Chapter Twelve: Kiss on my list

"My friends wonder why I call you all of the time. What can I say I don't feel the need to give such secrets away. You think maybe I need help, no I know I'm right all right, I'm just better off not listening to friends' advice. When they insist on blowing my bliss, I tell them this when they want to know what the reason is, I only smile when alive, and I tell them why..."

Ecstatic, Excited, Elated and Blissful; these are the four words that best described what Jackson is feeling at the moment. Ever since he stepped out of April's room, he can't seem to wipe the smile off of his face; he already received a couple of weird looks from some nurses and interns but even that cannot dampen the mood he's in.

"Avery!"

Jackson punched on the elevator button and turned his head to the side; "Hey Alex, how are you doing man?" he asked cheerfully.

Alex fell into step with his friend and raised his brow; "You're acting like a giddy girl, what gives?"

Jackson didn't bother to hide his mood; "Nothing, it's just a good day"

Alex stepped into the elevator and punched on his floor button; "Yeah right"

Jackson followed Alex and punched on his own floor button; he didn't respond and just focused his attention on the closing door.

Alex turned to face Jackson; "Come on man, don't be such a spoil sport, what is it?"

Jackson chuckled; "You are being nosey, you know that?"

Alex stuffed his hands inside his lab coat pocket; "And you are Mr. McRainbowbright" he quipped.

Jackson just shook his head; "You and your awful name calling, you're as bad as Grey and Yang" he said. He then took a step towards the door when the elevator chimed open; "See you around man" he said as he steps out.

Alex scoffed; "I'll eventually find out what you're up to McRainbowbright!"

"Good luck with that!" Jackson yelled back.

Alex shook his head in amusement as he watches the door close.

oOo

April was sitting on her bed when the door burst open; she turned her head sideways and mentally groaned upon seeing her new visitors.

"I heard you'll be shacking up with Pretty boy, you can't boink him yet" Cristina said with a smirk.

"Are you two back together?" Meredith asked as she closes the door behind her.

"Wow, news travels here really fast" April said with disdain. "Yes I will be staying with Jackson for a couple of days, we're not boinking and no we're not together"

Cristina plopped down near the footboard; "Not yet boinking and not yet together" she corrected.

Meredith chuckled.

April rolled her eyes; "Did you two come here just to antagonize me?"

Cristina looked thoughtful; "Well-yeah, we're bored" she said.

Meredith sat on the other side of bed; copying her best friend's stance; "We're just checking on you Apes, you set to go?" she asked.

April turned her gaze towards Meredith; "Yes, I'm dying to get out of here, I'm bored to my wits end" she replied.

Cristina smirked; "You just want to have Avery to yourself" she teased.

April felt her cheeks flush; "Cristina!" she shrieked.

Cristina cackled loudly.

Meredith patted April's leg comfortingly; "Don't mind her, she's just having a little fun"

April pursed her lips; "Obviously at my expense" she mumbled.

oOo

"There you are! I've been looking for you all over" Jackson said as he walks towards his mentor.

Mark placed his tab on top of the counter and eyed his prot up and down; "Why the hell are you in your street clothes?" he asked with furrowed brows.

Jackson stopped right in front of Mark and adjusted the bag on his shoulder; "I'm taking off early, I'm still on call so can you page me BUT only if something big comes up, okay?"

Mark crossed his arms on top of his chest; "Care to tell your old man where the hell you're going?"

"I'm taking April home, she's been discharged"

"I know that but why do you have to take the rest of the day off? You're just dropping her off to her apartment, right?" Mark asked confusedly.

Jackson cleared his throat and stood straighter; "Err-about that, she's not actually going home to her apartment" he replied.

"Huh?"

Jackson let out a grin; "She's coming home with me"

Mark's eyes widen in surprise; "She's what?"

"Somebody needs to look after her and Hunt won't let her leave without any supervision-her family is in Ohio so I kinda volunteered for the job" Jackson admitted sheepishly.

Mark blinked a couple of times before a large grin made its way to his lips; "You sly dog!"

Jackson chuckled.

Mark leaned forward and punched Jackson's shoulder playfully; "Admit it! You just want Kepner to yourself!" he teased.

"Knock it off! I just want to take care of her"

Mark chortled happily; "I'm not judging-no one's judging" he said.

Jackson rolled his eyes; "Whatever man, well-I gotta go, I don't want to make her wait that long"

Mark winked; "Go on lover boy, have fun playing nurse" he said meaningfully.

"Get your head out of the gutter Sloan!" Jackson said. He then spun on his heels and made his way towards the elevator; "See you tomorrow" he called out.

"Avery!"

Jackson halted his steps and turned his face towards Mark; "What?" he asked.

Mark placed his hands on his hips and fixed him with a somewhat serious look; "Kepner is still out of commission, don't ravish her and mess up my perfect stitches! I don't want her back in this hospital bleeding through her incisions just because you two can't keep your hands to yourself, you hear me?"

Jackson scrunched his face; "What's wrong with you?!" he said indignantly before continuing his trek.

Mark just laughed boisterously as a response.

oOo

Lexie opened the door to April's room and was surprised to see the crowd that gathered inside the red head's room; she pushed the door wider and parked the wheelchair close to it. "Wow, you have a full room"

April threw Lexie a pleading look; "Have you seen Jackson? I want to go now-these three are driving nuts!" she complained.

"Can't wait to have your way with Mr. McRainbowbright, huh?" Alex teased.

"Ha! That's a good one! Nice name evil spawn" Cristina complimented.

Meredith nodded in approval; "Your name calling is improving Alex"

April wrinkled her nose in distaste; "Stop encouraging him!" she chastised.

Lexie threw April a sympathetic look.

Alex leaned back on the couch and placed his crossed his feet on top of the coffee table; "Now I understand why Avery is acting so giddy-he gets to take you home" he said with a smirk.

Cristina turned her gaze towards Alex; "Giddy?" she asked curiously.

Alex nodded; "Like a school girl"

"You guys are horrible!" April whined loudly.

"Oh come on Apes, don't tell me that it didn't make you feel a tad happier?" Lexie said with a smile.

April's cheeks flush even brighter; "I won't even justify that with an answer" she huffed. She then narrowed her eyes at the brunette; "I thought you're on my side! Traitor!"

Lexie just chuckled as a response.

"Not even a tiny tidbit happier?" Meredith asked with a large smile.

April collapsed back on her pillows and covered her face with her hands; "Get out of my room, all of you"

The four surgeons all shared a look before laughing loudly.

"Are you guys terrorizing April again?" Jackson asked as he enters the room.

April hastily pulled her hands away from her face; "Jackson! Thank god you're already here!" she said, relief evident in her voice. She then scooted towards the side of the bed and dangled her legs until it reached the floor; "Let's go now! These people are trying to kill me!"

Cristina smirked; "We're not trying to kill you, we're just cheering you up, you did tell us that you're bored to your wits end, right?"

"Ooohh...she's using your own words against you Apes!" Alex egged on.

April threw Jackson an exasperated look; "See what I mean?"

Jackson shook his head; "Don't you all have jobs to tend to?" he said while eyeing each surgeon pointedly.

Cristina hopped up from her perch; "Bossman is back, that's our cue to leave-looks like he wants to have a one on one with Kepner"

Meredith copied her person's action and began rounding the bed; "Yep, that's our cue" she affirmed. She turned her gaze towards Alex; "Come on now Alex, let's leave this love birds alone" she said.

"Out!" April yelled out.

Alex chuckled as he stood up from his perch; he made his way towards Meredith and fell into step with her. "Little Ms. Red is getting anxious to have Pretty boy to herself, touchy" he said with a teasing smile.

"I hate you Karev!" April said.

Alex winked; "We both know how much ya love me"

Cristina walked towards the door; "Get well soon Kepner, we'll see you next week-have fun with lover boy!" she said with a wave.

Meredith followed Cristina towards the door; "Bye Apes, don't stress yourself too much, rest well" she reminded.

"Keep your hands to yourself love birds, see you soon Apes!" Alex said as he steps out of the room.

"Thanks guys!" April called out. She then let out defeated sigh; "I love them to death but they are exasperating" she mumbled.

Lexie chuckled; "Your reaction is egging them on that's why they keep on teasing you" she replied.

April pouted; "You're on their side just a couple of minutes ago" she accused.

Lexie tugged on the wheelchair and began moving it towards the side of the bed; "You can't hold that against me, I'm just telling the truth" she said while wiggling her brows suggestively.

April rolled her eyes; "You're lucky I love you or I'd give you hell"

Lexie winkled; "True" she said.

Jackson grabbed April's bag from the bed side and slung it on his other shoulder; "You ready to go?" he asked.

April planted her feet firmly on the floor before hauling herself up; she slowly moved towards the wheelchair and sat down. "I never thought I'd end up in this silly thing"

"That's what you get when you run into a collapsing porch" Lexie quipped.

Jackson let out a chuckle; "True" he said.

"Ha ha ha, very funny" April said sarcastically.

