Chapter Fifteen: Every little thing she does is magic

"Though I've tried before to tell her of the feelings I have for her in my heart. Every time that I come near her, I just lose my nerve as I've done from the start..."

A heaping bowl of hard work + a cup of determination and a dash of luck are the prominent ingredients for the word success. It's not something that can be served on a silver platter nor can be bought by a black AMEX; it's something you put your heart into, something you strive for-the proverbial finish line that everybody wants to reach. So when April Kepner found out that she's finally a board certified surgeon, her heart soared ten feet away from her body and it showed no sign of returning anytime soon. She tugged on her navy blue scrubs top and stared at it in wonder for the nth time today; she has worn the same colour for more than a year already but this is the first time she ever felt that she deserved it.

"Why are you staring at your scrub top like it's has the answer to all your medical woes?"

April's head snapped to the side and saw Alex standing next to his locker; "Hey Alex, morning"

"You haven't answered my question yet" Alex said with narrowed eyes.

"Don't worry about it, it's nothing" April replied while grabbing her lab coat.

Alex leaned sideways on his locker and crossed his arms on top of his chest; "Nothing always constitutes to something--out with it."

April chuckled as she shrugs her lab coat on; "It's really nothing Alex, don't bother yourself with it" she replied. She then plucked her stethoscope from her locker and stuffed it inside her pocket; "You'll be on pit duties with me today, right?"

"I am" Alex replied. He then shifted his stance and smirked; "You don't me want anymore since you're a board certified surgeon now, Kepner?" he teased.

April paused and threw Alex a mortified look; "Of course not! I would never-"

"Take a chill pill Apes, I'm just messing with you" Alex said, cutting his friend's rant off.

"You're an ass!"

Alex laughed; he then pulled away from his perch and began changing into his scrubs. "Be there in 10"

April huffed before walking away.

oOo

"Good morning, please sit down" Owen said as he took his place right in front of the wide white board adorned with his colleagues' name. "It's that time of the year again, so we need to sort out the doctor's we're willing to bid for and those that we'll be letting go."

"It's time for the birds to leave their nest" Richard said wistfully.

"The good old days!" Cristina said with a huge smile.

Meredith snorted; "Good old days for you because you get the most outrageous gift baskets-ever"

"Hey-you enjoyed the one with the muffins and cookies!"

"Those were good cookies" Jackson said thoughtfully.

"How come I didn't get the chance to sample those cookies?" Mark asked with a pout.

Derek smirked; "It's because you were too busy growing balls"

"Ooohhhh-his Lexie and Julia debacle?" Arizona piped in.

"Stop talking about my love life like I'm not sitting here" Mark said with a scowl. "Past is past, Lexie and I are engaged now"

Jackson stared at his mentor with amusement before shifting his eyes to Owen; "I think it's time to start now, Chief-we don't want Mark throwing tantrums even before we go through the roster"

"I heard that Avery!"

Owen shook his head; he then plucked a marker from the table and turned towards the board. "Robbins, how are we with Mitchell?"

oOo

"Those are beautiful!" April gushed as she walked towards the nurses' station, her eyes fixed on the huge flower arrangement.

Lexie turned around and smiled widely at her best friend; "You think so?"

April stopped right in front of the counter and stared at the blooms with wonder; "Yep"

Lexie leaned sideways to face the oblivious red head; "They're yours"

"Huh?" April asked, confusion clearly written on her face.

Lexie plucked the card and offered it to April; "Read this"

April accepted it, her eyes widening in disbelief as she saw her name written on the crisp white envelop; she hastily opened it and plucked the card inside. She read the short note and felt a smile tug on her lips; she tucked the paper inside the envelop and placed it inside her pocket.

"Who's it from?" Lexie asked curiously.

"Jackson's mom"

Lexie smirked; "You're future mother in law must be so proud."

April felt her face burn with embarrassment; "Ssssshhhhh!" she hissed. "She's not my mother in law!"

"Yet"

April rolled her eyes as she leans forward to grab her tab; "What are you doing here anyway? Aren't you supposed to be working with Shepherd, doing rounds?"

"Board meeting" Lexie replied.

April checked her watch; "This early? And why aren't you with them, you're a Board Member"

"It's about contract renewals and all the jazz-at least, that's what Mark told me and to answer your question, I skipped it, I don't want to listen to them drone about the offers they'll be giving me"

"You're a part owner of this hospital, I'm quite sure you'll be getting a very good offer" April said. She then hugged the tablet to her chest, a pondering look crossed her features; "The results of the boards were released last night so offers will be flying in any second..."

"I'm still an employee here, in case you have forgotten-they still have to make me an offer based on my job experience" Lexie said. A look of understanding marred her face; "That's the reason why Mount Sinai is calling me early this morning!"

April turned towards her best friend and smiled; "Yeah? What did they tell you?"

"I don't have the slightest idea, I was too sleepy when they called me so I told them to call me at a more decent time."

April blinked a couple of times before bursting into fits of giggles; "Only you Lexie Grey will tell them to call you at a more decent time."

Lexie shrugged her shoulders while cocking her head to the side; "It's 6:00, what do you expect?"

April shook her head with amusement; she then placed her tab on top of the counter and began checking her schedule.

"Is this the new rendezvous for Board Certified Losers?"

Lexie turned around; "Yeah, so you're not welcome here-evil spawn be gone!" she said dramatically.

April placed her tab back to its cradle, giggling at the brunette's antics.

Alex grinned as he stood right in front of his friends; "Izzie sends her congratulations and she wants me to remind you that party is still on this coming Saturday."

Lexie's eyes widen; "Oh my god! I almost forgot about that!" she exclaimed.

April shoved her hands inside her lab coat pockets as she smiles at Alex; "Give Izzie our heartfelt thank you's"

"Will do"

Lexie opened her mouth to speak but wasn't able to do so when the pit door suddenly opens; a gurney being rushed inside the E.R. "Cathy Olsen, 7 year old-roller blade accident. She was dragged by a car along the road; massive head trauma, broken femur and tibia, eyes are dilated but responsive, GCS is 13, BP is 90/60, her stomach is distended-possible internal bleeding, she's stable so far" Nicole said.

April and Lexie ran towards the gurney with Alex in tow; the Trauma Surgeon began checking the patient injuries and mentally cursed when she saw the extent of the damages.

Lexie switched off her pen light and stared at April; "We need to take her up to C.T. but I'm pretty sure that she has cerebral contusions along her frontal lobe" she said with a grimace.

Alex shook his head as he prods the patient's stomach; "Roller blades are death traps, it should be banned" he said. "She has internal bleeding alright"

"Ross! Book O.R. 1 and have them prep for General and Neuro, page Shepherd to C.T now!" April barked out.

"Right away Dr. K"

April turned towards the nurses' station; "Alice, please page Dr. Bailey and have her man the pit, Dr. Karev and I will be in surgery for a while. Thanks!" she said. "Let's get this kid to C.T."

Alex and Lexie both nodded.

oOo

Owen tapped his marker on the board; "Shepherd, where are we with Grey?"

"I haven't talked to her yet but I think she's staying" Derek replied.

Meredith huffed; "Of course she's staying"

Mark cleared his throat; "Err-I wouldn't be so sure about that, this morning she received a call from Mount Sinai-it looks like they want her."

"I also received a call last night from Baylor, they want her too" Owen said. He then placed a question mark beside Lexie's name before meeting Derek's eyes; "Talk to her-we need to know if she's staying so I can add her name to the list that we'll need to make an offer."

"Will do" Derek replied.

"Oooohhhh it's Kepner's turn, save the best for last" Cristina said while eyeing Jackson meaningfully.

Jackson ignored Cristina as he quietly stared at the white board.

Owen smiled proudly as he moves his marker next to his prot's name; "Kepner" he said.

"Technically, you're her mentor, what did she say?" Mark said carefully.

"Well, I have received some interesting calls from some hospitals even before the results went out" Owen said.

"Same here" Richard said. He then threw Jackson a fleeting look before opening his mouth again; "Err-a colleague from NY Presbyterian Hospital called me just this morning, they want to set up an interview with her."

"That's a good hospital" Arizona said.

"Yes" Richard replied.

"How about you? Who called for Apes?" Cristina asked while staring at Owen.

"Fairfax Regional Trauma Center, Brigham, Scripps Memorial in La Jolla, Children's Hospital in Boston and Baylor too"

Mark whistled appreciatively; "Damn, that's a good roster"

"Most of them are from the East side" Meredith said with a frown. She then turned towards Jackson and stared at him; "We're keeping her right? We're making her an offer?"

Jackson sat straighter and cleared his throat; "Of course we'll make an offer but I will leave it to you guys-err, as you all know, we are in a relationship and I don't want to be bias..." he said cautiously.

"Mark is Lexie's fiancé, Derek is her brother in law and I'm her sister, does that mean we get to sit out the offer too?" Meredith asked.

"It's up to you" Jackson replied.

Meredith huffed; "Not helping Jackson"

"I just want to be fair, whatever you guys decide, I'll follow your lead" Jackson said. He then turned his gaze towards Owen; "Chief Hunt is her mentor, I'm quite certain that he'll know what to offer April, I trust him to make the right and fair offer" he said.

"Err-okay" Owen replied, clearly surprised with Jackson's statement.

Jackson smiled at the Trauma Surgeon; "See? As simple as that"

"I'll have to talk to Kepner to see what the other hospitals are offering her" Owen said.

"Why don't you decide for Lexie too? That's only fair" Mark suggested.

"But Derek is her mentor" Owen argued.

"And I'm also her brother in law-just like what my wife said" Derek replied.

"Don't worry Hunt, it's only for April and Lexie, we'll handle the rest" Richard said with a placating smile.

Owen stared at his colleagues before letting out a defeated sigh; "Fine."

Derek opened his mouth to speak but his pager went off; he plucked it from the table and read the message.

"What is it?" Meredith asked curiously.

"April is paging me, they need a consult" Derek said. "Can I go?"

Owen nodded; "Yeah, we're almost done here"

Derek pushed away from the table and stood up; "I'll see you guys later then" he said before walking towards the door.

"Now that we're done with the roster, let's move on to the next pressing topic" Owen said.

Cristina threw Meredith a bored look before letting out a loud groan; "More paper works" she said with disdain.

Jackson chuckled.

oOo

Lexie leaned forward and studied the scans closely; she moved her finger towards the screen and tapped on it. "I'm afraid my earlier diagnosis is correct, there's a huge hemorhage on her frontal lobe"

April and Alex both leaned forward and checked the scan; "Damn, that's a huge clot" the latter said.

April sighed; "Poor kid"

"Kepner, you paged?"

April turned around and saw Derek standing by the door; "Dr. Shepherd, can you please take a look at these scans?"

"Cerebral contusion on her frontal lobe" Lexie said.

Derek stepped inside the scan room and made his way towards the computer; he leaned forward and began checking the scans. After a couple of seconds, he turned his head sideways and met April's eyes; "Lexie's right, we need to get in there to control the bleeding-did you book an O.R?"

"Yes we did, O.R. 1" April replied.

"Good, let's move her now" Derek said. He then turned towards Lexie; "You up for a craniotomy?" he asked.

Lexie bit her bottom lip to keep herself from smiling; "Of course"

"It's your lucky day then, I'll let you lead" Derek said with a smile.

Lexie's eyes widen in shock; "R-really?"

Derek stood straight and patted Lexie's shoulder; "You earned it" he said before walking towards the door. "I'll meet you guys there, scrub fast" he said.

Lexie turned her gaze towards her friends; "Is-is he for real?"

"It's starting" Alex said.

"What's starting?" April asked confusedly.

Alex grinned; "Attendings' are starting to suck up, they're afraid that you guys will flee and start your Fellowship somewhere else" he explained.

April wrinkled her nose; "Why would I do that? I'm already a Trauma Attending here?"

Lexie cocked her head to the side; "My fiancé and family is here, why would I leave?"

Alex grinned wider; "Perfect! But don't tell them yet-make them sweat first and take advantage of the surgeries they'll be handing you in a silver platter" he said conspiratorially.

Lexie grinned back; "I like that"

April shook her head in amusement; "Let's just save this little girl"

oOo

"That was impressive" Mark said as he follows his prot towards the Burn Unit.

"What do you mean?" Jackson asked as he pushes the door open.

"You acted really mature back there by handing Owen the reigns about Kepner's offer" Mark replied as he enters the unit.

"It was the right thing to do" Jackson replied.

"I'll follow your lead, I'll sit out Lexie's offer too-that way people will know that we have nothing to do with whatever offer Hunt comes up with"

"True"

Mark made his way towards the nurses' station and grabbed a tab; he started tapping on the screen, checking his schedule. "Have you talked about it?"

Jackson leaned back on the counter; "I wanted to but the thing is every time I'm on the verge of opening up the topic I chicken out..."

Mark paused and turned his attention towards Jackson; "Why?"

Jackson sighed; "Because I don't want her to feel that she's obligated to stay with me. It's selfish and god knows how selfish I've been in this relationship already, I won't hold her back from her dreams man, I can't do that to her."

Mark copied Jackson's stance; "Well, you won't know unless you ask her" he said. He then nudged the young surgeon's shoulder and smiled; "And besides, you're her dream too-don't take that lightly"

Jackson cracked a smile; "She's my dream too" he said. He then turn towards Mark and cocked his head; "You're still getting married, right?"

Mark threw Jackson an affronted look; "Of course I am! Why are you asking me that?"

