A/N: Thank you all so much for reading. The entire chapter, except the last section, is in the past. We're gonna visit Jackson & Bright, April in Jordan, her injury, and of course some other surprises. I will not put everything in italics because it seems easy to follow that there are past events happening and then past events in the past happening. Current events will be quite easy to follow, and will be indicated. However, please notify me if the story is hard to follow. Next chapter will involve April in Seattle with few flashbacks. –R.

Jackson Avery was, well an Avery. He didn't shake for anything, except video cameras, those made him break out in a cold sweat and faint at his high school graduation during his valedictory speech. Cameras aside, Jackson Avery had always been confident, strong as an oak as they'd say, when it came to other people. He was good looking, he wouldn't be bashful and deny that, charming, intelligent, and to top it off her came from a rich family. He is the total a package and normally people are gravelling at his feet, women will either come up to him with vengeance because they know he'll be a good fuck or they'll stammer over their words and stare at their shoes while he's trying to have a genuine conversation with them. Being pretty can definitely be a double-edged sword. However, he had never had a meeting like this in his life and he didn't know how to act. Would it be best to stay calm, listen to what they have to say, and try to seek out reason? Or should he blow up, roar his voice, and pull every card he can out of the Avery handbook. He still hadn't decided and when he walked into the dive bar on the West Side of Chicago that looked like it hadn't been updated since 1985, he tugged a bit at his maroon colored sweater and hope he hadn't overdressed.

"Jackson," Bright greeted merrily, "Thanks for joining me." He turned around to say, "Howard, two," and looked at Jackson wondering what his drink order was.

"Beers," Jackson answered, "two beers will be just fine."

Howard handed them a couple of craft beers that were made locally from the brewery down the street and the two men went to sit down at a table. It was a Thursday night, so it hadn't been too busy, the place was quiet enough where they could hear one another speak, but not too quiet for their meeting to be filled with the awkward silence of an empty bar and the clanging of cups that the bartender puts away.

"So, how was your visit with Harriet? She's missed you like crazy," Bright began.

Jackson couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy, Harriet was his daughter; she would always be his daughter. It'd been two months since the gala, and five weeks since he'd last seen Harriet. As April had promised he got Super Bowl Sunday and so his mother flew Harriet out to see him. It was an absolute delight as always and she was certainly the talk of the town at Grey Sloan Memorial. But he knew that April needed Harriet, a bit more than he did, he loved his daughter, hated every moment they were apart, but April needed her more. So, he didn't complain about the short visits, or the Skype calls that would suffice for a week; nothing would ever be enough if she weren't at home living with him, so he knew he'd always have to settle for second best.

"That's, uh," Jackson hesitated, "That's good to hear."

Bright took a big swig of his beer, "April doesn't know I'm here."

"She doesn't?" Jackson asked, wide-eyed.

"No, and I intend to keep it that way."

"Here to threaten me Abbott, I'm not trying to steal April back."

"No," he sighed, "It's not about that. It's about Harriet."

"What about her?"

"I don't want to replace you, never have and never will. I want us to try and get along because I plan on making April my family soon and that includes you."

"April and I aren't a packaged deal," Jackson groaned.

"True, but you come with Harriet and Harriet comes with April, ergo you're part of the package," Bright joked, producing a small smile from Jackson's lips, "You don't need to be a stranger in her life, whenever you want to come over, take her for a weekend, call I won't stop you."

"That's good to know," he replied, "But you know you wouldn't have been able to stop me anyways," he challenged.

"The way I see it, I love that little girl as if she were my own and I see my son growing up without his mother. He feels lost and I can't do anything to help him. April will never be Hannah, she's kind, caring, and wickedly smart and she'll be a good mother to Jack but she'll never be his mom. And I'll be the same person with Harriet, she'll love me and I'll love her, but I won't be her dad. The man she'll hold with the most esteem her entire life, because trust me you can take just one look at that girl and know she's a daddy's girl. Jack's mother isn't here and April is a wonderful number two, probably the best a lonely guy like me from Wisconsin could ever dare to hope to find, but Harriet's still got her dad here. Don't make her settle for number two."

"I hate that I actually like you," Jackson muttered, the blonde man just stared at him with a glazy confused look over his face, "You care. How can I hate a man who cares about my daughter and April the way that you do? Of all the men that she could have ended up with besides me, I'm actually glad it was you."

"Thank you, Jackson. That truly means a lot. And I hope you know that I'll do right by them, wherever I can."

