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Jo watched Alex from across the bar as he played darts with Jackson and Meredith. She was sitting at the bar picking at peanut shells as she was drinking and trying desperately not to stare at him.
“His voice is just so annoying sometimes, oh Jo go down to path and pick up my labs, oh Jo come assist me on this case, oh Jo blah blah blah,” Jo complained to Stephanie as she tossed a peanut shell into the empty red basket in front of her, just missing it as the shell fell to the floor. “Just because I'm a resident doesn't mean he can order me around all the time. I'm not his resident.”
“Yeah, that's kind of what being a resident is,” Stephanie said as she shook her head and took a sip of her drink. “I can't believe you're a resident again. Between you and Ben, switching careers, it’s like you all forgot the thrill of surgery.”
“You switch careers too,” Jo said, glaring at Stephanie. “You're a fancy med-school professor now. When was the last time you picked up a scalpel?”
“Yeah, but half of my body got melted off,” Stephanie said, gesturing to the burn scars on her arm and the side of her cheek.
“You're still super hot, though,” Jo said as she smiled at her and Stephanie’s hard look broke and she smiled too.
“Thank you, babe,” Stephanie said, sitting up a little taller.
“You're welcome, babe,” Jo said as they both laughed.
Jo was so glad that Stephanie was back. She missed her so much. Although they talked all the time on the phone, it wasn't the same as her being here. Sure she had Link and Meredith, but it wasn't the same either, they weren't Stephanie. Stephanie was her best friend, her girlfriend. Someone she could talk to about anything with, whether it was about how her new residency was kicking her ass or how heavy her last period was now that she was off her birth control. She had hoped that Since the University of Washington had offered Stephanie a teaching position, she could convince her to get a place close to her and the Loft, which was looking like a sure deal as Stephanie did seem pretty impressed with the U-Dubs offer. They were offering her a lot of perks, like her own fancy office and tenure right off the bat, along with an apartment in a really nice area with a pool. Jo liked the pool. Although she didn't know how to swim, maybe she could get Stephanie to teach her, but she wasn't sure if Stephanie knew how to swim either.
Alex knew how to swim. Jo’s thoughts trailed off as she looked over at Alex again. He glanced over at her and gave her that smirk that she hated so much. Although she didn't really hate it, it was just so annoying sometimes. She narrowed her eyes at him and turned away, although it was impossible to stay away from him. He always drew her in like a magnet.
“Ugh, who cares about Alex Karev,” Jo said with a shake of her head, trying to convince Stephanie as much as she's just trying to convince herself. “Not me. I’ve got a boyfriend.”
“Oh really, you've got a boyfriend?” Stephanie said with a smile and a little laugh that Jo didn't appreciate. She did have a boyfriend.
“Yes, I have a boyfriend he's,” Jo looked around the bar trying to spot him, but quickly gave up as she just waved her arm at Stephanie. “He's around here somewhere, I don't know. We're not attached to the hip or something, besides it's a girl's night.”
Stephanie just laughed and took a sip of her drink. They were both still drinking despite how the night was slowly fizzling out. It was late, Jo didn't know how late it was, but the bar was starting to empty out, and it made it easier to spot Alex in the crowd. She looked over at him again, acting so cool as he won another round of darts. He was so cool, she hated how cool he was.
Jo looked back at her whiskey drink, shaking the ice around in the glass. The drink was called Sunset and Vine or something like that, she didn't quite remember. It tasted good, and she threw back the rest of her drink before signaling to the bartender that she wanted another. Stephanie gave her a look but didn't cut her off. That had been the agreement for the night Jo could drink as much as she wanted, and no one would cut her off unless she threw up. But she was smart. She was a freaking doctor. She knew how to hold her liquor and when it was too much, and so far, it wasn't too much.
“He’s just so gorgeous,” Jo thought as she looked back at Alex again.
“You said that one out loud,” Stephanie said with another smirk as Jo turned her glared at her.
