41
"For goodness sake, put Maggie down and go to work! You know how narky the Boss gets when people are late, and you don't want to do anything to upset him, now do you?" Dash said, watching as P.J. leant in for one last kiss (one of several 'last kisses' that had been going on for the last five minutes).
P.J. sighed, resting his forehead against Maggie's, their arms entwined around each other. "You'll – "
"Call you every ten minutes to update you, send you e-mail reports and fax you every other ten minutes" Dash deadpanned, grinning as she received a glare from the Detective in front of her – a glare that broke after two seconds as P.J. had the grace to own up.
"I guess I might be a bit over protective,"
"A bit?"
"Ok, a lot. Can't help it though, I mean, I am entrusting the love of my life into the hands of Mt Thomas' own – "
"Mt Thomas' own what?" asked Dash, arms folded across her chest and just about holding her grin at bay.
"Florence Nightingale, of course! " P.J. saved, before grinning. "Ok, ok, I get the hint."
"And do I get a say in this?" Maggie said, gazing up at him, still tightly wrapped in his arms. "Er, hello? Anyone remember me? Doyle?"
"Oh, I remember you, Doyley," P.J. grinned, lowering his head for another kiss – a kiss that was over far faster than he had wanted.
"Good." Maggie said firmly, pulling out of his arms, but staying close to him. "I'll be fine. P-e-r-f-e-c-t-l-y fine. You heard Tim yesterday, and we've got the number of a whole batch full of doctors, and I've got the number of everyone at the station, mobile AND home. And I've got Dash here, so I will be fine. Repeat after me, I –
"I" P.J. grinned, drawing her back into his arms.
"Will"
"Will" P.J. murmured, placing a butterfly kiss on Maggie's nose, almost breaking her train of thought as he placed butterfly kisses all over her face.
"Maggie!" Dash yelled, bringing her back to the present.
Breaking apart from a delicious kiss, Maggie forced herself to concentrate. "Ok, look, P.J. I'll be fine. You know that, and I know that. Dash and I will take it easy, catch up on everything, and we'll be fine."
"It's the catching up I'm worried about" P.J. teased, glancing over at Dash, before kissing Maggie again. "But ok, I'll go. Love you and see you later" he said, grabbing his jacket and moving over to the front door, Maggie and Dash following behind. With a wicked grin, and a hand on the door handle, P.J. turned and kissed Maggie once more, a kiss that took her breath away, full of promise, passion and pure unadulterated love.
OOO
"So, how is she?" Tom asked, having invited P.J. into his office.
"She's fine, Boss. She slept almost all of last night, and only took two painkillers at about three this morning. I called Tim this morning, and he said that was fine, in fact it was better than he had expected, but you know our Mags, she never likes to look weak in front of anyone, not even me. So, I called him again, on the way here, and he said it really was fine, that Mags was a sensible woman, and he'd talked to her before she left – which I didn't know about – and he'd told her to do what her body told her. So, she promised me she was ok, and that everything was good, and that I should go to work. So here I am," P.J. finished up, aware that he was rambling slightly.
"Sorry Tom, I just – well, I can't quite believe that she's home, ok-ish, and that we're getting married! It's a lot to take in all at once." He said, with an embarrassed but proud smile.
"I know it is, and not just for you. I spent last night trying to figure out how I can keep the two of you together and at the same station. I take it you'd like that?" Tom asked with a grin, a snort of laughter escaping as he saw P.J.'s blue eyes sparkle. "Ok, Ok. Then I may – MAY , mind you – have an idea."
42
P.J. was confused. Tom had come up with a plan, a plan that would allow them to work together in the same station – and get married? This ought to be interesting.
"Go on," he said, pulling out a chair and sitting down, watching as Tom moved around and did likewise.
"Ok. So plan might have been too hasty a description, but, let's face it P.J. Maggie's a damn good copper – " P.J. beamed proudly, "and you're not so bad either" Tom finished with a grin.
"I'm going to let that one slide, seeing as you think you've got a way to keep me and Mags together." P.J. allowed. "But Tom, we ARE getting married, even if it means I have to swap with Joe at St David's. Mags should be the one to stay here, she deserves to be around – well the nearest thing to family she has out here, and I'm prepared to do that for her. So, what's this grand plan then?"
Tom looked slightly uncomfortable for a minute, then his words came rushing out.
"You and Maggie have the best solve rate here. You work well together. If you can do that when you're not together but – " Tom paused, this mushy stuff was pretty hard to say for a good old Aussie bloke like Tom Croydon. "Well, when you wanted to be together, then how much better will it be when you're married? I'll just have to make a few changes, let you work more with Shultz and Maggie can work with McKinley, or you could go on a trial basis as working together as a married couple, I'm not sure, but I want to try it out. I'm not losing one of my best because the powers that be say so."
"So your plan is to go to the bosses and - "
"Beg. Yep, that's it."
"Riiiiiight." P.J. drew the word out, knowing there really was no other way.
A knock at the door was a somewhat welcome interruption. A sheet of paper was enthusiastically waved, before Nick made a somewhat stumbling entrance, glaring over his shoulder.
