xxxi.

                                    

                                          
- - -
there's this thing i used to do when i was a kid to my mom's vcr. i'd take it apart piece by piece, then put it back together again.
- - -
                          
"i really want to tell my parents about us," lia blurts our when she sees mark stood by the nurses station. "i- i mean... i already told them-"
                          
"you told webber?" mark interrupts her. "he's gonna kill me."
                          
"shush," she teasingly scolds. "i didn't tell them about you i just said that i have a boyfriend. and they really want to 'meet' you. h-how about dinner, tonight? camparo's at eight?"
                          
"uh, lia, uh... dad's historically do not love me," mark says, nervously scratching his beard. "and by that i mean that when i was a- a teenager, um, dads did... did not love me. and- and that's the last time i had to meet anyone's dad."
                          
"i'm crazy about you," she smiles at him. "and so is my dad. he loves you. and you said we'd tell them this time."
                          
"no. your dad loves dr. sloan, head of plastics," mark corrects her. "he will not love mark sloan, renowned 'whore' who's dating his daughter. plus, after how it went down with derek, i think keeping it a secret is best for everyone."
                          
"yeah, everyone but me... just forget it," she mutters before walking away. 
                          
■ ■ ■
                          
"mark is an ass," lia sighs, flopping on the bed of the on call room next to callie. 
                          
"need me to kick his ass?" callie asks, rolling on her side to face her best friend. 
                          
"no," she sighs. "but thank you."
                          
"what's he done?"
                          
"he's trying to back out of telling my dad," lia explains. "we said when we got back together we'd tell everyone. but since derek punched him, he's trying to back out of telling more people."
                          
"what does he want you to do?" she asks. "not tell anyone ever and have a secret wedding followed by secret babies?"
                          
"exactly!" lia throws her hands in the air. "plus, i told my parents anyway."
                          
"you did what?" callie gasps. 
                          
"i didn't tell them about mark," she explains. "i just told them i have a boyfriend, and they've invited him for dinner tonight, but he's saying he won't come. and if he doesn't; when they eventually find out my dad will like the idea a whole lot less. and they'll find out eventually, especially with derek on a rampage."
                          
"is shepherd still not back?" callie asks with a chuckle at lia's remark, who shakes her head in response. 
                          
"no. and i don't know if he ever will."
                          
■ ■ ■
                          
"dr. yang," lia greets the resident with a smile. "now that you're back on my service; we're going to be trying something different. we're going back to the basics."
                          
"the basics?" cristina asks, clearly unimpressed with lia's idea. 
                          
"you're a very talented surgeon, and i'm sure that in your first year you were completing surgeries that some third years hadn't done," lia tells her. 
                          
"i was," cristina nods. "i don't understand what the problem is, isn't that a good thing?"
                          
"it is a good thing," lia confirms. "you're without a doubt the most talented resident i've ever had the pleasure to work with, and i have no doubt that you know which size chest tube to use and when. i'm just not sure you know why."
                          
"do i need to know why?" cristina contorts her face in confusion. "you said yourself that i'm the best resident. do i have to go back to the basics?"
                          
"no," lia shakes her head, and cristina smiles, before frowning at what she says next. "but you will have to find a new teacher."
                          
"basics," cristina smiles again. "i love the basics."
                          
- - -
but inevitably, there was always a piece or two left over. something i didn't quite know what to do with. so, what do you do with that piece?
- - -
                          
"so... where's this boyfriend of yours, alivia?" richard asks as they are sat in camparo's, staring at the menus. 
                          
"about that..." lia says, looking at both of her parents, as mark approaches the table from behind her. 
                          
"mark," adele smiles, causing lia to snap her head round to see mark stood in a suit. 
                          
"what are you doing here, sloan?" richard asks. "got a hot date?"
                          
"richard, leave the man alone," adele shakes her head with a chuckle. 
                          
"we're meant to be meeting alivia's secret boyfriend, but i think she was just about to tell us he's not coming," richard informs mark, then turns his head to lia and raises his brow. 
                          
"look, about that..." she stammers out again. "he's here."
                          
"where?" richard asks, looking round. 
                          
"here," she smiles, grabbing mark's hand, and pulling him round so that he's stood next to her. adele smiles at her daughter, whereas a frown takes over richard's face. 
                          
"sorry i'm late," mark nervously smiles. 
                          
"please, here, grab a chair," adele smiles, and mark nervously does so. 
                          
"sloan?" richard raises his brow again. "mark sloan is your secret boyfriend?"
                          
"yep," lia says with a nervous laugh. "mark sloan is my secret boyfriend."
                          
- - -
do you try to fit it back in? do you try to make it work? or do you decide you can live without that missing piece? just because we can live without something, it doesn't mean we have to.
- - -