When April Kepner turned four years old she celebrated her first birthday party. Since she'd turned four, she was allowed to invite four of her friends. This proved to be a challenge, given how everyone is friends with everyone in kindergarten. In the end her mom chose those whose parents she considered the best to be associated with. April didn't mind. She was having a party!
It really was splendid. Her aunt Tara made a cake, and her cousin Vaughn was allowed to come in addition to her four friends. Her friends brought her presents: Paper Dolls, Tinker Toys, a Care Bear and even roller skates! Her mom organized a couple of games for them to play, like blind man's bluff and egg-and-spoon-race. Her dad blew up a couple of balloons, and made his voice go funny by inhaling the helium when the celebrations were drawing to a close. All in all, it was pretty perfect. And even at four, April knew she'd always love celebrating her birthday.
When April turned fourteen years old she celebrated her last birthday party at home. It was relatively short-lived. Despite her new age she'd only been allowed to invite five people. One of them, Justin Trill, a boy from her middle school, disappeared in the middle of the party. They found him after half an hour playing an extended version of 7-minutes-in-heaven with Kimmy in the hallway closet. After that none of the Kepner girls were allowed to have birthday parties anymore. And Justin spread the gossip that April's party ended so early because she'd peed her pants as a spin-the-bottle dare, which led to her not having any friends to celebrate her fifteenth birthday with (not that she would have been allowed anyway).
When April turned twenty-four years she didn't celebrate at all. The highlight of that day was the moment the skype call icon popped up on her desktop, informing her that her husband of one year had actually managed to squeeze in a few minutes to talk to her. There was no material gift she desired as much as hearing his voice and seeing his, hopefully, wound-free, features intact face. After Matthew had to end the call – after twenty-three minutes precisely, he'd tried for twenty-four but it just didn't work out – April, although cheery, headed into work. Nobody there knew about the significance of that date.
When April turned thirty-four years old her day started out anything but celebrator. She woke up to the feeling of something heavy landing on her belly, and a familiar voice chiding: "Careful, Casper!"
Blinking her eyes against the light of the day she now had to face, whether she wanted to or not, three people came into view. Two of them were small: one crawling towards and the other one already on top of her. Person number three was towering above them, a tray in his hands.
"Mmmhh- morning," April mumbled, her hands reaching towards her boys.
"Happy birthday, mommy," Levi greeted excitedly. He reached his mother a beat behind step brother, but she managed to hug them both simultaneously, thus avoiding any possible tears.
"Happy birthday," Casper echoed next to her ear.
"Aww, thank you, guys!"
It was a nice surprise to wake up to this. Even if it had started out with a kick in the guts. Literally.
They let go of her after a minute. The excitement remained, though.
"We made breakfast for you!"
"Yeah! Pancakes and strawbrees and fip cream!"
April widened her eyes in excitement. "Pancakes and strawberries and whipped cream?! All by yourselves?"
The two five-year-olds giggled, shaking their heads. "No! Of course not! Daddy helped."
"We're not allowed to use the stove ourself, silly mommy."
"Hey! Who're you calling silly, mister?" she asked, launching a full on tickle fight.
Jackson watched, the tray still in his hands, until both of the boys raised their hands in surrender and April let go. He smiled, then leaned down. Time for his turn.
"Happy birthday, April," he said, wanting to say much more, but not willing to say it in front of the kids. Instead, he gave her a quick peck on the lips before he handed the tray over.
Luckily, their kids were not at the 'ew' stage yet, although they certainly considered kissing couples embarrassing. At least judging by the way they giggled and covered their eyes.
"Oh, that looks great," April praised. Her voice encouraged the boys to uncover their eyes – after all you can't talk while kissing.
"We made a shape, see?" Levi wanted to know.
April titled her head to one side before her eyes lit up in realization. "Oh! A heart! That's so cool you guys. Thank you!"
"You've gotta try them," Casper urged, nudging her side.
She laughed. "Alright, I'll try them."
As she chewed her first piece she could feel three pairs of eyes on her, watching intently. They kept watching until she swallowed. Then one of the eyes' owners requested judgment by uttering a simple conjunction: "And?"
