Cristina opened the door hesitantly. Izzie looked to see who it was.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi," Cristina said awkwardly, shutting the door. She stood there for a moment, having no idea what to do or say.

"You can come in, if you want."

Cristina sighed and sat down next to her. She did not know how to say goodbye, especially when it shouldn't be goodbye. Not that it ever should.

"They said we're suppose to say goodbye to you now," Cristina said without looking at her.

"Yeah," Izzie said. "It sucks."

"Yes, it does," Cristina said with a small smile. It faded quickly. "I don't know how to say goodbye."

"No one does," Izzie said. "I really didn't know how to say goodbye to Denny when I went to see his grave a couple weeks ago. I just said what I felt I should say. Because it was better than nothing."

Cristina looked at her. She still did not know what to say.

"Is this awkward for you?" Izzie asked her.

"Kind of," she admitted. "I'm trying to think of something, but it's not working."

"I really don't know what to say to people either," Izzie said. "I don't want to say anything. Because I don't want to be here. I shouldn't be here, but I am, and I am going to die and that just seems so unreal. I'm afraid to…."

Cristina paused for a moment, then said, "I'm sorry. I wish that we could have done something for you. I wish we'd have caught it sooner."

"Me too," Izzie sighed. "But that's life. It never goes the way we want it to. Well maybe, if you're lucky."

"I'm not."

"You don't know that yet. You have time. You can make it go the way you want it to. Take advantage of what you have. Because you never know when it's going to be gone."

Cristina stared at her. It was a frightening truth.

"I'll try."

"Don't try. Trust me, don't just try."

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"So many things have changed since we met," Alex said, giving her a smile. "We surely went through it all."

"We did," she agreed. "It was fun."

"I suppose it was."

"I'm sorry," she said. "If I ever hurt you. I'm really sorry."

"You never hurt me."

She smiled. "Okay then."

He looked down. "it's crazy that we're here now. That it's ending like this. I never would have guessed it."

"We never know how things are actually going to end. But I agree with you. I never seen myself here. No one does."

"Are you okay?"

"It depends what you mean."

"I mean-" he thought about it for a moment- "I mean with this. I…don't know."

"Am I okay with dying?" she asked. "Have I accepted it, is that what you mean?"

"I guess," he said.

She smiled. "I try my best. I've known it was going to happen, and I believe I've done everything I needed to. That part helps. But I'd do anything to not be here right now."

"Yeah," he sighed. "Me too."

She looked down. "Why can't we just go back? Why can't life just for once go the way you want it to?"

"I don't know," he said. "And I don't think we'll ever find out."

She looked at him again. "Are you okay?"

"Right now, no."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"You will be okay. You'll have so much better."

"Are you saying better than you?"

"No one is better than me."

He laughed. She smiled. It was nice to hear people laugh. It was nice to hear something good.

He looked at her for a few moments as they were silent.

"I'm going to miss you, Iz. It won't be the same without you here. I can't imagine it without you here."

"I suppose you'll get used to it."

"No," he said. "I don't think we ever will."

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"Hey Iz," Meredith said as she came in. she sat down at the end of her bed. "How are you doing?"

"I'm okay. How are you?"

Meredith smiled. She could not say she was okay. She tried to open her mouth and say it, but nothing came out. Instead tears came to her eyes and she looked away quickly.

"Hey," Izzie said kindly. "It's okay."

Meredith shook her head and didn't say anything. She took a deep breath to try and calm herself.

"Mer, look at me." She did not. "It's alright. Everything's going to be fine."

"No," Meredith said, still not looking at her. "I don't know what to do. What am I supposed to do?"

"Whatever you need to do."

She finally looked at her. "I don't know what I'm going to do without you here too. How am I supposed to wake up everyday and just go by your empty room?"

"You'll have to," Izzie said. "And it'll get easier."

"You don't understand," Meredith said, standing up. "You're not going to be here. I will. We all will. I can't come into this room without thinking about how you…."

Izzie looked at her sadly. Meredith sighed.

"Come here," Izzie said, and she did. Izzie put her arms around her. "I know it's hard now. But I'll be okay, and so will you. You have to tell me that you'll be okay. I don't want to leave you here if this is how you're going to be. I need to know that you'll be okay."

Meredith pulled away from her. "I'm sorry I-"

"All you have to do is say it."

She looked at her for several moments.

"I'll be okay."

"Good," Izzie said with a smile. Meredith smiled back, as much as she could.

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He stood in the doorway for several moments. She did not say anything. She was not ready to say goodbye any more than he was.

"I can't say goodbye to you," he said from the doorway.

"I can't really either," she said.

He stayed in the doorway for another few moments, then went over to her. She looked up at him.

"This is stupid," he said. "We can't say goodbye. Not now. Not yet."

"I know," she said. "But we really have no choice."

He looked away from her.

"George?"

"It's too soon," he said. "This has all gone way too fast. I'm not ready for this. I can't do this."

"You might want to."

He looked at her. She did not understand. She could not understand.

"I didn't get to say goodbye to Denny," she said. "I didn't get the chance to be there for him, or tell him what he means to me, or anything. And do you know what that did to me? I had no closure. I had no…I had no chance."

Maybe she did understand.

"I went to see him, you know," she admitted. "Or his grave at least. So I could get closure. And even though I got to say what I needed to, I wish I could have knowing he heard me."

"That's where you went?"

"That's where I went. And I got to meet Hannah."

"You did?"

"I did." She smiled. "She's beautiful."

He smiled too. "I'm sure she is, with you as her mother."

He sat down on the bed and took her hand. She squeezed it in an assuring way.

"I'm sorry," he said, "for all the stupid fights that we ever got in. especially since most of them were my fault. I'm sorry that I didn't fix this thing with us sooner. And I'm sorry I made you believe that you couldn't tell me you were sick. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," she said. "I could have. I almost did. But things were so…you know. And they weren't all your fault. They were both of ours."

"I guess so." He looked down for a moment.

"I can't imagine being here when your not."

"I know," she said and smiled. He looked at her. He could not say goodbye.

"I can't do this. I just can't."

"You can, and you will," she said firmly. "You have no choice."

He put his hand on her face. She was so tired, so sick. He could not bear seeing her this way. She closed her eyes and put her hand on his.

"Izzie?"

"Hm?"

"I love you, so much."

She opened her eyes. "I love you too. And never forget that. Promise me that you won't."

"I could never forget that."

She smiled. He leaned in and kissed her. They broke apart a few moments later. They just looked at each other. In his eyes she could see the pain that this was putting him through. She wished more than ever that this never happened. So she didn't have to do this to him. He did not deserve it.

He lay down in the bed with her. He put his arm around her and held her tight. Because he did not want to let her go.