Gravity Chapter 13: Everything has changed, a grey's anatomy fanfic

Chapter Thirteen: Everything has changed

"All I knew this morning when I woke is I know something now, know something now I didn't before. And all I've seen since eighteen hours ago is green eyes and freckles and your smile, in the back of my mind making me feel like. I just wanna know you better, know you better, know you better now..."

Change is inevitable, the only constant thing in this world; it works both ways though; it can be for the best or for the worst. For April, it has been for the best-Jackson changed her in more than ways she could imagine and she's thankful for that. He helped her realize things about herself that she didn't know existed; yes, she may have bent her beliefs a bit in the process but in this rare case, the end was able to justify the means and she's happy and contented about it. Jackson on the other hand is going through the same process of realization; he never thought he's the type of man that will be able to express his feelings easily but it seems like he doesn't know himself as much as he believes he does. Now, he can't seem to stop himself from blurting it out every time the feeling strikes and it feels very liberating for the Plastic Surgeon. The odds seem to be in the couple's favour because they finally reached the same page, the next question is, will that change too? Change is unavoidable after all.

April switched off the faucet and grabbed her towel; she gently patted her face dry and stared at her reflection on the mirror. She bit her bottom lip while in thought; "It's strange, Jackson should be up by now" she murmured to herself. She then hanged her towel on the rack before stepping out of the bathroom; she made her way towards her door and walked out of her room. She closed the door behind her and started looking around the place; she furrowed her brows when she didn't hear any activity inside the flat so she decided to check Jackson's room to see if he already left. She padded towards his room and quietly pushed the door open; she was surprised to see that he's still tucked in his bed, clearly sleeping. She tip toed towards him and stopped by his bed side; she leaned forward and gently nudged his arm. "Jackson, wake up, you're gonna be late for work"

Jackson burrowed under the covers and rubbed his cheek on his pillow; "I don't have work" he murmured.

April giggled as she sat herself at his bedside; "It's Tuesday, you have work."

"No, I have the whole week off"

April stared at Jackson confusedly; "The whole week off, why?"

Jackson rubbed the sleep off his eyes and turned towards April; "My mom insisted that I take the week off when she found out that you're staying with me, she wants me to stay with you and to take a short vacation too" he replied with a smile. "Why are you up? What time is it?"

"I see-that's very nice of her. Well, I've always been an early riser and its only quarter passed 6" April replied. She then stood up from her perch and smiled; "Well since you don't have work, why don't sleep in a bit, I'll make us some breakfast."

Jackson automatically sprung up his bed; he threw the covers off his body and scooted towards the edge. "I'm up and you're not cooking breakfast, you're supposed to be resting woman."

April sucked in air upon seeing Jackson's familiar naked torso; her eyes trailing from his well toned pecs down to his washboard abs.

Jackson noticed the change in the red head's eyes; "Like what you see?" he asked with a smirk.

April cleared her throat, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment; "Err—put some shirt on," she mumbled.

Jackson feigned a yawn as he stretches his arms upwards, showcasing his taut stomach and arms.

April narrowed her eyes; "Stop it"

Jackson let his arms fall to his side, a smile visible on his lips; "Stop what?" he asked innocently.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing Avery" April said. She then gave him a once over before turning on her heels and walking towards the open door; "Besides, it's nothing I haven't seen nor touched before."

Jackson blinked a couple of times before letting out a full belly laugh.

oOo

Meredith pushed the door open to the Attending's Lounge and gently hauled Mark's stroller inside the room; "Good morning" she announced loudly.

Alex lowered the news paper his reading; "What the hell are you doing here?"

Miranda slapped the back of Alex's head; "No cursing, there's a baby inside the room" she chastised.

"That hurts!" Alex complained while rubbing his head.

Meredith chuckled; "Bailey is right, no cursing in my baby's presence" she said while closing the door behind her.

"It's not like your baby will understand it" Alex grumbled.

Miranda rolled her eyes; "What are you doing here Grey? You're supposed to be in Maternity Leave"

Meredith pushed the stroller towards the table and pulled a chair; she sat down slowly before turning towards her friends. "I'm bored to my wits end, I'll go crazy if I stay there longer"

Alex shifted in his chair and turned towards the stroller; he leaned forward and smiled at Meredith's baby. "Hello there!"

"So, you're idea of having fun is going to your work place?" Miranda asked with a raised brow.

Meredith chuckled; "Well, yeah-I don't have any place to go, I don't go to malls and I hate parks"

"Mer is anti social, she doesn't like crowded places-it makes her anxious" Alex said while making faces at Mark.

Meredith leaned forward and slapped Alex's arm; "I'm no longer anti social, I've changed"

Alex ignored Meredith's comment and continued playing with the baby.

"You seem taken by the baby Karev, why don't you and Stevens make one" Miranda said with a smile.

"Bailey is right, when will you grace us with your spawns?" Meredith asked.

Alex guffawed; "I'll only have a baby if Avery knocks Kepner up-in short, not in the near future"

"Speaking of which, are those two back together?" Miranda asked curiously.

Alex and Meredith shared a look before they both turned their gaze towards their former Chief Resident; "You're Bailey" Alex said. "You're supposed to know everything" Meredith finished.

Miranda sniffed haughtily; "I know everything medical that doesn't include gossips"

The door burst open as Cristina saunters in; she halted her steps when she saw her person sitting beside the table. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"I'm bored" Meredith replied with shrug.

"So you went here?" Cristina raised her brow.

Miranda snickered; "See? Even Yang finds it weird"

Meredith rolled her eyes; she then turned on her seat and crossed her legs. "Have you heard anything about the Gala? Is it still on?"

Cristina placed her hands around her waist; "Momma Avery took over planning so it's definitely on"

Meredith furrowed her brows; "What do you mean? I thought Jackson and Owen are planning it?"

Alex sniggered; "Avery is busy playing nurse"

Meredith's eyes widen; "For how long?"

"He took the whole week off" Miranda said dryly.

"Wow" Meredith gasped.

Cristina smirked; "Those two will be boinking again in no time, want to place a bet?"

Alex raised his hand; "I'm in"

"How much are we talking about here?" Meredith asked.

Miranda wrinkled her nose in disgust; "I can't believe you people are actual surgeons" she said while standing up.

oOo

April was sitting on the couch reading when she heard a familiar ringtone being played loudly; she closed the book shut and stood up from her perch. She followed the music and stopped when she saw the source of it; she stepped closer to the breakfast bar and saw Catherine's name flashing though the screen of Jackson's phone. "Jackson, your mom is calling!"

"I'm taking a shower, can you answer it?" Jackson yelled.

"Okay" April replied loudly. She then plucked the device from the counter and tapped on the answer button; "Hello"

"April, is that you?"

"Yes it's me-err, Jackson is taking a shower so he can't come to the phone right now, is everything okay?"

"You naughty kids! You're not supposed to have sex yet!" Catherine said with stern yet excited voice.

April felt her face turn red; "We're not-it's not what you think-he's just taking a shower and I'm reading and he asked me to answer his phone that he left on top of the counter"

Catherine laughed loudly; "Calm down honey, I'm just messing with you"

April fanned her burning face with her other hand; "Err-okay..."

"Is my mother harassing you again?"

April turned around and saw Jackson standing a couple of steps away from her; his body still glistening with drops of water and his towel hanging dangerously low on his hips. She swallowed hard as she grips his phone tightly; "Damn it! Why does he keep on flaunting his body-it's—it's ridiculous!" she thought.

"Are you alright?" Jackson asked, his brows furrowed with concern.

April licked her lips and cleared her throat; "Jackson is already here-let me hand him the phone"

"Okay baby, thank you!"

"You're welcome" April replied. She then pulled the phone away from her ear and extended her hand towards Jackson; "Err-here you go."

Jackson walked towards April and accepted his phone; "Are you alright?"

April couldn't help it; she felt her eyes drop to his chest as her breath hitch inside her throat. She felt a familiar tugging inside her lower belly as her gaze stopped on the knot of his towel.

"Keep looking at me like that and I can't promise to keep my hands to myself" Jackson whispered huskily.

April lifted her eyes and met Jackson's gaze; she felt a pleasant shiver run through her body when she saw the look in his eyes.

"JACKSON? APRIL?"

April shook her head to clear her lust filled thoughts; "Your mom is still on the line" she said sheepishly.

Jackson cleared his throat; "Oh yeah..." he replied. He then shifted the phone to his ear; "Mom?"

April threw Jackson one more look before turning on her heels; she bit her bottom lip hard as she walks back to the living room. "Keep it in your pants Kepner, you can do this-you've fasted before, stop thinking about it" she murmured to herself. "Oh god, help me resist this temptation...please?" she thought.

oOo

Catherine scooted towards the door and pushed it open; she climbed out of her beau's car and straightened the creases on her dress. "I'll be checking on the venue later so I don't think I'll be able to do lunch"

Richard closed the door shut and locked it; "Will Hunt be joining you?"

Catherine adjusted the hand bag on her arm; "No, my son will."

Richard threw Catherine a confused look as he rounded his car; "I thought he's taking the week off?"

