Hello Everyone! Here is the next chapter of AVTTBH. I know I've taken a ridiculous length of time to upload this and I'm sure most of you have forgotten about this story, but to those of you who have been patiently waiting for the next chapter I do hope you enjoy and review. My life has been hectic lately with work and personal issues but I do plan to complete this project very soon. I'm planning on wrapping this up in maybe three more chapters so don't hate me if things start to go a little quickly in the upcoming chapters. Thanks again for such awesome reviews. The support from this community has been such a humbling experience. -sdwash27
Chapter 15
"The party," he murmured his arms still tangled around April's waist. He had forgotten that he had asked Karev to rally up the gang tonight in preparation of April's medical examinations. However, what he envisioned as a few like-minded peers sharing their knowledge of medical scenarios and surgical terminology over a few beers and a pizza didn't quite compare to the scene that had become of April's petite living space.
"Jackson what are all these people doing in MY apartment?"
There were at least a dozen people; doctors mostly and a few nurses, all seemingly buzzed if the half empty case of Corona's spotted on the bar were any indication of their drunken stupor. How could he have entrusted Alex with a task in which sensibility was of the utmost importance. Sure Karev was a hotshot doc with a soft spot for children but outside of the work place the guy was a total idiot, and now he had made a fool out of Jackson. He dared to imagine the anger April must have felt.
"They're here for you," he managed to say while freeing his hands from April's hips.
"Me? That's hard to believe. I'm sure no one here even knows my name with the exception of Alex and Callie," she said as a matter of fact. "Jackson did you do this?"
"I wanted to have a few of our friends over to help you study for the boards, I even made flash cards," he admitted gesturing towards the cards that thankfully Alex had remembered to set out.
"That was sweet of you, but Jackson this looks more like a party then a study group. I mean look at these people. There's a keg in the middle of my living room. A KEG Jackson."
This was all wrong. Today, tonight was all about April or at least it should have been. He searched the room for Alex spotting him near the fire place talking it up with the intern he was obviously in love with. This was all his fault. Damn it Alex.
"This is my fault. I asked Alex to talk to the others so that I could focus on our date today. I had no idea he was going to invite so many people. Say the word and I will have everyone out of here in under a minute."
"What are you two doing?" Karev butted in. "This is a party guys so get your asses over here and take a shot."
Jackson looked to April who was giving him a soft shrug. She mouthed the words "its okay" as the two followed Karev into the living room right into the eye of the crowd. He poured them each a shot of patron silver and handed them their glasses.
"Our guests of honor," he introduced holding his glass high above his head. "Drink up."
Each of them emptied their glasses with ease, accepting the roar that came after in support of their first drink.
"YEAH," Alex hollered attempting to chest bump Jackson but to his surprise Jackson ignored his foolish exchange. He was still reeling at him for turning April's apartment into a scene from a college party.
"Can I borrow her," Callie Torres whispered in his ear before whisking April away from the group and away from him. He didn't want her to leave his side, in fact he wanted nothing more than to escort all of these drunken bastards out of her apartment so that they could pick up where they left off.
"Alex what the hell man, a PARTY," he turned to Alex the tension notably present in his voice.
"Hey don't be mad at me. I talked to Mer and the rest of them just as you asked although Mer had to decline. She said something about Derrick and her staying home with the kids, but if you ask me I don't think she wanted to come anyways."
"Meredith Grey is beside the point. Alex you threw a party in my girlfriend's apartment and you invited the nurses."
"Girlfriend Eh, and what do you have against the nurses?"
"I'm being serious man. You were supposed to help me make sure that April passed her boards not invite a bunch of people she doesn't know and get shit faced drunk on my expense."
"Hey cool it man. I did you a favor here. It wasn't easy convincing anyone to show up tonight. Dude April Kepner and Flash Cards doesn't exactly scream FUN on your night off. I had to improvise, you know embellish a little. Besides the night is young; there's plenty of time for the boring stuff your girlfriend likes to do," Alex explained giving his friend a pat on the back. "Hey you want a beer?"
