Hi guys! Special thanks to everyone who's been reading! You guys are incredible. I love this story so much and it's really take on a life of its own. This chapter has a couple surprise characters so be on the lookout for that.

Also, I apologize in advance for any typos. I wrote this chapter on my phone so there may be a few errors.

Happy Reading!

Throughout the next five days, Jo continued to recuperate. With Alex gone taking care of his kids and preparing stuff for Izzie's funeral, Jo was finally able to speak to Addison Montgomery and find out the status of her baby. She was relieved that the baby was okay, but listened attentively as she was told that she needed to be in bed rest for the next three weeks. It was frustrating, but she had just had multiple major surgeries and very nearly lost her baby. If anything, it was a miracle that she only needed four weeks to recover. Then she could come back to work with a lighter load and do that until her thirty-eighth week, when Bailey decided for safety reasons, that she should go back on bed rest to prevent placental abruption.

She didn't mind the extra alone time. If anything, it showed just how many people loved and cared for her. Her room was constantly abuzz with visitors. Most of the time it was Meredith, Link, or Bailey, but Amelia sat with her during her breaks, Maggie brought her brownies since she was finally allowed to eat solid foods, Jackson brought Harriet by to say hello, Cristina Yang called her over the phone asking if she wanted her to come kick Alex's ass, Webber came in and told her cool surgery stories, Arizona and Callie FaceTimed her, immediately discovering her pregnancy without Jo having to say a word, the residents got together and made a care package for her, even April dropped by the hospital to see how she was doing. It was endearing when she thought about it. Everyone had rallied around her.

In the last five days, Jo had a lot of time to think about what it was she wanted to say to him. She thought about her feelings. She thought about her fears. She thought about the life inside her and the two kids that were currently running around the loft. She knew Alex was going to keep them. There was no way he wasn't going to keep them. With just the short amount of time that she had known about their existence, even she could see how much he loved them. She wanted him to keep them. She wanted him to be their dad. They couldn't have asked for a better father.

The problem wasn't the kids, so to speak. The problem was that she didn't know where she fit into the equation. She was the wife, but not their mother. She didn't have much experience when it came to families in the first place. Add in some step kids with dead mommies that she didn't know existed and that really was all kinds of complicated that she didn't know how to handle. Not to mention her own baby. She was scared that her baby would come and she would love them more than Eli and Alexis. She was scared of becoming the evil stepmother that preferred her own kids over her step children, and caused them to become bitter and feel as though they were less than.

But then there was the question if Alex even wanted her to be a part of their lives. I mean, he left his freaking wedding ring in the night stand. They still hadn't spoken about it and in the short moments that he had stopped in to check on her, he hadn't been wearing it. She wasn't sure what that meant. Those rings had become such significant extensions of the two of them, that she couldn't fathom taking them off for more than a few hours. But Alex hadn't worn his in over a month. Did he feel guilty for leaving? Did he sleep with Izzie while she was dying? Did he want her to be a mother figure in his kids lives? She had no clue. She had so many questions but never a moment to ask them. She hadn't even met the kids yet. Everyone in the hospital had met them, but she had yet to see their faces. Meredith had shown her a couple pictures. They were cute and she could see parts of Alex in both of them. But he hadn't brought them in to meet her. She wasn't even sure if he told them who she was.

She heard some commotion by the door and looked up to see what was going on. She saw Meredith, Bailey, and Richard walk in. Dr. Webber smiled as he neared the bed, "Karev. How are you feeling? How's the baby doing?"

"I'm feel a lot better and the baby is doing great, thanks... Wait, how did you find out about the baby?"

Dr. Bailey chuckled, "Honey, the entire hospital knows you're pregnant. Addison Montgomery performed surgery on you three days ago. The only one who doesn't know is your husband."

"Yeah... I hate to break it to you Karev, but you're starting to show. You better tell him quickly." Webber stated.

"Well I was going to, but then he showed up from the middle of nowhere Kansas with twins and a dead ex-wife so it kind of put a pin in those plans."

Meredith laughed, "Well, you're going to have to tell him soon because there's only so much the blankets can do to cover a bump. And Addison is still around monitoring your progress. She may have to take you back up for another intrauterine transfusion if the baby's heart rate doesn't increase to normal levels soon."

Jo waved her hand dismissively, "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. But either way, it's not like Alex has been here. I haven't seen or really spoken to him much in the past five days. He's got bigger problems to worry about. Sure, I have a bump but it's really small. I can hide it if necessary. I doubt he's going to show up and realize that Dr. Montgomery is performing surgery and I'm the patient. I can worry about this baby and myself just fine. Now tell me, how was the funeral?"

