"Will you get down from there?!? No stop! You can't eat thoes they will make you sick! Maggie I swear to the other side of heaven if you don't get down from there I'll make you sleep in Peters room!" Katherine yelled across the room.

"No!" A high pitched voice called from the kitchen. There was a thud as the little girl jumped off the counter and ran back into the living room where her mother sat. "Daddy! Help! Mommy's gonna make me sleep in Peters room!" She said and launched herself into Jacks arms.

"I said if you didn't get off the counter, which you did so your fine!" Katherine said sounding annoyed. Jack smiled at Katherine from across the couch as Maggie buried her face in Jacks neck. Katherine shook her head as if to say 'She's your kid' Jacks smile grew into a grin.

"See your okay!" Jack exclaimed getting a mouthful of Maggie's dark brown hair.

"Yea I guess-hey what's that?" She asked her small fingers closing around a piece of paper that laid on the couch arm. She turned around and plopped down in Jacks lap and unfolded the piece of paper. Her shriek of joy made the fifteen-year-old Peter who laid on the ground drawing something cover his ears in pain.

"Oh, gosh! Do you have to be so loud Maggie?" He asked glaring at his little sister.

"It's me! It's me!" She chanted jumping off Jacks lap and running over to Peters spot on the floor. "Daddy drew me! He drew me!" She screamed and continued to terrorize him.

"Ahh how sweet." Katherine said with slight sarcasm to Jack who straightened his collar seemingly pleased with himself. Maggie continued to run circles around Peter holding the paper in her hand and yelling: Daddy drew me! Peter tried to catch her as she ran around resulting in more shrieks from the four-year-old.

"I think she's ADHD!" Peter called to them over her shouts of joy.

"She gets it from her mother." Jack said flashing her a smile.

"Says the man who can't keep his hands to himself." Katherine muttered with a snort. Jack gave her a half hearted glare that soon turned to a smile as Maggie ran back up to him her curly hair flopping behind her.

"Will you draw me again?" She asked climbing back into his lap.

"Such a daddy's girl." Katherine said and pushing lightly on his shoulder. "Huh Maggie?" Katherine asked.

"Yep!" She said with a smile as bright as the sun.

"Yea I'll draw ya, as long as ya promise to sit still." He said pulling her off his lap and plopping her next to Katherine.

"I promise." She said her blue eyes shinning as she paced her hands in her lap. Jack crouched in front of them and started to quick-sketch the two of them. He knew he needed to hurry because that child could never sit still for longer than three minutes. After one and a half minutes Maggie's hands stared to twitch in her lap and she started wiggling against Katherine's arm which had wrapped it around her in attempt to keep her calm.

"Almost done..." he said adding the last few touches to Katherine's hair.

"Can I see?" She asked and slipped out from Katherine's arm and practically tackled him for the paper.

"Okay, here." He said handing it to her. She grinned at the paper and gave him a big hug before returning to terrorize Peter.

"Your too sweet." Katherine said as Jack sat next to her putting an arm around her shoulders. Just then there was a knock on the door as it opened a little.

"Hello?" The voice called and every one winced as Maggie screamed with delight again.

"Crutchie! You came." She said as Crutchie wobbled in his crutch held firm under one arm. For some reason Maggie had instantly taken a liking to Crutchie, it was like he was her best friend. Jack didn't know the reason perhaps she liked the way he'd play with her, or the way he'd make up stories about lands far away. Or maybe she just like stealing his crutch to poke Peter with, he didn't know he only knew she loved it when he came around.

"Hey Maggie girl how youse doing?" Crutchie asked as she smiled up at him.

"I'm good can you play with me?" She asked as he closed the door.

"Sure thing pretty girl can I say hi to ya mom and dad first?" He asked, Maggie nodded and raced back to Peter knocking the pencil out of his hand. Crutchie greeted Peter and sat shakily down next to Jack on the couch.

"How ya been Crutch?" Jack asked noticing his wobbly stature.

"Same." He said rubbing his leg absentmindedly. Jack clapped his brother on the back.

"Well that's betta then worse am I right?" He asked.

"Right you are Jackie boy." Crutchie said leaning back.

"Ugh, Maggie." Katherine moaned as she disappeared into the kitchen again.

"I got her baby." Jack said getting up, he poked his head into the kitchen and found his little girl attempting to sneak a piece of cookie dough. "Hey you." He said startling her Maggie spun around her blue eyes bright and innocent. "I saw that."

"N-no I didn't-"

"Come here you silly girl." Jack said with a smile and Maggie gratefully leaped into his arms.

"Don't tell Mommy." She whispered in his ear a fist full of cookie dough in her left hand.

"Never." He said as she shared a piece with him. He carried her back into the living room and set her down.

"Hey Dad?" Peter called to Jack.

"What's up?" He asked coming over and sitting down next to his son on the cold wood floor.

"How did ya get Mom to fall in love with you?" He asked. Jack grinned and herd Katherine short from her spot on the couch.

