Hello Everyone! Here is the next chapter of AVTTBH. Hope you enjoy and please remember to rate and review. I absolutely love to hear from you all; it really provides such a positive warmth in my life and motivates me to continue with this fic. There will only be two chapters left as AVTTBH will be wrapping up soon. Again thank you all for your continued support and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this chapter. -sdwash27

Chapter 16

Matthew opened the back doors of the ambulance; awaiting him were Dr. Robbins and a few interns he had seen in passing on a routine run to the pit. He carefully lowered the gurney onto the ground's surface and into the hands of those who practiced life saving measures everyday of their lives, those who were capable and worth trusting to perform no matter the circumstance. He was shamed to have been in the presence of surgeons presumed the best of their field whom had fallen short of their oath and had failed this woman tonight.

"Prognosis?" Dr. Robbins intercepted before taking a closer look at the woman who was in and out of consciousness.

"28 year old pregnant female. Contractions. Loss of consciousness. Bp levels stable. Heart rate slightly elevated."

"Good," Dr. Robbins concurred placing two fingers on the woman's wrist. "Good," she followed retrieving her mini flashlight from her coat pocket.

She gently pulled back her left eye lid and flashed a quick beam of light into the woman's eye; her eyes began to flutter simultaneously.

"Dr. Ross would you lend me a hand please," Arizona asked preparing to move the woman onto the gurney adjacent to her.

Shane stepped into action without hesitation, he was eager and obedient as they come. He had the ambition and skill to surpass many of his peers and most of all he had guts, a sign of a promising surgeon. He reached the stretcher and positioned himself at the foot of the bed while Robbins took the head and Matthew remained in the middle awaiting their count. Robbins counted off.

"One. Two. Three. Lift."

As they lifted the young woman Shane caught a glimpse of her face; he could pick this face out of millions. There was no one quite like her, crazy beautiful and just as ambitious as he was. She was his friend, a friend that now needed his absolute best.

"Stephanie," the intern said knowingly.

Arizona furrowed a brow while directing her attention to the intern who seemed to know this woman.

"Dr. Ross do you know the patient?"

"Yes I do," he said assuredly. "Dr. Robbins she is one of our own."

She gave the patient a closer look embarrassed that she had paid little attention to the woman's pure ebony skin, her deep brown eyes, and those gorgeous black curls that cascaded over her shoulders.

"Damn it. This is Edwards!" she proclaimed. "Let's get her inside so we can thoroughly examine her."

Matthew watched the team of doctors wheel Stephanie into the hospital hopeful that they would do everything they could to save her. He leaned against the rear of the ambulance and sighed heavily. His shift was ending soon and he was most certain this was his last run; he thought he would hang around and wait for April and just maybe he could steal her away to talk. God he missed her and he wanted nothing more than to spend his life loving her, devoting himself to her completely. There was nothing else that mattered to him.

"Taylor you're just gonna stand out here all night," Vince hollered from inside the ambulance, he'd opened the driver's side door and peeked his head out.

"For a while."

"How about another run? There's a call near-by; we could be there in ten minutes tops. What do you say Partner?"

He wanted to tell Vince to stick it and let some other crew take it but he knew he couldn't do that. They were probably the closest unit and if there was truly an emergency he didn't want to waste any valuable time. He opened the rear doors of the ambulance and jumped in securing himself before giving Vince the go to pull off.

"I guess one more wouldn't hurt," he said as they drove away from Grey Sloan Memorial leaving it behind.

"Dr. Robbins Dr. Montgomery is on the line," Shane informed entering the examination room.

"Great," Arizona replied with a half-smile. "Monitor the baby while I'm away."

Shane nodded welcoming her request. He gazed at Stephanie who was still unconscious for the moment; she looked peaceful as she lied in somber. She'd awoken a few times only to mumble a few jumbled words and then she was out again. He hated to see her this way, pregnant, knocked up by an older man who had no interest in her romantically. How could she have been so naïve? And this man, he was a fellow, a board member, he should have known better than to fraternize with an intern. He'd taken her integrity, shattered her good girl image for she was the one who everyone shamed when they thought no one was listening. It wasn't fair. None of this was fair, he thought.