"It's delicious. Wanna try?"
Of course, both of the boys were eager to share with April. Pancakes were one of their favorite breakfast dishes. She was actually surprised they had waited for her to eat first without any begging. Jackson had probably given them some sort of pep talk before going up the stairs. Next time he might just include the etiquette of not climbing on people who were still asleep.
"Don't I get anything?" The man in question, who'd resumed his place lying next to them on the other side of the bed, pouted. April couldn't help but laugh at the look he was giving her. It was so Casperesque.
"Come over here. You can have some," she offered.
Beaming he inched closer to them, until he could wrap an arm around the birthday girl's shoulders. His other arm was busy leading his hand towards the pile of pancakes.
Maybe thirty-four was the age April would start celebrating thoroughly, again.
Maybe thirty-four was the age April shouldn't have started celebrating again. At least, she doubted her decision to do so when she found herself hunched over the toilet for the third time that day. This being late afternoon a few minutes before her friends were scheduled to arrive.
When she was finally done with emptying her stomach's contents into the bowl and came up for air, a wave of dizziness hit her. She had to grip onto the sink to stabilize herself. The spinning ceased after a few seconds, but the pounding in her head remained. She pulled a face at herself in the mirror.
The familiar headache, an almost constant companion of the past two weeks or so, annoyed her. Did it have to present itself on her birthday, of all days? Uninvited guests were the worst.
Sighing, she squeezed some toothpaste onto her toothbrush, ran a little water over the combination and then put it to use on her teeth. On the brighter side, she didn't look any more paler than usual. With an aspirin or two she should be good for the day. In the back of her mind there was this voice, though. This doctor voice told her that these symptoms should be checked out, not suppressed by painkillers. Even internet MD knew.
Not today. Not on her birthday. She had friends coming over. She'd get herself checked out on Monday, or sometime next week depending on her surgical schedule. Having an issue herself was far less interesting and fun than treating her patients'.
April splashed some water onto her face, willing the dark thoughts away. God had taken her son's father before he ever knew him. Surely, God wouldn't take her son's mother as well. This wasn't the Book of Job.
She filled a glass, popped two aspirin into her mouth and swallowed them. One last look into the mirror, and she was good to go. She had to be.
Outside the door, when she opened it, she found Jackson. On his face: obvious worry lines. Of course, her continued pain hadn't been lost on him.
"Hey," he greeted in a hushed voice, "You okay?"
"I will be," April assured, waving the already empty package of aspirin. She'd bought it at the beginning of the week.
Jackson wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her close. "I'm not liking this a bit. How long has it been? A week?"
"Almost two," she confessed, biting her lower lip. "But there's absolutely no history of brain tumors in my family, my radiation dosimeter has been pretty low, I don't think-"
"I just think you should have it checked out," Jackson gently insisted, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Better a negative diagnosis now than a positive diagnosis later, huh?"
Leaning into his touch she sighed, again. "I know. I'll get it checked out first thing next week, alright?" If nothing cool came up, that was. But he didn't need to know that.
"Alright. Let me know when. I'll take you."
"You don't have to."
"I want to."
Jackson was saved further arguments by the doorbell.
"That must be them," April announced.
He smiled. "Let's get this party started, then."
Apart from her headaches, which mostly ceased once the aspirin kicked in, April was having an unexpected blast at her birthday party.
They hadn't invited a lot of people. It wasn't that April didn't have friends, she did. She just didn't view her thirty-fourth birthday as an event big enough to be worth hours of travel. Out of the five couples invited two cancelled, and so it was going to be just six guests.
It turned out to be a good thing. With only doctors present they didn't have to sugar-coat any topics that could be considered gross. Not even when they served the food Jackson had prepared. Sandwiches and pumpkin scones.
Arizona pulled a face as soon as she saw them. "Are you trying to starve us out?"
"I'm sorry. I know my cooking skills aren't up to April's level. But it's her birthday, and she shouldn't cook. I promise it isn't poisonous," Jackson defended his food, more than a little bit offended by the comment.
"No, Jackson. That's not it," the blonde replied shaking her head, "It's just that I hate pumpkin scones... and sandwiches, for that matter."
