"Megan?"

Megan turned from looking at her reflection in the bathroom mirror Tuesday evening as Jackson came into the room.

"Are you..." He trailed off as when he saw her.  "Ready?" He finished, his eyes running over her.  Megan fought to keep a straight face at the look in his blue eyes.  She had spent a lot of time planning her outfit for this evening and it was having the desired effect.  The black, spaghetti strap dress fell to just below her knees and Megan watched as Jackson's eyes ran over her again.  She was wearing a pair of strappy, black heels and had pulled her hair up.  She knew she looked good-his blatant staring was proof of that.

Over the past four weeks, they had been making strides towards repairing their relationship--thanks in part to the therapist they were seeing on a weekly basis.  Megan was finally getting the help she needed to confront the emotional wounds she'd been carrying around most of her life, since her father had left, and she was slowly beginning to feel like she could trust again.  Tonight she had decided to take a leap of faith, hoping Jackson would be there to catch her when she fell.

"You look..." Jackson paused, interrupting her thoughts.  He blinked a few times.  "You look great!" He told her, smiling. 

Megan looked down at herself, then back up at him.  "Thank you." She replied.  "Are you ready to go?"  She asked.  He nodded.  "Okay, I just want to put on this necklace," she said, turning and picking up a silver chain that had been lying on the counter.  "Can you help me?" She asked, watching him in the mirror as she unclasped the necklace--holding both ends around her neck.

"Yeah." He walked towards her and took the ends of the necklace from her.  Clasping the ends together Jackson adjusted the necklace against her chest, the tiny silver snowflake resting against her skin just above the neckline of her dress.  Megan watched Jackson's reflection closely, wondering if he would remember the necklace; understand the significance behind her wearing it.  It had been a while since she'd last worn it and as his dark blue eyes met hers in the mirror, her stomach quivered.

He remembered.

Placing his hands on her shoulders, Jackson turned her around to face him.  His eyes dropped to the snowflake charm and Megan's heart fluttered in her chest as he reached out-his fingers brushing against her skin as he picked it up.  "Aspen." He whispered, his eyes lifting to once more connect with hers.  She nodded, unable to speak.

They had only known each other and been dating a month when Jackson had asked her to go to Aspen with him several years ago.  His family owned a cabin there and he had been determined to teach her how to ski.  Megan had agreed and, though her first adventure down a ski slope was one she tried to forget about, the rest of the weekend had been a turning point in their relationship even though it hadn't gone at all like they had expected.  When they'd returned from their day of skiing they had been met by the unexpected arrival of Jackson's parents and two of his siblings--Megan's first introduction to his family.  The trip had been marked by another first as well.

As Megan quietly opened the door of the bedroom she had shared with Jackson's sister, Lindsay, last night, she tip-toed out of the room and softly closed the door behind her.  Making her way downstairs in the quiet early morning, she walked into the kitchen and put some water on to boil.  Pulling a mug from one cupboard and a container of hot chocolate mix from another Megan waited for the water to heat.  She stood in front of the sink watching out the window as the sun began peaking over the mountains to the east.  She felt more than heard Jackson come into the room, so she didn't jump as a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist, a stubbled chin tickling her neck as he placed a kiss there.  She leaned back against his chest, resting the back of her head against his shoulder.

"What are you doing up so early?" He asked his voice low and gravely from having recently woken up.

"I could ask you the same thing." She responded quietly.

"I couldn't sleep." He answered. 

"Bad dreams?" She asked.  She closed her eyes and tipped her head to the side as his lips began roaming along the skin of her neck and shoulder.

"More like unfulfilled dreams." He said tightening his arms around her waist.  Megan smiled as a shiver ran up her spine.  "I wasn't exactly planning on sharing a room with my brother last night." He said.  "The disappointment was a little hard to swallow."

"Who were you expecting to share a room with?" She asked a teasing tone to her voice.

"I'll give you two guesses." He said, turning her in his arms.  "And the first one doesn't count."

