"Hey" Jackson smiled brightly as his new fiancée reentered the room they had just reacquainted themselves in. He couldn't help but smile to himself when he remembered how desperate he had been to make love to her; she must have been pretty desperate as well, because neither of them had been willing to wait until they left the hospital.

"Hey" she replied sheepishly.

"Oh no" he sighed noting the look on her face. "What's wrong?"

"Things didn't go so well with Matt" she groaned as she sat next to him on the bed.

"Did he take it bad?" Jackson cringed.

"No, he didn't take it all."

"You didn't tell him?"

"I…couldn't."

"April-"

"Jackson, he told me that he loved me" she admitted with a pained expression.

"Did you say it back?" he asked urgently, the words flying out of his mouth before he managed to keep his insecurities in check.

"No" April gasped. "Of course not, I couldn't do that. Jackson, you're the one I love, you know that."

"Sorry" he muttered apologetically. "Of course not. It's just- what did you tell him?"

"Nothing" she shrugged. "I couldn't say anything I just sort of nodded and walked away."

A huge grin spread across Jackson's face as he imagined the scene. April all cute and flustered the way she got so often.

"What?" she asked, trying to sound angry, but failing miserably as his infectious grin caused her to smile as well.

"Nothing, I just can't wait to marry you" he laughed as he kissed her nose. "But, before we can do that, you have to break up with your paramedic."

"Come on" he urged her as he got up and reached his hand out to her.

"Alright" she groaned. "But don't say I never did anything for you."

He shook his head as he struggled not to laugh at her words. He would never say that April never did anything for him, because that would be a huge lie. She had made him the happiest man in the world.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Just get it over with" Jackson urged April as he nudged her arm.

"I have no idea how to break up with someone" April said frantically.

"You could try telling him you think you might be pregnant, and then when you find out you aren't act all relieved that you aren't forced to be with him. That worked for you last time" he teased hoping April wouldn't take the joke too seriously.

"Jackson!" she scolded.

"Just do it" he laughed. "Tell him- I don't know- that he's a really nice guy, but that the two of you just aren't meant to be."

"Because I'm 'mint to be' with you" she grinned.

"I still don't know what that means" he smiled as he fought the urge to kiss her. "Now go talk to your paramedic."

"Fine" she groaned. "I'm going, I'm going."

"What was that?" Meredith asked Jackson excitedly as April disappeared into Matt's room.

"What?" Jackson asked, unable to stop himself from grinning widely.

"Are you two back together?" Meredith asked happily.

"Yeah" Jackson nodded.

"What happened?" she gasped.

"I don't know, we both just finally stopped fighting it and admitted we're in love" he explained, trying to put into words what had happened between them. It was so wonderful, and so unexpected, but in a way so inevitable. Somewhere deep inside he always knew it would be April in the end.

"That great!" Meredith beamed as she hugged him. "Can I tell you a little secret?"

"What's that?"

"I always thought you two would be cute together, ever since that time you punched Alex."

"Don't remind me" Jackson cringed. Karev was one of his best friends, but thinking about April crying like she was that night made him want to punch him in the face all over again.

"You look so happy" Meredith added, interrupting his thoughts.

"I am" he said shyly. "I don't think I've ever been this happy. I can't believe April actually agreed to marry me."

"What!?" Meredith gaped.

"Oh damn!" Jackson cursed. "I probably shouldn't have told you that." April was already so stressed out about how things had played out between her and Matt and him and Stephanie, the last thing she needed was the stress of the entire hospital knowing about their engagement right away.

"You two got engaged!?"

"Shh" Jackson scolded. "I don't know who April wants knowing about this. We'll probably want to keep it quiet at first."

"Why? You're happy! Why not let everyone here be happy with you?"

"Because, everyone is not going to be happy" he whispered.

"Oh" Meredith gasped. "Stephanie."

"And Matt" he added. "April and I decided to stop denying what we felt for each other, and be together but that doesn't mean we want to rub it in."

"Right" she nodded knowingly. "Don't worry I'll keep it quiet."

"Thanks" he smiled.

"But, Jackson?"

"Yeah?"

"I am really happy for both of you. Really. You both deserve each other, you both deserve to be happy" she said walking away with a big smile on her face.

Jackson knew his secret would be safe with Meredith, he wasn't worried about that. He was a little worried about how things were going with April and Matt though. April was still in there which made him a little nervous. He feared that when she finally did emerge from the room she'd be upset and he'd have to comfort her… Then again, comforting April didn't sound all that bad, especially since he'd get to do it for the rest of his life.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey" April said nervously as she entered Matt's room.

"April" he responded as his face lit up.

"Sorry I ran out before" she muttered apologetically.

"It's okay" he said softly as he took her hand. "I'm sorry too, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"You didn't" she said as she moved her hand away from his. "It's just…"

"Hey" he said gently. "April, what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry" she said as she turned away from him.

"Sorry for what?"

"We have to break up" she admitted, the words spilling out of her mouth as quickly as she could make them.

"I'm sorry" he repeated. "I moved to fast, I freaked you out…."

"No" she interrupted as she turned back and looked him in the eye. "It isn't your fault Matt, it's mine. I've been lying to you. This whole relationship has been a lie." It all started to make sense to her as the words came out of her mouth: why she had been with Matt, why she had stayed away from Jackson.

"What are you talking about?" he asked as his face wrinkled in confusion.

"I guess I was using you in a way. I never meant to, but I used you to try to convince myself that I was the same, the girl I was before…"

"Before what?" he asked urgently.

"Before I fell in love with Jackson Avery" she admitted tearfully. "But I can't deny it anymore, it changed me. He changed me. He made me feel things that I never even imagined… Anyway, I'll spare you the details."

"You've been in love with him this whole time?" he asked as his eyes filled with tears.

April nodded. "I'm so sorry" she said under her breath.

"Well" he sighed. "It is what it is."

"I'd still like to be your friend" she added with a forced smile.

"No" he scoffed. "No, I don't think that's a good idea. I still love you April, I don't see that changing anytime soon."

"So, this is goodbye?" she asked sadly.

"This is goodbye" he confirmed. "Goodbye April Kepner, I hope you have a great life."

"I wish that for you too" she said as she made her way to the door. "Goodbye Matt."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"How'd it go?" Jackson asked as he put his arm around her.

"As good as it could of I guess" she sighed. "I'm glad it's over."

"Me too" he smiled. "Because now comes the fun part."

"What do you mean?" April asked in a playful suspicious tone.

"My mother is waiting for us at Joe's" he smiled. "So my guess is that you're going to be spending the rest of the night do girly wedding planning stuff with her."

"The rest of the night?" April asked sadly.

"Well, until I get you home that is" he grinned. "Come here" he added as he quickly pulled her into his arms and kissed her softly.

"You happy?" he asked as she pulled back.

"Happier than I ever have been" she admitted. "You?"

"Same" he grinned. "Come on, we have a wedding to plan."

Please Review!