15 Weeks Pregnant
"So I was thinking you could meet them?"
Jo snaps out of the deep fog she'd been in as she looks down at the scrub sink, her hands going red from the constant scrubbing she hadn't been aware of. She'd been pretty lost in her own thoughts recently, her skin felt like it was on fire. She shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other, she hadn't felt the need to change scrub sizes yet, her bump still fitting nicely underneath her top but she had forgotten to consider is how her scrub top was now excruciatingly tight against her breasts, what didn't help was that she'd spent the last four hours in surgery opposite Alex. She really didn't wanna encourage him, last week he'd made it clear that he thought there was still hope there and she hadn't quite got round to telling him that was not the case. She'd never be able to put aside the hurt and pain he'd put her through.
But he made it so damn hard...actually he didn't he really hadn't made any advances towards her but that didn't matter because there was one thing Jo had managed to forget about being pregnant which were the hormones. The stupid fucking hormones that made her go from crying her heart out to desperately horny in under one minute.
She's wet all the fucking time and nothing she does seems to curb her need.
"Jo?" Alex leans over her, his arm brushing against her, making Jo tremble involuntarily. He turns the tap of a concerned look written across his face."You okay?"
Jo shakes her head, trying to ignore the hormones cursing through her body. "Huh?"
Alex chuckles, looking at her sceptically as he follows her out towards the hallway. "My kids...Eli and Alexis, they're only here for a few more days."
"Oh right," Jo mumbles absentmindedly still wringing her hands as they turn the corner.
"Have you been listening to me?"
"Yeah of course."
"Jo…" Alex grabs onto her arm and Jo tries to ignore the way her body melts into his touch like it's exactly what she's been craving.
"It is really hot in here…"
All of a sudden a group of interns come rushing around the corner smacking right into Jo, sending her flying into the wall, her head hitting painfully against the wall. She can feel his hands on her in an instant, one arm reaching around her bump protectively the other cradling her head as he pushed his body against hers.
"Damn it be careful…" Alex growls, whirling around to glare at the interns who had all begun to trip over each other. Jo whimpers involuntarily as his body leaves hers, resisting the urge to reach out and pull him back to her as a chorus of apologies filter out from the interns.
"It's okay...really I'm fine." Jo chokes, swallowing deeply, ignoring the way Alex's body had felt against hers, flashbacks of their night together flying through her mind making her squirm uncomfortably, she needed to get out of here before she spontaneously combusted. "I've got to go."
"Jo, you okay?" Alex barely has time to register her retreating form as she races away from him, he's about to go after her when Teddy appears in the hallway, her scrub mask pulled below her chin as she asks for his assistance urgently.
"I dunno she's been acting weird all day," Alex mumbled shoving the rest of his fries into his mouth much to the disgust of his friends around him.
"Has she?" Amelia asks, frowning as she hands him a spare napkin.
He nods, reaching over to take the rest of Meredith's fries ignoring the way she tries to slap his hand away. "Mhmm, I think I freaked her out asking her to meet my kids I mean…"
Meredith nods, giving up on defending her plate. "Well it is kinda weird, I mean you're not together."
"But she is having my baby."
"What's your point?"
"Look I'm not asking them to be best friends but I'd like them to at least know the mother of their brother or sister." Alex sighs, it made complete sense to him, he wanted them to know Jo, he didn't want their sibling to feel like a stranger.
He spots her just as Meredith was about to argue back, leaping from the table he jogs towards her trying to catch up to her quick pace.
"Jo…" He calls grabbing hold of her arm, surprising her as he pulls her into the closest supply closet. "Jo look if you don't want to meet my kids you don't have to. It's just I wanna tell them about the baby and I thought since they're here it would be a good time to but look I get it if it's too much..."
"What?" Jo frowns confused as she shakes herself from his grip.
"I mean Mia could come, we could all do something fun together." Alex sighs, as he stares at Jo's perplexed face realising she has no idea what he's talking about still." Jo tell me what's going on."
"Nothing is going on."
"Well, something is because you've been weird all day."
