Hey guys! Sorry it's delayed but here's the second half of the fic x

PART TWO:

It had been three days since Jo first told Alex she was pregnant, well tried to at least. She hadn't intended to wait so long to bring it up again, she'd actually woken up the next day planning to tell him, but the personal enjoyment she got out of messing with him took over.

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It was their first day off together in weeks and they had reservations at this new brunch spot across town, giving Jo the perfect opportunity to tell him about the pregnancy. However, just one look at him that morning and Jo knew there was no way he would make it out of the house, let alone sit through a meal in a loud restaurant. Instead, she opted for a quiet morning watching television at the loft, complete with a takeaway breakfast from the diner around the corner.

Sitting across from him on the couch, Jo was about half way through explaining the weed cookie incident to a very confused Alex when she noticed his eyes flicker to her abdomen. She usually wouldn't have thought much of it – Alex had a tendency to zone out during conversation – but this, this was different. His eyes moved to her stomach many more times as if he was expecting something to be there, a bump perhaps. Jo paused momentarily and tilted her head at him with curiosity, attempting to gauge how much he remembered from the night before. Assuming he would just ask her if he'd remembered the pregnancy, she decided to brush his weirdness aside and finish telling her story. However, as soon as Alex spoke afterwards, Jo knew with complete certainty that he remembered all about the baby.

"So nothing else happened last night? No big news or announcements … nothing important that we discussed?"

She hesitated, unsure of the best way to respond. Of course she wanted to bring it up again now that he was sober and capable of comprehending it – Jo was desperate to hear his thoughts on it all – and yet, a huge part of her also wanted to see just how long it would take him to suck it up and ask her himself. Unfortunately, for him, it was the latter part of herself that won out.

So, instead of confirming his suspicions, Jo pretended to act oblivious to his comments.

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Unfortunately for Jo, both herself and Alex are extremely stubborn people and neither of them had been willing to bring up the pregnancy first. Jo was initially convinced that Alex was going to break and ask her about it by the end of the first day. However, it was now three days down the line and only a day out from Jo's first scan, and she still found herself making fake excuses every day for her constant nausea and fatigue.

Jo was nearing the end of a very long and chaotic shift and was absolutely starving, as expected considering she'd eaten nothing but fruit roll ups since lunchtime. It was not her usual go-to snack but they had been magically appearing in the pocket of her lab coat all day, most definitely organised one way or another by Alex. She had been half way through a surgery the day before when fruit roll ups became her first official pregnancy craving, pushing a trip to the supermarket on the way home to buy a value box. Jo blamed her odd sugar craving, which differed from her usual savoury palette, once again on the stress of her and Meredith's experimental studies. Of course, she knew Alex wouldn't believe her, but she was enjoying watching him tiptoe around the subject way too much to give in and admit to the pregnancy.

On her way to finish off her post-op notes so she can finally get home and have something proper to eat, Jo was suddenly pulled by the arm into a nearby supply closet.

"He seriously hasn't brought it up yet?" Meredith asked in disbelief as she closed the door behind them.

"Oh my god Meredith, do not creep up on me like that!" Jo's hand flew to her chest "and no, no he hasn't."

Except that wasn't exactly true... Alex had sort of brought it up again, several times actually, but he just hadn't said the words to Jo directly.

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The first time he'd tried to discuss it with Jo was on the drive to the hospital the next day.

"How are your fellowship applications going?"

Half asleep, having nodded off in the passenger seat, Jo yawned. "Pardon?"

"Oh sorry I didn't mean to wake you," Alex looked to his side. "Are you okay? You're not sick, are you? I heard you throwing up again this morning..."

"I'm fine Alex, I told you the other day it's just nerves" Jo reassured. "What did you say to me before?"

"I asked you how your fellowship applications were going," Alex smiled back at her.

"Oh," Jo paused, eyeing Alex confusingly. "They're going alright, nothings changed."

Alex reached out one of his hands for her to hold, squeezing hers back affectionately. "So are you still set on leaving Seattle?"

Jo rolled her eyes at him, having realised he was trying to get her to mention the pregnancy. "Obviously I don't want to leave Alex, but there are some really good programs at other hospitals… can we discuss it another time?" she pleaded.

