A/N – Hospital is becoming chaotic again as per usual. Sorry for the long wait. Seems I can only update during weekends. Read and review please!

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For the first time in years, Izzie actually dreaded to dress up for a formal occasion. Meredith and Callie had dragged her along when they shopped for formal gowns yesterday. They had pretty much picked out her outfit for her. She knew they already have things prepared a week before but pretended to buy stuff so they could dress her up. They knew she didn't prepare for tonight.

Izzie pinned up her hair and carefully applied her make-up. She stood in front of the full-length mirror. She couldn't have cared less what she looked like. It reminded her so much of the night Denny passed away. She felt so alone and miserable at that moment.

Everybody has someone, except me. Tears threatened to spill. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. She wondered how life would have been changed if Denny were alive. Izzie forcefully pushed these thoughts aside. She busied herself by dumping her lipstick and powder inside her bejeweled clutch.

Continuous honking of a car jolted back Izzie from her reverie. That's probably Alex. She picked up the hem of her gown and ran downstairs. "I'm coming," she yelled.

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She watched from the sidelines as couples slow-danced to the music. Izzie admired her surroundings and smiled despite herself. It was a very good idea to actually hire a decorator for the place. Cristina practically applauded Izzie's great idea as a solution to their problem of decorating.

Christmas is one of Izzie's favorite holidays. She gazed at the huge garland of fresh pine adorned with gold and red velvet ribbons hanging from the ballroom ceiling and the twinkling yellow lights from the grand Christmas tree in the middle of the ballroom. She could hear the tinkling of the champagne glasses and laughter all around the room. Cristina was busy arguing with Burke who was lovingly looking down at his enraged girlfriend with a smile on his face. She smiled at two couples on the dance floor. Meredith and Derek were wrapped around each other, seemingly in a dance, while Alex was expertly twirling around a giggling Addison. Izzie can't seem to do anything this evening but sigh.

Meanwhile, Addison was looking around the room over Alex's shoulder as they were dancing and saw Izzie sitting all alone in the table, sipping champagne. "Alex, why don't you dance with Izzie for a while? I just want to catch my breath."

Smugly, Alex looked down at her and whispered something in her ear which earned him a playful slap on the arm. Addison giggled again. Alex escorted her to Izzie's table and came back with a champagne glass for Addison. "Come on, Izzie." Alex pulled a reluctant Izzie and guided her to the dance floor. "I promise not to step on your toes."

"What about Addison?" Izzie looked back sadly at her table where Addison now sat, wishing she were back there. Alex pulled her into his arms.

"She's just catching her breath," Alex replied, not able to tear his eyes from Addison.

Izzie was smiling gratefully. "Thanks, Alex. Thanks for the lift a while ago." She had ridden to the hotel with Alex and Addison. George had left early to fetch Callie. "Ouch." Something had irritated her right eye. She stopped dancing and pried her eye open. "Can you check what got into my eye?"

Alex leaned and tipped her chin up. "It's a dangling eyelash. Wait, don't move." Alex blew softly on Izzie's eye. He gently got the eyelash from her cheek. "There, it's gone."

Izzie blinked back twice and slowly focused on a hand clamped on Alex's shoulder.

"May I cut in," an all-too-familiar baritone inquired, subtly pulling Alex out of the way. Instead of telling the intruder to go to hell, Alex took one look at Mark Sloan and took off to where Addison sat who was busily talking to Richard.

A pair of steely blue eyes locked with Izzie's. Her heart leaped. He's here. She frowned slightly. Why is he here?

"What are you doing with Karev?" It had sounded like an accusation. His jaw was hardened. Mark pulled Izzie against him not so gently. She glared at him, refusing to answer. Just then, the music changed into one of Izzie's favorite songs and she smiled reflexively. "I love this song."

Mark relaxed his hold and pulled Izzie a little closer to him. He was late. The flight had been delayed and the traffic going to the hotel was terrible. Mark mentally berated himself for acting like a high school boy on his first dance. He had breezed in the ballroom with his clammy hands tucked inside his pockets. Immediately scanning the crowd for Izzie, Mark swore under his breath when he saw Karev stopped dancing with Izzie and kissed her in the middle of the dance floor. His jaw tightened. He knew he had no right to ask and absolutely no right to expect an answer.

"Why are you here," Izzie asked, ignoring his question. She was trying hard not to notice how elegant and handsome he looked in a tuxedo. He had a cute little red bow tie, unlike the other men in the room.

"You called me," Mark simply replied, openly admiring her. Izzie wore a pale gold satin one-shouldered gown that accentuated her every curve. "You look beautiful."

She could feel the butterflies in her stomach. "Thanks," she replied stonily. "I called your office because Dr. Webber asked me to confirm which consultants were attending. You were the only one who didn't reply. The invitation said RSVP." It wasn't exactly a lie. Dr. Webber did tell the interns to confirm but she volunteered to do it because she knew Mark was the only one who didn't reply.

