A/N: Wow, I am absolutely floored by the response to that last chapter. Thank you so much! Hope you enjoy this one :D

Chapter Two

April decided that it was a crush. It was the natural fixation that developed on the person who took your virginity. He was her first, and it since it went marginally well besides the whole crying about Jesus part it was expected that their dynamic would shift. He stayed true to his little speech about how nothing had changed between them, though, and treated her no differently at work. There was still the playful banter and friendly grins. They were friends, after all. Sometimes she considered him her best friend, definitely the closest since Reed, and she took solace in their falling back into old patterns. It was familiar and safe, and there was absolutely no room for these niggling feelings.

So, it was a crush. And it would pass.

"Kepner, what are you staring at?" Callie said, stopping beside April in the pit. April realized she was standing still beside the front desk with her eyes trained on Jackson. She looked away quickly.

"Nothing. Just lost in my thoughts for a minute. I'm back, though!"

"It'll be like this for a while," Callie said knowingly. April looked at her in alarm, thinking that what had happened in San Francisco got out. News had a way of travelling irritatingly fast at Seattle Grace.

"You just have to push it from your mind," Callie said. "There's nothing you can do about it until the test results come back."

Oh. The boards. Right. She took a life-changing test two days ago - that along with other life-changing things. That weekend was too momentous for its own good.

"So, how do you think you did?" Callie asked, leaning against the desk beside her. "You know, between one former chief resident and another."

"Oh, um, it went well."

She was telling the truth. Remarkably, even with everything that happened the night before and her Jesus-love-proclamation moments before she walked inside, the test had gone well. She had welcomed the distraction from her personal problems, and threw herself fully into the test.

"Way to go, Kepner," Callie said with a wide wide grin. "So, you have nothing to worry about!"

"Yep," she said, quickly nodding. "Nothing to worry about."

Callie stood there with a smile frozen in place, and April gave her a strange look. They stood there for a moment, neither speaking, and then Callie's smiled faltered. Suddenly, it dawned on April what was happening.

"You're avoiding a case, aren't you?"

"Is it really that obvious?" Callie asked, face drooping. "I thought Teddy and Owen were bad when they were mouthing off to each other in the OR. But this is even worse."

"What is?"

"They are so damn cordial, making sure they don't step on the other one's toes. It's like a freaking Disney movie in the OR."

"I thought Meredith and Cristina were the dark and twisty ones," April said.

"You can't deal with these people on a daily basis and not get a bit dark and twisty yourself," Callie returned.

Kepner thought of her behavior that weekend and couldn't help but agree. They had a way of rubbing off on you, the Seattle Grace people.

"I have a guy in room 455 who probably could use an ortho consult. I was going to get Rivers, but-"

"I can do it," Callie interrupted eagerly. "Rivers is crap compared to me. Let me do it."

April grinned lightly and turned around to grab the chart. She handed it to Callie, who looked like she was being handed a wrapped gift.

"That patient is yours, Dr. Torres."

"You are officially my favorite," Callie breathed out. She hurried toward the elevators, nearly knocking into Jackson on her way. He walked over to April and asked, "What's going on there?"

"I just gave her a case so she could avoid working with Dr. Altman and Dr. Hunt," April chirped.

"Yeah, it is a little weird," Jackson said. "They're just so nice."

"Avery!" Sloan called across the pit, waving his arm. "I need you!"

April smirked. "Your doting attending awaits."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'll see you later."

He went off after Sloan, and she watched him walk away, her eyes travelling down his scrubs until-

"Whoah," she breathed out, shaking her head. "Keep it together, April. Keep it freaking together."

April sat at the bar in Joe's after her shift, nursing her whiskey and coke. It was a manly drink, something usually pointed out by whomever was with her. It seemed out of character for April Kepner with all her girly sensibilities to order such a butch drink. She liked it, though. She liked the burn in the back of her throat and the lightness in her head.

"Hey."

She looked over to her side and found a man with sandy blonde hair grinning at her. She gave him an amiable smile, and returned the greeting.

"Hello."

"I'm Dave." He extended his hand, and she stared at it for a moment before reaching forward and meeting it with her own. He had a strong handshake, firm without being overbearing. She thought of her own handshake then, and whether it was weak or strong.

"Was that good?" she asked him.

He chuckled. "Excuse me?"

"My handshake," she clarified, laughing a bit. "Sorry. Probably should have said that the first. How was it?"

"Your handshake?"

"Yeah. Too strong? Too weak? Just right?"

He smirked. "I think it was just right, Goldilocks."

She blushed at his teasing. Only she would barrage some man in the bar with questions about her handshaking abilities.

"God, I am the worst at casual conversation," she rambled with a sheepish grin.

"Well, let me help you out. How about we start with your name?"

"Oh," she breathed out, realizing that she had neglected that little bit of information before. "April. My name's April."

"Nice to meet you, April. So, can I buy you your next drink?"

The door opened behind him, and she became distracted when Jackson walked inside. He waved at her and her lips pulled instinctively into a grin. His gaze fell on the man behind her, and he nodded appreciatively, giving her a thumbs up. Startled, she returned her attention to Dave, and found him looking at her expectantly.

