Just 3 More Chapters After This. I Think I'm Ready To Move On To Something New But I Need This To Be Finished First.

Flashback In Italics.

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

It'd been two weeks since she was released from the hospital and beyond the emotional purge they'd had on the first night they were home, Maggie and Jackson hadn't discussed much. The temperature in the Avery-Pierce household had been 20 below freezing and Jackson had no idea how to change it. In fact Maggie had been using Harriet as a buffer since she'd convinced him to bring her home the morning after they'd gotten home. It was the only time he saw Maggie smile. Well then and whenever she spoke to her sisters or nieces and nephews.

Today was a particularly cold day. April had plead not guilty by reason of insanity and she had been released on bail until her trial began. A trial that no one had any desire to participate in. Maggie had called bullshit on the insanity plea, but Jackson thought there might be some merit to it. He'd never say that out loud though, definitely not now with how fragile his and Maggie's relationship was. But really what else was there? The only thing that made sense to him was that April had lost her mind.

She hadn't come out of her temporary room since he'd gotten the call and told her about April's plea. That was about 3 hours ago. For the first hour he could hear her on the phone with her sisters talking about it, but after that she had been quiet as a mouse.

He'd thought they had finally started making progress in their relationship last night but that turned out to be a complete disaster of another kind.

Jackson went into Maggie's room to see if she needed him to help her elevate her foot or arm before bed, but what he was met with took his breath away. She'd clearly just gotten out of the shower because she was glistening wet with her towel wrapped around her as best she could with her broken arm. He stare for a minute before he caught himself and quickly turned his back to her when he thought about the place they were in.

"Sorry. I didn't know. I just came to see of you needed help elevating your foot before bed." He said with his back to her.

She chuckled, "It's nothing you haven't seen before."

"Trust me I know but" he chuckles and sighs "so do you need help? I can come back in a few. Let you finish getting ready."

"Orrr, you can help me now."

He froze and stood at full attention. He knew that voice. He knew what would be waiting for him if he turned around. He almost didn't turn around. He knew they were in the worst place for this but he missed her like hell. And so he did what he knew he shouldn't, he turned around. And there she was, completely naked, towel pooling at her feet.

He took a tentative step forward and paused.

"I know you probably want me to meet you halfway but…" she said as she looked pointedly at her foot.

"Right" he laughed, closing the distance, "sorry."

He couldn't believe how nervous he was. He hadn't even been this nervous when he'd lost his virginity. When he finally stood close enough she grabbed the back of his neck and captured his lips with hers. It was the first time they'd kissed in nearly a month and it was obvious in the kiss. This wasn't slow, gentle or sensual. It was hungry, passionate, damn near primal.

"Are you sure?" he asked and his answer came when she kissed him again.

He gently laid her on the bed, mindful of her injuries and took off his shirt before hovering over her and capturing her lips again. He was kissing his way down her neck when she spoke.

"Let's make a baby."

He stopped in his tracks and looked up at her, "Wh- what?"

"Why'd you stop? I want a baby. Let's make a baby." She breathed as she tried to pull his lips back towards her.

He struggled against her and when she finally stopped pulling at him, he looked at her with tear-filled eyes because he knew what this was about. He knew this was a bad idea from the start but he listened to the wrong head. He stood up and pulled his shirt back over his head.

"Jackson?"

"Here" he said as he handed her her robe. "Put that on. Let's talk for a minute."

She put the robe on but she wasn't happy about it, "There's nothing to talk about. You don't want me? Fine. You can go now."

He looked at her incredulously, "Don't want you? Did any of that feel like I don't want you? Does this look like I don't want you?" he said gesturing to the bulge in his pants. "I just don't think now is the time for this."

She rolls her eyes, "You thought it was 5 minutes ago."

"I didn't, but I miss you so I gave in. But I had to stop when I realized what your real motive was. You can't just create another baby to replace the one we lost Maggie."

"You don't think I know that?" she shouts.

He sits beside her and holds her to his chest as she cries, "Baby, I'm sorry. We're gonna get through this. I promise. I know it hurts now, but it won't feel like this forever."

She looks up at him and he nearly breaks down at the look in her eyes. He's sure he's never seen anyone so broken and full of despair before.

"They say it's a broken heart, but I hurt in my whole body." She says

He nods with unshed tears in his eyes, "I know."

They sit like that for a while before Maggie pulls back, wipes her tears, and he watches as her walls go back up and she shuts down on him in seconds.

