanted it.  But just because you didn't get the position now doesn't mean you won't later on."

"Thank you," he told her, grateful for her encouragement as he kissed her a few times.  "And when you come back home from San Francisco we are going to celebrate," he told her wrapping his arms around her.

"Really?" She asked excited and he laughed finding her excitement cute.

"Really."

"Maybe I can finally take you to my favorite pizza place."

"I'd like that."

*

Everyone was now at the church for the wedding.  Alison had decided to wear a light pink lace dress and Mark had to help her with the buttons in the back.  Instead of wearing heels, she paired her outfit with wedges as she thought they were easier to walk in right now.  They saw there was an open seat with Addison and Alex and decided to sit next to them.

"Hey," Addison greeted her resident as she leaned forward.

"Hey," Alison greeted her attending.  "Did I hear right that Adele is pregnant?"

"You heard right."

"Wow.  Well good for her.  Is she okay and the baby?"

"Unfortunately the baby didn't survive.  I'll tell you more later."

"Aw poor Adele and Richard," Alison sadly and she went back to talking with Mark.

"How's therapy been going?" He asked holding her hand.

"It was good," she nodded her head.  "Matthew is starting to have me do a little bit harder strengthening exercises now.  Says I might be able to go back to work in three months if I keep up the hard work."

"Amazing!  See I knew you could do it," he said making Alison smile but then it faded.

"Do you know why the music is still playing and Cristina isn't out yet?  Or her bridesmaids?"

"No idea," he shook his head.

Minutes later Burke walked down the aisle and outside to see what the problem was.  The person walking down the aisle wasn't Cristina or Burke.  It was Meredith as she made the announcement that it was over and Alison knew it had a double meaning.

"Shit," she muttered seeing her person shattered up there.

And then we have those moments when we wonder if any of it was real or if it was a figment of our imagination.   

--

next is season 4!  I've also started writing jackson avery's fanfic.  please add it to your reading lists, vote and comment.  I appreciate all of your votes and comments :).