Chapitre Dix: Petite fêve

"I don't know you, but I want you all the more the more for that. Words fall through me and always fool me and I can't react. Games that never amount to more than they meant, will play themselves out. Take this sinking boat and point it home, we've still got time. Raise your hopeful voice, you have a choice, you make it now. Falling slowly, eyes that know me and I can't go back..."

Falling slowly by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova

"Pregnant! I'm freaking pregnant!" April thought as she fought the urge to vomit. She shot up from her perch and started pacing back in forth, her breath coming into short spurts, "How can this happen? We've always been careful!"

Jackson pulled his face off his hands, "I - I don't know, we've always used condoms," he replied, his voice raspier than the usual.

She folded her arms under her chest and continued pacing, "One must've broken and we didn't even realize it-" she paused and stopped right in front of him, her face full of horror. "Condoms break - oh my gosh, Jackson!" she gasped.

His head snapped up to meet her gaze, "W - what's wrong?"

Tears clouded her eyes, making her vision blurry, "I - I haven't been with - I swear to you, you're the only one I have ever been with, you've got to believe me!"

He stood up from his seat and pulled her into his arms, "Of course I know that! God, April, why would you think that I would even question that!"

She fisted a handful of his shirt desperately, "I don't know, I just didn't want you to think that there's even a remote possibility that this is not yours, I had to tell you," she whispered.

He ran his hand along her back in a soothing manner, "You don't have to assure me anything, I know it's mine...please, stop crying, it's not good for you -" he paused and swallowed audibly. "Or our baby, calm down..."

A warm feeling settled inside her stomach upon hearing his claim, but she couldn't make the tears stop. She circled her arms around his waist and buried her face deeper into the crook of his neck, "I don't know what to - Jackson, what am I supposed to do?"

He moved them back to the bench and pulled her to his lap, "I'm with you on this, Apes," he assured her. He tightened his hold on her and gently titled her face to meet his, "We'll figure it out, I'm not going anywhere - you have me," he said firmly before giving her lips a quick peck. He then shifted his hand and started wiping her cheeks, "Don't cry, babe, I hate seeing you upset."

"How can you be so calm about this?" she sniffed.

"Honestly? I don't know," he admitted. He then snaked his other hand around her waist and rested it on her still flat stomach, "I know I should be freaking out right now, but for some reason, I'm not."

"Y - you're not?"

He broke their eye contact and moved it to the hand cradling her tummy, "Would you be mad at me if I say that I'm a little bit thrilled that a piece of me is growing inside of you?"

Another wave of warm fuzzy feeling washed over her, making her body relax a little. She opened her mouth to speak, but when nothing came out, she just clamped her lips and waited for him to continue.

"And before your brain could come up with crazy ideas, no, I did not get you pregnant on purpose," he added as he gently rubbed her tummy.

She placed her hand on top of his, "I know that and FYI, that thought didn't even cross my mind," she said. She leaned on to him, basking on the comfort he's giving her, "What am I supposed to do, Jackson? I have a business to run in Paris and now I'm suddenly pregnant," she paused when she felt hot tears ran down her cheeks. "And I've turned into a watering pot and I hate it!" she lamented.

"We're going to talk and think about our options," he said firmly.

She brushed away the tears from her cheeks and took a deep calming breath. She pulled her face away from her hiding spot to look him straight in the eye, "I still have another thing I need to tell you..."

"Shoot."

She swallowed thickly to clear the lump in her throat, "My parents want me to take the seat on the Board and offered to help put up a franchise of Sweet Escape here in Seattle," she sniffed.

He blinked a few times, "They did?"

"Yes."

The corner of his lips started to arch up, "Wow, Apes - that's really great."

She dropped her gaze to her stomach as she gnawed on her lower lip, "I really haven't decided anything," she paused and placed her own hand on top of her tummy. "This changes things, though," she muttered.