Megan smiled up at him.  Reaching a hand up, she brushing the dark hair off his forehead--once again deciding she really liked the sight of Jackson Taylor first thing in the morning.  Heaven knew he was a sight to behold in his suit and tie, and she loved seeing him in just his jeans and a T-shirt, but right now--with his hair mussed from sleeping, the dark stubble covering his jaw, and wearing a simple undershirt and a pair of flannel pants--he took her breath away.  A tingling sensation began in the pit of her stomach, slowly spreading out to other parts of her body.  The hand that had been in his hair lowered to cup his cheek, urging him forward. 

As his lips connected with hers, she sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck.  One hand slid into his hair while the other stayed at the back of his shoulders.  Jackson's arms left her waist; his hands coming up to gently cup her face as his mouth moved seductively against her own.  Jackson used his hands to tilt her head the opposite direction of his as he deepened the kiss between them, pressing her back against the counter as her entire body seemed to catch fire.  She momentarily forgot his parents and siblings were sleeping upstairs as she ran her hands down his chest eliciting a groan from him.  She smiled to herself, reveling in the power she had over him.  Just as she was about to throw all caution to the wind and beg him to end this slow dance they'd been torturing themselves with for the past month, the water she had put on to boil began popping and hissing as it began jumping out of the pot.

Megan tore her lips away from Jackson's, her breath coming in shallow gasps.  She freed herself from his arms and turned the stove off, moving the pot of boiling water away from the hot burner.  She stood facing the counter, her hands on the granite as she tried to steady her breathing.  She could hear Jackson doing the same behind her and as much as she longed to turn around and pick up where they had left off, the fact of the matter was, they weren't alone in the house.  At any moment his parents or Mark or Lindsay could wake up and walk in on them.  "Sorry about that." She said not exactly sure what she was apologizing for as she reached into the cupboard and withdrew another mug.  "You want some cocoa?" She asked. 

He didn't answer.  Instead, Megan's breath caught as he reached around her and placed a silver chain around her neck.  She looked down; picking up the small silver snowflake charm that hung from the necklace as he worked to fasten the piece of jewelry then placed a kiss to the back of her neck.  Megan turned to look at him, her head cocked to the side, her eyes curious.  "What...?"

"I wanted to get you something to help remember this trip." He said, his eyes fixated on the snowflake as he took it from her and held it between his fingers. 

"Jackson..." Megan stopped, words escaping her at the moment.  Her heart skipped a beat as he placed his fingers against her lips, his eyes following the movement as he traced the outline of her mouth.  When at last his eyes lifted to connect with hers, her stomach flipped at the emotion she saw in his sapphire eyes, and--even though she knew what he was going to say before the words left his mouth--the reality of hearing them still sent a jolt through her system.

"I love you, Megan." He said with all the conviction he had, bringing his hand up to cup her cheek.  He caught the lone tear that escaped and rolled down her cheek with his thumb.  "I love you." He repeated, softer this time.    

Megan threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.  She buried her face in his neck, inhaling the scent that had come to mean everything to her in the last few weeks: him.  "I love you, too." She whispered, drawing back to look at him.  She marveled at the feeling of freedom those words gave her.  Suddenly the world seemed a brighter place.  Knowing Jackson Taylor loved her made her feel like she could take on anyone who stood in her way and win.  She giggled as he wrapped his arms around her waist, picking her up so her feet barely touched the floor.  Kissing her several more times, Jackson slowly lowered her back down, his arms still around her as he just held her.  Megan sighed.  She loved being held by Jackson, feeling his arms around her she laid her head on his chest.  She listened to the steady beat of his heart, and marveled at the fact that she now knew it beat solely for her. 

"That was the first time you told me you loved me." Jackson stated, watching Megan closely.  His heart was beating wildly in his chest, wondering if this meant what he thought it meant--what he hoped it meant. 

