So...sorry it's late again...I feel like I might have rushed this chapter but I'm excited for the next chapter. This story will be wrapping up in about 2-3 chapters so hopefully you're still out there reading.

Enjoy!

One full week after returning to Port Charles Maxie was prepped and ready for her first day back at Crimson. Kate had told her there was no reason to rush back, but Maxie wanted to return to normal. Normal meant back to work, once again with a new guard on her tail. With Cody's promotion to enforcer they had just employed a new group of guards and this new one was dreading the fashion industry more than Cody had.

"So maybe we can get dinner tonight?" Jason suggested.

"Actually I don't think I'll be getting out of work until really late." She said busily walking around the bedroom getting ready.

"I have a lot of stuff to catch up on too; it can be a late dinner."

"I'll call you when I know what the details are?" She said before grabbing her shoes and rushing down the stairs; leaving Jason alone in their bedroom with no kiss goodbye.

That's how things had been since their return from the Bahamas. Everyone told him it would be a long while before things were back to normal, but it seemed as if Maxie was forgetting the last months and completely blocking it out.

The day after their return they went to the General Hospital so Robin and Patrick could run a full and complete battery of tests. Jason didn't need any report to tell them that Maxie had been raped. From the bruises he watched her try and hide, to the way she reacted anytime someone touched her; it wasn't rocket science. It just broke his heart that Maxie hadn't been able to tell him, and he was unbelievably pissed off at the world that someone had taken his bride and done that to her. If he didn't think Frisco and Felicia were going to find the people responsible he would already be back in the Bahamas taking care of the situation himself.

Patrick and Robin suggested letting Maxie reveal this secret herself, it would take a lot of patience, but that would be better than ambushing her, with something she clearly wasn't ready to reveal.

"She won't talk to me." Jason said sitting in front of the couple, Maxie at the crimson office. "She won't even look me when we're talking."

"Jason do you remember how long I ran away from my post partum depression?" Robin stated.

"It's true Jason that took months, Maxie's only been back for a week. You have to give her more time."

"And I'm willing to wait, but I can just feel her pulling away from me. She's just slipping away from who I've seen her become and I—"

"I know Jase; she'll come back to you."

Maxie was busily returning phone calls off her roster list of duties for the day. Since Maxie's return Lulu went to Manhattan to pick up Federico's new collection samples while Maxie re-acclimated herself.

Her new guard was stationed in the lobby leaving her to her work without having to entertain, and not having to worry about Kate, who was being eerily lax on Maxie's absence. Everyone was being nice, and that's what bothered her. Sure she was a broken hearted, abduction and rape victim—but she was still Maxie Jones, well, Maxie Morgan. Maxie Jones would have pushed the feelings of hurt and victimization down and go to the bar and use and abuse some guy at a bar.

Maxie Morgan wasn't quite sure how to deal anymore. Mostly because this was the first major event other than the short honeymoon in her life as Maxie Morgan.

After lunch in her trip up the elevator Maxie had her first panic attach of the day. Suddenly it felt like the walls were closing in on her, and she needed to get out immediately. Stopping the elevator on the second floor Maxie was making her way down the luxurious hallways when she ran smack into Johnny.

A small gasp escaped her lips before she had a chance to realize whose arms were holding her.

"Maxie, its okay calm down I've got you." Johnny said loosening his grip on the frantic blonde.

"Johnny what are you doing here?" She said trying to slow her breathing.

"Just taking care of some business, what are you doing on this floor?"

"I just—"

Johnny gently pulled her back in for a light hug, keeping his arms loosely around her so she didn't feel trapped. "How about we take the stairs up the next floor? I could use the work out?"

Maxie smiled, letting Johnny lead her to the stairwell where they walked up the next flight reaching the crimson offices.

"Thanks I just."She tried to say again, the words not quite making it out.

"You alone in the office today?" He asked sliding Lulu's chair over towards where Maxie was now sitting.

"Yeah, there all in Manhattan, so just me, I left the guard downstairs for the day. I wanted to do this on my own—we see how well that worked out."

"Maxie you're allowed to not be okay. You know that right?"