"It changes everything."

oOo

Jackson dropped April back to her hotel after her meltdown. He offered to stay with her to talk things through, but she was adamant that she needed time to absorb everything that has happened. Instead of arguing his case, he kissed her forehead and asked her to call him if she needs anything. With a reluctant wave, he slipped back into his car and drove his ass back to his apartment. He went straight to his fridge and grabbed himself a beer, he popped the lid open and guzzled almost half of it. He then padded towards the sliding doors and stepped out into his small veranda. He placed his beer on the table and made his way towards railings. He gripped the cold metal bar with his hands and stared into the dark grey sky, "I'm going to be Dad," he said out loud. He waited for the familiar strings of panic to smother his chest, but to his surprise, it never came. He tilted his face up to the sky; his lips curling into a large smile, "I'm going to be Dad and I'm actually happy about it - .FUCK!" he threw his head back and let out a full belly laugh.

oOo

April stood right in front of the full length mirror and studied her naked self. She let her eyes rake her body, her gaze automatically zeroing on her belly. She turned to her side and concentrated on the slightly visible bump that she hasn't noticed until now. Gently, she placed her hands on her tummy, "I still can't believe that you're there," she whispered to herself.

After the panic has subsided and the water works stopped, she finally had the opportunity to let her new predicament sink in. Nothing has been resolved after her talk with Jackson and decisions haven't been made, but she can't deny that she felt a little bit lighter knowing that she has his unwavering support. She let her hands drop to her side and spun on her heels. She walked towards the large tub and carefully climbed in. She was about to sink into the warm water when her phone started vibrating near her rolled up towel. With a loud huff, she snatched the offending device and checked who was calling. When she saw her best friend's face flash on the screen, her eyes started to water even before she tapped on the hands-free answer button.

"I hope I'm not disturbing some hanky-panky time!" Elle's flamboyant voice echoed inside the bathroom.

"E - elle..." she choked out, her voice as shaky as her feelings.

"April? What the bloody hell? Are you crying?"

Fat tears rolled down her cheeks, "I - yes."

"What the fuck did the wanker do? Did he hurt you?" Elle shrieked, her tone laced with anger.

She pulled her knees to her chest and rested her arm on top of it, "No, he did not do such thing," she sniffed. She cleared her throat and sniffed again, "But something happened and I'm a mess, oh my god, Elle - I need you..." she whimpered.

"Calm down, love - stop crying and tell me what got you into shambles."

"My parents bought some shares in Seattle Grace and they want me to move back to take the seat in the Board."

"WHAT?"

She leaned back and rested her head on the rolled up towel, "They told me that they're not forcing me to take the position and you know what else they told me?"

"Go on."

"They offered to help me set up a franchise of Sweet Escape here in Seattle," she said. When she didn't hear any response from the other line, she cleared her throat, "Elle? That's just crazy right? I mean -" she wasn't able to finish her sentence when a loud squeal erupted from her phone, making her wince.

"Oh my gosh, April! A franchise - dogs bollocks!"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"That is brilliant! Why didn't we even think of that? Our French Pastries would definitely be a hit there; we don't have much competition like we have here!" Elle shrieked, her voice filled with excitement.

She swiped her cheeks; "Y - you're excited about it?" she clarified.

"YES!"

"Uhm - you are aware that if I accept their offer, I would be permanently staying here, right?"

"Bloody hell," Elle breathed out. "I'm sorry Red, I didn't even think of that."

"It's okay," she said. She then pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin on top of her hand, "But that's not the only thing that messed things up for me..."

"I knew it! It has something to do with that Hunky boytoy of yours am I right? Of course I'm right!"

"You hit the nail in the head, oh Elle, I screwed up," she sniffed.

"I already know you screwed him, dah-ling, you already told me the last time talked, remember?" Elle said with a chuckle.

She grabbed her phone and switched it back to handset, "I'm pregnant," she blurted out.

"I don't think I heard you right, did you just say that you're knocked up?"

