Why me? ~ mark sloan

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

"Come on, buddy." Mark groaned slightly as he picked Charlie up and held him on his hip as Vanessa took Amelia's hand while cradling Caroline to her chest and they all walked out of the front door together. 

"Where are we going?" Amelia looked up at Vanessa and Vanessa smiled at her and bent down slightly as they walked toward the car.

"You're going to stay with uncle Alex and aunt Jo for a bit." She said sweetly and Amelia cheered as Charlie laughed and clapped his hands together. Vanessa and Mark laughed at them as they placed the children in the car and slid into the car themselves. 

Mark drove the car toward Meredith's old house where Alex was currently living. The only noise in the car was the twins quietly conversing and laughing with each-other and Caroline just babbling to herself. Neither Mark nor Vanessa spoke to each-other and the tension created between them was becoming almost too much to bare.

When they reached the house, Mark stopped the car and they both got out, taking the kids with them as they slowly walked up to the door and Vanessa knocked, waiting for Alex to answer as Charlie and Amelia stood at the door, waiting to bombard whoever opened it.

As soon as Alex opened the door, the twins attacked his legs and he chuckled as he took a few staggered steps back and Jo walked to the door, smiling widely as she took Caroline from Vanessa's arms.

"Have fun." Alex called sarcastically and Vanessa widened her eyes jokingly, something that Mark couldn't see and Alex laughed at her.

"Alright, bye bye." Vanessa and Mark waved to their children as Jo closed the door and they walked back to the car and climbed back in, getting ready for the next couple of hours of their lives.

***

"He just left after he got out of hospital - he was gone for months, he left me with three young children and then just comes back as if nothing ever happened." Vanessa rants, crossing one of her legs over the over and clasping her hands in her lap.

Vanessa and Mark had been going to couples therapy for the past couple of weeks to help to fix their problems that had arisen during the time he had been back at home.

"I almost died and I needed a break." Mark countered and Vanessa looked down at her lap as the therapist, Claire, clicked her pen on her face a couple of times.

"Well, it's obvious that you care for each other a lot and I think that might be why you're lashing out at each other." She concludes and when neither of them say anything she carries on.

"Vanessa, you're upset that Mark left because you were still battling your PTSD from everything else that had happened before this and you were worried about him when he left. And Mark, you're lashing out because you feel bad for leaving and you wish that you hadn't." 

Mark looked down at his lap, coming to terms with the fact that Claire was right. He wished more than anything that he could take what he did back and he hated himself for leaving his family. He sighed as he reached his arm out and took Vanessa's hand in his. She looked down at their hands and smiled slightly as she entwined their fingers and their hands rested on the couch they were sat on.

It was at this point that they both knew that they were done with the therapy and they knew that although they still had things to work through, separately and together, they could finally do it by themselves and without the help of someone else.

***

Vanessa and Mark were laying in bed after having put the children to sleep. Vanessa had her head rested on Mark's shoulder and he rested his chin on her head. She was playing with his large hand and he was just letting her, not really minding.