The Ga on call room

After cake tasting

"Like I said, I hope to see you again." And with that Julia bid her goodbyes.

Meredith and Derek stood in stunned silence, unable to comprehend what Julia had just said.

Mark stood in stunned silence, unable to comprehend the fact that there was a woman in the world that did not like him.

Izzie stood in stunned silence, unable to believe that she could finally cross another chore off the wedding list.

It was stunned silences all round.

Suddenly, as if snapped out of their trances, all four spoke at once.

"I need a drink!"

"Joe's anyone?"

"Let's stop by bottle shop on the way home Iz."

"How is it possible that she didn't like me? Everyone likes Mark Sloan."

After agreeing that alcohol was definitely in order, the group trudged back to their cars, while Meredith and Derek walked with Izzie and Mark as a barrier between them.

As they neared the parking lot, Derek couldn't help but respond to Mark's self-involved question.

"I have no idea why she didn't like you Mark. Maybe you just weren't mature enough for her liking." Derek stated with all seriousness. If there was anything that could break the tension that was now palpable between the group, that statement was it.

Izzie and Meredith dissolved into a fit of uncontrollable laughter as they remembered Mark's moment of humiliation, while the man in question glared at his now former best friend.

"How in god's name was I supposed to know that 'matured' had two types of meaning." Mark demanded.

"Mark even I knew that Julia wasn't talking about 'matured' in the reliable or stable sense, and I can't even cook." Meredith laughed.

" What then oh wise one does it mean?" Mark asked in a sarcastic manner.

" Well, that type of 'matured' means that something is old enough to have acquired a certain flavor or is ripe to eat. It's like when wine is left in oak barrels for years..." Meredith trailed off.

Izzie looked at Meredith in surprise while Derek looked on with a hidden amusement.

"Where did you learn that Mer?" Izzie wanted to know, as she dug through her purse for her car keys.

"Oh, Lachlan and I both can't cook, so we watched one of those home cooking shows, you know, Jamie...or Nigella...something or other. Anyway, they were talking about maturing food on that. Mind you I don't know why we watch those shows, it's not like we use the recipes..." Meredith laughed.

At the mention of Meredith's London boyfriend, Derek decided to move the group along.

"How about those drinks, huh? Your place Izzie?" Derek asked.

Sensing Derek's eagerness to change the topic, Izzie responded. "Yeah, I mean Alex and Lexie decided to go out, because somehow she managed to convince him that it was some sort of anniversary for them, so Alex took her to dinner. We should have the house to ourselves for an hour or so."

With those words, Mark and Meredith hopped into Izzie' car, and Derek went to his own and they headed off into the direction of the former 'brothel'.

Meredith, Izzie and Mark got to the house before Derek, so as they clambered out of the car Izzie pulled Meredith aside quickly.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" she asked

"Why wouldn't I be?" Meredith asked in confusion.

"Oh, I don't know...maybe it something to do with that little display at the bakery..." Izzie trailed off.

"It was nothing Izzie." Meredith groaned. "We had been stuck there for over an hour, and you two still hadn't made a decision, so Derek and I helped make it for you. I thought you would be happy with my eagerness to please

"Hey, you ladies coming inside?" Mark yelled from the front door.

"We'll be there in a minute." Izzie called back.

Mark nodded and made his way inside the house.

Izzie turned back to Meredith, undeterred by the interruption. "Believe me Mer, I appreciated your contribution, but I still saw that 'thingy' between Derek and you."

"Izzie, there was no 'thingy'. I admit, I got swept up in the atmosphere of it all...you know? And yeah, maybe some old feelings did resurface, but it's only natural. I mean...Derek is someone that I loved very much at one stage in my life, so of course being around him was always going to stir up old feelings, but that's exactly what they are, old." Meredith said. "Please don't make a big deal out of it Izzie. I don't want to go back to those days, I moved past it and I'm tired of all that drama."

Izzie couldn't help but notice that Meredith talked about loving Derek in the past tense, and that was enough for her to drop the topic. She really hoped that for everyone's sakes that Meredith was right, because if she was wrong it would be worse than the last time. This time four people would be involved. Four people would get hurt.

Lexie really was right when she said that it was no longer a love triangle, it was a love square.

Izzie and Meredith made there way inside, only to find Mark already downing his first drink of scotch.

"Eager much?" Meredith asked, while getting her shot glass out.

"After that traumatic experience, nothing could be fast enough." Mark replied, before turning to Izzie, "I think that it will best for the sake of the wedding and my ego, if I don't come along to anymore of those things, you can take Derek the suck-up along."

"Don't even think about it Mark. You're coming to everything and you're going to shut up, look pretty and agree with me. Are we clear on that?" Izzie demanded.

"Crystal." Mark replied, ready to pour another scotch.

"Speaking of Derek, where is he?" Izzie wondered.

Meredith looked up from the cupboard and said, "I don't know. He was behind us for like two minutes than disappeared."

Before anyone could respond, there was a knock at the door ad as Izzie went to answer it, she froze in disbelief and yelled to Mark.

"Mark! I thought I told you that no Roses were required?"

Mark and Meredith shared a collective groan at Izzie's words.

"Trust Derek to act like a dumbass right now. Couldn't he have behaved that way earlier?" Mark asked.