“I'm drunk, my mouth has thoughts,” Jo said as the bartender presented her with another drink, and she wrapped her fingers around the glass before she glanced back at Alex.
“If you think he's so gorgeous, just go talk to him. You don't have to stay here with me the entire night,” Stephanie said, giving Jo’s hips a little push that almost sent her off the barstool. As Jo nearly lost her balance, she gripped the bar, but Stephanie only laughed.
“No, I can't say anything to his face 'cause, 'cause look at his stupid face,” Jo said, pointing over at him before she looked back at Stephanie. “God, I hate his stupid, good looking, handsome face for making me feel like this.”
Stephanie only shook her head as she continued to holler with laughter, nearly tipping out of her own seat before she regained her balance. “God, I missed you. I even missed you pining over Alex all night.”
“I miss you too, but for the record, I have not been pining over Alex,” Jo said, focusing back on Stephanie again as she wrapped her arms around her shoulders.
This was a night for the two of them, and no one, not even Alex Karev, and his stupidly gorgeous face was going to get in the way of that. Except for maybe the fact that Alex was coming over to them and looking straight at her as he walked up to the bar. Jo tried to remember not to stare, but she had to physically remember to turn her head away and close her mouth, so she didn’t drool all over the table.
“Do you want anything else?”
Jo looked back at the bartender as he presented her with another drink. Did she order another drink? She couldn't remember, but as she looked down at the drink in front of her, she figured why not and answered his question with a shake of her head as she grabbed the drink. As she set her glass down on the counter, she could feel Alex against her as he talked to the bartender. He set his arms on the counter and leaned forward as his hand brushed her. There was a spark of electricity that made her gasp as she stared down at their hands.
“Hey Jo, are you having a good time?” Alex asked her, but she turned away and looked at Stephanie, who giggled as she took a sip of her drink.
“Yep,” Jo said, she decided to stick to one word answers in the hope that she wouldn't embarrass herself in front of him.
“That’s good,” Alex said as she looked back at him and he just smiled. “Let me know if you want to go home soon?”
“Don't you have a girlfriend,” Jo said as she tried not to let her jealousy infect her voice.
Alex's eyes narrowed at her as he glanced over at Stephanie before looking back at her. “No, I don't have a girlfriend, but I do have a wife.”
“Oh, that's worse,” Jo said as she turned away and took a sip of her drink.
Stephanie tried to contain her giggles and put a hand over her mouth. Jo could see that she and Alex were exchanging a look over her shoulder, but she didn't care. He was so gorgeous and hearing that he was married physically hurt. Alex got his drink and walked back over to where he was sitting next to Meredith. As Jo stared at him, his honey brown eyes stared at her. Jo loved his eyes, she felt like she could sink and drown and die inside of them because they were so gorgeous.
“You've mentioned that before,” Stephanie said as apparently, Jo said everything out loud now.
“Whatever,” Jo said with an eye roll so hard that it hurt her brain. “You're my best friend. You're used to me moping about guys.”
“You mean moping about Alex Karev, yes that I'm a little too used to,” Stephanie said with a laugh as she finished her drink and gave the empty glass to the bartender.
Jo didn't realize that he was starting to close up and tidying up the bar. It was late and she should get going home. Jo slipped off her barstool and tried to stand up, but she didn't realize that walking was this hard as she started to fall. Suddenly two strong hands were on her waist as Alex caught her.
“I've got to go home, alone to my dog,” Jo said to him, despite how she gripped his hands on her waist, hoping that she could keep him there a little longer. Only because she was fumbling around and not because she thought he was gorgeous or anything.
“I know, I'm here to take you home to your dog,” Alex said with a little chuckle as he put one arm around her waist and turned to put some cash on the bar.
“Okay, I guess you could come along,” Jo said with a smirk trying to seem sexy as she looked back at him.
“Well, I hope that I'm coming along, considering that I'm your ride,” Alex said with a smile as he leaned in to kiss her cheek.
“No, Stephanie is my ride,” Jo said as she looked back at Stephanie.
