Hi everybody! So this is one of the biggest one shots ever that takes place around Season 7 Episode 8 when Jackson and Lexie first start seeing each other. I am in the process of writing a sequel to my other Jackson and April story.

I was rewatching Grey's and wished that Lexie and Jackson's thing never really progressed for as long as it did. I found that pairing awkward and overdone. And I discovered that I…am not the biggest Lexie fan. Wow. I know that's big because most people are. Anyway, this story is an April/Jackson story. So please review and let me know what you think! Thanks everyone!

April

April listened as Jackson screamed and it echoed in her ears. His terror ran through her body, paralyzing her in fear. Suddenly she was on the floor again, covered in Reed's blood. She was begging Gary Clark to spare her life. April was panting and in a cold sweat, her body shaking in fear as Jackson screamed out for Charles across the hall.

She can hear Jackson calling out for Charles and she wanted to go to him...to wake him from his nightmare, but she couldn't move. Her body was literally frozen and shaking with fear. Her lungs hurt, as if they had been screaming with Jackson.

April closed her eyes and prayed Alex, Lexie, Meredith, or Derek would go to him. Her eyes filled with tears as she heard him ask Where is Charles?

She heard his door open and Lexie mumbling, "Jackson, wake up. It's a dream. JACKSON!"

His screaming stopped and April immediately felt better. Not any less terrified, but better because she knew Jackson was awake and reliving that horrible day.

April heard Lexie go back to bed and she assumed Jackson had too. She lay in bed, looking at the ceiling. She clutched the blankets to her body tightly, still shaking.

When she woke up a couple hours later, she was able to move again. She sat up and climbed in the shower, scrubbing and scrubbing. Last night had been a looong night.

She and Alex had struggled with Dr. Stark all night, and then Alex had rushed her into having sex in an on call room and yelled at her when she wanted to slow it down. Then she broke down and told Jackson and Jackson beat the shit out of him at Christina's party...it was a mess. And she didn't even get a good night's sleep because she had been listening to Jackson screaming all night.

April jumped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel. She brushed her teeth and Alex walked in, touching his bruised eye tenderly. April froze and looked down, her cheeks flushing. He walked over and grabbed his toothbrush and loaded it with toothpaste, scrubbing his teeth as he sat on the edge of the bathtub.

"April," he said around his toothbrush.

April looked at him and he stood and spit out a mouthful of toothpaste.

"I am sorry. I just...I was having a rough day, well you know, and I shouldn't have treated you that way. I may be an asshole, but I am not that big of an asshole. I am sorry. Friends?" he asked.

April nodded and smiled and went back to brushing her teeth.

"That's it? No waterworks or blubbering?" Alex asked, sticking his toothbrush back in his mouth with a grin.

April smiled and said, "Shut up!" but it came out sounding really distorted because of her toothbrush and toothpaste.

Alex and April both started laughing and soon they were fighting to keep their toothpaste in their mouths. When Alex drooled some out April squealed, "Gross!"

She finished brushing her teeth and walked out of the bathroom shaking her head and chuckling. She jumped in surprise seeing Jackson leaning against the wall outside of the bathroom.

"Jeez, you scared me!" April exclaimed, putting her hand over her racing heart.

"So, that's it then? You just forgive him?" he asked, an angry scowl on his face.

April shrugged and said, "Yeah, what am I going to do? Hold a grudge and not talk to him again. We live together. We work together."

Jackson shook his head and said, "Whatever. I guess if you are fine with it."

April nodded and then walked back to her room to get dressed.

She quickly pulled her clothes on and slapped some makeup on before brushing through her hair and sticking a headband in it so it would stay out of her face for the day. April went through the quiet house to the kitchen and began making a pot of coffee for everyone and some breakfast for herself. She had always been a morning person, having been raised on a farm.

Jackson and Alex came down a little while later, followed by Lexie and Meredith.

"What the hell Kepner? No french toast for the rest of us?" Alex asked, a look of amused disbelief on his face.

"You wouldn't have had time to eat it anyway," she said, perusing the paper.

Alex grumbled and grabbed a stool next to her, reading over her shoulder.

She pulled out the parts she had already been through and the sports and handed them over to him and he began scanning through the news.

April looked at her watch and grabbed her things, setting her dishes in the sink.

"Leaving already?" Jackson asked, breaking out of a conversation with Lexie.

April nodded and said, "I want to go over some schedules and stuff before rounds."

"Can I hitch a ride?" he asked.

April nodded and said, "Of course. Alex you want a ride? Lexie?"

"Too early," Alex said and Lexie nodded in agreement. Both were still in their PJs.

April nodded and started walking out of the house with Jackson on her heels.

"Why are you going in early?" she asked him as she pulled out of the drive.

"I want to check on a patient before Sloan gets in," he said, tiredly.

April nodded and the drive was quiet for a few minutes before Jackson asked, "Lexie came in last night and woke me from a nightmare. Did you hear anything?"

April was quiet as she debated telling him yes, she had definitely heard him and he had caused her to have a waking nightmare. "No, I uh, was pretty dead after everything that happened last night."

Jackson nodded and said, "You know you can be angry at him, right? What he did was a pretty douchey thing for him to do."

"He apologized, I am over it. We are friends," she said simply as she pulled into a spot.

Jackson gave her a sidelong glance and she said, "What?" exasperated.

"You are pretty forgiving," he noted.

"You are right. You should be comforted knowing that the next time you piss me off," she said.

Jackson chuckled and climbed out of the car and followed April into hospital.

He followed her to her office and she sat down at her desk and eyed him curiously.

"Why did you follow me in here? Don't you have a patient you want to get to?" she asked, leafing through some papers on her desk and sitting in her chair.

He nodded and said, "Yeah I guess. What do you think of Lexie? You think she is over Mark?"

April rolled her eyes and muttered, "Will she ever be?"

Jackson winced and April immediately felt bad, "Sorry. I...I guess it might be just me. I can't see her with someone else."

"Can't see her with me?" he asked.

April only remained silent, biting her bottom lip.

He nodded, glaring at her and she said, "Jackson wait. I only said that because I was being honest. I just don't want you to get hurt. Lexie floats around to guys, but it seems she always finds her way back to Mark. And recently you have been loving plastics and you saw how that worked out for Alex when he was with Sloan. Sloan screamed at him in surgery and treated him like crap. But if you think she is worth it or that she might be serious with you, by all means take a shot and ask her out."

Jackson glared at April and said, "She is worth it. Why do you hate her?"

"I don't hate her. I don't think she is the nice person that she seems to think she is. Why do I say that? Let's start with the fact that the first day we came here she stole my journal from me, most of the time treats me like crap because she doesn't like me or my personality, cuts me down, and basically tries to make me feel as isolated from everyone else here as much as possible. Gee, I wonder why I don't like Lexie. Why do you care what I think, anyway? If you don't want my honest opinion, don't ask for it."

Jackson looked like April had smacked him in the face and April immediately felt bad, but she couldn't bring herself to apologize because everything she said was true. Jackson gave her one last look and walked out without saying another word.

April didn't mention that she another reason she didn't like Lexie was because Jackson did. And she was confused about why she felt like that.

April shook her head, knowing she needed to get to work. Her spat with Jackson had cut into her time that she had carved out to make sure the residents were scheduled with attendings' smoothly.

April buried herself in her paperwork.

