"I'm sorry you can't stay for longer." Jackson said, leading his mother through the airport's hallway.

Catherine only arrived yesterday to town, but a sudden emergency meeting back in Boston made her leave sooner than she'd like. After yesterday's events, with the explosion at the mall, she barely had time to be with her son and daughter-in-law, but she made sure that today she spent as much as time with them as she could.

"Huh…huh…I know you're not that sorry." She replied not amused, while intertwining an arm in her son's arm. "Jackson, you're my son. I know you're not too excited about my presence here."

"Don't say that, mom."

"It's true!" She affirmed "But I don't care. And you better get used to my presence here, since I'm going to be a grandmother soon."

"Right."

"Anyways, who would've thought…April Kepner, the sweet shy girl I met a few years ago, is going to be the mother of my grandchildren?" Catherine Avery stated, as she walked side by side her son. "I would have never guessed. But you know what, baby?"

"What?"

Catherine stopped to face her son, placing one hand on his face. "I wouldn't want it any other way." Jackson smiled. He couldn't agree more with his mother. "I've always liked April. She's a sweet, loving, very intelligent woman. She has her mind on the right place…she's not like any of the bimbos you used to date."

"Mom…again…don't…"

"But I think you guys are trying to kill me!" she continued, ignoring his reply.

"How so?" he wondered.

"Well...first, a surprise wedding, when I didn't even know you were a… thing; then, a surprise baby…I'm telling you, if you keep surprising me like this, my poor heart might not be able to take it anymore!"

"Mom…" Jackson simply said, somehow knowing she was probably not overreacting, since he – himself - wasn't even sure how things changed so quickly.

"Now, about the conversation we had a few days ago over the phone…"

"We already had this argument." He said, before letting her carry on. "I don't know if April's…"

"April's an Avery now." Catherine replied, with a firm voice. "Not only that, but soon she'll be raising one. It's important that she learns about the family business and you are the one who's going to teach her how."

"I don't know if she's ready…or even if she wants to."

"Jackson, you know how this things work."

He rolled his eyes at her statement. Of course he knew how this things worked, he grew up knowing it. He didn't want to put April through what it meant to be an Avery and by making what his mother was asking him to, it would put him in that exact position. But his mother could be a very persistent woman when she wanted to, so the best thing to do was to agree. "Ok, mom…fine. I'll talk to April to see what she says. But I'm not promising you anything…April's pregnant and I definitely don't want to see her stressed out over this."

His mother smiled satisfied with his answer, before leaning in for a kiss. "Great. Now, say goodbye to your mother. I don't want to miss my flight."

When Jackson got home, he found his wife sleeping peacefully on the couch. Sitting on the coffee table in front of her, he decided not to wake her up just yet. Yesterday's events really took a tool on her. They were still trying to get used to the changes in their lives and the stress provided by the possibility of a terrorist attack was enough to let all her fears about raising a child come to the surface. That night, she slept curled into his arms and Jackson had to wake her up in the middle of the night, because she was having a nightmare. But she eventually calmed down, after listening to his comforting words.

Now, looking at her, Jackson could not believe his luck. He was actually married to the only woman who could make his heart skip a bit. He loved her more than words could say. His quirky best friend, who eventually turned into a mature sexy woman, was not only his wife, but the mother of his child. He couldn't wait to meet their baby, to hold him, to love him even more. He or she was a product of their love. Unconsciously, he placed a hand on her stomach. She was barely showing, but he could not stop thinking about their baby and the changes he must be going through at this stage: from the little fingers in his hands, to his toenails, that most likely are starting to curl; from the small movements of his mouth, to the fact that his face looked more like a human; their baby would probably be almost three inches long, but even though he was little, he had already taken all of Jackson's heart.

Feeling his hand on her stomach made April open her eyes. "Hey." She said, taking a deep breath. "You're home."