"He still is, I just asked him a little favour and he obliged" Catherine replied as she falls into step with Richard.

"You just want to grill him for details"

Catherine smirked; "That too"

oOo

Jackson placed a glass of orange juice right in front of April; "My mom asked me to go to the hospital for lunch, she needs me to accompany her to the venue-for the gala."

"Thank you" April said. She then cocked her head to the side and stared at Jackson confusedly; "Gala?"

Jackson threw April a sheepish look; "I forgot, you didn't know" he replied. "Well, we are holding a gala next Saturday, we need to raise funds that will help us with the storm repairs and of course added budget for different departments."

"Oh, I see" April replied before taking a sip of her drink.

Jackson cleared his throat as he shifted in his feet; "About that...will you be my date?"

April felt the juice go down the wrong pipe, sending her to a coughing fit.

Jackson tore a piece of paper towel from the coil and handed it to the red head; "Here" he offered.

April accepted it and began wiping her lips; after a moment she shifted her gaze back to Jackson. "Sorry about that."

Jackson scratched the back of his neck, a nervous habit of his; "I guess I shouldn't have sprung that question on you out of nowhere, sorry"

April chuckled; "We're acting like teenagers again" she said.

Jackson smiled; "Yeah we are"

"Going back to the gala, are-are you sure you want to go with me?" April asked, insecurity seeping through her voice. "There will be a lot of people there, are you sure you want to be seen with me? And what about-"

"Stop right there" Jackson interjected. He then rounded the counter and stopped at the red head's side; he slowly swivelled the high chair towards him and stared at April's eyes directly; "Let me get one thing straight with you, I'm asking you to be my date because there's no one else I'd rather spend it with than you. I want you with me and I'll be the luckiest not to mention the happiest man that night if you'll be by my side."

April felt her heart melt with Jackson's words; "How can a girl say no to that?"

"Is that a yes?" Jackson asked excitedly

"It's definitely not a no"

"Are you being cheeky with me Kepner?"

April smirked as she turned her chair to its original position; "It depends on your definition of cheeky" she said playfully.

Jackson thought for a moment before smirking at the red head; "I see, too bad, I was planning on taking you with me today-you know, so you can hang out at the hospital while I sort things out with my mom but since you're being Ms. Smartpants today, I think I'll just leave you here"

April pushed away from the counter and hastily hopped out of her chair; "I'm not being cheeky and yes I'll be your date for the gala, it's a definite yes."

Jackson crossed his arms on top of his chest; "Well I don't know..."

April stared at Jackson; "He's playing dirty eh? Let's see how far you can go" she thought. She took a step closer to him and bit her bottom lip; she met his gaze and began drawing circles on his chest. "That's too bad because I was thinking off of giving you a proper thank you, you know-but since I'm being Ms. Smartpants then I guess I have no choice but to stay here then..."

Jackson can't help but smirk at April's tricks; "Using seduction to have your way again, huh? Two can play at this game" he thought smugly. He shifted closer to the red head and snaked his arms around her tiny waist; he gently pulled her into his chest and let his eyes do the work for him. "Yeah? What do you have in mind then?" he asked huskily.

"Damn! He's using his Avery Sparkle on me, freaking unfair. Time to take this game up a notch" April thought. She purposely trailed her hands along his pecs towards his neck; she then wrapped her arms around it and licked her lips seductively. "Well, since you already made your decision, I guess you'll never know..."

Jackson felt goose bumps ran through his whole body as his head started to fog with lustful thoughts; he felt another part of his appendage react to April's proximity and it's slowly driving him crazy. "Really?" he asked shakily.

April moved her face closer to his before smirking; "Yep" she said before pulling her hands away and stepping out of his grasp. "Ha! Easy peasy!" she thought. She then grabbed her glass of juice and emptied it in one go; she placed it back on the counter before starting to walk away. "I'll just go to my room then, see you later" she said.

"Tease!" Jackson thought as he swallowed thickly.

April grinned as she slowly walks away; "1...2-"

"Wait!"

"Boom!" April thought triumphantly. She arranged her face to look nonchalant before turning around; "Yep?"

"Go get changed, we'll leave in 15 minutes" Jackson said.

"Okay" April replied. She then turned on her heels and made her way towards her room; "Round 1 goes to you Kepner" she murmured to herself with a grin.

Jackson watched April walk away before shaking his head; "You are whipped Jackson Avery" he whispered with a smile.

"'Cause all I know is we said, "Hello." and your eyes look like coming home. All I know is a simple name, everything has changed. All I know is you held the door, you'll be mine and I'll be yours. All I know since yesterday is everything has changed..."

"Run this lab for Mr. Field and get Ms. Anderson's XRAY while you're at it" Lexie instructed.

"Right away Dr. Sloan" Heather replied.

Lexie wrinkled her nose; "It's Dr. Grey, not Sloan, we're not yet married"

Heather shifted in her feet; "Err-Dr. Sloan told us to start calling you-err, Dr. Sloan..." she explained.

Lexie narrowed her eyes; "He did eh? Well, let me correct his tiny mistake I'm Dr. Grey, don't ever call me Dr. Sloan-not after we're married and it's doctor Dr. Grey-Sloan to be precise, capiche?"

"Err-yes, Dr. Grey"

"Good, now scoot" Lexie said.

Heather quickly turned on her heels and scampered away.

Lexie shook her head; she then turned towards her tab and began updating her patient's files.

"Good morning Dr. Sloan"

Lexie tore her eyes away from her tab when she heard her best friend's familiar voice; she quickly turned around and let out an excited squeal upon seeing April standing right behind her. "You're here!"

"I am" April smiled brightly. "I hope you're not destroying my E.R and terrorizing the interns too much"

Lexie laughed before bouncing towards the red head and engulfing her into a hug; "I didn't know you were coming and no I'm not destroying your E.R."

April hugged her best friend back; "That's nice to hear"

Lexie pulled away and began studying April's appearance; "You look good, Jackson's taking good care of you?" she asked with large smile.

"He is, he's been very good to me" April beamed.

"I can see that..." Lexie said meaningfully.

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

"Well I'll be damned, who would've thought I'd miss hearing that annoying shriek of yours?"

April turned around and saw Alex leaning casually on the counter; "I never thought I'd miss your pompous ass too, does that make you feel better?"

Alex laughed; he then pulled away from his perch and walked towards April; "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be chained inside Pretty boy's lair as he plays nurse?"

April giggled; "Lair? What have you been up to lately?"

"He's being a love sick fool, that's what he's been up to" Lexie teased.

"As if you're any better" Alex quipped.

April smiled; "Awwww...how's Izzie?"

Alex stuffed his hands inside his lab coat pockets; "She's alright, busy with work" he replied. "You haven't answered my question yet, you know"

"Oh about that, Jackson decided to bring me along with him, he's doing some board stuff-for the gala" April replied.

"Speaking of which, you'll be attending right? You're well enough to go?" Lexie asked.

Alex smirked; "That's a rhetorical question Lex, of course she'll go, pretty boy will be there" he said. He then peered behind the other surgeon's back, clearly surveying their surroundings; "I'm actually amazed he let Apes out of his sight."

April rolled her eyes; "He's in Admin with his mom and of course he'll let me out of his sight, he's not my keeper"

Lexie guffawed; "He's your puppy"

April slapped Lexie's arm; "Stop calling him a puppy, that's not nice"

"April?"

April turned her head to the side and saw Meredith walking towards them; "What on earth are you doing here? You're supposed to be resting at home"

Meredith stopped right in front of the red head and pulled her into a hug; "I should be asking you the same question" she said with a chuckle.

April pulled away and smiled; "I got bored, so here I am"

"I got bored too" Meredith replied with a smile.

"You losers should get a life, your idea of passing boredom is sad" Alex said.

"Says the man who lived in his trailer at the hospital's parking lot" Meredith quipped.

Lexie and April laughed at Meredith's statement.

Alex puffed his chest out arrogantly; "I'm dedicated, you people are lucky to have me work in your hospital"

Meredith threw Alex an affectionate smile; "That we are"

Alex grinned.

Meredith turned her gaze towards April; "Where's Jackson? I assume he came here with you"

"He's with his mother, doing board stuff, I believe they're checking out the venue for the gala" April replied.

Meredith studied April's form; "You're going right? You're well enough to go?"

Alex wrinkled his nose; "Little Grey asked the same exact question, are your brains connected or something?"

"Grey genes" Lexie piped in.

April chuckled; "Yep I'm going, no choice"

Meredith smirked; "Are you going as a doctor who needs to charm Richie Rich for funds or are you going as Jackson's date?"

April stared at Meredith with a baffled look on her face; "Huh?"

Alex sniggered; "No brainer question Mer, as if Avery will let anybody near her" he said.

Lexie smiled; "True"

April shifted her eyes between her friends; "What do you exactly mean?"

"It means you have to kiss some asses and flirt a bit to get a hefty check inside the cash box" Alex explained.

April looked thoughtful; "I see"

"And oh, Momma Avery decided to set up a little game, the department who's able to raise the highest amount will get a 20% cut from it" Meredith said.

