I started this a while ago, when the show was still on and I couldn't help but finish it. I really miss it!
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Laura glanced over at Maggie for the hundredth time that flight and Maggie could feel it her eyes on her. She also knew that Laura had a good reason to be suspicious of her behavior. Maggie was giving a young family in Economy a bit too much attention, while trying to avoid being seen by them under all circumstances.
Laura walked over to her and asked her provocative: "Would you get these pens and paper over to those twins over there please? They have been asking for something to do."
"Can't you do that?" Maggie asked, trying to hide her anguish.
"Okay this is enough, tell me what's going on, do you know those people?" Laura asked while pulling Maggie behind her to the front of the plane.
When they were safely out of earshot, Maggie shook her head no and wanted to turn around, when Laura stopped her again.
"Maggie, please tell me what's going on ok? I won't tell anybody, I promise."
"Well, but you have to promise, this kind of thing can kill my career for good. Promise me Laura, don't tell anyone, not even your sister. I have to be able to trust you on this."
"I promise."
"Those twin girls over there are mine."
"Wha…"
"I gave them up for adoption when I was 16. Those are their adoptive parents and I have met them when I chose them. Now I don't want them to see me. They are nine now for god's sake."
Laura was without words for a second. She had only ever seen the free Maggie, she knew nothing about her past apart from her working in a diner at some point and she pretended to know Portuguese.
"Now I do understand why you are avoiding them. My god Maggie, I'm sorry. I didn't want to pressure you."
"It's alright, I trust you to keep them a secret. What should I do?"
"Do you want to meet them? I think that is the bigger question."
"I don't know. They don't even know me. But yeah, I think I do. Would you come with me?"
"I'm right behind you."
Maggie slowly walked back through the plane towards the family. She held the paper and pens in her hand to give to the children. Her children. No, they weren't hers anymore. She had given them up when they were just born. She stopped in front of the parents.
"Mr. and Mrs. Hendrickson, I brought you some distraction for your kids, can I get you anything else?" she asked and hoped the older couple wouldn't recognize her after all.
The men looked up at first and smiled as he saw her.
"Maggie! What a coincidence to meet you here! Look at you!" he exclaimed and tried to get his wives attention, who was sleeping.
"Jim, what is it?"
"Grace, look who is here, it's Maggie!" he said happy.
Grace Hendrickson opened her eyes and fixed them on Maggie, who would have loved to hide behind Laura right then. The woman had never liked her.
"Maggie. What are you doing here? Did you sneak in here?"
"Mam, no, I am in fact working here. I have been for a few years now. I am the flight crew's purser. I didn't even know you were on this flight. I would have asked to change flights."
"Don't be ridiculous Maggie. It's a pleasure. The kids will be so happy to see you. We have told them all about you."
"Jim, we agreed this is too early."
Maggie glanced over their heads to the row behind them were a girl silently read a book and a boy played with a toy plane.
"Yes, but we told them and now she is here." He argued again.
Grace seemed as if she was weighing her options for a second.
"Fine, but don't get any ideas Maggie, I mean it!" Grace finally said and waved her hand as if to say "Just go."
Jim Hendrickson got up and talked to his kids quietly for a second. Maggie couldn't make out what they were saying or how they were reacting, but they weren't screaming or throwing things, so that had to be a good sign. Jim signaled her to come over and when she stood in front of the children, she couldn't say a word.
"It's okay Maggie." Jim urged her.
"Hello I'm Maggie, how are you two?" she said with a sweet voice and thanked the heavens, that Laura was right beside her, ready to comfort her if things went awry.
The girl, obviously more talkative than her brother, spoke up first.
"Good. Dad told us about you. You are pretty. And don't mind my brother; he just thinks you are pretty too."
"Whatever." He said, but smiled at her with interest.
"Do you want to see the cockpit? I'm sure I can arrange that and maybe we could talk afterwards if you like?"
"Sure, I'm sure you have a cute pilot, he sure sounded cute when he introduced himself."
Maggie giggled "You won't be disappointed." She told the girl and then spoke to the boy "I'm sure you can sit in the pilots chair if you want to."
The boy's eyes went big and the two were out of their chairs faster than she could look. "Follow me."
To the outside Maggie must have appeared unfazed, but in reality she was a nervous wreck inside. She saw some features in their faces that were undoubtedly from her family. She had been in 18 hours of labor for them and here they were, all grown up.
After twenty minutes of talking about their lives and hobbies, Maggie had to get to work, because they would be serving dinner soon and she brought them back to their parents. After she left, she heard them tell the Hendrickson's everything they had just learned. After being quiet for most of the flight, they couldn't stop chatting now.
Every now and then, when she walked past, Laura would gently squeeze her hand to let her know she was there for her.
One day she would have kids to raise herself. And if her firstborns wanted, they could visit her all they wanted. She had left all the important information with Jim Hendrickson without Grace noticing. She hoped they would take her up on that.
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THE END
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