Author's Note: I haven't written in a really, really long time, so I apologize if I'm a tad rusty on the fanfic thing. This is the first idea that's popped into my head in a while, so I'm just gonna go with it. Basically the story picks up right where season 3 left off. It's divided into episodes, but they will be over a series of chapters, if that makes any sense. I've never been a huge fan of the script format, but I think it's going to work better in this case. Please review and let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's. I just have an unhealthy obsession with it.

Season Four, Episode One A Sorta Fairytale

Meredith V.O.: When we were little, almost every story we read, or movie we saw ended with, "and they lived happily ever after". We were raised to expect perfection; to ride off into the sunset with the dream spouse, the dream family, the dream job; in short, the dream life.

(Cristina and Meredith are on the floor of Burke's apartment, a bottle of tequila between them.)

(Izzie is standing in the kitchen, in front of a mixer, surrounded by plates of cookies.)

(George is sitting alone in the dark church, his head in his hands.)

Meredith V.O.: Yeah, right. What I want to know is why it ends there. How come we never see this alleged "happily ever after"?

(Derek sits at Joe's, a glass of scotch in front of him.)

(Bailey enters, and takes a seat next to him.)

Meredith V.O.: Who's to say that Cinderella's prince didn't end up running after one of her stepsisters? And maybe Sleeping Beauty decided that 100 years of sleeping was a much better deal than a lifetime of wifely duties.

(Alex stands in Ava's empty hospital room.)

(Callie has her cell phone to her ear, an annoyed look on her face.)

Meredith V.O.: Call me a skeptic, but these days, "happily ever after's" are getting harder to come by. And most of the time, we end up with a fractured version of the lives we imagined. So how can we reconcile our own fairy tales with reality? Do we keep trying to live our dreams, or can we just accept plain old "ever after"?

(Burke's apartment. Cristina and Meredith are sitting on the floor, still in their wedding gear, with a deck of cards and a bottle of tequila.)

Cristina (Placing her last card on the ground): Ha! Last one. I'm out. I win! Drink.

Meredith (Takes a swig and puts the bottle down.): It's been six hours, and you're still in your underwear. Do you want to talk about it?

Cristina: No. Right now I want to kick your ass in another round of rummy.

Meredith: Cristina…

Cristina: All I want to do is forget it for now. Ok? I'm coping. This is me coping. Now deal.

Meredith (Raises her eyebrows and shuffles the deck.)

(The kitchen of Meredith's house. Izzie is at the counter, adding ingredients into a mixing bowl. Trays of cookies surround her. Alex enters.)

Alex (Taking his coat off and placing it down on a chair.) Whoa. It looks like Betty Crocker exploded in here.

Izzie (Hands him a plate): Here, have a cookie. Or twelve.

AlexChuckles): I need something a whole lot stronger than cookies. (He walks over to the liquor cabinet and pulls out a bottle of vodka. He pours himself a glass and begins to sip.)

Izzie: Where exactly did you go?

Alex (Sighs): Nowhere. Absolutely nowhere.

Izzie (Knowingly): Ava was gone, huh?

Alex: Yeah. Long gone. Guess I blew that one.

Izzie: Well, that does seem to be the theme of the day.

Alex: What do you mean?

Izzie (Looking up from her mixing): It started with Burke leaving Cristina at the altar, before she actually even made it that far, and it ended with Meredith dumping McDreamy in front of the entire church.

Alex: Wow, sounds like I missed quite a show.

Izzie (Rolling out the dough she has been mixing.): Yeah, everyone was miserable. Except Callie of course. She was glowing. (Starts rolling harder.) And why shouldn't she be? She's got her perfect marriage, her perfect promotion, and her perfect baby.

Alex: Callie's pregnant?

Izzie: No, not yet. (Sarcastically) They're trying. Great. Wonderful. Perfect.

Alex: Iz, don't you think its time to get over the whole hating Callie thing? I mean, if they want a baby I'd say things are pretty set in stone. I know you don't like the chick, but George is your best friend. Can't you be happy for him?

Izzie (Eyes welling up): He didn't come Alex. I waited and waited and he didn't come. He's never not shown up. He's always been there. (She wipes her face with her sleeve.)

Alex (Confused): Izzie, it was just a wedding and it didn't even happen. Is it really a big deal that he wasn't there?

Izzie (Looks at Alex): I'm going to tell you something. And you can't laugh, or tell anyone else. You have to be supportive, ok Alex? You have to be my friend.

Izzie (Takes a deep breath.): I slept with George.

Alex (Shocked): You slept with Bambi? Dude, he's gotten more action at Seattle Grace than…(Izzie shoots him a look) Ok. You slept with George. Now what?

Izzie (Looks down, her eyes filling again.)

Alex (Realizing): This wasn't just a one time thing, huh? You're falling for him.

Izzie: It only happened once. But it's all I can think about. He's all I can think about. But he wanted to pretend it never happened. And I can't do that. There's something there, Alex. Something between us that I didn't think I'd ever feel again after…well, ever again. So I told him today. I told him that I'm in love with him. He was supposed to come find me at the church. But he didn't. He chose her. And now I have to pretend to be all supportive while I watch them start this happy little family. I can't do it…I just can't…(She starts sobbing.)

Alex (Gets up and walks towards her, she collapses into his arms. He strokes her hair as she cries): Izzie, you don't know that he picked her. He's got a lot on his mind, and I'm sure if he promised he'd talk to you, he will. You're Izzie and George, you'll work this out.

Izzie (Still crying): He didn't come…

(Joe's. Derek and Bailey sit at the bar.)

Bailey: I don't understand. How could he have not picked me? I'm Bailey. I'm his star student. Anything that man ever asked of me, I've done it. I've given 110 percent to this job since day one. Did you ever see her rushing around on his orders? Did she orchestrate the top secret surgery to remove the tumor that would have ended his career? (Takes a sip of her drink.)

Derek: Actually, I believe that was me, Dr. Bailey.

Bailey: Listen, Mr. Fancy Neurosurgeon. If you're so smart, then you tell me why the foolish man picked that Aerosmith groupie to run his residency program. I deserved to be chief resident. That hospital is my life.

Derek: That's just it. He doesn't want you to make the same mistakes he made. You have a family, Miranda. A baby. He's just trying to make sure your priorities are in order.

Bailey (Indignant): I do not need anyone to tell me about priorities. I have spent the past year raising a child, maintaining a marriage, and watching over five of the most pig-headed, emotionally charged, needy interns to ever pass through the surgical program. I have also managed to save hundreds of lives; including the life of your mistress slash girlfriend slash whatever the hell she is this week. Do not talk to me about priorities. (Looks to the bartender.) I'm going to need another bourbon.

Derek (Not looking up.) She's not my girlfriend anymore. This week she's my ex.

Bailey (Rolling her eyes.) And he is going to need another scotch. Dear Lord.

To be continued!