Chapter 17

Author's note- Thanks for reading up to ths point. This story, I think, will have around 25 chapters. All the reviews are greatly appreciated. I like hearing if you like where the story is going or even if you don't. It fuels my imagination to know your thoughts.

p.s. Anyone wondering about my next J and C fic, The Last Mrs. Morgan, can expected it to be posted the day after I post the end of Somebody's baby.

On to the chapter-

Luke was sitting in the living room of the Quatermaine mansion when Lulu walked in, carrying luggage.

"Lesley Lou, when did you get back in town?"

"A while ago but I was staying with Nikolas. I thought, though, if you don't mind I would crash in my old room here again. So we can hang out and stuff."

"Sounds alright with me. Hey, you up for a little fun? I have a lead on some buried treasure. It's on a ship that sunk in the Florida Keys 200 years ago. I think Sam McCall is after it too though. Do you think you could get Carly to give you a key to Jason's place and plant a listening device in there."

"Sorry, don't think so. Try Dillon. He loves playing spy games with you."

Father and daughter smiled at each other. And just like that, after months of her being gone, they were back to normal.

Carly held the bottle to the baby's mouth. Morgan sat next to her on the couch at Jax's house. She had always wondered if she would have a daughter. And now the one she dreamt of being hers since the first moment she saw her was here in her arms. Even more than she was happy for herself and her chance to be a almost step mom, she felt ecstatic for Jax. In an instant Robin gave him the one gift that he never expected to receive: fatherhood of the sweetest baby girl in all of Port Charles.

Carly found it extremely odd that her future was so intertwined with Robin Saint Scorpio but for Angel baby she would deal with it.

Morgan peered down at the infant,"She's pretty, mama."

"Yeah, she is." Carly stroked a wisp of her hair behind her ear. " Do you think you can do me a favor, Morgan?"

"Sure!"

"Will you act like as big brother for Isabella?"

"Me? Wow. I've never been a big brother before."

"Well, she could use one. Do you think you are up to the job?"

Morgan touched the baby's hand. He studied her and nodded. "I can do it, mama."

Jax and Micheal walked into the room carrying a bowl of popcorn. "Ready to watch the movie?" Jax asked

"I'm a big brother!" Morgan announced proudly.

Jax smiled at Carly and said softly "That's great, kid. She's lucky to have you and Micheal in her life."

Maxie and Max were sitting in a restaurant a few miles outside of Port Charles. They hadn't slept together the other night. Instead Max took her for a ride in Sonny's sport car, which he prayed Sonny never found out about, and parked in a state park. Above them the sky was filled with stars. He had said, "This is a good as place as any to be held, I'd say." Maxie has slid into his arms and felt almost okay for once.

Now they were holding hands after dinner. Max asked, "You always have such sad eyes. What happened to hurt you so bad, MJ?"

Immediately he could see it had been the wrong thing to say. Her face clouded over and she pulled her hand away.

"Life." her voice was filled with bitterness "What caused yours?"

That shocked him. He didn't think his eyes were sad, at all. He was a pretty easy going guy.

Max told her, "My eyes aren't sad."

"Your eyes are a tragedy. What is it? Your job? All the killing people getting to you?"

"No," max said leaning forward "if my eyes are sad it must be because of this pretty girl I met who lived in a box car and doesn't like herself very much."

Maxie stood up. "I'm out of here."

He followed her outside. "We are miles from home."

"That's your home not mine. I should have never came back." she said without looking back. She started walking down the road, her thumb out.

Max watched her. His heart was already so wrapped up in her and her drama. She didn't act like she wanted him to care. That made him care even more.

He had the sinking feeling he couldn't save this girl.

But he couldn't give up either. "M.J.!"

She kept walking. Blond hair flying in the wind behind her.

Max jumped in his car and pulled up alongside her. "Get in."

"Go to hell. You don't have to worry about your box car charity case anymore."

"Grow up."

"Excuse me?"

This was the first time he gave her the slightest attitude.

Max said, "You want to treat your only friend, as far as I can see, in the world like shit then fine. I'll go. Or else you could get in and we could forget about this."

Her face softened. "Just take me to the bus stop. I don't know" hervoice broke "why I even came back."

"So you could meet me."

There eyes locked. She got in the car.

Robin was pushing the stroller through the park the next day when she spotted Georgie.

Georgie froze.

"Are you avoiding me?" Robin asked, walking closer to her.

"Of course not." Georgies eyes shot down to the baby in the stroller. "My god.."

"She's a beauty, huh?"

"Yes, she is."

"Well I was hoping you could be a big part of Isabella's life."

"What!?!"

Robin studied her cousin's stricken expression. "Are you okay?"

"Fine. No, I'm not. Sorry. I'm really tired from work, volunteering and studying. Then there is ...Dillon."

"Oh, I wish you weren't so busy. I wanted you to be my daughter's babysitter a few nights a week. There is no one else I would trust like I do you."

"Really?"

"Of course. You're responsible and never let anyone down. You are a great role model for her."

Georgie looked down again at the baby. Her light brown hair curled around her ears. Her eyes connected with Georgie.

"I'll make time for her." Georgie told her cousin.

"Great. I was hoping you would say that. Is this afternoon too early to start?"

Max walked M.J. to her room at Kelly's. She opened the door, then turned around to face him.

"Why do you put up with me?" she asked, honestly curious. No guy ever went this far out of his way to help her.

"I don't know." Max looked down, his cheeks reddened slightly. "I guess I don't think it was an accident that I was the one who noticed you in Jake's parking lot that night."

M.J. titled her head and studied him. So adorable, really. Strong enough to save her life, sweet enough to love her right. "So you think it was...?"

Max looked up, his eyes collided with hers. In them she saw, for the first time, something other than friendship, she saw a tender desire to be more.

"Fate," Max answered. "And you don't argue with fate."

M.J. wanted to give him a easy way out of this conversation, before he went and did something crazy. Like make her fall for him.

"Don't feel like you are stuck with me," she said "for life cause I cried on your shoulder a few times. I'm not as big of wreck as I look like."

He touched her arm. "You look just fine, M.J."

She ignored his sweetness. Her heart was tumbling fast. "Yeah right. I just lied to you. I am as big of a wreck on the inside as I know I look on the outside but you don't have to save me." Her voice softened. She couldn't stand if he only cared about her out of pity. She told him again, her words a whisper, " Don't think you have to save me, okay?"

"Sorry," he said with a smile, his voice as low as hers, "but I think I do."

His mouth dipped close to hers. Maxie took in a breath. Max gently let his lips touch hers for a moment and then pulled back. He whispered, "I have to save you because it's like saving myself. I need you now, M.J. I can't help it. I just need to be near you."

He went to kiss her again but she took a step back. She placed a hand on his chest.

"Max," her voice was ragged "I'm not the type of girl you should fall in love with. Don't fall in love with me."

He took her hand in his, ever so softly he kissed it. And then said, "Too late."