Author's Note: I know I've been away from this story for a while and for that I apologize. Classes have a way of making people busy but I wanted to update this. I hope you enjoy, and as always please leave me a review!

Meredith sighed as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. "I hate this one." She sighed and turned to face her friends. "What do you guys think?"

"That you look like a life-size barbie." Cristina quipped as she continued to sort through dresses on a rack that had been set up.

"I think it looks nice, but it's just not for you." Lexie replied. She laughed as a dress Cristina pulled off the rack. "What is that?"

Izzie pulled another dress from the rack and waved it in front of her. "Come on Mer, what do you think?"

Meredith eyed the simple dress Izzie displayed and tilted her head to the side. It was simple; a strap went over one side which would leave the other bare and there was a skinny ribbon wound around the waist before allowing the rest to flow smoothly. "This should be easy. I shouldn't-" Meredith spun around as she attempted to find the zipper on her dress. "It shouldn't be this hard. I should just find a dress, pick it and move on."

Cristina looked at the pager strapped to her belt for the hundredth time. "Seriously? By some miracle we have off and then suddenly there are no surgeries?"

Izzie stood up to help Meredith out of the dress she was trying on. It had been a little over a week since the fight with Mark at Joe's and while she hadn't been keeping a distance she wasn't making a point to talk to him. It was an unusually warm sunny Saturday and Lexie brought up the fact that they needed to go looking and after some cajoling everyone agreed. "I wouldn't complain because the next time you've been standing on your feet for hours you'll be begging for a break."

"Please," Meredith laughed as she went into the stall to try another on. "Cristina lives and breathes surgery. It's a miracle she's here anyway."

"Hey-" Cristina pulled open the door before Meredith had a chance to lock it. "You're my person and...and I'm happy for you. Okay? So just, you know, be happy yourself."

Izzie laughed at the interaction, but not because she found it funny. Truthfully she herself was surprised Cristina accepted the offer. While Burke had been gone from the picture for quite some time watching Meredith try on dresses probably wasn't her idea of the greatest time with the memories she had of such things. She glanced at her watch. "Hey, what do you guys think about lunch after this? I don't know about you but I'm getting hungry."

Lexie nodded in agreement. "Sounds good to me."

Cristina leaned against the wall and shrugged. "Anything but stand up there and zip myself into lace and silk. Are you done yet, Mer?"

A few seconds later Meredith emerged in a strapless floorlength gown. It was beaded across the bodice, just tight enough until it went past her hips and reaching a landing just above the floor. Though it didn't hug every curve it was snug enough to note the fact she had them. She looked up to see her friends gawking. "What?"

Izzie grinned and shook her head. "That's it, Mer; that's the dress."

A short time later the girls found themselves crowded around a table in a cafe' just a few short blocks away. Izzie was sipping on a strawberry smoothie while Cristina bit into a panini sandwich and Lexie was enjoying a cup of a soup Izzie really couldn't remember the name of. Meredith had received her food as well but after spilling half her drink had gone to the restroom to clean up and was on her way back to the table when the images began to fill the screen just behind their table.

A small private plan had crashed on a highway just north of Seattle. There were seven people aboard and while there were casualties the reporter was saying that some had survived.

Cristina set her sandwich on her plate and wiped crumbs from her hands. "Well I guess we all know what that means."

Just a few seconds later the sound of pagers simultaneously beeping sent them all into action. "So much for a break," Izzie mused as she pulled out the money for her meal and they all headed for the door.

They made their way to the hospital and quickly sprung into action, already out and waiting when the ambulances came in. Surgeons and families mingled and sorry explanations were made as to why they couldn't be allowed in the Operating Rooms. An hour would roll by and a doctor or intern would appear to a family to explain how a certain procedure was doing and promise to return if there was any news. Once a nurse came by to offer coffee and a few people reluctantly agreed.

In the end six of the seven people aboard the plane survived; complications involving the pilot's skull damage as well as a heart problem eventually lead to him dying on the table.

Izzie was the one to break the news to his wife. She seemed to take it as expected news, though tears flew freely down her face. Her daughter had come for support and offered Izzie a look of thanks and telling her she was sure she and the other doctors did all they could.

She wasn't sure what to do afterward. They'd been in surgery-she, Derek, and a few other doctors-for over three hours in an attempt to heal what damage they could before his pressure dropped to a dangerously low range and no matter how hard they tried to revive him there was just no hope. She asked to help the others who came in and eventually found her way to the clinic only to be turned away by a sympathetic looking Sydney Herron. "You're tired, honey," She'd said to her. "Just find a nice place to sit and relax and whenever something happens I'm sure someone will come to find you."

