Authors Note: This is another one of those one shots that I'm pretty sure is not going to happen or fit in with what happens on the show, but I wanted to give Alex a hug and well this is the best I can do on that end.

I'm not real happy with Meredith and the direction she's taking so keep that in mind before you read. Bailey is also not high on my list right now so this isn't especially Bailey friendly either. Just so you know going in.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did Alex would catch a break at least every half season or so...

Alex walked determinedly down the corridor of the hospital not making eye contact with anyone. He wanted to leave as soon as possible, but more than that he wanted to see Jo. He knew she was the one that could calm him and make him feel better. He turned the corner and was relieved to find her alone in the residents lounge with her back to the door, changing her shirt.

"I don't know how I feel about you flashing so much skin when I'm not around," he tried to joke, but it came off flat even to his ears.

Jo turned towards him quizzically before her countenance fell, "Alex?"

"You ready to get out of here or did you wanna hit Joe's with the other minions?"

She started towards him, "I'm ready to go." She gave him a quick kiss before pulling him into a hug, her lips kissing him beneath his ear as she pulled him closer, "No matter what happened in there I'm proud of you."

Alex hugged her back, grateful he didn't have to make eye contact just yet. "Thanks," he bit off gruffly as she rubbed his back. "You got time to make a quick stop at Radio Shack?" Jo pulled back and looked at him with a ghost of a smile. He noticed tears in her eyes with surprise, "Hey..."

Jo gave a brave smile, "I'll go wherever you want to."

Alex nodded, "Let's go home."

Jo took his hand, quickly picking up her purse and keys. They quickly walked out to the car and rode in a comfortable silence home. Alex immediately stalked upstairs to change as Jo warmed up some leftover pizza and got each of them a beer.

When she finished she walked into the living room to find Alex staring blankly ahead. She handed him a plate and a beer, which he acknowledged with a grunt of thanks. They ate in silence for a bit before Alex quietly spoke, "I really thought I had a chance. So freaking stupid."

Jo put her plate on the coffee table and turned to him, "They are the stupid ones Alex, they don't see you. You...you have such a good head on your shoulders. You see people when you can't even see yourself."

Alex squinted his eyes and looked at her questioningly, "What are you talking about?"

"You see the good in people. You saw it in me. You found it in your dad despite the crappy past you shared. The problem is you don't always see the greatness in you. You were surprised when Yang gave you those shares and the seat and you shouldn't have been. You were surprised when you were recruited for private practice and you shouldn't have been. I see the good in you, Alex. And Yang saw it too. The others can just shove it up their blind asses."

Alex looked at her with wide eyes, "Their blind asses?"

Jo sighed, "You know what I mean. I think...I think sometimes because you don't see your greatness it makes others underestimate you. There is nothing Bailey can offer the board that you can't. Think about it, Yang is meticulous. She would have put a lot of thought into this. Bailey was her mentor, she would have at least considered giving this to her, but she didn't. And there have to be reasons that she didn't. And I trust Yang's judgment a hell of a lot more than those dodos in the room tonight."

Alex gave a humorous grin and raised his eyebrows, "Dodos?"

Jo grinned back and gave a curt nod, "Dodos." Her eyes widened, "You better not tell any of them I said that!"

Alex leaned back against the couch cushions, "I won't."

Jo curled into his side and rested her head on his chest, "I know. You are a masterful secret keeper."

Alex sighed with agitation, "Jo..."

Jo rubbed his chest, "Oh shut up, that was a compliment. Sort of."

"I can't tell you some things."

Jo nodded her head and held him tighter, "I know, and I respect that. It's just..."

"What?" Alex bit off frustrated.

"It's just wrong that Meredith Grey has seen you in the shower today and I haven't. There is something criminally wrong with this picture."

Alex laughed slightly and kissed her temple, "Well we can fix that now." Jo looked up at him happily and crawled on top of him to kiss him deeply. He held her hips as she trailed kisses down his neck, "Jo, if you keep that up we're not gonna make it to the shower."

Jo giggled against his neck, "I guess you're right." She stood up and laughed as he stood quickly and picked her up, carrying her towards the stairs. Her joy was cut short at the sound of a car door outside, "Crap, I forgot Stephanie was bringing over a book for me. I'm performing my first ETV with Shepherdess tomorrow and I wanna be ready. Go ahead on up, I'll get rid of her quickly and be right there."

Alex gave a confused look before kissing her quickly, "Okay, fine."

Jo watched him climb the stairs and then opened the door for Meredith, offering a sharp greeting, "He's not available tonight."

Dr. Grey pushed past her, "Wilson, I'm not in the mood for games."

