Chapter One: Help me get over

"I know that this wound will bleed again, now I'm here right beside the one I love. I see he's in love with someone else, now I know I just got to let him go because it's over, help me get over. I don't know what to do. There is no easy way of letting go but I know there's no sense in holding on too much to something fading, help me get over you..."

Flashback:

Jackson was fixing his tie when he saw April's reflection on the mirror; "I chose Tulane" he said.

April paused and turned around to face her best friend; "Good, that's good for you."

Jackson turned around and met her gaze; "Yeah." He then turned away and began walking towards the door, when his about to reach it, he turned towards April again; "I feel sick by the way, sick to leave here-to leave you" he said through gritted teeth. "But I'm glad, I'm glad you're so freaking happy about it." he added bitterly.

April felt her shackles rise upon hearing his statement; "I'm not, I'm not happy with any of it. I'm not happy that everything I thought I was turns out not to be true. I'm not a board certified surgeon, I'm not a virgin, I'm not a good Christian, I don't know what I am but I know I'm not happy" she said with disdain. She then stared at Jackson's guilty demeanor and almost instantly she felt her face soften; "I loved having sex with you, you made me feel things-you changed me Jackson and I loved that. But I hate that I'm not a virgin for the man I'm gonna marry, I'm not freaking happy about that" she said tearfully.

Jackson looked away, guilt ebbing inside his chest.

"-And I'm not really happy that you feel bad about it coz you're my best friend but you know what, Torres is right. My problems will still be my problems, tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that and in a few weeks my best friend will be at Tulane and I may never see him again so just for one night, I'm just gonna forget about all that and I'm gonna try, I'm gonna try to be happy. I'm happy tonight, I'm gonna be happy Jackson coz this is a happy time and we should be celebrating, okay? So, can you please just wipe that freaking frown of your face and be happy with me?"

Jackson stared at April for a moment before letting out a small comforting smile; "You look really nice" he said.

April swallowed back her tears as she tries her best to smile back; "So do you"

Jackson walked towards his best friend and offered his arm for her to take.

April smiled at Jackson and looped her arm around his.

Jackson began leading them towards the door as April leaned her head on his shoulder.

End of Flashback

"KEPNER!"

April shot up from her chair and hastily turned towards the door; "What happened? What's wrong?" she asked frantically.

Alex leaned on the door frame and rubbed his eyes tiredly; "The plane arrived an hour ago and they're all being attended to right now" he said.

April's eyes widen; "Is there anything we can do? I mean we can probably assist in-"

"Don't bother, I already tried" Alex said sourly. He then pulled away from his perch and began moving towards the couch; "I went there as soon as the ambulance came but Bailey and Webber won't even let me near them" he said as he plops down.

"Oh" April said as she slowly sat down on her chair.

Alex crossed his arms on top of his chest and pursed his lips; "They said I'm too attached" he said disdainfully. He then furrowed his brows; "Too attached my ass! Avery is practically glued to Lexie's gurney and they have no say about it! I mean, come on!" he huffed.

April felt a pinch inside her chest but she chose to ignore it; "I'm sure they only mean well, I mean Mer and Cristina are practically your family and Arizona is your mentor..."

Alex scowled; "You're supposed to side with me" he said. He then huffed and leaned back on the couch; "And what's up with Avery? I thought he broke up with Lexie? Why is he acting like a distraught husband or something?"

April felt another pang inside her chest, this time, knocking some air out of her chest. She hastily avoided her gaze and began gathering her things on top of the table; "Y—yeah, they broke up, I don't know" she mumbled.

Alex leaned his head at the back the couch and placed his legs on top of the coffee table; "I'm gonna shut my eyes for a couple of minutes, wake me up if anything comes up."

"O—okay" April replied. She then leaned back on her chair and placed her shaking hands on top of her thighs; "Now is not the time to feel what you're feeling, you are not selfish and there are more important things to worry about—like your friends-a job, you no longer have a job here" she thought to herself.

oOo

Jackson closed the door to Lexie's room with a relieved sigh; he then padded towards the nurses' station and leaned forward. "Page me if there are some changes with Dr. Grey's stat, It doesn't matter what time, just let me know, okay?"

The nurse in green scrubs nodded; "I will Dr. Avery" she said.

"Thank you" Jackson said. He then began walking towards the room next door; he slowly turned the knob and peered inside; "Hey" he said.

Callie tore her eyes away from Mark's frail form and turned towards the door; "Hey" she replied tiredly.

Jackson stepped inside the room and closed the door behind him; "How is he?" he asked.

Callie smiled a small smile; "He woke up a couple of minutes ago, he's gonna be alright" she said.

Jackson smiled; "That's good to hear" he replied. He then shoved his hands inside his lab coat pockets and stood at the foot of the bed; "I just checked on Lexie's room, she's out of the woods, she just needs to wake up" he said.

Callie nodded; "That's good..." she said. She then patted Mark's hand and stood up; "I need to check on Arizona to see if she's awake, will you stay with him?" she asked.

"Yeah—sure" Jackson replied.

Callie threw a thankful smile at Mark's prot before leaving the room.

Jackson moved towards the chair that Callie vacated and settled himself down; he then leaned towards the bed placed his hand on his mentor's arm. "I'm happy that you made it. Rest well because I just turned down Tulane and I know you won't let me hear the end of it" he said. He then leaned back on his chair and continued staring at his friend.

oOo

April shrugged on her jacket and plucked her bag from her chair; she moved towards the couch and leaned forward. "Alex?"

Alex slowly opened his eyes; "What?" he asked groggily.

"You can stay and sleep here, just lock the door if you leave, okay?"

Alex rubbed his eyes; "Where you going?" he asked.

April stood straight; "I'm babysitting Zola for the rest of the evening but I'll be back tomorrow" she said.

"I see" Alex replied.

"I'll go get Zola now, you can stay here. If you're hungry there are some chocolate bars in my drawer and some leftover food in the ref" April said.

"Thank you. Drive safely" Alex said.

April nodded before stepping out of her office.

oOo

"Dr. Avery?"

Jackson's eyes snapped open upon hearing his name being called; he turned his head sideways and saw a nurse standing by the door. "Yes?" he asked.

"Dr. Grey is awake"

Jackson shot up from his chair and hastily walked towards the door; "Thank you, I'll go check on her" he said.

The nurse nodded and opened the door wider.

Jackson threw the nurse a grateful smile before jogging towards the other room; he pushed the door open and smiled; "Hey"

Lexie turned her head sideways and let out a pained smile; "H—hey" she croaked.

Jackson stepped inside the room and made a bee line towards the bed; "I know you feel like shit but I'll still ask how do you feel?" he asked.

"Like I've been in a plane crash" Lexie replied.

Jackson chuckled; "Good to know your sense of humor is still intact" he replied.

Lexie swallowed hard and winced; "Where's my sister? Mark? Where's Mark?" she asked between tears.

Jackson pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat down; "Meredith and Cristina are both okay, just superficial wounds. Derek is still sedated but Torres is already making a plan on how to repair his hand. Arizona is also sedated and they're just waiting for her to wake up. Mark already woke up an hour ago, he's just resting" he explained.