Lexie placed her hand on the red head's shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly; "You were a hero, no one is judging you about that"

April turned her face to the side and threw Lexie a smile.

Jackson turned his gaze towards Lexie; "Do you want me to take over?" he asked while gesturing towards the wheelchair.

Lexie threw Jackson an indignant look; "Why are you even asking me that question?"

Jackson raised both hands in surrender; "Just asking Lex, no need to go crazy on me"

Lexie harrumphed.

April stared at Jackson, eyeing her bag on his shoulders; "You can put that bag on my lap Jackson, it's kinda heavy and your shoulder is still healing"

Jackson turned his gaze towards April and smiled; "My shoulder is fine and besides, your bag weighs close to naught" he said.

"Awww...chivalry suites you" Lexie gushed.

Jackson rolled his eyes; "Whatever" he mumbled.

April can't help but smile at Jackson's reaction; "Let's go now, I'm dying to get out of this stuffy room"

Lexie tugged on the wheelchair and began navigating it towards the door; "Aye aye boss!" she chirped.

oOo

"Page me once Mr. Schmidt wakes up, okay?" Richard reminded the nurse.

"Will do, Dr. Webber"

"Thank you Natalie" Richard said with a smile. He then turned around and saw his three former residents walking towards him; he placed his hands on his hips and smiled. "Now, I'll be."

"Dr. Webber" April greeted politely.

"You're getting discharged today?" Richard asked.

"Yep" April chirped.

Richard cocked his head to the side; "Who will take you home then?" he asked when he didn't see any of April's family members.

Lexie put the wheelchair into a halt; "Jackson will" she piped in happily.

Richard shifted his gaze to the Plastic Surgeon; "Your taking the rest of the day off, I presume?"

"I am" Jackson replied.

"That's good" Richard replied. He then moved his eyes back to April, his brows furrowed in concern; "Can you manage being home alone?" he asked.

April felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment; "Err-I won't be alone..." she trailed off.

Jackson cleared his throat; "I'll look after her, she'll be staying at my place for the mean time"

Lexie grinned widely; "He'll take care of our April, isn't he the sweetest?"

"Lexie!" April hissed.

Richard shifted his gaze between Jackson and April back and forth before letting out a large smile; "I see...well, that's good to hear, I'm sure Jackson will take good care of you" he said confidently.

April can't help but smile at Richard's statement; "I know he will" she replied. "As long as he doesn't hover like my mother, I'm quite sure we'll be fine" she added as a joke.

Richard laughed.

"I will not hover" Jackson said assuringly.

Lexie leaned towards April; "Let's hope he's not as bad as Mark" she whispered.

April giggled; "No one is as bad as your fiancé" she retorted.

Lexie winked; "We'll see about that, he's Mark's prodigy after all"

"Kepner, I heard you're being discharged today, congratulations!" Callie said as she walks towards the group.

"I am" April replied happily.

Arizona fell into step with her wife; "The little boy you saved is recovering with flying colors, thanks to you" she said with a smile.

April felt warmth settle inside her chest, her eyes stinging with tears; "Really?"

Arizona nodded; "Really" she replied.

"Thank god" April said.

Callie shoved her hands inside her lab coat pockets; "How are you gonna get home? Where are your parents?"

April threw Jackson an apologetic smile; "I-"

"I'm taking her home" Jackson interjected while smiling at April.

Callie's eyes widen in surprise.

Arizona chuckled upon seeing the look on Callie's face, she then turned her gaze towards Jackson; "That's very nice of you" she said.

Jackson shrugged his shoulders; "It's April" he said.

April felt her cheeks flush so she shifted her gaze to her lap instead.

Lexie noticing April's plight decided to give her friend a reprieve; "Well, we better get going, April might be a little tired, she's still recovering you know" she said with a smile.

April lifted her gaze and threw Lexie a grateful look, she then turned her eyes back to her friends; "I'll see you all next week, I can't wait to be back"

Richard chuckled; "You haven't been out of this hospital yet and you want to come back already, I love the dedication Kepner, keep it up"

April smiled at Richard; "Will do Chief" she said with a salute.

"Take her home Avery, I think she's been sitting on that wheelchair far too long-she's acting kinda crazy" Callie said with a teasing smile.

April just chuckled at Callie's jibe.

"Get well soon April" Arizona said.

"Thank you!" April chirped.

"See? Too cheerful" Callie pointed out.

Lexie tugged on the wheelchair and began pushing it towards the elevator.

"Page me if you guys need anything" Jackson said with a wave.

"Interesting" Richard mused as he watches Jackson walk away.

Callie threw Richard a look; "What's interesting Chief?" she asked.

Richard gestured towards the elevator; "Jackson and April"

Arizona raised her brow; "That's not exactly new,"

"I know but I can feel something's up between that two" Richard replied.

"Well-he did take a time off in the middle of his shift" Callie said thoughtfully.

"And he's taking her home, whatever that means" Arizona piped in.

"We'll see..." Richard said.

oOo

"I'll just go get my car, will you be alright here?"

Lexie rolled her eyes; "I'm right here, in case you have forgotten" she said.

Jackson chuckled; "Oh yeah, I thought your just some nurse or whatever" he teased.

"Ha, ha, ha, funny" Lexie said sarcastically.

Jackson shifted his gaze between April and Lexie; "You two are hanging around each other too much" he said. He then gestured towards the parking lot; "I'll go get my car now, be back in a sec" he said before jogging away.

"Avery has it bad for you Apes" Lexie said while shaking her head in amusement.

"No he doesn't" April replied, her cheeks betraying her.

"Yeah right, he's like a love sick puppy nipping at your heels, its cute" Lexie said with a teasing smile.

"He's not a puppy!" April protested.

"April?"

April turned her head sideways, her eyes widening in surprise; "Matthew!"

Matthew stopped by her side, staring at her with worry; "I heard what happened but I wasn't able to visit you...I'm sorry-are you alright?"

April smiled kindly; "It's alright Matthew, I knew you were busy and yes, I'm alright"

"Thank god" Matthew breathed out. He then let out a small smile; "You and ride alongs never did end well, huh?"

"Sing it" Lexie piped in.

Matthew chuckled; "I think Dr. Grey agrees with me"

"You and me, plus eight other doctors, don't you think we already proved our point enough, Apes?" Lexie said with a smirk.

April rolled her eyes; "I already promised each and every one of you that I won't do ride alongs anymore"

Matthew nodded; "Good for you" he said.

April leaned forward and swatted Matthew's arm playfully; "You're supposed to be on my side!"

"Not on this one, I'm afraid" Matthew said with a smirk.

Lexie threw the Paramedic an approving look; "I'm liking you more Taylor"

Matthew felt his cheeks flush; "Err-t—thank you Dr. Grey" he stuttered, clearly flustered at Lexie's comment.

Lexie chuckled at Matthew's reaction; "If you aren't dating Edwards, I'd say you and April are meant to be together, you both blush at the tiniest thing" she teased.

Matthew smiled; "I'm like her male counterpart, we'd make a very annoying couple"

April giggled at Matthew's words; "A super annoying couple" she corrected.

Lexie can't help but laugh at the irony of their statements; "True" she said. Her laughter died down almost instantly when she heard her pager beeping; she let out a loud groaned before plucking it from her pocket.

April turned her gaze towards Lexie; "Who's paging you?" she asked.

Lexie stuffed her pager inside her pocket; "Derek" she replied.

April's eyes widen; "Go then," she said.

Lexie shook her head; "It can wait, it's not a 911 page" she replied.

"It's really alright Lex, you can go. I have Matthew here to keep me company-I'm sure Derek needs you" April reasoned out.

"But-"

"No buts Lexie, go, you don't need to babysit me"

"Jackson will kill me for leaving you" Lexie said.

"I'll wait with her" Matthew offered.

Lexie bit her bottom lip; "I don't think that-"

"I'll take care of Jackson, don't worry" April said while throwing Lexie a meaningful look.

"You sure?" Lexie asked.

"I'm sure, now scoot!" April said.

Lexie let out a defeated sigh; "Fine" she mumbled. She then leaned towards April and hugged her; "I'm gonna miss you Apes, I'll try to drop by as much as I can, okay?" she whispered.

April rubbed Lexie's back; "I'll miss you too Lex and please do drop by" she replied.

Lexie pulled away; "Rest well and please be a good patient" she reminded.

April laughed; "I'll try"

Lexie squeezed April's arm comfortingly before turning her gaze towards Matthew; "Thanks for doing this Matthew" she said sincerely.

"No biggie" Matthew replied.

Lexie's pager went off again; "I better get my ass there" she said. She then spun on her heels and began jogging towards the E.R. doors; "Bye guys!" she called out.

Matthew waited for Lexie to disappear from the E.R doors before shifting his gaze back to April; he stuffed his hands inside his jacket pockets before smiling teasingly at the red head. "So...you and Jackson, huh?"

April met Matthew's eyes; "Yeah" she replied shyly.

"I'm happy for you" Matthew said with sincerity.

