Here's the last chapter! Thank you for reading/reviewing this fic :)

Enjoy!

Bow tie events were one of Jackson's favorites. He loved dressing up for formal events solely for the purpose of buying a new bow tie. A collection of bow ties were neatly sorted in a box in his closet, but none of them were going to be of use for that particular day. A plain, black bow tie from the Men's Wearhouse was what was required for the day. Otherwise, he wasn't going to match with the other men.

It was a momentous Saturday because it was wedding day. It had been a long time coming.

Not their wedding, though. He and April were happily married for three years now, but his best friend was finally taking the plunge and joining the group of married doctors at Seattle Grace. After a long term relationship with Izzie, Alex got over his marriage fears and proposed to her eight months earlier. Jackson was his best man and April was the OB/GYN's matron of honor.

While he wrapped the black material around the collar of his white dress shirt, the plastic surgeon's eyes ventured towards the smiling 3-year old boy peeking his head inside of the bedroom. He had his father's bluish-green eyes and his mother's bright smile. And when he was overly excited his single dimple stood out like a sore thumb.

"Jeremy, are you ready for Uncle Alex and Aunt Izzie's wedding?" he asked his son, who ran into his bedroom donning his white dress shirt without any pants on. Instead, his Buzz Lightyear Pull-Ups were fully visible. "Where are your pants? I thought Mommy put them on for you."

"I don't like pants!" Jeremy snapped back, climbing onto the bed and jumping on it. "Pants are yucky!"

Jackson closed his eyes and sighed. Since he and April started potty training their only son, he had gotten accustomed to removing his pants at the most random times. It was a phase that their friends teased them about. Lexie had suggested it was a sign he would be a future panty dropper when he became an adult, which worried both parents.

"You can't walk around all day without any pants on. Not only is it indecent but formal wedding attire includes pants. You're wearing them, bud," he ordered, picking up his son and holding him against his shoulder. "And I'm going to make sure you can't take them off during the ceremony."

"No pants!" Jeremy whined, attempting to wiggle out of his father's strong grip.

"Well, it's either pants or you're wearing a dress and I know Mommy will reject the idea of the latter." He entered the little boy's bedroom and found his pants on the floor. Setting him on top of his bed, Jackson used one hand to hold him down and the other to try to slip on his pants for him. Unfortunately, Jeremy furiously kicked his legs and cried as he struggled to free himself. "I'm sorry, but there's no way we're leaving this house without your pants."

Madison, wearing a lavender junior bridesmaid dress, stood in the doorway scrunching her nose at the sight of the two Avery boys fighting each other. "Daddy, what are you doing to Jer?" the 8-year old inquisitively asked, slowly approaching them.

Jackson glanced back at his daughter. "Your brother took off his pants again. I'm trying to put them back on. In fact, can you give me a hand, please? Also, before Mom walks in and sees what we're doing."

She carefully sat down on the bed, trying not to wrinkle her dress. Holding Jeremy's arms over his head, she watched Jackson slip each leg into his pants and tuck his shirt inside afterwards. "It's okay, Jeremy. They're just pants," Madison comforted her baby brother and kissed his forehead.

"Okay, where are his suspenders?" he murmured to himself.

"It's hanging on the doorknob," Madison pointed out and voluntarily retrieved it for him. She handed the suspenders to Jackson before she took a seat on the bed again. "Umm… can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, of course. What's up?" her father answered while he attached the suspenders to Jeremy's pants.

The redhead bit her lower lip, taking after April. As she grew older, her mannerisms and appearance matched her mother's even more. "How come you only went to Camp Wazi once and Mommy went every year? Was it not fun?"

Jackson softly smiled at Madison. In two weeks, she would be experiencing her first year at Camp Waziyatah and although she tried not to show it, she was very apprehensive about being away from home for eight weeks. "It wasn't that I didn't have fun. Actually, the one year I went I had a lot of fun because of your mom," he explained. "But your Granny Catherine normally had family vacations planned over the summer and that was the only year I wasn't allowed to go, so she sent me to Wazi. You'll have fun there, I promise."

