Apologies for the aeons of time since the last update. The September holidays are nearly here in Vic, and I promise to do my best to finish this story during those two weeks. I'm really, really sorry.

C

The gentle snore from beside her mirrored the twin snores that emanated from the back seat, and taking her eyes from the road for a second, Zoe grinned as, through the rearview mirror, she caught sight of Maggie shaking her head in despair at the sounds her men were making. Feeling Zoe's eyes on her, Maggie looked up and returned the grin.

"I'd invest in some ear plugs if I was you" Zoe whispered, biting back her laughter as Maggie quietly rifled through her bag, coming up with a pair of squidgy yellow earplugs.

"Been there, done that, and got the plugs to prove it!" Maggie confessed. "These two used to keep me awake so much I had to buy these beauties, but they got wise to me, and now if they want something in the middle of the night, they just come into my room and jump up and down on the bed. The bed was big enough that they always missed me."

"You'll have to warn PJ then" Zoe smirked. "Might have to buy him a cup"

"Cup?"

"That or train the boys to be very careful where they jump!" Zoe smirked again, this time biting her lip to stop the snort of laughter as understanding washed across Maggie's face. Glancing down at her watch, Zoe suddenly turned the radio on quietly.

"Traffic report" she told Maggie, who nodded. "Listen. Why don't you shut your eyes for a while and get some sleep too, you might as well, this lot'll be wide awake when we get there, and you're going to need to keep up with them!"

Glancing down at her sons, who, with remarkable twinnish timing, both snuffled in their sleep, turning slightly before settling once more, Maggie smiled, before nodding at Zoe.

"Sounds like a good plan"

Good plan or not, sleep was decidedly elusive. Maggie sat back, closing her eyes and tried to empty her mind. PJ's love and words of comfort had reassured her back at the picnic stop, and much as she wanted to know everything and anything she could about her past, she also understood the need to let it come to her, rather than chasing it down and forcing things. That didn't make it any the less frustrating, but there was nothing that she could do to change it.

The soft drone of the radio almost lulled her to sleep as Maggie watched the world go by, and she hardly noticed when Zoe leant down and turned it off once the news was over. The countryside looked so familiar, so like home – and yet so completely alien. She felt comfortable, as though she'd explored every nook and cranny, but still she had no idea what was coming around the next corner. Reigning in her frustration, Maggie sat back and let it all wash over her as they got closer and closer to Mount Thomas.

In the front seat, Zoe sighed. The traffic news had not been good, the road into Mount Thomas was blocked by a collision between a tree and a road train. Shaking her head, Zoe wondered what on earth the government thought they were doing, letting trucks that size on the road, but then she shook it off, catching sight of the detour signs and beginning the trek around the crash sight.

Maggie dozed lightly in the back seat, her tired eyes falling shut every now and then, and conversely opening and catching the monotonously gorgeous countryside as they drove. She felt the car turn, but the lure of sleep was almost capturing her, and so she did her best to allow it to consume her. From the drivers seat, Zoe heaved a silent sigh of relief when she saw Maggie finally fall asleep.

Ever since she and PJ had found each other again, the constant shriekingly short nightmares that Maggie had suffered for the past two years had all but disappeared. It was as if the fears that had plagued her subconscious had somehow calmed, relaxed. Maggie now felt safe when she slept, she no longer feared sleep, and so it was almost a surprise when the uneasiness crept up on her again.

Opening her eyes, Maggie looked around her, trying to make out what it was that was making her heartbeat race, her palms sweaty and her throat dry. Nothing had changed, the gum trees still raced by, fields full of livestock, the birds still sang loudly and raucously – but something was wrong, something was different.

Maggie sat up, her heart now racing, hands clenching around the bag that lay in her lap. Something was wrong, something here, nearby, something around here, it was – it was wrong, it was bad, danger, terrifying danger, something –

Zoe glanced back in the rearview mirror, her heart almost stopping as she was the state Maggie was in. Between the still sleeping boys, she was almost in the throes of a full blown panic attack. Zoe put her foot down, wanting to get out of there, slowing as she saw Maggie step even closer to the edge as she sat up, eyes racing from side to side as she strained to see what it was that was terrifying her like this. Bringing the car to a stop, Zoe reached over and shook PJ awake. Turning the engine off, she reached over and gently stroked Tom's arms as he woke, his small face creasing with worry as he saw the state his mum was in. Joe woke seconds later and his tears soon joined his brothers.

"PJ, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I thought she'd sleep through it," Zoe said as they both got out of the car, opening the back doors and scooping up a twin. Holding Tom tightly, Zoe scrambled around to PJ, and took Joe from him, holding him firmly as he flailed for his mum.

Maggie was hyperventilating, and looking around him, PJ knew why. Glaring at Zoe, he went to get into the car to hold Maggie, but she fought him back, staggering out of the car and holding on to it for dear life as she tried to stand up.

"What – here, it – where are we? It's – PJ - I – you – PJ, you have to - " she flinched, once, twice, as though something hit her, as though something catapulted her backwards against the car. Sliding down the door, she held a hand to her chest, gasping for air, each breath a terrifying struggle before, perhaps mercifully, she finally lost consciousness.