He approached her bed while readying the Doppler for use. He hadn't worked in Ped's much and he had never traded in his sky blue scrubs for the pink one's Obstetrics wore so he could admit he wasn't as knowledgeable as he'd like to be. However, he intended to do the very best he could to ensure that both Stephanie and her growing fetus were healthy and happy. He grabbed the corners of her blouse and neatly rolled it up just under her breasts so that he could examine her baby's position in the womb and procure a reading of its pulse. He reached for the tube of gel grabbing it from the tray beside him and squeezed a dime size amount on the expectant's abdomen.

"This is going to feel cool," he said aloud although in this instance the patient would not respond.

He placed the instrument on the lower half of her midsection and slowly rubbed the gel in while focusing his eyes on the screen hoping to get a clear image of the fetus. Stephanie was approaching the end of her 1st trimester he could tell by the size and development of the fetus that oddly remained still in the womb.

"Come on little guy" he whispered softly. "Move, kick, let me know you are alive."

He reached for his stethoscope which he had mistakenly left at the end of the bed; he wanted to listen to the baby's heartbeat; he needed assurance that the unthinkable had not become what he feared reality. He picked up the instrument noticing a bright red smear on its metal body.

"What is that," he thought smudging the stain with his thumb. "Blood?"

He took a closer look at the area where he had retrieved the instrument gasping as he saw more of the red substance. Stephanie was lying in a pool of it.

"Dr. Montgomery I appreciate your concern and Stephanie is very lucky to have you as her OB, but I have everything under control here. She and the baby are stable and I am certain this was only a scare," Arizona explained having gone over Stephanie's condition thoroughly with the over protective doctor.

"She's still in the first trimester of her pregnancy; miscarriages are very high in this stage especially when the mother has been under a tremendous amount of stress such as Ms. Edwards. Are you absolutely certain you don't need me to catch a flight to Seattle?"

"Yes I understand the risks of miscarriage at this stage in her pregnancy, but I can assure you Edwards and the baby are stable."

"Ok then well Thank you for updating me on my patient and please let me know if her condition should change. Remember I am only a few hours away and can hop on a plane if the need should arise."

"Understood," Arizona responded ending the call with the fetal surgeon.

"Dr. Robbins," Shane shouted racing down the hallway like a crazy man.

He reached Robbins bending over his knees to catch his breath.

"Ross what is going on? You should be with Edwards," Arizona said concernedly placing a hand on his broad shoulder.

Shane regained his air and stood up to face his superior. "I think there might be something wrong with the baby?"

"Why on earth would you think that?" Arizona probed fearing the worst had yet to come.

"Blood Dr. Robbins. There was so much of it."

"Can I get you anything," April murmured to Jackson; his head leaning against her shoulder for support.

They had been sitting in the waiting area of the emergency wing for nearly an hour and had yet to receive an update of Stephanie's condition. Frankly Jackson had begun to grow weary of the doctors of Grey Sloan and was appalled that even when the life of one of their own was on the line; they couldn't find a single moment to update her loved ones; even when that loved one was their boss. He was grateful to April for standing by him tonight although the circumstance had to have been incredibly uncomfortable for her. He was having a child with another woman, a living, breathing, little human that would impact his life forever and anyone who decided to be a part of it. He wasn't blind to the fact that this truth hurt April in ways he could not bear to imagine. He should be having a child with a woman he loved, not his rump of the month. Yet, there she stood; the love of his life, doing the only thing she knew to do, love him. He didn't feel the need to speak instead deciding on a telling nod. She squeezed his hand firmly before getting up from her seat.

"I'm going to grab us a couple of waters ok."

"Ok," he answered lifting up his head from the comfort of his hands to make eye contact with her.

He watched her walk north up the hall through the automated doors and to the right down the corridor until the image of her left his line of sight. He leaned against the back of his chair, his head slightly touching the wall and exhaled. Although he had regained his memories and had reconnected with the woman he loved, there was still an emptiness tugging away at his soul. For the first time in his life Jackson Avery was afraid, an emotion he never expected to feel. Fatherhood had never been in his plan although he didn't dismiss the possibility. Surgery had always placed first in his life and everything else that made him human fell second to his career. He was a surgeon, nothing more and nothing less and he took comfort in that truth; feeling only what was necessary and never opening up himself to an emotional slaughter. He spotted Leah Murphy as she entered the wing; her usually flowing hair was tucked under a spunky hello kitty medical cap and her pale blue face mask hung around her neck as if she'd just left the operating room. They made eye contact and Jackson couldn't help but think that she was here to finally update him on Stephanie's condition. He studied her face, her posture; her face was stiff and her shoulders were slightly slouched as she neared him.

"Dr. Avery," she greeted him with a notable sternness in her tone.

