A/N: So sorry about the delay of this chapter. I have been on a long bout of wanting to read more than write. Oh...and a strangely crack cocaine like addiction to FarmTown on Facebook. Lordy lordy lordy. Well, in my absence...this fic has not escaped my thoughts...and you know what I came up with? It's going to have a sequel. My first sequel and it's a Jaxie fic. I am sure some of my Liason friends are rolling their eyes and PM'ing mean things to me right now. :-} Anyhoo...I just love these two...not sure how this chapter will come across but...we're getting there...soon~!!!

Chapter 10

"Did you know that my real name is Mariah Maximilliana Jones?"

"Hmmm?...no...no I didn't." Jason was pulled from his thoughts.

They had been sitting on the back patio for hours since Maxie came out of her room. At first Maxie came out in a short silk robe but Jason groaned, covered his eyes and told her to go get dressed. He wanted to take things slow with her and tonight, he really just wanted to talk. Get back to that place they were before the night of the wedding. Her in a short silk robe would have been too distracting so he was glad when she came back in soft yellow jogging pants and a baggy white retro t-shirt with Def Leppard on the front.

"Yep, I was named after my Grandmother. She was Aztec royalty...or Mexican royalty. I'm not really sure but I don't think I'm royalty. I guess I don't really know. I wonder if Spinelli could find out for me." She nervously twisted the bottom of her t-shirt.

They had moved from the outdoor sofa to one of the lounge chairs and Maxie was sprawled out sideways between Jason's legs. Jason was rubbing his hand up and down her back as he watched the stars twinkle in the sky. Maxie, of course, had her mini laptop and was shopping online while they talked. She'd ask his opinion on dresses and such at first but after the fourth time of him saying 'whatever is fine' she stopped asking.

Jason kept the topic of discussion from straying too far but they had worked through most of what Jason felt had to be said and now he was just listening to her ramble. It felt good to hear Maxie talk about whatever popped into her head. He had become so accustomed to it. She was very similar to Spinelli in a way when she would just start talking, jumping around topics and most of the time making absolutely no sense but always coming to some sort of point that eventually he would decipher and understand. And he was pretty good at weeding through all the ridiculous sentences to find the true meaning of the conversation. When they were on the boat she would come up on deck to the captains quarters and sit behind him and ramble for hours while he steered them toward the next port of call.

Back then many of her discussions annoyed him but on days when she didn't come up, he'd found that he missed the noise. Although he would have never admitted that back then. He would grumble and complain and groan. Many times he would bark for her to shut up but then silently to himself would smile and appreciate the fact that she NEVER listened to him.

He'd come to rely on Maxie. She was an integral part of his world now and the past month had been torturous. Never in a million years did he think he would hate her silence. But things were at least somewhat back to normal now. Except there was this new factor to the equation. She was laying in his arms.

"So your grandmother was royalty but you don't think you are? That doesn't even make sense Maxie. If she has royal blood and you are blood related then you have some lineage of royalty."

"So like I could be a Princess or something like that?" she said excitedly as she sat up and turned to face him.

"Oh you're a Princess alright." he laughed and pulled her back down.

She settled on his chest again and sighed. "This is weird isn't it."

"What is?" he asked looking down at her as she peered up at him.

"You and me...sitting here...like this. It's....weird."

"Maybe a little but....it's also kind of nice." he said as he brushed her hair out of her eyes. "Listening to you talk about nothing, the stars, the cool fall breeze."

"That's not what I mean and you know it." She pushed up and away from him moving off the chair before he could catch her.

"I know but I'm...I don't want to push this Maxie. There's too much at stake." He reasoned as he stood and walked over to her near the sliding glass door to the house.

He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her around. "Look...there's two little boys in that house that depend on us. Not just me...us. If we aren't careful with this we could wind up destroying them in the process. Not just each other....Jake and Cam. I cannot do that Maxie. They've already been through so much in their short little lives and if I were to screw this up with you and you leave..."

"I don't think my relationship with the boys could ever be ruined because of you and me. I love those boys Jason."

"I know you do."

"I wouldn't..."

He cut her off, "You already did."

"Did what?" she stomped her foot and clenched her one fist. He was not making any sense.

He leaned down to capture her eyes with his. "It took Brittany calling you telling you that Jake was crying to get you to realize that our problem was affecting your relationship with the boys."

