From: Pip ! To: Subject: [bhfic] NEW: Sex and Death 1/2 Date: Monday, 23 August 1999 8:14 From: "Pip !" Title: Sex and Death Author: Pippa Rating: M 15+ Disclaimer: Blue Heelers, its characters, places and situations belong to Southern Star and the Seven Network. Any other character, place or situation is my own invention and may not be used without permission (please). WARNING: Character death, serious content and a little bad language means that I don't recommend this unless you're sure you want to read it! And with that, I leave you to make your own choices. ~*~*~ Mt Thomas Police Station Wednesday, 9.30am The station was in chaos. From where Senior Sergeant Tom Croydon was standing, it was highly likely to be mistaken for a madhouse or the like. It seemed every telephone was engaged, and every member was speaking at the tops of their voices. "Yes, Mrs Frost, Senior Constable Stewart will be out there as soon as he can. All right, bye." "Look, Keith, we're being run off our feet today, and frankly, your problem is microscopic in comparison to some of ours. Okay? Right, goodbye." Tom frowned slightly at PJ's conduct, but moved on. "Um, okay Mrs Williams, don't panic, we'll be there soon. Meanwhile you'd better call an ambulance. Good, okay. Don't worry." Constable Lawson hung up the phone and grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair. Tom caught his eye and pointed to the office, and Jack nodded and followed the Boss inside. "Was that Deborah Williams?" Tom asked, concerned. Jack nodded again, and began to explain. "One of the year 11 students has just had some kind of episode and Deborah thinks the kid might be on something." The Boss put his head in his hands and groaned. "Oh, no. Not again. I'll never live it down if that stuff gets back into this town. Alright, well you'd better get down there, and take Parrish with you." Jack nodded. "Okay Boss." ~*~*~ "Thanks for bringing me along for the ride, Jack, but personally I'd rather be doing paperwork than sorting out high school kids." Jo told him matter-of-factly. "What do you have against teenagers?" the young policeman asked defensively. Once again Constable Joanna Parrish, aged 23, felt awkward about the fact that beside her was sitting a 19 year old. A very good looking 19 year old, but nonetheless... "I'm sorry. Nothing personal. Anyway, I like kids and stuff, just going back to high school kinda gets me down." "Bad experiences?" "You could say that. I used to get beat up by a group of girls every afternoon, come home looking like a blueberry tart with all the bruises. I was different - they were all blonde, blue eyed and rich, and I was your average scholarship student at an inner city private school. Ugly, too." Jack raised his eyebrows. "You? You're gorgeous!" Jo glanced at him sideways, and Jack realised what he had just said. "Uh, um, I mean, you know..." She grinned. "Well, thanks. You're not too bad yourself." Satisfied, but still rather red, Jack announced their arrival and the two constables leapt out of the car and continued with their job. ~*~*~ Mt Thomas Hospital Wednesday, 12.30pm Jasmine sighed. "All right, you may have two minutes. No more." Maggie grinned, and squeezed the doctor's arm. "Thanks, Yas, you're a gem." She turned and beckoned to PJ, the smile gone. "Well?" He nodded and followed her into the darkened ward, not saying a word. Maggie was frustrated and angry. The Boss was right all along. They couldn't work together now, not like this. But right then, they didn't have much choice. PJ stood at the back of the room, leaving the questioning to Maggie, who sat on the side of the bed. The occupant was Sara Jackson, a pretty 16 year old with a head of blonde, purple and green curly hair. She looked up at Maggie worriedly. "What's happened?" "Oh, we just want to talk to you. I'm Sergeant Doyle, this is Senior Detective PJ Hasham. Just first, do you remember anything, Sara?" Maggie asked gently. The girl shook her head. "Nup. The last thing I remember is playing netball with my friends." Maggie nodded, and said quietly to PJ "Jack and Jo found her at the netball courts." then she turned back to Sara. "Well, it seems like you had some kind of fit. Sara, have you ever taken illegal drugs?" "No." she replied quickly. A little too quickly. PJ moved in. "Are you sure, Sara? Because in your blood tests the doctor found traces of LSD. Do you know anything about that. How it came to be in your body?" "NO! I didn't take any bloody drugs, alright? I mean, not intentionally. I think... I think it might have been in something I drank, the other night." "Where were you the other night?" Maggie asked, glaring at