Chapter 8

Jo had waited so long for this kiss...with Alex. From the first time she saw the peds surgeon, she knew she wanted those lips. Those full, sexy, smart ass lips.

She'd resisted. He'd resisted. They settled on friendship instead. They were more alike than either would ever admit. They hadn't wanted to admit much. Then the Peckwell incident, the attacking tree, so finally, finally the long awaited kiss.

Alex had his hand intertwined in Jo's hair, pulling her gently in, her soft lips finally touching his. Like velvet, like a dream, like...

"Go way!" yelled Zola Shepherd running to the beautiful brunette, one arm clenched in a tight fist.

Meredith grabbed her daughter's hand before she could take a swing at Jo.

"Unkie Ax!" she screamed trying to get to Alex.

"Zo, it's okay. Come up here with Uncle Alex. Mer, let her go." Alex reached out his arm huge smile on his face.

"Jo, I'm so sorry. Zola probably thought you were hurting Alex. See, he's fine, baby."

Zola was grabbing onto Alex's good arm trying desperately to get on the bed with him. She turned around and gave Jo her ugliest face and used one arm to push at the air in her direction, as if to say "stay away."

Alex was laughing as he pulled up Zo on the bed, settling her in next to him. "Hey, look at me," he instructed. "That's Jo. She's my friend, so she's your friend. She was just kissing my boo boos."

Zola looked unconvinced but stopped making the faces at Jo. She began kissing all over Alex's face causing everyone to crack up.

"Like there hasn't been enough kissing in this room already, Karev," stated Cristina coming in to check on Alex.

"Zola, let Aunt Cristina check on Uncle Alex's owies. Come here," Meredith said reaching for her daughter.

Zola threw herself on Alex's bed threatening a full on fit if forced to leave.

"Unkie, Unkie!" she screamed holding onto Alex's arm for dear life. He had to admit, it felt damn good. This kid loves me, he thought, really loves me. He tried not to laugh out loud knowing that Meredith wasn't happy when he didn't back her up, or let Zo out of timeout a minute early, or let her stay up past bedtime, or did one of the numerous things that he would have to say, "Don't tell mommy."

The joys of unclehood were never ending he thought with a smug smile on his face.

"Fine! Stay," Meredith snapped giving in to her just-turned-three-year old.

Cristina worked around the toddler and checked Alex for the millionth time.

"It looks like someone's getting out of here in time for Zola's dance recital," said Yang waiting for the little girl's response.

"Hey, Mer, you should be getting' video of this. Where's your phone or use mine."

Alex was such a mom sometimes, thought Meredith as she began recording Zola's dramatic reaction. She clapped her hands squealing at some ungodly pitch and then began kissing Alex's face all over again.

Best medicine ever, thought Cristina. He'd definitely be out by Saturday just in time to get beautiful for the recital on Sunday.

Meredith gave Cristina a questioning look as if to say, "You sure?" She glanced at her injured friend and he looked like hell, so thin in such a short amount of time. He did look better today, but she thought a tiny dancer's appearance might have something to do with that.

"You hear that? I'm gonna see you in your new tutu and watch you dance on Sunday! Kickin' ass and takin' names," said Alex high fiving Zola.

"Alex!" reprimanded Meredith and Cristina in unison.

"Ha, ha," Alex chuckled giving Zola a knowing look that he was right. She was by far the best one, he thought, kinda left those brats in her ballerina dust.

Jo was standing quietly on the side taking in this little view of domestic bliss. Her heart felt a familiar tug seeing how truly sweet Alex was with the toddler. He was going to make a great dad someday, she thought. She just wondered if that could be with her.

Get your head straight, she told herself. Gotta get Peckwell, er, Jason to drop the charges and gain respect at the hospital. Still, looking at Alex with Zola made her want that some day. Maybe with him.

