Author's Note: The last chapter was difficult to write. I haven't written a semi-graphic sex scene in ages. For me, it was just awful! It felt and read as though a child wrote it. This chapter is much better. Yes, yes, we have more sex in this chapter. I had to redeem myself. And while I could have waited, why should I? We all enjoy Alex and Izzie sex almost as much as Alex and Izzie do! He he. We also get a glimpse into the real reason George broke up with Izzie all those years ago. It is subtle so be looking for it. Let me know your thoughts in the reviews! I need the encouragement this week.

Chapter Five

The face hovering over Izzie was as familiar as her own, yet it felt as though she were seeing Alex for the first time. Gone was the friend she had known for twenty years. In that comfortable companions place was a man who made her heart beat faster and her body ached to be touched. "Wow," she breathed, once her pulse started to slow from its frantic race. Alex's light brown eyes locked with her darker one's, twin dimples winking in his cheeks as a silly grin stretched across his lips. He rubbed his nose against hers. An Eskimo kiss her mother used to call it. She giggled, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Wow," she repeated, still in awe of what had just transpired. She hadn't known it could be like that. She hadn't known the earth could move. She hadn't known stars could dance before her eyes. She hadn't known she could feel so connected to another human being. Now that she knew, it wasn't a feeling she was willing to let go of. "Remind me again why we didn't do this sooner."

Alex let out a laugh. "I don't know why." Something in his eyes changed. The desire softened to a combination of love and confusion. Those tumulus feelings were feelings Izzie understood all to well. Nothing about what they had just done made sense. Except, on some level, she acknowledged, it made perfect sense. She could see it all so clearly now. The struggle not to thin of Alex as something more than a friend. Pushing anything but the most platonic of feelings into the deepest recess of her heart. She had even gone as far as obsessing over a man she only had lukewarm feelings for just so she wouldn't accidentally slip up and think of her best friend as something more than a best friend. It felt good not to have to suppress those feelings. It was also a tad bit scary.

"Don't answer that," she pleaded when the shrill wail of the room phone cut through the happy bubble that had erected around them. She wasn't ready to become part of the real world just yet. She wanted to wallow in blissful afterglow just a bit longer, with Alex's naked body flush against her equally naked body. Alex shot her an apologetic grin before stretching one arm over to pick up the handset. He mumbled a greeting that faded into a groan. His forehead dipped down to rest against hers, the mouth piece of the phone slightly pressing into her cheek. It was rather strange that someone had called the room and not one of their cells. Hardly anybody knew that they had arrived in Las Vegas. Except George. George! Her eyes widened. They had forgotten all about meeting George. Biting back a giggle, she couldn't resist saying "tell him we got distracted! That we'll be down after we take a shower!"

"Did you catch that," Alex asked, his eyes sparkling with amusement. His lips twitched with suppressed laughter as he stretched again, this time to replace the handset in the cradle. The movement rubbed his penis against her tender pussy. It was a delicious mix of pleasure and pain. She lift her lips slightly, this time his mushroomed shaped tip butting against her sensitive clit. Oh God it felt so good. She did it again, pressing harder this time. A gasp formed in her throat as Alex responded in return. That felt...amazing! His hands slid beneath her, settling on her waist. "You told George we were going to take a shower and come down," he murmured, nuzzling her ear with his nose.

"Uh uh," she tsked. "I told him we would be down after we took a shower. I never said when we would be taking a shower." An understanding smirk twisted Alex's mouth. He flexed his hips, pressed a kiss to her nose, and then lightly smacked her ass. Her lips rounded into a surprised oh. He laughed and told her to get a move on it. The shower was calling their names. She watched in stunned silence as he slid from the bed and strode towards the bathroom. Half-way there he paused. He looked over his shoulder and asked if she was coming. "Yeah," she whispered. She'd rather he come back to the bed. Repeating their earlier performance would be much more fun than standing under a spray of water. Sighing, she scooted across the bed winching as the sheets chafed against the tenderness between her thighs. She glanced down, blanching at the traces of blood that marred her inner thighs. It wasn't uncommon for a woman to bleed the first time. She knew that. She had expected there to be blood. Expecting and seeing were two different things. It made it all so much more real. Her innocence was gone. She sat there, waiting for some sort of regret to seep in. Nothing. She felt nothing. Her only thoughts were of how right it had been. Not just the act itself but the man as well. If it had been anyone other than Alex she didn't think she would be so calm about it Her mind would have reverted back to all the hideous things her father used to say. Even now, thinking about the ugly names he had called her, had her flinching. What sort of man told his twelve year old daughter she as going to be nothing but a cock sucking whore? To this day she didn't understand why he had said it. All she had done was give her best friend a hug. A quick, innocent hug. Another father would have seen it for what it was; a friend comforting another friend whose parents were going through a nasty divorce. That hadn't been the first time her father called her inappropriate names, nor was it the last time, but it was the time that stood out the most. Alex had borne witness to some of the exchange before her father demanded that he leave. It was after Alex left that things got uglier. Her father had asked if she let Alex touch her or if Alex liked it when she used her mouth on him. They had been twelve! She hadn't even known what any of that meant. She'd started crying and shaking her head. The next day she asked her older neighbor what the words meant. It was in that moment she started looking at Alex different. He was no longer her best friend but a boy. A really cute boy. Maybe that was why she had fought her feelings for Alex for so long. If not for that scene with her father she might not have ever thought anything remotely sexual about Alex. Don't, she told herself, don't think about your dad. Don't let him ruin this. Raising her chin slightly, she stood up Her legs felt a little rubbery as she walked across the room. She could already hear the water running.

