A/N: Sorry for the wait! I moved and then I finished a job and then I got writer's block. Blah! I will try not to make you wait this long ever again.

So I feel like I need to kind of explain a little bit of why April and Peter had sex. Lol. Peter was obviously feeling insecure and jealous, and felt like he needed to "have" April in every way that Jackson did. April on the other hand, wanted to test their connection and chemistry. So they both felt as if they had something to prove, and are unaware of each other's motivations. I hope that all makes sense! There will be more of April's thoughts on this matter in the next chapter!

This chapter begins where the last one left off! Enjoy :)

Disclaimer: Same as usual!

I don't wanna fall in love

'Cause I think I've had enough

Of the heartache and the sorrow

But I wanna be with you

And share in all the things you do

And share in all of your tomorrows

Oh, you cut me to the quick

Yeah you strike me like a blade

Oh, the things that you say

'Cause I see in me some you

So I wanna pick you up

And carry you away

- Stone of Suffering by Get Set Go

April was lucky that a lot of her guests hadn't arrived yet because for the next few minutes she walked around the ballroom in a complete and utter daze. She couldn't believe what Lauren had said to her. She was actually speechless.

"He's read every book about religion that he can get his hands on. He goes to church whenever he can, all in an effort to try to understand you better. He's been seeing a therapist twice a week for over a year now. But he didn't tell you any of that, did he?"

April's mind was racing with questions and possible answers. She couldn't figure him out and it was driving her crazy! Why hadn't he mentioned it when he had come to New York for the penis transplant? Maybe he was embarrassed? Maybe he still wasn't sure what he really believed in? Maybe he had been forced into therapy?

Regardless, he had really made an effort, he had really changed, and yet he hadn't mentioned a word of it to her. It didn't make any sense. If he wanted to win her back then that was certainly something worth discussing.

Still, he had changed for her. She couldn't help but smile to herself. Jackson Avery had changed for her.

Sure, it had taken a little longer than she would have liked but maybe time had been all that he had needed. He had always told her that she was worth the wait, wasn't he? Wasn't that fair?

She was brought out of her thoughts when she felt a pair of arms slip around her waist. Peter placed a kiss on the back of her neck and she melted against him. She knew that she shouldn't be trying to figure out Jackson when she already had this wonderful guy.

She was getting married in four days for God's sake.

"You seem a little distracted. Are you okay?" He asked softly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she breathed. She spun around and gave him a quick kiss. "Thanks for checking on me but we should probably mingle."

She took a step away from him but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back into his chest. He dropped his other hand to her waist and slowly ran it down to her hip. "Do you want to stay at my place tonight?" He asked suggestively before kissing her cheek.

"I would love to," she replied, "but I have an early surgery scheduled for tomorrow morning. It's my last surgery before the wedding."

Peter frowned but she kissed him before turning away. She was still acting a little off but he didn't understand why. Their first time together hadn't gone so well but their second time had been amazing. He had felt more relaxed and less nervous, and she had been incredible, and ever since, he had been walking around with a grin on his face that was practically irreversible. Even Jackson Avery's presence wasn't getting him down. In fact, he felt a tad bit smug when he now thought of the plastic surgeon.

Peter ran a hand through his hair and buttoned his suit jacket before he approached the bar where Avery and a few of April's old colleagues were congregated.

"Having a good time?" He asked with a smile.

"How could I not? It's an open bar," Alex Karev answered with a chuckle.

Peter laughed along with him as he ordered a drink for himself. The two peds surgeons had met several times at conferences and they got along fairly well. Peter admired the Africa program that Karev had set up at Seattle Grace Mercy West and Karev respected that he had spent time with Doctors without Borders. Sometimes Peter didn't enjoy the way that the often gruff and grumpy man picked on his fiancé, but most of the time April gave as good as she got. April and Karev had an interesting camaraderie.

"Well take advantage," he grinned. "My father is paying for everything."

Peter was promptly introduced to Mark Sloan and his wife, Lexie Grey-Sloan, and then he gave Jackson Avery a firm handshake. "Avery, it's great to see you again."

Jackson was puzzled by Wakely's sincerity but he didn't comment on it. He shook his hand like a gentleman and offered a smile. "I don't think you've met Lauren Reid. Lauren is an orthopedic surgeon at Tulane. Lauren, this is Peter Wakely."

