A/N: Hey guys! Here is the Shane tag to 9x11. Can I just say how much I loved that Japril moment in this week's ep? It was beautifully done, and as painful as it was, I think it bodes well for them as a couple. This is a little bit of Shane's perspective on that night. Starts off with the interns, and a cameo from Jackson, but the end is all Shane and April. Thank you for reading and please review to let me know what you think!

Shifting his shoulders to a silent beat in his head, Shane snapped his fingers as he leisurely changed into his street clothes for the night.

Today had actually turned out to be a good day. Granted, he hadn't gotten the chance to do any real surgeries, but he had spent a lot of time with Dr. Shepherd. Playing ping pong. Kicking ass at it, as a matter of fact. And earning him a cool neuro scrub in in the process. It was just like Dr. Kepner had told him at one of their recent coffee hangouts. Even the most trivial of duties, like helping Shepherd rehab his hand, could provide opportunities within the hospital.

Shane snapped his fingers, and smiled when he heard the locker room door open, ushering in the familiar voices of his friends. He straightened his shoulders, folded his scrubs, and closed his locker. Walking down the center aisle to reveal himself to his friends, Shane could hear clearer and clearer snippets of the conversation between the women. And what he heard made him freeze.

"Just shut up, Leah," Stephanie growled uncomfortably.

"There's nothing wrong with it," Heather interjected. "You don't have to feel bad."

Leah snorted, "Oh, so it's no big deal for her to do it, and keep it secret, but when we do the exact same thing it's sad and pathetic."

Heather replied, "Hey? When did I become sad and pathetic?"

"You slept with Dr. Karev too."

"That doesn't make me sad and pathetic! People were only saying that you were sad and pathetic because you expected him to call you back!"

"Obviously that's not Edwards problem," Leah sneered. "Dr. Pretty calls you back. And puts you on his service. Way to secretly sleep your way to the top! With an Avery too. Doesn't get much better than-"

"Stop it! Please. Just shut up!"

Rounding the corner, Stephanie came face to face with Shane. His good mood popped like a bubble. He was frozen in shock, unable to stop his jaw from hanging open. When she saw him, Steph ducked her head and wouldn't meet his eyes. Confirming, more than the conversation that he'd just heard could, everything Shane really didn't want to know. Everything he didn't really want to be true. The very thing he hadn't wanted to infer as happening when Stephanie wasn't at home at the apartment the night before the wedding.

Leah and Heather were still bickering as they rounded the corner, but they both stopped when they saw Shane gaping. He didn't really know how he'd ended up becoming friends with any of this group. Probably just circumstance. He lived in an apartment with two of them. Often times he felt like the odd one out. And not just because he was a guy. Because of the kind of professionalism he believed in.

"Shane..." Stephanie began wearily.

Swallowing once, Shane was able to force his feet to move. He quickly brushed past all of them without a word, bursting into the hallway and getting out of there as fast as he could. He didn't know why he felt like he'd had the air punched out of him. Stephanie was free to do whatever she wanted with whoever she wanted. And she was free to tell him or not tell him. It was, in fact, a free country. He had no right to react this way.

Shane realized that he was practically stomping his feet. He was steaming mad. The thing was, Stephanie was his friend. Probably the closest friend out of the interns that he had. It kind of hurt to find out that she was keeping a secret from him. And the secret itself hurt more than he thought it would. When he'd gotten into the residency program at Seattle Grace Mercy West, Shane had made a commitment to focus on his studies, and his medical career alone. No time for the ladies right now.

And he did stand by that decision. However, Shane realized, if he was honest with himself, the one lady he might go for around here, if he was going for them, would probably be Stephanie. So yeah, it bothered him to know she was sleeping with their boss. Even though he had no right to care.

Shane rounded a corner, heading for the elevators and ran straight into the one person he didn't want to see. Dr. Avery. The man looked irritated and concerned. Possibly even a little misty. He sighed and stepped to in the same direction as Shane was attempting to move out of the way. He clumsily tried to move in the other direction, only to bump into Dr. Avery again.

"Ross!" he said shaking his head. "Get out of the way!"

The plastics fellow gently but firmly shoved Shane out of the way and continued storming down the wall. Shane watched the man walk away. He sighed. No ladies rule or not, he knew he couldn't hold a candle to the handsome and successful Dr. Avery. Even when he competed.

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Shane reached the elevators, pressing the button and waiting for the next one to arrive. He scowled, and couldn't stop himself from repeatedly kicking the metal trash can that sat between the two sets of elevators.

Whatever feelings he had inside, he realized that the fact that Stephanie had kept her...whatever it was with Dr. Avery a secret from him bothered him the most. Because they did share things with each other. She was the only person who knew about his deepest reasons for becoming a physician. He knew about her childhood, and he was the one she'd come to for comfort after being banned from the OR. They were close. At least, he'd thought so.

