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I finally and giving you some Jackson and April this chapter so enjoy!

Never Saw It Coming

Jackson

Jackson blinked open his eyes, momentarily forgetting where he was until he recognized April's living room. They had been hanging out a lot lately and he decided to crash on her couch the night before. He had been doing this for the past two weeks. They were friends again and Jackson was happy just with that.

When April had cornered him in that on call room, he had been ecstatic. She was willing to give them another chance and it meant the world to Jackson. He had been happier than he had in months.

Jackson yawned and stretched, looking at his watch. It was early. He rarely ever woke up earlier than his alarm clock. He decided he was going to go to his apartment and then go for a run before getting ready for work.

Jackson stood, stretching his sore muscles before folding up his blanket and neatly putting it on top of the pillow April had for him. He had actually wanted to make sure April was comfortable and not feel pushed, so he had said he was going to sleep on the couch until she was ready.

Jackson walked to April's room and smiled as he looked down at her. She was resting peacefully, which wasn't always the case with her. Sometimes she had terrible nightmares like he used to have. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, causing her to stir.

"What time is it?" she asked in a sleepy voice, only cracking one eye open at Jackson.

"Early. I just wanted to let you know I am going to go. I want to get a run in before work," he explained.

She nodded and said, "Kay, see ya." She rolled and fell asleep quickly causing Jackson to chuckle before slipping out of her apartment.

Jackson drove to his apartment and quickly changed before stretching and beginning his morning run. He was happy and he didn't even need this run to clear his head.

The past few weeks had been way better between him and April. They hung out with each other like they had before they slept together. Drank at Joe's, carpooled to Zola's second birthday, hung out at each other's apartment and ordering in. It wasn't like they were dating, just…being together. It was nice.

Jackson made sure to give April her space when she needed it though. Dr. Wyatt really stressed the importance that this time around, everything was on April's terms. She was calling the shots. At first Jackson thought he would hate that, but it actually took a lot of pressure off of him. He didn't care when it happened, just that it happened. And he wanted April ready. Because he was. He was in again for it all.

Jackson finished his run and after stretching he climbed in the shower. He called April and told her he could pick her up if she wanted before he went to the hospital, but she said that she had already left.

He finished getting dressed and headed into the hospital. Jackson parked his car and when he noticed Karev walking in, he jogged to catch up with him and said, "Karev, hey."

Karev grumbled and Jackson asked, "Still tense with Arizona."

Karev nodded and said, "Her and Callie need to get this shit figured out. Arizona is fucking miserable to be around."

Jackson nodded and said, "It will blow over soon. They can't keep doing what they are doing."

Currently all they did was fight. In on call rooms, in ORs, in the hallways, and he assumed at home as well. Jackson heard through the grapevine that Callie had moved into Mark's old apartment.

"You getting some?" Karev asked, shooting him a sidelong glance.

"What? No, why?" Jackson asked.

"You seem…really happy," Karev said, confused.

"I am," Jackson said, chuckling.

"Why?" Karev asked.

"I don't know. I have a good job, a nice apartment, good friends," Jackson said.

"You back together with Kepner?" he asked.

Jackson and April hadn't really talked about how they were going to handle this. Last time April had wanted to keep everything completely quiet. And even though they were heading in that direction, they weren't there yet.

"No, we aren't back together. We are just friends," Jackson said.

Karev shrugged and said, "Whatever."

Jackson and Karev entered the lounge and April was there, slipping on her scrub top.

"Hey," Karev said to April as he began to change out of his street clothes, "Will you talk to Arizona. You are the only person she doesn't snap at."

"What do you need me to talk to her about?" April asked as she slipped her sneakers on.

"Callie…this whole mess they are in," Alex said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I don't think that's a good idea. I think they should both work this out their own way," April said as she stood and wrapped her stethoscope around her neck and shrugged her lab coat on.

Alex grumbled to himself and turned his back on them. April walked up to Jackson and smiled and asked, "How was your run?"

He shrugged and said, "Good morning." He kissed her temple and she looked over to Alex before asking, "Lunch?"

He nodded and she smiled and walked out of the lounge. Jackson turned towards his locker and Alex cleared his throat and scoffed. "Yeah, nothing going on there."

Jackson chuckled and threw his shirt at Alex and said, "Shut it."

April

April had had a busy morning in trauma. She was ready for a break. She furiously scribbled in her chart so that she finished by the time she went to the cafeteria to meet Jackson.

"Dr. Kepner," the nurse said, "Dr. Avery asked me to pass on that he has been detained in surgery."