"Its OK Deidre. I CAN remember what you told me! " and he came to stand beside P.J.'s chair. "Ok, we, " he gestured over his shoulder at the assembled motley crew of people behind him, " have written a letter for the powers to be, telling them how well our dynamic duo work together, and that they would have to be complete and utter morons to split them up in any way. Seriously though, P.J. you and Mags are amongst the best we have here, and relationship aside, you always get results. The fact that you were in love for so long, and never told each other AND got those results must speak for something. And after you're married, well, who's not to say that things won't get even better? I mean if the only thing they have is that you might be too concerned for each other to be able to do your jobs, well I'd say you were already there, and your jobs didn't suffer. So – ok, ok, Deidre, stop poking me in the ribs – "
"What the King of Rambling On here is trying to say is, we've all signed this letter and we want to send it to whoever needs to get it. And we were wondering if you wanted to put your name on it too Sir," Dash said, moving around Nick, and placing the letter on Tom's desk.
P.J. paused. This, this loyalty, friendship, this level of caring form them all was more than he would have ever dreamed. Sure, they were a close bunch, and he and Maggie – Mags!
"Dash! You're meant to be looking after Maggie! Where is she? Is she ok? " P.J.'s blue eyes flashed with worry.
"Oh ye of little faith" came the voice he loved most in the world, as Maggie stepped through the door having heard his last comment. Placing a quick kiss on his lips, she linked her hand in his as Chris O'Reilly's red head also came into view. "I'm fine. I've been catching up with Chris while Dash came over here. I had a coffee, and then we took a very sedate stroll over here. You need to trust me, you great oaf!" she grinned up at him, the gentle to-ing and fro-ing of her thumb on the back of the hand taking any sting out of the comment.
"So two things. Where's the letter, because I want to sign it, and where's the groom to be because I need to hug him." Chris said, moving over and wrapping P.J. in a bearhug. "It's about time you two got your heads out of your – well, let's just say it's about time!"
Dash grinned as P.J. looked slightly uncomfortable. "Might want to give him some oxygen there, Chris. As fun as it is watching him turn as blue as his shirt, Maggie prefers him conscious"
Nick opened his mouth (it really was too good an opportunity) but the curiously matching glares from Maggie and Tom made him swallow his words for once.
"So" Dash said, having obviously missed something, but not about to ask what, "Boss, are you going to sign this, or what?" and she thrust the letter under Tom's nose.
With an equally elaborate flourish, Tom returned the gesture. "Only if you sign mine!"
The expression on Dash's face as she read Tom's letter was priceless – as was the one on Tom's when she shushed everyone out of the office so she and Tom could 'put their heads together to come up with the letter to beat all letters!'
Out in the squad room, the laughter had almost stopped, although Nick did keep harrumphing slightly at the thought of Tom and Dash bashing wills and trying to sort it all out. Perching on the edge of Maggie's desk, P.J. glanced down at her.
"It'll be ok," he said softly, reaching over to take her hand as she sat at her desk. "I love you Mags, and I won't let anyone stop us getting married"
A voice behind them made them all jump.
"What is it with this station? Every time I come in here, you're always sitting around chatting away. Doyle, is that you? Good too see you? All recovered I hope? Now, is Tom available? He called this morning and said he needed to talk about something, and I happened to be in the area." Inspector Falcon-Price stopped, sensing all eyes on him. "What? What is it? Doyle – you're usually the sensible one, what is it? Why are you all looking so worried?"
43
"Well?" Inspector Falcon–Price took a good long look around. Something was going on here. Something had happened, this lot were up to something. They were all together too cliquey in this station, too close to each other. Sure they worked well, in fact they had some of the highest solve rates in the state, but still…..
"So, Doyle." He said, coming over to stand beside Maggie's desk. "You're back then?"
"Ah, no sir, just visiting today. I'll be back in a couple of days though." She said, glaring at P.J. as he almost voiced his reaction to that. It was still too early to be back at work, in P.J.'s opinion, the more rest Maggie had the better. "I'm going mad at home. There's only so many day time soaps you can watch."
P.J.'s glare switched to Nick, as he had a hard time swallowing his laughter. "Well, I'm sorry mate, but Maggie? Daytime soaps? The two images just don't go together mate. And you're here all day, so – he stopped. "Ah – "
"Shultz, isn't it?" came the curious question from the Inspector. "What ARE you talking about?"
"Er, ah. Well, let's see. What I meant was – " and it was as if a lightbulb had suddenly gone off in Nick's mind. "What I was saying was, that Margaret here is usually the one who has to work with P.J., and so she'd be fully aware of how much work he has to do, and how snowed under he'd be getting, and so she would want to come back to work as soon as she was cleared to. So, knowing he was at work all day without her would make Doyle here all the more eager to get back to work to stop him from being – I'll be shutting up now." Nick said, thanking each and every god that there ever was for Tom Croydon's timing.
"Ok, people," Tom said, coming out of his office, Dash in tow. "We've – oh! Hello Inspector."
Still staring at Nick, Mark Falcon-Price stood, nodding over at Tom. "Sergeant."
Behind him, Maggie stood as well, surreptitiously moving over to P.J. "Listen Tom, I'll be off now, I'm going to go home and put my feet up while I still can. It's been good to see you all, maybe you can come over later? " Maggie asked, glancing around at her workmates, her eye catching P.J.'s for a second, but that was all they needed.
A muffled chorus of affirmation followed, as Falcon-Price looked on. There was most definitely something going on here. Looking over at P.J., he was suddenly aware of the paperwork that he had popped over for. "Hasham, listen, I need to have a word with Tom here, but first, - Oh, and Doyle, you might like to hear this as well. I have it on good authority – " he waved the papers at them – " that you two have officially recorded the highest solve rate for this corner of Victoria this year. Well, up until your accident, anyway. You two are being officially recognised as the top team for this area. How's that then?" he smiled. "Anyway, Tom, let's talk." And he led Tom back into his own office.