"Mail call!" Meredith Grey bounced into the kitchen of the house that she shared with two of her fellow residents at Seattle Grace Hospital. Meredith carefully tucked a stray of light brown hair behind her ear as she sampled a muffin courtesy of roommate and good friend Izzie Stephens.

"Those muffins are for the hospital!" Izzie declared, bating Meredith's tiny hand away from her treasure.

"Muffin Nazi," Meredith muttered under her breath, sliding an envelope in Izzie's direction. "This came for you."

Alex Karev raced into the kitchen, smuggling one of Izzie's precious muffins under his shirt.

"I saw that, Alex!" Izzie shouted, stomping after him.

Meredith smiled watching the drama of Alex and Izzie play before her. The two had been dancing around a relationship for months, flirting with one another, stealing secret glances, denying their attraction to one another. She believed that it would only be a matter of time before Alex and Izzie rekindled old flames.

"You two are going to be late for work," Meredith warned, her voice falling on deaf ears.

"Alex that isn't funny, those muffins are intended for the clinic."

Alex ran to the other side of the table, taking an abnormally large bite. "And I will most likely be left working the clinic today, so really, these muffins are for my usage."

"Meredith!" Izzie cried, hoping for female solidarity.

"Not getting involved," Meredith smiled, picking up her keys. "I'm leaving in twenty minutes."

Alex teasingly took another bite, as Izzie threw up her hands in anger, and followed Meredith to the car.

"Should we be feeling any different now that we are no longer interns?" Meredith asked, looking at the hospital in a completely new light.

"Looks the same to me," Alex muttered.

Meredith looked at her best friend Cristina Yang with an aura of concern. "Cristina, what's with you? This is the first year of our residency, another step on the road to becoming doctors."

"He's gone," Cristina whispered, her dark eyes darting around the hospital. "He's really gone."

Meredith shot her friends a helpless look. It had been two weeks since Burke left Cristina at the altar that fateful afternoon. It came completely out of the blue, rocking not only her, but the entire congregation. If anyone was going to panic and back out of the wedding at the last minute, it would have been Cristina. She was out of her element, forced into the role of the 'proper bride' for the man that she loved. She put up with the fittings, the flowers, the weddings cake; she even plucked her eyebrows until there was nothing left. She did it all for him. And he left her, knowing in his heart that while he was doing the right thing in the long run, he was leaving her broken and hurt.

"It'll be okay, Cristina," Meredith assured, squeezing her arm. "You'll both be okay."

"I don't even know where he is. He cleared out his apartment, it's as if he never lived there to begin with."

"Cristina, if you want, I can talk to Bailey and you can take the day off."

"That's not necessary."

"You shouldn't be scrubbing in when you're like this. You could endanger a patient."

"I'll be okay," she snapped, turning away from Meredith.

"I don't think Bailey's the one we'll be talking to," Alex commented. "Word on the street is, Callie's the new Chief Resident."

Izzie frowned at the mention of her name. She already knew that Callie Torres O'Malley or whatever it was that she went by was the new chief. She cornered Izzie at the wedding, gloating about her good fortune.

"Where's George?" Izzie asked, startled to see that he was not present. He had made himself scarce since the canceled wedding. He's probably avoiding me, Izzie thought to herself.

The memory of her last conversation with George haunted her. She had laid all the cards down, barred her soul to him, declaring her love and devotion, putting her heart out on the line. And all she got in return was a 'see you at the wedding'. He never came to the church that afternoon. Izzie called him, trying to find out what had happened. He had said that something came up and that he was sorry. There was no mention of their past conversation, or their one night together.

"There you are!" Miranda Bailey barked, eying the new residents. "Today is a busy day; we've got a whole new set of interns coming in and they are going to be learning beside you." Bailey paused to stare at each resident individually. "I don't want any mistakes from you; you are teachers and are responsible for instructing your peers. Here are your assignments," Bailey said as her voice began to drone on.

Alex stole a glance at Izzie, who was too busy searching for George to notice him. She wasn't listening to Bailey talk about surgeries and responsibilities – something was up with George, and she had to find out what.

"Stephens." The disgustingly familiar tone of Dr. Mark Sloan made Izzie shiver. "Looks like you're with me today," he deviously grinned. "We are going to have fun today."

