"Do you believe in love?" she questioned looking down at her OJ
"Where's this coming from?" the red head replied
"Like not just love but.. true and honest love" she looked at her sadly
"True love isn't real unless it's returned" she surprised her
"How do you know? If it's true" Maggie looked up at her
"Well I don't know you notice it in the little things I guess" she placed the tea-towel across her shoulder
"Like?"
"Ah.. the way someone looks at you, the way they act when their around you"
"Have you ever been in love Chris?" she took a sip of her drink
"Yeah I was once" she smiled sadly
"People in love really do make some stupid decisions" Maggie sighed
"Is this about PJ?"
"And Ben…"
"Ben?" Chris looked at her confused when he entered taking off his hat
"Ah... Ben" Maggie cleared her throat
"I'm just here for the lunches"
"Don't need to explain to me" she shifted out of her chair
"I'll go get them" Chris sensed the awkwardness
"You um… you didn't mention you were thinking of leaving" he fiddled with his hat
"I haven't fully decided yet" she moved towards the exit
"Before you go…" he placed a hand on her arm
"Yeah?" she looked at his hand
"Can we… can we talk?" he pulled his hand back and motioned to near the stairs,
"So what's this about?" she stopped next to the stairs
"It's about earlier… the…"
"Oh, we don't.. we don't need to discuss that"
"You never answered my question" he cleared his throat
"Question?"
"PJ.. do you love him?"
"Ben.." she took a deep breath in
"I see the way you look at him Maggie, I know… because… it's the way I look at you"
"I…"
"But the fact is.. I'm still just a stranger, you and PJ have years of history"
"Ben I never wanted to hurt you but…"
"I know" he smiled sadly
"I'm so sorry"
"You love PJ?" he interrupted
"Yeah… I really do, I'm sorry Ben I hope you can find someone who'll love you back"
"I figured it out once, I'll do it again"
"I know saying sorry dosen't make it any easier…" she looked down at her feet
"I hate this" Ben sighed
"What?" she looked back up at him
"No Maggie, I don't hate you but I hate how you make me feel"
"Ben…"
"Because I can't have you.." his voice cracked
"PJ dosen't have me either" she tried to lighten the mood getting a soft smile off him
"Are you happy Maggie?" he questioned
"Well at the moment things are a little rough but in general sure I'm happy"
"Love changes us Maggie, it makes us better it makes us weaker…"
"Okay… I'm not following you" she looked at him confused
"We heard the disagreement you and PJ had and given the way he was acting after you left it was pretty obvious something happened"
"Things with PJ their…"
"PJ loves you Maggie, he loves you way more than I ever will you can't let that love go not for a second because once it's gone the chances of getting it back…" he stepped forward "don't let him go Maggie, because you deserve all the love in the world" he brushed his hand against her cheek
"Ben, lunches…" Chris called from around the corner
"I better go" he moved back
"Ben…"
"Don't leave without telling him exactly how your feeling, he deserves to be there through all the good and the bad times" he sighed putting on his hat
"Yeah…" she took a deep breath, watching him sadly when he collected the lunches and left she dropped herself to sit on the stairs
"You okay?" Chris stood in the doorway of her office
"Is any of this okay?" she snapped "I'm sorry Chris…" she immediately apologised
"Hey don't worry about it" she moved to sit next to her
"I don't know how to move past this, loosing Robbie it…"
"Yeah I know"
"I slept with PJ" she blurted out turning her head to look at Chris
"It's about time" she nudged her arm
"It wasn't that obvious was it?"
"Well…" Chris gave her a grin
"I love him Chris, I love him to much to make him miserable just because I'm struggling"
"Oh Maggie" Chris wrapped her arm around her "PJ loves you, he would want to be there for you no matter what your going through"
"I can't put him through that it's better this way"
"Are you a hundred percent sure leaving is the right choice?"
"Honestly? I have no idea" Maggie looked at her sadly
"Listen why don't you come back tonight for dinner, we can chat some more I'll get Len to cover the bar"
"That would be nice"
"It's sorted then" Chris rubbed her arm in comfort before moving to stand heading back into her office
'Sorted, right…' Maggie mumbled to herself arising from the steps
"I'll see you at seven" Chris nodded when she walked past the office
"Seven" she took a deep breath and headed towards the exit.
