Hey everyone sorry for the delay in update. I'm currently in Seguin Haiti so the internet has been up and down and all over the place! THis chapter is a little shorter than the other's but I hope you like it! I should have the next update hopefully by the end of the weekend!

After the scare the couple quickly fell back into the normal rhythm that had become their relationship. During the photo shoot with Frederico at Crimson, Jax had shown up and promptly offered Maxie her job back, as an Editor this time. The assistant positions were filled, and Maxie had more than proved she was capable. Maxie smiled and quickly accepted the job offer with Freddy's blessing. Meaning Maxie was back in Port Charles to stay.

And before they knew it they were celebrating their one year anniversary. Maxie could hardly believe that Jason actually remembered details like that, and was even more surprised when Sonny showed up at the penthouse a few days prior and told them he was flying them to the island for a week away.

To say the couple was stunned would be an understatement. After the Crimson article debacle Sonny and Jason had just taken it upon themselves to not comment on each other's love lives, no matter what. Maxie was so thrilled she actually ran across the room and hugged Sonny before she realized what she was doing.

They all just laughed and Jason thanked his friend before his ecstatic girlfriend ran out the door claiming she needed to get a new bikini before the trip.

In the months leading up to the anniversary they were able to avoid anymore "close calls" when it came to birth control.

The first few times after the incident Maxie became consumed with condom protocol, so consumed that it was seriously starting to hinder their sex life. Anytime she felt like there was too much stress or pressure on the condom Maxie would beg Jason to pull back, both literally and figuratively. And although at first it made him smile at his crazy girlfriends antics, it started to be a constant problem whenever they entered the realm of sex.

One night after a club opening in the city, they decided to make it a long weekend, much to Sonny's silent displeasure.

Taking a cab back to the Manhattan apartment Maxie was clearly intoxicated from her three cocktails while Jason was happily buzzed from his handful of beers. Maxie began waging the war on the ride home, sitting in the back of the cab with her legs over his, her fingertips drawing lines up and down his forearm to his hand. As soon as the cab stopped Jason handed a few bills to the driver before leading Maxie through the lobby door towards the elevator leading to the second level.

Much like their first weekend in the city Jason began his romantic assault. In the bare space in the foyer, Jason was supporting Maxie's weight was one hand firmly on her bottom, while he quickly undid his pants sending both them and his boxer-briefs to the floor. All that stood in his way was lifting Maxie's sheer skirt and moving aside the scrap of material she called underwear and he would be home free.

Although it wasn't necessarily his plan, having sex with Maxie, without a condom was a whole new feeling in itself. Whether it was the alcohol numbing her sense or just time, For once they didn't have other worries filling their mind.

It wasn't until they were lying in bed the next morning that Maxie even mentioned it. "So first time without a condom?"

"Yeah. How are you feeling about that?" Jason asked readjusting Maxie so that her naked body was half draped across his, Jason's fingers continuing to run through her hair.

"I love you Jason." She finally whispered, almost afraid for him to hear her.

"I love you too."

They never again spoke about birth control.

~*~

The day before the trip Jason once again found himself in the last place he would willing choose to be. Sitting in the interrogation room of the PCPD. He had happily been sitting in the waiting room for a record of about 2 seconds before a rookie cop spotted him and pulled him into the room implying that there must be some sort of outstanding warrant.

After his search failed to yield the result he wanted, he finally asked Jason his reason for being there. Which is when Mac finally entered the room, telling everyone else to make themselves busy.

Everyone of course made themselves look busy but kept their eyes trained on the small window, watching the tumultuous relationship between the mobster and police commissioner play out.

~*~

Jason had finally unloaded the three bags Maxie needed to bring before the couple took their time walking around the property. Before Jason let Maxie drag him into the chilled water, clothed in jeans minus the boots. After changing into a pair of shorts and tank top that Maxie had purchased and packed for him, Jason helped Maxie undress and get into the large Jacuzzi bathtub, while he left to prepare dinner.