Jackson

Jackson didn't know why he cared what April thought about things, especially Lexie, but he did. April always gave an honest answer and didn't tend to sugarcoat things. Jackson could admit that part of him knew he just didn't want to hear what she had to say because he didn't like hearing it. Lexie had established a pattern of hooking up with guys that weren't Mark and then floating back to him when she was ready to try again.

And the other stuff April had said about Lexie, regarding her treatment of April, was true, but April did grate on the nerves, so he could sort of understand where Lexie was coming from. But that was all in the past and for the most part April and Lexie got along now.

Jackson went to the locker room and walked over to his locker and set his bag and jacket inside. He sat down heavily on the bench and rubbed his forehead.

April's point about his newfound interest in plastics was right, he had to admit. Jackson found the field a lot more fascinating than he had ever found cardio. And April was right about Mark. Mark was notoriously territorial over Lexie and even when they weren't together, he made it known that if anyone got involved with Lexie, he made their lives hell if they were working with him.

Jackson rubbed his brow and only got up and changed into scrubs when a few other residents ambled in to get changed for rounds. Jackson quickly shed his own clothes and put on his scrubs. He rooted around in his locker for his stethoscope, a pen, and his pager.

When he was ready, he walked out and headed towards plastics. Despite being early, he spotted Mark drinking a coffee by the nurses' station.

"Avery! You're on my service, right?" he bellowed down the hall, his smile huge.

Jackson gave him an indulgent smile and shook his head, "I am."

"I am going to convert you to plastics, my pretty Avery, just you wait and see," Sloan said, handing Jackson his charts.

Jackson smiled, but internally he was groaning. He knew he wanted plastics...if he were with Lexie, mornings and greetings like this would be scarce once Mark found out.

April

April sat in her office eating her lunch when Alex walked in. "You got any food Kepner? I am starving and there is no way I am eating the slop served in the cafeteria."

April sighed and said, "I have some leftover mac and cheese."

Jackson shrugged and opened the Tupperware to sniff before loading it in the microwave and heating it up. He took a seat on April's couch once it was done and began eating it.

"Damn Kepner, you can cook. Remind me never to bitch about living with you again," he said, shoveling the food in his mouth.

Cristina walked in with Meredith and said, "Oh man, I called dibs on that earlier!" Cristina cried out pointing to the mac and cheese that was now gone save a few bites.

"Kepner gave it to me!" Alex said smugly.

"Didn't he end up busting my coffee table and his face because he treated you like crap?" Cristina asked.

"She already forgave me," Alex said, popping the last bite of mac and cheese in his mouth.

"Where is a spiteful Kepner when I need her leftovers?" Cristina grumbled, bending down and rooting through the fridge for something else she could eat.

April rolled her eyes as she finished her own meal and said, "Just order something to be delivered if the cafeteria is so bad."

"That would take a lot of effort," Meredith whined.

Jackson walked in, shooting April a furtive glance letting her know he was still sore over their morning conversation, and then asked, "Mer, you seen Lexie anywhere?"

Meredith shook her head and drank a water that Christina had thrown her way.

"Dude, you still want those floor tickets?" Alex asked.

Jackson nodded and Karev reached in his pocket and gave them over to Jackson.

"I can't believe you are giving these up!" Jackson said.

"I am on Peds and I don't want to piss Stark off," Alex said, shrugging.

Jackson thanked him and then walked out of the room.

"Dude is gonna get his heart crushed," Alex mumbled.

Meredith smacked him and said, "Is not. Lexie is over Mark."

"Like you were over Derek," Alex said sarcastically.

Meredith glared and Christina laughed, "Evil Spawn has a point. Mark is to Derek as Lexie is to you. History always repeats itself."

April listened as they talked about Little Grey and April chewed on her bottom lip. She didn't want Jackson to get hurt. But their conversation this morning had told April to stay out of it. He was going to do what he wanted, no matter what anyone told him.

Thankfully a trauma came in and April zoned into her work.

A little girl, who had had been hit by a car, running out into the street for her ball. She was sobbing in pain and fear and April stepped into her eye line and began speaking to her as Alex walked in and began working on her.

"Hi, my name is April, what's your name?" she asked in her most soothing, kid friendly voice.

"Kaitlin," the girl said, her voice shaking.

April nodded and said, "Kaitlin, I know you are scared, and that's okay. But you should know you are going to be okay and your mommy and daddy are going to be here soon."

Kaitlin's eyes fluttered shut as the medicine took and April quickly stepped from her place and stood by Alex as they furiously worked to stabilize her.

"Poor kid," Alex murmured as his hands tracked her numerous injuries.

"We need to get her to X-ray," April said, feeling her broken femur. Alex nodded and said over his shoulder, "Let's move!"

Jackson

Jackson and Lexie laughed as they walked up the steps to Meredith's house and Jackson grabbed Lexie's elbow and spun her so she was facing him. She looked really pretty. Her dark hair, curled and her warm brown eyes sparkling up at him. Her little smirk on her lips.

He leaned in and Lexie closed the distance, kissing him.

Jackson smiled against her lips as they kissed and she chuckled.

"I have wanted to do that for a long time," Jackson admitted.

Lexie asked, "Yeah?"

He nodded and smiled and she whispered, "You wanna go inside?" the look in her eyes suggestive.

Jackson smiled and she said, "Give me five minutes."

Jackson nodded and Lexie walked in the house, leaving Jackson on the porch. He paced the porch thinking about his night and smiling smugly.

He passed the large picture window in the living room and froze when he saw the scene inside. Alex was laid out on the couch with April sleeping against his chest. Her hand clutched a wadded up Kleenex and Alex's hand rubbed up and down her back. He was comforting her.

Jackson walked in the house and quietly into the living room.

"What happened?" he whispered, looking down at April, her legs entangled with Alex's. Jackson didn't like the intimacy of the moment he was interrupting.

"She is fine," Alex said, his face annoyed.

"What happened?" he repeated, equally annoyed.

"She lost a patient today. It was really hard on her. Her first young kid," he said as April mumbled something in her sleep against Alex's chest. Alex rubbed her back and she fell back under quickly.

"Jackson?" Lexie asked behind him. She was only in a towel and Jackson gulped, but he wasn't in the same place mentally that he had been five minutes ago. Right now he just wanted to take April from Alex and be the one to hold and comfort her.

"Jackson," Lexie said, her voice annoyed.

"Dude, she is fine. Go," Alex said to Jackson, confused by Jackson's behavior. A naked woman wanted him and he was fixating on April. Jackson shook his head and walked to Lexie and held his hand out for hers. Lexie took it and led him up the stairs, but he couldn't help looking back once more at April. Alex was kissing the crown of her head and running his fingers through her hair. It was such a personal gesture that Jackson was shocked Karev was capable of.

Lexie opened the door to Jackson's room and led Jackson over to his bed. She kissed him deeply and straddled his waist, and even though this was all he had been wanting for so long, he couldn't get his mind off the two downstairs.

"You don't think Alex would try and take advantage of April, do you?" he asked between kisses.

"What? No!" Lexie said, panting against his lips.

"It's not unthinkable. It was only last night he did just that," Jackson grumbled out.

"Alex is a good guy, despite his asshole moments he has been known to have. And obviously he cares about April otherwise he wouldn't care if she was hurting or not. She will be fine," Lexie said annoyed, going for another kiss.

Jackson tried to take comfort in her words, but he was still not sure why he was so uncomfortable with the whole situation down there.

Lexie sighed when she realized his whole mood had changed and sat on the bed next to him. "Ugh! Even when she isn't conscious she is annoying," Lexie muttered.

