Crush
My take on the promo for 18x07 with Jo and Link. I know I'm in the extreme minority but I really love the idea of Jolink (besties falling in love is my shtick!) and so I decided to write a two-shot about them and what could happen in this episode. If they're not your flavor, please don't read this and leave mean comments. Thank you!
Crush
Part 1
Careening down the hallway, pushing her little girl quickly in her stroller, Jo Wilson doesn't understand why she's in such a rush to leave Grey-Sloan, she just knows that she is. She needs time to sort out all her mixed-up thoughts and feelings. She needs -
"Link?" Her best friend emerges from an exam room suddenly and Jo only narrowly avoids taking off his toes with the wheels of Luna's stroller by yanking it to a slightly jerky stop. She hurriedly checks on her daughter to see if she's unsettled the tot, but Luna is contently sucking on her little fist.
Jumping backward, Link protests, "Hey now, I need those two feet, you know." He gives her a teasing look. "Where are you and the little princess hauling ass to in such a hurry? I mean, hauling butt. Sorry, Luna, please don't take after me. I've got a filthy mouth."
Jo rolls her eyes at him. "I just picked up Luna from daycare. We're heading back to the apartment for a little girl bonding time. I'll see you later."
"Whoa now. Not so fast. Why do you look like that?"
"Like what?"
He waves his hand at her. "All flustered."
"I'm not flustered."
"You are too. Your cheeks are all red and you're-"
"Link!" She bursts out.
"Level with me, Jo. What's eating you?"
Sighing, she throws up her hands. "Something just happened."
"Something bad?"
Crouching down to button Luna's blue coat, Jo asks, "You know that new anesthesiologist, Dr. Jonas?" Her tone is conversational but she chooses not to meet his eyes.
"You mean the one all the nurses are going gaga over? I think Levi also called him 'sex on a stick'." Link tickles the underside of Luna's chubby little chin. Rewarded by the sight of her toothless, gummy grins, he makes goofy faces at her.
Jo nods. "That's the one."
Link notices Jo's tightly pursed lips. "Wait, did he do something to you? If he did, I swear I will level him. I will-"
"No. God, no. Nothing like that." Jo finally meets Link's eyes. "He actually asked me out."
"And that's a bad thing …?"
"No, it's not."
"Jo, I'm confused here," Link says. "This Dr. McGorgeous asked you out. You said it's not a bad thing, but then you don't look happy about it either… Oh. I get it now. Of course. This is about Alex."
Jo shakes her head. It's an automatic response: to immediately deny she still feels beholden to her ex-husband, even if there's a part of her, deep down, that probably always will. A part of her still feels as if she's married to Alex, even though they're long since divorced and she hasn't seen or heard from him in ages. But she has moved on. Mostly. And this really is not about him, not exactly. The truth is she doesn't know how to date anymore. She's almost scared to try. Her relationship with Jackson was about sex - friends with benefits, wham, bam, thank you mam - and nothing more. They didn't go to nice restaurants, peruse the wine list and make small talk and share their life stories. They didn't hold hands or have picnics in the park, kiss each other on the cheek just because, or plan for a big anniversary together. They just banged. It was both as simple and as complicated as that.
Somewhere along the line, Jo forgot how to be a single woman in the dating world, and more than that, she's not sure she's up to the task of trying to impress a man. It takes a lot of energy to keep a guy interested and between a full-time job and new motherhood, she's just about depleted of all her reserves.
Splaying her hands, Jo tries to explain her feelings to Link the best way she can. "It's not about Alex. It's not. Not really. It's just … I haven't been on a date in a long time. Before Alex, there was -" she takes a deep breath, bites her plump bottom lip - "Paul, and the less said about him, the better. I probably won't know what to say on a date, or how to act. I know that sounds ridiculous and pathetic, but it's true. Also, I don't feel particularly desirable right now. I don't even bother putting on makeup most days because I sweat it off here in the OR and doing my hair is an exercise in futility because Luna uses it for target practice when I'm feeding her. I've found mashed bananas and carrots and god knows what else in there."
She stares up at Link. "I'm hopeless. Just say it. I know I am. I'm doomed to be alone forever with only a passel of cats to keep me company."
"Jo, come on," Link says with a little smirk. "I cannot see you with a passel of cats. One or two maybe…"
"Shut up!" Jo says, her lips twitching a bit. "Seriously, that's your take away from this whole pity party I just threw for myself?"
"That wasn't the only thing. No, I'm kidding. I really did hear everything you said. I understand where you're coming from. I get your uncertainty but there are two things I know for sure: you are not ridiculous and you are not pathetic. You've been through the wringer though, so how could you not have reservations about a lot of things? You just can't let it hold you back, Jo. You have to put yourself out there. You deserve a second chance, Jo. A second chance at love."
"Love?" She shakes her head. "Who said anything about love? No, I'm done with love. I'd just settle for having someone to watch a rom-com on the sofa with once in a while."
"You already have me for that," Link points out.
She smiles. "Okay, well, that's true."
"Yeah, I seem to recall the Meg Ryan-Tom Hanks marathon we had just this past weekend. It was painful, for the record."
"It was not. You've Got Mail and Sleepless in Seattle are such iconic movies!"
"Star Wars is iconic. Those two you mentioned… Not even in the same galaxy."
"Galaxy? Pfft."
"I didn't like the movies but I'd watch them fifty more times each for you."
"Thanks..."
"I mean, I'd do anything for you, Jo. Don't you know you're my best friend? I want you to be happy."
Jo's eyes mist and she nods. "Don't make me cry right now. But, of course, I know that. I am really glad you're back in my life. I probably wouldn't have survived these past few years without you."
"I felt very - I don't know, aimless - lost, I guess, when we fell out of contact. It's like one day you were there, giving me a reason to get up every morning, giving me a reason to smile and feel happy, and then you weren't there… and it sucked. I missed you a lot. I was running on fumes. I was empty."
Jo's eyes widened. "I had no idea."
He shakes his head, somber for a moment as if thinking of his lonely past. Then he shakes his head, shaking off the shackles of old hurt.
He breaks out one of his trademark smiles. "God, I had a huge crush on you."
Jo's eyes grow still wider in her face. Her cheeks flush. "What are you talking about?" She asks. Feeling suddenly sheepish like a simpering school girl, she looks up, down, sideways, anywhere but at him, before settling her eyes on Luna. She busies herself tying and retying Luna's tiny little white shoelaces.
"I'm not kidding," Link says, his voice both husky and wistful. "I thought you were the most amazingly beautiful person and just being around you… It was like heaven and hell all at the same time. You were married to that guy though so you were off-limits and I never would have said anything about it back then, but now … I mean, what's the harm in mentioning it now, right?"
He coughs loudly. "Well, uh, anyway. I think you should go on this date with Dr. Wonderful. If you want to. Maybe it won't lead to anything serious, but if it does, Jo, I mean, good for you. You deserve happiness. More than anyone I know."
Jo swallows over the sudden lump in her throat. She can't find the words to reply, so she just nods her head and offers a wave in return when he says he needs to get back to work and will see her at the apartment later.
Heart hammering wildly in her chest, she watches him go.
End of Part 1