Family Life - Bump on the Road

By Anna van Gemert

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Summary: Maggie and PJ hit a bump in their relationship, as Mark stays ill in hospital

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This fanfic isn't as good as I planned! I would like to thank Sarah, Melissa, Kimberly, Carly, and Fiona for all there help. I know I haven't really used the idea's you gave me, but I do plan on using them …….. one day! I also want to say that I didn't even use the idea I had for the end of this fanfic. To the people I told that liked it, I'm sorry!

I don't own any of the characters you know from Blue Heelers! However, I DO own Sarah, and Mark!

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Baby Mark finally went to sleep on the morning of his 3rd day in hospital. He had been in hospital for 3 days now and he wasn't getting any better. Maggie wouldn't leave him. She slept in a chair by his side and only ventured down to the cafeteria a few times a day. PJ and her had taken leave off work - Mt. Thomas could do with out them. PJ and Claire stayed at PJ's adoptive mother's place.

Every day Sally and PJ's adoptive mum, Sarah visited the hospital. Nick had come down once. As had Adam, by him self, and Dash with her mother. Tom had come down the night they left Mt. Thomas and Chris had rung everyday. She wasn't able to leave the Imperial

"Hi PJ" Chris said on the 3rd day of Mark being in hospital, "How is Mark, and everyone?" Chris had just caught PJ. He was on his way to the hospital with Claire. "Oh, hi Chris" He said, "Mark's the same as yesterday, as far as I know anyway" "Maggie?" "Oh, you know. Won't leave Mark, won't come home and spend time with Claire. Won't sleep. You know" "She is his mother Peej" "She's also Claire's mother Chris. Look, I was on my way out. I'll give someone a call later" "Thanks Chris" He paused "For what?" "Listening" PJ hanged up. Chris just stood there, holding the phone in her hand. She had never heard PJ say something like that.

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"Hey Maggs" PJ walked into Mark's room. He kissed her on her forehead "Hey" She lifted her hand and rubbed PJ's shoulder, before turning back watch Mark sleep "Maggs" PJ said softly, "You want to hold Claire?" "No, you do it, take her for a walk or something" "Maggs" PJ touched her shoulder and made her turn back and look at him in the eyes, "How can you do this to your daughter?" "My son is sick PJ!" Maggie whispered angrily, "How can your do this to your son?" "I’m not doing anything Maggie" PJ replied, "I come in here, I bring Claire, I watch him. I can't stay here. Only one parent can. If you were to take Claire home tonight I'll stay here with him! He's my son too!" "I can't leave him" Maggie turned back "Yes you can" PJ said, "I'll be here, go spend some time with Claire. She needs you too!"

PJ wasn't going to force the situation, he went to the other side of the cot. Sat in a chair and placed Claire in his lap but she became restless quickly. Luckily the nurses had set up a play pen for the room so PJ got up and placed her in it. It was near Maggie. He walked back to his seat and kept looking at Maggie to Mark, and back to Maggie. Maggie just watch Mark.

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"Adso" Nicked called, "What are you doing tonight?" "I don't know" he replied, "I don't have a life anymore so, you know" "Good then, you can come down to Melbourne with me!" "I don't finish until 5" Adam looked back down towards his work "We'll leave at 5:30 then!" Nick hit his back, and went to answer the ringing phone, "Welcome to Mt. Thomas Police Station. We are here to serve, may I ask what the problem is???"

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"Hello" PJ's mum walked into the room about lunch time that day, "How are you Maggie, how's Mark?" "No better" Maggie said, quickly turning to see Sarah, but then her focus was drawn back to her son "How are you?" "I'm okay" "How about I watch over my grandchildren while you too go and have a cup of coffee?" She offered "No, I better not leave him" "or her" PJ said under her breath "What?" Maggie looked at PJ "Nothing, how about it Maggs?" "It will do you good" Sarah said "I can't" "Yes you can. Just go to the cafeteria. If anything happens I can send for you" "Yeah, okay" Maggie leant down and kissed Mark on the forehead, not waking him before heading off with PJ.

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PJ purchased two cups of coffee before joining Maggie at a table by the window. The view was of some of the hospital's garden's. There was a few patients out there in wheelchairs.