Jo crossed her arms, "Good, I'm not either." Her eyes traveled up the stairs, hoping Alex couldn't hear and she motioned for Meredith to follow her to the kitchen. Meredith didn't budge and rolled her eyes at the younger woman causing Jo's blood to boil in anger, "If you have any respect for him, you'll hear me out."

Meredith again rolled her eyes, but stepped past Jo to enter the kitchen, "Wilson, you do realize talking to a superior like this is not acceptable."

"I do, but you're not really acting like my superior right now are you?"

Meredith looked on in shock, "Why you little..."

"Look, Alex got a wildly raw deal tonight and he's deeply hurt. I just now got him to laugh and he's upstairs expecting sex so whatever crisis you have going on right now is gonna have to wait while I help him through his own, okay?"

"Look Wilson, Alex is just fine. He'll see Bailey was..."

"He's not fine!" Jo asserted with a raised voice. "He finally believed in himself and understood he is capable of good things...great things, just to have it ripped out from under him, so no Dr. Grey, Alex is not going to be just fine."

Meredith looked as if she had been slapped, "Alex is a great surgeon, but..."

Jo gave a sarcastic look, "Bailey's better? Bailey who repeatedly gave the board the middle finger and publicly insulted its members over the past two years? Bailey who instead of admitting she had a problem continued to perform extra procedures while making me look like a fool and undermining my education in the process? Bailey who just today took pictures of an unaware and unwilling patient on her personal phone? Yeah that's the maturity and good judgment I expect from the board, she'll fit right in. Goodnight, Dr. Grey."

Jo turned to leave, but stopped at Meredith's voice, "Wilson?" Meredith then looked up at her, "I'm glad he has you. I am. I've thought since the beginning that you are a good match for him, but you have to understand I need him right now. And I'm sorry that gets in your way..."

"Why didn't you help him with his speech?"

Meredith looked at her in shock, "What?"

"I know he didn't spend the day working on it. He was with you all day. It was the biggest presentation he's ever done, I just wonder why you wouldn't help him with it."

Meredith nodded, "I should have. But despite everything, his speech was great. He didn't need my help."

Jo shook her head and turned once more, "Yes, he did. He needed a friend."

"Jo?" Meredith crossed the kitchen to stand in front of her, "I need him more. I'll just wait down here. Will you tell him when you are...done with him that I need him?"

Jo narrowed her eyes, "You should know you may be waiting on him for a few hours."

Meredith started to speak before giving a shocked look, "Seriously? You've been together over a year already!"

Jo shrugged her shoulders and crossed her arms, "So?"

Meredith shook her head in amusement, "I'll make myself comfortable on the couch."

Jo narrowed her eyes questioningly, "I can tell him to call you in the morning. You should go home Dr. Grey."

"I can't, Wilson!" she snapped. Meredith took a moment to gather herself, "I...I just can't go home right now...That's what I need to talk to Alex about. I'll wait."

Jo sighed, "I'm sorry, I didn't know." She shuffled her feet uncomfortably, "Yang left her bed if you want to sleep upstairs. Just no walking in on us in the middle of the night alright?"

Meredith grinned amusedly, "Deal."

She followed Jo up the stairs and crept into the spare room as Jo went to Alex. He was lying on his side asleep when she entered. She sighed in frustration, but was glad he had found enough peace to fall asleep. She crept by the bed to complete her nightly routine, smiling lovingly at him as she passed. Later when she slipped into bed and kissed his cheek he stirred slightly and pulled her close, "Mmmm, I thought we were going to the shower."

Jo laughed slightly as she turned in his embrace to have his chest at her back, "We can wait until tomorrow, get some sleep. Goodnight, Alex."

Alex laid his leg across hers as he kissed her neck, "What did Mer want?"

Jo's eyes jerked open, "What? How did you...?"

"You did your first ETV a couple of months ago," he murmured against her shoulder.

"You keep up with my surgeries?" she asked with a quirked brow as she turned back towards him.

Alex shrugged, "I'm a good listener. Plus, you've never shooed me up the stairs for Edwards visiting. I knew something was up."

Jo sighed as she ran her fingers along his chest, "We just needed to come to a bit of an understanding woman to woman. Get some boundaries set. I needed to show her my thunder. It's all good."

Alex's eyes popped open to assess her, "Oh crap, what did you do?"

"I told her you were about to get laid so she couldn't come in here," Jo explained with an innocent smile.

Alex smirked at her, "Well then." He stood up and reached for her hand to pull her out of the bed as she beamed at him, "Let's hit the shower. Can't make a liar out of you now can we?"