AN: I'm now going to be titling the chapters with song titles- this one is "On Our Way" by The Royal Concept. Sometimes the lyrics fit/the tone of the song fits...
"We are young, we are one
Let us shine for what it's worth
To your place, place, place
We're on our way, way, way"
I highly recommend all of the songs I use for titles. Anyway, thank you so much for reading/reviewing/following! I really appreciate it so much.
August 30th
"Let me help you with that," Jackson smiles, reaching to grab one of April's boxes, and he's reminded of when they first met. They'd grown so much closer since then. At first, he'd thought she was weird. And now- well, he still thinks she's a bit weird. But Jackson had realized, the more you got to know April Kepner, the more likable she became. It just took some time.
He and April were currently moving their belongings into the big house on Queen Anne Hill, which as the highest hill in Seattle provided amazing views of the city, stretching to the Space Needle.
"Thanks. Do you want me to let your mom know that you're such a gentleman?"
Jackson laughs for a moment before he becomes worried. "Wait, you're not actually in contact with my mom, right?"
April's face freezes. "Of course not!"
Jackson's not sure whether to believe her or not, because April is not that great of a liar, and she's blushing slightly-
"Are you excited to move in?"
He sighs, letting her change the subject as they make their way onto Meredith Grey's porch. "Yeah, it'll be nice to be a bit settled in before classes officially start. And I mean, it really is so close to campus..." They walk through the door and April stops for a moment. Though they had already been moving stuff in throughout the day, she still stops and marvels.
"It really is a nice house, isn't it? It's so big," April says, gazing around the entryway. Jackson looks around too. He knows objectively that it could be considered a big house. However, growing up back in Weston, one of the most affluent suburbs of Boston, and spending summers at Hyannis Port, the Avery family manse, meant sometimes Jackson wasn't quite aware what was considered a big house or not. But he was learning.
He and April set their boxes down at the bottom of the stairs, before making their way to the kitchen. There's already a cacophony of sound, as Izzie is baking, while George rants about something to her.
"-and what's up with his hair? I mean, how much hair product do you think the guy uses? A whole bottle every day or two?"
Jackson bites his lip to keep from laughing, but beside him, April looks miffed. He knows April well enough to tell that she has a crush on Derek Shepherd after only a few days of orientation, and he can't resist teasing her.
"I'm not sure, April, what do you think? One bottle or two?" George whips his head around, realizing that he and Izzie weren't alone, and Izzie starts laughing as she continually stirs the batter in an even motion. April tucks a curl of her red hair behind her ear to glare at Jackson, but he only tilts his head and smiles.
"Are you guys hungry? I've baked…" Izzie quickly gazes around the kitchen. "Approximately 72 cupcakes."
"Um… thanks? But we're actually going to head out after we finish moving our stuff in," April gestures over to Jackson. They had plans with Reed and Charles for a celebratory dinner before their first day. "But if you don't mind me asking, why are you making so many cupcakes?"
"I'm baking because I'm anxious. Expect a good amount of pie around finals."
"And they're very good pies. Blue ribbon pies," George says.
"I believe you," Jackson replies, smiling. Just then, Alex strides in, giving Izzie a kiss on the cheek.
"Her cupcakes are all for me," Alex says cockily, and both April and George's noses scrunch up.
"Oh, gross," George groans, placing his head on the counter.
Later on, Jackson and April sit at one of their favorite Seattle restaurants laughing with Reed and Charles over small plates.
"Aw, don't worry Charlie, you'll figure it out. Not everyone can be a badass med student or a badass law student," Reed was saying in response to Charles' latest complaints about his boss.
"Architecture can be badass. It can be sexy. Girls like architects," Charles says defensively, looking around the table. Reed and Jackson burst out laughing, but April tries to nod sympathetically through her own giggles.
"Sure they do, Charles. Sure they do."
"How are they? Your new classmates? And your new roommates?" Reed asks.
"I still can't believe you guys betrayed us like this…" Charles shakes his head.
Jackson takes a sip of his beer. "The women? Top notch. The guys? Nothing to write home about." April scoffs.
"George is cute. In the boy next door way," April explains primarily to Reed, as if she can already tell that both Jackson and Charles have no interest in this conversation. "And Alex is… well, he doesn't seem like that nice a guy. But he's… attractive," she finally finishes. "He's hot," she adds in a quick whisper.
"Anyone in particular you've got your eye on?" Charles asks Jackson.
"Well, April here thinks one of our visiting professors walks on water… but he's got something going on with our landlord, Meredith, and Izzie? She's hot, but she's with Alex," Jackson says before taking a bite of bruschetta. "Cristina Yang though…" Jackson glances over at April.
"She's single, right?"
"Cristina Yang will eat you alive. Don't go there," April advises.
"I might enjoy that though," Jackson says, wiggling his eyebrows as Reed groans and Charles gives him a high-five. Carefully setting down her silverware, April promptly smacks Jackson on the back of the head, causing Reed and Charles to break out in laughter.
