"So, how d'you reckon Buckley'll do then? Going to be a tough match against the Cat's, but I reckon we might be in with a chance" PJ said as the flight attendant made her way down the aisle checking that everyone's seatbelts were fastened. "Yeah, the Cat's are on a roll, but we might be able to get somewhere, we've got a good team, and, and we stand a chance …" he tailed off as he felt Nick's eyes on him.

"Don't Nick, ok? Just don't. I can't think about it. I – " PJ took a deep breath. " Mags – she's alive and I'm - " he stopped again, willing himself to go on. " I'm terrified Nick. I am so terrified that she won't remember me, or that she won't want me, and I get so bloody scared that I want to get off this plane and at the same time I just want to be there, I just want to hold her, and tell her how much I love her, and when I think about it all, I can't stop shaking, and my throat gets dry, and I – it's better if I make small talk, ok? Just – mate, just go with me on this, ok?"

Nick looked at PJ, and saw the turmoil that he was in. Those blue, blue eyes wide with emotion, hands constantly fidgeting, reaching inside his jacket to straighten something in his pocket, to tweak the seatbelt, to pick at imaginary fluff on his jeans. Body held tight with tension, and deep breaths trying to will it all away.

"You think the Pies'll win? No way mate" Nick said with a smile, forcing himself to relax back into his seat, hoping PJ might be able to follow in kind. "Cats'll thrash them every time. You must see that, I mean it's only natural isn't it? Cat's EAT birds, and what is a Magpie but a bird? Natural order of things, mate. Natural order of things. Everything will come good, you know that"

PJ smiled, both at the absurdity of the statement, and at the effort that Nick was going to. Friends like Nick were a rare commodity. "Thanks mate"

"No worries" Nick replied, understanding both the spoken words and the emotion behind them. "Now, when's this heap going to get into the air? Maybe I should go and have a word with the pilot? D'you think they show the footy on these tiny screens – and what's with that anyway? Where did those proper movie sized screens go? What idiot thought that any sane person could see anything on these tiny things? You need a magnifying screen just to – " his voice tapered off when he saw PJ staring out of the window, his hands once again restless, constantly moving over the ridges of a silver key that he now held.

The rest of the flight was spent in a similar manner. PJ trying to make small talk when he could drag his frantic mind back from the upcoming reunion, and Nick being the true friend he was, and providing a comforting mix of silence and nonsense. As they got closer and closer to landing, PJ's movements became more edgy, more wary, the key in his hand clenched tightly.

"This was for her" PJ said suddenly, turning to face Nick, and Nick's heart almost broke at the fear he saw etched there. "This – " PJ looked down at the key, "It was for her, so she could come and go as and when she wanted. It – I wanted her to know – mate, I - what if she – "

"PJ stop. We won't know anything for sure until you two see each other and talk it out. But think about it. Really think about it. You loved her, didn't you? You really loved her, and you still do, don't you? No, don't say anything, just let me talk for a minute. You love her PJ. You always have, and you always will. And she loves you. I have no idea what Margaret sees in you, mate, but whatever it is, she loved you. The woman was totally nuts about you. And from what the Boss has said, I think there's still something there. She named her boys after you. She dreamed about you – ok, ok, so we don't know if it was about you, but she didn't dream about her husband. Zoe said that she told her that she felt nothing when she looked at the pictures of her husband, but she DID know that there was someone who held her heart. She KNEW she was in love, but - PJ look. I don't know what's going to happen, but I – well, I - "Nick sighed.

In all truth, he'd never really thought that PJ and Maggie wouldn't fall into each other's arms and that he'd be attending a wedding within the next few months. The thought of them not reconciling, not falling back in love had never occurred to him. "PJ, all I can say is that you have to take it as it happens. What you and Maggie had, I really don't think it can disappear. You ever tell Zoe I said this and I'll whap you on that stubborn head of yours, but I do believe in true love. I believe in love at first sight, and I believe that that love never really dies. A small part of it is always there, and it never vanishes. Whatever Maggie is going through, she still cares for us all, and for you too. You just to have to have faith in that, and take it from there." Nick was silent for a few moments, letting his words sink in.

"Besides. You might not have anything to worry about. She may take one look at you and strip you down and have her way with you – which is why I have these" he said with a grin, whipping out a pair of very dark sunglasses, "and these" he waved a pair of yellow spongy earplugs at PJ. "I've also checked with Tom and I know the nearest exits of Maggie's house, and I've planned a getaway route – OUCH!!"

PJ's laughter was worth the bruise Nick was sure he was going to have.

Zoe hung up and turned to face them. "Should have turned my phone on earlier. Nick and PJ caught a 7-30 flight and they'll be here soon, apparently." she said, watching as an involuntary smile flew across Maggie's face.

