Good Things Come in Three's

"Maggie, you sure you're all right?" Taylor asked me for what felt like the three hundredth time.

"Yeah, fine." I muttered quietly, hiding my eyes behind a large pair of sunglasses despite the fact it was about forty degrees outside. I waved my hands toward his open car door, wanting nothing more than to mope by myself. There was also a limited number of times I could be asked the same question without going postal and he was rapidly approaching that magic number.

"Babe, I'm worried about you." Not getting the point, his butt (ack, not even his dark jeans could stamp out that white ass image in my head) stayed planted in my shotgun seat.

"You barely said two words to me on the plane ride home.. let alone the ride from the hotel to the airport."

"Taylor.. just go." I didn't even glance at him, tightening my grip on the steering wheel and watching my knuckles turn from pink to white. "Please."

"I was kind of hoping you'd at least give me a kiss good-bye, Babe." I didn't buy the soft tones in his voice as anything genuine. Not for one second.

"I've given you more than enough this weekend to last you a lifetime." The words tumbled out more bitterly than I'd planned. Too bad, for at the moment I'd say anything to get him out of my sight.

"All right." Heaving a heavy sigh, Taylor leaned over and brushed a soft kiss on my right cheek. His right hand remained clamped in his pocket, as he'd kept it nearly the entire flight and drive home from the airport. That was nearly as irritating as him bothering me every ten seconds to see if I was ok.

"For the record," he whispered into my ear, leaning toward me before he stepped out of the car. "It was incredible.. every time."

"Every time!?" I squeaked, glaring at him. "How.. many -"

"Just.. three." At least I couldn't blame his confusion, you'd figure I'd have remembered something like that. No such luck.

"Three!?" Groaning, I slumped forward and banged my forehead into the steering wheel. Ironically, three times.

"Get out."

"Maggie, I lov-" "Just get out!" I gripped the soft leather of the steering wheel between my fingers. Immediately after he slammed the door shut, I peeled out of the Hanson's driveway, pretending not to see the concerned look on his face and awkward wave of his hand as he stood and watched me leave.

"Three..." I just shook my head in disgust.

How am I going to face my parents after this weekend? Unfortunately, I'd stupidly made plans with the only person I wanted to see less than Taylor in about five minutes.

Fifteen minutes later..

"Maggie!" Sarah's excited voice called out to me. She waved me over to her table.

"Hey," I mumbled to the twelve-inch black and white tiles under my feet as I shuffled closer to her. "Sorry I'm late."

"Not like that's the first time that's happened." She assured me with a smile. "Did you get back ok?"

"Umm.. yeah." I sighed. "Listen, I'm really tired, do you think I can take a rain-check on lunch?"

"Absolutely not." Grabbing my hand, Sarah pulled me into the booth seat across from her. "Are you all right?"

"Just a little tired," I repeated, glancing down at the familiar one-inch red and white checkered plastic tablecloth covering the table between us. They were partially shaded though, for I hadn't the nerve to remove my sunglasses yet.

"Bullshit, something else's bothering you. Let me flag down Marj and order you a chocolate shake to drown your sorrows in."

Sarah, please don't do this, I squeezed my eyes shut tight for a moment.

"No really, it's ok." I opened my eyes, but still couldn't bring myself to looking in hers. "I'm not hungry."

"Something's really wrong then," she reached across the table and squeezed my hand encouragingly. "And no offense, but you look like crap."

"Then wait'll you see this." Heaving a huge sigh, I removed my sunglasses and set them upside-down on the table.

"Oh dear," she stared into my still-bloodshot, still-puffy eyes. "Forget crap, you look like pure shit. Are you still not over what you did to Aunt Cecil?"

"You heard about that?" I stared at her.

"All of us did," she smiled, her blue eyes twinkling. "Sounds like the experience was a smashing success."

"Very funny, but that's not it." I could admit that much.

"Then what it is, clumsy?" Sarah asked.

"Ohhh..." I groaned, burying my face into my hands. "Muh enn Tilur."

"Sorry," she giggled, pulling my hands from my face. "What was that?"

"Me and Taylor." I nearly spat on the table.

"You and Taylor what? Did you have a fight?" She shook her blonde head, confusion now flooding her light blue eyes. Not that I could blame her; this was the last thing I wanted to talk to anyone about, so she was going to need the jaws of life to get it out of me.

"No.. We.. umm.. " I stalled, weaving my fingers around each other in an indirect hint. "You know.."