"Thank you" April replied. She then cocked her head to side and smirked; "You haven't actually told me that you and Stephanie are officially together"

Matthew cleared his throat as his cheeks began to flush; "I-err-it's actually fairly new..." he sputtered.

"When?" April asked curiously.

Matthew shifted in his feet; "Err-after the storm..."

April threw Matthew an impressed look; "That's good to hear, I'm glad that it worked out-you two are so cute together" she said with grin.

Matthew laughed.

April opened her mouth to respond but wasn't able to do so when she saw Jackson's car pulling over right in front of her; "Well, here's my ride" she said.

"Nice ride" Matthew whistled.

April rolled her eyes; "Boys and your toys" she mumbled.

Jackson climbed out of his car but left his door open; he gritted his teeth and tried his best to stifle the jealousy that's almost blinding him. "Taylor"

Matthew instantly felt the tension radiating from the other doctor so he cleared his throat; "Dr. Avery" he greeted politely. He then shifted his eyes to April; "Err-your ride is here, I'll head out. It was nice seeing that your okay, get well soon and I'll see you next week, hopefully" he said with a small smile.

April nodded; "You bet, thanks Matthew" she replied.

"Good day Dr. Avery" Matthew said politely before scampering away.

Jackson walked towards April as he watches the Paramedic walk towards his rig; "Where the hell is Lexie? She's supposed to stay with you till I return"

April raised her brow, clearly noticing the shift in Jackson's mood; "Derek paged her so I told her to go" she replied.

Jackson turned his gaze towards April; "Is it 911?" he asked.

"Nope" April replied while eyeing him tentatively, gauging his reaction.

Jackson bit his tongue hard to keep himself from lashing out irrationally; he promised himself that he'll never do anything to upset April again and he'll stand by that promise even if it cause him a bloody tongue. He took a deep breath before pasting a smile on his face; "Ready to go?"

"I'm impressed"

"I'm sorry?" Jackson asked, clearly confused by her statement.

April let out a small smile; "I was 100% sure there that you'll be biting my head off after Matthew left but you didn't" she said. "And you acted civil there-well kinda, if you disregard how you were looking at him" she added as an afterthought.

Jackson cringed; "Am I that obvious?"

"You're glaring at the man for goodness sake, obvious is an understatement" April said with a chuckle.

Jackson scratched the back of his neck, clearly embarrassed by his actions.

April leaned forward and grasped his hand; "You don't have any reason to be jealous of Matthew, we're just good friends and he's with Stephanie" she explained.

Jackson's eyes widen in surprise; "Edwards?" he asked.

April chuckled; "Yeah"

"Wow" Jackson breathed out.

April squeezed Jackson hand; "Does that mean you'll be a little bit nicer to him?" she asked.

Jackson squeezed April's hand back before letting out a boyish smile; Of course I'll be nicer, he's your friend and he's dating Stephanie" he said smugly.

April giggled; "That's good to hear then"

"You ready to go home now?" Jackson asked.

April felt her heart skip a beat upon hearing the word home; she let out huge smile before nodding. "Yeah, I'm ready to come home with you"

Jackson tightened his hold on April's hand; "Let's go home then" he said.

oOo

Jackson drove by April's apartment to get a few things; she insisted to come with him but he was adamant to make her sit inside his car because he doesn't want her climbing the stairs. April argued fiercely because she doesn't want him riffling through her underwear drawer but was forced to give in when Jackson pointed out, somewhat smugly that she has nothing to be ashamed off because he already saw it all. That statement alone made her clamp her mouth shut and made her cheeks flush deep red; so now, here she is, sitting alone inside Jackson's car and waiting for him to come back from her apartment.

"I got your things" Jackson announced as he pulls his door open.

April cleared her throat; "Did you get my toiletries as well?" she asked.

Jackson slid into his seat and closed the door behind him; he then leaned towards the back seat and deposited the large duffel bag on it. "Yep, I even brought your tampons"

April's eyes widen in mortification; "Jackson!" she hissed, clearly embarrassed.

Jackson turned towards April and threw her a confused look; "What?"

April averted her gaze, her whole face turning even brighter.

"Come on now Apes, I'm a doctor, you're a doctor so there's no reason for you to be shy. And besides, what if your period comes? I sure as hell don't keep tampons in my place, it's better to prepared; I don't want you running into a drug store all by yourself"

"Please let's not talk about my period" April mumbled.

Jackson switched on the ignition and smirked at April; "I don't get why this mortifies you, it's not the first time I saw them you know"

"It's still different!" April shrieked.

Jackson chuckled as he navigates his car away from the parking lot; "It's not, it's all in your head. I use to buy them for you when we're still living in Mer's house, remember? When you're too tired to haul your ass off the bed because you're PMS-ing? This is not different for me so get over it"

"I'm not sleeping with you then-argh! Let's just stop talking about it, please?"

Jackson shrugged his shoulders; "Fine with me" he replied.

April took a deep calming breath before shifting her gaze out of the window.

Jackson threw April a side glance; "You can take a nap if you want too, I know you're tired"

April turned her head to the side and stared at Jackson with a small smile; "You're actually sweet when you're not channelling obnoxious Alex"

Jackson laughed.

oOo

"Dr. Hunt, multiple incoming Traumas in 10. There's a huge pile up near Pikes and their taking all the casualties here. 5 ambulances are on its way"

"Page all the Surgical Attending's 911 to the pit" Owen instructed.

"Right away Chief"

oOo

Jackson unlocked the door to his apartment and pushed it open; "Here we are" he announced.

April took a tentative step inside the threshold and can't help but be amazed at how big it was; "Wow" she breathed out.

Jackson closed the door behind them and let out a small smile; "What do you think?" he asked.

April turned her eyes towards the huge shoes portrait on her side before turning her gaze towards Jackson; "Those are big shoes" she said.

Jackson chuckled; "They are indeed"

April took another step and began looking around the flat; after a moment she turned her gaze back to Jackson and smiled. "You have a very beautiful home"

"Thank you" Jackson replied.

"It's even bigger than the apartment we shared with Alex"

Jackson walked towards the L-shape couch and placed April's bags on top of it; "I wasn't originally planning on getting this place but I changed my mind when I saw the view" he said while gesturing towards the glass sliding doors.

"What's the view?" April asked curiously.

"It has a good view of the Seattle sky line"

"Really?" April asked.

"I'll show you later" Jackson promised.

"I'd like that"

"Want to see your room?" Jackson asked.

April nodded; "Yeah"

Jackson fell into step with April and wrapped his arm around April's waist; "Come then,"

April raised her brow at Jackson; "Err-you are aware that I can walk without supervision right?"

"I know, I just want an excuse to touch you, so just pretend that you can't-indulge me?" Jackson asked candidly.

April blinked a couple of times before smiling; "You Jackson Avery are full of surprises" she said.

Jackson winked; "You haven't seen the best yet babe"

April felt her cheeks flush upon hearing the familiar endearment; she quickly averted her gaze and cleared her throat. "Let's go"

Jackson wanted to tease her more but decided against it; he loved making her blush but flustering her every step of the way might make her run for the hills. "Okay"

oOo

Owen walked towards Mark; "Is Avery back?" he asked.

"No, he told me he was taking the rest of the day off, why?" Mark asked.

"Is he on call?"

"Yes he is"

"Page him, we need him. There's a huge pile up in Pikes, 5 ambulances are on its way and I'm quite sure there'd be a lot of burned patients" Owen explained.

Mark scrunched his face; "Ouch"

"I know"

Mark plucked his phone from his pocket; "I'll call him then" he replied.

oOo

Jackson just left April in her room when his phone started ringing; he plucked the device from his pocket and frowned upon seeing his mentor's name flashing on the screen. He hastily tapped on the answer button and shifted his phone to his ear; "This better be hospital related and not you being nosey"

Mark chuckled; "This is indeed hospital related, I wouldn't call you otherwise. We need you back, there's a huge pile up in Pikes and 5 ambulances are on its way, all hands are on deck, seems like we'll be having a party here with the number of burn victims"

Jackson winced; "That's the reason why we got stuck in traffic"

"Yep. So, help Kepner settle down and get your ass here, okay?"

Jackson sighed; "Alright"

"Don't sound like sad puppy, you'll be coming home to her tonight, let the poor woman rest before you continue nipping at her heels"

Jackson can't help but laugh at Mark's antics; "Fine. See you in a bit" he said before hanging up. He shoved his phone back his pocket and made his way towards April's room; he stood right in front of her door and knocked.

"Come in!" April yelled.

Jackson pushed the door open; "I need to go back to the hospital, huge pile up in Pikes, all hands are on deck" he said apologetically.

April cringed; "How bad is it?"

"5 ambulances are on its way" Jackson replied.

"Oh god, that's awful!"

"I know" Jackson said. He then leaned on the door frame; "I really feel bad leaving you here alone..." he sighed.

April shook her head adamantly; "Don't feel bad Jackman, you're needed at the hospital more than I need you here. I can manage on my own, I'll be fine" she said.

