#ava johnson

l Nightingale au l Jack x Ava l

Jack told Ava he loved her for the first time two days before they went on their official first date.

That’s why he didn’t see a problem asking Ava to marry him after only five months of dating.

They had gotten to know each other over the past couple of years. Jack knew everything about her and they had both seen each other at their lowest.

Jack didn’t need five years to figure out that Ava Johnson is the love of his life. He discovered that after their first ice cream date when she laughed at the ice cream he got on his nose.

"I have dinner with the team at 7 but Cole recommended this really cool place for dessert and maybe we can check it out for Valentine's Day." Jack suggested.

It wasn't the most ideal time to propose. It was the middle of the season and they were going to Montreal for the tournament, not somewhere warm and relaxing like everyone else.

Jack had wanted to propose to Ava during the summer at the lake house, he had planned to bring her onto the dock and drop to one knee.

But late last week the perfect ring that he had picked out was ready and when he picked the diamond up from the shop he decided he couldn't wait until the summer to propose. It took everything in him not to ask her that night at dinner.

He chose Valentine's Day instead. Jack figured he could get away.

"I'm gonna have to check my schedule, buuut I think I can get you in." Ava joked.

"You think?" Jack chuckled.

"Yeah I believe I can." Ava nodded a big smile on her face, she also loved the made up holiday.

"Okay then" It was a date.

Jack picked Ava up. Her hotel wasn't far from the restaurant, so they just walked there. The place had a good selection of desserts, but the couple chose a giant double brownie with ice cream.

"Holy shit" Ava took the first bite and the brownie tasted like heaven in her mouth. It was so freaking good. "Take a bite, this is, oh my god"

"That good huh?" Ava nodded taking another forkful. Jack took his own bit. It was good, but he could think of someone who tasted better on his tongue.

"It's okay, but I've had better"

"You're joking right?" Ava's eyes snapped open. She gave him a look that mirrored the question she just asked. Jack laughed at her. Ava shook her head, moving the brownie closer. If he wasn't going to eat it, then she would.

Jack laughed again. Ava took another bite and closed her eyes.

Now was his chance. Jack fiddled with the ring box for a second, repeating to himself what he was going to say. He didn't think he was going to be this nervous.

"What?" She snapped him out a trance.

"I know we haven't been together together for very long, but with you everything makes sense. You bring out the best in me." Jack slid out of his seat and onto one knee. He flipped open the Tiffany blue box.

"Oh my god" Ava gasped

"Ava, I love you, will you marry me?" Jack asked, word for word as he had rehearsed.

"Oh my god, oh my god" Ava kept repeating, shaking her head yes, happy tears starting to fall.

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Ava cried.

I'll ramble vvvv

...this is a lot, hold on...

Ava wants a baby really badly. She knew it was going to be virtually impossible because her body hated her. But that didn't dissuade either of them like at all.

Jack and Ava only dated for a few months before Jack proposed on Valentines day. They got married not too long after that. They decided right away to start trying for a baby.

Ava was hesitant about telling Jack about her fertility issues. Ultimately she decided it was for that best to be honest about them. Jack understood. And he never pushed her to do anything she didn't want to do. If she ever said she was done trying, he would abide by that.

Yes they did consider IVF and surrogacy and adoption. Ava didn't want to go through all of that just for the pain of one of those options not working out. The couple put all of their faith in fate. If it was meant to be it was meant to be.

There was a time that when they stopped trying so hard and really considered giving up hope and resigning themselves to being cool Auntie Ava and Uncle Jack.

It was after they had seen Quinn and his wife, Luke and Maisie, and Lola and Mason have their babies (this is excluding baby boy McTavish (he comes after Xander)). That was a total of 7 babies. Ava was convinced it was never going to happen for them. So she threw around the idea (it also didn't help that Lola just had a miscarriage as well)

"Maybe we should stop" Ava tried her hardest not to cry. She had wanted a baby for so long, thought of giving up this dream wasn't easy.

"Are you sure that's what you want?" It wasn't easy seeing his wife so torn and heartbroken. He held her as she cried into his shoulder.

