Author's note: I come bearing gifts! I hope everyone's still enjoying this as much as I am writing it!

Chapter Four – Izzie

"The usual, Joe," Izzie said as she settled onto her stool at the bar.

"Sure thing, Iz."

As Joe fetched her drink, Izzie settled her head in her hands. It had been a long, stressful day. She'd woken up that morning determined to tell someone what was going on with her. She knew her friends were worried. Izzie smiled to herself. No, that wasn't exactly true. George and Alex were worried. Meredith and Cristina were both wrapped up in their respective male issues. Not that she could really blame them. Between Derek's recent darkness and Hunt's obvious issues – the man murdered pigs, for god's sake! – the BFFs had their hands full.

On the other hand, Izzie hadn't exactly been forthcoming. She was sure that if she sat everyone down and explained what was going on they'd rally around her. Hence her brilliant plan that morning. But then practically the entire surgical floor got paged down to the pit for the incoming Dead Baby bike race victims. All day she'd gone from one trauma to another, scarcely able to catch her breath. She'd managed to get in on a splenectomy, but then she was right back down in the pit. She had two patients with injuries so massive they bled out before she could stabilize them. George had tried to corner her a couple of times but she managed to dodge him. There had been too much death that day. She couldn't bear to see George – or worse, Alex – look at her like patients' families looked at their dead loved ones.

"Here ya go, Izzie," Joe said, placing her drink in front of her.

Izzie warily raised her head. "Thanks, Joe."

A frown marred Joe's face. "Now don't take this the wrong way, but you look like crap. Everything okay?"

Izzie wanted to shout that no, everything was not okay. That she'd wasted weeks cheating on her boyfriend with a dead man. That because of her weakness for Denny there was a good chance she was going to die. Then an image of weeping loved ones flashed in her head. So instead of telling the truth, she replied, "Everything's fine, Joe. It's just been a long day."

Joe looked skeptical. "If you say so."

To reassure him, Izzie flashed her best bubbly, happy Izzie smile and took a sip of her drink. Appeased, Joe went back to work.

Izzie heard the door open behind her but didn't bother to turn and see who it was. She merely hoped that whoever it was would leave her alone. At first it looked like she'd get her wish: the new arrival was Cristina. Izzie watched out of the corner of her eye as Cristina settled in around the corner from her. Joe noticed Cristina's arrival and brought her a drink unprompted. Izzie looked around but saw no sign of Cristina's pig murdering boyfriend. Now that was odd. Lately, where one was the other was sure to follow. They were still in that not-liking-to-be-apart phase. Almost against her will, Izzie's curiosity got the better of her. She grabbed her drink and scooted off to the stool next to Cristina.

"So where's that pig stabbing boyfriend of yours?" she asked brightly.

Cristina gave her a derisive laugh. "You're never going to let that go, are you?"

"Probably not."

"At least I haven't castrated him, unlike some residents that shall remain nameless."

"Hey! I haven't castrated Alex! He's every bit as manly as your precious McArmy."

Cristina nearly spit out her drink. "Seriously? That's the best you can do?"

"What's wrong with that?"

"It's lame, that's what's wrong with it."

"Well, what do you call him?" Izzie asked, genuinely curious. She hadn't known Cristina to call Burke by anything other than his last name.

"Owen."

"Oh." Izzie tried to cover her shock by continuing, "I'm surprised you and Meredith haven't come up with something along the lines of McBadass or something."

"We haven't reached the cute nicknames stage yet, Dr. Stevens," said Owen, chuckling.

Izzie froze. Oh shit. Cristina was trying not to laugh, but that was clearly a losing battle. Izzie pulled herself together long enough to stammer, "Dr. Hunt! I, um, didn't see you there. Well, I'll just…go, I guess. Bye, Cristina."

Then she fled. She could hear Owen and Cristina's peals of laughter as she ran out. Joe would just have to put her drink on her tab…

UP NEXT: Alex