Title: Led Me Straight to You

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's Note: Just a oneshot that I couldn't get out of my head. I loved the idea of April running into Stark with Jackson and how she would feel reminiscing about her past relationships. Of course this time, Jackson would be there to support her. ;) Cue the M rating.

Title from the Rascall Flatts song Bless the Broken Road. Many thanks to KepnerAvery for helping me out with background info from the show, and the beautiful baby girl make that I stole for my own Japril universe. Icon thanks to onetrueslayer.

Please review if you read, thank you very much. (And if you're following my other story, you'll get an update to that tomorrow!)

This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

"April?"

She had just stepped out of the women's restroom at the restaurant and was about to head for the exit when she heard someone say her name. She looked over her shoulder to see a gentleman coming out of the men's room, someone she recognized though she had not seen him in years.

"Dr. Stark, hi. I mean, Robert," she corrected herself quickly. Despite having gone out with the man a dozen times, she still seemed to think of him as Dr. Stark, only further emphasizing how she couldn't get past their working relationship to create a personal one.

"April, I thought that was you." The older man walked up to her with a welcoming smile that softened the features of his serious face. His eyes glimmered with pleasure at seeing her again. "How are you?"

"I'm doing well, thank you. Um, how are you? I heard you moved..." April trailed off, unsure of how to continue without sounding rude. "I mean, I heard you were working somewhere else."

"Yes. I'm at Hopewell in Olympica now. I haven't moved back," he answered with a small smile. "I'm just visiting my sister for her birthday. This is her favorite restaurant."

"That's nice. The lobster here is really good," April exclaimed, trying not to fiddle with her purse nervously as they observed each other. She tried not to think about how their relationship had ended - how he'd been hurt that she'd only wanted to be friends, how she desperately wanted there to be a spark but she hadn't felt one, no matter how much she forced their interactions.

"You look great," he said quickly, waving an arm up and down at her. "I... you look great," he repeated.

"Thank you." April smiled as she met his eyes, telling herself to relax as she met his gaze. Why this felt so awkward, she didn't know, but she tried for the sake of politeness to continue the conversation. "Um..."

"What did you decide on your specialty? I mean, I'm assuming you're still at Seattle Grace- I mean, Grey Sloan since you're in the area," Stark stated. "Peds?"

"Actually, trauma," April informed him. He furrowed his eyebrows at her in confusion and she couldn't help but laugh at his surprise. "I know. I didn't see it happening either, but Dr. Hunt is a great mentor, and I just... I ended up loving it!" She brushed her hair out of her eyes as she continued to talk about her work. This was friendly conversation she could do, one doctor to another, just talking about their work and their fields of specialty. "We've completely re-done the ER protocols, and our discharge paperwork is so much more efficient now-"

"You got married."

April stopped talking and noticed his gaze locked on her wedding ring, the diamond unable to be missed due to its size and shine. "I... yes."

"Oh. That's... congratulations." Stark looked from the ring to her face, nodding politely at her confirmation of the news. His face fell in disappointment, a contrast from the way he'd looked at her when he first saw her in the hall. A flash of regret hit April and urged her to speak.

"Robert, I'm so sorry, you know, about everything that happened. I wish I'd been more direct with you in the beginning, I didn't mean to- I just- I'm sorry," she blurted out.

"April, you don't have to apologize," he assured her, taking another step closer so they were standing side by side. "I shouldn't have... you were right, I was a jerk and I never should have taken it out on you at work. I didn't mean to do that. I was," he shrugged and looked away from her in shame before looking back, "I was hurt because I felt something for you that you didn't feel back. But that's not your fault."

"I am sorry though. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I'm not the person who does that- or well," April let out a hysterical burst of laughter as he remembered the way Matthew had looked when she'd given him back his ring and called off their wedding in the middle of their wedding, "maybe I am, I don't know. But I didn't mean to be."

"You're not." Stark reached out to pat her shoulder, a gesture of kind reassurance even as April's thoughts were running a mile a minute. "I know you're not. You have nothing to apologize for."

She smiled at him gratefully, more thankful to hear the words than she thought she would be. Seeing his face had brought those memories back, that feeling of frustration and bitterness that no matter how much she tried to make those feelings come alive with Robert, it was not happening for her despite him becoming more and more enamored by her. It had only made her feel guilty until she finally had to make it clear to him how she felt. But the guilt had remained, and she couldn't help the pang of shame she felt every time she remembered how she had ended their relationship.

