Cannot say enough about the nice words from all of you. I appreciate your stopping by and leaving a note. It means a lot because it is nice to see i am not the only one truly enjoying this little fic.

His first reaction was anger, he felt it rise into his throat and his words nearly choked on the raw ire. But, in the split second before he spoke, he got himself under control, drew a deep breath, then spoke. "Why now Martha? We have neither seen nor spoken a single word to each other in three months, and now you want to pretend that everything is the way it was before?"

"Isn't it?" she insisted simply.

Jamie started to shake his head, but stopped. In many ways things were different, but was it a bad different or a good different? He wasn't sure. He began to examine how he really felt for Martha. He loved her, of course he did, how could he not? But, in the three months since he chased her out of his apartment, and out of his life, Jamie had changed. A definitive and noticeable change that made it difficult to give an answer to her question.

He wanted to say yes, and after the rage at her question subsided, he realized that his mouth had begin to wrap itself around the word. Jamie gave his head a noticeable shake and went on. "Martha, I ="

She shushed him this time and came closer to him, taking his hand and pressing it against her heart. "This beats for you Jamie. It always has. I sat in that apartment and dreamed of ways to talk to you. I was so ashamed of myself."

"We don't need to get married for you to feel as if you have made amends to me Martha, we're good." He smiled kissing her forehead.

Martha shook her head and continued. "You don't understand Jamie, I was miserable without you. I was near sectioned. My mother and sister were beside themselves. And you were lucky to have gone to Africa, because I think at least one of them would have shown up at your door with a shotgun and an ultimatum."

Jamie chuckled and moved her into his arms. This was where he longed to be for the past three months. Even when his journey led him to ultimate happiness, he dreamed of being here. "I wished to have you by my side while I was adopting Winnie. I kept looking to my side to say something to you about it, and it would be like a knife in my heart to find that little spot empty."

"Little?" she grinned into his chest.

"I like how little you are Martha; you fit right under my chin. Perfect."

"So, is that a yes?" she asked looking up at him.

"It's an I love you, but I don't think I can commit to anything like that right now. I have had some major changes in my life lately. It's not just me anymore Martha and you have a propensity to run."

Martha nodded, "I know, and I promise to never leave your side again Jamie.. But, I am adult enough to realize that a promise is not good enough, you need proof."

"And marriage is not going to prove that Martha, if anything it will only make things worse. You do understand that my daughter may well be dying, right?" He looked directly into her eyes as he informed her of this fact. Jamie had to deal with this every day. No one was sure of Winnie's health, and he lived with the spectre of death hovering over him as surely as he lived with that beautiful little girl.

"I know," she nodded again, drawing her head into his chest again. But I want to be there for her, and for you. I want to wake up next to you. I want to be there with Winnie for everything"

"What happens if she gets sick and dies Martha? I took this on knowing full well what I was walking into. You have already dealt with so much loss; I don't think it is fair to heap that loss on top of more. Winnie is my daughter, she is my responsibility."

Martha pulled herself out of his arms suddenly. "So I cannot share in her life? Are you saying that because she may be dying that I should not care about her?" Martha flared.

Jamie had known her to be a fierce woman, but he had rarely been on the wrong side of her ire, and he was more than a little afraid, "Martha-"

Martha shook her head and Jamie saw hurt in her eyes. "You don't want me near your daughter?" she accused in a small fragile voice that Jamie was not used to hearing from her. "I guess I have my answer don't I?"

Jamie tried to grab for her arm as she turned and headed out of the room. He watched her climb the stairs and disappeared around the wall. As he opened his mouth to challenge her leaving, she popped her head back around the wall. "Just to be clear, I am not running, I need to gather myself before I say something hurtful or feel worse than I already do."

He nodded as she turned the corner again.

A second later, her head once again emerged from around the wall. "Please don't leave, " she pleaded before disappearing again.

He had no intentions of doing that. If it required that they hug then one out, then that is what they would do.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was an hour before Martha emerged from upstairs again. She had changed clothes and looked as if she had been crying the whole time. Martha offered him a sad smile before hugging him from behind and thanking him for sticking around. "It's what I do." He grinned kissing her arm.

Martha slid in next to him on the couch and sighed. "What do we do now Jamie?"

She asked in that same small voice that scared the shit out of him,

Jamie turned to her and kissed her, "I don't know." He offered.

"I want this so badly, and the only person I have to blame for the loss this time is myself. " she sniffed.

"Don't Martha, we have been over this. We both wanted different things."

"And now?"

"Now, I think we need to find our way through all of this. It can't be the way it was before Martha, I am a father now."

"I understand that Jamie, but why can't I be a part of that? Is there no room in your life for me now that you have Winnie?"

"I have to make decisions for the both of us now Martha. I have to keep her safe; I have to be there for her. I am literally all that she has."

"How bad would it be for her to have more people to rely on?" Martha asked. "I want to be there Jamie, regardless of what tomorrow brings I want to be there.

Jamie wanted to let her, but in the end, he realized he could not allow any more pain in her life. The selfish part of his humanity questioned if she would leave him if Winnie died. Martha's reactions to loss seemed to be to run. He was not only protecting himself, but his daughter too. "Its just, I need time to think about all of this Martha. Three months is a long time, we have both changed so much.

Martha nodded, "well, I had to try though Jamie."

