A/N: Here's chapter three. I'm getting these chapters a lot faster than I thought I would, but that doesn't mean it's always going to be this fast. This might be it for a few days. There might be an update Tuesday, but on Wednesday I'm going to see The Producers on Broadway with my English class, so I'll be back late. I'm really glad to be getting such positive feedback from all of you! I loveeee reviews, so keep 'em coming!

-Kait

(Sunday, early afternoon)

I cried myself to sleep, clutching Denny's sweater. When I woke up, Meredith and George were laying on my bed, rubbing my back and easing my pain.

I sat up in bed and looked around. I wondered how they got into my room after I locked. I wondered how they knew that what I needed most now was support. I wondered how I was going to do this. I wondered a lot of things.

"Izzie?" George asked.

I looked to my left, into George's big, green eyes. "Yes?" I replied.

"We'll get through this. You know that, right?"

I broke down and started to cry again. "How, George? How? How can I possibly get through anything anymore? I have no Denny! I have no job! I have no way of supporting her! Tell me, George, does that sound like someone who can do this, someone who can raise a daughter?"

George's face fell. He was only trying to help me and I yell at him, hurt his feelings, and bring his morale down.

Meredith broke the painful silence. "Yeah, Izzie, but do you know what you do have?"

"What?" I said sarcastically.

"Us, Iz. You'll always have us. We'll help you out as much as we can and we'll be here for you every step of the way. We promise, right George?"

"Of course, Izzie. We've always got your back," he said.

I wiped my years away. "Thank you. Thank you both for everything. I don't know where I'd be without you guys." I gave both of them hugs and asked them to leave the room so I could change. I put on Denny's sweater, the one I made for him when Meredith swore she was celibate. The one I wore all day just so it'd smell like me. The one that he never got the chance to wear.

I came back downstairs and found George and Meredith watching television together. I didn't want to bother them, but this was something I had to do.

"I…um…I have a favor to ask of you."

They both looked up at me. "Yeah?" George asked.

"Can you, um, drive me to the hospital? I think it's time I talked to the chief."

This statement caught Meredith's attention. "Really, Izzie? Are you sure this is what you want to do?"

I took a deep breath. "Yeah, this is what I want to do. I think it's time. I have no way of supporting Hannah if I don't, so I need to do this. So yeah, I think I'm ready."

"Okay, Izzie. Let me get my shoes and we'll go down there, okay?" Meredith asked.

I nodded. She stood up and went to the closet to get her shoes. George turned off the television and got up, walking towards the kitchen. As he walked past me, he whispered, "I'm proud of you, Izzie."

It was all I needed to hear.

(At The Hospital)

We walked up to the main entrance of Seattle Grace. I had every intention of walking in, but when it came time to, I froze. I couldn't do it. I couldn't face what I had done. I couldn't even begin thinking about talking to the man who would decide my future, Hannah's future.

Meredith kept walking, not realizing that I had stopped. When she did realize, she came running back to me.

"You okay, Iz?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. You go ahead in, okay? I'll be there in a second."

"You sure?"

"Yup."

"Okay, just let me know when you're done. I'm going to go down to the cafeteria and grab a cup of coffee and try to find Cristina or Alex. I'll have my cell with me."

"Okay." She began to walk away.

"Meredith! Wait!"

She turned around as I walked towards her, embracing my friend. She gently hugged me back.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"You're welcome."

I let her go and she walked over to the cafeteria. I took a deep breath, stood back, and surveyed the hospital. I never took the time to really look at it. It was beautiful. Maybe too beautiful. I don't belong here anymore. I don't belong anywhere anymore, not without someone by my side.

I have to suck it up, put on my big-girl panties and get over it. I have to do this for Hannah. Not for myself, but for Hannah. I need to be able to provide for her. I need to be able to be there for her. I need to be a great role model to her, and having a job, I guess, is a start.

One more deep breath and I was able to start walking inside. Co-workers, well, ex-co-workers, gave me dirty looks. Once civilized people, these doctors now looked at me as if they wanted to strangle me. Literally asphyxiate me right here in the middle of the hospital. Deep down inside, I kind of wished they had. It'd be better than the hell I was about to go through.