"You sure Alex is okay to get released Saturday?" asked Meredith heading out with Cristina. "He looks so, so...bad." She was concerned, maybe more than worried, about her friend, Zola's makeshift uncle, Saturday night movie partner, all around "good guy" in her book.

"He's comin' home with us. Who better to take care of him than two doctors? Webber's already approved a week off for me. I've been nonstop since Zola's evil twin was brought in here. I need a break and what better way than sitting my butt on the couch with Karev?" Cristina knew when she started that Mer was in.

"Does he know of your little plan?" asked Meredith a little excited with the thought of Alex moving back in for a while. It had helped her when Derek died, her two main people around her 24/7, really made life livable. Now, she could repay the kindness. They were the perfect overbearing friends to get Alex better, get him healthy again.

On Saturday, Karev was discharged right on schedule. He was beaming, happy to be rid of that crap bed, the crap food, and the crap tubes and wires coming out of him.

Beaming until the wheelchair was brought in by a beaming Cristina Yang.

"What the hell is that?" asked Alex not believing it was in his room.

"That would be a wheelchair, genius. I thought you passed all your boards."

"I am a freaking doctor! I am not getting wheeled out in that!" he yelled crossing his one healthy arm.

"Okay, stay here," said Cristina wheeling it back out.

"Yang! Get back in here! Seriously?"

"You know the rules. Get your ass in this thing." Cristina was moving it back and forth watching with amusement as Alex tried to get in.

"I will officially be dead by the end of the week with you and Grey takin' care of me." Alex plopped in the chair and let himself be wheeled out.

Sunday arrived with Zola so wound up, Meredith thought she could possibly internally combust. She ripped her tutu before even making it out of the house. Cristina treated it like a surgery and had it repaired in five minutes.

Alex came out of the spare bedroom looking better than he had in a week.

"Whoa, frat boy's all grown up," teased Cristina admiring the GQ looks of Karev. She had to admit, he did clean up well.

Alex had on his Johns Hopkins suit, not the wrinkled, drab suit he threw on when Webber made them dress up for some presentation or for some important visitors. No, this suit meant business. He'd also shaved, every last whisker, no stubble today.

This was important to Zola, therefore important to Alex. He was filling in for a missing dad, taking that responsibility to heart. He vowed to never let her down. As long as he had breath, no freaking way would he disappoint her.

His childhood was one sad memory after another. Zo had the biggest sadness any little girl would have to face...daddy gone forever. Alex was going to do everything in his power to fade that memory from her mind and replace it with fun, happy, silly, crazy Unkie Ax ones. Not to forget Derek, but to honor him by creating joyous times that her daddy would have loved to join in on.

"Is this good enough?" asked Alex messing with his tie. He really meant, "Am I good enough?"

Meredith looked at her new/old roommate and just smiled. She walked over to him and adjusted the tie a little.

"You look perfect."

"I think I may throw up right now. Please give my excuses to Zola. I may be too sick to go." Cristina joked, glad that her roommates were happy and that her patient was already up and about.

"Unkie bwoke?" asked Zola running out of her room, tutu half off, grabbing onto Alex's leg.

He picked her up with one arm and held her tight. "Not broken anymore. Aunt Cristina fixed me."

"Wuv you," Zola kissed Alex on the cheek.

"Love you," he replied kissing her on the cheek.

"Wuv you!," Zola repeated kissing Alex again and erupting in a fit of little girl giggles.

"Love you," Alex said again causing Zo to go into hysterics as he kissed her cheek.

"Love you," he repeated, Zola screaming in delight.

"Okay, down. And pull up that tutu. We've gotta go," said Meredith wiping a tear from her eye. She missed Derek from somewhere so deep within her she seldom ventured there. She hoped he could see this from where he was. She had to believe that he could and was silently wiping a tear from his eye.

Alex grabbed Zola's hand and led her to the car, not comfortable with Meredith's tears. Emotion. Feelings. Better to make an escape.

