I didn't really use any scenes from 'What I Am' but I figure that I better credit the episode anyway, just in case! The idea of Denny Duquette Sr. and all of Grey's Anatomy belongs to ABC and Shonda Rhimes and I'm just using it for entertainment purposes only.
Note: This hasn't been beta'd. If anyone notices any mistakes, let me know!
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He walked through the hallways of the hospital looking for the one person that, within the last couple of weeks, had quickly turned into a good friend and whom he looked forward to seeing every day. His body ached as he walked, reminding him of his activities from the day before. Every muscle from waist down was sore and Mark couldn't even remember the last time he had been in so much pain. Still, horseback riding had been a new experience and one that he was surprised to learn that he enjoyed it very much. He had never done something new before just for the sake of doing it.
He had to hand it to Stevens, she knew how to have fun.
After they had gone horseback riding and were back in the city, they had gone out for dinner and that had also been a new experience for him. He was a man of means, used to expensive dinners and fancy clothes and when he had tried to take her to a fancy restaurant, she had put her foot down and insisted that they go to a small diner on 4th Avenue that served pasta. He was quickly learning that Izzie Stevens was not a woman that was very high maintenance but rather a woman that liked to live simply. She was adventurous and wasn't afraid to try new things at least once. She was different from any other woman he had ever known and he liked spending time with her.
Mark felt a smile come to his face as the sight of a familiar blonde came into view. Izzie was at the nurses station, leaning against the counter bent over a stack of files, absorbed in her work. As he came closer, he saw her brush her bangs behind her left ear but the action was futile since her bangs fell forward again anyway. Her long blonde hair was left loose today, a change from it's usual up do. He walked up to her and placed one of the two coffees that he'd been holding down in front of her, causing the blonde intern to look up at him.
"Good morning, Stevens," he greeted.
Her fingers reached out and grasped the coffee cup. "Oh, thank god! Coffee…" she brought the cup to her lips and took a deep drink. "Thanks. You have no idea how much I needed this."
He raised an eyebrow. "Rough morning?"
Izzie let out a sigh. "You have no idea. Jasper woke up me at the freaking crack of dawn because he was hungry and after I fed him, he refused to let me go back to sleep. He kept barking over and over…" she paused and let out a groan. "And does your ass hurt from yesterday? Because I'm telling you… I don't think I've ever been so sore. It literally hurts just sitting down!"
"Yes, I'm sore all over," Mark chuckled. "I don't suppose you'll offer to give me a butt massage, would you?"
"Are you kidding?"
"I'll give you one too. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours?"
She snorted. "I'm in pain, I'm not delusional."
"Can't say I didn't try," he shrugged.
Izzie let out a laugh, shrugging off his comments in her usual manner. "Got any cool surgeries today?"
"Just an otoplasty at ten-thirty," Mark replied. "Want to scrub in?"
Letting out a sigh, the blonde intern shook her head. "I would, but I can't. Bailey assigned me to Burke today and guess who else got assigned with me? Alex." She groaned again. "This day is gonna suck. I would much rather scrub in on your surgery."
Disappointment flooded him. "That's too bad. I guess I'll see you at lunch then?"
Izzie grinned, gathering her files together into a neat pile. "I'll see you at lunch," she nodded before walking away, leaving him to stare after her with his own grinning expression on his face.
--
A few hours passed and nine-thirty rolled around when Izzie's life changed yet again in a small but significant matter. She had gone into the locker room and was rooting through her bag for a hair tie when she noticed that her cell phone had a blinking red light, indicating that she had a message. Out of curiosity, Izzie dialed the extension number to her voice mail and was stunned when she heard what the message entailed.
"This is a message for Dr. Isobel Stevens. I'm Denny Duquette Sr, I believe you know my son. When you have a moment, I'd like for you to call me back."
Instantly she had gone hot and cold all over. Memories of the last time she had seen Denny had flashed in her mind and she had spent twenty minutes afterwards in one of the on-call rooms crying. She should've been expecting something like this to happen. Take one step forward, move two steps back… and of course, it happened just when her life was starting to turn around too…
For the rest of the morning, Izzie walked around in a daze, her thoughts on the mysterious phone call from Denny's father. She had called the man back and they had made plans to meet at the Emerald City Bar after she got off work that night. Her thoughts were of nothing else and she found that she could barely concentrate on her work. That was why she was so surprised when Alex suddenly appeared in front her, leaning against the counter and looking down at her from where she sat behind the nurse's station.
She looked up at him with a start, her thoughts momentarily forgotten. "Hi."
In a true Alex Karev fashion, he responded in a way that totally and complete caught her off guard. "You're not living with us anymore, are you?"
She stared at him. "What?"
"You moved out, didn't you?" he asked bluntly. "I walked into your room this morning and it was bare. There was a note on the bed that said 'I'm sorry' and that was it." Alex gave her a pointed look. "Why didn't you at least let us know that you were moving out?"
"When could I have told you?" Izzie asked defensively, feeling anger well up inside of her. "When you guys were busy ignoring me? I tried so many times to talk to you guys but each time you all would walk away from me. Eventually I just gave up because I didn't want to be around all that negative energy anymore. Do you even know what it's like to have your friends turn on you without even letting you explain?"