She shifted her head and buried her face into the crook of her arm, "You heard me right; I'm pregnant - knocked up - bun in the oven, whatever you want to call it," she blurted out.

"Bloody buggering hell!"

"I know and I have a blood test to prove it."

After a few seconds of dead silence, Elle cleared her throat, "I'm out of depth here, Red, I don't know what to say," she said. "What are we supposed to feel about this? Are we happy or sad?"

She lifted her head to wipe her runny nose, "I don't know, it's just everything is spinning out of control and I feel like I've been chucked into an alternate universe."

"I feel you, does Jackson know?"

"He's the first one to know, he read the test results."

"How did he react? Bloody hell, please tell me he took it like a man or so help me I'd take the first flight out and chop his bollocks off and stuff it in his arse!"

She couldn't help it; she burst into fits of giggles. "God, you're just what I need, Elle - thanks," she sputtered after she recovered.

"Glad to be of service," Elle replied with a chuckle. "But seriously, Red, are you really okay with this? Have you told your - err - parents?"

All the mirth she felt a few seconds ago vanished like a puff of smoke. She hugged her knees tighter and held her phone like a life line, "I - we really haven't thought that far yet, we're still trying to absorb that I'm pregnant."

"Take your time, you have a lot of opportunity to break the news - wait, how far long are you?"

"I don't have an idea, but I'll probably set an appointment later." She shifted her eyes to the water and wiggled her toes, "And no, I don't have the slightest idea about his feelings towards his impending fatherhood."

"You're a psychic now?"

"Oh please, I know how your mind works," she snorted.

"Fine," Elle grumbled. "How did he react when you guys found out?"

She thought about their last encounter, "He looked okay with it, no - actually, he told me that he was thrilled and kept on reassuring me that everything will be fine," she admitted.

"That's good to hear, his bollocks is safe then."

"Let's stop talking about his bollocks, that's the reason why I'm in this predicament in the first place," she grumbled. A loud bark of laughter erupted from the other line, making her smile.

oOo

Few days later...

"You really don't have to come inside, I can manage," April said while eyeing the unfamiliar hospital right in front of them.

Jackson killed the engine off before turning his face towards her, "Are you ashamed of me?"

She threw him an incredulous look, "Of course not! Why would you even ask me that?"

"Because you keep on asking me the same question for over an hour now, it makes me feel like you don't want to be seen with me or something."

She shifted on her seat to face him fully, "That's not what I'm getting at, I'm sorry if it came across like that," she said with earnest. "It's just - people will surely recognize you and I know how much you hate the attention."

His features softened as he reached for her cheek, "Don't worry your pretty head about it, I can handle them." He then leaned forward and gave her lips a soft peck, "Ready to know more about our little bean?" he asked, his voice tinged with something similar to excitement.

She took a deep breath and nodded, "Yes," she replied with a smile.

He let his hand drop and pushed the door open, "Great, let's go."

"Yeah, let's do this," she said. She zipped her bag and was about to get out of the car when she noticed Jackson's shades on the dashboard. She grabbed it before climbing out of the car, "Here, take this," she said.

Jackson rolled his eyes as he helped her out of the car, "It's not even sunny, why are you giving me this?" he asked as he locked the door behind them.

She adjusted the bag on her shoulder, "Last attempt for anonymity," she answered with an awkward smile.

His jaw twitched with irritation but he still obliged her, "Fine," he grunted.

"Don't be annoyed with me, I just don't want to turn this appointment into a circus," she whispered.

"I'm not annoyed," he said as he wrapped his arm around her. "I just don't get the cloak and dagger approach. It's not like I'm a celebrity and this is a teen pregnancy. We're off age - so if somebody has a problem with it, I say fuck them."

She slipped her arm around his waist and tucked herself to his side, "I know, just ignore me, I'm just nervous."

"I'm here, it's going to be fine - we're going to be fine," he whispered encouragingly as he ushered them towards the front desk. He moved his gaze towards the receptionist, "We have an appointment with Dr. Walters at 10, do you know what floor she's on?"