"We'll get that new toy after all" Lexie said thoughtfully.

Meredith glared at her sister; "Who told you Neuro will get that cut?"

Lexie grinned; "Simple, dreamy eyes."

"Peds will get it, nobody can say no to tiny humans" Alex said.

"Dream on Evil Spawn, that budget is going to General" Meredith said. She then stood straighter and threw in her signature smile; "Nobody can say no Ellis Grey's daughter"

"Well I don't know about that-saving people on the field and having a mentor who's been in the army serving his country has its own appeal." April drawled.

"Not fair!" Lexie complained.

"Whatever, nobody can refuse tiny humans" Alex said.

Meredith threw April an amused look; "I guess you'll be working that night after all" she said.

"You bet, we need funds in our department too, you know" April chirped.

Alex rolled his eyes; "Your boyfriend pretty much owns this plays, just kiss him and ask him to buy your department new stuff"

April smirked at Alex; "I can do that but seeing you kiss people's asses without trying to sleep with them is a rare phenomenon, I think that's more fun"

"Oh I'm liking you more and more April" Meredith said.

Alex scoffed; "Whatever" he said before turning on his heels. "I'll see you around, I still have to check on my patients"

"We should change your name to Sour Puss!" Meredith teased.

"That's Cristina's name!" Alex replied.

April and Lexie both laughed.

"Have you guys bought a dress yet?"

"Yep, Mark and I went to the mall yesterday" Lexie replied.

Meredith shifted her gaze to the red head; "April?"

April cringed; "Nope, I just found out about the gala this morning"

Meredith fell into step with April and looped her arm around the red head's; "Perfect, me too. Why don't we hit the mall today and find a gala worthy dress?"

April thought for a moment; "That's actually brilliant" she said with a smile.

"I'm always brilliant" Meredith replied cheekily.

Lexie took a peek on her tab to check the time; "If you're planning on avoiding the crowd I suggest you go now" she said.

"Wait, what about your baby?" April said while eyeing Meredith.

"Derek has him, he's a baby hogger" Meredith replied. She then pulled her phone away from her back pocket; "I'll call him to let him know that we're leaving for a bit."

"Okay" April replied.

Lexie eyed April; "Aren't you calling Jackson to let him know that you're leaving too? You don't want him launching a search party for you" she teased.

April felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment; "Err-you're right" she said. She then turned towards Meredith and pointed towards the pit's exit; "I'll wait for you there, I'll call Jackson to let him know we're leaving too" she said.

Meredith nodded.

"See you later Lex!" April said with a wave. She then made her way towards the door and slipped outside; she walked towards the bench and sat down. She thumb through her contacts and tapped on Jackson's number; she placed her phone to her ear and waited for the call to connect.

"Hey, everything okay?"

"Yep, I'm just calling to let you know that Mer and I will be hitting the mall for a couple of hours" April replied.

"Mall?"

"Yep"

"Okay. You guys are catching a cab right?"

"I actually have no idea, obviously I can't drive because I don't have my car here."

Jackson chuckled; "You still can't drive even if you have your car there"

April rolled her eyes; "Don't remind me"

"What are you buying anyway?" Jackson asked curiously.

"A dress for the gala" April replied.

"I'm sure you'll be very beautiful in whatever dress you choose"

April smiled; "Sweet talking me again Avery, it's too early for that" she teased.

"Nope, I'm just stating a fact"

"Ooookaaay..." April said. "Do you want me to get you anything?"

"Nope I'm good."

"Okay, well I have to go, Mer is already here"

"Alright, you guys take care. Call me if you need anything and I'll see you later"

"Bye Jackman" April said.

"Bye babe, enjoy!"

April bit her bottom lip to keep herself from grinning; she pulled her phone away and stood up from her perch. "Ready?"

Meredith noticed the look on April's face; "You seem happy"

"I am."

Meredith smiled back; "I'm glad you are, I say it's about damn time."

April smiled shyly.

oOo

Jackson was just slipping his phone back to his pocket when he saw his mother walking towards his direction; "You done here?" he asked.

Catherine stopped right in front of her son and smiled; "Yes. I already book the grand ballroom, it's yours next Saturday"

Jackson smiled; "You're a miracle worker Mom"

"Stop sucking up to me"

Jackson rolled his eyes; "I throw a complement and I end up being accused of either sweet talking or sucking up, what's wrong with you people."

Catherine chuckled; "You want to know why?"

"Why?"

"Because you seldom give complements baby" Catherine said.

Jackson wrinkled his nose; "Really?"

Catherine nodded; "Really. Now, why don't you be a good boy and take your mother to lunch"

"Where do you want to eat?"

"Here is fine" Catherine replied.

"Let's go then" Jackson said while offering his arm, like the gentleman she raised her to be.

Catherine threw her son an approving look; "Lead the way"

oOo

"You should definitely get that, you look hot in that dress" April said.

Meredith studied her reflection; "Really? It's not slutty?"

"No, it's tastefully sexy-it's classy."

Meredith turned towards April and smiled; "Okay then" she replied. "Found anything you like?"

April pursed her lips as she peruses the dresses around them; "Sometimes I hate being a red head, it's hard finding a dress that will go with my hair" she groaned.

Meredith walked towards the rack and perused the dresses right in front of them; she riffled through it and pulled out a printed pink halter ensemble. "Try this on, this will look good with your hair and skin tone"

April eyed the dress; "Isn't it too-shabby?"

"I think that dress will look perfect on you, try it on"

April accepted the dress and made her way towards the fitting room; "Okay"

oOo

"How's April?" Catherine asked.

"She's doing good, she's recovering well" Jackson replied.

Catherine plucked her wine glass from the table, eyeing her son curiously; "Any new developments I should know about?" she asked before taking a sip.

"Nope" Jackson replied.

"So you're still not together?"

Jackson shifted his eyes towards his mother; "Personal life is off limits mom"

Catherine pouted; "Fine. I'll ask April then" she said.

"Stop harassing April, her personal life is off limits too"

Catherine smirked; "Does that mean that she's part of your personal life that's why she's off limits too?"

Jackson rolled his eyes; "I'm not justifying that question with an answer."

"You're no fun!" Catherine huffed. "Speaking of April, where is she? Did you leave her alone in your apartment?"

Jackson shifted his attention back to his food; "She's with Meredith, they're at the mall" he replied.

"Is she well enough to go shopping?" Catherine asked with concern.

"Yeah and besides they're just picking up dresses for the gala, they won't take long" Jackson replied before taking a bite of his steak.

Catherine smiled; "I take it that you'll be escorting her?"

Jackson swallowed his food before responding; "I am."

"You two will look wonderful together!" Catherine gushed.

Jackson can't help but smile at his mother's comment.

oOo

"Hold on for a minute" April said as she halted her steps.

Meredith paused and turned her head towards the red head; "What?" she asked while following Aprils' gaze.

April pointed towards Krispy Kreme; "Can we do a quick stop over there?"

"You're buying doughnuts?"

"Yep"

Meredith raised brow; "But you don't like those stuff"

April smiled; "It's not for me"

Meredith blinked a couple of times before realization dawned on her; "Jackson likes doughnuts"

"Yep" April said before skipping towards the establishment.

Meredith shook her head; "You're acting like an old married couple, it's cute" she teased.

April let the comment pass; "Our people likes doughnuts, right?"

"Yep, why?" Meredith asked as she follows her friend closely.

"Good, I'm buying them a box" April replied.

oOo

Jackson was just climbing out of his car when he saw Meredith's SUV pulling over her designated parking space; he closed his door shut and locked it behind it.

April climbed out of the SUV and closed the door behind her; she then moved towards the back passenger seat and pulled the door open. She leaned forward and began collecting the things she bought; "I hope they're hungry, I'm not taking this home" she said.

Meredith threw April a teasing smile; "You just referred to Jackson's apartment as home?"

April lifted her gaze and met Meredith's; she felt her cheeks flush so she shifted her gaze eyes back to the boxes. "I guess I did..." she admitted shyly.

"Why don't you guys move in together permanently, it's obvious that you're head over heels with each other."

April plucked the paper bag and grabbed the boxes of sweets; "We're taking things slow and moving in together is not considered slow" she explained.

"You've been dancing around each other for years, nothing is slower than that"

"Do they give out free boxes of doughnuts when you buy a dress?" Jackson asked.

"Crap!" April hissed when she hit the back of her head, clearly startled upon hearing Jackson's voice.

Jackson rushed towards April's side; "Are you okay?" he asked as he began fawning over the red head.

"Oh my" Meredith said between laughs.

April stood straight as she glares at the blonde surgeon; "I'm glad you find my misfortune funny" she said. She then turned around and scowled at Jackson; "Stop sneaking around people's back, it's rude" she snapped.

Jackson raised both of his hands in surrender; "I did not sneak up on you, I thought you already saw me walking towards you" he replied. "I'm sorry"

"Hold out your hands" April said.

Jackson complied wordlessly.

April placed the boxes of doughnuts in his hands; "There you go"

"Are these all mine?" Jackson asked while eyeing the box curiously.