"I wouldn't expect any less."

"April and I are moving in together," Bright announced taking a huge swig of his beer, lifting his head up towards the ceiling so as not to see Jackson's true reaction.

Jackson sat there, stone faced, simply tapping his index and middle finger on the table repeatedly for a few seconds, not knowing what to do. If he were being honest, he'd say he wanted to hit Bright. Being her boyfriend was one thing, but moving in together, with a woman like April only meant that a ring would be on her left hand in due time. He was just getting comfortable with the idea of losing her, but to know he's lost her is a whole different story.

"Is that so?" Jackson smiled, pensively, "April was never the type to move in before marriage."

"We've grown close and it'll be good for Harriet when she starts school."

"You're thinking a bit far ahead aren't you?"

"Harriet will be three soon, and that's when you start preschool, we only wanted her to be in the district so she'd meet kids that'd go to the same kindergarten as her."

Jackson put his hand up in resistance, "Whoa, you're speaking way to fast. April and me haven't even discussed this yet. I'm sure the preschool your district is in is perfectly fine, but I am still her father and I still have a say in where my daughter goes to school."

Bright hesitated for a moment, he wasn't aware that April and Jackson hadn't discussed this, he had only assumed, "Jackson, I didn't know she didn't tell you."

That's when Jackson realized that they were gone, April and Harriet were truly gone. He couldn't really be in their lives, thousands of miles away in Seattle. He'd never see her daily assignments or get her references to kids in her class. He'd always be her father, but he'd never be her dad, "Bright, I have to get going," he said abruptly, "It was nice of you to invite me." He put some money down on the table.

Bright immediately extended his hand out, "No, I insist. This is my treat."

Jackson didn't argue a few free bottles of beer wouldn't hurt anyone and he had actually enjoyed their conversations. Bright was an easy-going guy who was also interested in sports, although he lost a few points for not being a sneaker-head like Jackson.

"Thanks man," Jackson said, extending his hand out for a handshake, but the big, beefy man pulled him into a tight bear hug, like a brother would do.

"Don't be a stranger," he warned, "To either of them."

But Jackson knew that he would be, he was only Jackson Avery, broken, fatherless, asshole who left April Kepner. How could he even begin to compete with the perfect man who was clearly the perfect father?

April had been working on her research project with the veterans for over a year now and to say she'd formed personal relationships with her subjects was an understatement. These were people who understood her, who got what her sacrifice had meant, who held no judgments; some of them were trying to escape too. Sometimes the world gets to be too much and so they need to remove themselves from it and the quiet serenity of the desert, where the worries of your day-to-day life back home are slim to none. Being in the military, in Jordan had been incredibly freeing for her. She had the ability to think about nothing but saving the solider who was on her table, no jobs woes, or bills to think of, or even a dead son. It was her, her skills as a doctor, and the American hero that depended on her. She thought of her time in Jordan, where time stood still and she felt truly needed.

"Keps, you sure have got it today," Nathan beamed. Nathan Riggs became April Kepner's best friend in Jordan within a few days of knowing each other. He had also experienced loss, with his fiancé Megan statused as missing in combat. Originally from New Zealand, Nathan studied medicine at Harvard and decided to enlist after 9/11, feeling a sense of patriotism for a nation that wasn't even his own. His parents were less than pleased with his decision to join the U.S. army, but they couldn't deny that their son had chosen an honorable path, one that would lead him to self-discovery and great honor. It was with a heavy heart that they sent him off to the Middle East the first time; now as his fifth tour it felt too routine. His mother, Mary and father, Jim, hated to see him go, but each time he came back it was like the world stopped, that joy could never be encompassed in a few sentences.

"What are you talking about, Nathan? I'm just going through the motions, like always."

"No you're not, you're on fire," he elated, again commenting his best friend. They had grown incredibly close since her first tour, which was only supposed to last three months, but she kept extending them for God knows what reason. He wasn't complaining, because April was someone he could talk to, who could understand what he was going through, and despite having differing views on certain topics always had a may of making you feel heard and seen. She was a good person, a genuine person, and Nathan hadn't come across many in his life.

"Thank you," she replied with an endearing smile on her face before walking past Nathan, bloody scrubs and all, nonchalantly. April had become known as 'the machine' amongst the other army doctors due to her cold nature when it came to addressing cases. She never backed down from a challenge and therefore never said no to an injured solider who had the misfortune of coming to her table.