The blonde-buxom woman sitting behind the counter blatantly gave Jackson a once over, "Let me check."

"Okay, thanks," Jackson replied, completely oblivious to what just occurred.

She looked up, "Lord, give me patience," she mumbled.

"What was that?" Jackson asked.

She shook her head, "Nothing."

The receptionist tore her gaze from the monitor, "Dr. Walter just arrived; she's on the O.B ward, 2 floor," she said with an enticing smile. She then made a show of leaning towards them to point the direction, giving them both an eyeful of her cleavage, "Take the elevator, left side."

"Oh for the love of everything that's holy..."

Jackson nodded, "Thanks again, have a good day," he said politely.

"It's my pleasure."

"I'm sure it is," she snapped. She pinched Jackson's side and gestured towards the elevator, "Let's get our little beanchecked before I lose my patience," she said while giving the receptionist a pointed look.

He furrowed his brows with her sudden change of mood, but was smart enough not to ask. He led her towards the lift and punched the button, "How's your Dad?"

"He's okay," she replied. She stepped into the elevator and pressed the correct floor button, "He just keeps complaining about the lack of burger in his diet."

"He's not liking the vegetables, huh?"

"It's not like he has a choice. Mom's onto him like white on rice, I kinda feel sorry for him."

He nudged her shoulder, "Your Mom's not that bad."

She smirked, "So is yours."

"No comment." The lift chimed and the door slid open. He led her out into the hallway and steered her towards their left, "You feeling okay?"

She folded her arms on top of her chest to hide her shaking hands, "As well as I can be," she murmured. She let her eyes wander along Redding's Maternity Ward, her pulse rising with each step she took, "This place looks different."

Jackson scrunched his face, "Yeah, it looks like Hello Kitty just puked in here."

She tried to stifle her giggles, but she was epically failing. She cleared her throat and stopped right in front of the right door, "Dr. Walters, we're here."

Jackson stared at the name plate, "We are." He placed his arm around her and tucked her to his side, "I'm with you, don't be nervous," he whispered.

She tilted her face towards him, "Thank you."

He planted a chaste kiss on her forehead before knocking, "Let's go find more about our little bean," he said as he pushed the door open.

oOo

"And we're done," Catherine said with flourish. She leaned back on her seat and watched the surgeons read through the bid her lawyer drafted, waiting for their output.

Derek was the first one who snapped the folder shut, "It's good, I don't see why they won't accept this."

"I think so too," Owen piped in.

Richard folded his arms on top of the table, "We can start the ball rolling then? All in favor?"

"Go for it," Cristina said. "Even though I didn't understand half of what's written here."

Meredith snorted, "You and I both."

Mark cleared his throat to get everybody's attention, "Where's Avery? He's supposed to be here, right?"

Catherine quirked a brow, "Aren't you supposed to know? You're his mentor."

"I can answer that," Arizona said. "He called in earlier; he's coming in after lunch because of some errands."

Mark's head snapped towards his best friend's wife, "Why didn't he call me?"

Arizona shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know, maybe he can't reach you."

"Your phone is dead, so I asked Edwards to charge it," Lexie said with a wince. "Sorry."

Catherine waved her hand dismissively, "Don't worry about my son, I'll let him know. Back to the original topic at hand, do you all agree to this? No second thoughts? Last moment hesitations?"

Meredith shared a look with Cristina before nodding at Derek. "We're good," he said.

"We're in," Callie and Arizona piped in.

Mark squeezed Lexi's hand, "So are we."

Owen gathered all the folders together and stood up, "Great, I'll hand deliver this to Jenkin's then," he with a relieved smile.

Richard pushed away from the table and stood up, "I'll go with you."