“Yes, both of you are my ride, remember, Jo?” Stephanie said as she grabbed both of their purses and hopped off the bar stool with only a little bit of a stumble as Jo reached out to hold her hand. “We all came to the bar together?”
Jo tried to think for a second and remember how she had gotten to the bar and who was in the car with her, but it was all a little fuzzy, so she just shrugged and leaned against Alex. “I’m drunk, my memory isn't reliable. You should know this.”
“That's for sure,” Alex said with a smile as they finally started walking out of the bar. “You asked me if I had a girlfriend, completely forgetting that you were my wife.”
“Wait, I'm your wife,” Jo said in surprise as she looked down at the ring on her finger, and she realized that she was, in fact, his wife. “Oh, so I did marry your gorgeous face.”
“Yes, you did, twice,” Alex said with a smile that seemed brighter than the neon lights around her.
“Good, that means your gorgeous face is mine,” Jo said as she grabbed his face with her hand and leaned in to kiss him. It was a little sloppier than she would have liked, but she got to kiss him, and that was good enough. Plus, she could probably get more out of him once they got home.
Alex helped her up to the parking lot and even held open the door for her as she sat down in the seat before putting her seatbelt on for her. She really did marry a kind, gorgeous guy, she got lucky in the husband department this time around, and she forgot how much she liked saying that he was her husband.
They dropped Stephanie off at her hotel and Jo insisted on giving her at least a five minute hug before letting her go. She knew they would have a lot of time together once Stephanie finalized her move back to Seattle, but having her here was still so new, and Jo wanted to make sure Stephanie knew that she loved her. Finally, she let Stephanie go, and they waved goodbye as she went into the hotel room. Jo pouted as she got back in the car and Alex put her seatbelt back on.
“I miss her already,” Jo pouted as she looked out the window.
“I know, but you'll see a lot more of her. This is just your last night at the bar together. I’m sure you two will find a new hangout spot soon enough,” Alex said as he reached over and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze as they drove off.
She didn't remember the ride back, but she always ended up falling asleep in the car because the car used to be home. Now she had a home of her own with her husband, who loved her and their dog. When she woke up, she wasn't in the car anymore instead, she was in Alex's arms as he carried her up the stairs to The Loft. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her over to the bed. While Reeses bounded around their legs, eager for pets. He was always so excited to see them. As Alex laid her down on the bed, Jo smiled up at him, and she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss.
“You're so gorgeous,” Jo whispered as he pulled back from her kiss.
“I know you’ve said that several times tonight,” Alex said with a smile as he just looked down at her and brushed the hair out of her face.
However, Reeses used the break in their kiss to take the opportunity to wiggle in between them and lay a dozen kisses on her face. Jo laughed as she scratched his ears. She loved having Reeses to come home too, especially on nights when Alex wasn't there. He was always happy to greet her and snuggle with her. Finally, Alex pulled him off and got him to settle down. As Alex paid some attention to Reeses before putting him to bed in his crate, Jo watched her husband as he bent over and showed her the best view of him. When he came back, Jo stretched out on the bed with a smile, and she put her hair in a bun as she wanted it out of the way for all the fun things she wanted to do to him tonight.
“You're so gorgeous that I want to have your babies,” Jo said as she pulled off her shirt. “I want to have your babies right now.”
Alex just laughed as he walked away. No, he wasn't supposed to walk away. He was supposed to give her babies. “Alex, come back.”
“I’m just grabbing a sleep shirt for you,” Alex said as he went over their shelves and grabbed her second favorite sleepshirt, her old Harvard shirt, as she had spilled coffee on his Iowa State Hawkeye shirt that morning.
“Good,” Jo said as she took off the rest of her clothes and lay down in the bed.
Alex came back over to her, and instead of leaning down to kiss her, he just pulled the shirt over her head.
“Hey,” Jo said when he pulled the collar over her head so she could see him again. “You're not supposed to dress me. You’re supposed to undress me.”
