a/n – I know I haven't updated this story for a while. I still love it and I will always love this ship, but I guess I wondered if people were still interested in stories about them? Thanks for all the reviews so far and I hope you like this chapter, please keep reviewing and letting me know what you think. Whether I should continue with another chap (perhaps an M one!? ; )

ALEX

Alex sighed long and hard as he walked out of the scrub room. It was a very long time since he had worked 48 hours straight and he felt physically and mentally shattered after the challenging major incident that had unexpectedly come in, causing chaos and stretching him and his co-workers to the limits.

Stopping by his office bleary eyed to check his schedule for that morning, before he went home to crash. He bumped in to his boss, Dr Robbins.

"Okay, Karev, you look worse than I feel. You are officially off duty." She said to him as he just stared vacantly back at her unable to speak at first.

"I just gotta do my rounds. I'm on patient discharge this morning," he eventually muttered as he put his hand up to his hair. Normally after the hours he had just worked, he would have been out of there like a flash, passing his rounds over to one of his interns, but not today. He knew today was the day that Sarah Stevens had to be discharged and he hadn't seen her or her mother Izzie, since he had been summoned to the ER for the emergency situation, right after he'd arranged to go on a date with Izzie. He'd been just about to leave work for the day, ready for their hotly anticipated date together, when he'd got the page changing everything. He hadn't had time to give anything much thought after that. But now he wanted to see her as soon as possible to apologise and explain, and hopefully re-arrange their date. He couldn't bear the thought that she'd be leaving today and he would never see her or her adorable daughter again.

"Seriously, no offence, but you look like a zombie, Karev. Go home, take a shower, sleep, get laid. Do whatever it is you do on your days off. And don't come back till next week. You're an attending now, you have interns to do your dirty work, so get out of here, go!" Arizona insisted as she turned to walk away.

Alex didn't need to be told twice, but before he left the hopsital he was determined to discharge Sarah, and he wandered towards the nurse's station to locate her chart. As he got closer he spotted his friends, Lexie, Meredith and Cristina leaning against the wall all exhausted too. The major incident they'd all been thrown in to, having seemingly wiped everyone out.

"Hey, Alex, good work earlier," Lexie said to him with a weary but friendly smile as she looked up and saw him. They had been in a surgery together where Alex had saved a young child's life.

"Thanks," Alex replied.

"He's pretty awesome isn't he? Dr Sloan," Lexie suddenly gushed.

"Err..yeah, I guess," Alex said, he'd forgotten that Mark Sloan, Izzie's friend from New York had scrubbed in on the surgery with them as the kid had needed facial reconstruction and Sloan had luckily happened to be in town with his wife, visiting Izzie and his old friend Derek Shepherd.

"Lex, don't even think about it," Meredith suddenly said to her sister with a warning tone. "He's married, I was at his wedding, remember? And his wife isn't a woman you'd want to mess with either."

"What, like you then," Alex replied smirking a little at his friend, as Meredith raised her eyebrows back at him.

"I know, I was just saying I thought he was an awesome surgeon, that's all." Lexie snapped back defensively at her sister, her cheeks reddening.

"Oh, really. Well, seeing as I've known you all my life, I think I can tell when you're getting that look in your eye and believe me he's bad news," Meredith said firmly.

"Well, love to stop and chat, as much as this conversation is riveting me. But I'm off home to sleep," Cristina said yawning as Meredith and Lexie both nodded their heads in agreement and Alex turned back to pick up Sarah's chart.

"Oh, you're not seriously still working," Meredith said to Alex as she looked at him flicking through the chart.

"Just something I've got to do, then I'm off too," he said without looking up.

"Hey, didn't you have some hot date or something?" Lexie suddenly said to him.

"Oh, who's the lucky girl?" Meredith said curiously.

"Or, unlucky," Cristina smirked as Alex scowled back at her, before ignoring them all and shaking his head slightly, as he turned his back to them and walked away.

…

Opening the door to Sarah's room Alex instantly heard giggling. Izzie and Sarah were sat on the bed with Izzie's friend Addison. They all looked relaxed and happy and were laughing at something Addison was saying, sensing his presence they all looked over at him.

Izzie's face broke in to an even wider smile as she saw him, and Addison quickly stood up, saying, "I was just leaving," kissing Sarah on the cheek and flashing Izzie a knowing look as she walked past Alex, giving him a polite smile.

