So since the show is making us wait for Japril's story, I am just going to keep creating one in my head and sharing it with you all. When I first started this story I didn't plan for it to be so angsty, but it's Japril, so maybe I should have seen that coming. I do have some plans for less angst and more love later, but the angst always comes first, right? So, stay with me if you can! Anyway, here is chapter four. Let me know what you think, and thanks for all of the wonderful feedback so far!

Chapter 4

April wrapped her arms around Jackson's waist and smiled up at him. She couldn't believe that he was in Chicago. He must have left Seattle right after they got off the phone.

"How did you even get here? Were you flying all night? Wait. Where is our daughter?!" April's expression changed from adoring to frantic.

Jackson laughed quietly. "Harriet is with Ben and Bailey. Well, technically she is in the hospital daycare right now, but Bailey is picking her up and taking her home after her shift. I felt bad asking them at the last minute, but they actually seemed pretty excited to watch her."

April was happy to hear that Harriet was in good hands, but that still didn't answer all of her questions. "Okay, so how did you get here so fast? There is no way you were able to get a straight flight out of Seattle to Chicago at the last minute."

"April. Have you forgotten? I have my own plane. You just rode on it. I guess you weren't that impressed with it after all." Jackson reminded her.

She didn't know how she could have forgotten about the Avery's plane. She had been so impressed when they took it to Montana – the reclining, leather seats, the stewardess offering them champagne, and the food. The food was probably the best part. On second thought, no. The best part had been the trip home. Montana had been exhausting for both of them. Physically and emotionally exhausting. They sat together on the long, plush couch after boarding the plane and recounted the details of Caroline's surgery. Neither of them could really believe they had pulled off creating a valve for her out of her own appendix. This was a surgery they would both remember forever. It wasn't long before their conversation slowed, however, and they sat in comfortable silence allowing the tiredness to take over. April's head slowly fell to the right and rested on Jackson's shoulder. For a moment, they stayed just like that, their bodies relaxing and their minds drifting off. Then April realized she was leaning on him and sat up quickly. Her movements brought him back to reality as well. "Sorry." She said avoiding eye contact. "I didn't mean to do that. I mean – I don't know if we…" She began to scoot away from him when she felt his hand against her thigh. She turned to look at him and saw he was looking back at her with that smile that made his eyes light up – that smile that was only for her. "Don't be sorry." He held his hand out to her. "Come here." She took his hand as he laid back on the couch pulling her down next to him. Her head was resting on his chest and his hand was absentmindedly tracing the outside of her arm. Jackson sighed contentedly, "I sleep much better like this anyway." Within moments sleep overtook them both and they didn't wake again until their plane began its descent into Seattle.

April opened her mouth to respond that she had certainly not forgotten the plane, but before she could do so, the door next to hers opened and Catherine stepped in to the hallway.

"Jackson! I thought I heard your voice! Baby, what are you doing here?!" Catherine hugged her son and looked from Jackson to April. "Did you know about this, April? Did he tell you he was coming?"

"Nope. I was just as surprised as you are."

Catherine caressed Jackson's cheek and smiled, "Well, I think it's wonderful. It has been too long since you have been to the Avery Trauma Center. You can go with us to the hospital this afternoon. Has April already told you all about her first day?"

His eyes darkened a bit and he cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, she did. That's actually why I'm here."

Catherine looked puzzled, "Oh? I don't understand."

"Mom…we need to talk."

Catherine, April, and Jackson sat together in the small living room area of April's hotel room. Telling Catherine about her assault proved no easier than telling Jackson. Explaining the details of what happened in Dotson's office forced April to relive the events again in her mind. She could almost feel his hands on her body, holding her in place, grabbing her without permission. She hadn't even realized she was crying again until she looked down at her hand in Jackson's and noticed their hands were blurry through her tears. Catherine listened silently to everything April needed to tell her. When April stopped speaking, a quiet stillness filled the room as each of them tried to process what had happened and what to do next.

Without a word to Jackson or April, Catherine pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed a number. Catherine crossed to the window and stood looking out over the city while she waited for her call to be answered.

April couldn't read Catherine's expression. "Who is she calling?" She whispered to Jackson.

"I don't know…Mom? Who are you calling?" Jackson called over to Catherine.

Catherine turned from the window to face Jackson and April and spoke into the phone, "Susan, it's Catherine Avery. I need Johnathan Griffin on the phone. Now."

April saw a small smile cross Jackson's face, but she didn't understand why. "Who is that? Who is Johnathan Griffin?"

"Johnathan Griffin is one of our attorneys. It looks like my mother has a plan."

Two hours later Jackson, April, and Catherine were standing outside the Avery Trauma Center waiting for Johnathan to meet them. During the ride from the hotel to the hospital, April had grown increasingly anxious about the idea of seeing Dotson again. She knew that Jackson wouldn't let anything happen to her, but he couldn't change what had already happened. And the thought of facing Jeff Dotson created a nauseas feeling in her that she was unable to ignore.