"It's nice to meet you," he smiled as he took the blonde's hand. He also didn't miss the way Avery's arm looped territorially around her waist. They had to be together, which also made him much more comfortable.

Peter turned his attention to a conversation that Karev and Sloan were having while Lauren pressed her mouth to Jackson's ear.

"April can't stop looking at you," she whispered.

Jackson discreetly glanced upward and sure enough, April's eyes locked with his from across the room. Her gaze was intense but inquisitive. He could only imagine what she was thinking. But she did look beautiful. Her long, auburn hair was pulled up in an elegant bun and she was wearing a simple, lilac dress.

"Stop making eyes at each other and go and talk," Lauren urged him as she placed a firm hand on his back and tried to push him forward.

Jackson shook his head as his eyes shifted to the older, rather intimidating brunette woman standing beside April. "Not right now."

Across the room, April occupied similar thoughts as Eleanor Wakely prattled away in her ear. She was talking about details concerning the reception but April was tuning her out. She loved Peter but his parents were quite tiresome at times. Peter was very different from his parents, in a great way. He didn't have his mother's judgmental streak or his father's hunger for money.

Peter's mother finally caught her attention when she uttered Jackson's name. "Is that Jackson Avery over there? With that blonde draped all over him?"

April nodded after taking a sip from her champagne glass. "Yes, that's his close friend, Lauren Reid. They're colleagues at Tulane."

Eleanor pursed her lips in displeasure. "Yes, they seem quite friendly."

April turned her head so that she could roll her eyes without getting caught.

"I really don't know what you saw in him," she continued, "besides his name and his looks."

April bit her tongue to stop herself from snapping. Eleanor didn't even know Jackson and she was already making assumptions that he was a playboy. But she knew that defending him would do more harm than good so she stayed silent. She finished her champagne and smiled in relief when she spotted Meredith and Cristina. "Excuse me a second, Eleanor. Some of my friends just arrived."

She walked up to the twisted sisters and laughed before pulling them into a hug. She was really happy to have her old friends here. "I'm so happy to see you guys," she whispered before she ended the hug and took a step backwards.

"It's great to see you too April," Meredith laughed. She furrowed her brow in confusion as she looked at April's anxious face. Something was bothering the red-head but Meredith knew that she would blurt it out eventually; all she had to do was wait.

"Where's Derek?" April asked curiously.

"Evan was being fussy so Derek decided to stay back at the hotel with him and Zola," Meredith explained. Their two year old boy was going through a shy phase so he hadn't liked the idea of being around so many people tonight. Hopefully he would feel better about attending the wedding.

"Aww, that's too bad," April sighed. She had been looking forward to seeing the little Shepherd in person. She hadn't seen him since he was a baby; it had been only pictures since then.

"This is a nice spread, Kepner," Cristina chimed in as she looked around the ballroom.

April chuckled, "Thanks, and drink and eat as much as you can. There's a tonne of food and it's an open bar."

"I will take that as a challenge," the cardio surgeon answered with a nod of her head.

More guests started to arrive and April began to feel more comfortable as members of her family and more of her ex-coworkers walked through the doors. Her mother and all of her sisters were now here. She looked around the room and saw Dr. Webber, Torres, Robbins, and a very grown up Sofia. Owen had finally arrived and was chatting with Dr. Altman, Bailey, and Ben. The New York socialites that made up the majority of Peter's side of the guest list made her feel like she was auditioning for a role but things were beginning to equalize.

However, her anxiety increased yet again when a bunch of her nieces and nephews immediately rushed to Jackson upon entering the room. She didn't want things to be awkward for him.

"Jackson!" Susan yelled before jumping into his arms.

Jackson laughed, and luckily, his reflexes were quick enough to catch the bundle of energy that had just hurled herself towards him. "Whoa, you've gotten so big."

"I'm nine now," she giggled.

"Wow," he breathed. More time had passed than he had realized. He looked around at all of the tiny humans that he remembered and realized that they were all almost all grown up. Libby's oldest child had graduated high school this year and the babies were no longer babies. Kimmy's boys, the ones that he used to play football with, were almost as big as him. While still holding Susan, he reached a hand out towards Kyle, the elder boy, and playfully punched his shoulder. "You're built like a quarterback."

Kyle smiled a little shyly. "I'm going to try out for the varsity team when school starts again."

