Starting a series of one shots based off of Tumblr prompts. If you know me there, and want me to do one, leave it in my ask. This prompt was their time celebrating her birthday as a married couple, at the Avery cabin, which I turned into a lake house. I followed my head cannon, wherein they were still living apart on her birthday! Hope you enjoy, please R&R! I will update as I get prompts done, I'm too impatient not to!

"Hi," he said, opening the door to greet her.

"Hi," she answered, shortly. He went in for a hug and hated how awkward it was. She was his wife. It was her birthday. It shouldn't be like this.

"Thank you for coming…come in." He stepped aside and gestured into the foyer of the Avery family house on Lake Union, like a host.

She entered, somewhat reluctantly, all the while taking in her surroundings. The house was beautiful, impeccably decorated, she could tell from just the foyer. The walls were a simple cream color, but the room was butterfly-themed. They were all over, mostly monarchs, and another orange and black species April couldn't place. Glass butterflies, ceramic ones, even one etched in stain glass on a window in the corner. They were present, but it wasn't overdone. This house had a woman's touch.

"Catherine decorate? What's that type there, do you know?" she asked and pointed, as Jackson led her through a door and into the kitchen, which had hand-written recipes framed on the soft yellow walls.

"My grandma Evelyn, actually. Mom hates this house. Says she doesn't know why anyone would need a house to escape to when life got hard. You know Catherine, she faces everything head on...And that's called a Queen butterfly, they're grandma's favorite."

April nodded and sat down on the living room couch, picking up a picture of Jackson and a woman she guessed was Evelyn. They were on a beach. Jackson looked about five. He was struggling to break free of his grandmother's arms, she must have trapped him for a picture. Her dark red hair blew in the wind as she kissed his cheek. They were both laughing. "I can take your bags," he said, acknowledging them for the first time. "You can…I made up one of the guest beds." He nearly whispered the last words.

She nodded again, clearing her throat, refusing to acknowledge the sadness so evident in his voice. When he left with her bags, April wondered how she was going to do this for a whole weekend. He didn't want to be apart for her birthday, the first occasion they were supposed to celebrate as a married couple.

But right now, April didn't feel like celebrating anything. "Arizona said she could pick me up tomorrow if…" she let her voice trail off as he entered the room again. "But, I have the whole weekend off, I took it off before…" Before they were married, when she'd anticipated spending the weekend with Matthew. She physically shook the thought from her mind. "Thank you for the roses, they're lovely."

"You're welcome." Jackson had put in the standing order with the Avery family florist two weeks ago, before the fight. A dozen long-stemmed roses, delivered to April Kepner-Avery every year on April 23rd.

He couldn't stand the tension any longer. "April, I…I'm sorry. I said some things I didn't mean the other night. I miss you."

"I miss you too. And I said some things…I'm sorry too."

"Stay April. Stay. And come home with me. We took vows to work through this sort of thing…I love you."

"I love you too. I brought all my stuff here, just in case." He smiled, his green eyes brightening for the first time that evening. He kissed her, slowly, carefully, making sure to enjoy the feel of her lips against his. She kissed him back. In the past two days, neither of them had forgotten what it was like to kiss each other, but they wanted to savor the feeling now. When Jackson pulled away, April leaned in again, forcefully, and hungrily kissing him. She wanted him to know she meant it. "But we have to talk eventually, I…."

"We will, I promise….but open a present first." Jackson ran upstairs, a huge smile on his face. He took the steps two at a time coming down and handed her a rectangular package. "I hope you like it…the lady at the store said you would but…"

April gasped as she peeled away the shiny pink paper. A study Bible. With her name etched in the cover. "The lady said that was the most popular version, but if you want another one, we can just go get it. In fact, you should just have the one you want. The store is right in town, I…" April grabbed her husband's face with both hands, looked into his eyes, and kissed him.

"This one is the only one I want. It's perfect."

"I know you left yours at his apartment, the lady said you sounded like someone who took notes I…April, I can't change who I am. But I know I need to start supporting who you are more. I can do that."

"Me too," April nodded in agreement. "But let's stop talking for now…we have two days of lost kisses to make up for."

He let her kiss him once, but then pulled away. "I can't wait to do that later, but right now I'm starving. I have a birthday dinner to make." He headed back toward the kitchen and she followed, grabbing his hand, she'd missed touching him so much.

"Babe, you're gonna cook it?"

"Yes, stop looking at me with those eyes."

"Ok, sorry but…you only cook spaghetti and sauce…from the jar."

"Gotta learn sometime, right? Besides, it's just pasta and chicken with vegetables. I got this. Go take a nap, or a shower, you look exhausted."

