I got this idea after the episode 10 (S14) and thought to give it a go. :) Really want to give April a happy ending. It won't be a Japril story, so I understand that it might not be that welcomed.

Let me know if the story is something to work on. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

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It was two weeks after Karen Taylor had died. Died on her watch. After the losses of that day, she had plummeted into this evil circle of drinking herself to sleep, sleeping with an intern. Having doubts about her faith in God.

She had tried to open herself up to Arizona, but she wasn't listening to her. "This is not about you, April." She heard Arizona's clear voice as she had brushed off her attempt to clear her mind, talk things out. Release some of the pain she was feeling. She was going through it all in her mind, had she neglected the signs? Could there had been a chance to safe Karen Taylor? She felt that it was on her that there was a little baby girl without her mother.

She was sleeping on her bed, lying on her stomach with a empty bottle of wine on the floor. It was late and she was alone this time around as the intern had a night shift. She was glad that she was alone, ashamed of her actions in the past weeks.

She woke up to a sharp sound of the doorbell. Feeling the hangover in her head already. She glanced at the clock standing on her nightstand. Little past midnight. Who would it be? She got up, nearly falling over as she hopped over the empty wine bottle on the floor. She made her way to the door, it wasn't a long stretch to go as her two bedroom apartment wasn't that big.

As she walked towards the door, she heard a baby cry. Despite the alcohol in her blood, she was clear enough to know it wasn't Harriet crying. Harriet was with Jackson. Another reason why she felt so alone.

Perhaps it was her neighbor from next door, she thought. She had a baby four months ago. Might be in need of advice. Although she wasn't sure if she had any clever advice to give.

She opened the door and the sight in front of her was shocking. Never did she think that the one person behind her door would be Matthew. Holding his little girl in his arms, who seemed to displeased about something as she was crying.

"Matthew." She looked at him in shock as she stood there in her panties and a t-shirt.

"What.. What are you doing here?" She asked as he seemed to be thinking about something.

"I.. I didn't know who to call.." "I need help." He managed to say and she heard from the sound of his voice that he was desperate. And he must be that desperate since he had come in the middle of the night to stand on the doorstep of the very woman who had shattered his heart and mostly likely killed his wife.

"Aah.. Come in." She thought to invite him in as the baby was crying and soon her neighbors would probably make a complaint about the noise. But as she had invited him in, she remembered all the empty wine bottles standing in her kitchen, behind the door. What would he think of her now? She thought, but it couldn't be any more worse than he already had thought.

"I don't know what to do.. She cries all the time and I'm alone." He tried to explain as he stepped inside her apartment holding the baby in his arms.

"I'm sorry, if I'm disturbing you and Jackson." He added quickly and she met his gaze with a more stunned face. She remembered their conversation back at the hospital when Karen was still alive. He didn't know about her and Jackson, that the love of her life wasn't in her life anymore.

"Jackson and I.. We aren't together." She felt the wave of shame go through her as she had to admit to the man she had once loved and left to the altar, that she was alone after it all.

"Oh." He was puzzled, she could see.

But the crying baby alerted April to the fact why he had come to her.

"Can I?" She gestured to hold the baby, not entirely sure if it was welcomed, but then again he had come to seek help.

Matthew handed gently the little baby over to her arms and she quickly moved the baby to lay against her chest, the baby's stomach pressed against the baby's knees and April's chest. It seemed to calm the baby a bit. She then rocked her body as she held the little baby. Feeling tears pricking in her eyes as it felt so natural to her. To hold a baby in her arms. To be a mother. She was reminded that her life hadn't turned out like she thought it would have.

"Have you tried a different brand of formula for her?" She asked and gave a look at his way as he seemed to look a little uncomfortable standing there.

"No.. As I said, I'm all alone. I don't know what I am doing." He sat down on the couch and she saw he hadn't probably slept in a while. He'd gotten a crash course into parenthood.

"What about your mother?" She asked as she hummed a little to the baby, calming her to sleep.

