Just then April heard someone tapping tentatively at her door. It's currently one in the morning who could possibly at her front door and why? She opened her front door and instantly her heart started pounding at an increasingly rapid pace. The face staring back her brought her comfort but nervousness as well. The face staring at her was the one she described as physically beautiful. The face staring back at her wouldn't be here at 1 A.M. She was facing the man of the night.
"Jackson, hi."
*Disclaimer: I own nothing.
CHAPTER TWO:
It has been a long night for Jackson Avery. His day had consisted of burn victims who suffered from second and third degree burns due to a drug user in the apartment complex trying to get his daily high. Idiot, Jackson thought. Each individual patient's case was different but one patient stood out to him the most. This victim suffered from third degree burns from his neck down that went through the dermis and affected his deeper tissues. The patient's wife gone into labor due to shock after the dreadful experience of the fire and immediately he wanted to see his new addition. As one of the nurses walked into the BICU with the baby in her hands excited to show Mr. Robertson's (the patient) his new baby girl Jackson heard him mutter something.
"I want to hold her." The nurse of course following the father's wishes brought the baby closer so he could hold.
"No, no that's not a smart idea-" Jackson who was intensely looking at his phone gazing at the photo April sent hours earlier of Ella sitting in her oatmeal bath quickly spoke up.
"Ahhhghhhh!" Mr. Robertson's let out a loud screeching yell, his eyes were watery with sheer pain and his breathing all at once became shallow. I knew this would happen he said to his self and ordered the nurse to leave with the baby. Mr. Robertson's skin was so severe that the slightest attempt to reach for his child would cause each dead skin to crease and expose his bones.
"I just wanted to hold my daughter. I needed to hold my daughter Dr. Avery. Why can't I hold my daughter?" The man cried out and Jackson clenched his fists. This burn victim suffered immense pain from a blazing fire but here Jackson is feeling as if his chest were on fire. What if this were him in this position and he could never hold Ella again? The thought alone of not being able to hold his daughter made Jackson act off impulse and that's how he ended up at his ex-wife's front door at one in the morning and luckily she opened the door.
"Hey, I know it's late but I just really wanted to hold Ella for a few minutes. I hope I didn't wake you from getting sleep." Just then he took in on her appearance. She wasn't dressed as if she was asleep like he assumed. Her vibrant red tresses were curled and stopping at her shoulders, she had on slight make-up, and wore a white blouse with a pair of dark washed ripped jeans, and a wine glass in her hand. Did she have company over?
"Or not? Look if you have company over…" Jackson was hoping he silenced the evident pang of concern and what felt like jealously in his voice. Why did he think this was a good idea again?
"Oh no! I mean yes, yes I have company over but it's not like that. And by that I mean I'm not having any guy company over which I mean is technically ok?" She searched his green eyes for a response, a nod, a something but he just stared right back into her brown eyes. "The company I'm referring to are the girls. The girls are over and we were just hanging out." April's finally said. Jackson couldn't help but smirk for two obvious reasons: April is still rambling and isn't dating.
"Oh, well it's fine. I should've asked before I came anyways." Jackson couldn't help but feel the disappointment hover over him. He really needed to see and hold Ella. He was going to tell her good night but she spoke up before he could get the chance.
"No whenever you feel like holding your child whether it's one in the morning or ten at night, you're going to hold your child." He couldn't help but give out a soft smile. This is why Jackson feels content that the mother to his child is April Kepner. He couldn't envision another woman carrying his child like she has and he certainly couldn't imagine another woman being so understanding at 1 A.M.
"I appreciate this April." Jackson said as she opened the door wider so he could step into his old apartment. Their old apartment. As many times Jackson comes and picks up Ella for the week he still can't seem to shake off that the possessions that were once here changed over the last months or the different memories they shared throughout this apartment are a thing in the past.
"It's really no problem, I'll just tell the girls good night. You can head into Ella's room." April said as she closed the front door behind her and they both started to walk in opposite directions. Jackson into Ella's nursery and April back into the living room that's until Maggie blurted out something that caught Jackson entirely off guard.
"Oh my god. It's him!" It's him? Jackson confused at what Maggie said raised his eyebrow in question and shot a look to a blushing April. Jackson crossed his arms.
"It is. It's him." Meredith joined. Jackson could tell three out of the four women were belligerently drunk and possibly don't know what they're talking about but this…...this was interesting.
"Guys whose him?" Arizona asked desperately trying to join in on their conversation. Jackson looked over to his ex-wife and she had that look on her face of pure mortification and he couldn't help but suppress a chuckle.
"Okaayyy, that's definitely enough drinks for all of you. Amelia any assistance would be greatly appreciated." April's timid voice said as she struggled to keep her and Arizona's balance. Jackson doesn't remember seeing Dr. Robbins this drunk since the dinner party at Meredith's house. "Like now please."