"If you won't give me what I want, there's no need for you to be here. You can go."

She lays in bed with her back to him, effectively dismissing him as if her words weren't enough. He walks to the door and stands there for a second before saying one last thing before he leaves her alone.

"I know you can't see it now through all the pain, but this is the right choice Maggie."

He knows he made the right call last night but that doesn't mean he doesn't feel guilty. Hell it doesn't mean he didn't want to. A part of him was thinking like she was. Maybe if she got pregnant again now, they could be so happy about that that they could skip the rest of the pain associated with this. Maybe rediscover the better times. But that wasn't how it worked. He'd do anything to make her feel better if he thought it would truly make her feel better.

He was on the couch barely watching the game while Harriet sat on the floor by his feet coloring when he heard her door open. He looked back to see her fully dressed on her leg scooter thing and an overnight bag hanging off the handle.

He jumped up, "Wh-where are you going?" he asked panicked.

"This isn't working." She sighed.

"What—umm, Harriet can you go play upstairs for a bit please?"

"Okay."

They watched as she disappeared up the stairs and then Jackson walked over to stand in front of Maggie.

"What isn't working?"

"This. Us. There's nothing left."

"Nothing left? Do you not love me anymore?"

She rolled her eyes, "Of course I do but—"

"Then there's no but. If we have love we have everything left."

"Takes more than love to make things work and I'm not feeling the more anymore. Look I'm not saying it's forever. I just think maybe we need to be apart to heal ourselves and then maybe we come back and try to work on being a couple."

"I don't believe that. Not for one second. Maybe we'd be in a better space if we were actually speaking to one another."

"You wanna talk? Let's talk. April's insanity plea." She tilts her head.

"What about it?"

"What about it? You think I spent all this time loving you and I can't read you like a freaking book Jackson? I know you're happy and supportive of that plea but guess what? I want her head on a fucking platter Jackson. I want blood. All the blood that I lost while my baby drained out of the safety of my womb and died? I want every ounce of it back. Figuratively or otherwise."

He sighs and runs a frustrated hand through his hair, "Maggie, I think she deserves to pay for what she did but I also do believe there's something off with her mentally. She's never been this person. I think she's truly sick."

"Well there's a reason a such thing as a scorned woman exists Avery. SHE TOOK EVERYTHING FROM US. There's no baby and look at us. We don't say anything more than pleasantries to one another. If we do it's to fight. She destroyed us. And she walks away with a slap on the wrist? Over my dead body Jackson."

"And what? You're just gonna give her the satisfaction? We need each other."

"I need my sisters."

He sighs an runs a hand through his hair, "For how long?"

"What do you mean?"

"How long do you plan to be gone?"

"This is it for us Jackson. We've reached the end of the road."

"And there's nothing I can do or say to change your mind? It doesn't matter that I love you more than my next breath?"

"No Jackson. It doesn't because you don't."

He sighs exhausted, "I know there's nothing I can say to change your mind right now. I can take you, just give me a minute."

"It's fine I can uber."

"Maggie, it's really-"

"JACKSON. I said I'm fine. I'll uber there."

He sighs "okay fine. I just wanna take care of you."

"I don't need to be taken care of right now. One of your psycho stalkers just had brain surgery, and the other is out on bail with a restraining order in place. So I should be perfectly fine. Unless there's another one out there I should know about. Vic maybe?" she says with a raised brow.

"Maggie…"

"Bye Jackson." She says and then slams the door.

If this all wasn't so tragically heartbreaking and frustrating he would've laughed at how ridiculous she looked angrily scooting out the door.

But it was heartbreaking and frustrating, so much so that he throws a vase across the room before he can stop himself. He starts to throw something else when he remembers Harriet's upstairs. He has to get her out of here. The last thing he wants is for her to see him this wound up.

He'd just dropped Harriet at his mom's and he was sitting in his car outside of her house. He hadn't gone in when he handed Harriet over because he knew his mom would just badger him with questions and opinions he didn't need right now. All he could think about was his argument with Maggie an hour ago. The last thing he wanted was to give her space but at this point he felt like we had no choice. He'd let Maggie have a few days with her sisters, but she was out of her mind if she thought he was giving up on her or them. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes to center himself when he realized something that made him panic. He immediately calls his doorman.

"Blake, I need a huge favor. Check the live feed and tell me if Maggie's car is still in its spot please."

"No problem Sir. One second."

Jackson sat with baited breath listening to Blake tap the keys on the computer.

"No sir. Her car isn't in its spot."

