Author's Note: Sorry for the delay with this chapter; I had a busy week. Enjoy! I'll try not to take so long with the next chapter.

GAGAGA

Chapter 13: "Don't be Cruel"

GAGAGA

Meredith sat on a gurney, filling out post-op notes for Mark Sloan. He'd requested her for a simple plastic surgery earlier in the day and then asked her to complete the paperwork for him. Meredith happily obliged, realizing that the Grey family was still lose somewhere in Seattle Grace. So, in the tunnels, she hid.

Izzie appeared suddenly and quietly sat next to Meredith with her own charts in tow. "Where were you this morning?" she asked. "George went into your room with coffee, it was actually kind of cute …"

Meredith thought about lying. She thought about saying that she'd gone into the hospital early this morning in an attempt to not be on scut today. But, with all the avoiding and lying that Meredith had done the past few days with her friends, she decided to tell the truth.

"I couldn't sleep last night. So I went to Alex's." It was so simple, yet so difficult. Izzie didn't look up, but Meredith saw the smile forming on her face. "What?" she asked.

"You're so, like, into him," Izzie said as she fell over in fits of giggles.

"Izzie! I am not!" Meredith responded indignantly.

"Not what, Grey?" Alex came walking up to the two women and sat in between them on the gurney. His appearance only made Izzie laugh harder and louder.

"Nothing," she said, giving him a look that told him she would tell him later.

"How was Sloan today?" he asked.

"He said that since you didn't beat him, you need to buy him coffee for the week. He'll be in his office all afternoon." Meredith smiled at Alex, mockery evident in her eyes.

Alex grimaced. "Be a doll and take him one, okay?"

"Why? What do you have to do?"

"I have a special meeting with the Chief. Wish me luck," he told Meredith and Izzie, but mostly Meredith, as he jumped off the gurney and walked off.

"I wonder if it's because he almost killed Derek?" Izzie asked, watching Alex walk away. "He does have a cute ass, Mer."

"Izzie!" Meredith shrieked.

"What? How appropriate. He's an ass who has a great ass."

GAGAGA

Meredith hadn't seen Alex since that morning. She would ask her father about their meeting, but he was in surgery. She prolonged her departure from the locker room as long as she could by cleaning out her locker and just … sitting for a while.

Finally, at ten, she gathered her belongings and headed for her car.

"You leaving without me?" she heard from behind her. Meredith turned to see Alex, still in his scrubs. She stood, trying to be angry with him for not telling her what he and her father had talked about. Alex began walking toward her. "Oh come on, Doll, you mad at me?" he asked, his smirk growing larger as he got closer to Meredith.

"Yes! As a matter of fact I am. I waited all day to see if you got fired because you were playing my knight in shining, whatever, last night, and you were in surgery!?" Alex remained in front of her with the same stupid smile on his face that usually got him out of trouble with Meredith. "What?" she asked. She was irritated with him, but he knew there was something else.

"Wait for me?" he asked, almost sweetly.

Meredith waved her hand, as though the answer was obvious, and sat in the closest chair to wait. Moments later, he'd returned and was standing in front of her. "You gonna tell me what else is wrong, or am I going to have to guess?" he asked. Alex held out his hand to her and pulled her up. Meredith shrugged. "What if I have really good news for you?" he asked.

"It better involve Paris."

Alex chuckled. "I passed my boards."

Meredith leaped into his arms, surprising even herself. "Alex! That's so … great!"

"Yeah, let's do something to celebrate." He knew what she was thinking, but cut her off, "I don't want to go to Joe's. I want to go some place nobody knows us."

Meredith nodded, and they ended up across the city.

"Two shots of tequila, and a Corona," Alex ordered. He joined Meredith at a booth. "These are for you," he pushed the shots forward, "and this is mine."

"Are you trying to get me drunk?" Meredith asked, giggling. "What's with your one beer?"

"Someone's gotta drive us home. I'm high enough, from passing my boards."

Meredith leaned into Alex and put her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry that I was so angry with you." He kissed to top of her head, but said nothing. "I was just afraid that you were gone, and I was going to be alone."

"Grey, you're … you know, you're not like me. They all like you."

Meredith remained silent for a moment. "I like it better when you're there," she said finally.

"You'd better be careful," Alex teased. "Someone might think you care about me."

Meredith downed her two shots and then looked Alex in the eyes. "I do care about you, Alex."

Their look lingered for a moment too long before Alex grew uncomfortable under her gaze and looked away. Meredith mumbled something before disappearing to the bar to get more alcohol. When she returned, so had Alex's cocky grin. "So am I going to finally know what it's like to go home with Meredith Grey, intoxicated?"

Meredith stuck out her tongue and downed the other two shots in her hands. "Let's get out of here. This place is no fun." Alex quickly downed his beer in one gulp and stood, following Meredith out of the bar and into his truck.

GAGAGA

She'd giggled the whole way home. Perhaps Alex had overestimated how much it actually took Meredith Grey to get drunk. Perhaps she could just maintain drunk really well, and it only took a few to get her there initially. Because, here she was, on his couch, falling over herself in a fit of drunken giggles.

Meredith had already opened another beer for Alex and poured herself another shot. "Let's play a game." Meredith was already looking for the pack of cards she thought she saw the other day.

Alex put a hand on hers. "Mer," he said softly. "Calm down." His voice was soothing in an almost hypnotic way. He held out his arm and Meredith let herself all into his shoulder. They sat together for a moment, as one.

"Alex?" Meredith asked. Her voice sounded somber.

"Yeah?" he asked. She shook her head against his chest. "No, what?"

"Why … I mean, I like it, but why are you being my knight in shining-"

Alex cut her off before she got to the "whatever" part. "Meredith," he breathed out. He had so many words in his head that it almost overwhelmed him. "I'm going to bed," Alex announced rather abruptly. He left Meredith on the couch, drunk and very confused by what had just transpired.