Rather than wandering the halls desperately looking for somethingelse to focus on Izzie went to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee before finding her way into an empty conference room. She wasn't sure exactly what it was that lead her there other than the fact that she wanted to do anything but sleep, and she was the one to drive, so heading home was out of the question. Though she wasn't sure what use there would be going there either because at the hospital there was at least a small chance that she'd be allowed to do something.

Her thoughts shifted back and forth between how different the morning seemed compared to the chaos that soon echoed. They were happy and laughing as Meredith tried on dresses for the wedding and had gone to lunch. Izzie knew it was probably selfish but a part of her wished that moment could have lasted longer. It wasn't often they were allowed time to simply be themselves in such a setting and Izzie found she enjoyed it. But then there was the case. The pilot was only fifty-two and had been flying the leaders of a business in upstate Washington to a lodge for a celebration. He had a wife and kids and a life that was suddenly halted that day and she kept thinking of ways it could have changed.

She heard a rap against the glass before watching the door open, her mind unsure of how to react to the person stepping through.

"You were in with him."

The statement was simple enough, but Izzie simply stared back in response.

Mark sighed and sat in the chair closest to the head of the table where Izzie was sitting. "Edward Ferncliff. The pilot of the plane that crashed today. I just saw Derek out there before he was called into another one of the surgeries and he said you were in there with him."

"I was." Izzie replied, her hands suddenly forming a death grip around the styrofoam cup between them.

Mark sighed and hoped it would have come easier. Truthfully he hadn't been looking for her really until Derek said something to him and was on his way to one of the on-call rooms when he saw her through the open blinds and felt compelled to go in. "And he died."

"That's a little blunt, don't you think?" Izzie laughed as she sipped her coffee. She may have wanted to but couldn't bring her eyes to leave his. It almost hurt a little to be so sarcastic to him but she still felt vulnerable and the surgery hadn't gone well which made the feeling worse.

"Yeah, but I know you and-"

"Do you?" Izzie asked, the question popping out before she had a chance to stop it. They scarcely talked since she left Joe's that night and the subject of their conversation had always been avoided.

Mark spread his arms wide for reference and shook his head. "I don't know. I'd like to think I do, but I also know that maybe there's some things I don't know yet."

Izzie noted the hint of hope lingering in his voice and her resolve began to soften. "I just wish that maybe you'd ask me first before making assumptions about what I think."

"Sounds reasonable." Mark replied before leaning back in the chair. "But you're gonna have to put some effort in too you know." He folded his hands together and leaned forward. "Look, I know you and O'Malley are friends. I also know that you slept together once and you were pretty much humiliated because the whole hospital ended up finding out. Then him and Torres ended up staying together and they made it work; they're having a baby and you can deny it all you want but you're still kind of jealous." He held up his hand when he saw her begin to refuse. "But I also realize it isn't necessarily because that's what you want."

Izzie's nail picked at the rim of her cup as he spoke. "Then what exactly is it about?"

"You're afraid of being left out. You're afraid that once Torres starts showing and the baby comes that you and O'Malley aren't going to be as close anymore." Mark replied, his blue eyes softening as he reached to grab her hand. "Am I close?"

Lines were rubbed into her bottom lip as a product of it being chewed on. Izzie shrugged before finally taking his offer and relinquishing her hold on the coffee cup. "Do you realize what would happen to your reputation if it got out you were good at the talking thing?"

He grinned at her comment, grateful that he'd gotten through to her. "I'm sure I can stand a hit or two."

Izzie nodded and was surprised to find a tear tracing its way down her cheek. Rubbing it away with her free hand she offered Mark a smile. "I should have let you explain."

"You aren't gonna be alone, you know." Mark replied. He saw the vulnerability in her and knew he had to go about it carefully but something about it needed to be said. "I mean, if O'Malley ever is a jerk I'm pretty sure there's a few people around here including me that would be on him. And well...you've got me."

She wasn't sure what it was about what he said; the way he said it caused her stomach to flutter and the actual words sent another smile to her face. Either way, Izzie was suddenly overcome by exhaustion and the need to simply be near him. "Thanks," She said. "You never told me how your surgery went."

"It went well. I'll have to go in again tomorrow to see what other damage can be repaired." Mark replied as he noted her jittery behavior. "But that's not what you wanted to ask."

"I was practically ordered to stop working until I'm further notified." Izzie replied nonchalantly, as if that were a perfectly reasonable excuse.

"I've got interns and residents checking in on patients. I'm a pretty good surgeon...I think they could handle things for a while." Mark knew he was pushing it, even without blatantly suggesting anything, but was relieved when she stood and pulled him along with.

The blinds were open but Izzie didn't seem to notice as she slid both hands up his chest and around his neck. She inched closer until his breath felt warm against her lips. "Meet me in the on-call room in five minutes."