AN: This was inspired by some of the scenes Link, Winston, and Owen this week.
Link leaned against the wall of the hospital, waiting for Jo as he rechecked his phone. Ever since she started her new OB residency, she had been impossible to get ahold of, and the most he saw of her was when she was darting around the hospital. A blur of pink scrubs, but a smile across her face. It did make it more difficult for him to talk to her and he missed his best friend. Yet, she was happier than he had seen her in a long time, not since, well, since Alex left.
Regardless, he waited for her as he needed some good insight. Jo always seemed to have a listening ear and she always had the best advice. He was about to make a life changing decision and he still wondered if it would be for the best. It felt like it was a good thing, and it seems like it was, and Amelia was on board, and he was still worried. Especially after what Owen told him, but he wanted a second opinion, and since Jo had first-hand experience with someone a part of the sisterhood, he texted her.
"Hey," Link said, he smiled when he saw her come out the doors of the ER and he put his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall.
"Hey," Jo said, that same brilliant smile across her face as she took off her mask and approached him.
"So before you start gushing to me about your day and all the babies you delivered, I have a question for you?" Link said, knowing that she was about 2 seconds from unloading her baby joy on him.
"Yeah, shoot," Jo said with a shrug as she looked curiously over at him.
"I want to buy a house with Amelia."
"Link, that's great! Aw, you really are going to be a suburban dad now," Jo said with a smile as she put a hand on her chest. "Now, are you going to get a grill and grill every Saturday? Oh, you should get a smoker. Webber smokes something every weekend and Jackson used to bring me the leftovers. It's the best meet ever!"
"I barely know how to cook burgers on the stove. I don't think I'm going to get a grill anytime soon," Link said with a shake of his head as Jo laughed. "But I talked to Amelia about it and she's on board, which is good. However, I was talking with Owen, and he said that even though he and Amelia lived together, she was still over at Meredith's house all the time, and I know that you had mentioned similar things with you know. I just, I don't know. I love the house, and I'm grateful that Meredith lets us stay there, but I want a place of our own, you know. Where I can come home and see Amelia and Scout and have it be just our family. I don't want to be over at Meredith's half the time sleeping in the guest bedroom and stuff."
"Link, trust me as someone who had seen both your and Amelia's relationship and Owen and Amelia's relationships, your relationship is completely different. When Owen and Amelia were together, I wasn't surprised when she was over at the house all the time, because that's how things were between the two of them. They were constantly on and off again. However, with things between the two of you, I'd be surprised if you guys made it over every Sunday for waffles. You are committed to Amelia and she is committed to you," Jo said, tilted her head as she just gave him a slight smile, he could tell that she was happy for him and proud of the family and relationship he had with Amelia.
"I know," Link said with a nod and smile he was sure of Amelia's commitment to him, even though she had turned down his proposal. "I just, I don't know, what was it like for you and Alex? I know that he and Meredith were best friends and I remember how you said things were in the early days of your relationship."
Jo got this far-off look in her eyes as she looked away from him for a moment. He knew that bringing it up wouldn't be easy as she still grieved the loss of her marriage and relationship. When she looked back at him, she gave him a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Even things with Alex and I were different. You know how I had to drag him out of the house so we could have some privacy. I didn't even give Meredith a key until after we got married, but she didn't crawl into your bed like she crawled into ours. When we bought the Loft, Alex and I, we umm, we were in the middle of an argument. It was about the same old thing. That year, it was just a year of fights. It was also the second year after Derek's death, and when Meredith came back after having Ellis, it was just different for us. Back then, Alex chose Meredith over me a lot. I guess in the end, he chose someone else over me. I just wanted him to put me first for once."
Jo looked away, biting her lip with a shake of her head. He could see the tears collecting her eyes and he reached out to hug her. Jo accepted his hug with a little laugh as she hugged him back. She and Amelia like to call him their teddy bear and they both loved his hugs. He knew that anytime he brought up something about Alex, it always took her a moment to come back. He knew that bringing this up would have been a tough subject for her. Despite how she had brought up Alex a few times in the past few months, they hadn't talked like this in a while. Just as he was about to tell her to drop it, she looked back up at him as he pulled away.
"It was also good to have our own space where we could be together and alone, but that wasn't why we had issues. It was something that we had to work out between the two of us. But I know that you aren't moving out for the same reason that I was," Jo said, looking up at him and tilting her head.
"No," Link said with a shake of his head. "I'm not trying to get away, I mean, I kind of am but, not from Meredith, just from all the chaos of everyone in the house. I just want my own space where Amelia, and Scout, and I can be a family together."
