I
"What is you want most for your practice Maggie?" Jamie said leaning slightly forward on the break room table that was set up for the residents. "I mean working at the hospital is grand and all but really in the long run what do you hope to accomplish?"
"I wouldn't mind having my own practice; away from the hospital. Where I can set my own hours. Where I can be free to be with Bianca and Miranda whenever I wanted." Maggie shook her head. "Perhaps plan on having another baby to raise with Bianca."
"What if I said I could set it up. For both of us. Equal partnership." Jamie said with a smile. "There's plenty of money left over after my medical studies to open up a huge practice. Or whatever size you dream of. We will be able to have all the dated equipment and accesses to new and updated equipment and drugs."
"Will JR go for it? I mean he is a tightwad with your money." Maggie pointed out.
"JR is all for it. I all already discussed it with him and we have all ready drawn up the partnership papers." Jamie reached into his white coat and withdrew them. "I have all ready signed them in front of Olivia; all you have to do is say yes and sign them in front of Jackson." He handed the papers over to Maggie. "It's for real Maggie; once our resident is over we can set up practice."
"Give me an few days to look these over and talk with Jackson. Also I need to discuss if this is the best time to do this with Bianca. After all it effects her most of all." Maggie said tapping the papers in front of her.
"Of course Maggie. There's no rush on this. After all we still have six months left to as residents." Jamie grinned happily knowing that Maggie would agree to this wonderful plan. He could tell that Maggie was all ready looking forward to decorating her office and the building.
Jamie looked over at Maggie who was sitting behind her desk in her brand new office. "I'm so glad that you agreed to do this with me Mags. I had always dreamt of it when I decided that I wanted to become a doctor."
"What made you decided to practice medicine Jamie? I mean while we were together you never once mentioned it." Maggie looked quizzing into her best friend's eyes.
"I was toying with the thought since I was a boy; I had always admired Grandpa Joe, just I knew that even with mom and dad helping out I wouldn't have much money for medical school. I wanted to finished college before saying anything to anyone. But when Aunt Phoebe left me her money in her will and said to use it for medical school; I knew that she had given me the way for my studies." Jamie frowned deeply. "But it had it's costs; a major cost."
"Babe." Maggie said softly.
"I thought I could have it both ways. I would leave Babe; which she fully agreed; to and go to medical school. I finish my residents; than Babe and I would get married and live happily ever after ever. After all Aunt Phoebe just stated that she didn't want Babe in my life for the first part of my medical study. She never mentioned after medical school and the residents. But Babe couldn't wait for me." Jamie sighed as he got to his feet and walked over to the window. "I don't blame her one bit Mags; eight years is a long time."
"Not that long for true love." Maggie snorted. "Sorry Jamie. I know you don't need my anger towards my second cousin to top off your sadness over losing her."
"It's quite all right Mags. I know you haven't forgiven Babe for keeping Miranda from Bianca for ten months. I can't believe you had forgiven me for keeping the truth from Bianca. Even for the short time that I did." Jamie turned and leaned his back against the window.
"You did it out of the goodness of your heart; you knew that the truth would come out soon. Sides you did it to protect Little Adam from JR." Maggie stood to her feet and walked over and leaned in and hugged Jamie. She rested her head against his lean chest.
"Like that did any good." Jamie said wrapping his arms around Maggie pulling the older woman who used to be his lover tighter against him.
"JR agreed to joint custody with Babe. Little Adam is doing just fine with both of his parents loving and looking after his little soul." Maggie murmured taking in the smell of Jamie. It's been a long time since we have been together. Truly together. What went wrong? Oh yes Babe. Than Jonathan.
"Little Adam is just eight years old; JR was fine at eight. It was just when JR grew up and lost his mother's touch in his life that he decided to follow in Adam's foot steps. Who says Little Adam wont decide to do what his father did when he reaches twenty four years old." Jamie sighed glaring across the room.