To his surprise, Mark was actually enjoying the dance with Izzie, even her barbed remarks. He had to admit, he had missed her. No one challenged him like she did. Mark Sloan always got what he wanted; he doesn't take no for an answer. And what he wanted right now was Izzie Stevens, who seemed hell-bent on disliking him at this moment. The song ended and as if on cue, Mark grabbed Izzie by the hand and led her to the balcony, grabbing a couple of champagne glasses from a waiter passing by.

Izzie was panicking! Sitting on the ledge, she crossed her arms and glowered at Mark who was purposely blocking the entrance door. "Why did you bring me here?"

In two long strides, Mark stood in front of her and braced his hands on both sides of the ledge. His mouth crushed hers with a fierceness and urgency that astonished them both. Like a dam that had burst, their kiss deepened. Izzie placed her arms on Mark's chest and tried to push him weakly but ended up going around his neck and leaning on him for support. Mark heard a faint rustle of the curtain. He gently placed his hands on Izzie's shoulders and ended the kiss. Trying to suppress his raging libido, he took a few deep breaths and held Izzie at arms-length.

Mark ran a hand through his hair. He handed her one of the champagne flutes and drank from the other in his hand. He looked at the full moon, then at her. Under the moonlight, she looked like a beautiful golden Greek goddess. An enraged goddess who's ready to smite my head off.

"Because I wanted to kiss the prettiest girl in the room."

Because I haven't been the same since I left Seattle.

He stepped forward again and tucked a stray golden strand. "Let's go somewhere more private," Mark cajoled under his breath.

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They made love over and over the whole night, as if to compensate for the months they had been apart. Breathless, Izzie lied down on her side and closed her eyes. I never knew it could be this great.

Mark faced her, his head resting on his hand. He smiled contentedly at his golden-haired goddess sprawled beside him on the bed. He had actually missed her. He was never a guy who grew dependent on anyone and yet this woman actually made him feel like wanting to wake up every morning beside her. It had been a great night, although there was only one thing that bothered him. Karev had kissed Izzie and she had let him.

Mark was furious with himself for leaving Seattle in the first place. But he knew he needed the space to sort out whatever he's feeling for Izzie. At first, he tried to suppress it, dismissing it as attraction. Then, it disturbed him that nothing gave him pleasure anymore since he went back to New York. He became bored as mingled with the same elite crowd, went to the same old places, and dated beautiful but vapid women. He started having this partiality for blond, blue-eyed women, only to find out that most blonds do have fun. Well, too much fun anyway. If the hair was blond, he decided it wasn't as shiny nor as silky. If the eyes were blue, they were too watered down. When he tried having an actual conversation, not a single one can come up with an opinion. To summarize everything, he wasn't the same person when he went back to New York. This has been his nagging query to himself. What had changed?

All this time, he had been quite confident that no one else would go after Izzie. He had heard that her fiancé recently passed away and she was on probation because there was talk that she had cut the LVAD wire for her fiancé to be awarded the heart on the transplant list.He knew it would be a while before she would let anyone begin a relationship with her. Except for one very drunken night with me, she never made the mistake of sleeping around like the rest of her co-interns. He grinned at the thought.

His thoughts darkened as he remembered Karev. Mark heard that Karev and Izzie dated before and had broken her heart over some nurse. Now, the bastard is two-timing both Addison and Izzie.

He was still frowning when Izzie opened her eyes to peek at him. "What's wrong?" Izzie lied down on her side facing him.

"Addison is with Karev now," he stated bluntly to Izzie, lost in his thoughts as to how long the jack-ass Karev has been seeing both Addison and Izzie at the same time. He didn't notice that Izzie flinched upon hearing Addison's name.

So it's still Addison. That's why he kissed me on the balcony. That's why he stopped kissing me when the curtain opened and I saw Addison peek through. He was jealous of Alex because of Addison! He's been using me to make Addison jealous! It felt like Thor's hammer had crushed her chest. She calmly got out of bed and dressed up, ignoring Mark's invitation to have breakfast with him before she left for work.

Mark stood up from the bed and Izzie averted her eyes by pulling up her hair. "I'll see you later at the hospital." He kissed her on the lips then playfully slapped her butt on her way out of the hotel room.

As soon as Izzie left, Mark's brows were furrowed in thought. She started acting weird as soon as I told her Addison is with Karev. He suddenly sat up from the bed. Of course! I'm such an ass! She still has feelings for Karev. Dammit!

Scalding tears were pouring from Izzie's eyes as she closed the door. She angrily wiped the tears from her face. How could she be so stupid! How could I ever thought he came back because of me! She felt so humiliated and disgusted with herself.

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I just love the emotional roller coaster of this chapter! I know I promised a light romantic story but I can't resist adding a little drama. It's because I didn't want to deviate too far from their onscreen characters. Let me know if you've enjoyed it! Please leave a review! Thanks! More soon ;P