April closed the door shut; "Of course not, you only get a piece"

Jackson pouted; "Just a piece?"

April turned towards Jackson; "It's better than nothing, right?"

Meredith watched the bickering couple with amusement; "If it makes you feel better, she nagged the ears off of the doughnut guy when she found out that favourite flavour is out of stock"

"Meredith!" April hissed in mortification.

Jackson felt a tug on his heart strings, so without thinking he leaned forward and planted a kiss on April's head; 'Thanks babe" he whispered.

April turned her face towards Jackson and smiled; "You're welcome"

"Gaaaaahhhhh!" Meredith complained as she spun on her heels.

Jackson stared at Meredith's back, confusion written all over his face; "What's wrong with her?"

"Don't mind her" April replied.

oOo

"Where the hell is my boy? I already saw Momma Avery, don't tell me he already went home?" Mark asked.

Derek adjusted the sleeping boy in his arms; "I doubt that, April is shopping with my wife, I'm sure he'll wait for her"

"Kepner is also here?"

"Yeah, you didn't know?" Derek asked.

Mark placed his hands on his hips; "How come they didn't tell me?"

Derek shifted his eyes towards his best friend and smirked; "I'm quite sure they didn't mean to hurt your feelings" he teased.

"I'm no longer important" Mark said with a pout.

Derek shook his head in amusement; he then turned his eyes towards the door when heard it creak open. "Wipe that silly pout out of your face, your other half with his lady love is here"

Mark quickly spun around and saw Meredith entered the room, with April and Jackson in tow; "You guys are finally here! I've been waiting for you!" he said jovially.

"I heard, I just saw Karev and I heard an earful from him" Jackson said dryly.

April slapped Jackson's arm in chastisement; she turned towards Mark and smiled brightly. "It's nice to see you again Dr. Sloan."

Mark smiled fondly at the red head; "Looking good Kepner, it seems like my boy is taking good care of you."

Meredith chuckled; "He's so whipped" she murmured as she walks towards her husband and baby. "Hey there baby boy, Mommy misses you so much" she cooed while sitting down.

Derek gently lifted his son off his shoulder and placed him on Meredith's waiting arms; "I just fed and burped him, he just fell asleep" he said.

Meredith cuddled the baby closer to her chest and planted a chaste kiss on the infant's head; "Where's Zola?"

"She's having a princess tea party with Sophia" Mark replied.

Jackson placed the boxes of doughnut on top of the table; "April brought us doughnuts" he announced.

Derek turned his gaze towards April; "What's the occasion?"

April smiled shyly; "Err-it's a little thank you for saving my life"

"Awwwww..." Mark said. He then walked towards the petite red head and wrapped his arms around her shoulders; "Aren't you the sweetest?"

Jackson shook his head at his mentor's antics; he turned towards the box and flipped it open.

Derek walked towards the table and fell into step with the Plastic Surgeon; he whistled upon seeing the variety of doughnuts inside the box. "I don't know what to pick"

Jackson plucked his New York Cheesecake doughnut; "Maple glazed, you can never go wrong with that one."

Derek grabbed his doughnut and took a huge bite; "Good choice" he said after swallowing. "Thanks for the doughnut April, it's very thoughtful of you"

April smiled at the Neuro Surgeon; "You're welcome" she replied bashfully. She then turned her gaze towards Mark; "Aren't you eating? I thought you like doughnuts?"

Mark squeezed April's shoulder gently before pulling away; "I love them" he said before walking towards the table. He then paused midway and turned his face towards April; "You're still banned from ride alongs and strenuous activities Kepner, doughnut or whatnot" he said with a wink.

"What the hell Mark!" Jackson hissed.

April's face turned bright red in mortification.

Derek and Meredith shared a look before bursting out in laughter.

oOo

"I'll come visit you on Thursday, it's my time off" Lexie said as she pulls April into a hug.

"That'll be great" April replied.

"Ready to go home?" Jackson asked as he rounded his car.

April stared into Jackson's eyes before letting out a smile; "Yeah, I am."

"And all my walls stood tall painted blue and I'll take them down, take them down and open up the door for you. And all I feel in my stomach is butterflies, the beautiful kind, making up for lost time, taking flight, making me feel right. I just wanna know you better, know you better, know you better now..."

The rest of the week seems to pass by in a blur and it's time for April to finally return to her apartment, much to Jackson's chagrin. He didn't want her to leave but he cannot voice that sentiment because he knows that she won't have any of it. Now, he finds himself leaning on her room's doorframe, watching her pack the last of her things. "Do you need any help?" he asked half-heartedly.

April zipped her duffel bag before turning towards Jackson; "Nope, all set"

Jackson crossed his arms on top of his chest; "Are you sure you can manage on your own?"

April rolled her eyes; "I'm gonna be fine Jackson don't worry, besides, I'll be back to work on Monday"

Jackson sighed; "I still can't believe you were able to convince me and the rest of the board-you should be resting."

April walked towards Jackson and stood right in front of him; "Are you upset because I'm going back to work on Monday or are you upset because I'm going back to my apartment?"

Jackson averted his gaze, a tell tale sign that he's upset with both.

April smiled; "You're adorable"

Jackson pursed his lips as he shifted his eyes back to April; "I'm not a puppy April, don't call me adorable" he said sulkily.

April can't help but chuckle at the irony of his statement; "If you only knew what Lexie calls you, you'll go full crazy on her" she thought.

Jackson pulled away from his perch; "Whatever" he said before making a move to leave.

April rolled her eyes; she then leaned forward and grasped his hand even before he got the chance to turn away. "Don't be like that"

Jackson refused to meet her gaze and kept quiet, clearly basking in his morose mood.

April stepped right in front of his brooding form and wrapped her arms around his waist; she leaned the side of her face into his chest and closed her eyes. "I'll miss spending time with you too, you know..."

Jackson sighed; he wrapped his arms around April and rested his chin on top of her head. "I really don't want you to leave-this place won't be the same without you..." he admitted.

April pulled away from his chest and tilted her face to meet his eyes; "I only stayed here for a week Jackman, I'm quite sure this place is still the same"

Jackson shook his head; "It won't be the same, it won't have you"

April let out a small smile; "You'll get used to it"

Jackson stared deeply into April's eyes; "I want to ask you something but you have to promise me you won't freak out, can you do that?"

"Yep, shoot."

Jackson braised himself for what he's about to ask-rather suggest. "I know were not yet together and don't think that I'm rushing that's why I'm bringing this up and I totally respect your decision and I promise to wait till your ready and I've proven myself-"

"You're rambling" April said with a chuckle. She then pulled her arms away from his waist and placed her hands on top of his chest, rubbing it soothingly. "Just ask what you want to ask"

Jackson took a deep breath; "Move in with me-permanently" he blurted out.

April's hand stilled as her eyes widen in shock.

Jackson tightened his hold on April's waist; "I know what you're thinking and it's not like that okay-what I'm suggesting is like what we use to have in Mer's frat house and our apartment with Alex. You will have your own room and I'll have mine-we'll just be sharing the same living space. You can still pay rent if you want to and I also have a washer-dryer-I have hardwood floors and no sex, that is not the reason why I'm asking you to move in-I-I want to come home to you everyday-I just want you close...that's all" he explained nervously.

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

Jackson stared at the giggling red head confusedly; "I think I just broke her" he thought.

April bowed her head as her shoulders continue to shake with mirth; she laughed for a whole minute before she was able to stifle it. She shook her head to clear her thoughts before meeting Jackson's gaze again; "I'm sorry...I couldn't help it"

"Err-what's funny?"

April smiled playfully; "Of all the things you can say to convince me move in with you, you just had to point out the washer-dryer and hardwood floors" she chuckled.

Jackson thought about his words and grimaced; "I should've just told you I love you and I want you with me all the time"

April raised her brow in amusement; "You think?"

"I love you and I want you with me all the time, please move in with me-permanently?" Jackson asked sheepishly.

The humour on April's face instantly vanished, it was replaced by uncertainty and dare he say-fear. "I meant what I said April, I don't expect sex and I promise not put on moves...I just want to spend more time with you, to get to know you much better because I feel like there's still so much more we don't know about each other and I want to rectify that..." he said sincerely.

April bit her bottom lip, clearly contemplating; "Can I think about it?"

Jackson smiled; "Of course you can-that's all I'm asking, for you to consider it. There's no need to rush-I'm willing to wait, I'm in for the long haul, remember?"

April smiled; "Really?"

Jackson nodded; "Really."

April snaked her hands around Jackson's neck and hugged him tightly; "You're perfect" she murmured.

"I'm not perfect babe, we are-we're perfect together"

April giggled as she pulls away; "Stop using cheesy pick up lines on me, it's disconcerting."