"You are aware that it's already July and you only have 5 months left to pull off a Christmas wedding, right?"

Mark blinked a couple of times, clearly not getting Jackson's point; "Yeah."

"Do you guys have a venue in mind? Caterers? Flowers and all those shit?" Jackson asked.

Mark's eyes widen; "Oh crap!"

Jackson shook his head; "You better start looking man, you promised Lexie her dream wedding."

oOo

Derek and Alex were scrubbing out when April and Lexie entered the scrub room; the Neuro Surgeon grabbed a towel and began drying his hands. "Good job you two, you were brilliant in there-keep up the good work"

Alex turned his head to the side and threw his friends a knowing look.

April cleared her throat; "Err-thank you?"

"I still can't believe you let me lead, that was insane!" Lexie exclaimed excitedly.

Derek dumped the towel in the bin before smiling; "You were ready" he said. He then made his way towards the door and pushed it open; "And it's just the start, I still have some mind blowing cases I'll be throwing your way" he said.

Lexie's mouth turned agape.

Derek winked at his sister in law before stepping out of the room.

"He's definitely wooing you" April said as she fell into step with Alex.

Alex grabbed a towel and began drying his hands; "Wait till it's your turn, I'm 101% sure that Hunt will be throwing you cases that will make your human pincushion eat dirt" he said with a smirk.

"Bite your tongue!" April said. "I don't want a busy E.R. today"

Lexie took Alex's place by the sink and began washing her hands; "If this is how they'll be wooing us, I'll make sure to hold off my decision as long as I can"

"That's the spirit!" Alex said cheerfully.

April rolled her eyes; she then grabbed herself a towel and shifted her eyes towards the clock. "It's quarter past 1, let's grab a bite before we go back to the pit?"

"That's the reason why my small intestines are trying to eat my large ones! We've been here for 5 hours-I'm famished" Alex said.

Lexie grabbed herself a towel; "You're always hungry Alex-that's nothing new"

April threw her towel on the bin; "Cafeteria?"

"As if we have a choice" Alex replied.

oOo

"Derek!" Mark called out.

Derek stepped out of the elevator and turned towards the direction of the voice; "Yeah?"

"You were in surgery with Lexie right? Are you guys done?"

"Yep, she's just scrubbing out" Derek replied. His eyes then shifted towards the other surgeon standing beside his best friend; "April too, they should be down in a few minutes" he offered.

"Thanks" Jackson said.

"Yeah, thanks" Mark repeated.

Derek nodded before continuing on his way.

Jackson checked his watch; "That was a very long surgery" he observed.

"Yeah, let's take a break to eat with them?" Mark asked.

"That's a good idea, I haven't eaten anything since this morning-I'm starving."

Mark threw Jackson a disapproving look; "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day-you should know better"

Jackson rolled his eyes; "And I'm a doctor, my patients' are more important than breakfast"

"You're only saying that because Kepner wasn't there to cook you breakfast"

"That too"

Mark laughed.

"Don't you guys ever work?"

Mark and Jackson both turned around and saw Lexie, April and Alex standing a couple of feet away from them;
"Where are you guys off to?" the latter asked.

"Lunch, we just got off surgery" April replied.

"Are you planning on standing here making small talk or are we actually eating? I'm freaking hungry" Alex said with a scowl.

Lexie wrinkled her nose; "Geez! No need to be snippy Alex, we're going"

"Then get a damn move on!" Alex barked before walking away.

Jackson made his way towards April and placed his arm around her shoulder; "Let's go before Alex turns into Godzilla"

"Is he always this cranky after surgery?" Mark asked curiously.

"No-he's only cranky because he's hungry" April clarified.

"True that" Lexie piped in. She then looped her arm around her fiancé's and began dragging him towards the cafeteria's direction; "I'm hungry too" she said.

oOo

The couples plus Alex sat around the table, eating through small talks. Mark was uncharacteristically pushing his food around his plate and his fiancé took notice; "Why aren't you eating?" Lexie asked.

Mark tore his eyes away from his food and stared at Lexie; "I guess I'm not that hungry after all" he lied.

Lexie stared at Mark for a moment, her eyes narrowing in suspicion; "What did you do?"

"What do you mean?" Mark asked before forking a chunk of apple from his plate.

"I know you too damn well Mark Sloan, what did you do?"

Mark rolled his eyes; "I didn't do anything, I'm just not that hungry" he replied before stuffing his mouth with an apple.

Lexie turned her gaze towards Jackson; "What did he do?"

"Huh?" Jackson asked, clearly confused.

Lexie pointed her fork towards her fiancé; "He's acting weirder than the usual, what were you guys up to before you saw us?"

"Board meeting, what else?" Jackson replied.

Alex instantly perked up; "Who got the most inquiries?" he asked excitedly.

"Inquiries about?" April asked.

"About you guys" Jackson replied.

"Oh" April said.

Mark smirked; "You better have your chargers ready ladies"

"Little Grey and Little Red, then?" Alex asked.

"Yep" Jackson confirmed.

Alex grinned widely; "Way to go midgets! You're a hot commodity now!"

Lexie scowled; "Call us midgets again and I'll make sure my fork is embedded in your hand"

April guffawed.

Alex waved off Lexie's threat; "Do you guys still remember the hospitals that are interested in them?" he asked curiously.

"Baylor wants them both" Mark said. He then turned towards Lexie and smiled; "Did Mount Sinai called again?"

"Not yet"

"Baylor has a good Trauma and Neuro Program" Alex said approvingly.

"Yes they do" Mark replied.

Jackson turned towards his girlfriend; "Aren't you interested about yours?"

"I had inquiries too?" April asked in disbelief.

"Don't be daft Apes, of course you have-you're a kick ass Trauma Surgeon" Lexie said with a smile.

"Tell us already Pretty boy" Alex cajoled.

"Brigham, Scripps La Jolla, Fairfax, University of Boston and Baylor" Jackson replied with a proud smile.

April's eyes widen as her jaw dropped open.

Alex whistled; "Damn Kepner, you're in demand"

Lexie threw Alex a conniving look before staring at her best friend meaningfully; "Baylor both wants us, what do you think Apes?"

April clearly got Lexie's message and decided to go along with it; she cleared her throat and pasted a smile on her face. "I haven't been to Texas, sounds interesting"

Alex threw his friends an impressed look before subtly watching the Plastics Posse's reaction.

Jackson felt his heart drop to his stomach as he met his mentor's eyes.

Mark saw the apprehension on his prot's face and mouthed; "Later"

Jackson nodded subtly before grabbing his drink and taking a large swig.

"Every little thing she does is magic, everything she does just turns me on. Even though my life before was tragic now I know my love for her goes on..."

"Are you moping?" Cristina asked while eyeing her best friend.

"I'm not moping" Meredith said defiantly.

Cristina crossed her arms on top of her chest and just raised her brow as a response.

Meredith pursed her lips; "Fine. I'm moping."

"Err-why?" Cristina asked.

"Because I'm being selfish" Meredith admitted. She then leaned back on the couch and rested her head back; "I don't want my sister to leave...April too-we're like a family here and I want them to stay."

Cristina walked towards Meredith and plopped down beside her; "You're not being selfish, you're just keeping it real" she said.

"They have incredible offers, close to what Mayo was to you and I don't want to hold them back-like I did to you..."

Cristina's head snapped to the side; "Mer?"

"Hmmnn?" Meredith replied while looking at the ceiling.

"Look at me" Cristina said.

Meredith turned her head to the side and met Cristina's eyes; "What?"

"I stayed because I chose to stay and not just because you asked me to. I admit, you have been a huge part of that decision but in the end, it was all me, so don't go blaming yourself for something I did" Cristina said seriously.

Meredith cracked a smile; "You mean that?"

"Yep" Cristina replied with a smile. She then stared at Meredith for a moment, her eyes narrowing in suspicion; "Are you preggers again?" she asked.

"No, what makes you say that?" Meredith asked. She then scrunched her face with distaste; "In case you have forgotten, I just gave birth a month or two ago and I have a very hostile uterus"

"Point taken"

Meredith rolled her eyes.

oOo

"Women are evil" Alex said.

"Err-you have a wife, are you telling us that she's evil too?" April asked.

Alex scoffed; "She can be if she wants too"

Lexie smirked at Alex before shifting her eyes to April; "I wonder how Izzie would react if we tell her that?"

April smirked back; "Dog house"

Alex rolled his eyes; "Whatever!" he said before walking away.

Lexie guffawed at Alex's back; "It was his idea"

"It is" April agreed. She then leaned back on the counter and stared at the brunette; "Are we really letting them hang? I mean, you're getting married for god's sake-it's a no brainer, of course you'll be staying"

Lexie looked thoughtful; "Mark and I haven't even started making wedding plans yet, so I think it should work"

April's eyes widen in surprise; "But-but you guys are getting married in December, it's already July!"

"5 months is long enough"

"If guys are planning on sealing the deal in a courthouse, 5 months is long"

Lexie's scrunched her face in distaste; "Of course we're not getting married in a courthouse, I've always wanted a garden wedding, something similar to Callie and Arizona's wedding"

April patted Lexie's shoulder; "Then you better start planning sweetie" she said before walking towards the incoming Trauma.

oOo

"Will you stop pacing? You're giving me a headache" Jackson said as he watches his mentor.

Mark paused and turned towards his prot; "She's really not thinking of Baylor right? She just said that to mess with me?"

Jackson shrugged his shoulders before leaning back on his chair; "How should I know? You're her fiancé, talk to her about it"

Mark placed his hands on his hips; "I plan to" he replied. He then started pacing again; "Baylor is in Texas, that's millions of miles away from here"

"Look, you shouldn't worry about it so much, you guys are getting married, it's a no brainer if she leaves" Jackson said in a placating manner. "Lexie loves you and I think that's more than enough reason for her to stay"

Mark halted his steps again and turned towards Jackson; "You're right"

Jackson smiled smugly; "I'm always right"

"How about Kepner?"

Jackson's smile faltered; "I don't have an idea"

Mark walked towards the desk and sat down on one of the chairs; "Your advice applies to both of us, talk to her too"

"I already-"

"She wouldn't think that way" Mark said, cutting Jackson off. "She wouldn't think your holding her back, April is too nice to think ill of anyone and besides, I'm quite sure she already knows that you want her to stay, you're in a serious relationship, it's given."

"You think so?"

"I know so" Mark said with a smile.

Jackson let out a sigh; "Fine, I'll talk to her"

"Good" Mark said. He then cleared his throat and stared at Jackson seriously; "I have a favour to ask"

Jackson noticed the change in Mark's demeanour; "Go on"

Mark cleared his throat again; "I kinda browsed the net for some possible venues for my wedding and I found two places that I think Lexie will like..."

"Err-what's your favour?"

"I want you to come with me, just a quick ocular visit and nothing else"

Jackson looked surprised; "Why are you taking me and not your bride? Aren't you supposed to do it with her?"

Mark scratched the back of his neck; "I kinda want it to be a surprise..."

Jackson threw Mark an amused look; "Is that your way of subtly convincing her to stay?"

Mark let out a nervous chuckle; "Too obvious?"

Jackson laughed; "Dead giveaway man but I think Lexie will fall for it none the less"

Mark smiled brightly; "You think so?"

Jackson returned the smile; "I know so"

oOo

The E.R had been busy for the rest of April's shift and she can't wait till she can call it a day; she double checked all her notes on the tab before placing it back on the charging rack. She turned away from the desk and made her way towards her mentor; "Everything is updated Chief" she said perkily.

Owen turned towards his student and smiled; "Good to hear, you heading home now?"

April smiled, albeit tiredly; "Yep" she replied. "Is there something else you need?"

Owen shook his head; "Nope, you go on ahead, I know you're tired"

"I'll be going then, bye Chief" April said before walking away.

"Kepner!"

April paused and turned around; "Yes?"

"We need to talk tomorrow so make sure to see me before you head to the pit, okay?" Owen said.

April nodded; "Sure thing, is there anything else?"

"Nope, go home"

"See you tomorrow, have a good night then"

Owen nodded; "Good night"

April pulled the door open and stepped into the corridor; she walked along the familiar hallway towards the Attendings' Lounge as she let out a loud yawn, she almost reached the door when she heard her name being called. "Please don't be a huge emergency, I'm dead tired" she thought.

"Wait up!"

April turned around and saw her beau walking towards her, staring at her with concern. She let out relieved a sigh before smiling; "Hey..."

Jackson stopped right in front of the red head and studied her face; "Are you okay?"

April crossed the gap between the two of them and wrapped her arms around his waist; she buried her face into Jackson's chest and took a deep breath. "I'm okay but I'm tired" she mumbled.

Jackson wrapped his arms around April's tiny frame and began rubbing her back soothingly; he planted a kiss on her head; "Busy day at the pit?"

April pulled a fraction and titled her head to meet his eyes; "Busy is an understatement, I've in and out of surgery after lunch, I'm tired, I feel filthy and I'm starving" she said with a pout.

Jackson kissed her nose chastely; "Poor baby" he said. "Tell you what, why don't we head to my place tonight, I'll draw you a hot bath and let you soak a bit while I fix us something to eat then I'll give you a massage before you sleep."

"Will you also give me a foot rub? My feet are killing me, I can't remember the last time I sat down"

Jackson smiled mischievously before leaning towards April's ear; "I'll rub anything you want me to rub babe...anything" he whispered suggestively.