Jackson shot her a look and said, "She just lost a patient. A kid. You know what that's like. It's not annoying, and you should be sympathetic."

Lexie looked properly ashamed of herself and linked her arm with his, "You're right, I am sorry. I just...I was just happy where this was going and I got frustrated when your mood changed so suddenly."

Jackson nodded and leaned over and kissed Lexie softly at first and then deepened the kiss. "Me too. I'm sorry."

April

April woke up to someone shaking her awake. She rolled over and her eyes widened when she realized it was Alex.

"Morning," he whispered softly.

"Morning," she replied in a shy voice, remembering everything that happened the night before.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked her, his eyes full of concern.

She shrugged and he nodded. April had woken up in the early hours of the morning, around three, and realized her and Alex had fallen asleep on the couch together. She was slightly embarrassed, but sensing her movement, he woke up and was nothing but caring and concerned for her.

He walked her to her room and April said, "Can you stay? I know that's weird, but I can't have nightmares. Not tonight." Alex had only nodded, knowing a thing or two about nightmares himself. He held April for the rest of the night and kept her nightmares away. It was the first good night sleep she had in a long time.

"Look, I am going to go make some coffee while you get dressed and then we will go in early together. Okay?" he asked gently.

She gave him a small smile and said, "Yeah. Sounds like a good plan."

Alex climbed out of her bed and as he was about to walk out she said, "Alex. Thanks for...just thanks."

He smiled and nodded and closed the door behind him.

April stretched, then got up and went through her closet, finding a pair of jeans and a cute shirt. She laid her outfit out and grabbed her towel and headed to the bathroom to climb in the shower.

She gasped in shock and dropped her stuff when she walked saw two figures behind the foggy glass. Jackson and Lexie. April snatched her pile up when she heard Lexie moan and snuck out.

April closed her eyes, leaning against the bathroom door. She didn't know why, but there was a tightness in her chest and it was as if her airway was restricted. April covered her heart with her hand to find it racing. April took some deep breaths and then walked down the stairs.

She went into the downstairs bathroom and began the shower there. She climbed in, and began to wash herself when the water went stone cold. "Damn," she growled, finishing in the shower quickly and drying off. She changed into her clothes, and towel dried her hair as she walked up the stairs to her room once more.

She changed into her clothes and it was then that she noticed it. The shirt. It was purple and green. Hell the pattern on the shirt looked like waves on it...how...her eyes filled with tears and she saw the little girl's face as she closed them.

April shook her head and went to grab her blow dryer and quickly begin to dry her hair.

"Ariel?" Kaitlin had asked as she came out of local.

"It's April, Kaitlin. How are you feeling?" April asked.

"It hurts," she said.

April nodded and the little girl said, "You look like Ariel from Little Mermaid. I wish my hair was as pretty as yours."

April chuckled and said, "Your hair is even prettier than mine."

"I want to be a mermaid like you," she said, her speech slurred and her eyes drooping as her meds began to pull her under. April smiled and touched her little hand.

Alex walked in and showed her the films as Kaitlin fell back asleep . She would need surgery because there was massive internal damage. And bleeding.

April shut off the dryer and put on makeup. She looked at her shirt and couldn't wear it. She changed into a black shirt instead and walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. Alex was dressed and had a bowl of cereal laid out for her as he read the paper.

April poured herself some cereal and began eating when Jackson walked in with Lexie. She focused on her breakfast because she could only hurt about one thing today and Kaitlin was going to be it.

Jackson walked up to her and asked, "Hey, I heard you had a rough day yesterday. You okay?" He placed his hand on her shoulder to comfort her, but it just pissed her off for some reason. She shrugged his hand off and mumbled, "M'fine."

He looked hurt by her response and gave her a concerned look, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She ignored him and Alex, witnessing the odd interaction, placed a hand on her lower back and said, "Ready?"

April nodded and placed her and Alex's bowls in the sink as he grabbed his keys and waited for her. April walked out to the car, feeling a strange relief about being away from Jackson and Lexie.

Jackson

Jackson had been smiling like an idiot as he and Lexie left his bedroom to go shower, but he stopped short when he noticed Karev walking out into the hall...out of April's room. Alex looked at him briefly, and then walked by him down the hall to the stairs.

Jackson forgot Lexie was by his side until she said, "Oh my God, do you think they slept together?"

Jackson's head spun at the thought and he wanted to go knock on April's door to talk to her, but Lexie was pushing him towards the bathroom, kissing down his chest.

When they finished their shower...which had been amazing, he noticed that April looked like she was still a little off. She didn't have her usually sunny, morning personality and she looked downcast down at her cereal. When he asked about her patient, she had brushed him off and even rejected his comfort.

Jackson looked to Lexie as he watched them walk out of the house

Jackson looked at the time and said, "Damn, we are going to be late."

Lexie shrugged and said, "I am on Mark's case and he won't care if I am late."

Jackson looked at her and said, "So it will be me, you, and your ex?"

"Mark and I are over," she said simply.

Jackson couldn't help but look at her skeptically and she said defensively, "Mark has had a hard time accepting it, but it is over!"

"So what do you want this to be?" he asked, knowing it was soon for this but wanting to know what he was signing on for if he was going to face the wrath of Sloan. Did she want to date? Date exclusively? Just have sex? He was up for any of them, he just needed to know.

"I am not sure," she said, cagey.

Jackson nodded and said, "Well, figure it out and let me know." He walked toward her and grabbed her chin, lightly kissing her before walking out of the kitchen to get dressed for the day.

Jackson ended up leaving without Lexie because she was taking longer than normal to get ready. He walked through the hospital and spotted April at the nurses' station and smiling brightly as she scribbled in a chart. Jackson noticed Alex was the one making her smile and he scowled.

"April," Jackson interrupted, "Can I talk to you?"

April looked hesitant, but nodded and he followed her to her office where they would have some privacy.

"What's up?" she asked, leaning against her desk.

"You tell me," he asked, crossing his arms.

April only gave him a baffled look and shrugged, "I have no clue what you are talking about."

"I can't help but feel like you are pissed or something at me. Are you?" Jackson asked.

"No, why do you think that?" she asked, nonchalantly.

"You brushed me off this morning, last night I came back and you were with Alex," Jackson said as if it was obvious.

"I don't understand why you are making either of those incidents about you. I didn't want to talk about my case because I didn't want to get emotional all over again. Alex was there for me, mainly because he was on the case," April said defensively, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"What is it with you two all of a sudden? He treated you like crap and suddenly you're best friends or something?" Jackson asked.

"Why can't you let that go? I have," she said angrily, crossing her arms as she leveled him with a stare.

"Because he is an ass," Jackson said angrily, not believing he had to point this out to her.

April shook her head and said, "You aren't perfect either Jackson, nobody is. You're being a pretty big hypocrite."

"Me? A hypocrite? How the hell am I an ass?" he asked, incredulous. How had she turned this around on him?

April remained silent, clenching and unclenching her jaw as if she was biting back her words.

"Jackson, I don't know why it bothers you so much for me to be friends with him, but Alex is my friend. I consider him a good person, even if you don't. Accept that. Also accept that I might not always run to you for everything, Jackson," she said, walking toward her office door.

"I have a surgery to get to," she said, walking out, leaving the door open so he would leave.

Jackson stared in shock after her and realized that he might be on cloud nine with Lexie, but his friendship with April was definitely on the rocks. When had that happened? How had that happened?

