Chapter 8
Catherine Avery, complex, intuitive woman – strong, black single mother, matriarch of the Avery Dynasty who keeps her finger firmly on the pulse of all things Avery and most especially the Avery heir. She gazes at the couple in front of her, her observant eye immediately detecting the protective nature of his embrace and the very public display of affection.
PDA's have never been Jackson's modus operandi – he in fact tended to shy away from any demonstrative exhibitions, was neither an imposer nor, walled up as he was, an allowing recipient. His ease both towards April and the glaring reality of her presence provides Catherine with an inkling of the true value Jackson places on her in his life and not to mention, the grand declaration that she, and what seemed like half of Seattle, had just been privy to.
Kept abreast by Owen Hunt, Catherine was fully aware of the bus explosion and the resultant chaos that ensued. This was followed not long after by a worrying phone-call from Jackson, calmingly trying to explain the prognosis of Richard Webber, former chief and her intimate companion, after he had been electrocuted. Either incident on its own merit would have necessitated her immediate presence but both occurring within the space of a few hours of each other incited instantaneous action, resulting in her having The Foundation Jet fired up for the swiftest excursion from Boston to Seattle.
Jackson had the foresight to direct the three of them, himself included, to an empty conference room where he informed her that Richard was at that very moment undergoing surgery and while Catherine's dominant personality, and heart, insisted that she be there, her cool head overrode that sentiment – she would burn that bridge when she got to it.
Both her son and his lady love sported injuries so transparent that even someone without her trained eye or mother's intuition would have detected them. So she reached out to both, Jackson first. She clasped his face and with an expressive moue on her own she quickly examined him for obvious injuries. As expected he pulled away from her, murmuring that he was fine. She turned to April and clasping her chin in her hand noticed immediately the line of stitches on her right brow and surprisingly, to Catherine at least, April leaned into her hand, seeming to need that mother's reassuring touch.
"April sweetheart, I'm glad that you're okay and while I can see that you don't need the gynecological fellow we spoke of when I was here last, you still look way too uptight baby. Still not getting L-A-I-D, or has Jackson been too busy with interns to take care of you," she unrepentantly inquired.
"Dr. Avery!"
"Mom!"
"What, babies?" she responds to their chastisements, unapologetic.
"I thought you stopped face-booking my mom," whispered Jackson from the corner of his mouth to April, who still sputtered at Catherine's audaciousness – it was obviously an Avery trait, although much more toned down in Jackson. His actions and behavior today though, put him on a level with his mother – a comparison she was sure that would definitely irk him.
"You told me to un-friend her, I DID!" counters April in a hushed undertone.
"She's toxic, she's a meddler, my mom has no boundaries – be warned."
Having previously encountered meddlesome, boundary-less Catherine Avery, her statements are not what shock April, her tacit approval of April while at the same time disapproval of Jackson's seemingly wishy-washy behavior is what boggles her mind. But wait, does that not imply that she has no faith in Jackson's judgement and by extension his choice of her? As usual, the conundrum that is Catherine Avery strikes again, leaving a trail of confusion in her wake.
"Oh don't blame her. I may not be Dr. Miranda Bailey but I DO know everything, everything that goes on in an Avery Hospital," grumbled Catherine, proving once again that her auditory capabilities were well above par.
"Okay mom…the thing with Stephanie…it's between April and me…I don't need to explain anything to you…" rambles Jackson, looking down at the floor whilst rubbing the back of his neck. It seemed that this one bad decision, which situation he had been tolerating so as to never be the indecisive douche-bag, was going to be biting him in the arse for a long time to come.
"What were you thinking, Jackson? You are aware that you're on the board of this hospital, as well as an Avery! And what of your friendship with April, does she deserve this type of transient behavior from you?" Catherine questioned. She knows "insensitive jerk" is not who she raised her son to be and she actually admires the man he has become – she is proud that he had the stones to stand up and ask for true love. Being Catherine Avery, however, meant that she would never tell him that and although Jackson was now a grown-ass man who would smell the reverse psychology she regularly pulled on him when he was younger, old tried and trusted methods were hard to break. She also figured that the only way he would totally appreciate this relationship was if he had to defend it and counteract her seeming disapproval – two birds, one stone.
