#and i brought a few toys out and swiped some snacks from the pantry for us

[two-calicos-in-a-trenchcoat]

The big tree helps block it but the storm blowing in from the north instead of the south helps more

[jobrookekarev]

The Batter Always Taste Better

Chapter: 1/1

Words: 1820

Summary: Jo comes home to see Alex baking cake and steals a taste for herself and her baby.

Fandom: Grey's Anatomy.

Relationship: Alex Karev/Jo Wilson.

Characters: Alex Karev, Jo Wilson Karev, and OC:Helena Karev.

Rating: Gen. Audiences.

Additional Tags: Domestic Fluff and Chocolate Cake.

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AN: For Belle @only-freakin-sunflowers, Happy Birthday!

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Jo walked through the door of the house and was greeted with the wonderful and excited squeals of her seven-month-old baby girl. Helena up as she excited squeals reach her ears as she bounces up and down so excited to see her. Helena stood against the baby gate that separated the mudroom from the kitchen of their new house. Jo quickly took off her shoes and dropped everything to pick up her baby.

“There's my girl, are you excited to see me? I’m so excited to see you!” Jo said as she leaned down and picked Helena up. Jo planted a dozen kisses on her cheeks as Helena grasped at her shirt and babbled to her. “Where Daddy is should we go find him?” 

Jo put Helena on her hip and opened the baby gate before she turned the corner out of the pantry and into the kitchen. what greeted her was her husband standing in a mess of box cake mix which was scattered around the counter along with other various ingredients and store-bought frosting and sprinkles. Alex looked up from the box of cake mix to greet her with a warm smile.

“Hey you,” Alex said, putting a box down and wrapping his arms around her waist as he greeted her with a kiss. “Long day?”

“Ugh yes, I delivered three babies today, one of which was an emergency C-section. Just when I finished up with one mom another one went into labor, I barely even got a chance to see my clinic patients,” Jo said, as she kissed Alex again before she moved to sit on a stool in the kitchen. 

Jo put Helena on the counter as she held her and continued to coo at her baby. The long days were hard, especially since she couldn't pick up Helena from daycare, but she made sure to spend extra cuddle time with her when she got home.

“Sounds like my day, I had two appendectomies, one anaphylactic shock, and one kid with a Lego so far up his nose we had to put him under just to get it out. I spent nearly the entire day in the ER in the OR,” Alex said as he went back to stirring the big bowl of chocolate cake mixture. 

“I didn't miss somebody's birthday did I?” Jo asked leaning over the counter to see.

“No, but apparently, it's our turn to bring a snack for the daycare class tomorrow, so I thought I'd make chocolate cake?” Alex said as he mixed up the batter with the spatula.

“Alex cake is not a snack, a dessert yes, but not a snack,” Jo said as she blew raspberries at Helena who giggled and tried to grab at Jo's mouth.

“Yeah well, I'll send along some ants on a log or something,” Alex said with a shrug as he turned around to grab the eggs out of the fridge.

With his back turned to her, Jo reached over and stole the spoon from the bowl, licking off the chocolate batter before Alex could react. Helena reached for the spatula as well, but Jo pulled back and took another lick as Helena squealed in protest.

“Seriously,” Alex asked, turning around and setting her with the look as he reached for another spatula. 

Jo only smirked and raised her eyebrows at him and continued to lick off the rest of the cake batter from the spatula. Alex looked up and scoffed when Jo gave the spatula to Helena who eagerly put it into her mouth, her eyes going wide as she tasted the batter. 

“Really Jo, it's bad enough that you do it, but you're teaching our kid to do it,” Alex said as he gestured to Helena who gnawed at the spatula in delight. 

“Oh please if it's not the end of the world besides look at how happy she is,” Jo said Helena looked between both of her parents with a smile as she continued to chew on the spatula. 

Alex’s glare dropped as he watched Helena and the softest little smile appeared on his face. Jo loved watching Alex with Helena, one smile from her and his grumpy attitude melted. He was absolutely head over heels in love with her, from the moment she was born. Helena had her Daddy wrapped around her finger and Jo knew she could get away with anything if Helena was with her. Which was why she reached for the new spatula and swiped more of the cake mix before Alex could react.

“Stop, what are you doing?” Alex said, reaching out to try and grab the spatula from her, but Jo just pulled back out of his reach, so he put his hands on his hips and glared at her. “It's for the daycare kids.”

“Kids or not, you can't stop me from enjoying cake batter,” Jo said as she smirked at Alex and then shrugged. “Besides, there's a rule against bringing sweets. which you would know if you had actually read the instructions for the snack day.”

