⇢ CHAPTER 79

showing the monitor to Callie and Derek as they all sat in one of the scan rooms, "so first we determine the receptive field of all the sensors, right?"

Derek quirked a brow at her excitement, "Yeah."

"Okay." Holly's smile widened, "So—"

"Derek," Owen interrupted, walking into the room as Holly frowned, "the guys from Kleiss Neuroscience will be here in twenty."

"Oh, I can't." Derek shook his head, "I— Once I'm done here, I have to get Bailey to a music class."

"Um," Callie and Holly gave each other a look of confusion before the former voiced, "what's this?"

"They want to talk to me about a research thing." Derek filled in, making Callie and Holly antsy— which was exactly the reason he decided to tell them.

"It's not just a 'thing'." Owen scoffed lightly, worsening Holly and Callie's reaction as they began to worry, "It is  presidential initiative on brain mapping. It is  thing."

"Okay. No." Callie chuckled, shaking her head as she informed, "We're starting phase two. Okay? He's my brain— our brain now." Callie corrected, pointing between her and Holly, "Meredith can have the rest. We get his brain."

"You have a mini-version of his brain already." Owen reasoned, gesturing to Holly.

"Well," Holly shrugged, "two  better than one, right?"

Derek nodded before he looked at the women and assured, "I'll get rid of them."

"No," Owen shook his head, "you won't. You will say 'yes' to them. And you're all gonna be at Kepner's wedding, yes?"

They all nodded before Holly began, "I need to get ready soon so..." She resumed their attention to the monitor, "here's presentation."

✧

Holly grumbled, feeling embarrassed as she exited the elevator— her usually straightened hair was now up in rollers as per April's request, and her main task now was to find the bridesmaids that were horrible at scheduling a dress fitting.

"I— stop." Holly warned, watching Jackson, who was tapping away on his patient's chart on his tablet by the Nurses' Station before his eyes landed on her, begin to approach her, "Don't laugh."

"I'm not laughing." Jackson denied, shaking his head lightly as he tried to hold in a chuckle, "You look—"

"Don't." Holly shook her head, closing her eyes briefly, "Don't say I look nice or beautiful, we both know it's a—"

"Fine." Jackson supplemented with a soft smile as he leaned down, "Like a train wreck." Holly squinted at him as he kissed her cheek before grinning, "Kidding."

"Mhmm." Holly nodded before she playfully pushed his face away as she looked around, "Have you seen Cristina, Meredith, and-slash-or Arizona?" She exhaled, glancing up at her boyfriend, "April wanted me to hunt them down."

"Is that a farm tradition?" Jackson joked, prompting Holly to squint at him again.

"As much as I'd love to say yes," Holly commented while Jackson laughed, "it's not, and they are apparently too busy twenty-four-seven—" She practically gave him puppy-dog eyes as she asked, "can you help me?"

Jackson caved and nodded, grabbing her hand lightly as he gestured for her to follow him, "Let's go."

✧

"Meredith!" Holly smiled, walking hand-in-hand with Jackson as they had finally tracked down the last person.

"I thought April was the one getting married?" Meredith semi-joked, eyes trailing up to Holly's hair.

"She wants it like this." Holly informed quickly, knowing the joke was aimed towards her hair and Jackson's presence.

Jackson chuckled, "And it looks..." Holly gave Jackson a look, prompting him to raise his hands in surrender with a small smirk, "...like hair being curled."

Holly snorted lightly at the comment before letting go of his hand to grab Meredith's, "Come on."

Meredith frowned, looking at the 3-D printer, "But I—"

"." Holly demanded with an exhale, "You, along with the other bridesmaids, have bailed on every single one of your fittings for the bridesmaid's dresses, so April brought them here to you guys." Meredith groaned as Holly dragged her away before holding Jackson's hand with her free hand.

✧

Arriving at the room, Holly released Meredith's hand to present the seamstresses and Cristina, "Knock yourself out." She remarked before pushing Meredith in and closing the door quickly.

"You sure putting Meredith and Cristina in the same room will be... you know, safe?" Jackson questioned, glancing back at the closed door.

"They'll figure their issues out." Holly assured before shrugging as the two walked down the hall, "Or yell at each other— but at least that'll be progress from the silent treatment."

"Mm." Jackson nodded before he did a double take, noticing something about Holly he hadn't before as he quirked a brow, "Are you wearing slippers—?"

"I—" Holly turned to face him before she looked down at her shoe choice, "The hair is  distracting you didn't even notice?"

Jackson paused before nodding, "Yeah..."

"Oh." Holly chuckled with a grin, "Good."

✧

"Stop thinking about you, and you make  feel special." April finished, staring at her bridesmaids as she practically teared up in frustration from the lack of attention towards her on her wedding day.

"What'd you guys do to her?" Holly joked, removing the rollers from her hair as she entered the room.

"Thank God!" April sighed in relief as Meredith, Cristina, and Arizona began to fuss over April like she wanted, "Where have  been?"

"Nowhere..." Holly brushed aside before April gave her a pointed look, "...I got fries with Jackson— but he's here, now! And all dolled up, too." She grinned, removing more rollers, "Plus, I'm getting the rollers out of my hair and then I'll change into my dress."