Lexie let out relieved sigh; "Thank God. I thought we're all a goner—I thought we'll all die..." she murmured as tears began falling down her bruised cheeks.

Jackson hastily leaned forward and began wiping Lexie's tears; "Shhh...Don't cry, everybody is alright...sssshhhh" he cooed.

April tightened her hold on the strap of her bag as she watches the couple from the window; she bit her bottom lip hard to keep her lips from wobbling as myriad emotions began storming inside her chest.

"Kepner?"

April jerked from her reverie and turned around; "Hey-"

"Why are you just standing there? You know you can enter the room, right?" Callie asked with furrowed brows.

April forced out a smile before shaking her head; "It's okay-I'm not here to visit-I-err—I just need to get Zola from Meredith's room and I guess I was given the wrong Grey" she explained.

"Meredith's room is beside Derek's, they're on the 3rd floor, room 3241" Callie said.

"O-okay then, I'll just go there. Thank you Callie, I'll go now" April said hastily. She then made a bee line towards the staircase and hastily went inside, closing the door with a loud snap.

Callie furrowed her brows as she crossed her arms on top of her chest.

"Hey-Lexie's up, if you want to visit. Who are you talking to?"Jackson asked as he closed the door behind him quietly.

Callie turned towards Jackson; "Kepner, I saw her standing here" she replied.

Jackson furrowed his brows; "April? Why didn't she come in?" he asked.

Callie shrugged her shoulders; "I asked her the same thing but she told me that she's headed to Meredith's room, looks like she's babysitting Zola for the night" she said.

"Oh"

Callie walked towards Jackson; "How is she?" she gestured towards Lexie's room.

"She's a little shaken but she's okay. She's looking for Mark" Jackson said.

Callie bit her bottom lip and threw Jackson a remorseful look.

"Don't look at me like that Torres, it's okay" Jackson said defensively.

"Okay" Callie replied.

Jackson frowned; "I'm fine. Really. I know how Lexie feels for Mark and I accepted that a long time ago. I'm cool with it" he said.

Callie just nodded; "Alright then" she replied.

Jackson eyed the Ortho Attending for a couple of seconds before rolling his eyes; "I'll go get some coffee" he said before leaving in a huff.

oOo

April wiped her cheeks as she climbs up the stairs; "Stop crying. You're not supposed to cry. You have no right to cry" she chastised herself. Once she reached the 3rd floor landing, she took a deep calming breath and squared her shoulders; "Let's do this so you can leave this place" she said to herself. She then pushed the door open and sauntered along the hallway with a purpose.

oOo

Alex was locking April's former office when Jackson saw him; he walked towards his friend and saddles up beside him. "Sloan and Lexie already woke up" he said.

Alex turned his head sideways; "That's good to hear. Do you have any news about Mer and Cristina?"

Jackson shoved his hands inside his lab coat pocket; "Meredith and Cristina are okay, looks like they only suffered superficial wounds, they're already accepting visitors. April is on her way to Mer's room, if you want, we can go there together, Cristina is on the same floor" he offered.

Alex double checked the lock before turning towards Jackson; "Let's go" he said.

oOo

"Are you sure you're okay?" Meredith asked.

April smiled as she wrapped her arms securely around Zola's tiny body; "I've been taking care of Zola for quite some time now Mer, don't worry about us" she replied.

"I'm not talking about Zola, I'm talking about you. Your eyes are red and puffy" Meredith said.

April let out an awkward laugh; "It's nothing-I had rhinitis a couple of minutes ago but I already took meds, so I'm good" she lied.

Meredith opened her mouth to speak but was cut off with Alex barging inside the room. He made a bee line towards the bed and engulfed his friend into a hug; "I'm so glad your okay" he whispered.

Meredith returned the hug and patted Alex's back; "Me too" she replied.

Alex pulled away and began inspecting Meredith's injuries; "Does anything hurt?" he asked as he poked and prodded his friend.

Meredith began swatting Alex's hand away as she let out a chuckle; "I'm fine Alex, really" she said.

"Good to see you're doing fine Mer"

"I'm happy to see you too Jackson" Meredith said with a smile.

April tightened her hold on Zola upon hearing Jackson's voice; she hastily hefted the baby bag from the chair and smiled at Meredith; "I think I'm gonna go Mer, Zozo looks sleepy."

Jackson stepped inside the room and stood beside his best friend; "Do you need a ride? I can take you to the apartment" he offered.

April shook her head as she fixed her eyes on Zola; "It's alright, you're much needed here. I can manage" she replied. She then moved towards the bed and leaned forward; "Kiss Mommy goodnight Zozo" she cooed.

Meredith leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on her daughter's chubby cheeks; "Goodnight love bug, be good to Aunt April. Mommy and Daddy will see you again tomorrow" she said.

April threw Meredith another smile before pulling Zola into her arms; "I'll take care of her and we'll be back tomorrow morning" she said. She then turned on her heels and smiled passively at the other two surgeons; "See you guys tomorrow" she said before leaving the room in haste.

Meredith leaned back on her pillows; "She's in a rush" she observed.

Alex settled himself down at the foot of the bed and huffed; "It's Kepner, if she's not annoyingly perky, she's always in a rush, nothings new there" he said.

"Hey" Jackson chided.

Alex turned his face towards Jackson and raised his brow; "What? It's not like she heard it or something" he said. He then narrowed his eyes; "And what's your deal with Lexie? I thought you guys broke up?" he asked.

"Alex!" Meredith chastised.

Jackson rolled his eyes; "You're an ass. I'm checking on Lexie for Mark. When he first woke up he asked me to look after her" he said. "And don't talk about April that way, regardless if she hears it or not" he said.

"Whatever" Alex said.

Meredith threw Jackson a rueful smile.

Jackson shook his head; "I'll leave you guys here. I need to go home and change as well. Be back in an hour, I'll also check on April and Zola" he said before leaving the room.

Meredith shifted her gaze to Alex; "Stop picking on April. She's done more for us than we have done for her" she said sternly.

"I know that and I'm not being mean to Kepner, I was actually nice to her a couple of hours ago" Alex said.

Meredith crossed her arms on top of her chest as she raised her brow; "Then why is her eyes red and puffy, hhmmnnn?" she asked.

Alex shrugged his shoulders; "No idea" he replied.

Meredith stared at her friend for a couple of seconds before shaking her head.

oOo

April buckled the car-seat securely before closing the door; she then climb inside her seat and turned on the ignition. She then peered behind her; "Where do you want to sleep Zozo? Do you want to head to my apartment or your house in the woods?" she asked

Zola just giggled as a response.

April smiled at her charge; "Hmmnnn, I have an idea. Why don't we go to my apartment first to get my clothes then we can head to your house and spend the night there. I'm sure you miss your bed, is that right baby girl?" she cooed.

Zola clapped her hands as she giggles.

"It's settled then" April said. She then closed her door and locked it; she braises her hand on the wheel and shifted the gear. "No time to waste" she said happily.

oOo

Jackson pulled his keys of the ignition and opened the door; he stepped out of his car and closed the door behind him with a loud snap. He then locked it with a flick of his thumb and began looking around the parking lot; he furrowed his brows upon noticing that April's car is nowhere to be seen. He then jogged towards the door and unlocked it with his keys; he pushed the door open and frowned when he saw that it's empty. "Where on earth are they?" he asked to himself. He closed the door behind him and plucked his phone from his pocket; he tapped at it a couple of times and shifted it to his ear. After a couple of rings, the red head in question answered his call. "April?"