"I'm horny okay?" Jo snaps pushing him back holding her hands out as a barrier between them. "I am so incredibly horny all the time and all I want to do is have sex and you…" she gestures to Alex scrunching her face up as she looks him up and down,
"Me?" Alex exclaims a slight smirk playing on his lips that does nothing but infuriate Jo more.
She takes a few more steps back, resting against the closest wall, trying to cool the heat that was burning up inside her, "Well you are you and we have this history and I can't think with your hands on me so just go away." Jo sighs thinking about the way he'd grabbed her earlier in the hallway, the way her body had yearned for his touch as flashbacks of their night together came racing back.
Alex chuckles lightly making sure the door is firmly shut up before making his way over to her, "Oh...why didn't you just say…" He grabs her hold of her waist pulling her closer until their bodies meet and Jo hates the way she melts into him without a choice. "You know I can help you with that."
"What?" Her eyes snap open, narrowing on him hating the way he smirks down at her, his thumb softly brushing against the sliver of skin exposed from where her scrub top had ridden up.
Alex cocks his head to the side, his eyes flitting between Jo's lips before back up to meet her gaze. "I mean I could help sort out your problem."
"No...no no no." Jo shakes her head letting out a dry laugh as she pushes in his hands down off her waist, he's so close...to close and it's taking everything in her not to lean in and kiss him right now when it's all her body wants to do.
"Why not?"
"Because I know what happened the last time I made the mistake of letting you touch me." Jo sighs moving further away from him as she rubs her hand across her tiny bump.
"Well I can't knock you up twice…" Alex grins, smugly leaning against the wall Jo had just occupied clearly enjoying this way too much, he hadn't noticed the current effect he was having on her until she'd told him. "Come on Jo you have a problem and I don't wanna brag but I'd pretty much consider myself an expert in fixing it…"
Jo scoffs, crossing her arms over her chest. "Oh, I'm sure you do…"
"I meant with you...I know exactly-"
"Okay...no...no." Jo holds her hand up, she's begging him to stop talking because her resolve is fading fast with every word and she knows when the hormones subside it will only be a decision she lives to regret.
"Fine but the offer is there if you want it," Alex shrugs pushing up off the wall as heads towards the door. "Which I think you do," he added with a wink before disappearing.
Alex had been surprised when he'd received a call later that night from Jo. He assumed she wanted to reconsider his offer; he was wrong however instead she actually just realised what he had been asking earlier and had invited him and the twins around to hers if he still wanted that.
A couple of days later Alex had ended up taking the twins to go grab pizza and snacks before they arrived, he'd explained that they were meeting one of Dad's friends and Alexis had made no time deducing that dad's friend was in fact a girl.
"Is she a girlfriend? Is like Jeremiah?" She mumbles quietly as they pull up on Jo's street, instantly undoing her seatbelt so she can climb over to the front seat and get a good look at Alex as he answers. He had considered telling them about the pregnancy before they left so he wouldn't have to ambush them but honestly there was no good way to say 'hey surprises Dad's having another baby'...not one he could think of anyway.
"I hope not." Alex frowns, grabbing the bags of snacks and Pizza as he exits the car, waiting for the pair to join him. Both mini Karevs dragging their feet as they exited the car and Alex sighed, here we go he thought.
"What, so you don't know?" Eli exclaims, narrowing his eyes at Alex, he was gonna be the hardest, Alexis was so much like Izzie, always cheery and happy, always looking on the bright side of things but Eli...Eli was all him.
"I do know her...very well and she's nothing like Jeremiah."
"Hi" Jo smiles enthusiastically in the doorway before they even reach the front step, clearly she'd been waiting for their arrival. She had on a midi dress and she'd let out the braids she'd been wearing all day at work, she looked uncharacteristically done up. Alex could hear Frozen playing in the background and assumed Mia must be already deep into her Disney marathon of the day.
"Hi, you must Eli and Alexis."
She smiles and Alex tries to hold back his laughter as he ushers the twins forward. Jo's smile sort of resembled a kindergarten teacher with a drug habit as they all crowded into her small hallway.
"Guys…this is Jo"
Alex raised his eyebrows at his two watching them have their little telepathic conversation.
"Hello…"
"Hi…"
They mumbled hesitantly, Alexis slowly reaching out to shake Jo's outstretched hand, Eli following suit.
