HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

Thank you for continuing to read and review. I'm thinking Chapter 25 will be my cutoff for this one.

I am thinking of doing another though.

Post 15x07

or

Post 15x25 (Although that might be too close to this one at the moment)

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GREY'S ANATOMY, STATION 19 OR ANY OF THEIR CHARACTERS.

He'd always loved Maggie and Harriet's relationship, but until this moment he hadn't realized how deep it actually ran. He sat back and watched as his daughter went from pissed off to heartbroken to laughing comfortably in Maggie's arms, and he hadn't had to interfere once. Maggie knew exactly what she needed. Meredith was right. It didn't matter what happened with April. Sure Harriet would miss her mom if it came to that, but she would always have an amazing mother figure in Maggie. He's silently watching when the curtain is yanked back.

He heard her before he saw her.

"Where's my baby?" she shouted.

"Mommy! Hi! When did you come back?" Harriet smiles over at April but she never let's go of her hold on Maggie.

He can tell by the look in her eyes, April didn't even hear Harriet. She was too focused on the way Harriet was cuddled up to Maggie. If looks could kill, Maggie would be dead.

"Get the hell away from my daughter." April says through clenched teeth, "Get away from my family."

He jumps out his seat and places himself between April and the bed, "Woah. April, what are you even doing here?" he asks exasperated.

She pays no mind to him though. She looks around his shoulder and says, "Get away from her. I won't have you hurt her as payback for me pushing you down the stairs."

Harriet gasps and Jackson squeezes his eyes shut wishing he was anywhere but here right now. "What? Mommy you're the one who hurt Maggie?"

Jackson grips April by the shoulders and walks her backwards, "Alright, April get the hell outta here!"

They're over by the nurses desk when she finally stops fighting against him, "You can't keep me away from my daughter Jackson. She's mine!"

"April, do you hear yourself? She's not a piece of property. What is wrong with you?"

"If you wanna pretend there's nothing between us, that's fine. I'll be here when you're done pretending to love Maggie. But my daughter, Maggie doesn't get my daughter."

He rolls his eyes "Whatever April. Not only have you made a fool of yourself, you probably traumatized your daughter that you insist is in so much danger with Maggie."

"You don't know what you're talking about. I've never hurt Harriet."

"She just found out that her mother is the reason her sibling is gone. That you're the reason Maggie, who she adores, is hurting. You think that isn't going to hurt her?" he shakes his head at her. "I'm not doing this with you. I'm gonna go check on my family and if you come anywhere near any of them I'll have security drag you out."

When April pulled the curtain back Maggie wanted nothing more than to get up and beat her ass but the little girl in her arms reminded her that this wasn't the time or place. Someone should've told the red headed psycho that though. Now she would be stuck answering questions she never wanted to. They were both silent for minute. She didn't know how to start so she'd just let Harriet take the lead.

Harriet looked up at her with unshed tears in her eyes, "Maggie, is it true? That my mommy hurt your baby?"

Maggie nods and wipes the tears that fall, "I wish it wasn't Hattie."

"Me too. I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize. You did nothing wrong. You're not responsible for anyone's actions but your own princess."

"Okay. So is mom going to jail now?"

Maggie looks at her with a slight smile, "I don't think so."

She doesn't know how long he was there but at that moment Jackson makes his presence known. He walks over and sits on the edge of the bed.

He looks at her briefly and then grabs Harriet's hand, "Unfortunately yes. What she did was a crime, and she hurt a lot of people on purpose, so she has to pay for her mistakes. We don't know for how long, that's up to the judge but the police are on their way for her."

Maggie's eyes widen in surprise but she stays silent.

"Do you wanna say goodbye first?" he asks gently.

Harriet wipes her tears, "No! I never wanna see her again."

"She's still your mom Hattie bear. She made a terrible choice but she's still your mom." Maggie says softly.

"No. I don't wanna see her."

