Sorry for the delay, the holidays got the best of me...Hope you enjoy the newest chapter! I do have a plan for this story so it will come to a conclusion in about 5 more chapters!

Enjoy!

Maxie POV

The second Jason released Maxie from the hug he moved towards the door, slipping the key to the Manhattan apartment off his key ring and into her fingers. "I'll see you at home." He whispered kissing her gently on the lips and once on the forehead before disappearing out the door.

Turning the locks into place, suddenly the apartment felt too cold and too big for her to be in by herself. Trying to return to the movies she found herself too distracted by the news that her father was interfering with a shipment to pay attention to her favorite Audrey Hepburn movies. Turning off the television and making sure to blow out all the candles she moved towards the bedroom hoping that maybe she would be able to sleep.

But after an hour of laying in bed, and tossing from side to side her face buried in Jason's pillow inhaling his scent.

"This is pathetic!" Maxie finally yelled in anguish, rolling onto her back. After a few more minutes Maxie propped herself up on her elbows to view the clock across the room. It was only 12:30 am. Finally annoyed enough to do something about it, Maxie sprang from the bed moving towards her duffle grabbing clothes and moving towards the bathroom.

When she finally emerged she was dressed in jeans and a sweater and carrying as many of her toiletries as she could carry in one trip. Quickly packing up the rest of her things, she moved around with her phone pressed to her ear setting up a flight back to Port Charles. She hated using the emergency credit card Jason had forced upon her, but there was no way on her salary that she could afford a last minute flight back to Port Charles.

Since Jason had been with her that weekend she didn't have a guard, and after Jason left he had more important things on his mind than making sure she was protected. But in Manhattan five hours away from Port Charles; Maxie was more recognizable as an up and coming fashion socialite than mobster Jason Morgan.

The taxi ride to JFK airport was another story of craziness. After fighting Saturday night traffic for nearly an hour. Maxie had just enough time to make it through security and get to her gate just as they called final boarding call for flight 319 to Port Charles.

It was a quick 2 hour flight making her arrival time in Port Charles a little after 3 a.m. She knew that her plan to go back to the penthouse was impulsive, but the Manhattan apartment felt cold and empty without Jason's presence. And even though she knew the chances of finding Jason at home were slim, she would still rather be there in the comfortableness of Port Charles than in the unsure lonely but stylish apartment.

She still had the spare key Spinelli had given her; back when their friendship was something good. Jason had never questioned why she didn't need him to let her in. In reality she was pretty sure he knew she already possessed a key, long before she had moved in. There weren't any guards in the lobby or on the floor when she stepped off the elevator. Meaning she had to carry her own duffle bag, making her wish she hadn't packed the extra two pairs of shoes.

"Jason you home?" She called out once securely inside behind the locked deadbolt. When met by silence she trudged up the stairs putting the clothes in the duffle into the hamper before pulling her hair up into a high ponytail.

It was a tradition after traveling that she always had to shower before crawling into bed, there was something unclean about public transportation; even air travel. After washing off the day she crawled beneath the sheet hoping that sleep would soon come.

Her mind a million miles away, thinking about Mac and Jason and all the changes that had happened tonight. Mac was now an even less enthusiastic fan of her relationship. He proved that by closing down the harbor. In all the years of Mac's dealing with Sonny and Jason and their "business" he knew that their shipments were spotless. That wasn't the way to get the type of ammunition he was looking for. It was just Mac's way of sticking it to Jason. And while Jason promised her he didn't blaming her for everything that was happening since their relationship had gone public. She knew Sonny would blame her.

Without a doubt.

~*~

Jason POV

The ride back to Port Charles took longer than Jason had hoped. There was a large accident on the interstate, causing him to backtrack to the nearest exit and was able to take a few back roads to get clear of all the congestion. He wouldn't dare go over the speed limit, not wanting to attract any extra attention by getting pulled over, especially with the problems at the harbor. A speeding ticket, and questioning; that was the last thing he needed. He knew that getting a flight back into Port Charles would have been quicker, but he needed the extra few hours to think things through, and give Sonny time to cool off before dealing with the situation.