"She died a year ago." He said with a heavy heart. She knew how much his mother had meant for him.

"What about Karen's parents?" She then asked, but continued the slight humming sound.

He only shook his head and her heart ached. He was all alone with an infant baby and she felt the loss of Karen even greater on her shoulders now.

A moment past and the baby was sleeping on April's chest as she was rocking her body back and forth all the while humming. It's what she had done with Harriet.

"I didn't know you're a drinker." She heard him say and she saw he had noticed her empty bottles in the kitchen.

"After that day.. I.." She started to say with a dry voice.

"I feel lost." She admitted with a sigh and met his eyes.

He moved to look at the sofa table and she saw he wasn't ready to open Karen as a subject for a discussion.

"I can place her in Harriet's room if you want to stay." She said softly, not sure what to do now. She couldn't hold the baby forever and it was the middle of the night.

He nodded and she left the room and walked into Harriet's room and placed the sleeping baby in Harriet's bed. Tucking her in, she looked at Ruby. Sleeping so peacefully for the time being. She might wake up again soon.

She returned to the living room where Matthew was and she saw he had fallen asleep on her couch. She took the blanket from the armchair and placed it over him. She turned the lights off and went to her own bedroom.

A few hours later she woke to the sound of a crying baby. It took her awhile to realize what had happened during the night. She almost thought it might have been a dream. She got up and put on her cozy pants, not wanting to be as naked as she had felt during the night.

She went into Harriet's room and got the little baby up in her arms. She had her eyes open and she was staring at April. She smiled to Ruby and walked into the living room and she heard Matthew was awake as he was probably preparing a bottle for her.

"Good morning." She heard his voice and from the sound of it, she thought he had gotten some well earned rest. She gave him a faint smile and said "Morning." She handed the baby to him and he began feeding her.

She put on her coffeemaker and went to change her clothes for work. Feeling slightly awkward at the whole situation. Her ex-fiancée was in her apartment, with his baby.

"April.. I'm sorry that I came." She heard him say as she came back to the room. She took a cup from the cabinet and poured herself coffee.

"It's okay." She met his eyes and nodded.

Before she left for work, she gave him some advice on how to handle the baby and gave a few suggestions, hoping that it would help him. He did seem to be a little lost, but he would learn quickly, she thought. She didn't want to drive him out of her apartment so she said he could leave when he was ready.

She was on her way home after another hectic day at work. Thinking about Arizona's pitch for the competition. And Arizona had told her that Karen's death wasn't on Arizona, and it wasn't on her either. She did feel a little better, but still it didn't take away her thoughts of why it had happened. Why had God taken her away?

Today she would do grocery shopping for the weekend and clean her apartment. She smiled, because she would get to go home with Harriet tomorrow. It was the highlight of her week.

The following day she woke up smiling. She had had a glass of wine the night before, but after a while she had fallen asleep. So she didn't have a raging headache today and there had been no Matthew on her door in the middle of the night. It was pleasing to know that she might have managed to help him to take care of his child, but she was a little puzzled over why he had come to her of all people?

She picked up Harriet after her shift and she could see she had grown so much in a few days. Even though she would visit her in the daycare, she still noticed the changes in her little girl. She had learned to walk a few weeks earlier and April was holding Harriet's hand as the little one was taking small steps beside her in the hallway to her apartment. She was smiling and looking at her. Before she had noticed anything else she heard a voice. She looked up from her daughter and saw Matthew sitting beside her door, Ruby in a baby carrier. She was sleeping this time around, so she couldn't help but wonder why was he there again?

She saw him get up and she took Harriet up in her arms as she opened her door.

"Why are you here?" She asked a bit annoyed and met his unsure gaze. "I should be the last person you want to see." She added and regretted her words almost immediately. He was still grieving and here she was being upset at him.

"I know." He said quietly as he glanced at sleeping Ruby in the baby carrier.

"I can't be at home. Too many memories." He explained and she sighed at his answer.

"Come in then, I'm making lasagna." She went in and he followed.

Thank you for reading!