Bounty (Leland Chapman Fanfiction - Unedited)

46

The rest of the summer went by fast. Maggie didn't go on anymore bounties, but she still went on the special day trips the family took. She spent a lot of time with Lyssa and Beth, and also spent a lot of nights with Leland. She went back to her apartment late August, Leland drove her.

"I'm not ready for this," Maggie said quietly as she and Leland walked up to her apartment.

"Well I'm going to be checking in a lot. I have to go back to Hawaii for I'm not sure how long, but I'll be back by late September and if you need me up here you know I'll catch the soonest flight," Maggie opened up the door, walking in and seeing the new apartment - easy to say it's a step up from last year.

"I know, don't rush it. I'm only 25 weeks," she said as she wandered into the first room - a decent sized bedroom. She and Leland continued looking around - opening cabinets, doors, windows, to make sure everything's good. "Besides Danny's all excited and the past two weeks I've been home, even though I'm sleeping right next door to him, he's stalking my socials to make sure I'm not active past 11," she looked at Leland and rolled her eyes. Leland smiled.

"Good." He grinned. "The girls will be staying up here anyway with Duane Lee, we had a big build up of bounties - easy ones over the summer so they're going to start with those, so they'll be here if you need anything." Maggie and Leland brought up her few bags, and began unpacking. After they did that, they sat down on her bed with some pizza and turned on the tv. They talked for a bit, and it led to a special conversation.

"Its just a big change in my life... and in yours too, but I had the stupid goal of graduating and then finishing med school, settling down with the right one, marrying and then having kids. I had this whole plan for a perfect life but I completely forgot that my life isn't perfect in the slightest bit," Maggie said softly.

"Knowing what you know now," Leland started. "What is your perfect life? Your perfect future?"

Maggie sighed, resting her head against Leland's shoulder. "Married to you. With kids... a nice house with lots of land... and dogs. Maybe some chickens too. Add some fish tanks - you get my point. And... I finish med school... and I'd love to be a surgeon but... I'd love to go on bounties with you guys. I'm not sure I can balance the two." She looked down at her hands.

"Go for it," Leland said softly. "Go for med school. It's your dream. Maybe you won't be a surgeon - maybe you'll decide that you want to be something else. Maybe another opportunity will come your way and you'll have a medical career with more time on your hands. Maybe you'll flunk out, but you still have bounty hunting."

"Well what happens if I go for med school and flunk out, or decide I don't want to do it and bounty hunting's more important, then I'll have all those bills to pay and no, I am not letting anybody else pay them."

"Don't you - oh, I forgot you don't let my dad pay you for the bounties. Well you know the bail amount? You know that money that Dad gets every time he turns someone in? That's split between us. The way I see it, you don't have anything to lose. Why not take the shot, try med school. If it doesn't work out or if you decide you don't want to do it, just join the business. You'll be able to pay everything off."

"Okay," Maggie agrees. "You got a point."

"As for the other part..." Leland looked at the tv. "Knowing what you know now, what's your perfect timeline?"

"Having this baby, getting married whenever, and... buying a house. We've already lived together and whether you do or don't do the dishes isn't going to change the fact that I want a life with you, and I want our son to... not have to jump from apartment to farmhouse to your house to Hawaii and back to apartment."

"Where would you want the house to be?"

"That's for you to decide, you guys have given me a lot so you decide that one."

"Well I have to say that I'd rather him stay in Colorado for a year or two... and Danny's parents offered to watch him and take care of him, and if you decide to go to Hawaii this summer then we can take him along... but I think our first house should be in Colorado."

"Our first house?"

"Well I mean, the apartment-"

"Ohh," Maggie nodded. "I thought you meant buying one and selling it later on. I forgot about your apartment in Hawaii."

"Yeah, my apartment will do, but if we end up bringing him to Hawaii I'd rather have a house or at least a more secluded apartment... and everybody would probably kill us if we brought a baby to the Chapman house. Even if we took over Duane Lee's house, that'll be better," he and Maggie laughed lightly. "We'll figure it out. We have all the help in the world. We'll be okay."