Chapter 7-

Izzie had spent the day helping Dr. Montgomery and actually got to scrub in on a few surgeries, all of which went much better than that disastrous quints episode so long ago. In fact, now that Alex had told her about him and Addison, Izzie was finding it much easier to be nice to Dr. Montgomery. Surprisingly enough, Izzie didn't feel the least bit jealous. Somewhere along the line, she and Alex had worked out their issues and settled into being really good friends, so now, Alex's obvious happiness made her happy. Actually, considering the whole Meredith and Derek fiasco, Izzie was kind of happy for Addison, too. She was a little surprised by the fact that Alex was in a serious relationship, though, and with someone like Addison Montgomery. Izzie still found it hard to believe that the former playboy of Seattle Grace was willing to make a commitment, no matter how smoking hot and talented the woman in question.

It was nearing the end of her shift and Izzie was thinking about what to prepare for Alex and Addison's dinner that night. Maybe spaghetti… yeah spaghetti would be perfect! Oh and meatballs! And they can reenact Lady and the Tramp, that'd be so romantic. God I love that movie. She thought with a toothy grin.

"Hey Izz," Alex said, interrupting her thoughts. "I forgot to tell you that we might have to do some grocery shopping. I don't really have anything at my place. We'll have time to get dinner prepared right?"

"Yeah. We'll have time. I'm off in a half hour so we can go by the market and grab some things."

"Okay so that gives us a bit over an hour to get everything ready," Alex calculated. "Thanks again Izzie, for doing this. I really appreciate it."

Izzie smiled, "Glad to help."

- - - - -

A resounding clatter came from inside the kitchen of Alex's apartment. "I told you don't touch! Get out of my kitchen!"

"I was just looking! And it's my kitchen!"

"Tonight it's not. Go set the table or something. I'll tell you when it's ready," Alex didn't budge. "Seriously Alex. Don't make me hurt you because I can and I will," Izzie threatened, no one was going to ruin the fabulous dinner she had spent the last hour slaving over, especially not the man who'd asked her to cook it in the first place.

Alex raised his hands defensively, "Alright, alright."

"I'm done--" Izzie said when she finally came out of the kitchen. She gasped as she entered the candle lit room.

"So what do you think?" Alex asked.

"Wow. She's going to love it," Izzie couldn't believe her eyes. Alex had even bought roses. She hadn't thought he was capable of being romantic. "I'd better go before she gets here." As Izzie headed towards the door, a light knock sounded. "Uh oh!" Izzie gasped turning to meet Alex's equally horrified look. They stared unmovingly at each other for a few seconds before Alex sprang into action.

"Sorry Izz. I can't let her see you here," Alex whispered as he pushed Izzie back into the kitchen. "I'll answer the door and pretend I need to 'show' her something in the bedroom while you sneak out, ok?"

Izzie gave Alex a conspiratorial smile and nodded. "Good luck" she whispered as he left the kitchen to go answer the door.

- - - - -

The next morning at the hospital, Izzie couldn't stop smiling. Addison kept shooting her bemused looks, but Izzie had promised Alex that she wouldn't tell so every time Addison asked her what was so funny, Izzie just beamed and asked questions about another patient.

Finally, as they were finishing up some paperwork before lunch, Addison sighed and said "Alex asked you to come and cook dinner last night because he didn't know how, didn't he."

Izzie let out a guilty squeak. "I'm really sorry, it's just that he was trying so hard and he asked really sweetly, and the candles and roses were all his idea" she babbled. "Don't be mad…"

"I'm not mad. I kind of knew Alex didn't make it," Addison chuckled. "But don't tell him that. You know how fragile the male ego is."

"It'll be our secret," Izzie agreed with a grin.

- - - - -

When Alex and Addison entered the surgical wing of the hospital a few days later they knew something was going on. Whenever Alex or Addison got within hearing distance, all conversations seemed to mysteriously drop to a whisper. Fortunately, they didn't need to hear the words to know what everyone was talking about. Lately they'd been less and less careful in concealing their relationship and it was only a matter of time until word got out.

Glancing around the suspiciously quiet lobby area, Addison decided to come clean. "Alex. I told Callie about us," she confessed.

"And I told Izzie," Alex admitted sheepishly. "I'm going to see if she has anything to do with this."

"Yeah I'm going to talk Callie."

- - - - -

It was the middle of the day before Addison finally caught Callie just as the other woman was leaving a patient's room. "Hey. I am being paranoid or is half the surgical wing talking about me and Alex?"

"Uh… no, you're right. They're talking about you. Apparently it got out somehow." Callie gave Addison a consoling smile.

"So you didn't tell anyone?"

Callie shook her head, "Does anyone else know?"

"Stevens knows."

"She did it. She spilled the beans," Callie said with confidence.

"I don't think so."