"I was just wondering about what will happen when we have a family…" Alex glared back over at her in an attempt to read her reaction. However Jo, who was trying her hardest to remain unfazed, stared back blankly.

She wanted so badly at that moment to reassure Alex that the baby would of course be born in Seattle. She had absolutely zero intentions of starting a family anywhere else – Seattle was home – and if that meant passing up on a fellowship position elsewhere, then so be it. At the same time, though… Jo was also determined not to cave to Alex's tactics. She knew full well that his questions were just a way to get her to tell him about the baby and didn't want to give in so easy.

"Alex, our children will be raised here. Of course they'll be raised here. So don't let that worry your pretty little head," Jo said smirking. She was about to continue when a ringtone erupted over the car speaker.

"Hold that thought –" Alex let go of her hand, "Hello, this is Doctor Karev speaking."

Jo breathed a sigh of relief that the conversation had been put to an end, jumping out of the car as soon as Alex pulled into the parking lot to avoid any follow up discussion.

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The second time Alex had shown any sign that the pregnancy was on his mind was when they were laying in bed later that evening. Jo had drifted off to sleep about forty-five minutes previously when she felt his hand rub circles over her belly.

"Hey there little one," Alex's voice whispered softly. "How are you doing there?"

Jo's heart fluttered as the sound of Alex talking to their baby. The bedsheets shifted slightly around her as he repositioned himself under the duvet and kissed the spot where his hand had been.

"I am so excited to meet you, like so excited. I don't think I have ever been looking forward to something more in my entire life," Alex sighed as he thought about what to say next. "I know that you're going to be absolutely perfect. You are part me and part Jo afterall. I just hope you don't get her stubbornness… god your momma is so stubborn. If I didn't remember her telling me about you the other night then I probably wouldn't even know you were chilling in there right now. She can be silly like that."

Alex laughed at the scenario he'd found himself in – lying in bed, talking to

the baby his fiance was carrying, before she'd even officially told him she was pregnant. "Well I should go now, or I think I'll wake her up and she'll for sure realise that I know about you. We can save our secret late night conversations until you're actually here and I'm stealing you out of the crib at 2am for daddy cuddles."

Jo spent the following ten minutes reliving that conversation over and over in her head until she eventually fell back to sleep.

The last time Alex had mentioned anything remotely pregnancy related was just yesterday morning when he'd insisted on Jo having two breakfasts before work in case there was anything requiring the 'extra energy'. Jo thought it was cute that he cared so much but it was starting to frustrate her how much he was limiting her coffee, as if he thought she wouldn't notice him doing it.

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"Well he knows Jo. He definitely knows," Meredith anxiously paced back and forth.

Jo was confused by her friend's sudden behaviour, "well yeah I obviously know that considering I was the one who told you. What's happened now, did he say something to you?"

Meredith stopped walking to look at Jo, "he asked me if I thought your boobs looked bigger."

Jo burst into laughter, "I'm sorry… he what?"

Meredith sighed, once again pacing back and forth, "he was asking questions about you all morning – things like if you seemed different, more tired than usual or if I thought something was going on – and then when we were in surgery together, he asked me if your boobs look bigger."

"That's amazing," Jo said through more laughs. "I don't understand why he doesn't just ask me."

Meredith rolled her eyes, "you're just as bad as he is Jo, just do us all a favour and tell him."

"Well are they?" Jo stood up slightly taller and turned to face Meredith front on.

"What?"

"My boobs," Jo gestured to her chest, "are they bigger?"

"Are you listening to me or are just thinking about your boobs right now?"

"Oh boobs for sure, definitely the boobs. My hot fiance just admitted he had been checking them out so of course I want to know if they look bigger." Jo grinned proudly. "So yes or no Meredith."

Meredith groaned and threw her head back in frustration, "I am not going to tell you if your boobs look bigger Jo."

Jo crossed her arms and huffed like a toddler, "you're so boring."

Meredith pulled the door open to leave but turned to look at Jo first. "Stop acting like a child and go home. Your shift is pretty much over and I'm more than happy to cover your post-ops if it means you'll actually tell Alex you're pregnant."

"Fine," Jo sulked. "I'll do it but only because my first scan is tomorrow and I would like him to actually be there."

.

.

.