"H—hey, why are you calling?" April asked.

"I came home to an empty apartment" Jackson said.

"Yeah about that, I'm at Mer and Derek's place, I bought Zola home, she misses her bed"

"Oh, I see. Do you have any change of clothes there? I can bring you some if you need-"

"No—I'm okay. I have clothes with me" April said frantically, cutting him off mid sentence.

"Are you alright? You sound weird"

April's laugh echoed on the background; "I'm peachy. We'll be fine here, don't worry about us" she said.

"Are you sure?" Jackson asked again.

"I'm fine Jackson. Zola and I will be fine, I babysat her multiple times already, I can handle her"

"If you say so" Jackson said.

"Is there anything else?"

Jackson frowned; "Why do you seem in a hurry? You left the hospital in the same way" he said.

April sighed wearily; "I'm tired, okay? I just need a minute to rest, this day has been—really tiring for me."

Jackson's face softened; "I know—good thing they're all safe" he said.

"Yeah-well I should go. I'll talk to you tomorrow then, have a good night" April said.

"Okay, night" Jackson replied.

"Bye."

Jackson pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at his phone confusedly; "Did she just hang up on me?" he asked.

"Now I see, you're so happy with her, deep inside I just don't know what to feel. I'm sure, You don't need me anymore, so I'll go on, try my best to just move on. Now that it's over, I got to get over..."

The next day:

April knocked on Meredith's door before opening it; she peered inside and smile upon seeing that Meredith is already awake.

"Hey" Meredith said.

April pushed the door open and stepped inside; "Good morning, how are you feeling today?"

"I'm good, pain meds are science's gift to man" Meredith said with a chuckle.

April giggled; "I now know why you're so perky" she joked.

Meredith smiled; "Zola's at the Daycare?"

"Yep, I wanted to bring her here before taking her to the Daycare but Dr. Bailey caught me" April said with a wince.

Meredith rolled her eyes; "Bailey's such a spoil sport"

"Don't I know it?" April said with a chuckle.

Meredith cocked her head to the side and furrowed her brows; "Why haven't you change into your scrubs yet?" she asked.

April shoved her hands inside her pockets and shifted her weight on each foot; "I don't have work" she replied.

"What do you mean you don't have work? It's Monday, right?"

"Yep, it's Monday" April replied.

Meredith frowned; "April?"

April stared at Meredith for a couple of minutes before admitting the truth; "Err—Seattle Grace also pulled their offer-last night was my last shift here as a resident" she said.

Meredith's eyes widen in shock; "WHAT?!"

April smiled awkwardly; "Yeah-Err-but don't worry about it, I'll be alright" she said.

"But-but they can't do that!" Meredith said.

"It's really alright Mer, they need a board certified surgeon and I flunked my boards, other doctors that are more deserving can take my spot, I understand that"

Meredith's mouth hangs open as she stares at her friend in disbelief.

April swallowed the lump in her throat; "I'll be staying for a couple of more days so I can still babysit Zola until you get discharged, so don't worry."

"I'm not worrying about who's babysitting my daughter, I'm worried about you! They can't cut you off from a fellowship, you're a brilliant surgeon and I can't believe Owen let this happen! I'm gonna talk to him and ask him to-"

"That's not necessary Mer" April said, cutting her friend off.

"What?" Meredith asked incredulously.

April cleared her throat; "I already spoke with the Chief and he explained it to me clearly, so it's really okay"

Meredith scowled; "It's not okay. You can't leave, not after that stupid plane crash. You belong here, with us" she said adamantly.

April felt her eyes prickling with tears upon hearing her friend's statement; she swallowed again before letting out a teary smile. "I wish I can stay but like I said, yesterday was my last day here. But don't worry-I'll still be around, I'll try to find a hospital here in Seattle as well" she said.

"I'll still talk with Owen" Meredith said.

April let out a defeated sigh.

oOo

April exited the elevator and began walking towards the hallway; she went directly towards the nurses' station and smiled. "Hi there Cecil, good morning"

"Good Morning Dr. Kepner" Cecil replied.

"Can Dr. Sloan accept visitors?" April asked.

Cecil nodded; "Of course, Dr. Torres just left his room to check on Dr. Robbins, go on ahead"

"Thank you!" April chirped. She then walked towards Mark's room and quietly pushed the door open; she peered inside the spacious room.

"Kepner? What are you doing there? Come inside" Mark said.

April smiled at the Plastics Attending before stepping inside the room; she closed the door behind her and walked towards the bed. "How are you Dr. Sloan?" she asked.

Mark grinned; "My handsome face is still intact, thank God" he replied.

April giggled; "You're a little bit bruised but no worries, you still look good"

"That's what I like about you Kepner, you're honest" Mark said. "Is it your off today?" he asked while gesturing towards April's attire.

April's smile falters as she clears her throat; "Y—yeah" she lied.

"I see" Mark replied.

April shoved her hands inside her pants; "Well, I'm just checking to see if your okay, you should rest" she said.

Mark nodded; "Alright doc" he said cheekily.

April laughed at the irony; "See you later Dr. Sloan" she said with a little waive before stepping out of the room.

"Done already?" Cecil asked.

April nodded; "Yep, he's awake and seems to be back to his old self" she said.

Cecil chuckled; "He's a charmer" she said.

"Charmer is an understatement" April replied. She then gestured towards the other room; "Can Dr. Grey accept visitors too?" she asked.

"Yes but I think Dr. Avery is there, I haven't seen him leave that room since last night, but you can definitely check" Cecil said kindly.

April's gritted her teeth to reign her emotions before forcing out a smile; "Thanks Cecil, I'll just check then" she said.

Cecil nodded before turning her gaze back to her charts.

April dragged her heavy feet towards the door; once she's right in front of it, she took a deep calming breath and closed her eyes. "You can do this, you're just checking on a friend-you need to detach your feelings, you will detach now!" she thought. She opened her eyes and pasted a smile on her face; she turned the knob and peered inside the room.

"April" Lexie croaked.

Jackson turned towards the door and smiled at his best friend; "Hey" he greeted.

April pushed the door wider but stood close to it; "Hey-I'm just checking on you, how are you Lex?" she asked.

"Like I've been run over by a plane" Lexie joked.

Jackson chuckled.

April felt a pang inside her chest upon seeing the interaction between the two but she pushed it away; "detach" she thought. She let out a forced smile; "Your sense of humor is still outstanding Lex" she teased.

Lexie smiled; "One thing that didn't suffer from the stupid plane crash" she replied.

Jackson stood from his perch and gestured towards it; "You can take my chair Apes" he offered.

April shook her head; "No-you sit down. I'm not staying long, I just wanted to see how Lexie's doing. I still have 2 stops left" she said.

Jackson raised his brow; "Who?" he asked.

"Cristina and Arizona" April said

"Oh, I see" Jackson said. He then furrowed his brows as he stares at April; "Why aren't you in your scrubs?" he asked.