"I'm sorry, what did you ask?" she stammered.

"Can I convince you to stay for another drink?"

"Oh, no, I don't think so," she said, shaking her head sheepishly. "I think one will do it for me tonight. Thank you, though."

"You sure?"

"Early morning," she said. "If it were another time, though…"

He pressed his lips together, nodding. "Yeah, okay. I get it."

"Get what?"

"I can take a hint," he said with a good-natured, albeit disappointed, grin and pushed away from the bar. "Enjoy the rest of your night, April."

She turned in her chair, and watched him walk away toward a group of guys at one of the back tables. Jackson filled the empty seat a moment later.

"What just happened?" he asked.

"I have no idea. He asked if he could buy a drink for me, and when I said no-"

"Hold on. You said no?"

"You know I can't have more than one without getting tipsy," she said. "And I have a surgery with Dr. Hunt in the morning."

"One extra drink wouldn't have killed you, April," Jackson said, lips pressed together in bemusement. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you gave him the brush off."

"I did not," she said, for some reason finding herself bothered by the accusation. "It's not my fault that he approached me on a night where I only wanted one drink. And he's the one who walked away. Not me."

"April, calm down," he said, gently touching her arm. "I was joking."

"Oh. I knew that."

He smirked. "Yeah, of course you did."

Joe walked up to them and Jackson ordered a beer, glancing over at April to see if she wanted anything.

"One drink limit, remember?"

"Okay, just a beer then," Jackson told Joe, pushing some money toward him. He picked a few nuts from the nearby bowl and munched on them while April glanced over her shoulder at the table where the Dave guy had retreated.

"Go talk to him," Jackson said, pulling her attention. She looked at him and shook her head quickly.

"No, I'm fine. No need for talking."

"Come on, April, live a little."

"I've lived quite enough," she said primly, folding her hands on her lap. "Need I remind you of the living, Jackson? No thank you."

"I don't mean sleep with him. Just go have a conversation. It can't hurt."

"Oh, that is where you are wrong," April said with a humorless laugh. "The opposite sex and I tend to not mix so well. Alex. Dr. Stark-"

"I forgot about him," Jackson said with a frown.

"Even you. We do the deed and I send you booking. I think I will stay right here with my whiskey and coke, and go home alone."

"You didn't send me booking," he reminded her. "You suggested that I book."

She smiled slightly. "Yes. You're right. You did not book of your own accord."

"He's looking this way," Jackson said, eyes over her shoulder. "Would it kill you the at least throw the guy a bone?"

She glanced over her shoulder, and sure enough the guy was looking at her. She sighed, turning back to Jackson.

"Fine. I'll do it."

"That's my girl," he said spiritedly, clapping her on the shoulder. She shot him a look, and then padded over to the table. Dave gave her a relaxed smile and asked, "Reconsider the drink?"

"Uh, no." She shifted awkwardly. "But maybe I can buy you your next one?"

He nodded, his smile shifting somehow, and her stomach twisted. "Yeah, I'd like that." He looked over at the guy next to him and said, "Move over, James. Don't you see we have a lady in our presence?"

"A lady," James said slowly. "I didn't think you'd remember what one of those looked like, Dave."

He slid over, and she slipped into the seat. She was facing the bar, and she watched some tall blonde slip into her empty seat beside Jackson. She leaned over and they began to talk, shoulders nudging slightly. Sitting besides this James guy and Dave, she thought that she made the wrong decision to move here.

"So, what do you do?" Dave asked.

"I'm a surgeon. Well, that's the plan, at least. All sort of depends on if I passed this big test I took last weekend."

"Well, you seem smart," he said. "I'm sure you passed."

She laughed lightly. "Well, thank you. And how about you?"

"I'm an accountant," he said. She nodded blankly. Of course she would attract an accountant.

"Well, that's interesting," she lied.

"No. It really isn't," he said, laughing. "But thank you for saying it."

She snorted, her head falling forward as she laughed. She tucked her hair behind her ears and said, "I'm sorry. I guess I should have sounded more convincing."

"It's the world most dull job," Dave told her. "But it pays the bills. And we have an extraordinary coffee machine."

"Well, as long as there's a coffee machine," she retorted with a grin. He gazed at her, lips pressed into a grin.

"You know, I'm really glad you decided to come over here," he said.

"Cheese alert," one of his friends said under his breath, beginning to laugh. April ignored them and told him, "Yeah, so am I."

He stood up, and gestured for her to follow him. She rose from her seat, and they moved to an empty section of the bar.

"So, what would you think of forgetting the second drink and letting me buy you dinner sometime?"

She glanced at Jackson, who was saying something into the blonde's ear. The blonde pulled back with laughter, and she watched Jackson's smile widen. She focused her attention on Dave and set him with her most dazzling smile.

"I think that's a great idea."

A/N: You can probably guess where this is heading. Next chapter will feature more Seattle Grace characters. Please leave feedback!