Anonymous: "Can you write a oneshot about Jackson and April taking Chloe for a check up with Alex. Also I love the way you write for Jackson and Chloe!"

This prompt made me so excited! It was so interesting to me…I don't know why I thought "Oh, interesting" first…because really it's cute! I tried to think of something cute before the cheating, so more TFK than MIMB buuut….the writer's block for before the cheating is real!

So this is set sometime after Thanksgiving before the miscarriage, there's a whole month in there. She tells him at 12 weeks and miscarries at I guess about 14 or 15. We're in 13 here. Keep in mind that this whole world is "in progress" so things keep changing and evolving and I love sharing it with you as I go. I know where this will end pretty much, it's happy for this world! Also, April especially is neither in or out at t this point…

PS: Thanks for loving Jackson/Chloe! MIMB compliments make me giddy!

100 Encore, Day 34: "Growth"

"Fancy meeting you guys here!" April greeted her family and hung up her coat up in Alex Karev's waiting room. She was there for Chloe's yearly physical.

"I just gettin' checked up mama, I not sick. I feelin' good!" Chloe announced, from her father's lap.

"I know sweetie, we're gonna see how much you grew this year! I'm so excited to see!"

"Go kiss your mom and show her your drawing, worm!" She only got off Jackson's lap at his prompting. She loved her mom, but she was a true daddy's girl at heart.

"Look, mama," she said crawling into April's lap. "I drawed my fam-ly. Me and you and daddy and you is holdin' daddy's hand."

"That is such a nice picture, baby. Are we gonna hang it up in your room tonight?"

Chloe shook her head. "In you house an' my house an' daddy's house on the rador."

April sighed. Jackson wasn't moved back in yet. After telling him she was pregnant a week ago, they started moving in that direction. In therapy, she'd mentioned wanting to learn to forgive and let him move home. But she couldn't just jump right back to where they were.

She wanted answers and he wasn't giving them. The conversation this week went something like this:

"Why did you cheat on me?"

"I was drunk."

"Why were you drunk?"

"I was in Boston."

"Why were you in Boston?"

"Foundation stuff."

"Can you give me anything else? I need a little more here."

"I love you and I made a mistake and I understand it might take you awhile but I'm happy you are committed to moving forward.

April had left frustrated. She couldn't shake the feeling that he was holding something back. But she believed in her marriage. Divorce wasn't something she wanted. She respected women who decided to leave right away, but love didn't just go away. She knew Jackson. He needed time and she was going to give it to him. He had been patient with her while she worked to being ready to forgive, and she was going to give him some. But she didn't have forever. The baby wasn't going to wait for its parents to get their shit together.

"You want to put it on our fridge? That's a great idea." She glanced at Jackson, sitting diagonal from them, thumbing his fingers on the armrests. She decided to take a big step. "You know even though daddy doesn't live with mommy for now I still like to hold his hand, right?" Chloe shook her head against her mom's chest and Jackson's eyes widened in surprise. "No? I guess I just have to show you then.

She stood up with Chloe in her arms and sat next to her husband, making her daughter squeal with delight. Then she passed the giggling little girl to her father and then offered him her hand. He slipped his fingers between hers, naturally, and everyone was quiet for a second, happy.

"Daddy, I wanta hold your hand too!"

"Good thing I have three hands then," Jackson said, plopping his hysterical three-year old in the seat next to him and grabbing her tiny hand. But he was particularly proud he got his wife to chuckle.

"No daddy!"

"No, how many hands do I have, worm?"

"Ony two!" she said, confident.

"Only two, huh? Well I'm so glad I have one for each of you."

"Yeah. I can play with Uncle Alex?"

"Play? No silly he's gonna check you out, make sure your body's feeling good. I told you."

"I telled you, I good. How you body feeling?"

