It was a long and excrutiating wait for Dr Burke to arrive back with the heart.

Denny watched as Izzie paced back and forth by the door to his room, a frown dampening her fair features, it was beginning to drive him mad.

'Hey Iz, come here'

'Whats wrong? Are you feeling breathless?'

She instantly went to his monitors causing him to let out a raspy chuckle

'No, I was wondering if you would like to play scrabble with me, pass the time?'

She smiled and nodded her head as she went to get the scrabble box that was in the waiting area.

Dr Burke arrived suprised to see that Denny was not ready in the OR and was suprisingly still in his room playing scrabble with a very pleased Dr Stevens.

'Dr Stevens! Can I ask why our patient is not prepped for surgery and rather is still here in this room playing scrabble with you?!'

Izzie shot up instantly, her face a tint of tomato as she realised that she really really fucked up.

'Hey my favourite cardiothoracic doctor, I see you got my new heart. Sorry I distracted Dr Stevens here.. I started to get the jitters, but thanks to her, I am ready to go!'

Denny smiled the brightest smile, his teeth twinkling in the artificial light, a look that even cooled Dr Burke as he cleared his throat and turned to Izzie stating a simple.

'Get him down to the OR now Stevens'

He turned to walk away but looked back to state a simple

'Be sure to scrub in on this'

Izzie beamed as she watched Burke leave and found herself subconciously going to dive into Dennys arms but stopped herself, she blushed as she watched him blink curiously and cleared her throat before detaching his bed from any wires, grabbing his IV bags and quickly getting his bed out of the room and to the elevator.

It was a suprisingly quiet ride down to the OR and Izzie couldnt help but wonder how Denny was feeling, or what he could be thinking, the want to ask him these questions were beginning to make her sweat.

Denny being ever so perceptive quickly noticed her nervous stance, biting her nails, the awkward glances from him to the elevator door, he sighed and tilted his head to turn and look at her better.

'For someone who isnt having a heart transplant, your suprisingly nervous'

He chuckled as he watched the colour come to her face.

'No, im not nervous, I was just wondering if you were but I didnt want to ask.. or.. I..'

She frowned as she was debating what to say, her words were a loss and she couldnt understand why she was feeling so nervous, she had seen this surgery before, so why was this any different?

'How bout, if I make it out of this surgery, you come and visit me at the clinic? I get to show you how I work?'

He smiled warmly at her but to his suprise, Izzie was not smiling back, rather she had tears in her eyes.

'Iz? Whats wrong?'

He reached a hand out to touch her arm and she broke, she covered her face with the other hand as she wept

'I... God.. I... dont know... whats wrong... with me...'

Denny smiled and looked up at the light as he let out a long sigh.

'I knew it, your inlove with me'

She laughed and managed to get a grip on her emotions, wiping her tears away she sniffed and cleared her throat, as the elevator dinged she pushed the bed with Denny on out towards the OR to meet Dr Burke.

'Not gonna say anything to that?'

Denny wasnt sure why he wanted her to reaffirm his suspicion or flirt it away, but the silence was breaking his already broken heart.

'I'll let you know when you come out'

Izzie leant down to his face and whispered softly, her eyes gleaming with unshed tears as she spoke

'Just be sure you do come out Denny, you might have beaten Hildy to the punch'

He chuckled and put a tender hand on her cheek, wiping away the unshed tear.

Dr Burke could only raise an eyebrow to what was happening before his eyes and watched as Dr Stevens straightened herself, nodded to him and waved to Denny, stating a simple 'I'll see you soon'

She wasnt going to join him with the surgery, what on earth happened in the last 7 hours? was all Dr Burke could wonder as he took a suprisingly hopeful Denny into the OR for his transplant.

The wait was excrutiating for Izzie, she found herself down the Pit doing sutures and any other task to take her mind off of the operation, she now finally understood what it was like for family when they had to wait, and Denny isnt even family, he isnt even a friend, barely an acquaintance and yet here she is worrying sick over a man that she had met just this morning, a man that seemed to have won her over, with just a few simple words, a game of scrabble and eyes that could melt the polar ice caps. She could only ask herself one question, what the hell was wrong with her?

