This is Nalex. And to clear things up, Alex is 19 years old and Nate is 25. Crossover. Fluff. And all those other stuff that we all know we love. Enjoy.

Alex Russo was not the kind to have crushes.

Ever since she was young, fairytales, happy endings, prince charming, while having all the other girls drooling and bubbly, Alex tried hard not to gag. How could such immature, over enthusiastic girls believe there was such thing as 'true love' or 'the right one'? Why not just live in reality and see that, no, there was no such thing as happy endings.

So Alex refrained herself from having any sort of physical or emotional contact with boys, unless it was only completely—and this was rare—necessary. So she'd always been pointed out as the girl with no relationships. Which is why no boy ever had the courage to go up to her and ask for a phone number, or flirt with her, or anything else that might get them humiliated and physically hurt.

The only guys Alex had any contact with every day were her brothers—Justin and Max—and that was because, well, they lived together. And, of course, there was no way of any romantic feeling blossoming between them, so she enjoyed as much as possible her time with them.

Theresa, her mother, always found this completely annoying and petrifying. Afraid that her little girl would not get married at all—worse, that she wouldn't marry the gender Theresa hoped she'd marry. For Jerry, her father, it was delightful. Day after day, his little girl was still his little girl, not embarrassed to kiss him on the cheek, hug him, or walk next to him in public places. Because she had no reason to impress anyone. And that is what any father would want.

All in all, Alex was a special one, she was. And everyone thought so. Every girl in school could confide their secrets to Alex—and mostly guy secrets, knowing that Alex would never start liking the same guy or even dare to say a word to the guy. Alex was flattered by the 'trust' every girl in Jefferson High showed her, but she never gave any advice. She'd probably repel the guy any other girl liked, so she just nodded and smiled at whatever anyone told her.

So when was the day that Alex had started to fall for a guy who she accidentally met?

That was the day that Alex had started to believe in happy endings, believe in true love. That was the same day Alex was scared of the feeling, and kept it to herself.

But who was it Alex blamed for this? Her mother. And damn modern technology. And cable. And game shows. Especially game shows.

It was another Sunday evening with the Russo's—supper had been done, Max was up in his room doing the things that no one bothered to ask what they were, Jerry was in his room ready to watch the game with Justin because today was the girl's turn to watch in the living room, the Wheel of Fortune.

Alex had her leg crossed on the couch, with her pajamas on and the popcorn tub on her lap, with her mother next to her and changing the channels.

"Finally," Theresa grinned. "Alone time without the boys, huh sweetheart?" she asked Alex, still with a goofy grin plastered on her face. Alex raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not going to reply to that," Alex sighed, and took a piece of popcorn, placing it in her mouth, and chewing it carefully, taking the time to savor the flavor. Theresa, still changing the channels, asked her why.

"Well," Alex said. "This is how we always start our conversations mom. How about we try something different? You always say that, then I say 'You're telling me', ann then you'll say 'I know how much you like girl time', then I'll say 'Don't judge me like that mother', then you'll laugh and we'll start watching Wheel of Fortune, laughing at the idiots who can't guess that 'Desperate Housewives' is the show, when all they're missing is the stupid 's'." Alex looked at her mother when she stopped changing the channels.

Theresa smiled slightly at her. "Well, that took up our conversation time," she cleared her throat. "Let's watch this thing, then," Theresa looked back at the television, and Alex did the same.

"Can you not find the right guy for you?" A narrator's voice came on the television. Alex choked on her popcorn and Theresa raised an eyebrow.

"I thought this was Wheel of Fortune," Theresa mused. "That's odd. It's in the right channel..." Theresa looked at the TV.

"Oh great, it's one of those stupid dating shows," Alex groaned. What was more humiliating than having to admit to the world that you couldn't find a guy and you had to end up on TV to find him? Pathetic. Just, completely pathetic.

"It looks okay," Theresa said, looking at the screen. "I mean, it's live! You get to see them go on dates, live. It seems interesting. They can't edit anything out." Theresa smiled.

"You know, for a first time watcher, you seem to know quite a lot about this show." Alex muttered, and popped another piece of popcorn into her mouth. "I mean," she continued, with her mouth full. "For crying out loud, they're barely showing what happened the last show."

Theresa looked at her daughter and smiled sheepishly. Alex raised and eyebrow, the realization dawned on her. She gasped and scowled.

"Mom!" Alex shrieked. "This isn't the wheel of fortune channel, is it? And you want me to see this crap, don't you?" Alex gaped at her mother and put down the popcorn bowl on the coffee table, standing up.

Theresa stood up with her daughter and grabbed her arm before Alex could run away. "Now wait a minute Alex, that is a lie," Theresa promised. "I did no such thing."

"Yeah, and Max cleaned up his room," Alex spat, trying to get her mom to let go of her arm. "I've told you a million times, I don't want to have a relationship! It'll only lead to disappointment, lies, and arguments. It's stupid, and pointless."