"It's my off today" April replied.

"Off?" Jackson repeated.

April nodded; "Yeah-I switched off's" she explained. She then shifted her gaze towards Lexie and smiled; "It's nice to see your doing good Lex but I have to go, I'll try to drop by some other time, get well soon" she said. She then turned toward Jackson and gestured towards the door; "I'll see you around, bye!" she said somewhat cheerfully.

Jackson opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by the door closing.

"April is acting weirder than usual" Lexie observed.

Jackson turned toward Lexie and crossed his arms on top of his chest; "What did I say about calling her weird?"

Lexie looked sheepish; "Sorry" she said.

Jackson rolled his eyes before turning his gaze towards the door; "Something's wrong with her and I'll find out soon" he mumbled to himself.

oOo

April entered the fire exit and closed the door behind her; she leaned back on the door and rubbed her eyes furiously. "Stop it! You can't cry every time you see them together. You have no right to feel jealous or hurt because he didn't promise you anything. You jumped him April and not the other way around, you're just a one night stand and he's still clearly in love with her. Pull yourself together and suck it up, you only have a couple of days left before you go home, you can do this" she said to herself. She then wiped her cheeks again and took a deep breath; she pasted a smile on her face and began climbing the stairs.

oOo

"Did Owen tell you that he cut April off the program?" Meredith asked.

"What do you mean cut off?" Cristina asked.

"He pulled his offer! April is jobless!" Meredith said.

Cristina's eyes widen in surprise.

Meredith furrowed her brows; "Based from your reaction, I can see that you don't know anything about it too" she huffed. She then crossed her arms on top of chest and leaned back on her pillows; "I can't believe your husband, he's cutting off a good surgeon."

Cristina leaned back at the footboard; "Did April talk to Owen? Did she try to negotiate with him?" she asked.

"Yes she did but Owen said that it's already a done deal and April is refusing to speak with him again because according to her;"There are other deserving board certified surgeons who deserves the fellowship", she flunked her boards so she's just giving up" Meredith said.

"But there are other surgeons here that aren't board certified!"

"Exactly my point!"

Cristina furrowed her brows; "I'll talk with Owen to see what happened" she said.

"Good because Apes belongs here and you and I both know it" Meredith said.

Cristina nodded in agreement.

oOo

April knocked on Arizona's room before peeking inside; "Is she awake?"

Callie smiled at the red head resident and gestured for her to come inside the room; "She woke up a couple of minutes ago but fell asleep again, must be the meds" she said.

April stepped inside the room and closed the door behind her; "How is she?" she asked.

"The infection was thankfully contained by the antibiotics and it's getting better. Good thing we were able to fly out there as soon as possible or they might've amputated her leg."

"That's good to hear" April said.

Callie nodded; "Yeah"

April shifted her gaze towards Arizona's frail form; "They're all healing well, they'll be back to their feet before we know it" she said.

Callie chuckled; "I hope so, Karev is way over his head" she said.

"I heard. He's much needed here and I'm sure that Arizona is way better than the surgeons in Hopkins anyway"

"That she is" Callie said while gently rubbing her wife's arm.

April smiled at the gesture and cleared her throat; "Well, I better head out. I still need to drop by Cristina's room to check on her" she said.

"Thanks for visiting April, I'll tell Arizona you dropped by"

April nodded; "Okay, catch you later" she said before spinning on her heels and exiting the room.

oOo

"Aren't you tired of his company Lex?"

Jackson turned towards the door with a smirk on his face; "Look who the cat dragged in, you have a visitor Lex" he said.

"Alex" Lexie said with a smile.

Alex smiled back and began walking towards the bed; "How are you Little Grey?" he asked.

Lexie smiled at the use of her old nickname; "I just came from a plane crash but aside from that I'm cool" she replied.

Alex chuckled; "You haven't lost your touch yet" he said.

Lexie shifted in her bed; "I know you came with a purpose Alex because you rarely do casual visits, so, out with it" she said knowingly.

"Hey! I wanted to check on you too" Alex protested.

Lexie rolled her eyes; "I know that, so, what is it?"

Alex let out an aggravated sigh before turning towards Jackson; "We're shorthanded at the pit, you're needed there" he said.

"Oh okay" Jackson replied. He then stood up from his perch and grabbed his lab coat from the chair; he shrugged it on and gestured towards the door. "I'll go now Lex, see you later" he said before leaving in a haste.

"You're shorthanded at the pit? Why did they let April switch off's then?" Lexie asked confusedly.

Alex furrowed his brows; "She's off today?" he asked.

"Yeah-she just dropped by a couple of minutes ago"

"That's weird" Alex said. He then gestured towards the door; "Got to head out too Lex, you rest and get well soon" he said.

Lexie smiled; "Thanks Alex" she said.

Alex nodded before walking away.

oOo

"Excuse me but do you know where Dr. Yang is?" April asked the unfamiliar nurse at the nurses' station.

The nurse stared at April confusedly; "She's in her room" she replied.

April raised her brow; "I wouldn't be looking for her here if she's in her room" she replied.

The nurse shot up from her chair and bolted towards the room; she pushed the door open and began searching for her patient frantically.

April braised her elbows on the counter as she watches the nurse.

"Why are you standing there like a fool when you know for a fact that you can wait inside my room just like a normal visitor?"

April turned her head sideways and saw an I.V. dragging Cristina walking towards her; "Why are you walking around the hospital in that hideous gown when you're supposed to be lying on your bed like a normal patient?" she quipped.

Cristina grinned; "Touché, you're learning fast" she said.

April smiled back; "I learned from the best" she replied.

Cristina stood beside April and followed her gaze; "Are nurses supposed to clean our rooms too?" she asked.

April rolled her eyes; "She's not cleaning, she's looking for her petulant patient."

Cristina made a face of distaste when the nurse tried searching for her under her bed; "Did she seriously think that I'd be hiding under my bed?" she asked.

April giggled.

Cristina crossed her arms on top of her chest and watched as the nurse shifted away from the bed and began roaming around the room again.

April threw Cristina a side glance and pointed at the room; "Aren't you telling her that you're actually here?" she asked.

Cristina grinned; "It's not my fault that she's an idiot" she said.

"You're awful" April said. She then turned towards her friend and stared at the with concern; "You're frolicking around the hospital, I can assume you're okay now?"

Cristina waived her hand dismissively; "I'm tougher than a plane crash, it's just awful that I lost my other shoe, that's my favourite pair."

April shook her head in disbelief; "You can buy a new pair, I'm elated that you're all okay" she said.

Cristina smiled at April; "We got lucky, good thing the sparkle thingy works" she said.

"Yeah, thank God for those signal lights"

Cristina leaned on the nurses' counter; "Mer told me, we're planning on talking to Owen to have this fixed" she said.

April licked her lips nervously; "Y—you don't have to do that-I'm really fine. I'm sure I can find another hospital that I can-"

"Stop right there Kepner" Cristina said sternly. She then eyed April seriously; "If there's one thing that this plane crash taught us, it's to stick together. You belong here in Seattle Grace Mercy West, board certified or not. There are a lot of surgeons here who flunked their boards and we don't see them being dismissed. You were let go easily and Mer and I think that you were not given a fair chance, you are a good surgeon-well-not as good as me but you still shine with what you do so you have to stay."