I walked to the Chief's office, and to my surprise, he was sitting inside at his desk. A little part of me wanted him not to be there, to be in surgery, just so I didn't have to face him yet. I didn't even know what I was going to say to him! I just knew I had to say something.

He looked up from his paperwork and saw me staring at him. He stood up and walked toward the door, opened it up, and allowed me to come in. He walked back to his desk and motioned for me to sit as well.

"Dr. Stevens, what brings you here?"

"No, not Dr. Stevens. Just Izzie, please. Just Izzie."

"Alright, Izzie. What brings you here?"

I took a deep breath. "If I don't do this now, I never will. Please, don't interrupt me. I just want to explain everything before you start to yell."

He nodded. "Okay."

I sighed. "I have a daughter. A twelve year old daughter. She was adopted right after she was born, but her adoptive parents died in a car crash this morning. Their will said that if anything were to happen to them that I'd get custody of her. So, she's coming next weekend.

"Look, I know what I did was wrong. You have every right to be angry with me. Maybe you don't want to look at me, talk to me, but I just need to explain myself. I told you before, Sir, I'm a pretty girl. I'm a pretty girl with a knack for surgery. Without being a surgeon, without this hospital, I have nothing. Nothing, Dr. Webber. I have nothing else going for me besides becoming a surgeon. I mean, I grew up in a trailer park in Chehalis. Believe me when I say I have nothing else going for me.

"I'm talented, Dr. Webber. I'm not trying to sound overly confident or anything, but I'm talented. And I'm pretty sure you know that, too. If you don't think I have potential to become a great surgeon, please, by all means, ask me to leave. Just know that this is what I've dreamed of doing my entire life. I never had second thoughts about becoming a surgeon, actually. I told my mom that this was what I was going to do, and I stuck by my words. And while I had a significant lapse in judgment, I want you to know that I have learned from my mistake. I know that I went too far, crossed the line, but Sir, I won't let that happen again. Now I have another life to think about. A life that I want to keep protected. I can't protect her without a job. I can't protect her without the help of my peers. I can't protect her without you. I want you to be able to trust me again. I want to know how to gain your trust back because, Sir, having your trust back would mean the world to me. Please, Dr. Webber, consider what I've said. This hospital…it's my life. I don't know where I'd be if I lost it."

I stood up and began to walk towards the door.

"Thank you for letting me talk, Sir. It really means a lot to me."

I placed my hand on the doorknob and started to turn it.

"Izzie, sit back down. I'm not finished with you, yet."

I went back to where I was just sitting. "Yes, Dr. Webber?"

He sighed. "Izzie, it's not that I don't want you in the program, because I do. You were right about yourself; you are talented. Despite the fact that you get too attached to your patients and you don't make the greatest social decisions, you are a talented doctor and surgeon. We've all made mistakes, Izzie. Maybe not mistakes as large as yours, but we've made mistakes. I've made mistakes. However, you're a talented girl, Izzie, and I don't want you to leave the program."

"Oh, thank you, Dr. Webber! You don't know how much this means—"

"I didn't say I was finished."

"Sorry, Sir."

"Now, you know that I can't just let you back into the program as if I completely forgot about your whole situation. You're going to be tested again so that you can reapply for the internship and you're going to have to be closely monitored if you pass. You'll ease your way back in. You can't just come back here like nothing happened."

"I completely understand, Sir. Thank you so much for this opportunity. I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome, Dr. Stevens."

Dr. Stevens. I never thought I'd be so happy to hear myself being called that. It was usually an everyday thing. Dr. Stevens, do this. Dr. Stevens, run this to the lab. Dr. Stevens…everything. But today…today it actually means something. It means that I'm good at what I do. It means I deserve a second chance. It means I can start over.

Hold on tight. Wait for tomorrow. You'll be alright.

A/N: Wow, that was longer than I expected. I didn't think you would mind, though. : )
The lyrics at the end are from Heaven Forbid by The Fray.
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