PJ, partly from jealousy. "Just at a party, look, I'm tired, can you go now?" Sara pleaded. Maggie stood up and nodded. "Yeah, we'll go, but we're going to need to talk to you again when you're feeling better. You'll be much safer if you just tell us the truth, you know." "Yeah, I know. Can you call the doctor for me, please?" she sounded desperate. "Sure. Don't go anywhere." PJ said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. He and Maggie informed Jasmine quickly before leaving. The second they were in the car Maggie started on him. "PJ, what the hell are you doing? *Trying* to split us up as a team? Is that what you want?" "Maybe." he replied quietly. "You broke up with me, remember, PJ. You were the one who made the decision, who said we couldn't go on like we were. It was you." she shot at him. "You were the one who slept with my best mate, Maggie. *That* was you." PJ's voice was beginning to raise. "That was harsh. Don't, PJ." "Or what, Mags? You'll go screw Ben again? Or maybe you'd like to start on Jack, is he the only member of the Mt Thomas constabulary you've never done?" the car was stopped now, and Maggie and PJ were facing each other, both breathing heavily. There were several seconds of silence before Maggie reached out her hand and slapped him hard across the face. "You bastard." The 'terrifying woman', as Constable Lawson had once lovingly referred to her, stood her ground for a few more seconds before letting out what sounded like a cross between a sob and a scream, and running in the opposite direction to the one they had just come. PJ made no attempt to follow her. ~*~*~ Mt Thomas Station Wednesday, 1.15pm "Mags, I need to talk to you." Ben grabbed her arm and reluctantly she followed him into the locker room. There wasn't really any point in arguing- her day couldn't get any worse. "What's wrong, Ben?" "You know what's wrong, Maggie. You've been virtually ignoring both PJ and I unless you want to scream at us or order us around. You…you just seem really distant. I think I know you well enough th…" Maggie cut him off. "You think you know me? Well you don't, Ben. How dare you presume that just because you and I have…shared things, that you can come in here and tell me what to do? God, you're just like him." She looked towards the C.I. office bitterly. "Do I mean anything to you?" Ben asked. It was a simple question requiring a simple answer, and for once Maggie was able to give it to him. "As a friend, very much so. As anything else…I'm sorry, Ben." He nodded regretfully. "I should have seen it. I shouldn't have taken advantage of you like I did." "No!" Maggie insisted. She may have been furious at every male on the planet right then, right then, but she wasn't going to let Ben walk away with something which was really her fault. "I took advantage of you. I was upset and you were willing. I used you, and for that I am more sorrry than I can say…it's pretty much ruined my life and confused yours." Ben knew where she was headed. "You two aren't talking, are you?" "Nup. Unless he's insulting me or packing on the guilt, it's basically cold shoulder all the way." "That's sad. He loves you." "He split up with me Ben. He doesn't love me, not anymore." The senior constable chose his words carefully. "What we did…it's hard to forgive. Trust me, I know." The two had now slumped onto the floor and they were leaning against the lockers. "I'd talk to him myself but he won't let me in his door." "I have to, don't I?" "You have to." ~*~*~ Mt Thomas Station Wednesday, 1.30pm Maggie opened PJ's office door tentatively, afraid of what consequenses would occur from the conversation she hoped she was about to have. "PJ?" she asked quietly. He looked up. On the inside his heart was melting - she looked so humble, so beautiful - but on the outside he was blank. Keep it professional. "Yes, Sergeant?" "Can I have a word?" He nodded. "A sentence, if you like." She entered the room and closed the door behind her. There was a few seconds silence before she launched into the conversation which had been played back hundreds of times in her mind. "Peej, what's wrong with us?" Her voice was almost pleading. "Us? There is no 'us', Maggie. We're colleagues, that's all." PJ was seemingly emotionless, but he was feeling so much. "That's all?" Maggie asked hopelessly, "PJ, after everything we've been through, everything we've done...we can never be just colleagues. You know that as well as I do." "Do I? Do I even have a choice, Mags? We can't be friends. We obviously can't be lovers. And I hate to admit it, but I don't want to lose you completely." "I don't want to lose you at all." "Well, Maggie, you're just