April gasped as she felt the familiar tug on her lower belly; she swallowed hard and tightened her arms around her beau's waist; "Promise?" she asked timidly.

Jackson pushed April away and wrapped his hand around April's arm; "Time is gold, let's get going" he said as he hastily drag her towards the Attendings' Lounge.

April can't help but giggle at Jackson's eagerness; "Can we drop by my flat first? I need to get some clothes for tomorrow"

"We sure can" Jackson replied with a triumphant grin.

oOo

Jackson switched the light off and stared at the effect the candles created inside his bathroom; he let out satisfied smile before stepping out. "Babe, your bath is ready"

April tied the knot on her robe before turning around to face Jackson; "Thank you" she replied with a smile. "Are you sure you're okay with making dinner? I can just take a quick shower then I'll make us something"

Jackson rolled his eyes as he walked towards the red head; he placed his hands on her shoulders and began ushering her towards the dimly lit room. "Don't worry about it, just relax, I'll handle it"

"Okay" April replied. She then paused when she reached the door; she let out a loud gasp as she saw what Jackson prepared for her. "Oh my god"

Jackson pulled his hands off and smiled widely; "Do you like it?"

April spun around and stared at her beau with awe; "You-you did this all for me?"

"I did"

"But-but why? What's the occasion?"

Jackson threw April an amused look; "I want to do something special for my girlfriend, should there be an occasion to do so?"

April giggled; "Fair point"

"Why don't you get your pretty little ass there so I can start dinner, huh?"

April leaned forward and planted a chaste kiss on his lips; "Thank you" she said sincerely.

"There's no need to thank me but you're welcome none the less" Jackson replied.

April smiled widely before stepping inside the dimly lit room.

Jackson watched April get inside the tub before turning around; "Time to whip up a quick dinner"

oOo

"We're still on for Saturday right?" Cristina asked before plopping down the couch.

"Yep and don't forget to bring booze" Alex replied.

"Oh yeah, we promised that" Meredith said. She then hauled the baby bag from the table and slung it around her shoulder; "Alcohol shopping tomorrow?" she asked while eyeing Cristina.

Cristina waved her hand dismissively; "Okay"

"Well, I better get a move on, Derek is waiting for me, see you guys tomorrow" Meredith said before pulling the door open.

"Bye" Cristina said.

"Yeah, bye" Alex piped in. He then shrugged on his jacket and swiped his keys from the table; "I'm heading out, do you need a ride?"

"Nope, I'm good" Cristina replied.

"Alright then, have a good night" Alex said before walking away.

oOo

"You're coming home with me tonight" Mark said as he steps out of the elevator.

Lexie followed Mark out, her brow raised; "And why is that?"

Mark turned towards Lexie and smiled; "Because I want to spend time with my beautiful fiancé"

Lexie threw Mark an amused look; "Are you sucking up to me?"

Mark's smile turned suggestive; "Is that an innuendo?"

Lexie blinked a couple of seconds before bursting into fits of giggles; "You're so lewd!"

Mark pulled Lexie to his side and planted a kiss on her temple; "Only for you love"

Lexie wrapped her arm around Mark's waist; "You're lucky I love you"

"Don't worry, I love you too" Mark replied with a smirk.

Lexie rolled her eyes.

oOo

Jackson added the cooked pasta inside a large sauce pan and tossed it a couple of times, making sure the noodles are fully coated with the white sauce; he waited a couple of minutes before switching off the stove and moving towards the oven. He grabbed himself oven mitts and pulled out the garlic bread he toasted; he slammed the oven door shut and placed the tray on top of a cooling rack. He threw the mitts on the counter and placed his hands around his waist; "Pasta and garlic bread done, wine is chilling in the fridge, what else?" he asked himself. After a couple of seconds, he remembered what he seem to have forgotten; "Salad! How can I forget?" he said.

April dried her hair off with a towel thoroughly before draping it neatly into a hanger; she walked towards the edge of the bed and sat down. She grabbed her vanity bag and grabbed her comb; she ran it through her damp tresses a couple of times before shoving it inside her bag again. She stood up from her perch and walked towards the door; "Let's see if you really can pull off a dinner without my help" she said. She slowly opened the door and stepped outside; she crept towards the hallway quietly and made her way towards the kitchen; she silently peered from the wall and saw Jackson shuffling behind the counter. "Just when I thought he couldn't get any hotter" she thought wistfully. She let her eyes wander towards his arms and saw how pronounced it looked when he lifted the saucepan away from the stove; she felt the familiar tug again so she shook her head to get rid of some naughty thoughts that flashed before her eyes. She pulled away from her hiding place and cleared her throat loudly; "Hey babe" she said before walking towards her beau.

Jackson turned his head to the side; "That was fast"

April stood behind him and hugged him tightly; she peered from his shoulder and tried her best to see what he cooked.

Jackson leaned back and placed his hands on top of hers; "You know it would be easier for you to see if you just stood next to me, you're too tiny to peer behind my shoulder" he teased.

April thumped his chest with her hands before pulling away; "That's just plain mean..."

Jackson chuckled; he then turned around and planted a kiss on her forehead. "I'm not being mean, I love your height-you fit perfectly in my arms."

April raised her brow; "Are you trying to get laid, Dr. Avery?"

Jackson threw her a feigned mortified look; "Oh my Dr. Kepner, what a very dirty mind you have there!"

April wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body closer; "You don't want to know what's really running through my mind right now Jackman, it's really really dirty" she said huskily.

All humour left Jackson's face upon hearing her words; he felt his heart pump faster as he swallowed thickly. "R-really?" he stuttered.

"You make cooking look sexy" April said. She then leaned forward and rested her right cheek on his left; "It turned me on..." she whispered.

Jackson growled before shifting his face to capture April's lips; kissing her hungrily.

April returned his kisses, giving as good as she got; she then hauled herself up and wrapped her legs around his waist.

Jackson secured her legs around his waist and let out a loud groan when her center made contact with his fast growing erection.

April felt a small wave of pleasure course through her; she tore her lips away from his and began moving her hips. "Oh god-that feels so good"

Jackson planted soft kisses along her cheek before moving towards her neck; "You-you have to stop doing that..." he murmured.

"Jackson..." April gasped out.

Jackson's hips thrust forward automatically; making him moan.

April untangled her arms around his neck and pulled his face away from her neck; she cupped his face into her palms and met his lust filled eyes. "I want to show you how much I love you..."

Jackson tightened his hold on her thighs; "I-don't think that's a good idea...you want to wait so we're waiting..."

April shook her head; "I don't want to wait anymore...I want you" she replied before grounding her hips.

Jackson felt his resolve weaken; "Are-are you sure?"

April smiled; "I've been sure for a very long time" she replied before pressing her lips firmly into his.

Jackson deepened the kiss before starting to blindly navigate around the counter.

April moaned loudly before pulling her lips a fraction; "The-the couch" she gasped out.

"Huh?" Jackson asked as he started walking again.

"No-no time to get to your room-couch, now."

Jackson pulled his face away and stared at his girlfriend with amusement; "You want us to defile the couch?"

April moved her hands towards his neck and began massaging it the way he likes; "We had sex in the men's bathroom in San Francisco, do you think I have qualms in defiling your couch now?"

Jackson adjusted April in his arms as he picked up his pace; "Good point" he replied as he rounded the couch. He captured her lips again as he slowly sat down; he pulled his hands away from her thighs and shifted it towards her waist.

April nipped his lips before pulling away; she hastily grabbed the hem of her shirt and peeled it off.

Jackson's eyes automatically landed on her bare breast; "Beautiful..." he murmured.

April giggled; "You're already getting laid Jackson, no need to butter me up"

Jackson trailed his hands along her side before cupping her breast into his palms; "You are beautiful and I won't get tired of reminding you that" he said as he started playing with the puckered peaks.

April's eyes rolled back with pleasure; "That feels so good..."

Jackson leaned forward and started trailing kisses down her chest; he pulled his right hand away from her breast and replaced it with his mouth.

April leaned back and braised her hands on his knees; giving him full access.

Jackson lapped and suckled at her right breast enthusiastically before moving towards its twin; paying the same homage to it.

April mewled in pleasure; she then moved her right hand away from his knee and cupped his face. "E-enough foreplay...I'm close...please...I want to feel you inside me..."

Jackson released her nipple with a loud pop; he hastily grabbed the hem of his own shirt and yanked it off.

April hauled herself off his lap and plopped down beside him; she pulled her shorts and panty down. "Finally they're coming off" she said excitedly.

Jackson unbuckled his belt and popped his jeans open. "Yeah they are..."

"Hurry up!"

Jackson can't help but chuckle at her impatience; he grabbed the garter of his boxer and pulled it down together with his jeans, freeing his straining cock from its confines.

April didn't waste time; she boldly wrapped her hand around it and pumped it.

Jackson's breath caught inside his throat; "If-if you don't stop that-I-I won't last" he panted.

April swung her leg over Jackson's and straddled his lap again; "Then let's not waste time" she said. She pressed her lips on to his and began kissing him passionately; she lifted herself a fraction before impaling herself fully onto him in one swift motion.

Jackson's hand flew to her hips as he let out loud groan.

April moaned as she settled herself fully on his lap; she tore her lips away and rested her forehead on his. "Oh god" she panted. She swivelled her hips experimentally and almost instantly insurmountable pleasure erupted from her core; "Jackson...move" she managed to breath out.

Jackson gripped her hips and began guiding her into a rhythm they both know best; "You feel so good..." he murmured as he thrust his hips upwards.

April leaned backwards and braised her hands on his knees again, pumping up and down.

Jackson met her thrusts with the same vigour; "I'm-I'm close" he grunted.

"Me too..."

Jackson moved his right hand between them and began rubbing her clit in time with his thrust.

April gasped; "I-I..."

Jackson wrapped his left arm around April's waist before thrusting with force; "Come for me babe...I can't-hold off any longer" he grunted.

April felt herself peaking so she moved her right hand to her breast; pinching her nipple, sending her to the throes of passion.

"Fuck!" Jackson groaned as he felt her walls massaging him. He pulled her limp body to his chest and leaned back on the couch; he wrapped his arms around her waist and began pistoning his hips upwards. "I'm gonna-I'm gonna cum..."

April buried her face into his neck, rubbing his back soothingly; "Cum for me Jackson..." she whispered.

"A-april..." Jackson called out as he tumbles to the edge.

April felt his seed fill her and she can't help but let out a contented sigh; she pulled her face away from his neck and placed butterfly kisses around his sweaty face.

Jackson opened his eyes slowly and met her eyes; "I love you" he said seriously.

"You better, I just gave you a mind blowing orgasm"

Jackson chuckled, albeit tiredly.

April smiled at him lovingly; "I love you too"

Jackson leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose; "Are you still starving? I am, you gave me quite a workout"

April sat up; "I forgot about that"

Jackson grinned playfully; "Damn! I didn't know I'm that good"

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

"Do I have to tell the story of a thousand rainy days since we first met. It's a big enough umbrella but it's always me that ends up getting wet..."

"Good morning Chief" April greeted cheerfully.

Owen tore his eyes away from his tab and smiled at his student; "Morning Kepner, you look well rested" he observed.

April smiled brightly; "Yep, I had a good night sleep"

"Good" Owen replied. He then tapped on his tab before placing it back on the charging cradle; "Conference room?" he asked.

"Let's go then" April replied.

oOo

"Had a good night?" Mark asked as he watches his prot walks towards him.

"Fantastic night" Jackson replied somewhat smugly.

Mark studied Jackson's face, after a moment he grinned widely; "You got laid!"

"Shut up!" Jackson hissed while looking around. When he was sure that no one heard his mentor's outburst, he grinned widely; "I did and it was great"

Mark let out a full belly laugh and patted Jackson's back; "Good for you man, it's been a very long time"

Jackson nodded; "It was" he agreed.

Mark rubbed his hands together; "Well since you're in a good mood, I'm calling out my favour-can we visit one of the places today?"

Jackson didn't hesitate; "Sure"

"Perfect-this afternoon then?"

"Okay"

oOo

Owen sat down on his chair and stared at April; "I trust that you already know what we need to talk about this morning?"

April nodded; "Fellowship offers?"

Owen nodded; "Correct, now-did Jackson mention the names of the hospital that wants you?"

April felt her cheeks flush; "Err-yeah"

"Good" Owen said. He then clasped his hands together and rested it on top of the table; "You've come a long way and I can't be anymore prouder of you than I am now."

"Thank you Dr. Hunt" April said sincerely.

"A lot of prestigious hospital wants you and I believe you'll be receiving calls from them soon, now-I need to know if you're still considering this hospital?"

"Of course I am" April replied. She then smiled; "This is my home" she added.

Owen smiled; "That's good to hear" he said. He then pulled out a folder from the pile on his side and placed it right in front of the red head; "This is just a tentative offer we came up with, I know you'd want a copy so you can compare it with what the other hospitals will be offering you. Read through them and don't hesitate to talk to me if you need some clarifications" he explained. He then leaned back on his chair and threw his student a meaningful look; "And when I say talk, that also includes, bargaining" he added.

"Bargaining?" April asked, clearly baffled.

"Talk to Karev about it, I'm quite sure he'll be more than willing to coach you-I would've offered my assistance but as you know, I'm in charge so I can't really meddle"

"Okay, I'll ask him" April said.

Owen thumped his hands on his knees before standing up; "That's all for now, you can go back to the pit, I need to find Grey" he said.