"What if I don't?" she replied worriedly.

"Remember what we discussed when we first signed you up? If you don't like camp, then you can come home but only if you at least give the experience a chance and it doesn't change your mind," he reminded her. "And Kylie will be there with you, so you automatically have one friend. I'm sure you'll make more too."

Madison slowly nodded her head. "What was your favorite thing to do there?"

Making out with your mom behind the bushes. No way Jackson would openly admit that, but it truly was his favorite activity during his stay at Wazi. In terms of official camp activities, there wasn't one particular activity that stood out in his mind.

"The rock climbing wall was neat, but you're probably not old enough for that yet," he answered with a chuckle. It took him the entire duration of the summer to successfully reach the top of the wall without screwing up. It happened on the second to last day of camp and for him, it was a major accomplishment.

Jeremy rubbed his eyes with his tiny fists as Jackson placed his feet into his small shoes. "I don't like pants!" he angrily cried.

"And we're finished," the plastic surgeon announced, letting out a sigh of relief. He helped his son off of the bed, smoothing out his clothes with his hand. "Maddy, can you watch him until we're ready to leave? Make sure he keeps his pants on."

"C'mon, let's go watch cartoons downstairs," Madison chirped, holding Jeremy's hand as she led him out of the bedroom.

"Daddy's mean," the 3-year old blurted out, giving Jackson one last glare before he was out of sight.

The older man could only roll his eyes. Jeremy had two sides to him. He could either be an adorable bundle of joy or the crankiest toddler known to man. On a good day, his infectious giggles made anybody's bad day brighter in an instant. When that wasn't the case he threw tantrums and his scowls matched April's whenever she was pissed at her husband. But he loved his baby boy, bad behavior and all. He just hoped the no pants phase would be over soon.

Leaving the bedroom, Jackson made a detour to the nursery down the hall. April had been dressed and ready for an hour, so she spent the rest of the time making sure the children were all groomed and prepped for the wedding. She was inside of the nursery with their 13-month old daughter, Aryn.

"Look at how beautiful you are, sweetie pie!" the peds surgeon gushed in her baby voice. She had just finished placing a light yellow headband on her daughter's head to accompany the pink and yellow flowers on her dress.

"Both of you look beautiful," her husband chimed in. Standing behind April, he kissed her cheek before kissing Aryn's forehead. Their baby girl smiled and reached for him. She was very much a Daddy's girl. Jackson took her from his wife, holding her above his head. "At least I don't have to worry about you ditching your pants today."

"Oh, no. Did Jeremy take them off?" April groaned. "I'm not in the mood to wrestle with him and mess up my hair."

"I took care of it. Maddy's keeping an eye on him, so he doesn't do it again," he assured her and laughed. "I'm also mean Daddy today, so he'll be hating on me all day because I made him wear his pants."

She snickered, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her chin against his shoulder. "Well, I guess I'm off the hook for the day. Are you all set? We should get going soon."

"I just have to fix my bow tie and get my coat from our room." Jackson took a moment to stare at April's appearance. Her strapless gown was a darker shade of purple, so she could stand out as the matron of honor. Her auburn hair was partially up and he was an automatic sucker for the red lipstick. "I don't mean to sound like a hormonal teenager right now, but damn. You are looking so sexy right now."

"Back at ya," she bashfully replied. "My parents will meet us in front of the church. Maybe we should start getting ready to leave. You know it takes ages to strap Jeremy into his car seat."

He nodded, carrying Aryn in his arms as he and April left the nursery together. "Let's go round up the kiddos."

The wedding moved along smoothly without any major mishaps. The only incident that occurred was when Jeremy ran up to the altar to stand with Jackson. Guests found it entertaining, even Alex laughed as the toddler clung onto his daddy's leg and became an unofficial groomsman. Though slightly embarrassed, both parents were relieved that their son kept his pants on. And he also wasn't mean Daddy anymore.