going to have to learn to think before you...act, aren't you?" PJ stood up to leave, but Maggie pulled his shirt sleeve so he was facing her. "Just do one thing for me. Come over to my place tonight. About 8. We'll talk and then if you don't want me to I'll never bother you again. All right?" she paused, waiting for a reaction. "Please?" PJ looked pained. This could go either way. After a few agonising seconds he answered. "Okay, I'll see you at 8...Doyley." Maggie smiled. "Thank you." PJ nodded and she allowed him to pass her. When he was out of sight Ben looked up questioningly and she grinned, giving him the thumbs-up. He smiled. Sure, he liked the girl, but most of all he just wanted her to be happy. The two uniforms sat back, and in the absence of their Boss, waited for the phone to ring. It did. Ben answered it and spoke briefly before spinning around to face Maggie. "That was Debbie Williams again - another kid's lost it. She's rung the ambos but she needs us down there too." "Okay, well I'd better stay and look after the station, you and PJ can go." "Or *you* and PJ." Ben was insistent. Maggie nodded. "Alright. Have fun here, I know I will." She grinned, grabbed her jacket and headed out to look for her detective. ~*~*~ 2.10pm PJ sauntered over to the table where a young, brazen looking girl was sitting, waiting patiently for the interview to begin. The two were quite an even match - Maggie, standing in the corner as supervisor, was a little worried at what PJ would do to the kid. She knew how he was when he got going in an interrogation, and the fact that the case was about delusional drugs didn't help in the slightest. "So, Abigail, is it?" "Abby, Abby Greenwich." she answered calmly. "You're 18?" Abby nodded. "Last month. I don't need my mother here, don't bother her." "Okay. So Abby, what can you tell me about the drugs that appear to be circling the school at the moment?" PJ got down to business. "It's high school, detective. What do you expect?" the girl replied, dryly. "Well, Ms Greenwich, I don't have any expectations of you. But I and my colleagues are employed to keep that crap out of schools and keep you safe. So you see, it would be much better for everyone if you just told me what you know." "I don't know anything." she insisted. "Right, well, Abby, that's not what I've heard. You see, the kids at school, they don't seem to be enjoying the fact that they're breaking the law quite as much as you are. They want out. And they're going to do whatever it takes. The first step was informing us, which several of them have done in the past day. We know it all, Abby. So why don't you just tell us the truth?" The teenager stared at him. She was obviously on the verge of breaking, and PJ was not going to let up. Even she could see that. "Who told you about the cult?" she asked, her voice bitter. PJ grinned. "Oh, so there's a cult, is there? Wonderful, keep going. What's this...cult...about?" "Don't you know?" "Of course, we just want to hear it from the horse's mouth - so to speak." From the back of the room Maggie stifled a laugh at PJ's slip. "Abby, it'll make it easier on you if you'd just tell us." "Well, we use stuff - LSD, bitta dope, it's easy to get around here - to send us into a whole new world. A better world. You know what I mean. Is that about it, all you wanted? Can I go now?" "Oh, my dear. You have a lot to learn about the *real world*, don't you..." ~*~*~ Doyle Residence Wednesday, 7.57 PJ stepped up towards Maggie's front door, growing increasingly certain that the entire evening was going to be a disaster. Or maybe he just wanted to think that, to stop his mind moving on to more pleasureable ideas. He glanced down worriedly at the bottle of white in his hand. He knew perfectly well what happened when he and Maggie were alone together with a couple of glasses inside...not to mention the melting chocolate, the souvenier Disneyland Mickey Mouse ears and several pairs of handcuffs... "Oh no," PJ thought. "I haven't even gone inside yet." Before ringing the doorbell and making his presence known, he took a moment just to observe her through the front window. She was dressed casually, in that pink cardi she loved so much, her black linen pants, her favourite, seldom-worn silver necklace. She was stirring something on the stove, shaking to the beat of the music playing on her stereo. Then she turned around, looked into his eyes for a split second, and disappeared. She opened the door a moment later, breaking his train of thought. "I saw you through the window." She explained, when he looked confused as to how she knew he was there. "What were you doing?" "Just watching." He