As soon as he passed through the city limits, Jason when straight to Sonny's greystone to begin damage control and all that it entailed. Mac had only closed the harbor which meant the shipment had been sent back instead of being intercepted which could have lead to more investigation and trouble. The calm peaceful carefree weekend he had just left was a distant memory now.

"Did any of our people get arrested?" Jason asked as he walked through the door. Sonny was leaning against the edge of his desk, phone pressed to his ear.

"Still waiting to hear." Sonny spoke crossing his arms across his chest, tucking the phone between his ear and shoulder.

Jason pulled out his phone calling Cody to check in, he was in charge of the shipment and if anyone had been taken in it would probably be him. "Cody its Jason, just checking in call me back." He said before closing his phone.

"No answer." Sonny said as he already knew. "Why was Cody running the shipment anyway, what took you so long to get here?"

"I was in Manhattan with Maxie." Jason explained. Sonny did nothing to hide his feelings towards Jason's choice companion. "She had to work for Crimson I met her out there last night."

"Great time to get a weekend away." He scoffed before moving to stand on the other side of the desk, trying to impress some kind of authority. Jason just brushed aside his supposed best friends blatant despise for his relationship, he didn't need Sonny's permission or blessing, he didn't expect it. "While you were away screwing his daughter Mac decided to screw our business!"

"Sonny!" Jason yelled back refusing to let him talk about Maxie that way, it was a little true that Mac was screwing up their business dealings but it wasn't like this one shipment was going to destroy what they had spent the last 15 years building.

"So what are we going to do about all this?"

"If any of our guys are in lock up, I'll send Diane over to post bail. In the morning I'll look into the shipments, make sure they are all clean before rerouting them to another port." Jason said wiping a hand over his face. "It's late though so I really don't think there is much we can do tonight. I'm going to drop by the harbor and then go get some sleep. I suggest you do the same." Jason stated before walking away.

The Harbor proved to not yield too many results. He learned that Cody and two other lieutenants had been arrested, but ultimately they didn't have any evidence to hold them longer than the allowed 72 hours. Cody was the only one of them on the PCPD's watch list so it wouldn't be too bad in the morning. Nothing the impressive Diane Miller couldn't handle.

Finally deciding there was nothing else he could do to help the situation, expect head to the penthouse and try to get some sleep. Jason finally set his course towards Harbor View Towers, wishing he were back in Manhattan; tangled up in a sheet with Maxie's nude body pressed to his. At this moment nothing would bring him more joy.

Stepping off the elevator, and unlocking the door to the penthouse. He moved about his routine placing his coat in the closet and gun in the lock box up on the shelf before trudging up the stairs into his lonely and empty bedroom.

Although upon reaching the bedroom door it wasn't an empty one that Jason walked into. Tangled up in the charcoal gray sheet, from what he could see and what he could tell from the placement of the sheet she didn't appear to be wearing a stitch of clothing. The sheet un-tucked from the bottom of the bed was warped around one of her legs leaving the other one completely exposed. A corner of the sheet draped across her perfectly sculpted bottom, leaving her back completely exposed, the sheet and her arms covering her just enough to leave the side of her breast visible, but the rest covered.

He would be lying if he said he wasn't shocked and surprised to find her in his bed. It was a sight he was more than happy to come home to.

Shedding his shoes, shirt and jeans Jason crawled towards the middle of the bed where Maxie was laying; grabbing another one of the blankets that was pushed down and pulling it up to cover her exposed skin and himself. Even in her sleep Maxie's body curved towards his finding the perfect position where she was tucked inside his embrace.

Placing a few simple kisses on her bare shoulder, Jason slipped his slightly chilled hand under the sheet coming to rest on her abdomen bringing his hand up to cup her breast letting his finger flick over her sensitive nipple before relaxing into the mattress. Letting his body finally give into the sleep that had been tearing at him for hours.