"Good for you," Jackson smiled brightly. "I'll give you some tips," he added with a wink.

"What would you know about it?" Thirteen year old Nathan asked teasingly.

"Hey," Jackson chuckled as he pointed a finger at him. "I've sacked a quarterback or two in my day, don't forget." He looked down as he felt a tug on his pant leg and smiled at Kelly, Libby's youngest. "Hey there, little lady."

"Why don't you visit us anymore?" She questioned with a pout.

Jackson opened his mouth to respond but he found himself speechless. He wasn't sure how to explain that he and April had broken up to children, and he quickly recognized that it was not something that he wanted to explain to them either. He really missed spending time with April's family. He missed the Kepners.

"I, um, I've been really busy," he finally answered. "I'm sorry."

"S'okay," the little girl murmured.

"Peter's not as fun as you," Susan whispered in his ear.

Jackson couldn't help but laugh at that statement. It felt good to know that April's nieces and nephews were Team Jackson.

"Okay guys," Libby called as she approached them. "Stop bothering Jackson."

"It's not a bother, really," he assured the oldest Kepner daughter.

"I know," she replied with a smile as she leaned in to speak to him quietly. "I just want them to settle down a little, it's kind of a stuffy crowd."

Jackson chuckled as he placed Susan on the ground. "I understand."

The kids began to walk away but Libby lingered to add, "It's really nice to see you. I wish it was under different circumstances though."

"Thanks," he whispered in awe as she hurried away after her children. He was surprised that Libby felt that way. He had good relationships with Alice and Kimmy but Libby had always been a little cold towards him. He had always been given the impression that she didn't like him very much, but he supposed that he had been mistaken. Or maybe she just liked him more than Peter.

He finished his drink before deciding that he needed a bathroom break. After using the washroom, he ran into another member of the Kepner family.

"Jackson Avery, get over here," Karen Kepner demanded as she opened her arms wide.

Jackson smiled sheepishly as he stepped up to her and hugged her tightly. "How are you Mrs. Kepner?" He asked politely. She looked good, happy and very healthy.

"You know exactly how I am," she grinned. "My doctor sends all of my scans to Tulane under your orders."

"My friend Dr. Hodder is one of the best oncologists in the country. I just wanna make sure you're being well taken care of," he explained caringly.

Karen smiled at him fondly as she placed her hand on his forearm. "You're a sweet boy, and you still love my daughter."

Jackson shuffled his feet awkwardly as he tentatively met the older woman's gaze. After he and April had ended things for good, he had been taken aback when Karen Kepner had insisted that she wanted to keep in touch with him. He had assumed that she would be furious with him, but she had been surprisingly understanding and sympathetic. She had a lot of empathy, a large capacity for forgiveness, and a lot of faith. April's mother firmly believed that God picks two people to be together and that's that, and she had told him several times that he and April were destined to be together.

And maybe she was right. Maybe he and April were soul mates. But soul mates didn't have to be lovers, they could be best friends.

"I do," he replied truthfully. "But I'm her best friend. He makes her happy. I'm happy for her." She stared at him sadly and he simply shrugged. "There's nothing I can do."

"Well," Karen began slowly after some thought. "There's a brunch tomorrow, it's for family and the wedding party, why don't you come too?"

Jackson furrowed his brow in confusion. "But you just said—"

"You're as good as family," she interrupted with a smile.

June 14th, 2016

April held her mother's hand as they walked down the steps of St. John the Divine after a successful ceremony rehearsal. She had expected the reality of the situation to hit her this morning, but it hadn't, at least not yet anyway. She still didn't believe that she was getting married in three days. She was about to ask her mother what that meant when the slamming of a car door caught her attention.

She turned her head and was surprised to see Jackson. He was wearing black jeans and a lovely, blue polo shirt. "What are you doing here?" She asked in a surprised, slightly high-pitched voice.

"I invited him to brunch," her mother told her with a smile.

"Mom," April whispered in incredulity.

Karen Kepner ignored her daughter's whine and stepped up to Jackson to give him a hug. "Good morning Jackson, how are you?"

"I'm great," he smiled. He had gotten up early this morning and had gone for a run before he had fretted over his outfit. Ultimately, Lauren had grabbed clothes from his suitcase, tossed them on the bed, and told him to wear them. He had no idea why he was so nervous but he was. "How are you?"

