Author's Notes: Hey guys, thanks for staying with me even though Alex & Jo remain apart. I appreciate you all!

Alex felt like a middle schooler waiting anxiously for his date at a school dance to show up. He paced mindlessly feeling more and more with each passing second like an idiot. He had decided to meet Jo at the airport to fly with her to her next interview as part of a grand gesture to win her back.

But now she hadn't shown and he was getting anxious. Had she cancelled the interview and not told him? Rescheduled it? Changed her flight? He was an idiot, he had already checked his luggage so it would be going to Baltimore regardless of what happened. He laughed silently to himself as he decided he needed a vacation from Seattle anyway. Maybe he was going insane.

"Alex?" He turned quickly to see the object of his thoughts about ten yards away. She rushed over to him, extreme anxiety marring her features, "Alex, why are you here? What's wrong with Jess?"

Alex shook his head quickly to reassure her, "Nothing, she's fine. Yang has her."

Jo started to speak, but stopped and stepped back marginally, "How can you say nothing's wrong when you left her with Yang? Yang?"

Alex grinned and shrugged his shoulders, "Mer is supervising. I just thought Jess would do better in her own bed."

Jo narrowed her eyes, "Wait, why are you here?"

"We planned this weeks ago," Alex tried to sound nonchalant, but inwardly he was terrified of how she was about to react.

Jo cocked an eyebrow, "The trip we planned before we broke up? You're here to go on the trip we planned before we broke up?"

Alex shifted nervously on his feet, "Well when you put it that way..."

Jo smiled slightly, "You realize that if I go missing on this trip the cops are gonna ask all kinds of questions."

Alex smirked, "I'll work on my explanations on the plane."

He started to walk towards the gate as Jo rushed to catch up to him, "Alex, wait!"

He stopped and turned to look at her, "Yeah?"

She looked somewhat lost and conflicted. Her eyes darted about the room before looking at him questioningly, "Why?"

He narrowed his eyes in confusion, "Why what?"

"Why are you doing this for me?"

Alex nodded and looked down, "You want to be friends right? Isn't that what you said?"

Jo crossed her arms, "Yeah."

Alex gazed softly into her eyes, "You need a friend right now."

Jo let out a small gasp at his sincerity and stepped back marginally, "I'm just going for an interview, Alex. I can manage that on my own."

Alex tilted his head, "Uh huh. Look me in the eye and tell me you aren't going to go tripping off looking for information about your mother."

Jo's eyes widened, "How did you know?"

Alex took a step towards her, "I know you, remember? I know how you think. You don't need to go through this alone, Jo."

She shook her head and backed up, "And you don't need to be drug into this, Alex. When I broke up with you it freed you from having to deal with all of this nonsense."

Alex nodded, "It did. And yet here I am. So what does that tell you?" He paused for a second letting her chew on that a bit before continuing. "Look Jo, I told you I can't be a long-distance father and I promised I would go wherever you found a fellowship. That hasn't changed, alright? Wherever you go, I'm gonna be following anyway so I might as well get a feel for the city I may be moving to as we run around trying to track down a damn ghost."

Jo was silent for a bit as Alex stood by nervously realizing how that tirade probably did not help his case. Jo lip quivered as she tried to hold back a smile, "So Stalker, did you book a hotel room or are you planning to crash with me too?"

Alex stuttered as he tried to come up with a response, "I haven't got a hotel room, but I will. I promise this isn't as creepy as its coming out."

Jo smirked at him, "If it was anyone else I'd be screaming for help right about now." She averted her eyes for a second before looking at him sincerely, "Thank you, Alex."

He turned to walk to the gate with her right behind him, "So what's the plan?"

"Plan?"

He turned back to her as they stood in line, "For looking for your mother?"

"What plan can I have? All I know is a name and address. I'm just planning to go to that address and see what's there."

Alex furrowed his brow, "You didn't google it?"

Jo nodded, "I tried, but something always stopped me. I don't know, I just couldn't do it."

Alex nodded, "Okay."

They stood in silence for a bit before Jo ventured timidly, "So how have you been?"

He looked back at her and tilted his head slightly in thought, "Better, I think. I'm finally sleeping okay. You?"

Jo nodded quickly and looked at the floor as they inched up in the line, "Yeah. I'm figuring it out." They were silent for a bit before Jo looked up, "So how's the dating scene going?"

Alex looked at her dumbstruck, "What?"

Jo nudged his arm with her shoulder, "Come on, I know you have to have been out by now. How was it?"

Alex shook his head, "I can't imagine going on a date right now."

Jo looked up innocently, "One night stand then?"

Alex looked at her in disgust, "What? No! The thought of being with anyone besides you trips me out."

Jo rolled her eyes, "You need to get out there Alex, have some fun."

Alex sighed in agitation, "I'm not ready for that."

Jo nodded, "Okay then, a casual date. Have you talked to that Ginger woman?"

"Yes, many times. She's helping us develop a better system for coordinating supply delivery to the clinics."

Jo nodded approvingly, "Great! Ask her to lunch."

Alex gave her a bewildered look, "Are you on drugs?"

Jo rolled her eyes, "Come on Alex, she seems great. She's beautiful, obviously smart, you enjoyed her company, she seemed to like kids...what's not to like? Do you want me to talk to her? Put in a good word for you?"

Alex watched her wordlessly before asking in anguish, "What are you trying to do to me?"

Jo gave a confused look, "I'm trying to help you move on and be happy. That's what I want for you. I want you to find someone great and she's...she seems great. You should get out there again, Alex."

Alex gave a look that was a mix of regret and appreciation. He hesitated briefly before timidly asking a question he knew he wasn't ready for her to answer, "Have you? Been out there?"

She laughed lightly, "Steph keeps taking me out trying to get me to hook up with somebody. It never works out though."

Alex frowned, feeling instantly protective, "Why not?"

She gave a sweet smile, "My bar is just set too high now thanks to you."

Alex gave her a challenging look, "And what makes you think mine isn't?"

Jo looked at him stunned, "So we both need to learn how to slum it I guess."

Alex gave a slight grin, "So wanna hit up a bar tonight? Help each other on our pickup lines?"

Jo stepped back and furrowed her brow in confusion, "Wouldn't that be weird?"

Alex rolled his eyes, "That's my point. This whole conversation is weird. You offering to talk me up to another woman is weird. You encouraging me to have a one night stand? Freakin' weird."

Jo giggled as she handed her boarding pass to the waiting attendant, "Okay, okay point taken. You can figure out dating on your own."

Alex sighed in relief, "Thank you."

She looked back and whispered conspiratorially, "But that attendant over there is smoking hot and there's nothing wrong with the mile high club." At Alex's look of disbelief she shrugged, "Okay, fine. I'm done, figure it out on your own."

As she walked further down the jetway he desperately hoped their seats were not close to each other.