I'm back! Massive thank you to all of the support you guys have given me and I really hope you are enjoying this. I won't keep you waiting any longer for an update (I've done enough of that already) so here it is.

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Chapter Thirty-Two

By Rosa241

Alex POV:

He's high.

Seriously he's got to high if he thinks that I'm actually going to do this?

"So what do you say?" Gazing down at the invitation, yes the actual birthday party invitation, my mind goes completely blank. He can't be serious.

"Are you kidding me?" The pink monstrosity sums her up pretty well to be honest.

"Look it's Izzie's birthday on Saturday and I know that you've had your differences but she asked me to invite you. Are you going to be there?" He's serious. On what planet did he think this would be a good idea?

"I don't think so." Apparently that wasn't the answer he was expecting as his face falls. For a minute I feel guilt in me however that disappears quickly. There's no way that I can go near that woman.

"Izzie wants you there and she thinks it would be a good way for the two of you to put your differences behind you." Of course she does. She's treated me like crap for months and she still expects me to believe that she's just changed her mind. Yeah right!

"Izzie hates my guts. Going to her birthday party is just asking for trouble. I'll pass." This time as I make to move away, believe it or not I actually do have a job to do, he grabs my arm and pulls me back.

"Why are you being such an ass?" Me? I'm the ass. "I know you two have had your problems but it's not just her fault. You've made mistakes too."

Is he on the same planet as me right now? What mistakes have I made with that woman? She almost killed a kid, blamed it on me, got suspended and generally treated me like I was something she'd stepped on in the street. He's seen that. He was there for that and still he wants to believe the best in her. I used to think that was something I admired but the more time passes the more I realise he's naive.

"Izzie wants to put this behind her and move on. You could at least try to do the same." Here he goes again. Blaming me for everything that's gone on these last few weeks. It's all my fault she's a blameless little angel.

"Look I get that you think you're helping here but you're not. I'm telling you that me and her spending time together outside of this hospital is a bad idea." Get the message and walk away George.

He shakes his head at me as he drops the invitation back into his pocket. I can see the disappointment on his face and for a minute I feel guilty. Something in me wants to wipe the hurt smile off of his face. I know he's trying to do the right thing but he's really not. All he's doing is taking her side and pushing the blame onto me. I keep thinking that he's going realise just how manipulative she's being. Apparently he's not there yet. As I walk away his muttered words reach my ears.

"This is just like you." From the surprise on his face when I turn round to face him I don't think I was meant to hear that.

"What?" Shaking his head he makes to walk away but I don't let him. "What did you mean?"

"Exactly what I said." This is just like me? What the hell does that mean? "You never actually confront anything or deal with it. All you do is avoid things. You're avoiding Izzie and refusing to try to work things out between you two, you're avoiding me and refusing to acknowledge that you have any kind of feelings for me. I'm starting to wonder whether Izzie was right about the reason why."

Right about me?

"Oh please why don't you enlighten me as to what the wonderful, amazing Izzie thinks about me I'd love to hear it!" The sarcasm dripping off my words apparently doesn't deter him.

"You've avoided me ever since our kiss and I think she was right about why. You and Sloan are together." I honestly don't know what I expected him to come out with but that most definitely wasn't it.

Me and Sloan?

Together?

As in a couple?

Me and Sloan?

"I knew it." He's walked away at speed before I've even had time to process his words. He can't actually think that.

George POV:

Watching Alex gazing at the invitation I honestly can't help feeling nervous. I'd been surprised when Izzie had decided she wanted Alex to be at her birthday party. Surprised but happy. I really thought that things between them were just going to wind up being awful forever. The fact that she wants me to invite him means a lot. She's trying to make things better. She's taken the first step, now it's his turn.

"So what do you say?" His eyes dart between me and the invitation for a few moments before he answers.

"Are you kidding me?" Just as I'd expected him to answer. Getting him to come was never going to be easy.

"Look it's Izzie's birthday on Saturday and I know that you've had your differences but she asked me to invite you. Are you going to be there?" She really seemed keen to start settling things between them, she'll be disappointed if he doesn't come.

"I don't think so." Typical Alex won't even think about it. I know she's hurt him but he's not exactly been the innocent angel in all of this. He's made a couple of mistakes too. He could at least try.

"Izzie wants you there and she thinks it would be a good way for the two of you to put your differences behind you." The snort of derision he gives in return is not what I want to hear.

"Izzie hates my guts. Going to her birthday party is just asking for trouble. I'll pass." Grabbing his arm I prevent him from moving away from me. He can't just run from this. Anger takes hold of me and I open my mouth before I really think about what I'm saying.

"Why are you being such an ass? I know you two have had your problems but it's not just her fault. You've made mistakes too."