"Are you sure?" Jackson asked.

April smiled; "I promise I won't destroy your bachelor's pad nor snoop around your underwear drawer" she joked.

Jackson grinned; "Feel free to do whatever you want-including snooping around my underwear drawer, it's only fair-I already saw yours"

"Jackson!" April shrieked.

Jackson laughed as he pulls away from his perch; "I'm going, call me if you need anything and I mean everything" he said seriously.

April nodded; "I will, drive safely" she said.

Jackson spun on his heels and began walking away; "Watch some T.V or use my laptop if you want to surf the net, entertain yourself" he called out.

April rolled her eyes, but a tiny smile is visible on her lips; "Yes mom!"

Jackson laughs echoed along the hallway.

oOo

April was flicking through the channels when she heard her phone ring for the nth time; she slowly leaned forward and grabbed the device from the coffee table. She shook her head upon seeing Jackson's name flashing on the screen; she tapped on the answer button and shifted the phone to her ear. "Again?"

"I'm just checking on you, what are you up to?"

April leaned back on the couch, a smile playing on her lips; "Nothing much, I'm just watching T.V" she replied. "How about you?"

"Just got out of my 3rd surgery" Jackson replied.

"You sound tired" April said.

"Kinda, I've been in and out of the O.R since I left the apartment"

April shifted her eyes to the digital clock on top of the T.V; "8 hours?" she asked.

"Yeah," Jackson replied.

"Have you eaten?" April asked.

"No time to eat"

April furrowed her brows; "What do you mean you have no time? I'm pretty sure you can squeeze in a bite or two" she said.

"I don't want to sound squeamish or anything but seeing a lot of burnt flesh doesn't really help my appetite" Jackson said with a chuckle.

April giggled; "Oh right" she replied. She then paused when a thought hit her; "What time will you be here?" she asked.

"I'm done for the day so I'll be home in a few, is there something you want me to pick up for you?" Jackson asked.

"Nope, just come home" April replied.

"Okay, see you 30" Jackson said.

"Drive safely, bye" April said before pulling the phone away from her ear. She placed it back on top of the coffee table and hauled herself up; "Let's see what you're hiding here" she said with a smirk.

"You talking with Kepner?" Mark asked as sidled up next to his prot.

Jackson stuffed his phone inside his pocket; "Yep" he replied.

"You checking on her...again?"

"I just want to make sure that she's comfortable" Jackson replied.

"You're hovering"

Jackson turned his face to the side; "I'm not hovering"

"You are, you keep calling her in between our surgeries" Mark said.

Jackson pursed his lips; "Like I said, I just want to make sure that she is comfortable"

"Okay" Mark replied.

Jackson gestured towards the elevator; "I better head out, I told April that I'll be home in 30" he said.

Mark crossed his arms on top of his chest, a large grin pasted on his face; "You two are already acting like a married couple, good practice once you two decided to tie the knot."

Jackson smiled; "Really?"

Mark stared at Jackson for a couple of seconds before shaking his head; "Go home to your pseudo wife, you're clearly out of it" he said.

Jackson blinked a couple of times before turning on his heels; "See you tomorrow man" he said with a wave. "Acting like a married couple-good practice once you two decided to tie the knot...why didn't it bother me like it did before?" he asked himself as he steps inside the elevator.

"Is that Jackson?" Lexie asked as she walks towards her fiancé.

Mark turned around; "Yep,"

"Where is he going?" Lexie asked.

Mark grinned widely; "He's coming home to his pseudo wife"

Lexie stopped right in front of Mark; "Wife?" she asked with a smile.

Mark wrapped his arms around Lexie's waist and pulled her to his chest; "Yep"

Lexie snaked her arms around Mark's neck; "Did you remind him that April is still out of commission?"

Mark winced; "I kinda forgot"

Lexie chuckled before planting a kiss on Mark's nose; "It's alright, those kids will behave" she said.

"Get a room!" Alex yelled as he passed by the couple.

Lexie burst out giggling as she buries her face into Mark's neck.

"You're just jealous because you're on call tonight!" Mark called out.

"Whatever!" Alex yelled grumpily.

oOo

Jackson pushed his apartment door open and stepped inside the threshold; he hung his keys on the hook and closed the door behind him. "April?" he called out.

"I'm in the kitchen!"

Jackson took his jacket off as he saunters inside the living room; he threw it on the couch and made his way towards the kitchen. He stopped right in front of the breakfast bar and stared at the bustling red head on the other side; "What part of the word rest don't you understand, woman?"

April lowered the heat on the stove and met Jackson's gaze; "Err-that was fast"

Jackson placed his hands on his hips; "Uhuh"

April shied away from his gaze and focused her attention to her boiling pasta; "Dinner is almost ready"

"Uhuh..."

April let out a defeated sigh; "Fine. I know I'm not supposed to do anything but I can't help it, you sound so tired and I know that you're hungry-I wanted to do something nice for you, so I cooked you dinner" she explained.

Jackson felt his affection grew even bigger for the stubborn woman standing right in front of him; he's the one who's supposed to be taking care of her but she somehow end up doing it for him-on their first day none the less. He felt his chest tighten with so much emotion; "I love you" he blurted out.

April felt her eyes widen in surprise; her heart doing cartwheels inside her chest "Oh" she gasped.

Jackson felt his cheeks flush when he realized what he just said; he scratched the back of his neck, trying to hide his embarrassment. "Err-sorry-I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable..."

April's cheeks flush; "Y-you're not making me feel uncomfortable" she mumbled. She then bit her bottom lip to keep herself from grinning widely; "It actually felt good hearing you say it-freely" she admitted.

Jackson shyly met April's gaze; "Really?"

"Yeah, it felt really good" April said.

Jackson blinked a couple of times before puffing out the air that he seems to be holding; "It felt good saying it-it's liberating" he said with a small smile.

April stared at Jackson for a couple of seconds before giggling at the absurdity of what just happened; "We sound like teenagers for a second there"

Jackson chuckled; "Yeah we did" he agreed. He then placed his hands on his hips again; "What are you making by the way?" he asked.

April perked up; "I snooped around your fridge and cupboards but I couldn't find anything to work with so it's spaghetti night for us" she replied.

"Spaghetti sounds nice" Jackson said.

"I'm glad you approve" April said. She then switched off the stove and grabbed some pot holders; "Why don't you freshen up and I'll get dinner ready in 5?"

Jackson shook his head as he began rounding the breakfast bar; "No lifting for you Dr. Kepner"

April rolled her eyes; "This is not even heavy!" she protested.

Jackson rolled his sleeves up his arms and pulled the pot holder from April's hand; "Why don't you just grab us some plates and I'll get this?"

April thought for a moment; "Okay, sounds fair so far" she relented.

Jackson shook his head; "Only you will gauge something mundane as this"

April chuckled.

"Because your kiss, your kiss is on my list, because your kiss is on my list of the best things in life. Because your kiss, your kiss is on my list, because your kiss, your kiss I can't resist. Because your kiss is what I miss when I turn off the light..."

April and Jackson ate their dinner between small talks; he told her about his surgeries and she talked about what she did with the rest of her day. It was the first meal they shared in months and they were both surprised that it didn't feel awkward; they still have it in them and both are quite pleased.

"I missed your home cooked meals" Jackson said before shoving the last bite of pasta inside his mouth, chewing with relish.

"What have you been eating then?" April asked curiously before taking a sip of her water.

Jackson swallowed his food before replying; "Take outs mostly" he replied.

April shook her head; "You should learn how to cook you know, eating processed food all the time is bad for your health" she said somewhat pointedly.

"I take it that you've seen my secret stack?"

April wrinkled her nose in distaste; "It's hard to miss, you have a whole cupboard of instant noodles-a cupboard full, really Jackson?"

Jackson took a sip of his beer; "It's the easiest thing to cook" he replied nonchalantly.

April leaned towards the table and braised her elbows on top; "Tell you what, I'll teach you how to cook some basic recipes so you won't have to binge on those unhealthy stuff"

Jackson leaned back on his chair, pondering on April's suggestion; "We can do that, I guess"

April beamed; "Perfect! I'll go to the grocery down the street tomorrow and buy some-"

"Whoah! Hold on right there" Jackson interjected.

"What?" April asked confusedly.

"Have you forgotten something?"

"Forgotten what?"

Jackson pointed towards April's stomach; "You just had surgery and you're supposed to be resting and taking it easy"

April's shoulders slump in disappointment; "Oh yeah-that"

Jackson eyed April for a moment; "Give me a list of the things you want to buy and I'll go get them"

April's eyes widen; "Really?"

Jackson smiled; "Really"

April smiled back; "Thank you Jackman!" she said happily.

Jackson felt warmth settle inside his chest upon seeing the happiness radiating from April's eyes; "Even the smallest things can make her happy, gods I love this woman" he thought.

oOo

April stepped out of her bathroom and made her way towards her bed; she pulled the duvet down and slowly climbed up. She tucked her feet under the warm blanket and leaned back on the pillows; today had been a weird day for her and yet one of the happiest. Never in her wildest dream did she imagine that she'd up living with Jackson again-especially after everything they've been through. Heck, it never even crossed her mind that he'll end up returning her feelings and be comfortable in admitting it every time the feeling strikes; he was a revelation for her and she's enjoying seeing the different sides of him every day.