“You did a pretty good job of that yourself, besides we’re not going to do anything tonight. You're too drunk and it's too late.”
“But I want your gorgeous babies,” Jo said, hooking her fingers into the hem of his jeans as she pulled him closer to her.
“How about this? If you go to bed right now, I'll give you a baby first thing in the morning,” Alex said with a smirk that she hated as she narrowed her eyes at him.
“Promise?”
“I promise,” Alex said, sealing their deal with a kiss to her lips as he pulled the covers over her.
“Umm, kay,” Jo said as she closed her eyes.
She didn't fall asleep as easily as she had in the car. Yet, once Alex wrapped his arms around her and buried his nose in her neck, she took a deep breath, and before she knew it, she was out like a light. That night she dreamed of having Alex Karev’s gorgeous babies.
Jo woke up to a pounding in her head, although thankfully it was still dark out and she pulled the pillow over her face. As she slowly became aware of things, she felt Recess asleep at her feet and the warm spot where Alex was sitting next to her. She rolled over to bury her face in his stomach with a groan. She could hear him chuckle as he wrapped one arm around her waist and his hand tingle in her hair, lightly massaging her scalp as her groan turned into a moan.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Alex thankfully whispered, although even that was a little too loud.
“Mornin’,” Jo mumbled against his T-shirt as she cracked open one eye.
She realized that the reason it was so dark was because she was wearing her favorite pink eye mask. She pulled it further down her nose to block out the remainder of the light that seems to be streaming in through the windows at this ungodly hour. Although really, she didn't know what time it was, given the fact that Alex and Reeses were still in bed next to her, it couldn't be that late.
Things fell silent again or as silent as they could be in their neighborhood with the constant riff-raff outside their door. There were the trains that passed by as well and the horns from the boats as they dockside at the port down the road. Yet, here, safely tucked away in Alex's arms with Reeses at her feet, everything was quiet and peaceful.
“Do you want some water and painkillers or some coffee?” Alex offered as his hand paused in her hair.
Jo only nodded in response as Alex moved his hand away. She could hear the shuffling of papers as he put down the magazine he was reading and reached over to the side table. She felt a cool glass of water press against her forehead and his fingers brushed against her lips. She opened her mouth, and he placed the pills on her tongue before she blindly reached out for the glass of water. Alex moved it down to rest on the bed and Jo grabbed the straw to take a few sips of water as she swallowed the pills. The water helped a lot, and Jo drank half the glass before she pushed it away and Alex set it back on the side table.
As she waited for the medication to lessen the effects of her hangover, Jo buried her nose and Alex's t-shirt. It's a little stinky because he never washed his sleep shirt more than once a week. He claimed that it wasn’t as dirty as his other shirts, but it smells like Alex, but honestly, she thought that he was gorgeous wearing anything. Including a dirty old t-shirt. He was gorgeous and Jo thought about it again as memories from the night before slowly trickled in like raindrops in her mind. She opened her eyes and looked out the window as she realized she was hearing rain against the skylight, and the soft light was the sun trying to break through the grey clouds.
Reeses’ soft brown nose nudged against her shoulder as he wiggled up next to her. Jo smiled as she looked over at him as she let Reeses snuggle up against her. She rubbed her hand down his back as he kissed her cheek again before he settled next to her as she continued to pet him. As she pet Reeses, she turned her head up and looked at Alex, who had started running his fingers through her hair again. He had gone back to reading his magazine, but he still played with her hair. She smiled at him again as she looked up at his features. From where her head was resting on his chest, her vision of him was mostly just his chin, but she loved it anyway.
“You're so gorgeous,” Jo whispered as she reached up to run her fingers along his cheek, pressing against his stubble and brushed against his lips as he smiled.
“You said that a lot last night,” Alex said as he warmly smiled down at her.
“Ugh, don't remind me,” Jo said as she buried her face in his T-shirt again. “I can't believe I forgot that we were married.”
“I thought it was pretty cute,” Alex said, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. “Even drink Jo wants me.”
