Sorry for the late update! Thank you to everyone who reviews. Love reading them. Hope you enjoy.

The three ran down the trail scanning the area for any sight of Alex. Cristina led the way barking at Meredith and Jo to keep up.

Meredith saw Alex first, lying on the side of the trail, flat on his back.

"Oh my God! He's dead!" she screamed overtaking Cristina to get to her friend first. Jo dropped back a little, too terrified to see what was awaiting them.

"Huh?" asked Alex popping his head up at the commotion. Jason was also flat on his back breathing heavily.

"Alex! Are you okay? What did he do?" demanded Meredith touching his body, feeling for anything broken, lifting his shirt.

"Jesus, Mer! Stop! I'm fine. We're fine. We thought about fighting but we couldn't do it."

"Oh my God! You seriously came out here to fight. Really? Really? What is wrong with you?" Meredith had tears streaming down her face and couldn't explain why. Relief. Anger. Too many emotions pouring out in the form of those tears.

Alex propped himself up to sitting, glad that Dr. Douche wasn't feeling as good as he looked. Jogging down that trail my ass, he thought, crooked grin on his face.

"Dumb ass!" Cristina yelled smacking Karev across the back of his head. "You want to throw some of my best work away? Dumb ass!" she repeated, smacking him again.

"Ow!" Alex snapped rubbing his head. "You can't beat up girls."

"She sent me to the hospital! I almost died!" Jason said from where he was lying.

"You started it," stated Alex like a five year old.

"Both of you, stop!" Jo was in between the two. She turned toward Myers, "Jason, I never meant for you to end up in the hospital. You have to believe that." Her eyes were full, tears threatening to erupt.

"And Alex. Why did you come here? I didn't want that. I don't want you hurt."

She was sobbing now with Alex and Jason trying to get up. Meredith made it there first, putting her arms around the intern, joining her in the cry fest.

"Ssshh, it's okay. Every - everyone's o-okay," she croaked out, her own sobs drowning out her words.

"Ladies. Cut the crap! I'm fine! Everything is fine! Chest, err, I mean Jason isn't pressin' charges." Alex was trying to get up, not succeeding. Cristina came over and pulled him up roughly, smacking him on the back of the head again.

"Ow!" yelped Alex.

"Don't be a pansy! Look what you've done to these two. It's one thing if you don't give a crap about yourself...you put crap food in your body, don't exercise, well, except for in the bedroom. But look what you've done to these two blubbering idiots. Jesus, Karev." Cristina was checking him over the whole time she reprimanded him, feeling up and down his body, lifting his shirt.

"Get your hands off me," protested Alex swatting her away. He went to the two crying women and wrapped his arms around them.

"I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry. It was stupid. I'm stupid. Don't cry, okay? Please, just stop the damn crying."

Jason was up now too, standing awkwardly to the side.

Jo broke away from Meredith and Alex and walked slowly to him.

"Can we talk?" she asked Jason with the most innocent, sweet look on her face.

"Wilson, get back over here!" Alex let go of Meredith and walked toward Jo.

"No. I need to do this. You don't need to be in this!" Jo pulled away.

"I am in this princess. I'm in it."

"Let me take care of this. Please, Alex. Wait for me down the trail," Jo pleased.

"No way in hell am I leaving you with this douche bag!" Alex was ready to attempt another wrestling move on his younger adversary.

"I'm not gonna touch her, asshole," Jason muttered from the side feeling like no one even knew he was there. "We need to talk."

"Alex, let's wait over there. We'll be able to see everything. She'll be fine," Meredith whispered holding Alex's arm, pulling him lightly.

"Jason's the one who should be scared," mumbled Cristina.

"Shut up!" yelled Meredith and Alex at the same time.

Jo and Jason talked for a bit, Myers smiling a little at one point. They hugged briefly before Jo headed back to the waiting friends.

"A hug? Really? A goddamn hug?" Alex was furious and looking at Jo with the eyes of someone betrayed.

"We'll talk about this when we get back to Meredith's." Jo reached for his hand, but he pulled back.

The car ride was complete silence. At home, the fighting pair went back to Alex's room. The yelling could be heard all the way in the kitchen. Jo stormed out, slamming the door.

Alex tore into the kitchen slamming everything around, ripping through the fridge, complaining about there not being anything to eat.

"Alex," said Meredith softly. "Jo loves you. She'll be back."

"Whatever," he replied still looking in the fridge.

"Don't act like you don't care. That's not you Alex," Meredith pressed.

"Don't, Mer. Just don't," said Alex shaking his head, grabbing a yogurt and heading back to his room.

Alex came back out around ten that night. Meredith and Cristina were watching a movie, eating popcorn, box of Kleenex in between them.

"Jesus, are you two watching the damn Notebook again? Why do you watch that movie over and over?"

"Shut up!" they snapped.

"I'm just makin' sure you weren't supposed to pick up Zo, that you didn't forget your daughter at Bailey's."

"No! She's spending the night. Come join us." Meredith moved over to leave a little space in between the two women. She reached out her arm signaling Alex to squeeze in. He sighed loudly in protest but ended up wedging in.

By the end of the movie, all three had gone through their share of Kleenex.

"Someone's vibrating," Cristina said going for her phone. "Not me."

"It's probably Wilson," said Alex slowly rising. "Hmmm, weird. Area code is my hometown in Iowa. They left a message," he said dialing his voicemail.

"Crap! Shit! My crazy brother tried to kill a nurse. They're kickin' him out. Crap. I'm gonna have to go to Iowa and find a new place for him. I don't need this right now!" Alex was looking at Meredith, his eyes saying so much more. Meredith knew about it all. She pulled him into a tight hug, rubbing his back.

"It's okay, Alex. It's going to be okay."

Alex buried his head on Meredith's shoulder. He didn't think he could take one more thing, not one more thing.

Meredith booked his flight asking Cristina about a hundred times if he was up to going. She'd called Jo to let her know what had happened. Wilson insisted on going with Alex and all was temporarily forgotten or put on hold. Jason decided not to press charges and was rewarded by being allowed to keep his job.

The day before the flight to Iowa, Jo showed up flustered and upset.

"Webber said I shouldn't take off right now. He said it wouldn't 'bode well' for my internship. He said I needed to 'dial down' the drama." Jo could see the disappointment in Alex's eyes.

"It's okay. It's my crappy family. I'll take care of it. It's fine." Alex wasn't fine. He thought of his sister, Amber trying to deal with it all. He saw the look she would have in her eyes...disappointment, hope. He knew he could never live up to that hope. A hope for a real brother who wouldn't rush in only to sweep back out again.

Alex didn't mention anything to Meredith or Cristina. They didn't need to be worrying about his problems. They'd already done so much. He took a cab to the airport refusing Meredith's offer to drive. "Meeting Jo at the airport," he'd lied.

He settled in on the plane trying to get comfortable. Maybe I can sleep a little, he thought. Sleep had evaded him the past couple of nights. Visions of Aaron trying to take out a nurse ruled his thoughts once his head hit the pillow. Damn, schizo, he thought with his eyes closed.

"Excuse me, sir. Is this seat taken?"

Alex smiled keeping his eyes shut.

"Sit your ass down, Grey," he said crooked grin spreading widely across his face.

Meredith is kind of the best friend anyone could have. You knew she was going to be there for Alex. Let me know what you think.