"Morning," Izzie said to him shyly after Addison had gone. Both her and Sarah were fully dressed with their bags packed by the bed, ready to hopefully go home.

"Morning," Alex responded as he looked at Izzie for a moment, slightly mesmerized. She looked fresh faced and immaculate, her blond hair was tied back in a ponytail and she was dressed in a white blouse and jeans with spiky heels and she smelt delicious he thought, as moving closer he was hit with a waft of her sweet perfume. Whilst he in contrast, felt a complete mess after his gruelling surgery, Arizona was right he was a zombie.

"So, how you feeling, Sarah?" he said turning to address Izzie's young blonde daughter.

"Good, I feel good. Can I go home please?" She said eagerly.

"Well, that depends on a few things," he said gently as he moved over to take her temperature. "Excellent," he said as he looked down at the reading and turning back to Sarah he said, "Mind if I just listen to your chest a sec?"

They were all silent for a few minutes whilst he worked, before he said with a smile, "Okay, well looks like you can go home today, Sarah, and we'll see you in a few weeks for a follow up. But, remember you had a big operation. Your body is still healing, you need rest, no outdoor activities or exerting yourself too much, right?" Sarah didn't say anything at first as she just looked away from Alex, causing Izzie to glare at her as she said sternly, "Right?"

"Right," Sarah repeated, turning back to her mother as she said, "Can I go and find Aunt Addison and Uncle Mark now pleeease?"

"Sure, you know where they are," Izzie said smiling.

With Sarah gone, Alex turned back to Izzie as he sighed, working himself up to say, "Ah, I'm sorry about the other night." He hated that he had to bail on their date after everything that had happened. When he'd been more than a little excited about it anyway. But after he'd been called away he'd had to get a nurse to cancel for him last minute, and he really hoped Izzie would realize that.

"It's fine honestly. I get it. Life of a surgeon and all that.." She said her eyes meeting his as she smiled.

Alex was a little taken aback. He really hadn't been sure how she would react. The one girl he had briefly dated outside the hospital, had been less than impressed when he'd broken off a couple of dates at the last minute due to work commitments. But here, Izzie seemed totally cool. Not bothered at all.

He shifted a little as he felt the room spinning around and he clutched on to the side of the bed to steady himself. Sleep deprivation could do strange things to a person, being a surgeon he knew that, as he felt himself go even more faint.

"Whoa, you okay?" Izzie instantly said her eyes full of concern, "Sit down a minute," she added as he sunk down on to the bed next to her.

"Sorry, guess being up for over two days does funny things to a person," he said yawning as he stretched his arm out a little, barely able to see what was right in front of him.

"So I see…you need to relax, what with all the 'saving kids lives' and stuff" …."Here," Izzie said moving closer to him and twisting her body around slightly she put both her hands on to his tense shoulders, massaging his aching muscles through his scrubs. He closed his eyes a little, and uncontrollably leaned back in to her, feeling his whole body instantly relax as her skilled fingers teased and manipulated the exact right spots and he let out a small moan of pleasure. Her hands were talented, she'd make a great surgeon, 'as well as a great something else', he thought to himself getting carried away, as he couldn't help his mind wander to more erotic thoughts as he lost himself in the moment. The intimacy between them at that moment was immense, on the face of it, it was just a shoulder massage, but it was the kind of shoulder massage you'd give a lover, someone you'd known for years, slow and tender, hitting all the right places. He was technically still her daughter's doctor and they hadn't even been on an official date yet. But somehow he knew in his heart, that didn't matter, they'd gone way beyond that now

"You'll have me asleep in a minute," Alex said lazily, as he had to will himself to come back to reality as he tried not to imagine her talented hands massaging him in other places, as he suddenly felt a small bulge forming in his pants. He knew soon he would have to get her to stop, as he closed his eyes some more.

Eventually she removed her hands and he opened his eyes and said, "I really am sorry about the other night, I want to make it up to you. Maybe, tonight?" He added a little nervously.

"I think we should take a rain check on that, you need to go home and sleep," she replied, as she stood up and swung her hair back and away from her face as she reached down and took something out of her bag, "But, I really do owe you a drink, for everything you've done for us, so call me," she said as she handed him her card as he realised he didn't even have her cell phone number.