"Shit." He says as he bangs his hand on the steering wheel. "thanks Blake."

He hangs up and immediately calls Amelia despite his shaking hands.

It rings 3 times and then "Hey Jackson."

"Amelia! Did Maggie make it there okay?"

"Maggie? Maggie isn't here. As far as I know she isn't coming over either."

"What? I- umm, is Mer there? Can you ask Mer if she's spoken to her?"

He's nervously tapping the steering while he waits. Where the hell is she?

"Jackson? I haven't spoken to Maggie since this morning." It's Meredith who comes to the phone, "What happened? She isn't at home?"

"Did she say anything to you? Anything weird or off? We had an argument. She broke up with me and said she was ubering to you guys."

"Broke up with you?"

"I'm not worried about that. She needs time. We'll be fine. She drove her car Meredith! Where the hell is she?"

"Amelia's using my phone to call her. Calm down and think Jackson."

He takes a deep breath and does as she says. He's thinking and then a light bulb goes off.

He peels out of his mom's driveway, "Shit! I know where she is. I'm on my way there. Just keep trying her and don't stop Mer!" and he hangs up before she can ask any more questions.

"Come on Maggie. Don't do anything stupid."

Her arm and ankle are killing her. She opted against taking her pain meds today because she was tired of feeling groggy all the time. Although then she hadn't been planning on going out and driving her car against everyone's advice, including her own. Her ankle and arm were killing her, and she knew she was aggravating her injuries by pushing against the casts but she had no other options.

She's been sitting in her car for nearly an hour in the same exact spot. She'd left the penthouse feeling bad for lying to Jackson. no matter what he'd done, he'd never flat out lied to her face. That just wasn't what they did. After everything that happened and everything they'd lost, she felt horrible for taking one more thing but she had no choice.

She isn't sure how much time goes by, or how many cars pass her by but she's sure she's been there way too long. She takes a deep breath and opens her door to get out when suddenly her passenger side door is opened and someone is sliding in.

She jumps and tries to get out of the car when she's pulled back in.

"LET GO! LET ME GO!"

"I can't do that." The mystery person whispers in her ear, only it's no longer a mystery person and she relaxes. She knows that voice anywhere. Knows that scent with her eyes closed.

She shuts her door and turns to face him, "WHAT THE HELL JACKSON?"

"What the hell Jackson? How about what the hell Maggie? There are so many things wrong with this scenario I don't even know where to start."

She rolls her eyes, "You can start by going home and minding your business."

"So what's the plan?" he questions as he looks her over, "Maggie… what are you doing here?"

"What do you think I'm doing here?" she says staring straight ahead.

"Maggie…"

She shrugs, "I can't let her get away with what she did."

"And she won't. Maggie, you're better than this. Revenge isn't you. What is going on?"

"What's going on is my arm is broken and my ankle is sprained so I can't work. My baby is dead. My relationship is shattered. And all of that is because of one person and she's behind that door."

"So you go in there and then what?"

"Make sure she feels half of what I do. Figured the how would come to me when I got in there."

Jackson sighs, "So you're gonna throw your life away?"

Maggie shrugs.

"None of those things are things you can't heal from. But this? Physically hurting someone Maggie? Those hands were made to save lives, not end them."

"Well maybe not. I mean, April is a doctor and her hands took a life and ruined another. Why can't I do the same?"

"Cause that isn't who you are."

They're silent for a minute before Maggie starts to cry, "I'm scared."

He gently strokes her cheek, "Of what baby?"

"Myself."

"Oh, baby." He says with sympathetic eyes.

"And that's why she can't get away with this Jackson. She ruined me. I have no idea who I am. I can't tell up from down. Right from wrong. Love from hate."

"I understand Maggie. I do. But there's something you need to understand too."

"What's that?"

"She didn't ruin you. No one can. I remember back when we broke up and you were so angry I barely recognized you. I remember speaking to my mom and I said something along the lines of I broke you, and you know what mom said?"

She sniffles, "What?"

"Well after she laughed at me, she said I didn't break you. She said a woman like Maggie doesn't break. She may bend, but she never breaks."

"Spoke too soon I guess."

"I don't think so. There's a reason you've been sitting here for however long you've been here. If you really wanted to do this you would've done it before I even got here. You hesitated because this isn't you and you know that."

"Maybe."

"Maggie, you're bent. Probably worse than you've ever been, but I promise you're not broken."

"I already lost my baby. I don't wanna lose you and Harriet too but I can't let go of all this anger. I don't know what to do with it."