April stood up from her perch as well; "Thanks Chief" she said.

"Welcome"

oOo

"I'll read you later" April said. She then closed her locker and stepped outside the locker room; she was about to walk towards the door when it was yanked open. "Good morning Mer!"

Meredith smiled; "Good morning Apes" she greeted. "You headed to the pit?"

"Yep" April chirped. "Have you seen Lexie? Chief Hunt is looking for her"

Meredith closed the door behind her; "She went to the Resident's locker room to change, I'm quite sure he'll find her" she replied. She then stared at the red head; "Owen talked to you about your offers?" she asked.

"He did and I still can't believe it!"

Meredith chuckled; "You better, you're a very good surgeon Apes and it's about time people know it"

"Thank you" April replied sincerely.

Meredith patted April's shoulder before walking towards the locker room; "Got to go, duty calls" she said.

"See you later Mer" April said with a wave.

oOo

"There you are! I was waiting for you" Lexie said. She then took a peek at her watch; "You're late" she said.

"I'm not late, I've been here since 7" April replied.

"Then why are you just coming in?" Lexie asked.

April shoved her hands inside her lab coat pockets; "I had a meeting with Chief Hunt-Fellowship stuff"

"Really? What happened? What did he say?" Lexie asked curiously.

April smiled; "You'll know, he'll be looking for you" she said. She then turned towards the counter and grabbed herself a chart; "Did Mount Sinai called again?"

Lexie crossed her arms on top of her chest and leaned sideways on the counter; "They did and they want me to come in for an interview" she said.

April paused and stared at her best friend; "Are you going?"

Lexie pursed her lips; "I'm thinking about it..."

April furrowed her brows; "You're not really considering moving right? I mean, I know Mount Sinai is a good hospital but your life is here in Seattle and you're getting married in December."

"I know that" Lexie sighed.

"Something's definitely up" April thought. She turned sideways and copied the brunette's stance; "Out with it, I know something is wrong-I can pretty much see the wheels turning inside your head" she said seriously.

Lexie stared at April for a couple of seconds before letting out another sigh; "I thought about what you said..."

"Err-you have to be specific, I talk a lot"

"About the wedding plans..."

April looked baffled; "The wedding plans changed your mind about moving?"

Lexie shook her head adamantly; "No, I'm still staying"

"Then what's wrong?" April asked.

Lexie took a deep breath; "We're getting married in December but Mark and I haven't talked about it-not a single word since the day he proposed, as in nada"

April's eyes widen in surprise; "Oh"

"He never brought it up so I never brought it up and now I feel like we're running out of time" Lexie said. "I told you I'm thinking about going to that interview because I want to scare him a bit-you know, to make him think about things."

"So if I understand you correctly, you're using the interview as a tool so he'd suck it up and start talking to you about the wedding?"

"Exactly" Lexie said. She then scrunched her face; "Is it preposterous?" she asked.

"No, it absolutely brilliant!" April exclaimed with awe. She then grinned widely; "It's like getting what you want without the hassle of voicing it out, very cunning Lex!"

Lexie giggled.

"I'm with you on this one, just tell me if you need my help" April said cheerfully.

Lexie smiled; "Thank you" she said.

April hugged the chart to her chest and pointed towards the door; "I want to chat longer but I have to check on one of my patients" she said.

"Oh okay, go ahead" Lexie said.

April pulled away from her perch and began walking towards the door; "Catch you later!" she said.

oOo

The morning passed by like a breeze and before Jackson knows it, it's almost lunch time. He hasn't seen April since he dropped her off the pit and chances are, he wouldn't be able see her now because he'd be accompanying Mark to check one of the wedding venues.

"Are you set?"

Jackson grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair and swiped his phone from his desk; "You're driving?" he asked.

"Yep" Mark replied.

Jackson walked towards his mentor; "You know the place right?" he asked.

Mark moved from his perch and began walking towards the elevator; "Of course I know the place, we won't get lost, don't worry" he replied.

Jackson chuckled; "I'm not scared of getting lost, I'm just asking because getting lost means losing time"

Mark stepped into the elevator and punched on the button; he then turned towards his prot and smirked. "April time, you mean?"

Jackson shrugged on his jacket; "Yeah but it's more on the ocular visit time, getting there faster will afford us more time to scrutinize the whole place" he explained.

Mark thumped his prot's back; "You never fail to amaze me, you're brilliant!"

Jackson rolled his eyes; he shoved his hands inside his pocket and fixed his gaze on the floor indicator. "Have you talked to Lexie about the wedding?"

"Not yet" Mark replied.

Jackson moved towards the metal doors when he heard the bell chime; he stepped outside the lobby before casting a side glance at Mark. "Why?"

Mark sighed as he trailed behind Jackson; "I haven't gotten the chance to, she's still hyped up about her Fellowship offers-I don't want to kill her buzz"

"Wedding plans is not a buzz killer, in fact it's a mood booster, women loves talking about that stuff, Lexie is no different" Jackson said.

Mark furrowed his brows as he mull over Jackson's words.

"Is that Hunt?"

"Huh?"

Jackson took a step back and stood beside Mark; "By the receptions desk, next to that huge basket and flowers" he pointed out.

"Yeah" Mark replied. "That's a beautiful arrangement and a loaded goodie bag"

Jackson smiled somewhat wistfully; "I remember the basket Tulane sent me, good basket"

"Come on, let's see who they're for" Mark said before walking towards their colleague.

"I'll tell them to pick it up later, thank you" Owen said.

"You're welcome Dr. Hunt"

"That's a huge basket and arrangement" Mark said as he fell into step with Owen.

Owen turned around; "Oh good, you're both here" he said. He then gestured towards the counter; "These are for Grey and Kepner, Baylor sent them this morning" he explained.

Jackson moved towards the counter and plucked the tiny card pinned on the basket; he read the name on the envelope and smirked. "They're wooing my girlfriend with cookies and brownies, she's not fond of chocolates"

Mark copied Jackson's action and plucked the card from the flower arrangement; he read the note and scoffed. "They're wooing my fiancé with flowers and they're not even her favourite"

Owen shook his head with amusement as he begins to walk away; "Just tell them that they have a delivery" he said. He then paused and turned his face towards the other surgeons; "Leave the cards where they belong, they won't appreciate it if they find it missing."

Jackson carefully placed the envelop back to its original perch; he then turned towards Mark and saw him staring at the piece of paper. "Mark?"

Mark tore his eyes away from it and met Jackson's eyes; "Baylor really wants them..."

Jackson studied the other man's face before leaning forward; he plucked the envelop from his hand and stuck it inside the arrangement. "Baylor wants them but they want us too, we have a fair fighting chance-now, why don't you move your ass so we can get going"

Mark shook his head to clear his thoughts; "You're right, sorry, let's go"

"This is refreshing"

"What's refreshing?"

Jackson cracked a smile; "Seeing you so mopey and insecure"

Mark punched Jackson's shoulder playfully before smiling back; "Don't get used to it, this is just a phase" he said before walking away. "Move your ass Avery, you're wasting our time!"

Jackson chuckled; "Fine."

oOo

"Why are you eating alone? Where's lover boy?"

April turned on her seat and saw Cristina standing behind her; "I don't have the slightest idea" she replied.

Cristina pulled a chair and plopped down; "That's new"

April shrugged her shoulders before popping a fry into her mouth.

Cristina took a swig of her drink before placing it on top of the table; "You'll be at Alex's place tomorrow, right?"

"Yep"

Cristina smirked; "Good, because Mer and I will be alcohol shopping after shift, you'll get to meet our best friend"

April chuckled; "Tequila?"

Cristina grinned; "Damn right"

"I thought you guys were only kidding"

"Nope, we're not."

April smiled; "Thanks"

Cristina leaned back; "I heard from Owen that there's a package for you and Little Grey from Baylor, have you seen it yet?"

April threw the other surgeon a confused look; "I'm sorry, what?"

"A goodie package, it was delivered this morning-it's being kept at the receptions desk, didn't he tell you?"

"I haven't gotten the chance to see Chief Hunt after our meeting" April replied. "I wonder what could it be?"

Cristina cocked her to the side; "It might be flowers or a food basket, they send the most outrageous things"

"I remember the cookie and muffin basket you had last year"

Cristina chuckled; "Yeah, those cookies were good"

"I'm bored, got any interesting cases at the pit?" Alex asked as he placed his tray on top of the table. He then pulled a chair and plopped down; "Robbins is giving me the most boring cases" he said.

"What did you do to piss her off?" Cristina asked curiously.

Alex rolled his eyes; "Why do you always assume that I'm at fault?"

"Because you always are" Cristina replied bluntly. She then pushed away from the table and stood up; "Well, I'm off-gotta work, see you guys later" she said before walking away.

Alex grabbed his sandwich and took a large bite; "Where's Pretty boy?"

"I don't know" April replied. She dipped her fry in ketchup before taking a bite; "I haven't seen him since this morning" she explained.

Alex wiped his mouth with a napkin; "That's new" he replied. "Don't forget about tomorrow, Izzie will be very upset if you guys won't show up-she's been obsessing over this get together for over a week now, don't disappoint her"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world" April replied. She then threw the other surgeon a grateful look; "Thank you for doing this for us Alex, it means a lot to us" she said.

Alex waved his hand dismissively; "It's the least thing I can do for you guys" he said.

"Actually-I have something to ask you"

Alex was about to take a bite of his sandwich but paused; "What?"

"Err-Chief Hunt gave me a copy of what this hospital will be offering me for my Fellowship and he told me to come talk to you and ask for advice..."

Alex smirked; "Really?"

April nodded; "I have it inside my locker...so will you do it?"

Alex took a bite of his sandwich; "Give me an interesting case first then I'll help you"

April huffed; "Fine"

oOo

"Gently..." Derek instructed.

Lexie decreased the pressure on the drill; "Like this?"

"That's it" Derek replied. "Good"

Lexie continued her work; "I still can't believe your letting me do this surgery"

Derek threw his sister in law an amused look; "You already drilled a hole into this man's skull Lexie"

"I know that but it's still surreal to me"

Derek chuckled; "Did you talk to Hunt already?"

"Forceps" Lexie said. "I was supposed to head to his office before this surgery but he wasn't there, so I haven't seen him yet. It's Fellowship talk, right?"

"Most probably" Derek replied.

"Do you want me to stay?"

Derek turned his eyes towards his prot; "What kind of question is that?"

"A question that's answerable by either a yes or a no" Lexie quipped.

"Don't be cheeky with me Lexie Grey"

Lexie giggled; "I'm not being cheeky Derek, I'm asking for your honest opinion regarding this matter, I happen to value yours-spit it out"

"You do?" Derek asked, clearly surprised.

Lexie rolled her eyes; "If I didn't, do you think I will be standing here?"

Derek thought for a couple of seconds; "Good point"

"So, back to my question, do you think I should stay?"

oOo

"Where are we going again?" Jackson asked.

"Lakewood Gardens" Mark replied.

Jackson turned his head to the side; "I've heard about that place but I haven't been there, is it good?"

"I haven't been there too, I just saw it on the net and the pictures are good" Mark replied.

Jackson raised his brow; "And you know how to get there?"

Mark switched gear; "I've been to Lakewood multiple times, just not the exact place, don't worry about it, I'm familiar with it" he replied.

"Okay" Jackson replied. "You told me you picked out two venues, what's the other one?"

Mark threw Jackson a side glance; "Cedar Springs"

Jackson's eyes widen; "In Port Orchard?"

"The one and only, have you been there?"

"Yeah, one of my Mum's colleagues got married there and I was her plus one. That's a very beautiful place, I think Lexie will like it there"

"Really?" Mark asked.

"100% sure, but let's check this Lakewood Garden first, I'm intrigued" Jackson replied.

Mark slowly stepped on the breaks when the stop light turned red; he turned his head to the side and smirked. "You looking for your own wedding venue?"

Jackson felt his cheeks flush so he averted his gaze; he sat straighter and cleared his throat. "Why would I look for wedding venues when I don't even have a bride? You're insane"

Mark smirk grew bigger; "Petite red head with feisty personality, hot when barking orders and oh, she can throw punches"

Jackson let out a nervous chuckle.

Mark moved sideways and nudged Jackson's arm; "Come on man, don't tell me you haven't thought about it?"

Jackson shrugged off Mark's elbow; "Of course I have thought about it! I've thought about it countless times!"

Mark shifted his eyes back to the road when he noticed the light turning green; "Really? Tell me about those thoughts"

Jackson pursed his lips; "I don't want to"

"Don't be such a prick, just tell me, I promise I won't blabber anything to Lexie, it's off the record" Mark said. "Do you have a wedding venue in mind?"

"I have..."

"Where?"

Jackson swallowed thickly; "Weyerhaeuser Estate..."

Mark's eyes widen; "North Tacoma? The Mansion?"

"Yeah..."

Mark whistled appreciatively; "You have exquisite taste" he complimented.

Jackson can't help but chuckle; "I'm an Avery, I know these things"

Mark switched gear again; "That place is a real beauty but it's very expensive, can Kepner afford it?"

"I'm not letting her pay for a single dime, I can easily afford it on my own" Jackson replied.

Mark chuckled; "How stupid of me to forget that you're a trust fund baby" he teased.

Jackson shrugged his shoulders; "I can't blame you, I often forget it too" he admitted.

