During the 100 Days of One Shots that I did on Tumblr, I wrote an Avery baby. And someone asked for more of her story. And then slowly, I started building this world in which she has sisters, and then Japril in the universe she was born in, and it turned into something bigger than I ever could have thought. After I upload these prompts in chronological order (they weren't written that way), I'm starting a multi-chapter fic that starts after these prompts end."Goodbye" was written on Day 101. The prompt asked for Jackson to sit down at the breakfast with April's sisters and Matthew...No kids yet, but this is definitely Bellie's world.
"Oh M Gosh, you're Jackson, right? " Alice asked, eyes widening with excitement as she leaned back to get a better look at him.
"The Jackson?" Libby was shocked.
"Look at that, I've gotta go to work." April looked down at her watch, unable to look her sisters in their eyes.
But Kimmie, Kimmie saw April blush, and she felt like having some fun. "Jackson Avery…. it's a pleasure to meet you. Won't you sit down? I've heard so much about you. I have so many questions."
"Oh me too, mee too," Alice nodded eagerly.
Jackson played with the keys in his pocket, uncomfortable. He cleared his throat, looking at April. "I actually, I have some time…I guess you could…Sure, sit Jackson." She cleared her bag from the spot at the table next to her. Matthew rolled his eyes.
"Sure, sure, I guess I can…" Jackson sat and let his voice trail. He had no idea what he was in for. Breakfast? An interrogation? It was impossible to know.
"So Jackson, did April tell you she named a pig in your honor?" April smacked Kimmie's hand, not bothering to be discrete.
"Kimmie, don't invite him to the table and then be rude. Jackson, would you like some bacon? A muffin? Some eggs? A mimosa?"
He wished he could have a mimosa. "I'll just have a muffin, thanks. I actually have the same shift as you." He turned to Kimmie. "No, no…I wasn't aware, April and I never talked." He smiled quickly, thinking of what they used to do instead, but then caught Matthew's glare and remembered. "…About that, we didn't talk about that."
"Stubborn pig, that one is," Libby chuckled, taking a sip of her drink.
"Alright enough, enough about the pig." April dropped her fork, fanning herself a little bit. It was suddenly very hot in the dining room.
"Do you remember when you first met?" Alice was looking right into Jackson's dreamy green eyes, but it was Matthew who began to answer, angry stare on his face.
"Yeah actually, I came into Grey-Sloan with a patient and…"
"Jackson…" Alice said, waving Matthew away. "I was talking to Jackson…"
"How I met April? Oh, I could never forget." He chuckled. "She was on the floor, surrounded by a pile of peanut M&Ms…" April blushed, but smiled in spite of herself. When she saw the sour look on Matthew's face, she turned serious, grabbed his hand.
"That sounds like our Duckie, what was she scrambling to get them in her mouth before five seconds was up?"
Jackson winced at the harshness of the statement. He smiled at April, squeezed her knee under the table. "No, no actually. She was just saving me from a horrible fall. Someone dropped them and she was just cleaning it up but I was totally not paying attention, about to fall on my face like an idiot. She had to scream 'Watch out,' before I had any idea what was going on. Embarrassing." He shook his head at the memory, really selling it.
April mouthed a "Thank you" at him and he gave a slight nod. Those were her M&Ms. And she ate the rest of the bag later, when she met Charles and Reed for the first time in the basement room they used to hang out in.
"So why aren't you married yet, Jackson?" Libby wondered. "You are a hottie."
"To say the least," Kimmie nodded, mid sip of mimosa, staring Jackson down.
"I just, I guess I…" Jackson looked around the room, uncomfortable. But all eyes were on him, including Matthew's. He chose to look at the pair that made him feel the calmest. The ones he knew the best. "I guess I just…I haven't found anyone else as special as…"
"Anyone as special as…" Alice asked, expecting Jackson to finish the sentence.
But their eyes were still locked. "No one as special," Jackson mumbled, still staring at April, oblivious to everyone else.
Matthew caught on though, and quickly turned April's face toward his. "You wanted to get in a little early babe, right? You should go…"
"Oh yeah, yeah, I should, I should go…" she looked quickly over at Jackson, but he was distracted, hastily trying to get up without knocking anything over.
"I should go too, it was nice meeting you ladies, thank you for the invite." He nodded at April's sisters. Then turned to her. "Goodbye April," he said, heading toward the door.
The finality in his tone made her nervous. "I'll see you later, Jackson. See you later." She was panicked, and she was suddenly acutely aware that she didn't want to say goodbye.