And in the matter of minutes Amelia and April yanked, scolded, and directed the three drunk women out of the apartment and into their car. Jackson waited on April to get back from saying goodbye to her friends but he couldn't resist grabbing some of those sandwiches April loved to make. He always enjoyed eating anything she whipped up.
"I'm so sorry about all that. Who knew that a little bit of red wine, Tequila, and finger sandwiches would result in that." April said as she opened her apartment door and walking towards him. "I was going to say help yourself but I see you already have."
"You know how I feel about these. Every time you made them for NFL Sunday's they were gone so fast you had to run back to the store during halftime." Jackson said as he leaned on the black granite counter-top. If this counter-top itself could speak it would confess to the many times Jackson picked April up and sat her on this same exact counter-top to go down on her or the countless times they had sex here. Jackson mentally tried not to think of those dangerous thoughts but it's been ridiculously hard not to when his ex-wife was April.
"So what was that in there?" Jackson quizzed her.
"That in what?" April shot back immediately, her face giving away an anxious look.
"That drunk yelling of whoever him is. That." April's back was turned to him as she put away the remainder of dishes and left over food and he knew that was her way of avoiding confrontation. She loathed it.
"Oh nothing. You said it yourself they were drunk so who really knows huh?" She finally faced him and suddenly their eyes met each other. His eyes danced into hers and for a second they stood there getting voluntarily lost in each other's presence. It brought a familiar sensation Jackson always felt when he stared in her murky green eyes. "I have no idea what they were talking about Jackson, really." Jackson continued to stare at her.
"What are you talking about?"
"I know that look which meant you were going to ask questions that I have no answer to. They got really wasted tonight so…"
"Uh huh. I'm going to Ella's nursery now. Good night and thanks again."
"It's no problem….Hey I was um thinking it's pretty late and if you want you can stay the night?" Jackson's eyes widen as he tried to obtain an answer. It's been nearly eleven months since Jackson slept in the same room as April and as much as he wanted to say yes he knows this over steps the many boundaries they set after their divorce. Did he want to jeopardize the friendship he recently built back up with April? Of course not.
"I'll just head back home." It was the safe thing to do. Staying the night would just make Jackson think of how they could've and should've been and that's just somewhere he can't go.
"Right, it's always better getting a good night's rest at home. I'm going to go to bed so just lock behind you whenever you go. Night Jackson." Jackson had the urge to say this was his home, their home and he gets the best sleep when it's beside her but he knew he couldn't. He watched her small figure disappear into their old bedroom and quietly went inside Ella's nursery. Before Ella was born she was the highlight of his entire existence and after she was born she showed him the powerful sense of fatherhood. Ella's was Jackson twin and it was something April jokingly got jealous over. He watched her sleep innocently and hated his self for being the one interrupting it.
"My girl." Jackson's smile was spread across his face and he carried Ella as tried to rock her back to sleep. She opened her eyes slowly and he felt as if he was looking into his self. He melted every single time he laid eyes on his daughter. Over forty-five minutes has passed and still Ella wouldn't fall back asleep and Jackson cursed his self for waking her up. He tried everything he normally does at his place to get her to sleep but none of them were a success for a very fussy Ella.
"Hey do you need help?" Jackson was so consumed into Ella that he hadn't realize April standing in the doorway in her pink silk pajamas and hair in a bun. It had to be about five in the morning due to the fact the sun still hasn't rise. "I know that cry, that's a very hungry and demanding Ella cry."
"I should've known. I guess her chunky rolls on her arms and legs didn't give away that she eats like a maniac." He said as she tried soothing her.
"I'll get the bottle and try making her sit when she eats. She enjoys taking control when she eats." April laughed and headed into the kitchen and of course Ella started to whine at the sight of her bottle and Jackson mentally thanked April for helping this situation. She picked up Ella and brought the now joyful baby to her bedroom and sat her up as she devoured the rest of her bottle. Jackson sat on the edge of the bed while Ella ate and he looked over to see April in a deep slumber. He was definitely tired and had to report to work in about three hours and couldn't help but watch the two most significant women in his life sleep and decided to join them. Maybe being sleep deprived made him sleep once in a bed that belonged to him and April but Jackson ended up on the right side of the king size bed, Ella's body sprawled out in the middle and April to the left….it was the first time since Ella's birth they slept as a family.
First off I would love to thank each and every one of you who reviewed, favorite, and follwed this story! It made my day seeing the reaction you all had. THANK YOU! The reviews honestly motivate me to continue so I'll greatly appreciate if it continues on to this chapter. I hope you all enjoyed this one! Please R&R!
*Grey's is officially coming back on television in a week and I'm so excited to see what season 13 has in stored for us. Where is everyone from?
*I just saw a sneak peak clip of JAPRIL baby + Mama Avery + April interaction. It was ugghhhhh amazing. If you want to watch the clip it's on the app Instagram and search the username: teamjapril.
