Chapter 16

Over the next few weeks, Jackson and Maggie fell into a normal rhythm. During that time Maggie had her official first visit with Carina and her pregnancy symptoms started to increase. Things were getting very real in the Avery/Pierce household.

One evening after working and picking up Harriet from, Jackson and Maggie sat in the living room after putting Harriet to bed. Maggie was watching House Hunters while Jackson worked on a surgical plan for a patient.

He watched as a newly married pregnant couple searching for their dream home. He asked, "Babe, when are you going to move in?"

Maggie muted the tv taking a deep breath. Things had been going very well for them and she didn't feel like arguing. She answered, "Once we're back together officially."

Jackson closed his laptop asking, "When do you think that might be?"

Maggie said, "I don't know Jackson. I can't put a timeframe on it. I don't know when I'll feel comfortable enough to make that kind of commitment."

Jackson lifted her feet from his lap and stood. He asked, "Do you want tea?"

Maggie stood saying, "Sure!"

She followed him to the kitchen. She asked, "Jackson what's the matter?"

He turned to face her scrubbing his hand down his face. He said, "You come home every night. Home, as in this is your home. You make dinner with me and Harriet. You tuck my daughter in bed like the perfect stepmother that you are, and you relax with me. You fall asleep in my arms each and every night. Every night Maggie, in our bed. OUR bed. I don't understand how you can watch these episodes of House Hunters seeing these couples. Some of them are newly married. Some are engaged. Some are pregnant. They are all looking for their dream home and you don't want that for us?"

Maggie asked, "Who said that I didn't want that for us, Jackson?"

Jackson said, "Your actions say that because you could have it. I'm ready to give it to you, but you still insist on acting as if we're not together. Are you seeing someone else? Are you thinking about seeing someone else?"

Maggie chuckled shaking her head as she came further into the kitchen to get her cup for the tea. She said, "Jackson, don't be silly. Of course, I'm not seeing anyone else, or even thinking about anyone else. I'm here every night."

Jackson said, "Which is my point exactly. You're literally here every single night, but you won't commit. Hell, you are committed you just won't say you are."

Maggie asked Jackson, "If you know that I'm committed, then why does it bother you so much that I won't say I'm committed?"

"Because as long as you won't say that you're committed I can't proceed with my plans for us, babe. I don't want to be single. I want you to give birth to our baby under positive circumstances. I have never in my life experienced a non-tumultuous pregnancy. There has always been drama. I don't want that for you, and I don't want that for our baby." Jackson explained.

Maggie said, "Jackson, our baby will be fine. We're in a good place. Everything for our future looks promising. Both of our children will be happy and loved. Everything else will fall into place when it does, naturally. Don't try to force it."

Jackson asked, "Don't try to force it? How about not wasting time, babe?"

Maggie picked up her teacup saying, "I'm going to bed."

Jackson watched as she went the stairs and yelled after her, "Going up to our bed! Where we both sleep every night."

Jackson sighed. He loved Maggie, but she was infuriating. However, life with Maggie was one hundred times better than life without her. He made sure the kitchen was clean and that the penthouse was locked up. He turned off the television and made his way upstairs.

I walked into their bedroom to find Maggie buried deep under the covers sleeping on her stomach. He stood watching her for a while. The bigger she got the more she was going to miss her favorite sleeping position. She was fine at the moment because at only about a quarter way through her pregnancy she wasn't showing yet. The only difference he could determine as far as her body was concerned was that her breasts were fuller.

Jackson went into the bathroom and went through his nightly routine before crawling into bed next to Maggie. As naturally as breathing Maggie turned to place her head on his chest. He pulled her further into his arms taking a deep breath. His hands started to roam her body noticing that she was dressed in a t-shirt (likely one of his) and panties only.

Reaching a hand underneath the hem of her shirt he took one of her breasts into his hand.

Maggie rolled onto her back smiling up at him. She said, "You are not slick Jackson Avery."