"Alex, that isn't entirely true," Theresa tried to calm her daughter down. "Look at me and your father!"

"Exactly!" Alex shrieked, and finally got her mother to let go of her arm. Alex breathed in and out, trying to calm herself down. She couldn't believe this! Alex always knew her mother wanted her to have a relationship, for her to marry, settle down, and give her grandchildren. But Alex wasn't that way, she just—wasn't! Alex was raised that way and damn it, nobody stopped her then, what made her mother think she could stop her now?

"Alex," her mother took a deep breath before looking into her daughter's burning eyes. Alex made no movement, so Theresa went on. "Yes, I did want you to watch this show, but for future reference," Alex laughed once without humor.

"Future reference? And what is that supposed to mean?" Alex looked at her mom expectantly.

"It means," Theresa said firmly, with her head held high. "On Monday, you will be on that show."

Alex stared at her mom for a very, long, awkward moment. Then she laughed. She laughed so hard for so long, tears were brought to her eyes and her cheeks were burning red. She had to hold her stomach and crouch down, flopping onto the couch and waiting for her mom to laugh with her.

Oh, she begged to the heavens that soon, Theresa would laugh with her and say this was all a joke. Or maybe, Ashton Kutcher was doing a special episode of 'Punk'd', Just one, even if the show was cancelled.

Or maybe Max would come downstairs, yell to her it was a prank, and go back up to his room like nothing had ever happened.

All of those were as possible as Justin opening a can of pickles.

Finally, Alex realized her mom was not joking, and she stopped laughing abruptly, and looked at Theresa with frightened, yet infuriated eyes.

"Alex," her mother said, noticing the look on her daughter's face. "I am very sorry, but this is no joke. I've been on the waiting list forever, for two years! You cannot say no to this."

Alex took a deep breath. Her mom had signed her up and waited, patiently, since she was seventeen?

"Are you out of your freaking mind?" Alex yelled, so loud, the table in front of her vibrated slightly. "You put me on the fucking game show?!" Alex stood up from the couch and started to run upstairs, but Justin and her father blocked the way.

"What's going on down here?" Jerry asked, puzzled. Alex looked up and her dad with tears in her eyes.

"What's going on is that your damn wife doesn't accept me for who I am and wants me to join a fucking game show to get me out of her life and give her the grandchildren your two sons are too stupid to give!" Alex spat, And Justin blinked.

"Juliet and I, are taking things slowly, but we are looking for an apartment now, and soon—" Justin was interrupted by Alex.

"I don't give a shit about you and your freaking relationship right now! I have a crazed mom who thinks only of herself!" Alex yelled, pointing behind her at Theresa.

Theresa, trying hard to hold back her tears, managed to speak steadily. "This is good for you Alex. It doesn't mean you'll fall in love, but it'll give you a chance to improve your relationship with males."

"Dad!" Alex's tears were rolling down her cheeks now.

Jerry looked shocked, gaping, looking back and forth between his wife and his daughter. Finally, he took a deep breath and spoke. "Alex, go to your room. Justin, go with her before she does something stupid. I need to speak with your mother."

Alex said nothing before furiously pushing through Justin and running upstairs to her room, Justin trying to catch up with her.

When in her room, she was about to slam the door shut, but Justin held it open. "Alex," he said quietly. "Please. If you would only know what mom feels—"

"You know what, Justin? I do. And trust me, I would do the best that I could do, I would jump off a cliff, to make her be as proud of me as she is of you, after you graduated Yale." Alex said, her voice shaking. "But I was raised one way. I can' change from one day to another. I can't just say, 'I'm going to fall in love', and suddenly will. I need time! Maybe someday, I might. And if mom understood that, we wouldn't have these problems. If she just knew that that's not me." Alex sat on her bed, and tuned out her TV, which was surprisingly on.

"But I know what is you," Justin said after a silent pause, still at the door, looking at his sister breaking down. And you Alex, you are all about taking chances. Trying out new things. Not turning down things that you know deep inside might make everything better." Justin paused for a second to let this sink into Alex. "This is one of those opportunities, Alex. You might just want to think about this one." That was the last thing he said before closing the door and walking down the hall and into his room.

Alex blinked for a while, calming herself down and letting her tears stop.

She hated, hated, hated admitting Justin was even close to right. But his was one of those moments where it was too obvious to ignore. She had to take this chance and try nothing new. She had nothing to lose (she hoped) and, maybe, a lot to gain.

She finally looked over at the television, and surprise, the same channel was on. Her mom had probably done it on purpose, knowing she would run to the room.

"Later, Jenny will have to make her big decision—Ralph or Gerard? But next, the date that made the decision even harder. Don't look away, as this month's 'Looking for Love' comes to a nail biting end!" The narrator was saying all this as the cameras shot the live audience, watching from a screen everything that was going out outside.

Alex couldn't believe she was actually thinking about this.

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