A/N: Thanks for the reviews! After last night's episode… Ugh! Seriously?! So much drama! And I want my ship! Sorry, needed a little vent. Here's this chapter. Please R & R..

Summary: Completely AU. One lawyer, one baker, one science professor, one real estate agent, one architect, and now one upcoming fashion designer. Drama is bound to catch up to them. (not all of the characters will be in it) McStizzie, Mer/Der, future Addex

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That night, Mark and Izzie were sitting on the couch in her living room. Mark had a bowl of popcorn on his lap. Izzie was turned to face him and she was leaning close to him on his side.

Mark nuzzled his nose with hers and fed her a piece of popcorn.

Izzie ate it and smiled as she nuzzled her nose against his.

They both looked over to see Derek walking in.

"Hey." Izzie said picking up a piece of popcorn out of the bowl and eating it.

Derek walked over and sat on the arm chair. He sighed and shook his head. "I don't think I can."

Mark glanced at Izzie, then looked at Derek. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked at him curiously. "Don't think you can what?"

"Wait… I mean, we've been talking and opening up, but I'm not sure if I can do it." Derek told them.

Izzie turned so she could face Derek better. "Derek, you're a great guy, but listen to yourself. She started opening up, she's getting there. Just be patient, the time will come when it comes." She said to him, saying what was best not just for Meredith, but for him too.

Derek looked at Izzie, and with a sigh, he nodded. "Yeah, be patient… I think I can do that."

"That's what you said before." Izzie told him, leaning more into Mark.

Derek rubbed one of his hands over his eyes. "I know."

Mark put an arm around Izzie's shoulders.

"But you're going to try again?" Izzie asked him.

Derek nodded. "Yeah, I am."

Mark raised an eyebrow. "And?"

Derek furrowed his eyebrows. "What?"

"Well, first off, if you say you're going to try again, you have to convince the people around you. Say you're going to try like hell to do this." Mark said absentmindedly stroking Izzie's hair with the hand that was around her shoulders.

Derek straightened his back up. "I'm going to try like hell to wait."

"Yeah, you are." Mark said with a smile.

Izzie glanced at Mark and patted his knee with her hand with a smile on her face.

"Well…" Derek stood up. "I'm meeting Alex and Addison at Joe's. Want to come and not abandon us by being with each other?" He teased.

Mark rolled his eyes, a smile tugging at his lips. He put the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table. "Shut up." He looked over at Izzie and stood up.

Izzie smiled over at him and stood up herself.

Meredith was at the top of the stairs when she heard Derek start to talk. She held in a breath. She knew she had been waiting for a long time now, but it seemed hard for her to think about him not being there when she did want a relationship in the future. Even though she heard him say he'd keep waiting, it was still hard for her to think that he was thinking about stopping. She heard them say something about Joe's and thought it might be a good time to come in. She made her way down the stairs.

Mark was putting Izzie's coat around her when she looked up to see Meredith. "Hey. We were just going to Joe's, want to come?"

Meredith barely glanced at Derek when she answered. "Sure. I'll meet you there in a little bit."

Izzie smiled. "Okay."

Mark and Izzie gave her a wave as the headed out the front door.

Derek gave her a smile, waving to her before following Izzie and Mark out the door.

When the left, Meredith took a deep breath.

XXXXXXX

"Hey guys." Alex said putting his beer down. He was sitting at a table next to Addison.

The three all said 'hey' back to him as the sat down on the chairs around the table, leaving one chair unoccupied.

"Where's Meredith?" Addison asked.

Izzie was taking off her coat when she answered. "She'll be here in a little bit."

"So, what's up?" Derek asked looking up to see Joe coming over.

Izzie looked at Joe and smiled. "Hey Joe."

Joe looked at Izzie, glanced at Mark, then looked at Izzie. He looked at them both curiously.

Izzie and Mark gave each other a nervous glance.

"Anything wrong?" Izzie asked looking back at him.

Joe kept his suspicious gaze on them. He shook his head. "No." He then looked over at Derek. "What do you guys want?"

"Beer." Izzie told him, glancing at the table.

Mark looked at Izzie, then at Joe. "Scotch."

"Scotch, please." Derek said looking over at Mark and Izzie curiously.

Joe gave one last look to the two. "Got it. I'll be right back." He turned around and walked to the bar.

Derek kept his eyes on the pair. "What was that about?"

Mark and Izzie looked at each other before looking at Derek and giving him a shrug.

Alex looked at Addison, who just gave him a shrug in return.

Izzie stood up and looked at Mark. "Lets go help Joe with those drinks." She tugged at his arm, giving him a look.

Mark stood up, and they made their way to the part of the bar that Joe was at.

"That was strange." Derek commented after they left.

Addison nodded. "You telling me." She said picking up her beer and taking a sip of it.

Alex looked at Addison. "Did your boss get fired yet?"

"No." Addison muttered. "Instead, since he didn't do it and they accused him, they gave him a raise. A raise!" She said with a scoff.

Alex let out a low whistle. "That sucks."