April nodded and said, "Oh, okay, thank you for telling me."

The nurse nodded and went back to work.

April grabbed another chart, and took her time writing out these notes.

"April?"

April looked up and was shocked to see Matthew's mother, Lynn Taylor.

"Mrs. Taylor," April said, standing, "How good to see you! How are you? Are you all right?"

April looked her over to make sure she wasn't here for medical care. She looked sad, and April knew that would never go away. There wasn't anything worse than losing a child.

"I am fine, dear. Here to see you. I wanted to check on you," Lynn said.

April nodded and walked around the desk and hugged the small woman.

"Do you want to grab a coffee?" April asked.

She nodded and said, "I would like that."

April guided them towards the coffee cart and they chatted on the way on how they were keeping themselves busy.

April and Lynn sat on a bench and April said, "I am nervous…about saying this to you."

Lynn looked concerned and tried to give April a reassuring look, but April was nervous all the same.

"I…I think I am ready to start seeing someone," she admitted, her cheeks flushing guiltily.

Lynn looked shocked and then she looked down in her lap for a second.

"Are...do you hate me?" April asked, her eyes filling with tears.

Lynn looked up and April was horrified to see her eyes were also filled with tears.

"No…April, no. I am happy that you are…moving on. Healing. It is good. Matthew…he would want you to be happy," Lynn said, wiping her tears away.

"I will never forget Matthew or that chapter in my life. I loved him," April said, grabbing her hands, "I hope you know that, Mrs. Taylor."

"I know that, honey," Lynn said, squeezing her hands gently and then pulling her into a hug.

April hugged her back, the guilt that had been plaguing her now gone. She sighed in relief and gratitude. She had expected Lynn to take it badly. But she was a good, kind woman and April could see so much of Matthew when she looked at her.

Lynn pulled away as April's pager went off and said, "Oh, well, I better let you get back to work. I am glad I was able to talk to you. Will you…still stay in touch?"

April nodded and said, "Of course."

They walked back to the trauma unit and April hugged Lynn goodbye and said they should make a plan to have dinner sometime. After that April looked towards the nurses' station and stopped short when she saw Jackson.

He had the most concerned and caring look on his face.

She walked up to him and asked, "Did you page me?"

He nodded and asked, "Are you okay?"

April nodded and gave him a small smile and said, "Yeah," reaching her hand towards his. She linked their hands and squeezed it gently, "I am good."

He nodded and held her hand before asking, "Did you eat yet?"

She shook her head and he said, "Let's go."

Jackson began to release her hand as they walked out from behind the nurses' desk, but April held it tightly. Jackson looked down at their entwined hands and then around the trauma unit. April squeezed it reassuringly and said, "Come on."

Jackson smiled and April grinned and blushed before he led her towards the cafeteria.

Jackson

Jackson had never been so happy just holding hands with a girl. April wasn't just some girl though. She was the girl.

They walked into the cafeteria and grabbed their food. Alex sat at a nearby table with Jo Wilson and shook his head as he took in their joined hands.

April blushed and then sat down. Jackson carried their tray and sat it between them. April grabbed her caesar salad. April began eating her lunch, but Jackson still held her hand as he at some of his mac and cheese. He would occasionally glance at her out of the corner of his eye as they all talked and April would occasionally catch his eye and blush before looking back to either Alex or Jo.

Whatever had happened today with Lynn Taylor had been a good thing. When he first saw Matthew's mother, he thought it would set April back, but apparently the exact opposite happened.

Alex and Jo finished their lunch and left April and Jackson alone.

"So what did Lynn want?" Jackson asked.

"She just wanted to catch up," April said vaguely.

Jackson nodded and asked, "How has she been doing?"

"She is doing better…but honestly, I don't think she will ever be the same again," April said.

Jackson nodded. He couldn't even imagine what the Taylors were going through.

"Do you want to hang out later?" she asked as she stole a grape from Jackson's tray.

"Sure, I have a board meeting, but I can meet you there later," he said.

April nodded and said, "That actually works perfectly. Kevin and I are going to try a different church and won't be done until a before your meeting gets out."

Kevin and April had been trying to find a church that they liked over the past few weeks. They were becoming friends and Jackson was ashamed to admit that he was slightly jealous.

"Sounds like fun," he said casually, taking a drink from his water.

"It has been kind of. Last week we went to a group where they were in love with Jesus…like, in love with him. It was super weird…and creepy," April said laughing. It was good to hear her laugh.

Jackson chuckled and she said, "You definitely see the spectrum of believers this way. It has been nice having someone to do it with though."

