Title: The Fine Lines.

Pairing: George/Izzie

Rating: R- Mature for sexual situations. This one is also more angsty.

Feedback: Yeah, like I would ever say no to that! Of course, send it over!

Summary: Moments happen in elevators at Seattle Grace, this time is no exception.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, unfortunately. It would be cooler if I did though.

Spoilers: All the way until the end of the episode "The Other Side of Life" after that my version takes a different route.

A/N : You might have to suspend your belief and imagination because I in no way know anything medical stuff or how hospitals run. Watching shows about hospitals is about as close to knowing about them and about other medical procedures and protocols than I will ever get.

>>

Life is made up of fine lines. When you're a child parents set up these lines. Invisible boundaries that should keep you safe and give you structure. Lines you know you shouldn't cross. Rather it's the fine line of knowing better than sneaking into the cookie jar and ruining you're dinner, or the fine line of defying your parents by staying out past curfew to rebel.

For surgeons the fine line between patients and doctors is a thick black one that's drilled into your mentality from the very first day of medical school. The lines are set from the beginning.

However, for Izzie Stevens those lines have always been so fine, so miniscule, that she never realized she had crossed them until she was so far pass them that when looking back they just seem like a dot on the horizon to her.

As a child she was always the one spoiling her dinner on sweets or the one staying out too late with a boy doing things a young girl shouldn't be doing and finding out the consequences 9 months later.

As a surgeon she was the one getting too involved and putting her heart over the line. A line that became glaringly apparent to her when she was cutting Denny's LVAD cord, but by then she was so far over the line, so deeply involved, that there was no turning back.

>>

Izzie placed the patients file back on the desk at nurses' station just as she felt the rumble of her stomach, reminding her that it had been a while since it last saw food. Ever since George had told her about his idea to transfer to Mercy West she had lost herself in her work. She volunteered to be on call for as much as the hospital policy would allow. She had also taken cases that she knew wouldn't allow her the time to think because she knew if she stopped and allowed herself to examine her life right then she wouldn't be able to carry on. She wouldn't be able to pretend that everything was fine or be able to put on her fake smile every time his wife came around or be able to look at her best friend and not feel something inside of her ache for him.

The idea of George leaving for Mercy West seemed like a devastating solution to her, a solution that she couldn't accept.

So here she was in the pit with trauma's coming in and out, nurses running around waiting for her orders, annoyed patients waiting for her assistance after their long wait, and yet the thing that always came filtering back to her mind was George. No matter how much she worked or occupied her attention, George was always right there on her mind.

Even now with her rumbling stomach, she wondered what he was doing for lunch. She quickly pushed that thought out and told herself that he was probably having lunch with his wife, because that's what married people do. It was a thought that almost made her loose her apatite all together.

A clap of thunder from outside brought her back to reality.

"Mary, I'm going to lunch. Page me if anything big comes in," Izzie told the nurse behind the desk before turning to walk down the hallway towards the stairs.

She had been purposely taking the stairs a lot lately. Ever since her encounter with George, which turned into a kiss between them, she had decided that it was probably best if she stayed away from the intoxicating elevators.

When Meredith asked her one day why she had been taking the stairs so much lately she lied and said she wanted the exorcise. It was a lie that had come easy and one that Meredith didn't seem to question. Or if she did she didn't let on. She was grateful for that too. She didn't want to admit the real reason for the sudden physical activity. It didn't involve anything to do with a desire for burning calories, but everything to do with avoidance. A word she had become far too familiar with lately.

As she turned the corner, she stopped at the sight of Callie standing in front of the stairs talking to Addison. She froze for a moment as Callie glanced over and held her stare for a split second.

She recognized the look. A look she had known well, ever since George had started dating the other doctor she had constantly seen that very look. It was an expression that was a mixture of dominance and annoyance all rolled into one look. She was trying tell her that George was hers, even if Callie wasn't quite so sure she believed that herself, because even though she always put up a strong front, Izzie could also see fear in her eyes. And that made her stomach twist in guilt.

Izzie turned and walked towards the elevator. Maybe using the elevator for once wouldn't be such a bad idea after all. Just another chance to become acquainted with the word avoidance, this time it just happened to be standing in front of the stairs at the moment, so that gave her no choice but to take the elevator.

As the doors opened up, she allowed the passengers inside to file out before she stepped on. She sighed out of relief when she found herself alone as the doors closed behind her.

She pressed the button for the 7th floor and leaned back against the railing behind her. She bowed her head and closed her eyes as she realized how tired she really was. The long hours weren't the only thing that was starting to catch up to her. Her thoughts were starting to take a toll on her as well.

Once again her mind turned to George. As much as she had tried her best to avoid him, it still didn't change the fact that she missed him. It was simple really. She had been taking the long way around the hospital and doing all this extra work to make sure she kept her distance from him and really it was the last thing she wanted.

