Author's Note: I know you guys are not to fond of the vlog chapters. They do contain important information though! Like the last one: You learned Cristina vlogs too and that Alex and Izzie are hiding something about the pregnancy. No fear, you learn that secret this chapter! I think you will enjoy their little secret, along with how things progress in this chapter.

Chapter Seven

How To: Deal With Putting Your Foot In Your Mouth

Being the nice guy had never been something Alex Karev could be accused of. Asshole. Jerk. Bastard. Those were a few verbs he was accustomed to. Nice guy? Definitely not anywhere in the mix. Every once in a while he would do a good deed, just to keep his sisters off his back. None of those good deeds had turned his life upside down the way trying to help his sister and her wife have a kid had. For the most part he was over the sperm switch. It had happened and there was nothing that could be done about it. He had even accepted that he was going to be a dad, not an uncle. In a way, he was actually looking forward to being a dad. Little versions of himself he could hang out with; do all the things with that he'd wanted his own father to do with him. All in all, the sperm switch had turned out well. Except for one not so minor detail: Izzie.

He had tried keeping things on a friendly level. Two people working out a parenting plan that benefited everyone. He had figured they could be friends. Maybe even best friends. She was fun to be around and made him laugh. Not many people, let alone women, could do that. It was all Arizona's fault that the friendship plan was no more. His well intended twin had planted the idea of Izzie as something more and it refused to leave. It was that little seed that had prompted him to invite Izzie to stay with him while she figured out how to handle the situation with her parents. Watching her world dissolve in matter of seconds had been hard. Just as hard was learning that his new boss was the secret father of the woman carrying his child. His life was starting to feel like a damn soap opera.

"Honey, I'm home," he joked under his breath as he let himself in through the side door. Instantly his nostrils were assailed with the scent of meatloaf, bread, and something buttery. His mouth started to water. Soap opera drama aside, he loved coming home to a hot dinner that hadn't been ordered in, heated up, or brought over by a sister. "Smells good" he said by way of a greeting as he entered the kitchen.

"Thanks," Izzie beamed over her shoulder, before turning her attention back to whatever she was rinsing off in the sink. "Give me a sec and we'll eat."

Dinner was starting to become a routine. He would come in from work and she would have some amazing meal prepared. They would sit down together, discuss how their days had gone and then inch into talk about the future. It was nice. Almost like they were a real couple. He teeter tottered on the couple bit. He had never been in a serious relationship before. And that was what it would have to be with Izzie. Serious. They were going to be parents together. It wouldn't be just them. That should have convinced him that a relationship would be bad; instead it did the opposite.

"Callie and your younger sisters helped me with my vlog today." The revelation cut through the little, cozy day dream Alex had been basking in. He mumbled something unintelligible as he carried both plates of food to the dining room table. "They were suppose to be helping me by asking some of the frequent questions I get emailed only they turned it on me and wanted to know how living together was going and did we know the sex of the baby."

Alex set the plates down and stood there. It didn't surprise him that his sisters would quiz Izzie up. Sticking their noses in where they didn't belong was what they did best. It was a little unnerving knowing they had done it on Izzie's vlog for all the world to see though. "Oh yeah," was all he could think of to say. Not his finest response but it would do.

"Yeah." Flipping back an errant lock of hair, she took what he was starting to think of as her seat. It was across from the one he usually sat in. "I kept things vague. Told them everything was great as far as living together went but I would have to get back to them on that other question." She folded her hands in her lap and waited. It was obvious that she wanted him to tell her how to handle his family and their questions about the pregnancy. He couldn't. Not when he wasn't sure how to answer. How did one go about telling their family that they were having not one, but two babies? Izzie had freaked a little. Him…not so much. Nothing surprised him anymore. Besides, two babies could be a lot of fun. Several of his coworkers had twins and seemed to enjoy it.