"You know how talkative those interns are. They can't keep their mouths shut for a minute. They always have something to say," Callie ranted. "I can kick her ass for you."

Addison smiled, "I know you how much you don't like her and I know how much you would like to kick her ass but she didn't do it."

"Damn," Callie sighed. "Any idea who did?"

Addison thought for a moment, "Derek, I bet it was him." She started to walk off in search of her ex but paused. "Izzie's actually a pretty decent person," she told Callie. "Maybe you should try to work things out with her, if not for your sake then for George's." Laughing quietly at the disgusted look on Callie's face, Addison turned around and went hunting for Derek.

- - - - -

Derek was sitting in front of one of the computers at the nurse's station doing some research on a rare upcoming surgery. He wanted to know everything there was to know about it but it was hard to concentrate. He glanced up and stared at his surroundings. Doctors and patients were bustling by; Alex was giving a nurse a hard time, then Mark was giving Alex a hard time. Derek went back to the computer monitor. Minutes later he glanced up again, only to see Addison coming directly at him. His brown eyes met her green eyes for a second, until he quickly busied himself with random papers around him.

"Busy Derek?" Addison asked menacingly. She hadn't really spoken to him since their fight a while back and though she didn't want to speak to him now either it had to be done.

"Yeah. I'm really swamped with work," Derek said, gesturing at the papers strewn around him. "I don't even know what more than half these papers are." That was true at least—the files and pages weren't his.

Addison decided to get right to the point. "Why'd you have to go and tell everyone about me and Alex?" she asked.

Derek hunched his shoulders in shame and tried hard not to meet Addison's gaze. "It accidentally slipped out. I'm so sorry. I never meant to say anything," he pleaded.

"An accident?" Addison didn't believe him. "Derek, please don't lie to me."

"I swear, it really was an accident," Derek affirmed. "Addie I didn't—"

"I wasn't ready for everyone to know," Addison sighed. "I have a legitimate relationship with Alex. I'm not just sleeping with him. It's not like with Mark."

"Yeah I know."

"Then why does everyone think I'm just sleeping with him?" Addison hissed. Not only did everybody think that they were just having sex, but they looked at her differently now, they treated her differently. When she'd first come to Seattle, everyone had hated her because she was McSatan, come to split up Meredith and Derek, the golden couple. Now everyone hated her because they all believed she was sleeping with an intern to get back at her ex-husband.

"I don't know but I never wanted to hurt you," Derek said sincerely. "I was just being over protective. I want what's best for you."

Addison could tell that Derek really meant it and for a moment she felt like he really cared about her again. Then he reached for her hand and seeing their palms together, skin to skin, reminded her of what they had lost, what they'd both thrown away. Wrenching her hand out of his hold, Addison backed away.

"I— I've got to go," she muttered, quickly leaving the room. Sometimes life at Seattle Grace was just too emotional.

Addison walked blindly through the halls, finally ending up in an empty on call room. Just as she sat down to have some much needed alone time with her thoughts, her cursed pager went off. It was the Chief. Squaring her shoulders and mentally bracing herself for the conversation ahead, Addison sighed heavily, threw open the door and strode out into the hallway.

- - - - -

Standing outside the Chief's office for a moment, Addison gathered her composure. When she finally opened the door and stepped inside, there was no real noticeable expression on the Chief's face, and especially no anger which was always a good sign.

"Addison. Sit down," the Chief said professionally. Addison took a seat across from him. "It was just over year ago that you came to Seattle for a consult and signed a one year contract."

"Seems like I was here so much longer," Addison murmured.

"What was that?"

"Oh nothing."

"Now that the year is almost up, we should re-new your contract for a longer period of time."

Addison bit her lower lip. "Richard, I need to think about it," she said quietly.

"Are you getting better offers at a different hospital?"

"No it's not that," Addison started. "I mean I have gotten other job offers, one back in New York and one in California. It's just complicated right now."

"Is it Derek?" Richard knew that things usually got messy whenever Derek was involved.

"Sort of. I just--" Addison stopped. Even though Chief Webber had been her friend and mentor long before he became her boss, right now, Addison just didn't feel ready to burden him with her problems. "I need to think about it," she said, getting up and walking out the door.

- - - - -

"Derek. We need to talk."

"Sure Richard. What about?" Derek asked hoping it was about the Chief's promise to make him chief of surgery.

"Addison," Richard replied. Standing nearby, Alex immediately stopped working in favor of listening in on their conversation. He had been meaning to talk to Addison about what happened with Derek and why she looked so bothered, but new patients kept coming in and he hadn't gotten around to it.

"Oh," Derek couldn't hide the disappointment in his voice.

"You and Addison need to settle your differences."

"We're fine. We're not fighting. Everything's okay between us."

"Derek. I think she might be leaving Seattle."

- - - - -

A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long.