Guilt flooded her senses and tears welled up in her eyes. "I didn't mean to hurt them Jason. I was just...so mad at you."

Jason cringed at her whispered confession and pulled her into his arms and held her tight. "I know. I know Maxie. I think we really need to take this slow and one step at a time. Just having you in my arms is...different for us. Usually you are throwing things at me."

"Oh I'll probably still throw things at you." She smiled. "But I like this too."

"Yeah, so do I." He saw the clock on the wall in the house and saw that it was well after midnight. "Listen, we have to work tomorrow. Why don't I see if I can't find us a babysitter and you and I go out to dinner tomorrow night?"

"You mean like a date?" she asked pulling back to look him in the eyes.

"Yeah, a date."

"But Hannah wanted to do something for my birthday." Elizabeth sighed.

She pulled from his arms and went to the coffee table to pick up their dishes. Jason had some coffee and Maxie had a peach wine cooler. The wine cooler gave her the courage to climb into Jason's lap when he moved to the lounge chair from the sofa.

On the sofa they almost kissed and he backed away needing space between them but Maxie didn't want space, she wanted that intimacy a man and a woman share. It'd been so long. So she just stood and went to him and climbed into his lap. She didn't push for a kiss but he didn't push her away either so they compromised.

She missed being in a man's arms. And Jason's strong arms were like sitting on a cloud in Heaven.

"Your birthday is tomorrow?" Jason asked, trying to remember. He knew last year they were in Paris getting the boat purchased and prepared for their launch but he couldn't remember the date of her birthday. All he remembered was her tantrum that he had ruined her life and her twenty fourth birthday.

Or maybe they were already under weigh.

She'd had so many tantrums back then and they ALL ended with the fact that Jason had ruined her life.

He scrubbed the side of his face embarrassed that he could not remember her birthday. He really had mistreated Maxie their first year together. She had grown up so much in the past year he sometimes forgot how young and naïve she was back then. Guilt flooded him as he realized that she had, for so long, simply been an afterthought to him or at best...his nanny. And still here she was.

If nothing else, the girl was tenacious. He'd have given up long ago but she was determined if for no other reason than for the boys.

Or maybe back then just to torture him.

"No it's Sunday but we'll be too busy with the boys so Hannah wanted to do something tomorrow."

Again she pulled him from his thoughts and her words caused his smile to turn downward and his brows to crease in worry.

"What are we doing with the boys Sunday other than our usual dinner...." he paused and looked at her. "We are going to get back to that routine aren't we? I really liked our schedule. Especially Sunday's and Thursday's because usually it was just the four of us. You know...family night."

He smiled at his own comment. Family Night. He could really get used to that. He hadn't felt like he had his own family since it was just him, Michael and Robin. A time that seemed a lifetime away.

And in reality, it was.

With a wave of her hand she dismissed him and pulled open the door, sliding through the small opening with the wine glass in her uninjured arm and the mug in hand. "Of course but Sunday is Halloween. Remember?...Jake wants to be a Transformer and Cameron wants to be an Astronaut ever since that former astronaut came to his school. I can't believe you've forgotten that. Vonnie worked her butt off making Cameron's costume and I searched all over for Jake's until I finally gave up and ordered it online."

"Oh...right." He nodded.

He had to open the door further to gain access for his much larger frame. He followed her to the kitchen then back out to the patio where she picked up her cell phone and her mini laptop. She turned around to walk back into the house and ran smack into Jason's chest.

"You need to put out the fire." She harrumphed bouncing off of Jason so hard she dropped her phone.

Jason bent down to pick it up and then grabbed Maxie's good arm as she moved past him. "Hey...what's going on here?"

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"Yes you do. I said I wanted to take things slow and then asked you on a date and you haven't stopped moving or running your mouth since."

"Well that was rude. Do you think that's how to make woman fawn all over you? You say mean things? You JERK!" She pulled herself from his grasp. Her lips forming a thin line of aggrevation.

"Hey look...I didn't say anything that wasn't true. You have been babbling about costumes and birthdays and...Are you upset I forgot when your birthday was?"

"No...NO." She suddenly realized how that must have seemed.

She never expected him to remember her birthday. She just wasn't sure how to handle this new factor in their lives.

A date!

She could not remember when she last went out on a date that wasn't arranged by Kate at Crimson where the man was being paid to escort her around town. Although in the end, that turned out to be more sexual and less professional.