"Guess we'll have to tell them at some point. They're bound to notice us bringing home an extra baby." The joke brought a soft chuckle to his lips and a full blown grin to Izzie's. Two babies. Yet more reason for them to think about being something more. They owed it to the babies. Looking down at the plate of food before him, he went over the various ways he could bring the subject up. So far nothing sounded right. He needed to find the right words. If he didn't, if he said something wrong, everything would crash around him.

"My mom called today," Izzie said softly, the little revelation breaking the otherwise comfortable silence. "I didn't answer, which is kind of cowardly of me but I'm not ready to deal with her. Or…him." It didn't take a genius to figure out which "him" she was referring to. Her father. The hatred she seemed to harbor for the man was something Alex understood all to well. He despised Michael Karev. The man had abandoned his family for selfish reasons. Alex wanted to group Derek Shepherd into the same mold as his father but he couldn't. Something stopped him. Maybe it was how young Shepherd had been. Maybe it was the fact that the man now seemed contrite and wanted to know his daughter. Or maybe it was easier to be logical because it wasn't his father. Whatever it was, Alex wasn't convinced that Shepherd was an evil, child abandoning asshole like Michael Karev.

"You'll talk to them when you're ready." Of course there was the possibility that she might never be ready to talk to them. Alex knew he would never be "ready" to talk to Michael Karev. If the opportunity ever presented itself he would be more likely to slam his fist into the bastard's face than listen to anything he had to say.

Izzie nodded, uncertainty still stamped across her features. "I guess," she mumbled around a bite of potatoes. A bit of gravy clung to the corner of her mouth. Without thinking, Alex reached across the table to wipe it away. He meant to move his hand away but instead found himself cupping her cheek. Her skin was soft, like satin. He couldn't help but wonder if all her skin was that soft. Oh how he wanted to know. To explore every inch of her, to discover if the cashmere softness of her face was the result of some beauty aide or if she was just soft. "Alex." His name was a gentle whisper on her lips. If not for the table between them he was certain he would have kissed her. She would have let him, he could see the desire burning in her eyes. Good. It meant she wanted him just as much as he wanted her, which meant she would be open to at least discussing the possibility of something other than the friendship they had built.

"We should talk," he murmured, reluctantly dropping his hand. It shouldn't be so difficult, Alex thought with a sigh when she nodded her agreement. He was a doctor. He had uncomfortable talks with people all the time. One would think if he could tell people that their two year old child was dying of cancer, he could talk to a woman about embarking on a serious relationship. Horror stricken parents seemed safer some how. Less damage to his heart.

"We should talk," Izzie repeated, her voice shaking as much as the fingers that reached up to play with a stray lock of her hair. She looked so uncertain, so fragile, he almost said forget it. He couldn't though. The stakes were too high.

Inhaling deeply, he went for it. He laid it all out there. Every last lecherous thought, mixed emotion, and uncertainty. Like a broken pipe gushing water, the words kept coming. When his brain told him to shut up, to stop telling her Arizona thought they were perfect for one another, his tongue kept spilling forth details that were probably best left unsaid. Leaving things unsaid wasn't his style though. Best to have it all out and then go from there. When he was done, when everything he had been keeping bottled up inside since meeting here had been spoken, he sat back. Waiting.

"What if we try and fail?" The whispered response was not unexpected. Nor was it anything Alex hadn't thought of himself.

"What if we try and make it?" The optimism in his come back had been channeled from his ever optimistic twin, Arizona. Generally speaking he was not the nice guy who encouraged others. His childhood, as well as his profession, had put up a hardened shell that had seemed impenetrable. Until her. From the first moment he laid eyes on Izzie, Alex knew she would creep through any cracks he might have. He had known they were meant to be something more than friends or co-parents. Admitting it had taken him longer but, hey, he was a guy. Guys were notorious for dragging their feet. He was declaring himself now and that was what mattered. "We have to at least try."

