-1Author's Note: This chapter is dedicated to Marie. Her prompt is what inspired this scenario. For which I am eternally thankful.

Chapter Two

The Unwanted Roommate

A sick feeling twisted in Izzie Stevens' stomach as she stood next to her car, staring at the shiny, silver trailer Derek had banished both her and Alex to. The outside was much nicer than the one she had grown up in, there was no missing skirting or dilapidated wooden porch, and she doubted there would be orange shag carpeting inside. Appearance didn't matter; a trailer was a trailer in her book.

"I call the bed," Alex grumbled, shoving past her. His arms were laden down with a duffle bag and a box full of trophies. Pursing her lips together, Izzie followed him inside. He could call the bed all he wanted, but that didn't mean he was going to get it.

The inside wasn't bad, a bit cramped but not bad. A kitchen ran halfway down the side closest to the door, with a booth like table across from it. There was a tiny living area at one end, and the bedroom at the other. Two doors near the bedroom had to be a closet and the bathroom. For one person, it was perfect. For a couple it would be cozy. To share with a man she was slowly starting to hate, again, it would be a nightmare.

"Dude, it's like a sardine can." Alex griped, setting his box down on the small table. Izzie took the opportunity to lay claim on the bedroom. She dropped her bag, as well as the clothes that had been laid across her arm, onto the queen sized bed. "Hey! I called the bed."

"I'm not going to watch while you parade your skanks through. You can use the pull out; it's closer to the door." Izzie snapped, reaching for the accordion door that would close the bedroom off from the rest of the trailer. Sliding it shut, she turned to the cramped space she had just laid claim to.

Behind her the door slid back open. "I can't sleep on the pull out," Alex argued. "I'm too tall. And, hey, like what's her name said the other day, you could always join in." The wink he sent her way did her in; a lump formed in her throat and her chest tightened. This wasn't the Alex she knew, but some stranger who thought he had to prove what a bad ass he was.

"Stop it," Izzie hissed, wheeling around. She almost bumped into him, and taking a step back had her colliding with the bed. How the hell Derek had lived her was beyond her. No wonder the man wanted to nest at Meredith's house. "I don't know what your problem is, and I'm getting to the point that I don't care. So just stop. Stop rubbing your stupid bar whores in my face." Reaching up, she pushed her short, blonde curls back, digging her fingers into her scalp. "I get it. You don't want people to think you're a decent guy, me included. What I don't get is why." Letting her arms drop, Izzie stepped around Alex and breezed out the front door. She didn't stop at her car, but kept walking toward the wooded area on the other side of the lake, her arms crossed.

"You always think you know everything," Alex yelled, his voice closer than she would have liked. It was just like him to follow, always had to get the last word in. "The only reason I was nice to you was because I thought it might get me laid."

Every fiber in her drew taunt. Her arms tightened even more, and the lump threatened to cut off her air supply. "Wow. That's clever Alex. Real clever. Real original too." There was no hiding the hurt in her voice, not that she cared. Let him know that he had hurt her; maybe it would get through to the nicer side he kept insisting was a fabricated image to get into her pants. "Guess I should thank Meredith for opening her mouth because I almost fell for it."

"Whatever," Alex muttered, refusing to look in her direction. Good. It had gotten to him. Let him stew over the fact that she had been close to losing all her inhibitions were he was concerned. She wouldn't let him know why she had been willing to throw caution to the wind though; that little flame was her's to try and put out.

"Yeah. Whatever," Izzie echoed. They stood there silently for a moment, neither of them wanting to say anything more. Unable to take it anymore, she hurried back to the trailer. This time Alex didn't follow.