Jackson stood up from his seat defeating her attempt to intimidate him with her rigid expression and emotionless voice.

"How is she?" he asked feeling desperate for the smallest bit of information.

"I think that is a question better answered by Dr. Robbins. Follow me," she suggested giving Jackson little time to respond as she had already began to walk in the direction she'd first entered the waiting room.

He obliged finding his footing as he hurried behind the intern who he felt was sinking in a profession she just wasn't cut out for. Leah Murphy lacked the strategic and decisive action required in this field no matter how badly she needed to believe otherwise; she was pretending, playing doctor and that could and would only get her so far.

"You're really not going to give me anything," Jackson replied after following the doctor past the nurse's station and into the confinements of the elevator.

"Save it for Robbins," she snapped while pushing the desired floor on the elevator panel.

"What is wrong with you Murphy, you're acting like something's stuck up your ass. All I'm asking is for you to do your job, tone down the bitchiness, and tell me that Stephanie's ok."

"Dr. Avery I am doing my job, I'm following orders under the direction of Dr. Robbins, but if you must know Stephanie is fine."

"Thank you," he replied feeling a sense of relief.

The elevator doors opened to the 5th floor; Jackson was surprised that Arizona had admitted her although he was sure it was only a precaution. Murphy led him down the end of the corridor checking her pager as it vibrated violently within her scrub pocket.

"This is it, she said. Room 519 Dr. Robbins is on her way up now."

"You're not staying?" Jackson asked after the intern had turned to walk away.

"No I'm needed in the pit. You should go to her, she said. She needs you now more than ever?"

Jackson said nothing feeling silence was the appropriate response; he knew he needed to be there for Stephanie, he just didn't know if she would allow him to. He'd hurt her most; knocking her up intern year and leaving her to deal with the consequence alone. He had been so selfish with her even from the very beginning. He'd used her for her feminine wilds to keep his mind off the one thing that really mattered to him; the red head who had stolen his heart. He entered the room unaware that he'd find Shane sitting right by her side staring at her with such adoration. This moment was very telling for Jackson, it was a wonder to him that he'd missed just how fond of Stephanie the younger doctor was. He cleared his throat as he moved further into the room revealing himself to the smitten intern.

"Dr. Avery," the intern said startlingly removing his hand from hers.

"You really care about her," Jackson acknowledged taking in the image of the two.

Shane looked Jackson right in the eyes.

"Yes I do. She is an amazing woman sir."

"I'm glad she has someone like you in her corner, Jackson said truthfully. Has she been awake?"

"Not much, just resting mostly."

"No one's telling me anything. I have to ask; how is she?"

"She's," Shane hesitated as he saw Arizona enter the room. "Why don't I let Dr. Robbins answer that for you," he said making a timely exit from the room.

"Jackson I'm glad you're here; there are some things we need to discuss," she said with all seriousness in her tone.

"I see. I'm listening."

"Why don't you follow me to my office where we can talk more privately? Stephanie's resting and I think you might want to be seated for this conversation."

"Arizona I am not leaving this room until someone tells me what the hell is going on. I've been here at this hospital for hours and no one thought to update me on the mother of my child. How are they?" he pleaded with the pediatric surgeon.

"Jackson I really think you should come with me, I promise you will know everything there is to know in due time."

"I'm not leaving. I don't need to sit down. I don't need to be treated like some weak little boy that can't handle the facts. I am a doctor. I am not weak."

Arizona placed her hand on his shoulder and looked him straight in the eyes.

"I am so sorry Jackson, so sorry for your loss."

April stepped through the automatic doors of the pit, feeling the harshness of the wind as it surrounded her face. She needed some fresh air after a night like tonight; she felt so helpless not knowing how to comfort Jackson. It was instinct to want to be there for him but being his shoulder to cry on after his pregnant ex-girlfriend collapsed in his arms was almost too much for April to bear. Stephanie's pregnancy was just a reminder of how separate their lives had been. Things had gone terribly wrong between them after the pregnancy scare they experienced last fall. She'd seen then that the man she had been sleeping with for several months had a different interpretation of their relationship, he wanted more, he wanted her and that scared the hell out of her. The idea that Jackson Avery, son of Harper Avery, could ever love her seemed like the impossible, so she pushed him away. She regretted that decision every day since. She felt her phone buzzing from within her jean pocket snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Hello," she answered abruptly her emotions getting the best of her.

