what is it with @cicinicole-14 and somehow roping me into writing jolex AUs? todays AU is a parent trap one set post 16x16. no there’s not really twins but my jolex baby and alexis get a kick out of getting Jo and Alex back together. and even though coco talked me into it this is dedicated to @mac-andcheeses who I told I would write this during my maternity leave (said child is almost a year old now) cheers to the annie to my hallie! ❤️
Our story starts with Izzie Stevens dropping her twins, 13-year-old Eli and Alexis Stevens-Karev, off at summer camp. It’s her own beloved childhood summer camp at the base of Mount Rainier that she had many treasured memories of. Alexis and Eli are both rolling their eyes at the story but Izzie just kisses them and reminds them that their dad will be there in two weeks to bring them home.
Meanwhile, across the camp we have Link dropping off Scout Shepherd-Lincoln and Audrey Wilson-Karev, his son and Jo’s daughter who are both eight years old and absolutely inseparable. Scout is nervous to leave his dad but Audrey is bursting at the seams to get some freedom from her mom and her Uncle Link for two weeks. Scout, Link, Jo, and Audrey had all lived together since Audrey and Scout were infants, the best friends deciding to raise their children together after experiencing their own heartbreaks. Audrey finally pulls Scout away from Link and they go to their respective cabins.
Later that night at dinner Audrey ends up accidentally knocking someone’s dinner over and they get into a fight. The camp director breaks them up and the girls end up calling a truce between themselves. They sit together and Audrey finds that she and Alexis are easy friends. Alexis brings her twin brother over and Scout looks curiously between Eli and Audrey as the two have matching crooked smiles and both scrunch their noses in contemplation as they think.
Eli, Alexis, Audrey, and Scout quickly become an inseparable quartet. A few days after their first meeting they’re all in line to do an activity together. When their names are called Alexis and Audrey realize they have the same last name. Alexis explains that she and Eli hyphenated their last names when their dad moved to Kansas to help raise them when their mom got sick. Audrey says that hers is from her dad, that her mom wanted her to have some piece of him, but that she’d never met the man. She did however have a picture of him, one that she happily showed Alexis and Eli later that day. It was her parents' wedding photo, Alexis had said. She knows because her dad carries the same one in his wallet to this day.
Alexis and Audrey are over the moon to realize that they’re sisters. Eli is a little confused still and Scout the poor nervous wreck that he usually is worried that somehow they’ll get in trouble for this. The girls brush him off and quickly begin to plot how they’re going to get Jo and Alex back together so they can see each other all the time.
The last day of camp rolls around and Alex and Jo are both coming to camp to get their kids. Alexis and Audrey told them they’d meet up at the mess hall, all four kids hiding in the bushes outside of the building eagerly waiting. Jo shows up first, Alex not far behind her. Alexis doesn’t miss the look of awe on her dad's face as he realizes who the woman in front of him is. Jo is shocked, nervous even, as she takes Alex in for the first time in almost a decade.
Things are silent between them before he finally asks what she’s doing at a kid's summer camp. There’s a pause, Jo opening and closing her mouth before uttering the only thing she could.
It clicks for him then, why she’s there. He starts to say something, then stops. His hands are on his knees as Jo watches with tears in her eyes. Eli and Scout both try to pull Alexis and Audrey away but the girls are watching intently, hands clasped in the others.
“Me? You left me! You mailed me divorce papers because you wanted to be with your ex wife!”
“Izzie was sick! She was dying and I had to help her.”
“I could’ve helped too! I would’ve come with you and helped raise Eli and Alexis!”
“You remember their names?”
“I’ve memorized every word of that stupid letter. I-“
Audrey snaps a branch and suddenly she’s face to face with a man she’d only seen in photos. Alexis squeezes her hand as silence envelopes them. Alex stares at Audrey standing next to Alexis, both of them equal parts him and the two women he’s loved.
Alex and Audrey are both frozen, Jo speaking up when it’s clear that neither of them is going to say anything more.
“Alex, this is Audrey. Audrey, this is… your dad.”
Alex can pick out the features of Audrey’s face that are his, the same way he can also see Jo’s. She’s truly a perfect mix of the two of them both.
“Jo, can I talk to you? In private?”
Jo eyes Audrey for a moment before nodding, following Alex’s lead and disappearing around a corner out of sight.
“Oh my god, they’re still in love! You can tell by the look on dad's face.”
“They’re not in love, dad was just shocked.”
“Auntie Jo seems calm about the whole thing which is pretty shocking.”
“Do you think that they’ll get back together?”
“No dads still with Jenna so I doubt-“
Audrey turns to Eli and Alexis who both look slightly guilty. Eli nudges his sister who finally speaks up.