She felt the elevator come to a stop and heard the bell chime as the doors slid open in front of her. Thinking that she had arrived to her destination she lifted her head, but the sight in front of her made the breath catch in her throat.

George stood at the opened doors, looking as lost and tired as she felt. She felt her heart skip at the sight of him at the entrance. She straightened up as he hesitantly got onto the elevator with her.

He pressed the button for the 8th floor and turned his back to her to face the front of the elevator with out acknowledging her presence.

Izzie swallowed her hurt down behind him.

She stared at his back as they both rode in silence. She took in the slump of his shoulders and could see the heavy burden he was holding there.

She wanted to make it better for him. She wanted to make things right because she hated seeing the tiredness that seemed to surround him these days. She could see that he was in pain and there was nothing that she could do because she was a part of that pain.

As the elevator made its way up, George kept his eyes focused on the numbers lighting up above the doors as Izzie kept her eyes focused on him. Every part of him could feel her eyes on him.

The silence in the small space was so loud that he thought he was going to go deaf from it.

He tried to keep his focus on the numbers above him but her presence was threatening to overtake him and if he slipped again, like he had in the very same elevator a few days before, he wasn't sure if he would be able to save himself from her.

"George…" he heard her rasp out behind him.

"Iz… Just…Just don't" George said, dejected. He kept his focus in front of him.

The word avoidance flashed across Izzie's mind once more, but this time it made her angry. She would not avoid her best friend so much that she would loose him. It was time to face their mistake head on.

"No, George, let's do," she said, stepping forward and pulling the emergency break. The elevator came to a grinding halt.

"Wha.." George said, surprised that they were no longer moving. "Izzie, what are you doing?"

He pushed the red button back in and felt the compartment start the slow pull upward again.

"We need to talk," Izzie said, sounding confident as she pulled the red breaker once again.

George felt the sudden stop once more and shook his head.

"No," he pushed the button in again. "We really, really don't."

"Yes," Izzie pulled the button out once again causing another stop. "We do."

"Would you stop doing that!"

Izzie side stepped him and stood in front of the panel so he couldn't push the button to get them moving again. She looked him in the eyes to get his attention.

"We need to talk," she said, firmly.

"Now?" he asked, incredulously.

"Yes. This isn't right," she said, motioning the space between them. "You can't tell me this is right for us."

"Yeah, you holding me hostage in a elevator isn't right," he said, making a swipe to get around her, but Izzie caught him by the shoulders with both hands and held him at arms length.

George was surprised at the sudden move, which forced him to directly face her. She kept her hands on his shoulders and kept his gaze.

"George," she said, softly.

George swallowed hard and stepped back. He felt her hands fall away with the movement.

He saw the determined look in her eyes and knew just how stubborn this girl could be. If she believed in something, she would stick by it until the day when she didn't have anything else left in her to give.

Rather this was her greatest strength or greatest weakness was another story.

He shook his head. "There's nothing…"

Before he could finish Izzie interrupted.

"Mercy West… you don't belong there."

George looked down in frustration and closed his eyes to fight off the headache he could feel coming.

"You going there can't be the solution. It's just not…"

"Izzie!" George barked, irritated by her unwillingness to let things go. His outburst silenced the blonde doctor. "This isn't something I need your approval on. This is my choice. I don't need to discuss my decisions with you. You are not my wife."

Izzie felt his words hit her like a bus.

George took the moment to reach around her and push the emergency button back in one last time.

Izzie stood frozen as he turned back to the front of the elevator. She couldn't believe how much his words had stung her. He knew just exactly what to say to shut her up. And that made her see red with anger.

"Don't give me that bull sh…" She said, angry. She reached back for the breaker once more but before she could pull the red button or even finish her sentence the lights above them flickered and the elevator shook.

Izzie gasped in surprise at the sudden movement and reached out for George's arm. He grabbed her back and held her until the small elevator came to a halt. The back up lights kicked on and gave the small compartment dim lighting to see by.

George looked over at Izzie and quickly pulled his hands back. Izzie noticed him pull away as she looked over at him and swallowed hard.

"What just happened?" she asked, shocked.

"Oh just great! You broke the elevator!"

"Oh, please! I didn't even touch the breaker that time!"

"Well I'm sure all the stopping has just done wonders for it!"

"Whatever, George. This has never happened to me before unlike you. So if anyone is the cause of this it's you!"

George grumbled as he shoved passed her to get to the panel of buttons and pressed for the next floor but nothing happened. He tried pushing a few other buttons but once again found them to be useless. He pressed the emergency button and listened for an alarm but all he heard was silence.

He looked back at Izzie and noticed she was back to leaning against the railing with her arms loosely crossed, watching his every move. He turned back around and pushed the emergency button repeatedly.