"You okay?" PJ lifted her chin up "No, my son is only sick in hospital and my boyfriend is claiming I don't love my daughter" "I never said that!" "But you meant it!" She looked back down at the table "No I didn't. I just feel like you haven't even looked, or touched your daughter in the last few days" "My son is sick PJ!" "He's my son too Maggs!" PJ said, "All I'm saying is that as you watch Mark you can hold your daughter. She needs you too!" "What ever" she stood up, "I better get back up, you coming?" "Of course I am Maggs" he stood up and reached for her hand, but she moved her hand so PJ couldn't reach it

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"How's my little girl, and her family?" Pat Doyle came into Mark's room, Mark was awake in Maggie's arms. PJ and Claire were no where to be seen. "Hey Dad" She looked up from her son ,"We're no good" "It can't be that bad, can it?" Pat was wearing his police uniform, with a jumper over it, "Where's PJ?" "Taken Claire back home" "To Mt. Thomas?" "Yes" A tear dropped down her face "Why?" "I told him to go" "Why?" Pat place an arm around her daughter "We had a fight - mostly by fault. He was right" she paused, "Always is!" She laughed "How's Mark doing?" "Oh, he's got a bit better since his dad went back home" "Maybe that's a sign" "Sign?" Maggie questioned "That he wants to go home too?" "Yeah, maybe"

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PJ walked into the Imperial holding Claire. It was a bout 5P.M. and it had been a long drive from Melbourne. He went straight into the dinning room and sat down on one of the tables. Chris saw him from the bar as she severed some customers. She told Haley to take over and she walked over to him.

"What are you doing here?" Chris flipped a tea towel over her shoulder "For a bite to eat" "You know what I mean Peej, why aren't you in Melbourne?" "Maggie told me to come home" "And you listened too her" Chris said "Yeah" PJ replied

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A few days past and Maggie and PJ had not spoken. PJ hadn't travelled back to Melbourne to see his son. He had, had so must planned but now, everything had been turned up side down. A month ago he had purchased a ring - he was going to ask Maggie to marry him but then Mark got sicker, and sicker, then he had to go into hospital in Melbourne. Everything had gone wrong. Maggie and him weren't even on speaking terms. Maggie had been ringing Tom to report on how Mark was doing. PJ found out though him.

Claire sat in her high chair as her father, PJ attempted to feed her. "Come on Claire" he pleaded, then the phone rang, "Don't move!" PJ quickly crabbed the portable phone that was sitting above the fridge, "Hello ….. boss …. What did she say?……their coming home? …. That's great …… what? …….. Didn't you speak to her?…..Dash? ….. Why on earth will they be staying with Dash? They live here? …. You didn't speak to her then? ……. So Dash did, it's not like Dash to stick up for me is it? …. Yeah ….. C'ya"

PJ placed the phone back up on the top of the fridge before he sat back down on the chair in front of Claire. He didn't attempt to finish feeding Claire - he placed head between knees, and hands on top. "Your parents are going to be spilt up before anything starts" he whispered

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"Hey Maggs" Dash walked into Mark's hospital room after a long trip from Mt. Thomas. "Hey Dash" Maggie replied. Mark was awake, sitting on her lap. Some packs bags were placed on the floor by the cot, "Thanks for coming to get me, and for letting us stay with you" "Don't mention it" Dash picked up the bags, "I'd love the company. Since Adam …. " "I've already signed Mark out" Maggie didn't want to get onto the subject of Adam. It would surly go onto PJ. "Then lets hit the road"

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Maggie carried a sleeping Mark into Dash's house but she wasn't sure where to put him.

"I've borrowed a portable crib from one of my sisters. It's in the lounge room" "Thanks" Maggie said "If you want you can move it into the spare room, where'll you'll be sleeping" "No, he'll be okay in here" She placed Mark down, and covered him in some blankets. "You want something to eat?" Dash asked, "It's 7 O'clock" "No" Maggie replied, "I'm okay" "Okay then, I'm going to get an early night" "Yeah, okay"

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The next day Maggie and Mark went into the station with Dash to speak to Tom about starting work again. She also wanted to discuss what was going on between PJ and her. Tom assured Maggie that everything would soon clear up, and also ordered her to take at least another week off.

"Maggie" PJ said coming out of his office. Maggie was also coming out of Tom's "PJ" she replied, "Where's Claire?" "Um, Heather's looking after her" "Oh, okay" Maggie walked out of the station. "Why didn't one of you tell me she was here?" PJ asked "She didn't want us to PJ " Adam said "Well that's great, isn't it?" PJ went into Tom's office

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That night Dash woke and silently went into the kitchen to get a drink. As she reached up to get a class her heard Maggie sobbing from the Lounge Room. She looked in there and found Maggie curled up on the couch hugging a pillow.

