There have been quite a few requests for Little!Alex and Little!Jackson to interact! We'll finally get to see the two cuties in action. :)

Jackson's tummy hurts. Not as much as it did when he was at the store, but still. Meredith said taking it out would make things better. So, why does it still hurt?

Those are his first thoughts when he regains consciousness the next morning. He blinks a few times to adjust to the lighting. A tiny yawn escapes his lips, followed by pain shooting up his side. He whimpers. He curls Hank and his new ducky closer. The soft corduroy is soothing. He's never felt that on a stuffed animal. Hank has lost a bit of stuffing over the years. One of the ears is empty. An eye has fallen out and the nose is completely rubbed off. It still makes him feel safe. Like it's okay to be little. It reminds him of when he was the first time.

This duck is brand new. It has all it's stuffing. Body parts still intact. But it's a gift from his Mark. It's special. Definitely in need of a name, but he's too sleepy to figure that out right now.

Jackson sees the wire hooked into his arm. He begins to yank on it, but that only makes it hurt. He needs to figure out how to get this out.

Soft snoring comes from beside him. Jackson turns and holds his tummy with the hand that isn't clutching his friends. Mark is curled up beside him. His hair is messy. His face looks a little spiky. But he's here. He didn't leave.

Jackson keeps his voice soft. "Mark?"

Instantly, his caregiver jerks awake. The snoring jolts suddenly and there's still a bit of drool dripping down his chin. Mark quickly wipes at it, his eyes blinking furiously. Jackson frowns. Guilt settles in. He didn't want to startle him.

"I'm awake," Mark quickly makes out. He looks frantically around the room before landing on his little boy. His eyes soften a little and he sits up. "Hey, Ducky. How ya feeling?"

"Want it out."

Mark rubs the rest of the sleep from his eyes. "Want what out, precious?"

"That."

Jackson points to the wire. Mark chuckles. Jackson pouts. Why does he think it's funny?

"Can't take that one out," he says. "It's your medicine making you all better."

"Don't like it."

"I know it's no fun, but like I said, it's going to make you all better."

Jackson lets out a dramatic sigh. Mark laughs again. He kicks his legs then yelps at what it does to his tummy. Mark quickly grows serious.

"Still hurts?"

Jackson nods. "Not all better."

"It's going to take a bit before you feel a hundred percent," Mark explains. "But it won't hurt forever. I promise."

Mark kisses Jackson's cheek. The little one giggles, pushing at his face.

"Your kissies are scratchy."

Mark snorts. "Haven't exactly had time to shave yet." He gives Jackson a few more for good measure, keeping a smile on the little one's face. "There's my favorite smile." He taps his nose. "Did you get lots of sleep?"

"Uh huh."

"Good. You're going to need lots of rest to build your strength back up."

"Jell-O."

Mark arches a brow. "What's that?"

"Promised me Jell-O."

Mark smiles. "You remember that?"

"Uh huh."

"Only you." He taps his nose again. "We'll get that for you as soon as possible."

There's a knock on the door. Mark calls them in. A nurse with caramel skin and long dark hair steps in. She spots Mark and grins.

"Dr. Sloan," she says. "I didn't realize you'd be in here."

Mark gets out of bed, but keeps a grip on Jackson's hand. "My little boy is a patient. Where else would I be?"

"Oh, I didn't realize Jackson was your Little." She walks over to the bed. "Hi, Dr. Avery." Jackson tilts his head. That sounds right, but he doesn't exactly feel like a doctor right now. He doesn't want to do surgery or check on patients. He wants to cuddle with his Mark. The nurse must notice because she nods. "Would you prefer Jackson?"

He nods. "Please," he whispers.

"I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Marisol. I'm going to be checking on you this morning."

She looks vaguely familiar, but Jackson can't place her. He simply nods and doesn't put up a fight as she begins looking him over. Mark stands close by, only moving so he's not in her way. Marisol brushes up against him. She has a mischievous look on her face. Mark is quick to move to the other side. He brushes his hand against Jackson's cheek.

"You're so sweet with him," Marisol gushes.

Mark smiles. "It's not hard to do. He's super adorable."

"That he is. Look at that adorable gown."

For the first time, Jackson looks down at what he's wearing. He doesn't have one of the boring green gowns that the bigger patients wear. Instead, he's in a white one with puppies all over it. His favorite Yankees pacifier is clipped to it, ready if he needs it. That's enough to make him smile.