"I am. Just dropped my mom off and she sends you kisses, which I'm going to deliver… as the obedient boy that I am." He replied, getting closer to her body, to kiss her full on the mouth.

"Jackson…" she said, in between kisses. "I don't think these are the kind of kisses your mom had in mind!"

"Well…" he simply stated, before proceeding to deepen the kiss. "I'm sorry I woke you up."

"It's ok…I guess I'm just too tired. Your mother worn me out today. All she wanted to do was talk and talk and talk about me, my health, the baby's health, the delivery…honestly, she has my pregnancy more controlled than I do."

"I'm sorry about that." He apologized, putting a lock of her hair behind her ear. "She can be a little overwhelming sometimes."

"Yeah, but I understand. She's just excited."

"Yeah…" Jackson looked at his wife and sat straight. "Actually, there's something I want to talk to you about. It's something my mom asked me to."

"What is it?" She asked, following her husband and sitting straight too.

"Well, it's just that...my mom…she…asked me to." He was dancing around his words, trying to figure how to say what he wanted to.

"Jackson, tell me. What is it?" April questioned her husband again.

"I…it's just that…" He was trying to say it right, trying to avoid an argument, because apparently every time they talked about the Avery Foundation and the rules it followed, it lead to a fight. Taking a deep breath, he continued. "My mom considers you an Avery too, April. She told me that today." He looked at his wife, who had a suspicious stare on her face. "And the Avery Foundation prides itself for being a family institution…for giving value to family principles."

"Ok…" she said, not quite understanding where he was going with that.

"Every year, the Foundation…my mom… throws a party to collects funds, you know, for charity, for research …things like that." He saw her nod her head. "And this year, since we got married and everything, my mom is asking for our presence there…for your presence there."

"Wow, what?" He could tell by the slight peak of her voice that she was getting a little nervous about the issue. "Jackson, you know I don't want anything to do with the Avery Foundation. That's your department, that's your business…not mine. I don't see why I should be there."

"Because you're part of the family now and my mom wants to introduce you to…"

"Wait!" she said, standing up. "Oh, now I see what's going on here. Your mother wants to introduce me to…society. It that what it is? Now that I'm part of your family I should get some status, some…I don't know…prestige?"

"No, that's not…"

"It is, Jackson." She stopped him before he could say anything else. "Does she want to introduce me to people because we got married without anybody knowing? Does she want to, somehow, validate our marriage in other people's eyes? Is that it?"

"No, baby…that's not…"

"Because if that's the case, then…"

"That's not the case, April, would you please calm down?" He was used to his wife's ramblings and even though they could be very annoying at times, he had learned by now how to deal with them. "My mother loves you, April. She wants you there, at the party, because she loves you, because she's proud that you're my wife; she's proud of who you are and yes…maybe she wants to show you off, but that's not because she wants society to accept you. No, she wants you there, because the Foundation is a family thing and you're part of the family now."

"Then how come you never told me about this party before?"

"Well, I've never told you about it, because usually I skip it. I avoid this kind of things, because I find them boring and people stare at me and I just feel too exposed. Everyone wants to talk to me, bother me with their suck ass."

"So why do you want to go now?" she wondered, with her arms crossed against her chest.

"Because, like I said…the Foundation is a family thing. It's not only a business, it's a heritage. And I know you don't like to talk about it or do anything with it, but let's face the facts, April…" He got up from where he was sitting and walked towards her. "You're not only my wife, but the mother of my child. Sooner or later this is going to be a part of our lives on a deeper level, especially after the baby arrives." Placing his hands around her waist, he made her look at him. "And I need you with me to help me run this massive institution, to help raise our kids to be amazing people, who make good decisions, because…the Foundation is not just a business, it's so much more than that. It helps people, it saves people in an indirect way. So…"

"Jackson…" she whispered, taking a deep breath.

"Going to this party it's just the first step, ok? It's not a big deal."