"Evans," Nathan acknowledged, hands in his pockets awkwardly playing with the coins that were in there, "He's a real fighter."

"I know it shouldn't make a difference," she admitted, "But the fact that he's got kids made me work just a bit harder. Now he'll go home to them."

The look on her face was one of pure melancholy, here's a woman who's lost the only thing that matters to her, her son, and she's in the middle of a war-zone to cope. She hadn't talked much about her husband; she flew back to Seattle a few weeks ago, due to an attack on their camp. She had the ability to stay home, but she chose to come back, which bewildered Nathan. Why did she need to come back? Was her healing not finished?

"You're a damn good doctor, Keps," he admired, "You do what most of us wouldn't have the guts to do."

"I guess, I just know what it's like to lose," she looked solemnly at the ground, not liking be vulnerable, April Kepner glanced up at her friend and said, "But it doesn't stop me from playing the game."

"Are you ever going to talk about it? About him?" Nathan pressed.

"What's there to talk about? He told me that he'd divorce me, that he's done with our marriage if I went on another tour."

"April," Nathan said again, with a slight scold in his tone, "It's not that simple."

"Isn't it?"

"No, it's not. Take it from someone who has lost the love of their life, it's worth the fight. It's worth swallowing your pride. It's worth admitting you were wrong."

"I wasn't wrong," she argued, "I still need to fix myself. Samuel is dead, the son I carried inside of me is dead and I need to accept that. I can say it without any problems, but as soon as I start thinking. Start wondering about the life he could have had, I can't move, everything around me becomes stagnant, and I am a shell of a person watching the world go on around them without any power to control it. I still feel that way when I think about him, so that's why I'm here."

Before Nathan could reply, there was a massive explosion that sent him and April flinging towards the tented walls of the medical camp. He collected himself, not more than a minute later, acknowledging that an IED had probably gone off near camp and they had felt the aftershocks. He assessed himself for damages and he was clear, he stood up right, looked at his body and saw no signs of stress. He was fine. However, the same couldn't be said for April. While they were talking, they were a ways away from one another, she was still cleaning up her workstation and he was standing in the doorway. Now, she lay unconscious at his feet. Her head had hit her operating table with full force and the once bubbly, trauma surgeon was quiet, with dust covering her entire body and her mouth only open slightly to reveal the bottom of her straight, white teeth.

"April," Nathan screamed, "Can you hear me?" His eyes widened in shock, as he looked at her once more, now his eyes were truly seeing what was there.

"April," his voice was suddenly calmer as he made his way towards her body, hoping that she'd be alive. Praying to God, Allah, and Buddha, anyone who had some pull in the afterlife that she'd be alive. She's been through so much; this isn't where her story ends. Not now. It isn't right.

He reached her unconscious body within seconds, he pressed his ear to her chest to listen for breathing, he felt it, and he knew she was alive. He almost did the sign of the cross there to acknowledge his glee at her survival, but he didn't. He was focused. As a solider he was trained to deal with situations like this, to prepare for the worst scenario, despite it being his best friend.

"April," he said, "I've got you. You're going to be okay," he stated as he picked her petite body up in his arms, she felt entirely weightless.

"Riggs?" Thompson yelled. Joseph Thompson was a multi-year veteran to trauma surgery in combat and he was one of April and Nathan's closest friends. With a daughter and a wife at home, the two of them yearned for his stories about fatherhood and being a husband, Joe had the ability to spread normalcy around the camp.

"April," he called back, out of breath due to the exhaustion, "She's," he couldn't get the words out, as important as he knew they were. He couldn't will his mind to say it. She was fine. She was April Kepner, 'the machine', and 'the machine' could endure anything.

"Nathan," Joe placed his hand on Nathan's shoulder, trying to alleviate the stress that the younger man felt while holding his unconscious friend in his arms, "I've got her. Don't worry, I've got her."

And so, Nathan let her go, her weightless body slid from his arms like silk and he watched as his friend Joe and his colleagues tended to April. Within seconds, she was hooked up to a monitor and she was stripped of her army uniform. Nathan knew she would've hated to be naked in front of so many people, but he was unable to do anything about it. He just cowered in the corner, sinking to the floor with tears staining his face because he was convinced that his best friend was only living on borrowed time. He's been a soldier for so long, you'd think he'd be able to accept loss by now.

Joe worked on April for what seemed like hours, but even he had to admit defeat. He made her comfortable, at least that's what he had told Nathan. April was still unconscious. She had no other physical injuries and there was no explanation as to why she hadn't woken up, hours after the initial blast.