Jackson thought about what he was going to say. He was skeptical he would find it as meaningful as April, but he was willing to try for her. He said, "I wouldn't mind going with you sometime."

April looked at him for a moment and said, "Jackson…I know you don't, that you don't-"

"April, I don't know... I don't know what I believe when it comes to God. I do know that I believe in you."

April lips twitched into a small smile and her eyes fixed on his.

"And if it is important to you, it's important to me," Jackson said, grabbing her hand again.

April's small smile turned into a big one and she squeezed his hand under the table. "Thank you, Jackson."

Jackson shrugged, "At the very least, it will help me to understand."

April smiled and leaned across the table and kissed him softly. So softly, she brushed her soft lips against his and it felt like every cell in his body was coming alive and rejoicing. His heart was racing as she pulled away and sat back down, going back to her last little remnants of her salad, as if it hadn't happened at all.

Jackson cleared his throat and noticed that people were glancing their way, their interest piqued at the display of affection between the two doctors.

Jackson's pager suddenly went off and he looked at it. His secretary was paging him.

"I got to go," he said, standing. He collected her now finished plate and his own and loaded the tray up. April stood too and walked out with him. He discarded the tray and before he turned right and she turned left, April shoved her hands in her pockets and said, "I will see you later?"

He nodded and smiled at her and then turned and walked away.

April

Kevin pulled up to April's house and they were laughing about the group they were in tonight.

"I liked it okay…well, except that Ralph guy. He was…"

"A creeper, he kept pretending to speak in tongues…fucked up," Kevin said, shaking his head.

April laughed and said, "That and his eyes were on my boobs all night!"

"He was just praising God's miraculous work, Kepner," Kevin teased.

April slapped his shoulder and said, "Next week?"

"Sure," Kevin said, "Wanna go make fun of the Catholics?"

April smiled and nodded as she opened the door.

"Let's do dinner before we go," Kevin suggested.

April looked back at him and asked, "Like a date?"

Kevin shrugged and said, "It could be if you wanted."

"Kevin, I would, but I am kind of already seeing somebody," April said awkwardly. She would never have guessed someone like Kevin would be interested in someone like her. Or that she would be in this situation. She thought only two people were crazy enough to want her. One was dead and the other was coming soon.

"Oh, well, as friends then?" he asked.

April noted the disappointment in his voice and in his expression, but nodded and said, "Sounds fun."

"See you tomorrow, Kepner," he said.

"See ya," she closed the door and jogged to her apartment, unlocking it and shutting it behind her.

April sighed out in relief and her stomach growled. She hadn't had anything since she had lunch. She would make herself something to eat. She looked at the clock. Jackson's meeting must be getting over soon. She would make extras just in case.

She was getting things ready when she heard the knock on her door.

She opened it to Jackson and she smiled and hugged him briefly before something in the kitchen dinged and she dashed off to get it out.

Jackson followed behind her and sat down at her little table. April put the finishing touches on dinner.

"Want some?" she asked.

"Sure, smells wonderful," Jackson said, untying his tie.

April reached in her fridge and grabbed them both a beer. She handed it to Jackson and knocked the neck of her bottle against his. "How was your meeting?" she asked.

"Long. Too long," he said. "But it went okay. Callie and Arizona have been making the meetings terrible."

April frowned and said, "I hope they can work it out."

"Me too," he said.

April slid a plate in front of him and he began to wolf it down. Apparently he hadn't eaten since lunch either.

"Well take some time to taste it," she teased as she took a bite.

He laughed and said, "It is so good."

April thanked him and they talked as they unwound from the long day.

"Care if I crash here again?" he asked.

April shook her head and said, "Sure."

He stood and helped April with the dishes and clean up the kitchen mess, before he began making up the couch. April brushed her teeth and got ready for bed and then said, "Night Jackson."

Jackson walked up and kissed her forehead before saying, "Night."

He had been so tender and gentle towards her for so long. It was nice not having the pressure. He was content it seemed with just small, chaste moments of affection. April stood on her tiptoes and held him in place as she kissed him like she had earlier.

Her heart raced and her blood boiled under her skin as the kiss continued. April could feel Jackson restraining himself and for once, she wished he wouldn't.

Jackson pulled back, looking slightly dazed and April panted to catch her breath.

Jackson smiled and April giggled nervously.

April tucked her hair behind her ear and said, "Good night."

"Night," he repeated.

April turned and walked to her room and climbed into bed. She didn't think she would find sleep easily. Her whole body was buzzing with excitement.

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