"Damn right it does." Addison muttered again.

Derek looked at Addison amusedly.

Mark and Izzie walked to where Joe was.

Joe looked at the two. "You two are dating now aren't you?" He asked, a smile appearing on his face.

Izzie glanced at Mark, then looked at Joe. "How did you figure it out?"

Joe chuckled. "Are you kidding me? It's written all over your faces. Besides… Haven't you learned anything? I know everything that goes on between the six of you." He said putting the their three drinks on the bar in front of them.

Mark put his hand on the small of Izzie's back. "Everything? Are you sure?"

Joe looked at the two. "Meredith and Derek had a fight in Hawaii." He said knowingly.

Izzie looked at Mark. "How did he know that?" She looked at Joe. "How did you…?"

Joe smiled. "Everything Izzie."

"The man is wise." Mark said rubbing Izzie's back for a second. "It's gift, am I right?"

Joe nodded. "Oh, completely." He let out a small laugh. "Enjoy your night you two." He said before walking to other customers to get what they wanted.

"You too Joe." Mark and Izzie said at different times as they picked up the drinks. Mark was carrying two, and Izzie was carrying one.

Meredith walked into Joe's, spotting Izzie and Mark walking to the table with three drinks, probably for them and Derek. She walked over to the bar to get a beer before going over there. She smiled at Joe as she asked for one, and once she got it, she thanked him and walked over to the others. "Hey." She said forcing a smile when she sat on the seat next to Derek, seeing as how that was the last one left to sit at, at the table.

"Hey." Izzie said with a smile.

Derek sipped his scotch. "Anything new going on?" He asked Meredith.

Meredith glanced at him, shaking her head. "Not that I know of."

Derek nodded.

"Is it just me or does it seem more awkward than normal?" Addison looking around at the others.

Alex sipped his beer. "No, trust me, it's not just you."

Addison looked at Alex. "Whose fault do you think it is?"

"Derek's." Alex said easily.

Derek looked at the two. "Hello, right here."

Addison waved Derek off. "It probably is, most likely said something stupid and didn't realize it." She said with a shrug to him.

"Hello?" Derek said still looking at the two.

Meredith couldn't help but let an amused smile grace her features.

Alex nodded in agreement. "He definitely could of done that."

Addison looked at Alex with a though. "Maybe he even offended someone."

Mark chuckled.

"Do none of you see me sitting here?" Derek asked the pair.

Alex smiled. "My god, what a day that would be, a first."

Addison started to laugh. "The person probably said something about his mousse."

Izzie put a hand over her mouth, keeping herself from laughing. She looked over at Mark.

Derek took a large gulp of his scotch. "You two are going to get me drunk aren't you?"

"Exactly. You are brilliant." Alex said sipping his beer.

Addison smiled. "Well, thank you Alex."

Derek finished his scotch, and then clanked his glass down on the table. "You all make me want to just gulp down alcohol by the gallons."

Mark did as what his girlfriend had done before, and put a hand over his mouth, keeping himself from laughing.

Izzie put a hand on Mark's bicep and looked at him, shaking her head with a wide smile.

Derek looked at the people at the table with him. He rolled his eyes. "Just do it, laugh, we all know you want to."

With that, Mark, Izzie, and Meredith burst out laughing. It took them a minute or two to stop laughing, but they did. When they did stop, there was a long pause of silence.

"Anybody see the game last night?" Izzie asked trying to make a new conversation.

Mark furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and looked at her. "There wasn't a game on last night."

Izzie closed her eyes. "You're killing me here."

"Our conversations are so productive." Meredith said with a smile.

Addison shook her head. "No, trust me, our conversations go way past productive."

Alex chuckled. "Shut up Addison." He said jokingly.

Addison looked at Alex. "Do you want me to slap you upside your head?"

Alex frowned. "No."

Mark leaned over and whispered something into Izzie's ear.

Izzie's eyes widened and she looked at Derek. "I think we should leave."

Derek gave her a confused look. "Why?"

Izzie wracked her brain for something to say. "Don't you have to get to work early tomorrow for something?"

"Oh, yeah." Derek said remembering. "You're right." He looked at his watch. "I really should go then." He stood up, taking out his wallet and paying his share on the table. "I'll see you guys tomorrow." He told them before walking out of the bar.

Alex looked at the two curious and confused. "What was that about?"

Mark and Izzie glanced at each other.

"Nothing." Izzie said standing up.

Mark doing the same. He took out and paid for their share of the drinks. "See you guys tomorrow."

They both put their coats on and made their way out of the bar.

Once they were out of the bar, Mark put his arm around Izzie's shoulder. "Nobody wants to see Derek's old girlfriend, she was like a stalker."

Izzie nodded as they walked to his car.

Addison, Alex, and Meredith all looked at each other. Then they all simultaneously stood up, today was an unusual day. The three paid their share before walking out of the bar.

"Later." Addison told the two.

Meredith and Alex waved as they walked to their own cars.

It had definitely been a very productive day that day.