“Dad’s girlfriend. But she’s the worst, don’t worry about her. I doubt she’ll stick around much longer.”
Eli and Alexis banter back and forth about Jenna but Audrey tunes them out. She eventually wanders away from Scout and the twins, lost in her thoughts.
“I just want a chance to get to know my daughter, Jo!”
“I’m not shipping her halfway across the country just for-“
“If you’d just told me when you found out you were pregnant then we wouldn’t be-“
“What so you could leave me all over again and disappoint our daughter in the process? That’s not what I wanted for her.”
“I never would have left if I’d known! I told you I only stayed for the kids to make sure that they-“
“I heard you but that doesn’t explain why you wrote me that stupid letter, Alex!”
Both adults freeze as they turn to look at Audrey. Alex is flushed and Jo is crying but quickly wipes her cheeks as she walks over and wraps an arm around Audrey’s shoulders.
“Hey sunshine, I was just… How about we get out of here? Okay? Uncle Link is ordering pizza for dinner.”
Audrey looks from Jo to Alex and then back to her mom, “I don’t want to leave Alexis or Eli. Can’t they come with us?”
Jo pauses, tears welling in her eyes again as she looks behind her to Scout, Eli, and Alexis who are still bantering. She looks back to Alex who’s staring at her with a look that’s both familiar and altogether new.
“Audrey, maybe we can meet up when you get back home if it’s okay with your mom. Alexis and Eli and I will be in Seattle for another week.”
Audrey looks to Jo who nods silently before turning back to Alex. She looks at him for a moment before launching herself into his arms, Alex wrapping them around her easily. Jo turns away, the moment too much for her to handle. Instead, she goes over to Scout and the twins and lets Alex and Audrey have a moment to themselves.
When Audrey and Alex return to the group the kids all say goodbye, knowing it’s not going to be a long separation but still discontent with the fact that they all have to separate. Eventually, Alex and Jo pull the four kids apart, meeting each other’s eyes again. Alex lets a shocked gasp out as Jo launches forward just like Audrey had and wraps her arms around his waist. He hugs her back for what seems like only a second before she’s pulling back and wrapping her arms around Scout and Audrey.
“My number is the same, you can text or call me when you get back to town.”
There’s a silence between the two as their eyes meet, but Jo quickly shakes her head and leads Scout and Audrey away. Eli and Alexis hug Alex, and he focuses on his kids and asking them about their time at camp.
Three days later Jo and Audrey are getting ready to meet up with Alex and the twins. Audrey is excited but Jo is worried about the situation, lamenting to Link about truly seeing Alex for the first time in so long. Jo knows Izzie will be there since they’re all visiting Seattle and she’s not eager to meet the new-ish woman in Alex’s life. Audrey and Scout are quick to correct Jo that Izzie and Alex are not together. Despite this new information Jo still spends an exorbitant amount of time freaking out.
Jo, Audrey, Link, and Scout arrive at Pike Place and meet up with Izzie, Eli, Alexis, and Alex. The kids run off almost immediately and Link and Izzie hit it off, leaving Alex and Jo to fend for themselves. It’s awkward at first but they fall into an easy and familiar rhythm together. Their day is going well and Alex is about to ask Jo more about Audrey when the kids find them again and beg to go on a ferry boat ride. Although Jo is hesitant at first Alex agrees and they all hop on a ferry. The trip brings around memories for both Jo and Alex but all hope of anything fruitful happening is dashed when Jenna, Alex’s girlfriend, unexpectedly shows up.
The next few days are pleasant but awkward. Alex and Audrey try to spend as much time together as possible, bonding quickly much to Jo’s exasperation. The situation bothers no one more than Jenna who’s upset that she had to find out about Alex’s other child from a Facebook post by Izzie. Jo attempts to befriend the woman but is quickly pushed aside, Jenna informing Jo that she has no place in Alex’s new life.
The night before everyone leaves back to Kansas Audrey is reluctant to leave her siblings and Alex. Alex suggests she comes to visit for a week which Jo agrees to after much convincing from Audrey, Alexis, and Eli. While the kids are basking in their excitement Alex pulls Jo out of the room, wanting to speak privately. At first Jo thinks that he’s going to pick a fight with her but he quickly pulls her into a hug, thanking her for giving him the opportunity to connect with their daughter.
“It’s really… I’m sorry that I never said anything. I know that, I mean I know…”
Jo heaves a sigh, turning her gaze from her hands up to meet Alex’s eyes. She thought the action would make her nervous, instead she feels at peace and her words come out with a renewed ease.
