This song inspired me to writ a little Japril fanfic. Thanks to jamrenners who collaborated with me on it. Disclaimer- I don't own this song or these characters.
You Can't Go Back by Royal Wood
If you go I will fall
Into the deep
In you, well I have discovered
Everything I need to live
Forget the smoke and mirrors
You can't go back
If you leave I will drown
Take your key
Burn this town
There's no way now
In you, well I have uncovered
Everything I need to be
No conjuring the past
You can't go back
You were the island in the waves
My life will never be the same
In you, well I've found a lover
Every bit I need to breathe
No hocus pocus here
You can't go back
He sat in the very back pew of some church, shifting uncomfortably in his suit. His girlfriend had asked him to sit up near the front next to her, with all of their coworkers, but he refused. She shot him a questioning look, but continued chatting with her friends.
He noticed the church was rather full, mostly brown-haired, but a cluster of gingers at the front. He guessed it was her family. The church was decorated plainly, with pink bows and white roses on the pews and by the altar. He knew she was never a girly girl and despised store-bought flowers, preferring the wild kind.
An organ swelled in the background, and everyone stood up, including him, to face the doors at the back of the church. Her sisters walked down the aisle, one by one, holding more white roses. The door creaked open once more, revealing a fair red-head in a white gown, clutching her father's arm.
His breath caught in his throat and his chest tightened, before he realized that he was not the one greeting her at the end. She turned her head slightly, catching his gaze. She mouthed the word, "Wait" before continuing her slow march down the aisle. He turned back to face the altar, waiting for events to unfold. He wasn't sure what to expect.
She intertwined her hands with the other man's, up at the altar. The priest mumbled out some words about devotion and commitment, before continuing on with the vows. He slipped a ring onto her finger, and recited his vows. The man in the back pew cringed at those words, because she was one step farther out of his life. Some one offered her the ring to put on the other man's finger, and she took a deep, shaky breath.
She released the other man's hands, and gave the ring on her finger back to him, repeating, "I'm sorry" over and over again to him. With tears streaming down her beautiful face, she clutched the hem of her dress, and shuffled her way down the aisle towards the back door where she entered. The man in the back stood up, and ushered her out the doors, following quickly afterwards. The whole congregation erupted in scandalous mutters, and the man abandoned at the altar was embarrassed.
The other man tried to address the crowd, saying there was just some issues that needed to be worked out, and the wedding would resume shortly. The colleagues of the bride were beaming, throughout all of this. They knew something no one else in the audience did. Still, they sat patiently in their seats, waiting for the events to unfold. The man gave up, his efforts futile, and jogged back down the aisle, pushing open the creaky wooden doors.
The man and the bride were standing off to the side, hidden in a dark shadow. She was still crying, but they were now happy tears. The other man approached the duo, quaking slightly with anger. The bride's eyes widened and ran forwards to speak with the man. "I'm sorry," she said. "I don't know if I can do this." The newcomer ignored her apology, "I can't believe you led me on like this. I thought we were happy together. We had the perfect future." The girl sniffled, her tears drying up. She spoke again, "I'm sorry it had to end this way. You will have a happy future, just not with me."
The third person stepped out from the shadows, laying a hand on her shoulder protectively, yet loving at the same time. The other man said, "Guess I should've known all along that you would go back to him. Have a nice life, April" before walking outside of the church into the glaring sunlight. The man, watching the whole exchange quietly, spoke up "Shall we?" April smiled softly, and responded, "Of course." He pushed open the doors once more, to a smattering of gasps from the audience. The brown-haired side of the room shot dirty looks at the two of them. April announced, "This wedding will continue. If you object, please use this opportunity to take your leave." In a rush, all the brown-heads stood up, and filed out of the church, still scandalized.
Once the doors were slammed shut, the two left standing made their way up the aisle, back to the altar. One of their colleagues stood up, and made her way to the altar, shooing away the shocked priest. Miranda Bailey stood in the place he vacated, addressing the remaining crowd, "Today we are here to honour the union of two very special people. Their relationship wasn't always the most, ah, conventional, but they made it work. They tried to keep it a secret, but we all figured it out. Now, is their 'mint to be' moment, and yes I know what that is. Kepner wouldn't shut up about it."
"Do you, Jackson William Avery, take April Mary Kepner as your lawfully wedded wife?" Bailey asked. Jackson said, "I do". "Do you, April Mary Kepner, take Jackson William Avery as your lawfully wedded husband?" Bailey asked April. "I do," April said, with a huge smile on her face. "By the power vested in me by 'Five-Minute Minister', I pronounce you husband and wife." Bailey announced. Jackson took April's face in his hands tenderly, and pressed a kiss on her soft lips. They broke apart after a few moments, not wishing to scandalize the crowd of people still in front of them. Turning around, the husband and wife intertwined their hands as they made their way down the aisle. As they came to the top steps of the church, a pale yellow butterfly flew overhead. Jackson turned to April and whispered, "there's your butterfly. It's your perfect wedding."