"It's a big deal to me." she said, stepping back from his arms and sitting again on the couch. "I've never been to this kind of social events. And you know how awkward I can be…and I tend to leave bad first impressions on people because of that and…"

"April, don't say that. It's not true."

"It is. It is and I know it." She confessed. "And I feel like people are going to stare at me and judge me, especially now that I'm pregnant. I don't know if I'm ready."

"Hey…" he said, sitting next to her on the couch. "It's just a party, ok? I know you love parties. Trust me when I say you'll love this one. Mom always throws the best parties in town!"

"I don't know, Jackson. I don't know how to behave at events like that or what to do or say."

"You don't have to worry about it. You just have to be you and people will love you just the way you are." He took her hand on his, squeezing it. "Look at me…I fell in love with you just the way you are."

She smiled at his words, but he could tell his wife was not completely sold on the idea.

"Can I think about it first, before I make a decision?" she asked him, leaning on his shoulder.

"Of course you can, baby." He replied, putting an arm around her back. "Think about it and we'll figure it out."

"Thanks."

"But now let's just go to bed." He suggested, getting up from the couch, taking her with him. "Get a good night of sleep, maybe cuddle a little…"

"Jackson Avery, I honestly never took you for a cuddler before we got together." She said, following him to the bedroom.

"Well, that's because I only became one after being with you, so…"

"Then I'm glad you did."

The next day, Jackson was scrubbing in when he saw April entering the room. "Hey." He said, smiling at her.

"Hi, honey." She replied. "Going to surgery, I see."

"Yes, I'm doing a tummy tuck. It shouldn't take long, though."

"Oh, ok…"

"Is everything ok?" He asked, after seeing her scratch the back of her head.

"Yeah, everything's fine." She replied. "Actually, I just wanted to talk to you about the conversation we had last night."

"Oh, ok."

"I'll go."

"What?"

"I'll go to the party."

He quickly moved his head to look at her, surprised by how fast she made her decision. "April, are you sure?"

"I'm sure. I mean, you're right. I'm an Avery now…I'll go."

"Are you really sure? Because I don't want you to stress out over this. If you're not ready, then I'll talk to my mom; I'll let her know you're not…"

"Jackson, I'll go and I'll be fine. I promise." She looked at him with a peaceful smile on her face. "And if I start stressing out over it, I know I'll have you there to calm me down, right?"

"Right!" he stated. "I'll be with you every step of the way."

"Great." She said, approaching him to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Now go…I'll see at home, ok?"

Later that day, Jackson came home from work to find his wife leaning against the stove, as she cooked diner. "Of course I've talked to him, daddy." He heard her say. "Oh, actually he just got home." She smiled at him after noticing his presence and continued. "Ok, I'm gonna put him on. Be nice to him, daddy. Ok, I love you. Bye-bye."

Jackson saw her pushing the phone towards him, not completely sure of what was going on. "What?"

"It's my dad. He wants to talk to you."

"Your dad? Why?" he asked, shaking his head.

"Jackson…" she insisted. "Just grab the phone and talk to him."

Seeing that he had no other choice, he took a breath a picked the phone from her hand. "Hum, hello?"

April whispered a short. "I'm sorry". She knew how nervous Jackson could be when talking to her parents. After the wedding, she didn't really had the chance to formally introduce him as her husband to them; actually, they still haven't met since the fiasco of her wedding.

Paying close attention to their conversation, she could feel Jackson tense up in front of her. And yes, she lied to her father; she didn't have the conversation with Jackson, she never even mentioned it before. But after another phone call from her mother, earlier that day, asking her the same thing that she asked a few days ago, April felt like it was now or never. Especially now, that she had something to give Jackson in return of this favor.

"Hum, yes. Of course, Mr Kepner. I'll see what I can do. I promise we'll work something out." She heard him reply. "Yes, I'm taking good care of your daughter…and the baby's fine too. Ok, thank you. Good-bye."

As soon as he got off the phone, he looked at her with fulminating eyes. "What the hell, April?"