"Can't wait," Izzie muttered, following Sloan's steps.

"You can start by getting me my morning coffee."

Izzie froze in her tracks. "Excuse me?"

"Is something wrong, Stephens?"

"Aren't interns supposed to do mindless tasks like getting coffee?"

"A), only you know how I like my coffee, B), I want to get acquainted with the intern that will be studying under me." He laughed at his own joke, soliciting a scowl from Izzie. "And C), is most important: because I said so."

"But –"

"You're wasting time, Stephens," Mark called as he headed for the elevator.

"I hate him!" Izzie cried under her breath.

"Hey," Alex said, rubbing her shoulders, "it could be worse. You could be working the clinic."

"I'd rather work the clinic than be with a disgusting pig like him," Izzie spat.

"It won't be as bad as you think it is," he smiled. "Meet me for lunch in the courtyard," he said, giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"It's a date," Izzie smiled, forgetting her morning fight with Alex, and her terrible run in with Sloan.

Izzie couldn't get away from Sloan, or his new protégée fast enough. The girl looked 22 with the IQ of a five-year-old. Her was Whitney or Britney or Courtney – Izzie wasn't really listening. Mark however was enamored by the able-bodied intern. At least he'll be too busy hitting on her to bother with me, Izzie thought, finding a tiny silver cloud with her. She carefully grabbed her lunch tray and rushed outside, inhaling the bittersweet Seattle air. "Hmmm," she sighed.

"Who's the new intern?" Alex asked, as he munched on a hotdog.

"You mean McSlutty?" Izzie laughed.

"She already has a McName?"

"She earned it. She was all over Mark today during surgery."

"He seems to have gotten over Addison pretty quickly," Alex scoffed.

"There is no way that Mark Sloan could commit to her or any other woman," Izzie insisted, nursing an orange juice. "Once a man whore, always a man whore."

Alex laughed at Izzie's comment. The two shared a mutual dislike of the plastic surgeon.

"If you'd like I could introduce you to her."

"To the intern? No thanks."

Izzie glanced at her dining partner. "This doesn't have to do with Ava, does it?" she asked gently, recalling the ferry victim that charmed Alex.

"Rebecca – and it wasn't meant to be. She had a husband, a whole other life that I would have complicated."

Izzie grew silent. She had never known Alex to be so hung up over a woman – except her. Nurse Olivia was just a fling, someone easily forgotten. Rebecca Pope was Alex's first serious relationship after Izzie.

"I think I did the right thing," Alex said confidently. "You don't come between a man and his wife."

"What if they're not mean to be?" Izzie asked, her thoughts shifting towards George. "What if someone marries the wrong person, and then meets their soul mate? Does that mean that the two should never be together?" she asked defensively, her emotions beginning to arise.

"I wasn't Rebecca's soul mate," Alex said giving Izzie a quizzical look. "You seem very passionate about soul mates these days."

"Well I just think it's a travesty that two people can never be together just because one person is married to someone else," Izzie shrugged, hoping to mask her intentions.

"I just don't think it's right for someone to split up a marriage. If a relationship is going to fail, it shouldn't be because of another person."

"Well I disagree," Izzie said firmly.

"Any particular reason?"

"Excuse me?"

Alex smiled, "Do you want to start something with a married man?"

"No!" Izzie said sharply. "In theory, it just seems unfair that two people can never be together because of another person."

"You've been watching those romantic comedies again haven't you?" Alex laughed. "I think they're starting to go to your head."

Izzie said nothing, not wanting to pursue the subject further.

"Where's Meredith and Cristina?" Alex asked.

Izzie grimaced, "Meredith is trying to help Cristina get over Burke. The worst part is that Cristina prefers to pretend like nothing has happened. She wants to go on with her life, full speed ahead."

"Maybe that's good for her."

"Excuse me?"

"Cristina has never been the type to wallow, she takes a licking and keeps on ticking, you know?"

"Only you would be so insensitive. She needs time to grieve."

"Not everyone deals with rejection in the same way."

"Rejection, is that how you see it? Burke thought he was doing the right thing for Cristina, he didn't believe that she wanted to be married. He put her needs first, if anything you could say that what he did was….."

"Romantic?" Alex finished.