"Aw, what a brave patient," Marisol encourages.

She reaches up to his face and for a moment, Jackson thinks she's going to touch his hair. Instead, she puts her hand on top of Mark's. Jackson pouts. Why is she touching his Mark? She can get her own!

He lets out a soft whine and kicks his leg. Mark quickly moves his hand so Marisol will drop her. Jackson looks up at his caregiver. Mark is biting his lip. He looks how he does when he feels bad for Jackson.

"Are we done here?"

Marisol nods. "I'll be back in a few hours to check on him. Um, Dr. Grey is still his primary doctor," she explains. "But she doesn't come in until around 10 or so. So, Dr. Bailey will be here if you have any questions."

"Thank you," Mark says with a quick nod.

Jackson knows something must be wrong, because he's not encouraged to thank the nurse either. Marisol makes a beeline for the door. Jackson looks up at Mark.

"Why was she touching you?"

Mark's eyes widen. "Oh, um…she was just being nice."

Jackson frowns. "Is she your girlfriend?"

"What? Oh…oh my God. No!" Mark blinks. "Aren't you a little young to know what girlfriends are?" Jackson shrugs. "Well, she's not. I don't have a girlfriend."

"'Cause Bailey yelled at the nurses?"

Mark's cheeks turn pink. He sputters a bit. Jackson giggles a little. He's never seen his caregiver make this face. Mark returns to normal after a moment.

"No more talk of girlfriends," he says.

"But Bailey did yell?"

"Yes, yes, she did. She said a lot of grown-up words." Mark rubs the back of his neck. "Hey, do you want ice cream for breakfast?"

"Jell-O," Jackson reminds him. "Blue."

"Yes, yes. I promised you that." He gives him another kiss. "I'll go get it."

Jackson shakes his head. "No."

"What?"

"Don't go."

Jackson holds his arms up. Pain shoots through him. He quickly lowers his arms and cries out. Mark climbs back onto the bed and cuddles him close.

"You gotta be careful, bubba," Mark coos. Jackson whimpers, rubbing his side. "You don't want to tear your stitches?"

"Stitches?"

"Yes. When Meredith took out your appendix, she had to stitch up your side. You have a bit of an owie, but they can come out soon."

"Wanna see."

"Not right now, okay? It's a little scary." Jackson frowns. Mark gives him a brave smile. "But it'll be okay. Hey, what do we tell our patients? Scars are bad a…um, super cool! A sign of bravery. Because you, Jack, are my very brave little boy, hm?"

Jackson nods, even though he doesn't feel brave. He wants to be with his Mark. He wants all the pain to go away. He's scared that it won't ever be better. Brave big boys are supposed to be tough.

But he's not a big boy. He's a little boy. So, maybe it's okay that he's still a little scared.

Jackson clings to Mark's shirt. "Stay," he begs.

"I won't go anywhere, hm? You know what, I think I'll page for the Jell-O. We can stay here and watch some cartoons. How does that sound?"

He nods and lays his head on Mark's shoulder. Maybe he'll feel a little braver with him by his side.

A few hours later, Bailey harasses Mark into getting a shower and entertains the little boy in the meantime. When he's back, Derek stops by with Alex to drop off some things. The other little boy's eyes were lit up when he saw Jackson.

The first words out of his mouth are, "Can I see your owie?"

"Alexander," Derek warns. "We talked about this."

"April says it'll look cool!"

"And that's why Owen took April to daycare instead of here," Derek mutters under his breath.

Mark snorts. "Well, we appreciate you visiting."

Jackson turns to Alex. "Mark won't let me see my owie."

"Because you're too little," Mark gently reminds him.

Jackson pokes out his tongue. Mark rolls his eyes. Derek chuckles.

"Glad to see he's feeling a bit better at least."

"Fever's gone. Bailey doesn't seem to think he'll have any infection."

"But you're waiting for Meredith to double check?"

"Don't tell Bailey."

Jackson tilts his head. "Don't tell Bailey what?"

"Nothing Ducky, absolutely nothing. Ignore the grown-up talk."

Alex tugs on his dad's lab coat. "Daddy, can we give Jackson his present?"

"Sure, Tiger. Grab it out of the bag."