The reception took place at a nearby hotel. While the newlywed couple engaged in their first dance as husband and wife, Jackson slipped away to have a drink with Mark at the bar. Their wives were busy taking pictures and gushing over the center of attraction, while Joe and Patricia watched their grandchildren for them.

"How about Karev, huh?" the Head of Plastics stated, sipping his scotch. "It's about damn time he tied the knot with Stevens. You think you and April could've waited this long to get married?"

Jackson immediately shook his head. "Nope," he answered. They were engaged after seven months of dating and married four months later, partially speeding up the process after he and April learned she was pregnant with Jeremy. "I would've married April after a month of dating if I could."

"I wouldn't have let you at the time. I for sure would have kicked your ass if you two eloped behind our backs," his boss teasingly said, nudging him with his elbow.

"Thank God that's not the case anymore," he muttered in amusement, then he sipped his whiskey. "You know, Maddy's still nervous about leaving home for camp. Hopefully, driving her there from Boston will help. What does Kylie think of it?"

"She seems excited. Lexie's doing a nice job convincing her it'll be one of the best experiences of her life," Mark responded and gently patted Jackson's chest. "Maddy will be fine. She'll be shy at first, but I think she'll be okay."

The pretty man softly chuckled. "It's not me who will be a wreck after we leave her behind. It's April I worry about," he insisted. "She claims she won't be a bawling mess, but that's like saying we'll never have sex again. It's possible I'll have to carry her over my shoulder on the way back to the car when we leave."

"Yeah, Lexie will likely be the same way. At least we got Trey at home with us, while Kylie's away." He decided to change the subject. "Is Jeremy still taking his pants off? I'm surprised he hasn't done it today."

"Unfortunately, yes. That phase hasn't died yet. He did it earlier before we left the house, but your parents are keeping a close eye on him."

"Well, consider yourself lucky. Trey does more than that. For the past five days, he randomly strips off everything and runs around screaming like Tarzan," Mark sheepishly admitted and shook his head dejectedly. "Yesterday was the worst because it happened at the hospital's daycare. They banned him for a week!"

Jackson laughed out loud. He hadn't heard of the incident until his brother-in-law told him about it. "Holy crap, you're right. You have it worse than April and I do. Now, that's definitely like father, like son," he quipped.

"Bite my ass, man. I never ran around naked like that," he retorted with a smirk.

George joined the Plastics Posse at the bar, acknowledging their presence with a quick nod. "Hiding from the wives?"

"More like taking a break," Jackson jokingly answered and pointed at the empty stool beside him. "Have a seat, O'Malley. You could use a break yourself."

The trauma surgeon sat next to his coworker after ordering himself a drink. Their fight over April was a turning point for the both of them. After Jackson saved his job, they slowly worked out their differences. And he eventually found a love of his own. A nurse named Olivia Harper had been quietly keeping an eye on him since he beat up the plastic surgeon. They married two years later and he was the proud father of 2-year old twin boys.

"Some wedding, huh? I fully expected Karev to go missing just before the ceremony," George lightheartedly said, sharing a laugh with his fellow surgeons.

"Nah, he saw how happy we all are being married and wanted to jump in on the fun," Jackson stated. "And he never cheated on Izzie, so that was already one giant accomplishment for him. As my best friend, I'm glad he manned up. We both needed to grow up."

"So, are the girls ready for camp?" the trauma surgeon asked and received a Budweiser from the bartender.

Mark nodded. "They're more ready than their mothers, that's for sure," he said, finishing his scotch. "And before they realize it, those fifty plus days zoom by like it was nothing."

Summer 1993 – Day 54

The last day of camp finally came. When Jackson first arrived at Wazi he wanted the entire experience to move along quickly because being there was his mother's doing. He never asked to be sent to the Maine based camp. Even being tortured by his older brothers at home would have been a more pleasant summer vacation than this. And after being hooked to the flagpole on the second day of camp, he knew he was in for the crappiest summer of his life.

