Chapter 25 - . . . Must Come To An End

"You've got to be kidding me," Mark said the next day after the actress made her plea.

"I agree with Sloan on this one," April stated as the starlet looked to her desperately.

"April!" Jo gasped. "You were supposed to help me convince him!"

"It's going to take a hell of a lot of convincing for me to take on Stevens."

"She's changed though!" the brunette begged, sitting in the armchair across from them.

"You've thought that before, Jo," the publicist reminded her gently.

"It's for real this time," the starlet continued. "I'm serious! She's trying everything she can to clean up her image. Izzie even married Denny! You know how they were on again, off again? Now they're rock solid, so no more wild parties or hooking up with random guys. She's a married, serious woman."

Mark and April exchanged a look. "I dunno, kid," the older man sighed.

"Come on, please! You two are the only ones who can turn her career around! After Matthew's project, no one is going to touch her. She needs you! She needs you both!"

The redhead studied her client for a few seconds. "Why are you pushing so hard for her, Jo? She's never done a thing for you."

The brunette sighed heavily. "Denny has a heart condition," she said quietly. "That's why Izzie made that deal with Burke. She needed the money to pay his medical bills. She's trying to recover from that, and she'll never work again based on The Roof. Izzie needs your help."

The two exchanged another look before Mark spoke again. "How do you know this isn't some sob story, Wilson? You're dealing with a professional here."

"I just know."

The manager sighed heavily and ran his hand through his hair. "I can't believe I'm even considering this..."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Jo exclaimed, launching from the chair and throwing her arms around him.

"If we find out she's lying, it's no holds barred," Mark warned.

"That's totally fair," the starlet smiled, hugging her publicist as well. "Thank you so much! This means the world to me!"

Jo left the room feeling on top of the world. Despite having been done wrong by her friend, she was taking the high road and doing something good. Things were mended with Izzie, she and Jackson were breaking things off soon, her career was at its peak, and she was completely, head-over-heels in love with a man named Alex. And best of all, he loved her too.

The only problem with being lifted so high was that the crash back down was inevitable.

Preston Burke held on to his Ace for nearly two weeks. The pap went all out with the images Peckwell provided; he enlarged, sharpened, and enhanced the pictures. There was no mistaking this time-it was in fact Jo Wilson with her bodyguard Alex Karev. The images captured were full frontal shots, so there was no way the two could deny it. Alex's arm was around her shoulders, and she was pressed close to him in an intimate manner. It was the perfect image to destroy the charade.

The guilt ate away at Jason for three days after handing over the pictures before he quit. He prepared two weeks of meals before leaving Hollywood behind, claiming another family emergency that required his constant care. The guilt weighed heavy on him, but the chef also knew that it was only a matter of time before the pictures were released, and Jo's entourage would look to him. He had to be far, far away.

Stephanie was heartbroken. Everything was finally going well for her, and in a split second it was all snatched away. The first night after Jason's departure, the girls went to a private club and drank the night away. The following night, the stylist stayed in her room with sappy movies and icecream. By the third night, she pushed aside the pain and decided to move on. There were more fish in the sea, after all.

The day before the Prime awards, everything hit the fan. It was timed that way.

Jo Cheats On Jackson!

Jo Wilson Caught In The Arms of Her Bodyguard!

Jo Betrays Jackson!

Jackson Shops for A Ring While Jo Cuddles With Bodyguard

Jo Wilson, Caught!

Jackson & Jo Splitsville!

Mark and April tried everything in their power to shut down the rumors, but with such damning evidence, it was an impossible task. Thanks to the modeling shoot with Meredith, everyone knew Alex's face.

"What do you want us to do, kid?" the manager asked as his and April's phone continued to ring.

"Just...just..." the actress panted, pacing the floor of her living room nervously. "Just...stop taking calls for now. Turn your phones off, whatever." Jo was literally sick to her stomach. Never in a million years did she want things to turn out this way! "What happened, Mark?" she whispered, tears filling her eyes.