Then there was Spinelli. Sure they had done plenty of things together. At one point before she left Port Charles they were practically inseparable for nearly a year. But that was just friendship. At least is was for her. Even if they had sex a few times, she mostly did it to appease him. He was her essential person after all. Whatever it took to keep him around, she did. And that included having sex with him.

Before that was Logan and she used him and blackmailed him. Then of course Coop.

They dated but even that relationship was filled with issues because she could not be honest.

Then there was Robbie but of course that was a total disaster and she preferred to forget about that lost month of her life. She had really tried and he used her. She thanked God everyday for Jason stepping in on that one. Regardless of her misdeeds in the dating world, she deserved better than Robbie and his friends.

Then, of course, she had gone on what some would call dates with Jason...along with Billy and Hannah but they weren't really dates. It was just Jason and Maxie along as another couple for their friend's date.

But now...

Wincing in front of the dishwasher as she put their glasses in it she pulled her too heavy cast up in front of her chest. Jason noticed and went to the cabinet where they kept the medicine.

"Maxie, you've over done it today. You are supposed to have your arm up to reduce the swelling."

Changing the subject she turned and watched him get her a bottled water from the refrigerator and count out two pain pills from her medicine bottle. "Do you think Jake will have another nightmare tonight?"

"I don't know."

"I feel horrible Jason. If I had just listened to you...you were right...you're always right." She rolled her eyes at the admission. "That bike with Jake on it was too much. That may have been the only time I wrecked but we had quite a few close calls leading up to it. It's just..." She hesitated and he picked up on it immediately.

"Maxie...it's just what?"

"Nothing." She picked up the dish towel and unfolded it then refolded it.

Jason pulled the towel out of her hand then handed over the pills and the water. "Take these."

"I'll be okay."

"Take them Maxie. You don't have to be at work early, you can sleep in. I'll get the boys up and take them to school. You're over doing everything. You think I haven't noticed but...you've been doing too much since Monday when you should be recovering. This happened to you too you know."

"But Jake...he's just a little boy Jason and he's having nightmares and it's all because of me. I never should have gone on that damn bike. You...over and over you've told me...Why didn't I listen to you?"

"You were mad at me? You wanted to show me I was wrong maybe?" he interjected the questions because normally she would have never done that. It was usually him and the boys begging her to get on her bicycle and ride with them to the park. As a matter of fact, the last time they had ridden the bike to Taylor Park she complained that the work he and Billy were doing at the entrance to tie in to the sewage system made the bugs worse so she didn't want to go back until he was finished.

And suddenly it dawned on him.

They weren't finished.

And she knew it.

He had talked with her a lot about the project they were doing at Taylor Park and he told her that it would be completed just in time for the Parade of Holiday Lights that the city put on throughout the park starting the week before Christmas.

"You were coming to see me." He breathed as the realization shot through him. He moved closer. Suddenly he wanted her close. To feel her.

"What?...No" she turned around putting her back to him as she took the pills, popped them into her mouth and swallowed them.

Jason came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle pulling her into his chest. "You missed me."

"No...Jake...he wanted...I..." She moved to pull from his arms but he held her tighter.

"Admit it. You and Jake were headed to the park because if Billy and I had been working there, we would have HAD to see you. Then I would have been upset because you were on the damn bike and...Jeez Maxie...you could have been killed. You and Jake could have been killed because you were being so damn stubborn."

He leaned his head down and put his forehead to the back of her head. Maxie stood stiff, knowing that she had been caught. She had figured out while sitting in the hospital waiting on the results of Jake's CT scans holding Jake in her lap that all of this was her fault because she was ready to stop shutting Jason out but in her own warped mind she needed him to be mad at her to break the ice. Subconsciously she set out on that bike with Jake just to tick Jason off and probably make him stop work, yell at her, put the bike in the truck and drive them home. Yelling at her the whole way.

But then Jason wasn't there. The city's Welcome Sign near City Hall had been mowed down the night before and Jason and Billy volunteered to rebuild the brick wall. Had they not volunteered, they would have been out front and just as Maxie suspected, Jason would have reacted exactly how she thought.

Realizing that what happened happened and nothing could change it, he breathed her in. "I'm sorry I wasn't there."

"Jason you're making up things in your mind. Jake just wanted to go to the park and it was a nice day and..."

