You'll Probably Recognize A Few Parts Of This Chapter. The Writers Didn't Get Everything Wrong. Otherwise We Wouldn't Ship Our Ship, Lol.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GREY'S ANATOMY OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.

Jackson walks into his penthouse and he's sure it's never felt less like home, and he blames Maggie. He'd gotten so used to her being here that the place felt strange whenever she wasn't. And now, only God knew when she'd be back. When, not if, because if it was the last thing he ever did, he was going to have Maggie home with him.

Guess he was wrong, they hadn't walked out of that elevator a couple at all. But maybe they had the next best thing. An understanding that while they had their issues, they genuinely wanted to be together, and that was what really mattered. As long as they both wanted it, he was sure they'd figure it out.

After their draining conversation they'd sat in the elevator for an additional 2 hours eating the snacks from the picnic basket and holding onto one another. For they knew once they stepped off that elevator things were going to be very different. They didn't do much talking, but if they did it was to tell some light-hearted joke or recall a good memory. They'd promised to remain friends in the meantime but who knew how that would actually work out. How could they go from deeply in love to friends over night? Simple, they couldn't.

Maggie walked into the house emotionally drained and it had manifested itself into physical exhaustion. She tip toed up the steps in an effort to not be bothered by anyone. As much as she loved her family she just wasn't in the mood. She really wanted to take a shower but that would only get her caught, so she went straight to her room and locked the door.

She gets undressed and puts on one of Jackson's t-shirts that she'd purposely left behind when she packed up his things. It still smells like him. She buries herself under the covers and covers her face with the t-shirt to inhale his scent and imagine he's holding her in his arms.

Maggie had been lying awake in bed for an hour before she accepted the fact that she was too wound up to sleep. Not only was she hurting, she was still a little pissed. Not so much with Jackson, just with the entire situation. She was a talker and she really wanted to talk this out with her sisters. Usually that always made her feel better. Now though, all it did was make her more upset.

Amelia was at the hospital so she was in the house with Meredith. Usually it was no problem talking to Meredith. She always listened and even though her responses were typically short, not always sweet and to the point, they always helped give Maggie perspective. But for some reason every time Maggie tried to bring up her problems with Jackson in the last hour, Meredith kept cutting her off and changing the subject. Quite frankly she was starting to get pissed. Maggie was in the kitchen, chopping up vegetables while Meredith folded laundry at the table when she finally reached her limit.

She slammed the knife down on the counter and stomped over to Meredith, "What is so wrong in your life that you can listen to my problems?"

Meredith sighs and continues to fold, "Maggie."

"I know Jackson told you what happened but that shouldn't matter. I'm your sister. You're supposed to have my back."

She throws the item she's folding back into the basket and turns towards Maggie, "Do you love him? Do you still love him?"

"Yeah, of course, but that's not the point."

"It is the point" she sighs and rolls her eyes, "Catherine has advanced chondrosarcoma on her spine. She's my VIP patient. She's why I went to Los Angeles. It's big and its bad and he's gonna need you. So unless he's revealed himself to be some sort of sociopath, just make up with him, or at the very least be his friend."

"Does Jackson know? Does Richard?"

"Not yet."

"Meredith…."

"I know. And you broke HIPPA to me with Teddy so we're even."

And there it was. Meredith's response was to the point and in no way sweet, but it gave Maggie all the perspective she needed.

She had no idea she'd be back here so soon when she left earlier this afternoon, but here she was. Initially she wasn't going to say anything to him because she didn't feel it was her place. At that moment she finally understood his plight when it came to her mom's diagnosis. But it was because of that understanding that she'd decided to tell him. It wouldn't matter who told him, it would hurt no matter what but he deserved to know as soon as possible and she wanted to be there for him.

She took a deep breath and used her key to let herself in. She considered knocking but she decided this would be better. She expected to see him sitting on the couch watching the game or reading through case files, but when she walked in the living room was empty and the smell wafting from the empty kitchen distracted her. She knew that smell and it made her smile. She didn't realize he'd actually paid attention when she was teaching him. He spent so much of the time playing around and trying to seduce her. The memory made her smile. She peeked in the oven and saw that the lasagna looked near perfect, hopefully it tasted the same.

She was about to go upstairs when she realized how weird that could be. She had no idea what he was up there doing. She'd already overstepped by letting herself in. She decides she'll just clean the already clean kitchen while she waits for him to come downstairs. It should be any minute since the lasagna is almost done anyway.

When 10 minutes go by and he doesn't come back down she takes the lasagna out of the oven for him and sits it on the counter. Any longer and it'll burn.

15 minutes after that she hears him running through the hall and down the stairs.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fu—AHHH. HOLY SHIT. Maggie!" he shouts with his hand on his chest.

She wants to laugh. She really does. It's hilarious. But she's stuck on stupid, staring. He's standing in front of her with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist, glistening wet, and she's just staring.

He of course notices and smirks, "See something you want?"

That snapped her out of it. "Huh? What? Ye- NO! Ughh, can you go put on some clothes? Please."

He laughs at how flustered she is and goes back upstairs to get dressed.

While Jackson is upstairs she pours him a glass of scotch and herself some wine while she waits for him.