"We do?" A smidgeon of hope was mixed in with her doubt. She wanted it just as badly as he did. The attraction wasn't strictly physical. If it had been he would have bargained with her for one night. He would have used the excuse of having a one night stand so they wouldn't have to lie to anyone. The hunger he had seen in her eyes had given him reason to think it wouldn't have taken much persuading. What he felt wasn't just physical though. He liked her. Really, really liked her. They could talk, hang out, or just be quiet in the same room. It didn't make much difference. And that was the kind of woman you married.

"We do." His tone left little room for doubt. Why would it? He was sure of how he felt. Did he love her? Maybe. Love was a fickle thing and not the best basis for a relationship. Respect and friendship, mixed with lust, were perfect though. "Think about it. We know we can live together and get along fine. We like a lot of the same things. Remember the first time we met? We ordered the same food. And, let's face it, if we had met under different circumstances, we would have been naked by now."

A burst of laughter erupted from Izzie. She shook her head, loose blonde waves teasing against her cheek. There was no dispute against what he said. Only a thoughtful mask softening her features. "I'm not good at relationships," she started slowly, her voice trembling a little. "In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm cursed. My first boyfriend took me to prom, slept with me, and then discovered that he liked my best friend better. Then there's George. He wasn't gay when I met him. I think…I think I made him gay. You know, because I'm that awful in bed."

What she was saying was almost laughable. A woman couldn't make a man turn gay, no matter how awful she was in the sack. A guy was either straight or he wasn't. Didn't matter how many women the guy had been with before, if he was gay eventually it would come out. Unfortunately there was always someone who ended up hurt. Thankfully Arizona had always known and their mother had fostered a sense of assurance in all her children. He had seen it with friends though. Struggling to be someone they weren't and dragging others down their self-destructive road. "You didn't make George gay, Iz. He was gay long before you met him. Sucks that he discovered it while he was with you but that doesn't mean you had anything to do with it."

"He discovered it while we were naked and in bed together," she bit out in a low voice. "Just like Denny realized he loved Olivia while we were in bed together. I'm…I'm just not good in that department. Which is why I chose to get pregnant using a donor."

"Know what I think? I think you just had bad taste in men and they were the ones with a problem." The problem with George was obvious. He wanted to be on the receiving end. Denny was pretty obvious too. The guy had been a teenage douche bag. Alex couldn't blame the guy, not when he had done the same thing numerous times. Which made him think, had he ever made some woman feel the way Izzie was feeling? Had his actions ever made someone feel like they were lacking? God he hoped not.

"I guess," Izzie muttered, doubt still clouding her voice. It was clear that the only thing holding her back was fear of bad sex. Nothing he said would change her mind. Which left showing her. No problem. He could do that. Would enjoy doing that. "Where are you going?" she asked when he rose from his seat. He didn't respond, just simply walked around to her side of the table and sat in the empty chair next to her's. "Oh," she breathed, her dark eyes widening as he reached out to grab her. Only a small protest squeaked pass her lips as he pulled her from her chair and onto his lap. Her face was a mere inch from his, her legs straddling either side of his waist. "This is a bad idea."

"Doesn't feel like a bad idea," Alex teased, threading his fingers into her silky hair. He tilted her head just enough to the side to allow for a kiss. It felt like heaven, tasted even sweeter. Why the hell hadn't they done this sooner? They had both wanted to. Even while she had been rambling about how awful she was in bed, there had been lust in Izzie's eyes. The deep rooted kind of lust that didn't fade. He knew because it was the same lust that coursed through his blood every time he thought about her. Most of his thoughts had centered on the act of getting her pregnant the old fashioned way. A tiny thrill shot through him as he slowly ran his hands down the sides of her body, settling on her small, rounded stomach. It amazed him that nestled in there was not one, but two babies. His babies. How they had come about seemed like a distant memory; one that belonged to someone else. Those babies, along with the woman in his arms, were his future. He was sure of that now. Any doubts he might have felt had fled the moment their lips met. Arizona was right. When you met the right person you just knew. And he knew. Izzie was right. Oh, so right.