"I think you should be asking me how I got Jack to fall in love with me instead." She said chuckling.

"Cheeky boy gets nothing for his troubles." Crutchie quoted in a perfect Katherine impression.

"Hey I didn't fall in love then." Jack said defensively. "It was after."

"Like the time you decided to terrorize me in Meddas theater?" She asked sweetly.

"Flirting, not terrorizing." Jack corrected.

"Why do you want to know Peter?" Katherine asked with a laugh.

"Well..." Peter said rubbing the back of his neck "There's this girl..."

"Ooooh!" Jack and Crutchie said in unison.

"What?" Katherine asked looking half confused half alarmed.

"Yea her name is Annie and she's real pretty..." Peter said still rubbing the back of his neck.

"Annie who?" Jack asked grinning.

"I ain't sure, just met her." Peter answered.

"Your not sure, and who is this girl where is she from?" Katherine asked narrowing her eyes at him.

"Uh, New York." Peter said like it was obvious.

"Do what Jack did, draw er' a picture!" Crutchie suggested.

"Yea, that's when Kath fell in love." Jack said flashing her a smile.

"Was not!"

"I already did, I've been working on it all day." Peter said smugly and pulled out the paper he'd been drawing on. It was a drawing of a pretty girl with high cheekbones and long hair that fell down one shoulder. Jack let out a low whistle at his sons work.

"Wow, I'm proud." Jack said slinging an arm around Peter shoulders and ruffling his hair.

"You drew her a picture?!?" Katherine asked surprised.

"And just like that, history repeats itself." Crutchie says deeply.

"Ha. Ha. Crutch very funny but seriously kid, don't do-"

"What you and Mom did." He finished "I know, I ain't that stupid." Peter said folding up his drawing and putting it in his pocket.

"Outch, but thanks kid." Jack said appreciatively.

Just then there was a knock on the door and David came in holding something in his arms.

"Hey Davey!" Peter called happy to his his old father-figure.

"Hey kid! How ya-ugh!" David said as Maggie collided with his leg wrapping her arms around his shin.

"Maggie hop off! He has a baby in his arms." Katherine said rushing over and prying her from his leg.

"No harm Kath." David said.

"Can I see baby?" Maggie asked, Katherine held Maggie so she could look into the bundle of blankets. "Awe." Maggie said sweetly as baby Mary Jacobs opened her eyes.

"Where's Maggie?" A voice behind David asked. Maggie squirmed out of Katherine's arms as William Jacobs came in the door.

"Here!" She said and the two ran off to play. William was a few years older than Maggie but they didn't seem to care, William was Maggie's second best friend. Clara came in behind David looking tired but still her normal cheerful self. Jack smiled at his family that had gathered in his and Katherine's apartment. He thought back on his life and how much each and every person had made an impact, he had a deep love for all of them.

Especially his Ace.

*********************************

They had a lovely rest of the evening eating the cookies Maggie hadn't eaten yet and simply enjoyed each other's company. Katherine leaned her head on Jacks shoulder and admired the ring on her finger that had been there for over five years now. She remembered when he had proposed, it had been one of the happiest moments of her life. Unlike Peter, they had planned to have Maggie deciding after much consulting with Peter whether or not they should have another kid. Peter had been hesitant at first but he agreed excited by the idea of a little brother (he actually got a sister which he was less excited about) Being pregnant with Maggie had been harder in some ways and easier in others then it had been with Peter. It had been harder because she kept having nightmares through the whole thing waking up and thinking Jack had left again only to be calmed down by his soft words and gentile kisses. It had been easier simply because Jack was there, she no longer had to depend on her father for everything she needed, she had Jack. She had made peace with her father (mostly) he apologized for all he'd done and asked to be back in her life and she had agreed, Jack had been happy to hear she was on a better bases with him. Jack and her father never made peace nor would they ever, that shred of respect they had for each other after the strike long ago had been tossed out the window. Let's just say Pulitzer didn't stop by when Jack was around. Katherine pressed her hand to her chest and felt the heart beat underneath, it finally felt whole. The tiny spiraling cracks that had been there once seemed to have vanished, filled with Jack, Peter, Maggie, and the rest of her family. It seemed to her those brief nine years had simply been a glitch in their lives, a hiccup in fates design that had once been a problem. Of course she would never forget those Nine Years, but she had learned things now. Great things, for love was to always remain.

The End

AUTHORS NOTE: That is it. I would like to express gratitude to all those who have kept this story alive, it would never have gotten finished with out you. Thank you. And to those who hate seeing this story at an end I am considering to a prequel or a sequel... or both. If you would, message me ideas and I would love to start and other story (About Jack and Katherine of course) I hope this was a good enough ending to all, I feel this story had been some what depressing and I wanted this chapter to be relaxed and full of laughter. Again, thank you so much for reading this story it means a lot. Standard disclaimers apply. THANK YOU!