But talking to him now, clearing the air, that made her feel a lot better.

"How's your mom doing? Did the physical therapy go okay-"

"April? I pulled the car out front- oh, hey, Dr. Stark." Jackson walked toward her, his pace slowing as the panic subsides when he sees her safe in the hallway talking to their former colleague. His eyes narrowed slightly at seeing Stark's hand on April's shoulder, but the other man removed it to shake Jackson's hand. "How are you doing?"

"Dr. Avery," Stark nodded politely with a smile. "I'm doing well. How about you?"

"Good, good." Jackson stood right where he was, not making a move to turn away. "How's work?"

"It's fine. I'm just visiting family in Seattle. They love this place."

"Yeah, the lobster is delicious," Jackson added.

"So I hear," Stark said with a soft smile thrown April's way. "Well, I'll let you go, April, I didn't mean to interrupt a dinner between friends."

Both April and Jackson froze at the innocent comment, realizing that Stark still thought they were friends like they had been back when he had been working with them. He obviously wouldn't know the news of their nuptials, or exactly how big of an impact it had made on the gossip mill at the hospital.

"I'll wait in the car," Jackson said to April quietly, who nodded. "Nice seeing you again, Dr. Stark." With one last nod towards the older gentleman, he headed out the way he'd come in.

"Sorry to keep you for so long," Stark apologized as he and April made their way down the hallway to the restaurant's seating area.

April nodded at him. "Thanks. Jackson had a big surgery today but he didn't want to cancel our reservations."

"I.." Stark looked puzzled for a second, as if wondering why April would mention Jackson in regards to her dinner plans. Then, he made the connection, nodding in understanding, his face masking any emotion he might reveal. "Oh. I see. That's... congratulations. I thought you two were just friends."

"We are! I mean, we were," April corrected. She shook her head in frustration as she struggled to explain the shift in their relationship. "We were friends... now we're more..." She grimaced at her horrible job of explaining, and took a deep breath, her nerves calming as she spotted Jackson's Mercedes waiting outside the restaurant doors for her. "I should go."

"It was nice seeing you again, April," Stark replied honestly, albeit a little sadly after receiving all the updated news he had tonight regarding April's life. "I have no doubt you're making real headway in the trauma center at Seattle Grace- I mean, Grey Sloan. I keep forgetting about the name change," he muttered under his breath.

April laughed softly. "Yeah, it took some getting used to for all of us too. Thank you. I hope you have a wonderful dinner with your family. Have a safe trip home, Robert."

With one last smile, she made her way through the restaurant and out the glass doors to find Jackson standing by the car, impatiently tapping his foot as he waited for her to exit. He looked up in relief when he saw her. "Hey. Ready?" He opened the passenger's side door for her and she smiled as she took her seat.

He came around the other side of the vehicle, glancing at her curiously one more time as he put on his seat belt and started driving. She was lost in thought and didn't notice, her head turned to look out the window at the scenery passing by.

Jackson let her sit in silence, knowing she was probably overthinking her meeting with Stark and running through the conversation a dozen times in her head. When he pulled the car into their parking spot at the apartment, she looked up with a jolt when he turned off the engine, as if surprised they were already home. He smiled at her as they sat in the darkness with only the overhead garage lights throwing a dim glow on their faces.

"So, should I be worried?"

"What?"

"That we just came back from a romantic dinner for two and you're thinking about another man," Jackson teased with a shake of his head.

"What? No, of course not," April assured him, unbuckling her seat belt and turning in her seat to face him. Jackson did the same. "I was just... I felt bad when I saw his face when he saw the ring." She glanced down at her wedding ring where she had unconsciously been fiddling with it during the car ride home.

"That's kind of the point of the ring, babe, to make every other guy feel bad," Jackson boasted with a cocky grin.

April hit him playfully on the arm, shaking her head at his arrogance. "Jackson! Don't be a jerk."

"Okay, okay, sorry," he responded. "What'd he say?"