Alex speeds to one of the many tote bags on the floor. He digs through each one, making a mess of clothes along with Jackson's toys and DVDs in his wake. Derek quickly but quietly picks up after him. Mark is a little impressed. They shared an apartment all through their pre-med program. He constantly got yelled at by the hopeful nuero surgeon for making a mess. Has parenthood softened him a bit?

Eventually, Alex pulls out an orange worm-like looking plush creature. He proudly presents it to Jackson, who grins.

"Thanks, Alex!"

Mark arches a brow. "What is that thing?"

"An apen'ix!" Alex announces proudly. "'Cause my mommy took Jackson's away."

Mark glances at Derek, who shrugs.

"He saw it in the gift shop and insisted," he mutters.

"You would end up with the weird kid," Mark matches the tone, making sure the boys can't hear.

Derek narrows his eyes. "My baby is weird, but yours seems to be enjoying it just as much." Jackson is cuddling the weird thing. He's still pale with tired eyes, but his entire face is lit up. Derek raises his voice a bit. "It's technically a pillow, Jack."

"Cool," Jackson says.

Derek checks his watch. "We better head up to the daycare."

Alex pouts, stomping his foot. "Dada, I wanna play with Jackson."

"Jackson can't play right now," Derek tells him patiently. "And Dada has to get to work."

Alex glares at his dad. Derek raises a brow and takes a step around the bed.

"I know it's frustrating, but we have to go. You can visit Jackson later."

Jackson frowns. "Alex, stay."

"Alex has to go to daycare," Mark steps in. "His daddy has to work. Daycare will be a lot of fun where he can play. You can't play with him quite yet."

"I wanna go to daycare."

Mark wants to take out his phone and record that for the next time he refuses to go.

"You need to get your rest, buddy."

"I don't wanna rest!"

Both boys are pouting and look absolutely miserable. Derek, to his credit, keeps a patient look on his face.

"Two choices, Alexander. You say bye bye to Jackson, we walk out of here and you can get a sticker. Or, I have to carry you out and no stickers."

Alex is quiet for a moment, considering his options. Finally, he lets out a dramatic sigh.

"Bye bye, Jackson," he mumbles. His eyes flicker up to Mark. "Bye bye, Uncle Mark."

Mark smiles. "Bye, bud."

Jackson waves, still pouting. "Bye, Al."

Alex reluctantly takes his dad's hand. Derek squeezes his best friend's shoulder.

"I'll come check on you guys later."

"Thanks. For that, and all this." He gestures to the bags.

"Of course." He swings Alex's hand. "Let's get you that sticker."

Jackson has a few tears falling down his face once they leave. Mark leans down and quickly wipes them away. Jackson looks up at him with wide eyes and a pouty lip. Mark frowns. He instantly wants to give him whatever he wants. Heck, he'd buy out the entire gift shop if that's what Jackson wanted!

But he can't bring him up to the daycare.

How do Derek and Meredith handle this day to day?

"I know it's not fun to lay in bed," Mark sympathizes. "But it also means you can watch lots of TV and snuggle with Hank, your ducky and your…" He eyes the appendix plush wearily. "New friend."

"Wanna play with Alex and April," Jackson whines. "Wanna see Ms. Court'ee."

"You have to rest, baby."

"Don't wanna stupid rest."

Jackson goes to rip out the wire on his arm. Mark quickly takes his hand. A bit of anxiety raises in him.

"You cannot touch that," he says firmly. Jackson's pouty lip trembles. Mark sighs. "Ducky, if you take that out, it'll give you an even bigger owie. Then you'll have to stay here longer. I know you don't want that, right?" Jackson quickly shakes his head. "So, you'll leave it in?"

Jackson bites his lip. "Yes, Mark."

Mark lets out a sigh of relief. "Thank you," he whispers. He clears his throat and forces a smile. "Hey, why don't you introduce me to that…thing."

Jackson reluctantly holds out the appendix. Mark picks it up and examines it. He slithers it about the little boy's face. The tiniest bit of a smile cracks across Jackson's face. Mark's own becomes a bit real.

Jackson comes out of his Little fog the next afternoon. He goes from a pouty, clingy little thing, to all business. Meredith comes in to check on him. Mark shoots her an apprehensive look. She squeezes his arm and turns to Jackson.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine," he says a bit too quickly.

"Well, according to Marisol, your fever hasn't spiked. And your wound is healing nicely," she reports. "I don't see any reason why you can't go home tomorrow."

"Let me read my chart," Jackson insists.

"You don't trust us?" Mark asks.