"My body? I'm feelin' kinda tired, worm. I'm getting kind of old and we woke up early for school, didn't we? and then daddy had to run around at work and run to pick you up and so I'm exhausted. But I can't wait to see how much you've grown, worm! What about you, mama, how are you feeling?" He glanced down at her belly, but didn't say a word. They weren't telling Chloe until things were more settled.

"I''m pretty exhausted too, and hungry. I can't wait to go out for yummies with my Chlo!"

"Daddy comin'?

Jackson and April shared an uncertain glance but were saved by the nurse practitioner, calling Chloe in for her check up.

"Alright Chlo, everything looks good, jut gonna check your reflexes. You're gonna kick me, just try not to do it too hard, OK?"

Chloe looked at her uncle like he he was crazy. "I not gon' kick you, I don't want to, silly."

"Oh you're not, huh? Let's see!" Alex hit her knee with the reflex hammer and when her legs reacted, she looked at her parents, amazed.

"It's OK Chlo, it's supposed to do that. Tell me what shape that is on his hammer?"

"Try-agle."

"Good girl, what other shapes do you see Chloe?" Jackson took his wife's cue, entertaining her as Alex finished up her chart. Everything had gone perfectly. Her vision and hearing were fine, her vaccines were up to date, and she'd boasted about how she used the potty all the time.

She seemed to be doing fine, despite the separation. Jackson and April were relieved. They knew it was difficult for her, but they talked about it and dealt with it well at home, so it wasn't seeping into other aspects of her life as much as it could have been. After her birthday Jackson and April realized they had to do better with each other around their daughter, and had come far since then.

"OK, we're all done, here Chlo….See you next year." All of the grown ups exchanged a knowing look. Chloe was excited about one thing and one thing only.

"No way Uncle Alex. My mama an' daddy want to see how much they worm growed."

"Worm? Who's a worm in here?" Alex scratched his head.

"I am!" she smiled proudly.

"Because you are slimy and crawl around right, tell him Chlo!" Jackson lifted her off the exam table.

"No daddy! Acause there's a glowy worm, sound like Chloworm…mama telled me you call me dat when I a baby acause you silly."

"He's so silly isn't he Chlo?" Time to stand for Alex to measure you!" April said.

Eager for a big number, Chloe stood up on her tippy toes. "I'm sorry guys, are we in ballet class? I don't see any tutus anywhere." Chloe giggled. "Please get off of your tippy toes, ballerina."

"I is one, one day my mom pick me up, one day my daddy dos." Chloe boasted to her uncle, but listened to her dad, standing flat.

"Last year you were 37 inches, tell your mom and dad what that number is tiny dancer."

"I not tiny! Dat is a 3 and a 9,"

Chloe glanced at her parents, eager for a reaction. "Wow, two inches mama," Jackson exclaimed. "Guess we fed our worm the right stuff." Jackson and April shared a high five, to their daughter's delight.

They said goodbye to Alex and Chloe got a lollipop. Jackson left the office carrying Chloe in one arm and holding on to April with the other. Everything felt great, and then came the handoff. "No! Daddy peas eat yummies wit me an' mommy. Not bye bye time!"

This part was always difficult for her, especially after spending awhile with both of them. Truth be told, it was difficult for everyone involved. Because they were truly fighting so hard to make the marriage work.

"Chloe, you have to relax. You know tomorrow both of us are coming to dance and taking you for a treat. It's time to go with mom now…"

But April cut him off. "You're off tomorrow?" He nodded, kissing Chloe's head as she cried. "Just come eat with us and then put her to bed and then maybe we can…talk or…" She let her sentence trail off, mostly from frustration. Because they both knew what "or" meant. And because if he'd just tell her the whole story, forgiveness would be so much easier.

She loved him so much that through all the strange stages of this separation, she subconsciously made sure they were never really apart. They both knew they were on the easier side of things now. That made her last words to him before he snuck out in the morning so much harder. "Just tell me the truth Jackson, so I can forgive you. Tell me the truth and come home."

But he just went back to what he always did. "I love you and I'm sorry. That's the truth."