"Good luck on convincing April though, she's very traditional-that means she'll insist on paying for it"

"I have to convince her to marry me first before I worry about that" Jackson said with a sigh.

Mark threw Jackson an incredulous look; "Are you kidding me? That woman has been in love with you long before you noticed her existence, I'm 101% sure that she'll say yes even before you get to finish your question"

"Really?"

"What happened to "I'm an Avery and I know these things" speech you often throw? You're confidence level is dwindling, it's disconcerting"

Jackson crossed his arms on top of his chest; "You know how insecure I am when it comes to April..."

"I still don't understand that, everybody can see how in love she is with you" Mark said.

"I know that but still..." Jackson trailed off when he noticed Mark pulling over. "Are we here?"

Mark pulled on the hand break and turned towards Jackson; "We are"

Jackson tugged on his seatbelt and unlocked his door; "Let's get this show on the road then" he said as he pushed the door open.

Mark took off his seatbelt and pushed his door open; "Don't think we're finished talking about this Avery"

Jackson rolled his eyes as he slams the door shut; "I know we aren't"

Mark closed his door and smirked; "Good" he said. He then gestured towards the huge door; "Put your Avery radar on, let's see if this place meets your refined taste"

oOo

April was taking her lab coat off when the door to the Attendings' Lounge opened; she neatly folded it and placed it on top of the bench. She then hid behind her locker door as she peeled off her scrubs top off; she was pulling her blouse from the hanger when she felt arms circle around her waist.

"I've missed you" Jackson murmured before planting a kiss on his girlfriend's neck.

April angled her head to the side and let her hands fall limp; "I've missed you too, where have you been all afternoon?"

Jackson turned her around and met her eyes; "I've been busy running errands"

"Board stuff?"

"Yep" Jackson replied. He then kissed her nose before smiling; "I take it that you saw the goody basket that Baylor sent you?"

April beamed; "I did and the cookies are awesome"

Jackson chuckled; "They are, aren't they?"

"I can't possibly eat them all so I'm leaving some of it here, I know you like brownies so I saved some for you"

Jackson tightened his hold on her; "Thank you"

April thumped Jackson's chest with her palms; "I have to change, I smell like antiseptic"

"You smell fine" Jackson said as he took a whiff.

April wrinkled her nose as she pulls away; "Says you" she replied. "Why don't you get your brownies while I change? I left it on top of the table"

"Okay" Jackson replied. He then walked towards the door and stepped out of the locker room.

April shook her head as she grabbed her blouse again.

"Where have you been all day? I've been looking for you" Alex said as he closes the door behind him.

Jackson pulled a chair and began checking his brownies; "I had to do some errands, why?"

Alex walked towards the locker room; "Little Grey and Little Red's party, tomorrow at my place, don't forget" he said.

"I won't" Jackson affirmed.

"Be there at 7" Alex said before he disappeared.

"Okay" Jackson replied before popping a piece of brownie into his mouth.

"Enjoying the sweets, I see" April said as she walks towards her beau.

Jackson stood up from his perch as he swallowed; "It's really good"

April smiled as she adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder; "Shall we go?"

Jackson grabbed the boxes from the table and offered his hand to her; "Let's"

April laced her fingers with his as she walked along side with him.

oOo

The next day: April and Lexie's Party

April decided to stay at her flat last night, much to Jackson's chagrin. It's been days since she last slept in her own bed and she missed it; she loved waking up next to Jackson, that's a fact but sometimes a girl needs her "Me time", to gush over the man of their life of course. She stood up from her bed and stretched her arms upwards; she let out a yawn and slipped on her slippers. She was about to go to her bathroom when she heard her phone ringing; she sat back down on her bed and grabbed her phone from the side table. She checked who's calling and tapped on the answer button; "Morning" she said with a smile.

"Morning babe, I miss you"

"You just saw me last night Jackman, don't be ridiculous"

"But I didn't wake up next to you...I love seeing you first thing in the morning..."

April felt her heart skip a beat by just listening to her boyfriend's complaints; "Oh sweetie, I love seeing you first thing in the morning too..."

"You should've stayed over then..."

April giggled; "I had that one coming"

"You would be coming right now if your here beside me..."

"Jackson!" April shrieked, her cheeks flushing.

Jackson laughed loudly.

"I'm hanging up now!"

Jackson's laughter died down; "Fine" he replied. He then cleared his throat; "I'll be going out this afternoon with Mark but I'll pick you up later, we'll go to Alex's place together then I'll take you home"

"Where are you two going?"April asked curiously.

"Just Board stuff, nothing exciting"

"Okay" April replied.

"I'll see you later babe, love you"

"I love you too, see you later" April said before pulling her phone away from her ear. She stared at the screen for a couple of seconds before tapping on it again; she scrolled through her phonebook, looking for a familiar number.

oOo

"You're a little love bug, aren't you?" Lexie cooed before kissing her niece's chubby cheeks.

Zola giggled as she held Lexie's face with her tiny hands.

"You're phone is ringing" Meredith said as she sat down beside her sister.

Lexie turned her gaze towards the coffee table and saw her phone blinking; she shifted Zola on her lap before swiping the phone from the table. "Hey Apes, what's up?"

"Hey Lex, what are you up to?"

"Nothing much, just hanging around the house and playing with the kids" Lexie replied.

"I heard that Mark and Jackson has a date this afternoon, I'm planning on making cupcakes for later want to help?"

"What flavour?"

"Red velvet with cream cheese frosting and Dark chocolate cupcakes for the kids"

"I'll be there, what time do you need me? Do you need me to pick up something?"

"I'm quite short with a few things, do you mind dropping by Target before heading here?"

"I don't mind, just text me what you need and I'll get it for you" Lexie said.

"Perfect Lex, I'll send it to you via text, be here at 1?"

"Sure thing, see you in few" Lexie said.

"Bye!"

Lexie pulled the phone away from her ear and placed it back on top of the table.

"What's April up to?" Meredith asked curiously.

Lexie adjusted Zola on her lap before turning towards her sister; "She's planning on making some cupcakes for later"

Meredith smiled fondly; "Always thoughtful, that one. What is she making?"

"Red velvet with cream cheese frosting and Dark chocolate cupcakes for the kids"

"She's definitely staying in Seattle, even if I have to tie her to a gurney"

Lexie laughed.

oOo

"Ring shopping? You're really doing this with me?" Jackson asked as walks side long with his mentor.

"Shut it, you will be benefitting from this too" Mark said.

Jackson raised his brow; "And why is that?"

Mark turned his face to the side and grinned smugly; "Engagement rings man, we both know you're itching to put a ring on Kepner's finger"

Jackson felt his cheeks flush; "How would you know about that?" he grumbled.

"You've been staring at her hand for over a week now and I'm not the only one who notices that-Lexie thinks you have a strange fixation with it, she's calling it magical fingers"

"What?!"

Mark chuckled; "You can't blame her, its weird and you know it."

Jackson halted his steps right in front of the familiar boutique and stared at Mark; "We're here" he said.

Mark pushed the door open and stepped in; "Come on Avery, time to look at our rings" he said excitedly.

Jackson trailed behind Mark; "Your wedding ring, not our ring"

"Your homophobia is showing again" Mark teased.

"Stop being an ass!"

oOo

April skipped towards her door and pulled it open.

"You're lucky I love you" Lexie said as she sauntered inside April's flat.

"Err-thank you?" April replied as she closed the door.

Lexie placed the paper bags on top of the table before plopping down on a chair; "I hate going to the grocery stores, it's so crowded!" she complained.

April chuckled; "You better get used to it, you'll be doing a lot of trips once you get married" she said as she began taking out the supplies off the paper bags.

Lexie threw April a withered look; "That is if we're getting married."

April paused and furrowed her brows; "What do you mean if you're getting married?"

Lexie shrugged her shoulders; "He's still not talking about it"

April pulled a chair and sat down; "Why don't you start the conversation then?"

"Why would I? He's the man, he should take the initiative"

"Err-he did, he already proposed" April replied. "And besides, you're the bride-you're the one whose supposed to be fawning over the details, you're supposed to be bridezilla"

Lexie thought about it for a second before shaking her head to clear her thoughts; she stood up from her perch and began sorting out the groceries on top of the table. "Why don't we talk about it later and start making cupcakes? It's almost 2 and we need to be at Alex's place by 7."

April pursed her lips as she stood up; "Fine but we're not done talking about this"

"Don't I know it?" Lexie said while rolling her eyes.

oOo

"Excellent choice Dr. Sloan, we'll just have this ring resized to fit your fiancé's finger" Gracie said.

"I trust you still have her file?" Mark asked.

"We do"

"Perfect" Mark said as he slides his credit card towards the glass counter.

Gracie plucked the card and gestured towards her right; "This way please" she said.

Mark turned his head to the side; "Avery, I'll be right back"

"Okay" Jackson replied. He then moved towards the other display case and began perusing the rings; he leaned forward when something caught his eye.

"Is there anything I can help you with, Sir?"

"Yes" Jackson replied. He then pointed towards the ring that he's been eyeing; "I'd like to see that one" he said.

The store clerk smiled and moved behind the display case; she unlocked it and carefully took the ring out. She shifted towards the counter and placed it on top; "This is the Soleste, it's one of our classics. It's a 2.5 karat emerald cut diamond engagement ring with bead-set diamonds on each side."

Jackson gently plucked the velvet ring box from the counter and began inspecting it; he imagined the pretty ring on April's finger and it felt really right. "How much is it?"

"This particular ring costs around $50 to $58,000"

Jackson nodded; "Not bad for a 2.5 karat diamond" he said. "This is April's ring, it will look good on her finger" he thought happily.

"First, Weyerhaeuser Estate and now this, you really are set on marrying her, huh?"

Jackson turned around and saw his mentor standing behind him, a teasing smile plastered on his face; "You done?"

"Yeah, I can pick it up a week from now" Mark replied. He then gestured towards the ring that his prot is holding; "That's a pretty ring and it looks expensive too, how much is it?" he asked curiously.

"Around $50 to $58,000, 2.5 karat" Jackson replied while eyeing the ring again.

Mark's eyes widen in shock; "Damn Avery, you must really love her, that ring costs thrice than our salary combined" he said.

"Do you think she'll like it?" Jackson asked, completely ignoring Mark's words.

"I would love it" Mark said.

Jackson chuckled; "Too bad I'm not marrying you then" he joked.

Mark guffawed.

Jackson placed the ring back on the counter and smiled at the clerk; "Thank you but I'll have to think about it first" he said.

"You're welcome"

Jackson shoved his hands inside his pockets; "Time to go"

"Yeah" Mark replied. He then took a peek on his watch; "It's almost 5, we should get going" he said.

"We should, I still need to pick April up"

"I should call Lexie to ask her if she'll be riding with Meredith and Derek" Mark said thoughtfully.

"Do that" Jackson said as he began walking towards the door.

oOo

"You have a talent in frosting cupcakes Lex, they look delightful" April complimented.

"What can I say? I'm very artistic" Lexie said proudly.

"That you are" April replied. She then checked her watch; "It's quarter past 5, we just finished in time" she said.

"Crap!" Lexie said. She then stood up from her perch and yanked her jacket off the back of the chair; "I have to go, I promised Mer that I'll help dress Zola and baby Mark" she said. She shrugged on her jacket and made a bee line towards the door; "I'll see you later Apes!" she said as she closes the door behind her with a loud snap.

"That was fast" April said. She then turned towards the frosted cupcakes and began hauling them inside a large cardboard box; she was on her 4th cake when she felt her phone vibrating from her back pocket. She wiped her hands with a towel before plucking the device; she smiled upon seeing the name flashing on the screen and tapped on the answer button; "Heyah"

"Hey beautiful, just reminding you that I'll be there by 6"

"I didn't forget, I'm about to take a shower, I'll be ready before you arrive"

"Good, what have you been up to all afternoon?"

"I just baked some cupcakes to bring to Alex's place, I didn't want to go there empty handed-Lexie helped me" April replied.

"You let Lexie bake? Is it safe to eat them?"

April giggled; "She just helped with the frosting, so it's safe"

"You scared me there for a minute"

"Don't let her hear you say that Jackson Avery or you'll be a very sorry man"

Jackson laughed.

"I have to finish boxing these goodies so I have to hang up, I'll see you in a bit?"

"Be there by 6"

"Okay, love you"

"Love you too"

oOo

"Alex!"

"What?"

"Did you make sure that we have enough ice?" Izzie asked.

Alex rolled his eyes; "I bought enough ice that can freeze hell over"

Izzie placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at her husband; "Stop being an ass!"

"I will if you stop being psychotic" Alex replied with a smirk.

"I'm not being psychotic, I just want everything to be in order, it's the first party we'll be hosting in like-forever"

"A party that consist mainly of our old housemates and friends" Alex replied. He then walked towards his anxious wife and pulled her to his chest; "Stop stressing yourself, you cooked tons of food, I bought some drinks and Mer and Cristina will be bringing the booze-everything is in place, so relax."

Izzie wrapped her arms around Alex's neck and took a deep calming breath; "You're right"

Alex smiled cheekily; "I love hearing you say that I'm right"

Izzie chuckled; "Why? Because you seldom are?" she teased.

Alex shifted his right hand lower and pinched Izzie's backside; "Are you being rude to me Isobel Steven?"

"I am, what will you do about it?" Izzie said boldly, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

Alex growled before planting his lips firmly on hers.

oOo

"Lexie, are you done?" Meredith called out loudly.