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Jo was walking into the loft, an hour since her conversation with Meredith, when she heard Alex cursing from inside the loft. The frustrated yells confused Jo because she hadn't been expecting him to beat her home, causing her heart to beat faster in her chest with anticipation. Not only was Jo finally about to confirm Alex's pregnancy suspicions, but he clearly also had something planned for the evening if he'd left work early.

Pushing the loft door sideways to enter, Jo stands in the doorway in awe of Alex cooking in the kitchen opposite, suit and all. "Who are you and what have you done with my fiance?" Jo said laughing at her own joke and putting her bag down beside the bed.

Alex turned around at her voice and smiled. "Welcome home, how was your day?"

"Better now," Jo wrapped her arms around his waist, swaying side to side with her head nuzzled in his back.

"I'm glad to hear it," Alex giggled slightly, turning around to face her and bring her back into a hug. "I figured we might as well have a home cooked meal for once."

"Hmmm sounds yum, what's on the menu then, chef?" Jo grinned.

"I tried making that spaghetti you love from the Italian takeaway near the hospital but I can't promise that it will taste any good," Alex kissed the top of her head and still hugged tightly to his chest. "I'm sure it'll wash down well with a bottle of wine or something, though."

There it is again, another attempt by Alex to get to mention the pregnancy, except this time she was more than likely going to cave. Jo realised a long time ago that it's not a good idea to cross Meredith Grey, so if she says go home and tell Alex, then that's the way to do it.

She pulled out of their hug, "nonsense, I'm sure it will taste amazing." Jo wandered over to the living room to take her seat on the couch, looking back at Alex just in time to catch the slight disappointment on his face because she didn't immediately turn down the wine. "Sorry I'm dressed in this scruffy top when you're all fancy," she added, pulling at her shirt.

Alex carried a dinner plate and a glass of wine over to Jo, "don't be silly, you look beautiful." After turning around to grab himself the same, he took a seat beside Jo wearing a grin from ear to ear.

"You're very happy about something," she laughed shocked at his excitement.

"I have a lot of things to be grateful for," Alex answered cheerily.

"So that's what this dinner is about?" Jo questioned. "You decided to cook because you were feeling grateful?"

"Well I may be feeling grateful for one thing in particular... I was actually hoping to talk to you about something I remember you saying the other day."

Jo bit her lip to hide the growing smirk, overwhelmed with happiness that Alex was finally going to talk about it. "Go on," she nodded for him to continue.

Alex put his dinner down on the side table so he could hold Jo's hand in his, "I don't want to upset you because I know that this probably wasn't the way you'd imagined our life going at this point in time. It throws a bit of a spanner in the works – yes – but I want you to know that I am not going anywhere and I am behind you one hundred percent. Change is hard for you, and I understand that, which is why I don't blame you for being so hesitant to tell me again, but you did once... I remember you telling me that night," Alex smiled softly, squeezing Jo's hand tighter. "I remember you telling me that you're pregnant."

Jo paused for several seconds before sliding her hand out of Alex's grasp to stand up from the couch, turning away to muffle her laughter.

"Jo...hey Jo look at me. It's okay we can work this out and it's going to be amazing. Everything is going to be okay," Alex reached out to stroke her back arm.

Suddenly letting her amusement be heard, Jo burst out laughing as she turned back around to face him. "I know that you idiot!" she smiled broadly, "I'm beyond excited for this baby Alex. This is OUR child we're talking about...Why would I be disappointed? The reason I kept quiet wasn't that I was afraid to tell you. It was because I realised that you remembered our conversation from the other night and I wanted to see how long it would take you to ask me."

Alex was stunned and completely lost for words, staring back at Jo with his mouth agape.

Jo laughed again, sitting back down beside him. "Meredith tells me you've been checking out my tits."

Alex looked up again, "Meredith knows?"

"Yes, Meredith did my blood test," Jo confirmed.

"You're pregnant!" Alex screamed excitedly, launching forward to wrap Jo in a hug.

"I'm pregnant," Jo reiterated, letting a tear fall once again as it did when she first found out. "I'm happy you finally said something because my first scan is tomorrow so I was going to have to tell you myself if you didn't"

"You're so damn stubborn," Alex giggled as he moved his hand to rest on top of her stomach.

"Oh yes, I remember you saying the other night when you were talking to the baby."

Alex's face flushed with embarrassment, "I didn't realise you heard that…"