"Why not," Jackson heard himself say. He guessed he could loosen up a little; this was an awesome turn out and a beer didn't sound half bad at this point. He took a look around the room while waiting for Alex to return smiling as his eyes caught a glimpse of April giggling over by the bar with Callie. She was enjoying herself which meant tonight was definitely not a lost cause.
"Hi Jackson," a woman whispered from behind him grazing her fingertips against his rigid shoulder blade.
He wasn't surprised to hear her voice; he'd expected her to come to him eventually after locking eyes with her upon entering the apartment. He had no idea why she was here but he was sure he would soon be informed. He turned to face her- his eyes wandering down to the fullness of her small but ever present baby bump.
"Stephanie," he said airily finding it difficult to catch his breath. He felt like he had been gutted in the stomach and the blow from it made his air way narrow. "What are you doing here?"
"I needed to see you."
"You shouldn't have come here. This is not the right time nor the place for us to talk."
"When is there ever?" she asked folding her arms in one another as she stared intimidatingly at a fearful Jackson. "I heard Karev bragging about the party you were throwing tonight and that Kepner's place would be the setting. At first I wasn't going to come but then I thought I couldn't miss out on the opportunity to see you, the real you and not the guy who was so in love with his ex-lover that he had to create a world in which they belonged together even if it meant forgetting the inconvenient truth that he had conceived a child."
"That's not how it happened."
"Well how did it?"
"Let's not do this here," Jackson asked almost pleadingly. The last thing he wanted or needed was for Stephanie to cause a scene. Not here.
"Don't worry I have no intention of embarrassing you or Dr. Kepner," she confessed. "But if you want to go somewhere more private then l understand."
"I think that would be best." He grabbed her hand surprised at how trusting she was following him into the hall way and into the guest bedroom opposite from the Master. Boy was this inappropriate he thought making sure to close the door behind them.
"Better?" she asked while making herself comfortable on the bed.
"Yeah I guess so," Jackson answered back still standing in front of the door. He was anxious to get this conversation over with and get back to the woman he loved. Being here alone with Stephanie now that he had regained his memories was a little unnerving, so much so that there were microscopic beads of sweat perspiring in between the creases of his forehead.
"Wow you sound so sure of yourself."
"I'm not sure of anything right now Steph."Steph. He remembered calling her that all the time in fact he remembered liking it- liking her, but never anything more.
She smiled sweetly- her eyes revealing a knowing twinkle of delight.
"Your memories returned. How long were you going to avoid me?"
"I wasn't avoiding you. I intended to call you to sort some things out, I just got caught up in a few things today," he said.
"And by sorting things out you mean our baby- you know the little thing that's growing in my belly," she said the pain evident in her voice.
"Why are you so bitter Stephanie? I know I've hurt you but I never once gave you the indication that I wouldn't take care of my responsibilities."
"Jackson we're having a baby the least you can do is refer to it as such. What happened to the man that was so excited of the possibility of his little football star being born or princess. Those were your words Jackson and you meant them. Now you refer to our baby as a thing or worse a responsibility. - What has happened to you? You were so kind, once."
"I don't know what you want me to say Steph. I thought I've been saying all the right things. I'm going to be there for you and our child. I promise you that."
Stephanie stood up from the bed and boldly walked over to Jackson who was still guarding the door. She knew why. He didn't want to risk the chance of the trauma surgeon walking in on them. He was thinking of her. It was always her. The thought of April Kepner again being the center of Jackson's attention infuriated her; she was boiling with envy and hate for the surgeon. She respected her as her superior and she had started to hate her a little less but now hate had found its way back to the intern indefinitely.
"A promise has no value; at least not from you," she hissed staring up into his tortured blue eyes. Such lovely eyes they were.
Jackson peered down at the woman who he had hurt so much. Wow he couldn't begin to understand just how bad he had wounded this young woman's heart. He met her gaze staring back at her intently.
