Us |Alex Ernst|

~THREE~

*Alex*

The blonde little boy ran up to her, hugging like there was no tomorrow.

I'm happy I brought them together. I did something so she can see the type of person I am, not just the idiot who puts my leg through tables.

"Alex, come here." She called me over while pushing her hand through the boy's long brown hair. "Meet Jaxon, my son. We all call him Jax." She stood up, the boy still clinging to her. "I need to go talk to Kathy and Patrick, will you stay here and play with him?"

I hesitated. I haven't been around a kid younger than Charley. "Sure."

Damnit. I hope she doesn't hate me after this.

She ran up to the kid's foster parents, leaving me with Jax. "Hey little man."

"Who are you?" 

"I'm your mommy's friend." I bent down so we were talking face to face. "What's your name?"

"I'm Jax! Do you want to play pirates?"

I laughed at how cute he was and agreed. 

He handed me a foam sword and within minutes we were sword-fighting on a boat in the middle of a stormy ocean.

Without me noticing, Maddie came up behind me and kissed me. "Hey, can I talk to my little pirate for a second?"

I backed out of the way, giving her some space with her son.

"Hey baby, mommy has some good news. In a little bit, you might get to come live with me! I can't wait to see you every day! But, I have to go now so that I can take care of it." I could see tears in her eyes, both happy and sad. Something must be wrong.

"Yay! Bye mommy!"

---

When we were almost home, I knew I needed to ask.

"Maddie, what's wrong?" She stopped and looked me in the eyes. "You looked upset back there."

"I need to prove I can support him. I need a place with room for him and that isn't a place with Dom and his friends smoking pot in it." She started crying into my arms.

"He can leave." I told her. "David can buy him an apartment down the hall, and he can live with Seth. You and him can have the bigger room, or we could share the two beds in the smaller room and make the bigger room his nursery."

Her bright blue eyes met mine. "You're not his dad. You don't have to do this."

"But I want to. For you, and for the little pirate you have waiting for you."

---

*Maddie*

He is amazing.

He is helping me get my son back. I think I'm falling for someone I just met.

---

"David's here!" Alex said after answering the door.

"Hey, David. I have a proposal for you, and it will get you some views." I tried to bargain.

He looked at me, slightly confused. "I'm intrigued. Continue."

"Buy Dom and Seth the apartment down the hall to share."

"Why would I buy them another apartment when they could just crash here?"

I told him.

I told him I have a son, I told him Alex's plan, I told him I want my son back and this is the only way.

"Deal. But only if you go on another shopping spree for toddler stuff and pimp out this apartment for a kid. I really want to see Alex living with a ton of baby toys."

We all laughed and I agreed with the arrangement, as it was the perfect way to keep my son.

After talking for a few more hours, I headed to my room.

As soon as I went in, I threw myself back onto my bed and while I wasn't paying attention, Alex came in.

"God! You scared me!" I yelled at him.

"Sorry." He sat by my get on the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Excited. It has been so long since Jax has been a permanent part of my life, and now he always will be. And I am extremely thankful. If it wasn't for you and David I wouldn't be able to see my baby every day. And now I also get to throw him his third birthday party, because he should be with me by then."

He laughed and look down a little bit. "You told me that on the way home." I laughed too, forgetting I already talked to him about that. "What I meant was, how are you feeling about us?"

I blushed.

I haven't had a relationship since I got Jax's dad. 

"I 'm happy. I haven't been dating in three years, since nobody wants to date a girl living off of the streets."

"If I ever saw someone as gorgeous as you, I would have."

He makes me smile too. And laugh. He makes me the happiest I have been in a while. "Yeah, but, you might not want to date me once Jax is living here. You'll be pressured to be a father figure, and you aren't ready for that. You're still so young, I can't do that to you."

"Hey," He pushed my chin up to about an inch away from his, "do whatever you want to me, pressure me into being a father figure, make me in charge of play-dates, force me to buy baby clothes, it's fine. I love Jax, and I really like you. I want to see where we go."

When he was done talking to me, he kissed me and moved up to where he was sitting against the headboard. 

I leaned my head onto his chest and ended up falling asleep, happier than I have ever been.