A/N: I have no idea what this is. A character study on legacy? Sort of. Or rather an exploration into the role of legacy within a family context. It's going to focus on Jackson and April and their married life following s10, but as you can see from this opening chapter, it's going to feature other members of the family as well (including versions of 4 familiar kiddos for those of you who've read my familyverse AUs). Basically we'll look at the growing Avery family and their individual relationships with the Harper Avery Foundation through the years. I know it sounds weird and it's hard to explain, but I think it'll be fun. Give it a try and see if you like it. Let me know what you think and thank you very much for reading.

Sly as a Fox

Catherine's first Harper Avery Foundation board meeting wasn't, strictly speaking, board approved.

It wasn't like her father in law, or any of the other 10 members of the board, expected her to show up along side her new husband. It wasn't like they invited her. But then again, none of the board members knew Catherine well at all. Neither did Harper.

She waited for no invitations.

The gasp and the suspicious gazes that swept across the small group did not escape Catherine's notice when she and Julian arrived. The board was a study of white men dressed in dingy business suits, with the occasional bad comb over to add some variety. The Harper Avery Foundation for the Advancement of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Treatment, and Technology (who knew which of the fools came up with that mouthful of a name), was known for groundbreaking science, not for barrier breaking membership decisions.

It was clear in those first few moments that Catherine's presence, (whether because she was young or because she was black, and certainly because she was a woman) was unwelcome.

Julian squeezed her hand as Catherine made eye contact with each and every board member. Challenging every single one. So what, if they didn't want her to be there? She was an Avery now and a capable surgical fellow in her own right.

She had every right to be here.

Granted, Catherine sometimes still thought of herself as a Fox. It was still kind of hard to process that she was now an Avery, even after all the papers had been signed, ceremonies and parties held, and family heirlooms passed on. She was still getting used to the fact that as an ambitious student the surgeon whose rising career she'd poured over, the man who's picture she'd seen on the cover of Time magazine, Dr. Harper Avery who'd successfully operated on a still beating heart, that Dr. Harper Avery was now her father in law. In that first board meeting, she was still getting accustomed to the idea she was a member of one of the most prominent families on the east coast.

Not to say that Catherine felt she didn't belong. Quite the contrary, in fact. She knew she deserved the best.

As she looked around the board room, her gaze lingered on Harper, who showed less surprise than the rest of the board. He sat at the head of the table, leaning back at his chair with a solemn expression. Watching her every move.

Initially, both of Julian's parents had been surprised when their son returned home from his first year of medical school at Columbia with long hair, plaid flared jeans, and a sassy afro rocking fiancee in tow. Sidney Poitier might have come to dinner ten years ago, but he (and the concept he represented) wasn't exactly a regular visitor in families like the Avery's. They hadn't been exactly unhappy for the young couple, and helped plan and payed for a lavish wedding. Yet, the shock still hadn't quite worn out.

The Avery family was high class. For them, this kind of marriage was definitely unusual.

Catherine didn't know her father in law well, but his wife Elizabeth had already initiated her into the family with keepsake Limoges and a big ring. Harper would likely be a tougher nut to crack, but it was no matter.

Catherine liked a challenge.

After sitting down, Julian had glared at his father, daring Harper or any of the rest to say a word.

"It's a family foundation, right Father?" he said coolly. "My wife is my family."

The differences between Julian and Harper were numerous. Father and son were like night and day. Where Harper was charismatic and outgoing, Julian was thoughtful and clammed up in big crowds. Where Harper was methodical and organized, Julian was impulsive and spontaneous. Where Harper was calculating and ambitious, Julian was full of fey and idealism.

The one thing Catherine had observed the men to have in common was their strong belief that it was possible for medicine to change the world. She shared the same burning passion.

And much as she admired her medical titan father in law, Harper was no Julian. In time, Catherine would learn this the hard way.

But when she'd strode confidently into that first board meeting, Catherine was still deeply in love with the kind and gentle man she'd met in the medical library. His piercing blue eyes, blonde hair and sweet smile were hard enough to resist. He was captivating for other reasons too. Julian was a fine man, but when you combined that with the genius and optimism he possessed in spades, and with he way he treated her like a queen, Catherine was head over heals. All the way to the alter.

At the time of that first board meeting, Catherine knew nothing of his temper. His selfishness. His irresponsibility.

Julian Avery had not yet broken her heart.

Harper took in his son's words carefully but without comment. Accepting her presence by default, Catherine surmised. He wasn't telling her to leave, but he wasn't asking her to stay, either.