But that was before he met April and she rescued him that day. He had kept a list in his head of what he wanted to happen until camp ended – survive, survive, survive. Finding a girlfriend was definitely not a priority of his considering most girls his age hardly gave him a second glimpse, if they gave him one at all. However, the perky redhead was different from those girls and since building a close friendship with her, he didn't want to leave.

The two of them would be living on separate coasts by the next day, Jackson in Boston and April in Seattle. He thought fate was playing a nasty trick on him by having him meet a girl who lived all the way across the country. She had her own friends at home as did he, but at camp it was like none of them mattered to either. They had each other and now they were forced to return to the lives they had prior to meeting at camp.

Rolling up his red sleeping bag, he was almost finished packing all of his belongings. Catherine had sent another limousine to pick him up and drive him home to Boston. Jackson hardly expected any sort of warm homecoming, probably just an unsolicited noogie from Grayson. He was certain Mama Avery would be out with the boyfriend or working at The Brigham when he arrived.

Half of his bunk mates had already left with family or in a bus that took out of town campers to the airport. His cabin was somewhat eerily quiet as he gathered his suitcases and sleeping bag. Before stepping out of his cabin, he took one last glance at his empty bed. One of the things he wouldn't miss was that uncomfortable, springy mattress.

Jackson dragged his luggage along the dirt path while trying to hold his sleeping bag underneath his armpit. He was actually hoping he could endure his last hour of camp without any horrible mishaps, but the idea was quickly dashed when The Hawk stepped in front of him with his always annoying, obnoxious grin.

"Ah, Dweebles. Glad to run into you one last time," the counselor teasingly greeted him.

"C'mon, can I please go through this half-day without a wedgie?" he groaned. "I'm already positive my brother will give me one at home, so spare me the butt rash."

The Hawk snickered and lightly slapped Jackson's cheek. "You're lucky this is my last year working as a counselor. I'm going to miss beating up on nerds like you," he arrogantly said. "Seriously, you make me feel good about myself."

"Uhh… I'm glad I made your summer worthwhile," Jackson sarcastically mumbled. "Is that all?"

"As much as I want to give you the world's most torturous wedgie, I'll back off," he politely answered. "But I can't walk away without doing something to ya."

The younger teenager sighed in annoyance after his bully slapped his sleeping bag out of his grip. The Hawk removed his sunglasses, revealing his entire face to Jackson for the first time all summer. "Stay geeky, Dweebles. Maybe we'll run into each other again in another lifetime."

Rolling his eyes as The Hawk walked away, Jackson crouched down to pick up his sleeping bag from the ground. His ride back to Boston wouldn't be arriving for another hour, so he dragged his belongings to the lake. April was waiting for him at the dock and sitting by the edge. He left his luggage and sleeping bag a few feet behind before taking a seat beside his girlfriend.

"I snatched up some Fudgesicles," she greeted him, handing him one of the sealed desserts. "I figured since we had these on our first date we should have them on our last."

"Awesome. Thanks." He opened the plastic package. "When do you start school?"

"First week of September. You?"

"August 23rd. Private schools always start early," Jackson bitterly replied. He bit a small chunk of his Fudgesicle and slightly grimaced at the cold sensitivity in his teeth. "What time's your flight?"

"Not until three, but at least I'll have company at the airport." April rested her head against her boyfriend's shoulder. "I wish summer didn't have to end. This was the most fun I ever had at camp. We're gonna be so far away from each other. It sucks. You're the only boy who ever thought I was cool enough to be his girlfriend."

He sheepishly smiled at her. "To be fair, you're the only girl who actually wanted to be my girlfriend."

"I'm gonna write you a letter as soon as I get home," she declared, licking her Fudgesicle afterwards. "Will you write back to me? It'd be nice if we could keep in touch throughout the year as pen pals."

"Yeah, maybe even call each other every now and then?" he suggested.

April softly gasped. "Oh, yeah! We need to exchange phone numbers before you leave." She lifted her head and faced Jackson. "So… have you thought about coming back to Wazi next year?"

He slowly shrugged his shoulders. As much as he loved his experience at summer camp more than he had expected, it was highly likely he wouldn't have a say in his vacation plans the following year. Catherine could possibly plan a trip that included him and his brothers. It was difficult to predict what would happen next summer at that moment.

