What's your boyfriend like? - Well...he's amazing. He surfs and goes to UCSB so I don't see him much - at least not as much as I want to. I'm not going to say what he looks like just for sake of anonymity but he does have what I affectionately call "poop green" eyes. haha. no but really he's great. we talk every day in one way or another and while he's far from being the perfect boyfriend, he does just fine.

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined."

There was an annoying beeping sound somewhere near America's head. She sighed and opened her eyes a crack. The light was blinding. Where was she? She opened her eyes a bit more and held a hand up to block some of the sun streaming through the window. Someone was sitting near her. "Can you please close the curtains?" she asked, her voice coming out thick and raspy.

She heard the scrape of curtains sliding on the rod and opened her eyes, relieved to see Maxon there. Then she was about to throw up. She leaned over the edge of the bed and he reached around her head to hold her hair back. She retched for a few moments and collapsed back in bed. "What is wrong with me?" she asked in an exasperated voice.

He laughed and cracked a smile. "You inhaled a lot of smoke and then when you were leaving the house, a beam hit you and knocked you out. Luckily Kota was there to save you."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course he was. Where are we?"

"We're uh…we're at the palace." When he saw the expression on her face he held up a hand to stop her response. "Let me explain later. Right now, there's someone who really wants to see you."

Right on cue, the doors opened and a maid entered, carrying Christian. He squirmed and surprised her by jumping out of her arms and running to his parents. Maxon laughed at his son and pulled out a piece of gum for America from the pocket of his pants.

Christian sat in her lap and played with her fingers unconsciously. "Mommy, you feel better?"

"Not really honey but I'm sure I will soon." She looked at Maxon as he stood up to perch on the edge of her bed. He ran a hand down Christian's back and for the first time in weeks, she thought of the child they had lost. How different this reunion would be if she had not lost it. With little warning, she started crying.

"Don't cry Mommy!" Christian exclaimed, brushing her tears away.

Maxon frowned and looked at his son. "Christian, could you go get Mommy some water?"

Christian jumped off the bed and Maxon had America in his arms no sooner. "Are you thinking about our daughter?" he asked her quietly. She nodded and sobbed into his shoulder. "I hope you don't mind but I had to tell the nurses because I had to explain why you were hospitalized. They asked and needed to know. Especially with the transfusion and everything."

She nodded again and took a shuddering breath. "I'm thinking about her and I'm thinking about…Aspen." She saw his face shift into a more disgruntled expression and quickly explained. "Look, I know he really did a lot of terrible stuff to us but that doesn't change who he was. Not to me. You promised me that you'd love me no matter what, remember?"

"I wouldn't stop loving you for something as simple as you grieving for your psychotic best friend," he told her. He ran a hand through her hair. "Are you ready to get out of here?"

She did a quick inventory and shrugged. "I'm still a little nauseous," she admitted. "And my head hurts."

"It's the concussion," he told her. "Before we go upstairs, you should know: Kota is here. He insisted on coming with us back here and I couldn't say no. Not after he saved you. Multiple times."

She nodded. "No, it's fine. I'll just keep a distance."

"Are you sure?" he asked. "I mean, I know you two have had your differences and I know I'm not one to talk when it comes to family drama…but he is your brother and he is kind of responsible for saving your life. Twice." He stood up to go talk to a nurse. "I'm just saying...reconciling your relationship with him may not be a bad idea seeing as he's the one person out of your entire family that's here right now. And that says something."

At this point, America started to think that in all reality, reconciling and rekindling her relationship with her husband should come before her brother. Maxon came back a little later with the robe he had in their chambers and he wrapped her in it, running his hands down her arms. "We're home," he sighed.

She nodded. Just then Christian came back with a cup of water filled to the very top, spilling most of its contents before he even got to America. She pretended to take a drink for his benefit and then let Maxon help her up. Christian babbled excitedly as they slowly made their way upstairs, the long walk making America's head spin. When she was safely tucked into their big bed and Christian was playing on the floor nearby, she asked Maxon the tough question. "What are we doing about your dad?"

He sighed and was quiet for several moments. "Well, getting Christian back was the first step of throwing things over in our favor. I believe that with him here and Aspen…well, no longer part of the equation, we have the advantage in attacking him. We've had soldiers slowly returning, not agreeing with what Clarkson has been doing."

She nodded, suddenly remembering that Clarkson wasn't actually his dad. The drama of their lives did nothing to help her headache. "I think I need to sleep." He smiled and fluffed her pillow for her. She slept intermittently for the next few days as her headache faded but then her heart started to ache for Aspen.