Jackson laughed.

oOo

April was able to move back into her apartment with no hitch; Jackson stayed with her for an hour and helped her organize the place. He was supposed to stay longer but he was forced to leave when he received a page; the Plastic Surgeon insisted that he'll just ignore it and pretended that he left his pager at his own apartment but she won't have it. She reminded him that he's a doctor first before practically shoving him out of her flat; earning her a pout and a promise that he'll drop by after everything is sorted out. She was currently hefting out her laundry from her dryer when she heard her phone ringing; she hastily walked towards her kitchen and snatched it from the table; she tapped on the screen and shifted the device to her ear. "Hey Lex"

"Why didn't you come with Jackson? I was expecting to see you today"

April pulled a chair and sat down; "I can't, I have to do laundry"

"You're not supposed to do strenuous activities yet, why didn't you send it out?"

April chuckled; "Shoving clothes with detergent and water inside a washer is not strenuous Lexie and besides, I have a perfectly working machine, why waste money on something I can take care of myself?"

"You're just being stingy...again!"

April rolled her eyes; "Whatever you say Lex"

Lexie chuckled; "Sooooo...how have you been?"

"You just saw me last Thursday" April said with a giggle.

"You know what I'm talking about, don't be coy with me now"

"I don't know what you're talking about" April replied evasively.

Lexie groaned loudly; "Jackson-I'm talking about you and Jackson! How's it going on between you guys?"

"We're doing good..."

"Oh don't give me that crap! Are you guys together?"

April can't help but smile at her best friend's bluntness; "No, we're not together"

"Yet right? You're not together yet."

"Did Mark set you up for this? Did he want to confirm what he already asked Jackson?" April drawled.

"Of course not! How can you think that?"

"Just checking"

"Are you planning on making Pretty Boy grovel longer? I mean it's been weeks since he confessed his undying love for you and he's been acting like a lovesick puppy nipping at your heels, it's cute but it's kinda pathetic too."

"Stop calling him a puppy for heaven's sake!" April snapped. She then leaned back on her chair and let out a frustrated sigh; "I really don't know how much longer I can resist him, he's-he's making it too damn difficult!"

Lexie giggled; "Why?"

"I've known the man for 6 years but it feels like I'm meeting him for the first time. He keeps on surprising me on every turn-before, I'm like 100% sure that he doesn't know the word romance because he doesn't look like he has a single romantic bone in his body but now-it's like he created the word!"

"What has been Jackson up to lately?"

April let out a dreamy sigh; "He's-he's just perfect"

Lexie whistled; "Big word Apes, big word" she said with a chuckle.

April groaned loudly; "Don't you see? That's the problem-he's too perfect, I'm-I'm having a very hard time-my resolve to make him wait longer is crumbling."

"The answer to that problem is very simple Apes."

"Huh?"

"Be together already"

April sighed; "It's not that simple Lex-"

"It is that simple" Lexie interjected, cutting the red head off. "He's obviously head over heels for you and you're no better, be together already"

April bit her bottom lip, clearly contemplating her best friend's words.

"Jackson loves you, his actions are already enough to justify his words, I think it's time to throw the towel and just give into your feelings. Stop wasting time, you and I both know how precious it is"

April let Lexie's words sink in; after a moment, she sat straighter and nodded her head in agreement. "You're right, absolutely right..."

"I always am" Lexie replied cheekily.

"I'll tell him-I'll tell him after the gala"

"Atta girl!"

oOo

"Would you rather I called Rogers to scrub in with me on this case?" Mark asked while eyeing his prot.

"Of course not, why would you even ask me that?" Jackson asked.

Mark tapped on the faucet and began washing his hands; "I don't know, I just feel like you have a lot of things going on your mind."

Jackson turned his face to his side and met Mark's gaze; "I asked April to move in with me"

Mark's eyes widen in surprise, his mouth agape.

Jackson chuckled at his mentor's reaction before turning his attention back to scrubbing his hands; "She hasn't said yes yet but I'm hoping she will."

Mark grinned widely; "I'm sure she will say yes, did you butter her up a bit before you asked?"

Jackson shook his head upon remembering his blunder; "I sucked, I used my hardwood floors and washer-dryer as a bargaining chip."

Mark threw Jackson an incredulous look.

Jackson tapped the faucet with his elbow before shaking off the excess water from his hands; "She told me she'll think about it, I'm happy with that" he said with a smile.

Mark copied Jackson's actions and made his way towards the O.R. door; "Hardwood floors and washer-dryer? Really? What happened to the sweet talking and pick up lines I taught you?"

Jackson rolled his eyes; "Let's just get this surgery over with."

oOo

April was binging on a tub of ice cream while reading her flashcards when she heard a loud knock; she threw the flashcards on her coffee table and made her way towards her door. She peeped through the hole and smiled brightly upon seeing whose standing on the other side; she unlatched the locks quickly and pulled the door open. "Hey you, you're back already?"

Jackson grinned as he lifts the paper bag his holding; "I brought food" he said. His eyes then fell to her hand and saw what she's holding; "Don't tell me that's your dinner?"

April took a step back as she looked at Jackson sheepishly; "I haven't gotten the chance to go shopping yet" she admitted ruefully.

Jackson shook his head as he closes the door behind him; "You should've called me, I don't mind stopping by a grocery store."

"I can't do that Jackson, you've already done so much for me"

Jackson ignored April's words and made his way towards the kitchen; "What have you been up to?"

April followed him and placed the tub on top of the table; "Nothing much, I just did some laundry and now I'm trying to squeeze in a little studying for my boards."

Jackson reached inside the cupboard and pulled some plates and glasses out; "I almost forgot about that, you'll be taking them next month, right?"

April stood beside Jackson and pulled a drawer open; "Yep" she replied while pulling out cutleries.

Jackson walked towards the table and began setting it; "Do you need help in reviewing? I can definitely help you with that" he paused and turned his face towards April. "Just like the old times" he added as an afterthought.

April smirked; "As long as you don't distract me with your awful pick up lines then I'll take you on that offer"

Jackson laughed; "It's not that awful, those lines made you smile, admit it."

April moved towards the table and arranged the utensils on top of each plate; she then pulled a chair and sat down. "It did,"

Jackson began taking out their food from the paper bag; "I hope Chinese is okay, I have no idea what to get" he said.

April opened the first container and felt her mouth water upon seeing its content; "Lemon chicken!"

"You like?"

April grinned gleefully; "I love this!" she gushed.

Jackson pulled a chair and sat down; "Good, I got us some dumplings and Yangchow fried rice" he said as he pushes the dumplings towards April.

April plucked a dumpling from the container and began nibbling on it; after a moment, she shifted her eyes towards Jackson and stared at him seriously. "Do you think I can do it?"

"Do what?" Jackson asked as he loads his plate with food.

"Pass the boards"

Jackson paused and met April's eyes; "I have no doubt about it" he said. "You'll crush them this year Apes, you can do this."

"You really think so?" April asked.

Jackson smiled; "I know so".

April stared at Jackson for a couple of seconds before nodding; "You're right, I can do this, I'm a soldier" she said firmly.

"I still don't get that" Jackson said.

April giggled; "It's between me and Hunt" she said.

Jackson pointed his fork towards the food; "Eat before it gets cold" he said.

"Don't mind if I do"

oOo

"Should I be worried that someone else is making you smile like that?"

Lexie turned her head to the side and smiled even wider; "Nah"

Mark fell into step with his fiancé and slung his arm around her shoulders; "Okay" he said while steering her towards the parking lot. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to eat lunch with you, my surgery took longer than I expected."

"It's okay, you did that surgery with Jackson, right?"

Mark nodded; "Yep"

"How is he? Is he still moping?" Lexie asked curiously.

Mark pulled his arm away from Lexie's shoulder and began rummaging his keys from his pockets; "That should be expected, Kepner is still hanging him to dry."

Lexie bit her bottom lip to keep herself from grinning; "I see..."

Mark unlocked his car and turned towards Lexie; he studied her face and narrowed his eyes. "You know something"

Lexie wrinkled her nose; "What makes you say that?"

Mark placed his hands around his hips; "I know you well enough Lexie Grey, so spill" he demanded.

Lexie stared at Mark's face for a moment; "You promise to keep it to yourself?"

Mark grinned; "You have my word."

Lexie surveyed their surroundings before taking a step towards Mark; "I was able to convince April to throw the towel, she's taking Jackson back-for good" she said before smiling.

Mark's eyes widen in awe; "How on heavens name were you able to do that?"

Lexie shoved her hands inside her jean pockets and shrugged her shoulders; "I have my ways and April listens to me-thank god"

Mark pulled Lexie into his arms and hugged her tightly; "You're brilliant and you're all mine" he said jovially.

Lexie giggled.

oOo

April has been tossing and turning on her bed for over an hour and she's getting restless; she's been sleeping on the same for bed over a year now and yet she can't seem to find a comfortable spot. She let out a frustrated huff and sat up; she scooted towards her headboard and leaned back. She closed her eyes and let out a defeated sigh; "Maybe warm milk will do the trick" she grumbled. She threw the covers off her body and moved towards the edge; she was about to stand up when she heard her phone beep loudly. She turned towards the side table instead and plucked the device; she shifted the phone closer to her face and almost instantly a smile tugged on her lips.

