One {Mark Sloan}

Stronger

"Then when because I need to know if you're in this relationship or not?"

Renee stared at her boyfriend with persistence as he avoided looking her in the eye, she had pulled him into the corner as she needed to get out of everybody's stares, she looked at him as he tried to avoid any eye contact with her. They hadn't been in a relationship for that long and frankly, Renee had always felt that she had rushed getting in a relationship with Reyansh but she often found herself pushing those thoughts at the back of her mind. She stared him down as he struggled with words, he would close his mouth and open it again and then just sigh before repeating the process all over again. Finally having enough of it she snapped;

"Talk to me when you have words to say," She said as she started walking away. Mark who was watching from a distance appeared a little smug as he tried to his best to avoid a smile from appearing on his face. She narrowed his eyes at him as she neared him and raised her eyebrow silently asking him "What?"

"Comebacks were never your strongest suit,"

"Like loyalty was never yours," She said back as Callie chuckled silently, "Good one," she whispered under her breath.

"Where are you going?" Mark asked as Renee started walking.

"I have patients who need my advice,"

"What are you doing tonight?"

"I am a foster mum, what do you think I am doing tonight?"

"I thought Torres was supposed to babysit her," Mark looked at Callie who nodded confirming the same.

"Well, I think I'll just sleep, god knows I deserve that,"

"Come to the Gentleman's evening with us,"

"A night filled with booze and strippers? No thanks,"

"Don't be such a bore plus I don't think Richard's the kind of man to have strippers,"

"You planning on hiding here all day?"

"Get out,"

Bailey just stared at her attending with a flat expression on her face; she was not impressed with the way the oncologist was sitting in her cabin all day long, she had heard about the argument which happened previously that day. What Bailey couldn't understand why Renee was letting a man, a man, affect her so much to the point where she was shuttung herelf in her room the entire day.

"You don't tell me to get out,"

"I am your senior, I can tell you to get out,"

"You're letting a man ruin your day?" Bailey asked a little agressively as she sat in front of Renee.

"I am not letting a man ruin my day,"

"You are doing exactly that, you're letting a stupid man ruin your day,"

"Dr Bailey, how many times have you been cheated by your boyfriend?" Renee asked as she put her pen down and finally looked at Bailey.

"Uh....never,"

"So, you'd never understand the constant fear of getting cheated,"

"Sloan really messed you up,"

Renee just sighed as she continued her paperwork and signed some discharge papers while Bailey looked around, on Renee's desk there was a photo of Derek, Mark, Addison, her and two other people she couldn't recognize. Another photo was of her and Issac, then the other one was of her baby but the last one caught her eye. It was a black and white photo of her and Mark, it looked atleast a decade old, both of them a little younger and a lot more happier, the photo exhibited a couple deeply in love.

"Found anything interesting?" Renee asked without looking up.

"I...uh....you should just get out of here," Bailey said finally as she take up a deep breath and walked towards the door but stopped at the door before looking back at Renee who hadn't looked up.

"You go out and enjoy, get a break from everything,"      

The sound of laughing and the clinking of bottles was heard from near the trailers which were parked adjacent to each other, Renee was standing by her car looking over at Derek, Mark, Richard and Erica laughing as they talked to each other. She bit her lip as she pondered over whether or not she should accept Mark's invitation, it had been a long time since she had let go, it had been a long time since she had a beer and had cheap takeout. Sighing she shaked her head and turned back before walking in the direction of her car when she heard a twig snap, turning around she came face to face with Richard who had his hands on his hips and his eyebrows raised,

"What?" Renee asked as Richard took a step forward.

"What are you doing here? Don't tell me you're here for consult,"

"I...I am not here for consult...I...was invited to your gentleman's evening,"

"Oh..by who?"

"I invited her Chief, thought she could use a night out of her pathetic life," Mark shrugged, a smug smirk on his face.

"My life's not pathetic. You know what, I shouldn't have come...I'll leave, sorry to disturb your gentleman's evening Chief," Renee said as her voice cracked at the end, Mark mentally cursed himself as he watched her walk away, Richard turned to him and he just sighed as he turned and went to his chair. Richard looked between them as he walked towards Renee, his hands in his pocket as he walked towards her car.

"What's up with you?" 

"Nothing, I..."

"What?"

"I am exhausted, you know, the baby, the job, the relationship drama, it gets pretty exhausting quickly,"

"You need a few days off?"

"No, I'll become mad if I stay home, you know I need to work,"

"Is this about what happened in the Trauma room with Dr Deo?"

"How do you know-oh, you know everything," Renee sighed as Richard just shrugged.

"Is it?"

"I honestly don't know," She said as she pushed her hair back.

"Come on," Richard said as he leaned against the car and patted the empty space beside him.

"I cheated on Adele many years ago with Ellis-"

"Ellis Grey?"

"Yeah, we were in love but she was married and she had a daughter, I was married, she was someone who made me really happy but-"

"But?"

"I couldn't leave Adele, I owed her too much. A few days back I found that Adele knew about the affair but she said nothing, absolutely nothing, she forgave me, it's wrong that Adele forgave me......I am just saying that the alone time I had when Adele left me made me realise how wrong I was and how stupid I was. Take a break, leave everything, just concentrate on your daughter and yourself, "

"What do you mean leave everything?"

"Your past, your current relationship, if you don't feel the relationship is right then just break it off, you'll feel much better. Don't let a man let you down, Foster, you're much stronger and honestly better than that,"