"Would you be bummed if I didn't come back?" he responded.

"Duh," she answered, nudging his side with her elbow. "It won't be the same without you. I know I'll have Lexie and George, but you and I have a unique bond because we're each other's first boyfriend and girlfriend. Please consider coming back, Jackson."

Jackson wrapped his arm around April's shoulder and pulled her closer to him. She rested her head on his shoulder again as they quietly cuddled and finished their Fudgesicles. It felt like an hour flew by because a counselor interrupted their last date to inform him that the limousine sent by Mama Avery had arrived. He got his luggage, while the redhead offered to carry his sleeping bag for him.

As they walked to the parking lot, a familiar voice caught their attention. Lexie was running towards them after calling out their names with George sluggishly trailing behind. She grinned widely as she walked beside Jackson. "Oh, good. I was worried I missed ya. You're leaving now?"

"Yeah, I am," he replied and smiled. "Thanks for coming to say goodbye, though."

In the parking lot were various cars and school buses preparing to pick up campers who were scheduled to leave camp. The lone black limousine stood out and the driver was patiently waiting by the trunk to load Jackson's belongings.

"Geez, you're like a celebrity, getting a sweet limo and all," Lexie said in amazement. She noticed the frown on April's face as they moved closer to the limousine. Her best friend was close to unleashing the waterworks soon, so she comfortably rubbed her back. "It's okay, April."

Jackson handed his luggage to the driver, followed by his sleeping bag. By then, April had tears running down her cheeks. He pulled her in for a hug, wrapping his arms tightly around her. "We'll see each other again, okay?"

She nodded, burying her face against his shoulder. It wasn't uncommon for her to cry at the end of camp because there were other friends she had made in the past that were tough to say goodbye to, but he was much more important than they were. The first week back home in Seattle was going to be terrible in her mind.

"You still have the bracelet I gave you?" she tearfully questioned. He showed her the black, red and yellow friendship bracelet she had given him during their first week of camp, which was securely fastened to his left wrist. "And I'm wearing the alien necklace you gave me too."

"We'll always have something to remember each other by," he assured her.

April wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. "So, umm… I guess this is goodbye," she murmured, interlocking their fingers together. "Try not to think of too many girls at your school, okay? I'll have my brother hunt you down and kill you if you do."

"The same goes for you. I don't want letters from you that say you found someone better," the nerd playfully retorted.

Lexie stepped in between the couple and laughed. "Enough with the soap opera mood. I have to say my goodbyes too," she quipped, giving Jackson a hug. "It was nice meeting you, Fox. I hope you'll come back next year, so we can hang out again."

"I'll try." He moved away from her and faced George, who stood nearby with his arms folded. Since their poor attempt of a fight neither of them had spoken to each other much. The latter was still embarrassed that he lost. Jackson held out his hand. "See ya, George."

The shorter nerd sighed and shook his hand. "Bye, Jackson."

Before climbing into the limousine, Jackson kissed April one more time. For either of them, it may be the last kiss they would both experience for a while. He waved at the threesome as he sat down inside of the car. When the limousine started driving away, he rolled down the window and stuck his head out to stare at her until she was no longer visible. She waved at him with tears trickling down her face again. They never officially broke up, but it still felt like they had considering they would be thousands of miles apart for the majority of the year.

Jackson slumped down in his seat as the 3-hour drive back to Boston had begun. It was going to be a lonely ride home. Maybe if they were older and in college, he could actually bring April home with him. He was certain his mother would like her.

His gut was telling him that they were destined to see each other again.

Sitting in the backseat by herself, Madison fidgeted with her seatbelt as Jackson drove past the Camp Waziyatah sign. Prior to bringing her to camp, the family flew to Boston to spend a week with the Avery clan. Catherine had only seen baby Aryn a few times since she was born, so the trip was planned for multiple purposes. April hadn't likened to the idea of shipping her oldest daughter on a plane alone even if she had a chaperone to accompany her. And since the campsite was only about a 3-hour drive from Boston, the peds surgeon wanted to give her a proper send off. They would be separated for eight weeks after all.