"She's going to be transferred to Munich," Joe told Nathan.

"What?" He asked, "She, she doesn't belong there."

"There's nothing more I can do here," Joe admitted, "She needs more than I can give her."

Nathan ran his hands through his hair, "She was fine."

"They all are," Nathan placed his hand on Nathan's back, "They all are."

Within a few hours April's unconscious body was loaded on a helicopter headed towards Munich, Germany from Jordan.

"What do we have?" Dr. Jung asked his colleagues.

"Female, thirty-two years old, suffered a severe head injury caused by a blast near her military camp, she hasn't woken up since," his intern Garrison answered.

"Good," he replied, "And what are we going to do, Hank?"

"Monitor her and see if her status improves. And run a CT."

"Very good."

So they watched April Kepner for a few days, never forgetting to check on her every hour to see if she had improved. On the second day, she was still unconscious, but in the evening she had astounded her doctors and woke up. She could barely move or form words, but she moved her hand less than one inch to the left, and so her caretakers knew that April Kepner, mother, soldier, survivor was still in there and clawing her way towards the top to get recognized again.

April had months of recovery to heal from her brain injury. Due to her type of injury, she had no problem with words, phrases, or remembering who she is. Her troubles were physical. She injured her femoral nerve, meaning she had some temporary paralysis in her right leg. It was still attached to her body, but she couldn't get it to move on its own. She worked for days in rehab, after she felt healthy enough to get around, trying desperately to relearn how to walk. Even just how to stand? Because if she couldn't stand, then how could she be a surgeon? Still she refused to tell her husband.

"April," Owen tried. Nathan, who swallowed his pride and called the only person he knew would be able to help April, had called him a few days ago. Owen had been a veteran, although not injured; Nathan thought Owen was the best person to call. She and her husband were on shaky ground and he didn't want to make the decision as to when they should see each other again. And he knew her parents would be more trouble than help because they worry too much about their little girl. He received the phone call in the middle of a surgery. At first he told one of the scrub nurses to ignore it, he was elbow deep in a man's abdomen. But the phone rang again and again and again.

He groaned, "Jane, just answer it. Clearly they need to speak to me."

"Okay," she obliged, putting the phone on speaker.

"Owen," a familiar voice came through the other line. Owen's heart stopped in his chest and his hands ceased to move, he looked like he had just seen a ghost, "I know I'm the last person you'd ever want to hear from. But there was an attack on our camp, and," Nathan hesitated.

"Take it off speaker," Owen demanded.

The scrub nurse held the phone to his ear, "April's been hurt. She's being airlifted to Munich right now. I can't be with her; I have to stay with the injured here. Will you go to her?"

"Yes."

"Dr. Hunt? What was that?"

"Dr. Hanson, can you finish?" He asked his third year resident.

"Yes, sir."

"Good." And within seconds he was out of the O.R. and on the phone with the army to make arrangements for him to get to Germany. He arrived forty-eight hours later.

"Owen, just stop. I'm not going home," she argued, "I don't want to."

"Jackson misses you," he stated.

"And I'm supposed to what? Care? He isn't here, he chose to not be a part of my life and I can't fault him for it. It's been a week since the accident; I need to focus on my rehab not my failed marriage."

"April," he urged again.

"Owen, I'm alive. I know who I am. The world isn't burning around me. I'm okay."

Owen didn't feel like arguing with her, "That you are," he replied, "Now you get better so you can come back to Seattle."

"Haven't you read my chart, I'll be ready by the end of the week," she joked. But truly it would take another three months for her to fully recovery from her injury, where both her colleagues and doctors believed she could go home, to her husband and to a life of pure uncertainty. However, April wasn't ready to go back there. If she were being honest, she wanted to get through her rehab and then take the next flight back to Jordan. That was where she belonged.

He looked at her solemnly; here was his former student who he had failed because of his own selfishness. Now he was divorced from Cristina and April is lying in a hospital bed in Germany, away from her friends and family, only accepting his aid. Was she ashamed? Was she embarrassed?

"Kepner," he said, "What are you?"

"I'm a solider."

"That you are," he grinned, "Now, soldier, let's get you better so you can go home," he repeated.

"I wouldn't want anything more." She smiled, still dreading the idea of seeing Jackson again. She made sure he wouldn't know about this, why worry him? But to be honest, she was slightly afraid that if she told him or if he found out, there was the distinct possibility that he wouldn't care. If you never ask, you'll never feel the disappointment.