Fair enough.

The other board members were less non committal. One particularly bold bald man, who Catherine knew from research was named Cartwright, had rolled his eyes.

"Julian, this is a closed board meeting. We will be discussing long term strategic planning for the foundation. I'm sure your wife has other things to worry about..."

"On the contrary," Catherine replied with a small smirk. "In fact, I can't think of another place I'd rather be."

It was clear that with the success and fame of Harper Avery, his newly founded non profit had many interested donors and with them, the potential to be unparalleled in both power and scope. Bigger than Pew. Bigger than Nobel.

The Harper Avery Foundation had the potential to become the leading medical research foundation in the country, if not the world.

That was her future and Catherine had known it.

"It's a medical foundation, Ma'am," a different board member took a different approach, trying to imply that the concepts of the organization were beyond her. He obviously had not done his research on her quite so well as she'd done on him.

"I am a certified and practicing physician."

Cartwright piped up again, (she was just about at her limit with this fool) scoffing, "A woman urologist."

Beside her, Catherine felt her husband tense up. He leaned forward clearly ready to lay into the older man, but Catherine calmly rested her hand on Julian's arm. This was the 20th century after all. She didn't need him to stand up for her. She was more than capable of doing that by herself.

"Why of course, honey," Catherine replied, grinning politely and raising one eyebrow. "I find that many men are very comfortable allowing a woman handle that part of their anatomy. "

Harper coughed uncomfortably at the comment while most of the other board members looked scandalized. But Catherine didn't care. That's what had gotten their attention. She'd learned very quickly that these were the kind of people you couldn't just expect to simply listen to what you had to say.

Catherine had to make them pay attention to her.

Her words seemed to settle the score and the meeting started in earnest. That first one wasn't terribly productive, but Catherine made a point of attending each and every scheduled meeting of the board in the ensuing years. Eventually she attended far more meetings than her husband.

And Harper knew it.

The Harper Avery Foundation started with a focus on the heart. Cardiothoracic surgery and the promotion of heart health. Which made sense, because the legendary Harper Avery had redefined what it meant to be a cardiothoracic surgeon. He'd changed what it meant to perform heart surgery.

But he was not the only surgeon of that ilk. There were ground breaking surgeons in many specialties. And Harper was not the only one of them who'd managed to secure donors and to create a foundation.

There were Neurological Foundations, Gynecological Foundations, Pediatric Foundations, and most other things one could imagine. Probably more things than one could imagine. And that of course, meant more competition for donors, projects, and research.

However, Catherine could see that while Harper had peers of similar skill and with similar ambitions, he was Harper Avery. He was more famous. He'd been on television. He'd been magazine covers. He'd met presidents.

Harper was bigger, and known to a wider audience, than any of the best surgeons in other fields, and Catherine thought that his foundation had the potential to be bigger as well. Because of his notoriety, Catherine thought they had the potential to secure not only typical donors who always supported medical causes, but completely unknown ones as well. Harper's fame could help them recruit new donors, which would eventually eliminate their need to compete for existing ones.

And then, once they could secure and maintain a dedicated donor base, all the foundation need do was soundly invest their income, so that it could survive and thrive in leaner times. Spend wisely. They could position themselves as an essential part of the medical field by establishing grant programs, research initiatives, and awards. They could make themselves so integral in fact, that it would seem almost impossible to imagine a medical world without a Harper Avery Foundation. If the charity took the right steps, of course.

But Catherine had a plan.

That fact didn't escape her father in law's notice either. Once, Harper had pulled her aside after a boisterous board meeting. Catherine had been particularly vocal with the other board members, continually pushing them to expand the scope of the projects the Harper Avery Foundation supported. She'd been not only vocal, but had tended toward using some colorful language.

Pregnancy hormones, it turned out, made Catherine rather punchy.

Harper grabbed her arm gently as the other board members exited the room, "Catherine-"

She held up her hand, "Harper, I am fine, I don't need you help me stand up."

Catherine glanced down at the large bulging belly of her 8th month with child and swallowed hard. It wouldn't be easy, but damned if she wasn't capable of doing it herself. She just needed a moment.

Smirking, her father in law carefully hoisted her to her feet, "Perhaps you don't need my help, but I might need a pretext to talk to you..."

The piqued her curiosity, "Oh?"

"Where's Julian this month?"

"Uh, well, you know he's got a few new projects he's working on..." Catherine explained patting her belly absentmindedly.