"I'm not being clingy or whiney but sleep seems to evade me ever since you left. I know you're probably asleep but I just want to tell you that I miss you already and I wish you were here. Goodnight babe and dream of me, please? ;) - 3 Jackman"

April quickly tapped on the reply button and began composing a response; after she's satisfied with it, she hit on the send button and placed her phone back on the side table. She smiled happily and hefted herself up; "Saturday it is" she said with finality.

Jackson automatically sat up from his bed when he heard his phone beep; he leaned towards the side table and snatched his phone eagerly. He tapped on the device and shifted it closer to his face; he read the message and fell back on his pillows with a large contented grin.

"Wow, you're actually using emoticons, you must miss me a lot ;) I can't sleep too, I guess I'm not used to not having you around anymore, I will definitely add that to my pro & con list. I miss you too and I wish you were here as well. Goodnight and I'll see you in my dreams ;) - 3 BABE"

"Come back and tell me why. I'm feeling like I've missed you all this time and meet me there tonight. And let me know that it's not all in my mind. All I know is we said, "Hello." so dust off your highest hopes. All I know is pouring rain and everything has changed. All I know is a new found grace, all my days I'll know your face, all I know since yesterday is everything has changed..."

April went back to work the following week and fell back into her old routine, sans surgery. It was a big adjustment on her part because she was not used to being benched like what Cristina often calls her predicament but she had no choice on the matter, it's either she continue doing paper works or stay in her apartment like a sitting duck, the choice is pretty much obvious, right? It's now Saturday, the night of the gala-the night she will finally tell Jackson that she's ready to make it official and she can't wait to see the look on his face.

"I thought you'd be here"

April tore her eyes away from her paper works; "Hey Lex"

Lexie pushed the door open and kicked it close; she walked towards the table and pulled a chair. She unceremoniously plopped down and leaned back; "You excited for the night?" she asked with a knowing look.

April snapped the folder close and placed it on her right; "Kinda..."

Lexie grinned widely; "Oh don't pretend, we both know how excited you are."

April shifted her eyes towards her best friend and smiled shyly; "Am I too obvious?"

Lexie giggled; "To me you are, but I don't think Jackson has any idea"

"He doesn't" April replied.

"Are you telling him before or after the gala?" Lexie asked curiously.

April leaned back on her chair; "After? I don't want to tell him before it starts, I don't want to throw him off his game, this is an important event after all."

"Good idea"

"Are all the Attending's going?"

"Yep, Hunt pretty much told everyone that it's compulsory" Lexie said.

April chuckled; "I bet he did, he's excited about this event, more excited than all of us combined."

Lexie laughed; "Don't let him hear you say that, he'll be benching you till next week."

April huffed; "God knows I've already have enough of it!"

oOo

"I already spoke with Ari and everything is already set baby" Catherine said.

Jackson tore his eyes away from the documents his perusing; "That's good to hear" he replied.

Catherine sat on the chair right in front of her son's desk; "Are you going home or did you bring your tux with you?"

"I brought my tux" Jackson replied.

Catherine nodded; "Good, how about April?"

"I think she brought her dress with her, I'm not sure though"

Catherine stood up from her chair; "I'll go check on her then, make sure that she has everything she needs"

Jackson smiled at his mother; "Thank you" he said sincerely.

Catherine smiled back; "Anything for my son's lady love" she teased.

Jackson chuckled.

oOo

"What colour will you be wearing tonight?" Callie asked as she sidled up with Miranda.

Miranda wrinkled her nose as she stares at her friend; "Navy blue, did the board decide to change the colour of our scrubs?"

"What do you mean scrubs? I'm talking about the gala"

"Oh that, I'm not going"

Callie frowned; "Not going? Are we allowed to just not go?"

Miranda smirked; "I'm Bailey, I can do anything I want" she said before rounding the corridor.

Callie halted her steps; "What in the world is that reasoning?"

"There you are! I've been looking for you for ages"

Callie turned around and saw her wife walking towards her; "Err-why? Do you need a consult? Is it Sophia?"

Arizona stopped right in front of Callie and smiled widely; "Nope. I just want to tell you that Mark and Lexie agreed to babysit Sophia after the gala so-we have the night to ourselves"

Callie smiled; "Really?"

"Yep"

"You're brilliant"

"I know" Arizona replied smugly.

oOo

"Are you bringing Izzie tonight?"

"Yep" Alex replied as he continues tapping on his tab.

April smiled; "I can't wait, it's been a long time since I last saw her"

Alex placed his tab on top of the counter; "She visited you right after the accident but you were still unconscious"

April furrowed her brows; "Why didn't you tell me?"

Alex threw April a sheepish look; "I forgot?"

"April honey!"

"Is that who I think it is?" April half whispered.

Alex smirked; "Yep and she's coming your way, goodluck!" he said before scurrying towards the other direction.

April turned around and saw Catherine walking towards her; "Dr. Avery" she greeted with a smile.

Catherine stood right in front of the redhead; "What did I tell you about calling me Dr. Avery?" she said in a chastising manner.

April smiled sheepishly; "I forget" she said.

Catherine smiled; "Are you all set for tonight baby?"

April nodded; "I am. I already brought my dress with me so I don't have to go back to my apartment"

"Good" Catherine said.

"You'll be there right?" April asked.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world, this is my baby's first gala after all"

April smiled; "And it will be amazing"

Catherine smiled back; "It will be, no doubt about that. Now, why don't you join me for coffee?"

"I'd love to but I still have a lot of documents to go through-"

"Oh hush! That can wait and besides I'm quite sure you need a break, staring at those papers is like sedative."

April giggled; "I can't agree with you more"

Catherine looped her arm around April's; "Let's go then"

oOo

"I really hope this red carpet is something you had laying on around your house Avery" Owen said as he strikes a pose with the Plastic Surgeon in front of the camera. "We're trying to raise money tonight, not waste it."

Jackson smiled at the camera one last time before ushering Owen towards the entrance; "I grew up in this world, I know how it works. We're attracting serious people with serious money and tailoring an event to them. Based from my mother, tonight is gonna be tasteful, sophisticated and conservative."

Owen stepped inside the venue and his eyes grew wide upon seeing the spectacle before them; "You and I have very different definitions of the word conservative" he said before walking towards the guests.

Jackson's face morphed into a look of distaste as he scanned the room; he was looking at the jugglers when he spotted the event coordinator. He pursed his lips and made a bee line towards the woman; "Ari, what did you spend my money on?" he hissed.

"This is what you want. You want spectacle, pizzazz!" Ari exclaimed confidently.

"Do I look like someone who wants pizzazz?!"

Ari turned towards Jackson; "When people think of hospitals they think of death, disease and old people, not sexy. We're giving them Las Vegas, we're giving them a show, people are more inclined to open their wallets if they're having fun" she finished with a triumphant smile.

"Oh lord" Jackson said as he watches the clown right in front of them breathe fire.

oOo

"Shane! Stephanie! It's just the two of you down here tonight so if you find yourselves in over your head, call a grown-up" April said while staring at her interns.

"Kid in bed 8 has abdominal pain and vomiting, if CT's negative, give him fluids and send him home" Alex said as he walks towards the nurses' station to deposit his tab.

April leaned on the counter and eyed Alex with amazement; "Don't we look spiffy" she teased.

"Yeah, I do." Alex replied. He then shifted his eyes towards the Trauma Surgeon and stared at her from head to foot; "You look like crap, why aren't you ready yet?" he asked.

April rolled her eyes; "I haven't had a chance to freshen up yet, you ass"

"Watch your back! Coming through!"

April shifted her eyes towards the E.R. doors; "Holy heck!"

"Hey! What's the story?" Stephanie asked.

"Once upon a time, three idiots got wasted and ran their car on a tree" Nicole said disdainfully while pushing on the gurney.

Shane moved towards the gurney; "They're drunk?"

Nicole shook her head; "No, high as kites. Lucky they were the only ones that got hurt"

"Hey Sinatra, I'll give you a fiver for a glass of wine" The patient croaked.

Alex moved towards the other side of the gurney; "Sir, what did you take?" he asked. After a moment of examining the patient's arm, he sighed; "It's heroin. Add a tox screen to their trauma labs" he said. "What's your name?"

"No I.D on any of them, we've been going with John, Jerry and Jake Doe" Nicole explained.

"Cute!" Stephanie said.

"Okay, let's hustle, get a full trauma work up so I can get upstairs and run a brush through my hair" April barked.

Stephanie and Shane nodded before carting the gurney towards the Trauma Rooms.

Alex turned towards the red head; "Why don't you go and get ready? Avery had to go there early so he asked me to wait for you"

"Where's Izzie?"

"She's running a little late, her surgery gone long. We'll be meeting her there" Alex replied.

April nodded; "Okay, I'll be back" she said walking away.

"Don't take too long!"

oOo

"Meredith Grey, as I live and breathe" Cristina said haughtily. She then walked towards Callie and stood beside her; "I haven't seen you in ages, how's Derek liking the Maternity Leave?" she asked with a smirk.

Meredith stopped right in front of her friends; "He's on Paternity Leave" she corrected. "We have a deal, I don't work, neither does he, it's working out well."