"Well come on in,"
"What are you doing?" Alex hisses as Jo guides them down the hallway towards the kitchen.
"What?"
"You're being weird."
"I am not."
Mia appears suddenly, sporting an icy blue tutu and matching wings explaining the Frozen music blasting from the living room. "Hi, Dr Awex."
"Hi, Mia." Alex bends down, scooping the little one up in his arms as he turns towards Eli and Alexis who were still hovering in the kitchen doorway. "I want you to meet my babies."
"Dad" Eli groaned, stomping his foot.
Alex rolled his eyes laughing as he set Mia down, watching as she instantly hid behind his leg, "My big...very big and moody babies...Eli, Lex this is Mia Jo's daughter."
He bends down slowly, motioning for Alexis to come closer, "You know Alexis she loves Disney too...I'm sure she'd loved to see some of your films Mia."
Alexis nods, complementing Mia's tutu and frozen tiara combo as Mia peeks out from behind Alex, a small smile playing on her face, as Alexis begins to ask her about her favourite characters and Alex sighs a breath of relief, so far so good.
"Are you having a baby?"
Nevermind. He'd spoken too soon.
"How did you know that?" He stutters, standing up, his eyebrows creased as he looks over at Eli.
"Know what?"
"That we're having a baby."
"What?"
"You're having a baby!" Eli and Alexis exclaim at the same time, staring at Alex with wide eyes.
"I was talking to Jo. She has an ultrasound on the wall." Eli grunts, pointing towards the fridge, where two scans currently lay. "You're having a baby...it's yours?"
Alex opens his mouth to say something but nothing comes out, this wasn't how he'd planned it, he'd hoped they'd get to know Jo and Mia, he'd hoped they would know them and at least like them before he told the twins about the new baby.
Alex frowns from where she was crouched down next to Mia looking up at him. "You're having another baby?"
Alex looks towards Jo, she looks apologetic as she turns her gaze to the sonograms stuck to the front of the fridge.
"What about me? What about Lex?" Eli stammers, returning towards himself as he begins to pace the floor.
"Well, what do you mean? You guys will always be my babies, I love you more than anything...but-" Alex wants to hit himself, this isn't going right...this isn't how he wanted to tell them.
"But what? Now you'll be away even more."
"Eli come on we're guests in someone's house."
"Your new family's house." Eli snaps, throwing his hand out sending a glass cup on the side shattering down to the ground with a loud crash, Mia yelps as Alexis moves to lift her up without a second thought, Jo moving over to the pair pulling them back out of the kitchen.
Eli's breathing is fast as he looks between Alex and the girls now huddled in the doorway, his hands squeezed into fists, he pushes past Alex, heading to the closest door which happens to open out to the garden before Alex has a chance to stop him.
"Eli…" Alex calls after him watching him retreat to the end of Jo's garden,
He's about to go after him, annoyed he'd behaved this way in someone else's home when he feels Jo's hand wrap around his arm holding him back. "Hey hey let him cool off…" She whispers.
Alex watches him for a moment, he's his son for sure and he knows Jo's right, if it was him he'd want a moment alone. He turns slowly watching as Jo crouches down beginning to clear the broken glass away while Alexis bounces Mia around softly. "It's okay Mia...it's okay."
"Alexis" He sighs, moving closer, placing an arm on her shoulder. She was so much like Izzie, always trying to comfort people even the strangers she barely knew, always trying to make up for the Karev temper.
"Are you really gonna be gone more?" She asks hesitantly, her eyes watering.
"I don't wanna lie to you and say no because I have no idea what's gonna happen but I'm doing my best to make my time away coincide with your time with mom." Alex smiles, stroking her hair back softly he presses a tender kiss to Alexis' forehead. "You're still gonna see me so much you'll be sick of me."
"Is it a girl?"
"Huh?"
"The baby I want it to be a girl so I can dress up all cute." She nods gesturing towards Mia, who had begun to struggle in her arms, Alex pulls her slowly from Alexis' arms, setting her down on the floor.
"Mia, you want a sister?" Alex asks the toddler.
"I'm not sure Mia gets it quite yet do you, Mia?" Jo hums coming up behind them, she ruffles Mia's hair slightly.
