Author's Note: I don't usually write mushy stuff but found this and thought you might like it! I wrote it ages ago. Back when KH was still on the show and they had just had the episode with the embryos. Hope you enjoy!
Nervous fingers twist a baguette encrusted band around and around, pausing every so often to caress the large, solitaire cut diamond that was set amongst the smaller stones. It was a far cry from the ring Alex had bought for seventy-five cents from a little toy machine in the hospital lobby when they were first married, and as much as Izzie loved it there was no way it would ever replace the white and silver enamel fashion ring that was still in the jewelry box on her dresser. The twisting stopped and she rose, a faint smile on her face as she slid the beautiful symbol of love her husband had slid on her finger two years ago. Gingerly she sat it on the gleaming mahogany wood of the dresser and reached for the enamel ring that had cost little but was priceless in her eyes.
Izzie had just finished fitting it on her finger when she heard a familiar tread of footsteps coming down the carpeted hallway. Her smile grew wider as the partially closed door fully swung open and her handsome husband stood there with a baffled look on his face. "Meredith said you left work early," he said cautiously.
"I did," Izzie confirmed, apprehension filling her stomach as she searched for the right words to tell him she was ready to start their family. They had talked about in the days following her almost death and agreed on waiting at least five years, giving her body time to heal and rid itself of the poison that had helped her overcome the cancer that had infected her body. Five years seemed too long though now that Meredith had a toddler and Lexie was about to give birth any day. No, she wanted to start a family sooner; the sooner the better.
"Everything okay?" Alex shrugged out of his dark green flannel he had worn over a light gray t shirt. He tossed the long sleeved shirt onto the foot of their bed and reached for her, tugging her close. "You're not feeling sick are you?" He caressed her cheek, his hazel eyes searching her face.
"Definitely not sick," Izzie assured him, looping her arms around his neck. Teasing her lips across his, she strummed the back of his neck with her thumbs. "Far from it. I've never felt better. In fact, I feel so good I was thinking iabout a little Alex."
"Or maybe a little Izzie?" Alex chuckled, angling his head so he could lower his open mouth to her neck. She shivered deliciously as his tongue laved over her pulse point.
"Or a little Izzie," she agreed weakly, closing her dark eyes. A gasp squeaked passed her lips as his warm hands slid under her light yellow sweater and found her lace covered nipples. Her breath sucked in as she struggled to stay focused on the conversation she was trying to have with her husband. "I think we have two very different ideas on what a little Alex or a little Izzie is."
"Really?" Her nod was lost in the whoosh of cashmere that was pulled over her head. "So you're not trying to drop hints that you want a baby?" Her mouth opened and closed several times before she slapped him on the arm and laughed. "What was that for?"
"Because," she laughed, dropping onto the edge of the bed. "You're being so...so...Alex!"
"Yeah, you know you love it." His brows wiggled suggestively as he shed his t shirt and shucked his jeans, leaving his body clothed only in a pair of light blue and white striped boxers. "So, are we doing this or what?"
"More like or what." Her chin dropped and tears started to burn her eyes. It was ridiculous that she should feel like she wasn't a whole woman just because she couldn't get pregnant the old fashioned way anymore. Still, it was how she felt. Instead of creating a baby by making love with her husband she would have to undergo IVF who knew how many times.
The bed shifted as Alex sat down next to her. His hand sought out hers and their fingers tangled together. "Iz, it doesn't matter how we have a baby as long as their healthy."
"Really? Then why this? Why the whole..." she gestured toward his pile of clothes. "Admit it, you wish we could have a baby the old fashioned way."
"Wrong."
"So you weren't trying to get me in bed?" Her dark eyes searched his face, looking for some sign of what he was thinking. As usual she couldn't find anything. He was a blank slate.
"Oh I was trying to get you into bed," he confirmed. "But then, I'm always trying to get you into bed." He brushed a short, wavy lock of blond hair off her cheek and nuzzled her ear. "I don't care how we have a baby Iz as long as you're both healthy."
"We could have more than one," she reminded him, shifting around so that she faced him. Her fingers started working the ring, rubbing it over and over again in a soothing manner. They had talked about the possibility of more than one the same time they discussed when to have children.
"We could," Alex agreed, his fingers still touching her cheek. "No more than three though, remember? We agreed."
"I remember," Izzie whispered. Three was their magic number. Or rather their limit. They had both seen the damage having multiples could do to the mother and the child. It wasn't a risk they were willing to take.
"So, since we have that all covered and we both agree that we're ready for a little Izzie or Alex maybe both could we get back to you know...pretending we're making one the old fashioned way?"
Izzie stared at him for a moment and then laughed. With the burst of giggles her worries and fears disappeared. They would probably come back but for the moment she felt free of her burden of guilt and worry; free to just enjoy "pretending" with her husband.