"This relationship is not new, mom, the decision to be together is not rash, you only feel that way because you didn't get to weigh in on it," Jackson fumed.
"Because you didn't include me in it, like everything else in your life," snaped Catherine.
"I don't need to include you…you include yourself in everything, always," he retorts, vibrating with resentment.
"Stop it, stop it!" exclaims April.
"April sweetheart don't…" starts Catherine, only to be overridden by the diminutive red-head.
"You're right. There are a lot of things we still haven't figured out, but we WILL figure them out, Jackson and I. We love each other and I'm sorry that our relationship came as such a shock. I was shocked – I can't imagine what you must be feeling. Actually I can…I can imagine it because I…"
"You know what babe, don't, you don't have to apologize to her," interrupts Jackson.
"I do! WE do, Jackson. We hurt each other and in coming to terms with our feelings we hurt others and keeping the knowledge of us from your mother has hurt her too," she responds to him and turning to face Catherine she addresses her, "I am so sorry…I promise I'm going to make it up to you."
Facing Jackson once again she entreats him, "Apologize to your mom…go on, please."
Jackson, concurring with the logic of her argument and with no small amount of self-irony comprehends that he is entirely whipped by the petite woman he loves. He walks over to stand in front of Catherine ready for this act of contrition.
She swats him on the right shoulder, noticing his wince of pain, "What the hell were you thinking?" she poses, referencing his declaration of not even half an hour before.
"I love her, Mom…and I am sorry…but I love her. She's the one," he unhesitatingly declares.
Catherine is more than delighted. Two birds, one stone – well more like three birds, because now she has April obligated to her too.
Beneath the tumultuous eye of Hurricane Catherine 'The Nazi' became little itty-bitty Dr. Bailey. Miranda was outsmarted and out-gunned, no match for the fury of Catherine Avery on the warpath.
Discovering that Bailey had forged ahead with the surgery while Richard's stats indicated an extremely high degree of cardiac compromise raised Catherine's ire by no small degree. She stormed up to the observation room overlooking OR 1 and via intercom ordered both Hunt and Bailey to immediately cease and desist the surgery. Strong as Richard was, the trauma he suffered caused his heart to experience cardiogenic shock and Bailey's certainty and resultant search for the presence of internal necrosis caused by the electrocution, was jeopardizing his life.
Catherine was not above terrorizing the Grey Sloan Doctors to accept her edict. Being an Urologist did not preclude her being less knowledgeable about other organs in the body, why the family she had married into was freaking Cardiac Royalty. The respect she demanded, however, was based solely on her knowledge and proficiency and especially in medical situations, rarely dependent on the Avery name.
Concurrently, in another part of the hospital, more bad news was being imparted by another Avery. Knowing April's strict adherence to absolute professionalism in the workplace, Jackson had been meticulous in maintaining a polite discourse throughout the surgery of their patient with Necrotizing Fasciitis, a severe case of flesh-eating bacteria, and to his credit the majority of his attention was centered on Sasha, their firefighter patient. Recalling the tanker explosion of just weeks prior, when the death of her patient had affected April so heartbreakingly, Jackson regretted pulling her into this case, knowing the outcome would be no different. Small consolation though was that they would impart the news to the firefighter couple together.
"So we were able to remove all of the necrotic tissue but the labs suggest that your organs are beginning to fail," Jackson started, directing the words to Sasha with the underlying message to Brian, her fiancé.
"Is there anything that you can do?" questioned Brian immediately.
"Well we're giving you some powerful antibiotics and we're hoping that that stops the process, but…" interjected April, answering Brian's question but directing her response to Sasha. Her heart ached for the couple.