"Baby…" Mia announces making all three of them laugh as she points up towards Jo's stomach.
"Yeah, there's gonna be a baby." Jo laughs.
It's a while later when Mia and Alexis are settled watching Frozen on the sofa when Alex thinks enough time has passed for Eli to cool down, watching him as he sits with his back facing the house every so often pulling at the grass around him.
"Hey, can I go talk to him?"
Alex shakes his head, Eli is a good kid, a hell of a lot better than he was at his age and he knew he'd never hurt anyone intentionally but by accident well that was whole other question. "I'm not sure that's a-"
"I'm pretty good at speaking Karev," Jo mumbles, knowing exactly what Alex was thinking with just one look as she places a comforting hand on his arm giving it a quick squeeze before brushing past him.
"Go away." Eli snaps the second he hears movement behind him, shocked to see that it was in fact Jo and not his dad like he'd assumed as she sat down slowly beside him, bringing her knees up to her chest. "Oh, it's you…"
"You probably don't wanna talk to me… and I get that I mean I never had a dad but I can imagine I wouldn't like anyone to take him away from me either," Jo mutters keeping her eyes forward.
"It's not that…'' Eli sighs, staring down at the mountain of grass he slowly has been pulling from the ground.
"It's not?"
He shakes his head, pulling at the grass some more. "I miss him, and he has already been gone so long and now he's got a new girlfriend and a new baby...Jordans's dad at school he had a new baby and now Jordan has to sleep on a pullout couch when he visits."
"Ouch...that really does suck." Jo winces, shaking her head at the thought. "I'm not your dad's new girlfriend. I'm an old friend. I actually knew him before he knew you." She smiles softly nudging his shoulder lightly.
"You did?"
Jo nods, placing a hand over Eli's stopping him from his continual assault on her lawn. "I did...I'm good friends with your Auntie Mer too." She waits a moment, before dropping her head down trying to catch Eli's eye. "Your dad loves you more than anything in this world, that there's nothing he wouldn't do for you but I'm guessing you already know that."
Elis nods, swallowing deeply as he meets her gaze. "I'm sorry about your glass. I just get angry sometimes."
Jo smiles softly, nodding. "That's okay I wanted to break like five glasses myself when I found out I was having a baby."
"Really?"
"Hell yes," Jo exclaims, making Eli break a slight smile. "But you know what's better than throwing a glass."
"What?"
"Soft toys and luckily my daughter has loads of them." She whispers, pulling a couple of stuffed animals out from underneath her sweater, handing one to Eli. "Go ahead, throw it."
He frowns, staring down at the neon green frog in his hands. "Seriously?"
"Seriously." Jo nods." I bet you can't hit that fence post." She watches as Eli contemplates it for a moment before lifting the frog up and throwing it, narrowly missing the top of the fence. The relief flooded through his face almost instantly after he realizes it doesn't feel as silly as it sounds. "Feels good right? and you have the added bonus of being less likely to hurt someone."
"Is that what you do...when you get angry I mean?" Eli hesitantly asks her as he turns back towards her now, accepting the next stuffed toy she hands him.
"All the time." Jo nods, and they sit like that for a moment, taking it in turns to go recollect the toys every time they run out. "Hey, you wanna go in and grab some pizza before your dad eats it all?"
Eli nods, looking down at the toys in his lap. "Can I come in a minute?"
Jo grins, looking back up towards the house, she can see Alex watching them curiously from the doorway as she brushes the grass off her dress before standing. "Yeah of course."
Alex mumbles a quiet thanks when she slips back into the kitchen, there's a lot Jo wants to say but she doesn't get the chance as Alexis calls them in to watch her and Mia's dance routine to Do you wanna build a snowman? Today probably hadn't gone as Alex had planned but then nothing ever did with them, it always seemed to be one mess after the other but with each passing day it felt like something was shifting between them, Eli appeared a little while later, laughing as Alex pulled him in for a hug, them both groaning as Mia and Alexis insisted on watching Frozen 2.
Somewhere Only We Know - Keane
Oh, simple thing, where have you gone? I'm getting old and I need something to rely on. So, tell me when you're gonna let me in. I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin.