Alex continued to glare at her for a moment before he grabbed the piece of paper for snack day and quickly read it over. “Seriously since when is sugar off the menu?” 

“Tyler K. is sugar-free and his mom makes a big fuss out of it, plus there's like two kids allergic to chocolate anyway,” Jo said with a shrug as Alex got that grumpy look on his face and she couldn't help but laugh.

“It’s a stupid rule, and I'm only changing the menu because there are kids that are allergic,” Alex gruffed as he dramatically tossed the paper away. 

“Well their loss is our gain,” Jo just giggled as she continued to lick the spatula. 

Alex leaned against the counter and seemed to come to play his next move as Jo looked down at Helena. She had licked the spatula clean, but was still completely focused on it as she happily gummed on the soft spoon. Jo reached out again and dipped her spatula back in the cake mix and grabbed another spoonful before Alex could protest again.

“Jo stop, you can't double-dip,” Alex said, moving the bowl away from her. 

“Why? It's just the three of us, what's the big deal? You and I constantly swap spit when we kiss and it’s not like this little one doesn't drool all over us all the time. Besides, we're gonna bake it anyway,” Jo said with a shrug as she looked down at Helena and tickled her side. “Who cares about a few little germs between family, not you baby girl, no you'd happily drool over Mommy all day long.”

Helena excitedly squealed at her and swung the spatula around, almost hitting Jo in the nose, before she pulled back with a laugh. Jo continued to tickle her sides and Alex shook his head before he laughed too.

“Okay, enough,” Alex said, after Jo tried to get another spoonful of the batter. He grabbed the spatula from her hand and moved the cake mix over to the other counter. “Out of the kitchen or you won't get a piece of cake once I’m done.”

“Seriously?” Jo asked, setting him with her best puppy dog eyes and a pout.

“I mean it Jo, go play with Helena in the living room and stop stealing my cake batter,” Alex said, waving her off, not even giving her pout a second look.

Jo huffed as she picked up Helena and walked over to the living room. “You know once upon a time Daddy wasn't able to resist my puppy dog eyes.”

“That's a lie,” Alex shouted back at her as Jo threw him a dirty look. 

Jo plopped down with Helena in her lap as she leaned against the couch in the living room. Ever before they brought her home from the hospital, their living room had become a second playroom for Helena. Her toys were scattered around and in bins under the side tables and the fancy rug they had bought had been replaced with a play mat. Helena crawled over to grab her favorites shape sorter box the two of them started sorting pieces. Even though they have been banished from the kitchen, Jo was happy to just spend time with Helena, especially after a long day at work. Soon enough the smell of baked cake filled the air and Jo patiently waited, despite how her mouth watered. 

“Okay Princess here you go,” Alex said, bringing over two pieces of cake complete with frosting and one baby spoon.

“Yay,” Jo smiled in delight and couldn't help but bounce her legs and excitement. Helena bounced as well, jumping up and down in Jo’s lap as Alex walked over them, knowing that she would get a taste as well.

Alex smirked as he sat next to them taking in the sight of both his excited girls. “Like mother, like daughter.”

Jo just smiled as she grabbed a cake from the top of the place before Alex had even sat down next to her. “Thank you.” 

She took a bite of the cake and moaned as it hit her taste buds. The warm chocolatey moist cake seemed to melt on her tongue. Alex smiled at her and got a spoonful for Helena, who immediately sucked it into her mouth. Jo and Alex laughed as her eyes widened and she tasted her first bite of cake.

“So was it worth the wait,” Alex asked if he smirked at her and ate his own piece of cake.

“Ah the batter always tastes better,” Jo shrugged as she struggled to keep a straight face, but she just had to tease him.

Alex just shook his head and laughed as he got another spoonful for Helena who had crawled over to his lap. The three of them sat on the floor and took turns feeding Helena cake.

“So what are you going to make for the daycare snack,” Jo said as she moved Helena’s hands away from her. Helena had crawled back over to her and was pulling at her top eager to nurse.

“Well I figured I'd just grab some fruit and the umm...” Alex said as he trailed off as he looked to where Helena had pulled down the front of Jo’s shirt and exposed her bra and cleavage.

“Like father, Like daughter,” Jo said as she shook her head and pulled up her shirt, and picked up Helena so she could get her settled to feed. 

Alex shook his head and laughed as he put an arm over her shoulders leaned in to plant a kiss on her cheek before and Jo leaned into him and put her head on his shoulder. Alex grabbed the remote and flipped through a few shows as they decided what to watch and the family of three cuddled on the couch and enjoyed their cake.