"Be angry Maggie. If you have to yell at me, throw things, it's all fine. Just come home. I don't expect you to smile or laugh all the time. But I do want you to try. I want you to talk to me about whatever it is you're feeling no matter how you think it'll make me feel."

She sends him a tentative smile, "Okay. I guess I can try. But I umm, I still wanna go see my sisters."

"That's fine. Can I take you tomorrow? I really wanna spend tonight at home with you."

"I really need to see my sisters now." She says.

"Okay, I'll take you. I'll come back for my car later."

"Jackson, I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize. You need your family right now. I get it."

"You're my family too you know."

He gets out and walks around to open the passenger door. When Maggie steps out he pulls her into his arms and says, "I know."

When she got to her sisters' house she was being drilled before she even got in the door. Where was she, how was she, why would she disappear like that, who said it was okay to drive herself. The questions seemed never ending. She answered all their questions and filled them in on things. She told them about the previous night when Jackson refused to have sex with her, she told them how she went over to April's with the intent to kill, and she told them about the discussion she had in the car with Jackson. The only thing she didn't mention was April's plea because they'd already spoken about it earlier that morning. It seemed discussing everything with her sisters helped her let out all the anger and then all that was left was the sadness.

"I think it was hard to push pass the anger while being around Jackson because a part of you still blames him." Amelia says.

"Most likely. I think I'm done with the anger now. I hope so. It's exhausting as hell being this mad. What will be, will be. Right?"

"Right."

They're sitting there sipping wine and moping when Meredith hops up and starts the music.

"Come on. Get up." She says as she starts to jump around to the music, "We're gonna dance it out."

Amelia pulls Maggie up out her seat and they both join in. She can barely remember the last time she laughed like this or felt this good. For the first time since she woke up in that hospital room, here dancing around the room with her sisters, she felt like she would truly be okay.

When Jackson dropped Maggie off with her sisters he went home and parked her car before ubering over to get his. When he'd gotten home he kind of wished that he hadn't taken Harriet to his mom's. He couldn't remember the last time he spent a night alone here. He ordered a pizza and laid on the couch watching a game until he finally fell asleep.

He wakes up a few hours later disoriented. He knows something woke him up but he can't seem to figure out what. That's when he feels it again. Someone is stroking his cheek. Not someone, but Maggie. He'd know that touch anywhere.

"Maggie?" he mumbles while he blinks the sleep away.

"Hi." She whispers.

"How'd you get here? Did you drive again?" he asks as he sits up straight.

She chuckles and sits beside him, "No. Amelia drove me. I wanted to come home."

"I'm glad you're here." He says and then places a kiss on her forehead.

"As much as you seem to like it, I'm not sleeping on this couch with you. I'm going to bed."

He laughs, "Okay, well let me know if you need anything."

"Actually now that you mention it…"

"What's up?"

She outstretches her hand for him to take.

"Maggie…"

"I promise I won't try to seduce you. You asked me to try, so I'm trying."

He grabs her hand and they head to bed. For the first time in nearly a month Maggie goes to bed wrapped in Jackson's arms and she knows it's the only place she'll ever feel safe. This is where she belonged. This was the only way she was going to heal.

It'd been a few days since the dramatic day that lead to Maggie letting Jackson out of the proverbial doghouse. Things were great. Well as great as they could be with Maggie hopping around on one foot, with one good arm, insisting she didn't need help with anything. Things had been going well and Jackson wanted to try to capitalize on that, so he came up with what he thought was a brilliant idea, guaranteed to make Maggie smile. They were sitting together out on the patio, enjoying the good weather while they still could.

"Hey, I was thinking."

"Uh oh."

He chuckles, "How about we go see how the renovations on the house are coming along?" Jackson asks smiling at her.

"Uhh.."

"Okay, not the reaction I expected. What's wrong?"

She sighs and shakes her head, "Jackson, I know it's different for you because you didn't know about the baby so you didn't get a chance to link the baby with the house but… for me, from the first moment I saw the house I was picturing that baby in that house. I was imagining turning the room next door to ours into a nursery. Knocking a piece of the wall down to put a door that would connect our room to the nursery. I just don't know if I can do it Jackson. If I can live there without our baby. If I can live there knowing that he or she never will. I'm not saying no. I'm just saying it's too soon for me to even consider."

"Oh. Wow, I—"

"I'm sorry Jackson."