The married couple opted to leave Jeremy and Aryn behind in Boston with their grandmother, so they would only have to deal with one possibly distraught child at Wazi – and also one distraught parent. The night before, April was having separation anxiety. She had never been away from her children for more than a week. There were only two out of state conferences she had attended without Jackson and the kids. She worried that Madison would struggle to open up to new people, which continued to be an issue as she grew older.

Jackson parked the car and got out to scan their surroundings. With the exception of cabins painted a different color, everything almost appeared exactly the same to him. It was a breezy, sunny day – perfect weather for the first day of camp. He peeked inside of his car. Both Kepner girls remained quietly seated making him chuckle.

"You can't hide in the car forever. C'mon, we don't want to be late for check-in," he advised, opening the passenger door for Madison. "Uncle Mark, Aunt Lexie and Kylie are already here waiting for us."

After removing her seatbelt, Madison hopped out of the car and tightly clutched her backpack. She followed her father to the trunk of the car and watched him unload her luggage. "Daddy, how long are you and Mommy staying?"

"Until the visiting period is over," he casually answered. "Want to do me a favor and convince your mom to get out of the car, please?"

The younger redhead skipped towards April's side of the car and knocked on the window. "Mommy, you have to get out. Daddy said so," she ordered, yanking open the door. She tugged on her mother's hand. "Hurry or we'll be late."

Unbuckling her seatbelt, April finally got out of the car and smiled at Madison. "Are you excited?"

Her daughter nodded and held her hand as they searched for the check-in area. Jackson followed behind while he carried a suitcase and a small duffel bag. There was a large crowd of parents and campers gathered in front of the director's office for check-in. Five minutes later, they were directed to the Pines where the youngest campers stayed during the summer.

"Took you guys long enough!" Mark teased and stood in front of Madison and Kylie's cabin. He grinned as the other half of his family approached them. "Lexie and Kylie are inside getting settled. Avery, how about you stay here and let the girls have their girly time?"

April smirked at her brother. "Don't tie him to the flagpole this time," she jokingly said and entered the cabin with Madison. Her bed was located beside Kylie's. Lexie was setting it up and making sure the pillows were fluffy enough. "Hey, you two."

Kylie ran towards her cousin and took her hand. "Maddy, you can see the lake from our window! It's so cool!" she bragged and led her to the window in between their beds.

Lexie approached her best friend, softly smiling at her. "How are you doing?"

"I feel like I'm going to breakdown at any minute now," April muttered.

"Oh, thank God," the urologist sighed, placing her hand against her chest. "Me too. I can't believe our first babies are old enough to attend camp. This is where we freaking grew up over the summer. It's all so surreal."

"I don't understand how our husbands can be this calm about leaving them behind for eight weeks. They're going to be parentless for almost three months." She glanced at the two 8-year olds, who were busy staring at the lake from their window. "I mean, they don't seem to be scared of not having us around. They'll be fine… I think."

The brunette threw her arm over April's shoulder and laughed. "We were their age when we first attended Wazi. You and I are just being those annoying parents who don't want their babies to grow up. They'll be in good hands," she assured her.

After helping their daughters settle into their cabins, they decided to tour the campus themselves and also reminisce about memories that triggered in their heads when they passed by specific areas. They stopped at the infamous flagpole and Mark grinned at the girls.

"Maddy, this is where I attached your dad to the flagpole and left him there," he told her, laughing at Jackson's irritated expression. "It was pretty funny at the time. My buddies and I, we saluted him like he was actually the flag too."

April rolled her eyes and smacked Mark's chest with the back of her hand. "But there was a positive side to the story because I found Daddy and helped him down," she cheerfully added. "This is the place where we first met."

"Really?" Madison enthusiastically replied.

"Yup," Jackson answered, looking up at the United States flag waving around in the air. "I must admit that being picked on at camp was a blessing in disguise. If only your Uncle Mark knew your mom was my girlfriend all along."