"Dito," Callie seconded.
Jackson raised an eyebrow, then searched his girlfriend's gaze in his confusion. "But you said I should make these. I even called my mom to get a recipe for the scones."
"I said everything but pumpkin scones and sandwiches," April corrected gently.
"Oh. Well. That makes sense," Jackson said, which had everybody break out in laughter.
Then Callie said: "But seriously, you guys. I'm hungry. Don't you have some tupperware dishes ready to be warmed up, Kepner?"
April blushed heavily as she did when called out on one of her habits. Jackson, although he didn't participate in it, found her obsession with not throwing any food away adorable.
"Uhm... I've got a rocket salad with a raspberry vinaigrette from last night..."
"However tempting that sounds... no salad for her," Arizona put in, pointing rather indiscreetly at her wife.
"Who doesn't eat salad?" Amelia asked.
Callie crossed her arms in front of her chest. "You wouldn't either if you'd found a slug in the last one you had... an alive one, I should stress." For even more emphasis, she screwed up her nose.
"Lobster pasta?" April suggested uncertainly. Right now she felt like a very bad host, and being a Kepner this made her head spin. Kepners were the best hosts in town, not the bad ones.
"That sounds fabulous," Arizona agreed, nodding enthusiastically.
"Er... Actually, I reheated that for the boys last night," Jackson admitted.
Owen frowned. "I thought you hated Tupperware, Avery."
"I do. As I said, it was for the boys." The family man himself had treated himself to a foodora once his kids were asleep (and while his girlfriend was still at work).
Exhausted but hopeful April offered the last thing she could think of: "Pizza! You both like pizza, don't you?"
"Yep. Pizza is the best."
"Good." Suppressing a sigh- these were her guests after all -she pushed her chair back and got up. "Give me a minute."
Jackson literally jumped out of his chair. "I can do it," he volunteered.
"No, it's fine. I'll be much faster."
"I can put a pizza in the oven," he pouted. Although, this time he wasn't really offended. And April didn't hear him anyway.
No, April was busy brushing her hand down over her face to fight the pounding headache that had reemerged as soon as she'd gotten up from her chair. By the time she'd reached the kitchen it was paired with a dizzy spell too. She grabbed onto the counter to steady herself.
It didn't go away.
At this point the redhead was fighting against fainting. She knew it was a matter of time. The dizziness was only getting worse, and so was the headache. Maybe she should call someone...?
She opened her mouth. No words came out.
As her eyes rolled back into her head and she felt gravity pull her, she registered the sound of footsteps; but only faintly.
Then the distant hazy sound of her name, panicked but appearing as if in slow motion, and then: darkness.
April couldn't believe this was happening. On her birthday of all days.
"I can't believe this is happening," she whispered to no one in particular.
Her audience was small. Only Jackson and Owen. Callie had disappeared with Arizona after she'd taken care of April's shoulder, which had been dislocated during the fall. Amelia had run off as soon as they got to the hospital to try and get a hold of an MRI. Nathan had been pulled into surgery as soon as they set foot into the ER. And Meredith's babysitter had canceled so she'd never come to the party in the first place. In essence her six-person confirmed party guests were actually five.
So, Jackson and Owen only. Her boyfriend and her best friend/pseudo brother. Her plastic and her trauma. Her heart and her-
"Right now, we're not sure this is happening," Owen reassured. Apparently he'd heard her.
April shook her head. The movement hurt terribly. "Two weeks, Owen. Two weeks of this. What else do you know that explains two weeks of headaches and dizzy spells?"
"There's a lot of things. A virus-"
Before Owen could list them all Jackson put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. He shook his head at the older man, and this time, for the first time, they reached a consensus. Reasoning wasn't what April needed right now. Right now, all she needed was their support.
"Whatever is happening," Jackson said, taking over, "You're not alone in this, babe. You've got me, you've got your friends, your... our family..."
April teared up again. "I haven't talked to my mom in three months now I'll call her to tell her I'm dying..."
"Woah, woah, woah! Nobody's dying!"
"I might be."
"We might all be," Owen murmured.
