Author's Notes: This is the beginning of a shorter story I couldn't get out of my head. Initially I thought about posting it as a one shot, but then I figured a one shot that might have up to 10k words is just too long. So now I'm turning it into a mini series. It doesn't mean I'm abandoning my main story, though. I've been writing SoS for 1,5 years, so there's no way I'm ever gonna drop it, especially because the end is coming closer. But right now I'm simply more inspired for this new side project, so please don't cast stones. I hope to finish both stories until the end of hiatus.

PS: This story could be seen as a sequel to my fanfic Rewind, but I don't think you need to know it to make sense of this one.

PPS: I didn't run this past a beta reader, so if you notice any mistakes just let me know.

Date Night #1

Dating.

That's what Alex and Jo had in mind to find out whether their relationship was worth one last chance. It was unfamiliar territory for both of them. When they'd gotten together the first time they'd basically skipped that step altogether. Back then, things had fallen into place so neatly, going on dates did not seem like a necessity. They both knew exactly what they wanted, and that was each other. The rest was details none of them really cared much about. Lazy evenings at the couch with pizza and beer were as welcome - if not more - as expensive dinners at fancy restaurants.

But due to recent developments, like the beating of innocent interns and confessions about secret husbands, things were not as clear anymore. Therefore Alex and Jo had decided to set a weekly date night. Every Friday at 8pm they would go out together, they would talk and get to know each other all over again. And there were no excuses, they both had to make it work, despite their busy schedules at the hospital.

Alex stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, fighting with his tie. He glared at his reflection, then looked down at the pathetically dangling red-striped strip of fabric on his chest. There was no sugarcoating it, the knot looked like shit. At almost forty years old he still couldn't properly handle a simple tie.

He untangled the mess and tried again.

Only to fail again.

Exasperated he tore the tie from his neck and sent it flying into a corner.

Fine, so no tie.

The place he was taking Jo to was not all that fancy anyways.

As he left the bathroom Alex almost bumped into Meredith, who was balancing a laundry basket on her hip, containing mostly pink girly clothes.

"Hey watch..." she started, but then she trailed off. She looked him up and down, from his dark-blue shirt to the shiny black shoes, then crinkled her nose a little as she inhaled his aftershave. "Oh, you're going out? Hot date?"

"Maybe," Alex replied evasively.

Meredith grinned. "Well, good for you. Who is it?"

Alex pounded down the stairs without a reply. He could imagine what Meredith would say if he told her he was going out with his ex-girlfriend and he was so not in the mood for that discussion.

"Is it one of the nurses from the hospital? Or an intern?" Meredith probed as she dropped the laundry basket on the landing to follow him downstairs. "Or somebody who has nothing to do with the hospital? Because I could really understand if you-"

"It's Jo, okay?" he spilled, annoyed with her babbling.

"Oh," Meredith uttered simply and swallowed the rest.

"Say it," Alex muttered grimly.

"Say what?" Meredith's tone was innocent.

"What you wanted to say. That this is a bad idea, that Jo lied to me, that-."

"Well, she did," Meredith intercepted. "She hid a whole other life from you. All this time she was married and never bothered to tell you."

Alex snorted disparagingly. "So was Shepherd if you remember. Didn't stop you from getting back together with him."

"But he didn't wait almost four years into our relationship, before he told me."

"No, because he didn't tell you at all," Alex pointed out. "You found out, because his wife turned up in Seattle, after you'd already been dating Shepherd for two months."

"It's still different..."

"Damn right it is, unlike Jo he was not running from somebody who'd almost killed him."

"Fair point. Still, I want you to know you don't owe Wilson anything, okay?"

"You think that's why I'm doing this?" Alex barked out a disbelieving laugh. "You think it's about owing her?"

"I'm just saying, in that sort of situation your get overprotective. Your sense of responsibility always gets the best of you and you end up putting other people's needs above your own and that's when you get hurt. And I don't want you to get hurt again."

"She's been hurt so much worse than I ever was." Alex slipped into his jacket, then reached into the pockets for the keys.

"See? That's what I mean, you're-"

"Stop talking like I'm some freaking Samaritan," he exploded. He closed his fingers around the keys in his hands so tightly, he could feel their sharp edges cutting into his palm. "I'm doing this... I'm trying to make this work, because I love her, God damnit." He took a moment to calm down, then looked up at his friend. "I still love her, Mer. And I just... I think letting her go will end up being much more painful than getting to terms with the situation."

Meredith nodded sympathetically. "Okay."

She was about to head back upstairs, when she turned around once more, propping her hand on the banister. "By the way, what happened to moving out? Are you still looking for apartments?"

"Why? Do you want to get rid of me?" Alex smirked. "Or did you bring in another stray and need the room?" He was still half sharing his room with Amelia, who hadn't managed to fix her marriage with Hunt yet. Half the time she spent at Edwards' apartment, the other nights she slept at the Grey house. Needless to say, Alex was not exactly happy with the sleeping arrangements. The house just wasn't big enough for so many people.

"No, I'm just curious. Two weeks ago you were dead set on moving out, but you've never mentioned it again ever since."

Absentmindedly Alex looked at the set of keys in his hands. One for the house. One for his car.

And one for the loft.

Jo had never asked him to give the key back and he'd never offered.

It was true, two weeks ago he'd been determined to move out of this house as fast as possible. But now things were changing. What if...

"Alex? Hey!" Meredith flicked her fingers in front of Alex's face.

"What? Uhm... uh yeah I... of course I'm still apartment hunting. It's just... I..." He fixed his gaze on the loft keys again.

If he could make things work, if they could make things work, maybe he didn't have to look for a new place after all? Maybe he could go back home instead?

Maybe.

Shaking his head, he brought himself back to reality. "It might just take a while. Is that a problem?"

Meredith studied him, an oddly worried look in her eyes. "No. Of course not," she said, turning her worried expression into a smile. "You can stay as long as you want."

"Good." Alex gestured to the door. "Now that that's settled, I'm off. See you later."