"Trust me Johnny—I know I'm not okay." Maxie said checking her makeup in her handheld mirror.

"Well admitting you have a problem is the—"

"I'm not a drug addict or alcoholic Johnny. I was abducted, I was—"

"Maxie I don't need to know everything, but Jason does." He said softly trying not to sound like he was telling her what to do. "Maxie Jason is your husband, I was at your wedding and I watched Jason—the guy loves you—he married you which he hasn't done with the other girlfriends. Don't talk to me, talk to him."

"What if he doesn't love me anymore?"

"That's not going to happen Maxie—but in the unlikely event that it does, you know I'll be there for you." Johnny smirked saying a quick goodbye before leaving the office.

She might as well just go home and tell everything to Jason—he was going to find out sooner or later, and if she did it now she could at least set her mind up for moving on…and maybe moving out.

Later in the day after Jason's trip to the hospital, after stopping by the Metro Court to check up on Maxie, and briefly stopping by the warehouse; Jason returned to the penthouse sitting with 5 week's worth of paperwork sitting on the desk.

Halfway through an expense report there was a knock on the door revealing Robin had arrived. She carried a manila folder in her hand.

"Hey Jason is Maxie home, I have her test results." She said.

"So there's something wrong? You wouldn't bring over a folder if there wasn't something wrong."

"Jason I can't really go into detail it's Maxie's file." Robin finished sitting down—looking at the broken man she barely recognized. Jason's head was placed in his hands, elbows resting on his knees, she knew he needed something. "There is something I can tell you. Jason when we ran further blood work—Maxie's pregnant Jason"

"I'm sorry what!" he said his head snapping up quickly.

"Maxie's pregnant; I'm guessing you guys didn't know that before the wedding?"

"We had no idea—are you sure?"

"Yeah—Look Jason I know that Maxie was raped, but you should know that it would be too soon for that to show up on a test, so this baby is yours."

"100% sure?"

"Yeah, Jason you're going to have a baby. We won't know how early you guys conceived until we do a sonogram but—" Robin smiled glad she could see Jason smiled after everything he had been through in the recent weeks. Before they had more time to talk about it the door to the penthouse suddenly opened. "Good Maxie you're here, I just brought over your test results."

"So what's wrong with me?" Maxie said—knowing that something was up. She carefully set her purse down on the desk waiting for someone to talk.

"Maxie there isn't anything wrong with you." Jason said quickly.

"Robin what is it?" She asked again disregarding Jason completely.

"We ran more tests on your blood work and gave you a full work up. You have a mild infection which we were going to give you a stronger dose of antibiotics for but—"

"But it's my heart right? It's too far set?" Maxie asked looking quickly over at Jason who seemed more concerned than when she walked in.

"No Maxie it's not that at all." Robin started again. "Maxie you're pregnant, that's why we can't give you the antibiotics. We actually are going to have to watch this very closely to make sure that you and the baby are okay."

Maxie quickly hid the shock and horror from her face before looking back up at Jason. It's like he was waiting for some sort of reaction from her.

"I'm gonna get out of your hair—Maxie come by the hospital we'll set up a meeting with Dr. Lee." Robin said before letting herself out.

At the sound of the door closing Maxie carefully slipped her heels from her feet, still not daring to look at Jason. It wasn't until she walked into the kitchen that he finally spoke to her.

"Maxie I know that you're—just talk to me." He said sounding completely worn out. "I'm so used to you talking a mile and minute that this silence is terrifying me. Did you hear what Robin said? We're going to have a baby."

"Jason—" She whispered just wanting him to stop talking. Her mind was running and all she wanted to do was follow it right out the door.

Coming up behind her Jason placed his hands against her shoulders automatically receiving a jump as she tried to push him away.

"I know that this is going to be hard—and there's a lot we have to deal with—"

"Jason just stop!" Maxie said finally finding her voice. "We're not doing this, not now not tonight. I'm not going to stand her and try to explain this because you're never going to understand!"