answered, following her into the house. Everything was so different to the way it had been - three weeks ago, they would have been kissing,laughing, talking, eating by then. "Here, I brought some champers." He pushed the bottle into her hand. "Thankyou very much. I've got some pasta on which should be ready soon, you can go and make yourself comfortable…um, you know where everything is." PJ sighed. This was going nowhere. He took Maggie's hands and said sincerely "Mags. Forget the pasta for the minute. Let's just talk for a bit, alright?" Maggie looked exhausted, and her eyes were sad. She looked into his eyes and nodded. "Okay." ~*~*~ 10.20pm The sound of PJ's laughter echoed throughout the house, and Maggie's soft chuckle could be definined beneath it. They were sitting on her living room floor eating pasta and finishing off the second half-bottle of wine. "I couldn't believe it when you told me the Boss knew! I was convinced one of us was going to be transferred halfway across the country." She paused thoughtfully. "Maybe it would have been for the best." PJ's laughter died out and he looked away rather sadly. "I miss you, Mags. I miss having you around, I miss this." He gestured around them. "Really." she asked, doubtfully. "Yes, really. But you messed up. We made a promise to each other and you broke it." He was insistent, determined to keep his mind ruling over his heart. Maggie nodded again. "I know I missed up. But we never made a commitment, not really. Do I see a ring on this finger?" she held out her left hand and then answered her own question. "No." PJ laughed lightly. "I never proposed to you, Margaret, because you would have refused me!" "You would you know?" She looked terribly indignant. "But I suppose you're right. At least until now. It took living without you to realise that I couldn't…and never will be able to." She glanced up and saw that there were tears in her former lover's eyes. A few seconds silence followed, and then she moved forward and wrapped her arms around him, afraid that if she let go she would lose him again. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, PJ." she repeated. He moved back and ran his fingers through her hair, over her face, her arms. They were both crying, overcome by so many different emotions. Then they kissed, and everything was forgiven. They were overcome by love. ~*~*~ Mt Thomas Station Thursday, 10.04am Maggie and PJ sauntered through the front door, entertwined in each other's arms. Jack, who was the only one there, looked up from his work and grinned. "I'm guessing sombody got lucky last night." He wolf-whistled, and Maggie rolled her eyes, heading for the locker room. PJ pulled up a chair and sat down beside Jack, taking the fatherly approach. "Lawson, one day you're going to find a beautiful young woman who loves you very much. My only advice to you is to make sure you don't let her get away. If you do that, everything will be fine. Remember, behind every great woman is a better man." With that, PJ replaced the chair and marched into his office, leaving a confused and bewildered Jack staring after him. "I'm never bringing that up again." He made a mental note and went back to the paper work. The phone rang a second later, and after taking the call he headed into PJ's office, interrupting the two senior officers in a passionate embrace. "Okay, now I know why Dash always used to laugh after coming in here." He noted, then after receiving threatening glares from both parties he moved on. "That was the school, another group of kids have gone psycho." "Okay, we'd better get down there. Come on, you." Maggie pulled PJ out the door behind her. PJ glanced at Jack. "I told you so." ~*~*~ Doyle Residence Thursday, 8.10pm "So Peej." Maggie made her way over to the couch and curled up with a glass of wine. "Are you going to propose to me tonight?" "Nah. Maybe tomorrow." He said, kissing her head. "Have to buy a ring first." "Bullshit. You're had one in your undies drawer for months!" she said confidently. He looked amused and slightly shocked. "How did you know? Have you seen it?" Maggie shook her head. "No. I didn't even know it was there…but I do now!" "You little weasel." He dug his fingers into her ribs and she yelped. "Ouch. That tickled." "Something can't be ticklish and 'ouch', it doesn't work like that…" ~*~*~ 11.39pm Maggie was awoken by a loud and extremely annoying ringing in her ear. She glanced at her watch - just after 11.30 - before answering the phone. "Hello, this is Maggie." "Doyle, it's the Boss. Is PJ there?" Maggie almost adopted the familiar lie, but remembered that the secret didn't exist anymore. "Yeah, Boss." "Good. I