Like I promised, Chapter 8!

April and Jackson stayed late at Meredith's to help clean up. When they got back to their apartment, Alex was not there. Since the crash, Alex had barley been at the apartment, he never left the hospital. He usually stayed in Arizona's room. He felt responsible for Arizona's injuries. Alex was originally supposed to go on the Boise trip, but was taken off the case when Arizona found out that he was going to Hopkins for his fellowship. So Arizona took his place, and he now felt guilty.

April walked into the kitchen and took two beers out of the refrigerator. Jackson followed her into the kitchen and sat down at the table. She sat down across from him and passed him a beer. Jackson grabbed the beer and opened it quickly. He had been drinking all day, and so had April.

"What time do you have to be at the hospital tomorrow?" asked April who began to drink her beer.

"I dunno, early." Jackson said as he continued drinking his beer.

"Yeah me too… maybe we should stop after we finish these?" said April.

"Probably…" said Jackson as he took another sip of his beer. He looked up at April and smiled at her. They just sat there for awhile, occasionally taking sips from their beers. This last week had been a tough one, and they were both tired, physically and emotionally.

Jackson couldn't get what Mark said off of his mind. Everything between them was complicated. He wanted more, but wasn't sure if she did. The way April took care of Jackson this week made him like her even more. She had been so caring and understanding with him.

April was looking down at her beer bottle when she asked, "So, when do you go to Tulane?"

Jackson looked up at her quickly, he had completely forgotten about Tulane. He was leaving in 2 weeks. The crash, the funeral, and the extra hours he had been working made him completely forget about leaving Seattle. He'd be leaving April soon. "I leave in like 2 weeks I think…"

April frowned and looked up at Jackson and said, "It's going to be weird not seeing you every day."

"Yeah…" he said looking at April. He noticed that her eyes were tired. She had a slight smile, but he could tell it was forced. He liked the way she had her hair today. It was down and curly, like the way she wore it at the boards. She was truly beautiful; he could look at her all day. He smiled and continued to drink his beer.

April was sad that they were both leaving soon. She didn't want to leave, but there was nothing here for her. She got fired from Seattle Grace Mercy West…again, and all her offers were pulled. She had to go back home. But she didn't want to think of her disappointments. April propped her elbow on the table and rested her head against her hand and looked at Jackson, "What are you thinking about?"

Jackson just looked right into her eyes and said, "I was just thinking about how much I care about you, and how much I am going to miss you." He smiled slightly and waited for her to respond.

April blushed and looked down at the table; she wasn't expecting him to say that. Their relationship had changed a lot since they first met as interns at Mercy West. They were always friends. The shooting made them closer, and the boards made them a lot closer. He was her best friend. She looked up at him and said, "I'm gonna miss you too." They just looked and smiled at each other while they finished drinking their beers.

When they were both done with their beers, Jackson got up to get two more beers out of the refrigerator. He sat back down at the table and passed April a beer. April began to laugh and said, "Hey I thought those were going to be our last ones?" April passed him back the beer.

Jackson laughed. "I changed my mind." He opened the beer she passed back to him and put it in her hand.

April took a sip of the newly opened beer and looked at him and smiled softly, "Are you trying to get me drunk, Dr. Avery?"

Jackson just looked at her with the same sexy eyes he had in the bathroom of the boards. "I think you're already a little drunk lightweight."

April noticed the way he was looking at her. It made her feel uncomfortable, but she also liked it at the same time. She grabbed her beer and twirled it in her hand when she said, "I'm not a lightweight." She was about to take another sip of beer when she dropped the bottle on the table. Jackson stood up quickly out of his chair before the beer got on him. "Shit," said April under her breath. April picked up the beer and walked over to the kitchen to get a towel.

Jackson laughed and said, "Who was right?"

April walked back from the kitchen and stuck her tongue out at him. She threw him a towel and said, "Just help me clean this up." She then tripped on her own feet, but kept her balance.

Jackson just laughed again and walked toward the table to help clean up. "I'm probably going to have to carry you to bed at this point."

"Ha-ha very funny" she said as she hit him lightly on the chest.

When they finished cleaning up the spilled beer, April took the dirty towels and put them in her hamper. Jackson sat back down at the table to finish his beer. When April came back into the kitchen she headed to the refrigerator and said, "I think I'm gonna head to bed."

Jackson got up to throw his empty beer bottle away. "Yeah, I should probably do the same."

April looked for a water bottle and said, "Want to drive to work together tomorrow?"

Jackson stood next to her and said, "Yeah, sounds good."

She took two water bottles out and handed one to Jackson. When she shut the refrigerator door she looked up at him and smiled, "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow morning."

Jackson was mesmerized by her smile; he really wanted to kiss her. The last time they were close to kissing was at Joe's bar, but that ended with April storming out. But today at Meredith's house, Mark said to not wait, and he didn't want to wait. His eyes wandered down to her lips. He really wanted to kiss her. He placed a hand tenderly on her face and bent his head down to hers. When he was about to kiss her, April moved away slightly. She looked up at him "Jackson…"

Jackson removed his hand from her face and took a step back; "I'm sorry," he looked at the ground and ran a hand over his face, "I shouldn't have done that."

April looked up at him and said, "It's just we are both a little drunk, and you're feeling sad about Lexie and Mark."

Jackson lifted his head to look at her with a stunned expression, "That's why you think I want to kiss you?"

"Well yeah, I just think you are confused and that you're grieving."

"That's not why I want to kiss you." he said moving closer to her and grabbing her waist.

She stepped away from him and said, "I'm going to go to bed." She turned around and walk toward her bedroom.

Jackson just stood where he was and yelled, "Fine, avoid me, that's what your good at!"

She turned back around, "I don't avoid you."

He walked toward her and said, "No, but you avoid talking about us."

"There is no us to talk about." April said sternly.

"April we slept together…twice, and you never want to talk about it." Jackson replied.

April looked up at him and said, "But we did, before the residency dinner."

"Yeah, you said you were disappointed in yourself. But we didn't talk about us."

There was silence. They both didn't say anything for awhile. "I don't know what you want me to say." April said softly.

Jackson was getting impatient, "Why do you think I am so sad to leave April?"

"I don't know…I guess because you've worked in Seattle for um 7 years, um your friends are here, its familiar, um Dr. Sloan is a good teach—"

Jackson grabbed April's hand and held it in his own. He looked directly into her eyes and said, "I don't want to leave because of you."

How did you guys like it? I was going to go a different way, but changed it to this. Hopefully it is realistic and turned out okay. Review!