"But Dixie turned out to be alive and well. She finally came back to her family. To JR and Tad. It took three years for Dixie's memory to return to her but she made it alive. So did Katie." Maggie said as she stepped back allowing Jamie's arms to drop from her back. She had to put distance between them otherwise she would be betraying Bianca.
Before Jamie could answer the two friends heard a voice clear. They looked over at the door and saw a smiling JR leaning against the door way.
"Sorry guys. I didn't want to interrupt your conversion." JR said with a twinkle in his eyes. He didn't miss the flush that came across Maggie's checks. Hmm interesting. Does Ms. Stone still harbor feelings for brother Jamie? Wonder what Bianca would feel about this turn events. If it were six years ago JR would have loved to blackmail Maggie into doing his dirty work with this information. Or use it to destroy her and Bianca's happiness; and cause major tension between Bianca and Jamie. But he was back into his better frame of mind and heart. He wouldn't hurt Bianca, Maggie or Jamie for any reason. Not again. He had so much to make up for to these three.
"Hey JR. Come to check out what Aunt Phoebe's money did? Make sure that it wasn't a bad decision at this time." Jamie said walking across the room towards his step brother. He shook the hand that JR offered firmly. "Come on brother let me show you around."
"Coming Maggie?" JR looked over at Maggie who had gotten her normal color back.
Maggie shook her head. "No I need to get some more of these files filed away for our grand opening to mower. Plus I have to interview a applicant for the front counter. I'm so glad that Anita decided to be assistant."
"I'll check in with you before I leave than." With a final wave of his right hand JR followed Jamie into the hallway.
Maggie sighed deeply as she sat back down in her chair. She looked at the framed picture of Bianca and Miranda that was sitting to the right of her computer. She picked up the picture and traced her finger tips across Bianca's face. "I'm sorry Binks. It was a momentarily relapse from the past. I wouldn't betray your love and trust in me. I wont betray us."
II
"Thank you for stopping by Anita." Bianca handed the mug of green tea to her best friend. "I know that your own time is precious to you. Seeing how you really don't get much of it."
Anita looked quickly over at Bianca and saw that allow her friend was trying to be cheerful she was stressed to the limit. "How can I help?"
"It's Maggie." Bianca said simply.
Anita nodded her head knowing what this conversion was about. "She wants a baby."
Bianca nodded. She took a sip of her tea. "I'm just not ready to carry another child. I know eight years ago when my mom brought up my having another baby after Miranda's "death" I wasn't ready to even think of giving the love I had for Miranda to another baby." She sighed as she set the mug back on the end table. "Even now that I have my Miranda back in my arms and knowing that she never "died"; I'm still not ready to carry another baby inside me."
"What about adopting?" Anita gently asked.
"Maggie wouldn't fully be happy or blessed about that. I was thinking if Maggie could carry a baby inside her and give birth. Than Maggie will feel like a true natural woman." Bianca said. "Maggie has never expressed this desire to me in all the time that we had known each other. But oh Anita if you could have seen her face light up since the first moment she found out I was pregnant with Miranda."
Anita nodded her head. "I know once it was known that you were still pregnant I was watching Maggie with you. I saw the light of motherhood in her eyes every time she even glanced at you."
"Deep down Maggie doesn't feel like she would be good enough mother to carry her own baby inside her. She's afraid of passing her mother's distancing to her baby." Bianca said softly. "She believes that Gwen Stone would destroy her grand child just as she did her twin daughters."
Anita sighed deeply. "Look Bianca I don't feel comfortable talking about Maggie behind Maggie's back. Especially on such a sensitive subject like this."
"I know Anita. I don't like it eighter. But I need your advice." Bianca said gently as she picked up her mug and took another sip.
"Shoot." Anita said placing her mug onto the coffee table.
Bianca replaced her mug back on the end table before turning to look fully at Anita once again. "Jamie would be the perfect father for Maggie's baby. They have a history together; they trust one another. They wouldn't betray one another and try to steal the baby from the other."
"I agree that Jamie is the most obvious choice." Anita nodded her head in agreement.