"No, no. It's okay really. I guess I just didn't realize…"

She gets up and sits on his lap, "I know you didn't. Really, it's okay."

They sit like that, her head on his chest, his arms wrapped around her, for a few minutes before Jackson breaks the silence.

"You don't have to say anything if you're not ready but I was wondering…. Uhh, when'd you know?"

She looks up at him, "Know what? About the baby?"

"Yeah." He whispers as he plays with her hair.

"Oh, umm…"

"You don't—"

"No it's fine. Really. I wanna tell you. I just—I hadn't realized that I didn't tell you. All this crap happened."

"Yeah. All the good got buried in there."

"Yeah I guess so. SO!" she adjusts herself so that she's facing him but she's still on his lap, "It's actually a pretty good story. I suspected the night before you came home from L.A. and it was confirmed the following day. Well I should really say Carina suspected. She's apparently some kind of a human pregnancy test slash psychic ."

He laughs, "Carina?"

"Yeah, I went to her for a consult, and before I spoke she said she was wondering when I was gonna come see her. When she realized I was clueless we switched over to talking about the case. After surgery though, I was curious so I asked what she meant and she was all evasive then finally said I was pregnant. I, of course denied it. Said it was impossible."

He smirks, "Impossible may have been pushing it."

"Oh, whatever!" she laughs, "So when she convinces me, I drag her to do a blood test under Jane Doe since I didn't want anyone to know and she called the following afternoon to confirm the positive results."

"How'd you feel?"

"Crazy thing is when it was just speculation I was so excited. I started thinking of cute ways to tell you and everything, but when she called with confirmation I completely freaked out for like 5 minutes. You actually walked in at the end of it."

"I think I remember that. You were in the bathroom talking to yourself after having slept the entire morning away." He chuckles.

"Yeah" her smile fades when she looks at him.

"What?"

"I should've told you then. I wish I'd told you then."

"Hey, it's okay. I love that you wanted to make it special. Had I not found it where I found it, when I found it…. The rattle would've been perfect. I love it."

She smiles, "I thought so too. I was so excited about it I knew I'd crack, which is why I spent that day avoiding everyone, especially you."

"So when you were sick that morning…."

She nods, "Morning sickness. It was the first time actually. Kid couldn't wait 1 more day or even 10 more minutes for you to be gone." She shakes her head.

He laughs, "Sounds like your stubborn streak."

"No way. Those were definitely your showoff genes in play."

He places a kiss on her forehead, "Thank you."

She raises her brow, "For what?"

"For telling me, and for wanting to make it special for me. I know you were probably dying to tell your sisters."

"You have no idea. I had every intention of leaving right after our dinner to do just that."

"I don't doubt it."

He stared at her and he couldn't stop smiling. She was getting back to herself whether she knew it or not. She was smiling more. She was telling jokes, albeit corny ones. And now, she was talking about the pregnancy and the baby without any of the anger, and just an undercurrent of sadness, which he was sure would always be there but that was expected. She was moving forward, and for that he was grateful. He was lost in his thoughts when Maggie snapped him out of it.

"Hey!" she said excited, "why don't we go away?"

"Go away?"

"Yeah, like a vacation. When are we gonna get this much time off ever again?"

He smirks, "Probably never."

"Exactly. So let's make good use of it. I know I'm all banged up but…." She shrugs, "I don't know. It was just an idea."

"And the best one I've heard in a long time. Where to?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe we can let Harriet pick."

"Harriet's coming?"

"What? Of course she's coming."

"My bad. I thought it would just be the 2 of us."

"Not this time. This time Harriet comes. Family vacation."

He sighs dramatically, "Fine, she can come… So will I ever get you away from here and all to myself?"

"Ehh, maybe our honeymoon." She says absently while playing with his hair.

He's cheesing so hard she's afraid his mouth will get stuck like that.

"What's with the smile?" she laughs.

He kisses her gently on the lips and smiles, "You still plan on marrying me."

She blushes, "Ehh, whatever."

He leans forward and captures her lips in another kiss and she leans into it. She angles her head in an effort to deepen the kiss as his arms tighten around her. They lose track of time while they sit out on the patio making out like a couple of teenagers. They were pouring all the passion, hunger, pain, desperation, and most importantly love, they'd felt over the past few weeks into those kisses and it was the first time in a long while that they felt like themselves…. together.

I know Maggie's been on a crazy emotional rollercoaster but I didn't wanna rush through it. I promise she's gotten off the rollercoaster though. She'll be okay, as will #Jaggie.