Jo smiled as she looked up at him. “I’ll always want you.”
The two of them exchanged a smile, staring at each other the way that they sometimes did. Neither of them could quite believe that the other wanted them even after all these years. Jo knew that Alex loved it when she said she still wanted him and that she loved him. Hearing that she still wanted him was his favorite thing in the world. Jo pushed herself so she could give her husband a proper good morning kiss. She let her lips linger on his, especially as he tasted the coffee on his tongue before she pulled back and rested her head on his shoulder as Alex went back to his magazine.
“Did you say there was coffee?” Jo asked, looking around and as she smelled the coffee beans in the air.
“Yeah, here,” Alex said as he handed her a full cup of warm coffee.
Jo took a sip of her coffee and moaned. It was just how she liked it, with a hint of milk and the hazelnut creamer. As she sipped on her coffee, she looked around, and as if he could sense what she was looking for, he handed her her phone. Sometimes he was scary good at knowing what she wanted. Jo unlocked her phone and her eyes went wide as she looked at the time.
“It's noon?!”
“Yep.”
“Oh shit, what time did we get in last night?”
“I think it was about 2:30 a.m. by the time we got back to the loft, but you fell asleep in the car. Since it was so late, I figured I'd let you sleep for as long as you wanted,” Alex said with a light shrug so as not to jostle her head on his shoulder.
Jo sighed as she laid her head back down and looked through her notifications. It was just the news articles and social media notes. There was a text from Stephanie saying that she had moved the viewing for the apartment until later that afternoon as Stephanie was just as hungover as she was. Jo sent her a quick text back before dismissing the rest of her notifications.
She put her thumb on the last one before she read the banner and paused. It was a notification from her period app. The banner happily announced that she was ovulating. Suddenly, Jo remembered the reason why she had been drinking so much last night and the conversation they had had before they went to bed as Jo asked for a baby.
She sat up, sitting back on her heels as she put her hand over her mouth and stared down at her phone.
“What is it, what's wrong?” Alex asked as he immediately tossed his magazine aside and sat up too.
Jo glanced over at him, and she could see the look of concern across his face, but she pulled her hand away to reveal her smile. “I'm ovulating.”
Alex's concern melted away as he smiled too. Her excitement was contagious as his eyes sparkled in delight. “I know, we’ve been waiting all month for this.”
Jo bit her lip as she just smiled. That was why she had been drinking so much last night with Stephanie. They were going to start trying for a baby the next time she ovulated, and since they were trying, Jo had to stop drinking. So since Stephanie was in town, the two of them had arranged to meet up for one last night of heavy drinking before she gave up alcohol and got pregnant.
“I could get pregnant today.”
“You could.”
Jo smiled and licked her lips as she stared at him. He put his magazine down and took the coffee from her hand as Jo dropped her phone onto the bed. As if he could spend the two of them were about to shake the bed at Reeses hopped off and went to lay on his dog bed across the room. Alex smiled as he reached out to hold her hips and pull her forward as she swung her legs over his and sat down in his lap. Her hands and immediately tangled in his T-shirt as his hands ran up her back under her shirt. She tilted her head as she stared at his lips, not kissing him just yet.
“And I do remember that you promised to give me a baby last night,” Jo said as her eyes flickered up to his, seeing that the spark of delight had changed into a black hole of lust.
“And I'm very good at keeping my promises,” Alex said as he pulled her forward and kissed her.
“That you are,” Jo said as she kissed him again before she pulled back and looked at his face. “Our babies are going to be so gorgeous.”
“They will be gorgeous, just like their Mama,” Alex said as he smiled and pulled her in for a kiss before he pulled off her top, and he kept his promise and gave her a baby.
Whisky on ice, Sunset and Vine,
You've ruined my life, by not being mine.
You're so gorgeous,
I can't say anything to your face,
'Cause look at your face,
And I'm so furious,
At you for making me feel this way,
But, what can I say?
You're gorgeous.