Entering the pub just after seven PJ looked across into the dining room spotting Maggie sitting with Chris
"I'll just.."
"PJ" Ben tried to stop him
"Just leave him mate, it's your shout" Nick patted his back,
"Mags?" PJ cleared his throat entering the dining room
"I'll just go put these food orders in" Chris excused herself
"Can we talk?" PJ stopped next to the table
"We don't have anything to discuss"
"Please" he sat opposite her
"I thought you didn't want to say goodbye" she sat back in her chair
"I'm not here for that"
"Then what?"
"Stay" he reached across placing his hand on hers
"What?"
"Stay here in Mount Thomas"
"I already told you why I can't" she pulled her hand back
"If you stay here we will all support you as much as we can"
"Just leave it PJ" she shifted to stand
"Why?" he followed suite
"What do you want me to say? Going back to Melbourne it's the best option"
"Is it? Look I get your struggling with the loss of Robbie but Mags this isn't just a place on the map it's your home it has been for six years you can't just leave"
"It's over just drop it"
"Over? It never even began!" he huffed
"My heart just bleeds for you" she rolled her eyes
"Oh come on Mags don't be like that"
"Guys…" Chris tried to interrupt
"Just a second Chris" Maggie held her hand up before turning back to him "there isn't an us PJ there has never been an us so you can't just come in here and throw that on me"
"You know how I feel about you, how can I look at the girl I love and tell myself it's time to walk away I won't do that" PJ looked at her sadly
"You have to, please just…"
"You leave, I leave"
"What?" she looked at him confused
"God Doyle I'm madly in love with you do you really think I'd let you push me away?"
"PJ…" she shook her head when he stepped forward
"You can't just spend the night with me and then push me away"
"Now hang on…"
"Okay so that was unfair but…"
"Unfair? Unfair is not letting me move on when all I want to do is stop myself from causing you pain"
"You leaving.. is causing me more pain then seeing you struggling with your grief, I want to be there Mags that's the meaning of love you don't just run away when things get hard or too difficult"
"I will not make you miserable because I'm struggling.." she dropped her head
"Mags.." he stepped forward lifting her head with his thumb under her chin "you have never, ever made me miserable"
"I don't know how to get past all this PJ, loosing Robbie it's affected me more then I care to admit and…"
"I'm not going anywhere just please.. stay" he looked at her with tears in his eyes
"Why won't you just leave this as is and move forward without me?"
"There are millions of people in this world Mags.. but in the end it will always come down to just one"
"PJ.."
"I love you Maggie, I don't want to lose you if leaving Mount Thomas I what you need to do then I am coming with you" he moved his hand across her cheek
"I can't ask you to…"
"You're not asking, you go I go we're in this together now Maggie so please… don't push me away"
"I…" she looked at him sadly before diverting her eyes "umm.." she cleaned her throat at noticing the whole pub staring
"Maybe we should take this somewhere more private" PJ held his hand out
"Parlour's free" Chris pointed
"Thanks.." Maggie grabbed PJ's hand when he pulled her the back way towards the Parlour avoiding the crowd;
"So what do you…" PJ began saying when they entered the Parlour before he was cut off by Maggie's lips seeking out his,
pushing his hand through her hair he smiled when she pulled back
"Is that a yes?"
"No… it's a let me go to Melbourne for a few days and.."
"And.."
"I'll come back, then we can talk properly without prying ears or eyes"
"No decisions are set in stone?" he moved his other hand up against her cheek
"PJ I love you but.."
"No, none of that you're stuck with me when I say I love you it means everything about you including being there to help you through this grief" he looked down at her sadly
"You know they say when you meet the love of your life time stops, if that's true then I now understand why it feels like no time passes when I'm with you"
"So we better make the most of it then" he teased
"Come to mine? For some dinner?"
"And dessert?"
"If you're lucky" she playfully hit his chest
"Time to face the audience then" he went to move
"I'm sure Chris can held sneak us out through the back" she shrugged with a grin
"I'm sure she will" he laughed softly kissing her forehead
he pulled back interlocking his hand with hers he snuck them out of the parlour and stopped near the kitchen where Chris was already waiting to sneak them out.