~*~

It was a little after nine when Jason began to stir. In the night like always Maxie had found her way into Jason's arms. Her bare chest pressed into Jason's side; one of her legs across his. Jason removed his arm from around her back to stretch letting out a deep sigh before settling back into the embrace. The shifting in movement causing Maxie to wake from her peaceful state as well.

"So not that I'm not happy to have you here, but what are you doing here?" Jason asked folding his free arm behind his head so he could look at her more clearly.

"I had no reason to stay in the city without you there." Maxie stated releasing a yawn she had attempted to hold back. "I didn't want to stay there without you."

Maxie watched closely for Jason's facial expression to change. Jason Morgan, Stone Cold wasn't known for the warm fuzzy's of a relationship. She just hoped she hadn't said too much.

"We'll even though I'm glad to see you; I'm sure you would have gotten much more sleep if you had stayed."

"I doubt that. All I could think about was whether or not Mac had arrested you yet." Maxie said standing from the bed and moving towards the dresser's third drawer to pull out a pair of underwear. She picked a pair of light blue cotton panties and reached for the matching bra. "So tell me how bad is all of this?"

"It could be worse. I'd try and stay away from the police station as long as you can." Jason suggested he didn't think the reporters would be all over this as of yet, it all depended on how far Mac wanted to push things. "I'm saying stay away from Mac, I would never ask you to do that, but it would be best to lay low."

"Sonny must have been pissed—"

"Sonny isn't your problem." Jason spoke quickly and defensively; his voice was on the edge of anger.

"But he's your best friend Jason!" Maxie said coming to stand in front of him, still in just the bra and panties. "And I know that you don't need permission from anyone to date me. But it has got to hurt you that Sonny hates me so much?"

"Sonny doesn't hate you." Jason said sitting up. "He's not too thrilled with the idea of you. Specifically not a fan of Mac's role in your life but—."

Maxie let out a small smile at Jason's attempt of a joke. Crawling back to where he was lying on the bed and laid down next to him. "So we're good?" She asked once her ear was placed against his bare chest, her hand draped across his middle.

"We're good." He tried to smile wrapping his arms back around her. "Why don't you try and get some more sleep."

"What are you going to do?" She asked sitting up from the bed to allow Jason to slide out from under her. She watched as he walked towards the bathroom flicking on the light to start out the shower.

"I'm going to head into the office. They arrested three of our people so I have to call Diane this morning."

"You planning on sleeping anytime this weekend?" Maxie asked, moving towards the closet to pull out clothes for the day.

"I spelt enough. Not all of us require the recommended 8 hours."

"Right because you're beautiful enough." She mocked pulling a pair of destroyed jeans up her legs. "I'm already awake so I'm just going to stay that way."

"And whatever are you going to do on your Sunday off?"

"I thought about going to Kelly's to get some breakfast, maybe drop by and see Spinelli and Lulu later. What about you?"

"Work on the shipment problems, go to St. Timothy's."

"I still find it odd that you go to church every Sunday." Maxie smiled, and watched happily as Jason shed his boxer-briefs and stepped under the spray. "Must be that whole Godfather mob thing."

"Or that whole asking God for forgiveness thing." Jason smirked going through his shower routine, knowing that Maxie was watching his every move.

"Sorry, I'm not mocking you and your religiousness I guess I just don't understand all of it." Maxie smiled before heading back into the bedroom to finish dressing. Pulling on a vintage beetles shirt and moved back towards the spacious bathroom where her make-up was stored just in time to see Jason wrap a towel around his body. "Does it bother you that I don't believe in that stuff?"

"Not at all." Jason smiled moving towards her to bestow a kiss on top of her head before moving to dress. Maxie watched out of the corner of her mirror as Jason pulled out a pair of dark wash jeans Maxie had bought him soon after they had started dating. He paired it with a dark blue button down that had rarely been worn outside of court appearances. By the time Jason was dressed and hair gelled Maxie had finished with her make-up and had styled her hair as quickly as she could. Since she had fallen asleep with it wet the night before it was in soft waves that cascaded down her porcelain skin stopping a little below her shoulders.

