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Chapter 15: "Sweet Emotion"

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Alex had tried desperately to pick up a girl at Joe's. But in the end, none of them were what he wanted. So he drove home, not anywhere near drunk. And alone. He hadn't seen Meredith all day, mostly because he hid out in the pit until he was sure she'd gone home for the day.

Having not yet reached the level of drunkenness he had intended, Alex skipped the mail and all of his regular routine and headed straight to the fridge for a beer.

And there it was. Posted on the freezer, at eye level, where she had been sure he would see it, because she didn't bank on him being so pissed about her leaving that he didn't feel like eating breakfast that morning. On a pink piece of paper that she must have scrounged out of her own purse, because Alex Karev did not own pink pieces of paper. The reason why she was absent this morning. The reason she didn't fight with him. The reason why she, rightfully, stormed off after his brutal rebuff.

Alex winced as he ripped it off the fridge and read it.

Alex,

I didn't want to wake you. My mom's home called. It's no big thing, but I had to go check on her. I'll see you at work.

-Meredith

PS. Thanks for last night.

Ass. Ass. Ass.

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If roommates were good for one thing, it was for communal drinking. In the living room. On the floor. Out of mismatched shot glasses. No chasers allowed.

Meredith and Izzie sat supporting each other, as they leaned against the couch. "I am going to end up single and alone, just like my mother. I mean, but look where she ended up: A world renown surgeon. That's not so bad, is it?"

Izzie shook her head. "You can sleep with as many boys as you want. You won't be tied down to anything or anywhere. Look at your mom, she's off seeing the world and writing a book! She doesn't have to worry about any stupid maaaan stopping her."

"No, Meredith, you'll be okay, you won't be alone." For his part, George was completely mystified by the announcement that Meredith had a no-sex-sleep with Alex last night, or any night before that for that matter.

"I wonder if my mom always had this much difficulty. I mean, first I fall in love with a man who's married. And then, Alex. What was I thinking?"

George spit out his tequila shot. "You were in love with Alex!?"

Meredith continued on, as if George hadn't even spoken, or spit out all of his alcohol on her jeans. "I should have just hooked up with McSteamy. At least I know he's bad for me."

"For the record, you knew Alex was bad for you, too," Izzie interjected.

"Izzie," Meredith said, too drunk to be admonishing.

"Sorry."

"How come you hear her? When I talk, you don't hear me." George melodramatically collapsed onto the floor.

"George, I hear you." Meredith's voice took a patronizing tone.

Izzie shook her head. "You don't. We don't. He's too quiet."

The doorbell rang, and Izzie jumped up. "Pizza's here!" she sang out, launching herself toward the door.

"I hear you, George," Meredith repeated herself.

"Fine, you hear me. Okay."

"Okay."

The two sat in silence until Izzie returned with pizza boxes in tow.

When the door bell rang again, Izzie and Meredith looked at George. "Your Chinese food, George," they said in unison.

The two women remained side by side, taking another shot of tequila before they picked up their slices of pizza.

"It was not my Chinese food. No, definitely not."

"But we didn't order-" Meredith stopped midsentence, seeing Alex standing sheepishly behind George. He looked small to her.

"I told him he couldn't come in," George said.

"Well that obviously worked out well for you!" Izzie screeched.

"Meredith?" Alex asked, finally speaking.

Meredith realized that everyone was staring at her, waiting for her to do something, anything. "What?" she spit out, a little more aggressively than she meant to.

"Can I talk to you?" He looked at Izzie and George. "Alone?"

She sighed and took another shot. "Fine."

Before they walked away, Izzie and George gave him a menacing look before clearing out of the room, taking the box of pizza and tequila up to Izzie's room with them.

"I'm drunk." Meredith sat, staring at her own feet. "Really, really drunk."

"I'm sorry."

Meredith stared at him, confused. "That I'm drunk?"

Alex couldn't help but chuckle, despite the situation. "No, Grey. About today."

"Oh." Then, "I'm listening."

"All I knew is that when I woke up this morning, you were gone. I was afraid you'd changed your mind."

Meredith snorted. "I left a note."

"I didn't get it until twenty minutes ago."

"Oh, I don't care." Meredith struggled to stand up, and Alex came rushing forward to help her. She looked deeply into his eyes, her arms resting on her shoulders. "I'm really drunk."

Alex chuckled again. "Come on, Grey. Let's get some sleep."

He picked her up, cradling her in his arms. "This doesn't mean you're off the hook."

"No," he whispered in her ear, just happy to be holding her again.

"In fact, there are a lot of things you'll have to do to get off the hook." She was mumbling into his shoulder now.

"Of course."

"Like baseball games. And more jersey things. I liked those."

"Sure. Anything." Alex reached what he deduced was her bedroom since all the other doors were closed. He set her down carefully on the bed and closed the door behind him.

"And then, you have to do my post-op notes."

"Let's not get carried away here, Grey," he responded, with a large smile on his face.

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Is that better?