"No, I don't," she stared at me as if I'd grown another head. I dropped my hands.

"We.. kinda.." I frowned, distractedly stractching my forehead.

"Kinda what?" Sarah prodded lightly.

"Kind of.. did it."

"It?" The way she looked at me, I probably had an extra three or four heads by this point. Not that she'd get my point if they told her either.

"SEX." The word came out way too loud, while the number was scarce, pretty much all the other customers in the diner glanced at me for that. Not much I could do about it now, I realized, my cheeks flushing bright red.

"Happy?"

".. Oh," Pretty much all the color had drained out of Sarah's face by the time I got enough courage to glance at it. However, I didn't expect her next reaction, as she reached over and grabbed both my hands, squeezing them firmly.

"That's great! I'm so happy for you."

"You are?" This time it was her that received the strange look.

"Of course. It's about time." She smiled brightly. "Ike and I were taking bets when it'd happen. I'll take the details now, since I won."

"You and Ike.. had a bet on when this was going to happen?" Some best friend.

"Yeah," Sarah admitted sheepishly. "Ike put down for Christmas vacation, but I figured you both were too repressed to last that long."

"Well, at least one of us got something out of it." I rolled my eyes. "Congratulations, Sarah."

"Oh, relax," she chided. "And cough up some details, while you're at it."

"I don't have many to give," I admitted. "Don't remember much, actually."

"How can you not remember that?"

"You'd be surprised." I threw her an amused smile.

"There has to be something you're not telling me." She continued, tapping her nails on the table. "What night did you make love?"

"Had sex." I corrected her. "Taylor managed to convince his Aunt to let us stay downtown Saturday, so that'd be the magical, f'ed up night."

"F'ed up?" She repeated, raising her eyebrows. "Why am I getting the sense that you're not happy about this?"

"Should I be?" I stared at her.

"Of course. It's a big step in a relationship."

"Yeah right," I scoffed. "One you took with Ike when you were fourteen."

"That's different." She admitted. "You're better than me."

"Used to be," I corrected her with a groan. "This was more like ten steps backward. I can't even look at myself."

"If you don't mind me asking, Mags," Sarah frowed at me. "Why are you having this reaction? Where's the cute smile and sparkly glow?"

"Well, if someone hadn't broken my halo years ago..." I reminded her. "I'd probably have a cheerier disposition. Not that Taylor helped any in that department."

"I'm afraid to ask, but what did he do?"

"Oh, let's see," I sarcastically counted off on my fingers. "Mr. Sensitivity got us a honeymoon suite in a beautiful room in a ritzy downtown Toronto hotel. Then, he took me to a revolving restaurant above the city, where he bought us a fancy-schmancy meal, including a bottle of twenty percent alcoholic wine."

"Wow," she whistled. "That sounds-"

"Like he was trying to take advantage of me, I know." I groaned. "And I fell right for it, like a complete dumbass."

"That's not what I was going to-"

"Then, I was sitting there across the table, staring at him like a googly-eyed idiot. I couldn't even eat the salmon dinner he'd ordered for me. Can you believe it? I couldn't even eat. Me."

"He ordered salmon?" Sarah unsuccessfully tried to hide a smile.

"Yes," I glared at her through narrowed eyes. "Why?"

"Umm, I hope you know that's an aphrodisiac."

"I could've lived without that information, but at least that explains, to some extent, how we did it three times." Leaning forward, I placed my head on the cool, yet slightly sticky, tablecloth. A few seconds later, I felt a set of fingertips patting the back of my head sympathetically.

"What I was actually going to say, before you interrupted me - I'm sorry, did you say three times?" The patting stopped as Sarah interupted herself, her jaw dropping open.

"Apparently.. yes."

"Wow.. well, they do say good things come in three's.." Slowly, I raised my eyes to her, repeating sarcastically,

"Very funny." I don't have to give you a description to figure out I didn't laugh. "But I bet those people weren't talking about this."

"I'm very impressed, Maggie." Sarah sent me a smile across the table at me. "I had no idea you had such.. stamina. Nor Taylor. Apparently that skipped a generation."

"Thanks, I feel so much better." I replied dryly.

"Anyways, what I was going to say earlier was it sounds, to me at least, that Taylor really cares about you and went through a lot of trouble to make the night special. I don't think he was trying to take advantage of you, I think he was trying to do nice things to show he appreciated you coming up to the funeral with him. He spent a lot of time planning that weekend, I'm sure of that."

