It's short - but it also got written much sooner than I thought it would. So, there's that. Enjoy - and remember that reviews help keep me inspired! ;)
"April," Jackson whispered, gently nudging her head off his shoulder. "Sweetie, wake up."
Groaning quietly, April sat up, stifling a yawn and blinking her bleary eyes.
"Are we there yet?"
Jackson smiled. "If by there you mean LaGuardia, then yeah, they just said we're about twenty minutes out."
"Damn," April muttered. "I was kinda hoping that somehow I'd slept through changing planes, renting a car and driving for four hours." She sighed. "This is why I don't go home very often."
"Come on," Jackson grinned. "This is a little more than just going home. Just a little further and more complicated, right?"
April rolled her eyes at him and he chuckled. "I know what you mean," he said. "I don't go home much either. You just don't realize how big this country is till you're going from one end to the other."
"At least when you go home, you can get a direct flight from Seattle to Boston," April pointed out. "There are never any direct flights to Columbus from the west coast. I always have to change planes somewhere totally stupid – Kansas City or Milwaukee or something. Once my connection was in Atlanta. Explain that. How does flying a thousand miles further south and east make any sense?"
Jackson shrugged, trying not to smile at her indignation. "No idea. But it does seem counter-productive."
"Because it is," April declared as the plane began its descent.
They lapsed into silence as the plane landed and then they absorbed with grabbing carry-ons and jackets and getting off the plane and finding the gate for their connection to Raleigh-Durham. The trip had begun what seemed like years ago, with Lexie dropping them off at Sea-Tac before heading to SGMW for the night shift. The red-eye flight had put them in New York at just after six in the morning, Eastern Time.
April yawned as she settled into a seat in the waiting area.
"I know we're used to weird schedules and sleeping when we can and all that, but there's just something about traveling that's exhausting, isn't there?" she mused and Jackson nodded in agreement.
"I suppose if we'd actually slept yesterday afternoon before we left, that might have helped," he said with a mischievous grin and April laughed.
"Not my fault you won't leave me alone," she said lightly.
"Not my fault that you don't mind in the slightest," he shot back, still grinning, and she had to concede the point.
Jackson stood up. "If you'll sit here with our stuff, I'm gonna see if I can find some coffee. You want a cup?"
April nodded. "Please. It might help."
He nodded and headed off down the terminal. April turned to look out the window – the sun was just beginning to rise and some of the New York City skyline was visible.
Jackson returned to find her still gazing out the window and he smiled as he sat down beside her. "For all its faults, it really is a beautiful city."
"I've never been there," April confessed, turning away from the window and taking a coffee cup from him. "Dunkin' Donuts? You are the best."
He laughed. "Really – you've never been to New York?"
She shook her head. "Nope. This is the closest I've come, I guess." She smiled. "Not a lot of opportunity for an Ohio farm girl to go to the big city."
"Hmm. Well, we'll just have to come back and visit sometime," Jackson declared.
April tried not to let the mild surprise she felt at those words show on her face. Sometimes it still really jolted her to realize that he took their relationship as seriously as she did. "Really?" she couldn't help saying. "Shouldn't we make it through our first trip together before we start planning another one?"
"Maybe," he shrugged, smiling reassuringly. "But I think we'll come through this one okay."
April didn't look quite fully convinced, but she smiled back anyway. "I sure hope so," she said quietly as the intercom crackled to life and boarding for their flight was announced.
Once settled in their seats on the plane, April reached for Jackson's hand. "I know I've said this already, but I really appreciate you coming with me. It means a lot to me."
Jackson nodded, letting go of her hand so he could put his arm around her shoulders. "I appreciate you wanting to bring me," he replied.
April laughed, leaning her head against his shoulder and reaching for his other hand. "Okay," she said. "Enough with this mutual admiration society – we're starting to even make me feel ill."
Jackson laughed with her. "Definitely," he agreed as they turned their attention to the flight attendant and the safety demonstration, one step closer to completing their journey.
