Sitting in the car Maggie drummed her fingers on the steering wheel
"You know the whole point of leaving is if you actually turn the car on" he answered shifting to sit in the passenger seat
"She won't turn on"
"Really?" he raised an eyebrow reaching across and turning the keys starting the car
"Okay so maybe it does turn on" she instantly turned it off
"What are you still doing here?" he turned in his seat
"I don't know.."
"Mags…"
"Dads not doing well PJ… it's the reason I'm going to Melbourne"
"Right…"
"I would have explained this morning, but you didn't give me the chance"
"You could have stopped me" he reached across grabbing her hand in his to stop her picking her nails
"And have you bite my head off again?"
"Okay so I could have handled it better"
"PJ… all we do is fight; I don't want to live like that" she pulled her hands out of his
"So what are you saying?"
"This morning when you asked if I'd be coming back I couldn't give you an answer…"
"So you've made your mind up then?" he shifted uncomfortably
"Not officially yet but…"
"It's pretty clear where we stand" he sighed opening the door
"PJ.." she placed a hand on his arm
"I need to get back to work"
"I love you.. so much.."
"But not enough to stay" he pulled his arm back exiting out of the car he took one last look at her before making his way up the path back towards the station.
Banging the door behind him when he entered the station PJ stopped when Tom exited his office
"A word?" he motioned
"Not now Boss" he closed the gate behind him
"Now PJ!"
"What is it?" he entered his office sighing when Tom closed the door and pulled down the curtain
"What the hell happened out there" he pointed to the window
"What?"
"You and Doyle"
"There is no Doyle and I" he huffed moving to the door,
Tom getting in quick and stopping him
"Get out of my way"
"Go back out there and sort it out"
"Boss this isn't your concern, it isn't anyone's concern it's over now get out of my way" he reached for the door handle
"It isn't over until Maggie says that herself" Tom refused to move
"Pretty sure that's exactly what she just told me" he huffed moving back towards the window
"PJ…"
"Just drop it Boss"
"If it were really over would Doyle be sitting in her car out the front still?"
"Her car won't start" he shrugged pulling at the blind slightly to see her still sitting there
"Rubbish"
"There's no future for us, not with her Dad in Melbourne and Ben hanging around…"
"Ben?"
"Forget it"
"No what's Ben got to do with this?"
"Well.. Benny boy is in love with Mags isn't he" PJ turned to face him
"What?" Tom's eyes widened
"Tom it's obvious! How do I know that's not the real reason she's leaving? That she has feelings for both of us"
"Oh come on PJ, Doyle isn't like that"
"No? Then how come the two of them shared a kiss the day after Mags and I slept together?" he moved away from the window
"I just don't believe it" Tom shook his head
"Go and ask him yourself, I've got work to get back to" he stopped at the door that lead into the interview room
"You really think Doyle would have feelings for someone else when it's obvious for everyone to see she's crazy about you?"
"It dosen't matter anymore does it" he pulled the door open
"PJ…"
"What?"
"The way Maggie looks at you is the way I used to look at Nell.."
"Your point being?"
"What you and her have is special don't let it get away because you might not get it back" he looked at him sadly
"Yeah well…" he shrugged exiting his office through the interview room and into the open area getting a few looks of confusion from his colleagues,
opening his office door Tom looked across at Ben who was looking across at Maggie's empty desk with the look of sorrow
"Stewart you got a minute?" he cleared his throat
"Ah sure Boss" he shifted out of his chair following Tom into his office closing the door behind him
"Take a seat" he pointed across his desk sitting down himself
"Have I done something wrong?" he did as he was asked
"I just want to ask you something"
"Ah.. this is about Maggie right?"
"How'd you guess?"
"The fact that our mate PJ is acting like I don't exist" he crossed his arms
"Look I don't personally like to get involved with other peoples 'love lives' but from my understanding you've got.. well a soft spot for Maggie…"
"Yeah she's a good copper"
"No Ben.. I mean in a personal way" he raised an eyebrow
"Boss.."
"Just be honest with me Stewart"
"I didn't come to this one-horse town to fall in love ya know" he huffed shifting out of his chair
"From what I remember you didn't exactly have a choice"
"No.. but everyone made me feel so welcomed especially Maggie and from my understanding her and PJ they weren't in a relationship"
"No.. they weren't at least not to my understanding"
"I didn't intend for it to happen and I know for a fact she dosen't feel the same, she loves PJ"
"She said that to you?"
"She didn't have to Boss, it's obvious for everyone to see" he looked at him sadly
"I would have thought so yeah"
"PJ has no competition with me, I'm not a threat the threat that's standing in his way is his own stubbornness"
"I agree with you there" Tom nodded
"So what do we do?" Ben questioned
"Nothing, it's not for us to get involved but if it starts to effect his work.."
"Then you'll intervene"
"Doyle might not be coming back Ben so for all our sakes let's just keep a distance eye on PJ"
"Sure Boss"
"That's all" he waved to the door, nodding sadly Ben exited his office.
Pulling into his driveway two hours later Maggie exited her car and walked up the path entering the house
"Dad?" she called out closing the front door dropping her bag in the hall,
walking further into the house she stopped in her path at the mess of food, beer cans and dirty clothes all around the lounge and kitchen
"Dad…" she sighed seeing him passed out of the couch
"Mmm" he mumbled in his sleep
"Dad" she moved over to the couch picking up the pillows "It's nine am wake up!" she huffed
"Maggie?" he slowly opened his eyes
"Your hungover?" she sat on the coffee table
"Mm-fine" he shifted to sit up
"Come off it I can smell the booze from here"
"I may have had a few"
"A few? The place is a bloody pigsty" she looked around
"Why are you here Maggie?" he ran his hand over his face
"Why do you think?"
"I'm not a drunk" he arose to stand stumbling slightly
"No? try telling me that again" Maggie quickly stood placing a hand on his arm
"I don't need you here" he shook her off
"Would you prefer I call Michael?"
"Don't you call that bastard"
"Dad he's your son" she sighed when he stumbled over to the fridge
"I have no sons" he grabbed a beer from the fridge opening it
"Seriously?" she walked over taking the beer from him
"You give that back"
"It's too early for drinking, now go shower and sober up" she poured it down the sink
"Maggie!" he reached over to take it back pushing her into the bench
"You don't need any more" she hissed when her side hit the corner with a force, ignoring it she continued
"I need it"
"Listen to you, your sounding like Robbie"
"I can stop anytime I want; alcohol is not like Heroin"
"No Dad but it's still as bad" she crushed the empty can
"I don't need you here"
"You called me"
"Since when" he moved back towards the couch
"You've seriously been drinking that much that you don't remember?"
"Go back home Maggie I don't need you here"
"I'm not going anywhere" she crossed her arms watching him lay back down on the couch
"I don't want you here" he picked up the pillow and placed it over his head
"You can be a real bastard sometimes you know that"
"Good to know"
"Wake up to yourself Dad before you loose another kid or yourself"
"You know where the front door is" he waved a hand
"Bastard" she huffed shaking her head she moved up the hall,
lifting her shirt slightly she hissed when it brushed across a red and turning purple cut from the force of him pushing her into the bench;
pulling it back down she picked up her bag and exited out the house slamming the door behind her.
(So I got a little inspo for this story but at a result of loosing some on my Sea Patrol one.. Whoever thought it was a good idea to write two stories at once was crazy.. Hope you enjoy this update since it's been while Xx)