Catherine also stood up, "It was a pleasure doing business with all of you, Doctors," she said with a grin.

oOo

Jackson shifted on the stool and continued tapping his foot on the floor. He knew he should be nervous, but then, when he searched for a niggling of fear or even a hint of panic, he comes up with nothing. Maybe Sloan was really on to something when he told him years ago that Fatherhood was not something to be feared, but to be celebrated and be excited about. He's feeling all kinds of giddy about finding more about their baby. He leaned forward and braced his elbows on his knees, a smile curling on his lips. "A baby - my baby," he said out-loud, amazed at how the word rolls out of his tongue with ease.

The bathroom door opened, revealing a hospital gown clad April, "Hey," she said shyly.

He shot up to his feet to meet her halfway, "Dr. Walters just stepped out, she'll be back in a few minutes."

"Oh."

He guided her towards the bed and helped her up. He stood right in front of her and wordlessly pressed his lips to hers. After a moment, he pulled a fraction and rested his forehead on hers, "I can't wait," he blurted out.

April relaxed into his arms and let out a sigh, "I'm scared, Jackson, but I'm also excited to meet him," she admitted.

"Or her," he added with a smirk. "2 X chromosomes," he playfully tugged her hair, "-and we'll have a little girl with your red hair and hazel eyes."

The corner of her lips arched up, her eyes turning misty, "But I like your eyes, they're prettier - Dr. McPretty."

He snorted. He opened his mouth to add more, but was cut off when the door opened. He grabbed her hand as he took a step back, "We'll continue this later," he winked.

"You guys ready to meet your little nugget?"

"Y-yes, we are," April replied.

Dr. Walters offered them a kind smile, "Why don't you help your wife lie down and we'll get to it."

He felt something bubble inside the pit of his stomach about the word wife, but he paid it no mind. He also didn't make an effort to correct her and just gently lifted April's legs.

"I'm sorry about that," April whispered.

He grabbed the blanket and draped it on her lap, "You don't have anything to be sorry for, babe," he whispered back.

Dr. Walters sat on a stool at the foot of the bed and turned the screen towards them, "Place your legs up the stirrups for me, dear."

He made a move to help her, but she batted his hands away. He pulled the stool closer to the bed, sat down and waited.

Dr. Walters slipped on her gloves and grabbed the ultrasound probe. She wrapped a condom around it and started lathering it with a generous amount of lubricant. "This will feel a little uncomfortable at first, but don't worry, I'll be quick," she said.

April shared a look at him, followed by an eye roll.

He laced their fingers together and sat up straighter.

Dr. Walters shifted closer and positioned the probe, "On a count three, I need you take a deep breath, April."

April nodded, "Okay."

"Alright then, 1, 2, 3," Dr. Walters tapped on the keyboard and the monitor came to life. She adjusted the probe to the left and a little bean-shaped image appeared, "Ah, there it is."

Jackson felt an unfamiliar feeling surged into his chest, making him gasp. He found himself leaning forward to get a better look, his eyes glued to the screen.

"T - that's my baby, our baby," April breathed out, her voice shaky.

Dr. Walters clicked on the mouse repeatedly, her eyes focused on the image. "Looking at size of your baby, you're 4 and a half weeks long."

He began counting the weeks in his head, his eyes getting bigger by the second. His head snapped towards April, "Our baby is made in Paris!" he blurted out.

"Petite fêve," April said through tears.

He scooted his stool back and rested his hand on top of her tummy. He leaned forward and levelled his lips to her ear, "I have super sperm, I knocked you up at the first round," he whispered proudly.

She blinked away the tears as her laughs echoed inside the room.

oOo

"Have you talked to April yet, Pops?" Libby asked.

Joe put his Ipad down, "About what?"

Libby plopped beside her Dad and pulled a throw pillow to her lap, "About the hospital."

"No, I haven't," Joe replied. He took off his glasses and met her gaze, "Do you think we're asking your sister too much? She has a life and a thriving business in Paris and we're hijacking that by asking her to step in."

