A/N: Sorry that this chapter is a little late. I have been a little busy with Christmas Parties etc and to be honest I struggled with this chapter a bit. I promise the next chapter will be pure fluff and happiness! Thanks again to all of you for your continued support. A special thanks to Kate and Leah who keep encouraging me to continue.

Chapter 16 –End and beginning

Thomas was not happy when Alex explained to him that unfortunately he would have to go to day care and not to see Santa or the Polar Express at the cinema.

"But mommy promised." He whined.

"I know she did, but something really important has come up that we have to go and fix." Alex explained.

"You always fix other kids." Thomas said and stomped back upstairs.

"Well that went well." Alex muttered to himself, before he turned around and began to walk up the stairs to try again.

He stood in the doorway as he watched Jo, gently explaining that even though mommy and daddy were really busy today, that as soon as they could, they would do what she had promised.

"Have you told Thomas the best piece of news?" Alex asked as he walked in the room.

"No. Do you want to tell him?" Jo asked.

"Tell me what?" Thomas said suitably distracted from having to go to day care.

"That we think you and mommy should come and live here with me." Alex said.

"Really?" Thomas asked his eyes wide in surprise.

"Yes sweetheart, we are going to all live together." Jo added.

"Does that mean you are daddy's girlfriend?" Thomas asked his mother.

"Umm I haven't really thought about that." Jo said looking back at Alex.

"Yes it does. Is that okay?" Alex said taking over from Jo's lack of certainty.

"Yep." Thomas agreed, getting down off his bed and heading for the door. He was no longer interested in this conversation.

"Wow that was easy." Jo said.

"Yeah, somehow I don't see the rest of the day going that well." Alex said. His voice full of concern for what they were about to do.

An hour later, Thomas was safe at day care and Alex and Jo were at the Police station. They were told that Ryan had been talking all night with the negotiator and no progress had been made.

"With no disrespect officer, Ryan is a Psychiatrist he knows all the tricks that your negotiator will be using. He isn't going to fall for any fake promises." Jo tried to explain.

"We are aware of that. You will have fifteen minutes to talk to him, if that won't work; we are going to go in. This can't go on indefinitely." The Officer explained.

Alex, Jo and the Police Officer went to the apartment building in which Ryan lived. A Negotiator and a team of Police Officers were set up in an office downstairs and were in contact with him via the phone.

The Police filled them in on the situation and then a line was set up for Jo to talk to Ryan.

"Jo, Thank God you have to tell them that this is all a mistake. Tell them that you love me." Ryan pleaded.

"Hi Ryan. Are you okay? Do you have enough food and water?" Jo asked in a soothing voice.

"What? Of course. Please just tell them you love me too and this will all go away." He pleaded again.

Alex was actually starting to feel bad for the guy. Ryan really believed that Jo loved him. He was that delusional. He really did need some time in therapy and probably some sort of anti psychotic medication.

"Ryan I really need you to listen to me. I am very sorry if I made you believe that there was anything between us other than friendship and that I viewed you only as my work place mentor. I need you to understand that I don't have romantic feelings for you."

"You do. You just don't realise it yet. Once Alex is out of the way..."

"NO. There will never be anything between us EVER. It is really important that you understand that. My life is with my son and his father." Jo interrupted.

"But Jo Alex... he isn't good enough for you."

"That isn't your decision to make. Besides, Alex is a good man and I am very lucky. I am not saying this to hurt you. I am saying it because it is the truth. It is important that you understand that."

"So what happens now?" He asked suddenly defeated.

"Well now, I think you need to let the Police in and you need to go to a Psychiatric facility and get some real help."

"I can't." He uttered.

"Look it is going to be tough, but you need to understand that your behaviour isn't acceptable. There is something wrong and I know it can be fixed."

"I just want someone to love me." He said completely breaking down.

Alex put his hand on Jo's shoulder as he could sense how badly she felt for her friend. Everything became a little clearer for Alex. He got it. He had never had a breakdown like Ryan Hardy was having, but he understood that people deal with loneliness in all manner of different ways.

"You will, one day. You need to get in the right frame of mind and you need to get the help to make that happen. You have been taking care of the mentally ill for so long, perhaps it is time to let someone look after you."

With that Ryan unlocked the door and the paramedics took him away. Jo never spoke to him again. Ryan left and was admitted to a hospital in New York. His family lived there and it was time for him to face a lot of his past demons that perhaps put him in the position he now found himself in.

"That was amazing work Doctor Wilson." The negotiator told her.

"You think? I don't feel quite so sure about that." Jo added modestly.

"Well I have been up with him all night and I made zero progress. You spoke for twenty minutes and he is now on his way to get some help. So I say anytime you want a job with my team, call me." He said as he left the room.

Jo got up from her chair and fell into Alex's arms. He held her close to him and whispered comforting words to her.

"Can you just please take me home?" Jo asked.

"Yeah, I can do that. You didn't get much sleep last night, how about you have a bath, and then get some sleep. I will stay with you until you fall asleep and then I will pick Thomas up."

"No I don't want you to leave me. Can you just stay with me until late this afternoon, and then we can pick him up together. I just need to be with you for a while."

"Sure Princess, whatever you need is what I will do." He said smiling at her.

Alex took Jo's hand and led her to the car. Finally it looked like everything was over. All the hard stuff was behind them. They had a future together to look forward too.

Alex held Jo while she slept in his arms. He had so many thoughts running through his head. He had let Owen, Jackson and the rest of the board know what had happened. They also insisted that both he and Jo take the next week of work to get over the ordeal.

It was going to work out well, they could make good on the promise they had made to Thomas and they could organise to clear Jo's apartment out and move her and Thomas finally into his house.

Our House, I can't believe I am getting everything I ever wanted. I have a house to share with my family. It's always been just a house, it's now a home.

A/N: Thanks for reading. Please be kind and review.