Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's

Thank you for your reviews! I enjoy reading them and hearing what you have to say. I'm trying the best I can to make this story good, so I really rely on you guys to tell me what you think. I hope you enjoy this chapter! I want to include my thanks to DarkAngel1890 who helped with the ideas for this chapter.

Taking Over Me part 4

Izzie lay on her bed, staring at her ceiling. She didn't mention her phone call to anyone (of course) and they hardly seemed to notice anything.

A knock sounded at her door. She debated whether to say anything or not, then said, "Come in."

The door creaked open. Meredith looked in.

"Hey," she said, coming in and closing the door.

"Hi," Izzie said sitting up. "Is there something you need?"

"Just wanted to talk," she said with an unconvincing smile.

"Did George put you up to this?" Izzie asked.

"No," Mer said. "Well not exactly."

"Of course," Izzie sighed.

"Is everything okay?" Mer asked, sitting on the bed.

Izzie held back the temptation to raise her voice.

"Everything's fine."

"Because you haven't been acting like yourself," Mer said quickly. "We just want to make sure that everything's alright."

"Like I said, everything's fine," Izzie said impatiently.

Meredith just looked at her for a moment, as though she was trying to figure out what was going on by just looking at her.

"Okay," Mer said finally. "But- if you do feel like talking, you can come to me."

"Okay," Izzie said.

Meredith waited a few moments longer, then got up. "Well goodnight then."

" 'Night," Izzie said.

Meredith gave her a small smile and left the room. Izzie went back to staring at the ceiling.

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"So are you coming home right after work tonight?"

"What?" George said distractedly, looking away from Izzie.

Callie looked in the direction he was looking a few seconds before. Her face darkened but she didn't say anything.

"Are you coming home after work?"

"Oh, yeah," George said, closing his locker door.

"You haven't been saying much these past couple days," Callie observed. "Is something going on?"

"No," he said at once. "Everything's fine."

"Alright," she said. "So I'll see you later?"

"Yeah," George said, and he looked over at Izzie again.

Callie walked away, not looking very happy.

"A dress," Cristina was saying to Meredith. "I said no dress, and now there's a dress. I said no alter and now there's an alter. Doesn't he care about how I want things? I mean come on, there's two people here, not one."

"Well you were going to do the same to him," Alex said. "Don't be hypocritical, Yang."

"Shut up, I wasn't talking to you," Cristina snapped.

Meredith laughed. George walked over to her, and said quietly so the others didn't hear, "Have you talked to Izzie?"

"Um-yeah, last night," Mer said. "She didn't tell me anything. Said everything was fine. I have to admit that she is acting different though."

"Thank you," George said. "I have to figure out what's going on."

"Or maybe not," Mer said. "Maybe this is something she has to deal with herself. I'm sure if she wants our help she'll ask. If not, this hovering is just gonna get her angry."

"You're right," George said fairly. "But I still want to figure it out."

Meredith sighed and shook her head.

"What?" George said. "I can't help it. And I can't watch her be like this."

Meredith gave him a smile.

"Do what you have to."

Izzie opened her locker door again. She felt exhausted. She had spent much of the night staring at the ceiling, for when she fell asleep she had nightmares that she'd rather not spend her night having.

She found another note.

How does he do it? she asked herself, picking it up.

This one was shorter than the last.

I don't appreciate being hung up on. That's not very nice. You'll have to learn to be nice.

She folded the note and put it back in her locker. It was then that she realized that she wasn't going to get out of this easily. He wasn't going to leave until he had satisfiedly driven her crazy. Or worse.

"Hey, Izzie," George said in a falsely bright voice.

She closed her locker and smiled rather sarcastically.

"Sorry," he said, no longer forcing a smile. "Didn't mean to offend you."

She just looked at him for a moment, then came to the conclusion that she wasn't going to have the same conversation with him again. Instead she walked away from him, never saying a word.

George turned and looked at Meredith. She shrugged. He sighed and followed Izzie out the door.

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"Where's Stevens?" Bailey asked him in the hallway later that day. "I've been looking for her. She hasn't answered my pages."

"I don't know," he said. "But don't be surprised by it."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know," he said truthfully. "I don't know." He paused for a moment. "That man that was in the other day, with the chronic headaches? Do you know who I'm talking about?"

Bailey thought about it for a moment. "Yeah. What about him?"

"Do you know anything about him?"

"I know we told him to stop drinking and sent him on his way."

George sighed.

"Why?" Bailey asked impatiently.

"I think- never mind," George said. "I'll go find her."

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The door of the on-call room opened.

"This rooms taken, thank you," Izzie said without looking up.

"I see that."

She sat up quickly, her heart dropping. Al sat down at the foot of the bed. She didn't move.

"Why've you been so mean to me?" he asked. "I came all the way out here to see you and all you do is avoid me."

She said nothing. She was too frightened to say anything.

"Don't have an answer?" he said. "That's too bad, I like answers."

"Get out of here," she said firmly, yet her voice shook.

"Don't worry, your friend ain't here yet. I ain't gonna do anything, I'm not stupid. I just wanted you to know that I'm still here. That I'm waiting. Okay?"

"Get out," she whispered.

He grinned. "Whatever you say, miss bossy," he said standing up. "I plan on see you later, where we can really talk. Now your little nosy friend's on his way, so I'm gonna get myself outta here. I'll see you later."

He gave her one last haunting smile and left the room. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She couldn't stop the tears that came to her eyes, tears of fear and of relief that he was gone. For now. She let the tears come, because she knew they would sooner or later, and it was better if she were alone instead of out there.

The door opened again and she nearly screamed. But it was George, looking concerned.

"Izzie?" he said, coming in. "What's wrong?"

"Just get out of here!" she said in what she meant to be a firm voice, feeling ashamed and embarrassed.

"Izzie-"

"I mean it George just go. Go!"

"Okay," he said, afraid for her. He backed out of the room and left her alone.

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"Dr. Bailey."

Izzie came up to her. Bailey turned around.

"Where have you been?" Bailey said angrily. "I have been waiting for you, and I don't like to wait, Stevens."

"I know," Izzie said quickly. "I was- I wasn't feeling well."

Bailey observed her, making Izzie feel slightly uncomfortable.

"What is going on with you?" Bailey asked, her voice not as cold; she merely sounded as though she was as tired of this as Izzie was.

Izzie opened her mouth to say nothing, but it didn't work.

"I just- I have a lot going on right now."

"Well you better sort it out. I'm not going to take this for much longer."

"I understand," Izzie said. "I'll do what I can."

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Izzie avoided George the rest of the day. He didn't mention his encounter with Izzie to Meredith, which Izzie was grateful for. She went home that night (making sure she was not by herself) hoping to get some uninterrupted sleep.

When they arrived home, Meredith picked up something on the doorstep.

"Something came for you," she said to Izzie.

Izzie looked at the package with increasing fright. She took it unwillingly.

They went inside. Izzie tried to escape to her room, but Mer caught her before she could.

"Hey wait! Who's it from? I want to see!"

"Well I was-"

"Oh come on," Alex said. "Let us see. We're nosy, remember? We'll see it anyway."

Izzie looked at them then slowly went back down the steps. She took the box into the living room and sat it on the table. Mer and Alex waited for her to open it. She grudgingly did.

She let out a small scream as she took off the top. It fell to the floor. Meredith gasped and Alex cursed.

It was a box full of maggots.