Northwestern Medical Center had given her an amazing research facility, much like the one in Munich. She'll never forget the doctors that had helped her through the most tasking physical challenge of her life. They changed her. They made her want to be a doctor for more than the glory or the pride from her family, or the more charitable reason of helping people. Now, she wanted to be a doctor for her country. To support the men and women who give up their lives to protect her freedom.

"I don't know why we have to talk to the patients," Dr. Liam Brown, groaned.

"Come on, it's fun," Mindy urged, "You've got to admit some of their stories are pretty interesting.

"No they're not. I'm a surgeon, not a grief counselor."

"To be a surgeon is to be a grief counselor, you're going to have to speak with their families if anything goes wrong, you're going to have to speak to your patient and assure them that you've got this. That they're going to be fine. And," she paused for effect, "If you so much as breathe disrespectfully in front of these soldiers I will personally have you removed from this program," April threatened, "Understood?" She stood firmly with her hands on her hips and gave a look that could kill, leaving the young surgeon shaking in his boots.

"Yes, Dr. Kepner."

"Now get out you two," she ordered, "I need to meet with Mr. McKinley, since you two don't think it's worth your time."

The two residents quickly shuffled out of the lab with their tails between their legs. She scoffed, annoyingly at their complaints. She knew her outburst was a tad unwarranted, they were young and they didn't know better. But someone should have taught them the basic rules of respect, especially when it comes to these Veterans.

"Hi Evan," she smiled pleasantly, as she entered his exam room. They were in the first part of their study, so now they were evaluating if each person was a good fit. It stung to reject people, but a little voice inside of her reminded her that if they could get the proper funding then these treatments could be used for other Veterans. Start with a few and the many will follow.

"Dr. Kepner, it's great to see you again."

"I've told you, I don't know how many times, that you can call me April."

"And I've told you that I never disrespect a lady," he mocked the tipping of the hat gesture with a cheeky grin on his face, "So, I'm going to call you Dr. Kepner."

She rolled her eyes jokingly, "Well-then, let's get down to business. How is your family? Have they adjusted well to you being home?"

Evan McKinley joined the Army right after college, he had felt that he wasn't ready for a career and that serving his country would be a good distractor from his fear of his impending future. So, he married his college girlfriend, and enlisted. He was deployed three times in the ten years after that. The army just made sense to him; he had comrades, a purpose, and honor. He had never thought it would betray him. That was until an IED hit and blasted his leg clean off. He had passed out from the sheer extremeness of the event and woke up in an army hospital with his left leg missing. His buddies told him that he woke up, still groggy, looked under the sheets and just shrugged at his missing leg, saying, "Well, I guess I lost the bet." He was sent home a few weeks later and he's been there for a year. Rehabbing his leg, working with the prosthetic, and trying to adjust himself to a life as an amputee.

"Everything's fine. You know, I don't feel like a cripple." April made a face at that word, to her it was impolite, and "Hey don't make that face I'm the one who's a cripple, so I can make fun of myself," he said putting a hand on his prosthetic, "I'm one of the lucky ones. I can still walk, I can still lift my kids up and pretend that they're airplanes over me shoulders. I can kiss my wife and I still know who she is. There are men," he looked down at the ground trying to compose himself, "Some of my brothers didn't make it out alive. And some that did are shells of their former selves. So, I'm okay with missing my leg."

"PTSD," she abruptly stated, "Any signs of PTSD?"

"None that I can think of. Unless you'd think guilt would be one? Then have me committed," he laughed.

"Evan, why are you doing this study then?"

"Because I figured I could be a control, you could evaluate me and my progress and compare it to the fellows who aren't so lucky."

"You've practiced that, haven't you?"

"Every night for a week."

"Well, I think you'll be an excellent addition to the study."

After a long day of meeting with different patients and hearing their stories about how they received their injuries and why they wanted to participate in the study, April felt completely drained. All she wanted to do was go and she her daughter, smell the top of her head, and for thirty seconds think about nothing other than the crisp, clean scent of her daughter's tightly-wound curls.

"Long day?" Bright asked, almost immediately as she entered the house. Her fiancé already had dinner on the table, chicken breast with green beans and rolls. He never ceased to amaze her.

She went over to kiss him, with Harriet still in her arms, "You know me so well."

"Or Amelia texted me that you hadn't left the lab all day, not even for lunch."