'Go home Stevens, you've capped 80 hours this week'

The sound of Dr Webber snapped her out of her thoughts.

'Sir? I need to stay, I have a patient in the OR right now and I really need to check on him'

Dr Webber frowned at the young intern as he spoke sternly

'Unless the OR leads to the locker rooms then I suggest you leave before I kick you out of this hospital'

She nodded and quickly stood to leave, she turned to look at where Webber was going before running to the OR, she needed to check on how Denny was doing and if the operation was successful before leaving to go home.

Denny came around quite groggily, the bright flourecent light making him frown as he adjusted his eyes and looked around, it took a moment for him to understad the sensations that he was feeling in his body. It had been a good long year since Denny had been able to feel warmth in his hands, pins and needles in his feet, and the steady beat of a heart in his chest. He was sore, but shit he was indeed alive.

'Mr Duquette, glad to have you back with us'

The unfamiliar voice of Meredith Grey snapped Denny to attention, he smiled weakly toward her as he asked.

'Hey doc, do you know where the other blonde doc went? We had a bargain that needs settling'

He chuckled to himself as he remembered Izzys face and the tears in her eyes, the fact that she was indeed crying for him, the feeling of untold love and adoration washed over him. Wait Love? Adoration? He only just met the girl, this new heart seems to be a romance lover, a thought that he didnt share aloud.

'Dr Stevens was sent home, we arent allowed to work more than 80-'

'Im here!'

The voice of an energetic Isobel Stevens stunned both Meredith and Denny as she ran through the door and quickly halted herself from moving anywhere closer to Denny and rather stuck to Merediths side.

'So, it was a success?'

She asked Meredith, quickly switching her gaze between the much healthier looking man and her friend.

'Izzie, what are you doing here? Webber will kill you if he sees you here?'

'Im visiting a friend so its fine'

Izzie answered quickly, shooting a smile to Denny which he returned to her.

Meredith frowned in confusion but let it pass as she carried on with Dennys results

'Ok Mr Duquette, we managed to transplant the heart successfully, there were no major issues that we found, so we will keep you on the anticoagulant meds for the time being and after a week of observing, if all is well then you can go home'

Meredith smiled, asked if he had any questions and left when she was no longer needed, feeling that she needed to give Izzie a chance to check on Denny in private.

'How do you feel?'

Izzie asked once Meredith was gone, she went to sit at the foot of the bed

'I feel great, I never knew my hands could feel so warm, or that my chest could feel so alive, do you wanna feel it?'

He looked to her, expecting a refusal but to his suprise she shot up and instantly placed her hand on his chest.

'Its strong'

She said quietly as she looked down at the bandaging covering his chest.

He watched her, noting every detail on her face, every freckle, every strand of hair that fell, the colouring of her lips, her slightly flushed cheeks, he sighed as he debated on flirting or being serious with this woman infront of him.

'Izzie... Thank you'

She looked at him in suprise and smiled nervously

'Erm.. fo.. for what? I havent done anything'

'For caring about me, even though you dont know me, you cared enough about me that you made me want to live, so thank you'

Izzie bit her lip, a thought of dread tore into her heart as she felt that maybe she wouldnt see him again after this, maybe it was flirtatious fun and a reason for him to keep going, maybe she just showed him that there was more to life, more fun, things to live for. Which is fine, obviously, she wants him to live, she didnt act this way in hopes for a date, she just wants him to live.

'Your welcome'

She smiled sweetly, quickly standing and clearing her throat as she needed to control her emotions, they were never a couple, she shouldnt feel betrayed or heart broken if he doesnt intend to see her again, he is alive and healthy and thats what matters the most.

'Where are you going?'

Denny asked quickly, grabbing her hand to stop her

'Oh erm.. I was just about to... I dont know... I guess I thought that maybe you would want some rest since you just had major surgery'

She laughed nervously.

Denny smiled and gently tugged her to sit back down next to him.

'Do you want me to call your parents?'

She asked, and was suprised by the look he gave her, a look of guilt and dread.

'They think I'm dead'

'What?!'