When Maxie finally exited the bedroom she had let her hair dry into its natural curls. Foregoing the application of fresh makeup she appeared as a vision in her simple floral sundress. She smiled happily at Jason before quickly kissing him and moving towards the vegetables to make the salad.

They worked in comfortable silence until all that was left was for the chicken to finish on the grill.

"Spinelli." Jason finally said out of nowhere.

"What?"

"Spinelli, it's crazy to think that this all started because you wanted my help getting Spinelli into bed." Jason laughed, moving to where she stood eating the extra walnuts from the salad.

Gasping loudly, "Oh please don't remind me! That is unbelievingly embarrassing."

"I thought it was kind of hot."

"You would." She smiled stealing a walnut from his fingers. "You had a hot girl throwing herself at you for weeks. It's nice to see it actually happened though."

"You made it pretty impossible to resist you. And the late nights in the boxcar?" Jason suggested pulling up another memory. They hadn't been to the boxcar since before they moved in together. Although they spent more hours and time in general together now living in the penthouse; there was something almost magical about having that place where it was just the two of them. Like the rest of the world didn't exist when they were together.

"It'll be a story to tell our children someday." Jason said, smirking at Maxie. He quickly noticed that her hands stopped their movements the second the word children left his mouth.

Maxie waited a minute for Jason to retract his statement, or at least continue. "Jase—"

"What do you think about that? Of course not until they get a few years older so that they can appreciate that there mom is a beautiful, talented, driven crazy person, with a one track mind?"

"Jason do you realize that—"

"That I'm talking to you about having my children? Yeah, I do. But we should probably get married first right? I would assume that Mac would prefer it that way? And then we won't have to fight about the children's last name."

Taking her hand Jason led Maxie over towards a bar stool, helping her sit before pulling a small black box from the kitchen drawer, much like he had done their first weekend away in the city. But Maxie quickly noticed that he didn't go for the typical one knee gesture.

"I—"

"I didn't want to let you in Maxie. When you started hanging out with Spinelli, I wanted you gone as soon as possible; I figured you were just another liability. That you were too much like Carly for your own good; that you were just another person who would get themselves killed because you knew me. You changed everything. Yes you can still annoy me like no one else, but there isn't anyone I would rather spend my time with. I've talked with Sonny, I'm stepping down, and Cody's been training to take over certain aspects of the business. I'm getting too old for that. I want to be able to unsure you and our children some level of normalcy, and safety." Jason spoke slowly. Maxie's mind was running faster than she could process, "So I just have one question for you, Mariah Maximilliana Jones; will you marry me?"

"Jase—" Maxie attempted to speak. "I—I."

"Maxie just take a few breathes." Jason tried to calm her. This wasn't the reaction he was expecting, but he didn't take it as a rejection. "I know that you think this proposal came out of nowhere, but we've been together for a year."

"But what about Sonny, and Mac—I don't even want to think about what he will say."

"I've talked to them both." Jason interrupted. "I told Mac I wanted to propose to you. And why else do you think Sonny sent us down here?"

"You actually went to ask permission?"She whispered, ignoring the mention of Sonny.

"Not so much permission as a courtesy."

"And?"

"And after a long argument, a pair of handcuffs, a lie detector test and a promise to make you happy for the rest of our lives, he said if you say yes, he'll support us."

"Mac gave you permission?" Maxie said trying to slow her breathing.

"As close as he's going to, so Maxie what do you think? Will you marry me?"

"Yes Jason. Yes of course I'll marry you." She said launching herself into his arms. Jason held Maxie up for the kiss before putting her back onto her bare feet. Without the heels she barely met his shoulder. "We're getting married!"

"Yes we are." Jason truly smiled before kissing Maxie again.

The chicken had nearly burned away when Maxie was finally done showing Jason just how happy she was be become Mrs. Jason Morgan.

~*~