"Damn, and here I thought you were just this amazing person who has this telepathic superpower to know exactly how I'm feeling. I think I need to go to our room to sort through this disappointment.

"Well, I'll call my mom and tell her the wedding's off. It'll be a bear to get that deposit back, but Bright Abbott can work some magic."

April just laughed at him and went to place Harriet in her height chair while Bright called for Jack to come down from his room.

"April," the little boy exclaimed, practically pummeling her when ran to hug her.

She stroked the top of the little boy's head while he held onto her leg, "Hi Jack," she beamed. She never got sick or annoyed with his joy. He loved her and she loved him. The four of them sat down at the kitchen table and they were a true family. Maybe not by blood, but in all the true ways that count. They loved each other. They respected one another. And they'd do anything for one another. She truly hasn't felt this secure in herself and her relationships in a long time.

"Let's pray," Bright interrupted her train of thought. And so, the four of them linked hands, Harriet tried her best but at only three her grip was pretty weak.

"Thank you God for the food on this table, for bringing Harriet and April into my life, for the strength and tenacity of the soldiers April treats, for Jack's smile, and of course for making us a family.

"Amen," they all chimed.

"So, Jack, what was the up of your day and what was the down?" April and Bright had started a tradition, where at dinner they'd each share the best part of their day and the worst. It was a way to keep things positive, but also to allow them all to vent. However, venting could only be done at the dinner table and one complaint per person.

"My team won the game of kickball at recess," he beamed, stuffing his face with some green beans.

"And the low?" Bright inquired.

"I had a spelling test today."

"How'd that go?" April asked.

"I got an A."

"So why's that the worst part of your day?" Bright wondered.

"Yeah, getting an A means you did really well."

"I hate spelling."

April and Bright just roared in laughter. Jack never knew why his parents would laugh at him, but he just played along and laughed to.

After cleaning up the kitchen and getting the kids ready for bed, April and Bright sat on the couch in the living room together. She had poured each of them a small class of pinot noir and turned on the nightly news. She sat with her head perched in his lap, while he stroked her hair slowly.

"You really had a rough day, didn't you?"

"It just, it brought back so many memories; from before, from my injury. I know that's why I'm doing this, but it doesn't make it any easier."

"You're being brave."

"I wasn't brave for going. I was running away." She had never admitted that to anyone, her pride wouldn't allow her. Maybe if she had admitted that to Jackson all those years ago, they would have been okay. But the carousel never stops turning, she's made her bed and now she has to lye in it.

"Your reasons may have been selfish, but that doesn't counter act what you did there. Do you know how many people are alive because of you?"

"No."

"I'd bet hundreds."

She didn't respond, but Bright continued, "You're the most compassionate person I know, it's one of the reasons I fell in love with you. It's why I'm so excited to marry you in a month."

"I still can't believe we're getting married in a month."

"I can," he laughed, "I knew from the moment I met you that I was going to marry you."

"Really?"

"Really," he looked down at her with assurance.

"I'm glad that you asked me," she smiled, "You're everything I never knew I needed."

They sat in silence for a little while longer, watching the news, until Bright broke the silence, "April," he began. She peered up at him, fairly certain at what he was going to say.

"I want you to adopt Jack and I want to adopt Harriet. I know we haven't talked about it. But in case anything happens, I want you to have him. And I'd want to have Harriet or at least make some type of arrangement with Jackson if something were to happen," he trailed off.

She delicately grabbed his hand and smiled, "Yes, Bright. Absolutely yes."

The day had come, April Kepner was getting married; she couldn't help but smile boldly as she jumped out of bed at 6:00. She was always an early riser, thanks to her childhood growing up on a farm, but today there was definitely an extra spring in her step. This would be the third morning she woke up to a wedding. Her first was Matthew. She had loved him in her own way, but definitely not as much as he loved her. Looking back, it was cruel to stay with him, to lead him to a wedding. But she didn't want to be alone. She had been afraid that if she didn't marry Matthew, well she wouldn't marry anyone. She was content with a life of 'okay' love if it meant being alone. And then Jackson stood up and said those words, "I love everything about you, even the things I don't like. And I think, I think you love me too." She had never felt more sure of anything in her life than when she ran out of that barn with his hand intertwined in hers. The two of them drove to Lake Tahoe and they actually got married, but that ended in tragedy.