"Yeah, give me a second" Lexie yelled.

"Zola! Come here sweetheart" Meredith said as she adjusted baby Mark in her arms.

"I'm here" Lexie said as she steps into the living room.

"Get Zola, we have to get going, Cristina and Owen are already on their way" Meredith said.

Lexie leaned forward and picked up Zola from the couch; she wrapped her arms around the toddler securely before hefting the baby bag from the coffee table. "Where's Derek?"

"He's just finishing up his rounds, he'll meet us there" Meredith replied. "Where's Mark?"

Lexie walked towards her sister; "I don't know, I haven't talked to him since yesterday"

"Trouble in paradise?"

"No, we're good"

Meredith was about to open her mouth to ask further but wasn't able to do so when the door bell rang; "Who in the world could be visiting us?"

"Only one way to find out" Lexie replied as she strolled towards the door, pulling it open.

"I've been calling you but you're not answering my calls"

Lexie winced; "My phone died an hour ago, I haven't gotten the chance to charge it yet"

Mark rolled his eyes; he then leaned forward and kissed his fiancé's forehead. He then turned his attention towards the little girl in her arms and smiled brightly; "Hello Little Ms. Zola" he cooed.

Zola giggled and thrust her arms upward, asking Mark to pick her up.

Mark obliged; "Come here love"

Meredith fell into step with Lexie; "Can we go now?"

Mark adjusted Zola in his arms before grabbing the baby bag from Lexie's hand; "Yep"

"Finally" Meredith said before pushing Lexie out. "No time to waste"

Lexie rolled her eyes; "You're just excited to touch base with your long lost best friend"

"Tequila?" Mark asked knowingly.

Meredith grinned; "Right on"

oOo

"We're here" Jackson said as he pulls over.

April peered from the window; "It's been so long since I last been here" she said. She then turned towards her beau and smiled; "I missed this place"

Jackson smiled back; "We have a lot of memories here"

"True" April agreed.

Jackson pulled off his key from the ignition and unbuckled his seatbelt; "Ready to get drunk and celebrate?"

April took off her seatbelt and pushed the door; "Yep"

Jackson climbed out of his car and closed the door behind him; he shifted towards the back passenger seat door and pulled it open; he leaned forward and grabbed the boxes of cupcakes.

April hastily rounded the car and stood right in front of Jackson; "Let me help you with that" she said.

"I have this, can you just close the door and lock the car?"

"Okay, where are your keys?"

Jackson moved the boxes out of the way; "Right pocket"

April shoved her hand inside his pocket without thinking; she shifted closer and delve in deeper when she couldn't reach it.

Jackson let out a loud groan when he felt his girlfriend's hand nudge his crotch accidentally; "Err-I love having your hands on me but I don't think this is the right time and place"

April felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment; she hastily pulled her hands out of his pocket and took a step back. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean-I-err-sorry"

"It's okay, you can resume doing that later" Jackson said with a wink.

"Jackson!" April shrieked.

Jackson chuckled.

April locked the car and turned on her heels; "Get your head out of the gutter Avery, let's get this party started"

Jackson shook his head as he followed the red head.

"You're here! Congratulations April!"

April threw her arms around Izzie and pulled her into a tight hug; "Thank you Iz!" she squealed.

Izzie chuckled as she patted April's back; "You're welcome"

April pulled away, a large smile pasted on her face; "Where's Alex?"

"He's in the living room, Cristina and Owen just arrived" Izzie replied. She then peered behind April's shoulder and saw Jackson holding boxes; "Hey Jackson, what are those?" she asked curiously.

Jackson lifted the box; "April had an ultimate bake off with Lexie and here's the result."

"You're already throwing us a party, it's only right that we bring something" April replied.

Izzie smiled; "You didn't have to but thank you" she replied as she ushered them inside. "What flavours did you make?"

"Chocolate and red velvet" Jackson piped in.

"Cream cheese frosting?" Izzie asked.

"Yep" April replied.

"You'll have Alex at your beck and call, he's a sucker for those" Izzie said mirthfully.

April giggled; "That I have to see"

Jackson closed the door behind him before trailing behind the women.

"Alex! April and Jackson are here!" Izzie called out loudly.

Alex turned around and saw his former housemates standing along the hallway; "Little midget 1 has finally arrived but where's midget 2?" he asked with a smirk.

Izzie's eyes widen in horror as Cristina howled in laughter.

April placed her hands on her hips, her eyes narrowing; "How many times do I have to tell you not to call us midgets? If Lexie hears you say that word again you wouldn't be operating any time soon"

"Don't take her warning lightly Karev, you know she can throw a punch" Jackson said.

Alex chuckled; "Yeah, she fought for your honour when you had your ass kicked, how can I forget?"

Jackson rolled his eyes; he then turned towards Izzie and lifted the boxes in his hands. "Where should I put these?"

"The dining table, together with the other food" Izzie replied.

Jackson nodded and made his way towards the dining room.

"Mer and Lexie are on their way, Cristina just got off the phone with her" Owen said with a smile.

Cristina leaned back on the couch and pointed towards the paper bag on top of the coffee table; "I brought my other best friends, do you want to meet them now?" she asked.

"I think it's better to wait for the others" April said.

Alex moved towards April and handed her a beer; "Did you bake a cake?" he asked before taking a swig of his own drink.

"Thanks" April said. "Nah, it's just cupcakes, Lexie and I didn't feel right to come here empty handed, thanks for this again Alex"

Alex offered his bottle for a toast; "You're welcome and congratulations for kicking the Board's ass"

April giggled as she clinked her bottle to his; "Thanks again" she said before taking a sip.

"We're here!"

"I think midget 2 is here" Cristina drawled.

"I don't think Lexie will appreciate you calling her midget 2" Owen whispered.

"I don't care" Cristina said.

Owen shook his head and just took a sip of his beer.

Lexie appeared on the hallway with Zola in her arms; "Hey you guys!" she said cheerfully.

April hastily handed her bottle to Alex and made a bee line towards her best friend; "Hey little love bug, I missed you!" she cooed.

"Do you remember Auntie April, Zozo?" Lexie asked.

Zola giggled as she nodded.

"She's so cute!" April gushed. She then leaned forward and opened her arms; "Come here baby girl" she cajoled.

Zola lifted her chubby arms towards April and gurgled happily.

April gently plucked Zola from Lexie's arms and cuddled the toddler to her chest; she planted a kiss on her cheek and met her gaze. "You are cute as button, yes you are"

"Calm down Kepner, I can hear your uterus fluttering up to here" Alex teased.

Lexie laughed.

"Avery! Your woman's uterus is fluttering, where the hell are you?" Mark called out loudly.

April felt her cheeks flush; "It's not!" she shrieked.

Meredith pushed Mark aside and fell into step with her sister; "Are you sure it's not?" she teased.

"Are you people bullying April again?"

"Knight and shining Avery arrived just on time!" Cristina jibbed.

The whole room erupted into fits of laughter.

oOo

Mark is leaning on the wall sideways; watching his fiancé chat with their friends animatedly.

"When are you planning on telling her that you already have a venue in mind and your rings are on their way?" Jackson asked as he handed his mentor a bottle of beer.

Mark took a swig of his beer; "After I check Cedar Springs" he replied.

"When's your next ocular visit? Am I still needed?"

"Of course, I need your Avery radar-you're good in these things and oh, it will be tomorrow" Mark replied. He then turned towards his prot and smirked; "Don't worry, I'll return the favour when it's your turn"

Jackson chuckled; he then took a sip of his beer before turning his gaze towards his girlfriend. "I have to pluck up the nerves to ask her first before I even start thinking about those stuff" he replied. "What time do you need me?"

"The ring you're looking at this afternoon is beautiful, it fits her hand perfectly, I suggest you buy that-she'll love it" Mark replied. "9 A.M. alright?"

Jackson turned towards Mark; "9 it is. I like that ring as well, it's really not gaudy?"

"You saw Lexie's ring right?" Mark asked with a raised brow.

Jackson thought for a moment before cracking a smile; "Right"

oOo

"Come on Apes, it's your turn" Cristina said as she pushes the shot glass towards the red head.

April wrinkled her nose as picked up the glass; "I don't understand why you guys love this stuff, it's awful"

"Hush!" Meredith said. She then plucked the bottle from the table and cradled it to her chest; "You don't get to insult my best friend" she said.

Lexie felt her drink go down the wrong pipe, sending her to a coughing fit.

April threw Meredith an amused look before emptying her glass.

Cristina laughed boisterously at Meredith's antics; "Twisty Meredith on the house, ladies!"

Meredith leaned forward and yanked the now empty glass from April's grasp, refilling it. "Your turn Izzie"

Izzie accepted the drink and drank it in one go.

"Atta girl" Cristina said enthusiastically. She then turned her gaze towards the new board passers; "So-what are two up to? Awesome hospitals are fighting for your affection, what's your game plan?"

Lexie leaned forward and grabbed herself a chip; "I'll be flying out this weekend, I have an interview with Mount Sinai" she replied.

April turned to her side and stared at her best friend; "When did you confirm that? Why didn't you tell me?"

Lexie winced; "Err-they called me right after I left your place so I guess after that?"

"You're leaving?" Meredith asked, clearly aghast.

"I haven't decided yet, I just want to check what they have to offer" Lexie explained.

Meredith huffed; "Whatever!"

Izzie cleared her throat; "What about you Apes?"

Meredith turned her gaze towards April, her eyes narrowing.

April felt the weight of Meredith's stare so she kept her eyes firmly on Izzie; "I haven't decided yet to be honest, I have a lot of things to consider here in Seattle so I have to think about it..."

"Good answer" Meredith said approvingly.

Lexie rolled her eyes at her sister before turning towards April; "Did you receive an invite from the hospitals that wants you?" she asked.

April turned towards the brunette; "Err-yeah"

Lexie's eyes widen; "And you didn't tell me?"

"You didn't ask Lex" April replied.

Lexie pouted sulkily; "But that's already given."

"Who called you?" Cristina asked.

April took a swig of her beer before responding; "Fairfax and Children's Hospital in Boston, they called me this morning and sent me a copy of their offer together with the job description. I haven't gotten the chance to browse through them yet and I don't know if I'm interested enough to do so-don't get me wrong their prestigious in their own rights but it's so far"

"Virginia and Boston" Cristina said thoughtfully. "Brigham is also in Boston, Mama Avery is there, right?"

"Yeah" April replied.

"That's one interview you can't avoid, I'm quite sure Mama Avery will be adamant and you'll be flying off to Boston even before you realize it" Meredith said.

"Avery will be pissed" Cristina sniggered.

Lexie snorted; "More than pissed"

April threw her beau a fleeting glance and saw him talking with Mark; "I don't know about that..." she trailed off.

Cristina yanked the bottle from Meredith and filled the shot glass again; she moved it towards the red head and gestured towards it. "You mean, he's not throwing a tantrum?"

April took the glass and pursed her lips, braising herself from the onslaught of taste the golden liquid brings; "Nope, as a matter of fact we haven't talked about it yet" she replied before throwing back the drink.

"Neither of you brought it up?" Izzie asked.

April cringes as she places the glass back on the table; "Yeah"

"Why?" Meredith asked.

"He never brought it up, so I didn't" April replied.

Lexie snickered; "Plastic Posses living up to their name"

April laughed.

Izzie threw Meredith a confused look; "What does that mean?"

Meredith raised both hands in mock surrender; "Don't look at me, I'm only dark and twisty"

Izzie moved her eyes towards Cristina; "Any idea?"

"Like what Mer said, dark and twisty" Cristina said while filling up the glass again.

"It's just Lexie's way of saying that Mark and Jackson thinks the same way" April explained.

"Oh" Izzie said.

"Yeah" Lexie replied before swiping the glass from the table and drinking it.

oOo

It was almost 1 A.M. when the group decided to wrap the party up; they drank and ate while exchanging their most outrageous stories. It has been a long time since all of them had been this relaxed and it's safe to say that it did all of them good.

Jackson pulled on the hand break and turned towards his semi drunk girlfriend; "We're here"

April opened her heavy eyes and peered from her window; "We are"

Jackson unlocked his car and pushed his door open; he climbed out, closed the door and made his way towards April's side. He then opened the door and leaned forward; "Come on babe, I'll help you up"

April pulled her bag from the dashboard and accepted Jackson's hand; she pulled herself up and stepped outside the car.

Jackson pulled her to his side and closed the door shut; he wrapped his arm around her waist and guided her towards the door.

April leaned her head into his shoulder and let out a loud yawn.

"Sleepy?"

"Yeah, I think I drank too much" April replied.

Jackson pushed the door open and held it for them; once they're inside he steered them towards the stairs. "Can you climb up or do you want me to carry you?"

April waved her hand; "I can"

"Okay" Jackson replied, still keeping his arm securely on her waist.

April grabbed the banister before climbing up; "This is one of the reasons why I love your apartment, you have elevators"

Jackson chuckled; "If you love elevators so much then move in with me"

April giggled; "Nice try Avery"

"Just trying my luck" Jackson said.

"Finally!" April exclaimed as they reached her floor. "Are you staying with me tonight?"

Jackson was about to say yes but then he remembered Mark; "I can't tonight-I have to go somewhere with Mark tomorrow"

April stopped right in front of her door; "Where?" she asked as she fumbles with her bag.