"I'm sorry…" she tried to apologize.

"You shove the phone into my face, without even giving me a heads up. Besides, you lied to your parents. You said you've talked to me about this, but you've never…"

"I know, I know…I'm sorry." She said again, trying to calm him down. "I know I should've…"

"Then your father comes to me about us going to Moline for a few days, to attend some church fair or something and I had to pretend like I knew about it from the start, because you lied to them… and to me."

"Jackson, that's not what I meant. I just figured that…"

"And now, I've agreed to it, because you put me on the hot seat. You told your father I could give us a few days at work and now I promised we would be there next weekend." He wasn't letting her finish her sentences, so she knew how stressed out he was. "And now I'm supposed to work things out back in the hospital in order for us to go there and I'm not even sure if I'm ready to face your family."

"Jackson…" she said, moving next to him. "I don't know why you get so nervous when it comes to talking to my dad. I mean, it's not like he's going to hurt you or something."

"But I'm sure he'd like to." He confessed. "I feel like he sees me as the man who corrupted his daughter."

"That's not what he thinks of you."

"Well, I sure feel like it. I mean, the last time he saw me, I was stealing you from your wedding."

"You didn't steal me from my wedding." She said, placing a hand on his arm, gently moving it up and down, in order to ease his worries. "I ran away with you by my own choice. I'm sure he wasn't too thrilled with the idea at first, but then he came around. He likes you, Jackson. Not only him, but my mom, my sisters…"

"Oh, wait a minute." He took two steps back, finally realizing something. "I know what you just did!"

"Hum, what are you talking about?"

"Don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about. You sneaky little…wife!" he said, rubbing his hand against the back of his neck. "Now I see why you agreed on going to the Foundation party with me."

"I still don't know what…" she lied. He was right about it and he knew it. Of course he'd find out sooner or later.

"You agreed on going to the party, so that in return I'd go to Moline with you."

"No, that's not what I meant. It was just a coincidence that my parents came up with this right now." She lied again.

"April, I might not know much about church and the bible, but I do know that lying is a sin. So quit it, ok?"

She looked at him knowing that there was no use on hiding the truth from him. "Ok, fine. I might've thought about it, but…"

"I knew it!" he grinned, knowing how he was right from the beginning.

"But, in my defense, if I need to learn how to be an Avery, then you need to know how the Kepners roll."

"Oh is that so?" he asked, pointing a finger at her. "Well, don't you ever do that to me… ever again, April Kepner." She noticed how he put an emphasis on her last name. "Don't you ever put me on the hot spot again!"

"Ok, fine…I'm sorry!" she apologized once again. "So, this means we're going?"

He looked at her and nod his head. "Yes, we're going. I made a promise to the man. After running away with his daughter on the day of her wedding and getting her pregnant, I think this is the least I can do to make him not hate me more."

"He doesn't hate you, Jackson."

"Yeah, yeah…" he replied, walking to the bedroom. "I'm gonna take a shower. I need it, after all the stress you just put me through."

"Well, don't take too long. Diner's almost ready."

"I still can't believe it. My sweet loving wife, just tricked me. Unbelievable." She heard him ramble all the way to the bedroom.

"It's called compromise, for your information. If I need to attend your things, then you need to attend mine." She shouted at him from the kitchen. "And by the way, you're going to love Moline."

AN:

Hey guys,

So what did you think about this chapter?

I guess the Averys are going to Moline. Prepare yourselves, because the next chapter is going to be a good one (it might even include a little smut!)

Anyways, thank you for your support. I really love it when you review and tell me how you feel about the story. The fact that you're enjoying reading it makes me smile.

I'm going to try to update soon (maybe by the weekend), so keep tuned.

Also, please note that English's not my first language, so any spelling or grammar mistakes you might find, let me know.

Ok, review as you please and let me know what you think.

Much love, Annie.

PS: the Avery Foundation party is happening too. But later on the story.