Now, she's older, wiser, and more in love than she's ever been in her life. She has a man who is everything Matthew wasn't, strong, passionate, and incredible in bed. While Jackson was rash and sometimes judgmental, Bright was sweet and sensitive. She never felt judged by him. She never questioned her beauty, her faith or her beliefs, or how she preformed sexually. Jackson, he had a way of making her question herself. She loved him and he wasn't a bad person, but somehow he had a way of making her feel like she should change herself. Bright loved her for her, cukooness and all.

Although it's been a while since she and Jackson had seen each other, almost a year and a half, she still invited him to her wedding. Not to rub it in his face, nothing like that. She loved him, he was the father of her child, and he used to be her best friend. She wanted him there. But he never sent in his R.S.V.P., so she took that as a no. He's probably moved on with his life, he's probably dating someone new. She has this amazing life with an amazing man and two wonderful children; he doesn't need to be here today.

"April, hon?" Her mother Karen knocked quietly on the door of her hotel room, "You up?"

"Yeah," she replied.

Her mom came in with a cup of steaming hot coffee with one thing of creamer and two packets of Splenda, just how April likes it, "You ready to get married today?"

"Absolutely. How's Harriet?"

"Sleeping like a rock. You didn't send me that picture of the flower girl dress you got her," April rolled her eyes, preparing her self for her mother's chastising, "It's absolutely adorable."

"Thank you."

"And that Jack," she beamed, "He's going to look like such a stud in that suit."

"Mom, you shouldn't say that about a six year old."

"Your sisters have daughters and they wouldn't be related."

April practically choked on her coffee, "Mom," she gasped, "Do not pimp out my son."

"Your son?"

April hadn't told her mother that she and Bright had officially filed papers to adopt one another's children. It had been a very long and awkward phone call with Jackson, but he had conceded. Bright adopting Harriet took away none of Jackson's parental rights and if something happened to April, Jackson would still get Harriet but agreed to move to Chicago so she wouldn't have to transition to a new city without Bright and Jack. It was a good compromise. They also stipulated in the paperwork that if both of them died, Jackson would get both children. He wasn't thrilled with the idea, but April convinced him. "She's yours," she told him, "And he's mine too. I trust you; you'd do well by them if you needed to. You're a good man in a storm, Jackson."

"I adopted him last week, it's official. Jack is mine." She couldn't help but cheekily smile at the thought.

She expected her mom to complain, to chastise her for adopting Jack. Jack isn't her problem, he's not her son by blood, and so she shouldn't need to take care of him. But there was something about that little boy; April didn't know if she had fallen more in love with Bright or the endearing smile his son wore every time he and April did something together. That boy was hers in every way that counted and she was willing to kick her mother out of her wedding if she dared to argue, "That's great, Apple," she smiled, "That's really great," she held back tears.

April immediately stood up, much to her older sister's disapproval who was doing her hair at the time, "Hey," Libby yelled, but April ignored her.

"Mom," she soothed," holding her mom close to her and stroking her hair with her hands. Of all the people who should be upset right now, it should be April, this is her wedding day. Well it wouldn't be April Kepner's wedding day if she weren't consoling someone else.

"It's nothing, really," she lied, wiping the tears form her eyes quickly.

"Mom," April looked at her sternly.

"Samuel," she breathed quietly, "I can't help but think of him."

"Jack isn't replacing him, not even close. I have more than enough room in my heart for both of them."

"I know," her mom replied, "I always knew that you'd grow up to be an exceptional woman. But you have more than exceeded my expectations."

"Mom, you're going to make me cry."

Her mom looked at her intently, "No, no, you don't do that. We don't need you ruining your makeup."

April half laughed and cried, "Alice would kill me, wouldn't she?"

"Probably."

April and Bright had decided to get married outside at Art Institute of Chicago South Garden. It was absolutely breath taking, especially in June. April wanted to be outside, so she could have butterflies surrounding her and the flowers didn't hurt either. Her and Bright wanted to keep the ceremony small, so only their closest friends and family were in attendance. April had her sister's on her side as her bridesmaids, the three of them had gotten much closer since her wedding to Matthew and Bright had his brothers and Eric next to him.

She wore an ivory colored cocktail dress; she felt that a traditional wedding dress would have been too much. It hit just below her knees and she held a small bouquet of pale pink roses in front of her. She followed Harriet down the aisle, with her father on her arm and the only thing she could focus on was Bright's smiling face. He had on a black suit, that was fitted to perfection and if she focused hard enough she could see the tears in his eyes. She couldn't help but smile wide and almost chuckle at him, he responded by playfully waving his index and middle finger.

