Maggie spent a little longer with Kristen before she gently hugged her and headed back towards Jubal, OA and Stuart

"Guys Kristen appreciates everyone being here but she's going to try and get some sleep before her family arrive as they are on their way. She has her phone with her and knows to text or ring if she needs anything"

Jubal and OA nodded and they waved in at Kristen who smiled softly waving back at them, Maggie could see that Stuart was hesitant about leaving so she stepped closer to him

"She has promised to call me if she needs anything and I told her anything no matter how big or small. She's exhausted right now, but you can come back and see her tomorrow and she is hoping they let her out soon so that she'll at least be at home"

Stuart looked at Kristen and he smiled softly at her and he could see that she was struggling to keep her eyes open so he waved at her and then looked at Maggie "If she calls you for anything and you need a hand just let me know"

Maggie smiled softly at Stuart but before she could say anything OA had checked his watch "Hey Stuart you think you could drop me home on your way, we still have most of the day left and Isobel said we don't have to come back in, So I'm going to make the most of it"

Stuart nodded "Sure thing OA, just no singing this time. Maggie you need a ride?"

Maggie was too busy shaking her head laughing at the face OA had pulled when Stuart told him no singing on the way so Jubal decided to answer for Maggie

"I'm headed the same direction as Maggie's apartment so I can drop her home" Jubal was hoping that he sounded calm and not too keen to be the one dropping Maggie home but truth is he really wanted some time just the two of them as the only time they had gotten was in his car on the way to the hospital.

"I bet Jubal will let Maggie sing if she wants" OA joked looking at Stuart, the whole team had relaxed now that they knew Kristen was okay.

Maggie shook her head laughing as she stepped forward and hugged OA and then Stuart "Go home and try not to traumatise Stuart on the way home"

The four of them said their goodbyes and they all left the hospital with Stuart and OA getting in to Stuart's car and Maggie and Jubal getting in to Jubal's. They had just pulled out of the hospital parking lot when Jubal spoke

"If you want to just go home and lay down I totally understand" Jubal was aware that the last couple of cases had been rough for them all and Maggie had been banged up on both cases, so as much as he didn't want to part company with her he would understand if she wanted time to herself.

Maggie turned her head to face Jubal and she lay her hand on his thigh "The only reason I'm going to say to drop me home is you should go to Scarsdale and see your kids. I know you've been really struggling without seeing them these last two weeks. We have finished early which very rarely happens, you could be in Scarsdale for them getting home from school and when you come back in to the city tonight you know that you are more than welcome to come and join me"

Jubal would have laughed at anyone that said their partner gave them that warm almost fuzzy feeling inside but what he was currently feeling could only be described that way. With everything they had been through with Kristen getting injured and Maggie getting clipped by a bullet and hit on the head and currently stitched in both her arm and forehead thanks to the last two weeks at work and here she was thinking of him and putting him before herself.

"Come with me….." Jubal could see the almost panic in Maggie's eyes, they had only been dating for about a month and she had never seen him with his kids, but he really didn't want to go to Scarsdale alone, truth be told he didn't want to go without Maggie. He took Maggie's hand that was resting on his thigh and squeezed it gently and he continued speaking before Maggie could say anything

"I want you to come with me, I don't want to head there without you, I will worry about you and miss you while with the kids, I know we haven't been dating long and you haven't seen me with the kids before, but I want to introduce you to that side of my life Mags. We don't have to tell the kids anything about us dating, we can tell them you are my close friend. I don't want to pressure you if you aren't ready but I would love for you to join"

Maggie was surprised when Jubal blurted out to come with her, she thought that it was just a knee jerk reaction until he continued to talk, she had to admit she really wanted to see him in his role as a Dad as she had only ever seen the pictures of the kids. She knew that if she was to continue dating Jubal that she would have to be a part of this side of his life as well. She was really nervous about the idea, but he wasn't putting pressure on her especially when he said that they didn't have to tell the kids about them dating. She took a slow breath to steady her nerves before talking

"If you are sure that you really want me to come with you then I will, as long as you are sure that this won't freak them out any" Maggie lifted her free hand to point at the cut, bruise and stitches on the side of her forehead as the last thing she wanted to do was scare his kids the first time that they met her

Jubal was pretty sure that he hadn't been breathing while waiting for Maggie to answer, he knew that he was asking a lot off her and that he caught her totally off guard, and that very rarely happened Maggie. He couldn't help the smile that appeared when he heard her say that she would go

"I'm sure that I really want you to come with me and it won't freak them out, trust me the cuts they have had from falling outside or falling off their bikes will have them asking questions and thinking it's cool" Jubal laughed softly as he glanced at Maggie before back at the road

"And you are sure that Sam won't mind?" Maggie really didn't want to be the cause of any tension between Sam and Jubal as they had to be on good terms to bring their kids up together

"She won't mind it's not like I'm bringing a complete stranger to see them Mags and Sam is happy with Alan and she knows I would never just bring anyone around the kids. I'll give her a text to give her a heads up that I'm coming to see the kids" The smile had never left Jubal's face as he was talking about his kids

"Good to know I'm not just anyone" Maggie teased Jubal playfully, their banter always felt familiar and it was helping any nerves that she had, this was all new to her she had never dated anyone who was divorced with kids.