The last couple weeks had been rough.  He had sat quietly; listening as Megan confessed to him and to their therapist everything she felt and had been holding on to in regards to her father leaving as a child, and her insecurities in their marriage--finally understanding what his actions a few months ago had done to her; the pain his stupidity had caused.  While he had kept things quiet about Kate and tried to hide them from her thinking he was protecting her, all he had done was shatter what had been left of Megan's broken heart.  Though he hadn't known it was broken at the time, it still didn't excuse what he had done. The hardest part though, wasn't sitting in that room--watching and listening to her crying--it was being so close to her, yet still feeling so far away.

Though he had continued to sleep in the same bed as Megan since the night she had asked him to stay, there could have been a ten foot wall down the middle of the bed for all the good it was doing.  Jackson had watched the sparkle begin to appear once more in her beautiful eyes over the last month, and he had heard her laughing more this week than he could remember hearing in a long time, but she was still guarded when it came to physical affection between them.  He tried to touch her in some small way whenever he could--grabbing her hand as they were walking, brushing her arm as they passed each other in the hall, wiping away the smudge of flour she always seemed to get on her cheek whenever she was baking-but it wasn't enough.  He was dying.  It was torture sleeping next to her every night, wanting to touch and hold her close but being so unsure of her reaction that he couldn't bring himself to do anything.  If she rejected his advances he knew it would kill him. 

"It was the first time you told me, too." Megan said quietly, startling him from his thoughts and bringing him back to the present. 

Jackson placed the silver charm back where it had been resting, his fingertips brushing against her soft, smooth skin causing an obvious physical reaction.  He loved her.  He wanted her--more than anything he could think of at the moment.  It had been too long since he had been able to kiss her the way he wanted to--with no fear or restraint getting in the way.  It had been too long since he had felt her incredible body next to his; heard her cry out his name.       

"Megan..." He breathed, taking a small step towards her to close the space between them.  He heard her breath hitch slightly as he brought his hand up--the back of his fingers brushing against her cheek.  He ran his fingers along her jaw until, reaching her chin, he tilted her face up towards his.  "Is it still true?" He asked, his eyes boring into hers.  She had said it to him only once since the night she had walked out on him-but had been half asleep when she uttered the words.  "Do you still love me?"  He watched as she swallowed then nodded slightly.  "Say the words." He begged as he lowered his head, his lips barely touching one corner of her mouth.  Her eyes fluttered closed, her breath coming in shallow gasps as he brushed his lips along the opposite side of her mouth.  "Say the words, Megan." He coaxed, taking another step.  The space between them disappeared as he wound his other arm around her waist, bringing her flush against him.  "I need to hear you say them out loud."

"I love you." She finally breathed.  She opened her eyes.  Their breath mingled as they stood there in the bathroom, looking at each other.  "I love you, Jackson.  I love yo--"

His lips cut her off as he captured her mouth in a warm, passionate kiss--the kind of kiss he had been wanting and waiting to give her since seeing her alive and awake in that damned hospital bed six weeks ago.  Megan let out a quiet moan as his mouth continued to move insistently against hers and he thrilled when she put her arms around his neck becoming a full participant in the exchange--taking as much as she was giving.  He turned them slightly, pressing her back against the wall as he tried to gain stability and leverage.  Her fingers dove into his hair and when she tore her lips from his, desperately seeking oxygen, his mouth continued to devour her sweet flesh-burning a trail along her jaw and down her neck. 

"Jackson..." She groaned, her head falling back as she granted him further access to her throat. 

"I love you." He vowed as he continued to worship her neck with his mouth.  "You have no idea how much I love you." He murmured.  She let out a moan of pleasure as he hit her sweet spot and he felt her knees buckle--the fact that he was pinning her to the wall the only reason she was still standing.  "I wish we didn't have to go to this stupid awards banquet." He confessed, referencing the reason she had gotten dressed up in the first place.  "I'd much rather stay home and snack on you." He told her, nipping her playfully.  Megan giggled--the sound going straight to his heart.  He pulled back to look at her, completely taken away at her beauty.  Her eyes sparkled as she opened them and looked at him, her cheeks were flushed with desire and her lips were deliciously red from his kiss. 