"I thought we promised to be honest and open with each other." He grumbled and loosened his grip enough to turn her around to face him. He lifted her cast and put it over his shoulder effectively making her hug him. "Be honest with me Maxie. I want to hear it. I want you to tell me I'm right. Your intention was to run into me and upset me so that I would lose my temper."

"What if it was?"

"You don't have to do that Maxie. You don't have to make the elaborate schemes or do the crazy things that no one understands to get my attention. I promise you Maxie..."

"It was not a scheme!" She again tried to pull away but when her cast slipped off his shoulder it bent her fingers back and she sucked in a breath from the pain it caused. Unable to control it, she started crying and Jason could do nothing but watch, knowing he'd pushed just that little bit too far.

Maxie was unsure of herself. Her only recent relationship where she didn't try to manipulate had backfired on her severely. She was trying to change. Trying to grow and mature and have an adult relationship with him and...well all of the people in their orbit nowadays. He needed to support that but instead his natural instinct is to point it out and tell her she's wrong.

Suddenly they were both torn from their thought at Jake's screaming. The boy had been having nightmares about dogs since the incident. Apparently, after talking to the woman who lived next door that had driven them up to the hospital, the dog really scared Jake and that's why Maxie lost control of the bike. Jake was trying to get away from the dog and all his weight shifted causing her to go off of the sidewalk and then hit a sprinkler head which sent them both flying. The woman had been working at her kitchen sink and watched the whole thing play out.

Both adults took off toward Jake's room and as soon as they got to the foot of Jake's bed the little boy launched himself at Maxie. Jason leaped to help her because she could not hold the little boy easily with her injured arm. He pulled her down into his lap with Jake in hers.

"The big dog was gonna get me again." Jake cried through tears into Maxie's chest.

"Sweetie, the big dog isn't going to get you. He didn't even get you the first time." Maxie said cradling Jake.

Jason reached around Maxie and smoothed his hand down Jakes back brushing fingertips with Maxie. "Son, do you think you would feel better if you slept in Daddy's bed tonight?"

"Want Maxie." Jake murmured.

"Maxie just took some medicine. She needs...she's going to fall a sleep soon and won't wake up if you have another nightmare."

"WANT MAXIE" Jake said again with more zeal.

Jason looked at Maxie, in his arms, on his lap, with his son in her arms and on her lap and suddenly his heart swelled ten times its normal size. The only thing missing was Cameron.

And as if right on cue, a sleepy, curly mop headed boy wearing camouflage pj's came wandering into Jake's room rubbing his eyes. "Did Jake have another bad dream?"

"Yes...I'm sorry he woke you buddy." Jason spread his legs apart so that Maxie and Jake were on one knee and patted the other as invitation for Cameron to climb up.

He did so quickly and leaned his head against Jason's chest. "He's made me wake up every night. I think he's gonna wake us up every night for the rest of our lives. All cause he afraid of a stupid dog."

"Cameron...the word stupid is not a nice word. Do you need a privilege taken away?" Maxie asked as she kissed the top of Jake's head. The boy still had not stopped crying and was clinging to Maxie as if his life depended on it.

Suddenly Jason had an idea and hoped Maxie would be susceptible to it.

"Why don't we all have a sleep over like we did when the bad storm came through? Remember, all four of us slept in Daddy's bed." He glanced at Maxie whose eyes grew wide at his suggestion and then quickly kept going so she couldn't answer yet. "Maxie took some medicine that's going to make her sleepy and I'm going to worry about her so I'll never get any sleep because I'll have to keep going to her room and check on her. And Jake had a nightmare so he'll probably sleep better if he's with Maxie."

Jake nodded so Jason kept going, hoping he was convincing Maxie enough to agree. "And of course then I'll also worry about Jake because of the nightmares and because Maxie will sleep too soundly from the medicine to hear Jake if he has another one. And then there's Cam here....He hasn't gotten a good nights sleep in a week. He has a spelling test tomorrow. He needs his rest."

Cameron nodded in agreement and Jason and Maxie both smiled at the little boy.

"So the solution is for all of us to pile into my bed and sleep for the night."

The room was silent and Jason worried that he had made a ridiculous plea just because he really just wanted to keep Maxie in his arms. He loved waking up that morning after the storm. Maxie had shifted and the boys were on one side and Maxie was pressed with her back against his chest and they were spooning. She wasn't even awkward when she woke up. She laid there and ran her fingers though Jake and Cams hair and then after what seemed like hours of bliss but was really only about fifteen minutes, she sat up turned to Jason and said, 'I'll start resetting clocks and opening the hurricane shutters to check the windows, you check the yard and roof for damage.' And from then on, Jason would imagine waking up with his arms wrapped around her just like he had that morning.