need you two to get up to St Steven's Leap.It's those bloody kids, they're up there doing some kind of ritual…" "…and St Steven's is infamous for its life ending activities." Maggie finished his sentence. "Okay, we'll be up there ASAP." "Fine, good. Radio the station when you get up there, alright? I should be there by then, or Stewart." "We'll be fine, Boss. Why don't you get some sleep?" "Just radio the station, Doyle." ~*~*~ St Steven's Leap Midnight Maggie approached the group apprehensively. They were sitting around in a circle, all in their own space, staring obliviously into the night sky like cats. They were completely out of it. In the near-pitch darkness Maggie flicked on her torch and shined it in their direction. "All right kids, out of it. You're coming back to the station with us. Come on!" she tried. PJ, watching from a few metres away, began to move forward, but stopped himself before he went very far. If he interfered the first thing Maggie would do once they arrived back at the station would be to scream at him, and that wouldn't help at all. The kids remained silent, trapped in their own silent worlds. Maggie was about to give up and call for backup and medical help, but suddenly there was movement at the edge of the cliff, where Abigail was sitting. She began to hum, the same monotone. The sound seemed to bring the other kids out of their trance, and they looked around, confused. Leaving Maggie to deal with the single girl, he ran over and ushered the other four or five teens over to the CI car. They obviously had no idea what they were dealing with, and they looked scared as hell. But Abby knew what was going on, and she knew that there was only one way out. Suddenly she let out an almighty scream and ran forward, grabbing Maggie and shaking her violently. PJ started to run forward then, as the two were dangerously close to the edge of the cliff. He began to punch the Imperial's number into his mobile, but before he had a chance to finish he heard another scream. This time, it was Maggie's. He looked up, his heart racing, but there was no sign of either cop or kid. "Maggie!" he yelled. No response. "Oh God, no Maggie, no! Mt Thomas 509 to St David's Station. We have a member down. I repeat, member down. There's a kid too, they're...oh God. Do you copy 509, get an ambulance. Get an ambulance!" ~*~*~ End Part One ~*~*~ Author's Note 1: As you know, I've finished the rest of this fic, but I'm not going to send the rest of it until I get between 5 and 10 replies. So just think, if you don't tell me what you thought ASAP, you're making other people suffer! How sad...they certainly won't like you if I never send it! What I'm trying to say is, please do me a favour and send a little comment. I'd really appreciate it. Pip From Part One ***Suddenly Abby let out an almighty scream and ran forward, grabbing Maggie and shaking her violently. PJ started to run forward then, as the two were dangerously close to the edge of the cliff. He began to punch the Imperial's number into his mobile, but before he had a chance to finish he heard another scream. This time, it was Maggie's. He looked up, his heart racing, but there was no sign of either cop or kid. "Maggie!" he yelled. No response. "Oh God, no Maggie, no! Mt Thomas 509 to St David's Station. We have a member and a suspect in critical condition. Suspect is 17 years old - I need an ambulance at St Steven's Leap NOW!"*** Part Two The Imperial Hotel Friday, 12.07am "Well, that's the last of them." Chris sighed as she closed the pub doors behind the final few drunk men and women. She turned to face the only other people in the pub - Jack and Jo, who were sitting at the cop table sleepily. "Look, you two, I wouldn't usually ask, but I'm so tired..." "Sure, Chris, we'll finish up for you. Go get some sleep." Jo nodded at her landlady and friend. Jack glanced nervously at Jo. She was beautiful, smiling cheerfully at Chris in the empty pub. Maybe not conventional beauty, but she was exactly the kind of person Jack always imagined he would marry. She looked like she belonged in the country, with flannelette shirts and overalls and grease smudges on her cheeks. Not like the city kid she was. But she seemed to enjoy it in Mt Thomas. Jack smiled, hoping she'd be there for a while yet. Jo turned around to face her friend and colleague. They'd been close ever since she arrived - he'd helped her get used to country living, and she'd made him laugh with her wit and great storytelling ability. Living under the same roof sort of pushed them together, and of course Tom had paired them up at work, being the most junior members of the Mt Thomas constabulary. Now he seemed to be staring at her in the moonlight. Jo smiled, and felt a little shiver go through her. 