A/N:
My intention was to address George's failure of the intern exam but
as I continued writing, the initial story idea kind of faded away.
This is my first Izzie/George piece and it's rather short but I
thought I'd try it out.
Enjoy
His Commitment
There were no other cars in the parking lot when he got to the church, except one. There were memories with that car, wonderful memories he would always remember and there was only one person he could talk to about his results. There was only one person who wouldn't judge or reprimand or force illogical reasoning behind what happened. He needed to hear that voice, he needed to know it was all going to be ok, even if he couldn't believe it.
He found her in the chapel. She was sitting in a middle pew by herself. The flowers were still arranged beaufitully, silk cloth draped along the walls in a delicate wave. The church looked ready for a wedding, yet George felt sadness as he crossed the threshold. It felt untouched.
Her hair was up, exposing the soft curve of her neck, he could see delicate strands of honey blond loose against her shoulders in fallen despair. She didn't look up when he sat beside her and although he wanted to touch her, he couldn't bring himself too.
"Burke left," she said softly and George could hear the deep sound of pain in her voice. She'd been crying and the tears kissed the swell of her cheeks. He wanted to wipe them away, to take her sadness away. "He couldn't do it," she finished softly.
Oh God. Poor Christina.
She didn't look at him.
"And you're trying to have a baby," she whispered, so painful to say any stronger. "Burke left Christina and you and Callie are trying to have a baby."
It was only talk at the time, nothing definite, just talk. But just talk was all Izzie needed to feel the pain, pain that the woman he chose over her brought upon.
"It's. It's not-" He tried to speak but Izzie finally looked at him and the broken look in her eyes unfurled a heavy blanket of pain through his stomach.
Her eyes were puffy, her nose red and she looked like she'd heard the worst news in world, which George could only imagine she did.
"This morning," she started and shook her head slowly, "I'm sorry about this morning," she grabbed her purse and stood up.
She looked utterly amazing in the silk dress and it broke his heart. "Izzie-" he reached for her but she moved quickly.
"You're right," she tried to smile through her tears, "You're married and you belong with your wife," her chin trembled and he wanted to catch the fresh tears from her eye lashes. "I just hope we can still be friends. Best friends," she smiled, a tear sliding down her cheek, a weak hope in her glistening eyes.
He couldn't take it any longer. "Always best friends," he grabbed her and held her against him, trying not to crush her but needing to feel her pressed as close as humanly possible. "I love you," he whispered and felt the slight shake of her escaped sob.
He held her tighter, felt her slender fingers curling around his jacket, felt the softness of her hair brush his cheek, felt her heart beat against his.
He didn't know how long they stood there, holding each other, saying nothing, just holding each other.
Izzie stirred first and George heard her sniffle as she finally pulled away.
"You need to go home," she smiled gently and George closed his eyes at the burning touch of her hand on his cheek. "Go home to your wife."
Most of him wanted to stay, most of him wanted to grab her and kiss her mouth, kiss her cheek, kiss her neck, kiss her shoulder, kiss her pain away. Most of him wanted to forget about the wife at home he married in an overwhelmingly irrational frenzy, poisoned with the devastating memories of his father. It was crazy and he took a blind step without understanding the immediate consequences, without realizing there was no do over, without knowing how she felt. If he had known if she had told him, but she didn't and Vegas happened and everything telling him to be with her was silenced by his uncompromising commitment to Callie, the woman he did marry, the woman he did love too.
With all his strength he opened his eyes to see her beautiful face, her beautifully wounded face and moved her hand from his cheek. "Best friends," he smiled through his own painful tears and knew that was all he could offer, it was all he was willing to be, even for her.