"April?"

April turned her gaze towards her door; "Yeah?"

"I'm going to sleep now, do you need anything?"

April let out a smile; "He can be the sweetest thing if he wants too" she thought. "Nope, I'm good-sleep tight Jackman!"

"You too! I'll see you tomorrow, good night" Jackson called out.

April shifted to her side and switched off her night lamp; she settled back on her pillows and closed her eyes.

oOo

Jackson closed the door behind him and padded towards his bed; he took off his slippers and fell face first on his pillow. He lazily lifted his legs from the floor and burrowed under the covers; he was close to dozing off when he heard his phone ringing loudly. He blindly reached towards his side table and snatched his phone; he tapped on the answer button without looking and shifted it to his ear. "Ello"

"Oh baby I'm sorry! I didn't mean to wake you up"

Jackson groaned loudly; "Mom, what do you want at this hour?"

"Some birdie told me that April is staying with you-is that true baby?"

Jackson's eyes snapped open; he rolled over and sat himself up. "Richard you mean?"

Catherine chuckled; "So, is it true?"

"Yes she is. I just can't leave her alone after her operation and I-"

"Slow down baby, you don't have to explain yourself to me" Catherine said, cutting her son's rambling off. "I'm actually happy that you stepped up to help your best friend"

It didn't escape Jackson's notice when his mother enunciated the last word, making him roll his eyes. "It's late mom and I have work tomorrow, is there anything else you need aside from badgering me about April?"

"There is actually..."

Jackson sat straighter as alarm bells started ringing loudly in his ears; "What did you do?" he asked.

"I'll be flying to Seattle in an hour" Catherine replied.

"Why? Do you need me to pick you up at the airport?"

"No honey, Richard will be picking me up"

Jackson furrowed his brows; "Is it hospital matters?"

"Yes but not with Seattle Grace, I've been invited to do a small talk in Seattle Pres" Catherine explained.

"Oh okay"

"I have a question for you though,"

"Shoot"

"How do you feel about spending the whole week off?" Catherine asked cautiously.

Jackson's eyes widen, clearly not expecting his mother's question; "I'm sorry?"

"Well, since I'll be flying out there and you're in charge of April's care-I'm thinking about stepping in for you a bit so that you can actually spend time taking care of her, if that makes sense..."

Jackson was caught off guard by Catherine's offer; "I-I don't know what to say mom..." he admitted.

"You can think about it baby, no need to rush."

Jackson began fiddling with his blanket; "I mean, I want to-it's just that I can't do that to Mark you know..."

"Talk to Mark then, ask him if it's alright with him and if he is then, it's done-take a whole week off"

"It's that easy?"

Catherine chuckled; "Of course it is, you're the head of the board baby, it's one of the perks"

Jackson can't help but grin at his mother's statement; "One of the perks indeed"

oOo

Lexie was lounging on Mark's sofa when she heard his phone ringing; she leaned forward and snatched it from the coffee table. She felt a smirk crawl up her lips upon seeing Jackson's name flashing on the screen; she tapped on the answer button without preamble and shifted the phone to her ear. "Don't tell me you manage to bust open April's incision again" she drawled.

"Lexie?"

"No, I'm Mark's mother-who else are you expecting?"

Jackson chuckled; "Where's Mark? I need to ask him something and before you start barraging with questions again I'll answer them for you now. No, we did not make out so April's stitches are intact and yes she is already safely tucked inside the guest room, sleeping like a baby"

Lexie smirked; "Good, let me get Mark for you" she replied. She then pulled the phone away from her ear and turned around; "Jackson is on the phone honey!" she yelled loudly.

Mark stepped out of his room, his brows furrowed; "Don't tell me Kepner is bleeding again" he said as he walks towards the sofa.

Lexie chuckled; "Nope, I already asked him that, she's fine" she replied.

Mark plopped down beside Lexie and pulled the phone away from her grasp; he then leaned back on the couch and shifted the device to his ear. "What's up?"

"Hey man, I'm sorry for calling in late" Jackson said.

"It's cool" Mark replied.

"Err-I called to ask you if it's alright if I take the whole week off? My mom called me a couple of minutes ago and told me that she'll be flying to Seattle tomorrow..."

"You want to take a week off to spend time with your mom?"

Jackson cleared his throat; "Err-not exactly, if I agreed to take the week off then she'll be stepping in for me to do the board stuff..."

Mark grinned; "Are you taking the week off so you can shack up with Kepner?"

Lexie's attention was caught with her fiancé's words so she hastily hit on the mute button; she turned to face Mark, her brow raised.

"We're already shacking up in case you have forgotten,"

"Let me rephrase myself, you want to take a week off so can continue nipping at her heels without any disruption?"

Lexie giggled.

Jackson groaned; "Look man, I just want to spend time with her you know, to actually take care of her and not check on her via phone every hour. We never had time to ourselves and I think this is the perfect opportunity to reacquaint with one another and all that jazz. But I don't want to do that if you will end up with a heavier case load" he explained.

"Take the week off" Mark said with a smile.

"Huh?" Jackson asked, clearly not expecting Mark's response.

"Take the week off. I have 2 other Attendings on my beck and call, so don't worry about it"

"Are you sure?"

"In one condition"

"What?"

Mark grinned; "You'll tell me all about it when you get back"

Jackson can't help but laugh at Mark's statement; "You are one nosey bastard"

"And you are one whipped puppy" Mark quipped jovially.

oOo

April opened her eyes groggily and blinked a couple of times; she yawned loudly but instantly covered her mouth with her hand when she remembered that she's not in her own apartment. She scooted closer to the headboard and slowly sat herself up; she reached for her phone from the side table and checked the time; "7:00 A.M, he's probably on his way to work now" she said to herself. She placed the phone back on its original perch and threw the blanket off her body; she moved towards the edge of the bed and planted her feet firmly on the carpeted floor. She rubbed the sleep off her eyes before standing up; she made her way towards the bathroom and began her morning rituals.

oOo

Jackson hangs his keys on the hook and closed the front door quietly; he walked towards his kitchen and placed the paper bags on top of the breakfast bar. He shrugged off his jacket and flung it on one of the high chairs; he walked towards the cupboards and grabbed a couple of plates. He then walked back towards breakfast bar and placed the plates on top of the counter; he was about to take the food out of the paper bags but stopped when he heard his phone ringing. He furrowed his brows and plucked the offending device from his back pocket; he tapped on the answer button and shifted it to his ear. "Morning Mom"

"Good morning baby boy! I'm just calling to let you know that I arrived safely"

Jackson braised the phone on his shoulder and continued prepping their breakfast; "Did Richard pick you up?" he asked.

"Yep, we're on our way to his house" Catherine replied.

"Wait-you're not staying at a hotel?" Jackson asked.

"Richard insisted that I should stay at his house, it's more comfortable and it's near the hospital"

Jackson rolled his eyes; "Yeah right" he scoffed.

Catherine ignored her son's reaction; "How's April? Is she already awake? Are you taking care of her?"

"I'm not sure if she's already awake and yes-I'm being the perfect host" Jackson replied evasively. He then grabbed the other paper bag and gently took out the coffee's he bought for them; he separated April's drink and took a sip from his own.

"Good. So I take it that your taking the week off?"

Jackson placed his cup back on the counter; "As if you don't know already" he replied.

Catherine laughed; "I have my ways"

"You mean Richard is your way" Jackson corrected. He then paused when he heard April's door open and close; "I gotta go, I think April is already awake" he said.

"Ooohhh, can you hand her the phone for a second? I want to check on her myself"

"I don't think that's a good idea Mom, it's too early for an interrogation" Jackson said.

"Oh hush! I will do no such thing!"

Jackson opened his mouth to retort but held his tongue when he saw April walking towards his way; "Hold on a sec" he said. He then pulled the phone away from his ear and smiled at the sleepy red head; "Good morning, you're up early" he said.

April blinked a couple of times as she stifles her yawn; "Aren't you supposed to be at work?" she asked confusedly.

"Nope, no work today"

"Is it your off?" April asked.

"Nope" Jackson replied. He then extended the hand that's holding his phone to her; "My meddling mother is asking to speak to you, I'm apologizing now for what she's about to say."

April let out a chuckle; she accepted the phone and shifted it to her ear. "Good morning Dr. Avery"

"Good morning honey! And what did I say about calling me Catherine?"

April cringed; "Err-sorry, force of habit" she replied.

Jackson noticed April's reaction so he mouthed another apology.

April waved her hand dismissively.

"How are you honey? I was so worried about you! I'm happy to know that you're staying with my baby boy"

April felt her affection for Catherine grew bigger upon hearing the concern in her voice; "I'm actually feeling better now, I'm still a little sore but nothing I can't handle" she said. She then turned towards Jackson and threw him a smile; "Jackson has been perfect, he's taking good care for me and I'm thankful for that."