"I don't know," he sighed heavily. "May-Maybe a pap...discovered your address and planted a camera outside...you know their lenses can reach a couple of miles now..." Mark wished he could fix this! Snap his fingers, go back in time, give up a kidney, whatever it took to fix this! The look on Jo's face broke his heart. Her career, her public image, was gone. Over. It probably wouldn't be long before Derek called to cut her from the show. "I'm going to fix this, I promise," he vowed before leaving the room, phone in hand.

"Is there anything I can do?" Alex spoke up from his spot on the couch. "Give a statement or something saying it was a private shoot to show off your house?"

April smiled fondly at her long-time friend. He'd really learned a lot since joining the business. "It's a great idea, but..."

"The media will know it for what it is," Jo finished sadly. "They'll know it's a smoke and mirrors trick to hide the truth. We've already pulled that off with the other pictures... It won't work again. But thank you."

"There's got to be something!" the bodyguard exclaimed. "Say we were practicing a Scalpel scene or something! Anything!"

"It's over," the publicist shook her head. "Jackson's here," she announced after her phone dinged.

Seconds later, the Scalpel actor entered the mansion, hugging his girlfriend and giving her a quick kiss before turning his attention to his costar. "I'll take the wrap for this, Jo," he promised, squatting in front of her as she hung her head. "I'll release a statement that we've been broken up a for a few weeks, okay? I broke things off with you because I met someone else..."

"No, don't," the starlet shook her head, meeting his sympathetic gaze. "You shouldn't take the fall for this, Jackson. I appreciate it, but...it's my fault. I let my guard down, and someone got to me."

"This is bullshit!" Alex exclaimed, standing and pacing angrily. "Why isn't anyone concerned that someone invaded your freaking privacy?! It's clear that those pictures weren't staged...it was a real moment...a private moment..."

"None of that matters to the media," Jackson stated simply. "Someone sold those pictures to a magazine that is now flying off the newsstands. They're making money while everyone has something new to talk about. It's a win win."

"Not for Jo!" the bodyguard snapped angrily.

"No one cares about that," the actress sighed. "It's a scandal, and everyone loves scandal."

"Burke is behind this!" Mark announced angrily as he stormed back into the living room.

"Preston?" Jo asked. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure, he just called to gloat!" the manager roared as he flung his phone across the room. "Peckwell was a plant! He was a freaking plant from Burke! Peckwell was supposed to get to you through Scalpel, but after the thing with Henry..."

"Do you think Henry is in on it too?" April spoke up.

"He claims he isn't," the older man snapped. After taking several deep breaths, Mark continued, "Peckwell was assigned to get close to you, through any means necessary. He took the picture and gave it to Burke."

"What about Stephanie?" the actress gasped.

Mark shrugged. "She was a means to an end. He used her to get access to you."

Jo hung her head. "Poor Stephanie," she whispered, her voice catching. "It's my fault, it's all my fault!"

Alex crossed the distance, pushing Jackson out of the way as he gathered the woman he loved in his arms. "It's not your fault," he soothed as he rubbed her back and she cried into his chest. "This is Burke's fault. And Jason's. This is not your fault."

The sobs slowly subsided as he rocked her gently. "Please don't tell her," Jo whispered, looking around the room. "Don't tell her what he did to her."

"You have our word," April promised.

"It's Derek," the manager announced seconds later as his phone blared. "Kepner, your help with this one?" The two left the room to conference call with the furious director.

"This was perfectly planned," Jo said quietly, looking between Alex and Jackson. "Burke had those pictures for a week or more...he purposely chose now. The day before the Prime awards..."

"He knows you have to appear at the awards tomorrow," Jackson agreed with a solemn nod.

Alex looked between the two. "Will this affect the awards?"

"No, the votes are already in," the prettyboy answered. "We're up for best couple, and if we win..."

"It's a total sham," the actress finished. "Another chance for the media to go nuts."

"Not necessarily," Jackson mused. "I have an idea..."