In her concussed state, she couldn't quite comprehend the fact that Aspen was gone for good and not coming back. He had ceased to exist and the truth threatened to crush her already frail spirit. Maxon was gone for brief meetings with the Masons but he always returned to her quickly, recognizing that her need for comfort triumphed anything else he may have had to do.

She had no idea how, but one morning she woke up and her execution attire had been laid out by her maids. She dressed and didn't ask questions, assuming it was finally time for Aspen's sendoff. Maxon was nowhere to be found though. She went to his study and found him in there alone, the midnight oil burning in the lamp on his desk dimly. He was already dressed for the occasion.

He looked up at her and knew instantly what she was thinking. "We're executing Clarkson today," he said quietly.

"Maxon, I'm sorry," she whispered, the large oak desk separating them.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, it had to happen eventually if this was ever going to end." He rose and drew himself up to his impressive height, assuming the air of the king. He switched off his lamp and walked around the desk, putting a hand on America's back and guiding her out to the square, beyond the gates, where they assumed their places on the raised platform for the king and queen.

She realized that this was the first time in months that the two of them had been in front of their subjects in public and the first official time they were together as king and queen, not king and princess. Maxon barely showed any emotion through the process of reading Clarkson's offenses. The crowd seemed torn. Some people were turned to the gallows, demanding for them to just get on with the execution but others were turned to Maxon and America, accusing them of treason.

Eventually Maxon reached over and took America's hand and squeezed it hard. She kept her eyes forward as Clarkson, with more fanfare than needed, was hanged. Following the execution, Maxon went straight to his study to have a drink. America sought out their son and played with him quietly in his room to calm herself.

She was still dressed when Maxon appeared in the doorway and watched her get Christian ready for bed. "Maybe Daddy could read a story to you," she suggested, looking at Maxon. "Mommy still doesn't feel well enough to read."

Maxon half-smiled and pushed himself off of the wall to sit on the other side of Christian's bed. Things were still kind of awkward between them and probably would be for a long time but the toddler did not notice. He was just thrilled to have his parents back.

When they got to their bedroom Maxon locked the door behind him and watched America's maids remove her formal attire. "I think it's time we have that talk," he told her.

She nodded. "The 'What do we do now, now that we're back in control of the country and living together and supposed to be more in love than anything' talk?"

"Yeah, that one." He smiled at her reaction. "I was thinking, you never did ask me which name I wanted to go by. Maxon or Dax."

"The people know you as Maxon," America told him. "Thank you Lucy, that'll be all." She sat down in front of her mirror and started removing her jewelry. "And I know you as Maxon."

"But I don't know. President Maxon doesn't sound the same as President Dax."

She turned on her stool. "President?" she repeated, getting confused.

He approached her slowly. "We're keeping the name of the country the same," he warned, "but a monarchy is rather archaic. I like the idea of a constitutional monarchy."

"Maxon, really?"

He nodded. "Yep. The Masons will be our parliament. That's what all of these meetings I've been going to have been about. You've done it America, you've brought back the integrity of the United States!"

She shook her head sadly. "No, I didn't. You did."

"I couldn't have done it without you. Not without your added support. The Masons, they didn't understand the constitutional monarchy idea when I brought it up but when you mentioned it they were all on board. It's because of you that they all want this."

"And how does that make your hero complex feel?"

He chuckled. "Whatever makes you happy…" He knelt down in front of her and put both of his hands on her knees. "America, I love you. I made a promise to you that in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, I love you. I told you that come what may, I will always love you. I stand by those words. I want to be your husband and your best friend and your partner-in-crime and your sidekick. I want to watch our son grow up, I want to have more children with you. I want to live the rest of my life with you and I don't care what I have to do in order for me to do that. There is very little I know about what is going to happen to us in the future but what I do know is that I love you and I always will love you. Will you be my wife again?"

For a moment she was too overwhelmed to answer but she finally nodded. She put her arms around him and she could feel his eyelashes brushing against her shoulder. "I love you."

"You still haven't answered me," he whispered.

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes!" She pulled away and looked into his eyes seriously. "Yes," she breathed out. She took out her necklace with her rings on it and let him take the rings off and slide them on her hand. She did the same to his.

There were still parts of her that were broken but she knew in that moment that Maxon would always be able to repair that damage. She still had to grieve for Aspen but she had more room in her heart to love Maxon the way he deserved to be loved.

More Maxerica and it was a long chapter...you're welcome. hope you guys are having a good day! Review and send questions please