Jackson sighs, "Okay but if you ever want to, you let me know okay? You ever wanna talk, I'm here."

"I'm tired." She says as she rubs her eyes.

"Okay. Give me a few minutes and I'll get you home."

Maggie stands up and places a kiss on Harriet's forehead, "Take a nap. I have to go back to my room before my doctors come looking for me. I've been gone a long time."

"Okay."

She's leaving when she feels Jackson grab her arm.

She yanks it away and looks back at him, "Nothing's changed between us."

"I know. I just—2 things. You need your wheelchair, and whatever you're thinking about doing, please don't. She's not worth it Maggie. She will press charges and you'll end up in a cell right next to her. Then what am I gonna tell Harriet?" he knows the last question is a low blow but he was willing to try anything.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She responds as she hops over to the nurses desk to ask them for a crutch.

She was here for her surgery that would take place tomorrow. She was getting restless and so she decided to take a walk around the hospital. At first she tried to find Maggie. Despite what Amelia said she really wanted to apologize to her and Jackson. However, when she went to Maggie's room it was empty. She took that as a sign that maybe Amelia was right and she needed to wait a while longer. But if that was a sign to wait longer, what did it mean that her walk had lead her right into Maggie's path. She pause for a second, contemplating her options. Should she or shouldn't she go over and talk to Maggie. When she took in the scene in front of her, Maggie hopping towards a red headed woman with fire in her eyes, she decided now was as good a time as any. She had no idea who the other woman was, nor did she know why Maggie was looking at her the way she was, but something in her told her that stopping this was the thing to do. She slid gracefully in front of Maggie and smiled tentatively. At first Maggie had been shocked and then she smiled gently back at her.

"Kate."

"Maggie, hi. How are you?"

"Good. Look, umm I'd love to do this but I'm in the middle of something right now." She said as she tried to get around Kate.

Kate blocked her from moving, "I know I have no idea what's going on here but something tells me Amelia would be stopping you but since she's not here, I'm doing it."

"Stopping me from what? Getting to my room?"

Kate smirked, "Maggie. I know that look. Well at least a version of that look. It's the look I saw right before my cheek started stinging. Although it's on steroids right now, it's the same look."

Maggie chuckled, "Sorry about that. Heard about the tumor."

"It's fine I deserved it. I'm sorry too for the way I behaved but mostly for what happened to you. I heard about it through the hospital rumor mill."

"Uh huh." Maggie sighed, "That's her. The red head. Look I need to go over there before the cops get here and I miss my shot so if you'll excuse me."

"Anything in particular you wanna say?" she asks mockingly, because they both knew Maggie had no intention of talking when she got over there.

Maggie rolled her eyes, "Listen, Kate? Move out of my way."

"You just said the police are on their way. If you do this now she'll definitely press charges and it'll probably weaken your case against her."

"Kate, you don't underst—"

"I can do it."

Maggie did a double take, "What?"

"I can go over there and punch the crap outta her for you. I owe you an apology. This can be it." Kate says excitedly.

"Kate, no. I'm not gonna drag you into my mess. Besides I need the satisfaction."

"What if I promise to make her bleed? That should give you some satisfaction."

She could see Maggie contemplating whether or not to let her.

"I'm not gonna have you get arrested."

"Well it's a good thing I'm here to remove a tumor that causes delusions and affects my impulse control." Kate winks.

Maggie laughs and looks at her incredulously, "You're serious."

"As a brain tumor."

Maggie smirks and then she thinks of Harriet and sighs, "Okay fine. But make it good or I'll have to do it myself."

"No problem."

Maggie leaned back against the wall and watched as Kate practically skipped over to April. This was crazy, she knew it was, but she wouldn't stop it. She couldn't do it herself because now that April was going away, no matter what happened with Jackson, she had Harriet to think about. But she could surely enjoy watching Kate do it. She watched as Kate stopped in front of April and she doesn't know what was said but April hopped out of her chair and slapped Kate. She almost went over there until she saw Kate's smirk. It was a part of the plan apparently. If the tumor thing failed her, there'd be a room full of witnesses saying it was self-defense. Smart woman.