Alex stared at her, his expression softening. "I'm sorry, Iz."
Feeling like there were too many things happening at once, Izzie briefly shut her eyes and shook her head. "Its fine, Alex. Don't worry about it."
Alex frowned as it occurred to him that Izzie was not being herself. "What's wrong?"
Both their pagers began beeping at that moment and the blonde doctor was relieved for the interruption. She stood up from the desk. "Nothing. I'm fine. We need to go, Burke needs us on his coronary artery bypass surgery."
She avoided his gaze as she walked away.
--
For the past half hour, Mark had been watching Izzie pick at her food while she stared into space. He had noticed her distracted behavior the moment she had arrived at the observatory and had sat down. At first, he wanted to be respectful and leave her to privacy but minding his own business had never been one of his strong traits, especially when it came to a friend. He finally decided to say something. "What's wrong?"
He could tell that he had startled her because she jumped at his words. "Huh?"
"What's wrong with you?"
Izzie let out a sigh and shook her head. "It's just been a really long day and I wish that it was over already."
"That bad?"
"You really don't wanna know."
He raised an eyebrow at that statement. "Maybe I do."
"It's kind of a long story," Izzie sighed once more.
"So, sum it up."
She stared at him and he held her gaze, nodding at her to tell him her troubles. After a moment, the blonde nodded. "Okay, well it all started when I checked my voice mail this morning. There was a message from Denny's father, asking to meet with me."
Mark felt surprise fill him. "Are you going to go?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "We're meeting at Joe's tonight. He wants to talk to me. I really don't know how it's going to go."
"Maybe this is a good thing," he suggested. "This might help you move on."
Izzie shrugged. "Anyway, after this emotionally draining moment, Alex comes up to confront me about me moving out of Meredith's place. He actually demanded to know why I didn't tell them that I was moving out. Can you believe that? They don't talk to me for weeks and the moment they find my room empty, they ask me why I didn't tell them?"
"Karev is an idiot," he remarked.
"It's a double standard, is what it is. Ugh. Anyway, on top of all that, Burke's patient died in the operating room today and my ass still hurts from horseback riding," the blonde pouted. "This day really sucks."
Mark reached over and patted her shoulder. "Things will get better."
Izzie leaned against the wall and buried her face into her knees, her arms wrapped around her legs. "I just wish this day was over already," she repeated.
Not knowing what to say, Mark simply leaned over and gave her a one-armed squeeze, hoping that this action would convey that he was there for her and that she wasn't alone. He had no idea what to do in a situation like this and thought it would be better if he kept quiet. He hoped that she knew he was there on her side and that he would support her.
It was all he had to offer.
--
The day had been a long and tired one and Mark Sloan was more than ready for bed. After his conversation with Stevens – Izzie, he reminded himself – he had done his best to go about his day normally. He had successfully completed another surgery, talked with his patients and scheduled more surgeries. He spent a couple of hours catching up on paperwork and finally called it a night when he noticed that it was nearing eight in the evening. It had been a little hard to concentrate since his thoughts had been occupied with the blonde intern and her current situation.
Was it strange that he was so concerned for Izzie? No, he didn't think so. Within the last few weeks, she had been the only one that had been nice to him and she cared, and that in turn, made him care about her. They were like two peas in a pod, each of them were going through unique situations but it seemed that they understood one another. He wondered if he should call and check up on her, see how she was doing. He knew that she was currently meeting with Denny Duquette Sr. and without a doubt, he knew with certainty that it would be emotionally draining for her.
Thoughts of Izzie's situation weren't the only thing that was on his mind that night. Mark laid flat on his back on his bed with both arms underneath his head, thinking about what had happened after his lunch with Stevens. It was a little strange to see how far he had come within the last couple of weeks.
He and Addison had had an awkward run in on the elevator that afternoon. Seattle Grace Hospital was one of the biggest hospitals in the country and yet, he still managed to run into Addison every now and then. Seeing the redheaded doctor had made his heart ache, but this time he had noticed that it didn't hurt as much as it used too and this puzzled him. It made him wonder just what was happening to him. It was strange to see Addison looking so happy though, strange but in a good way because if anyone deserved to be happy, it was her. Karev was better at not screwing up than he thought. The younger man must've done something right. There was a light in the redheaded doctor's eyes that he hadn't seen since they had been in college. He noticed that Addison now walked with lighter steps, as if any burden she'd had was now gone. She really was better off without him in her life.
Mark was glad that he had made the decision to let her go, even if the decision had hurt him the most.
Knocking came from his door, interrupting his thoughts. He frowned and then glanced over at the digital clock on his night stand. 1:04 am. He had been lying in bed for hours without realizing the time flying by. Who was knocking on his door so late? Sitting up, he pushed back the covers and swung his legs over the side of his bed and pushed himself up. He headed out towards the front door, pulling it open to see who his late night visitor was.
The sight of Izzie's tearstained face greeted him and he immediately felt concern wash over him. She was dressed in flannel pajamas, with her hair tied up in a messy bun and she was cradling Jasper to her chest like a lifeline. He pulled the door open wider and stepped aside so that she could come in and she did so without a second thought.