"Trust me."
"I don't know that I can."
"Yes…. You can and you will," he demanded grabbing her hand in the process.
"We'll see about that," she replied freeing her hand from his grasp. "This was a mistake."
"Steph no I'm glad you are here. We needed to talk. There's still so much more I haven't said."
"I need to go," she said softly reaching behind him to grab the doorknob.
He stopped her putting his body weight on the door so that she couldn't get away so easily. She had the courage to come here tonight despite the fact that she risked seeing a woman she despised with every fiber of her being with the man she loved, but now that things hadn't gone as planned she just wanted to run for the hills- away from him.
"Don't run from me Stephanie. You wanted to talk. Well you have my undivided attention."
"Right and for how long? We both know that aside from taking care of your responsibilities you're not going to have time to be a father to our kid. We're doctor's Jackson and you're a board member of this hospital. Not to mention your precious little girlfriend. She is the only thing that matters and is the only thing you have time for in your life. Ultimately she will be the reason you will deny our child its father."
"How could you say that? No woman, job, or thing will ever keep me away from my son or daughter. Not even the love of my life."
"Well in that case you're off to a great start. You haven't given your baby a single thought since your memory returned. Instead you've been busy taking Dr. Kepner out on the town and now you're throwing a party for her. Right this baby is going to be so loved and adored by its father."
"Enough," Jackson fired off feeling his blood boiling from the obscene indignations of his former lover.
"What Daddy can't handle a little bit of the truth? You have no idea what I've been going through since your accident. I've had to deal with this pregnancy alone the last few weeks and I was banned by your mother from ever visiting you. Your mother well she hates my guts and I don't blame her. To her she sees a greedy little intern that only got knocked up by her son to get a little bit of the Harper Avery's fame and fortune. She doesn't know me. She doesn't know that I don't give a damn about Harper Avery or its damn money. I care about my baby. I care about my baby's father, and I care about the life that I am going to provide for my child. I care about my career, my choice to devote my life to saving the lives of the sick and the wounded- to beating death. I'm devoted to my craft and I am determined to not only be a kick as trauma surgeon but to be the best Mom this god forsaken world has ever seen. Your Mom well she's just being a mom, but she's wrong about me Jackson. She has no idea how wrong she is."
"Wow I had no idea. My mom she means well but she can over step in the worst possible way when it comes to preserving the image of the Avery family. I'm sorry Steph that you had to go through that alone and without my support. My mom should have never treated you that way."
"Of course you didn't. Your mind had intentionally forgotten about me and the baby solely because you never wanted this. You don't want this Jackson, at least not with me. You would prefer to be having a child with April."
"I'd prefer not to have this conversation at all. April has nothing to do with you, me, and the baby we conceived together. This is not about anyone but us. I want this baby. I've always wanted this baby. I was not the one who was going to abort our child."
"Wow, you're going to go there. I didn't go through with it Jackson. I couldn't even if you had wanted nothing to do with me or the baby. I would have never aborted something so precious- so innocent. Owwwwwwww," she cried out grabbing her stomach as she hurled over in sudden pain.
"Steph are you ok?" Jackson asked placing his arm around her waist so that he could lift her up. She let out another agonizing curl leaning into his side for support.
"Jackson I think something's wrong."
"Ok, let me get you to the bed. Maybe you should lie down." He felt her body collapse in his arms as he attempted to carry her to the bed. "Stephanie," he whispered realizing she had become unresponsive.
He checked for a pulse feeling an overwhelmingly sense of relief that she had a steady pulse and she was still alive. She must have fainted he thought sweeping her into his arms and carrying her into the living room where everyone now stood eyes on him.
"Jackson what's going on?" April asked alarmingly."
