And I'm back! Hope you are all well and happy! I for one am simply glad to have finally gotten time to actually put onto paper (computer screen) the inspiration that has been floating around my brain these last few weeks. Being back at work gives me no time to write what so ever and naturally that's when my inspiration is at it's best.

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Chapter Twenty Four

By Rosa241

Alex POV:

The room goes completely silent for a few minutes as the four of us simply stare at each other. Meredith and Sloan share this triumphant look before they both turn to look at me. Mere looks guilty for a moment when she meets my eyes before she smiles at me, oh she is so dead. Mark has the decency to wince at the intensity of my glare as I catch his eye. George…

I'm not even going to look at him.

How could they do this to me?

What the hell am I supposed to do now?

He was never supposed to find out about this!

Never!

They both knew that I didn't want to tell him, they knew and they do this!

How the hell could they do this to me?

"You two are dead!" They both jump at the sheer ferocity of the growl that comes out of my mouth. "What the hell did you think you were doing!?"

"What you two were too chicken to do!" Mark explodes as he steps forward. "We both kept telling the pair of you to man up and admit it but no! You've both got to have issues and just…just act like a couple of freaking teenagers!"

"What the hell does my personal life have to do with either of you!?" Gazing between the two of them I can't help but growl again.

"Alex we were just trying to help." Meredith's voice does nothing but cause my anger to increase even further. Where the hell do those two get off acting like they've got the right to-

"You didn't answer my question." For a moment, caught up in my anger at Meredith and Mark, I'd almost forgotten that George was in the room. Unable to process the words coming out of his mouth my brain manages a rather unintelligent response.

"Uh…what?" He looks directly at me and, not for the first time, his eyes make my heart stutter just a little.

"You didn't answer my question. How do you feel about me?"

George POV:

"He'll come round. You'll be fine eventually, you know that deep down." Sighing I say nothing as we pull up to the apartment. We can't keep going on like this that's for sure.

"It's just so hard. I don't know how much longer I can do this for. I just keep standing there every day, knowing the whole time that I'm in love with him, and watch him flirting and being with other people." Admitting how I feel out loud is not something I do lightly. He's still my friend and I don't want to lose that but I can't sit by and watch him be with other people.

"I know. Maybe it would be easier if you told him how you felt." Stepping out of the car I glare at her, no way. I'm not risking my friendship with him for this. "I'm just saying that if you told him how you felt then maybe you'd be in for a surprise."

"Meredith you keep saying that he'll end up feeling the same way but I know Alex. He won't want someone like me. He deserves someone better." It's hard to admit but it's true. He won't want me.

"He won't find someone better for him than you George. The two of you are perfect for each other."

Shaking my head I respond with a sigh. "Meredith he doesn't want me like that. You know that he doesn't."

We walk in silence up to the apartment and that suits me just fine. I don't want to talk about my feelings because there's no good outcome there. There's no way that we can be together. He doesn't want me. Talking about it doesn't change anything.

"Because he deserves someone else! He deserves someone better than me."

That's Alex's voice. I can't help coming to a complete stop as his next words wash over me.

"I'm damaged. Seriously I've got a whole shit load of baggage dragging behind me and it's not going away any time soon. He doesn't need the crap that I'm going to bring to his life Sloan."

Turning sharply I send a shocked look Meredith's way. The small smile she gives me in return tells me everything I need to know. There's no way. It can't be. He can't possibly feel the same…can he?

Quickly making my decision I push the door open silently.

"So you can save whatever speech you've got saved up for now and cram it. George deserves someone better than me so no. I'm not telling him how I feel."

"How do you feel?" My voice wavers as I speak and for a moment I almost think his head might just snap right off. The silence in the apartment echoes all around us as we all gaze at each other. The way that Alex's eyes are snapping between Meredith and Sloan would be comical if it weren't for the seriousness of the situation.

"You two are dead! What the hell did you think you were doing!?" The anger in his voice snaps the tension in the room and I can't help jumping.

"What you two were too chicken to do!" Sloan steps towards Alex as he lets loose. "We both kept telling the pair of you to man up and admit it but no! You've both got to have issues and just…just act like a couple of freaking teenagers!"

