This fic will most likely end after Christmas Day in the story, at least that's the plan at the moment. I'm sure I'll make this fic a series because I have some ideas but first we have to get through the father thing and the Christmas thing. Thanks for reading.

Chapter Eleven

Alex woke up the day before Christmas Eve, cuddling with Izzie on the couch. He couldn't, for the life of him, figure out how she got there because he specifically remembered putting her into her own bed the night before. He heard clanking in the kitchen. He took extra care in getting off the couch and headed to the kitchen. Everyone looked at him when he came in and smiled (except Cristina).

Shepard was cooking, Mer standing close to him. Lexie, George, and Cristina all crowded around the island. "What," he said, to the people staring at him before pouring himself a cup of coffee. "Does no one have to work today? Get going, we're going to be late."

Pouring two more cups, Alex gathered the three mugs and left the kitchen, much to the amusement of its inhabitants. He left a cup of coffee on the table by the couch before running upstairs to get ready for work and check on Gwen. He was excited she was going to be around for Christmas. Last year they had mailed their gifts to each other and she had called him late in the day. This year they could celebrate together. He'd talk to Izzie about it later; he was planning on making it the best Christmas ever.

"Where the Hell am I," Gwen asked, groggily as Alex placed a mug on the nightstand.

"My room," Alex said, causing her to jump in surprise. "Calm down, already," he said. "I have to get ready for work."

"You have to work," she asked, "again?"

"Some people work everyday," Alex responded, digging in his closet for some clean scrubs.

"Yes, but I'm in town," she said, snuggling up in the covers and ignoring the coffee. "Do you have to work everyday?"

"Some of us don't have the luxury of being able to work wherever we go," he told her. "Are you planning on coming in to the hospital today, again?"

"I have some shopping to do," she said. "Did you get any of your friends anything?"

Alex just looked at her.

"You suck," she said, sitting up. "Before you leave write down everyone you want to buy for and I'll pick something up."

"I don't want to buy for anyone," Alex said.

Gwen sighed. "I'll ask someone else then. I don't remember what happened last night. Is Izzie okay? Did Nikkos ever show up?"

"What's the last thing you remember," he smirked.

"You," she said, "singing."

Alex groaned. "Izzie's fine," he said, "she's on the couch. And, no, Nikkos didn't show."

"You left her on the couch," Gwen said, disapprovingly.

"No," he said, "I put her in her bed and I slept on the couch. When I woke up. . ."

Gwen grinned.

"What?"

"Nothing at all," Gwen said. "Is Izzie off today?" Gwen crawled out of the bed and grabbed the cup of coffee before leaving the room and heading downstairs. Alex shook his head, grabbed a pair of scrubs, and went downstairs to see who was heading to work.

ALEXALEXALEX

Nikkos met him in the lobby. "It's my last day, Dr. Karev," Nikkos said, "would you like to assist me with a triple by-pass."

"Yeah, that would be fine," Alex said and then went to the locker room to change and track down his interns.

"Karev," Cristina said, storming into the locker room. "Rowan is dating your sister," she said.

"And?"

"And? And? Put in a good word for me and get me on a surgery. I need a Cardio surgery."

"Want a triple by-pass," he asked her.

"Yes," she said, without hesitation.

"What do you got," Alex asked.

"The Chief has a surgery he's requested me for," she said. "Meredith thinks he's watching over me like he watches over her because Burke left."

Alex shrugged. "If it's okay with him, it's okay with me." Cristina nodded and ran off.

ALEXALEXALEX

"It's amazing how drinking brings people together," Izzie said as she and Gwen entered the mall.

"Oh? How is that?"

"Well, a couple of days ago we didn't even like each other. . ."

Gwen laughed. "You were kind of rude," Gwen said, apologetically. "I wasn't impressed."

"I was having a bad day," Izzie said. "It had nothing to do with you . . . or Alex."

"You really like my brother, don't you," Gwen asked as they picked a store to start in.

"I, uh, well . . ."

Gwen laughed, again. "It's okay. I get the impression he really likes you, too." Izzie smiled. "Alright, so what should Alex buy Derek?"

ALEXALEXALEX

"You traded," Nikkos said when he found Alex later in the day in the tunnels.

"Yeah, Yang needed a cardio surgery," Alex said, flipping the page of his sister's latest book. (Meredith had loaned it to him).

"I asked you to scrub in for a reason," Nikkos said.

"Listen," Alex said, putting the book down, "if it's not Plastics or Neo-natal, I have to admit, I'm not interested. A surgery is a surgery when you're near the bottom of the totem pole, but I've had some excellent teachers . . . and I'm not interested in learning from you."

"This isn't about you, Alex," Nikkos said, "this is about your sister." Nikkos sat down across from him in a spare wheelchair. "I'm moving to Texas," he said, after a while.

"Why?"

"An old teacher of mine is planning on retiring in a year or two and he wants me to take his place as Chief of Surgery," Nikkos explained. "I don't think that Gwen will want to go."

"She loves you," Alex said hesitantly. "She'll go." He wasn't sure what was going on, but he was certain he wasn't going to like it.

"I think maybe I don't want Gwen to want to go," Nikkos said. "I'm going to be busy, being in a new hospital and a new town. I'm not going to have nearly as much time for her. It would be cruel to put her through that."

Alex stared at the man his sister loved and contemplated several horrible deaths that could pass as accidents.

"She has her writing to keep her busy," Alex said. "She'll make new friends. She loves you, Dude. She thinks you're going to propose." Alex had never been one to lie, so he figured he should be honest with the guy even if he currently hated his guts. "It's the day before Christmas Eve," Alex said, sliding off the gurney. "You ruin Christmas for her and they won't find a body part big enough to bury." Alex's beeper went off. It was from Meredith. Edward Karev, it said, 911.