"I-I-don't know what to say-"

Cristina smirked; "Don't say anything just sit tight and we'll do the talking, heaven knows you're no good at negotiating" she teased.

"I don't think it's necessary because Chief Hunt already spoke with me but if you insist, thank you" April said.

"Owen doesn't think before he speaks sometimes, my husband is like that. I'll set him straight"

April chuckled.

"Dr. Yang! Where have you been? I've been looking for you all over and you're-"

"Oh hush! I've been standing here for awhile now and you haven't even notice. And you're looking under the bed? Are you for real?" Cristina said sarcastically.

The nurse looked abashed; "I'm sorry" she whispered.

April took pity on the nurse and shifted closer to her friend; she gently pried the I.V. away from Cristina's grasp and began ushering her towards the door. "I'll take her to her room, just do your job right next time" she said.

The nurse nodded.

Cristina followed April like a good patient; "Not bad Kepner, you're learning, more snark and you'll rank next Alex" she teased.

April laughed.

oOo

Alex sauntered inside Meredith's room and plopped down on the couch; "I'm freaking tired" he groaned.

Meredith tore her eyes away from the book she's reading and stared at her friend; "Peds?" she asked.

Alex rubbed his eyes tiredly; "Multiple Traumas at the pit, I just got out of surgery" he said.

Meredith pouted; "Stupid plane crash! I would've been down there" she said.

Alex leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes; "I'm not supposed to be handling the pit but Kepner is missing in action. Trauma is her specialty, she would've been in heaven with all those patients coming in" he said.

Meredith closed her book and stared at Alex; "You didn't know?" she asked.

"Didn't know what?" Alex asked.

"April was dismissed-Owen didn't keep her"

Alex's eyes snapped open as a frown marred his face; "What?"

"It's true, she told me this morning. I doubt that she'll tell me if I didn't ask her why she's not in her scrubs."

"What the hell is Hunt thinking? Is it because she didn't pass her boards?"

Meredith nodded; "Yep"

Alex scrunched his face in disgust; "Damn the boards! There are other surgeons here who didn't pass their boards, in fact I know one in Ped's and he's a Fellow" he said.

"Exactly my point"

"Did she try talking with Hunt?"

"Yes and she's convinced that Owen was right" Meredith replied.

"Unbelievable!" Alex huffed. "Hunt should favour her just this once because he convinced April to choose Trauma as her specialty in the first place! If she stayed in Neuro I'm sure that Shepherd will fight for her to stay!"

Meredith sighed; "I know" she said.

Alex shook his head in disappointment; "I don't know what to say."

"Cristina told me that she'll talk to Owen first, if he doesn't cave in then I'll do the talking" Meredith said.

Alex shot up from his perch; "I'll talk to him now" he said before leaving the room.

oOo

April just stepped out of the elevator when Jackson saw her; he hastily took his gloves off and made his way towards her. "April!" he called out.

April paused and turned towards the hallway; she felt a pang inside her chest upon seeing his familiar face. "Hey Jackson" she said.

Jackson smiled and stood right in front of his best friend; "You shouldn't have switched your off today, the pit is bursting with Trauma" he said.

"I didn't switch my off, I no longer work here and if you only took time to talk to me instead of gluing yourself beside Lexie's bed, you would've known" April thought sadly. She forced out a smile; "Really? I ran out of luck I guess" she said.

Jackson braised his hands on his hips; "Where are you going? It's your off right?"

"Yeah—Just here and there, nothing in particular" April replied.

"Want to hang out at Joe's after my shift?" Jackson said.

April grasped the strap of her bag tightly; "I'll just text you-I'm not sure"

Jackson furrowed his brows; "Is something wrong? You seem—different"

"Everything is wrong. I'm jobless, you're pining over her and I'm stupid enough to believe that we're more than just a one night stand" April thought. "I'm fine. You're imagining things" she said dismissively.

"Okay-You sure?"

April opened her mouth to respond but she was saved from lying when Jackson's pager went off; "You should take that" she gestured towards the pager.

Jackson plucked the device from his belt and read the message; "I'm needed at the pit for a consult" he groaned.

"Go."

Jackson nodded; "Just text me if you can hang out at Joe's later, okay?"

April nodded; "Yeah—" she replied.

Jackson threw her a loop sided smile before turning on his heels and walking towards the pit.

April watches as his back disappeared from the E.R. doors; she let out a dejected smile before walking away.

oOo

"Chief Hunt, can I speak with you for a moment?"

Owen tore his eyes away from the documents his perusing and nodded; "Of course, come right in" he said.

Alex stepped inside the room and closed the door behind him; he walked towards the Chief's desk and sat at the chair.

"What can I help you with?"

"I'm not gonna beat around the bush here because I know that you're busy and so am I. I just want to know why you terminated Kepner" Alex said bluntly.

Owen leaned back on his chair; "I didn't want to but there are budgeting issues that needs to be considered and-"

Alex frowned; "Why only her? Is it because she's not a board passer?" he asked, cutting Owen off.

Owen let out a defeated sigh; "That's also one of the reasons" he admitted.

"There are other surgeons in this hospital that didn't pass their boards as well and I don't see them being cut. In fact, there is Fellow at Ped's who flunked his boards twice and he's still here"

"They signed a contract before the budget issue, I can't terminate their contract or they can sue the hospital for breach of contract" Owen explained.

Alex shook his head in disappointment before standing up; "Kepner should've just stayed in Neuro, I'm sure Derek could've done something for her. Have a nice day, Chief" he said before storming out of the room.

Owen closed his eyes and began rubbing his face.

"I know I've got to leave it all behind, somehow I'll try to get you off my mind. So tell me what to do, help me get over…"

"Jack and Coke please" April said as she perched herself on a bar stool.

Joe smiled at April; "Tough day?" he asked.

April placed her bag on top of the stool beside her; "You have no idea" she said with a wry smile.

Joe placed her drink right in front of the sullen surgeon and smiled; "Here you go" he said.

"Thanks, keep my tab open, I'm celebrating today" April said.

"Okay Doc" Joe replied.

April took a sip of her drink and winced; "I'm no longer a doctor, call me April" she said.

Joe threw the red head a confused look before shrugging his shoulders; "Okay April" he said.

"Thanks Joe" April said.

oOo

"Heeeeyyyyyy! Alex! Yohoooooo! Come here!" April said boisterously.

Alex furrowed his brows and began looking around the bar, clearly searching for the voice who called his name.

"Err-Dr. Karev?"

Alex turned sideways and saw one of his interns; "Yeah?" he asked.

Jo Wilson pointed towards the bar; "Dr. Kepner is at the bar and she's calling you" she said.

Alex turned his gaze towards the bar and narrowed his eyes; "Thank you" he said before sauntering towards his friend.

"I wassss calling you but you're ignoring me" April pouted drunkenly.

Alex turned towards the bartender and raised his brow; "How many did she have?" he asked.

Joe turned towards Alex and winced; "She had 4 glasses of Jack and Coke and she's already plastered. I already cut her off and I'm calling a cab to take her home" he said.

