It turns out that you don't put an offer in on a house-or a burned out crack whore den, as Alex has been known to call it-and immediately move in. So here Jo is, living with the sad widow and her sad three kids in her sad mother's house. "It's possible I'm a huge bitch," she admits.
"I like you better as a bitch than a princess," Stephanie says, and shuts her locker decisively. "And whatever, you're going to move out soon."
"Not soon enough," Jo mutters. They walk out of the locker room and flatten themselves to the wall, a gurney streaming past. Grey sits astride a man, arms locked in compressions, looking for every second like a medical goddess, every inch a hotshot surgeon and brilliant doctor. She makes a quick move with a scalpel, blood flying in a streak as she relieves pressure in the limb.
"Someone get me an OR," she yells.
"Well that's just kicking a girl while she's down," Stephanie says. Jo groans.
/
"I refuse to step softly," Jo says, and spears her salad vindictively. "I live there too, it's just as much my house as it is hers."
"Well," Stephanie says.
"You need to agree with me," Jo says. "it doesn't matter how crazy girlfriend I am, you have to eat your stupid triple meat sandwich with your stupid high metabolism and agree with me."
"It's your house," Stephanie says, "that bitch."
/
Jo comes home and Meredith is sitting on the couch. "Wilson," she says, "come here for a second."
Jo sits on the chair. She's still in scrubs because she spilled coffee on her normal person shirt and a kid in the clinic peed on her normal person pants. "I really don't think-"
"Look," Grey says. There's a photo album in her lap, and she turns it to face Jo. Jo looks down and the words die in her throat. Alex, younger than she could ever imagine, in that old red shirt he likes before it got all the holes in the hem that drive Jo crazy. He's smirking at the camera with his eyes, his mouth open to catch a peanut frozen in mid air, out of focus. Next to him on the couch Grey is sitting on right now, a blonde is rolling her eyes.
"Wow," Jo says, "he's so…" They're about to move in, they've had sex dozens of times, and still he strikes her breathless whenever she sees him, even pictures. "Young."
"It was before everything," Grey says, "before George, before… God, before Denny. Before I even liked him. You know we used to call him Demon Spawn?"
Jo smiles a little. "I think some nurses still do. But-for real, not like you did."
"Oh no," Grey says, "we meant it." Her eyes catch Jo's, grey and green and utterly arresting. "you see, Jo, there is this history between Alex and I. History of George, and Izzie, and bombs and shootings, and other shit the grapevine's been too busy to pass on. But you realize he's moving out of here. Out of the history, and in with you."
"Um," Jo says, "do you honestly think I don't know about his history?"
Grey's eyes widen, "No, that's not what I meant, I-"
Jo stands. Her hands are shaky. "I know that you and Alex have this huge, twisted, messy history that means you're his person and you shower together, but Alex and I are going to have our own history, make our own memories out of this house of, my god do you know how many people you guys know who have died? How many doctors that work for this hospital have died? If you are employed by Avery Sloan it's statistically possible you are actually working in your grave." She stops. "What was I saying?"
"I'm the sad widow trying to steal your boyfriend to be my platonic soulmate," Grey prompts.
"Right," Jo says, and stalls out. "wait. I think I'm done."
"You should call me Meredith," Grey says, "if you're going to be joining the family and all."
"What?"
"Meredith," Grey repeats, and stands.
"I like her," Grey's phone chirps.
Jo boggles. "Yang?"
"Yeah," the voice says from Grey's hand. "it's Yang. Are you done crying about Demon Spawn? Because I need to talk to Meredith about the McSister moving on Owen."
Grey rolls her eyes, moves out of view, headed for the bedrooms. "You don't care about Owen anymore. Tell me about hot intern Ross."
/
"I'm just glad you and Mer are getting along," Alex says.
Jo hands him his box of takeout and flops against his side, breaking her chopsticks with a hard twitch of her fingers. "I don't really know if that's what is happening."
"Mm." Alex shovels orange chicken in his mouth. "you know how Mrs. Schill went to your graduation and how she was the only one?"
"Schmidt, you asshole," Jo socks him and steals a stuffed mushroom in retaliation.
"Yeah, sure." Alex kisses her temple, absent minded and affectionate. "you had Mrs. Schnell," he dodges another punch, poking her in the cheek with a chopstick, "I have Mer. And Cristina, but that's an Everest you don't have to worry about yet."
"Fine," Jo says, "but do you think you could stop having her in the bathroom with you when you shower?"
"Oh come on, that was…" Alex stops. "Huh."
Jo pulls away and looks at him. "What?"
Alex snorts a tiny laugh, "You're gonna be mad."
Jo pulls a cushion out from behind her with one hand and threatens him with it. "I swear to god, Karev."
"I was just gonna say it was the only time that happened, but I forgot it's actually happened-"
Jo aims for the face-she's a street kid, after all.