Jolex: Izzie's Return

Chapter Three

Disclaimer: In case you are confused this is around season 14 but some characters that are still around are Christina and Stephanie (who will come in later). Jo really doesn't have many close friends so I kept her around. Also I wrote this before the engagement which means I might do one of my own or not (I'm unpredictable).

Izzie
I knew going back to the hospital would be hard. Everyone would have moved on now. Meredith had kids, I knew this because she sent pictures. Alex was probably still being Alex and hooking up with a blonde haired, blue eye beauty. Christina was most likely a world class surgeon by now. I didn't want to go back but at the same time, I did want to. I was older now. I needed a family.

Driving there I allowed memories to flood back to me. Car rides with Meredith and Christina where would listen to them argue about whose life was worst. Walks with Alex after long shopping trips where we wouldn't buy anything because we couldn't afford it. I always wondered what it would be like to raise a family here. I love where I live and everything but there is just something about Seattle.

I round the corner to the hospital and park in the first available parking spot in the garage though I debated parking in the visitors parking lot because I wasn't really a staff member. I had a case and a personal mission and then I wanted to leave. Or did I? I start to walk to the doors when I notice a car that looks a lot like Alex's. I peer in the window to confirm. I don't know why I did it I was mostly curious. The car itself it clean. There isn't much of anything except a coffee mug and what looks like a woman's jacket.

"Iz?" Says a voice behind me bringing my back to reality. It sounded like Alex but it startled me so much I jumped back pretty hard. I turned around and there he was. He was older now and looked more worn. His facial hair grew too but it was still Alex.

"Hey Alex" I said not knowing what else to put out there.

I saw something move in the corner of my eye and it wasn't until I turned to look that I noticed her. She was average height and had long darker brown hair. Her hazelish eyes looked at me kind of confused but not in a rude way. She was younger then us and pretty but she didn't look like his type. She was wearing pants and boots with a bomber jacket so she wasn't a male order bride. Not that he would get one but... well... he would. The Alex I knew would.

"What are you doing?" He says shifting my attention back to him.

"I'm here for a case" I say " I was just going in to look at him." I walk around him and the woman and toward the building. I wasn't sure if they were dating, or worse married, but I wasn't planning on finding out now.

"Izzie wait." Alex said "Comeback I want to know how you have been"

I turn back around to Alex who is now facing me. The woman looks to have step a couple steps back. Far enough away that I was more comfortable talking to Alex but close enough that I was still nervous. "I have been goo- busy." I say correcting myself mid sentence.

"I bet" He said "Arizona told me you spent a brief time in Bulgaria helping out with the children in their mental hospitals."

"Yeah I did they were lovely and really accommodating. It's sad that they are so short staffed but even the country is beautiful." He smiled. I was actually quite surprised he didn't seem mad. Not mad at me for leaving or for coming back. He seemed content. I saw the woman behind him grow impatient. Now that I felt less awkward my curiosity of who she was grew. She couldn't be Alex's girlfriend. She didn't have a doctor look either.

Alex must have saw me glaring at her because he looked behind him and pulled her forward gently by her hand. "This is Jo Wilson" he said "she is my girlfriend"

"Hey" Jo said extending her hand out that I shook a moment later. As I did, I turned my head to look at Alex who was looking at Jo like she was made of Unicorns and fairy dust. And still my mind convinced me they weren't together. Alex had issues and this girl looked like she grew up in a nice suburban home with two parents and maybe even a sister who adored her. She wasn't his type at all.

"I'm Izzie" I said "It was nice meeting you Jo. I am going to go check on my patient but I assume I will see you later Alex"

"Yeah" he said putting his hands in his pockets. "I will see you later"

I turned around and walked back inside. I was in a state of disbelief that he had a girlfriend. They couldn't have been dating for long. She was probably a some sort of house... girlfriend who was maybe clingy. They wouldn't last long I thought. I was still a little curious so I decided to find Mer or Christina. I found both of them sitting in the cafeteria eating what is assumed was dinner because it was around 7. I sat down a crossed from them. They didn't look thrilled to see me, Christina even shot me a couple of dirty looks.

"Hey guys" I said

"Hey" they both said in unison.

"So I bumped into Alex in the parking garage"

"Yeah he and Jo left early today because Jo was just being idle until the research our interns are doing is done. Alex just wanted to go home I guess because Jo and him carpooled" Meredith said while grabbing another bite of her salad.

"So this Jo girl works here?" I said as subtly as I could without causing too much attention.

"Yeah." Christina chimed in "Chief Resident too." I let my smile fall by accident and she caught it. "Don't even go there Izzie. He has been dating that hairball for years and if it wasn't for her pshyco ex-husband then they would probably be married. He is happy. Leave it dog." She gave me another look before stabbing her fork into her burger and leaving the table.

Meredith got up to follow but bent down next to me first. "She is harboring feelings but that doesn't make what she said false. Jo is good for him. He is content. So just drop any unresolved feeling in a bag and burn it." Then she walked away.