"Nothing really." At Jackson's disbelieving gaze, April chuckled and continued with details. "We just talked about work, he asked what speciality I had picked... I apologized about the whole awkward dating thing-"

"What?" Jackson shook his head, frowning in disbelief. "April, you have nothing to apologize for. In fact, he was the one who was a jerk after you called things off. He should apologize to you!"

"He did. But I can't help but feel like I was pushing it..." When Jackson continued to look at her in confusion, April tried to explain. "It just felt like I was so behind at that point in my life. Everyone I knew was in a relationship or married, or at least had had sex! And I hadn't even met anyone, much less fallen in love. And with Robert, it was like I wanted there to be a spark so bad, I kept hoping there would be if we just went out one more time."

"You still have nothing to apologize for," Jackson told her protectively. He reached for her hand, squeezing her fingers tightly as he pulled her as close to him as he could from the driver's seat. "You can't help who you feel a spark with, or who you don't."

"I know. I just... it made me think of Matthew, and..." Jackson winced at the name and the memory of how he'd interrupted what was supposed to be Matthew's wedding day. April quickly hurried to apologize. "I know, I know, sorry! But I couldn't help but think I was just so mean to them."

Jackson brushed aside a strand of hair from April's face, his fingers tracing the curve of her jaw as he looked into her eyes. He couldn't see the emotion in them because of the low lighting in the garage, but by the sad and forlorn tone of her voice, he knew she was feeling emotional about her past relationships. The guilt she, and he too, carried about Matthew always made her feel dismayed if she was reminded of it. And, truth be told, he still felt a little bad about it too. He didn't regret his bold, romantic gesture - how could he when it had gotten him April? - but there was no denying that the timing could have been better to spare Matthew the pain and humiliation on what was supposed to be one of the happiest days of his life.

But this wasn't about Matthew.

This, right now, was about his wife, April.

"That is not true. Stark should have realized you just weren't feeling anything romantic when you guys were going out, he shouldn't have held onto hope if he saw that you were uncomfortable. As for Matthew," Jackson sighed as he felt his own pang of guilt regarding the paramedic, "I know you're sorry. And I'm sorry too. And you tried to reach out to him afterward. You spoke to Nicole and called the firehouse. You tried. If he went off the grid, that's not your fault. You made the effort."

April leaned closer, brushing a kiss against his cheek as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her fingers ran through his cropped hair and she smiled as the tension in his shoulders instantly relaxed. "True. You're right. I still feel bad though."

"That's because you're too nice of a person, babe." Jackson turned his head so their lips met, a brush of skin that felt even more sensual as they sat in near darkness. Her lips were soft as always, tasting faintly of whatever fruity lip gloss she'd applied on before dinner. "A couple more years with me and you'll start turning into a jerk like I am."

"Hey, you're not a jerk," April said with a smile.

"And you could never be mean," Jackson declared. His hands cradled her face, thumbs brushing at the crown of her cheeks, his fingers running over the velvet of her skin. "It's one of the things I love about you."

He could feel her smile against his lips even if he couldn't see it, and he turned his mouth to meet hers, their lips molding automatically as she tightened her arms around his neck and leaned further in. Not breaking the kiss, Jackson moved forward and tugged at her waist, lifting her up so she was planted firmly in his lap in the driver's seat.

"Jackson!" April squealed with a laugh. She moved to get more comfortable, blushing as she ended up straddling him in the car, ducking her head as not to hit the car ceiling. "What are you doing?"

"I'm about to get lucky with my wife, that's what." Jackson's hands traveled up April's bare legs, fingers trailing up the inside of her thighs, making her shiver at the sensation. His hands moved to her back, wrapping around her tightly as he brushed aside her hair and dropped a kiss on her bare shoulder. She was wearing yet another strapless dress, a style that had become like an inside joke between them, and he hadn't been able to take his eyes off her all night. "My beautiful, talented, kind, and kickass trauma surgeon wife."

"Not in this car, you're not," April scolded, squirming in his grasp as his hands stopped to linger at the curve of her breasts. "I mean it, Jackson, we can't!" Even as she tried to move off of him, she sank further into his lap, their bodies aligning as if acting on their own. She tried to hold back a moan as his hands molded over her breasts, but her hands eagerly moved to untuck his shirt from his pants so she could touch bare skin.