"Do you think it would be rude of me to go to Jamie with this major choice for his and Maggie's life. Do you think it should be left up to Maggie to ask him to be the father of her baby. But fully knowing that Maggie would never even dream of doing it herself." Bianca said in a rush.
Anita sighed deeply. "If it were anyone expect for Maggie and Jamie; I would say don't interfere and leave it up to them. But no I don't think it's rude of you to go to Jamie."
"I have prayed about this for months now Anita. What you have just said was the answer to my prayer." Bianca smiled gently. She picked up her mug and took a sip out of it and held it on the palm of her right hand. "Now I just have to wait for the right moment to spring this on Jamie."
III
"You are nothing but a stuck up pig Adam Chandler the third. The runt of the Chandler family." Miranda shouted at her best friend.
"Yea will you are nothing but another snotty Kane woman; Miranda Mono Montgomery. The prize of the Kane family." Adam shouted right back. He stuck out his tongue.
Miranda stuck out her tongue right back at the eight year old boy.
"Copy cat." Adam sneered. "You can't do anything original. You have to always do what I do. Get a life. Get nine of them."
"I can speak French; and you can't Adam. So there." Miranda jetted out her chin right back at young Chandler.
"So I'll learn French when I want to learn french." Adam said somewhat lamely as he uncomfortably wrapped his arms across his chest.
The two friends broke into gleeful laughter on that last note.
"I hate to be the one to back down and ask this very lame question but what are we fighting about?" Miranda asked.
"Heck if I know." Adam shrugged his shoulders. "Want some ice cream? Grandpa Tad has some in the kitchen. I'm sure I can talk him into giving us some."
"Let's go." Miranda said leading the way into the kichtern. "Tad and Dixie may we have some ice cream please." She smiled up at the couple.
"What were you two rug rats fighting about in the living room?" Tad asked as he wrapped his arms loosely across his chest as he looked down at the two eight year olds.
Miranda and Adam looked sideways at each other and than back at Tad. "Who us fighting?" They said innocently.
"Yes you fighting." Tad said just as innocently. "Come on spill. Otherwise no ice cream."
"We were just fighting because Miranda was bragging once again how she was born three hours before me; so that makes her that much smarter and that much older than me. Sorry I." Adam glanced at his grandmother Dixie; and saw that she was about to correct him of the proper english once again.
"I'm with Miranda on that. She is older and smarter than you Little Adam." Tad grinned and put his arms across Miranda's little shoulders and pulled her closer to his side.
"The only reason why you are agreeing with her is because she is only a girl." Adam grinned. He knew Tad was just joking around with him; that Tad thought both he and Miranda were equal smart. Although it was true that Miranda was three hours older than he was.
"Well I agree with Tad." Dixie said where she was scooping out the ice cream into four bowels.
"Aw Grandmother; you are apposed to be on my side. I'm your real grandson after all. Not related by marriage but by blood." Adam pouted looking up at his beloved grandmother with hurt puppy dog eyes.
Dixie smiled softly thinking of when JR used to look at her the same way. "Now, now Little Adam you and Miranda are equally smart. Just in different ways." She didn't have to point out that Miranda was in fact older than him. That was the plain truth no matter how you looked at it. She carried the tray with the ice cream bowels over to the table. She set Little Adam's bowel down than her bowel than Tad's than Miranda's. She made sure that Little Adam was sitting to her right while Miranda was sitting on Tad's left.
"So Uncle Alex and Aunt Kendall are back in town. They are going to bring Tomcat, Avery and Blake over tonight for dinner. I can't wait to see them again. They had been gone for a whole month." Miranda said excitedly before taking a bite of the vanilla ice cream.
Tad thought of the Cambias family. How Kendall and Zach Slater had gotten married back in early summer 2005; and ended up with their first born son; Thomas Augustus Cambias a year later. The twins; Avery Zane and Blake Slater Cambias came two years after Tomcat's birth.
END PART ONE