Jackson wanted to fix it, but didn't know how.

He left April's office and walked towards the OR board to see the schedule. Dr. Bailey was writing on it and he walked up to her and asked, "Dr. Bailey, can you assign me to another attending for the day?"

Bailey didn't stop writing, but responded, "I am not a cruise director, Avery."

"I know. I just feel like I need to do rotations on other specialties since I have been heavy in plastics recently and I want a well-rounded education," he said, knowing that was the one line that would work on Bailey.

She turned around and looked at him. Her eyes...they were so knowing. She smiled a little smile and asked, "Why?"

"I just tol-"

"The truth," she demanded.

"I can't be on Sloan's service. Not today," he said.

"Because of...let me guess, Lexie Grey," Bailey said with a small smile.

"How did you-"

"Know? I know everything. Every. Thing. You are going to sacrifice your passion in order to avoid your girlfriend and her ex? I'll assign you to someone else, but you a damn fool, Jackson Avery. And don't expect me to rattle off that lame excuse to Mark when he comes barking at me about why I switched you. I will be telling him to come look for you," she said, turning back to the board and writing on it.

Jackson thanked her and walked away.

"Avery!" a voice boomed out.

Jackson spun, looking for the source and spotted an excited Hunt looking at him.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Ready for tomorrow's game?" Hunt ask, squeezing his throwing arm.

Jackson closed his eyes, having completely forgot. He opened them and nodded and said, "Yes, I am ready, sir."

"Good."

Hunt nodded and called out to another doctor who was playing and asked the same question.

Jackson spotted Karev sitting at a nurses' station looking over a chart and also researching something it looked like.

Jackson looked and saw he was looking up good date ideas in Seattle. "Definitely no to laser tag," he said, scoffing.

Alex scowled at him and minimized the screen.

"Whose is the lucky lady?" he asked, flipping open a chart because he now had a new attending to be prepared for.

"April," Alex answered absentmindedly as he wrote in a patient's chart.

"Seriously?" Jackson asked, a definite edge to his voice.

"Yeah. You got a problem with that?" he asked, focusing on Jackson with irritation.

"Yeah, she is my friend and I don't want to see her hurt by you. Again," Jackson said angrily.

"You are her friend. Not her dad, so I don't need to ask your permission. It's between me and April, so stay out of it," Alex said, standing and grabbing his chart.

Jackson stared after him, not having anything to say because he was right. It was between Alex and April. But he...he...he didn't like it. He didn't know how else to phrase it. He didn't like a guy like Alex looking for something with a girl like April.

"Avery, you're on my service?" Callie asked as she looked at the board. "That's a mistake, right? Aren't you with Sloan for the big surgery?"

Jackson shook his head and said, "Nope, yours today."

Callie looked at him and then shrugged before saying, "Cool, you have my charts?"

Jackson nodded and handed them over. He said, "Since it was a last minute change, I am not fully prepped and don't have the films, but I will go and get them."

Callie nodded and said, "Good, page me when you are ready."

Jackson nodded and walked to x ray to pick up the films. He stood in line, distracted by all the interesting conversations he had already had this morning. April, Bailey, Karev. It was a lot. And everything seemed so...confused and wrong.

"So I was thinking I could take you out? If you want?" he suddenly heard. Jackson looked ahead of him in the line and spotted Karev talking to April. They were about four or five people ahead of him, who were all nosily listening like him.

"Really? Like a date?" April said, her face flushing in embarrassment.

Karev laughed and said, "Yeah, like a date."

April laughed nervously and cleared her throat as she considered her answer.

"Uh, sure, why not?" she said scooting forward as the line progressed.

"Good, how about tomorrow? After the game?" he asked.

"Oh God I forgot all about that!" April said. "Yeah, that would be fun."

Karev nodded and they began talking about the game and the odds of them winning.

As they collected their films and began to leave Jackson smiled and nodded at both of them awkwardly as they passed. Karev looked smug and April had a strange look on her face he couldn't identify.

When they were gone, Jackson's face fell and he noticed his heart was racing slightly.

"Name?" someone said forcefully and Jackson snapped back into the moment.

He read off the list of Callie's patients and the man went through a pile and handed them to Jackson.

Jackson thanked him and thought about April and Alex...even putting their names together like that made Jackson scowl and shake his head.

"Hey you," Lexie said, purring as she fell into step beside him, "I have a way to make you smile."

Jackson nodded and gave a small smile and followed her to the nearest on call room.

April

April sat on the couch, completely focused on the movie she was watching. Everybody was out and she rooted around her old VHS tapes and actually found it.

As she watched Ariel sing Part of Your World, April sipped on her beer and rested her head against the back of the couch.

"Ariel, will you make it stop hurting?" Kaitlin asked.

April nodded, not bothering to correct her this time, and said, "Kaitlin I am going to make it feel better, and then you can go home with your mommy and daddy."

April didn't even hear the door open as she watched Flotsam and Jetsam swirl around Ariel, convincing her to go to the sea witch so she could be with Prince Eric.

"April," Jackson said, setting his bag down and walking over to her, his eyes flitting to the screen in confusion.

"What's wrong?" he asked, sitting next to her and placing a hand on her leg.

"Nothing," she replied, clicking the remote to turn the movie off.

"Really? You are crying as you watch a Disney movie. You can tell me," he said gently.

April touched her cheeks and was surprised when her fingertips came back wet.

"I...It's nothing. I am going to bed," she said abruptly as she stood up. "Night Jackson."

"April, please," he said, grabbing her hand, "Talk to me. You used to talk to me all the time. Now it's as if you can't stand being in the same room as me."

"Because I can't," April whispered, realizing the truth of her words, gently pulling her hand free from his and leaving the room.

April shut the door to her bedroom and leaned against it. April closed her eyes and examined what the hell had been going on with her. There was the tightness in her chest again and the feeling as if she couldn't breathe. Her lungs were having a hard time giving April the oxygen she needed.

She cared about him. Very much. She felt like she could trust Jackson. When they had first met, she had known then he was out of her league. Even though she thought he was truly a beautiful man, like everyone else, she hadn't even allowed herself to have a crush on him.

But what April now realized was that this thing she felt inside. It wasn't a crush. It was something much deeper. Much more meaningful. It was...April couldn't put her finger on it. She remembered crushing on Derek Shepherd and this was nothing like that. Nothing.

Something inside April...it ached. It ached and she didn't know why. Why?

April walked to her bed and laid on it, staring at her ceiling.

She didn't know when she had fallen asleep, but she had the strangest dream:

"Where is Eric?" Kaitlin asked April.

April looked down at her in confusion and asked, "Eric? Who is Eric?"

"Your prince," she answered as if April was crazy.

April smiled and remembered that Kaitlin thought she was Ariel, the Little Mermaid. Because of her red hair.

"Oh honey, I don't...I don't have a Prince Eric. My name is April. I am a doctor," April said gently.

Kaitlin on gave her an amused look and then suddenly April was no longer in the trauma unit, but in her room at Meredith's house. Somebody knocked on the door and April opened her door to Kaitlin.

"I found him," she squealed excitedly.

"Who?" April said.

"Your Eric," Kaitlin said, grabbing April's hand and pulling it with all her might towards the front door. "He likes boats."

April opened her front door, and for some reason it wasn't weird that when she stepped outside she was at the Seattle ferry boat marina.

Kaitlin stopped in front of the ferry and said, "He is on there."