He's not perfect. Far from it. Even with that I still care about him and I still want to make things work. Even if we can only be friends I don't want to lose him from my life. I like having him as a friend, if that's all we can be then I guess I'll have to deal with it. I just wish he'd give things a try for once instead of just pushing things away.

"Izzie wants to put this behind her and move on. You could at least try to do the same." I know she's made mistakes but at least she's wanting to try and put things right. She's making the effort so I don't get why he doesn't want to even try.

"Look I get that you think you're helping here but you're not. I'm telling you that me and her spending time together outside of this hospital is a bad idea."

Shaking my head I drop the invitation back into my pocket and disappointment fills me. I thought he'd matured since I first met him. I really thought he was acting more like a grown up instead of acting like a child. Something in me seems to snap at his actions.

"This is just like you."

"What? What did you mean?" Okay so I really didn't mean for him to hear that. Taking a breath I stare up at him and allow my anger to come through.

"Exactly what I said. You never actually confront anything or deal with it. All you do is avoid things. You're avoiding Izzie and refusing to try to work things out between you two, you're avoiding me and refusing to acknowledge that you have any kind of feelings for me. I'm starting to wonder whether Izzie was right the reason why."

I really hadn't meant to say all of that but the moment I opened my mouth it just all kept coming out.

"Oh please why don't you enlighten me as to what the wonderful, amazing Izzie thinks about me I'd love to hear it!" The sarcasm does nothing but anger me and I can't help but keep going.

"You've avoided me ever since our kiss and I think she was right about why. You and Sloan are together."

His mouth snaps shut as he takes in my words and for a moment my heart stops.

He isn't denying it.

Oh my god!

It's true.

He's with Sloan.

Izzie was right.

"I knew it." As I turn away I can feel my heart starting to break.

Meredith POV:

Anger flows through me as I storm up to the front door. Banging hard on the wood does nothing to calm the raging fire within me.

How could he do this?

After everything he's said I honestly thought that the two of them were going to work this out but now…

"Mer? What're you doing here?" Before I can even think about what I'm doing my hand makes it decision and the slap that echoes surprises even me. "What the hell!?"

"How could you do that to George?" The confusion on his face angers me again and I clench my fist to prevent another slap heading his way. "After everything I've said to defend you, you just…you just had to go and prove everyone right!"

The surprise of my slap seems to have shattered and his own anger makes itself known in a heartbeat.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Part of my feels bad about slapping him but my conversation with George flashes through my head.

Flashback:

"I don't believe it." I actually can't believe it. He wouldn't do this, he couldn't.

"Believe it. I'm really sorry George." Izzie takes his hand and offers him some kind of comfort as I still reel from the shock.

"Alex and Mark?" Mark helped me get those two to accept things. Why would he do this? "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. It's true." He looks so heartbroken and for a moment I'm almost lost. I really thought he was different. I thought this was going to work out. How could this go so wrong?

End Flashback

"Look Mer if all you came here to do is yell at me then you can take a hike. I've had enough for today." Shoving my foot in the gap I refuse to allow him to brush me off that easily.

"How could you do this to George?" I really don't get it. "I honestly thought that you meant everything that you said to me. I really thought that you two were going to be able to work this out. I wanted you to. Why did you have to do this? Why?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Seriously? Playing dumb?

"I'm talking about you and Mark. It's bad enough that you kissed George and then just ignored him for all that time. It's bad enough that you got his hopes up and then just pushed him aside. I thought that was just a phase, that you needed time to figure things out between you but now…now I really don't know you anymore." Shaking my head at him I choose to ignore the way hurt fills his face as I speak. We've always had a connection. Out of everyone I think we understand each other in ways that the others can't. Christina's my person, she gets me but there are things that she just can't understand. Alex does. We get each other. At least I thought we did.

"Oh look if this is about what happened earlier then you can save it. I'm tired of dealing with his moods all the time." Another wave of anger overtakes me and it takes everything that I have not to slap him again.

"You know what? I was wrong. I thought you'd be great together but I was wrong. You don't deserve him." What he says next surprises me so much that I don't even think about stopping him from slamming the door afterwards.

"I know."

Oh no! Everyone's turning against Alex, looks like Izzie's plan is working!

George: Err…so anything to add Alex?

Alex: Why do you hate me?

Hey! I love you!

Alex: Then why the hell do you keep torturing me!?

Well you're fun to torture. You've got so much potential...and it's fun.

Alex: Well I'm glad you have fun ruining my life.

I really, really do :)

[On a separate, and serious, note I don't dislike Meredith. I actually really love the sibling relationship the writers have developed between the two of them. However when watching through some of the earlier episodes I have noticed that Meredith has always had a tendency to 'protect' George and treat him kind of like a kid. Given how much she was rooting for them to be together and how protective she is of George it didn't seem overly out of character for her to react like this.]