Jackson shoved his hands inside his pockets; "Just some errands, nothing special"

April pulled her keys and unlocked her doors; "Again? You just helped him this afternoon" she said. She then turned around to face her boyfriend, leaning her back on the closed door; "What are you guys up to?"

"He needs help in-err-shopping for things" Jackson replied evasively.

April raised her brow, clearly not buying his feeble excuse; "For what?"

Jackson stood straighter; "Golf"

April stared at Jackson before shaking her head in disbelief; she turned around and pushed her door open. "Talk to me once you're ready to be honest"

Jackson eyes widen, not expecting her reaction. He hastily leaned forward and grabbed April's arm; "I'm not lying to you"

April pulled her arm away; "Mark sucks at golf and you don't even know a thing about golf"

"I know golf!"

April turned around, crossing her arms on top of her chest; "Oh really? What are the different types of golf clubs then?"

Jackson mentally cursed; "Err-"

April snorted; "See? You can't even name one!"

"Mark doesn't need my expertise, he just needs my company"

April spun around and began making her way towards the living room; "And you'd rather spend time with him than me?"

"That's not true, but I promised him I'd help him Apes" Jackson explained as he closes the door behind him.

April plopped down the sofa, her arms still crossed on her chest; "You're hiding something from me, I can feel it"

Jackson walked towards the sofa and sat beside her; "I'm not, don't be silly"

April turned to her side and met Jackson's gaze; "You're not fooling around, right?" she asked bluntly.

Jackson threw April and indignant look; "Of course not! I wouldn't cheat on you! How can you even ask me that?"

April cracked a smile; "I know you're not, I just had to ask so I can see how you'd react"

Jackson pursed his lips; "Not funny Apes"

April scooted closer to Jackson and leaned her head on his shoulder; "I'm sorry Jackman"

Jackson lifted his arm and pulled her closer, placing a kiss on her unruly hair.

April closed her eyes contentedly; she stayed in his arms for a couple of minutes before voicing out the question she'd been wanting to ask him for a couple of days now. "Why aren't we talking about my Fellowship?"

Jackson shifted in his seat; "I don't know..."

April tilted her face and fixed her gaze on Jackson's face; "Fairfax and Children's Hospital called me this morning, they sent me a copy of their offer and the job description" she said cautiously.

Jackson stiffened; "Really? How was it?"

"I haven't checked it yet" April replied.

"You should, they're one of the best Trauma Hospital in this country"

April turned her face away and tucked her head in the crook of his neck; "I know but I have a lot of things to consider" she replied. "Jackson?"

"Hmmmnnn?"

"Do you want me to stay?"

Jackson felt his breath caught in his throat as myriad of emotions surge inside his chest; "April..."

April pulled away and stared at his face; when she saw that he's averting his gaze, she cupped his face and turned it towards her. "I'm asking you a question Jackman, do you want me to stay?"

Jackson met April's eyes and in that very moment, he knew he couldn't lie; "You already know my answer to that April...I want you to stay-but not in the expense of your dream, I love you too much to stand in your way"

April smiled before leaning forward, capturing Jackson's lips into a searing kiss.

Jackson returned her kisses with fervour; pulling her into his lap.

April straddled his lap and cupped his face with her hands; she let out a loud moan when he started deepening the kiss.

Jackson caressed her sides before setting his hands on her hips.

April pulled her hands away from his face and braised it on the back of the couch; grounding her hips rhythmically.

Jackson groaned before pulling his lips away; "April...you gotta stop that...you're drunk and I don't want to take advantage of you..."

April angled her head to the side and began nibbling on his neck; "If there's someone whose taking advantage, it's me-I'm on top of you" she murmured.

Jackson closed his eyes as she started sucking on his pulse point; "You sure about this?" he grunted.

April ground her hips again before taking her right hand off the couch; she grabbed his left hand and placed it on her breast. "Stop thinking Jackson, can't you feel how much I want you?"

Jackson's hand started moving on its own accord; playing with her puckered buds on top of her shirt.

April moaned out loudly; she sat up straight and began tugging her top off.

Jackson helped her; peeling it off in one swift motion.

April giggled; "Glad to have you on board"

Jackson grinned; "I'm always on board" he replied. He then grabbed the hem of his shirt, discarding it hastily.

April instantly placed her hands on top of his chest; running her hands along his pecs. "I've always loved your chest, it's so manly"

"I love your chest too, you have the most gorgeous breast I've ever seen, I'm a Plastic Surgeon, I know these things-that's saying something" Jackson said while wiggling his brows.

April laughed.

Jackson leaned forward and skilfully took off her bra; he flung it towards the coffee table before cupping her naked breast with his hands. "Perfection"

April thrusts her chest forward; enjoying the feel of his hands.

Jackson saw her reaction so he began tugging on her aroused nipples; "Do you like that?"

April closed her eyes as she felt her core tighten in anticipation; "Yeah-don't stop"

"I don't plan on stopping love" Jackson replied before clamping his lips on one of her buds.

April wrapped her right arm around Jackson's head; pulling him closer.

Jackson suckled and nipped at her right breast while plucking the other with his hand.

"Oh god"

Jackson released her nipple with loud pop before shifting to the other, giving it the same attention and love.

"I-I need you...I don't think I can hold off any longer..." April murmured breathlessly.

Jackson took his other hand away from her breast and began unbuttoning her jeans.

April pulled his head away from her chest and began kissing him again; she lifted herself from his lap as she pulls her jeans down her hips.

Jackson took that moment to slip his right hand inside her underwear, letting his deft fingers explore her moist core.

April broke the kiss and rested her forehead on his; "Let-let me take my jeans off Jackson..."

Jackson pulled his hand off and began tugging her jeans down; "You need to move babe, I can't take it off this way" he whispered.

April obediently slid off his lap and stood up; she peeled off her jeans, her underwear following next.

"A little impatient, aren't we?" Jackson teased as he stripped off the rest of his clothes.

April ignored his taunts and moved towards him; she straddled his legs but didn't settle herself on his lap. She kept a kneeling position and rested her forehead on his; "Touch me..."

"You want me to make you come with my fingers?" Jackson asked as he ran his fingers on her soaking core.

April felt her breath hitch in her throat, her cheeks burning bright; "Yeah..."

Jackson pecked her lips before smiling; "We would have to do it in a different position, I don't want your knees hurting afterwards" he said. "I need you to sit on my lap facing front, can you do that?"

"Huh?"

"Just do it, I promise you it'll be worth it"

April followed his instructions and turned her back on him; she sat down on his lap like she's sitting on a chair.

Jackson rolled his eyes upon sensing her unease; he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her flush to his chest.

"Are-are we cuddling?" April asked, clearly confused.

Jackson buried his face into the crook of her neck and began planting wet kisses; "Does this feel like cuddling to you?" he asked.

April felt herself relax in his arms; she then tilted her head to the side to give way to Jackson's wandering lips.

Jackson ran his tongue along her neck as he trailed his hands up to her breast.

"This...this...you were right...this is much better" April said contentedly.

Jackson let his right hand fall off her breast and ran it along her sides; he then positioned it between her legs, slowly prying them apart.

April obliged, spreading her legs widely.

Jackson started flicking and rubbing her most sensitive part in synch.

"Oh god" April gasped.

"Kiss me" Jackson grunted.

April turned her head to the side and kissed him.

Jackson plunge two of his fingers inside her and started thrusting in and out.

April's hips started bucking involuntarily; meeting his hands thrust per thrust. She then pulled her lips away and closed her eyes tightly; "I-I'm close...I want you inside me when I come..."

"I thought you want me to make you come with my hands?"

"I-I changed my mind...please-inside..." April begged.

"Your wish is my command Princess..." Jackson said before pulling out is fingers. He then lifted April's hips and positioned his cock on her entrance; he slowly sheathed himself and let out a loud groan when he's buried to the hilt. "You're so tight...you feel so good..."

April bit her bottom lip as she adjust to this new angle; this is the first time they tried this position and she doesn't think she can last when he's hitting her most sensitive spots with precision. She swallowed thickly and swivelled her hips; "Fuck" she gasped.

"That good, eh?" Jackson teased.

"Shut up and move" April said through gritted teeth.

Jackson obliged; he placed his hands on her hips and began guiding her body into a rhythm.

April braised her feet on the edge of the couch to get some leverage and when she felt she's stable enough, she splayed her hands on Jackson's chest and began riding him.

"Fuck...you feel so good..." Jackson moaned as he thrusts upwards relentlessly.

April felt herself close to the edge so she moved her right hand between her legs; tugging on his balls.

"A-april...stop that or I'll get off like a fucking hormonal teenager..."

"I-I'm close Jackson...I'll go over the edge with you..."

Jackson pulled April to his chest tightly and began bucking his hips frantically; he placed his right hand between her legs and began rubbing her.

April felt the familiar tightening in her core and before she knows it, she's convulsing wildly on Jackson's lap.

Jackson was not far behind, he thrusts a couple of more times before he felt himself finish.

April fell limp on top of his body as she tries to catch her breath; "That was-more than great"

Jackson rested his hands on her belly, rubbing it soothingly; "Yeah...mind blowing..."

April tried to move her legs but it won't seem to budge; "I can't feel my legs"

Jackson chuckled; "I can't feel my ass"

April giggled; she then placed her hands on top of Jackson's and shifted her face towards him. "Thank you..."

"For the mind blowing orgasm?"

April pecked his lips; "For saying what you said awhile ago..."

Jackson felt a pang inside his chest but he smiled none the less; "You're welcome"

April sat up and gently stood up; "We made a mess, I think a shower is in order"

"Yeah...I guess..." Jackson replied as he rested his head on the back of the couch.

April began collecting her scattered clothes before tip toeing away; when she didn't feel him follow, she halted her steps and turned her face towards him. "Aren't you coming?"

Jackson turned his head to the side; "Just give me a minute to collect myself, I'll be there in a few"

April smiled; "Okay but don't take too long" she said before making her way towards her bathroom.

Jackson waited for the tell tale sign of water running before burying his face into his hands; "I don't want you to leave...you're all I have..." he whispered to himself.

"I resolve to call her up a thousand times a day and ask her if she'll marry me in some old fashioned way. But my silent fears have gripped me long before I reach the phone, long before my tongue has tripped me, must I always be alone..."

The days had been bleeding together and before Jackson realizes it, two weeks has passed. It has been awhile since they last talked about April's impending Fellowship and it's driving Jackson close to insanity. He wanted to ask her if she already came up with a decision but every time he's close to bringing the topic up, he chickens out-as usual. He knew that Alex is helping her with her offers so he tried his best to persuade him to spare him a couple of details but to his immense displeasure, the Ped's Attending remained tight lipped. Tomorrow would be the big day and no matter how much he denies it, he feels like a sitting duck on pins in needles.

"Why are you looking at that door like it will lead you to Narnia?"

Jackson turned his face to the side and saw his mentor; "Because I'm hoping it does"

Mark made his way towards his prot; "Why? So you can meet the talking lion?"

"If he can give me the answers I want-then yes I'd like to meet him" Jackson replied sulkily.

"You can get the answers you want by just simply asking her, you know"

Jackson pursed his lips; "Easier said than done" he mumbled. He then shook his head to clear his thoughts and sat straighter; "Let's not talk about that, why are you here anyway?"

"Because I work here" Mark replied cheekily.

Jackson rolled his eyes; "I know that, what I mean is what are you doing in this office? Is there something you need? Board Stuff?" he clarified.

Mark instantly perked up; "Yeah, about that- Gracie called me this morning and she told me that the rings are ready for pick-up"

Jackson can't help but smile; "Really? That's awesome man! You can finally tell Lexie"

Mark grinned; "I know! I'm so excited to see them" he said giddily.

"So what do you need? Do you need me to cover for you?"

"Nope, I want you to come with me unless you already have lunch plans with Kepner"

Jackson thought for a moment; "No plans, yeah sure, I'll go with you-I need time out of this hospital, even if it's just an hour or so"

"Perfect! I'll see you in a few hours then" Mark said.

"Alright"

oOo

"What do we have?" April asked as she rushed towards the incoming gurney.

"Gary Lincoln, 29 years old male. Gym accident while lifting weights-apparently he tried lifting something too heavy for him. His esophagus is severely damaged but he can still breathe. Hypertensive, his BP is 140/100, he's been responsive and conscious on the way here" Matthew said.

Owen cringed; "Damn, that hurts" he said while examining the damages.

April leaned forward; "Gary, can you hear me? I'm Dr. April Kepner and we'll take care of you, okay?"

The patient tried to speak but instead of words coming out of his mouth, blood oozed out-sending the patient into panic.

April hastily wiped the patient's mouth; "Calm down Gary, we've got you, okay? Just try to calm down"

"He'll need surgery, his esophagus is broken" Owen said. "Kepner, can you handle this?"

April met Owen's eyes, surprise clearly written on her face; "O—of course Chief" she replied.

Owen cracked a small smile; "Good, you'll be the lead surgeon on this one. Take him to Trauma Room 1 and I'll send a portable XRAY your way-I'll join you in the O.R after I find someone who can handle the pit."

April threw Owen a thankful look; "Okay Chief" she said. She then turned her head to the side and saw one of the interns watching them; "Brooks! You're with me on this one, page Torres-we'll be in Trauma Room 1" she instructed.

Heather nodded; "Right away Dr. K" she replied.

"Why are you still standing there? MOVE!" April barked out when she noticed the intern just staring at them.

Heather scurried towards the nurses' station to follow her orders.