"But I might not make it…" countered Sasha, sighing in resignation, having her worst fears confirmed.
"We are going to do everything that we possibly can," Jackson re-iterated, but even with the subtle doctor-speak the message was clear, Sasha was slowly running out of time.
"Brian…" Sasha prompted him, motioning towards the surgeons.
"We want to get married now, right now! No matter what happens we want to be married. We need a Chaplain," Brian implored the unsuspecting doctors, surprising them with his request. The firefighters had obviously discussed this worst case scenario and their only alternative was to be together till the end, in a true union of love.
"Come on, what about Hassan? He's out at the pile too; you realize they all can't be out at the pile. No, I don't care what religion they are, just give me something, anybody that can officiate this. Yeah, as a member of the board I'm gonna say you want to stay away from phrases like 'even a Catholic'. Yeah alright, just call me back." Unhappy with the lack of results, Jackson ends his telephone conversation when he notices Catherine's swift strides carrying her towards him.
"How is Richard?" he inquires.
"Hanging on by a thread. Thank you very much!" Her tone clearly indicates the opposite of gratefulness.
"You going to scream at me too now? Heard you already had a go at Hunt and Bailey," Jackson chastises.
"I just want to know what in God's name was going on through your head…" She is all Catherine Avery in that moment – using a canon to kill a mosquito, over the top but effective!
"Stop!" Jackson disrupts her impassioned rebuke. "You are terrified, I get that…you love him and you are scared as you have ever been. Marching through this hospital telling everybody that they are incompetent is not going to fix that situation. We are all doing our best and we are going to take good care of him…and we are going to take good care of you, okay?" he tries to reassure her but at the same time standing his ground. Grey Sloan Hospital is not only HIS Hospital it's also a first-rate facility and where he has made his home, although, to be fair Home is wherever April is, he would follow her anywhere.
"As soon as he's stable," continues Catherine, "as soon as the storm passes…I'm going to move him to another hospital." Nodding her head and barely acknowledging the exasperation on Jackson's face, she continues on in her quest to obtain the best possible care, temporary though that may be, for Richard, while simultaneously intimidating the hospital staff – two birds, one stone.
On his way to Meredith's room to give her a heads-up on the metaphorical scalping his mother was inflicting, Jackson comes upon the unlikely duo of exes, his and April's. Admittedly Matthew is unaware that he is an ex, but Jackson plans to remedy his misconception immediately by retiring his bauble of metal back to him. Reaching into his coat pocket he removes the ring he appropriated earlier from April's finger and approaches the Paramedic.
"Taylor, wait up, I have something for you," Jackson ambles up to Matthew, holding out the engagement ring to return.
"Avery, you shouldn't have and I'm sorry to break it to you but I'm already spoken for," Matthew smirks, clapping a hand onto Jackson's injured shoulder in a show of deceptive camaraderie.
"Very funny, man. I promised April that I would return this to you and apologize from both of us about how this went down. April's made her choice," Jackson calmly and stoically explains, inwardly wincing at the pain radiating from his shoulder but unwilling to give Matthew the satisfaction of a reaction. It's a pissing contest Matthew's after he realizes and Jackson is ready to stake his claim.
"Well now Avery, you see I don't believe you…April wants this – marriage, family, us. Let me put it in terms you'll understand, I liked it so I put a ring on it. I should put a dent in that pretty face of yours, Avery, your selfish, dog in the manger attitude ruined the perfect proposal. But I get it, good looking guy, practically own the hospital, who wouldn't be flattered. I am, nonetheless, not going to back down. You've got a fight on your hands, Avery."
"You really don't know her at all if you think money and looks drive her, she's not Stephanie, and you're massively delusional if you think that was the perfect way to propose to her, giving her no choice and in front of a mob," Jackson responds to Matthew's assertions, shaking his head in incredulity.