'I wonder what he's thinking now?' she asked herself. Out loud, she grabbed a teatowel from behind the counter and whacked him with it. "Come on, you, we've got to finish this before we fall asleep!" That seemed to bring him out of his trance. "Yes, ma'am." He stood up tall and saluted her. She handed him a chux cloth from behind the sink and he set to work wiping down tables as she put glasses and plates away. They continued like this for a few moments before Jo got stuck. "Um, Jack, can you come and put this away, I can't reach." She had a wonderful way of looking pathetic when she wanted to, Jack noted jokingly. He rolled his eyes and headed over behind the bar. She handed him the glass and he stood behind her in all of his six-foot-plus glory. It was thrilling, having him this close to her, in a dimly lit pub, all by themselves... Before Jack knew what was happening, he was being pulled down to Jo's level. "I'm going to kiss you now, okay?" The young female constable stated the obvious. Her partner barely had time to nod in reply before their lips touched. Gradually the kiss became more passionate, and the more they kissed, the more they realised how much trouble they would be in. Not like that was going to stop them, nothing was...except the phone. Jack groaned. "No, leave it, leave it." Jo tried to convince him, but he shook his head. "If I don't get it Chris'll wake up...and we *really* don't want that, do we?" he reasoned. She nodded. "Okay, fine, get the phone, but hurry up!" Jack marched over to the telephone. "Hello, the Imperial, Jack speaking." "Lawson, it's Tom. I need you and Jo down here immediately, we've got an emergency." Jack felt his body tense up. "What...what kind of emergency?" "Doyle's been seriously injured. The bloody... oh, the Greenwich kid threw her off St Steven's Leap and it's not looking good. I'll fill you in when you get down here, just hurry." Jack nodded, although he knew that the Boss couldn't see him. "Sure, we'll be there in ten minutes." Jo was frowning with concern. "What's going on?" His face was grim. "It's Maggie. She's..." ~*~*~ St David's Hospital Friday, 3.23 am Footsteps. PJ leapt up at the sound of the regulation hospital shoes echoing down the long, white hallway. Dr Farah looked grim, and his heart sunk. "What's happening?" he asked, desperately wanting to know the truth, but dreading the answer. "PJ, she's in a very serious condition." Jasmin motioned for him to sit back down, and she joined him. "The vertebrae in her neck have been damaged, which means even if she lives she'll be a quadriplegic. If she survives the next 48 hours she'll live, but the chances of that are very slim. I'm so sorry, PJ." Jasmin looked helplessly at the stricken man. Telling people that their loved one was dying or had died was the undisputed worst part of the job. A lot like being a police officer, she supposed. Wanting to help but knowing you couldn't. The same old rule of never becoming personally involved. "What happened to the girl?" PJ asked at last, his voice shaky. "She died on impact. There was nothing we could do." He nodded. "Ah, um, does her mother know?" "Yes, she's with Abigail now, saying goodbye." "Okay." he nodded. "Have you called Maggie's family?" the doctor asked softly. PJ nodded again. "Yeah, her...um, her dad's on his way up from Melbourne now. I only hope he'll get here before she..." Jasmine smiled, sadly but encouragingly. "Oh, I think she'll hold on until he arrives." PJ agreed. "Yeah, I mean sure, she's a fighting Doyle. Living to the very end. Um, can I see her?" Dr Farah was back. "Sure, I'll give you a few minutes. But she's very tired, you might not get much out of her." PJ stood and followed Jasmin down the hallway to the Intensive Care Unit. Maggie was the only occupant, lying still and silent in the darkened room. PJ made his way over to her bed, frightened. Maggie was conscious, and she smiled weakly at him when she noticed him there. "Hi, Peej," she croaked. He could hardly hear her, so he just leant in closer. "Hi Mags. How you feeling?" "Oh, you know. Not too bad considering I'm on my deathbed." "Geez, she's still making jokes!" PJ commented to nobody in particular, before taking her hand. To his dismay she began to cry. "PJ, I can't even feel you," she whispered. "I can't feel your hand!" Soon his tears matched her own. "Shhh, it's okay sweetheart. It's okay, don't cry." "I don't want to die PJ. I want to die a long time from now, with children and grandchildren gathered around my bed telling me how great I am...I'll