The Ga on call room

No Roses are required

Derek watched as Izzie approached the front door, and was able to tell that the smile that was currently stretched over her face was 100% fake. Over the last couple of years, Derek had gotten to know Izzie pretty well, due to their mutual connection with Mark, so he knew when she was genuine or just being polite.

"Derek!...and Rose!...it's just so great that you could come." Izzie managed to get out, while she shot Derek a look of disdain.

"Thanks for inviting me." Rose replied.

"Inviting...?" Izzie said, but then she caught Derek's frantic nodding behind Rose's head. "Oh, you're most welcome. The more the merrier." She finished cheerfully

As Izzie ushered Rose into the house, she grabbed Derek by his jacket, while he winced with fear.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Izzie hissed. "Inviting her here, especially when you know that Meredith would be there?"

"I couldn't help it Izzie!" Derek hissed back. "She cornered me on the phone and then my conscience got the better of me. Besides, what does it matter if Meredith is here? We've moved passed that stage in our lives, as she keeps feeling the need to point out, so I don't see why she would be bothered about Rose." Derek finished, with just a touch of bitterness.

Izzie released Derek's jacket, and quickly smoothed over the ruffles she had created, and let out a laugh. "Are you serious Derek? You and Meredith may have convinced yourself that the past is in the past, but Rose certainly hasn't. That girl is so paranoid about her relationship with you, that not even the psych ward would be able to ease her mind." Izzie stated, ignoring Derek's glare, she continued, "Oh...and... FYI, if you really want people to believe that you have moved on and are not at all affected by Mer's presence, take a leaf out of your ex-girlfriends book, because she is doing a much better job at it than you."

So, with those last few words, Izzie slapped that fake smile back on and led Derek into the kitchen, where Mark and Meredith were consuming their respective drinks like they were water, while Rose simply watched the two condescendingly.

"You sure you don't want something to drink Rose?" Meredith offered for a second time, as she handed Derek a glass of scotch

Rose caught the simple action, before replying, "No, that's okay. I prefer to have a clear head when I know that I have to be in surgery the next day."

If she thought that thus snide remark was going to stop anyone from drinking to forget the night they had just experienced, she was sorely mistaken.

" Well Rose...I think that's very mature of you." Meredith responded, looking at Mark, when she said 'mature', from her spot on the countertop

"Shut Up Meredith!" Mark literally screeched, as he threw the lid of the scotch at her.

While Derek and Izzie laughed at the dig at Mark's intelligence, Rose was not impressed.

"Is she mocking me?" Rose hissed to Derek, unimpressed with the seemingly private joke.

"What?...No...No, um...Mark just had a misunderstanding earlier on and Meredith refuses to let it go." Derek replied with a crinkle of laughter in his voice.

"Oh." Rose responded, a bit upset that Derek didn't bother to share the joke with her.

"Don't worry Markie...I still have respect for you." Meredith joked.

"Funny Grey."

"I thought so."

"Yeah, well, how was I supposed to say anything that would get me on that old bitch's good side, when Derek was sitting there acting like the most perfect man in the world, 'let's put frangipani's on top of the cake so it looks more elegant.' You were so full of shit." Mark said as he mimicked Derek