"I stayed at your house for a couple of nights, you're bored out of your minds" Callie said. She then turned towards Cristina and smirked; "They've got all this pent up surgical energy and now everything is a competition"

"It is not!" Meredith denied.

"And he is winning" Callie taunted.

"He is not winning! He couldn't even get Zola to put on her shoes tonight, I did that, I got her put her shoes on, so I'm winning!" Meredith said vehemently.

Cristina and Callie both threw Meredith a pitying look as a response.

"I need to go back to work" Meredith concluded.

Callie took a sip of her wine and began scanning the place; "This isn't half bad"

"Except for the freaky waiters" Cristina said.

"Hey ladies" Jackson said as he sidled up next to Meredith.

"Nice party Avery, did your mom plan all this or this all you?" Cristina asked curiously.

"Definitely not my idea and I doubt it's my mom's, its Ari's" Jackson said through gritted teeth.

Meredith chuckled; "Don't feel bad, it looks like everyone is enjoying"

"I hope so" Jackson sighed.

"Where's Kepner? I thought she'd come here with you?" Callie asked.

"She's still at the pit when I left but Alex will be waiting for her, they'll go here together" Jackson replied. "Have you guys seen Sloan?"

Callie pointed towards the bar; "He's right there"

Jackson turned towards the direction that Callie is pointing at; he stared at his mentor for a moment before shifting his gaze back towards the other surgeons. "You better put your game face on ladies, Sloan is already putting on his moves, remember, 20% cut for the department that raises the highest funds" he said with a large grin.

"Arggghhh! Derek and Lexie are double teaming and I think they have won that old lady over!" Meredith groaned. She then turned towards Cristina and threw her a pleading look; "You have to double team with me Cristina, we can't let Derek win this!"

"Come on Mer, you can do this-just be charming. Use the same skill you would if you were picking someone up at the bar and I know you know how to do that" Cristina said encouragingly. She then began scanning the crowd for her prey, after a moment, she felt a smile tug on her lips; "Oohh, Richie Rich, 10:00 o'clock" she said before making a bee line towards the unsuspecting man.

Meredith pointed towards Cristina; "Did she just?"

Jackson and Callie nodded; "She just did" the later said.

"Damn it!" Meredith hissed.

oOo

Alex placed his hand at April's back as he guided her towards the stairs; "Freaking hell, Avery wasn't kidding when he told me that there would be press here" he whispered.

"Press? Where?" April asked confusedly.

Alex pasted a smile on his lips; "People who are taking pictures by the door"

"Shit" April hissed. "I didn't know that this gala is a big thing"

"Me too" Alex replied. "I should've just stayed at the hospital and let Arizona do her thing."

"It's too late for that" April replied.

"Can we take a picture?"

April turned towards Alex; "Err-"

Alex pulled April to his side and wrapped his arm around her waist; "Come on, let's just get this over with" he whispered. "Smile"

"Okay" April replied before smiling at the camera.

"You two are a very lovely couple, thank you" The photographer said politely.

"Oh no honey, they are not a couple, she's my son's lady love"

April and Alex both turned around and saw Catherine walking towards them, a playful smile curling on her lips.

"It's nice seeing you two here" Richard said with a smile.

"Dr. Webber, Dr. Avery, good evening" Alex said politely.

"Good evening to you too" Catherine replied. She then turned towards the red head and beamed; "You look stunning April, I'm quite sure my baby boy will have a hard time taking his eyes off of you tonight."

April felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment; "Err-thank you Dr-Catherine"

Catherine threw April an approvingly look.

Alex cleared his throat; "Why don't we all head inside?"

Richard nodded in agreement; "That's a good idea, come on love, let's see if Ari outdid herself"

"Let's" Catherine replied.

oOo

"Avery!"

Jackson turned around and saw Mark walking towards him; "Hey"

Mark stopped right in front of the young surgeon; "You bought Vegas in Seattle! Very clever"

"You like it?"

"I love it!" Mark said jovially.

Jackson smirked; "You love the theme or you love the acrobats dangling from the ceiling?"

Mark grinned widely; "You know me well" he replied. "Don't tell Lexie" he warned.

Jackson chuckled; "I don't think she'd notice you ogling other women, she's busy cavorting with Shepherd-they're wooing the people here by storm."

Mark smile faltered; "Really?"

"Really. They're playing hard ball, they want Neuro to get the incentive that my mom put into place"

Mark squared his shoulders and began straightening the imaginary creases on his coat; he then smoothed his hair back and flashed his infamous smile. "Time to switch to full gear then, there's no way in hell that those Neuro junkie will get that budget, it's ours."

Jackson raised his brow in amusement; "And how do you propose we do that?"

"Simple, I'll use my irresistible charm and you blind them with your Avery sparkle. Plastic Posses is back in action, so buck up because that 20% is ours by the end of this night."

"I don't think so, I say that 20% is ours"

Mark turned around just as Jackson peered behind Mark's shoulder.

April smiled widely, emphasizing her dimples perfectly with the angle she's standing.

Mark raked his eye at April's form before letting out an appreciative whistle; "Damn! This will be a stiff competition."

Jackson felt his heart beating fiercely inside his chest as he stares at the red head standing right in front of them; he swallowed the lump in his throat as he took a step towards her. "You look gorgeous"

April felt her cheeks flush upon hearing Jackson's compliment; "T-thank you...you look gorgeous too" she replied shyly.

Mark elbowed his prot; "Stop making her blush! Her dimple is enough to sway people to invest in Trauma, seeing her blush will only reinforce that decision" he chastised. He then shifted his eyes to April and smiled sexily; "Is it too late to entice you with Plastics?"

April can't help but giggle at Mark's question; "That smile won't work on me, I'm afraid-I'm immune"

Jackson walked toward April and fell into step with her; he gently wrapped his arm around her tiny waist and planted a chaste kiss on her temple. "Ignore Mark, he's just a little threatened"

Mark huffed; "Of course not. I'll get that 20% by the end of this gala" he said confidently. He then fixed his smile on his face and gestured towards the other side of the ballroom; "In fact, I'll start now. See you later lovebirds" he said before storming away.

Jackson shook his head; "He's taking this way too seriously."

April turned her head to the side and stared at Jackson; "Why do I feel like you're not up to it?"

Jackson turned his face towards April and met her eyes; "Who needs 20% when I have you in my arms?"

April blinked a couple of times before giggling; "You and your mouth"

Jackson smiled; "My mouth is very talented, need I remind you?" he asked huskily.

April's cheek flush even brighter; she hit Jackson's chest with the back of her hand before pulling away from him. "I'll go check on Hunt to see if he was able to convince some investors to loosen their wallets"

Jackson grabbed April's hand and pouted; "Do you really have to?"

April chuckled; "What kind of question is that? Of course I have to, we're not losing that cut just because you're being clingy...babe"

Jackson's lips curled into a smile as he stares at her intently; "You sure?"

April stared at Jackson for a couple of seconds before tugging her hand back; she narrowed her eyes at Jackson and threw him a chastising look. "Stop using your Avery sparkle on me, I'm immune to it"

"I don't know what you're talking about" Jackson said innocently.

April shook her head before turning around; "Go help Mark, I'll go find Hunt" she said.

Jackson sighed; "Fine."

oOo

"And that's not even close to the strangest thing I've seen, though honestly, that story I don't think is appropriate" Owen said comically.

"Well, I'll tell you what Chief, I'm gonna take a walk over to that table and I'm gonna stick a little something in that cash box. Now when I come back, maybe you'll be a little less reluctant to give up the goods Owen"

Owen chuckled as he watches the old man walk away; "Another one down" he murmured happily.

"That was a good story Chief, I'm impressed"

Owen turned around and saw his prot standing behind him; "Kepner! Thank god you're here, I need help"

April nudged Owen playfully; "You're doing fine, that old man seems to be taken with your story" she said. She then turned her face towards the cashbox direction and smiled triumphantly; "Now you have to think of what goods you'll be giving away because he just pulled out his wallet"

Owen peered behind April's back; "Damn I'm good" he said with a large smile.

April giggled; "How are we doing so far? I just arrived, I haven't talked with anyone yet" she said while eyeing the crowd.

"5 investors so far" Owen said proudly.

April's eyes widen in awe; "Wow, you're good at this"

Owen chuckled; "Years of practice" he said. He then subtly gestured towards the man standing by the bar; "You see that man? He's a CEO of a pharmaceutical company, want to give it a try?"

April turned her gaze towards the bar and saw a sandy blonde man drinking whiskey; "Err-do you think he'll talk to me?" she asked with uncertainty.

"You look very beautiful tonight April and no man in their right mind will refuse to have a conversation with you" Owen said with a sincere smile.

"Okay, but no promises okay? I just hope I don't annoy him even before he gets to pull his wallet out" April said with a nervous chuckle.

"Just don't ramble and you'll be fine, show your dimple, that's a sure wallet puller"

April smiled widely; "Like this?"

Owen nodded approvingly; "Just like that, now go get him soldier"

"Yes sir!" April mock saluted before walking towards the bar.

Owen can't help but laugh at April's antics.

oOo

"You're late, where you have you been?" Callie asked.