Granted, she wasn't exactly pleased about her husband's decision to skip the day's board meeting in favor of research that didn't even fit the scope of his cardio fellowship. They'd had words about it the previous night as a matter of fact.

Julian felt like he was being pulled in too many directions. Catherine felt like he lacked the ability to focus and organize. She was pulled in many directions as well. But Catherine knew how to handle it, and she thought it was high time Julian learned. It wasn't like any of this was going to become any easier once the baby came.

The discussion remained unresolved.

"He should be concentrating more on his fellowship," Harper mumbled irritably. Catherine couldn't say she disagreed.

"Do you know if he has been performing well, I heard there was an open heart-"

Catherine headed toward the door irritably, "Did you want to talk to me in order to spy on your son, or was there something else?"

She hated beating around the bush.

Harper's face became more serious, "Something else, actually. About this foundation...and what it could be. What I want it to be. I wanted to tell you that I appreciate your motions to expand our scope."

Catherine raised an eyebrow. She had always hoped the man understood why she made so many suggestions. She was happy to find that Harper definitely did.

He paused and then continued carefully, "That's the future. That is the direction I want us to take. You understand my vision. Better than all of them. Better than Julian."

Heartened by his admission, Catherine didn't break eye contact, "Well, then I suppose it's a very good thing I married him."

Harper chuckled, "I suppose."

Little did they know how true that would turn out to be.

Jackson arrived and within three years, Julian had departed.

Off to God knows where with little more than a note, a letter from his lawyer, and a half-assed apology. Catherine was livid. Catherine was devastated. Catherine was scared. If she didn't love him so much, she would have felt like killing the man. Actually, love or not, she kind of did feel like killing him. Or, at the very least, she wanted to maim his sorry butt.

Julian had left her. Julian had left her.

He'd left her alone with a baby. He'd left his own son. Catherine knew she could never forgive him for that. Leaving her was one thing, but leaving behind their son was entirely unforgivable. In so doing, Julian had burned his bridge with her.

And for what? From Catherine's perspective it just seemed like he was throwing his life away.

Their life.

But she also scared because so much of her life was now wrapped up in the world of Avery. She finally thought of herself as an Avery. She was becoming established and respected in her field and at the Brigham as an Avery. Her ideas were finally beginning to get traction in the Harper Avery Foundation.

Her beautiful, perfect, ray of sunshine baby boy was an Avery.

The world of Avery was Catherine's world. Would she lose all of that without Julian? Before getting married she'd signed papers to that effect. At least financially. She was ambitious, and the thought of losing everything she'd worked so hard for these past few years was terrifying.

Catherine despised being afraid.

"Da?" Jackie inquired happily when a knock came at the apartment door.

"I don't know, baby. Let's go see who it is."

Somewhat irrationally feeling her own hope rise, Catherine had taken her toddler's hand and walked with him to see who was knocking. She'd feigned ignorance, and pretended that everything was alright. She deflected the boy's questions about Julian and asked that his nanny do the same thing. Catherine wanted to spare Jackson the rejection and fear she felt.

She'd known that it couldn't possibly be her husband knocking at the door. Why would Julian Avery need to knock on the door of his own home?

That night Catherine's attempts at staying strong faltered somewhat. Because opening the door revealed her in laws, and the sight of Harper and Elizabeth looking at her with such pity and shame was enough to undo Catherine momentarily.

Tears sprung to her eyes, and Catherine had felt Elizabeth's arms envelope her immediately. Harper cleared his throat stiffly and patted the top of Jackson's head. The toddler seemed a bit disappointed, but when his grandmother turned to hug him, a wide grin spread across his gorgeous little face.

Jackie was a real looker. Like father like son.

And somehow, seeing her in laws made Catherine feel slightly less afraid. They were just as pissed off at their son as she was.

"It's disgraceful," Harper had grumbled, shaking his head vigorously, and shoving his hands into his pockets. "The things people will say when they hear about this. Avery's just don't simply walk out on their responsibilities! Whatever problems might exist in the marriage. Whatever pressures he might have felt he was facing. I can't believe Julian would be this cowardly..."

"Well, I have been pushing him to get more involved with the foundation, Harper. And asking him to spend more time bonding with Jackson. And pushing him to publish more. Maybe I was too hard on Julian."

Even years later, Catherine didn't quite know why she'd felt compelled to stand up for the man she'd simultaneously wanted to throttle. She supposed it was because of love. Maybe a part of her would always love Julian Avery.