April looked down at Kaitlin and then boarded the ferry. She looked back to Kaitlin but she was gone. April looked around the abandoned marina and the sight gave her a chill. It was kind of creepy all abandoned.

April walked through the ferryboat, looking for anyone. It too was abandoned. At the very front of the boat, she finally spotted someone. She walked towards the familiar figure and her heart jumped up into her throat when he turned around.

"Jackson?"

April jerked awake and she once again heard Jackson screaming in his sleep. Lexie must be at the hospital because he hadn't been having as many nightmares since she was there to wake him up.

April rolled over in her sleep, putting her pillow over her head to muffle the sounds, but it was as if they echoed in her ears and her heart. April debated going over there, especially after their awkward conversation earlier. Suddenly his screams stopped and April wondered if he was okay.

She climbed out of bed and wrapped her robe around her as she padded across the hall and opened his door. She gasped at the sight of Lexie without a shirt on straddling Jackson, kissing him deeply. When Lexie noticed they had been interrupted, she looked at April in annoyance. April flushed red and rushed out, "SorryIheardhimscreamingand…SORRY!"

April slammed the door shut in mortification. She closed her eyes and she heard them laugh at having been caught.

April shook her head and walked back across to her room. She climbed back in bed and cursed under her breath in embarrassment.

To her horror, she heard a light tapping on her door and April ignored it, but she heard it again.

"April?" Jackson said, cracking the door open and peeking inside her room.

April sat up and said, "Sorry, I didn't mean to barge in there, I just heard you screaming and I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Oh, uh, okay. Thanks for checking in on me," he said, looking at her a minute before closing the door behind him.

April closed her eyes thinking, I have got to get my own place.

She had never considered it before she became chief resident, but now that there was a slight increase in her pay, she thought she might be able to afford it on her own.

April nodded, resolved to begin looking for a place in the morning. She actually had the entire afternoon off after the softball game. She had her date with Alex…date with Alex…that was still weird, but it was also exciting.

Jackson

Jackson was worn out from the softball game and then his shift. Lexie had maimed Julie, Mark's new girlfriend and then Alex and April had left together afterwards for their date. It was just…weird. But April had looked so excited.

"Hey babe," Lexie said, coming in the door behind him, setting her bag down and walking with him towards the kitchen.

"So, uh, what the hell was that today?" he asked, "With Julie."

"It was an accident," she said, her cheeks turning pink.

"You practically maimed her," Jackson said, popping the lid off of his beer.

"I did not maim her. She will only have a bruise," Lexie said defensively.

"So, it still doesn't explain why you threw the ball at her like you were in the World Series instead of a friendly game between competing hospitals," he said with a smirk.

Lexie shrugged and asked, "Can we just drop it?"

Jackson shrugged and asked, "Wanna watch a movie?"

She nodded and he led them towards the living room. Jackson sat on the couch as Lexie looked through the movies and picked one. As she loaded it in she said, "Who was watching Little Mermaid?"

"April," Jackson responded, trying to forget the fact that April and Alex were on a date right now. If Alex tried anything, Jackson would beat him to a pulp.

Lexie shook her head and said in amusement, "How old is she?"

"She is going through something, so just lay off of her, alright?" he snapped suddenly.

She looked shocked and a little pissed.

"What the fuck is your problem? You have been snapping at me all night!" Lexie said, standing and forgetting the movie.

"I just hate how you are always ragging on her. Didn't you tell me that Meredith and Cristina were cruel to you because they thought you had smiley face posters or something? You're doing the same shit to April, who is my friend, so knock it off," he said again, rolling his eyes as he sipped at his beer.

"As if you're any better? You make fun of her behind her back and to her face. Like when you told her she should be ashamed to be a virgin and full on rallying the others to make fun of her for it? Or like when you were constantly making fun of her when she had a crush on Derek. You are the biggest fucking hypocrite Jackson," Lexie said, stomping off and up the stairs.

He heard the door slam and Jackson cursed took another sip of beer. It was the second time someone had called him a hypocrite when it came to his friend April. And April was one of them.

The truth was that he had been feeling like shit since April had told him she couldn't be in the same room as him. She was pissed or upset, and he didn't know how to fix it. Jackson leaned his head back on the couch. He swigged his beer as he thought about Lexie.

Jackson regretted snapping at Lexie, though he thought that she was unnecessarily unfair when it came to April. Jackson knew Lexie had a rough night too, and he had just made it worse. He thought about the game and he wondered what the hell had gotten into her when she threw that ball. Part of him didn't want to acknowledge what that had really been about. She was jealous.

As much as Jackson wanted to deny it, he knew it was true. Jackson laid on the couch, looking at the clock. They had left for their date right after the softball game and Jackson noted that it was now 10:30 PM. Where were they?

He laid on the couch, even though he knew he should go find Lexie and apologize for snapping at her. Jackson grabbed the remote and began flipping through channels, never settling on one thing.

He would occasionally steal glances at the clock and he noticed each time only five minutes would pass with each glance. He didn't know when he passed out, but the door opening and Alex and April laughing woke him up. He looked at the clock. Two in the morning.

Alex was laughing and so was April when they spotted Jackson on the couch, "Oh dude, sorry. What are you doing down here?" Alex asked.

"Fell asleep watching TV, I guess," he said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

April and Alex looked between one another and April smiled and thanked Alex. "Thanks for a fun night," she said, pecking his cheek and then heading upstairs.

Alex and Jackson watched her go and Jackson said, "Why were you out so late?"

Alex shrugged and said, "We just were," as he kicked off his shoes and then took his jacket off.

His lack of details was driving Jackson insane!

"Well, I am beat. Night dude."

"Yeah," Jackson responded as Alex climbed the stairs.

Jackson walked to his room after turning the TV and lights off. He made sure the door was locked before climbing the stairs to bed.

He was surprised that Lexie was in his room, sound asleep. He peeled his clothes off except his boxers and climbed in next to her and curled on his side away from her as he tried to go to sleep.

He looked towards the door when he heard April chuckling and then a deep voice belonging to Alex, muffled by the doors.

Jackson closed his eyes tight and rolled onto his back.

He was exhausted, but when he heard Alex laughing he climbed out of bed he walked across the hall and knocked on her door. The voices stopped and April answered the door in her pajama shorts and tank.

"Sorry, were we keeping you up?" she said, her eyes full of embarrassment and regret.

He shook his head and she asked, "Did you need something then?"

"Uh...umm, just keep it down?" he asked.

She looked at him in confusion, but nodded and said, "Night Jackson."

"Night April."

April

April woke up and stretched. She had taken the morning off to go see an apartment that was being sublet by a nurse who was moving to an apartment closer to another hospital she had gotten a job at.

April climbed out of bed and was surprised to see she was the first one to wake up. She hadn't even set her alarm clock.

She made her way down to the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee and went to the front door to get the paper.

When she came back Jackson was sitting at the table and rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"Morning," she said, walking over to the cupboard and grabbing a mug for herself and one for Jackson.

"Morning," he said, watching her.

"Coffee?" she asked, pouring herself one.

He nodded and she poured him a cup and then handed it to him before she began making herself some breakfast.

"I am making oatmeal. Want some?" she asked as she yawned, her back to him.

"I want you to talk to me," he said, causing April to turn around and look at him.

"Talk about what?" she asked.

"Why can't you be in the same room as me?" Jackson asked, his eyes burning with intensity.