The elevator doors opened, revealing a somewhat tearful looking Dr. Kepner. Upon seeing her, Shane froze and awkwardly stepped into the elevator. In the short time that he'd known April Kepner, he'd never seen her like this. He swallowed and held his hands behind his back, feeling both embarrassed for his kicking outburst, and curious as to what April knew about all of this. Judging by her red rimmed eyes, she knew something. During the course of their growing friendmentorship (Shane's own magnificent word invention), Kepner had never really shared with him anything about her connection, friendship or otherwise, to Dr. Avery.

He only knew what he saw, and what Shane saw spoke volumes. Kepner watched Avery. When they were in the same room, she watched him. Shane didn't really think that she even knew that she did, but it was happening all the same. Her longing gaze tracked him like a compass, deviating only to focus on the tasks of her job. But he was pretty sure that what April didn't realize is that whenever she wasn't looking directly at him, Dr. Avery was watching her too.

Shane didn't get it. If the plastic surgeon dug Kepner, and she dug him, why couldn't they just work it out? Whatever had happened between them before. Clearly all parties involved were miserable and Shane was irrationally angry that the plastic surgeon had dragged that misery into his own life somehow. By sleeping with Stephanie. Kepner and Avery needed to just get over it. Or move on. Shane swallowed.

Not that his opinion on the subject mattered.

April sniffed, and took in a shaky breath before breaking the silence between them. Holding her tears back, she pulled her lips into a smile that almost reached her eyes.

"You okay, Dr. Ross?" she inquired evenly, whipping at the corner of one eye.

Shane stiffened, not at all ready to explore his feelings at all. He counted, "Are you?"

"I asked you first," April said, watching him out of the corner of her eye.

"You're the one crying in an elevator." Internally he cringed. Shane didn't mean to be rude. He was just a little disoriented at the moment.

She crossed her arms, speaking with only the slightest waver in her voice, "You were the one kicking a trashcan while it's down. At least I had my emotional outburst in private."

Shane couldn't help chuckle. A small smile played at his mentor's lips too. The elevator doors opened and they walked out, heading through the front doors and into the parking lot.

"How was your day in neuro?" Dr. Kepner said, as they walked toward the rows of cars. It was plain ordinary small talk, and Shane found it very much welcome.

"Good for your continued quest to become the next Dr. Shepherd?" she added, teasingly.

"It's fine," he admitted, shoving his hands into his pockets. "All I did today was play ping pong with him. But it was really good. I think Dr. Shepherd likes me."

Shane was glad that his mentor didn't seem to mind his continued interest in neuro surgery. She ribbed him about it of course, and still tried to jokingly lure him over to the 'dark side', trauma. But it didn't stop Dr. Kepner from being there for him, and giving him all the advice he asked for. She'd said it before: Shane had to figure out what specialty was best for him, and roll with that, no matter what anyone said.

"Ah well," April laughed, despite her melancholy mood. "You missed out today! Couple with stripper pole related injuries came through the ER today."

"What?"

"I'm serious."

"Now that's a story. And it doesn't involve puss. Or butts."

They'd reached April's car. He turned to awkwardly continue walking to his own vehicle, but he could feel Dr. Kepner's gaze on his back.

He was just about to walk away when she asked, "What are you up to tonight, Ross?"

Shane honestly didn't know. He was reluctant to go home, since it would most likely mean that he would run into Stephanie. Jo never seemed to come home these days, and he just wasn't sure he was ready to face Steph yet. She probably thought he was an ass for the way he stormed out on her. He'd never meant to act that way. He liked to think he was a gentlemen.

"I...I don't know," he replied honestly. "Not much."

"Uh..." April shrugged, gesturing behind her. "I was actually planning to head over to Emerald City Bar for a bit. You're welcome to join me. You look like you could use a drink too."

Though he wasn't a big drinker, Shane did think that sounded about right. He could hangout a little bit, calm himself down more, and hopefully delay the moment he had to face his roommate again. Maybe if he stayed out long enough, she'd already be asleep by the time she got home.

"Okay," he agreed, falling into step beside Dr. Kepner as they walked the short distance and across the street to the bar. "Sounds nice."

"I can't promise you that I will be the best of company, " April remarked sadly as they slunk through the front doors and headed for a booth in the back. "But I do know that this place has got pretty good food. Are you hungry, Shane?"

"Not really," he replied as she lifted a menu and began scanning through it.

"No? Tough luck, I am...let's get nachos...that's a comfort food."

"Heart burn inducing," Shane commented wryly.

Dr. Kepner's shoulders sagged and she replied mournfully, "There is more than one way for your heart to burn, Ross."

"Yeah."

She slammed the menu shut and stood up, "What do you want to drink? First round's on me."