"What?!"
He shrugged. "There's accidents every day. You've seen it all in Jordan..."
Something flashed across April's eyes. Then she started crying in earnest. Huge, racking sobs.
"Really well done, Hunt," Jackson praised, sarcasm dripping in his voice. He moved across the room to offer April his shoulder to cry on.
Owen frowned. Apparently, he did that often. "I was only trying to help..."
"Well, you haven't."
"I've got us an MRI, guys," Amelia announced, pulling aside the curtain. Once she comprehended the situation she raised a brow. "Is this bad timing?"
"No! I mean... yeah, kinda." Jackson shrugged. Then he turned back towards April. "Hey babe, did you hear? Amelia's got an MRI. We can figure out what's up with you right now."
April sat up, tears easing. She blinked at the other couple. Then she gripped Jackson by his shirt and pulled him close. "You've gotta promise me-"
"Whatever you want, April."
"If... if anything happens to me. Like, ever. You've gotta promise me you'll take care of Levi. He loves you, and..." She bit her lower lip, clearly trying further waterworks at bay. "You've gotta promise me, okay?"
Although he didn't weep easily Jackson had to fight his own tears as he said: "Okay. Okay, I promise. I love you."
"I love you, too."
The way to the MRI was spent in utter silence. Everyone was left to their own thoughts. Their current views matched up, though. They were all concerned about April, and what the future would hold for her. And for them should she not be in it.
Even as April signed the informed consent and the MTA led her into the room, no further sentiments were exchanged. Jackson stood behind the glass in the observing cabin with the Hunts. Amelia had already gone into professional mode, preparing the settings.
Then, the MTA left the room and it was time to start the procedure.
It was the first time Jackson didn't watch in awe, but in horror as the slides began appearing...
"STOP THE MRI," Arizona shouted. She burst through the door, breathless and hair all over the place. Obviously, she'd been running.
"Why-"
The paediatric surgeon hit the stop button before her colleague could ever finish the question. Whatever it was she was concerned about, it appeared to be more important than her own professional reputation.
"You," she said, pointing at Jackson (apparently, she liked pointing at people), "Come with me... and don't turn it back on, Sheperd. I know you want to."
Jackson didn't even know what was happening, but somehow he ended up in the MRI room with his girlfriend and her best friend.
"Jackson? Arizona? What...?" April asked in confusion, once she was unceremoniously removed from the tunnel of the donut-shaped MRI machine and they came into view.
"I'll explain in a minute," Arizona assured, "Let's get you out of the room first."
She unsnapped and removed the Magnetic Resonance Imaging helmet that surrounded April's head, allowing her to get off the machine's movable bed. Then she led their company of three (or was it already a crowd?) back through the changing room and into the hallway. There – finally - she allowed them to sit down in waiting room chairs.
However, she didn't really give them any time to breathe. Much like she hadn't given herself time to breathe racing up the hallway to the MRI rooms.
"How long was she in there?" she asked Jackson.
"Not even a minute... twenty seconds? I don't know..."
Arizona nodded thoughtfully. "Well, that's good. I mean. Not good. But something. Definitely better than I feared it would be..."
"What do you mean: good? Why did you stop the MRI without any explanation?" Jackson wanted to know. His confusion was slowly turning into irritation. He didn't remember whether Arizona had had a glass of wine or not, but right now her actions would only make sense to him if she was indeed drunk. And that would probably take, like, a bottle.
"I had to do it as quickly as possible. No time to explain."
"But why-"
"Arizona," April cut in sharply, "What's going on?"
The blonde's voice changed and even her eyes grew softer when she turned towards her friend. It was about time. If Jackson was scared, April must have been crippled with fear. "Sweetie. Do you remember I took your blood?"
April nodded.
"Well, I analysed it, and the results were clear. You don't have a brain tumour."
"How can you tell this by my blood?" The redhead raised an eyebrow, and reasonably so. After all, they were all doctors. This didn't make any sense.
"Because I found out what's causing your troubles... April, you're pregnant."
A/N: Dun, dun, dunnnn! Let me know your thoughts on this totally unexpected twist ;D