As quickly as April had hopped up out of her seat Kate punched her across the face, knocking her on her flat ass. Before April could get all the way up Kate swung again, and as promised, there was blood leaking from April's nose. Then Kate whispered something to April that made her glance over in Maggie's direction. Maggie had no idea what was said but she smirked and waved, and then laughed as Kate kicked April in the stomach and walked away in the direction she came.

The elevator doors had just close with her behind them when the cops came in stating they had a warrant for the arrest of April Kepner. Everyone watched as April kicked and screamed while 2 officers took her away in handcuffs. The third officer walked towards Maggie.

"Hello officer."

"Miss Kepner says you assaulted her."

"All due respect, do I look like I could've done that and come out without at least one scratch? Besides, you have a room full of witnesses. The woman who as you say, assaulted Miss Kepner, is a patient here awaiting brain surgery and Miss Kepner slapped her first. She was merely defending herself."

"So why'd she run?"

"I can't pretend to know what the woman was thinking but I can tell you she didn't run. She simply went back to her room to wait for her surgery. Speaking of rooms, if we're done here, I really need to get back to mine. As you can see, I'm not in the best shape myself."

"Okay. We may have more questions for you in the near future Miss Pierce."

"What's going on here?" Jackson asked.

Maggie jumped at the sound of his voice coming up behind her, "Nothing. Officer Gladwell was just leaving."

"Goodnight Ma'am."

"Goodnight." Maggie smiled.

She watched him walk away for a second and then began to hop towards the elevator.

"Maggie, would you stop? Just wait there, I'll get you a wheelchair."

"I don't need your help."

He sighs in frustration, "Maggie, you're going to hurt yourself more and end up in here longer, so you have 2 options. You get in this wheelchair and let me push you up to your room, or I'm going to carry you there."

Maggie rolls her eyes, "Just get the chair."

When she sits in the chair and Jackson gets ready to start pushing she stops him.

"I'm in the chair. Betty can push me."

"Maggie—"

"Jackson, today changes nothing for me where you're concerned. So please, just leave me alone." She says and he watches as nurse Betty pushes Maggie to the elevators.

"You let my sister who has a brain tumor beat Kepner up for you?" Amelia said as she slammed into Maggie's room with Meredith on her heels.

Maggie smirks and shrugs, "She begged me to let her. As an apology."

"Well is she forgiven?" Meredith asks as Amelia places Maggie's release forms in front of her.

"10 times over. It was the best thing I've ever seen. Sorry you missed it."

"Not more sorry than me. Kate has always been such a priss. I can't imagine her beating someone down, which is what I'm told happened as you leaned against a wall smiling." Amelia laughed.

When the laughter died down Maggie started signing her release forms as she waited to see who would break first.

"So Jackson turned April in." Meredith said.

Maggie chuckles, "My money was on Amelia."

"Ha ha. Seriously, does it change anything?"

"No. He only turned her in because she came in and acted a fool in front of Harriet. It wasn't for me so it doesn't matter to me." she shrugs.

"Umm, look I'm not trying to sway you. It's your life. But he'd decided to turn her in before Harriet was ever hurt."

Maggie rolled her eyes, "Oh, is that what he's saying?"

"No actually, we were together when he got the call about Harriet. Before that though, we were talking and he told me he decided to turn her in. It had nothing to do with Harriet Mags, he did it for you. Because he knew that he stood zero chance of fixing things if he didn't an that was inconceivable to him."

"Well, it doesn't matter." Maggie said hoping she didn't sound as unsure as she felt.

"So where you headed now that you're a free woman?" Amelia asks changing the subject for Maggie.

"Well word is Jackson and Harriet have been staying with Catherine and Richard so I'm gonna go to the penthouse for a couple days and then maybe I'll come back to the house or find a place to rent."