"Do we have to go?" She asked. 

Jackson thought about it for a moment.  Was it absolutely necessary that he be at that dinner?  No.  Would his boss be upset if he didn't show up?  Probably, but it wasn't anything Jackson couldn't smooth over in the morning.  What's more important right now? He heart questioned.  Your job or the woman standing in front of you?  The woman. He answered, once more capturing Megan's tempting mouth with his.  Definitely the woman.    

"Scott's already asleep." He told her.  "Give me five minutes to tell your mom that plans have changed and we don't need her to stay." He said, taking a step back.  Megan nodded but Jackson couldn't resist giving her one more kiss before finally releasing her.  "Five minutes." He repeated.

"Five minutes." Megan echoed, her lips lifting in a smile.  "But no more." She told him.  "I don't think I can wait even that long."

"You're killing me, Megan." Jackson groaned, leaning in for another kiss.

She giggled against his lips, her hands coming to rest on his chest.  "You better hurry." She told him.  "You're wasting your five minutes."

"I'm going." He stated, quickly turning to leave the bathroom.  Doing a quick one-eighty he lifted a finger, pointing at her.  "Don't change."

"Okay." Megan replied. 

"I'll be right back." He promised then left the room, feeling like he was flying.  She was back!  His sweet, beautiful, sexy Megan was back! 

~~~~~~~~~

"How was your weekend?" Aubrey asked Rachel Wednesday morning as the girls left the check-in counter at the Orlando airport and headed towards their gate.  "Did you end up stuck in the hotel room all weekend?"

"No." Rachel shook her head.  "We went out yesterday and the night before.  Jace took me on a tour of the city--showing me all the places he used to hang out--and we drove by the house he used to have down here.  What about you guys?"  She asked.  "What was Justin's big birthday surprise?" She grinned excitedly.

Aubrey smiled. "He rented a private yacht." She told Rachel who made a noise of interest as she looked at Aubrey with a smile.  "And we spent the last four days cruising around the Caribbean."

"Well...Mr. Timberlake doesn't play around, does he?" Rachel chuckled.

Aubrey giggled as she shook her head.  "No, he doesn't" She sighed. 

Rachel looked over at Aubrey as they continued walking.  "You seem awfully happy." She remarked.  "Even for a person who just spent the last four days cruising around with Mr. SexyBack."  Aubrey pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, her cheeks warming as if she had been caught at something.  "What's going on?" Rachel asked, sensing there was more to the weekend than what her friend was telling her.

"It was just a...a really good weekend." Aubrey smiled. 

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

She could feel Rachel's eyes on her and knew the other girl could sense the secret she was keeping, but Aubrey wasn't going to be dishing anything today.  The feelings and memories were still too new to share with anyone.  Besides, she'd made a promise not to say anything--as had Justin.  Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she pulled it out, smiling when she saw the object of her thought's name on the screen.  "Hello." She said, answering the call. 

"Well, hello, Mrs. Timberlake." He replied, making her giggle.  She closed her eyes briefly and sighed happily--loving the sound of her new name, especially when he said it.  As it turned out, the captain had been able to marry them last night.  They had talked to him and he had told them that due to the number of requests he had gotten over the years to marry people on his yacht, he had become a notary in the state of Florida--thus giving him the power to marry them--and the rest was now history.

"We said good-bye ten minutes ago Justin." She reminded him.  "Miss me already?" She teased.

"You're kidding me, right?" He asked.  "I missed you the second you left.  That honeymoon we had last night was way too short." He continued, his voice lowering seductively.

Aubrey's stomach quivered.  "Ten days." She reminded him.  "You'll be home in ten days.  We'll get Rachel and JC married," Aubrey looked over at Rachel who smiled at her.  "Then we can do a little celebrating of our own." She promised.

