When Your Eyes Speak - Jackson Avery

thirty-nine

season seven episode seventeen 'this is how we do it'

"Are you coming home tonight?" Jackson stood behind Lexie as she put her belongings into her bag, her brunette hair bouncing back and forth with every small movement. She was pretty, she was incredibly smart, but- "Jackson, you okay?" Jackson moved on his feet as he came out of his small trance and sighed. She stood in front of him, her eyebrows furrowed and her sweet, innocent and naive youthful face looking up at him.

It was only meant to be a one night stand, a lousy and stupid one night stand. She was not over Mark and he was, well, he reverted to his stupid impulsive decision to sleep with Lexie. He had no excuse, he was stupid.

"I'm coming home tonight." He finally spoke after a few silent seconds. "But I'm not coming home with you." He watched as Lexie's innocent and worried look turned into something much more sadder and then into confusion. "It should never have gone for this long, you know that." They never talked about exclusivity and Jackson felt dirty being with someone that wasn't Adeline, someone that he didn't love.

"I-I don't understand." Lexie laughed awkwardly, trying to diffuse the tension before she finally realized. Jackson watched as she pieced together everything. "You still love Adeline." Jackson sighed but stayed silent. Lexie sat down on the bench behind her, letting her back strap on her shoulder fall off.

"I never stopped, Lexie." Jackson admitted, walking forward a couple of steps before sitting down beside Lexie. She scooted to her left, adding some distance between the two.

"Is it me? Has Mark said something to you? I know you've been on his service and I understand if it's caused any problems. Is it because you read the letter? You shouldn't let a letter from an old man dictate your dating life-"

"What?" Jackson was shocked with Lexie's sudden rambling. He knew she resorted to rambling in a moment of stress, to help alleviate the tension but it was rather unnecessary to use the death of a loved one as a topic. "And it wasn't some old man. It was August Hessington, our friend's grandfather." Jackson scoffed before shaking his head. "Lexie, I'll see you at home, yeah?" Jackson took this as his invitation to leave. He didn't bother doing the cliche look back to see how she was, he only looked forward.

* * *

"She looks like the alien from that movie."

"Alien?"

"Yeah. Like a weird monster."

"Mark, she's your baby."

"Addie, she's your goddaughter." Adeline paused to look up at Mark as they watched Addison Montgomery move around the NICU.

"Godmother? You want me to be a godmother?" Mark smirked at his friend as she stared up at him, her eyes glistening at the sudden promotion from aunt. It was honestly a no brainer for him to have someone as special and caring as Adeline to be a guardian to his daughter should anything happen to him, Arizona or Callie.

"Of course I do. You're incredibly smart and kind and I know you'd happily pick her up if she called you drunk and was too scared of her moms and dad." Adeline chuckled at the thought. Mark was already planning his daughter's whole life including drunk nights out. "Plus, she'd be the perfect flower girl for when you and Avery finally decide to stop being silly and get married." It was Mark's turn to chuckle as Adeline sent him a hard glare though he was hardly afraid. If anything, it made him laugh even more.

"Well, I'm honored, Mark." Adeline smiled as the two looked back through the NICU window, watching the monitors connected to the unnamed baby. Mark moved his arm around Adeline's shoulders in a comforting way. Though the two didn't speak every single day, they meant a lot to one another and this was no different. Adeline leaned her head on Mark's side. "I like the sound of that; Godmother. She is going to be one spoiled girl."