A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews they totally brightened up my weekend. Happy Belated Birthday Amanda, hope you had an awesome day. Thanks Gigi and Meijkej for making me feel like I'm not the only person who misses Denny. But unfortunately since they can't bring him back, I'll be so happy if they do mcstizzie, it'll make me love the show as much as I did in the second season. Okay, so here is chapter 10…

Chapter 10

The next day Izzie got a 911 page from the Chief's office. She walked in and sat down wondering why she was being called in. About two minutes later Mark walked in and looked at Izzie confused.

"Hey," Izzie said staring up at Mark.

"Hey, you got paged too?" Mark asked sitting next to Izzie. "Why? Why did he want to see both of us? We didn't kill a patient that I wasn't aware of, did we?"

Izzie let out a dry laugh and said, "Not as far as I know."

"Then why are we here?"

At that minute the Chief walks in and sits down at his desk across from Izzie and Mark.

"I guess you both are wondering why you are here?" The Chief said with an exhausted and slightly annoyed look on his face.

"Yes, sir," Izzie replied.

"I have received some complaints about you two from some of the other members of the staff."

"I understand me, but what would Stevens and I do that would cause complaints to be launched at us from other people?" Mark asked with a confused expression on his face.

"Okay, I was hoping to ease into this but I'm tired and very close to retiring so here it is: Dr. Sloan are you engaging in a sexual relationship with Dr. Stevens?"

Both Mark and Izzie stood up and looked at the Chief in utter shock.

"Excuse me?" Izzie said.

At the same time Mark said, "What?!"

"Settle down and sit down and only one at a time. Stevens you first."

"Sir, I am not involved in any sort of sexual relationship with Dr. Sloan and nor do I want to," Izzie stated before turning to Mark. "No offense."

"None taken," Mark replied giving her a reassuring smile before turning to the chief. "What lead you to believe this Chief?"

"I heard that you and Dr. Stevens were at Joe's last night and that you were holding hands and kissing."

"No offense Chief and no disrespect intended but what Dr. Sloan or myself do outside this hospital is our own business."

"Yes Stevens, but what happens inside this hospital is," The Chief replied.

"Sir?" Izzie asked clearly confused.

"There was also a report that both you and Dr. Sloan spent the night together in his office. Someone reported that your clothes were disheveled and it had seemed as if the two of you were and I quote, 'up all night doing something exhausting,'" The Chief supplied clearly annoyed with all this drama.

"Seriously?" Izzie said before turning to Mark, "Seriously?!"

"So what is going on between the two of you? Obviously you two have a relationship that extends beyond student-teacher, so what is it? Do I have another attending-intern relationship going on?"

"Of course not," Mark said resolutely before turning to Izzie, "No offense."

"None Taken," Izzie said smiling back at him.

"Should we just tell him?" Mark asked Izzie acting as if the Chief wasn't in the room.

"Are you sure? Cause if we tell him then we're breaking rule number 1," Izzie replied.

"Him is still in the room and him wants to know what the hell is going on," The Chief replied his voice getting angrier.

"Sir, Stevens and I are friends, that's it. Actually Chief, scratch that, Stevens and I are best friends," Mark declared.

"We are?" Izzie asked lighting up. When he smiled at her, she said, "Wow, I guess we are."

"Just friends?" Then why were you two talking about rules?" Chief asked clearly skeptical.

"We made rules that govern this friendship so that this one lasts unlike our other previous friendships. We were both at a really low point in our lives and just needed a friend, so we befriended each other." Izzie explained.

"What about the kissing and the handholding?" The Chief pressed on.

"I was upset about Denny and Dr. Sloan was there to squeeze my hand and tell me it was going to be okay. As far as the kissing, all he did was give me a comfort kiss on the forehead. As for Dr. Sloan and me in his office, I was studying and he was helping me to study for the interns exam."

"So, just friends?" The Chief said slowly, trying to grasp the concept.

"Yes, Chief, just friends," Mark supplied. "If you wouldn't mind, we would prefer if everyone didn't know about this friendship. It would cause too much drama to occur amongst our respective group of friends."

As Mark finished that sentence he realized something and closed his eyes before speaking again.

"Who I'm guessing were the ones to tell you about their suspicions about us."

"Wouldn't you like to set the record straight?" The Chief asked.

"With all due respect Chief, you're the only one whose opinion even vaguely matters. As for the rest of them, let them think what they want," Izzie replied.

"Okay, well enjoy your umm….friendship and go save some lives." The Chief responded.

The two of them left the Chief's office and stood outside on the bridge facing the front entrance.

"Quick thinking in there Stevens. You're good under pressure."

"You have no idea," Izzie replied. "You too by the way. I can't believe they went all juvenile and told on us."

"Its like being in second grade again, except this time I didn't do it."

Izzie laughed and was quiet for a second before speaking again.

"Hey, Dr. Sloan, thanks again for last night. I needed someone and you were there for me when you didn't have to be. You even ditched your hot date for me, so thanks again."

"No problem, that's how a friendship works as I vaguely recall. You are there for the person when they need you," Mark replied. "Okay, so Stevens, this weekend, what are we going to do for our weekly get together? You want to go clubbing in Seattle? We can be each other's wingman? Person?"

"I can't this weekend, I got the wedding on Friday. Hey, but why don't you come as my date?" Izzie suggested.

"Date?" Mark asked raising his eyebrows suggestively at her and giving her his McSteamy smirk.

"Not date-date but escort …in a non-male hooker sense," Izzie rambled off clearly flustered.

Mark started laughing before he said, "I love hearing your non-sensical babble. Of course I'll be your, what's the phrase, 'escort,' I'd be honored. And I will try my hardest not to do a repeat performance from the last wedding I went to."

"Yeah I'm so not even going to ask."

"What about our meddlesome friends? Aren't they going to be wondering what's going on between us? I mean they already got the Chief involved cause they saw us talking, Imagine what would happen if they see us at the wedding together?"

"Oh my God you're right! You mean when they see us together at a wedding, dancing? Or even more scandalous, you and me, together, eating cake. Oh God, maybe you are right, maybe we shouldn't go," Izzie said with an expression of fake dread on her face.

Mark playfully shoved her before smiling at her. "You're a regular laugh riot you know that?"

"Yeah, I know, I'm awesome," Izzie said smiling. "As for our friends, screw them. Who cares about the rumors they fueled about us. It should be interesting when they finally find out the truth, then they'll actually have something for people to talk about."