Merry Christmas, Darling

A/N: I think I enjoyed writing "Touch" too much. My fanfic life now consists of writing AlexMer. Oh God. This is a different take on the Christmas episode in season 2.

Christmas was for the happy people. Or, at least, those who pretended to be happy.

Meredith Grey sat in an empty Joe's late on Christmas Eve with only the sound of the juxebox playing Christmas carols to comfort her. It was so late, it was probably Christmas by now. Joe had left quite a while ago, trusting her with the keys to lock up. She hadn't even been drinking the last hour and a half. She simply sat alone at the bar, wondering what the hell she needed. Izzie was still at home, probably asleep by now. George was at home as well. Cristina was at Burke's. So she was alone.

"This sucks," she said to herself. "My boyfriend chooses his… wife over me, and now I'm spending Christmas alone. Damn."

She had turned around and was about to leave when Alex walked in and sat down next to her, muttering a greeting and resting his head on his elbows.

"Hey," Meredith murmured back.

Silence fell, as she had expected, and the two were left with "Another Auld Lang Syne" drifting through the bar.

"You look sad," Alex commented to her.

"I am sad. But so are you," Meredith replied.

"I'm not sad!" he immediately defended, but she knew better.

"You lost Izzie and you might lose your job, you have a right to be sad. Me, there's no reason for me to be sad. I just am."

"You should be spending Christmas with your boyfriend, there's plenty of reason to be sad."

"Alright then."

The silence felt more comfortable now, as Meredith leaned into him slightly for the warmth. Alex drew back only a little, letting his hand intertwine with hers. Suddenly she stood up and gasped a little.

"What?" he asked.

"Uh… I gotta go…"

She half-ran out of the bar, with him running after her screaming out her name. "Meredith! MEREDITH!" She stopped and turned towards him. The rain fell abruptly and with a harsh force.

"Only in Seattle does it rain on Christmas," Meredith cried. "Damn it! George took the car!" She sat down in the middle of the parking lot and let herself cry. It wasn't crying though. It was balling. It was screaming out in the pain she had felt for so long.

Alex took her in his arms and soothed her. "I can't…" she started, but she put up no objection as he ran his hand up and down her back and whispered to her gently.

"Damn," he muttered.

She took no heed to this even though she had no idea why he was unexpectedly getting up.

"Don't leave," she said to him.

"You're the one who left," he muttered.

She took him in her arms and kissed him with all the passion she could muster. He leaned into her and ran his hands through her hair. When neither could breathe they broke apart. "Damn," she said.

He initiated another kiss, which she returned happily. "So," Meredith said when they had broken apart. "We should get out of the rain."

"Right."

Climbing into his car, Meredith smiled to herself. Oh God, she thought. I cannot do this… Her heart and her head were conflicting like crazy, and when Alex smiled at her, she let her heart take over.

As they arrived at her house, she turned to him and kissed him again, letting him explore her mouth and exploring his.

She turned to get out when his voice stopped her. "Meredith?"

"Yeah?"
"Merry Christmas."