Izzie slipped the photo album back into the box and replaced the sticky tape on it. A single tear ran down the side of her face. She still couldn't believe she was really leaving Seattle. She was really leaving the last five years of her life behind her. She was really getting a fresh start, or at least trying to.

"Is that the last box?" Meredith asked, walking into the now empty room and handing Izzie a glass of lemonade.

"Yep," Izzie smiled taking the glass from Meredith. "Did those kids finally convince you to buy some?"

"Yeah, there are only so many times you can say no to a five year old."

The two women laughed and then looked around the completely empty house. "I still can't believe you're really going."

"Me either." Izzie sighed. "Do you think I'm doing the right thing?"

"The fresh start will do you good." Meredith offered. She'd been the one to suggest Izzie apply for fellowships interstate and had been the one to encourage her to take the offer in New York instead of the one in Seattle.

"I hope so." Izzie sighed and she sucked down the rest of the drink and handed the empty glass to Meredith. She bent down and picked up the box. "If I want to make it there by Sunday afternoon I should probably get going."

"Probably." They walked out the house together and joined the others on the front lawn. George and Derek had just finished repacking the boot of Izzie's car. The number of boxes she'd left out of the truck had kept multiplying and they'd worried they wouldn't all fit. They both looked up in horror as they saw her with another box.

"I thought you said this was everything?" Derek said waving to the precision packed boot.

"It is." Izzie smiled. "Don't worry this one can ride up the front with me."

She opened the door and placed the final box on the front seat next to where she'd be sitting. As she did she looked into the back seat and checked that everything was as it should be. She closed the door and turned to face her friends. Everyone was staring at her, no one knew quite what to say. Good-byes were not something any of them were good at.

"I guess it's time." She finally said. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms tightly around Meredith. "Thank you so much for everything." She spoke into her shoulder. "I don't know where I would be if it wasn't for you."

"It's no problem." Meredith whispered back and she pulled Izzie closer to her. "I'm going to miss you. You have to promise me you'll take care of yourself and phone."

"I promise." Izzie whispered back and she let go of Meredith.

Next was Derek, they weren't exactly friends but they'd grown closer over the years. He'd helped out a lot and had let Izzie borrow Meredith as much as she needed.

"I'm going to hold you to that promise Stevens." He said and he held out his hand. She went to shake it but he pulled her in for a hug. As her arms wrapped around his shoulder he whispered into her ear. "If it doesn't work out over there I can pull some strings for you to come back."

"I'll keep that in mind." She smiled and moved on to Cristina.

Affection and Cristina didn't go well together. In the many years they'd known each other Izzie could almost count on one hand the number of times she'd seen her offer or willingly accept affection from another person. But here the two women stood and Cristina stepped forward and hugged Izzie.

"Don't let those New York doctors push you around." She said before laughing. "What am I talking about. When have you let anyone push you around. "

"Thanks." She smiled, half laughing and she moved onto George. George was already crying. He'd been crying on and off all day. "Stop crying." She told him. He put his hands up to his eyes and whipped them.

"I'm not crying. It's your stupid lawn. I'm allergic to it."

"Whatever." She stepped forward and hugged him. "I'll only be a phone call away."

George had been her only friend to actually say he didn't want her to leave. He thought she should stay but she knew she couldn't. If she was ever going to move forward she needed to put her past behind her and being surrounded by so many memories made that hard.

"I'm going to miss you."

"I know. I'm going to miss you too." She pulled him closer to her and they just stood there for a moment. "This isn't good bye. We'll keep in touch." She let go and stepped back. She climbed into the car and rolled down the window. "I'll phone when I reach the motel tonight." She said. And she drove off.

As she drove she told herself not to cry. She told herself again that she was doing the right thing. She told herself she was doing what she had to do. She still couldn't believe she was actually leaving. If someone had told her four years ago this is what she'd be doing now she would have hit them. This wasn't what she'd planed. But life never goes the way you plan.