Holding her side Maggie placed the motel phone down slowly
"Everything alright?" Mick asked from his place at the small table
"That was Chris…"
"Imperial Chris?"
"Well it was just a message really.. asking me to give her a call back" she answered moving over towards him
"And your not going too?" he questioned when she sat across from him
"There's no point she called two hours ago"
"And? You could still give her a call"
"I'd rather not"
"Why?"
"Because it'll just be about PJ" she snapped reaching across and stealing a chip from the packet they got on the way back from the hospital
"What exactly happened between you two?"
"It's not important"
"Maggie…" he sensed her hesitation
"After… after Robbie died he was there comforting me and…"
"You finally slept together?" he joked getting a sad look off her "Oh…"
"After losing Robbie part of me just knew I had to tell him before it was too late"
"Tell him?"
"I love him Mick… I always have" she sighed sadly
"So I need to ask if it was your first time you know… the whole being buried alive the two of you didn't…"
"Why does everyone think that? Getting buried alive dosen't exactly scream a sexual environment"
"Not even once?"
"No!"
"Okay, okay calm down" he held up a hand
"When PJ dosen't get his own way he goes on a downward spiral the phone call I can only presume is Chris just begging me to come back to Mount Thomas"
"Dad isn't your priority Maggie, he's and adult what you need to do is look after yourself"
"I can't just leave him no matter how much I love PJ"
"If he really needs someone so bad then he's got me, you go home focus on yourself on your possible relationship with PJ" he reached across placing a hand on hers
"Michael…"
"Dad is a stubborn old fool he'll come around when he's ready, I will be here to keep an eye on him"
"I don't…"
"Go home" he pressed
"I can't just leave" she repeated
"I will kick you all the way back to Mount Thomas if I have too" he moved back in his chair
"You really are too bossy"
"Well I am the oldest"
"I'll leave in a few hours… once I've healed a bit" she held her side
"It's going to take more then a few hours to heal"
"Then I should stay"
"Maggie" he raised an eyebrow
"Okay, okay I'll leave in an hour just let me eat something first" she reached across for a chip.
Back in Mount Thomas just after lunch PJ sat at his desk fiddling with his pen
"If you're not going to do any work why'd you come back?" Tom stood on the doorway
"I didn't want to, but pushy Shultz didn't give me a choice" he threw his pen down
"PJ.."
"I was perfectly happy at the pub drinking my beer"
"You were supposed to be collecting the lunches not trying to drown your sorrows"
"Are we done here?" he shifted to stand
"When you're on duty I expect you to be setting a good example for the junior members" Tom protested
"Well I'll keep that in mind 'Dad'" he pulled his jacket from off the back of the chair
"This is not some joke PJ"
"I'm taking the rest of the day off" he replied moving past him and into the open area
"PJ you're rostered on until five" Tom followed after him
"And? I call you Boss out of respect but technically you're not my Boss so just…"
"PJ"
"Back off" he huffed pulling on his jacket
"Don't do this to yourself"
"I am fine"
"Dosen't look like it to me…" her soft voice answered over the counter
"Maggie?" he looked across at her in confusion
"Seeing as you're heading out mind if we have a chat?"
"I was…"
"I'll roster you off for the rest of the day" Tom pushed him towards the counter
"Boss I…"
"Go" he motioned stopping next to the sign in book
"Ah about before.." he pulled the gate open
"Don't worry about it"
"Sure…" he nodded moving with Maggie towards the front door.
Walking along the path PJ placed his hands in his jacket awkwardly "So your back…"
"Figured there was no point staying if Dad didn't want me there"
"So what you came back here too keep an eye on me?" he stopped to face her
"I'm not here to fight with you" she turned holding her side
"Then why are you here Maggie, because you made it pretty clear how you felt before you left"
"I…"
"If you don't know then I can't help you" he sighed moving to walk away
"PJ.." she tried but he continued walking away "Would you just…"
"I don't want to hear any more excuses Maggie" he called back over his shoulder
"I came back for you!" she yelled after him causing him to stop
"You what?" PJ turned back to face her
"I came back for you" her voice cracked
"For me…" he slowly walked back towards her
"Yes Detective do I need to spell it out to you?"