But Harper had shut her down rather quickly, holding up one hand and firmly shaking his head, "No. Those are not things that Julian should run away from. Those are not things that are too hard. They cannot be skirted away from. Those are things that he is, or rather things should be. He is an Avery. He is a father. He is a physician. I expected greatness and he failed. It's cowardly. He's the one that left, Catherine. Not you."

The heat and force with which her father in law uttered these words had surprised Catherine too, even though she was also furious at Julian. It was hard to imagine how it must feel as a parent to be that mad at your own child. She couldn't imagine speaking that way about her dear Jackie.

Catherine couldn't imagine it at the time, at least.

But watching the other man speak, hearing the conviction with which he laid out the responsibilities of being an Avery, Catherine had found herself feeling almost sympathetic towards her runaway husband, if only for a split second. Perhaps the responsibilities themselves were not too much to bear. But the way they were implemented by the severe and detached man in front of her couldn't have been easy to grow up with. And, unfortunately, Julian wasn't exactly the strongest person...

Even though Catherine believed Harper to be right in expecting greatness from his son, it was clear that his methods had not succeeded in getting the man the results he wanted with Julian. She vowed then and there: she would not make the same mistakes with Jackie.

Elizabeth spoke sadly as she looked at her grandchild, "I didn't raise my son to abandon his family."

Catherine was determined to make sure that things would be different for Jackson. She'd make sure he would grow up to be a stronger man than his father. In time Catherine would learn that little boy's didn't always grow to be the men you raised them to be. And that could cut both ways. They could grow to be better and worse.

"We'll manage," Catherine had sighed, lifting Jackson to her hip.

Kissing the top of her grandson's head, Elizabeth took hold of her daughter in law's free hand, "Yes. We'll make sure that you do. Jackie is still our grandson, and you will always be his mother. As far as I am concerned, that means you are always a part of my family, not matter what happens with Julian."

Somehow Catherine and Jackson had managed to be okay. The split had been a bit of a scandal among the upper crust of the medical community, but that soon passed and was replaced by another.

Harper had nominated her for a full position on the board of the foundation. He'd made sure she was offered an attending position at the Brigham as soon as she'd completed her fellowship. Elizabeth treated Catherine as though nothing had changed, even after the divorce was all signed and finalized. Julian agreed to pay both spousal and child support, which combined with Catherine's position actually made the transition go smoothly. She worked in the same hospital, was part of the same board, and lived in the same apartment with Jackson in downtown Boston.

Almost like nothing had changed.

Which, Catherine eventually realized, was a sad commentary on the state of her and Julian's life together really. Because you really aught to notice a huge difference in your life (aside from resentment) when your husband abandons you and your son.

But with her former in laws support, Catherine never felt like an outsider. Or an ex-anything. Julian was the ex. He was the one on the outs with the family. Expelled. Rejected. Failing. At least in Harper's eyes. And luckily for Catherine, she was the one he saw fulfilling his ambitions. She was still an Avery.

Elizabeth held true to her word. Divorce and all, Catherine was always a part of the family.

Damn.

Even years later, Catherine still missed that woman. Elizabeth had been gone over a decade and the absence was just as palpable. Catherine shook her head and looked down at the neatly stacked and signed copies of her son and new daughter in law's post nuptial agreement which had just arrived on her desk from the family lawyer.

Elizabeth Avery made being a mother in law seem far more effortless than she was finding it to be in her own life. It really wasn't easy at all. Especially when the position of mother in law was also a guardian of sorts of the Avery legacy and everything that entailed. But it wasn't as though she disliked her son's new wife.

In fact, April Kepner was a woman Catherine had almost instinctively started to care about.

From the moment they'd met, during her son's intern year at Mercy West, it was clear that April was smart and driven, but there was a sweetness and sensitivity to her that almost made one wonder whether or not she was actually cut out to be a surgeon. At the time, Catherine had been happy to step in and mentor her son's friend. She'd started to love the girl in a way when she and Jackson were the lone survivors of their intern group after a gunman shot up Seattle Grace Mercy West.

They'd stayed in touch, on the Facebook for several years until April pulled away, much to Catherine's disappointment. She gave April advice and the younger woman occasionally could supply Catherine with information about Jackson that her son neglected to share. To a point. There were some topics April didn't budge on, some secrets of Jackson's that she would not share, even when Catherine pushed her. And she had to respect that really.