Libby thought about the question and shrugged her shoulders. She pulled the pillow closer and rested her chin on top of it, "It's her decision to make, Pops, it's not like you're forcing her hand to choose. Duckie is a smart girl, she can decide for herself."

"If it were for me, I'd really like for her to come home. If she can make it in Paris, why can't she do the same thing here?" Joe sighed.

"She left because she needed to deal with her...issues, you know that."

"Don't remind me."

Libby reached for her Daddy's arm and gave it a squeeze, "I didn't brought up the topic because I wanted to stress you. I just asked because I heard Mom talking to Catherine a few minutes ago, they already sent the bid and they're just waiting for the hospital's board to bite the offer."

"Oh, that was fast."

"A woman with a mission, that's what Catherine Avery is."

Joe wrinkled his nose, "Kinda scary, if you ask me."

"I'm scared of her too, Pops, we're on the same boat with that woman."

oOo

April relaxed back on the leather seats as she waited for Jackson to finish his business call. After their appointment with the O.B., they took a detour at her favorite Bistro for a quick bite since it was almost lunch time. They were on their way back to the hotel when he received the call. He wanted to send it to his voicemail, but she insisted that he took it - hence, him pacing right in front of his car.

She unzipped her bag to get her phone, but the sonogram sticking out of her planner caught her attention. She plucked the black and white picture and stared at it. It's real; she's really carrying a new life inside of her - a baby that she and Jackson made. She moved her hand to cover her tummy, her eyes still glued to the grainy image of their unborn child.

When she told Jackson that she scheduled an appointment with an O.B., she didn't expect that he'd come along. He had cases that he needed to take care of and can't afford to take the morning off, but he still did. Truth be told, she was a little bit surprised with how he was taking everything in a stride. He was calm and collected; a far cry from the man she used to do scutt work with. It was surreal - it's like she knows him, but then he does things that makes her feel like she really doesn't.

She lifted her gaze to look at him; he was waving his arm frantically, unaware that she was watching him. She let out an audible sigh as she slipped the picture back into her planner; his stressed face, reminding her of the decision that she kept putting off. Time is running out and whether she likes it or not, she would have to come up with a choice - to stay or to leave. She can't think for herself anymore, not when she just caught glimpse of the tiny human growing inside of her of stomach a few hours ago.

Deep in her heart, she knew that she already made a decision; she was just too scared to admit it out loud. "Your Daddy and I loves you very much, petite fêve," she whispered as she caressed her still flat tummy. Her gaze strayed towards Jackson's figure again and this time she was met his familiar bluish-grey hues. She felt air leave her lungs and her heartbeat began to accelerate, something was happening to her and she needed to figure it out. She reclined on the headrest and took long drawn breaths, her eyes automatically closing, breaking the contact.

Visions of a little girl running along the familiar corridors of Seattle Grace flashed through her mind's eye. It was followed by Jackson's familiar figure slumped on the floor playing tea-time with the same auburn-haired child. Her eyes snapped open when she heard a loud tap on the window. She pressed the button, "Y - yeah?"

Jackson studied her face, his brows furrowed with concern. "Are you okay? You look a little pale; do you want water?"

She swallowed the football sized lump inside her throat, "I'm good and yes, water would be great," she found herself saying.

"Okay, I'll make a quick run to the convenience store and then we could leave."

"Thanks."

He threw her a worried look before pulling away, "Be right back in a sec," he said before turning on his heels.

She watched him disappear from her line of sight before she let out a shaky breath. She dug her phone out of her bag and unlocked it. She hit on her call logs and swiped her thumb on the screen. She moved the device to her ear and waited for the line to pick up. After a few rings, she heard the familiar voice on the other line, "Mom? I'm staying and I'll take the seat in the board if the offer is still on the table," she said before she could chicken out.

oOo

A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the late update. :) Just want to give a shout out and a BIG thank you to my reviewers: voltorb6, roganjalex, ntlpurpolia and other guest reviewers - you guys ROCK!