".. Really?" Raising my head, I got the sinking feeling maybe I'd over reacted.. just a tiny bit. As usual. I hadn't thought of it that way.

"Really.. dumbass." Damn I hate it when she's right. We stared at each other in silence before her face cracked a smile.

"What."

".. Are you sure it was three times?" She glanced at me curiously.

"YES."

"Wow."

"Welcome home!" Karen opened the front door as I stepped out of the car. So much for inconspicuously sneaking upstairs.

"Hi," I gave her a quick hug before popping open the trunk and lifting my suitcase onto the driveway.

"How was the fifty-first state?"

"Great," I grinned at her choice of words as I followed her inside.

"Dad's at the office.. so yes, I was sitting around waiting for you to come home."

"On a Saturday?" That was odd.

"Big case Monday morning."

"Figures, you lawyers." I smiled, leaning my suitcase against the stairs. I'll take that up later.. first things first.

"You still have time to switch majors, you know." Karen suggested. "You have an inside edge on the LSATs."

"Nice try." I smiled tightly. "Uh, sorry to change the subject, but I need to talk to you about something. It's kind of important."

"Sounds like a case of hot chocolate in the kitchen," smiling, Karen turned and headed in that direction.

"Actually, let's go to the living room. And you might want to sit down," I suggested, flopping onto the couch. Although she sent me a surprised look, Karen took a seat on the edge of Gerald's Lazy-boy chair.

"Is everything all right?" She asked.

"Yeah.." Puffing out my chest, I blurted. "Taylor and I had sex."

"You and Taylor.. Oh..." She blinked quickly. I bit my lip as silenced enveloped us for a few moments. It didn't take long before it got awkward.. very awkward, I realized, wondering what she was thinking.

"This past weekend?" She asked quietly. I nodded.

"You couldn't have waited until Christmas?"

"Well, we - what?" Confused, I stared at her.

"Sorry, it's just Dad and I had a bet.. I went with Christmas vacation." She mumbled. "He had New Year's Eve."

Ok, who didn't!?

"You too?" I asked increduously, not sure if I wanted to smile or scream. Perhaps both.

"Hard to believe it, but Gerald and I were teenagers once.."

"A long time ago," I reminded her. "In the land of vinyl and disco, you've told me the stories."

"Very funny," at least she smiled. "But they didn't include us being intimate on our second date."

"No, and believe me, no one appreciated it more than me that you didn't tell me.. thanks a lot." Closing my eyes, now I wasn't going to look at them the same again.

Eww.

"Anyway, we've tried to stay out of your.. personal life, Maggie. You're an adult, and I appreciate you coming right out and telling me like one."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Thanks for understanding." I smiled warmly. "Can I take you up on that hot chocolate?"

"Sure," she returned the smile, rising to her feet. "It'll give me a chance to figure out how I'm going to break this to your father."

"Well, let me know how that goes," I winked at her, feeling extremely relieved. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad..

"Didn't go as planned?" Upon hearing her second eldest son dragging his suitcase down the hallway and past the living room, Diana guessed enough that much. She glanced at Walker before turning her head back to Taylor.

"Not exactly." Taylor replied sullenly. "Though with Maggie, things never usually do."

"Did she say no?" Walker asked.

"I didn't even get to ask her.." He replied slowly, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. "Too many other things going on, I guess."

"I'm sorry honey," Diana came over and embraced him in a tight hug. "I know you were really looking forward to this."

"Mom, ugh, it's ok." He shook her off. "It isn't the end of the world."

"That issue is going to have to wait a little while." Walker said quietly, standing up and nodding towards the kitchen. "You um, have a visitor."

"Oh, shit."

"She did what!?" Despite having my bedroom door closed, I still heard Gerald's words bellowed from downstairs. It didn't stay closed for long though, as it flung open so quickly I thought it would fly off the hinges.

"Um, hi." I glanced up from my education class homework. "How's.. it.. ..going?"

"How's it going?" He asked increduously, looking at me as if I'd grown another head. "Honestly, it could be better."

"Gerald, I'm really sorry." I pushed my notebook aside and pushed myself off my stomach. "I didn't mean for it to happen."

"That doesn't change the fact that it did." He sighed, taking a seat next to me. "Things are moving awfully fast for you and Taylor. Are you ok with it?"