Cristina hooked an arm around Mer's. She knew this was going to be a wonderful, difficult, emotional, terrible, fantastic night. Yes, they would need each other. All of them.

Alex was a mess at the recital, barking instructions to Meredith about where to record. He had his phone out too, but thought they should capture it from different angles just to be sure they didn't miss any of Zola's cuteness.

He was pushing parents out of the way, muttering insults under his breath, garnering a share of "who is this asshole" looks, all the while Meredith and Cristina pretended not to know him.

"Can you reign him in a little?" Cristina finally pleaded with her friend.

"Alex, Alex! Just stop! I'll record the rest. You just sit back and enjoy. You're supposed to be taking it easy." Meredith saw the hurt look in his eyes. "I don't want you back in the hospital," she added gently.

Alex took a seat with a pouty look and Karev scowl for all to see. That lasted for about half a second. Watching Zola truly in her element put a crooked grin on the peds surgeon's face. Cristina plopped down next to him.

"That fat one needs to back off. She's crowding Zo!" whispered Alex a little too loudly.

"Sshhhh! Seriously, Karev?"

They were elbowing each other back and forth when Zola and the slightly heavier girl ran smack into each other. The dance was a series of uncoordinated moves resembling some sort of seizure more than the likes of Swan Lake or The Nutcracker. All Alex saw was a dazzling display of prima ballerina prowess. He was a half empty kind of guy, but at the moment he had on the thickest pair of rose colored glasses.

Zola flew to the hard wooden stage. The unmistakeable sound of bone snapping was like a slap in the face to her three biggest fans. Meredith took off running, Alex close on her heels holding his stomach.

Mer grabbed her baby trying to look at the dangling arm. Alex jumped on the stage next to his girls gently moving Meredith away from the arm. She needed to play the role of mommy right now, not doctor. Alex picked up Zola and carried her to the car passing the chubby girl's parents.

"Is she okay?" asked the mother. "I think my Gabby is fine."

"Of course she is. Your Mack truck steamrolled our Ferrari. Move!"

Zola was screaming out in pain, tearing at the hearts of the three adults. Alex felt panicked, working on pure adrenaline. Meredith turned mama bear at the hospital determined to get her daughter fixed. Cristina took charge getting Zo into X-ray, arm set, and resting comfortably in record time.

Meredith was signing papers just ready to get her baby home. This was Alex's second day out of the hospital, so he was spent, done...over done. Cristina got everyone home, in bed, and lights out, again, in record time.

Meredith brought Zola into her bed for the night. Alex left his door open for once, just in case they needed him. Cristina looked in on everyone before resting her head on her pillow. She smiled at the skewed Norman Rockwell scene, a surreal family portrait only a mother could love. A mother? I'm delirious. Get to bed, Yang, she told herself.

The next morning, Zola woke up whiny, arm sore, cast not letting her reenact some of the moves from last night's recital.

"Unkie Ax! Where aw you?" She scooted to the edge of the bed hanging half off. Meredith helped her down before she broke the other arm.

She walked through the wide open door and ran at the bed trying to climb on. Alex lifted her up with one arm dropping her by his side.

Zola propped herself up, chin resting on her healthy arm, looking Alex in the eye.

Oh, this'll be good.

"I'm bwoke too," said Zo smile spreading across her face.

"Grey! Get your phone!" yelled Alex laughing and holding his stomach. "You gotta record this!"

HIS phone wasn't even an afterthought. It had dropped out of his pocket at the recital. The many texts from Jo unanswered, ignored, not read. Each one getting a little more desperate. She was confused. Alex had said he would be there for her; he knew Jason was pressing charges. So much to tell him. The police questioned her, really grilled her, on Sunday, Jason even tried to make contact.

Jesus, Alex. Where the hell are you? So much for volunteering to take care of me, she thought throwing an extra pair of jeans in her bag. Yes, take care of yourself Wilson. No one else ever has or ever will.