"Wonderful," Karen answered happily.

"And you, April?" He added.

"I'm good, thanks," the red-head answered quietly. His presence both comforted her and set her on edge. "We should go to the restaurant now. Everyone is waiting for us."

Jackson held open the restaurant door for Karen but he closed it behind her so that he and April could talk privately.

"If you don't want me here then I can leave," he offered considerately. "I'm only here because your mother invited me."

She quickly shook her head. "No, it's fine. We're going to try to be friends again, aren't we?" He nodded and it caused her to smile brightly. "Great! Then I want you here!" She playfully pushed her hand against his chest before she spoke again. "And you're welcome here, so don't feel uncomfortable."

"Okay." He responded as positively as he could but he was skeptical about how true her sentiment would be when he walked through those doors. He doubted that Wakely's family would be welcoming.

April opened the door to the restaurant and Jackson followed her inside. The Kepner and Wakely families were seated at two large tables in the back. Peter greeted April with a kiss and she took the seat beside him, with Jackson sitting on her other side. Jackson knew every member of her large family already and he was promptly introduced to Peter's parents, his cousin, who was the best man, and the two other groomsmen.

Conversation began as soon as everyone had gotten their food from the brunch buffet and surprisingly, it wasn't focused on the bride or groom, but on Jackson instead.

"So Jackson, what exactly does your family do?" Byron Wakely inquired.

"I come from a family of surgeons actually," he answered smoothly.

"Fascinating," Byron retorted. "Ever considered going into the medical technology field? There's a lot of money in that, I tell Peter all the time."

Peter chuckled while rolling his eyes. "It can't replace the rush of surgery, Dad."

"Or the feeling of satisfaction when your patient wakes up for the first time," April added.

Jackson grinned, "I couldn't agree more."

"I'll never understand you surgeons," Byron grumbled good-naturedly.

"So, how do you two know each other?" Robert, the best man, asked while gesturing his fork at Jackson and April.

"They did their surgical internship together," Peter replied quickly.

Kimmy scoffed, "I think it's a bit more than that."

April raised her head and glared at her younger sister. Alice was sitting next to Kimmy and she was snickering as well. April spoke slowly as she signed along with her words. "We've known each other for a very long time. We're best friends."

"Well isn't that sweet," Eleanor Wakely quipped sarcastically.

Jackson couldn't help but smirk. Wakely's mother could exchange punches with the best of them. He would like to see her and his mother in the same room.

April was thankful that conversation shifted after that remark and did not return to her and Jackson's past relationship. Everyone finished their breakfast in peace and there were no more snappy remarks, and no screaming matches or fist fights. She would consider the first Kepner-Wakely family outing a success.

"I need to go to a tux fitting now," Peter whispered in her ear as he placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her out of the restaurant.

"Have fun," she smiled as she stopped on the sidewalk and spun around to face him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. "I'll see you later."

He leaned in and gave her a soft kiss. "What are you going to do today?"

"I think I might hang out with Jackson. If that's okay with you," she spoke hesitantly.

"That's perfectly fine with me," he answered honestly. He kissed her again before he added, "Have fun."

Peter hailed a cab and once he and the rest of the groomsmen had driven away, Jackson approached her with a smile.

"Thanks for brunch."

She could tell that he was getting ready to say goodbye so she stopped him before he could say anything else. "Do you want to do something now? Just me and you."

A grin slowly graced his face. "I would love that."

Since April knew the city much better than he did, she picked the activity. He had expected her to suggest something normal, like going to a coffee shop or a pizzeria, or even going to the hospital to troll for surgeries. So he was surprised to find himself aboard the Staten Island Ferry.

"Why here?" He asked curiously as they walked to the end of the upper deck.

"I come here sometimes to relax," she stated as she looked out over the water. "To get away from the hustle and bustle of New York. I think it's because it reminds me of Seattle, and thinking of Seattle relaxes me. It makes me feel more like myself. The Staten Island Ferry is my Seattle." She turned to him with a smile. "I miss the rain sometimes too. Can you believe it? Who misses the rain?" She asked rhetorically with a laugh.

Jackson simply smiled back at her. Her grin was infectious and he couldn't get over how beautiful she looked with her hair blowing in the wind. It also wasn't helping him that she made a pair of blue jeans and a hooded sweater look mind-blowing. "I can't say that I miss the rain," he replied. "But I do miss Seattle every now and then. Mostly just the people though."