"You don't have an idea how that made me happy honey!"

April giggled.

"Well honey as much as I want to talk to you more I know my son is itching to have you all to himself so I'll let you go."

April's cheeks flush; "Err—I'm sure that's not the case..."

Catherine chortled happily; "I'll try to drop by one of these days so we can catch up, okay?"

"Okay"

"Go to go honey, tell my baby boy I said goodbye!" Catherine said.

"I will" April replied.

"See you soon! Bye!"

"Bye!" April said before pulling the phone away from her ear.

"I'm sorry, I should've told her you were still sleeping" Jackson said.

April shook her head as she placed his phone on top of the counter; "You have nothing to be sorry about, I love talking to your mother-she's entertaining" she said.

Jackson snorted; "More like annoying" he said.

"Don't let her hear you say that" April warned with a smirk.

Jackson rolled his eyes; "Because I'll never hear the end of it, I know" he replied.

April tugged one of the high chairs and slowly perched herself up; she noticed the plates on top of the counter so she threw Jackson a curious look. "You bought breakfast?"

"Yep" Jackson replied. He grabbed April's coffee and placed it right in front of her; "I also bought your favourite; skinny cafe mocha with a dash of cinnamon-no whip" he said proudly.

April eyed the cup right in front of her, emotions swirling inside her chest.

Jackson noticed the change in April's demeanor; "Err-did I order you the wrong cup? You really don't have to drink it if you don't-"

"No you didn't, it's perfect" April said, cutting Jackson off.

Jackson cocked his head to the side; "Then what's wrong?"

April shifted her eyes back to Jackson; "I'm just surprised-I didn't think you'd remember..."

Jackson braised his arms on top of the counter; "Of course I'd remember, I remember a lot of things about you, you know" he said.

April wrapped her hands around the warm cup; "Really? Give me an example then," she challenged.

Jackson lifted his hand and began rubbing his chin, pretending to think hard; "You're a sucker for holidays; Christmas, New year, Thanksgiving, Halloween, Valentines-even Ann Arbor day. You keep a stack of liquorice inside your room because eating them reminds you of your childhood, which gives you comfort especially after a hard day. You hate stuffed toys because it creeps you out-clowns and mascots are also out of the picture because they scare you shitless" he paused and smirked. "How am I doing so far?" he asked.

April stared at Jackson with awe; "Wow, you were not kidding when you said you remembered stuff about me"

Jackson stole a piece of bacon from the plate and popped it in his mouth; "I told you so" he said after chewing. He then wiped his fingers on a napkin and stood straight; he grabbed a plate from his side and placed it beside April's coffee; "Why don't we eat this stuff before it gets cold, yeah?"

April shook her head to clear her thoughts; "Yeah, let's" she replied.

oOo

Cristina placed her tray on top of the table and sat down; "Is it me or Pretty boy is not here yet?"

"He's not in and he will be not in until next week" Lexie replied.

"What do you mean?" Alex asked before taking a bite of his clubhouse.

Lexie grinned widely; "He took a week off to take care of April"

Meredith turned her gaze towards Cristina; "I knew it! Those two are already together, they're just hiding it from us"

"Well it's about time, don't you think?" Alex said with a smirk.

"Err-sorry to burst your bubble guys but they're not yet together, well, that's what April told me" Lexie said.

Cristina cackled loudly; "So Kepner is hanging lover boy to dry? I love Cruel Kepner"

The whole table erupted with laughter.

oOo

Jackson was flicking through the channels when he heard footsteps walking towards him; he turned his head sideways and saw a freshly showered April. "Come sit with me"

April made her way towards the couch and settled herself beside Jackson; "What are you watching?"

Jackson wiggled the remote towards April; "You pick"

April raised her brow; "You're really handing me the remote? You're not scared that I might choose some cheesy chic flick?"

Jackson deposited the remote on April's lap before leaning back on the sofa; "Give me your best shot" he said with a grin.

April stared at Jackson for a moment before grabbing the remote control from her lap; she pointed it towards the T.V and switched it to the Hallmark channel.

oOo

Three hours later...

oOo

April sniffed loudly as she watched the credits roll up; she wiped her cheeks with her tissue and took a deep calming breath. "This movie is the perfect depiction of true love. I mean-how can you keep on loving someone who keeps on disappearing on you-it's crazy!" she said. When she didn't get a response, she turned her head to the side; "I thought so..." she whispered upon seeing Jackson's sleeping form. She switched off the T.V and placed the remote back on the coffee table; she then shifted on her perch so she can watch him fully. "Well you did put up a good fight-you were able to stay awake with The Notebook and Must love dogs, that's a record-normally you fall asleep after the first half of the movie" she said with a small smile. She then turned to her side and snatched the small throw blanket; she leaned forward and carefully draped it on her best friend's sleeping form. She bit her lower lip while staring at his face; "How on earth are you still ridiculously handsome even when you're sleeping?" she thought. She let out a wistful sigh as she leans forward, gently cupping his face with her right hand; "You've been very good to me Jackman and my resolve to make you wait longer is crumbling every minute you show this new side of you. Are you using your Avery charm on me or is this the real you?" she asked, albeit quietly. She took her time studying his face and felt her breath hitch in her throat when her eyes landed on his lips; "He's taken good care of you so far, it's just a little token of appreciation, it won't hurt and he wouldn't know so it won't mess anything up, right?" she thought. She pulled her hand away and hefted herself up from the sofa; she leaned towards Jackson and gently pressed her lips to his. She lingered for a couple of seconds before pulling away; "I guess it only works with princesses huh?" she said with a small smile. She then stood straight and made her way towards the kitchen; "Time to fix some lunch" she said jovially.

Jackson waited for a couple of minutes before opening his eyes; he has been awake the whole time and he can't believe April just kissed him. They have already kissed a multiple times but this one seemed different; it was innocent and he loved every second of it. He felt a large uncontrollable smile crawl up his lips so he turned to his side to hide it; he knows he's sporting one of those giddy school girl look so he buried his face into one of the pillows. "I'm on the right track after all" he thought happily.

"I go crazy wondering what there is to really see, did the night just take up your time, 'cause it means more to me. Sometimes I forget what I'm doing, I don't forget what I want, I want, regret what I've done, regret you? I couldn't go on but if you insist on blowing my bliss, I'll tell you this, if you want to know what the reason is, I only smile when I lie, then I'll tell you why..."

"Dr. Sloan"

Mark turned around and was surprised to see Catherine Avery standing behind him; "Dr. Avery" he greeted politely.

Catherine stopped right in front of her son's mentor; "It's nice seeing you again Dr. Sloan"

"It's nice seeing you too, is there anything I can help you with?" Mark asked curiously.

"Oh no dear, I just wanted to thank you personally for letting my baby boy take a week off"

Mark waved his hand dismissively; "It was nothing" he replied. "He's better off at home anyway or he'll end up annoying April with his incessant phone calls every other hour."

Catherine stared at Mark curiously before letting out a sly smile; "You're meddling too, aren't you?"

Mark felt his cheeks flush; "Err-not really..."

Catherine chuckled; "It's alright dear, those two need all the help they can get"

Mark can't help but grin at Catherine's statement; "You're also rooting for them to be together?"

"Who do you think gave Jackson the idea to take the week off?" Catherine asked with a conspiring wink.

Mark grinned wider as he places his hands on his hips; "Dr. Avery, I'm liking you more now" he said.

Catherine laughed.

oOo

Jackson wiped his hand on the dishrag; "Are you done with the list?" he asked.

"Yep" April replied as she puts her pen down. She then shifted her eyes to Jackson; "Are you sure you can do it alone? I can come with you..."

Jackson stared at April indignantly; "Of course I can do it and no you can't come"

April threw Jackson the look; "I promise to behave..."

Jackson hastily averted his gaze; knowing that if he looks at her longer, he'll cave in-she knows that he can't say no when she wears that blasted look and she's using it now; "You're not using that look on me Kepner!" he said.

"What look? I don't know what you mean" April said innocently.

Jackson rolled his eyes; he then leaned forward and snatched the list from the table; "I better get to this then" he said.

"Jackson!" April whined.

Jackson chuckled as he rounded the counter; "Just be a good patient and rest" he said. He then stopped right in front of April and smiled; "I won't take long, entertain yourself for the mean time" he said.

April pouted.

"Cute" Jackson said. He then leaned forward and planted a chase kiss on her forehead; "I'll be back soon" he said before turning on his heels and walking towards the living room.

"You better stick to my list Jackman, don't mess up my ingredients!" April called out.

Jackson's laughter bounced around the hallway.

April bit her bottom lip to keep herself from giggling.

oOo

"Is that Momma Avery? What is she doing here?" Lexie asked as she walks towards her fiancé.

Mark turned towards Lexie with a huge smile; "She's here to meddle"

Lexie raised her brow; "Meddle with that?"