Jason moved to talk again but was quickly shushed by Maxie's retreating form. She quickly raced up the stairs only stopping once she reached their bedroom. She'd barely slept there in the last week, making sure to keep her body as closely pressed to the edge as she could. Walking towards the closet Maxie grabbed a small duffle bag and began shoving clothes inside moving to each area where the clothing was stored.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm packing a bag, I'm going to stay with Mac, I can't do this right now Jason."

"Maxie no—if you're not comfortable with this I can stay in the guest room." He said trying to reason with her, this was the last thing he wanted, but the circumstances had changed.

"No, I'm going to Mac's I'll call you once I figure things out."

"Maxie this isn't just about you anymore—" he started realizing how calloused it sounded. "I mean, Maxie you're pregnant, we need to talk about this."

"No we don't, you're off the hook Jason."

"Off the hook, Maxie what are you talking about?" He said watching utterly confused as he watched her zip the bag closed.

"I was raped Jason, there you go, that's the big secret! So like I said you're off the hook, you're not going to get stuck raising another kid that's not yours."

Jason couldn't move, he couldn't speak—and he wasn't even able to form words or enough strength to stop Maxie from walking out the door, nor enough energy to correct her mistake.

That this was their child.

"So I was thinking I might move back in." Maxie said sitting across the table from Mac.

Mac was surprised to see Maxie standing at the door with a bag hung on her shoulder to say the least. He had a few conversations with Jason, about how things were going—and they hadn't been going well; but he hadn't expected this. And while once he would have loved for Maxie to come to him saying she was leaving the mob lifestyle behind, things had changed.

"Really?"

"You were right Mac, things with Jason—it was doomed from the start."

"Maxie things are going to take some time to get back to normal."

"I'm pregnant." She said quickly. "Mac I was—by the guys that—" she stammered through, a few tears trailed down her cheeks. "It's just better this way if I come back here."

"Maxie I—"

"Don't." She stopped. "I know that all of this needs to be talked about but right now I just, I'm gonna go put my stuff upstairs and then go to the crimson office to get some work stuff."

"I'll get your room ready." Mac said softly hugging his daughter, Maxie lightly hugged her father back before moving towards the door.

Jason searched all the places he thought Maxie might go. After calling Mac Jason confirmed that she had been there, his next stop was the crimson offices, and finally Jakes. He hoped that Maxie was at least in the mindset where she knew that she couldn't/wouldn't drink. He had to hope that even though she thought the child wasn't his that she wouldn't knowingly hurt a baby regardless of how it was conceived.

But as he walked in he was seconds away from seeing Maxie put a shot glass to her lips.

Rushing towards her Jason caught the shot glass on its way towards her mouth sending the liquid contents all over the bar and the shirt she was wearing.

"What the hell~" She yelled turning quickly towards the person.

"Maxie what do you think you're doing, you can't drink."

"And why the hell not Jason, because of this baby; baby that isn't even yours? Why would you care so much about something like that? Just the thought of it makes me want to be sick!" She said starting to cry. The bar was fairly empty and Coleman knew well enough when Jason walked in to back away.

"Maxie I need you to look at me." Jason said placing his hands on either side of her face. She kept her eyes closed almost willing the tears to stay in. "Maxie you ran out of there before we had a chance to finish, Maxie there's something you need to know."

Maxie took a few staggered breathes and finally opened her eyes to look into Jason's crystal blue ones. "Maxie, I know that you were raped—I've known since the day we found you, I also know it was recent. Maxie your blood work wouldn't have been positive for any of that yet. Maxie you were pregnant before you were abducted."

"But—" Maxie started down at Jason's hands lying on her still toned stomach.

"No buts Maxie. I can't possibly imagine what you've been through. But this baby is yours and mine. We are having a baby. A beautiful little baby and I know this is a really bad time for all this to happen but I couldn't be more excited."

Maxie couldn't respond she just sat staring at Jason, her eyes fixed un-blinking. "Maxie I'm so happy that this baby is yours and mine, but I want you to know. That no matter what happened to you, while—" Jason didn't have to use the words Maxie knew what he meant. "Nothing is or ever will change the way I feel about you

"You say that now but—"

"No buts Maxie. I am your husband and I love you." He finished before pulling her into his arms hugging her tightly before scooping her into his arms and carrying her out of the bar.