Jackson looked at Maggie, "What?"

She straddled his lap saying, "You're not about to screw me into submission."

Jackson said, "I just want what's best for our family."

Neither said anything as Jackson looked Maggie in the eye in that way that only he could. In that way that totally mesmerized her. She leaned forward. She placed a kiss on his lips before asking, "What do you want, Jackson?"

He licked his lips not breaking eye contact with her. He said, "I want my heart back. You're my heart. I want to start planning for our baby. We'll be parents to two kids. I want to house hunt with you. I want to plan a future for the four of us."

Maggie broke eye contact looking up at the ceiling. She pressed her tongue to the roof of her mouth to try and keep the tears at bay.

In the meantime, Jackson ran his hands up the back of her shirt taking a moment to squeeze her ass. Then he rubbed her back in a soothing motion while she gathered herself. After a few more moments Maggie looked back into his eyes. She said, "Ok, Jackson. But please don't make me regret this decision."

Jackson smiled that smile he knew made her weak in the knees. He asked, "What exactly are you saying yes to babe?"

Maggie buried her face in the side of Jackson's neck. Placing soft kisses along his throat. Jackson lovingly nuzzled her hair while still stroking her back. He said, "Maggie Pierce, I know you're not being shy?"

She murmured into his neck. "I'm saying yes to it all Jackson. Yes, to us being together. Yes, to moving in. Yes, to moving forward."

Jackson tickled Maggie in her ribs causing her to squeal out and lean back. She said, "Jackson, NO!"

She looked at Jackson and he had the largest smile on his face. Maggie tried her hardest to keep a straight face. She asked, "What?"
Jackson said, "I finally got my baby back."

Jackson leaned in and kissed him. Maggie placed her hands on his cheeks and looked him in his eyes. She said, "Jackson, I want you to know that I love you and I never stopped loving you. I know that we will go through things as a couple and I'm committed to whatever we will go through, but are you, Jackson? If not that's alright. We can still raise our child in a happy and healthy environment. I'll always be there for Harriet too, I'm not her mother, but I love her and she's this baby's sister. That means something to me."

Jackson looked Maggie in the eye, "If I thought that you would go for it I'd marry you tomorrow. That's not me being impulsive. That's me loving you and knowing what I want for us. I'm here for it all, the good, the bad and the ugly. I'm sorry that I didn't honor that before, but I know what it's like not to have you and it's not something I want to experience again."

With her hands still on his face, Maggie kissed his lips saying, "Jackson, make love to me."

Jackson pulled the shirt over Maggie's head and threw it to the floor. He latched on to her breast being careful because they had been really sensitive as of late. Jackson suckled a little longer then laid Maggie down on the mattress. He kissed down her torso and then slowly pulled down her panties.

He kissed his way up her soft legs and when he was about to devour her center Maggie ran her hands through his curls pulling him up towards her. She whispered, "Jackson, I want you inside of me. Right now."

Not one to deny Maggie anything Jackson quickly removed his clothes and wrapped Maggie's legs around his waist and entered her.

Maggie cried out his name pulling him in further with her vaginal muscles. Jackson put his face in her neck as he continued stroking into her. She was hot and she was wet, and Jackson felt as if he didn't want to be anywhere else. Maggie pulled Jackson in further and she met him stroke for stroke.

Jackson tried to pull out so that they could change positions, but she wouldn't let him. She kept her eyes on him as their bodies communed as one. She tried to convey all of the love that she had for him and he tried to do the same.

When they were both spent Jackson went and ran them a warm bath and they talked into the wee hours of the morning making plans for their future. Plans for them as a couple, plans for their children and even plans for their career.

When they finally got into bed Maggie said, "I know I haven't been easy to deal with lately, but the fact that you stuck through it all made me see how much you wanted this. It made me see how much you wanted me."

Jackson said, "I'll always want you."