"Apparently not as fast as you and Karen," I smirked at him knowingly.

"Apparently as she told you." At least he smiled. "But Karen and I didn't have quite the... baggage that you do. I just want to make sure you're ok."

"I guess." I sighed. "I wish it wouldn't have happened.."

".. but I'm fine." I added hastily, seeing the concern come back into the crease in his forehead. "I mean, better than last time."

"That's not saying much," Karen added from the doorway into my room. "Taylor didn't... hurt you, did he?"

"Of course not.. he's not Justin." In more ways than one, thank God.

"That's not what I meant." She smiled, taking a seat on the other side of me and putting her hand on my arm. This was starting to feel like a really bad after-school special.

"I know you two are.. very close." Gerald said, "And we like Taylor very much.."

".. But?" I filled in the gap, not knowing where this was headed.

"But," he cleared his throat again. "We just want to make sure that you two are getting into something that you can't handle."

"It's really ok," I gave both of them an akward but reassuring smile. "I mean, I'm already on birth control to regulate my periods, so it's not like an 'oops' is going to happen."

"Lord, Maggie." Karen squeezed my forearm lightly. "We're not ready for that."

"It's really ok," I repeated. Maybe if I say that enough I'll start to believe it...

"Well, Diana Hanson called while you were out with Sarah. She sounded a little concerned."

"Oh, that's my fault." My face fell. "I kinda freaked out about it and took it out on Taylor. I should go and talk to him."

"Maggie, you might want to let them discuss things with him first," Mom said cautiously, as if she was choosing her words carefully. "Between parents and son, I mean."

"Ok..." What aren't they tell me? "What aren't you telling me?"

"You should talk to Taylor." Was all she would reply. Whatever nonverbal communication she cast across my concerned face to Gerald's, he seemed to know the same information I apparently didn't.

"I'm sure he just needs to hear that you're not upset." He provided.

"All right. I haven't grovelled to him in at least a week, so I must be due." I slid off the bed and grabbed my coat. "Mind if I head over now?"

"No problem." Karen smiled tightly. "See you later Maggie."

"Bye then!" I waved quickly at them behind my head. As I bounced down the stairs, I couldn't help but here her add to Gerald,

"He's going to need her support."

"Hey Hansons!" I cried, knocking on the front door. It was eerily quiet, too quiet even. That raised a few alarms. The only time this place is quiet is when nobody's here or somebody died.

"Hello?" I pushed on the front door, glancing around an empty house. They had to be here, their cars were all in the driveway, including one I hadn't seen before.

"Anyone home?" I heard muffled conversations coming from the kitchen. Shufflying my feet slowly across the hardwood floors, I made my way in the direction of the kitchen, wondering why the door was shut, as the Hansons usually have an all doors open policy. Unfortunately, I was barely able to make out anything of what they were saying.

"Sounds like Maggie," Diana always did know everything that was going on, whether we wanted her to or not.

"Taylor, should go myfph ta hhh". So much for eaves dropping. Since they know I'm here, I might as well join them.

"Hi everyone-" I pushed the door open, then stopped short. Diana and Walker glanced up at me silently from their places at the table facing the doorway, across from what I recognized as the back of Taylor's head. However, I didn't recognize the two blond heads on his right.

"Maggie," Taylor glanced up, coughly slightly as he got up from the table.

"Hi, listen I just wanted to say that I'm so-"

"We'll talk about that later," he whisped, grabbing my hand and nodding in the direction of the table. Glancing to my right, I caught glimpse of a girl about our age with long, straight blonde hair and clear blue eyes peering at me from under a set of bluntly cut bangs. Feeling uncomfortable under her silent scrutiny, I glanced at the adorable little boy sitting next to her. He looked about Zoe's age, with a sprinkle of blonde freckles across his cheeks and a strikingly familiar set of piercing blue eyes.

"Maggie," Taylor seemed to fumble over every letter in my name, squeezing my hand tightly. "This is Angela."

".. Angela." I echoed the name with an empty pit growing in my stomach. With the fading amount of strength, I forced a tight-lipped smile.

"And Bryce," he pointed to the boy sitting next to her. He was easy to smile at, especially the big toothy grin he flashed me, until I was able to process the muttered words that next came out of Taylor's mouth:

"He's.. um.. " Glancing down, it took me a few seconds to realize my hand was shaking. It took another few seconds to realize that it wasn't from me.

".. He's my son."