"I don't know anymore Jack, I don't know" Snot and tears ran down her face. She hated this.

"Think about it for a little longer. We can revisit in a week or so."

"I have thought about this. I've prayed and wished, and worked for so long. I don't know anymore. Why not us? Why not me? Am I not made to love a baby? Why me?" Ava felt completely broken all Jack could do was helplessly hold her and comfort her.

About a month later they did revisit. And a month after that Ava got sick one morning after Jack made breakfast. The sent of bacon sent her running for the bathroom to hurl her guts out. She thought maybe she had food poisoning, after all the sushi they had the night before seemed a little sus.

"Wouldn't it be funny if you were pregnant?" Jack joked. Ava shot him a look but the idea stuck in her brain.

She found the box of old pregnancy tests that she had bought when they purchased the house years ago. The first one she took came back positive. Her heart fluttered when she saw the little plus sign. She had to be sure though before she told Jack. So she took the rest of the tests she had.

And all nine of the extra came back negative. Only 1 of the ten tests she took were positive and it was the first one. That puzzled her. She was so confident after that first one that she was pregnant, that she couldn't understand why the others weren't positive.

Jack came home from practice to all of the negative tests. Once Ava told him the situation, he wasn't as confused as Ava was why there was only one test that was positive in the sea of negatives.

"It's just a false positive." Jack explained.

"No you don't understand. The first one was positive. I'm pregnant. I know it. I just don't understand why the others don't show it."

"Do you have an appointment?" Jack didn't want to be the bearer of bad news that she probably wasn't pregnant, he would let the doctors do that. He was just going to be there to pick up the pieces. Again.

"The earliest one would work for our schedules was next Wednesday." She confirmed. Ava was clutching the good test close to her chest. Jack nodded and looked back at the all the negative tests. He examined the box that the test came from.

"Ava ..." he paused "you do know these test are expired right?"

She had no clue, she didn't even realize they could expire. Jack offered to run to the store to get more. He got a bunch of different ones, as long as they weren't expired he got em. Ava took all of when he got back and they waited. One by one each test came back positive.

"Oh my god"

"I told you!"

Once the doctor confirmed it, Jack and Ava were over the moon. They kept their news secret from their families for a few more months. They just wanted to get over that first trimester, possible miscarriage hump before they said anything.

It wasn't too hard. Luke and Maisie weren't around anymore. And Ellen and Jim were running around spending more time with the couples that gave them grand kids versus the childless couple. Ellen did have a hunch when Ava drank soda instead of her usual hard seltzer at game, she voiced it to Jim who concluded with a "they'll tell us when they want to"

The whole family cheered for the couple came on the monthly family facetime call with tshirts that read recently upgraded from auntie to mommy/uncle to daddy. They did a typical puck shooting contest to announce the gender. And when Ava was about 7ish months along they officially announced it to the public.

Jack is so attentive and protective with Ava when she's pregnant with Xander. She's already a kinda clumsy when shes not pregnant, can you imagine how wobbly and accident prone she is when she is pregnant? He will cook for her and make sure she's taking her vitamins and drinking enough water. He gives her foot massages when her feet swell up. Jack holds the bump when it gets to heavy for her. He treats her like the queen she is. He kinda makes his brothers feel bad and jealous because of amazing he is with Ava

He's going to be a good dad.

“Have I told ever told you how pretty you are?” Jack rubbed his hand up and down Ava’s back in the rare moment that he was holding her.

“Hmm” Ava mumbled something incoherent as she nuzzled her face deeper into his chest.

"What was that?"

"Yes you have multiple times" Ava lifted her head to get a good look at the man. "But you're prettier than me if I'm being honest."

"Excuse me, I am not pretty, I am handsome." He gasped.

"No I'm pretty sure you're pretty pretty man." She stood firm.

"Take it back. I'm handsome." He began lightly dancing his fingertips along her sides.

"Mmm, no"

Jack continued tickling her.

"Jack stop" Ava laughed.

"Say I'm handsome."

"You're very pretty"