"What the hell does my personal life have to do with either of you!?" He's not denying it. He's angry at them but he's not denying how he feels. Meredith says something but I tune here out as the same thought keeps running around my brain.

He isn't denying it.

"You didn't answer my question." I hadn't planned on saying it out loud but the words come out none the less.

"Uh…what?" He looks directly at me and for a moment I almost feel like he's going to run away.

"You didn't answer my question. How do you feel about me?"

A deafening silence crosses the room as my question lingers in the air. It seems like he's finally realised just what I asked. Our eyes never waver from each other as we stand there, staring…watching.

"We're going to head off." Meredith speaks but neither of us make a move to stop them. The both head towards the door and it's only when it snaps shut that we both jump and the spell is broken.

"How do you feel?" I ask the question for the third time and again he looks like he's going to run away. Is he really that scared?

"You heard me." It's a statement not a question. Nodding my head at him he sighs as he drops down onto the couch. He drops his head into his hands and again we descend into silence.

"You said that I deserve better. What did you mean?" I hate the way my voice shakes as I speak but I get the words out. Don't chicken out now. He doesn't speak for a while and I almost think he's not going to when he finally opens his mouth.

"Just that. You deserve better." His words come out so small that it actually makes my heart ache a little.

"Better?"

"Better than me." Better than him? How could I find someone better than him? "I'm not good George. I'm really not."

"What do you mean?" Something inside me curls as he speaks. He can't really think that can he?

"There's a lot crap in my past. I lot of crap! You can't even begin to imagine the things that I've done. I've lied, cheated, manipulated…and that's not even the worst. You don't need someone like me in your life."

How can he think that?

How can he think that he's not good enough for me?

He's been through hell and come out the other side but he still thinks he's not good enough!

Before I can even think about how to respond he's on his feet and moving away towards his room.

"You deserve better George." The slamming of his door snaps me out of my spell and, despite the fact that he's walked away from me, I can't help a smile forming on my face.

He cares about me.

Alex's POV:

Slamming the door with more force than was strictly needed I can't help the anger that is still coursing through me. Banging my hand hard on the wall I want to scream. It's out there now. He knows.

"Dammit!"

How could they do this to me?

How could they manipulate me like this?

I've spent so long trying to get over this and they've just destroyed everything. I felt like I could actually try to be his friend, like I could try being a part of his life without romance and it's over. He's never going to want to be my friend now. Not now. Why would he?

I'm not good.

I'm not good enough for him.

I'll never be good enough for him.

He didn't walk away.

"Shut up, shut up!" My mind doesn't listen to me and instead carries on.

He didn't look disgusted when you spoke.

"Shut up!"

He looked hopeful.

He looked like he was glad.

"Shut up!"

"I think you're feelings for Alex might not be a one way thing." My internal tirade stops at the memory of Meredith's words and for the first time I don't push them away. For the first time I allow myself to dwell on them.

He feels the same way.

But you're not good enough for him.

He wants to be with you.

You don't deserve him.

He doesn't think that.

"What if he doesn't…" My words trail off as realisation comes to me. Something inside me startles at the thought and for the first time I let the thought linger in my mind. For a moment I let my mind wander and I finally make a decision.

"To hell with it." Opening the door I take a breath before stepping out into the hallway and making my way to where George is still stood. His eyes meet mine as I walk into the kitchen. He hasn't moved since he wandered into the apartment and the thought makes me smile.

"Alex." Standing still I pull together my courage and step forward.

Please don't hate me.

I don't give him chance to move as I press my lips to his. He jolts in shock as I kiss him and for a moment terror fills me and fear tells me I've made the biggest mistake of my life.

Then he kisses me back.

Wasting no time he wraps his arms around my neck as my own snake around his waist and pull him closer. As we sink into the kiss, breaking apart only to take in air, my entire world seems to slot into place.

Finally.

YAY!

They finally kissed!

WOOHOO!

It's taken twenty four chapters, a bout of scarlet fever, a scheming Izzy and two meddling doctors but they finally got there.

YAY! Let's revel in the glow before my evil mind decides to torture them a little more.

Bye x