"Jackson, it's complicated," she said, turning back to the stove, a feeling of dread washing over her. She just wanted breakfast and do anything but talk about this.

Jackson was quiet and April closed her eyes and rested her hands on the stove as she waited for her water to boil. She practically jumped when she felt hands on her hips and she spun around.

"April," Jackson whispered.

April gasped as Jackson began to lean forward. She looked at him in shock, but was too surprised to stop him. Jackson's lips brushed against hers when she heard footsteps on the stairs. April's whole body shivered and her heart leapt into her throat as Jackson pecked her lips once more.

She turned her back on him as she felt Jackson step back.

"Oatmeal would be good," he whispered before he walked towards the table, sitting down again.

"Morning," Lexie said, grabbing a mug and pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"Morning," Jackson said. April remained silent as she began cooking breakfast.

"Is that oatmeal?" Lexie asked April.

April nodded and asked, "Want some?"

Lexie said, "Sure."

April began adding the oats and then covered them as she grabbed some blueberries from the fridge.

Alex walked in and said, "Oatmeal?"

"I am making plenty," April said as she rinsed the berries in the sink.

"Sounds good," he said, grabbing the bowls and spoons for everyone.

April sipped her coffee as she kept an eye on the oats. She felt Jackson's eyes on her, but she wouldn't...couldn't return his gaze. Her cheeks flushed so she stood up from the stool and walked to the stove to stir the oatmeal and to hide her face.

"You want someone to go look at that apartment with you?" Alex asked, grabbing a banana out of the fruit bowl.

"You're moving?" Jackson asked, sitting up straight at the new information.

"Y-yeah," April said, her voice shaking, "I, uh, found this great place near the hospital that is being sublet."

There was silence in the kitchen except the sound of the oatmeal cooking and April finally took it off the stove and served it up into the bowls.

"That's great," Lexie said, "Doesn't that sound great?" she asked Jackson who only looked down into his coffee cup with a scowl on his face.

April grabbed the brown sugar and milk and put two bowls in front of Lexie and Jackson. Jackson attempted to catch her eye, but she turned and walked back towards the stool and sat on one next to Alex.

"If you wouldn't mind coming with me that would be great, but don't you work?" she asked Alex.

"I can go," Jackson said from the table.

April looked over her shoulder and said, "Don't you have that big surgery with Sloan?"

"That ear reconstruction?" Lexie reminded.

"No, I uh, took myself off his service," Jackson said. Lexie looked at him guiltily and Jackson looked down at his oatmeal.

"That would be good, because Stark has me on his service and he wasn't a complete troll to me yesterday," Alex said, finishing off his oatmeal. He got up and put his bowl in the sink and walked out of the kitchen, wishing April luck with the apartment.

Jackson looked at April, who looked down into her oatmeal and stirred it as she added some more blueberries. She closed the newspaper and took a few more bites of her oatmeal and then trashed the rest and cleaned her bowl.

She didn't want to be left in the room alone with Jackson and she could sense Lexie wanted to be alone with him.

Jackson

Jackson watched April as she left the kitchen. She was moving? Jackson didn't want to seem self-centered, but was this because of him? Because of whatever was putting a wedge between them?

Jackson felt Lexie put her hand over his and said, "I am sorry for last night. You were right. I can be hard on April, but I am going to try."

He smiled and said, "Thanks."

She pushed her oatmeal away and Jackson looked at it as she asked, "Are you giving up this surgery for me?"

Normally Jackson would assure her that he wasn't, but today he nodded and said, "I am."

She exhaled and said, "Do you want me to tell him? Mark? That we're a thing and that he can't jeopardize your education because of it. I will."

Jackson shook his head and said, "I will figure it out. I am going to go get ready to go look at that apartment with April."

"Jackson," Lexie said, trying to get him to stay and talk, but Jackson just leaned down and kissed her forehead before walking out of the kitchen and up to his room.

He sat on the bed and closed his eyes as his head swam with all the shit going on. April moving, him giving up plastics for a girl in love with his mentor, Alex and April dating, kissing April, Lexie being jealous of Julia and Mark, April not speaking to him. It was too much. Something had to give.

Jackson rubbed his forehead as he thought each thing through as he set some clothes out for the day on his bed.

Lexie...as much as Jackson liked Lexie and wanted to be with her, he realized it was a fool's errand. Lexie was in love with Mark. Period. The sooner that he realized that there would never be a fruitful relationship with her, the better. Jackson didn't want to invest time or emotion into someone who could never give him what he needed back.

And by ending it with Lexie, he would solve his problem regarding plastics and Mark. He could study his chosen specialty and not be worried about his mentor limiting his education. When it came to his education, Jackson wanted Mark because he was the best, so even though Jackson couldn't believe he was saying it, he was ending it with Lexie for Mark.

He listened to see if someone was in the shower and grabbed his towel when nobody was. He glanced at April's closed door as he made his way to the bathroom and focused on all his problems stemming from her.

What was her problem with him? Jackson didn't know why, but it was the biggest problem for him. He needed April because he felt like he could talk to her about anything, and with her acting so weird and closed off, it wasn't possible for them to have the relationship that Jackson wanted.

Relationship that Jackson wanted...what kind of thought was that? They were friends. What relationship? Jackson's mind flashed to when he kissed her that morning. He didn't know what had motivated him to do it, but he...he had wanted to. She was shutting down in front of him and he was desperate to get through to her.

And he had liked it. Her soft pink lips, the way her body had trembled at his touch, her scent, the feel of her hips in his hands. Her shocked eyes staring into his.

Jackson looked down and was shocked to see how much that kiss affected him. He groaned and rolled his eyes and then turned off the shower and dried off before wrapping his towel around his waist.

He walked down the hall after brushing his teeth and when he saw that April's door was open he peeked inside to tell her he would be ready soon, but she wasn't in the darkened room. The lights were off, the bed was made, and her purse wasn't hanging on the hook it usually resided on. Did she..."April!?" he called out. No answer in the silent house. She left? Jackson walked to his room and threw on some sweats as he called her cell phone. Straight to voicemail. Did she know how infuriating this was? Her avoiding him was so infuriating.

Jackson thought about his options and decided that he would get dressed and head into the hospital to see if he could get back on Sloan's service since he had made up his mind about Lexie. He also needed to talk to Lexie...that was going to be hard.

April

April chewed her lip as she looked at the apartment. "It's really nice and the location is perfect."

The girl gave April all the information and April did the math in her head. She could afford it, but it was going to be tight. She would need to live very conservatively. April thought about walking in on Jackson and Lexie in the shower and reminded herself that you couldn't put a price on peace of mind.

April turned to the girl and said, "I will take it."

The girl squealed and said, "Good because I really don't want to show it to anyone else!"

April laughed and the girl let April know she was pretty much moved out, she just needed to clean the place and have one of the rooms painted back to white. April looked at the room in question. It was a pretty gray color and April said, "No need. I can work around that color if it is more convenient for you to leave it."

The girl raised her eyebrows and said, "Well then I will finish cleaning it today and then drop your keys off at the hospital for you by the end of the day."

April thanked her and then they walked out of her new apartment. It was a two bedroom, but April decided that she could use one of the bedrooms as an office/spare bedroom. It was really nice. Hardwood floors, crown molding, working fireplace, central heating and air. It was perfect.

April walked to a little sandwich shop near the hospital and grabbed something to eat before she had to work her afternoon shift. She at it as she walked and was surprised when she heard someone call her name behind her.