Stephanie, who had been quietly observing the standoff, snorts out a breath and retreats in a huff, how did she land up as the ammunition in this shootout? Monitoring the two foes it becomes apparent to her that Matthew has brought a knife to a gunfight.
Matthew experiences a moment of doubt at hearing the conviction in Jackson's voice and betrays his misgivings by the slightest flicker of his eyelids. He disguises it with calculated arrogance.
"Whatever, Avery. At least she knows I want her and only her and that I'm willing to put myself out there for her." He takes the potshot and cockily saunters off, his demeanor reflecting no weakness. Jackson is left digesting Matthew's parting shot. Matthew figuratively flexed his muscles then literally swaggered off, leaving Jackson in his wake with mouth agape and hand outstretched with a ring on it.
Finally entering Meredith's room, Jackson discovers April there.
"There are no Chaplains anywhere in the building, everyone is out dealing with storm victims," April answers, responding to his raised eyebrow.
"We have storm victims right here. What...? Chaplains are supposed to stay here!" he retorts.
"I…."
"Anybody seen my patient Brian? Firefighter…busted ribs…?"Alex appears in the doorway, questioning the occupants of the room.
"Yeah, he's getting married," April positively re-affirms.
"Not without a Chaplain he's not…" this from Jackson.
"Well, I could go online and get certified by that place on the internet…but me and weddings today…I don't think I'm the best choice!" April laughingly rejoins, casting a sideway glance at Jackson.
He bravely accepts the gauntlet she's just flung at him and retorts with his favorite slogan, "I'll just do it!" he quotes Nike, an accompaniment to the wink he gives her.
"Brian, Sasha, your commitment to each other is an inspiration. Your love, your devotion, it's unwavering. You aren't swayed by anything that life puts in your path. When people talk about marriage this is exactly what they ought to have in mind."
Internet certified, Jackson begins the ceremony. Occupying the room are the couple he is in the process of marrying and the exquisitely fascinating creature that has entranced him. As co-officiator April has 'dressed' for the occasion by styling an intricate braid as a crown on her forehead with tendrils on the side, ostensibly to cover the stitches on her forehead. Gazing deeply into her dazzling eyes, Jackson utters those heartfelt sentiments to both Brian and Sasha and for April and himself too.
Preoccupied as Brian and Sasha are with each other, they notice that Jackson's attention is consumed by the red-haired surgeon and when, with brightly blushing cheeks, April swats him on his chest to get his attention focused, the couple just laugh. Bittersweet though their ceremony is they cannot help but feel joy at witnessing the loving ease that the surgeon couple have for each other, it speaks to the depth of their emotions as well as the comfort of their friendship. They are inspiring, the epitome of love.
On the verge of continuing the ceremony, the foursome are interrupted by the appearance of Hassan, back from the trenches and ready to officiate. Jackson gladly hands over the reins and both he and April step out of the limelight, now merely witnesses to the union presided by Hassan.
Moved by emotion Jackson wraps April into his arms, not surprised when she leans contentedly into him her back against his chest and her head resting comfortably into the crook of his shoulder. Professionalism be damned, she's always been sentimental at weddings.
"That's what it's supposed to look like, you know. They can't even imagine not being together," he whispers in her ear, gently wiping the tears from her cheeks.
"Yeah," she acknowledges her voice slightly gruff with feeling. Turning her head to the side, resting it more securely against his shoulder she reaches up to him cupping his cheek in her right hand, loving the stubble. Gazing lovingly into her bright, tear-drenched eyes, he leans down and kisses her.
"Marry me, April?" he proposes, striking her dumb with his words. Smiling at her shock he softly remarks "Who knew it would be this easy to get you to shut-up!"
Snapping her jaws shut, she sniggers at his joke and lightly smacks him on the chest. "Oh you!" she exclaims ignoring his earlier ask and treating the whole thing as a gag.
"I mean it, you know…because you're right about everything. I don't want to just date April, I want the whole damn thing!" he explains, pulling a ring out of his jacket pocket.