"A strawberry daiquiri, please?"

April raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

"I like the taste."

It was his favorite drink, and Shane was depressed enough tonight to indulge. Soon enough, Dr. Kepner returned with their drinks, and a plate of nachos. They sat and chatted in the dim bar, and it really wasn't that bad. He knew that they weren't in the best of moods, but it was kind of nice to not be alone. It was also the first time that the two of them were really hanging out in a strictly friendly capacity. Not that their coffees weren't 'friendly' in tone, but it was clear to Shane that tonight was different. They weren't talking about medical cases, or about surviving intern year. They were talking about themselves.

Shane couldn't help but think about how this wedding reception thing had played out. Jo and Karev had ended up becoming drinking buddies. He and Kepner were...well they were building a strong teaching relationship (though tonight they were drinking buddies too). Only Stephanie and Avery had ended up living up to the hospital gossip. Out of the three couplings, Shane laughed at just how badly he'd misjudged the outcome. He just hadn't thought his friend would go for something like that. No matter how easy on the eyes Avery was.

He drank more and more, letting the thoughts swirl around in his head. He'd originally intended to just have the one drink. Just one drink and then hangout. Nothing more. He expected to have an easy night. Shane did not expect his drink to taste quite so good, or for his mentor to be quite so sympathetic or for the nachos to taste nearly as good as they did. Shane had not expected to get drunk. He hadn't expected to end up spilling his heart out to his mentor.

"What is it with this hospital and sex?" Shane demanded, pulling the straw out of his glass and gesturing vaguely.

"Excuse me?" Across the table, April blinked.

"Sex!" he said firmly. "I mean, I get it. It feels good. Hor-mones, endolphins, and stuff. It's a good stress reliever. And we're stressed."

Wincing, Kepner turned her head to onside and covered her mouth with one hand. It was pretty steady, but there was a slightly unstable motion. Kepner was tipsy but not nearly as wasted as he was. Even when he was drunk, Shane was observant. His mentor was laughing at him.

"But come on!" Shane continued passionately, bumping his hand against his glass and making a small amount of red liquid slosh from his glass. "Hands work just as well to...get to the hormolphins and the stress relief, you know? I ask you: Do we not all have hands?"

April chocked and spat out a mouthful of scotch, "I am so not drunk enough to have this conversation with you. And I don't want to get there."

"Kep-nerrr," Shane moaned, resting his head on the cool surface of the table. "I am drunk."

"That you are," April agreed, using a stack of napkins to clean up the spills. "A sloppy one too. It's those fruity drinks. They go straight to your head."

"But why?" he demanded in a fog. "Why did they do it?"

"The fruity drinks?"

"No," Shane slurred. "Stephanie Edwards and Jackson Avery. They're doing it, did you know?"

Watching April's reaction, he felt dimly guilty. He shouldn't be talking about this with his boss. He shouldn't be talking about other co-workers behind their backs. He collected gossip, but he didn't spread it. He should not be talking about this. Not just because it was wrong, but because Shane knew enough to know that this topic of conversation would hurt Dr. Kepner. And even a drunk monkey could see that she was already hurting.

Blinking back fresh tears, April hung her head, letting her long red hair fall into her face. She held on to her glass with both hands, spinning it around in measured circles, leaving condensation shapes on the table. For a long time she didn't say anything, and Shane thought that maybe she wasn't going to say anything at all.

"I know," she answered quietly. "Jackson told me."

That was a surprise. That was unexpected. Honorable even. Shane leaned back and listed to one side. A surprise indeed. And of course it added so many questions about the nature of Kepner and Avery's relationship to his addled mind. He couldn't quite pin them all down right now. He'd have to try again when he was sober. Or now.

"Sure as hell beats overhearing it in a locker room," Shane said, not willing to face the whiny tone that slipped into his voice.

"It does," April agreed. "Still sucks though."

"Yeah." He scratched his nose and tried to focus on not falling out of his seat. "You just seem...sad. Why...you don't-why aren't you mad? I'm mad."

"Don't have the energy for it. I don't have room left to feel it," Kepner said, voice wavering after a long pause. She shrugged, "Jackson and I aren't together...I'm not even sure we ever were. I don't know what we were but we're definitely not together right now. He can do what he wants."

"But..." Shane wrinkled his face. "I'm confuse-ed."

"So am I."

"What's your deal with him then? You...dated?"

"Sort of. I thought so for a while, but now...I don't know. B-basically we were friends. Since intern year," she shrugged again. "We were friends. Until we...weren't."

"It's nice to have friends," Shane mumbled, jerkily lifting a nacho to his mouth.

April nodded, and sniffed, biting her lower lip, "Yes. It is."

"You're not friends with Avery now?"