"I'm not plaaassttteeerreed!" April said between giggling.

Alex sighed; "Don't bother, I'll take her home" he said. He pulled out his wallet and placed $20 on top of the bar; he then turned towards April and grabbed her bag from her side. "Come on Apes, let's go home" he said.

April pursed her lips; "But issssshhh still earrrllly!"

"Yeah—it's still early but you're already pissed drunk" Alex said.

"I'mmmm not pissseeeddd drunk! Come on Alex! Drink with meeee, I'm celebrating!"

Alex stared at April with amusement; "Celebrating what?" he asked.

April smiled widely; "I'm geettttinnng a new job at Tastee Freez! I will be serving sundaes and burgers!"

"You're not serving sundaes at Tastee Freez, you're still a surgeon Apes and I'm sure some other hospital wants you, screw Hunt" Alex said earnestly.

April giggled; "Yeaahhh-screw him!"

Alex smiled; "That's the spirit, now let's get out of here before you embarrass yourself further."

April nodded; "Yeah-I'm already embarrassed enough for one day" she said. She then furrowed her eyes and began looking around; "Where's my bag? I need to pay for my drinks" she said.

Alex lifted the bag in his hands; "It's already taken care for, just don't forget to pay me later" he said.

April laughed as she hopped off her perch; "Stopppp being stingy Aleeexxx!" she said as she wobbles to her feet. She then grasped the bar and closed her eyes; "I thinkkk I drank too much this place won't stop moving" she said.

"You think?" Alex said. He then wrapped his arm around April's shoulder to steady her; "I'm only doing this one time Kepner don't make this a habit. Wrap your arm around my waist, I'll help you" he said.

April obediently followed her friend's instruction; "I'm sooorrrryyyy-I didn't mean to cause inconvenience—I jussst neeed an outlet with all the stress, you know?" she slurred.

Alex sighed; "I know. Now, come on" he said as he steers his drunken friend out of the bar.

oOo

Jackson entered the bar and scanned his surroundings; when he didn't see any familiar face, he went directly towards a vacant bar stool and sat himself down.

Joe walked towards his new customer and smiled; "What can I get you?" he asked.

"Beer" Jackson replied.

Joe plucked a beer from the freezer and popped the cap open; he then shifted towards Jackson and placed it right in front of him. "Here you go" he said.

"Thanks" Jackson replied. He then took a swig of his drink and began looking around again.

"You looking for someone?" Joe asked.

Jackson threw the bartender a side glance before nodding; "Yeah—I'm supposed to meet Karev for drinks but it looks like he bailed on me" he said.

"He didn't, he was here a couple of minutes ago" Joe said.

"Let me guess, he left with a chic?" Jackson said before taking another swig of his beer.

"He did leave with a chic but not for that, I took April home, she's had too much to drink"

Jackson frowned as he swallowed his drink; "April?"

Joe nodded; "Yeah, the surgeon with an auburn hair?" he described.

Jackson's frown deepened; he plucked his phone from his pocket and dialled Alex's number. He then shifted the phone to his ear and waited for the other surgeon to answer his call.

"Avery"

"You with April?" Jackson asked.

"Yeah—we're on our way to the apartment. I'll just get her settled then I'll join you there"

"What's wrong with her? Joe told me you had to take her home?"

"She's pissed drunk and ridiculously funny. I had to take her home because if I didn't, I doubt she'll still be wearing her chastity belt tomorrow, she's that drunk"

"I'm not wearrrrinng a chasteettty belt, you're ridiculous Alex! I'm no longer Virgin Mary!" April drawled drunkenly.

"See what I mean?" Alex said, clearly amused.

Jackson winced; he then stood up from the stool and hastily pulled his wallet from his jacket pocket. "I'll come home, see you in a bit" he said.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. She's giving me a headache with her incessant chattering about her virginity"

"Bye" Jackson said before disconnecting the call. He then stuffed his phone inside his pocket and pulled out a $10 bill; "Thanks, keep the change" he said.

Joe nodded; "Thank you"

Jackson took another swig of his beer before he spun on his heels.

oOo

"Come on Apes, I'll help you to your room, you can't sleep there" Alex coerced.

April ignored Alex and continued leaning on the bathtub; "I'mma be aryt-you go do your stuff" she said.

Alex braised his hands on his hips; "You don't look alright and you can't sleep there, what if we need to use the bathroom?" he challenged.

April closed her tired eyes and waived her hand dismissively; "I'll move to my room once the room stops turning" she replied.

Alex crouched down and squatted right in front of his plastered friend; "The room won't stop turning so I suggest we move you to your room so you can lay down on your bed" he said,

April shook her head; "Can't move. I might-" she cut herself off when she felt vomit rising inside her mouth. She hastily leaned forward and began puking on the toilet bowl.

Alex scrunched his face and hastily stood up; "I'll be back" he said. He then turned on his heels and hurriedly exited the room.

"Where is she?" Jackson asked as he rounded the corner.

Alex wrinkled his nose and pointed towards the bathroom; "You don't want to go in there man, she puking her guts off."

Jackson ignored Alex's warning and hastily stepped inside the room; "April?" he called out.

April flushed the toilet and closed the lid; she wiped her mouth with a towel and settled back to her original perch. "What you doing here?" she asked.

Jackson crouched down and squatted right in front of his best friend; "What happened to you? Why did you drink yourself to stupor?" he asked with concern.

April waived her hand dismissively; "Am not drunk just tipsy" she said.

"Yeah right, you look like shit" Jackson said.

April felt like her whole body was dozed with cold water; making her instantly sober. She narrowed her eyes at him before kicking him with her right foot, causing Jackson to fall on his ass.

"What the hell was that for?"

"You're a jerk" April said while making an attempt to stand up. When she couldn't manage, she placed her hands on the tub and tried hefting herself up; "ALEX!" she yelled.

Alex peered from the door; "Yeah?"

"Help me to my room" April said tearfully.

Jackson hefted himself up and shifted closer to April; "I'll help you up" he said while placing his hands on her arms.

April flinched from his touch; "Don't touch me!" she shrieked. She then turned her face towards Alex and threw him a pleading look.

Alex threw Jackson a confused look before moving towards April; he leaned forward and helped her to her feet.

April placed her hands clumsily on Alex's shoulders; "Come on" she said.

Alex tried helping the red head walk but after a couple of futile attempts, he let out a frustrated sigh before scooping her into his arms.

April yelped in protest.

"This is much faster than helping you walk" Alex said. He then began carrying her outside the room; "You owe me big time for this Kepner" he said.

"I know" April replied while subtly wiping her cheeks.

Jackson watches the unlikely pair disappear from his sight; "What the hell just happened?" he asked himself.

oOo

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Alex asked.

April pulled the comforter under her chin and smile tiredly at Alex; "Yeah" she replied.

Alex nodded; "Just holler if you need anything, okay?"

April nodded.

Alex switched the light off and pulled the door open.

"Alex?"

Alex paused and turned his head towards April; "Yeah?"

"Thank you."

Alex smiled; "You're welcome. Sleep it off, you'll need all the sleep you can get" he said.

April let out weary chuckle; "I know" she replied.