"Jackson!" she exclaims in a whisper, subconsciously aware of the ceremony she doesn't want to disrupt, but too immersed in their own drama to stop. "That's Matthew's ring!" she hisses at him.
"Oh sorry, wrong pocket," he laughs, removing a different spectacular diamond-studded band from his other pocket.
"What…how…when…?" she stutters, not sure which question to address first. Why does he still have Matthew's ring? When did he decide to propose? How did he get that ring? WHEN did he get that ring?
"Do you want to get into that right now?" he asks.
"No…" she mumbles, much more invested in his question then his answers.
"No, you don't want to get into that or no, you don't want to get married?" he smilingly supposes.
"Yes…YES!" she rejoices, turning fully around and launching herself into his arms.
"Thank God!" he mumbles, between kisses.
"Interesting relationship you got going on with God, for an Atheist," she remarks, also between kisses, forgetting where they are for the moment.
Hassan loudly clears his throat to get their attention – he's surrounded by kissing couples, one of which he has just married. "So, am I marrying you two or not?" he inquires.
"YES!"
"Mer, you're not going to believe what I just witnessed!" Cristina barges into Meredith's hospital room, unmindful of the interns and the council that Meredith is imparting to them. "Pretty Boy and Virgin Mary just got hitched!"
"What?" yells Meredith.
"Yeah, Avery and Kepner just got married," she smirks, openly laughing as Intern Stephanie runs out of the room sobbing.
"Cristina…" chastises Meredith.
"What? Now how was I supposed to pretend that what just happened wasn't the coolest thing I'd ever seen," Cristina mocks.
"Cristina…"
"No, I've always been on the fence about Kepner but now I'm not just a friend, I'm a fan!"
Stephanie cannot believe that after everything he put her through these past two days, he still managed to humiliate her above and beyond that, a final nail in the coffin as it were – he actually married the bitch! Intent on wallowing in self-pity she still somehow manages to observe two things: from her right Matthew approaching the nurse's station that she's seated at, and on her left she spies the happy couple slipping into an on-call room. Well misery loves company she consoles herself and directs Matthew onto her same path to Heartbreakville.
"Jackson…I don't want to spend my wedding night making love in an on-call room," April admonishes her husband, in between kisses.
"Babe, we agreed to stay at the hospital tonight for Sasha, right? So, no, we won't have our wedding night here, okay? I just want to hold my beautiful wife for a while, nothing more I promise."
As has always been the case with them, however, their kisses grow more heated and very quickly escalate into heavy petting. Soon and without any protest both find themselves naked from the waist up. April is on his lap and Jackson is kissing his way down her neck to her exquisite breasts and just as his mouth finds her nipple, the door to the on-call room bursts open.
"April!" thunders Matthew, shocked at the scene before him.
"Matthew…" stutters April , wrapping her arms firmly around Jackson's neck and pushing her body up closer to him – it's the only way she can think of to hide her chest from Matthew's view.
"Avery, what the hell? Way to fight dirty man!" Matthew addresses Jackson.
"I'm sorry you had to find out this way Matthew," April responds giving Jackson an admonishing look, "but Jackson and I are married."
"Yes, April is my wife," Jackson acknowledges and reaching into his nearby coat pocket he once again removes Matthew's ring and holds it out to him. "I'm sorry, man, for the way we handled this – you were just collateral damage."
Matthew has no choice this time but to take the ring from him. Angry and devastated he storms out of the room, almost bumping into a passing Cristina.
Regretting the hurt she's caused, April just leans her forehead on her husbands, accepting his comfort.
"Hi," he jokes, "hope we didn't go through all that for nothing."
"Hey!" she smacks him gently across his uninjured shoulder.
The door is thrust open once more and the couple inside groan simultaneously, they just can't catch a break.
"Kepner, you continue to surprise me!" smirks Cristina.
"It's Avery…"
