Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters on Grey's Anatomy. I don't own anything on Grey's Anatomy, but if I did, this would have happened. The original is wayy better. Shonda rocks!

A/N: I meant for this scene to be kind of a self-healing for Meredith, by helping to heal Izzie. I don't know why I put Alex in here. I feel like he and Meredith kind of get each other, you know? The end seems like something they would actually do.
I apologize to all you Izzie/Denny fans, because this is really brief, but I really don't want to go into how Izzie is going to heal because I don't want to destroy it, you know? It's just a really delicate subject that I'm not "worthy" to write about. But it did kind of seem to write itself. I hope you enjoy it...
Chapter 4: To Heal By Healing

Meredith came home to see that George's car wasn't in the driveway. She'd expected that. He was probably off with Callie somewhere. Izzie's car was in the driveway, and Meredith suddenly felt an urge to talk to her. She opened the door, threw down her purse and keys, and walked into the living room, where she was greeted by a strange sight.

Alex Karev was snoring on her couch.

Suddenly too confused to be depressed, she walked over to the couch and shook him gently.

"Alex...Alex...ALEX!"

He jolted awake. "What? Oh! Mer...wha?" He struggled to regain consciousness. "What are you doing here?" he finally managed to say.

"I live here, remember? Why are you here? Where's Izzie? Where's your car?"

Alex rubbed his face. "I drove Izzie home in her car. I walk to work, remember? I decided to stay here. It was really late...and a really long walk home," He managed a half-smile.

"You care about her," said Meredith.

"Yeah."

He studied her face. "What's wrong with you? I haven't seen you look like that since you told me you slept with George...Oh no, don't tell me..."

"No!" said Meredith. Of all the people to find out about what she did, Alex Karev was one of the last. "I didn't sleep with George," she said shortly, and quickly changed the subject. "Where's Izzie? Can I talk to her?"

"Yeah, she's upstairs, but I don't think she'll mind talking to you." He led Meredith up the stairs to Izzie's room and knocked on the door.

"Yeah?"

"Can Meredith come in?"

A muffled "whatever" was heard. Meredith opened the door and closed it softly behind her. Alex seemed to sense that she needed privacy. She waited until she heard him jump off the last step of her stairs before she turned to Izzie, who was sitting on the bed in a big shirt and a pair of pajama pants. Her prom dress had been ripped off and thrown into a corner, with all her jewelry.

"I quit," Izzie said bluntly. Her face was red, puffy, wet, and tear-stained.

"I know," Meredith responded just as bluntly. She sat on the edge of Izzie's bed.

They sat there for about 5 minutes before Izzie spoke again.

"Why did he have to go?" She started sobbing and put her head on Meredith's lap. Meredith put her hand on Izzie's head.

"I don't know. It seems like life is like that, huh? It's not fair. You find what you want but you just can't get it together. You're only happy until...(Meredith took a quick breath to stop herself from crying) the next low comes along."

"He was going to be my husband! I was happy! Why did he do this to me?" her shoulders shook with her sobs.

"I don't know. Honestly. I don't know. All I know is that...listen..." Izzie suddenly stopped crying, surprising both of the women.

"Denny would never have wanted to see you like this. He loves you. He knows you love him. He's watching you right now. It's not really goodbye. You just need to have faith that you will see him again."

Izzie seemed to be comforted by that idea. And she stopped crying, which was good, because it was getting harder and harder for Meredith to talk. She felt a burning at the back of her eyes but made it stop. It was Izzie's time, not hers.

Izzie turned around to face Meredith. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," whispered Meredith.

Izzie was alarmed by the look on her friend's face. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Don't tell me it's nothing. I know you better than that, Meredith Grey."

"I..."

Izzie gasped. "You didn't sleep with George again!"

"No!" said Meredith, irritated. Why did everyone think that? "I...I slept with...with...I slept with Derek," she said in a rush.

Izzie shrugged. "Oh," she said. Then..."Ohhh my gosh! Meredith!"

Meredith flopped back on the bed. Better Izzie than Alex. "The man I love is the one man who can break me, put me back together, and break me again.

Now it was Izzie's turn to comfort her friend. She put her hand on Meredith's shoulder.
"We were dancing, not with each other, but he kept on looking at me and I had to get away so I left and he followed me and..."

"Where?" asked Izzie.

"Empty exam room. We were there, and we were talking, and now...I'm a liar. I'm a mistress. I'm the other woman. I'm..."

"What happened after?" asked Izzie.

"I was going to leave with Finn...and Derek came and they were both there and I had to choose one so I told Finn to go home so he wouldn't get hurt and he did and Derek...Derek...I screamed at him and then I left and now I'm here."

Meredith's tears turned to shock when she saw Izzie laughing. "Love doesn't like us, does it?"

Maybe it was the total ridiculousness of the situation, but Meredith had to smile. "Why are we so screwed up?"

"I don't know!" shrieked Izzie, dissolving into fits of laughter. "Come in!" she squealed when there was a knock on the door.

Alex looked like he didn't know what to feel when he saw the two women laughing and crying at the same time. "Are you ok?" he asked.

"We're laughing at our pathetic, screwed up lives," Meredith explained. "Come on in there's lots of room."

There they were, the three of them. Izzie looking like a schoolgirl at a sleepover. Alex in his sleep-wrinkled tux, and Meredith in her prom dress. In bed. Laughing and crying at absolutely nothing.

Meredith laughed harder.

Happy Grey Day everyone! Please review!