The actor's plan was flawless-the following night, if he and Jo won favorite couple, Jackson would reveal that he was the one who took the pictures and released them to the paparazzi. He would then confess to having dumped his costar weeks earlier because he had fallen in love with someone else. The two couldn't publically announce their split due to their Scalpel contracts, so he leaked the images to get everything out in the open. Jo was not cheating on him-she was simply becoming involved with another after being dumped. Jackson would then work his charm to convince the media that he realized it was a stupid move, he was very very sorry, and please don't blame Jo for his mistakes. Even if Preston contested his statements, no one would believe the pap over a beloved actor.

Jo agreed to the plan, but the actress had a plan of her own.

The following night at the Prime awards, the Scalpel stars met on the red carpet with Alex in tow. Jackson held Jo's hand and fended off the reporters with their assault of questions. The media went for the bodyguard next, but he ignored them completely. It wasn't possible to twist silence into something completely different.

Whispers filled the theatre as the two joined the rest of the cast. How could Jo show her face here tonight? Poor Jackson, he must be so heart broken! How can he hold her hand after she cheated on him?

The chatter continued as Scalpel won favorite drama, and Jo Wilson won favorite female character. The starlet kept her speech short and sweet, not that anyone was listening to her anyway.

"You ready?" Jackson whispered, squeezing her hand as the favorite couple nominees were announced.

"More than you know."

"And the winner of favorite couple," Arizona said into the microphone as she opened the envelope, "is...Camilla and Jesse, Jo and Jackson!"

A moment of silence moved through the theatre before the polite applause.

The actress felt the glares as she and her costar moved to the stage to accept the award.

"Good luck," Arizona whispered as she hugged them both before stepping aside.

"Thank you to everyone who voted for us," Jackson began boldly as he faced the firing squad of reporters, actors, and directors. "I don't want to disregard this award, but there are a few things that need to be set straight, and this is the only chance I have to clear the air. Jo and I..."

Jo reached out, putting her hand on his shoulder. Jackson looked over to her, reading her eyes. It was clear to him that she didn't want him taking the wrap for this. His eyes asked if she was sure before he stepped back, motioning for her to take the mic. "Jackson is a wonderful man," the starlet began, facing the whispering room. "He's so wonderful that he worked up this whole speech...a speech that was a lie." A murmur filled the room, but the woman refused to let it scare her. "Jackson and I are no longer seeing one another. We broke up weeks ago, long before those pictures were released."

The actress trembled slightly as cameras began to flash. "Jackson and I have kept up a public relationship because...because we know how things work. In our lives, in Hollywood, all that matters is who you're dating, who you're screwing, or how big your waist is. God forbid you have any actual talent! Real talent is overlooked because someone chooses to date their limo driver. It's ridiculous, and I'm tired of it!" The words flowed from her freely now. "Hollywood has it all messed up! We're so concerned about who's dating who, who's cheating on who, and there are real issues out there! We have a chance to change the freaking world, and we're ruining it because of stupid, unimportant stuff! We're worried about scandal while there are are children, amazing children, dying with cancer. We could change that! But instead, we're focused on the wrong thing. I was caught with another guy, so what! Is that really news worthy?!"

Jackson cleared his throat, reigning her in.

Jo glanced to her costar. "Thank you for everything you've done for me, Jackson. I treasure your friendship more than you'll ever know." The starlet faced the audience. "Thank you to the creators of Scalpel and Camilla Williams. Playing this wonderful character has been such an amazing experience. I will never, ever forget it." Her eyes moved to her entourage. "I extend my deepest thanks to Lexie, Stephanie, April, and Mark. You have been my family, my rocks, and I love you all with every fiber of my being. To the fans...there are no words to express my gratitude. You are all amazing, and I wouldn't be standing her today if it weren't for you."

April leaned over to Mark. "What is she doing?!"

"Isn't it obvious?" the manager asked softly. "She's saying goodbye."

