Hey y'all! I am not new to fanficton-world but I am new to writing them... this is my first. I've had many ideas and stories to run through my head over the years, but I've never written them down. I play Japril movies in my mind all the time. For real. They usually come to me at night. If you follow me on Twitter, you know I've been on a rant since Thursday's finale. I mean how let down are we Japril fans!? But let's not get into that. I'm still pissed and I wanna stay in my happy bubble and not think about it. This story is actually inspired by the finale. It's in Jackson's POV, at least the 1st chapter is. One of my "mind movies" was about what happened afterwards. We didn't see Jackson after April's admission to Maggie so where where he? I'll get into that later. I'm anxious for season 14 and where these stupid writers are gonna take this - Let's see how else we can destroy this beautiful epic love story! Ugh! Yeah, I said no talking about it. Sorry. Rant over. ~ Enjoy 'After The Fire Is Gone'!

Chapter 1

It was almost 1am when I finally manage to park my black SUV in the garage. I'm beyond exhausted. All I want to do is see my baby girl, take a hot shower, get something to eat, and then sleep for 12 hours - if Harriet allows me to. April sent me a text a couple hours ago saying she was heading home, so I'm sure she picked the baby up from Jo's. Thank God [or whoever is watching out up there] Harriet wasn't at the hospital today. She had been running a fever this morning, so we decided to keep her home from daycare. We called our regular babysitter, Molly, but she was sick.

This girl is 19 years old, a Junior at U-Dub, has a part time job, babysits pretty much whenever we ask and still keeps all A's. Oh she's on the basketball team as well, which is something me and her have in common. I don't know how she does it all. April found her on some babysitters club website or whatever. We really like her. And Harriet loves her, which is what's important. April and I aren't gonna leave our daughter with just anyone. But Molly is really mature and responsible. She loves to watch Harriet. She fits in our little family well. April and Molly hit it off right away and when those two are together, I retreat to my office. Molly likes to watch basketball with me, which is something April doesn't care for, so that's cool. Molly could seriously be another Kepner sister. Which scares me sometimes. April already made plans to take her to Moline to visit the farm for her summer vacation. I mean, what teenager wants to feed pigs, milk cows and get pecked by chickens for their summer vacation? Speaking from experience here - I've done them all. I offered my family's beach house in the Hamptons, but that was quickly shot down with a firm, "No Jackson." Hell, if I have any say. I thought women liked to go to the beach. I was just trying to be nice. Damn, it's like I have two wives. Not that I still think of April as my wife or anything. I know she's not. But she acts like she still is, which doesn't bother me. At all. Anyway, I think I'll stay at home - leave the pigs, cows, and chickens to the three girls. I'll just plan a really big surgery that week. I wonder sometimes if Molly is just another one of my mother's crazy schemes.

I laugh thinking about April's weird phone conversation with Molly this morning:

"I'm so sorry Harriet is sick, Mrs. Avery. I hope I didn't give her my cold."

"Oh no. She probably picked something up at daycare. And Molly, you know it's not Mrs. Avery. It's Kepner. And I told you to call me April."

"I know. I know. Sorry. But I keep thinking if I say Mrs. Avery enough, it'll come true. One can dream, right?" Molly said with a little smile in her voice.

April laughed awkwardly , "Right."

Silenced fell as April looked at Jackson.

April cleared her throat as the tension in the room grew, "Ok Molly, I have to go now - gotta find someone to watch the nugget. Hope you feel better!"

"Thanks. Bye!"

Shaking the memory from my mind, I get out of the car and head up the walkway to the front of the house. I look at my watch and realize I'd been sitting in my car for 10 minutes. I shake my head thinking, I must be exhausted. I notice April's car in the driveway, so I'm glad she made it home safely. I wonder why she didn't park in the garage - it would've been easier with the baby, but I just shrug it off.

Since Molly was sick, April called the only other person she knew that was off, Jo. She's watched Harriet a couple times before and Harriet loves her. I remember my conversion with Karev about Jo's babyfever - as Karev called it. Seriously, this dude - he doesn't even know what a privilege fatherhood is. Having a child is a joy. Harriet is my world and I couldn't wait to get my arms around her, especially after the day I'd had.

I drag myself through the front door. It was dark and rather quiet, which was typical for 1am in my house with a near one year old. I figure April and Harriet were in bed so I try to be as quiet as possible. I really want something to eat - I can't even remember the last time I'd eaten something, which is unusual for me. But my stomach could wait a few more minutes, I need to see my baby girl first. After everything that has happened tonight, I just need confirmation that she is alive and well.

So, I walk in the nursery and start to lean over the crib to see my baby girl. What I see, or don't see, shocks me to my very core!

"Hey Sweethea--Oh my god!" I yell. "Harriet!?" Panic. Pure panic. Where is she? Where is my baby? She is gone! My baby girl is gone. I pull back her blanket - in my irrational mind I think, hey she could be under there. Of course she wasn't. I check to make sure she didn't fall out of her crib. No where. She wasn't anywhere in her room! I run out of the nursery in a panic thinking the worst thing possible has happened, but stop in the hall. I can't think straight. My mind is going crazy. Did she get kidnapped? Did Jo take her? No, Jo wouldn't do that. Not without telling me or April first. Then it hit me. I glance down the hall and sigh, "April."

I start walking toward April's room, feeling like a complete fool for not even considering that April just brought Harriet into her room to be with her. They had been apart all day. And April had been through the same scary experience I had - I'm sure she needs to feel close to our daughter as well. "No need to worry. I'm sure everything is fine." I head down the hall shaking my head, feeling ashamed at myself, "Always thinking the worst, Avery."

I knock on April's door, but don't wait for her reply. I open the door, but I'm not prepared for what awaits me. It's enough to bring me to my knees.

*GASP* So what do you think happened? Where is Harriet? Sorry to leave you on a cliffhanger! I've already got part of Chapter 2 written. I hope it doesn't take me long to finish it. As an avid reader, I know what it's like waiting on a new chapter update. So please review, follow, favorite - I'll greatly appreciate it. I want your honest opinion. Thanks for reading! :)Japril is engame!XO ~ Amy