"With my boy and your girl"

Lexie stopped right in front of Mark; "Really?"

Mark nodded; "Yep,"

Lexie smiled; "So we're not the only ones who thinks that they need help?"

Mark laughed; "Nope, we're not the only ones"

"Have you heard from Jackson?" Lexie asked.

"Nope, have you heard from April?"

Lexie furrowed her brows; "Come to think of it, she never called me once" she mused. She then fumbled with her pocket and fished her phone out; "Let me call her to see what those two are up to" she said while thumbing through her contacts.

Mark rubbed his hands together; "Go ahead"

Lexie shifted her phone to her ear and waited for the call to connect; after a couple of rings, she heard her friend's perky voice. "Hey Apes"

"Lexie!"

"How are you? I haven't heard from you in ages! How's Jackson treating you? You having fun?" Lexie fired questions after questions.

April chuckled; "Slow down Lex!" she said. "Everything's fine. I was supposed to call you but you beat me to it, Jackson has been perfect-he's taking good care of me and yes, I'm having fun"

"I'm happy to hear that you're enjoying yourself, speaking of Jackson, is he there with you? Is he rolling his eyes now?"

"He just left, he went to the grocery store to buy us some stuff, I wanted to come with him but he refused, as usual"

Lexie threw Mark an amused look; "He's at a grocery store? Does he even know how to shop?"

Mark smirked and pulled his phone out; "I'll check on my boy" he mouthed while wiggling his mobile.

Lexie nodded at Mark.

April giggled; "He said he can manage, who am I to argue?"

"Let's just hope he makes it out alive" Lexie said.

"Yeah," April replied.

"Well Apes, gotta go, I'm just checking on you-I'll touch base with you again later, okay?"

"Okay, thanks for calling Lex and visit me soon!"

"Will do, enjoy!" Lexie said.

April chuckled; "Bye Lex!"

Lexie pulled the phone away from her ear and stuffed it inside her lab coat pocket; "Jackson in a grocery store?" she said with a smirk.

"I know" Mark replied. He then tapped on his phone and shifted it to his ear; "Let's see what he's up to"

oOo

Jackson was on the produce aisle looking for the item on April's list when he heard his phone ringing; he halted his steps and plucked his phone from his pocket. He checked the screen and let out a loud groan upon seeing his mentor's name flashing; he tapped on the answer button and shifted the phone to his ear. "Are you already regretting your decision to let me take the week off?"

"Of course not, your Momma is doing a splendid job in handling the board stuff, I think we might request for her to take your place permanently" Mark joked.

Jackson furrowed his brows; "My mom is there already?"

"Yeah, I just saw her a couple of minutes ago"

Jackson thought for a moment, then it hits him; "Argghhhh!" he groaned.

"Err-I don't speak animal Avery, what do you mean by that?"

Jackson shook his head; "Never mind. What's up? Why did you call?"

"I'm just checking on you, where you at?"

Jackson began pushing his cart; "I'm at a grocery store, I'm picking up food"

"Grocery store?"

"Yep" Jackson replied as he peruses the fridge filled with dairy. "What's the difference between salted or unsalted butter? It's still butter, right?'

"Of course not! Unsalted butter is mainly used for baking whereas the normal butter is good for cooking dishes" Mark explained.

Jackson whistled; "Wow, Lexie was really not kidding when he called you Master Doctor-Chef"

Mark chuckled; "Yeah, and you are turning into a very domestic husband"

Jackson grinned and let the comment pass; he then turned his eyes on the list and winced. "Can you stay on the phone or are you busy?"

"I'm not busy, why?"

"I need some help with err-the stuff that April listed, want to enlighten me a bit?"

"Bring it on, what else do you need aside from butter?"

oOo

April just finished tidying the living room when she heard the door being unlocked; she wiped her hands on her sweat pants and tucked the stray hair behind her ear, her eyes fixed on the door.

Jackson pushed the door open and stepped inside the threshold; he closed the door behind him using his foot and began making his way towards the living room. He halted in his steps when he saw April standing near the couch, her face flushed red; he surveyed his surroundings and noticed that everything is in place. "Did you just clean my living room?"

April shifted in her feet; "I didn't do much, I just fixed some stuff" she replied.

Jackson stared at April for a moment before shaking his head; "Doctors do really make terrible patients" he said. He then continued his trek and made his way towards the kitchen; he placed the paper bags on top of the breakfast counter and took off his jacket.

"Come on Jackman, you know me, I'm a neat freak and it's the least thing I can do for you-you let me stay here for free and I even asked you to run to the grocery" April said as she walks towards Jackson.

Jackson rolled his eyes; he then grabbed the nearest paper bag from him and gently pried it open. He threw April a look before pulling out a single stem yellow rose from it; he walked towards the red head and presented it with flourish. "A pretty flower for a very pretty woman"

April felt her breath hitch inside her throat, her eyes wide with surprise; "You-you got me a flower"

Jackson smiled affectionately; "That I did, yellow is your favourite right?"

April lifted her shaking hand and accepted it; "Yeah..." she breathed out while staring at it.

Jackson smiled at her reaction; he then moved back towards the counter and began taking out the things he bought. "So-I got everything you listed, want to start cooking?" he asked.

April shifted her eyes away from the flower and let out a shy smile; "I'll put this first in my room then we can start your lessons"

Jackson nodded; "Sure, go ahead" he replied.

April swallowed hard and spun on her heels; her heart is overflowing with so much happiness inside her chest, making it hard to breathe. Jackson surprised her again and she can't help but fall in love with him even further-if that's even impossible. She never expected for him to be this consistent and yet he is; "He wasn't really kidding when he told me that he'd work hard to deserve that second chance..." she thought. She stepped into her room and made her way towards her bedside; she sat on her bed before lifting the bloom close to her nose. She took a tentative sniff and felt her heart soar again; she let out a full blown smile and tried her best to stifle her giggles.

oOo

"How was your first day?" Richard asked as he enters the conference room.

Catherine lowered the documents she's perusing and shifted her gaze to her beau; "It was good, everything seems to be in place, you guys are doing a great job in running this place" she said with a smile.

Richard let out a smile as he closes the door behind him; "Well, your son is running a tight ship, seems like he got that from you" he teased.

Catherine chuckled; "It's good to know that he learned something from me"

Richard walked towards the desk and braised his hands one of the chair's back; "He's an Avery it comes naturally, he just needed time to realize that I guess"

Catherine smiled; "True. How was your day? Any interesting surgery?"

"Nope, just some routine post ops and consults" Richard replied.

Catherine began stacking the documents and took off her glasses; "Let's call it a day then?"

"That's a good idea. I'll take you to dinner" Richard said with a smile.

"Dinner sounds wonderful" Catherine said.

oOo

"I just cooked a whole meal" Jackson said as he stares at the table with disbelief.

"That you did" April replied.

"I cooked meatloaf-a friggin meatloaf"

April chuckled; "You did, now, do you plan on staring at it the whole night or do you want taste it?"

Jackson threw April an apprehensive look; "How do you think it will taste?"

April gestured towards it; "Why don't you try it for yourself"

Jackson shifted his eyes back to the meatloaf; "Will you still love me if it tastes like shit?" he asked innocently.

April followed his gaze, trying to act cool; "I don't remember telling you that I love you Jackman"

Jackson felt his cheeks flush with his slip; he threw April a sheepish look before leaning forward and pulling the meatloaf towards him. "Err—yeah, I remember-err-sorry..." he mumbled as he began carving.

April noticed Jackson's reaction and she can't help but smile; "I was just messing with you, lighten up!" she said jovially.

Jackson lifted his gaze and met April's eyes; "So you're admitting that you love me?" he asked hopefully.

April pretended to think for a moment; "Nope, not hearing those words tonight, I'm afraid"

Jackson smirked; "I thought so" he said. He then pulled April's plate towards him and placed a a large serving of his masterpiece; "I haven't been putting much effort yet"

April felt her heart melt upon hearing his words; "That's not true...you've been so wonderful to me..."

Jackson shook his head as he returned the plate back to its original perch; he then fixed his gaze at April and stared at her seriously; "You deserve so much more Apes, especially after everything I put you through and please don't fight me on this because you and I both know that it's the truth" he paused. "I love you and I'll do my best to show that to you every single day-I want to be the man who deserves you and I'm close Apes-just bear with me, I'm almost there."

April felt her eyes stinging with tears, she swallowed back the lump in her throat and reached for his hand; "Where have you been the whole time?"

Jackson threw April a shy look; "Hiding?"

April smiled tearfully at Jackson before squeezing his hand; she sniffed loudly and pulled her hand away. "Let's see if this meatloaf will make me love you less, shall we?"

Jackson smiled; "Bon a petit"

oOo

"Are you heading home?" Derek asked as he saw his best friend stepping out of the elevator.

Mark straightened his jacket; "Yep, just waiting for Lexie" he replied.

"Is she staying with you tonight?" Derek asked.

