I wrote this story for a challenge and now I'm posting it here. Have fun while you read it.

Disclaimer: I don't own McLeods Daughters or anything related.

Amnesia

"Lay down, Daphne, otherwise I won't tell you anything." She told her daughter who was sitting in her pj's on her bed. "It's none of the usual 'once upon in time' fairy-tales it's a story that really took place some years ago."

---

She was ready for her date with him. Finally they did it. Well, they haven't become a couple yet but they were on the best way. At least she thought so while she checked her appearance for the last time.

---

"Mom, is that about you and Dad?" Daphne interrupted her mother.
"Maybe. Maybe not." Her mother replied. "Just listen to my words. After all you wanted a fairy-tale not me." Then she continued the story.

---

A car drove towards the house, she could hear it. So she went downstairs as fast as possible to be there when he would be entering the house. But was that a proper behaviour for the guy she was going to date? This wasn't a mate anymore, this was her upcoming partner, whatsoever. Again she thought too much about something that could be so easy.
Finally she heard a knock at the door and some butterflies appeared. He had done it the right way. So she walked towards the door and opened it. They greeted each other as usual in a maty way.
"Are you ready?" He asked.
"Yeah, let's go." She answered.
Together they walked towards his car. He even escorted her to the passenger side. Then he opened the door for her like a gentleman would do, like an upcoming boyfriend would do. She got into the car, afterwards he closed the door, walked to the driver's side of the car and got into it. Then they drove off to their destination, a little restaurant.

Both didn't say a word because they weren't sure what to talk about. So he turned on the radio to avoid the silence and concentrated on driving. After some time they arrived at a gate and had to wait for a train to pass. Because of that he stopped the engine and listened to the music for some time. The train hadn't passed yet and the silence had become awkward although the radio was on. So she started a conversation.
"How has work been today?"
"As usual, nothing important, nothing to talk about. How's the work with the horses?"
"It's going on very well. I'm still training Blackbeard but I'm done in a few weeks."
"That's great. But ..." He didn't got the chance to end his sentence.
"This is silly. I love you since ... all times. I don't want it to be weird between us because it's actually pretty simple."
First he was stunned by her words but then he looked into her eyes, cupped her face with his hands and kissed her. Then the train passed but they still were lost in each other and barely noticed the train. But when it had passed and the gates opened again he parted from her to start the engine and drive to the restaurant.
While they had dinner they talked about everything, everything they hadn't been able to talk about while driving because of their situation. Neither mates nor lovers but something in between.
After dinner they left the restaurant and drove back.

He stopped his car in front of her house.
"How about a cuppa?" She asked.
"I would like that."
Both know what was going to happen that night, so they got out of the car and walked into the kitchen where she put the kettle on the stove to boil some water. Then she bend down to get the coffee out of a shelve. Meanwhile he helped her by getting two cups out of the cupboard above her. The same moment she came up again fast with the coffee in her hands and hit her head at the open cupboard door.
"Damn." She swore at herself.
He looked concerned at her. "Everything ok?"
"No, it hurts like hell."
"You wanna see a doc?"
"It's ok, but I'm just going to bed now. I'm so sorry." She said with an excusing smile.
"No worries. I'll come over tomorrow morning and have a look at you." He said with a smile all over his face.
"See ya." She said and kissed him on his cheek because her head was pounding heavily.
Then he kissed her on her forehead and blowed slightly at her head to make her pain bearable. Afterwards he left the house alone because she was already on her way upstairs into her room.

The next morning he came back to the farm still wearing a bright smile on his face. Instead of knocking like he had done the day before he just entered the house and took a seat in the kitchen. There he poured himself a cup of coffee.
He had waited for nearly half an hour when she came down.
"How are you today?" He asked still smiling.
"Do I know you?" She replied confused and angry because a stranger man sat in her kitchen.
"Beg your pardon?" He answered even more confused than she was.
"I live here so I'm interested in the name of the stranger sitting in my kitchen. So, care to tell me who you are?"
"Sorry, but I don't get the 'You don't know me'-part. I'm your mate, actually I'm going to be your partner and I'm your neighbour. But the most important fact is: I love you. Yesterday we had our first date and afterwards you hit your head heavily at that cupboard door." He explained to her while he pointed at the door. Then he got an idea. "So maybe that's the reason you're suffering an amnesia. Only that explains why you have forgotten me."
After his words she inspected her head and felt a bump. She even had a headache. So it seemed to her like he had told the truth.
"Shall I take you to the doc?"
"I think that's a good idea."
Together they drove to the closest doctor's surgery.

He waited for her to return from the examination. When she was back she told him what the doc had said, that the amnesia was temporary and she would be the same in a few days. But until then she had to rest and take some pills against the pain.

So he drove her back and nursed her for the next few days as well as he did her work, so she could recover completely. After some days her memories returned slowly and she remembered him in general and that night. The next day she finally remembered their first kiss and while she saw that picture, she ran outside towards him and kissed him intensely.
"I'm never going to forget you again, ever." She swore.
"I hope so." He said in a funny way but then he became serious. "Because I love you, Claire and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.

---

"That's the way how your father and I became a couple as well as our bad start.

That's the end of tonight's fairy-tale my little darling Daphne." Claire told her daughter, kissed her good-night and left the room.

Then she walked downstairs into the living room where Alex McLeod was sitting and watching TV.

"Is she asleep?"
"I don't think so because I told her our story."
"The part with the amnesia?"
"Yeah."
"You know what. That story reminds me of Harry's wig...bloody scary!" He answered smiling.
"It really is. I don't want to forgot you the love of my life ever again." She answered smiling, too, bend over to him and kissed him intensively. Both knew where that would lead.