"Did you get any sleep?" she asked entering the lounge the next morning
"Couldn't sleep" she answered softly
"Mum it's been 2 weeks you have to at least try and get some sleep" she said sadly as she moved towards her
"I can't sleep every time I close my eyes I see your brothers face" she answered sadly
"I know your grieving but no sleep and not eating isn't good for you" she said sitting on the couch next to her
"You don't know what it's like to lose a child you couldn't possibly understand" she answered softly
"No but I know what it's like to lose a brother" she replied in a hurt voice.
"Kate…" she said sadly realising what she had said
"It's fine…. Look I've got to go out today collect a few things before I head back to Canberra" she said arising from the couch
"Your leaving?" she asked sadly
"I was only given 3 weeks leave I have to get back to pack up my things for my new posting" she answered smiling weakly at her
"You're not going back to HMAS Anzac are you? Don't think I can lose another one of my kids" she asked hopeful and sad
"No… I've been given my new orders for a six month posting on a Patrol Boat" she said pulling her hair up
"Where?" she asked softly
"Cairns" she answered quietly.
Past (Continuing on from last time we went back):
The next day Kate left the house early before anyone else awoke to go and see Max to talk about things with him the main one being her acceptance into the Navy and her leaving in less than a month, entering his house she took a deep breath in as she made her way down the hall
"Max?" she called out
"In here Kit" a response called out from the bedroom
"We need to talk…" she answered as she entered his bedroom
"What's up?" he asked smiling from his place on the bed
"Have you been to bed yet?" she asked moving towards the bed as she noticed the bags under his eyes
"No, I was studying all night" he said patting the spot next to him
"You're not taking those pills again are you?" she said sadly sitting next to him
"They help keep me awake" he said angrily
"Your addicted to them" she answered crossly
"I'm not addicted to them Kit" he answered moving off the bed
"I didn't come here to fight" she answered sadly
"Then why are you here? Because it seems that all we ever do is fight" he answered as she moved off the bed
"I got my acceptance letter for the Navy" she answered moving towards him
"So that's it then?" he answered
"You always knew I was going to be leaving eventually" she said sadly
"I thought you'd changed you mind since we got together" he answered angrily
"I was always going to leave regardless of whether or not we got together" she said moving to stand in front of him
"So what we had meant nothing to you?" he answered getting agitated
"Of course not! What I feel for you is real" she answered softly placing her hands on his chest
"Don't lie to me Kate" he yelled angrily as he backhanded her in the face causing her to fall against the bed
"Look at yourself Max! Look at what these pills are doing to you" she answered holding her cheek as she pulled herself off the bed
"How many times do I have to keep telling you I'm not addicted!" he yelled
"I can't keep doing this…" she answered sadly moving towards his bedroom door
"Kate please don't go…" he answered grabbing her arm and pulling her against him
"I'm done Max…" she said softly as she felt him tense up
"I need you…" he replied placing his free hand on her cheek as she hissed in pain
"You don't hurt someone you love, and you certainly don't need me" she said trying to pull herself away as he tightened his grip on her
"Come on Kit we can go back to the way things were before" he answered
"Before? You mean before you started taking drugs or before I ever got involved with you" she answered angrily
"You don't mean that" he said trying to move them towards the bed
"Yes I do! I shouldn't have to go home every day and try and hide the fact that my boyfriend hits me" she said pushing him back
"I won't let you leave like this" he said moving towards her and pushing her against the bed as he pinned her down
"Get off me" she said as she tried to push him off
"I love you Kit we can work through this" he said running his hand along her chest and towards her pants
"I hate you…" she answered trying to grab his hand as he moved it up and around her neck
"You don't mean that" he said putting pressure around her throat
"Yes I do…" she struggled to get out as he began to choke her.
Entering his house, he could hear sounds of struggles coming from the bedroom as he stood in the doorway he saw Max pinning Kate down against the bed
"Max what the hell!" he yelled as he ran towards him and physically pulled him off of Kate
"This isn't any of your concern" Max yelled as he looked towards and enraged Jake who turned and punched him in the face
"She's my sister it most definitely is my concern" he answered angrily
"Jake! Get off him" Kate yelled as she held her neck trying to grasp for air
"Get off me!" Max yelled as Jake pinned him against the wall
"Kate you okay?" he asked sadly
"I'm fine" she answered coughing as she moved off the bed
"You are nothing but a coward" he answered throwing Max to the floor
"She wanted it" he answered from his place on the floor
"Go near my little sister again and you'll wish you'd never been born" Jake said angrily as Kate moved in front of him
"Jake I'm fine" she answered placing her hands on his chest
"This jackarse deserves a kick in the head" he yelled pointing at Max angrily
"Jake…" she said placing her hands on his cheeks
"Look at me…" she said sadly as he looked down at her
"What?" he asked sadly
"I'm fine…" she answered as he looked at her before pulling her into a hug
"Let's get out of here" he said wrapping an arm around her shoulder as Max arose from the ground
"Kate and I aren't finished talking" he said moving towards them
"You take another step near Kate and I'll…" Jake answered angrily
"Jake it's fine I can handle this" she said placing a hand on his chest as she moved towards Max
"We can work…" he said as Kate punched him in the nose as he fell backwards
"What the hell Kate…" he said holding his bleeding nose
"Whoa nice shot Kate" Jake said grinning from his spot behind her
"Thank you, I had a good teacher" she said smirking at him as she playfully hit his arm
"Always knew those one on one boxing lessons would pay off" he said grinning as she wrapped an arm around his waist
"We can go now" she said smiling up at him as he placed his arm around her shoulder as they walked out towards the front door.