Finally Jake was the one to make the decision. "No Daddy...I like Maxie's room better. It's pretty. We all sleep in Maxie's room tonight. Go get your jammies."

With that the little boy hopped down from Maxie's lap and headed over to the head of his bed to find his stuffed gorilla then turned and headed out the door. Cameron took Jake's cue and headed toward his own room to get his Chuggin Charlie pillow. Jason wrapped his arms around Maxie to keep her in place and gave her thigh a little pat. He looked up at her and saw she had a sparkle of humor in her eyes and her smile was huge.

"What?" He asked suddenly embarrassed.

"You came up with all of that and all you had to say was you wanted me to sleep with you."

"Maxie" he droned.

"No...I was just told by you that we promised to be honest."

He looked back up at her and realized she had him by rights pinned. "Okay so what if I did?" he asked not sure he wanted to hear her response.

"You did." She patted his cheek and stood and walked toward her room without a glance back knowing that Jason would not even take five minutes to pull on a pair of sweats and a tank top and race to her room.

He made it in two minutes flat.

~%~%~%~%~

The next few weeks had flown by in a blur. It was the week of Thanksgiving and Jason had a little surprise for Maxie. Bobbie and Mac were coming for the weekend.

Maxie was a nervous wreck. Jason had decided that it would just be the four of them for Thanksgiving. He flat turned down Denny's invitation to join the Watsons at their house for dinner. That meant that she had to cook. Maxie had no idea that Bobbie and Mac were coming so the fear of proving herself as the matriarch of their little family nucleus was terrifying. Especially now with the new state of hers and Jason's relationship.

Jason laughed at her knowing that Bobbie would be there to cook the turkey and Mac would be there to make his famous Scorpio Stuffing that he fell in love with when he was dating Robin so many years ago. Maxie wouldn't even need to set the table because he had found a book at a local children's bookstore that taught the kids how to set a formal dinner table and other such etiquette lessons.

All Maxie and her now half casted arm would have to do is enjoy the day and eat and be around her Uncle Mac.

Jason was a little nervous that Mac was coming now that he and Maxie were changing courses. They were working slowly to become a couple. But Jason wanted Mac's approval because he knew that Mac's opinion was the only one that would ever matter to Maxie. In all her years as Mac's ne'er do well daughter, bringing home loser after loser or hooking up with married men, dangerous men, made men or ill intentioned men; Mac had always worried that she would never change.

But she had.

And he was partly why.

And he wanted Mac to tell her it was okay. That HE was okay.

It was a long shot but maybe since he was no longer in the mob Mac would remember his better qualities as a human being.

He had made up his mind. He would lay low for the weekend. He would sleep in the bottom bunk in Cameron's room and Jake would sleep either with him because the bottom bunk is a double bed or with Maxie, where he had been sleeping most nights since their accident. Mac would get Jake's room and Bobbie would get his. He wished it had a full bathroom but Bobbie had assured him over the phone that all she needed to do was pack a proper robe and she would share Maxie's bathroom with her.

He was going to talk to Bobbie when they first got there. He had always had a special relationship with Bobbie Spencer and trusted her judgment. He wanted her approval if he was honest with himself. He knew that regardless of her feelings she would be open and honest with him. Then after the whole five days of Mac and Bobbie being with them, he would approach Mac before they left to take him and Bobbie to the airport.

That way if Mac hated the idea, Jason would only have to watch his back for an hour or two.

Since that first night when all four of them piled into Maxie's bed, Jason had been sneaking into her room at night if Jake wasn't there. Nothing more than her in his arms had happened. Maybe a light kiss to her forehead or a kiss behind her ear but Jason was fine with that progress.

Besides, Jake didn't allow for him to sneak into her room too many nights.

However, Jason's dreams were becoming increasingly sexual and involving Maxie in all sorts of situations. Always ending just before she would drop her towel or climb into bed with him. He wanted so badly just to kiss her. He wanted to taste her lips and swirl his tongue with hers.

Yet awake, there never seemed to be the right time for him to act on his desires. Someone was always there or he would mistakenly put his foot in his mouth being critical of her for some reason.

