Finally sated, Tom leant back against his chair patting his rather round belly in satisfaction. "Now THAT'S what I'm talking about." He grinned, glancing over at Maggie. "Seems like one good thing came out of all of this – Maggie Doyle can cook!"

"Oy!" Maggie grinned right back, before turning to PJ, who was sitting right beside her. "I think I've just been insulted."

"SO not saying a word!" PJ grinned right back, reaching up and miming zipping his lips shut.

"Chicken" Maggie smirked at him, and Tom leant forward.

"Yes please, " he said with a huge smile, offering his plate out for more.

"Tom Croydon," Zoe said firmly, "You cannot possibly still be hungry"

Tom hesitated, Zoe was right, he wasn't hungry, but Maggie's cooking had improved tenfold since she'd 'died' and he was going to take advantage of it.

"Exactly." Zoe said, standing up and starting to clear the table, Maggie doing likewise. PJ leant back in his chair, long fingers laced behind his head and feet stretched out in front of him, a contented smile woven across his face.

"Er, hello" Maggie interjected, coming round behind PJ and dropping a tea towel on his head. "And you think you're not going to be getting off that backside of yours and helping out?"

PJ's answer was simple, and Maggie squeaked loudly as he wrapped her in his arms and pulled her into his lap, silencing her with a kiss. "Yup" he managed when he came up for air.

Maggie blushed as she realised that they were now the centre of attention, and once again Zoe saved the day. "Get up Nicholas and give me a hand."

"Me? Why me? Why not him?" Nick whined, nonetheless doing as she asked.

"Because they have a lot to talk about and a lot to get used to again, and besides, I like seeing them so happy"

"And you don't like seeing ME happy – ok, ok, I get it, don't use The Look on me" Nick mumbled, reaching over and gathering plates.

Tom smiled, happy to watch his team back together again. Happy to see Nick and Zoe so content, and ecstatic at the sight of PJ and Maggie so in tune with each other, so - so 'them' again. The smile faltered as reality set in again once more.

Turning slightly in PJ's arms, Maggie caught sight of the smile leaving Tom's face. "Boss?"

"Sorry. It's nothing." Tom said, pasting the smile back on.

"And my name's Mel Draper" she shot back with a small smile, "except that it's not, and you're not fine. So talk. What's wrong?"

Tom sighed. "You've lost none of that determined edge, have you Doyle? All right, all right, " he said, once again on the receiving end of a patented Doyle stare. "It's just – well – "

"Boss?" PJ said softly, knowing what Tom was going to say. They all did, really, but no-one had wanted to think about it, let alone say it out loud.

Tom sighed. "We can't stay up here forever, as - well, as nice as it is. We have to go home sometime. My station is being manned by my two most junior members alongside a mob of St David's coppers – which makes me shudder if I'm honest, but it was more important to find you, to see if it really was you, Doyle." Maggie smiled over at him.

" Anyway, I just – I think we need to know what's going to happen. Nick and I need to go back pretty soon, and I'm sure Zoe does too. PJ, you've got cases pending, and there's only so far I can stretch 'personal leave'. I just – I don't want to push things, and I'm terrified of hurting you, but I think we need to think about what's going on here."

Maggie had hidden her head in the crook of PJ's neck as Tom spoke, each word scaring her, and each word needing to be said. It wasn't as if she hadn't thought about it, what the future would be. It wasn't as if she hadn't lain awake at night wondering what would become of them. Before he had arrived, when Maggie had found out who she was, and that her husband had been a fallacy, she had thought about her future. Would she stay up here, in the life that had been created for her and into which she had settled into so well – or would she go back to Mt Thomas and try to pick up where she had left off all that time ago.

The arrival of PJ, and the ease with which they had fallen back into their old ways and – she swallowed – the ease and strength with which she loved him again (and he her, she knew without a doubt) didn't scare her – but it did worry her. Could she uproot the boys from everything they'd ever known, and take them back to somewhere where she was pretty damn sure she had been happy and content? Could she take the chance on reclaiming her old life?

As if sensing her turmoil, PJ pulled her in closer, placing a soft kiss in her hair.

"I love you Maggie. I love you so much – and I know you love me. I know it's huge, and I know it's scary, but I'm not going to lose you again. I can't lose you again." He said softly. "I – " he swallowed deeply. "Whatever you decide, I'll go along with. We can go home, or we can stay here. I want to be with you and the boys, that's all I'll ever need, Mags. You and the boys, I don't care where we are as long as we're together."

"Look," Tom said, standing up and glancing over at Nick, who had his arms wrapped around Zoe. "Don't make any decisions now, sleep on it and think it over, but - and Maggie, I'm sorry to do this to you, but Nick, Zoe and I, we need to go home tomorrow. I know we don't really have anything to do with your decision – "

"Thing is Boss, you do. You do have something to do with what I decide. You're family, or at least it feels like it. I know you. In here, I know you" Maggie said, her hand on her heart. "You too Nick. And – " she turned, looking deep into PJ's eyes, resting her forehead against his. "I – I just don't know. I do love you. I have always loved you. But I don't know. It's all so – so big. The boys, they're settled here, they don't know anything else. And you haven't even met them yet, they – well, I didn't want - I just needed to go through this, to see you again without worrying about how they would cope, so they're over with Kay and Luka for the night. PJ, I'm sorry, but I didn't – "

"Mags, I understand. If I'm honest, I was concentrating on you tonight too. I needed to reconnect with you, to find out how you felt, to see if you loved me as much as I love you. The boys – I know I'll love them, but tonight, I just needed you, " he said, a look of concern racing across his face as it seemed to him he was putting his sons in second place, but the gentle kiss Maggie gave him put his fears to rest.

She sighed, breaking away from him and smiling over at Tom and the others. "It's ok Tom. I know you have to go home, I'm surprised you've stayed around this long – and no, I didn't mean it like that, I know you care about me, but who knows what's been going on in Mt Thomas while half of the police force are up here? You get going, I don't mind. And you know where I am now, and we do have a phone, a computer, and a thousand other ways of getting in touch."

"And an answer for everything. You haven't changed a single bit Doyle." Tom said with a tired smile, grateful for her understanding. Reaching over, he wrapped her in a hug. "I'll come over tomorrow before we leave," he said as Nick and Zoe repeated the action. Behind them, PJ stood as well.

Making their way to the front door, he stood behind Maggie as they said their goodbyes on the verandah. He wanted to stay with her, to stay the night, but –

"Mags," he hesitated, knowing what he was about to say was true, was right, but dying inside just a little bit as he even thought about saying it. " I should go with them. I – tonight – it's too soon. I - you need to think about it, to get it straight in your head, I– "

"PJ, it's ok. I understand. I want you to stay, but I – " She pulled him into a kiss, a deep, soul scorching kiss. "I understand. We both need to think, but you need to remember this. I love you PJ. "

"I know, and I love you too." He smiled at her, wrapping her in a last hug, stealing a last kiss before stepping apart from her. "Ok. I can do this. Boss, wait up!"

He almost made it to the edge of the porch before admitting defeat and turning back. "One more kiss," he whispered against her mouth, kissing her breathless before walking down and getting into the car with Tom, who glanced at him as he did the seatbelt up.

"You sure?"

"Just drive Tom, just drive before I get out and go back there and hold her and do everything that - "

"That I don't want to even think about hearing about" Tom with a shake of the head, smiling as PJ turned and watched Maggie until she, and the house, were both firmly out of sight.