April looked around and spotted Mark Sloan approaching her.

"Oh, uh, hi Dr. Sloan. What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Same as you probably. Playing hooky with Sofia for the morning with Julia. You?" he asked as he pressed the crosswalk button.

"I just saw an apartment that I am getting," she said, smiling.

"Good for you," he said with a charming smile, "It's a great neighborhood and it pays to be so close to the hospital."

April nodded and said, "It's just getting too cramped at Meredith's and I know they are thinking about kids."

Mark nodded and said, "Maybe Jackson would move with you? Or Karev?"

April shook her head and said, "I think they seem pretty settled."

Mark shrugged and said, "Have you noticed anything odd about Avery? He is pushing me and plastics away. Is it another specialty?"

"I really wouldn't know. Since him and Lexie began seeing each other we haven't been talking much," she said regretfully. As the walked towards the doors of the hospital, April looked at Mark in confusion. He still hadn't responded and his silence was pregnant. What...

"Oh my God, you d-didn't know did you? Oh God, Dr. Sloan, I am so sorry, it wasn't my place and I thought you would know," she rambled.

"No, uh, Kepner it's fine," Sloan said distractedly, "At least I know why he has been steering clear."

April watched him walk away and April cursed under breath and bit her lip. Now she had to find Lexie or Jackson to warn them that Mark knew and may or may not be on the warpath.

Jackson

Jackson's pager went off and he looked at it and walked towards the nurses' station to where he was paged.

He was surprised to see Sloan there waiting for him.

"You page?" he asked, walking up to the older man.

"I did, I need to talk to you," Mark said, his tone serious.

Jackson's heart dropped and he followed Mark to an on call room, the humor in the moment not escaping him as Mark closed the door behind him.

"Avery, I just want you to know that I know there is something between you and Lexie-"

"Dr. Sloan, I-"

"No, Avery, just listen. It is hard for me to know she is moving on, but it is harder for me to realize neither of you told me. It is awkward hearing it through the grapevine," he said, his tone annoyed.

Jackson swallowed and said, "I am sorry about that, it's just that we didn't want to say anything until we knew for sure if it was something we wanted or not."

Sloan regarded him a moment and then nodded his head.

He clapped Jackson on the shoulder and then said, "As far as being on my service, you are far too talented to waste your education. You have a real gift for plastics, Avery. I hope that this thing with Lexie is the only thing holding you back from pursuing plastics."

Jackson nodded and chuckled nervously and said, "It was."

Mark smiled and said, "Good. Let's get to work then."

Before they left the on call room, Jackson stopped Mark and said, "Sloan, uh, there is something you should know, though."

Mark waited and Jackson cleared his throat and said, "I did decide this morning that...well, it isn't going to work out with Lexie. I just...thought you should know."

Mark looked at him and after a second asked, "Why?"

"There are a few reasons," he said evasively.

"Lexie is a great girl and you shouldn't mess around with her," Sloan warned.

"I know she is a great girl. I wanted something more with her, but...well she is still in love with you."

Mark looked like Jackson had smacked him in the face and said, "She told you that?"

Jackson shook his head and then said, "No, I just...I know."

Mark looked at him and Jackson said, "Anyway, let's get back to it. I am going to go grab the patient charts."

April

April didn't get off until late since she had come in so late and when she got home she just wanted to pass out.

Unfortunately there was a huge party Cristina and Meredith had thrown together and April had to elbow her way up the stairs and to her room. She walked in on two people making out on her bed and she said, "Out."

They both sheepishly smiled and April couldn't even care that they had almost defiled her room. She shut the door and changed into PJ's she looked around her room. It wouldn't be a difficult move. She didn't have furniture to move and she could probably get her stuff in 5-10 boxes, which Alex had already grabbed for her from Joe's.

April looked through her closet and kept about five outfits out in case she stayed for a bit, but she didn't expect to. She then began with her closet as she whistled to the thudding music downstairs. About halfway through her room and about three boxes in, she heard a tapping on her door. She called out, "Occupied," assuming it was another couple seeking a place to make out.

The door opened and Alex walked in and sat on the end of her bed, holding a beer out to her. "Getting a jump start?" he asked as he took a swig of his beer.

April just nodded and he said, "Look, I know last night we decided we are better off as friends, and I get if this is weird, but I was wondering if maybe I could move into your new place with you. Mer was just telling me that she wants to try for another kid and Zola-"

"No, that's fine," April said, cutting him off, "I was actually worrying about how I would afford such a nice place by myself. It has a second bedroom, so it might as well get used."

He nodded and smile and said, "Good. So what are the details?"

April told him all about the apartment, where it was, what it was like, how much rent was, how close it was to the hospital, the fact they could move in as soon as possible.

Alex nodded and said they would rent a truck to move the big stuff. He then looked down at her and asked, "Why aren't you downstairs?"

"Long day," she said, trying to avoid the question.

Alex only nodded and then asked, "Have you talked to Jackson yet?"

April's cheeks flushed and shook her head, asking, "Why? What?"

"He is planning on breaking up with Lexie," he said, taking a drink of his beer.

"Wha-why?" she asked, stopping her work momentarily.

"Don't know. Sloan told me," he said.

April nodded and said, "That's too bad. I thought they seemed happy."

Alex chuckled and said, "No, they seemed horny. Not the same thing. I think they both just needed a scratching post."

April grimaced at the imagery and then closed the box she had been filling and taped it up, clearly marking it Bedroom.

"Are you going to help me?" Alex asked as he watched her go for another box. "I have always used trash bags to move."

April smiled and said, "Oh for God's sake. That's no way to move. Of course I will help you."

Alex smiled and the door suddenly opened and Jackson's head popped in.

"Uh, oh hey, sorry, didn't mean to interrupt," he said, his eyes bouncing between the two of them.

Alex shook his head and said, "Hey, we have some news. April and I are getting that place together."

Jackson face froze as he took it in and he asked, "Tha-that's great. Wow."

April nodded and said, "I have put up with him this long, I think I can handle him for a little longer."

Jackson looked at her and the expression on his face was so hard for her to place. It was intense though.

"Well, I am...uh, gonna go find Lexie," he said awkwardly before leaving the room.

Alex shot April a confused look and asked, "Did he seem weird to you?"

She shrugged and said, "I rarely know what's going on in his head anymore."

Alex chuckled and April got back to packing. She actually worked really fast as she talked to Alex and an hour and a half later she was pretty much done with her room. She even made a mental list of everything else in the house that was hers. A lot of the cooking stuff was hers because nobody really cooked in the house.

She yawned and Alex left to go rejoin the party as April climbed into bed.

Jackson

Jackson spotted Lexie talking to Mark and he shot Mark a look that told him he hadn't said anything to her yet.

"Uh, Lexie, can we talk?" he asked as he approached them.

She smiled and nodded though her face held a guilty look.

He led them to the kitchen and turned to her.

"So Mark told me you worked together today. I am glad it isn't awkward for you anymore," she said.

"Lexie, it's not awkward because I told him," he said, "And then I told him that I didn't think it was going to work out between us."

Lexie looked shocked, "What?"

"I think we should stop seeing one another," Jackson said.

"Why?" she asked after a second, her voice getting an angry edge to it.

"I..Lexie I am not willing to sacrifice my love for plastics for a girl who is still in love with her ex. I need to pursue plastics. And you need to be honest with me and with yourself about your feelings for Mark," he said gently.

"That is so off base, Jackson," she said, her voice shaking.