"So that's it? It's over?" Amelia asks.

"That's it."

Amelia rolls her eyes, "Bullshit. Maggie it's a messed up situation all around and sure we blamed Jackson but we were all being stubborn assholes. None more than you. I get that you wanted him to turn April in immediately and because he didn't you feel like he was choosing her side but even I can see that that wasn't the case. I mean we all heard the freaking tape. You're one of the most important things to him, everybody including you knows that. The only person, place or thing that trumps you is Harriet, and that's who he was trying to protect. Not April freaking Kepner. He didn't want his innocent little girl to watch her mother go to jail for hurting you, who she adores."

Maggie stares at her for second while she absorbs everything, "Mind your business."

Meredith nods, "Well you're always welcome."

"You need help though Mags."

"That's for people who aren't doctors. I can handle a couple days alone. I actually need a couple of days alone honestly. I feel like I've been suffocating the past week and a half."

"Okay, but we can take you home as soon as we're done. Don't leave."

"Ughh, okay." She sighed as she hopped back on the bed and they left the room.

She'd been sitting in the bed fully dressed for nearly an hour waiting on Amelia and Meredith. She was getting restless and she was about to leave on her own. She was grown. She could get home on her own. She was also thinking about Amelia's little monologue. As annoying as she was, Maggie knew she was right. It was never her versus April for him the way it had been her versus Kate. It was the Harriet factor that made the decision one he had to think through.

She's drafting a text to the sister group chat when she hears a light knock on her door. She looks up to see Jackson peeking his head in.

"Hey, can I come in?" he whispers cautiously.

She nods slightly and pushes her hair behind her ear as she sits up straighter. Jackson steps in completely and closes the door behind him but he remains standing by the door.

She rolls her eyes and smirks at how nervous he is, "You can sit over here. I won't throw anything at you."

"Okay, thanks." He says as he chuckles nervously and sits at her bedside. "The purple cast works for you."

She rolls her eyes, "yeah well, I couldn't very well let her get white for her first cast. And we both know us having different colored casts would simply be unacceptable to her."

He laughs, "Very true. If I didn't love the bond you two have so much, I'd be jealous."

"How is she?"

"Confused. She doesn't quite understand why her mom would hurt her Maggie bear because I can't explain what I don't understand either, but we'll work through it. She's staying with my mom tonight."

She nods silently and smiles.

"So I uhh, I heard you're being released today."

"Yeah, I'm over this place. I can't wait to leave." She pauses and they both speak at once

"Look, about that.."

"Listen, about that.."

They both chuckle, "You go." She says as she points at him.

He takes a deep breath "Look, I want you to come home. To our home. Obviously, if you're not ready for me to be there I'll stay away. I can keep staying at my mom's until you're ready. One of your sisters can stay with you or we can hire-"

"Jackson" she grabs his hand and he breathes a sigh of relief. No matter what decision she made he was just relieved to finally feel her touch again.

She smiles softly at him, "I thought rambling was my thing? I wanna go home Jackson, I really do. With you if I'm being honest, but I just don't know. I don't know if I'm ready. I mean I was when we all thought it was Kate who pushed me but ever since you told me it was April and that you didn't plan to turn her in…. I just, I can't reconcile you protecting her at the cost of defending me and the child we lost."

"I'm sorry Maggie. I'll never be able to express just how much and I don't wanna make excuses. I just didn't know what to do. I didn't want Harriet to have to lose her mother and see her go to jail. I realized over the past few days that I was protecting April because I was thinking like a father and remembering how good of a mother April is or was. But April stopped thinking like a mother the second she decided hurting you was acceptable, and so I should've stopped seeing her as a mother once I found that out. Even today, the way she acted in front her Harriet? It was unacceptable and I just… it's baffling. I wonder when it all changed for her and if I could've done anything to help before she took something from us that no one can give back. I know that God does everything for a reason but this?" he sighed.