Matthew entered April's apartment a little deterred to find Jackson and various hospital personnel mingling about her apartment. She obviously had been having a party he realized spying a keg in the center of her living room. This was not like his fiancé to throw a party nor was it like his fiancé to not return his calls. He wanted to pull her aside and force her to explain her irrational behavior but he was working. He was here on a job; little did he know that it would lead him here. He spotted the patient tucked away in Jackson's arms- April attending to her with a damp towel as she gently patted the surface of her forehead. What the hell was going on here?
He pushed the gurney further into the apartment signaling with his pager for his driver to accompany him. "Hi," he said warmly. "I'm responding to an emergency call for an unresponsive pregnant woman."
"Yes, she experienced abdominal pain similar to pre labor contractions before losing consciousness," April explained. "Her pulse is steady but faint."
"Ok. Let's get her onto the stretcher so that we can safely transport her to the hospital." "Jackson," he said signaling for him to carry her over to the stretcher.
Jackson didn't budge; instead holding her closer to him.
"Jackson I need to get the patient on the stretcher and strapped in as soon as possible. She needs to be examined to rule out premature labor or any abnormalities with her pregnancy," Matthew explained moving towards the patient.
"Don't," April intervened. "He won't let you touch her. He's in shock."
"April this woman needs medical attention and fast. She's pregnant for god's sake. This could be nothing or this could be SOMETHING much worse." He spotted Alex nearby. He was a pediatric surgeon, not a fetal surgeon but he had to have some useful knowledge. "Dr. Karev have you examined the patient?"
Alex shamefully shook his head no; he was far too drunk to offer any medical assistance let alone save a life. "No I haven't," he answered.
"So you mean to tell me she's in a room full of doctor's and none of you have her. "Wow," Matthew replied still moving closer to Jackson.
"Taylor, what'd we got here," Vince his partner for the night called from behind him.
"Pregnant woman- possible premature labor- and a bunch of useless drunken doctors."
"Drunk? Maybe, but Doctors? I'm not buying it Taylor."
"Vince you're looking at Seattle's finest, and I would know because the red head standing next to our patient is my fiancé."
"Wow man, she's hot."
"I can hear you- you know," April admitted feeling a bit uncomfortable given the circumstance. She was tending to her lover's unconscious pregnant ex-girlfriend and to make matters worse Matthew had been the paramedic to respond to their emergency call. She hadn't planned on seeing him tonight. There were things that should be said, but now was not the time for any admissions.
"Sorry," Vince muttered while cowardly staring at the floor.
"April would you help Jackson guide the young woman over to the stretcher," Matthew asked once more hopeful that his lady could convince the plastic surgeon to release the young woman into his custody.
She nodded in agreement smiling slightly at the paramedic whose determination had not wavered. She glanced at Jackson catching a glimpse of terror in his still blue eyes; she'd have to proceed delicately.
"Jackson Matthew's right. If you want to save your baby and its mother then we have to get her to the hospital. Do you understand," she added praying for his assurance.
She placed the damp towel on the surface of the end table beside her and stepped directly in front of the pair. His eyes were so sad, tortured they were. She placed her hand on his shoulder stroking his arm with tender care. They stood there for a moment, still but knowing. Jackson would come to his senses; he knew what had to be done.
"Yes," he whispered allowing April to guide him over to the gurney so that Stephanie could be strapped in.
"Thanks," Matthew mouthed to April before departing with the pregnant woman.
"Jackson let me drive you to the hospital," April insisted after everyone had cleared the apartment.
There was nothing that said "Party Over" then a pregnant girl collapsing right in the middle of it. The paramedics had just departed blazing down the street with their sirens activated and they would probably arrive at the hospital in the next ten minutes or so.
"Yes I think you should."
April grabbed her keys from the wall and waited for Jackson to exit the apartment before locking up behind him. She was so worried about him; he hadn't said much of anything since Stephanie had lost consciousness. She prayed for everyone's sake that Stephanie and the baby would be fine and that tonight was simply a scare and nothing more.
"Jesus help us," she said softly as she followed Jackson to the elevator.