Arizona fell into step with her wife and planted a kiss on her cheek; "I'm sorry, surgery gone late" she explained.

"Did the kid survive?" Alex asked.

"Yep, he's stable for now" Arizona replied. "What did I miss?"

"Nothing much, Avery is just about ready to give out his speech" Callie replied.

"Good" Arizona replied. She then shifted her gaze towards Alex; "We're you able to convince some investors?"

Callie snorted; "He's making Izzie do all the work"

"I'm not!" Alex exclaimed. "She volunteered to help and she's way better than this so I let her"

"Alex!" Arizona said, clearly affronted.

Alex rolled his eyes; "Fine, I'll go talk to her or something" he said before turning around and walking away.

"I can't believe he did that!" Arizona said.

Callie shrugged her shoulders; "It's Karev, what do you expect?"

"Jackson is about to give his speech" April said perkily as she sidles up next to Arizona.

Arizona turned towards April and smiled; "Yep"

"Oh, there he is" Callie said excitedly.

Thank you, good evening ladies and gentlemen. I am Dr. Jackson Avery and on behalf of the board of Seattle Greys Memorial Hospital I just want to say Welcome and thank you so much for coming this evening. Now over the past year, we have seen many changes, from a change of name to a change of leadership and it has all been a challenge but it's a challenge that we've all been more than happy to accept-" Jackson was in the middle of his speech when he heard loud gasps coming from the audience, he quickly turned around just in time to see one of the acrobats landing hard on top of Ari, and just like that, the party is over and pandemonium broke loose. "Crap"

oOo

"That surgery was incredible, I haven't felt this relaxed in months" Meredith said with a large smile.

Derek stood behind his wife and met her gaze on the mirror; "Me either" he said.

Meredith smiled back; "What?" she asked when she noticed him staring.

"Reminiscing"

"About?"

Derek grinned widely; "You, me, an exam room and your panties pinned to a bulletin board"

Meredith chuckled as she spun around to face her husband; "Oh, the prom!" she exclaimed. She then shifted her eyes on Derek's suit and stared at it; "Except you didn't have blood on your suit and I wasn't wearing a sweatshirt"

"I think it's sexy" Derek said huskily.

Meredith met Derek's gaze again; "Now you're doing the sparkly eye thing"

Derek shook his head slowly; "I have no idea what you're talking about" he said innocently.

"Mhmmnnn..."

Derek smiled; "Is it working?"

Meredith pulled off Derek's bow tie before smiling widely.

Derek wasted no time, he wrapped his arms around Meredith's waist and hefted her from the ground.

Meredith squealed happily.

oOo

Jackson salvaged the night by giving the remaining guest an impromptu tour inside one of the hospital's O.R. gallery; he explained to them how their doctors perform daily miracles and why they badly needed their help in funding to be able to continue saving hundreds of lives. By the end of his speech, he was able to reach their targeted goal which automatically earns Plastics the 20% cut that his mother promised. His mentor was way over the moon and his mother is beaming with so much pride; now, he finds himself perched on top of the stage, trying to digest everything that just happened.

"That was impressive yet sneaky on your part"

Jackson's head snapped to the side; his lips instantly curling into a smile upon seeing April walking towards him. "You guys came second, I'm willing to give you 5% from our cut"

April stopped right in front of Jackson and smiled; "Nah, you won fair and square" she replied.

Jackson tugged on April's hand and pulled her towards him, making her stand between his legs; "Did I already tell you how gorgeous you are tonight?"

April raised her brow; "Just tonight?"

Jackson braised his hands on April's waist; "Nope, you're gorgeous every single day"

April lifted her hands to cup Jackson's face; "You look tired" she observed.

"Just a little"

April pulled her hands away and shifted closer to Jackson; she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug. "You were amazing tonight" she murmured.

Jackson wrapped his arms around April's waist and buried his face into her neck; "Thank you" he replied while closing his eyes.

April began rubbing Jackson's shave head soothingly; "Poor baby"

Jackson hummed; "Can we stay like this for a couple of minutes? I just want to hug you..."

"Yep"

oOo

"Where have you been?" Lexie asked lowly.

Mark fell into step with his fiancé; "I just did a little something for my boy...you know, as a thank you for making us win and all" he whispered.

Lexie threw Mark a curious look; "What did you do?" she asked.

Mark turned his face towards Lexie and grinned widely; "You'll see in a minute"

Lexie turned her gaze back to the lovers and continued watching them.

The lights suddenly dimmed as soft melody began playing loudly inside the whole ballroom; "Show time" Mark said.

oOo

"You know I'd fall apart without you, I don't know how you do what you do. 'Cause everything that don't make sense about me, makes sense when I'm with you. Like everything that's green, girl, I need you but it's more than one and one makes two, put aside the math and the logic of it you gotta know you're wanted too..."

Jackson pulled his face away from April's neck and furrowed his brows in confusion; "What's going on?"

April pulled her arms away from Jackson's neck; "I have no idea"

Jackson moved his eyes back to April and stared into her hazel eyes; "I just realized something"

"What?" April asked.

Jackson let out a smile; "We haven't gotten the chance to dance yet"

April raised her brow; "Is that your way of asking me to dance Dr. Avery?"

Jackson steered April's body away from his before hopping down from the stage; he formally bowed his head and offered his hand. "May I have this dance?"

April bit her bottom lip to keep herself from smiling; "I don't mind" she replied before placing her hand on his.

Jackson smiled widely; he wrapped his arm around April's waist again and tugged her closer to his chest.

April automatically wrapped her arms round his neck and leaned her cheek on his chest.

"'Cause I wanna wrap you up, wanna kiss your lips. I wanna make you feel wanted. And I wanna call you mine, wanna hold your hand forever and never let you forget it. Yeah, I, I wanna make you feel wanted..."

"Would you think less of me if I tell you that I know this song?" Jackson asked.

April pulled her face away and tilted her face towards him; "Really?" she asked, surprise written on her face.

Jackson let out a sheepish grin; "Yeah" he admitted. "I'm not sweet talking your or anything but this song kinda reminds me of you"

April felt her heart burst with so much love for this man standing right in front of her and she badly want to tell him that but the pesky lump inside her throat is preventing her from doing so. She hugged him tighter and tried her best to calm thumping heart down; "I will tell him, I just need a minute, take a deep breath April, you can do this" she thought.

Jackson rested his cheek on April's temple and closed his eyes; "When I wrap you up, when I kiss your lips. I wanna make you feel wanted and I wanna call you mine, wanna hold your hand forever and never let you forget it 'cause, baby, I, I wanna make you feel wanted..." he sang lowly.

Hearing Jackson sing to her is the straw that broke the camel's back; she hastily pulled away and met Jackson's gaze directly.

Jackson's eyes snapped open and met April's eyes; "Sorry...I was carried away"

"I love you and I want you with me too"

Jackson's mouth hung open, his eyes widening in shock.

April cupped Jackson's face and pulled his face closer to hers; "Let's be together, I don't want to wait anymore, let's do this-I'm ready" she said seriously.

"Are you sure about this?" Jackson asked cautiously.

"I've never been this sure in my entire life"

Jackson's face broke into a large grin; he hefted April off the floor and began twirling her around happily. "FINALLY!"

April wrapped her arms around Jackson's neck while giggling; "Put me down Jackson, this is insane!"

Jackson chortled loudly before complying; "You made me so happy April...so happy"

"You make me happy too Jackson"

Jackson placed his hands on April's cheeks and pulled her face closer; "I think I'm gonna kiss my girlfriend"

April wrapped her hands on Jackson's wrist; "I think I want my boyfriend to kiss me too"

Jackson stared into April's eyes; "I love you April and I won't stop showing you how much"

"I love you too Jackson and I promise to let you"

Jackson grinned widely before capturing April's lips into their first long overdue couple kiss.

oOo

"I'm good! Even the lighting is perfect, Avery will be kissing my ass for weeks for this" Mark said giddily as he lowered his phone.

"Call Callie and tell her that Sophia won't be staying with us tonight"

Mark let his hand drop and turned his head towards his fiancé; "What? Why?" he asked confusedly.

Lexie turned her face towards Mark and grinned widely; "Because she'll be staying at Mer's while I rock your world tonight."

Mark blinked a couple of times before lifting his phone again and hitting on speed dial; "Sophia will be staying at Derek's place tonight, have her ready in 5 minutes" he said curtly. He then shoved his phone inside his pocket and offered his hand to Lexie; "No time to waste" he said with a large grin.

Lexie placed her hand his; "I can't wait to rip that suit off of your body-what you just did for them? It's so sexy" she said huskily.

"Okay, that's it!" Mark said He plucked Lexie off the floor and hauled her into his shoulder, acting like a caveman.

Lexie let out tiny squeal.

Mark spanked Lexie's behind in chastisement; "Quiet! We don't want to disturb them"

Lexie stifled her giggles as she let Mark carry her towards the exit.

A/N: Sooooo- they're officially together, should I end this story here or should I continue to delve further? Let me know guys, you know I love hearing from you! Till next chapter! Cheers! ^-^