Jamie squeezed her tight. "I am glad you did. I think if we start off slow maybe we can get back to where we once was." He offered, though his heart was screaming at him to run and hide in her arms and never emerge.

Martha nodded, "I'd like that. Maybe we can go out for coffee or dinner sometime?" she offered with that bleak smile. "I wanted this so much," she sighed with a glance around the tasteful room. She rose and made her way to the front door.

Jamie nodded and gave her another hug. "I think that is for the best."

"Well, I already packed a bag and I am going to head out now. The keys and everything are in the kitchen. There's food in the fridge and a list of places nearby that you need to know about. Also the garbage comes on Fridays so you want to-"

"Wait, what?" Jamie sat up

Martha turned to him from her spot by the door. She offered him a look as if his second head had just dawned on her. "Don't you get it Jamie?" she asked hefting her duffle on her shoulder at the sound of the taxi. "I bought this house for us, for you. It's in your name. I was living here to be closer to the idea of you. But, if we aren't going to be together, I think its best that I leave you to get settled in." she offered him a smile and stood on tip toes to kiss his astonished face. "This house is yours, Happy something." She giggled and dashed out of the house to the impatient cab.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jamie stood in the living room watching her cab drive away. He was struck dumb by the gesture, and looking around he realized that there was little here that had been in her apartment. What is what she said was true? Had she really bought the house to be together with him so that they could start a life?

He moved from the front window and made his way into the kitchen where they had made lunch together. He could not stay here, could he?

In the cabinet drawer was the deed to the house, clearly marked with his name. She had done everything to legally give him an entire house. How do you turn that down?

He thought about calling Donna, but the memory of her ire kept him from making the call. He made his way upstairs to the bed where he was sure she had been sleeping and wrapped himself into her scent. It helped him go to sleep.

The doorbell woke him up the next day, Jamie noted that he had slept until two in the afternoon and wondered if that was due to exhaustion, or a seriously sprained heart.

Donna bustled into the house, with her new husband bringing up the rear toting everything but the baby. "So I am now ready to hand her back to ya Egg." Donna grinned placing Winnie in her father's arms and looking around the house.

Jamie relished in having his daughter in his arms again, he loved the feeling of her weight in his hands. At almost two months, Winifred was becoming quite a little chunk.

Donna smiled at his fussing over her, he cooed and asked her is she had fun with her Aunt Donna."Oh we had a blast, and let me tell you, that one can not only keep a secret, she can hold her liquor quite well." Donna giggled.

Jamie held onto his daughter and smiled as Winnie graced him with a full lipped grin. "She smiled!" he beamed. "Where did you learn that at Winnie?"

"Oh she started that last night while we were watching Dancing With the Stars. She was smiling the whole time with me, weren't you Pooh?"

Jamie sighed, trying to not show his disappointment at missing one of her milestones. "Well I appreciate you dropping her off…." A thought struck Jamie so hard, he nearly fell off of the couch. "Wait a tick Donna, how did you know I was here? In fact how did you know to come here."

Donna began to make her way to the kitchen. "I should make us a pot of tea," she through over her shoulder to the two men in the living room. "I have a feeling one of us is going to need it in a few minutes."

"Donna," he accused rising from the couch. "What did you know about all of this?"

Donna continued to make the tea as she ignored his questions. "Donna, was this whole thing a set up? You taking Winnie for the night, I mean I am not upset I just. I don't know Donna."

"Well," Donna huffed setting the tea at the table as Gregory came and removed Winnie from Jamie. "Fat lot of good that did innit? I mean she aint here is she?"

"No, she is not; she wanted to just pretend that nothing had happened. She wanted to go on with a marriage and act as if she had not run away from me."

"Well damn it Egg, who told who to leave?"

"That was to keep from hurting each other anymore."

"Who went to Africa?" Donna pointed as if she did not know the answer.

"I needed to find myself Donna." He defended. "And I don't see how any of this has any bearing on-"

Donna huffed, "Looks like to me you found more than just yourself. I mean don't get me wrong Egg, I think Winnie has been the best thing for you, but have you taken the time to think that maybe a small part of you took on that baby as a means to stave off the loneliness? What happens if she does dies from AIDS Egg? Are you going to tighten yourself up into a ball and hide?

"OR, worse yet, what if she lives Egg? How long is she going to let you hide behind her? Eventually she is going to grow up, find mates and a fella, and have her own life. Then, where will you be?"

"I am not hiding, you said so yourself Donna, that I have to make decisions for the both of us. This is the best thing for the both of us."

"Who really has been running this time Egg, and who has stayed in the same place for three months, trying to undo any hurt that has been done." Donna rose from her tea and began to direct her husband out of the front door.

"You never bought me a house." Gregory mock pouted as they put their coats on.

"You are lucky I let you pay the bills in mine!" she threw back at him. "Get your coat on and quit sassing me or you'll have a chance to find that woman fool enough to by you one."

"Donna," Jamie asked watching her from his perch by the hallway with his daughter in his arms. "What should I do?" he asked in that same frightened voice that scared him coming from Martha.

Donna stopped her preparations and fixed a very motherly look upon her not son. "How in the Hell should I know?" she fired, slamming the door behind her.

He looked down at Winnie, who had found her feet as tasty as her fist once was. "What do you think Winnie, do you want to live here?" he asked her.

She gurgled around her big toe, but offered no sage advice. Jamie was on his own for this one.