Thanks for all the really kind reviews, they are pushing me to find time to get something written. This chapter made more sense in my head than written down. Unfortunatly Alex is coming out as a bad guy but he has his reasons for not being able to tell Izzie about Papa's death. There is not much Izzie/Alex interaction in the upcoming chapters but don't worry it's only for a few chapters!
Tuesdays were usually quiet days for Addison's bar. There were a few regulars maybe a few people travelling through the small town but she usually had the same routine. Tuesday was the day she did not open until lunch because she scrubbed the bar from top to bottom. She hated Tuesdays. At one she would open her doors to Cristina, Richard Webber and a number of local factory workers who all ate their lunch there. At 1:10 the small group were joined by Denny Duquette and George O'Malley. The topic of conversation was usually the weather, local news, national news and international news but since the return of Izzie Stevens all other news would have to wait.
At 1:30 a very pissed off Mark had stomped through the doors closely followed by Alex who looked just as annoyed.
"Any of ye seen Izzie?" Mark ordered roughly. "Has she been in here today?"
"No sign of her here. What's going on?" Addison asked as she placed a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich down in front of George.
"You will never guess what this retard did." Mark said jerking his hand toward Alex who had moved to lean at the edge of the bar near George.
"Shut up Mark." Alex hissed at his business partner. Mark's reaction to Alex not calling Izzie following Papa's death had been worse than Izzie's. He had shouted, cursed and almost hit Alex before deciding that they should go find Izzie. Ignoring Alex, Mark continued.
"He didn't call Izzie when Papa died." Mark said bluntly.
"Oh Alex, why didn't you call?" Addison said throwing her arms around him while everyone else looked just as annoyed as Mark.
"I tried to. I did call just got through to an answering machine and it's not really the kind of message you leave." Alex tried to explain.
"Well anyway she drove off in a state like a crazy person and we don't know where she went." Mark finished as he grabbed a beer from behind the bar.
"She won't want to talk to you." Cristina said smartly to Alex.
"I know." he replied as Addison squeezed his arm offering support.
"It will be ok." She said softly, "She probably just needs time to calm down."
"No she hates me. Don't blame her either." Alex sighed. He really wished he had just made the call but he knew how hard telling her would have been. Izzie and Papa had a connection. He had seen Izzie crumble when her father had died after a long battle with cancer, he did not want to be the one to tell her back then, but he had told everyone he would deal with it. "Just wish we knew where she went."
"Sidney said Izzie was collecting some guy from the airport today." Richard piped up. He felt bad for Alex with all the accusing eyes on him.
"Yeah he's not arriving until later. And we know she visited Ruth and Bailey earlier but she left there about an hour ago." Mark explained as he wracked his brain. They had checked Meredith's, Callie's and her mother's house but Izzie was nowhere to be found.
"Maybe the tree house?" Alex suggested frowning.
"What?" Denny asked.
"The tree house where she spent the afternoon with Papa when we wouldn't let her in our fort." Alex suggested. If Izzie was upset she would bake or go to that tree house. It was also where he and Izzie ha d shared their first kiss. He was just about to go to the door when Mark asked "Whose going to go after her?"
"What do you mean? I'm going." Alex said frowning at Mark.
"Hun I don't think that's for the best." Addison said pushing him back onto the stool.
"Yeah she'd push you out of the tree house and if the fall didn't kill you she would." George added. He had kept quiet the whole time because he had been aware that Alex had not passed on the bad news to Izzie. Alex said he'd deal with it so George left it.
"She's my wife." Alex protested.
"Yeah great husband you turned out to be. I can't believe you didn't tell her." Mark said accusingly.
"Mark just drop it ok. Alex knows he should have said something." Addison hissed.
"I'll go." Denny said knocking back his drink and rising from his stool.
"You're not going." Alex said, knowing Denny he'd take advantage of Izzie being upset.
"Look I know Izzie would prefer to talk to Derek or one of the girls but Addison is working and you hardly want to send Cristina?" Denny asked pointing at the small Asian girl who hurled a peanut in Denny's direction. "And the last time Izzie was upset over something you done I ended up driving her to the airport. I know how to deal with upset Izzie."
Anger burned inside Alex. He had always disliked Denny, especially six years ago when Alex had arrived home to a cold empty house. But for some crazy reason Izzie really liked Denny, they were close friends.
"Fine, go. Just call me after. Let me know if I should expect to see her again." Alex said defeated.
Izzie was picking at a leaf when she heard footsteps coming up the ladder and Denny's head popped up.
"Hey. Room for a friend?" he asked and only continued to climb in when she nodded.
"How did you know I'd be here?" she asked, her voice was a bit raspy after a morning of crying.
"Alex. He knew you'd be here but we figured you'd kill him if he came near." Denny explained.
"So you heard what he did?" Izzie asked.
"Yeah, I'm so sorry Iz. I know how close you were to Papa." Denny said squeezing her hand for support.
"I just feel so stupid. Like there is so much this town has hid from me. I can't just blame Alex. Mom, George, Auntie Lou even Meredith when I was still in touch with her, they never mentioned it. It's like they are selective with what they tell me. God if George had just mentioned Rebecca and Alex dating. Or Alex's business doing so amazingly well, I found out about that on my own." Blinking away tears Izzie continued. "I can't believe Papa's dead."
"Sometimes I still expect the old man to be out chopping wood. You know you should go visit the grave. Maybe it would make you feel better, like a chance to pay your respects." Denny suggested but Izzie shook her head.
"No, then I'd have to visit Dad's grave too right? I just don't feel like facing that yet." Izzie said wiping the tears from her eyes. She was so tired of crying. "Let's talk about something else."
"Ok, I've a question for you. Alex and Mark's furniture appearing in Glamorous, did you have anything to do with that?" Denny asked nudging Izzie who was now smiling guiltily.
"I may have mentioned their furniture to Corina the interiors writer. Given it a subtle push, that's all." Izzie admitted.
"Ha everyone is convinced that you didn't even know you had put you husbands work in your fiancés magazine." Denny said laughing. "Bit cheeky don't you think?"
"I'm just promoting a good business. These are tough economic times Denny; I'm trying to convince our readers to buy local goods. Mark and Alex's stuff is better than IKEA." Izzie said trying to justify her move. They both laughed and settled back against the wall of the tree house.
"So after all these years you still have not told the woman of your dreams that you love her?" Izzie asked deciding it was time to broach the subject.
"What?" Denny asked as a blush reddened his cheeks.
"Rebecca? I can't believe you still have not told her." Izzie said accusingly.
"There' nothing to tell Izzie." Denny replied defensively.
"Bullshit Denny. I know you're crazy about her. I saw it the other night. And now you're just letting her go off with Alex."
"That bastard always steals my girls." Denny said nudging Izzie causing her to laugh.
"Alex did not steal me. I caught you kissing Rebecca behind the school one afternoon so I came here all upset and next thing Alex was kissing me. You got all mad accusing Alex of stealing me and that pissed Rebecca off no end. By the time you got over it she had moved on." Izzie explained adding triumphantly "You've been pining over her even since."
"How did you know? Is it really obvious?" Denny asked in shock.
"No, maybe it's just an outsider's take on things." Izzie shrugged. "And now she's with Alex. Are they happy together?"
"I don't think so. I should have said something to her years ago." Denny said sadly.
"Yeah instead of letting the town think you like me instead." Izzie joked before asking seriously. "You think we'll get our happy ending, like Papa and Ruth did?"
"I sure hope I do, someday. Even if it's not with Rebecca. And what are you talking about Iz, don't you have your happy ending with this publishing guy?"
"Yeah, of course I do." Izzie said cautiously.