"Maggie?" Dash asked "Dash" Maggie quickly sat up and wiped away her tears, "What are you doing up?" "Shouldn't I be asking you that question?" Dash sat down next to Maggie, and placed a comfortable arm around her, "So?" "What?" "What's the matter?" "I don't know Dash. What's the matter with me? I've stuffed everything up with PJ because I over reacted to one little thing her said" "There's nothing the matter with you Maggs" "Yes there is!" "I don't think there is Maggs" Dash said, "You've just hit a little bump" "I'd say a BIG bump" she laughed "We'll you've just got to get over the bump Maggs" "How?" "Speak to him, talk to him" "I can't go over there at 3am in the morning" "Well I didn't mean now, but yeah you can, go now" "I can't leave Mark" "I'll look after him" "I'll wake him up" "He'll probably be up with Claire" "Dash?" Maggie wanted Dash to tell her something that meant she didn't have to go "Go" Dash got up off the couch and pulled Maggie up "I can't go like this. As you said, I look a mess" "Then go and have a shower" "Your not going to let me out of this, are you? "Go!"

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PJ heard a the front door open just has he had finally got Claire, and himself to sleep. He ignored it thinking it was his imagination. He turned over and blinked his eyes a few times.

"Maggs?" he asked "Sssshh" Maggie said, "I just want to say that I'm really sorry about leaving you, and telling you to go, and not paying attention to Claire and only focusing my thoughts on Mark" "Maggs?" PJ asked again "What?" Maggie asked, as she saw PJ getting out of the bed with this huge grin on his face "Come here ….. " PJ put out his hand. Maggie put her hand on his and PJ pulled her close to him, "I’m the one the one who should be saying sorry" "So we're both sorry" Maggie looked up at him, before reaching up to kiss his lips, "At least now we get to make up" "I think we'll leave that for tonight" PJ said "What ever you say detective, where's my daughter?" "Where she always is at this time" PJ told her, "Go and wake her up" "I can't do that" "You did it to me" she laughed, "Go"

Maggie walked into the twins bedroom and saw two cots - one empty, and one with her sleeping daughter in it. She went over to the cot and just watched.

"Pick her up" PJ appeared at the door way "I don't want to wake her up" "She'll go right back to sleep" "Like her father" Maggie laughed as she finally picked Claire up, "I really have missed her" "You don't have to tell me Maggs" He wrapped his arm around her waist

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At 8am the next morning Dash was woken by the cry of Mark. She lifted her self off the last, where she had fallen a sleep the night before. She picked up Mark as she smiled at the fact that PJ and Maggie had made up - if they hadn't Maggie would be here. "Maybe I should listen to my own advice, Mark" she said, "What do you think?" "Who are you speaking to Dash?" Maggie asked walking into the house with PJ, who was holding Claire "Your son" she laughed, "I see you've got over that bump" "What bump?" she laughed, as she placed Claire on the floor. She began to crawl around the lounge room "Can I hold my son?" PJ asked "Da', Da'd" Mark put his hands out "Did you hear that?" PJ turned to Maggie, "Da Dad" PJ repeated

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Maggie, PJ, Mark and Claire were now finally at home as a family. The twins were crawling around the family room playing together under the watchful eyes of their parents - PJ sitting on the couch, and Maggie lying down, resting her head on PJ.

"What did you say about making up?" Maggie asked "Mmmm, you'll have to wait and see, Ms Doyle" PJ replied playing with her hair, "I just have to call the boss" "PJ" Maggie complained turning her head, to look PJ in the eye, "Can't you leave work for one day?" "I am" "But your ringing Tom" "Because he said, when ever I want he'll take the twins off our hands" "I see"

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That night PJ went to drop the twins off at Tom's house. On his way back from there he stopped by the Imperial to collect the best bottle of wine.

"I take it your finally going to ask her tonight?" Chris whispered "Yes, wish me luck" "You don't need any" she replied

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"PJ, what are you doing?" Maggie laughed as PJ got down on one knee. They had just finished their candle light romantic dinner. "I think you know" PJ reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box, "Margaret Doyle….I'm not going to pretend I'm good at this, because I'm not. Well I don't know, I've never done if before" he went on, "But I wanted to ask you, if you'd, well, if you would marry me. Maggie was silent, "Maggs?"

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Forgive me for that last bit! I know it could be a lot better Please email me at pmjca32@vicnet.net.au with any comments!