Author's Notes: So this chapter is a little slow so I'm going to try my absolute best to post again tomorrow. After that I'll probably only be able to do 1-2 postings a week.

I know it feels like Alex will never wake up, but hang in there. It's coming :)

Again, thank you all for your overwhelming support. I wish you all great things for the New Year!

Izzie Stevens found herself once again in the trauma ICU. She tried to play it off as checking on a patient, which she was, but the truth was the young woman didn't need as many visits as Izzie had been making. And Izzie was well aware that she would not be checking on her patient near as much had her room not been right next to Alex's.

It had frustrated her that the team had decided to move Jo in with Alex. Before that, Izzie had gone in and sat with Alex a lot and talked to him about random things. It had helped her a great deal to be close to him, but now she was essentially denied access with his wife at his side all the time.

Izzie walked over to Alex's bay and saw Jo sitting on the side of his bed caressing his face and talking softly. Izzie silently stood in the doorway to listen to what the young woman was saying, "...and you know what a bitch that can be...It's Saturday so I called your mother for you since she would be expecting a phone call. I told her you had a long surgery today and probably wouldn't get out before she goes to sleep. Which I figured wasn't a complete lie. She was okay with that and said she loves the blouse we sent. She was busy playing dominoes with a friend and sounded really good today...And Jackson called. He said the crib was delivered a couple of days ago. Shepherd and Hunt were going to help him put it together today and he said Webber had offered to supervise. Which I took as he was going to make sure they stayed sober enough to make sense of the directions." Izzie watched as the young woman smiled softly at Alex before glancing in her direction, "Dr. Stevens, what are you doing here?"

Izzie hoped her expression didn't convey the shock she felt at being caught and slowly stepped into the room, "I was just up here checking on a patient and wanted to see how you two were doing."

"We're okay. They are taking him to surgery soon to revise some work on his ankle. That's why I'm sitting up, I swear I'm usually horizontal." Jo then took her hand from Alex's face and grabbed his hand to place on her belly. Izzie watched as the younger woman glanced her way, "Alex always gets the biggest kick out of feeling my belly when the baby moves. And he was constantly talking to the baby about anything: surgeries, sports, food, cars. At first he only did it when he thought I was asleep but I caught him and told him it was a big turn on so he started doing it more often. It always felt weird for me to talk to my abdomen and I really didn't see the point to be honest, but I can tell a difference since Alex has been unconscious. Alex could always get him to calm down by talking. I really thought it was just a freaky coincidence until now." Jo paused and laughed softly, "I'm rambling aren't I? I tend to talk more when I'm nervous."

Izzie wasn't sure what to say. She was so jealous of this woman and what she had. All she could think about was Alex lying in bed talking to her belly and putting cribs together. She fought back her emotions to respond, "It shouldn't take much longer, sounds like they are planning to wean him off sedation soon."

"Yeah, I can't decide if I'm more excited or nervous about that. Thank goodness some friends will be here for that. I'm not sure I could do it alone."

Izzie was about to ask who she was referring to when several residents and nurses came in to transport Alex to surgery. She watched as Jo kissed his cheek and murmured, "Kick ass in there Alex" before asking a nurse to swap out their pillows. When Jo had Alex's old pillow she lay on her bed clutching it as Alex was pushed out of the room.

Izzie was trying to decide how to ask about the pillow when Jo spoke up, "I know it's weird, but it's something Alex learned from his ex-wife and now he suggests to all of his patient's loved ones that they exchange pillows before surgery. That way the patient can smell their parent or caregiver while being wheeled into surgery and the caregiver can smell their child while they are gone. It comforts them. Pretty genius, right?"

Izzie stood frozen in place, she hadn't expected to hear Jo speak of her at all, much less in such a relaxed manner, "Um yeah." Izzie searched her mind and couldn't remember ever telling Alex to do that, "You said his ex-wife taught him that?" she asked quizzically. Maybe Alex had married someone else in between.

Jo gave her a strange look, "Yeah, she had cancer and went through a lot of procedures. He always says that laying in her bed while she was gone helped keep him calm."

Izzie felt as if she couldn't breathe. How had she ever walked away from him? She had been such a stupid, stupid woman. Was it too late for them to try again? "What happened to her?"

Jo looked at her curiously, "I'm not sure. She left him after she got better and he hasn't heard from her since the divorce went through. I guess she could be anywhere."

Izzie chewed on this for a bit. She wanted to know so much more about Alex's relationship with Jo, but was afraid to ask. Jo seemed suspicious of these questions and she didn't want to stress out the expectant mother. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

Jo narrowed her eyes in confusion, "I thought you already were."

Izzie gave a warm laugh, "Yeah I guess so. It's just...I'm dating a man that is divorced. I just...how are you so comfortable with it? I mean you seem comfortable at least to me." Which wasn't a complete lie. Matt had been divorced but she wasn't planning on getting too serious with him. Plus his marital status didn't bother her in the least.

Jo motioned for Izzie to take a seat, "I never thought that much about it. I heard he was divorced before I really got to know him and he told me about it not too long after we became friends. It just always seemed to simply be a part of what makes him, him. I don't know how to explain it. It's just part of the package and part of what made him into the man I love today."

Izzie slowly nodded, "So it doesn't make you feel self-conscious?"

Jo laughed slightly and stared at the ceiling, "I don't judge him for his past lovers and he doesn't judge me for mine. Plus, when he proposed it made me feel like he really meant it. I mean he had been through a marriage and a divorce before and it had broken his heart. I knew he wouldn't take getting married a second time lightly, so when he asked it reaffirmed how much he wanted me." Jo glanced back at Izzie, "Am I making any sense at all?"

Izzie numbly nodded, "Yeah."

Jo smiled eagerly, "So how long have you been dating your boyfriend?"

Izzie shook her head, "Not very long, just about four months."

"Four months is good. A lot can happen in four months so the fact that you're still together is a good sign," Jo said encouragingly.

"I don't know if we will make it. He thinks I'm still hung up on an ex. It's a real issue for us that just won't go away."

Izzie glanced up to see Jo studying her intently, "Well are you still pining for your ex?"

Izzie slowly stood and gave a half-hearted smile, "I don't know. I think I might be."