"Ow!"
"Ugh. Don't be gross."
"Anyway," Jackson continues, rubbing the back of his head and staring at April resentfully. "In terms of classes… there might be a few contenders."
"I mean, Meredith Grey is in our year, and even in our section," April says in an awed tone, leaning forward.
"And she's the landlord?" Reed asks, and April nods her head in confirmation.
"She matters because… what? Are we supposed to know what that means?" Charles asks.
"Her mom was a pretty big medical malpractice lawyer, though-" April looks over at Jackson.
"It's been, what, 5 years since Ellis Grey actually practiced law?"
Jackson nods. "Give or take a couple years. And she hasn't turned to teaching or anything, she just kinda… fell off the map. But before that, you remember that one Anderson case? Where the family sued Seattle Presbyterian in a wrongful death suit?"
"Yeah," Reed replies. She's familiar enough with the hospital scene in Seattle to remember such a big case.
"I don't memorize tragic lawsuits like you three," Charles says wryly.
"Anyway, the hospital was being sued for millions, and everyone thought it would be found guilty. But Ellis Grey got them off- she essentially saved the hospital from going under." Jackson finishes his story with a tip of his beer.
"Ok, so this Meredith Grey is the daughter of some big deal," Reed starts, turning to look at Jackson. "Do they know about your own big deal family?"
"Nope!" April says with a popping sound. Jackson rolls his eyes.
"Dude, how many Averys are in law?" Charles asks. "And, I mean, I don't know much about the law, or whatever, but when I found out your grandfather had been the United States Attorney General, I mean- he was on the President's cabinet. That's a pretty big deal"
"It's- it's not that big a deal. Avery is just my last name, I'm doing this on my own." Jackson says defensively. This is precisely why he doesn't want his classmates to know about his grandfather or his family. If Charles is acting like this, how would the people who worship the law react? Jackson can feel April's eyes on him.
"Then there's Cristina, who is without a doubt a shark," April interjects, and Jackson's grateful that she changed the subject. "And Alex seems like he could be sort of vicious."
"Well, I'm sure you guys can take them all." Reed clears her throat. "Anyway, I'd like to propose a toast." They all just stare at her for a moment before Reed forcefully repeats herself. "I said I'm proposing a toast!" They quickly raise their drinks.
"To April and Jackson…" Reed begins, smiling at both of them. "Go forth and become kickass lawyers."
"To April and Jackson!" Charles says, and his glass hits April's with a hard clink. Jackson toasts April, smiling at her. They were going to do this.
September 1st
Jackson Avery was not a morning person. He knew he was a flawed man; nobody was perfect after all, and this was one of his flaws. He has a slightly unhealthy obsession with sneakers, hoodies, and the Boston Celtics; he could not be filmed without emitting a nervous giggle; and he was not a morning person. He really didn't want to get up this morning, but he knew he had to. Jackson was about to begin his first day of classes as a law student, and he wasn't going to screw this up. Rubbing his face tiredly, he grabs his beeping, insistent cell phone to turn off the alarm, but not before he sees that there's a text message from his mother. As if he didn't know exactly what he was embarking on, exactly the kind of pressure Jackson was facing, pursuing law. Half his family expected him to do it, and not just be a lawyer; they expected greatness from him. That included his mother and grandfather. The other half of his family- well, they didn't expect anything from him, of him, at all. And sometimes Jackson wasn't sure which was worse.
Growing up in a family filled with accomplished people was both a blessing and a curse. His mother was head of the Harper Avery Foundation, the charitable branch that worked alongside Avery & Associates, the law firm his grandfather had founded decades ago. Jackson's father had worked at Avery & Associates, until- well, until he didn't. William Avery left Catherine and Jackson when Jackson was only 2, so Jackson never knew him. William Avery couldn't handle the pressure of being an Avery. Harper had tried to prepare his son for success, but instead found his daughter-in-law had the true grit required to be an Avery, and Jackson wanted to prove that he was nothing like his father; he could handle the pressure.
However, just because Jackson wanted to prove he could handle the pressure of being an Avery in law didn't mean he wanted to do it with the onus of his family's name hanging over him. In fact, that was one of the reasons he had decided to go to Seattle Grace Law. He'd been to four other interviews with prestigious schools with exciting programs. Jackson had turned on the charm, had prepped so much for these interviews- and all of them ended with the interviewer excitedly asking if his grandfather would ever be interested in giving a lecture, or if after graduation the Harper Avery Foundation would like to establish an endowment in his name.
Webber, on the other hand, didn't mention his family at all at first. He'd only asked him why he actually wanted to study law. Webber had looked down at Jackson's application from beneath his glasses, before taking them off and crossing his arms.
"Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?" Jackson steeled himself for the inevitable. Would your grandfather be interested in a round of golf anytime soon? Webber continues, "I know all about your family- your mother and I have worked together on a case in the past, and of course everyone knows who your grandfather is. But I have a simple question for you. Why are you here? Why are you applying to law school at all? Here at Seattle Grace, we won't coddle you because of your name."
