Chapter 10

"Good evening ladies."

"Good evening Joe." The girls said as they sat on their regular stools at the bar.

"Any interesting cases today?" The burley barman inquired.

"Only one." George said as he plonked himself down next to his friends.

"Yeah, we're having a meeting." Meredith said a little too excitedly. Joe placed a beer in front of each of them.

"We may have to break out to a table," Christina began, "it's a sensitive subject."

"Will your attendings be joining you tonight?" Joe asked.

"Mine should be." Izzie sighed as she looked at her watch.

"Late surgery." Meredith and Cristina said in unison.

"Callie might come over." George said with little confidence.

"Make it sound convincing next time George." Cristina said and took a swig from her bottle. George sighed.

"Are we going to discuss this or what?" Meredith said impatiently.

"If this is the highlight of your day, you've been spending too much time with McDreamy." Cristina accused. She stood and made her way to a free table. Her fellow interns followed in a line, and sat with the brunette. "Ok, so what are the facts?" Cristina repeated her earlier question.

"Bailey made me leave to talk to Addison and reassigned Karev to Shepherd's service, at Shepherd's request of extra help." Izzie began.

"Which we know is not true because Derek told me Bailey forced Karev onto him." Meredith said.

"So, one of the three attendings is lying." George summarised.

"It has to be Bailey, Addie wouldn't lie to me." Izzie stated.

"How do you know? You hardly know her." Cristina argued.

This upset Izzie, "I know her enough."

"Ok guys, there has to be more than this." Meredith suggested.

"Oh," a light bulb went off in Izzie's head, "he has been so weird with me and Addison."

"How do you mean Iz?" George asked.

"First, when Addison requested me for her service he made a remark about us. And then he asked Addison how I was after the attack and she told him to come see me himself. But he made an excuse about a case . . ." the blonde trailed off.

"What? What is it?" Cristina asked hurriedly.

"He came to see me the next day. I had a go at him for not visiting me sooner. But then he asked if it was because of him me and Addie got together."

"Ugh, he only ever thinks of himself!" Crisitna exclaimed.

"I told him we weren't even together till after the attack. And then he just kinda left. It was weird. I've hardly spoken to him since and I know he's been off with Addison."

"Who's been off with me?" Addison said as she approached the table.

"Alex." George blurted out. The three female interns glared at him, if looks could kill, he would surely be a goner.

"I thought you came here to relax and unwind, why talk about him?" Addison frowned as she stood behind her blonde lover, placing a protective hand on the intern's shoulder. Izzie looked up and smiled. Addison leaned over and gave her chaste kiss on the lips.. George suddenly finding the ceiling of great interest. Meredith and Cristina looked at George, then at each other trying not to laugh at his obvious embarrassment. Izzie rolled her eyes. "You can look now George." She turned her attention back to the attending behind her, "I need to ask you something, what happened with Bailey today?"

Addison shifted uncomfortably. "Iz, can we discuss this later?"

"Why? I just want to know if Shepherd really requested Karev or not because Meredith said Shepherd did not request him."

"Izzie." Addison warned.

"What Addie? Someone's lying here, I hope to god it's Bailey." Izzie had now stood, face to face with Addison. The redhead couldn't look her in the eye. The interns around the table didn't know where to look themselves, feeling they were trapped in the middle of a domestic. "I defended you to these guys Addie. Why did you lie to me?"

"Izzie," George stood and placed a hand the blonde's back, "I think you should talk to Dr Montgomery in private."

"Thank you George, but I'm hardly going to take relationship advice from you." Izzie raised her voice. George had had enough, he picked up his bag and left without another word. Meredith and Cristina sat uncomfortably at the table.

"Izzie, please," Addison began. The angry intern was stood before her, hands on her hips. "there is a reason I didn't tell you but can we please take this back to my place?"

"I'm tired Addison, I'm going home. Alone." Izzie stated. She turned, disappointment and sadness in bother eyes and voice. Addison looked bewildered, she thought Izzie would at least give her a chance to explain. She could only watch as the blonde walked away from her.