"He wouldn't have made it out of camp alive," Mark noted, then he patted his brown and gray hair. "You think I could still pull off that Vanilla Ice haircut?"

The threesome simultaneously shook their heads. "That was a phase I'm very grateful you grew out of," Lexie responded and kissed her husband's cheek. "Oh, and also that you dropped the ridiculous Hawk nickname."

"That was a pretty dumb name, Mark," April teased.

"Whatever. You're just jealous because neither of you had a sweet nickname like I did," her brother defensively said. "At least I wasn't Dweebles."

"Let's not bring up that name," Jackson muttered, lightly punching Mark's arm.

The last place they visited was the lake. Madison and Kylie were distracted by an activity for the younger kids to help integrate them better with their fellow campers, so Jackson and April snuck away to be alone. They held hands as they walked across the dock and stopped close to the edge.

"I should've came back," the plastic surgeon admitted. "I thought I was too cool for camp that following summer and didn't want to. You must have thought I was a jerk for not coming back."

"It was disappointing not to see you here when I returned, but in a way, you made up for it," she insisted, wrapping her arms around his waist. "It took longer for us to meet again, yeah. Better late than never, though."

Jackson nodded and gently rested his chin on top of April's head. "True. You might not believe me, but I always thought we'd see each other again eventually."

"Did you start thinking this before or after your ego inflated?"

"Fine, I deserved that. I was a terrible friend after camp."

"Except now we're never leaving each other's sides," she reminded him, pecking him on the lips. "I love you, Jackson Avery."

He placed a kiss on his wife's forehead. "I love you too, April Avery."

When it was time to leave their children behind the two female surgeons were filled with anxiety again. April knelt down in front of Madison and hugged her securely. "Be a good girl, okay? Try to have fun, but if you absolutely cannot stand being here, then give us a call and we'll fly from Seattle to come get you."

Madison giggled. "I already like camp, Mommy."

"That's great. I know you'll be on your best behavior." She briefly glanced at Jackson's alien necklace around her daughter's neck and the friendship bracelet on her left wrist. "If you get homesick, just remember we're always here in spirit. You and Kylie can take care of each other."

"It's 'cause we're big girls, right?"

"Exactly." Hugging her one more time, April stood up and moved aside to let her husband say his goodbyes. "Say, 'Bye', to Daddy now."

Jackson smiled at Madison. "I don't want to hear about any boyfriends when we visit in four weeks, alright?"

"Gross, Daddy!" she bashfully shrieked.

"I'm just making sure." He kissed her forehead and smothered her with his large arms. "Have fun and don't be afraid to try new things."

April blew a kiss to Madison as she walked away with Jackson. The 8-year old returned the gesture making the older redhead tear up. She immediately turned around to hide her face. "She can't see me cry. She- she'll freak out."

"You're okay. Just take a few deep breaths and relax," he instructed, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. They walked back to their car where she broke down the moment she sat down in her seat. He slightly smiled and gave her a hug. "Now you can let it all out. This will be good for everybody. Maddy will grow up to become an independent woman because of this camping experience."

"I know, I know. It's still so hard to leave her alone," she sobbed. April pulled away from Jackson to dry her eyes with a tissue she had ready in her purse since they drove out of Boston. "She used to be so little. Next thing you know, she's in high school and then college, maybe medical school…"

"How about we take it one year at a time?" he teasingly suggested. "Anyway, we should get home. I'm worried my mom's letting Jeremy prance around her house freely without any pants on."

She chuckled as he started the ignition. Driving out of Camp Waziyatah's campus, Jackson took April's hand into his and quickly smiled at her. For a long time, he had lost his way and forgotten who he used to be. Then, the missing piece of his puzzled life reemerged and helped him see what he had been missing out on for years. Now, he was a loving husband, a caring father and a selfless friend.

There was that saying, "The past will come back to haunt you". In Jackson's case, he was very thankful it did.

Let me know what you thought of the chapter and/or the story in general please :)