“I should’ve told you, I’m sorry about that. More sorry than I’ve ever been about anything. I was so angry, I was so hurt by you leaving me. I was in pain for weeks on end, it took me months before I realized that Audrey was on board and as soon as I did I hated you even more for leaving me with this perfect little girl. I wanted you by my side through every doctor's appointment and every kick. I wanted you there holding my hand while Audrey came into the world, I wanted you by her side in the NICU instead of Link. I wanted… So much for us but you left me.”
Jo’s cheeks are soaked as she continues to look at Alex, her heart beating wildly in her chest as they both step closer to each other. She’s not entirely sure why she suddenly feels the need to be so vulnerable with Alex, but Jo feels as if her whole heart could spill out of her chest right now. Her hand reaches up to cup his cheek, blinking up at him as if no time had passed between them.
“There you are, I was looking for you.”
Alex and Jo leap apart as Jenna comes into the room, all fake smiles and passive aggressive tone. A quick excuse has Jo leaving the room just as quickly as Jenna had shown up. The moment comes and goes in a flash, Alex trying to decide if it actually happened or not as Jenna begins to talk about something he couldn’t quite interpret over the vision of Jo playing over and over in his head.
The next day Jo brings Audrey to the airport and tearfully says goodbye to her. Alex is quick to reassure her that he’s going to take good care of Audrey and have her call everyday.
“At least you know I’m actually going to Kansas this time,” Alex smirks as he comes to stand in front of Jo. “I’ll even call you when we land.”
“You’re a jerk, you know that,” Jo rolls her eyes, looking up at Alex with a smile. “Take care of our girl, okay?”
Alex nods and seems like he’s about to say something more. Jo waits with bated breath, a heavy sigh coming from her as Jenna comes up and drags Alex away. Jo stands in the airport long after everyone is out of sight, her heart beating slightly out of time as she lets the last few days truly sink in.
Back in Kansas the twins and Audrey have fully hatched their plan to break up Alex and Jenna. They’d been tagging along with Alex to the hospital and sneaking off to the dermatology floor to play harmless pranks on Jenna that annoyed her to no end. Alex knows that something is up, but no one will fess up and Izzie refuses to get involved. Finally Alex is fed up with the tension between his kids and his girlfriend and insists that they all spend the weekend at the lake.
As soon as they arrive it’s a shit show.
Alexis has added green food dye to Jenna’s suntan oil, Eli has switched her salad in the picnic basket with a container of baked beans, and Audrey makes a big show of doing a cannonball directly in front of her beach towel. Jenna keeps her displeasure to herself until she exits the shower in the cabin with blue hair. Her anger overflows then, shrill yelps echoing through the small space as she comes out to find Alex.
“Your little brats have gone too far! My hair is blue Alex! I can’t do this anymore.”
“I mean it’s not that bad, they could’ve gone with green to match the suntan oil,” Alex struggles to hold back his laughter as he looks at Jenna. At her piercing look he schools his features. “I’m sorry, I’ll talk to them later.”
“No! I am not doing this, I’m not enduring a stupid rivalry with a bunch of pre teens. Alex I-”
All three kids are darting across the living room to the front door of the cabin where Izzie and Jo stand. The sight of the two women infuriates Jenna, her high pitched voice ringing in Alex’s ears.
“Nope! I can’t, not with them here too. You need to choose Alex, me or them.”
“Either we leave right now or you can stay here with them.”
There’s a pause as Alex begins to chuckle, thinking Jenna’s question was a joke but as she stares him down he realizes that she’s serious.
Jenna leaves the room in a huff, going to pack her things up as Alex greets Jo and Izzie with an apology. They both waste no time in teasing him over the situation as he brushes them off, rolling his eyes.
That night after the kids and Izzie have gone in for the night Alex and Jo find themselves sitting next to each other on the deck, the firepit between them slowly burning out. They’d grabbed a bottle of wine from inside and were sitting in a comfortable silence.
“You said Audrey was in the NICU?”
Jo heaves a sigh as she concentrates on her fingers, “She was five weeks early, I had preeclampsia and nearly bled out after she was delivered. I made Link promise me that he’d go sit with her while Carina rolled me into surgery. I told him he could only call you if I… If I died.”
“You broke my heart Alex. I didn’t want you there because it would’ve made everything more painful. I know that I kept our daughter from you but I figured one parent here full time would be better than her getting her heart broken again and again every time you came and left.”
“I’m sorry too. For how I left, for how much I hurt you. If I’d known…”
“You should’ve known, you’re not stupid. You should’ve known that I would be miserable without you. I love Audrey more than life itself but everyday since you left me has been empty. You took a piece of me when you left.”