Bailey sighed, "It was beautiful service. Alex did a great job planning it and getting people to attend. Izzie was Catholic so there was a priest. She got laid to rest right next to her mother and promised the kids that they would come visit a few times a year. He also asked me to map their genes as well as his own. He wants to know if they are genetically predisposed to cancer, since both their mother and grandmother died of it."

Jo face turned downcast, "I can't imagine what he's feeling. It's like every bad and messy thing that you watch on those cheesy cable movies happened to us in the past month and a half."

"Oh you'll get through it," Webber encouraged. "You Karev's are a tough bunch. And I'm not just talking about you and Alex. Those kids and the one you've got on the way are sure to be just as tough as their parents."

A nurse walked into the room, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but Dr. Karev you have some visitors. I just wanted to make sure it was okay to send them in."

"Yeah that's fine," she scrunched her face in confusion. "Who's here? Basically everyone I know is a doctor in this hospital."

Meredith shrugged, "I don't know."

They waited as the nurse returned with the said visitors. As they finally came into view, Jo gasped in shock, "Helen? Amber? What are you doing here?"

"Jo! Thank goodness you're okay," before she knew it, she had been enveloped into a tight hug by her mother-in-law. "I saw you on the news. I was so worried and couldn't get any information so I called Amber while I was on the bus and asked her to come with me to see you."

"Oh you didn't have to do that, really. I'm okay," she assured.

"Of course I have to," Helen fretted. "You are family, Jo. You're a Karev so that means that you are stuck with us. No matter how crazy we may be."

If you asked her later, she'd say the tears were a result of the hormones. She cleared her throat, "Thank you, Helen."

Amber who had been standing in the corner watching the scene finally came up to the bed, "Hi Jo. It's nice to finally meet you in person. I've got to say, I did not think we'd meet like this."

"Me neither," Jo agreed. "Does Alex know you're here?"

"Does Alex know you're pregnant?" Helen questioned.

"Well, I think that's our cue to leave," Meredith announced, an amused expression on her face as she ushered Bailey and Webber—who desperately wanted to stay and hear this conversation—out of the room.

"What—How... how did you...?" Jo stammered.

"I suspected something when I saw the video," Helen admitted. "But i wasn't sure until I saw you in person and hugged you. You have a bump!"

Jo rubbed a hand over her face and couldn't help but laugh, "Yeah. I have a bump. And to answer your question... no Alex doesn't know."

"You didn't tell him," Amber asked.

"Well he hasn't exactly been around to find out," she mumbled.

"He hasn't been here?" Helen looked concerned. "Did he ever return your calls? Did he come back?"

"Yes he's back, don't worry. He's okay," Jo answered. "He was with me the first two days, but things... happened and he had to leave. You should really call him."

Amber frowned, "I know we don't know each other all that well, but you're a Karev, which means you're my sister and now you're having my niece or nephew so just tell me, do you need me to kick his ass?"

Jo huffed a laugh, "No. It's okay. You don't need to go kick his ass or anything like that."

"Then why isn't he here?" Helen inquired. "Because if there is one thing I know about my boy, it's that you are the light of his life. So, tell me sweetheart, why he isn't here with you right now?"

"I'm not so sure about that anymore... It's complicated and messy... and it's a lot bigger than just Alex and I. There are too many unknowns and unexpected things happening all at the same time," Jo confided. "There's just a lot going on and I really think it's best you hear it from Alex. Call him. Tell him that you're here and you want to see him. He'll pick up. I know he will. He'd go to the ends of the earth for his family."

"Don't forget that you are his family too," Helen said, reaching to wipe a tear that had escaped Jo's eye. "We'll call him, but don't think this means that we aren't going to come back."

"Yes, we will definitely come back," Amber confirmed. "And don't worry. We won't say anything about the baby."

"You have no idea how much this all means to me," Jo thanked. "I'll see you soon."

She watched women leave and felt the tears begin to fall. For the past five days, she had kept it together. She hadn't cried. She hadn't allowed herself to feel the pain of everything she had been through. But there was no more ignoring it. She was fifteen weeks pregnant with Alex's baby. Alex has kids. Twins with Izzie. Izzie died and left the kids with Alex. Alex took off his wedding ring. She hadn't told Alex she was pregnant. She was in recovery after almost being stabbed to death. She went through multiple major surgeries. She almost died multiple times. She almost lost her baby. And her husband wasn't here. He's not here.