"You drive a hard bargain." He replied. 

"Will you call me tonight after the show?" Aubrey asked as she and Rachel got into line at the security checkpoint. 

"Yes, dear." He replied, making her laugh.

"I love you." Aubrey told him. 

"Whew!" Justin breathed a dramatic sigh of relief.  "I'm glad you said something." He told her.  "I was a little worried.  I was actually beginning to wonder..."

"You are such an idiot." She replied with a laugh, shaking her head.  Justin's laughter came through the phone, making her heart skip at the happy sound.

"Get used to it, babe." he responded.  "Now that we're married I don't have to worry about constantly trying to impress you anymore.  I can let my guard down and just be myself."

"Don't let it down too much." Aubrey replied teasingly.  "Or I may end up regretting my decision last night."

"We wouldn't want that happening." Justin stated.

"No." Aubrey shook her head.  "No, we wouldn't." 

He was quiet for a moment and she felt the tone of the conversation change slightly.  "I love you, Aubrey." He stated simply, warming her heart.  "Thank you."

"For what?" She questioned.

"For loving me."  He replied.  She blinked at the sudden tears that appeared in her eyes at his sincerity.  "For allowing me to love you."

"Justin..." Aubrey's voice cracked and she cleared her throat.  Rachel looked at her inquisitively but Aubrey waved her hand, indicating everything was okay.  The line moved, forcing them closer to the checkpoint.  "Justin, I...I have to go.  We're...we're about to go through security."

"I'll call you tonight." He told her.

"I'll be waiting." Aubrey replied. They said good-bye and Aubrey ended the call.

"What exactly will you two be ‘celebrating' in ten days?" Rachel asked, leaning towards her and whispering conspiratorially.

"None of your business." Aubrey replied, with a tilt of her chin.  Rachel's jaw dropped as she looked at Aubrey and Aubrey fought to keep a straight face. 

"I'm going to find out." Rachel threatened pointing a finger at her as Aubrey went through security. 

"I'm sure you will." Aubrey replied with a smile and a roll of her eyes.  "Just promise me that when you do, you won't rat us out to the media." She said to the other girl as they grabbed their bags and continued walking.

"You know I wouldn't do that." Rachel answered.    

"I know." Aubrey smiled.  "But I just want to make sure all of the bases are covered."

"Does it have anything to do with what we were talking about on Friday?" Rachel questioned.

"About the surrogacy thing?" Aubrey asked and Rachel nodded.  "No." Aubrey shook her head.  "Although we did talk about that."

"And?" Rachel prodded.

"And..." Aubrey drawled.  "We're going to look into it."

"That's so exciting!" Rachel exclaimed, surprising Aubrey as she gave her a hug right in the middle of the walkway.  Aubrey laughed.  "So if it's not the whole baby thing," Rachel wondered out loud as they continued walking.  "What else could you two be celebrating?" She mused.

Aubrey chuckled.  "My lips are sealed.  You're not going to get any more information out of me on this.  You're going to have to figure it out for yourself."

"I think you're forgetting I was a spy in another life." Rachel replied.  "I have ways of getting the information I want."

"We'll see."  Aubrey laughed.  "We'll see."

~~~~~~~~~~

Megan put her arms above her head Wednesday morning, stretching.  She sighed, a smile coming to her face.  She felt completely content and thoroughly satisfied--two feelings she hadn't experienced in longer than she cared to think about.  Jackson rolled over next to her, throwing his arm across her stomach. 

"You're an animal." He growled quietly, nuzzling her ear.  "And I like it."  Megan giggled.  "I had no idea you could move like that." He continued, his lips brushing against her skin.

"Mmmm."  She hummed, her eyes remaining closed as she turned slightly towards him.  "Baby, I've got moves," she wiggled her shoulders slowly.  "You haven't seen yet."  Jackson nipped at her shoulder and she laughed, finally opening her eyes as he moved atop her--his hands coming to rest on the mattress on either side of her head.  His lips captured her own before she could do or say anything and Megan moaned into his mouth--her arms winding around his neck as she became lost in his kiss.

