I'd like to say hi to everyone, and thank you for checking out my story. It is my first, so I don't know how great it'll be, but please tell me what you think. Thank you!

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Izzie's eyes were concentrated on the road, though memories kept on coming back to her. Memories from before she left, and after. Especially last night. Last night had been the last straw. She felt that she was making a big mistake, running like this. But it would be a mistake if she stayed too. She knew that he wasn't afraid to go farther than he already had.

She took a deep breath so she wouldn't start to cry again. If she just went back to Seattle…things had been paradise there compared to where she was now. Things had started out fantastic, that was true. But it didn't stay that way. And she couldn't live her life that way anymore, wondering if the next day would be her last, if she'd suddenly push him too far. Her had ruined her life enough. The only trouble was, he may come after her. But she could deal with that.

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She had loved George with all her heart, despite the fact that he was married. And marriage is marriage. He never left her. He chose Callie over Izzie. After she poured out her heart and soul to him…he left her by herself. She had no one left. So she left to start over. Get rid of the drama and the hurt, just start fresh and try to forget about the time she wasted in Seattle.

So she had done it. It took her a while to get back on her feet again, but she did it. She worked at a new hospital, one that had no drama, least none of hers. It was nice to be free again. She never contacted her old friends. She left them behind with everything else.

She met someone new. His name was Nick and he was a wonderful person. He worked in business, loved life, and had no drama. He charmed her like no one had before; she even managed to forget about Seattle and everything there; things were perfect as they were.

They were together for nearly a year. She began to realize that his temper could get bad, and was set off very easily. But every time it happened, he would feel so guilty and apologize over and over until she couldn't help but to accept it. It's like, everybody get angry. Everybody has problems. So he had a temper sometimes. So what. So did she.

But she quickly learned that it wasn't that easy. First it was just yelling; then it got to the point where he started physically abusing her. It was not much in the beginning, just as his temper wasn't that bad in the beginning. But she realized that things were just going from bad to worse and really didn't think it was going to get better. And she was afraid of him. She truly was.

She quit her job, because he wanted her to. And he didn't want her to go out in public much. He didn't want people to know. She could not believe that she had turned into this person, this scared weak person. But he had that effect on her, and she couldn't do anything about it. Well she could, but fear of what he would do overcame and rebellion she had in her.

Yet here she was, on the road, back to Seattle where she had once thought things were worse.

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The night before she had stopped at a store and grabbed two things; a pair of scissors, and hair dye. It was funny; she had wanted to dye her hair for a while. And now she was. Though it was pretty much being forced on her instead of her own will. She had stopped at a not very comfortable hotel for the night, somewhere she hoped was hidden enough, because by now he would know she was gone. She did not know exactly how he'd react. He may not even care. Or he would. She couldn't take the chance.

She looked in the mirror for a long time. She hardly recognized the person staring back at her already. There seemed to be the fear sketched onto her face. There were marks on her face, ones that falling down the stairs really didn't cover. It was funny how many times in the past few months she had fell down the stairs. She would have rather fallen down the stairs.

Finally she began her transformation. She dyed the hair first, a reddish color that wasn't exactly her first choice, but the choice had been limited. Then she picked up the scissors, and after a moment of reassuring herself, she began to cut the locks of hair away, until it just reached her shoulders. Now she really didn't recognize herself. She hadn't recognized herself for a while.

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She pulled off the road. She was close to Seattle now, and she was quite happy about it too. He had hurt her yesterday, and she knew that. She was in pain but she kept going…for as long as she could.

She took a moment to collect herself and calm her breathing. It wasn't the first time she pulled off the road. She felt slightly light headed and wished that she could just get there already.

After a few minutes she pulled back on the highway again. She was determined to get there, no more stops, just ride it out. The signs announcing the miles to Seattle kept on showing smaller numbers, and she counted every single one of them. Then finally her wish came true; she arrived back at the city of Seattle, and she had made it through.

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She parked outside Seattle Grace Hospital. In the visitor's section, which was weird. She stared up at the building in which so many things had happened in. she met so many people there. George, Alex, Meredith, Denny…all people that had impacted her life, all people that she thought about quite often. All people she wished to see again.

She opened the door and got out of the car, wincing slightly as she did so. She shut the door, leaning on the car for support as a rush of dizziness swept over her. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. Once she felt she could, she stood up straight and made for the doors of the clinic, the one she had paid for and named after her dead fiancée. She also hoped that no one would recognize her, because she was not ready for that yet.

She entered the clinic. It had not changed much, to her surprise. It was like she was in there just yesterday instead of two years ago. She looked around to see if she saw anyone she recognized. She saw the one person that she wanted to see, the one person she trusted at this moment.

Izzie walked up behind her and cleared her throat. "Dr. Bailey?"

"What?" Miranda Bailey said tiredly. "I am really busy-" she turned around "-so if you'd just make-"

She stopped and stared at the girl standing behind her. It took her a minute to out a name to her face, for she looked so different, and she looked not well.

"Izzie Ste-?"

"Yeah," Izzie said quickly yet quietly. "Right now I really don't want anyone knowing I'm here, so if you could please just-not say my name."

Bailey stared at her in disbelief. It was not just that she was suddenly here after two years of being gone, but the fact that she looked so different. Her hair was the obvious thing…but she also looked so much older. And she had an almost broken appearance about her. For a moment Bailey made herself forget the girl in front of her and focus on how she knew this look. And the bruises that she had obviously tried to be covered up helped.

"Who did this to you?" she asked.

Izzie looked surprised. "No one did this. I fell down the stairs."

"The stairs," Bailey repeated. "Right. I'm not stupid, Stevens."

"Shush!" Izzie said hurriedly.

Bailey shook her head.

"I was wondering if you could check me out," Izzie said quickly. "I know you're busy but-"

"I thought you lived a few hours away."

"I do-"

"Yet you drove all the way out here to this hospital to be checked out."

"No," Izzie said at once. "I fell here."

Izzie knew that Bailey didn't believe her; she would not believe her either. Bailey studied her for a while, as though she was trying to understand everything without asking. And Izzie was sure that she did.

"Fine," Bailey said. "But I'll be waiting to hear the truth."

Izzie just looked at her. She did not want to tell her the truth.