"Took you long enough," Alex accused as she gingerly stepped into the frost glass cube shower that was angled in one corner of the spacious bathroom. The other corner was occupied by a Jacuzzi tub. Big enough for two, she noted. Perhaps she could talk Alex into testing that theory. Later of course. Heaven forbid George had to wait any longer. At the thought Izzie mentally rolled her eyes. Let him wait. He had left her waiting plenty of times over the years. It would serve him right if they didn't show up at all. No, that wouldn't do. For one thing it was rude and for another she really did want to see him. She needed to see him. She needed him to see that she had let him go. Maybe then they could find a way to be friends. Real friends. Not the uncomfortable acquaintance they'd been calling a friendship.

"Sorry," she murmured, offering Alex an apologetic grin. He didn't say anything. He just stared at her and then reached for her. She stepped willingly into his embrace, closing her eyes as his mouth met hers in a hungry kiss. His hands slid down her arms, the touch so faint she wasn't sure if it were him or the rivets of water that streamed down both their bodies. His fingers wrapped around her slender wrists and dragged her arms upward. The act confused her at first but understanding dawned as he placed her hands on his shoulders. She looped her arms around his neck, gasping as his fingers gently stroked between her legs. No, silently cried when his hand moved from her aching pussy to the curve of her hip. His other hand settled on her other hip, his strong fingers slightly digging into her flesh. She felt her feet slowly lifting from the ground as he raised her legs so that they were balanced on his hips. Her lips parted to ask him what he was doing. Instead of the question a moan of satisfaction came out as he thrust into her. With no barrier to slow him down, he slammed into her tender cervix. Sweet Jesus it felt good. So, so good. Fighting the slickness of the water, she wrapped her legs fully around his waist, hooking one ankle over the other. He was killing her. The way he withdrew only to quickly thrust back in. Her body seemed torn between heavenly bliss and hellish pain. The two were so interconnected, Izzie didn't know where one began and the other ended. She didn't care. All that mattered was the sensations rippling through her body. He felt so good. The way he filled and stretched her. The way he pushed deep into her womb, moving so slowly she could feel the thick, rigid vein that ran the length of his penis. Her friend Cristina would be impressed. The other woman was always talking about the men she'd picked up in bars. Complaining mostly. She'd once dated a guy with an eight inch dick and according to her it had ruined her for any other man. If Izzie were to take a guess she would put Alex a about nine inches. She didn't want to think about how thick he was. Her mind would probably bulk, tensing up her body. Better to focus on the way he made her feel. Alive, was the first word that came to mind. She felt as though she had been walking through life, only half living. Now she felt complete. Like she were finally whole, when she hadn't even realized her other half was missing. No. That wasn't right. She'd never felt incomplete because from the time she was four years old her other half had been right there. She just hadn't realized how connected they could be. That was a better way to describe how she felt. Fully connected. Fully alive. "I love you," she gasped, tightening her hold around his neck.

