"Could Karev do it?" Addison asked as they reached her office door.

"Could Karev do what?" Izzie asked suspiciously.

"Feed your beast." The redhead said as she disappeared into her office.

Izzie was struck dumb by Addison's statement, her mouth agape, her feet rooted to the spot, not making any attempt to move. She could not believe the words that had just escaped from Addison's mouth. "Izzie?" she heard calling from inside the office. She shuffled into the doorway.

"No!" Izzie said loudly and in disbelief.

"No?"

"No, Alex cannot feed my beast." She said crossing her arms and frowning angrily.

"He's done it before." Addison offered nonchalantly.

"Well, he's not ever going to again, I can't believe you would suggest such a thing." Izzie said hurt.

Addison regarded the blonde, it was relief to her own ears, but she could see the blonde was disappointed that Addison had even said that, let alone thought it. "I'm sorry Izzie." She offered sincerely. "Now come in, sit." She ordered.

"Don't think I'm going to forgive you that easily Dr Montgomery." The blonde said as she traipsed further into the room.

Addison rolled her eyes, "Ok, you're not going to forgive me."

"Do you want to go for a drink after work?"

"Why?"

"Why?" Izzie asked confused.

"Yes, why, is there an occasion?"

"No, I just thought we should perhaps, you know, just go for a drink, after it was all messed up the other night."

"Ok."

"Ok?" Izzie asked again, Addison's behaviour was slightly concerning.

"Yes, what do you want me to say?"

"I don't know."

"Well then, let's finish these charts so we can get out of here." The redhead smiled.

"Finally some enthusiasm." Izzie gasped.

"Your sarcasm overwhelms me Stevens. Now, sit." Addison said peering over her glasses.


"What are you doing after work Iz?" Meredith asked.

"I'm going to Joe's."

"What a great idea, let's go to Joe's." Announced Meredith to the entire Intern locker room.

Izzie sighed and rolled her eyes, "I'm going with Addison."

"Riiiight, you're funny you know that."

"What do you mean?" Izzie said as she hurled her scrub top into her locker.

"We were in the cafeteria yesterday Izzie, we saw what happened." Explained Meredith.

"We were also in the cafeteria today Meredith and saw how friendly Montgomery and Izzie were." Alex contributed.

"Yeah, what do you think she's like in the bedroom Izzie?"

"What? What are you talking about Cristina?" Izzie frowned.

"Me and Alex think she's a devil between the sheets."

"And how would you know that?" The blonde asked disbelievingly.

"Do you know that?" Meredith eyed the blonde suspiciously.

"What? No of course I do not know that." Izzie slammed.

"It wouldn't bother us you know."

"No, I mean, actually, it's pretty hot, you, Montgomery . . ."

"Alex!"

"Shut up O'Malley, don't pretend it's not going through your head." Alex accused.

"Seriously guys!" Izzie yelled.

"Hey, it's ok Izzie, she's a real catch, you're kinda cute together."

"Cristina, did you just say cute?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, so bite me, I've learned a lot today, thanks to Izzie and Montgomery."

"What are you talking about?" Izzie asked, completely bewildered by the whole conversation.

"You and Dr Montgomery, at lunch time were looking all happy and smiley and . . . stuff." George explained.

"Stuff?"

"Yeah, what's going on with you two?" asked Meredith.

"We're friends. We had words the other day, but we made up."

"Where were you last night?" Meredith asked, her eyes narrowing.

Izzie sighed in defeat, her shoulders slumped, "I, I was at Addison's, guys, we are friends, we get on, we have fun, period." Alex and Cristina were smirking at one another from either end of the locker room.

"I think we should leave her alone guys." George suggested, feeling sorry for his friend.

Izzie felt bullied, she was fully aware there was only friendship between herself and Addison, they had become almost like best friends, the type of friend you would adopt in school, and always hang out with them, giggling and simply having fun. Her feelings however exceeded the usual boundaries of friendship, she wanted so much more, and her friends teasing her about her relationship with Addison did not help, it saddened her further.

"You're right." Izzie stated.

"We are?" Cristina asked cautiously.

"No, George is. Please, leave me alone, I don't understand why you always have to get up in my personal space, scrutinising my private life, and it's not just me. We all do it about each other. It needs to stop, it's childish and it's petty." The blonde said confidently. "Let me tell you how it is, Addison Montgomery is a dear friend of mine. We have a lot in common, she's fun and refreshing and mature. She's an amazing doctor and has taught me so much both personally and professionally. Think whatever you want guys, I really don't care." Izzie concluded her speech and slammed her locker shut, picking her bag up from the bench, she made her way towards the exit, startled to see a nonchalant looking redhead leaning against the door frame. The only sound in the room was the blonde gulping.


Addison arrived at the bar with Izzie in tow, the two of them barely speaking a word the whole way to Joe's. The redhead perched herself on a barstool, the intern following suit. The attending ordered their drinks without even asking Izzie what she would like, by now she knew the blonde's favourite tipple. Joe quickly reappeared with their order and left the two women in silence.

"So, do you want to tell me what that was all about?"

"They were just giving me a hard time, I can take it." The blonde said, starring at the liquid in her glass.

"Because of me?" Addison asked.

Izzie shot her eyes up and looked at Addison, she was unsure of what to tell her friend for fear of possibly hurting her feelings. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough."

"You should tell me." Izzie said concerned.

"When Yang said we were cute together." Addison blushed, Izzie too held her head down, slightly embarrassed. "I was going to come in and say something until you did your grand monologue." The redhead laughed.

"They need to butt out of our lives." Izzie stated.

"They do, but people are always going to pry, it's human nature."

The intern frowned, "Whatever happens, promise me one thing."