"And Sam will know that the background check has already been run on you since you work with me"

"Oh My God Jubal did you run a background check on Alan?"

"Technically no… it was Ian that ran it for me"

"You made poor Ian run a background check on your ex wives new boyfriend?" Maggie shook her head laughing imagining Ian agreeing to it, she knew that Ian and Jubal had a great relationship

"It's not like I told him he would lose his job if he didn't do it" Jubal smirked joking "Ian seen I was stressing out, asked why, I told him and next thing you know he's coming to me with the background check"

"That mean Ian is going to run one of his checks on me when he finds out about us?" She raised her eyebrow looking at Jubal

"Well he can't access your file without alerting me or Isobel but your social media accounts and phone well that's up to Ian" Jubal was really enjoying how their banter just felt right, never forced or uncomfortable

"Well I guess then it's good that I don't have anything to hide on either of those things, so he can search away" Maggie laughed softly "If there was something he wanted to know it would go much better for Ian if he just came and asked me"

Jubal shook his head laughing "You threatening one of my analysts?"

"I did not use threatening terms, just you know that it would be better for him" Maggie laughed softly shaking her head as she got comfortable again her head facing Jubal in the driver's seat "So Ian is going to be protective of you when he finds out, OA is going to be protective of me when he finds out. Where does that leave Kristen and Stuart?"

Jubal had Maggie's hand in his resting them on his thigh, he was stealing quick glances at Maggie while driving "I think that Kristen is going to be protective of both of us, I know her and I have worked together longer but I meant it when I said that I had seen how close you two had gotten"

"And if Stuart is wanting any chance with Kristen he's going to choose whatever side she does"

"You know I think you might be right about them two"

Maggie pretended she was coughing as if choking "I'm sorry could you repeat that because that's the second time that Jubal Valentine has admitted that I've been right within the last two weeks"

Jubal briefly let go of Maggie's hand to poke her gently in the side before taking her hand back in his laughing softly"Very funny…but nope I'm not repeating it" he smirked at her

"So what made you realise that I was right?"

"I was watching him at the hospital and I had what you told me in my head as I watched him, OA may have been talking to me but I could see Stuart nervously standing at the end of Kristen's bed. And then his face when you said about us all going home, that was a guy trying to come to terms with almost missing his chance to tell someone how he truly felt"

"That was why I told him that if Kristen called and I couldn't handle it that my first call would be to him. I seen the fear in his eyes about leaving her even though she's in the hospital. I don't think Kristen has any idea that he has feelings for her"

"Ah you see us men are very good at hiding our feelings especially when they are for someone we work with" Jubal smiled looking at Maggie as they had stopped at traffic lights he was able to really look at her "And I'm pretty sure you had no idea that I had feelings for you until I may have heavily hinted that night we were talking in the office about your dating life"

"You know I still wasn't sure that night, it was why I asked you if you wanted to prove that some men were worthy of a second date. I was thinking that you were just being nice to me until you said you wanted the chance to prove it"

"And I still haven't taken you out on a proper date, you know that I want to take you out and do things together"

Maggie nodded squeezing his hand gently "I know you do, but honestly I've really enjoyed the time we've had together so far and first day we both have off we can go out and do something. But even if they haven't been 'proper dates' you are still the one that made me come back for more"

"And you know that you are the one that helped me make the decision about the kids and Sam moving to Scarsdale?"

"What?" Maggie was surprised to hear Jubal she had no idea

"Our chat outside the hospital, when I said I was willing to hear your opinion, I came straight out to Scarsdale and looked at the house and phoned Sam and told her to buy it, it was only thirty miles away"

Maggie turned a little in her seat to face Jubal as she listened to him "I had no idea you were actually taking any of that in"

"Your opinion meant a lot to me, I just couldn't let you know that day.. But now I can, and I was waiting for the right time to thank you for sharing your opinion with me that day even though you had no idea how I was going to react.. So what better timing that being at the house in Scarsdale"

Jubal parked the car outside a beautiful white house and when he turned off the car ignition he leaned over and kissed Maggie softly, he pulled back a little to kiss her forehead just right beside her cut and bruise, he pulled back looking in to the brown eyes staring back in to his Hazel eyes as he caressed her cheek with his thumb

"Thank you for helping me make such a big decision because it really was the right decision, the kids love it here"

Maggie was speechless she really couldn't believe that her opinion had meant so much Jubal, how the hell did it take her so long to realise that he had feelings for her. Thankfully she didn't have to speak just yet as she felt his lips against hers, she closed her eyes when his lips touched her forehead so gently and she smiled leaning into his hand on her cheek

"I'm glad that I was able to help without even knowing that I was, and now any decisions that you have to make I'm right by your side" She turned her head kissing the palm of his hand that was on her cheek as she lay her hand on his

"Let's go see your kids"