She nodded in agreement. "Everything was so much simpler in Seattle."

"Except it wasn't," he pointed out with a smirk.

April spun around and leaned back against the railing. "Yeah, except it wasn't," she repeated quietly.

After a moment, she turned to him and asked the question that had been haunting her since last night. She had even had trouble sleeping. "Why didn't you tell me you were in therapy?"

Jackson sighed and squeezed his eyes shut in frustration. He should have expected Lauren to tell her. "I thought that if I told you," he began hesitantly, "you'd think that I was playing some kind of game with you, and I'm not. I've come to terms with a lot of things over the past year, and it just so happens that the majority of those things involve you."

She nodded as she listened to his words. "Are you happy?"

"Yeah, I am," he answered truthfully. "It's helped a lot, so has trying to figure out what I believe in."

"That's great," she smiled genuinely. "I'm really happy for you."

Jackson watched her closely as she chewed on her bottom lip and stared at her shoes. "You can ask me whatever else you're thinking," he prompted perceptively.

April blushed as she shyly met his gaze. He had always been able to read her very well. "Why the wait? Why did you wait so long to…?"

She was having difficulty finishing her question but he knew exactly what she was asking him. Why had he waited so long to tell her that he was still in love with her? He wasn't sure if he really wanted to answer that question. It was harder to be her friend, the noble gentlemen, when she asked those kinds of questions, and kept looking at him like that.

"I needed to make sure that I was ready," he finally responded.

"Ready for what?" She asked curiously.

"To give you everything you wanted," he clarified as he took a step closer to her. "I just wasn't ready before…to be your husband…to see the world the way that you do…to completely give myself to someone else." He took a deep breath before he laughed softly, "I was afraid that you'd leave me first, or at least that's what my shrink says. I have abandonment issues so apparently I was afraid of what taking that final step would mean and what would happen if I lost you."

April reached out and took his hand. "I'm sorry." She had never planned on leaving him and she wished that she had known that he had felt that way. She would have reassured him. She would have done everything differently.

"It's okay," he smiled as he stared at their joined hands. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Oh, but I think I did," she explained with an awkward chuckle. She was starting to believe that she had done a lot of things wrong.

"What do you mean?" He asked in confusion.

She shook her head and dismissed his question. "Nothing, never mind."

He couldn't help but think that she was having second thoughts about something. Maybe about Peter and her impending marriage? At least that's what his hopeful side told him. There was a level of anxiety and fear in her body language that he hadn't seen in a very long time. "Life changing moments," he offered. April turned to him and he couldn't help but smile at the adorable expression of puzzlement written all over her face. "My therapist tells me that whenever I'm trying to make a decision it's important to think about your life changing moments, whether or not this new decision will be one, and if so, is it for better or worse. I have three big ones, and a few others that are a little less monumental."

She couldn't stop herself from inquiring further. "What are they?"

"Losing my Dad, deciding to become a surgeon, and falling in love with you."

April's breath hitched as she realized that those three events were life changing moments for her as well. Deciding to become a surgeon had been the best decision that she had ever made, losing her father had hit her really hard, and falling in love with Jackson had changed her entire world.

She wasn't exactly sure if she could say the same thing about falling in love with Peter.

"You're the only woman I've ever said I love you to," he continued in a rather husky tone of voice. "That means a lot to me, and you're still that girl for me."

April tucked her hair behind her ear as she looked at him while reflecting on a conversation that they had had four years ago, in his bedroom in their old Seattle apartment.

"I guess I just wanted to know what it was like to be that girl for once in my life."

"What girl?"

"The girl that someone wants in that way. The girl that you want in that way."

"And you've been that girl for me for longer than I should probably admit," he reiterated to finish her memory.

"And you know how I feel about you," she stated tearfully.

He nodded slowly and felt a lump form in his throat. He let go of her hand and watched it fall to her side. "Yeah, I know. You don't love me anymore."

April opened her mouth to tell him that wasn't true but the ferry came to a grinding halt and reminded her that she had a very different life waiting for her on land. She was back in New York, and in New York she had Peter.

Jackson was part of a past life and she liked to reflect on her time with him.

Jackson was like Seattle.

…And she really missed Seattle.

A/N: Please leave a review!

The next chapter will be the bachelor and bachelorette parties!