"I love you to," he echoed as he plunged deep. She felt the hot burst of something coating the inside of her womb, flinching slightly when Alex let out a stream of curses. "We haven't been using anything, he groaned when she asked what was wrong. He let her legs fall. She stumbled a moment before finding her balance. Her brow wrinkled. What did he mean by they hadn't been using anything? As though he could sense her confusion he explained "we haven't used any condoms Izzie, so unless you're on the pill..." She felt the blood draining from her face. There had never been a reason to get on the pill. "Shit. You're not taking anything are you?" The harsh tone of his voice, paired with the accusation that it was somehow her fault for not thinking ahead, she blinked back the tears that had started to form the moment he reminded her they hadn't used condoms. She glanced downward, bending slightly to pick up the small complimentary bottle of shampoo the hotel provided. She tuned out the rest of his ranting while se lathered up her hair, using the excess suds to scrub her sticky body. Closing her eyes she let the water sluice over her, washing away the soap as well as some of the tension Alex's raised voice had caused. He wasn't her father. His words weren't meant to hurt her. He was scared. If he could just calm down she would tell him the timing was probably off. Her cycle was never regular, which meant she probably wouldn't have any easy time of getting pregnant. That was how it had been for her boss Miranda. Miranda's cycle was as spotty as Izzie's and it had taken her and her husband two years of trying to get pregnant before their son William was born. "Iz," Alex's softer tone drew her attention away from rinsing the soap from her body. "I'm sorry I yelled."

"It's okay," she whispered, smiling tentatively. "I...I think I'm going to get out. Blow dry my hair and get ready." She kept her gaze averted as she stepped out of the warm shower and into the bathroom. A shiver convulsed her body as she reached for one of the fluffy, white robes that hung on the back of the bathroom door.

"Izzie." Alex's voice sounded clearer as the steady hum of the shower ceased. She shrugged on the robe, lifting her long, wet hair over the collar. "I shouldn't have yelled and I'm sorry."

"I know. You said that already." She offered another smile, this one slightly bigger than the last. It didn't quite reach her eyes. It didn't seem to offer Alex any respite from the guilt he felt from raising his voice. "It really is okay. I get it. You're freaking out. You shouldn't. It's the wrong time of the month."

"There is no wrong time of the month," Alex muttered grabbing for one of the towels that were neatly stacked on a dark wooden shelf that hung over the toilet. Surprisingly it was big for a hotel towel and actually fit around his waist, much to Izzie's disappointment. She reached for a smaller one to use on her hair, stepping back as Alex walked out of the bathroom. "We'll just have to be careful from now on," he called from the room. "And when we get home you have to get on birth control." His words caused her heart to skip a beat. Part of her had been wondering if this would be a what happens in Vegas sort of thing or if it was something they were going to truly pursue. How she had her answer. Sort of. Alex definitely wanted to keep having sex. Izzie wasn't opposed to that, but she wanted more. She wanted a future with him. One that included a trip down the aisle, babies, and doing something with his grandma's house. The way he was letting the place go was sad. It was a historical landmark, for crying out loud! It deserved a picket fence, rose bushes, and the laughter of two, maybe three kids. If she could even get pregnant. When she went for birth control she would have to ask her doctor about that. All the cysts she'd had rupture when she was younger, along with the spotty cycle had never concerned her before now. Now she needed to know. She wanted to know. She had to know. She wanted to know if there would be babies in her future with Alex. Perhaps she was letting her imagination run wild but she didn't think it was wrong to assume she could have that sort of future with Alex. "Hey you okay?" Alex stuck his head back into the bathroom. While she had been daydreaming, he had dressed in the t-shirt and jeans he'd discarded. She edged past him and into the room. Time for her to follow suit and get dressed.

"Yeah. Sorry. Was just thinking." The smile that curved her lips felt more natural that the two she had tried to force. Her smile widened even more when he asked what she had been thinking about. There was a loaded question. "Us," she answered honestly as she dug a fresh pair of panties from her bag. As she pulled on the hot pink and white zebra print bikinis, she decided against putting on the white dress she'd been determined to wear earlier. Her reasons for wearing it were no longer important. She no longer wanted George to realize what he was missing and the rumpled bed, as well as the tenderness between her legs, were proof Alex wanted her.

"Yeah? What about us?" Alex slipped behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. It was tempting to turn around and whisper something naughty in his ear, like she'd been thinking about how amazing it had felt to have him inside her. Instead she took a deep breath and asked him where this weekend left them. Were they friends with benefits? Were they something more? "Seriously? You have to ask?" She felt his arms fall away, felt the warmth of his body leaving as he stepped back.

"Yes, I have to ask," Izzie insisted, turning around to face him. The wounded look on his face cut her to the quick. Even more cutting was his lack of words. He stared at her for a moment, shaking his head, and then turned on the ball of his foot. "Alex, you have to understand..."

"I do," he said quietly. "I do understand. I'm not the one who is confused here." He paused near the door, a sad smile on his face. "I'm going to meet George. I'll see you in a bit." She called his name again, her heart pounding wildly. Her eyes started to burn as he walked out. As the door quietly shut behind him, she burst into tears. He was wrong. She wasn't confused. She knew exactly what she wanted. She was just to scared to go after it. Wasn't she?