Author's Notes: So this just weirdly came to me this afternoon and I wrote it out really fast so I could post it today. It's probably chopped full of issues, so please ignore that. It's set sometime early in season 11, maybe a week or so after the events of 9x24.

Also, I didn't give myself time to really delve into the Jo/Meredith dynamic so I'm not even really sure how Jo will feel about her in the new season so please grant a little leeway with that.

For those of you reading But I Never Left You, I promise I haven't abandoned it. I just needed some more time to get some things lined up :)

Disclaimer: As always, I sadly do not own these awesome characters…


Alex slowly climbed the stairs wearily. What a couple of months it had been. He went from lowly fellow to being pursued by a prestigious practice, to being co-owner of a hospital. He went from living with sourly Yang and having Jo over most nights to Jo officially moving in and Cristina eventually moving across the freaking world. And dang her for that. It happened at the worst possible time.

The past several days every spare minute he had was split between trying to figure out the hospital situation and comforting Meredith. Between her long lost sister showing up and Derek going to DC she was a wreck. He hadn't even seen Jo the past two days other than a quick meeting in front of the OR board yesterday when she told him she would be staying at the hospital overnight to monitor a patient. He had first decided to stay with her in an on- call room, but then Meredith had asked him to go to Joe's with her and they took a cab back to the house after ingesting way too much alcohol.

He rubbed his face in frustration. He needed to speak to Jo. He could tell she wasn't thrilled about Meredith spending so much time with him and at the house. He wanted nothing more than to reassure her and spend some time alone with her.

He stopped suddenly outside their bedroom door noticing some sounds of heavy exertion coming from inside the room. He burst in unceremoniously causing Jo to turn quickly, crying out in pain as the mattress she was holding up shifted. He ran over to her to take the weight off her body, "What the hell are you doing?"

Jo rolled her eyes and guided him in dropping the mattress into its rightful place. She then bent over mumbling curses as she tried to straighten the bed skirt underneath the heavy mattress, "What does it look like?"

Alex gave a sarcastic look with raised eyebrows, "Committing suicide by mattress?"

Jo stopped what she was doing and looked back at him, "Ha ha." Alex widened his eyes and shifted his face forward indicating he was still waiting for a response. Jo rolled her eyes, "I was flipping the damn mattress."

Alex scrunched his face in confusion, "Why?"

Jo shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. You're just supposed to."

Alex rolled his eyes, "And you couldn't wait for me to come home so I could help you?"

"Well I didn't know when that might be."

Alex put his hand on his chest in mock pain, "Ouch."

Jo turned to give a fleeting apologetic look, "Sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I just got it in my head that I wanted to flip it and since I washed the sheets I wanted to do it as a surprise for you, there's nothing better than a good nights sleep in fresh sheets and I know you haven't been sleeping well."

Alex looked at her in confusion, "How would you know that? You haven't been here."

Jo then grinned and mimicked his earlier gesture, "Ouch."

"That came out wrong," Alex started.

Jo grinned and moved closer to him bringing her hands to the back of his neck, "No, you're right. I'm sorry."

Alex brought his hands to her hips, "Why are you apologizing? It's not like you've been avoiding me on purpose." He watched her averted eyes and added hesitantly, "Right?"

Jo glanced back at him, "No, no I haven't been avoiding you."

Alex slowly nodded, "You've been avoiding Mer."

Jo bit her bottom lip, "I know she needs you and you need her..."

"But...," Alex prompted.

"But it's weird."

Alex gave a slight laugh, "It's just Meredith."

Jo's eyes widened, "Just Meredith? Just Meredith? Board member, published attending, Ellis Grey's freaking daughter, Medusa Grey is here all the time! When am I supposed to relax?"

Alex chuckled, "Dude."

Jo smacked his arm, "Don't 'dude' me, I'm serious! She already watches me extra close at the hospital because we're together, but now she's at the house too? She's going to be picking apart everything I do and seeing for herself how I fall short as a girlfriend."

Alex narrowed his eyes in confusion, "What? Where is this coming from?"

"Oh come on Alex, that's what friends do for each other. They make sure that the other is not making a mistake with their significant other. Kinda like Steph is always scrutinizing you."

Alex gave a confused look, "Edwards watches me?"

Jo rolled her eyes, "God you're such a guy. Yes, she watches you like a hawk." At Alex's sigh of annoyance, Jo smirked, "What, like you've never had an eye out for Shepard?"

Alex's eyes widened, "What? No, that's most definitely a chick thing."

Jo smiled and played with the hair at the back of his neck, "You're telling me you haven't been side eyeing him at the hospital this past week? No flexing your fists when he's around? Threatening to kick his ass?"

"What's wrong with that?"