"Good night" Alex said before stepping out of the room, closing the door behind him quietly.

"Is she asleep?" Jackson asked while leaning on the opposite wall from April's door.

"Yeah" Alex replied. He then crossed his arms on top of his chest; "You shouldn't have told her that she looks like shit, in case you have forgotten, its Kepner you're talking to and she's a sensitive drunk. She would've bawled her eyes out the whole night if I didn't assure her that she looks fine" he said.

Jackson's face fell; "I didn't mean it that way" he said.

"Well she took it that way. She's going through some rough patch and she's clearly not happy with you right now so I suggest you lay off a bit, just saying" Alex said before walking away.

"What do you mean rough patch?"

Alex paused and turned around; "You don't know?" he asked.

Jackson frowned; "Don't know what?"

"Hunt didn't renew Kepner's contract, she no longer works for Seattle Grace"

Jackson's eyes widen in shock as his jaw hangs open.

"Just what I suspected, she didn't tell you as well" Alex said exasperatedly.

"Why-why didn't she tell me?"

"You've been preoccupied with Lexie lately, maybe she thought you didn't have time to listen or something."

Jackson snapped his mouth close as a guilty look marred his face.

Alex noticed Jackson's reaction; "Talk to her when she cools down, it's April, she doesn't hold grudges" he said.

"Yeah—"

Alex nodded before turning around and walking away.

oOo

April forced herself to open her eyes when her phone won't stop ringing; she blindly reached for the offending device and winced when shooting pain erupted inside her skull. She snatched it from her side table and tapped on the screen; "Hello" she croaked.

"Duckie! Why do you sound like you just woke up? You should be at work right now!"

April groaned and closed her eyes tightly; "It's too early for this Libby, what do you need?" she asked with exasperation.

"Early? It's already 11 A.M!"

"Whatever, what do you want?" April asked.

"It's Sophie's birthday tomorrow, you're still flying out right?"

April's eyes snapped open; she then mentally cursed as she sat up from her bed.

"Duckie?"

April began rubbing her temples; "Yeah—I'll be there" she said.

"Perfect!"

April swallowed hard; "I need to go, I'll talk to you later" she said.

"Okay, talk to you later. Love you Duckie!"

April huffed; "Stop calling me Duckie! Love you too, bye!" she said before disconnecting the call. She then took a deep breath and collapsed back on her bed; "I guess I'll be leaving earlier than expected, time to pack" she murmured to herself.

oOo

"Avery, are you listening to me?" Mark asked.

Jackson turned his gaze back to his mentor and cleared his throat; "Did you say something?" he asked.

Mark studied his prot's face and furrowed his brows; "Is something wrong?" he asked.

Jackson let out small smile before shaking his head; "Nope, I'm good" he replied. He then closed his patient's chart and stood up from his perch; "I'll be back, I just need to check on this patient" he said before bolting towards the door.

"We're not done talking about Tulane Avery! Come back here after your rounds!" Mark said.

"Yeah" Jackson said before closing the door behind him.

Mark leaned back on his pillows and yawned tiredly.

oOo

"That's his reasons?" Meredith asked incredulously.

Alex nodded; "Yep, I also pointed out that there are some Fellow's here who didn't even pass their boards but he told me that those fellow's already signed their contract before the budget problems" he said.

"The explanation about the fellow's contracts makes sense, he can't terminate them because the hospital can be sued for contract breach" Derek said.

Meredith turned towards her husband; "But something can be done, right? We're not asking for a lot, we're just asking him to keep April and she's just one surgeon."

Derek nodded; "There are some incidental and overhead funds that can be used" he said.

Alex cringed.

Meredith noticed Alex's reaction; "What?" she asked.

Alex scratched the back of his neck; "I kinda played that card with him to match the offer from Hopkins. Webber told me to mention those funds" he said guiltily.

Meredith frowned; "Alex!"

"The incidental and overhead funds are a lot of money, I'm quite sure it can cover one more surgeon" Derek said.

"Are you sure? Because if it's that's the solution to Kepner's problem then I can just renegotiate with Hunt and ask him to drop the housing assistance clause in my contract." Alex said hopefully.

Meredith's face softened; "You'll do that?" she asked.

Alex nodded earnestly.

Derek thought for a couple of seconds before nodding; "Yeah, I think so."

"Tell you what, if you let the housing clause go and April keeps her job then you can have my house. We'll draft a contract with a rent to own agreement or something" Meredith said with a smile.

Alex's eyes widen in shock; "Get out of here! Are you for real?"

Derek smiled at Alex's comical expression; "Grab the offer before she changes her mind, shake on it."

Alex held his hand out instantly and smiled; "Shake on it Mer" he said.

Meredith rolled her eyes before shaking her friend's hand.

oOo

April snipped the packaging tape with her scissor and sealed the last box tightly; "Last batch" she said. She then lifted it from the floor and stacked it on top of the other two; she then braised her hands on her hips and began looking around the barren room. "Everything's packed" she said to herself.

oOo

Jackson flipped through his notes as he gives his mentor an update; "Uh, I have a facial lac and oh, I have a consult this morning-breast augmentation, B to D" he said before moving towards the side of the bed and handing it for Mark to see.

Mark accepted it and began perusing it; "Did you tell her, her breasts were beautiful the way they are?" he asked.

"No, I still think that's weird." Jackson replied.

"Well, I know you do, but you're wrong."

Jackson pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat down.

"You tell her she's beautiful just the way she is and if she believes you, you've saved someone an unnecessary surgical procedure" Mark said as he flips through the papers.

Jackson leaned forward and peered at his notes; "And that is definitely not how I talk to a patient."

"No, but it's how you talk to a woman, Avery" Mark pointed out. He then snapped the chart close and faced his favorite student; "We're in the business of making people feel better about themselves" he said seriously.

Jackson furrowed his brows; "Again, sometimes when you talk, I feel like a male prostitute."

Mark ignored Jackson's objection; "She's a person on the precipice of change, Avery. She's scared and she's worried."

Jackson smiled before pulling the chart away from Mark's hand; he then shifted closer to the bed and listened intently.

"God, the things we worry about, so pointless. And we get to help take that worry away. It's why we're doctors, it's actually why we're people, but somehow we forget that all that matters is people. And whether we walk away leaving them better or worse for having met us, we control that Avery" Mark said. He then cleared his throat and met Jackson's gaze; "I want you to promise something."

Jackson just nodded, signalling for Mark to continue.

"If you love someone, you tell them. Even if you're scared that it's not the right thing, even if you're scared that it'll cause problems, even if you're scared that it will burn your life to the ground you say it and you say it loud and then you go from there."

Jackson stilled as he digests his friend's words.

Mark smiled; "Hey where's my kid? I want to see Sophia. Avery, why don't you run up to Day Care and bring her down here" he snapped, changing the topic.

Jackson shuddered before standing up from his perch; "I can't bring a baby in the ICU" he said as he plucks the chart from the foot of the bed.

"No but you can sneak one in. Come on, Avery, grow a pair" Mark said cheekily.

Jackson is still weighing his options when Mark started sitting up from his bed; "You know what? Forget it, I'll do it" he said.