"Exactly. He knew that she wouldn't be happy married to him, or anyone right now, so decided to move on without her. I'm not saying that he didn't hurt her in the process – but I wish that someone would care about me like that."

"You want to be left at the altar?"

Izzie frowned, sometimes Alex can be so dense. "Never mind," Izzie said, picking up her tray to.

"Izzie!" Alex called after her.

"Yeah?"

"You'll meet the right guy someday; you're too good a person not to."

Izzie smiled at Alex, "Thanks."

Izzie rushed into the locker room for a private chat with Meredith and Cristina before leaving the hospital. Izzie was going to see George today, knowing that he would be alone since Callie was working late at the hospital. Too many unanswered questions and explanations needed to be addressed for her to let him ignore her.

"Hey," Izzie said, stripping out of her scrubs, "how was your day."

"Meredith thinks that I need time to grieve over Burke," Cristina complained.

"Well maybe you do," Izzie said quietly, taking a seat beside Meredith. "A huge change has happened and you need time to reflect on it."

"Not everyone gets all emotional and weepy over a…a…."

"Breakup," Meredith and Izzie said together.

Meredith hugged Cristina's shoulders, "You need to get over him at some point."

"You're touching me," Cristina said flatly.

"I'm your person and that makes it okay," Meredith said sensibly.

"I don't know what you guys are talking about, I am over Burke!"

"This morning…" Izzie began

"This morning I was starting a new year at Seattle Grace."

"It's okay to be upset," Meredith assured.

"I'm not upset!" Cristina snapped, jumping onto the bench. "Burke should be upset. He's the one that called off the wedding!"

"He is upset. Wherever he is, he is misses you."

"He isn't worth it. After what he did to me, he isn't worth my getting upset. I shouldn't be doing this!" she cried, savagely running her hands through her hair.

"It will get easier."

"When! I have a residency to complete." Cristina hopped down from her perch and stared at her two fellow residents. "And I refuse – refuse – to let him stop me from getting what I want!"

Meredith and Izzie watched her in awe, neither one interrupting her, knowing that this was part of the healing process for Cristina. Once she was able to get her feelings out in the open, she could move on with her life – without Preston Burke.

"I am going to be a cardiac surgeon! I have wanted this since I was a five-year-old girl in elementary school playing with her Playschool scalpel!"

Izzie tried to hide a grin from Cristina, keeping her eyes fixated on the clock in the back of the room.

"Let me tell you two something: I will still get the best surgeries, I will still finish first, and I will still make my mark on this hospital!" Cristina grabbed her bag and stormed out the door.

"She's back," Meredith grinned as she collected her things from her locker.

"I think I might miss the subdued Cristina," Izzie laughed. "She was far more pleasant to be around."

"Cristina isn't the type to let a personal crisis of any kind get in the way of her goals. That's why she'll make a great surgeon."

"True," Izzie smiled.

"You want a ride home?"

"No," Izzie said heading for the door.

"You going to Joe's?"

"No."

"So where are you going?"

Izzie sighed, knowing that she was going to tell Meredith sooner or later. "I'm going to see George."

Meredith shrunk back. "I have something to tell you about George."

"You're not changing my mind. He has been avoiding me since the wedding and he is too good a friend to lose."

"Izzie, listen to me for a minute," Meredith urged, pulling Izzie onto a chair. "Something has happened to George."

"What?" Izzie asked, perplexed as to how Meredith could know something about George that she didn't.

"I talked to Bailey today."

"He he okay? He didn't get into an accident did he?"

"Izzie…."

"If he's hurt I should be with him!" Izzie stammered, rising to her feet.

"Izzie!" Meredith pulled at her hand, lowering her to the chair, "Bailey said that George failed his medical exams."

"What?" Izzie breathed, unable to move.

"He failed, Izzie, and from what Bailey, says he's not taking his intern year over."

"But that means that he…."

"Isn't coming back to Seattle Grace Hospital," Meredith said gently.

"I have to see him," Izzie cried.

"He doesn't want to see anyone yet. He needs his space."

"We're his friends!"

"And as his friends, we need to do what's best for him."

"We need to convince him to come back, take the year over! We can do it together."

"Izzie, he has to come to that conclusion himself."

"But…"

"George has Callie."

"Don't remind me," Izzie scoffed.

Meredith shot her friend a look. "You need to accept the fact that George and Callie are married."