Sobs racked her entire body as she finally let out everything that she had bottled up inside for weeks. All of the fear, anger, resentment, sadness, sorrow, stress, pain and anxiety came rushing out as she cried. She cried for what felt like hours. She cried so much that she didn't have any tears left. It was brutal and heartbreaking, but it was also refreshing and relieving. She cried herself to sleep that night, finally feeling like she had been freed of every single scar that had been inflicted on her recently.

She doesn't know how long she had been asleep, but she awoke to a hand stroking her hair and face. She cracked her eyes open and met the pair of eyes that she oh so loved. Noticing that she was awake, he gave her a crooked smile, "Hey."

"Hey," she blinked. "You're here."

"Yeah, I'm here."

"I didn't think you'd come," she admitted.

"There's not place I'd rather be," he declared. "Go back to sleep, it's only four in the morning. I'll be here when you wake up. Okay?"

She hummed in response, "Okay."

The next time she opened her eyes, the sun was out. True to his word, Alex was sitting on the couch in the corner of her hospital room, talking quietly on the phone to what sounded like children, "Good morning. Yeah I know I wasn't there to make you breakfast today... but don't worry because Auntie Maggie makes the best pancakes... yes Lex I know... I don't know if I'll make it for dinner, but I promise to be there to tuck you in goodnight... Okay Eli. Be good for your aunties and grandma and have fun playing with ZoZo, B, and Els... haha, love you too kiddos."

"Good morning," Jo greeted, startling Alex. Her lips turned up into a smile. "You know... I haven't seen you with the yet, but I can already tell that you are an amazing father."

He shrugged sheepishly, "Thanks."

The stood in silence for a moment, just looking each other in the eyes. It wasn't the first time they had done this. They had been known to have entire conversations with just their eyes. It was probably one of the most intimate things you could do with another person, and they had mastered it. No words necessary. No faking. No covering up what you had been too afraid to vocalize. Everything was out in the open.

"I missed you," he caressed her face.

"I miss you too," she leaned into him.

Alex cleared his throat, "I have been unfair to you. I got so preoccupied by everything I had going on that I didn't stop to think how that might affect you and I'm sorry. I thought that keeping you in the dark would be better, but I know now that, that was wrong. Because, I know that if it were the other way around, I'd be a mess. You amaze me every single day through your strength. And I can't think of a better person to have by my side as I navigate this insane new role."

"You took off your ring."

"Like I said, I was unfair to you. I thought it would be easier to give you an out. I thought it'd be easier to focus on what I had to do with these kids if I didn't have to be constantly reminded of what was missing. So, I left it. I almost wrote you a letter explaining everything. I was going to give you the option of an out, because you didn't sign up for this. But I couldn't bring myself to send it, because as much as it might have been the selfless move, I know now more than ever not just how much I need you, but how much I want you there with me. I meant what I said when I asked you to marry me again. I want to grow old with you, Jo. For better or for worse, in sickness and health. But I know you didn't want this. I know this wasn't part of the deal. But I'm asking, will you do this with me?"

"Alex," she breathed. "I won't lie and say I love this situation. Of course I always imagined us having kids first, but they're a part of you. How could I not love them?"

Alex beamed, "God, how did I get so lucky?"

"I'm the one who's lucky."

"Are you up for meeting them later today? I can ask my sister and mom to bring them by. Thanks for letting me know they were coming, by the way."

"Hey, I had no idea they were coming," Jo laughed. "Do you think I wanted the first time I met Amber to be in a hospital bed looking all hurt and swollen?"

"Good point," he tilted his head. "Has Hunt said anything? I know he and Pierce performed your surgery. There shouldn't still be this much swelling."

She froze, trying to figure out a way to explain her swollen abdomen. A part of her felt horrible for keeping this a secret from him. She wanted to tell him about her pregnancy and that the swelling wasn't a surgical complication. But it was still too soon. She would tell him. Just not today. Tomorrow, I'll tell him tomorrow, "It's fine. I got stabbed four times, there's bound to be swelling. I've got a long road to recovery and my body just needs some time to heal."

"Okay. Fine," he huffed. Something didn't seem right to him, but he was going to keep his mouth shut and see if she was right. "Anyway, do you feel up to meeting them today?"

"Yes, Alex. I would love to meet them today."

Notes:

Did you guys like the surprise characters? We are so so close to Alex FINALLY finding out about Jo's pregnancy. Originally, I was going to post it all in this chapter, but it was just too much and I decided to split it up. The next chapter will most likely be the last chapter, with an epilogue following to bring the story to a close.

Don't worry though! I still have plenty of stories in the works and I am always open to prompts. You can find me on tumblr iamtreblesclefstories and choose prompts from the list on my fanfic master post.