never even have kids, PJ, and you promised I would." "I know," was all PJ could manage. It was the most painful feeling in the world, seeing her like this, grieving for what might have been. For what would have been. The only thing PJ was thankful for then was that she was speaking to him. Speaking to him like the best friend she always was. "I'm so sorry I've been so stupid." Maggie said sadly. "Stupid?" PJ replied, amazed. "Mags, you are the most beautiful person on this earth. Inside and out." What PJ would have given for her to lift her hand and whack him then. "You kept me sane, you kept me grounded - you're certainly the only person I could ever spend 24 hours in a mine with! That's not stupid Doyle, that's immortal." "What, so I haven't even died yet and you're already calling me immortal?" Maggie smiled at him. "God, I love you so much." PJ took her face in his hands and placed a gentle, sweet kiss on her lips. Their last kiss. "I love you too." ~*~*~ Doyle residence Monday, 5.30pm PJ stood in front of Maggie's dressing table mirror and started at his reflection. Quite frankly, he looked awful.. His eyes were all red and puffy - partly from lack of sleep, partly from crying so much over the past few days. He could just see her there now, grinning at him and telling him how silly he was being. "It's only death, after all." she would say. But he wasn't complete anymore. Part of him had died along with Maggie. He just felt...empty. Ben came into the room behind him, quietly. PJ couldn't remember anyone not speaking to him in a whisper these past few days. It was as if they were afraid of him, of what he might do. Maggie was his life - they all knew that. "Ben." PJ greeted his former friend. The blonde-haired man put a warm hand on PJ's shoulder, and PJ didn't flinch. Three days ago, he wouldn't have let the guy within arms length if he could help it. Maggie was wrong - death changes everything. "I can't believe she's gone. She's actually gone, mate." Ben said, his voice shaky. He had tears in his eyes, as if he hadn't cried just as much as PJ over Maggie's death. "We'd better get to church." PJ tried to act normally. "Could you, ah, could you lock up for me, for her?" Ben nodded and left the room, leaving PJ alone for a moment. He opened the top drawer and removed the tiny velvet box from its hiding place of almost six months. He had bought the tiny gold and sapphire ring that long ago, waiting for the right moment to ask her to spend the rest of her life as his wife. That moment never came. PJ replaced it beneath the folds of her clothes and taking one last look around the house, he left. ~*~*~ St Mary's Church, Monday, 5.30pm The church was filled and there were a substantial number of people standing outside the doors. As PJ walked up the aisle and took his place beside Pat Doyle, he thought just for a second how lucky he was. That out of all these people he had known her best. He was the one who loved her most. PJ felt a tap on his shoulder and he turned to face young Dash McKinley. He hadn't seen that bright face in a while, not since he and Maggie had stayed with her in Melbourne several months ago. Dash had been gone from Mt Thomas just short of a year, but she had stayed close to Maggie despite their age difference and geographical distance. Judging by the way she looked, PJ could imagine she wasn't feeling much better than he was. "Hi." she said quietly. "Hi, Dash." "How are you PJ?" That was it. The service hadn't even started yet but PJ had tears streaming down his face. With a silent "Oh God," she darted around the side of the pew and wrapped her arms around him. Now was not the time for politeness or distance. They needed to be there for each other. All of them. As PJ looked around the church shortly afterwards he realised 'all of them' really was. Dash, Nick and Zoe, Ben, The Boss, Jack and Jo were all seated in the pew behind his own. Ros Patterson, Wayne's ex-wife, PJ could see towards the middle of the crowd. And in around the centre was Adam, with streaked hair and a goatee. Time had changed him, hopefully for the better. At least he looked like he wasn't living on the streets, PJ thought. He checked behind him but it appeared Dash hadn't noticed Adam yet. In any other circumstances their meeting would have been an interesting display. The gathered citizens began to hush and PJ saw with half-hearted relief that the preist, Father Brian, was nearing the pulpit. After a few seconds he began to speak. "Maggie Doyle was a name most people in this town knew well. If she had never helped you in her job as Constable, Senior Constable or Sergeant of the Mt Thomas Police, it was waving