"What?" asked Addison, intrigued.

"Don't ever get your own talk show." The blonde laughed, earning a nudge in the ribs from her superior.

"I think I'd look good on a couch on the TV."

"You'd look good anywhere." Izzie said quietly. Addison regarded her for a moment with a small but endearing smile.

"As long as you were with me." She replied.

"I think I could do that, and I know for a fact I look damned good draped on a couch in front of a camera." The intern smirked and winked at the redhead.

"Ah yes, I've heard about those pictures. And from what I've seen, I can give my expert opinion on the matter."

"And that is?" Izzie asked in anticipation.

"That you, Izzie Stevens, are a sight to behold." She picked up her drink and took a steadying sip, she hadn't revealed too much, yet she thought it might just reveal enough to the blonde.

"I could tell." The blonde sighed, "You couldn't keep your eyes off me."

"Busted." Addison smiled.

"So, what would you have said in the locker room?"

"I'm not actually sure, but I could feel myself becoming more angry, I really didn't like the way they were speaking to you and making your life, our lives, so trivial. How can they not realise that feelings are involved?" Addison's brow was furrowed, her voice had grown strained.

"Hey, it's ok." Izzie said, placing a hand over the attending's million dollar appendages, "I can handle them. They're not so perfect." She winked.

Addison gasped, "They're not?"

Izzie laughed, "No, they're not."

They sat and regarded one another, just looking, comfortable in their silence, each other wanting to say much more than they could.

"Izzie." "Addie." They started at the same time.

"Yeah?" they spoke in unison.

"You first." Izzie said smiling at the redhead.

"Ok." Addison said, visually gathering herself. "Thank you."

"You're welcome?" Izzie asked, her brow furrowed.

The attending smiled, "You're adorable."

The blonde's eyebrows this time leapt toward her hairline, "Thank you?"

"Listen," Addison began, she turned her hand in Izzie's which still lay on top of hers, feeling natural in every way, she clung on to the blonde's soft palm with her fingers, "I've had the best time these past couple weeks."

"Me too." Izzie agreed with a smile.

"When you said all that stuff to the others about me and what I've done for you, I was standing there feeling so overwhelmed, so happy and so proud to be your friend."

"I meant every word."

"I know you did, because you said it from your heart and you didn't know I was there. And I'm thinking it would have been more difficult for you to say it to my face."

Izzie blushed slightly and looked down at their linked hands. "Yeah."

"Do you remember at the bar what we were talking about before Meredith called?"

"I can barely forget." Izzie smirked. "It's not every day your hot attending asks if you've slept with a woman." She laughed.

"It's not every day your cute intern says yes." Addison said, her eyes seeking out the emotions in Izzie's. The blonde returned the stare, slight amusement in her eyes, but a glimmer of something else, Addison decided to press further, the blonde was fairly guarded in displaying her emotions. "You know what I asked you?"

Izzie took a moment before answering, she was comfortable in this situation with Addison, they were talking intimately, a discussion about everything they wished they would talk about but hadn't until now. The blonde was hoping the discussion was heading in the direction she wanted it to, but could not be sure, she had to try and steer it on her desired path.

"You asked me if I had considered sleeping with a woman since having done so in the past."

"And you said yes." Addison said, barely above a whisper.

Izzie smiled, "I did."

"THERE THEY ARE!" Meredith shouted across the room. She stopped in her tracks, noticing the proximity of the blonde and the attending. One by one the interns thudded against her, making her body jolt with each blow after stopping so suddenly.

"Hell, yeah, told you they were a couple." Alex said loudly. Izzie shot up and stormed over to the group of interns.

"What did I just tell you?" she barked incredulously. Addison sneaked up beside the blonde.

"Ok, I'm going to say this once, I know you find it strange that myself and Izzie may well be friends, but that's how it is. I appreciate you are Izzie's friend too, I get that, I really do and I know you want to spend time with her, but you need to let her have some space. You live with each other and work with each other and I know how demanding that can be, look at me and Derek!" Meredith scowled at the redhead.

"Guys, Addison's helped me with something that I couldn't deal with on my own, and I couldn't go to you because it was kinda sensitive, and I didn't purposely go behind your backs to Addison, she sort of stumbled into it. But it's all ok now, and from that experience I've got to know an amazing person." She spoke the last part looking into Addison's blue eyes and smiling. The attending smiled back.

"Woah," Cristina said, "that's deep."

"So," Alex started, "are you together or what?"

"Or what." Addison stated. "But, if you'll excuse us, we have dinner reservations."

"We do?" Izzie asked. Addison shot her a warning look. "Weee doooo." The blonde drawled, attempting to cover up with a statement.

"Iz, I'm sorry." Meredith offered. The other interns offered their own apologies before the two doctors departed.


Once outside in the cool of the night, the two women started towards an awaiting cab, waiting casually for patrons leaving the bar.

"Do we have dinner reservations?" Izzie asked.

"No." Addison smiled at the confusion on the blonde's face, "Ok, you have two choices, dinner or another bar, we really need to talk."

"About what?" Izzie said, Addison glanced over her shoulder, throwing the blonde a look before turning to face her friend. Izzie rolled her eyes and smiled, "Ok, about this thing there is between us. There is a thing between us right? Because, well, my friends seem to think so and I kinda really like you and I get the feeling you might too, but I've not wanted to say anything and there was that guy in the bar and you go and say something stupid about Karev and I really didn't think there could be anything between us. There is something between us right?" She rushed out in almost one breath. Addison had opened the door of the cab whilst Izzie was mid-flow, the redhead smiled coyly at the blonde and pulled her into the cab, prior to it speeding away into the Seattle night.