They had gone on a few dates and held hands a few times walking through the park or sitting on the same side of the booth when they were out with Billy and Hannah. But each time the mood was right or the opportunity presented itself, something or someone would get in the way.

His favorite time with her, though, was when they would put the boys to bed and then head out to the patio to lay in the lounge chair and talk. She would climb in between his legs and lay sideways on his chest and talk about anything and everything. He would lay silent listening to her while looking up at the clear autumn sky.

It was a peace he had longed his whole life for.

This night was no different. It was Tuesday and tomorrow he would pick Bobbie and Mac up from the airport mid afternoon so that they were at the restaurant waiting when Maxie, Jason and the boys headed over after their usually Thursday routine at the boutique.

He was ready for this whole thing to be over with because he hated lying to Maxie. And he had seemingly done a lot of that over the past week.

She questioned why he wanted such a big turkey for two adults and two kids. He avoided the lie by reminding her that she ate less than Cameron so really it was three kids but that he loved left overs. Which technically wasn't a lie.

She also questioned why he hadn't bought a ready made pumpkin pie. Denny, of all people, helped him avoid that lie by saying she was making extras. She and Dale were aware that Maxie's 'mom' and the man who had originally moved them...'a family friend' of theirs, was coming for the holiday to surprise Maxie.

Then there was why just today he had hired a maid to come clean the house. He said it was because with her broken arm he knew she couldn't keep up with everything and that he hired the girl to make her happy. She was happy and had even suggested that they keep the maid coming once a week.

Jason rolled his eyes at her suggestion but secretly thought maybe he would go ahead and hire the maid simply so that their time could be spent with each other instead of doing the weekly household chores.

Finally, they were ready to turn in. Jason already knew that Jake was in Maxie's bed having watched the little boy go there about an hour ago when he went in to get Maxie another wine cooler.

They had talked about the situation. Jason felt that the only way they were going to help Jake get past his newfound fear of dogs was to get one of their own. He had been researching online which canine would be the best family dog. But when he mentioned it to Maxie, she wanted a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. The toy size.

So Jason had been looking in to those dogs too. He could give her the puppy she wanted as well as get a good family dog for the boys. Two dogs wouldn't be much more work than one he figured. He'd checked into obedience schools and kennels around the Tampa area. He'd already decided on rescuing a dog from the animal shelter for the boys. One with lab or retriever in it. Then he had found a highly recommended breeder of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels in the Bradenton area that had a new litter of puppies.

He was going to make a family day the first Saturday of their Christmas Vacation to go to Bradenton and pick out Maxie's dog and then go to the pound to pick the dog for the boys. He figured since he was off for the two weeks, taking vacation time along with the city's closing for the holiday week between Christmas and New Year, and Maxie was closing the store for the two weeks, giving Brittany a paid holiday, they would all be able to bond and get a routine with the new additions to their home.

Maxie had decided to close the boutique because Brittany had wanted most of the time off anyway. Maxie had her online "virtual" store business booming. You could go online and look at every item currently being sold in the store. It was an added feature that took only another half hour of their time on Thursdays when the new items came in to the store.

Cameron wanted to help so he was in charge of holding the clothes real still while Brittany took the pictures to load onto the website. Then he was in charge of writing down the numbers on the tags that tied into the online store for the clothes they were pulling from or adding to their inventory. He was becoming a big helper.

Jake was a big helper too. He was in charge of going around and dusting the shelves and then holding the tags and the hangers for Maxie while she unloaded the new shipments.

Both Maxie and Jason had commented on how the boutique was now a family business. Their family business. And each time, Jason's heart clinched and beat faster at the realization that this was a dream come true for him.

Everything was moving slow but was falling into place and right along with Jason's plans. Once he got Mac's approval, he would move forward with Maxie. First telling the boys and explaining to them that Daddy and Maxie were now a couple. He knew that they would only understand so much but he saw how confused Michael would get when he was younger and didn't want that for his boys. It would cause Michael to lash out in the most destructive of ways when Sonny or Carly or even sometimes Jason would neglect to explain to him the nature of their relationships with others such as Jax, Kate and Sam. He wouldn't do that to his sons.

Then he would move on with Maxie. Take the next obvious steps. Sleeping in her bed and actually sleeping was wearing on him. He wanted to feel her soft flesh against his. He wanted to taste every inch of her body. He wanted to feel her surrounding him from the inside out. Take her lips in the most intimate way. Touch her breasts that had been begging for his attention. Feel her wrap her legs around his waist as he sunk into her.

