Author's Note: Hey guys, thank you all so much for hanging in there through all this angst! I feel the payoff will be worth it so I hope you stick around even if Alex and Jo stay apart…

Alex tugged at his shirt collar and tried to loosen his tie. He looked over at Meredith and grumbled, "All this for a kid's birthday? Any part of you feel you maybe went a little overboard?"

Meredith looked out over the backyard decorated with strings of white Christmas lights and small tables with candles, "Please. Like if Jessalyn came up and begged you for a princess birthday party you would say no. Don't think that half-assed party you guys threw for her will fly in a few years from now." She cut her eyes back to see him fidgeting restlessly, "Will you calm down? You look fine." She then moved in front of him, "Hold on, your tie needs work."

Alex gave a regretful look at his friend, "Jo's been fixing my ties for the past four years. I'm out of practice."

Meredith gave a sympathetic look, "How are you guys doing?"

Alex shrugged, "Better I think. Over the past week there's been no yelling and no tears so that's an improvement."

Meredith cocked an eyebrow, "Want me to kick her ass?"

Alex gave a lightening smile, "No. She's just going through some stuff."

Meredith put her hands on her hips, "What kind of stuff?"

Alex shook his head, "I can't tell you that. How do I look?"

Meredith eyed him skeptically, "Desperate."

Alex snorted, "Gee, thanks." At that moment he caught sight of a blue ball of taffeta rushing up to them and bent at the waist in an exaggerated formal greeting, "Good evening Princess Zola."

The girl beamed at him, "Uncle Alex, you dressed up!"

His eyes darted up to Meredith, "I was supposed to, right?"

Both Meredith and Zola laughed and the small girl took his hand, "You gotta dance Uncle Alex." She pulled him to the dance floor that Derek and Owen had constructed and began dancing uncoordinatedly to an upbeat song. Alex glared at Meredith, who had walked over to Cristina to point out his predicament. Alex decided to just let go and be silly with the birthday girl, who was smiling brightly at him, happily yelling for him to dance.

After three songs Alex told Zola he needed to rest and limped off with what was left of his dignity to where Meredith and Cristina were, "Your party needs beer."

"Your dance moves need rhythm." Cristina popped off as she took a drink from her punch.

Alex was about to retort when he saw Jessalyn walking towards him in the grass. He walked over to meet her and scooped her up quickly into his arms, the little girl laughing with delight. He pulled back to look at her and wondered how it was possible to miss someone so much. Her hair had curled on its own in the humid air and blew softly in the breeze. She had on a red dress with a white bow on the waist. Alex was taken aback briefly by how she was looking more and more like Jo every day.

He looked around and spotted Jo at a table a few feet away watching him with Jess. He walked over hesitantly, "Mind if I sit?"

Jo shook her head quickly, "Not at all." She leaned over to readjust Jessalyn's headband, "So you found daddy, huh?"

The small girl bounced on Alex's leg happily as he looked up at Jo, "You both look beautiful."

Jo blushed to the point her cheeks almost matched the color of Jess's dress. She self-consciously smoothed her hands over the material of her green dress with black lace overlay, "You don't look so bad yourself."

Alex smiled softly, "So what's new with you?"

Jo leaned her elbows on the table and sighed, "Not much. Still seeing the therapist often. Have those two fellowship interviews coming up and I'm looking at apartments tomorrow."

Alex's eyes shot up to meet hers as he squeaked out, "Apartments?"

Jo smiled sadly, "Yeah. I can't keep bumming off Steph and JK needs her own space."

Alex was about to retort when Meredith announced it was time for the first parent-child dance as Zola pulled Derek to the dance floor. Jo patted his thigh playfully, "Go on."

Alex shook his head, "Nope. They said parent-child, not father-daughter. You go."

Jo narrowed her eyes, "They only did that to be sensitive to Sofia. Jess is attached to you right now, I'll dance with her later." She then nodded towards the other parents and kids with a playful spark in her eyes, "Go before Zola notices you guys are missing."

Alex grudgingly picked up Jess and went to the dance floor with her. She looked around mesmerized by the other dancers and lights as Alex gently swayed in circles with her awkwardly. He felt a rush of relief when the song was over and leaned over to kiss Jess softy on the cheek as he felt someone tap his shoulder, "Can I cut in?"

Alex glanced back over his shoulder to look at Jo sweetly, "Absolutely."

He handed Jess to her and watched in confusion as she turned to set the child down, who quickly took off clumsily chasing Bailey and Ben's daughter. Jo straightened and smiled at Alex, "Care to dance?" When Alex didn't respond Jo explained, "Meredith said Zola was upset that more grownups weren't dancing earlier."

Alex reached for her hesitantly. His hand slowly grazed around the curve of her hip to her back as he relished in the chance to hold her so intimately once more. They swayed in silence for a bit before Alex asked, "Who's watching little miss?"

Jo smiled and held him closer, "Ben said he would."

Alex nodded, satisfied with the answer, "So apartment hunting huh?"

Jo nodded, "Yeah. Apartment hunting."

Alex looked away, "You know we never talked about who should stay at the house. I mean it would make more sense for me to leave, I can crash with Mer..."

Jo looked questioningly at him, "How does that make more sense? It's your house..."

"It's our house," Alex quickly corrected. "At least it was."

Jo smiled sadly at him, "I know. But you're the one who bought it. You were there first. You have more of an attachment to it. Besides it was my decision to leave and I may be moving to another city soon anyway. Plus I couldn't put up with Yang on my own."

Alex quit moving and stared at her incredulously, "Cristina can move out, it's not like she's there much anyway."

Jo tilted her head, "That part was a joke."

Alex gave a self-conscious, "Oh." They slowly swayed for a bit before he ventured again, "What time do you want me to meet you tomorrow?"

Jo gave a confused look, "What's tomorrow?"

"I thought you said you were looking at apartments?"

"Yeah," Jo agreed warily.

"I should come with you. Help you check out the appliances and electrical systems and what not."

Jo smiled but protested, "You don't have to do that."

"I know," he agreed simply. "I want to. It'll make me feel better if I see for myself that you and Jess are somewhere safe."

Jo smiled with a slight blush, "Thanks Alex. I appreciate that."

"Why are you apartment hunting if you may be moving anyway?"

"I'm just signing a month to month lease until I figure out what I'm doing."

Alex nodded, his mouth feeling as if it was full of cotton, and gripped her tighter, "What happens then?"

Jo rested her head on his shoulder, "We'll figure it out. We always do."

"Not anymore," Alex corrected softly.

Jo blinked quickly several times, "We always figure out what's best for Jessalyn. I think we've done a good job with her through all of this."

They swayed in silence for a bit before Alex whispered brokenly, as he voiced his worst fear, "I can't be an absent father, Jo."

She stood up straight to look at him quizzically before her gaze softened, "I know, Alex. I swear you won't be. I couldn't do that to you or to Jess. I promise."

"What happens if..."

Jo placed a finger on his lips, "Shhh. Don't worry, Alex. We'll work it out when the time comes."

He held her closer as she rested her head once again on his shoulder. The closeness of her and the smell of her hair helped calm him, but he couldn't stop the fear in his heart that he was about to be separated not only from Jo, but now Jessalyn as well.