Alex woke refreshed, well in to the next morning and turning over in bed he reached for his phone sleepily. He felt a sudden burst of adrenaline as he saw there was a message waiting for him from Izzie ,and he remembered right before he'd gone to sleep he'd sent her a message asking how she and Sarah were.

She had replied a good twelve hours ago he noticed, thinking how he must have been asleep for ages, as he quickly sent her a message back, 'fancy that drink tonight?' before rolling over and out of bed to make his way in to his kitchen for a coffee. He knew his message was a perhaps a little forward, but he didn't care. He wanted to see her too much, to play games.

She replied immediately 'I can't tonight, sorry. I promised to take Sarah to see a movie and then for a pizza.'

Alex frowned as he read it, he wasn't quite sure if that was a brush off or what, but before he could get too hung up on it, his phone beeped again 'You could always come along? it won't be anything too exciting though.'

'Sounds perfect', Alex sent back straight away.

…

Alex wasn't quire sure what he was doing later. Sat watching some dumb kid's movie in a room packed full of other young families with annoying snotty nosed kids. As a pediatrician he spent the majority of his time around children. Normally on his days off, he slept, drank beer, chased women and ordered take out. When did his life become so lame? he thought. But sitting in the dark movie theatre next to Izzie and Sarah, Alex realised it was anything but lame, he actually felt happy.

He tried to concentrate on the movie in front of him, but his mind kept wandering back to thoughts of what he wanted to do to Izzie later that evening, the sexual tension between them was becoming unbearable. He glanced sideways at Sarah to see she was fully engrossed in the screen in front of her, as he subtly reached his hand down for Izzie's, lacing his fingers through hers affectionately as he instantly felt a tingle of electricity from the comfort of her touch.

….

Later on in the pizza restaurant, Alex couldn't remember the last time he had laughed so much as he sat with Izzie and Sarah, sharing jokes. Quickly forgetting that up until recently Sarah had just been another one of his patients, and he had saved her life a couple of times.

"Okay, it's late, we should really be getting you home," Izzie said to Sarah, as the last of their plates were cleared away.

"I'll go and pay," Alex said as he stood up to go over to the counter.

"You have such a beautiful family," the waitress said smiling as she handed him his receipt. Causing Alex to glance over to where Izzie and Sarah were sat, they were looking at each other laughing, both with their identical big brown eyes, lightly sun kissed skin and long platinum blond hair. And he couldn't help but smile to himself too, as he tucked the receipt in to his jeans pocket. They weren't his family, yet, but they sure as hell were starting to feel like they were.

...

"I can't believe its dark already. She's so tired, she's had such a great day, she's completely wiped out," Izzie said as Alex pulled up outside her house later, and she turned to look back to where her daughter was fast asleep in the back of Alex's car.

Alex undid his seat belt and got out of the car to open the back door, carefully lifting a sleeping Sarah protectively in to his arms. She didn't even stir as she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck and nestled her head in to his shoulder as he followed Izzie up to the front door.

Once inside Alex carried Sarah all the way up the stairs and in to her bedroom, gently laying her down on the bed as Izzie pulled back her pink duvet and started to remove her clothing, putting her pyjamas on, as Sarah mumbled something in her sleep. Making sure the covers were wrapped around her, Alex watched from the doorway as Izzie kissed her cute daughter on the forehead and whispered, "Night, night, princess, sleep tight. I love you. You light up my life." Before she switched on her night light and crept out of the room to join Alex on the landing.

"Fancy a drink now?" Izzie said mischievously raising her eyebrows, as they made their way in to the kitchen and Alex just grinned back at her, as she quickly produced a bottle of tequila and two glasses and headed for the front room.

"Thanks," Alex said as he took a glass and relaxed his head back against the sofa, adding "Sarah's a really great kid, Iz."

"I know and you're so great with her….I'm really glad you came with us today," Izzie replied as she sipped her drink, her pretty wide eyes meeting his straight on as she edged a little closer to him.

Alex wasn't quite sure what happened next. He just knew that this time around there was no critically ill Sarah in hospital as his patient, no misunderstandings, no rule breaking. It was just him and Izzie, and every thing felt perfectly right, as he put his wine glass down and leaned in, cupping her face with his hand as he slowly kissed her.

...