Chapter 12:

Jesse was exhausted. The work was really piling on at the station, whatever he usually did was doubled in the absence of Lucky, who had still not shown up. On top of that he had to make daily trips to General Hospital to make sure Manny wasn't violating parole. He stumbled up the stairs of Kelly's thinking that he would just take a nap for a few hours. As he walked towards the door he noticed that his door was wide open, he ran into his room and saw that Maxie's clothes had been thrown everywhere. He looked around and didn't see her anywhere.

"MAXIE!" Jesse screamed, he ran out into the hall, looking in every direction "MAXIE!"

"Jesse, what's wrong, why are you screaming?" Jesse turned around and saw Maxie standing barefoot wrapped in a towel with her hair wet. "Jesse, what happened?"

"Are you…have you been in the shower the whole time?" he asked.

"Yeah… where else would I have been?" Maxie replied

"Well I don't know I just saw the door wide open and when I walked into the room your clothes were every where and I thought something had happened" said Jesse.

Maxie looked around and blushed "Oh, well, about that, I was looking for a shirt and I couldn't find it, but I found it, and well it got a little out of hand, and I don't have a key so I've been leaving the door unlocked, and it must have just swung open".

"Oh, alright, as long as you're okay, and I'll look into getting a key for you, it's not a good idea to just leave the door open, especially with Manny Ruiz just down the hall".

"Yeah, he is creepy, he was trying to talk to me this morning, and I ran downstairs to get away" she said.

"Wait, he tried to talk to you this morning? What did he say?" questioned Jesse as his eyes deepened with seriousness.

"What, well I don't know, I think he asked me if I was feeling better- I didn't stand around and chat with him if that's what you're thinking" Maxie said a little taken back by the sternness in Jesse's voice.

Jesse realized that it wasn't Maxie's fault and he was sorry that he had gotten upset with her. "Look, I'm sorry Maxie, you're a smart girl, and I trust you it's just that I worry about Manny being so close to you, if I weren't around something terrible might happen, so you need to promise me that you'll keep your distance".

"Alright, alright, but Jesse I'm not stupid and I would appreciate it if you'd give me a little more credit!"

"Maxie, it's been a long day, I'm tired and I really am not in the mood to get into another fight about your overwhelming need to play the heroine of every situation" Jesse screamed. Everything inside was building up, all of his feelings about Maxie's memory plus being overworked was starting to explode.

"What the hell are you talking about, another fight? We haven't had a fight ever; in fact this would be the first one that I know of!" Maxie screamed back.

"No Maxie, that's where you're wrong, we have had fights, probably 50 at this point about you putting yourself in danger for no other reason then you're stubborn, and I'm sick of them. Our whole relationship has been one big fight after the other with make- ups in between. And if we're not fighting and making up we're probably not seeing all that much of each other, but you don't remember that. But I DO! I remember every minute of it, and it's killing me that you don't remember any of it. Because as much as it drove me crazy fighting with you, it drives me insane that I can't grab you right here and show you how much I LOVE YOU" Jesse shouted until his face turned red and he couldn't breathe.

The minute he stopped he realized what he had just done- he had told Maxie exactly what she wasn't supposed to know. Jesse looked at Maxie who had tears streaming down her face.

"You…. You love me? I … Jesse…." Maxie ran into the bathroom and slammed the door. Seconds later she reappeared dressed. She didn't say a word to Jesse as she blew past him out of the room and down the stairs.

Later that night Maxie was sitting at the docks gazing into the water as she thought about what had happened earlier. The minute Jesse had said he loved her; every moment that she had spent with him had come flooding back into her mind. She remembered how he had been there when she woke up from heart surgery, how their first kiss was in a cabin when they were on the run, she remembered when Jesse was shot, and she remembered that the last thing they had done was fight. As each memory flashed in her head she cried harder and harder, until she felt someone's hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Georgie.

"Maxie what happened, why are you out here alone?" asked Georgie. Maxie looked at her sister and then jumped into her arms as she began to cry "I remember, I remember everything".

"You remember" shouted Georgie "Me, Mac, Dillon, the virus, your heart, Texas, this summer…. Jesse…?"

Maxie just nodded her head and looked at Georgie with tears in her eyes.

"Maxie, this is fantastic news, why are you so upset?"

"It's my fault Georgie, we had a fight" whispered Jesse who had shown up, knowing that Maxie would be here. Georgie just looked from Jesse to Maxie and Maxie to Jesse. "Oh, okay, well do you want me to go, Maxie?" Georgie asked.

"Actually do you think that you could go tell Mac and have him get my stuff from Kelly's, I'll be home a little later" said Maxie.

"Of course, he's going to be so happy, I'll see you later". Georgie turned around and left Jesse and Maxie just staring at one another.

They stood there just looking at one another for what seemed like hours until finally Jesse moved towards Maxie. He took a deep breath and said "I love you Maxie, I'm not sorry I said it, I'm sorry the way I said it, but I'm not sorry I said it. I know we fight a lot, and sometimes it gets frustrating, but I never ever would trade you and the fights I have with you for anything or anyone- and I just need to you to know that, should anything else happen to either one of us".

Maxie looked up at Jesse and his blue eyes, "I love you too Jesse and I'm sorry I never said it sooner, because there hasn't been a moment since I met you that I haven't been in love with you" she smiled as tears began to run down her cheek.

Jesse gently wiped the tears from Maxie's face and looked at her blue eyes. "Maxie…. Will you…" Maxie didn't let Jesse finish, she put her arms around her neck and pulled him into a kiss that made his head spin.

As soon as they both came up for air, Jesse grabbed Maxie by the hand and led her to Kelly's. They ran up the stairs at Kelly's to Jesse's door, he fumbled to get his key and open the door as Maxie kissed him on his neck. He finally got the door open, pulling Maxie into his arms and slamming the door. Maxie walked over to the bed and lay down as she waited for Jesse to lie on top of her. Jesse pulled off his shirt and walked over to Maxie, he placed his hand under her head as he gently kissed her neck. Maxie closed her eyes as the warmth of Jesse's breath made her body tremble. Jesse slowly unbuttoned Maxie's shirt and she played with his belt. Jesse kissed Maxie hard and long, gasping for breath when he needed air. Maxie grabbed Jesse at the waist and tugged at his pants until they came off and the she began to travel up his stomach kissing him and letting her warm tongue linger over his skin. They began to breathe harder as their pulses raced. "Wait…. Maxie…." Jesse gasped.

"What, why, I want this…" she whispered.

Trying to catch his breath Jesse smiled "I didn't lock the door" he got up, walked over to the door, locked it, double checked and then turned back around to see Maxie laying on the bed looking at him. She was wearing only a thin blue lace bra and matching underwear. Jesse walked over to the bed and laid himself on Maxie once again. He kissed her lips, first softly and then harder as she responded in kind. As they kissed, Jesse quietly fumbled to unlatch her bra. He ran his hand up her thigh as she moaned and trembled. Their breathing slowly became more sporadic, the closer they became, moaning one another's name, their chests rising up and down in sync, until they collapsed in each other's arms. Jesse and Maxie just looked into one another's eyes as their breathing slowly returned to normal. Maxie slowly closed her eyes as she nestled her head into Jesse's chest.

Jesse couldn't wipe the smile off his face; this was the best thing to have ever happened to him.

"Well, that was worth the wait" Maxie giggled.

"Maxie, you never let me finish what I was going to say at the dock earlier, not that I'm complaining of course" replied Jesse.

"Oh, well, what's stopping you now?" asked Maxie.

Jesse looked Maxie dead in the eyes "Marry me Maxie….marry me".