Jo and Alex are staring at each other in the dying firelight, nine years of heartache between them. Alex brushes Jo’s hair back from her face and it feels like there’s no air around them. Suddenly they’re both leaning forward, lips brushing so softly that Jo barely would’ve registered it had it not been for Alex’s hands in her hair. They pull back a moment later and Jo’s shocked by the tears welling in her eyes.
“I can’t Alex… I can’t get hurt again.”
Jo rushes inside after that, Alex left with his thoughts as he sits in the quiet of the night.
Two days later Jo and Audrey are set to go home. The dynamic between all three kids and their parents is something that makes Jo sad for the future they all could have had together. She gets misty eyed saying goodbye to Izzie, promising that they’ll come and visit for the holidays. Alexis asks them to stay, Eli offering up his room so they don’t have to leave but Izzie reminds the twins that Jo and Audrey have their own life in Seattle and they can’t drop everything to move to Kansas. The twins begrudgingly say goodbye to Audrey, making sure that she sends them a text from Jo’s phone once they land in Seattle.
Audrey and Alex share a long goodbye as he promises to come and visit before they come to Kansas. He does his best to keep a smile on his face as Audrey lets a few tears leak onto her cheeks. She goes to say one last goodbye to Eli and Alexis, leaving Jo and Alex face to face.
“I really hate this feeling. It feels like you leaving Seattle all over again.”
Jo’s voice is barely above a whisper as she meets Alex’s eyes. Her fingers just barely brush against his hand and the contact sends sparks through his whole body.
“I’ll see you soon. Two months at the latest. Okay?”
Jo nods, but the tears welling in her eyes say otherwise.
“This one hurts more than last time because I know what exactly I’m giving up by saying goodbye.”
Alex can’t find it in himself to say anything else, instead he wraps his arms around Jo and keeps her there for a few minutes. The two of them keep their tight holds on each other until Audrey tugs at Jo’s sleeves and informs her they’re going to miss their flight. Jo pulls back from him and he can almost feel his heart breaking in his chest as his daughter and the love of his life walk away.
Link and Scout pick Jo and Audrey up from the airport, the Seattle rain welcoming them home. Scout excitedly talks with Audrey about the science camp they’re attending the following week and Link tries to engage Jo in a conversation about one of his surgeries he’d done while she was gone. He notices Jo’s silence and asks if she’s alright, a lackluster nod of assurance coming from her. They get back to the penthouse and Audrey and Scout are off in a flash. Link orders pizza and Jo tries to focus on anything besides the gaping hole in her chest.
Link’s voice sounds from the doorway, Jo rolling her eyes as she grabs cash from her purse, assuming that he forgot to tip the pizza guy. When she walks over however, her heart leaps for just a second as she takes in the twins and Izzie at their front door.
“You, I just… What are you doing here?”
“It took us about 30 seconds after you guys left for us to realize we didn't want to lose you two again,” Alexis smirks and the simple words make Jo’s knees weak.
Alex appears behind Izzie and the twins, hair soaked from the Seattle rain and that same stupid crooked grin on his face.
“We. I made the mistake of leaving you once, Jo. I'm not going to do that again no matter how brave you are.”
Jo lets out a wet laugh as Audrey and Scout appear in the hallway. Audrey’s eyes are wide as she realizes who’s at the door.
“You can’t just show up here! You have a life in Kansas! All of you!”
“It’s not fun without you and Audrey,” Eli wears a frown that makes Jo stifle a chuckle.
“None of that matters if you’re not with me Jo. With us.”
“And I suppose you just expect me to go weak at the knees, and fall into your arms, and cry hysterically. And say we'll just figure this whole thing out. A cross coutnry relationship with our daughter being raised here and there,” Jo can’t help the tears streaking her cheeks as she takes in Alex’s stupid smirk that she wishes she could wipe off his face. “And you and I just picking up where we left off and growing old together? C'mon, Alex, what do you expect? To live happily ever after?”
“Yes. To all of the above. Except you don't have to cry hysterically.”
Jo is in Alex’s arms before he can blink, their lips melting together as he holds her tightly. Their kids cheer triumphantly and Izzie and Link share a knowing look, as if to say they could’ve called their best friends getting back together.
The next summer Eli, Alexis, Audrey, and Scout are getting dropped off at summer camp. Alex reminds them that Link and Izzie will pick them up in two weeks when they’re back from their honeymoon. Alexis makes sure to remind Jo to call them if she goes into labor because they’re anxiously waiting to see who wins the bet for boy or girl. Jo laughs and rests a hand on her stomach, insisting that the camp will be their first call as soon as the baby is born.
Audrey rolls her eyes as she looks between Alex and Jo, “Mom please. You know that nothing this summer could ever be as fun as getting you and dad back together. Nothing beats a good parent trap.”
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