"I want to look it over." Jackson holds out his hand. "Chart. Now." Mark arches a brow. He slides down a bit in his bed. "Please."

Mark sighs and lifts the clipboard off the end of the bed. He hands it to Jackson. The doctor turned patient pushes his IV wire out of the way and flips through it. His tongue pokes out of the corner of his lips while he reads.

"Laparoscopic," he mutters. "So, recovery time should be between 1 to 3 weeks. Then I can get to work."

Meredith purses her lips. "Why don't we focus on you getting better before we think about you working?"

Jackson rolls his eyes. "I bounce back quickly. I'm an Ave…"

"If you say "I'm an Avery", I will wash your mouth out," Mark interrupts.

"Now my name is a curse word?"

"It is when you use it stupidly." Mark snaps the clipboard out of his hand.

Meredith steps in before the two can truly begin bickering. "As I said, we're going to focus on you getting better before we start talking about your return date." Jackson opens his mouth to speak, but she powers on. "You'll be able to check out tomorrow. But then I want you on bedrest for at least a week. No overexerting yourself, which means no exercise of any kind. You should be able to return to a normal diet, but if your stomach is still bothering you, stick to the BRAT diet."

"I know all of this, Meredith," Jackson says.

Mark purses his lips. "I think he means, "Thank you, Meredith. I appreciate all you've done"."

Jackson bites his lip. "I mean…yes. Thank you."

Meredith gives him a small smile. "Of course."

Her eyes travel to the pile of stuffed animals that now sit on the end table beside Jackson'sD bed. Hank and the still unnamed duck lean against the appendix. She makes are disgusted face.

"I cannot believe Derek let him buy that thing," she says.

Jackson shrugs. "I think it's cool."

"Of course you do. Anyway, I have a surgery. If anything comes up, Bailey will be available."

Jackson nods. "Thanks, Mer."

"It's what I'm here for."

She bends down and kisses his cheek before disappearing out the door. Mark is giving him that paternal look. Something itches the back of Jackson's brain but he can't quite think of it.

"Do you remember anything about that day?" Mark asks.

Jackson shrugs. "Not much. I remember my stomach started hurting but we didn't have anything for it, so I headed to the market. Then, I'm being rushed here."

"You should've called me when it started hurting."

"It wasn't so bad."

"Still. I should've known."

Jackson sighs. "Mark, there was no way you could. It all happened so fast. You of all people know how quick these things can go."

"I'm your caregiver…"

"Finish that sentence and I'll wash your mouth out."

Mark rolls his eyes. "I'm the caregiver. I'm the only one who can do that."

Jackson makes a face. Mark lets out a deep breath. He squeezes the back of Jackson's neck.

"Do you remember much about after your surgery?" Jackson shakes his head. "Really?"

"No. I remember you telling me everything was going to be okay." He smiles a little. "And I somewhat remember you giving me the duck. Outside that, everything's fuzzy until I woke up yesterday." A flash of disappointment comes across Mark's eyes. "Why?"

"Nothing, nothing." He squeezes his neck again. "You know, Bailey pointed out that you're quite the overachiever." Jackson raises a brow. "Could've gotten a cold or an ear infection. But no, first time sick, you have to have surgery."

Jackson laughs then holds his side. "Okay, maybe don't be funny."

"Sorry, bud. They should give you another dose soon."

Jackson nods then frowns. "Hey, you've been here pretty much non-stop since I was admitted."

"Where do you think I'd be?"

"Don't you have to work."

Mark shakes his head. "Don't worry about that."

"Mark." Jackson tries to sit up straighter but gets another shoot of pain. Mark adjusts his bed with the remote. "C'mon."

"Jack, it's for me…"

"Just explain."

"I'm taking 2 weeks off."

Jackson's eyes widen. "How…"

"Well, it's 1 week officially. Then, I'll do my chief of plastics stuff from home," Mark explains. "But the first week falls under FMLA."

"So, not PTO?"

"No, but I might use more so I can be with you as much as possible."

"No, absolutely not." Jackson shakes his head. "It's like I said. I'll bounce back from this thing quick. You won't even have to take that second week off."

Mark sighs. "Jackson, I don't want you to worry about this. I'm the adult…"

"I'm an adult too."

"You know what I meant. I'm your caregiver. Keyword: care. I'm going to make sure you're recovering properly."

Jackson looks down at the blankets. Mark sighs and sits beside him.