"Dr. Kepner can be very scary if she wants to, Trauma is perfect for her" Matthew said.

Owen placed his hands on hips as he watches his student push the gurney towards the Trauma Room with amusement; "She's a little spit fire"

Matthew nodded in agreement; "She is."

oOo

"You paged?" Lexie asked as sidled up next to Derek.

Derek tore his eyes away from his patient's chart; "Yeah, I need you to handle the pit"

Lexie threw her mentor a confused look; "Where's April?"

"She's in surgery with Hunt, they just scrubbed in."

"Oh, okay" Lexie said.

Derek signed his name on the chart before closing it; "Page me if you need me, okay?"

"Sure thing"

Derek nodded at his sister in law before walking away; he was halfway towards the door when he paused and turned towards his prot. "Lexie?"

Lexie turned around; "Yeah?"

"You need to give Hunt an answer about your Fellowship tomorrow, it's almost time"

"I know"

Derek cracked a smile; "Whatever decision you make, your sister and I will always have your back-though Mer will be a little bit peeved if you chose to leave but that won't last, she'll always come around"

Lexie let out giggle; "She's won't be a little bit peeved, she'll be I'll-strangle-you-mad"

Derek chuckled; "I promise to hold her down while you run"

Lexie smiled; "Thank you"

"You're welcome" Derek replied before walking away.

oOo

Gracie carefully placed the velvet box on top of the glass counter before opening it for display; "Here are your rings Dr. Sloan, we hope it meets your expectations"

Jackson leaned forward and stared at the rings; "It's beautiful, you have exquisite taste too" he complimented.

Mark gently plucked the ring from the box and inspected it up close; he tilted the ring to read the words that's engraved. "Forever yours"

Jackson can't help but smile; "A closet romantic as well, impressive"

Mark turned his face to the side, grinning widely; "You think she'll like this?"

"She'll love it" Jackson affirmed.

Mark giddily placed the ring back on the box; "Thank you so much for making this happen Gracie"

Gracie smiled brightly; "You're welcome, let me just wrap this up for you" she said before taking the ring off the counter.

Mark let out happy sigh before turning towards his prot; "Venue done, rings done, all we need is to assemble the entourage, pick a caterer and cake and we're good to go!"

"And you're just right on time, I assure you man, she won't even think twice about staying"

"I hope so" Mark said hopefully. "Any news about Kepner?"

"Radio silence, I tried asking Karev to spill some beans but he won't budge" Jackson said glumly.

"He's helping her with her offers right? Have you tried asking Hunt?"

Jackson shook his head; "Nope, I already made it clear that I won't interfere with her offer-I won't go back on my word"

Mark cocked his head to the side; "Asking is different from interfering"

"I can't-I saw some of her offers, the minute I see that our offer is not even close to what she'll gain from others I'll be hard pressed to change it...I can't let that happen"

Mark pursed his lips; "You're right, same reason I didn't snoop around Lexie's stuff"

Jackson smirked; "Really? Or are you just scared that she'll kick your ass if she catches you?" he teased.

"That too"

"Dr. Sloan? Here are you rings" Gracie said.

Mark turned towards the counter and smiled; "Thank you so much Gracie, you've been a great help" he said as he grabs the tiny blue paper bag.

"It has been my pleasure Dr. Sloan and congratulations on your wedding" Gracie replied.

Mark chuckled; "Thanks again" he said.

Jackson gestured towards the door; "Shall we?"

Mark turned towards Jackson and stared at him; "Are you really not gonna buy that ring?"

"What ring?" Jackson asked nonchalantly.

"The ring you've been staring at since we arrived, Kepner's ring."

Jackson pursed his lips petulantly; "Why should I buy her a ring when I don't even know if she's staying?"

Mark shifted the paper bag on his other hand before slapping the back of Jackson's head; "Stop acting like a spoiled kid who didn't get his way" he chastised.

"Ouch! You didn't have to hit me!" Jackson whimpered as he rub his head.

"You needed it. You love her and she loves you-that's enough reason to buy the damn ring."

Jackson threw Mark a sour look before walking towards the door wordlessly.

Mark crossed his arms on top of his chest, clearly amused; "One-Two-Thr-"

Jackson turned around; his eyes fixed on the display case that bears the ring he covets. After a couple of minutes of contemplating, he strode towards it and signalled for a crew.

Mark smiled like a proud father; "Atta boy"

oOo

April was washing her hands when Callie entered the scrub room; she walked towards the red head and fell into step with her. "Nice work Kepner"

April turned her face towards the Ortho Surgeon and smiled; "Thanks, you too-that's the first time I've ever seen that technique, you're an Ortho goddess"

Callie chuckled as she washes her hands; "Thank you, I guess" she replied.

April switched off the faucet and grabbed a towel; "I'll have Brooks send you his chart after I add my notes, is that okay?"

"Yep" Callie replied. "Tomorrow is D day, have you decided?"

April discarded the towel on the appropriate bin; "Yep"

Callie's eyes sparkled with curiosity; "Really? Who did you choose?"

April threw Callie a mischievous look before walking towards the door; "You'll find out tomorrow" she said before opening the door.

"Come on Kepner! Don't leave me hanging here!" Callie complained.

April giggled as she closes the door behind her.

oOo

"Discharge bed 3 and make sure that bed 6 received her prescription from Dr. Webber, okay?" Lexie said.

"Will do, Dr. Grey" Leah replied.

"I'll just take a quick break, page me if you need me"

Leah nodded; "Okiedokie"

Lexie raised her brow; "Why are you still standing there?"

Leah hastily spun on her heels and scampered away.

"Well, well, well, look who decided to grace my pit with her presence-having fun?"

Lexie turned around and saw her best friend standing behind the nurses' station; "I enjoy harassing your interns more" she replied with a smirk.

April chuckled; "You're horrible"

"I am" Lexie replied. "It's quarter past 1, did you just get off of surgery?"

"Yep and I'm starving to death, did you have lunch already?"

Lexie shook her head; "Nope, I've been here since you left, want to grab a bite with me?"

"Sure but where's Mark?" April asked.

Lexie leaned forward and placed her tab on its charging rack; "He had some errands to run" she replied. "Jackson?"

April shoved her hands inside her lab coat pocket and cocked her to the side; "I actually don't have the slightest idea, I haven't seen him since I came in this morning"

Lexie furrowed her brows; "Really?"

"Really"

"That's new, he normally hovers around you" Lexie said as she walks around the counter.

"Maybe he's with your fiancé? Everybody knows they're joined at the hip" April replied.

Lexie looped her arm around April's and began ushering her towards the door; "Maybe but they'll be back, Hunt will bust their ass if they don't come back soon."

April chuckled.

oOo

The next morning: "D-day"

The day that Jackson has been dreading for has finally come; today, he'll know whether the love of his life will stay by his side or leave to fulfil her dreams. His emotions was scattered all over the place since last night and it doesn't show any sign of righting itself, so now he found himself sitting inside his car-in a parking lot-late for his shift. He grasped the stirring wheel tightly and leaned back on his seat; "You can do this Avery-stop being a pussy" he said loudly. He turned his head to the side and stared at his bag; "Whatever decision she comes up with, you will take it like a man and get over it. You love her and she loves you, it will work" he said firmly. He took a deep breath and nodded; he unbuckled his seat belt and grabbed his bag from the passenger seat. He unlocked the doors and pushed the door open; he climbed out of his car and slammed the door shut.

"I was wondering if you had a heart attack or you fell asleep in the driver seat"

Jackson spun around and saw Alex standing behind him; "How long have you been standing there?"

Alex walked towards the Plastic Surgeon; "Long enough to give Robbins a reason to kick my ass for being late"

Jackson chuckled as he began walking; "Why risk her wrath then?"

"I can't leave your mopping ass there, I had to make sure you didn't slit your throat even before April reveals her decision."

Jackson perked up a bit; "What's her decision?"

Alex pushed the door open and stepped inside; "I'm still not telling you any shit Avery, you'll just have to wait like everyone else"

Jackson threw the Ped's Attending an annoyed look; "Why bring it up then?" he snapped.

Alex paused and turned his face towards Jackson; "To annoy you of course" he said happily before turning around the corner.

oOo

April just got into the pit when the doors were slammed open; she furrowed her brows and turned around.

"APPPPPRRRIIIILLLLLL!"

"What in heaven's name is wrong with you?" April asked as she watches her best friend skip towards her.

Lexie threw her arms around the red head and pulled her into a tight hug.

April returned the hug, still confused with what's going on; "Err-what happened?"

Lexie took a step back, a big smile still pasted on her face; "I'm getting married!"

April cocked her head to the side; "I already know that Lex"

Lexie shook her head; "I'm really getting married! Mark already reserved the venue and bought our rings! All along I thought he's doing nothing but he is, oh my god he is!" she gushed.

April gasped; "Oh my god! That's the sweetest!"

"I know!" Lexie replied. "There's still a lot to do but the most important thing has already been settled, I can take care of the rest"

April reached for Lexie's hand and gave it a squeeze; "I'm so happy and excited for you!"

"I'm really getting married!"

April giggled; "You are" she affirmed. She then pulled her hand away and smiled; "I take it that you already told Chief Hunt that you're staying?"

Lexie smiled; "I did"

April nodded; "Good, good."

"How about you? Have you already talked with him?"

"First thing I did when I came in this morning"

Lexie shoved her hands inside her lab coat and began bouncing on the balls of her feet; "How did he take it?"

"He was shocked but he accepted it" April replied.

Lexie grinned; "Good for you then"

oOo

Jackson glumly opened the door to his office and stepped in; he immediately noticed his mentor sitting on his chair so he closed the door behind him. "I take it that Lexie approves?"

Mark grinned; "Yep and she just signed her Fellowship contract a couple of minutes ago."

Jackson offered a small smile; "I'm happy for you man"

Mark stood up from his perch and rounded the desk; he moved towards the chairs right in front of it and sat down.

Jackson walked towards his seat and took his place; he placed his bag on top of his desk and sighed.

Mark studied Jackson's posture; "I take it that you didn't go with your plan last night"

Jackson leaned back on his chair and sighed again; "I wanted to but I can't-I-I don't want her to think that I'm using that as a tactic to make her stay-I can't do that to her."

Mark leaned back on his own chair and crossed his legs; "You could've told her that it's has nothing to do with her decision-that you just love her enough to want to marry her, regardless if she's staying or not."

Jackson blinked a couple of times before cursing loudly; "Why didn't I thought of that?!"

Mark laughed.

Jackson scowled; "Stop laughing, it's not funny! I'm about to lose my sanity here and all you do is laugh at my plight!"

Mark stifled his laughter and cleared his throat; "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to piss on your already sodden parade."

"The hell you didn't!" Jackson growled as he threw Mark a dark look. "Get out of my office"

Mark burst into fits of laughter again.

Jackson huffed and crossed his arms on top of his chest; he was about to tell Mark to get out again but someone knocked on the door. "Who the hell is it?"

The door opened a fraction as April's head peered in; "Not a good timing?" she asked with wince.

Jackson's demeanour instantly changed; he sat straighter and pasted a smile on his face. "Don't be silly, of course not, come on in."

Mark stood up from his chair; "Yeah Kepner, come on in. If someone can take Avery out of his foul mood, it's you"

April opened the door fully and stepped inside; "Why is he in a foul mood?" she asked curiously.

Mark passed by April but not without patting her on the back; "Ask him" he whispered before closing the door behind him.

"Don't mind Sloan, he's just being a nosey bastard" Jackson said.

April raised her brow as she walked towards her beau's chair; "Really?" she asked as she sat down on his lap.

Jackson wrapped his arms around her waist and cracked a small smile; "Really."

April cupped his face and began running her fingers on the creases on his forehead; "Why didn't you drop by the pit when you came in? I was waiting for you"

"I-err-I was late, I just came in" Jackson replied.

"Late?"

"Yeah-I overslept" Jackson lied. "More like didn't sleep" he thought.

April furrowed her brows; "Overslept? You left early last night, how on earth did you oversleep?"

"I watched a game" Jackson lied again. "You're bad at this" he thought.

April nodded; "Okay" she conceded. She then remembered the reason why she came in so she smiled brightly; "I already told Hunt my decision" she said excitedly.

Jackson felt the wind got knocked out of his chest as his heart started beating erratically; he threw a fleeting look at the bag on top of his desk and tightened his hold on April's waist. "You did, huh?"

"I did"

Jackson swallowed thickly before asking the question he's been afraid of asking ever since she passed her boards; "What will it be? Will you be staying or leaving?"

A/N: I'M SOOOORRRRYYYYYYY! I know it's been AGES since I last updated and I dare to end this chapter with a cliffy! I'm a horrible person but please don't hate me? :)

Believe it or not I have a very ACCEPTABLE reason why I wasn't able to write; I had CONJUNCTIVITIS for 2 solid weeks and then a FLU the week after that. I've been incapacitated for 3 weeks and I hate every minute of it! Summer is really kicking my ass and its not nearly over! 37 degrees celcius, every freaking day, urgh! But don't you guys worry, I'm back at a 100% and I'll try my best again to update as much as I could (weekly, hopefully) So to compensate for my absence I decided to make this chapter EXTRA LONG, a whopping 21k words all for you! I hope you'll like it! :) Don't forget to tell me what you think okay? I missed reading your reviews, it's been way TOO LONG since I last heard from you lovelies, plus it will make me feel much BETTER! Till next chapter! Cheers! :)