Maggie squinted her eyes, "God didn't take my baby. Your ex-wife did. So you can keep that God shit to yourself."

"Right. Sorry, I just… I love you and I wanna take you home. That's really all it boils down to."

They sit in silence for a few minutes before she takes a deep breath, "You're not the only one who should be apologizing."

"Mag-"

She holds a hand up to stop him, "Listen, I'm sorry for all that crap I said. I didn't mean it and it was unfair. I'm also sorry for how stubborn I've been."

"It's okay." He pushes her hair behind her ear, "you weren't exactly wrong."

"I was 100% wrong." She grabs his face between her hands "This wasn't your fault. You're not responsible for other people's actions. Everyone makes their own choices. I was upset and I needed somewhere to focus my anger, and instead of directing it at the person who deserved it, I directed it towards the person I love most. Because I do Jackson, love you I mean."

"I love you too Maggie. More than anything."

"We're gonna be okay. It's gonna be hard, but we're gonna be okay."

They were finally home from the hospital. It was the first time Jackson had been there for more than 10 minutes since the morning that changed everything. He'd only been by to grab clothes for he and Maggie. He was just grateful to be able to be here with Maggie. He would've never been able to stay here without her. It was funny actually. He'd lived here alone for a while. It was his place. If anyone should feel comfortable here alone it should be him, but ever since Maggie moved in, he knew he could never live here or anywhere else for that matter, without her.

He'd set up the downstairs guestroom for Maggie when they got home because she had to avoid stairs for the foreseeable future. He wasn't sure if he was welcome in there with her, or if he was supposed to sleep elsewhere but he was okay with either. At least she let him take her home, and said she was willing to try and work things out. He wasn't sure, but he figured that didn't mean lying in bed together just yet. He'd have to ask. What he did know was that he wouldn't be sleeping in their bed until she was sleeping there next him.

He was sitting on the couch with his head laid back and eyes closed. Maggie had fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow which was understandable. She had to be exhausted not just from all the physical trauma, but the emotional drain as well. He quickly realized that this was the first time since the accident all those days ago that he had a moment by himself, and he wasn't sure how to feel about it. As long as he was actively worrying about and taking care of Maggie from a distance he didn't have time to really feel the loss. He hadn't broken down since he told Maggie she was pushed by Kate and she kicked him out. But now sitting here, by himself, Maggie finally home, April behind bars, all he could do was feel it all.

He couldn't understand how this happened again. It's like he was destined to lose his children. First Samuel, and now this baby was gone before he even knew it existed. To make matters worse, this time, this baby, it was all his fault. He wanted to grieve with Maggie but he knew he had no right. He'd be there for her. Stay strong for her. But this happened because a woman thought she was meant to be with him and wanted Maggie out of the way. He didn't realize that he was on the floor crying hysterically until he felt Maggie's arm wrap around him and she started rocking him back and forth "Shh. Shh. I got you Jackson. I'm here. Shh."

The more she whispered words of comfort into his ear, the harder he cried. The dam had finally broken. As soon as he started he couldn't stop no matter how hard he tried. At some point his tears of pain turned into tears of shame. He didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve for her to comfort him. He was supposed to be taking care of her, not the other way around. The only thing he could think was that this was all his fault. He hadn't realized he'd said it out loud until Maggie pulled back and grabbed his face.

"Hey! Look at me. LOOK AT ME JACKSON!" when his eyes finally met hers she continued, "This is NOT your fault. I don't ever wanna hear you say that again. I don't ever wanna hear you apologize for this again. This is not on you Jackson. None of this is on you. I don't blame you Jackson." she rests her forehead against his and whispers again, "I don't blame you."

Jackson is hysterical all over again and Maggie just pulls him closer and holds him tighter as they sit on their living room floor crying and grieving the loss of their child….. together.

They still had work to do but he knew with them both fighting, there was no way they could lose.

Review. Let me know what you all think.

Anything in particular you wanna see?

Also, Post 15x07 or 15x25? What do you think?