"Hi," she croaked. "I'm sorry, I know it's late but I didn't want to be alone and I didn't have anywhere else to go… I mean, not that I wanted to go anywhere else because this was the first place I thought of and… and…"
"Izzie," he said softly as he shut the door, "are you alright?"
"No!" she sobbed; fresh tears were spilling from her eyes as she bent over and placed Jasper onto the ground. The puppy immediately whimpered, as if knowing that his owner was under a lot of stress and stayed by her feet. She straightened, waving her arm around and for the first time, he noticed the envelope that was clutched in her hand. "Denny's father gave me this! Denny left this in my name! What am I supposed to do with it? I haven't done anything to deserve it…"
He took the envelope from her and guided her to his couch in the living room, Jasper following at their heels. Sitting down next to her, he pulled out what appeared to be a check. His eyes widened. "8.7 million dollars?"
"I know!" Izzie burst out, the tears were sliding even faster down her cheeks. "I don't know what to do with it." She buried her face in her hands. "Why… why did he leave me this? I don't want it…"
Instinctively, Mark pulled her into his arms and she laid her head against his shoulder. He felt awkward as he slowly ran his hand up and down her arm in what he hoped was a soothing way. After a few minutes, he felt Izzie pull away, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.
"Thanks," she said, giving him a smile.
He nodded at her. "It was no problem." He handed the check back to her. "What are you going to do with all this money?"
She shrugged. "Something good? I haven't really thought about it. I've just been crying all night and then I realized I didn't want to be by myself in my apartment. Jasper is great for company but he can't exactly give me a conversation, you know?"
"I don't think I would be much help either," he told her.
"Just you letting me vent is enough," Izzie replied. "Knowing that I have a friend that I can count on is enough." They sat in silence for a few minutes before she spoke up again. "Sorry for waking you up in the middle of the night."
"Its fine," he shrugged it off. "I wasn't sleeping."
Jasper chose that moment to jump up onto his couch and crawled into Izzie's lap. The blonde gave a small giggle and cuddled the puppy close to her, burying her nose into his fur. Mark watched all of this and felt a smile come to his face. Izzie seemed a lot calmer now, no longer crying though there were still tears in her eyes. They sat in silence and he watched as her absentmindedly stroke Jasper's fur.
"I can't spend this money," she spoke up suddenly.
He looked at her and raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.
"Denny loved me," she smiled sadly. "He wanted me to have this money, I get that. He wanted me to be happy." She looked up at him. "I loved Denny with all of my heart and it sucks that he can't be with me, but I have to live my life. I need to do good with this money and until I know what good I can do, I can't spend this money."
"You should invest it," he suggested. "Save it until you know what to do with it."
She looked at him with tear filled expression. "Will you come to the bank with me? I don't think I can go by myself."
Mark nodded and smiled. "First thing in the morning."
"Okay," she agreed. Then she sighed and began to stand up. "I better go home. Thanks for letting me come over and freak out on you."
"Do you want to stay the night?" The suggestion slipped from his mouth before he had time to process it. As soon as the words were slipped out though, he knew that he didn't want her to leave. "You shouldn't drive home in your emotional state."
She looked thoughtful. "Okay."
Mark looked at her and smirked. "Just so you know, we're sharing my bed." At the look on her face, he chuckled. "There's plenty of room for the both of us and besides, it's not like we haven't shared a bed before." He gave her a look, referring to the time he had spent the night at her apartment.
Izzie didn't argue as she followed him into his bedroom. She wrinkled her nose as a sudden thought occurred to her. "Ugh. Exactly how many women had been brought here?"
"Don't worry," he told her as he pulled back the covers on his bed. "I change the sheets every time."
She rolled her eyes. "If you say so," her demeanor softened and she smiled at him as she climbed in beside him. She reached over and grabbed his arm, catching his attention. "Thank you."
Mark felt his heart beat a little faster at the sight of her smile, though he didn't know why. "You're welcome."
Jasper chose that moment to make his way into his room, his collar jingling with noise from the tags that were attached. The white West Highland Terrier puppy jumped onto his bed, causing both doctors to look down at him. He barked playfully and wagged his tail, before letting out a yawn and settling on the sheets between them.
Izzie looked at Mark. "I'm sorry. Do you want him off the bed? He usually sleeps on my bed at home but - "
"Its fine," he interrupted her. "I like Jasper, he's very well behaved for a puppy."
"Thanks," she grinned, lying down on one of his pillows.
Mark laid down as well and silence fell as the two got comfortable. Jasper was between them, sounds of soft happy whimpers coming from him as he slept. He glanced briefly at his clock. 2:16 am. Life was a funny thing, he mused as he turned on his side, placing a hand under his pillow. He would've never imagined that Izzie would come to his room in the middle of the night, looking for comfort. In fact, he could remember if anyone had ever come to his hotel room for anything other than sex.
Stevens was an enigma that he had yet to figure out and as Mark fell asleep, he thought that he wouldn't have it any other way.
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You know what to do ;)