Mark stopped right in front of Derek; "Not sure but I'm hoping she would"

Derek adjusted the sleeping Zola in his arms; "Now's the perfect time to ask her, she's heading our way"

Mark turned around and saw her fiancé walking along side her sister; "Hey you"

Lexie adjusted the strap on her bag on her shoulder; "Hey"

Mark shoved his hands inside his jean pockets; "Are you staying at their house or are you coming home with me?"

"Will you be mad if I tell you I want to stay home tonight? I need to catch up on some reading and my books are in my room" Lexie replied.

Mark pouted; "Do you really have to read?"

"Yeah, the next instalment is being released tomorrow so I need to finish it..."

Mark sighed; "Okay then,"

Derek stared at Mark in awe; "Wow."

Meredith chuckled at her husband's antics; she adjusted Bailey on her arms before turning towards her sister. "Have you heard anything from April? I haven't gotten the chance to check on her yet"

"I spoke to her briefly this afternoon and she's doing good, looks like Jackson is taking good care of her" Lexie replied.

"Really?" Meredith asked curiously.

"I'm 100% sure. Kepner just domesticated an Avery" Mark said proudly.

"Domesticated? What do you mean?" Derek asked.

Lexie smirked; "Jackson went grocery shopping this afternoon, it looks like he's cooking for April"

Meredith threw her husband a disturbed look; "Does he even know how to cook?"

Derek shrugged his shoulders; "I don't have the slightest idea."

"My boy will manage, I taught him a thing or two this afternoon" Mark said.

Lexie turned towards Mark; "Let me guess, you spent an hour on the phone with him after I left you?"

Mark nodded; "Yep"

Meredith laughed; "Should we change your namesake now?"

"I don't know, I'm quite partial to Plastic Posses" Mark replied.

Lexie shifted closer to her sister; "Don't get him started Mer, he'll never stop bugging me about it" she whispered.

"Do you think we should change it honey?' Mark asked while eyeing his fiancé.

Meredith threw Lexie an apologetic look; "Oopppss, sorry..."

Lexie glared at Meredith before turning her gaze to Mark; "Plastic Posses is alright. Why don't we go now? It's already getting late" she said,

Derek tapped Mark's back; "Lexie is right, let's go home" he said.

"Okay, let's go" Mark said as he falls into step with Lexie.

Lexie threw Derek a grateful look.

oOo

April just finished loading the dishes inside the dishwasher when she heard Jackson's door open and close; she was drying her hands with a dish towel when she saw him walking towards her. "You going to bed?"

"Nope, it's still early. Don't tell me you're going to bed already?" Jackson asked as he opens the fridge.

April neatly folded the dish towel and placed it near the sink; "What do you have in mind?"

Jackson grabbed himself a bottle of beer and closed the fridge; he pointed towards the terrace and smiled. "I was planning on hanging out there for a bit, join me?"

April turned her gaze towards the terrace; "Are you finally showing me the selling point of this flat?"

"Yep,"

April smiled; "Okay"

Jackson turned to the fridge and opened it again; he grabbed a bottle of Tazo tea and closed it shut. "I'm not drinking alone, mango is your favourite right?"

April's eyes widen; "Is-is that Tazo tea?" she asked incredulously.

Jackson wiggled the bottle in his hands; "Yep,"

"How did you-when-"

"The magician never reveals his secret" Jackson said with a wink. He then gestured towards the terrace; "Let's go?"

April couldn't form any words so she just clamped her mouth shut and nodded.

Jackson spun on his heels and began walking towards the glass sliding doors; he unlatched the lock and slid it open. He turned toward April and waited for her reach him; "Ladies first"

April threw Jackson a thankful look before stepping out of the terrace; she let her eyes wander around the spacious place and almost instantly, she understood what Jackson meant.

"Do you like it?" Jackson asked.

April turned her face towards Jackson; "You were right, the view is amazing-I love it" she said with a smile.

Jackson smiled back; "Come here and sit down, you shouldn't be on your feet all the time"

April rolled her eyes; she walked towards the iron wrought chairs and sat down.

Jackson sat adjacent to April and grabbed her bottled tea; he loosened the cap before handing it to the red head. "Here you go"

"Thanks" April replied as she accepted her drink.

Jackson grabbed his beer and popped the cap open; he took a swig of his drink as he reclines back on his chair. "I love hanging out here and just looking at the night sky, it's somehow relaxing"

April shifted her eyes to the skyline and nodded in agreement; "I get you, when I was in Moline I do the same thing."

Jackson turned his head to the side; "I'm quite sure the view there is much prettier than this" he said.

April threw Jackson a side glance and smiled; "Yep, you see actual stars there"

Jackson shifted his eyes back on the sky; "I don't even know if ever saw an actual star, I don't think we have them in Boston"

April stared at Jackson in disbelief; "Really?"

Jackson bobbed his head; "Really."

April shifted her eyes back on the skyline; "That's too bad..."

Jackson chuckled.

"Tell you what, the next time I come home to Moline I'll take you with me so you'll be able to see an actual star"

Jackson's head snapped to the side, his eyes widening in surprise; "Really?"

April turned her head sideways; "Really"

"You're not messing with me again, right?"

April chuckled; "No I'm not"

Jackson stared at April; he then lifted his right hand and stuck out his pinkie finger. "Come on, let's pinkie swear on it"

"Are you for real?"

Jackson just wiggled his pinkie finger in response.

April rolled her eyes playfully; she then turned to her side and looped her right pinkie finger with Jackson's. "Are you happy now?"

Jackson tugged on April's hand and gently pulled her closer, eyeing her seductively. "Am I pushing it too far if ask to seal this deal with a kiss?" he asked huskily.

April's eyes strayed towards Jackson's lips and felt the familiar surge of butterflies inside her belly; she licked her lips before shifting her eyes to meet his. "Are you using your Avery sparkle on me?"

Jackson let out a sexy smile; "Is it working?"

April shifted her eyes back to his lips; "You already kissed him this afternoon, one more kiss when he's awake won't hurt" she rationalized. "Yes," she gasped out even before she's able to think.

Jackson didn't need to be told twice; he bridged the gap between them and pressed his lips to hers. He closed his eyes as he lets his heart take over his head, hoping that his feelings will be able to seep through their kiss.

April pulled her hand away from Jackson's grasp and clumsily stood up from her perch, their lips still fused together.

Jackson automatically moved his hands on April's hips; guiding her towards him.

April didn't think twice; she climbed up his lap and straddled him. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she continued returning his kisses hungrily.

Jackson moaned, he then nipped at her lips a couple of times before pulling away; he wrapped his arm around April's waist securely before resting his forehead on hers. "You're killing me you know that, right?" he closed his eyes and breathed out.

April let out a giggle as she opens her eyes; "We still have it Jackman-I can still feel the same spark I felt the first time I kissed you in San Francisco" she whispered.

Jackson hummed happily; he then opened his eyes and rubbed their noses together. "Yeah...I feel it too" he said. He then leaned forward and planted another kiss on April's lips; "I want to kiss you all the time, is that normal?"

April leaned forward and planted a chaste kiss on Jackson's lips; "I think it's normal, I feel it too" she replied with a small smile.

Jackson pulled his face away from April and smiled sheepishly; "Will it ruin the mood if I suggest we move to the couch? I love having you in my lap but this chair is digging into my ass and I don't want to have a sore ass"

April blinked a couple times before bursting into fits of giggles.

Jackson planted a kiss on April's forehead before shifting his hands on April's thighs; he anchored it tightly around his waist before hauling them off the chair.

April automatically wrapped her legs around Jackson's hips; "Put me down Jackman, I can walk you know!" she squeaked.

Jackson ignored April's protest; "Wrap your arms around my neck, I don't want you falling down"

April followed Jackson's instruction; "This is silly you know?"

Jackson braised his left arm around April's back before grabbing their drinks on his right arm; "Just indulge me this once, I like carrying you like this-and no, I'm not being creepy nor perverted, I just want you close" he said defensively.

April can't help but giggle at his statement; "I'm not complaining"

Jackson grinned as he walks towards the sliding doors; he stepped inside and made his way towards the couch. He placed the bottles on top of the coffee table and gently lowered himself on the couch; "Much more comfortable" he said happily.

April untangled her arms from Jackson's neck and braised it on the couch behind him, caging him in; "Jackson?"

Jackson met April's eyes; "April?"

April licked her lips; "You talk too much, can you just kiss me already?"

Jackson smirked; "Your wish is my command princess" he said huskily. He then lifted his hands and cupped April's cheeks; he pulled her face towards his and captured her lips for a mind numbing kiss again.

A/N: Sorry for the late update guys but I hope this makes up for the long wait. ^-^ I had fun writing this chapter so I hope you have fun reading it too ^-^ Next one will up some time next week-if everything goes according to plan. Next chappy is entitled "Everything has changed"-I'll give my own take on the GALA and add some more JAPRIL moments, sounds good? ^-^

Again, tell me what you think about this chapter? I love hearing from you guys, your reviews always makes my day and it inspires me to write faster. Till next week, cheers! ^-^