"Well…" he shrugged stopping in front of her
"Dad needs me PJ… but what I didn't realise until I was in Melbourne was that I need you…"
"You need me?"
"Yes, I need your pigheadedness, I need you constantly trying to prove me wrong I just need you in my life…"
"And where would that be Mags here or Melbourne?" he sighed sadly
"Mount Thomas… it's my home PJ" she gave him a soft smile when his hand came to rest against her cheek "I don't like when we fight" she gripped his jacket in her fists
"We were fighting?" he raised an eyebrow laughing when she hit him
"PJ…" she dropped her head slightly
"What is it?" he questioned brushing her cheek continusely with his thumb
"I love you…" she looked back up at him
"I love you too Mags, so much" he tilted his head brushing his lips against hers,
she whimpered slightly pulling back when his free hand came to rest on her side "I…"
"Are you okay?" he questioned when she removed his hand off her wound
"So… something happened this morning and I um.. I had to get a few stiches so my side it's a little tender.."
"Stitches? What the hell happened?" PJ shifted pulling her shirt up a little to look at her bandaged wound
"Dad he was…"
"Pat did this to you?" his eyes widened
"Well not on purpose he just…"
"What?"
"If you give me a chance to finish my sentence I'll tell you" she pulled her shirt back down
"Sorry…"
"Dad was passed out when I got there"
"Of course he was"
"After he woke up he went straight to the fridge for a beer"
"At like nine am?" he interrupted again
"I took the beer and proceeded to pour it down the sink he tried to take it back and accidently pushed me into the bench"
"You sure it was an accident?"
"He dosen't even know about it, the corners are sharp Mick knows from experience, and it gave me a deep cut"
"Jesus Mags"
"Mick he took me to the hospital… and then after a few hours I came back here" she sensed his annoyance
"You should have called me" he grabbed her hand in his
"What could you have done?"
"Well I.."
"PJ I'm fine I've just got a little healing to do now" she squeezed his hand as they began walking towards the Imperial
"So nothing to strenuous then?"
"What did you have in mind?"
"Oh I'm sure we can think of something" he let her hand go and wrapped his arm around her shoulder,
Maggie's arm coming to wrap around his back.
_
"This is exactly what I had in mind" Maggie smiled placing their drinks down
"It doesn't get much better then this" he kissed the side of her head when she sat next to him
"Well I mean the only thing that could make it better would be a packet of Twisties, but Chris was all out"
"No…" PJ pretended to be shocked
"Hand them over"
"But.."
"If you don't hand them over then you'll be going home alone tonight"
"Ohh-ouch" he teased placing a bag of Twisties on the table
"Thank you" she nodded taking the bag and opening it
"So Mags.. I was thinking.."
"Oh no.."
"What?" he reached for his OJ
"When a guy says that it usually never ends well"
"As a matter of fact I was just going to ask you to move in with me but.." he took a mouthful of his drink trying to contain his laughter when the bag of Twisties burst and went all over the table
"Shit…" she cleared her throat placing the bag down
"You good?" he put his glass back on the table
"Ah yeah um I…" she began to clean up the chips
"Mags…" he placed a hand over hers stopping her
"Don't you think it's a little soon I mean…" she struggled when he grabbed both her hands in his forcing her to turn and face him
"Maggie I love you, I don't want to wake up and not have you by my side I want us to share a bed where I can cook you breakfast in the morning"
"You don't know how to cook" she snickered
"Okay so ordering from the local bakery breakfast in bed, what do you say?" he asked hopeful
"If you leave your jocks on the bathroom floor I'm moving out"
"Is that a?"
"Yes" she nodded with a wide smile
"God I love you" he leaned in kissing her cheek
"Well your pretty lucky I love you too, now help me clean these chips up before Chris comes over giving us a lecture" she moved back to face the table PJ letting go of her hands.