Author's Notes!: Did you all watch the finale last night? Because I live in England I had to watch it this morning online, and oh my God. It was amazing! Although the last 5 minutes were only the really, really, really astoundiinnnngggg bits in it, I loved it. So amazing.

Anyway, so I decided to write this. I've never really used the present tense at all before, so this is likely to sound rubbish. Anyway, enjoy.

~Connoroo :)

PS: SPOILERS FOR SEASON 5 FINALE. DO. NOT. READ IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED.

Going Home

It's instinct: the slip of the tongue, the touch of hands – the compulsion to say it. But that's all gone now. The elevator's stopped descending and I have to get off; I have to meet Denny, but I have no idea if he'll be there.

I don't think he will.

And his face appears. The elevator doors slide open and he's there, clad in army clothes. He's going to be a great trauma surgeon. He's going to be great. I was one of the lucky ones. I knew him, 007, Bambie, O'Malley... George. George O'Malley.

"Hey," he says.

"Why are you here?" I ask, gently.

"Because."

"Because what?"

"Because we're together now."

I realise. He's... gone, too?

"George," my voice shakes, "George, you're scaring me."

He smiles. "There's no reason to be scared."

He extends his hand out towards me – those soft, scalpel-handy hands – and, out of instinct, I take it greedily. I need him now more than I ever did before.

--

We're not at the foot of the elevator anymore.

It's Christmas and we're under the Christmas tree that I worked so hard on – just me, George and Doc. It feels exactly like time has just... rewound itself beautifully. Everything is back how it was.

And like a click of a finger, I forget.

I'm sure Meredith was here before...

"George, where's Mer?" I say.

He doesn't hurry to reply; the lights above us are twinkling, and right there, in that moment, I know we have all the time in the world. And so does he. It's nice.

"Iz, Meredith's okay."

"God, is she still at the hospital?"

"Yeah, Iz," he breathes, "she's still there."

I turn to him.

--

"I hope Alex isn't coming tonight. I mean, I shaved my legs!"

"Izzie..."

We're at the bar, waiting for Meredith and Cristina – if they decide to show. They're still at Seattle Grace. Why's there a dog in Meredith's seat...? I think.

"Doc! What are you doing here? Bad dog!"

"Izzie..." he repeats.

"Can I have another martini please, Joe?" I look to the front of the bar. "... Joe? Joe?"

He's not there.

"Izzie..."

And then it comes flooding back.

"Oh God... Oh God..."

Alex doesn't come bustling through the doors to kiss me. Alex isn't here anymore.

"Breathe, Iz," George says, "breathe."

"I- I- ca- can- I can't! I – can't!"

He grabs my hand. I can't take it.

This. I can't take this.

--

And then there's a blur. I'm waiting for Cristina on the bench outside the hospital, the lights flickering occasionally and the leftover rain dripping like fat droplets of honey from a navy sky. The stars aren't out tonight.

"She's not gonna show, you know..." George whispers, his tone humorous – like we're still alive.
"Shut up."

"No."

I sit there and wait. It feels like hours, my hands going numb with the cold in the thin pockets of my coat. "George, seriously. Why are we here?"

"Figure it out. The Christmas tree, the bar..."

"... and the bench!" I shriek.

"Aaaand what do they mean?"

"Well..." I say, "me and Mer really got along that Christmas. Alex kissed me that night at the bar. And I... I talked to Cristina here."

"Yes."

"George?" I ask.

"Izzie?"

"Are we saying good-bye?"

--

The linen of the sheets in the hospital is uncomfortable – why did we force patients to stay in their beds? So. Damn. Uncomfortable.

There it is.

Bailey's green scarf. What's that doing here?

"Bailey?" I shout. The cancer is getting more aggressive. I need her. "Dr Bailey, where are you?"

"She's not coming either, Iz." George says.

--

"Hi, I'm Izzie Stevens."

--

"So are you coming?"

We're back at the foot of the elevator, my hand clutching his like life support. "Coming where?"

"Just... coming with me."

"Where are you going?"

"Home." He says.

"I don't want to die."

"I know," he whispers, "I know."

Then, from a distance, come the cries of people I know but can't recognise just yet, and an inaudible word shrouds the air and George is fading.

And then it happens: the pain is wonderful.

"...Charge to 300... clear!" There goes the pain again.

"George –"

"...Charge to 350! Clear!" Oh, it's wonderful. So, so wonderful.

"George –"

"...One more time. Charge! Clear!"

"GEORGE –"

"We have a pulse."

Author's Notes!: So which one do you reckon will die in the actual show? George, Izzie or both? I think Izzie, but how will they get T. R. Knight to play George if he needs a face transplant (which looks incredibly likely)? We can't have another person playing George :| that's just wrong.

Anyway, please review!

~Connoroo :)