Jackson's hands made quick work of moving down his pants and his boxers, then his hands traveled back to April's waist to align her just where he wanted her most. She gasped at the contact even with her underwear still between them and instinctively rocked into him, gasping with a need that she could no longer contain.

"Oh, god, Jackson."

"Hang on, babe, just, hang on." His hands slid up her thighs, yanking at the elastic of her underwear. He appreciated the feel of lace under his fingertips, but he appreciated the feel of her skin even more.

"Hey, those were new," April protested, and he could imagine the frown on her face as she scolded him for ripping another pair. You'd think she'd be used to it by now. "I'm not going to have any matching underwear left because of you."

"Who cares about underwear?" Jackson thrust forward, muffling a curse as she rocked herself on top of him, pushing him against that sweet spot in her that resulted in instant ecstasy for them both. The angle was even better than usual with her on top because of the tight space and both their legs bent awkwardly, but they didn't feel any of that as they rocked back and forth in a rhythm they'd become familiar with after more than a year together. He rested his head against April's shoulder, nuzzling the skin there that smelled of her jasmine perfume.

"Jackson, Jackson..." April chanted his name as he continued to push inside her, his rhythm so slow and steady that she felt like she was a pendulum mid-swing, hanging in the air, poised to go in either direction but needing one more push. "Faster, please."

"You got it, babe." With a smirk, Jackson nudged back her head with his forehead, exposing the line of her neck where he brushed a sloppy kiss before his lips met hers in a frantic kiss. His tongue slipped between her parted lips just as his hands at her waist adjusted her position so he could move into her faster. His hips moved faster and faster, and he could feel her gasping for air even as she continued to kiss him, her hands bunching the fabric of his shirt as she held on tight, waiting for that moment where she would let loose.

When it came, he held her close, not letting go, giving her no choice but to fall forward and bury her head in the crook of his neck. With a couple more thrusts, Jackson groaned as he came, his body relaxing instantly as his senses were assaulted with April all around him - the smell of their sweat mixed together with the faint hint of her perfume and his cologne, the way her hair was sticky against his skin, the way he could see the faint outline of the steering wheel digging into her lower back.

"Sorry," Jackson said roughly, his hand moving to rub at her back where the steering wheel was.

"No, you're not," April teased, dropping a kiss on his cheek, nuzzling into him as she moved from on top of him, curling into his lap so her back was to the door and her legs were curled underneath her. She fixed his boxers and buckled his belt, grinning to herself when his body twitched with arousal at her touch despite the afterglow they were both basking in. "You are horrible. You couldn't even wait until we got inside."

"So, sue me. You looked so hot tonight." Jackson brushed back her hair and smoothed a hand down the front of her dress, adjusting the hem so it covered her legs again. "I couldn't wait."

"I couldn't wait either," April confessed softly.

Jackson couldn't tell under the veil of darkness but he was absolutely positive there would be a blush gracing April's cheeks this exact second. No matter how long they've been together, no matter that they have a child, she still blushed like the innocent virgin she'd been when he had first met her all those years ago at Mercy West.

And he loved that about her.

"We were supposed to stop by your mom's hotel and get Clara," April remembered suddenly. She lunged forward for her purse on the passenger's seat, her elbow knocking into Jackson's chest, their knees bumping together. "Ow!"

"Okay, stop," Jackson ordered, holding her in place before they inflicted any more pain on each other in their already awkward position. "Let's just get upstairs and text her once we're inside. She'll love keeping Clara for the night."

"Jackson, we can't just tell her to-" April's interrupted with a kiss from her husband, her argument quieted with a murmur. She smiled as he broke the kiss to nuzzle at her throat. "Okay, fine. But we're picking her up tomorrow after breakfast."

"Deal. Come on, let's go upstairs," Jackson said as he finally opened the car door and stepped out of the vehicle, offering her a hand to help her with her step.

They'd walked into the lobby when April faltered, grabbing at her husband's hand as they walked past the doorman and into the elevator. "Oh my god. Jackson!"

"What?"

She slapped him on the shoulder, glaring at him even as she blushed in embarrassment. "You still have my underwear!"

Jackson smirked as the elevator doors closed behind them. He easily pinned her against the back wall, grinning as he pulled what was left of her tattered lace underwear out of his pocket. "Yup. We better get you inside, babe."

the end ~