Jackson shook his head and said, "It's not. You still look at him the way he looks at you. You never have looked at me like that."

"Is this about April, because I have been trying to be nice to her!" she said.

"It has nothing to do with April," he said, but a voice in the back of his head told Jackson that wasn't exactly true. A small part of it was because...he cared about April . And he wanted her.

"So...you are choosing Mark? Over me?" she said, as if she couldn't believe what he was saying.

Jackson nodded slowly and said, "I guess I am. And so are you."

Lexie remained silent and her eyes filled with tears. Jackson waited a moment before he grabbed another beer and then walked out of the kitchen. There wasn't really anything left to say.

He walked through the house, which now only had a few stragglers remaining and walked up the stairs when he spotted Alex talking to Hunt.

He walked to his room, but then changed his mind and tapped April's door. She didn't answer so he assumed she was asleep.

He then heard something inside and he cracked the door open. She was writing in the bed, a pained look on her face. "Kaitlin," she mumbled in her sleep.

Who the hell is Kaitlin? Jackson wondered as he walked towards the bed to wake her from her nightmare.

"April," he murmured, putting his hand on her shoulder gently.

She shook her head in her sleep and he gently shook her as she whimpered. "April, wake up. It's a dream."

Her eyes snapped open and they were searching the bare room until they rested on Jackson. "It was just a dream," he whispered.

April closed her eyes and shook her head and repeated, "It was just a dream." Her eyes filled with tears and Jackson set his beer on her nightstand and asked, "Are you okay?"

She nodded and said, "Yeah."

"Who is Kaitlin?" he asked softly, brushing her hair out of her face. It was so soft.

"How do you know about Kaitlin?" she said, her voice trembling as two tears leaked out of her eyes.

"You said her name in your dream," he said.

"She...she was the patient...the patient I lost," she said, her voice cracking as she let out a gasped sob.

Jackson wrapped his arms around her and tried to remember that he was comforting her. He had this overwhelming feeling about how right having her in his arms felt.

"Shhh," he whispered in her ear as she cried.

"Tell me about her," he said, "Kaitlin. It might help."

April pulled back to Jackson's disappointment and hugged her knees.

"She was one of the most beautiful little girls I have ever seen. She had this dark brown hair. Almost black. And her eyes were this perfect bluish green hazel. She had a little trouble saying her R's. She had gotten hit by...by a car," she said, her voice trembling.

"She was so scared and in pain, but she was so brave. She only asked for her parents one time," April said, with a small, sad smile.

Jackson remained silent as April continued.

"She...when she was being drugged up, she called me Ariel...with that little impediment of hers. It sounded like Awiel...anyway, I thought she had mistaken my name. When I corrected her, she said I had red hair like Ariel in Little Mermaid and that she wished she was a pretty mermaid like me," April said, wiping the tears from her face as her eyes looked down.

"That's why you were watching the Little Mermaid," Jackson murmured, more to himself than her.

She nodded and said, "I thought I had saved her. She came out of the surgery fine, but...she just... she died. She just died."

April's shoulders began to shake and Jackson wrapped his arms around her small frame once more and rubbed her back. He smelled her hair, and his heart pounded as her arms wrapped around him tightly as she began to calm down.

"It's hard to lose kids," Jackson said, "You did everything you could."

April nodded and said, "I know, it's just-I don't...I don't know why God would take such a beautiful girl from this world. Why?"

Jackson had never heard her talk about religion, but she seemed genuinely puzzled.

"I am religious," she admitted bluntly. "I never told anyone, because...I know it doesn't make sense being a woman of science."

Jackson nodded, not really knowing what to say.

"It's also why I'm..why I never..." she stammered as her cheeks flushed.

"Had sex?" he guessed with a small smile.

She nodded and he said, "April, you don't have to explain it to me. Does Alex know?" he asked.

"Alex? No, why would I tell him?" she asked in confusion.

"You should tell the guy you are dating something like that. He should know why...why you want to wait," Jackson explained, his heart skipping a beat as he said it.

"Jackson, Alex...Alex and I aren't dating. Our date...well, we went to this really fancy, romantic restaurant and we were both so nervous. Halfway into the dinner we both started laughing because even though we found each other attractive, we just...we didn't feel that way about each other. We went to Joe's and had burgers and beer instead, playing darts. We had fun, but we are friends."

Jackson couldn't help the relief that coursed through his veins and he realized just how much it did matter to him.

"Good, that's good," Jackson said.

April gave him a confused look and said, "What is going on with you?"

"April," he said, looking into her eyes. He was scared as hell. If he said this, it would change everything. There was no going back. He didn't ever want to lose her. He had already lost Charles and Reed. He couldn't lose anyone else. Not her.

She looked at him expectantly and with concern and he said, "I think...I think...I have feelings for you."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Like, I like you," he said, swallowing a lump that formed in his throat.

April blushed and then looked down at her knees.

"Y-you do?" she asked, her voice one of disbelief.

He nodded and waited for her response.

"Is that why...this morning in the kitchen...?" she asked.

Jackson nodded as he waited for her to process it and she then asked, "Why?"

Jackson was semi taken aback by her question. Usually women didn't care why he liked them, but April really seemed like she wanted to know.

"You...you are one of my closest friends. And I think you are beautiful. Prettier that Ariel," he said with a grin, "And you are...such a kind person, April. And open. And gentle. I have never been with someone like that and I want to. I want to try to be with you."

April gave an embarrassed smile as he told her why. He had no idea if they would work. If Jackson would like being with the polar opposite of what he usually dated. But he wanted to try.

She was still silent and he lost patience and asked, "Do you...feel like that way about me at all?"

April looked up at him and said, "When we first began at Mercy West, I told myself someone like you would never, ever go for someone like me, so it's just...this is a lot for me to take in."

He nodded, not really sure what she meant by someone like him or someone like her, but he ignored it.

"Well I do. I feel that way about you," Jackson said.

April smiled and said, "I have cared about you...so long. I think that's why...that is why it was so hard for me to see you with Lexie. And when you were with her, I pushed you away because it hurt me to see it."

Jackson remained silent and it all made sense to him. She had been hurt and jealous. Like he had been when Alex had taken her out and been there when Jackson couldn't.

Jackson nodded and said, "I felt the same way...when you were with Alex."

She smiled and he smiled back at her. He leaned forward closer to her and brushed his lips with hers, so tentatively. April smiled and then put her hand to his cheek and pulled him closer as her lips became surer.

Jackson's heart was racing as she kissed him. He let her have the control. Let her decide the pace. Something was swelling up from his stomach and causing his heart to flutter in...happiness. He was happy.

April pulled away and said, "I like you too."

He smiled and kissed her forehead and said, "Good. So you'll go out with me?"

She nodded and kissed his lips gently again, but broke apart and yawned. She gave an embarrassed laugh once she recovered and said, "Sorry, I should get some sleep."

He chuckled and said, "Okay, goodnight."

She bit her bottom lip as he stood and began walking towards the door.

"Jackson?" she asked before he reached it.

He turned and looked at her and she asked, "Will you stay?"

He smiled and then nodded, walking towards the bed. He took his jeans off and kicked his sneakers off, leaving his boxers and t-shirt on as he climbed in on the other side of her bed. He pulled April closer to him and kissed her shoulder before whispering, "Good night, April."

"Night Jackson."

So this is a looong one shot, but I left it here so you can imagine how it played out between them. Please leave me a review! Thanks for reading.