"I don't think I can do this." April blurted out.

Jackson and Catherine, who had been scanning the parking lot for their lawyer's car, both turned to look at her.

"Do what, honey?" Catherine asked.

"I – I can't…I don't want to see him." April quietly admitted.

Jackson stepped toward April and wrapped her in his arms. She laid her head against his chest and closed her eyes, grateful for his strength. She would need it today to get through this.

"You won't. I placed a call and Dotson's presence was suddenly required at the medical conference being held downtown today. He won't be in at all today. You don't need to worry about a thing. Besides, I wanted to make sure I have plenty of time to review all of his administrative records and take my time looking through his office. Men like him, April…there's a good chance you aren't the first woman he has assaulted. And we need to know if there is any evidence of that before we move forward." Catherine reassured her.

"Maybe there are cameras in his office?" April thought if they could see for themselves what had happened that would be all the evidence they would need.

"Unfortunately, there aren't. Just in the hallways. We can view you entering and leaving his office, and although I am sure you look quite upset leaving, that doesn't prove anything." Catherine rubbed April's arm and turned back to the parking lot as a black sedan pulled up to the curb. "There he is." Catherine stepped toward the car to meet their lawyer.

April leaned her head back to look up at Jackson. "Thank you."

"For what?" he asked.

"I don't know if I could do this without you here."

"You could, April. You are a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for. But you don't need to. I am right here, and I'm not going anywhere." He bent down to rest his forehead against hers and whispered, "ever."

They spent the better part of the morning combing through Dotson's personnel files. In the ten years he had worked at the hospital, seven women had filed complaints against him for either sexual harassment, intimidation, or discrimination. The reports were full of stories of Dotson abusing his power but none of them were quite as severe as April's. Their lawyer photocopied all of the reports and advised April to write a statement detailing her assault. He assured them that all of the evidence combined would be more than enough to create a case against Dotson.

Jackson tossed one of the files he had been reading on to the desk. "How has he gotten away with this for so long?" How is he still working here? He has seven complaints in his file – seven! Why the hell hasn't anyone addressed this before now? If someone had done their damn job, he never would have been anywhere near April!"

"Oh, believe me, Jackson. I will find out. I will not allow any of our employees to overlook matters that are this serious. They will be dealt with as well." Catherine assured him.

Their lawyer gathered all the files together and put them in his briefcase. "Dr. Kepner, if you could go ahead and write down your account of what transpired yesterday then I can begin preparing our case."

"Sure." April replied.

"April, why don't you write up your statement in here while we go see if there is anything we can use in Dotson's office. This room isn't scheduled to be used for any meetings today, so you should have plenty of privacy." Catherine suggested.

The last thing April wanted to do was to step foot in Dotson's office ever again. She was grateful to Catherine for understanding that without her having to say anything. "That would be great. Thank you."

She picked up a yellow notepad and pen from the table and sat down in one of the oversized, brown, leather chairs. Catherine led their attorney out of the room to Dotson's office. Before following them, Jackson knelt down next to April's chair. "You gonna be okay here alone for a little bit? It shouldn't take long to check out his office."

"Of course," April smiled. "I'll be fine. Go."

"Okay, I'll be back in a few minutes." Jackson kissed her softly on the forehead and left the room.

The silence was strangely nice. April hadn't had much time to herself since she ran from Dotson's office the day before. She hadn't really been able to process any of it. And as much as she didn't want to relive the details one more time, the idea of putting it all on paper seemed somewhat cathartic. Once it was on paper, it wouldn't just exist in her mind. It would be concrete, tangible in a way. Her words would have more power and maybe Dotson would have less.

Once she began writing the words flowed easily. She described arriving at the Avery Trauma Center and meeting Dotson and his ER team. She included the surgeries she scrubbed-in for and the painful staff meeting she sat through. She didn't leave out any detail. His subtle, misogynistic jokes. His touches that sent shivers up her spine. His angry jealousy of Jackson. Her fear.

Her pen moved quickly across the paper without pause. She needed to get this story out, to make sure it was heard, so he couldn't do this to another woman. She wasn't quite finished when the office door opened and she knew the others had returned.

"I'm sorry." She said with her eyes focused on her page. "I'm not quite finished. I just need another minute."

The door slammed closed behind her, startling her, and the pen made a stray mark across the page as she jumped. She was struck by a sudden wave of lightheadedness as she turned her chair toward the door. The pen she was holding fell to the floor and rolled under the table.

Her mind willed her body to react, to move, but she couldn't. She stayed frozen in her chair as Jeff Dotson walked closer to look down at her with a smirk. "Hello, April."