to you in the street, or...well, just about anything, really. Today we are commemorating the life of a very special young woman whose life was cut tragically short. We will hear from the people who knew her best - her father, her best friend, her Boss and her partner. But most of all we will remember her and thank God that we knew her." Dash was first. Her eulogy was short but meaningful. "It's hard to know what to say about Maggie. I know she taught me about broken hearts, and the meaning of love. She always did the right thing and made sure I did as well. She was my mother, my sister, my best friend and my Boss. And she was almost always kind, except when she wanted a night alone with one of her mystery men..." "...as a police officer she was outstanding. And as a person, one of the strongest human beings I have ever known. She is a great loss to this community and to the police force. We will never forget."Tom Croydon stepped down from the pulpit with those words and it was obvious that he was struggling to hold back tears. As he passed PJ he tried to smile reassuringly. It was time. "I loved Maggie Doyle," he began. "I still love her. She was everything to me, and we knew each other as well as two people could. She was what gave me a reason to get up in the morning - and one to go to bed at night - but no matter how long I stand here and sing her praises, it's not going to bring her back. So I'm going to skip the cliched phrases and just ask everybody to remember who she was. Our Maggie. My Mags." ~*~*~ The Imperial Hotel Monday, 6.51pm "All right, beers on the house," Chris said,somewhat unenthusiastically. The pub was closed to everyone except those gathered around the bar. And *they* all looked like they needed something desperately. Tom was sitting at the bar with his head in his hands. Ben and the kids were there too, and Emma seemed particularly upset. Maddie was just very quiet...and Josh didn't understand what was going on anyway. Nick, Zoe, Dash and Adam (who had been persuaded back to the pub by its owner) were talking quietly at the 'cop table'. Jack and Jo were sitting on the floor in the corner, with her head in his lap. He was stroking her hair gently. They hadn't known Maggie as well as the others, and had felt a little uncomfortable, particularly around PJ. He arrived then, smiling a little. Everyone raised their heads, waiting for someone else to speak. Josh broke the silence. "PJ!" he yelled, running over and wrapping his arms around his hero. "Lift me up!" Ben moved to come and bring his young son away, but PJ motioned for him to stay where he was. He leant down and picked up the little boy, hugging him with all his strength, until Josh began making funny noises and PJ realised he was squeezing a bit too hard. He released Josh a little and walked over to Emma and Maddie. He spoke quietly. "Maggie wanted me to tell you guys something. Can I say it?" he asked. The three nodded, and he continued. "She always wanted kids. She and I had lots of talks about it. But in one of those talks she told me that you three were the closest thing she had to kids of her own. She loved you very much. She wanted you to know that." Maddie, surprisingly, made the first move by placing her arm around PJ's shoulder and whispering in his ear. "She told me something too. She told me that she wanted to have lots of kids...and that you would be a really great dad." PJ kissed the top of her head and then looked over at the kids' father. Ben's eyes met PJ's and they both smiled. The two of them had never had an easy friendship, particularly recently (the words "my girlfriend cheated on me with you" come to mind), but ironically, or perhaps not, the person who tore them apart would bring them together. Chris approached with drinks and each of the Heelers took one. PJ raised his glass in the air and everyone did the same. Their chorus was one of love and hope. "We will never forget." ~ The End Author's Note: Hi! Thankyou to all those people who sent feedback for part one, I appreciate it more than I can say. But I'd still like to know what you thought of the ending - I spent a lot of time on this, as did the following five fantastic people, my editors: Rachael Wakely, Lucy Harper, Suzie Latta, Michelle Carlin and Kylie Robinson. So please, do us all a favour and just hit that reply button, it'll only take a second! And don't forget to vote for me in the BHFFA (you know, if you want to...) Disclaimer: Blue Heelers, its characters, places and situations belong to Southern Star and the Seven Network. Any other character, place or situation is my own invention and may not be used without permission (please).