"You should see a doctor for that" Jake said sadly as she sat down at the kitchen table after they got home
"I'm fine…" she said softly rubbing her neck
"You keep saying that but I don't exactly believe you" he said grabbing a bag of peas out of the freezer
"Well maybe you should" she said shrugging her shoulders
"Kate…" he said softly knelling in front of her
"Don't start Jake…" she said looking at him sadly
"You don't need to be strong in front of me, I know the real you remember" he said slowly reaching up and placing the bag of peas on her neck as she hissed in pain
"How am I supposed to get through this Jake?" she answered sadly placing her hand on her neck to hold the bag of peas
"Us McGregor's are fighters Kate and I'll be right by your side the whole time" he said brushing a thumb against her starting to bruise and cut cheek
"What if this is my destiny falling for bad guys and getting myself hurt?" she asked sadly as he arose and moved to the top of the fridge to grab the first aid box.
"Your destiny is to achieve great things and become Chief of the Navy" he said smiling as he sat next to her placing the box on the table.
"Is it always going to feel like this?" she asked softly as he started to clean her cheek
"It's love Kate, we all experience it once in our life some more than others; and when you know you've found the one who you are truly meant to be with everything will fall into place" he said reassuring her as he placed some gauze on her cut
"But what if Max was my one?" she asked turning to face him
"He hurt you Kate, if you truly love someone you don't ever want to hurt them" he said brushing a hand through her hair
"Another one of your life quotes?" she said grinning at him
"No, call it experience" he said smiling at her
"It hurts Jake…" she said sadly as she began to tear up
"I know but one day it'll stop" he said moving his chair closer to her as he pulled her into a hug
"I don't ever want to fall in love again…" she said closing her eyes as she hugged her brother tightly a tear falling down his cheek as he held her close rubbing her back in comfort.
Later that night when Kate had gone to bed the exhaustion of crying all day having finally caught up with her Jake slowly made his way out of her bedroom closing the door behind him,
"She finally gone down?" his Mum asked softly as he entered the kitchen
"Yeah, how could you do something like that to someone you claim to love?" he asked confused as he sat down across from her
"It wasn't him honey it was the drugs affecting his ability to think and how to act" she said sadly pushing the tray of biscuits towards him
"That's no excuse Mum, he's broken her in a way no one should ever be hurt" Jake answered as he took a biscuit
"She's strong, she'll recover" she answered hopeful
"Will she? What if she closes herself off from everyone and refused to open herself up to love again because of this experience" he replied sadly
"First loves don't always necessarily end up being your last" she said looking at him sadly
"Is that what happened with you and Dad?" he asked confused
"Your Dad and I were just not meant to be" she said smiling at him
"Do you regret ever meeting him?" he asked taking a bite out of his biscuit
"Never, I'm grateful for the time we did have because we ended up with two beautiful kids" she said reassuring him
"Then how come he never visits" he said sadly
"Your Dad is a complicated man and I guess him moving to Cairns was his way of moving on" she answered with a sad smile
"Cairns is only an hour by car Mum he could easy visit" he answered angrily
"Enough about your Father, I want you to do me a favour" she said moving forward in her chair
"Anything…" he answered looking at her confused
"I want you to move to Canberra with her" she said sadly
"What?" he asked
"She's going to be alone over there and she'll need someone to look out for her I want you to go with her" she asked again
"But what about you, and Uni?" he said confused
"You're graduating in a month anyway and I'll be fine I can take care of myself" she answered
"You and Kate are just as stubborn as each other, you know she won't let me go with her" he said softly
"Jake please, your sister needs you more than I do" she answered reaching a hand across the table
"Ok… I'll do it, you know some brothers would be glad their sister is leaving home" he said smirking at her as he gripped her hand in his
"But I know you Jake, you love her more than anything" she answered smiling at him
"She's my sister, I'd do anything for her" he said squeezing her hand
"I knew I could count on you" she answered squeezing his hand back.