"She'll come round you know," Meredith offered, "she has these stubborn 'Izzie knows best' moments. You just need to give her some time to cool off."

"Thanks Meredith. I guess, I'll just go then." Addison sighed in defeat.

It was a strange day at Seattle Grace Hospital. Izzie had managed to avoid Addison for the most part, despite working on her service, her arm in plaster preventing her from doing too much physical work and the attending had been in surgery for the most part. Izzie had decided to go for a coffee and ended up in a queue behind a couple of interns from another department. They were gossiping, as Izzie had found herself doing with her colleagues on a number of occasions and smiled wistfully, until she heard a familiar name. It was that of Dr Addison Montgomery.

"Didn't you hear, Alex Karev went to Dr Bailey and told her Montgomery had assaulted him."

"No way, are you sure?"

"Yeah, 99 sure."

"I don't believe you."

"I swear, he went to Bailey."

"Doesn't mean she did though, I mean, everyone knows he's been trying to get into her panties."

"I guess. And I did hear she was screwing one of her female interns."

Izzie had heard enough, she abandoned the coffee queue in search for an on call room.

The blonde intern lay there, thoughts swimming around her head. She heard the click of the door as it opened, not bothering to look at her intruder, she would stay and contemplate what she had just heard.

"Izzie." It was a voice the intern was not expecting to hear. She sighed.

"Izzie I'm sorry."

"Are you going to come in or are you hoping for a quick exit?" Izzie asked dryly. Addison tentatively entered further into the room, sitting on the edge of the bed Izzie was on, hands in her lap, looking down.

"I know what Karev said about you." Izzie offered.

"What do you know?" Addison tested.

"That he went to Bailey and told her you assaulted him."

"Where did you hear that?" Addison asked incredulously.

"Does it matter where I heard it?"

"I would have told you, if you had given me the chance."

"I gave you a chance yesterday afternoon Addie." Izzie snapped.

"I know, I was trying to protect you Izzie, you've been through so much already, you didn't need this." Addison offered.

"Yet here we are."

"Yes."

"So are you going to tell me what this is all about so I don't have to rely on cafeteria gossip?" Izzie asked sarcastically.

"Karev was on my service yesterday. Out of the blue he asked if you and I were serious. I tried to remain professional but he persisted and said he was your friend and wanted to know. I told he hadn't been much of a friend to you and then he verbally attacked me saying how he didn't want to be on my service." Addison paused and looked at Izzie who was listening intently looking at the attending, "I asked what his problem was, he said I was the one with the problem and had led him on. I told him we had a date, that was it and I wasn't really interested in him anyway. I was just lonely."

"And desperate if you resort to going out with Karev." Izzie chipped in, she took Addison's hand in her own and squeezed it, urging the attending to continue. Addison smiled at the feel of Izzie's skin against her own, it had felt like an eternity since the last time.

"He grabbed my arm and told me I didn't deserve you. I told him a few truths like, I'm the one you come to when you need to talk and a couple of other things." Addison blushed. "I told him he was a liar, a cheat and he had blown his chance. I guess then he thought he would hurt me by claiming sexual assault." Izzie sat up and took Addison into her arms, holding her tight.

"Did he hurt you?" the blonde asked. She felt Addison nod against her shoulder. Izzie pulled back. "Where?" Addison took her doctor's coat off, exposing her scrubs, the purpling bruise on her arm visible to the intern straight away.

Izzie was angry, "I can't believe he did that to you. He is such an ass."

"Iz, just let it drop for now, he must feel pretty humiliated."

"Why?"

"Come on, two hot chicks turning to each other after dating him?"

Izzie laughed. "If you put like that, I will leave it for now. But you have to admit, there's a long line of abnormal, almost psychotic behaviour!"

"They say things happen in threes."

"Threes?" Izzie asked, puzzled.

"The attack, us, Karev's behaviour, not necessarily in that order."

"That's a bit of a strange coincidence . . ." Izzie trailed off. Realisation hit the doctors together, "You don't think . . ."

"No, surely not, you think . . ."

To be continued . . .