Hell's Angel

Chapter 85

"You should have called." I say gently "That's not how you deal with those kinds of men, they'll never learn like that." And it's true, the best thing we could have done was get him locked up but I guess it's too late now. He sighs and runs a hand through his hair, the dark circles under his eyes giving away that he hasn't slept. "Now she has nowhere to go, she can't continue living with him." He says and that I completely agree with, I let myself think for a couple of seconds before I voice "Why doesn't she come and live with us? At least for a little while." Alex raises his eye brows "Are you sure?" He asks and I nod. He kisses me gently before we leave the room. 

- 

"I said fight the guy. I didn't mean fight the guy." Cristina says after Alex fills her and Meredith in on what happened last night. He sits down next to me as Meredith says "Alex, this kind of stuff was ok when we first met you, but now?" He clutches my hand I know he is refraining from rolling his eyes. "Now you're supposed to be less stupid. I mean, you could to jail, your whole career, you have a child to-" Alex cuts her off, annoyed by the interrogation "Look, I'm not going to jail." He argues "He was like that when I found him." Cristina scoff and Meredith shakes her head like a disappointed mother. 

Cristina throws her hands up in the air "That's your story?" Meredith snaps, her friend adds "No cop is gonna believe you." I am texting to Jo to get here as quickly as possible as Meredith speaks "Alex, it's just. Just tell us." Then before he can answer a familiar voice behind us says "He didn't do." We all turn around and look at Jo. We take in her appearance and she is worse for wear but not like her boyfriend, well ex-boyfriend. "He just found him." She continues "I did it." The girls look at her in disbelief and I sigh "You guys are gonna wanna sit down for this." I say. 

"We were having a fight." Jo explains to the two older women "He grabbed my arm. I fought him off. It was just, it got ugly. He fell backwards and he hit his head on fireplace, but hewas yelling when I left. He was fine, I swear." From Alex's reaction, he didn't know that Jo had done this and it makes me wonder why he didn't assume. Alex just looks at her "All right, you gotta go." Is all his response is but Cristina counteracts him "No, she has to explain to them what happened." but Alex argues "No, nobody does anything until we see how Peckwell is." And I hate that Cristina is right becasue I want to protect Jo, but the right thing to do is to admit what happened. 

Alex turns back to Jo "Go home. Don't let anyone see you." He orders calmly before looking back at his friends and me "You three don't say a word to anybody until we know exactly what's going on. Understand?" I nod but the other two don't look as convinced. Cristina rolls her eyes and Meredith plays with her wedding ring nervously. Just then Stephanie, one of Jo's class mates comes bursting into the room and stops when she sees Jo "Hey." She says awkwardly "Are you ok?" Cristina immediately leaps into action, protecting the other girl from a game of 20 questions. 

"She's fine. You never saw her. What?" Cristina moves to Stephanie. The younger girl hands Cristina the ipad and explains "I have Paul Dawson's CT angio results." as Cristina ushers her out of the room. Jo turns back to us and Alex whispers "Go." Which she listens to.  I place a hand on my husbands shoulder "I have a surgery, but keep me update." He nods, hands still on his hips as I leave the room as well. 

- 

Alex and I head home with Willow as the strom starts, to where Jo is waiting for us surrounded by candles. We put our daughter to sleep before going into our living room. "What the hell happened?" Alex demands as Jo finishes lighting the candles "the power went out half an hour..." I cut her off because that is not what he meant "No you. What were you thinking? Peckwell could have died." The colour drains from the younger girls face "Is he...." Alex shakes his head cutting her off again "No." He answers "He's fine, and you're lucky he's not pressing charges, but you are an idiot." 

We both walk closer to her and she wraps her arms around her body. "You get that you could have gone to jail, right?" Alex asks, anger rising in him "You say that you worked so hard to change, to become this new person but then you do this? If you don't wanna be a low-life anymore, you gotta grow up and stop acting like one." Alex told me about Jo's childhood and it is not too dissimilar to his, which is why I understand now why they have been spending so much time together. It's the one part of Alex I will never be able to truly understand. 

"No you grow up!" She shouts, pushing at him angrily "Not everyone's like you, Alex. People are horrible. And the last time someone grabbed me like Jason did, I...  I promised no one would ever do that again. So I am sorry but not everyone is like you. Not everyone is good." My heart breaks when she says that and I suddenly have more sympathy for her. Alex goes quiet as well. "And know you think I am horrible too." Jo says, a look of realisation on her face. Alex and I share a look before he quietly leaves.

I hear the kettle switch on and I signal for Jo to sit down. She does and I sit next to me. I take in a deep breath, steadying my hands before looking up at her. "I know what you mean." I say "about not everyone being good." Jo looks at me curiously so I continue. "Before I moved to Seattle, I was married. The guy I thought was the love of my life.... almost beat me to death on our wedding night." Jo gives me a look of surprise but stays silent "I know what its like to be hurt by the people who should be protecting you from things like that. But Jo, you can't do that. What you did to Peckwell, it makes you no better than them."

She nods, sniffling as Alex brings us tea. "You can stay here for a while." I tell her "Not forever, but until you can find your own place." Jo envelopes me in a hug. I hesitate for a moment before hugging her back. "Thank you." She whispers.