Making love to her was now an obsession. He'd done slow and easy, now he was ready. And she was ready. And by Christmas, he planned to know Maxie Webster biblically and hopefully have her in his bed or him in hers every night for the rest of their lives.

If he could just get Jake out of there.

Maxie pulled him from his thoughts as she extricated herself from his arms. He tensed and grabbed her hips roughly and pulled her back to him.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked, the huskiness in his voice telling her his thoughts had been impure.

"To bed. It's past midnight again."

"I know. This is my favorite time of the day though." He admitted, not ashamed.

"I feel the same way Jason. I look forward to this every day. I...I almost want to turn the clocks ahead so the boys go to sleep earlier."

She giggled at her confession and Jason smiled back at her. Her blue eyes were startling in the moon light. Her smile becoming something he would strive to see every day. He tucked her hair behind her ear. She had been wearing it like the old glamorous movie stars from the old black and white movies he always watched. He wondered if she had changed her style to match that because he watched them. He didn't ask though because he would rather believe that she had. The big soft waves like Betty Grable or Marilyn Monroe. It made her look older, sexier. And it turned him on to no end.

"You know...I...I was wondering...How do you feel lately?"

"Me? I'm fine...the wrist doesn't hurt at all and other than the fact that the cast itches I'm pretty much back to normal." She sat up and turned to face him again. She loved laying her head on his chest and listening to his heartbeat. She imagined it beat out specially for her. That it maybe beat a little faster because of her.

And it did.

"That's not what I meant but I am glad you are feeling well." He tipped her chin up to look her in the eyes. "I meant how do you feel about us? I know we're taking it slow and that's good but..."

"I'm ready." She admitted cutting off his words.

Shocked he blinked and then saw the confession in her eyes and smiled. "You're ready?"

"Yeah...maybe that can be my Christmas present."

"What?"

"You...me...us...together."

"I think that would be my Christmas present."

"Well if that's the case, maybe you've been a good boy and Mrs. Claus will let you open your present for Thanksgiving instead of Christmas."

Jason groaned at the thought and mindlessly thrust his hips forward into her side. She could feel the semi-hard on he had and rolled to her stomach to rub her chest against his.

"Jason?....Kiss me" She whispered and he grabbed her under her arms and pulled her slowly up his body until their breath was mingling.

Slowly he set her atop his body and shifted so that he cradled her between his legs then tucked a loose curl behind her ear again while studying her face. Maxie closed her eyes and sighed such a contented sound that Jason had to smile. Then he lowered his head to capture her lips in his.

He started out nipping, simply brushing his lips against hers tasting the lip gloss that shimmered in the moon's light. Vanilla. Then he bit at her bottom lip to entice her to react. It worked. She parted her lips with a hitch to her breath at the feel of his teeth on her bottom lip.

That was all he needed to slip his tongue into her hot wet mouth.

She angled her head so that he could gain more access and he smoothed and splayed his calloused hand over her neck.

His tongue searched hers out and from the moment the two touched, the electrical energy flowing from man to woman was enough to light a city. He swirled his tongue around hers and he pulled her neck so that her head angled up as he searched with his tongue for each crevice and cavern inside her delicate mouth.

And it was addicting. And he was lost to her. Forever.

As soon as their tongues mated he knew he would never get enough. He grew painfully harder and shifted to let her know just how she was affecting him. Maxie groaned at the feel of his stiff cock pressing into her stomach. She slid down slightly and it was Jason's turn to groan when she shrugged her shoulders and he could feel the swell of her breasts surrounding the tip of his dick.

He broke the kiss and pushed at her. If he didn't stop now, he wouldn't. And that didn't follow along with the plan he had made for himself.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing. You...we...you need to head to bed before we can't stop."

"Why do we have to stop?" she asked, looking up at him with a mixture of passion and hurt in her eyes.

Jason had to look away. Guilt and desire swirling inside him and battling to win him over. His guilt because he was not being clear and confusing her was hurtful and the desire that had built up warring for him to forget her feelings or the fact that this wasn't right, that she deserved more than simply a sexual release. She deserved to see and feel his true feeling for her.

A special night, just the two of them, a nice dinner, maybe that dancing thing that he enjoyed so much and had started this whole journey to discovering their newfound feelings for each other.

