⇢ CHAPTER 60

friends in time to hear Holly's voice, "Hmm..." She released a heavy sigh, bringing his attention to her, "maybe."

"'Maybe'?" Jackson asked, leaning against the Nurse's station with crossed arms as he looked at April, Alex, Cristina, and Meredith for an answer, "What're you contemplating?"

"Getting a date for Bailey's wedding." Alex revealed as Holly stared at the floor, lost in thought.

"What--" Jackson immediately voiced in a loud volume before he lowered himself with a stammer, "I, uh, why?"

Holly innocently looked at Alex and April, "They're--"

April sighed, deciding to say the truth out loud to her friends since they all knew what happened that night before her boards, "I'm getting one because apparently the guy I slept with is with Warren and he's going to be at the wedding." She ran a hand through her hair, "I can't be seen alone."

"I'm doing it out of a pact for some guys I'm friends with in radiology." Alex answered with a shrug, "I'm not sure who my date is, but one of the guys are getting his date's friend as my date."

"And I didn't know we were going to have dates." Holly pouted, not wanting to be alone for the wedding since Meredith had Derek and Cristina surely had Owen, "And I don't even know who I'd go with."

"I'm, uh," Jackson waved, bringing her attention to him, "not going with anyone."

"Oh, great." Holly smiled as the others looked at the interaction with anticipation, "Then we'll both go alone."

The others facepalmed as Jackson blinked before a forced smile formed on his face and he nodded, "Y-Yeah, alone. Together."

"Did you find a date?" Derek asked, pressing a button on the elevator as Holly leaned against the back wall.

"Nope." Holly smiled, looking up at him, "I didn't need to."

"Oh?" Derek quirked an eyebrow, "Did Jackson--"

"Jackson doesn't have a date so we're both going alone." Holly revealed, making Derek release a chuckle.

"Oh, Holly." Derek facepalmed, making Holly squint at him in confusion.

"What?" She faced her body towards him as she folded her arms in front of her, "Am I missing something?"

"No." Derek shook his head, not wanting to reveal Jackson's feelings, "Nothing."

"Okay." Holly let out an unconvinced sigh as she faced forward, "Did Lizzie agree to giving you the nerve?"

Derek squinted at her, still somehow surprised at her cluelessness through the years, "Yeah."

Holly's eyes drifted from the doors to Derek's face and frowned her eyebrows, "What?"

"Nothing." Derek assured, facing forward, "You just need to be more self-aware."

Holly scoffed, exiting the elevator as its doors opened, "I am self-aware."

Derek let out a small chuckle, "No, you're not."

Holly, who was a few feet away from the elevator, shouted over her shoulder, "Heard that!"

"April," Jackson let out a heavy sigh as he tried to explain to the Kepner sister in a hushed whisper at their living room while Holly slept in her own room a few feet away, "it's not that simple--"

"Remember what Sloan told you." April reminded, "Something about love and whatever-- don't keep you love for Holly to yourself--"

"I-I don't love her." Jackson chuckled, shaking his head, "We aren't in a relationship, I don't--"

"Then tell her you like her. Tell her," April shrugged, "tell her you're mint-to-be and give her a mint." April smiled at the thought before she nudged him, "Just don't tell her. My sister may want to act like she's self-aware but she really isn't, Jackson. She's clueless."

Sitting at her desk in her office, Holly bit lightly on her pen as her eyes scanned the chart in front of her before the sound of someone opening her door made her bring her head up in time to see Jackson, with a birthday bag in his hand, jump inside.

"Happy--"

"No!" Holly hurriedly spoke, rushing over to close the door before she faced him, "Jackson, today is my birthday."

Jackson frowned his eyebrows, knowing full well that the day was December 25th, also known as Holly's birthday, "Um--"

"It's Bailey's wedding day." Holly clarified, making Jackson squint at her.

"It's still--"

"No!" Holly covered his mouth with her hand as she quirked an eyebrow, "Bailey's wedding day."

Jackson gently removed her hand away with his empty hand, "You act like she's going to hear--"

"You never know with Bailey." Holly shrugged before her eyes landed on the gift bag, "And as much as I'd love to see what'd inside the bag--"

"It's Bailey's wedding day." Jackson finished, making Holly smile with a nod.

"Precisely."

"Yeah, okay." Jackson nodded, walking over to the corner of the room with hesitance, "I'll... just leave this here."

Dresses. Make-up. Earrings. Ties. Suits. Necklaces. Bracelets. 

The attendings all stood around each other in the Attending's Lounge as they prepared themselves for the wedding of the year-- Bailey's. They all took turns changing in the bathroom before placing the finishing touches on themselves in the lounge area of the room, all looking at each other for help when needed.

"Kepner." Meredith called out, seeing the younger sister appear by the door with hesitance to enter, knowing she wasn't an attending yet so she shouldn't.

"Hey, sorry." Holly apologized, making Jackson's head quickly turn to the voice, clearly not expecting her there and was immediately starstruck, the sight of her in a piercing green dress enhance her beauty as the sun hit her delicately. Holly's eyes shyly landed on April as she held out a bracelet, "I can't put it on, can you help me?"