"Please don't feel bad."

"How else am I supposed to feel? You do enough for me, Mark."

"It's my job. One I insisted on," Mark reminds him. "This is what I want."

"You want to use up PTO to take care of me?"

"Yup." Mark tweaks his nose. Jackson makes a face. "Suck it up, Jack Attack. You're stuck with me."

"I suppose there could be worse things."

Mark snorts. "Glad to hear it." He pats his cheek. "And as for you, this is all covered by medical leave. You'll still have a job when you're better."

"I'll tell Derek I won't need that much time off."

"You'll return to work when we both clear you," Mark tells him. Jackson opens his mouth. "But like Meredith said, this isn't a battle I wish to have right now."

Jackson is about to insist upon it when he hears a familiar ringtone. Mark reaches into the diaper bag and pulls out Jackson's phone. He glances at the caller ID and bites his lip.

"I've been talking to your mom the past couple of days, so she's up to speed. Told her you were pretty out of it yesterday."

Jackson sighs but accepts it. He presses the green button and holds the device to his ear.

"Hey, Mom."

"Jackson, finally." Catherine exhales. "How are you doing, sweetheart?"

"I'm fine."

"You had an organ ripped from your body and you're "fine"?"

Jackson rolls his eyes. "There's no need for you to worry. The doctors here have it taken care of."

"Yes, Dr. Sloan has made that very much clear." A small smile tugs on Jackson's lips. "When do you get out?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"That's good. Then you'll go on bed rest, I'm sure."

"I will."

"Good. I'll continue to check up on you."

Jackson frowns. "You're not flying out?"

"You just said it yourself, darling. You're fine. This is a routine surgery. The last thing you need is your mom fussing over you."

Jackson swallows. He straightens up a bit, ignoring the pain.

"Of course. I wouldn't want you to miss any work."

"I'm so glad you understand. Now, your grandfather is traveling, but I'll let him know."

Jackson's eyes widen. "You won't…"

"Oh Heavens, no. Not that I think he'd show up, but I'll assure him you're not up for visitors."

At least she can grant him that. "Thanks, Mom."

"Of course, darling. I have to go, but I'll talk to you later."

"Alright. Love you."

"Love you too. Kisses."

Jackson hangs up the phone, dropping it onto his lap. He stares at the black screen. His entire stomach hurts now, but not from the incision on his side.

"She's not coming?"

Jackson keeps his eyes on his phone. "No. For the best anyway. If I drop again, she can't see that."

"Jackson…"

"It's fine."

"Ducky."

"I said it's fine, alright?" Jackson snaps.

He finally looks up. Mark paternal look has shifted into one of pity. Jackson exhales through his nose.

"I'm sorry," he whispers. "I just…I really don't want to talk about this. Can we…can we do something else? Anything else?"

Mark stares at him for another moment before nodding. He gives Jackson a small smile. "Hey, I know you like baseball, but how do you feel about hockey?"

"Can't say I've ever watched."

"Oh, we'll have to fix that."

Mark settles onto the bed beside him. He wraps a tight arm around Jackson and kisses the top of his head. The younger doctor's stomach settles just a bit as he rests his head on his caregiver's shoulder. Mark plops the stuffed animals onto Jackson's lap before turning on the game. The New York Rangers are taking on the Philadelphia Flyers.

"What's your team?" Jackson asks.

"The Rangers, of course," Mark replies as if it should be the most obvious thing in the world.

"Should've guessed that."

Hockey isn't nearly as interesting as baseball, but it keeps Mark happy. Jackson can allow that, given how much he's giving up.

He studies the stuffed animals on his lap. His eyes zone in on the duck.

"Ranger," he whispers.

Mark doesn't look away from the game. "What's that, bub?"

"Ranger. The duck's name."

Mark breaks away and grins down at him. "Really?"

Jackson shrugs. "Maybe a weird name for a duck."

Mark kisses his cheek. His face is still scratchy, but Jackson doesn't complain. "Nah. I think it's perfect."

Next time, Jackson is headed home. Mark has his work cut out for him.

By the way, that appendix plush is very much a real thing. I found it on the "I Heart Guts" website, which is also apparently a real thing. The things you learn when conducting fic research. Anyway, it felt like a very appropriate Alex gift.

Let me know what you think! As always, feel free to leave prompts or ask me questions! I am on Tumblr and love communicating on there, as well as in the comments!