"Hey, Baby what's wrong?" Matthew asked from the other end of the receiver.

April let out a soft whimper feeling the mounds of stress weighing in on her.

"I'm. I'm fine."

"Where are you? I'm coming to you."

"I'm at the hospital, but listen you don't have to come here. I'm fine really," she replied.

"Too late, I'm here," he said the echo of his voice filling April's eardrums.

She turned around to find that Matthew was standing directly behind her his cell still to his ear.

"Hey," he said ending the call and dropping his cell into his shirt pocket. "We need to talk."

"I agree. So much has happened that I can't take back and you deserve to know everything."

"Wow I don't think this is quite the conversation I was expecting to have but why don't you fill me in on this everything," Matthew responded as a matter of fact. He didn't like the sound of her words and under the circumstances it just sounded ominous to him.

"You were amazing tonight. I don't think I've ever seen you at work but tonight you were Wow."

"April you don't need to flatter me."

"It's not flattery. I've never seen you so assertive, you took charge and by doing what the rest of us couldn't you gave Stephanie a fighting chance. You are such an awesome man. I don't deserve you."

"April you deserve the world," Matthew said cupping her face in his palms. "Don't you know that?"

She placed her hand over his as he held her face in place closing her eyes for what seemed like an eternity. Matthew really was a great guy and she could no longer carry the weight of the lies she had been carrying in her heart. She gently removed his hand from her face and brought it down to his side grazing his hand once more before breaking contact.

"You see that's where you're wrong. I wanted to believe that I could be happy with you and you me; that we could share our lives together making memories that would last us an eternity."

"April where is this coming from? You already make me so happy and I'd be a fool to let you slip away from me. I love you," he murmured his voice breaking with emotion.

"Matthew I love you too, I do. I would be a fool not to love a man as generous as you are, but I have not been honest to you or to myself."

"It's him isn't it? You're choosing him after everything he put you through April. Hell he's having a baby with another woman and even that's not enough to keep you from under his compulsion," Matthew hissed with tear specked eyes.

"Matthew this is not about Jackson. This is about me finally being true to myself and what's in my heart. It's better this way, I can't hurt you anymore than I already have."

"Were you unfaithful to me?"

"Yes," she whispered feeling her world growing smaller with each admission.

"My God April," Matthew roared turning his back to her afraid that he would not be able to hide the pain that ripped through his heart like a butcher's blade.

April found herself drawing to him as she tried to console him placing her hand on his back.

"Don't," he screamed in utter agony.

How could this be happening to him; how could he have given his heart to a woman who knew not love but torture for him.

"Matthew please understand I did not intend for any of this to happen. I never wanted to hurt you not one second."

"How many times? How many times did he touch you? How many times did he take your virtue and shame your commitment like some whore? You broke your vow April not just to me but to the man upstairs."

"How could you talk to me in such a way? Damn you," she cried her eyes now swollen from the tears that flooded down the gates of her face.

"Do you think I want to say those things to you, to think about him touching you, making love to you? April I asked you to marry me? I would have loved you more than anything you could have ever imagined, but you choose a man who gets a girl pregnant and abandons her for another woman."

"He never abandoned her, he would never turn his back on his kid not even for me. Don't you think I know him and what he's capable of? You have not a clue about the man that he is. Jackson is a good person, don't bash him."

"Any man that could steal another man's wife does not deserve my respect or yours for that matter? I wish you would have given us a chance but I see now we were never a possibility. I need to get out of here," he announced walking away from her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered after he had disappeared into the parking garage of the hospital and she was left alone to wallow in her guilt.

She arrived on the fifth floor of the hospital after receiving instructions that Jackson had gone up to see Stephanie who had been admitted for the night. She'd tried to pry information out of one of the nurse's on duty but was only able to get a room number and no details of the young surgeon's prognosis. She didn't know if it was her place to be here given that Stephanie hated her guts, but she had to see Jackson. She had a clear conscience, wiped clean of all guilt she had ever felt for loving him and she needed him to know how she honestly felt about him. She reached room 519, the door was closed however the curtain had been pulled back to allow light from the hall to illuminate the room. She peered through the glass unable to look away from the image of Jackson lying beside Stephanie rubbing his fingers through her hair as she cried violently in his arms. What has happened here? She wondered deciding not to go inside. She realized tonight was not the night to declare her love to the best friend she had ever known. Something had happened, something terrible and the only person that could comfort him was someone who understood exactly what he was going through, and tonight that person was Stephanie.