"No," she took a long and painful looking swallow, polishing off the last of her scotch. "No. Not right now."

"Too hard?"

"Yes. But it's my own fault. A lot of this is...because I am me...and I'm...crazy. I should have just waited."

"Waited for what?"

Kepner dabbed at her eye again, and laughed humorlessly, "I don't even know why I am telling you any of this."

To be quite perfectly honest, Shane didn't know why she was telling him. Or why he cared. It just seemed like the thing to do. The substance of this evening, was this conversation, and it mattered. That was all he could comprehend.

So Shane tilted his head to one side, "It's nice to have friends."

They shared a long gaze. That is what tonight was really about, Shane realized.

"What should you have w-waited for?"

April sighed and pursed her lips, looking directly at him, seemingly weighing a decision in her mind. After a moment, she shook her head and answered, "My wedding night."

Oh. Shane dropped his nacho chip. Oh. One of those. Not everyone can stick to their believes for so long, regardless as to what they were. Good for her. Big Momma Ross would approve.

"So you were?"

"Yes."

"Until..."

"Yes."

"Only you couldn't wait anymore," Shane concluded. Maybe the hand really couldn't cut it.

"Nope. And even though things are this messed up? I wouldn't change that. That it was him. That I..that we...did," April's eyes widened. "It's wrong and it goes against most of what I believe, but...I wouldn't change it."

"Did he know he was y-our...fir-st?"

"He did."

"And now he's just...sexing up someone else. So...quickly. Just like that?"

Wincing, April shook her head, "Goes to show...but I did hurt him, I know. I shouldn't have. I didn't mean to. I'm so weak. And I am a little drunk and I am not making sense. And I'm sad. "

"You still care about him."

"A lot," she answered thickly. The muscles in April's throat quivered and her face crumpled.

Shane watched in drunken horror as his mentor hung her head and started to sob, right there in the booth. He still didn't really know why he was so interested in all of this, but he certainly hadn't meant to make her cry. Struggling to remain perched on his seat, Shane reached out one hand and rested it on April's shoulder.

"S'okay," he said awkwardly, wishing that he wasn't slurring as much as he really was. "You'll...things will work out the way they are s'posed to, Kepner. You're too ni-ce not to get a happy ending."

"Th-thanks."

After a few minutes April seemed to have cried herself out. She ran a hand through her hair, pulling herself together and taking a deep breath. Looking back at him gratefully, she said, "You like Edwards, then?"

"No," Shane said petulantly, shaking his head, and trying but failing to successful bring his straw to his lips. "I'm focused. I am becoming a surgeon. No lady time. No time for ladies."

"I mean, I app-reciate you're righteous indignation," April continued, disbelievingly. "But I think you must have more stake in this than you realize."

Sighing, Shane stared at his hands. Given how much about herself his mentor had revealed to him, he realized he should probably return the favor. What did it hurt? She probably wasn't going to make fun of him.

"Mmm-maybe. Maybe I like her." The unbidden crack in his voice did not go unnoticed.

"Ah...and does she know?"

"I-I don't know. I don't think so. It's t-tricky. I'm r-really not looking to deal with all that kind of stuff right now. Na-til I'm fin-ished. I have goals."

"Goals don't stop you from feeling things, huh?"

"Na-really."

"You wish she felt the same way? Bout putting love off and focusing on work?"

"Yes."

"You don't have the same beliefs."

"Pparently not."

April nodded knowingly, "Well Ross, I hear that."

"You do."

"You know...it is all well and good to focus on your work and stuff. Res-dency is hard."

"It is," he agreed.

"But!" Kepner held up a finger. "Don't use that as an excuse to miss out on learning how to be a person too. S'pecially with the boy girl stuff...sex stuff...try to learn something. Don't put it off. Take it from me."

"Ok-ay," Shane nodded earnestly.

She looked at her watch and frowned, "It's late. I am going to go close the tab. Joe can call us a taxi. We'll share."

He nodded again, watching his mentor raise shakily, and trying to track her deliberate walk to the bar counter. She was a good person, he thought smiling faintly. Always looking out for him. Telling him stuff. Even personal stuff. It was nice. Shane suddenly felt tired, so he laid out on the booth bench, resting his head on his hands. After a few minutes, April's face came into blurry focus. She was leaning under the table, watching him and suspiciously glancing at the array of old used gum on the underside.

"Ross? Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Shane yawned. "I fo'got to tell you...I'm a sleepy drunk too."

It was the real reason he didn't drink much.

April smiled and squeezed his shoulder, "Cab's on its way. You can sleep. I'll wake you up when it gets here."

Shane's eyes drooped and he mumbled, "Thanks Dr. Kepner. I needed this."

He opened his eyes just enough to see her lay down on the other side of the booth. They were eye to eye.

"Me too, Dr. Ross."