Doing The Dance (Jackson Avery Fanfic)

twenty-eight

2016

"I'm so sorry it's a mess in here" An exasperated Jackson said as soon as I'd entered his apartment. I shook him off.

"It's fine. I know you've been thrown into the deep end. Several deep ends" He chuckled and showed me to the spare room I'd sleep in. I put my suitcase down and took the groceries I'd bought for dinner into the kitchen,

"Yeah well, it's hard when you have a busier than usual work life and a tiny hurricane running around" At that moment Harriet ran past, dressed only in a diaper. "I tried to change her when we came home from your house and she refused to let anything be put back on so I'm just letting her run free"

"Nothing wrong with a little freedom. Thanks for letting me come stay. Luke thought it was a good idea" He cocked his head in confusion.

"Luke?"

"It's weird to admit, but I felt him in the apartment after you left. A delayed bouquet of flowers ended up being delivered from him as a way to sway me into agreeing to marry him. I talked with him for a while and he agreed I needed time to be away from there, where all I could imagine was him dying" He chuckled and I began to blush. "Sorry, it's silly"

"No, it's not. Don't apologize for feeling him close Taylor" I smiled just as his phone began to ring. He sighed. "It's Webber"

Jackson stepped out of the room to answer the call just as Harriet came running past again. She stopped dead in her tracks when she got to me. She was not even two from what I knew. I smiled at her.

"Hi Harriet, I'm Taylor. I'm a good friend of your mommy and daddy" She crinkled her nose a little and giggled at me. I giggled back, the sound making her belly laugh. Jackson walked back in looking already exhausted.

"Is there an emergency?" I asked. He nodded with a sigh.

"I'll take Harriet with me and drop her at the daycare at the hospital" I shook my head.

"Nonsense. She can stay here with me. Lord knows I'm not going back to the hospital with you"

"Are you sure?" I nodded.

"We'll be fine, won't we Harriet?" Harriet babbled to me and I smiled, looking back at Jackson. "See?" He finally smiled and nodded.

"Okay, I won't be too long. God, sometimes I wish you were coming back with me. I could use your help in there"

"All in good time Jackson. You go, we'll be fine" He nodded and pressed a kiss to Harriet's head and then to mine out of sheer instinct. He stopped and looked at me as a blush crept onto his cheeks.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry" I chuckled.

"Just go to work, I'll have dinner ready for you when you're home"

"You're amazing! Bye Harriet, be good for Tay" And he was out the door. I looked at Harriet.

"Well, there's no point in getting you dressed seeing as you're probably going to have dinner, a bath, and then go to bed. But let's tidy up in here a little" I said, tickling the two-year-old belly in front of me, hoping to hear that giggle again. She did and I chuckled to myself as I made my way into her bedroom. If I start there, I can work my way through the house.

Well, Harriet caught wind of what I was doing and if I hadn't known she was April's daughter, I definitely knew now. She followed behind me and helped me put her toys away, collect dirty washing, and even attempted to help me make the bed. I chuckled more and more with every action she mimicked of me and soon her room was all cleaned up.

"Let's make a start on the living room next, alright?" She toddled along behind me and soon the entire house had been straightened up, a load of laundry put on and another folded. Then I was cooking dinner.