He was falling in love with Maxie. And when they finally gave in to their passion, he wanted it to be perfect. And a Tuesday night when Jake was in her bed and they had to work the next morning and her father was going to be there the next day was NOT the right time to finally take action on their growing feelings.

"We're ready Maxie but I want it to be perfect. That's why I've waited so long to kiss you. I knew once I did I wouldn't want to stop. And I don't. But..."

"You want to make it perfect for me?" She sat up fully and smiled the prettiest smile he'd ever seen.

Never had a man wanted everything to be perfect for her when they had sex. And that's what made her smile...with Jason...it wouldn't just be sex. She'd had guys treat her like...well like she supposed she was giving off the vibe she wanted to be treated. Taken in a dark dirty corner or slept with her only to get ahold of the bag of pills she had pilfered for him. Sex as a payoff of a bet or a bribe. But Jason...Jason wanted it to be perfect for her.

And that in itself was perfect to her.

"I do. You deserve to be treated special. I WANT to make you feel special."

"Then when?" She trailed a lone digit from his bellybutton to his chest then swirled around a t-shirt covered nipple and back down to dip into his belly button.

He groaned and backed away standing up and lifting a leg over her head to get away from her. He then turned around and held out his hand to her to help her to her feet. She obliged him but when he pulled her up she slid her arms around his waist.

"When?" She whispered lowering her lips to his chest.

"OH GOD....SOON....really fucking soon." He backed away from her pulling her hands from around him and then pulling her behind him toward the door, then through the door and toward the hallway that led to her bedroom.

"I'll plan our next date first thing tomorrow...and I'll find an overnight babysitter for the boys and...."

He turned around to look at her and saw her smile and recognized it. This was the 'Maxie has something up her sleeve' smile. It confused him but he wasn't surprised. Maxie was the poster child for 'something up her sleeve'.

He let go of her hands and put them on her shoulders and pulled her closer but not touching. "What's going on in that pretty little head of yours?"

"Jason...now that we are dating can I..."

And suddenly he knew and let out a growl.

"No"

"But"

"No"

She stomped her foot in frustration. "You don't even know..."

"I don't need to know. If it comes from your mouth and starts with Jason can I, the answer is no...not just now...always NO!"

"That's not fair!"

"Life's not fair."

"What if I was going to say Jason can I give you a blow job?" She put her one hand on her hip while waving her broken arm at him trying to point a few crooked fingers at him.

His eyebrow arched as he contemplated the thought, feeling his cock twitch at the mention and then twitch again when his eyes quickly darted to her mouth then he looked her in the eyes and smirked. "Just what I thought. You weren't going to ask to do...that. Besides, even if you were, the answer would still be no. We aren't there yet Maxie."

"Says who?" She turned away from him. She didn't want him to see her smile.

His reaction to her suggestion was exactly what she wanted to see. He took that three seconds to contemplate it which meant it had crossed his mind before. Only when she finally did have sex with him and get to do what most men had told her was what she did best, it would be nothing like what he had imagined. It would be better and he would be hooked.

And then for him to admit that it was something that he definitely considered a part of their future together. He said 'our' and 'we' and 'us' a lot in the past few weeks. Words had never sounded better to her. Especially when he referred to all four of them, Cam, Jake, Jason and Maxie, as a 'family' it made her melt just a little inside each time.

"So we aren't there yet but we will be?...Someday?...Soon?"

He walked over and turned her toward her bedroom gave her a little shove and finished it off with a light pat on her ass.

"We will...someday...soon...but what you were asking will still be no!"

She waved her hand in the air as she kept walking down the hallway toward her bedroom smiling the whole time and tingling inside from that simple gesture of possession.

"You have no idea." She murmured mostly to herself silently wondering where the Nieman Marcus catalog was.

"You aren't redecorating anything in this house. You already got away with the new living room furniture I am still not over the fact that you got rid of my favorite couch and you aren't changing the way I dress."

She stopped cold in her tracks and turned around unable to pull her gaping mouth closed. "How did you?..."

"Her Royal Highness Mariah Maximillianna...you think I ignore you...you think I don't listen...I hear every word...I listen...and the answer is NO...it will always be NO!"

He turned and walked silently to his room and shut the door as Maxie stood in the hallway floored at his confession.

He listens to her.

He hears every word.

When did that start?