"Is that all of it?" the brunette asked a week later as she stuffed the bags into the back of the black car.

"Yeah, I think that's it," Alex replied as he ran through a packing list on his phone. "We can go now. You ready?"

In one week, Jo Wilson's world had completely changed. The night of the Prime awards, she withdrew from Hollywood. That spontaneous, heart felt speech was her goodbye to the world of the rich and the shallow. The starlet did not renew her contract with Scalpel, but she would film three episodes of the new season to write out her character. After that last obligation, she was done with Hollywood.

The brunette took a third of her earnings to start a new life. The rest was given to charities, cancer research, and children's hospitals. A hefty bonus was also given to each member of her entourage.

Izzie Stevens would be the new face of Scalpel. Out with the old, and in with the new. The carousel never stops turning.

Jo closed the back passenger door of the car and turned slowly, looking over the place she'd called home for the past few weeks. "I have to say goodbye..."

Alex nodded before getting into the driver's seat.

Saying goodbye to Lexie, Stephanie, and April was one tear-filled mess.

Saying goodbye to Mark...that was the one that nearly did her in.

"You two be careful out there," the manager said quietly, looking to the ground. "Just because you've left Hollywood behind doesn't mean that the world doesn't know who you are."

"Yeah, I know," the brunette replied just as quietly. "So, umm, any plans this week?"

"Gotta get Izzie's image rolling," Mark answered, looking at her finally. "She's going to be more work than you were..."

"That's saying a lot, huh?" Jo murmured as a tear touched the corner of his eye. "Oh, Mark," she sobbed, throwing herself against him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. "I'm going to miss you so much!"

"I'm going to miss you too, kid," he said into her hair, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment. "Just promise to visit, okay?"

"I will, you know I will." Jo held on to him for the longest-once she let him go, everything she'd ever known was over. It was hard to imagine doing something without him there. Going somewhere without Mark at her side. "I love you."

"I love you too." The words nearly broke him as he squeezed her close. "Hey, one last picture?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

After snapping a selfie with Mark, the brunette was bombarded by her entourage, each one asking for one last picture as well.

Just as the manager predicted. The older man moved to the car and tapped on the window. "Out of the car, Karev," he ordered when the former bodyguard rolled down the window.

"What now?" Alex complained, moving from the vehicle and facing the man. "We don't live by your rules anymore, Sloan. So whatever you're going to say, save it."

"Take care of her," Mark ignored him.

"You know I will."

"Yeah, I know." After glancing to Jo, the manager extended his hand.

Alex stared for a moment before taking his hand. "We'll keep in touch." After everything they'd been through...this was Mark's way of approving of him. Finally, Alex had managed to earn of the respect, and the blessing, of Mark Sloan.

"Go on, get out of here," the older man said as his former client hugged him again. "Traffic is a bitch this time of day." He placed a kiss to the top of her head.

Jo gave him one last hug before finally pulling away and moving towards the passenger side. "Hey, Sloan," she called, turning back.

"Yeah, kid?"

The brunette dug in the pocket of her jeans, pulling out the house keys, and tossing them to him. "You and Lexie take care of the place."

Mark caught the keys, a single tear trickling down his cheek. "Will do."

The entourage waved and yelled goodbye as the car pulled away from the house, leaving them behind.

Jo took a slow, deep breath. This was it-this was her chance to pursue the simple life she'd always wanted. No more demanding schedules, shoots, or interviews. No more living by someone else's rules. No more paparazzi; no more media. It was finally time to live her life. With the man she loved. "So, where are we headed?" she asked quietly, looking over to him.

Alex took her hand and squeezed gently. "Anywhere you want, Wilson. You're free."

A/N - Thank you all for reading this almost 2 year long story! It means the world to me that so many of you have read and reviewed every chapter, even when the story took a 5 month pause! I'm so glad you gave this AU a chance-thank you! :)

I know some hate to see this world end, but don't be sad-I have a surprise coming soon that I think you'll enjoy! xoxo