"Gee, thanks," she kissed him and slapped him playfully on the shoulder. "Gonna go shower, and move my stuff into our room." He smiled as he opened the fridge. She said "Our" room.

They ate pasta with chicken and broccli (everything cooked just right) on a patio overlooking Lake Union, as Jackson told April his history with this house. He'd come here every summer when he was little so his mom could have a break. Just he and his grandparents. Well, Evelyn really. Harper stayed in Boston with Catherine, running the Foundation, and would fly in some weekends. This house was part of the reason Jackson chose to do his residency in Seattle.

Evelyn let him be a kid here, run and play and laugh and get mud on his face. Catherine hated mud anything, even mudslides. But everything Evelyn and Jackson did at the lake house was their secret, down to when she would sneak him out there when he was sixteen on final exam weekends. She'd let him drink and tell him stories Haper had only told her; about how much he'd hated boarding school. She'd tell him stories about Catherine. How carefree she was when she first married Lawrence, before he left. Catherine was once the rebel of the Avery family, before Lawrence left and she fell in line behind Harper, afraid to make one wrong step and disgrace the family name further.

At the lake house, Evelyn and Jackson were the Avery rebels, and she let him know that it was OK to be who he was. She'd even kidnapped him the weekend before he went to med school and brought him to the house, to make sure it was what he really wanted to do. He did his residency in Seattle because it felt like home, too.

When they were finished with dinner, April sat on Jackson's lap in a loveseat outside and begged him to tell her more stories. She loved these, loved learning everything about her husband. But she couldn't help but yawn; it'd been a long day.

"Hey, no yawning yet, time for presents and cake."

"Cake?"

Jackson nodded, smirking. "I baked it."

"Jackson Harper, stop lying."

He got up and went inside, returning ten minutes later with a slim, rectangular box in one hand, and a cake covered in cream cheese frosting in the other. He placed the cake, which had a messy icing heart and candles on top of it, on the table, and handed her the box.

She gasped as she opened it to reveal a diamond bracelet. "Babe, that's too much. You spoil me."

"You deserve it," he kissed her forehead. "Now, you cut the cake."

She gave him a suspicious look but did as she was asked, going over to the table to cut the cake. She smiled when she saw the pink inside. "You found strawberry. I'm gonna cry. You always make me cry. I love you so much."

They didn't have a wedding cake. So, when they got home from Lake Tahoe they decided to make one. April told Jackson she wanted a strawberry funfetti cake, but Jackson had never heard of it and it was nowhere in the stores, so he'd teased her that it didn't exist ever since. But he found it. And he'd baked it and put her favorite frosting on top. That was love.

"Shoot, I forgot to light the candles. I'm not gonna sing, but you need to make a wish, I insist."

April shrugged. "I knew you weren't perfect," she said, as she cut a piece with a candle on it and sat on Jackson's lap.

He lit the candle with a match. "Make it a good one," he said, kissing her neck as she blew it out.

"I'm gonna tell you it, " she said as she offered him her finger to lick off some excess frosting. "When you tell your best friend it strengthens the wish power."

Jackson blinked at his wife, amused. "April, that is not the rule."

"Yes it is," she insisted, nodding vigorously. "Chelsea Ingles and I made that rule in the third grade, and it worked all the way through high school. Brad Morris asked me to prom the day after my birthday. And when Chelsea told me hers on her 17th…." April blushed. "Well, I made her take a test that night and she wasn't pregnant. But it only works with one person, each year. And they have to be your best friend or else…"

"So you wanna call Chelsea Ingles? I'll get the phone right now," Jackson smiled and started to get up.

"No, looser. Chelsea Ingles got married two weeks before I started my residency at Mercy-West. I told her Justin could be her wish person now. Sorry to disappoint, but mine has to be you, now. Especially this one, " Jackson kissed her.

"OK, what'd you wish for, no more fighting? That's gonna be tough because basketball playoffs start soon I really can't stand that 'Once Upon A Time' crap." She shook her head and he kissed her again, tasting the cream cheese frosting on her lips. He whispered in her ear. "Really good birthday sex? Because that I can arrange. There's another present for you upstairs on our bed." He placed kisses along her jaw line.

A shiver of anticipation ran through April's body, but she smacked him and blushed. "Jackson!"

"OK, I give up, what is it?" He looked up at her with anticipation. April took a bite of cake. "Come on, stop teasing, now I wanna know!" April swallowed her bite, her face suddenly becoming serious. "Babe, what is it?" He took her hand in his and started playing with her engagement ring.

"I wasn't trying to tease you…I was buying a few more seconds," April admitted, taking a deep breath. "I wished for a happy and healthy baby. Jackson, we're pregnant."