Jackson had been taken aback, but took a moment to ponder his answer. "I… I believe in the law. I believe that having the ability to write and draft legislation to make the world a better place is a gift. I believe that without laws, our society would instead be anarchy. I believe in democracy, and the law is our foundation for that democracy. I'm not pursuing law because of my family," Jackson continues, and he's self-aware enough to know that's both the truth and a lie. "I'm pursuing law because I know I'm capable and I want to. I want this," He finishes fervently.
Webber had smiled and didn't mention his family for the rest of the interview. And that's when Jackson knew he wanted to go to the Seattle Grace University School of Law.
So this… this is a big day. Even Jackson can acknowledge that. He gets up to go shower, grabbing a towel, weaving pass George and Alex as they make their way to the kitchen. Turning around, Jackson can see April is already in there, preparing her coffee and making breakfast. She always was an early riser, Jackson muses. When Izzie makes her down the stairs as well, hair still drying, Jackson narrows his eyes. Oh no.
By the time he makes it to the bathroom, Jackson's suspicions are confirmed: all the others have already showered, and there's no more hot water.
Of course. Jackson's first day of law school is off to an inauspicious start.
They're sitting in the auditorium, chatting amongst themselves. Meredith and Cristina are discussing something in low tones, but all Jackson can hear is snippets that include the word "McDreamy." Shaking his head in confusion, he turns to April, but she's tapping her pen repeatedly against her knee nervously. He's nervous, too, but Jackson knows he can't let any weaknesses show. Once people find out he's an Avery, they'll be looking for them.
Suddenly, a short woman wearing very high heels strides with a purpose into the classroom, and all the students fall silent. "Good morning, everyone. I'm Miranda Bailey, your Civil Procedure professor. In this class, you will be examining the fundamental aspects of the civil litigation process in the United States. These are your A, B, Cs, people. Don't screw it up. Now-" A melodic buzz fills the auditorium, causing murmurs to break out. Bailey's eyes narrowed in on the offending party, who quickly shuffles, trying to turn his phone off. She slowly walks closer to the seats.
"I have five rules for my class. Remember them and you just might survive. Rule number one? No cell phones." And Jackson is pretty sure if looks could kill, there'd be a pile of dust in the 5th row. He sits up straighter, focusing even more.
"Don't bother trying to suck up to me. That'll just piss me off," Bailey says, and Jackson can see in his periphery that April's taken aback by Bailey's candor, and he can't hide a grin.
"Next, as for your reading. Do it. Read your readings! If you don't…" Bailey walks across the front of the classroom, and everyone's eyes follow her as she clucks her tongue. "Well, that'll make me angry."
"And you won't like her when she's angry," Alex jokes under his breath, and Jackson stifles a laugh.
"You'll be wasting my time and yours," Bailey continues. "You're taking spots away all the sad little folks who couldn't get accepted to Seattle Grace Law. If you don't do your reading, I'll be thinking of those poor people and how they wouldn't have wasted my time. I'll be thinking how much I wish they were the ones sitting in my classroom instead of you. And I'll know if you have or haven't done the reading. Trust me," Bailey says, gazing around the classroom. "I'll know. You will be graded primarily on your final exam. And when someone says final, what does that mean? Anyone?"
There's silence for a moment.
"Oh, come on, people. Final means final. So, if you're not happy with your grade, don't come whining or complaining to me. Study for this, work for this, and you won't have anything to complain about. So, to begin, there are three types of jurisdiction in state courts…" The class is still staring at Bailey in rapt attention, and she exclaims, "Stop looking at me and start taking notes!" Jackson fumbles to wake up his laptop. This was going to be a long semester- scratch that, a long three years.
"Bailey's terrifying," April says, shell-shocked, as she leaves the auditorium with Jackson and the others. They had just gotten out of their last class for the day, and while their other professor that day, Nelson, was smart, he was mostly just… there. He had nothing on Bailey.
"She's badass," Jackson muses instead, smiling. Being raised by a fierce, hard-working mother gave Jackson a healthy appreciation of strong women.
"Well, yes, she's badass, but…" April bites her lip nervously.
"She's terrifying," George finishes for her. He'd been cold-called that day, and it was obvious to everyone he didn't enjoy the experience.
"My brain is so full right now. It's amazing," Cristina says, and she kinda sounds like a drug addict who just reached a whole new high.
"That forced curve is awful. Only 5% of us will get As? Oh God," April says in a distraught voice.
The seven of them stand in silence for a moment. The sunshine of the week before is gone, and the typical grey Seattle sky has returned.
"So there's a bar across the street that I highly recommend," Meredith says, glancing at the others. "Wanna go?"
Alex exhales as he starts walking, grabbing Izzie's hand and pulling her along. "Screw it, let's go."