A/N: After watching the latest episode, I just had to write this drabble-y oneshot because I love Rosie and Max and I don't want their relationship to be over. I thought they were such a sweet couple and was heartbroken when they lost the baby in series 4. After the tragedies of Sarah's death, losing the baby and the many animal attacks over the course of the show, I can't believe how cruel the writers are being. Anyway, rant over. I hope you enjoy this little fic. Incidentally, this is the first Wild At Heart fanfic I've written so I'd really appreciate hearing your thoughts.


Facing the reality of the breakdown of her marriage to Max by finally telling someone, Rosie was utterly heartbroken. Their relationship had been deteriorating for months, but she still half believed that one day everything would miraculously get better. Leopard's Den had been a chance to take a break from their marriage, but Rosie knew in her mind she was just running away from her problems.

While Rosie caught up with her family and carried on training to be a vet, Max was alone in Cape Town. The house was empty without her. Despite their differences, it felt wrong to be apart and Max couldn't help missing her. She'd been everything. He loved nothing more than waking up in the morning to see her face, even if it meant another day without her as she worked harder than ever to attain her veterinary degree. Now it was torture to wake up alone, in a cold bed despite the oppressive heat outside.

Before he knew it, he'd booked a plane ticket and was flying to see her.

Rosie had gotten up late and taken a shower, trying to wash away the empty feeling inside her, and gone to check on the lion in the clinic. Caroline was already up and preparing for their guests' imminent arrival whilst Dup, Ed and Danny hadn't yet returned from their night watch on the elephant.

She checked the lion's vitals, finding that after the night's course of antibiotics, she was doing much better. It was with a frown after a message over the radio from Caroline that Rosie walked back up to the house. Even after a few minutes outside, she felt hot and was desperate for a drink.

The cool glass of water fell out of her hands and smashed on the floor as she heard his voice, breathless from running up to the house and into the kitchen.

"Rosie," he murmured, sounding relieved. He relaxed merely at the sight of her, real and whole in front of him.

"Max?" she asked in disbelief. Her heart warmed at the sound of his voice filled with love the way it used to be. "What are you doing here?"

Before she left Cape Town, they'd had an awful argument and Rosie had fully expected to never see him again.

"Rosie, I love you-"

"-Max, we want different things-"

"-Just hear me out," he begged. "We don't want different things. I married you, Rosie, because I loved you and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. I still do; nothing's changed. Marriage is hard – people argue and fight. But I will spend the rest of my life fighting for you. It's difficult at the moment with me at the bar and you getting your degree but if we can do this," he told her taking her hands and squeezing them, "then we can do anything. If we get through the next year, then everything else will be a breeze. We can move back here and you can see your family again. We can start our own family, just like we always wanted to."

The more Max talked, the brighter the picture he painted became. She could see them in a year's time happily sat on the front steps of Leopard's Den, Max with his arm around her pregnant stomach. She could see their dark haired little girl running across the front garden and playing with Cassidy or some other exotic creature.

"Just say you still love me to. Say you want to fight for us," he pleaded, still tightly holding onto her hands and staring intensely into her eyes.

Giving in to the depth of his conviction and her own feelings, Rosie deflated and let out all the breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "I love you," she whispered to him, letting go of his hands to cup his cheeks and pull his head down to her level so she could kiss him.

His lips were soft but insistent against hers – the way they'd always been. After so long since their last kiss, the feeling of their lips moving against each other brought a smile to both of their faces.

Max trailed his hands down her sides and to her thighs where he picked her up, still lip-locked, and carried her to her room, or rather their room, as it would probably forever be called.

A/N: Let me know what you thought!