"Ma!"

Megan gasped in surprise as their son suddenly called out for her.

"Ma, ma, ma, ma, ma."

Jackson groaned, releasing her mouth and pressing his forehead to her shoulder as Scott continued babbling from down the hall.  "Remind me why we decided to have him?" He asked her.

Megan chuckled, running her fingers through his hair and kissed his cheek.  "Give me five minutes." She said, pushing at his shoulder.  Jackson rolled off of her and Megan sat up, pushing the hair from her eyes.  "Five minutes." She promised then got up and walked towards the door.

~~~~~~~~

Jackson rolled to his side, propping himself up on his elbow, and watched as Megan walked away.  His eyes lingered where the hem of the white dress shirt he had been wearing the night before barely covered her backside.  She stopped, turning and leaning against the doorframe-smiling knowingly as she caught him ogling her. 

"See something you like?" She asked coyly.

"You're wasting your five minutes." He replied.

Megan smirked, stuck out her tongue and left the room.  Jackson chuckled as he lay back on the bed-his arms coming to rest behind his head.  He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face and he closed his eyes, reliving every moment from the night before.  The feel of her skin against his, her intoxicating scent, the sounds of her pleasure, the taste of her kiss-it was all like some sort of fantastic dream, only it was real.  He had loved her like he never had before, the renewal of their relationship strengthening the bond they shared. 

Ask her.

Jackson's eyes opened at the thought, his heart beginning to race.  Turning to look at the nightstand on his side of the bed, he rolled over on his side--reaching out towards the drawer.  He was stopped, however, as the mattress shifted behind him and Megan's arms suddenly stole around his chest, her hands smoothing along his skin as she placed a kiss to his shoulder.

"Miss me?" She asked as he lay back, looking up at her. 

"Terribly." He replied, lifting a hand to cup her cheek.  She smiled at him.  "Where's Scott?" He asked, excepting her to have brought the toddler back with her.

"I gave him a sippie cup and some Cheerios and put in Wall-e for him." She answered.  "Does that make me a bad mother?" She asked. 

He laughed as he pulled her down for a kiss.  "No." He assured her.  "That doesn't make you a bad mother because that's exactly what I would have done."

"Good." Megan smiled as she kissed him again.  Jackson rolled her over, pressing her back against the pillows. 

"Megan?" He asked as he scattered kisses along her jaw. 

"Hmmm?" She hummed, her arms tightening around him.

"Can I ask you something?"  He questioned, pulling back slightly. 

Her eyes fluttered open.  "Of course." She smiled. 

Pushing up and away from her, Jackson once more reached out towards the nightstand.  He saw Megan sit up out of the corner of his eye and tuck her hair behind her ear.  Reaching into the drawer he withdrew a small object then turned to face her.  She smiled at him, her eyes watching him expectantly.  Jackson took a deep breath, showing her what he had pulled out of the drawer.  Megan's breath caught when she saw the ring. 

"Will you marry me?" He asked, his heart threatening to beat out of his chest.  "Again?"

She looked at him for a long time, remaining silent.  He watched as a single tear escaped and slid down her cheek.  Acting on instinct he reached for her left hand and slowly slid her wedding ring back onto her finger.  "I thought about getting you another ring." He told her, studying the solitaire diamond he'd given her four years ago.  "But I decided that I couldn't.  This is your ring." He continued.  "This is the ring I gave you when I first asked you to marry me, and this is the ring I hope you're still wearing eighty years from now."  He reached out with his other hand, smudging away her tears.  "I love you, Megan, and I will love you till the day I die.  Please tell me that you'll be my wife." He pled.  "I can't live--"

Megan silenced him by placing her finger against his lips.  "Yes." She breathed, leaning forward to press her lips to his.  Jackson breathed a heavy sigh of relief as he gathered her in his arms, kissing her deeply.  "Yes."