Girl was uptight, but also incredibly trustworthy. It wasn't easily apparent when you looked at her, but April Kepner could hold her own.

The young woman was also full of surprises, as it turned out. As was Catherine's son. Just when she thought she knew Jackson and April well, and understood the nature of their close friendship, the two of them went and eloped to Lake Tahoe to get married. Married. The love sick fools had gotten married.

Even with all those years of knowing April Kepner as well as her own son, Catherine was stunned.

Stunned.

Not many things in this world could actually stun Catherine Avery anymore. Last time she'd checked, Jackson was dating some naive intern and April was planning a wedding to another man.

A man she'd left at the alter for Catherine's son.

Clearly, there was a lot more to April and Jackson's relationship than she'd known about before. He'd said it himself. However fast the marriage was (never mind the nearly non-existent engagement), the relationship between the the two was not new.

Not that Catherine knew anything about it.

And even though she felt sure they'd share the whole story with her in time, she wasn't too proud to admit (to herself at least and maybe Richard) that it hurt that Jackson and April hadn't decided tell her anything about their relationship at all. It hurt doubly that Catherine had had no role (or even knowledge about) their rushed wedding until days after it had happened.

She'd thought they were all closer than that. She liked to think she was closer to her son than that.

But apparently family and legacy failed to enter Jackson's mind when he proposed to April Kepner on the side of a highway. Or at any point after that, as far as Catherine had been able to tell. She was the one left to spin this publicly on behalf of the Harper Avery Foundation. Not him. Catherine was the one who had to explain the importance and scope of the Harper Avery Foundation to his new and seemingly clueless wife.

Not Jackson.

At least at their last meeting, April had seemed less tense. And she'd agreed to sign the post nup. And she'd apologized to Catherine. April had even gotten Jackson to apologize. A rarity.

That helped Catherine to better accept the marriage.

She had to give them credit for the boldness of the whole thing. It wasn't easy to stand up for your love. Catherine was a little disappointed in them both, but that would pass. She'd been young and in love once too. And she could see the way Jackson looked at April. She'd never seen her son happier.

And while life wasn't as simple as finding true love and living happily ever after, it was nice to be in that bubble sometimes. This wasn't going to be easy for them. Love was something, but it didn't mean that being married wasn't hard. When Catherine had visited Seattle, it was clear that the couple wasn't ready to face that, and she wasn't really unsympathetic. A part of her had been eager for her son to settle down for years. She was itching for grandbabies. Now that possibility was closer to being a reality.

Having April in the family on an emotional level was probably a very good thing. For so many years it had been just Catherine, Jackson, and Harper.

However, that didn't mean Catherine was entirely certain about how April would fit into the Harper Avery Foundation. It wasn't an easy world to navigate. Especially for someone like April. Being an Avery carried a lot of responsibility. Duty to maintain the reputation. Dedication to the family.

But that was the price one had to pay for greatness. The price of the legacy.

Catherine had been honest when she'd raised concerns about her new daughter in law's strong beliefs. Another surprise about April that Catherine had no information about. The girl was a born again, who knows what? Pro-life? Jesus freak? And who knew what other beliefs April had? Catherine had no idea.

And how was it that after years of acquaintance, April never breathed a word to Catherine about believing any of these things?

April's beliefs were the biggest unknown factors to this whole equation for Catherine. April herself might be trustworthy, but Catherine didn't feel certain the same could be said of some of the woman's beliefs.

Beliefs that could well shape the future of the Harper Avery Foundation.

One thing Catherine had come to understand about legacy when her husband left? You could never be too careful. One ill equipped person like Julian could jeopardize years of work, careful cultivation, and meticulous family branding. One weak or wild person could be extremely dangerous to the entire Avery reputation. Catherine didn't know how April would handle it all yet. It certainly wasn't going to be easy, especially when Jackson's own interest in the foundation continued to be low.

Then again, Catherine hadn't known her place in the family when she'd first married Julian. All she knew right now was that she wanted her years of toil and triumph to mean something. To have a lasting impact on the Harper Avery Foundation.

Catherine wanted to preserve the family legacy.

Yes, most of that legacy existed because of Harper Avery's accomplishments and planning. But the reason it survived and remained undiscouraged by years of work was because of his wife, Elizabeth. And later because of Catherine herself. And someday it would grow because of the accomplishments of her own son.

And his new wife.

In time, Catherine learned too well that the Avery legacy was not always dependent on the Avery men, per say.

Rather, the strength of that legacy depended greatly on the women that they married.