"We are gathered here today to witness April Noel Kepner and Bright Nathaniel Abbott embark on the journey of marriage." The ceremony continued without any hiccups or former best friends standing up and giving objections, "April and Bright have prepared their own vows."

They stood to look at one another, "April," he began, "I was in love once. She was the mother of my son and when I lost her I accepted that my life would always be a little bit empty. But then you walked into my life. With your charming smile and positive attitude. You've endured more than most people and you do it without complaint. You've brought a light to mine and Jack's life, one that we didn't know was missing, but would surely never survive without. You are a love I never allowed myself to want, but you are everything I needed. I love you, I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and I will do everything in my power to cherish you as your husband. From this day, until my last day."

He slide the ring on her finger as she tried to hold back tears, "Bright, you have taken me and my daughter in and treated us like your own since the first day I met you. You're the strongest, most charismatic man I have ever met. Your love never waivers and your joy doesn't either. Life can be scary at times, but I know I have nothing to fear knowing that I'll have you by my side. My partner. My best friend. My husband. From this day, until my last day."

"You may now kiss the bride."

Bright grabbed April's cheek and kissed her softly; it wasn't like their other kisses. It was full of passion, security, and rightness. He was finally kissing his wife and she was finally kissing her husband, she'd never been happier. Her entire family and friends from the hospital were smiling an clapping as the happy couple walked down the aisle with their children in hand, ready to start their lives as a married couple, finally.

The E.R. was slow that morning, too slow. April knew it should have been a sign, but she ignored it, wishing for a bit of action so she could do more than twiddle her thumbs and read the news on her phone.

"Incoming," a nurse shouted, "There was just a hotel fire a few blocks from here, they'll be coming in a couple of minutes."

"Everyone, get trauma gowns on stat," April yelled, immediately going into Chief of Trauma mode.

"You said you wanted an intense morning," Eric joked.

"Not like this," she bit back, trying to hide her nervousness over Bright. He worked this morning, taking his friend Nate's shift because he wanted to stay home with his sick daughter. April's heart was beating quickly, she kept reminding herself that he probably was nowhere near the fire, he was probably fine. She needn't worry for nothing.

She had taken care of a few patients, luckily there were no casualties yet, and then the ambulance came with a young man in his mid-thirties. He was burned over sixty percent of his body, his limbs looked like they dind't belong on his body and his face was unrecognizable, covered in soot and grime. His hair had been burned to a crisp, but some still remained on his head. He was out, which she was glad for, the pain would've been too intense if he were awake.

"I got him, trauma one," she instructed her residents.

"We've got you," she said to him, trying to reassure the young man, who looked like a firefighter, "You saved all those people, now it's my turn to save you."

She worked on the man tirelessly for an hour, but it was no use. He status hadn't changed. She was about to give up when she looked at his hand and saw it, his wedding ring. Bright's wedding ring.

"Dr. Kepner, do you want me to call it?" A nurse asked.

April's mouth was open wide, but no sound came out. Eric came into the room, to check on her, asking if he needed her for other patients just in time to catch her as she fell to the ground. Her knees gave out, buckling like water, and then her cries came.

"Bright," she wailed.

Who is the person that when you get the phone call telling you that they're gone, your knees will drop to the floor, your hands will cover your mouth in fear and anger and hurt, your body will crouch down and cradle itself because the last person who would hug you in this moment is gone, and as you drop the phone and it smashes on the ground and your tears become screams and your quiet sobbing with one tear flowing down your cheek becomes uncontrollable sobs where your whole body is shaking. It's not a panic attack. It's not anything you've ever felt before, it's death. Who is this person that when they die, you die? A part of your soul is taken with them as their body goes from a living, breathing person with thoughts and dreams, to nothing. She'd played the scene over and over in her head as a terrible nightmare, but she never thought she'd have to witness his death.

"April, April," Eric tried to soothe as he held her in his arms. But she didn't hear him, she just kept crying as she watched her husband breathe his last breath while the confused hospital staff stood there motionless as the watched April lose her husband and her happiness in one breath.

Next chapter will be the last with some flasbacks at the beginning. Thank you all for reading and keeping up with this story. Reviews are always loved and appreciated! ALSO JACKSON DID NOT GIVE UP HIS PARENTAL RIGHTS. It's called step-parent adoption. No one is asking Jackson to give up his rights.