"Then honestly, I think it will work for you. I mean, it did kind of work for Alex and I," Jo said, giving him a nod before she looked down her shoes, kicking her feet against the pavement. "And you know, looking back, it was nice to always have the house open. After Alex left, you know that I stayed at your place and at Meredith's for a little while. Her house has always been like a second home to me, and growing up with no home, now that I have two, it's nice. I know that whatever happens, I'm always going to have a place to stay at Meredith's."
"Thanks, you've given me a lot to think about," Link said with a nod as he looked down the street, watching the cars drive by. "I still want our own place, our own home, but you're right. It's good to have a second home. I guess it's just that growing up between two homes, I know how rough it was having to go between two places, but it's not like that with Meredith's house. It's a second home, kinda like how the hospital is. It's not permanent per se, but like you said, it's a safety net, and it's always there if we need it."
"Well, if you leave, maybe I'll move in?" Jo said with a shrug and a smile. "Levi and Helm have kind of taken over the Loft, and I don't want to lose it, but it's just. It's not the same without him, and I don't want to live on my own again. This year has been too lonely for that."
"Well, if you adopt Luna, we could always buy two houses side by side or something, and we could be new parents together," Link said, raising his eyebrows at her.
Jo just shook her head as she looked away. "I told you I'm not going to adopt Luna. I'm just making sure she gets adopted into a good home."
"And I told you that you would make an excellent mom and I think you should go for it," Link said with a shrug as if it was as easy as that.
Jo just down the street and gave a little chuckle, but he had seen the way she acted around the baby, and half the time they talked, she would talk about Luna. He really did hope that she adopted her. Link felt like he had the whole world with his family and career, and he wanted the same joy for Jo.
"How does Amelia feel about this?"
"She's onboard but still a little hesitant, so we're working out the details," Link said as he thought about it again. "It's all still new to me having to think and make decisions with Amelia. I've never had the kind of partnership that I have with Amelia, you know? Every decision we make, we make it together, even if it's just what to have for dinner. Even though we disagree sometimes, she's just, she's there, and it's kinda nice. I feel like I can share the load and my life with her."
Jo smiled for real this time, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him. "Atticus Lincoln in a long-term committed relationship, I thought I'd never see the day."
"Oh shut up," Link said, nudging her shoulder before she nudged him back. "Hey, you want to come over for dinner tonight since, as you said, Schmitt and Helm have taken over the loft?"
"Nah, I gotta go over there and remind them who pays the mortgage," Jo said with a smirk as she took a step back. "But tomorrow, yeah? I need my godchild snuggle time."
"Sounds good," Link said, giving her a wave before she walked off.
He thought about it for a moment longer as he leaned against the wall of the hospital. He still wanted their own house. Their own place, for their family. He wanted a backyard where Scout could grow up, climbing trees, and playing on the swing set. He wanted his kid to have his own bedroom and not just a bassinet at the end of their bed. He wanted a nursery where Scout could learn to walk and crawl and talk. He wanted a kitchen where he could cook food, and see Amelia's smile in the morning, and hear her laugh in the living room. He wanted them all to have their own space where they could be a family.
But Jo was right, Meredith's place would always be a second home for them, and that was good. If anything ever happened, he wanted Amelia to have a place to go where she felt safe, surrounded by her sisters. More importantly, he wanted that for Scout too. He wanted his son to have a place where he could go, where Link knew that he was safe and loved.
"Hey you," Amelia said, and he looked up, surprised to see her standing there in a brilliant blue mask with Scout in the stroller.
"Hey, what are you two doing here?" Link said as he pushed off the wall and went over to them. He greeted Amelia with a kiss before he looked down at Scout in the stroller.
"We thought we would come to pick you up today since I know you carpooled with Maggie, and she's not out of surgery yet," Amelia said, pulling down both of their masks before she leaned in to kiss him.
"Where are the other kids?" Link asked, looking around expecting Zola, Bailey, and Ellis to pop out of nowhere.
"They're enjoying some time with Meredith right now," Amelia said, turning his head back to look at her with a gentle hand on his chin. "I thought the three of us could enjoy some time together."
Link smiled as he looked down at his family. He leaned in to kiss Amelia again before he pulled back and reached down to pick up Scout. His son cooed and smiled up at him as Link leaned in to kiss his son's head.
"Since it's not too late, should we go for a little walk by the block and then maybe over to the park and the fountain?" Link asked, settling Scout in one arm and putting the other arm around Amelia.
"That sounds good, even if it's just around the block in case the park is still closed. I feel like I haven't left the house in months," Amelia said with a smile as they started walking.
They walked across the street to the park and over to the International Fountain. It was a nice summer day in Seattle and they enjoyed their sunny walk around the park, just the three of them.
AN: I love the International Fountain I remember playing in it as a child.