Jo laughed loudly and initiated a deep kiss. She pulled back slightly breathless, "That's my point. Guys may show it differently, but they still look out for their friends. Dr. Grey has never stopped watching me. Shows how much she cares about you."

Alex rubbed his thumb over some exposed skin at her hip, "She likes you though."

Jo moaned at the contact, "I never said she didn't. I just don't like being watched 24/7. I wanna break from it sometimes."

Alex bent to kiss her neck and murmured, "She's not watching now."

Jo put a hand on his chest and pulled back, "Oh no. We are not doing that. Not while she's downstairs."

Alex's eyes widened in surprise, "What the hell? You would with Yang across the hall but you won't with Mer passed out downstairs?"

"It's different!"

"How?"

"Dr. Grey is scary!"

Alex laughed sarcastically, "But Yang isn't?"

Jo nodded, "Exactly."

Alex snickered before returning his lips to her neck, "You're weird."

Jo pulled back and glared at him before pointing towards his pants, "You're so flying solo tonight, buddy."

Alex raised his shoulders with his arms out, palms up, "What did I do?"

Jo busied herself putting the sheets back on the bed, "I already told you no and then you call me weird and you need me to explain why you won't be getting laid?"

Alex rolled his eyes, "Oh come on!"

Jo looked back at him in surprise, "I'm not playing a game, Alex. It makes me uncomfortable. She and I didn't exactly step off on the right foot. She was mean and cold. She's like a pit bull when it comes to you. She may like me , but she's never been all that welcoming towards me. I just want to stay on her good side, alright?"

She turned back towards the sheets with Alex standing silently watching her. He slowly approached her and reached up to massage her shoulders. She tensed and tried to pull away, but he kept his hands working their magic. She moaned slightly when he found a particularly tight spot. He leaned down to whisper in her ear, "You are too good for me."

Jo turned her head towards him with a questioning look, "What?"

Alex pulled her against his chest and wrapped his arms around her shoulders and chest, "It sounds like you believe Mer doesn't feel you are good enough for me."

Jo protested weakly, "I never said that.."

Alex kissed her hair and murmured in her ear, "I know. You didn't have to." They stood in silence for a bit each lost in their own thoughts, "She thinks you are the person for me."

Jo turned her head in surprise, "She does?"

Alex nodded, "And she has since before we even started dating. Her opinion hasn't changed. She was bragging on you last night. Saying she's never seen me so happy and she knows that's because of you."

Jo's eyes widened as she turned in his embrace, "Really?" Alex nodded causing Jo to narrow her eyes, "Are you just saying this to get me between the sheets? Cause I swear..."

Alex cut her off with a passionate kiss, cupping her face lightly. He pulled back to look in her dazed eyes, "She said it. And she's right."

He then leaned in to share several soft kisses causing her to moan. She murmured against his lips, "You're making me change my mind about not sleeping with you."

Alex grinned against her lips, "I knew it wouldn't take much."

He then doubled over playfully from her elbowing him in the abdomen. "Ass," she tossed over her shoulder with a smile as she worked on finishing up the linens.

He looked around the room studiously, "What's different in here?"

Jo looked at him in surprise, "Seriously?"

Alex creased his brow, "Well yeah, something's different."

Jo laughed, "I got us a new comforter."

Alex gave a confused look, "Why?"

Jo smiled brightly at him, "Because the old one had more holes in the top layer than a block of Swiss cheese. Plus there's no telling how many skanks you've entertained on that thing." She gave an exaggerated shudder and made a disgusted face.

Alex snorted at her, "Well I'm glad I'll be sharing this one with the only one that matters."

Jo widened her eyes and tilted her head, "Did you just refer to me as a skank?"

"What? No! You know I didn't. I wouldn't..."

Jo giggled as she brought her hands to rest on his hips as she kissed him once more, "I know." She then encircled his neck and kissed him deeper. "You wanna take them for a test run?" she asked in a low voice.

Alex pulled back to study her face, "Are you sure? I thought..."

"I am. You're right, I'm thinking too much about this." She then kissed his neck, "Plus I've missed you."

Alex grinned as he pushed them onto the bed and crawled on top her, "Me too." He kissed her once again, then rolled over onto his back taking her with him, never breaking their connection. She slowly began to trail kisses down his neck when something hit him, "What's that smell?"

Jo straightened her arms to look down at him fully. She gave a questioning look, "What smell?"

"It smells like flowers or something," he said still sniffing suspiciously.

Jo smiled amusedly, "It's the fabric softener."

Alex looked up at her questioningly, "You use that on bedding?"

Jo giggled happily before kissing him soundly and running her fingers through his hair. He suddenly realized he didn't even mind that the bed smelled like a girly flower shop. Alex continued kissing her with a smile as he again pondered just how much his life had changed.