"He's coming," she breathed. "He's coming" and then the reality of it all began to sink in. "Boss, what if – "

Tom was on his feet in seconds, wrapping her in a hug. "That feeling just now, that first instinct, when Zoe said he was on his way. You smiled, Maggie. You really smiled, just like I remember. Just like you always did you saw him for the first time in the morning – although I now have a nasty suspicion work may not have been the first time you saw Hasham each day – but we'll skim over that I think. Anyway, my point is that your first reaction to hearing that PJ was on his way was to smile. Was to be happy. Hold onto that Maggie. Hold onto it tightly, because that's the truth. What you're feeling now, that's not your first instinct. That's nerves setting in. That's thinking, it's – Maggie, you smiled, sweetheart. Just hold onto that."

Maggie looked up at Tom, before stepping away from him. She looked deep into his eyes, and he held her gaze. Finally, she allowed another small smile to grace her features. "I did, didn't I? I smiled. I – " she sat down, crossing her legs underneath her. " I want to see him. I want to know." She sighed. "I want to understand all of this. No disrespect to you or anything, but I still – all of this, it all makes sense, and I know you're telling me the truth, there's too much evidence for it not to be true – but it still – Boss, I'm sorry, but even though I KNOW it's true, that doesn't make it FEEL true yet. But seeing PJ, actually seeing him – maybe that will make it all come back."

"Don't do that, Maggie" Zoe said softly, and Maggie turned to look at her as Tom sat down next to her.

"What?"

"Don't pin all of your hopes on PJ. Don't put that pressure on him, or on yourself. It's not fair to either of you"

Maggie was silent for a minute. "Zoe, he – he has to be it. He – I can feel him. I can – the memories, they're all there, all just out of reach, and it's driving me crazy. I keep getting flashes of things, of blue, of warmth, of whispers, and then they all disappear again. I – he – I need him Zoe. I need him, so I can understand it all."

"But what if he doesn't? What if he's not the key to it all?" Zoe said, regretting the pain that flashed across Maggie's face at her words, but knowing it had to be said.

"Zoe," Tom said, a warning note in his tone.

"Tom, I have to. I – she can't pin her hopes on this, because if it doesn't work, it'll break her – and most likely break PJ too. She can't put that much pressure on him, or on herself either."

Their only reply was the sound of a door closing as Maggie retreated to her room, sitting blank faced on her bed, staring at the wall and seeing nothing. Zoe sighed as Tom glared at her.

"Was that really necessary?" he bit out, his heart breaking at what had just happened.

"Yes," Zoe said sadly, sinking down onto the couch. She looked up at Tom, before sighing. "Tom, if PJ isn't the trigger, if he doesn't make her memories come back, and she's pinned her hopes on him, what's it going to do to them if it doesn't work? How's she going to react to him if he isn't the trigger? She'll resent him, she'll blame him, and she won't be able to help it. And Tom, you know Maggie's my friend, you know I love her – but over the past two years, I've come to look at PJ like a brother. Or a brother –in-law anyway. I know him, Tom. I - Tom, what I'm saying is that but PJ won't cope with that. He loves her so much, and he won't cope with finding her and then having her blame him for it all. And he won't be able to go through losing her again. It'll kill him, Tom. He'll go through with it this time."

"Go through with what?" Tom said softly, neither noticing that Maggie was standing and listening by the door.

"He – Nick - " Zoe stopped, hating that she was breaking a trust, but knowing that it was the only way she could get Tom to understand. " Tom, Nick found him one night, up at the ridge. He said that PJ was so close, he was missing her so much – he just wanted to be with her again, and if his gun was the only way he could be with her, then that was what he was going to do."

Tom sank down into a thankfully nearby chair, Zoe's words loud and painful to hear. The thing was, it wasn't anything he hadn't really suspected, but to hear it confirmed just broke his heart for them all the more.

"Now do you see what I'm saying? Now do you understand?" Zoe said, tears falling softly down her cheeks. "I'm scared Tom. I know I've been the strong one in all of this, the cheerful outlook, the smiles, but I'm scared."

Maggie wrapped her arms around herself as the truth of Zoe's words finally sank in. PJ loved her. He really and truly loved her. And losing her, having her torn away from him like that, like they said had happened, it had almost killed him. Had almost made him – she'd nearly lost him. But how could she have almost lost him when she couldn't even really remember him? How could she be feeling this crushing fear, this – this searing terror at the idea that this PJ would have killed himself when she couldn't even remember him? Remember his blue, blue eyes as he held her, his arms as they pulled her into him and his heart as it beat against hers as they made love?

A sound outside the front door made her jump, and she stood, opening it.