Izzie stood up, turning the knob on the door. "I will never accept the fact that they are married." The door slammed shut, leaving Meredith alone in the empty room.

"George, open up, it's me," Izzie called, wrapping on the door to the apartment that he shared with Callie. "I know you're in there."

"Izzie," George said, clad in sweats, "now is not a good time."

"Please George," Izzie begged, "you've shut me out of your life, I can't handle that."

"Izzie," George said impatiently, "I have a lot going on right now, and I don't have time to make you feel better."

George tried to close the front door, but Izzie stuck her foot in the middle. "I know George. I know about the exams."

A look of shock crept across George's face as he pulled her into the apartment. "Who did you talk to? Bailey? Those exams are confidential."

"Meredith told me, she heard from Bailey this morning." Izzie reached for George's hand, "George, I am so sorry."

George frowned. "Sorry can't change anything. Do Alex and Cristina know?"

"I don't know about Cristina, but Alex doesn't have a clue."

"I'd like to keep it that way. There's no telling what he would say if he found that I… failed my medical exams."

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," Izzie assured.

"How would you know?" George snapped, making Izzie shrink back. "I'm sorry," he said quickly, "I shouldn't be yelling at you."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked gently.

"There is nothing that anyone can do."

"Are you taking your intern year over?"

George gave Izzie a look. "Do you know how humiliating that would be for me?"

"Who cares what anyone else thinks? This is something that you have wanted for the longest time; you can't let one roadblock stop you."

"I'll be behind everyone else."

"No you won't," Izzie said excitedly. "If anything, you'll have a jump on all the other interns because you've done it before. This year will be a breeze for you. And we'll all help you study for your exams."

"You're starting to sound like Callie," George said, cracking a tiny smile.

Izzie frowned at the mention of George's wife, the root of her previous problems with George.

George sensed her uneasiness and took her hand. "We need to talk about what happened."

"Is something I want to hear?" Izzie asked, slightly agitated by the fact that George never bothered to talk to her before.

"Izzie – this needs to be said."

"Then you could have said it two weeks ago at the wedding," she said coolly, rising to her feet.

"Izzie!" George grabbed her hand in an attempt to make her stay. "I'm sorry."

"For what George? What exactly are you sorry for? For sleeping with me? Flirting with me in front of your wife and the entire hospital? Leading me to believe that something could happen between us? Making me bear my heart and soul to you, only for you to do nothing!" Tears began to form in her eyes as George looked on. "You cannot do this to me, George, not now."

"Izzie," he said gently, "I have to be fair to you."

"Then pick me, divorce Callie, and come with me. You can move back into the house. Meredith and I can share a room, or you can share with Alex, or we can kick Alex out of the house…."

"Izzie…."

"Alex can find another place to live, between the two of us, we can get him to leave…."

"Izzie!"

"What?"

"I'm at a point right now where I don't know what I want."

"George?" Izzie stammered.

"Callie wants to have a baby."

"She told me," Izzie muttered, "at the wedding, at the wedding that you skipped."

"I can't hurt Callie."

"You're choosing Callie over me."

"Callie has stood by me through everything. My dad's death, the failed exams, my lack of commitment."

"Seriously, George," Izzie cried, throwing up her hands. "Callie is not the person that you belong with."

"Izzie."

"I know this because you belong with me."

"Izzie."

"You're George, you're always there for me when I need you."

"I will still be there for you."

"You have a way of making me feel –, God, I can't even describe…."

"I need time, Izzie."

"Time, time to do what?"

"To think, everything is happening so quickly, I need to figure some stuff out."

"Like what?" Izzie snapped.

"Like how I feel about starting a family with Callie, or taking my intern year over."

"How do you feel about me, George? I was honest enough to tell you exactly how I felt, and you have given me nothing in return." Izzie stood there, hoping that George would say something – anything – but he didn't. "I know everything I need to know," Izzie said, closing the door behind her. "Have a nice life."

Izzie jumped into her car, keeping her eyes firmly in front of her for fear of looking back. There is no turning back. George made his decision; he doesn't want me. On most nights, Izzie enjoyed watching the scenery of Seattle, Washington, stopping to people watch as the wind would blow through her medium length platinum blonde hair. But tonight was not one of those nights – because rejection stings.