Jackson hastily leaned forward and stopped Mark from moving; "Whoa-whoa-whoa-I'll get her" he said before turning on his heel and running towards the door.

Mark grinned triumphantly; "My man!" he cheered.

oOo

April was anxiously looking for Jackson when she saw him running towards the elevator; she made a bee line towards him and cleared her throat to get his attention; "Uhm-can we talk? I'm leaving" she said with a small smile.

Jackson turned around and saw April standing behind him; he punched on the elevator button repeatedly before facing her again; "No. Actually, I've gotta grab Sophia for Sloan, he need to see her but I can call you later" he said dismissively.

"Uh, no, Jackson. I'm-I'm leaving-for home-Moline. My flight's in a few hours" April explained.

Jackson paused and furrowed his brows; "What do you-"

April took a deep breath before biting the bullet; "I-I don't have a job here anymore. My contract actually ended the other day but I stuck around and waited for everyone to get better and everyone's better, so..."

Jackson stepped inside the elevator and held the door open with his hand.

April bit her bottom lip to keep it from wobbling.

"Alright, I've gotta get Sophia right now, okay? But can you just wait? Just wait for me at Joe's, we can have a drink, we can talk, just okay-just wait for me at Joe's" Jackson said before punching on the elevator button repeatedly.

April let out a smile before nodding; when the door closes her smile faltered as she let out a dejected sigh.

oOo

"Alex"

Alex turned around and saw April standing behind him; "Hey Apes" he said.

April smiled wearily; "I just dropped by to tell you I'm leaving" she said.

"Where are you going?" Alex asked.

April tightened her hold on her bag; "My flights in a few hours-I'm going home" she explained.

"You're going back to Ohio? When will you be back?" Alex asked.

"I-I don't know yet" April replied.

Alex frowned; "What you mean you don't know yet?" he asked.

"I decided to go home for a while-you know spend time with them for a bit since I don't have work yet"

"You're not planning on really working for Tastee Freez, right?"

April chuckled; "No"

Alex smiled; "Good. Come back as soon as you're done resting, okay?"

April bit her bottom lip before nodding.

Alex took a step forward and engulfed his friend into a hug; "Take care Apes and I'll see you soon" he said.

April felt her eyes prickling with tears as she hugs Alex back; "Thank you for taking care of me last night and for everything."

"You're welcome. You better haul your ass back here, you still owe me 20 bucks" Alex said.

April laughed as she pulls away; "I can pay you now, you know."

Alex shook his head; "I won't take your money now so you'll feel obligated to come back" he said.

April rolled her eyes; "Fine."

oOo

"Knock, knock" April said before peering inside Derek's room.

Meredith turned towards the door and smile upon seeing April; "Hey you. Come right in" she said.

April pushed the door open and stepped inside; "The nurse told me you're here so I came here directly" she explained. She then shifted her eyes towards Derek; "How are you feeling Dr. Shepherd?" she asked.

Derek smiled; "I feel better than yesterday" he replied.

"That's good to hear" April replied.

Meredith gestured towards her huge bag; "What's with the bag?" she asked.

April tightened her hold on the strap of her bag as she smiles sheepishly; "I just dropped by to say goodbye..." she said.

Derek threw Meredith a look before staring at April; "Where are you going?" he asked.

"I decided to go home for a while-you know spend time with them for a bit since I don't have work yet"

"You're going home to Ohio?" Meredith asked with a frown.

April nodded; "Yep."

"When will you be back then?" Meredith asked.

April cleared her throat; "I still don't know when, I kinda miss my family-but I'll be back, don't worry" she said.

Meredith gestured for April to come closer.

April swallowed hard before walking towards her friend.

Meredith stood from her perch and pulled April into a hug; "We're fixing it so keep your lines open, okay? And come back soon, you belong here" she said.

Tears that she's been holding for more than an hour now fell down on April's cheeks; she hastily wiped them before returning Meredith's hug. "I will and thank you" she replied.

Meredith patted April's back before pulling away; "Don't cry on me Kepner, you know I don't do well with tears" she joked.

April chuckled; she then wiped her cheeks clean before smiling at her friend. "Can you tell Cristina? I dropped by her room before I came here but she's sleeping" she said.

Meredith nodded; "I will" she replied.

"Thank you" April said. She then shifted her gaze towards Derek and smiled; "Get well soon Dr. Shepherd."

"Thank you" Derek replied with a smile.

April gestured towards the door; "I gotta go-my flight leaves in a couple of hours, I still have to say goodbye to a couple of people" she said.

"Go and have a safe flight" Meredith said with a smile.

April smiled back before turning on her heels.

oOo

Jackson placed Sophia into Mark's arms; "Here you go" he said.

"Thank you Avery" Mark said with a huge smile. He then shifted his gaze towards his daughter and began cooing.

Jackson smiled at his mentors antics; his smiled faded almost instantly when he remembered that his best friend is leaving in a few hours. He was about to open his mouth to tell Mark that he's leaving when his pager went off loudly; he hastily plucked it from his belt and read the message. "Damn it!" he swore loudly.

Mark covered his daughter's ears and threw Jackson a chastising smile; "There's a baby here Avery, in case you have forgotten" he said.

"Sorry" Jackson said. He then lifted his pager and wiggled it; "I'm being paged at the pit, I need to go. I'll just send someone here to get Sophia after a couple of minutes, okay?" he said.

"Go."

Jackson stormed out of Mark's room.

oOo

April was waiting for Jackson at Joe's for 2 hours now but there's still no sign of her best friend; she tried calling him a couple of times already but she keeps getting voice mail. She let out defeated sigh before emptying her glass; she placed a few bills on top of the counter before smiling at the bartender. "Here you go Joe, keep the change" she said with a sad smile.

"Thank you April" Joe replied.

April hopped off the chair and began walking towards the exit.

oOo

Jackson felt his heart beating loudly as he rushed towards Joe; he yanked the door open and began searching for April frantically. When he didn't see her familiar face he made a bee line towards the bar and leaned forward; "Have you seen April?" he asked.

"She left an hour ago, she waited for you for two hours though" Joe replied.

Jackson shoulders fell as indescribable agony settled inside his chest; he gritted his teeth and clenched his fist tightly. "She really left?"

"Yeah" Joe replied.

Jackson braised his elbows on top of the counter and buried his face into his palms.

Joe noticed Jackson's reaction so he hastily plucked a glass and filled it with the surgeon's favourite drink; he pushed it towards Jackson and let out a comforting smile. "It's on the house" he said.

Jackson lifted his face from his palms and sat down on one of the bar stools; "Thanks" he said. He then plucked the glass from the counter and drained its content in one go; he placed the glass back on the counter and gritted his teeth. "Keep my tab open, I need a lot of this tonight" he said.

Joe threw Jackson a sympathetic look; "Sure."

Jackson moved the glass towards the bartender; "Give me another one" he said.

A/N: My first attempt in writing a multi-chaptered Japril fic, how am I doing so far? I know it's kinda long for chapter 1 but I can't seem to stop myself from writing, it's like a disease! LOL Tell me what you think, I'll post the second chappy as soon as I'm done with it and as soon as I read your reviews, so feel free to leave me a note. Cheers!