"Promise me something?" Maxie said walking towards him, being barefoot she barely met the top of his shoulder. "If Mac arrests you, would you at least have someone call me?"

"I'm not going to get arrested." Jason said trying to avoid the conversation. Since they had started dating Jason had been brought in for questioning but he hadn't been arrested, so they hadn't had to deal with this issue yet.

"You say that but you know how this town feels about you. Plus I'm your alibi for the weekend."

"You're not supposed to be involved with the business." Jason whispered, taking a few steps to he was standing in front of her.

"This isn't the business, this is your life. And I'm a part of that."

"Only because you wouldn't give me a choice. You're kind of an unstoppable force of nature when you want something."

"Well I like you a lot too." Maxie smiled rising up on her tiptoes and pulling him down slightly so she could give him a soft tender kiss. "Now get going, I'm sure mass won't wait for you.

Jason kissed her once again before leaving the penthouse to start his marathon day.

~*~

Without too much trouble and without being arrested himself Jason through Diane was able to get Cody and the two other lieutenants released just after noon that Sunday. They didn't have any evidence to hold them. They hadn't done anything illegal, this time. The following Monday at work Kate pulled Maxie into the office and berated her about Jason appearance at the photo casting. The casting director had smiled and joked with Kate about the whole incident but Kate failed to see the humor in the situation. After that there became a blanket rule that Jason would stay away from all business associated with Crimson.

Soon things went back to as much normalcy as they could, especially with the added stress that their lives produced. Maxie had finished moving the remainder of her belongings into Jason's penthouse, choosing to leave her furniture for Spinelli. She and Jason had helped Spinelli move his belongings into her old apartment, and moved the furniture around to feng shui the bedroom. Jason complained the whole time.

Things seemed to be turning around in their friendship, and even a few times Jason had come home from his long days at work to find Maxie and Spinelli sitting in front of the television watching bizarre movies on the Sci-Fi channel.

Shipments came and went thru without any more problems from the PCPD. It seemed as if Mac was starting to cool down on his tirade against Sonny and Jason. Maybe it was just the seriousness of his daughter moving into the penthouse that made Mac realize this wasn't just a fling. That maybe it was something real, it sure was for Maxie and Jason.

"This is the exact position you were both in when I left this morning." Jason said putting his jacket in the closet. Maxie was wearing a pair of flannel pajama pants and one of his shirts wrapped up in the blanket that was usually spread across the back of the couch. Spinelli even though he no longer lived there had his computer, orange soda and barbeque chips set up across the coffee table.

"Actually stone cold I do believe Maximista was sitting in the chair this morning."

"See Jase, I've moved a whole 4 feet today." She smiled standing from the couch and moved to sit on the edge of his chair to kiss him. "Hey babe how was your day?"

"Fine." Jason said kissing her lightly on the lips. He felt odd kissing her in front of Spinelli but didn't want to regress any further than they had in the last few weeks. "Have you guys had dinner yet?"

"If chips and soda count, then yes." Maxie smiled looking over at Spinelli who tipped his bottle towards them before taking a sip.

"Well in that case I'm ordering Chinese. Maxie do you want your usual?" Jason lifting her from his lap and moving towards the top desk drawer to retrieve the take-out menus; even though it had been proven Jason could cook they still preferred to get carry out; there time could be much better spent then slaving away in the kitchen. "Spinelli would you like some actually food?"

"Much obliged Stone Cold but the Jackal is content with his current nutrition." Spinelli smiled, returning to his computer screen. Jason just smirked and busied himself with ordering food and paperwork. While his girlfriend and former roommate laughed at the movie on television.

All in all, things were beginning to feel normal again.

Which only meant it was a matter of time before things drastically changed.

~*~

review if you please!....