He comes back down and sees the glass of scotch sitting on the counter for him and suddenly he's nervous. He knew Maggie had a reason for being there, but he had hoped that it was something good like forgetting about this stupid break. Seeing the scotch though, he knew it was something he wouldn't want to hear. He only drank it when he was stressed, upset or occasionally at a party.

He walks towards her slowly and he can see she's nervous. She reaches a hand out for him and he grabs it immediately and stands in front of her.

She looks up at him, blue to brown, and says "I love you."

He smiles, "I love you too."

She leans up and kisses him gently and then pulls back, "I have to tell you something."

He raises a brow "Really? I couldn't tell." He says sarcastically.

She chuckles at his attempt to lighten the mood and takes a deep breath before she starts. "I have to tell you. I couldn't keep this from you. Especially you."

There are all kinds of thoughts running through his head. Different ideas of what she could be about to tell him. How he'd possibly feel, but none of his thoughts prepared him for what she had to say. It wasn't even on his radar.

"Jackson, it's your mom."

She almost chickened out and ran out the door at the look on his face. It broke her heart into pieces to see the fear in his eyes, and she didn't want to watch his break into pieces as well.

Cancer. His mom has cancer. Maggie told him what she knew which wasn't much, but somehow everything and now he was stuck. He was sitting on the couch one hand clutching Maggie's for dear life, the other holding onto his scotch. She was right, he needed the scotch. He was on what had to be his 6th glass in a 15 minute span and still he had no idea what to do. He needed to talk to his mom. And Meredith. And Korasik. He needed answers. He looked over at Maggie and was almost floored by the love and compassion he saw in her eyes. There was no pity like he thought there would be. No judgement of how he was drowning his feelings in alcohol. Just more love and compassion than he ever knew existed.

She hadn't said one word since she told him all she knew and he realized that she was doing now, what he'd done earlier in the elevator. She was waiting him out. Allowing him to be the one to break the silence and take the lead in whatever conversation followed, all while holding onto him, letting him know she was there.

"I-I have no idea what to say." He chokes out.

She runs a hand through his hair, soothing him, "So don't say anything." She whispers.

He stares at her and then he places his glass on the coffee table. Then he shifts so that he's lying on the couch with his head in her lap as she continues to run her hand through his curls.

"What do I do?" he sounds like a lost little boy and her heart breaks just hearing it.

"You be there for her. And if or when she's too weak to fight for herself, you fight for her."

"Wi-will you, uhh, will you help me?"

She smirks down at him, "You know Jackson, there truly is a such thing as a dumb question. No matter what you may have heard."

For the first time since she mentioned his mom he chuckles. He has no idea what comes next but he's one hundred percent certain that he won't be able to get through it without Maggie, and lucky for him, he won't have to.

He sits up and kisses her, "I think I'm gonna go call my mom. I don't know what I'm gonna say but…" he shrugs.

"Hey, it's okay. I think I'll go eat some of that lasagna. See if you did me proud." She smiles before kissing his forehead and walking into the kitchen.

He's been lying on the bed looking up at the ceiling for the last hour and a half. He hadn't been able to call his mom. He was terrified to hear it from her mouth. The strongest woman he knows, and she's sick. He never realized how indestructible he thought she was until this very moment. Even when Maggie lost her mom he never once considered or thought about his mom getting sick or dying. It's as if the thought was impossible to him. Sure, logically he knew what was possible but he just never thought he'd have to deal with it.

He considers calling her now but when he looks over at the clock he realizes it's a quarter to 12. He'd just go see her tomorrow, it was late. At that thought he hops up. He'd been so lost in his thoughts of his mom he'd forgotten that Maggie was still downstairs. She'd probably left when he didn't come back down, but he really hoped she didn't.

When he got downstairs he couldn't hold back his smile. There she was, fast asleep on the couch while there was a football game on tv. He chuckled when he realized it was an old game he'd recorded, because he knew she only put it on in hopes that it would bore her to sleep like it always did. The only sport she could watch without falling asleep was basketball but she still never complained when he made her watch anything else. She either read or laid beside him and went to sleep.

As if it was second nature, because truthfully it was, he turns off the tv and lifts Maggie into his arms. She didn't wake up but she instinctively snuggled into his chest as he carried her up to bed. He laid her down and went to the dresser to get her something more comfortable to sleep in. She's half-awake as he undresses her and she assists by lifting her body when he needs her to. He puts one of his t shirts on her and tucks her into bed then places a kiss on her forehead. He turns to go clean up the kitchen but stops when she whispers his name. When he looks over at her, her eyes are open and she's looking at him with a slight smile.

"Thank you." she whispers and she watches as he smiles and nods but doesn't say anything. "Jackson, you know it's gonna be okay right?"

He nods but they both know it's more for her than him actually believing it.

She sits up abruptly in bed and smiles over at him, "I'm thinking.."

He looks at her skeptically, "Uh oh."

She giggles and rolls her eyes, "Oh whatever. So! I know it was my idea, but life is too uncertain to take the things we are certain of for granted. And if nothing else, I'm certain that I love you and I wanna be with you. Flaws be damned."

"Good. Because I love you and I wanna be with you too." he says as he walks over to the bed. He bends down and moves in to kiss her, but halfway there he pulls back, "To clarify, break is over right?"

Maggie laughs, "Breaks over. Now kiss me please."

And kiss her he did.

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