Will I, Will You, Will We?
A/N - Here is the sequel to A Learning Curve - this is set a few years in the future, there is many changes in Alice's life, as well as Danny's. Plus can I just say I always knew in my head that the mark Alice got in her assignment in 'A Learning Curve' was gonna come between them, but how will she feel when she finds out that Danny didn't mark it? Hmmm.
As always hope you enjoy :D x
(X)
Alice sat in her kitchen opening letters, she was humming along to the radio sipping coffee. Oooo that was hot, burny burny! Ok Alice note to self, don't drink freshly made coffee! Without warning her phone rang, she saw it was her boss. Lets see where Lisa wanted her to go today. "Hello." Alice said.
"Hello Alice, look sweetie…."
O this was bad she got sweetie!
"I know this is really short notice but I need a long term locum for a while and you have got me out of so many scrapes before….." Lisa trailed off.
"How long is long term?"
"Well I gave him a good deal, he asked for 3 months."
"3 months? Look Lisa you know I don't take long term stuff, especially not that long term!"
"I know sweetie but you know I wouldn't ask if I had anyone else."
Alice exhaled.
"I'll give you a raise, c'mon this is really big business for me!"
"Lisa…."
"Alice I'll really owe you." she pleaded.
"You do already!" Alice retorted.
"You never know you might actually want to stay at this one. Every place you go you get asked to stay on and you always say no."
"Coz I don't like being tied to one place." That's how feelings got involved, she learned that lesson the hard way the first time, she could do without a repeat!
"So Alice will you do it?"
She was silent a moment considering it. "I suppose so, where am I going?" Alice asked shaking her head.
"A place called Leopards Den at Glen Afric."
"What?" Alice shrieked literally falling off her chair. No way it couldn't be!
"Alice are you ok? I heard a thud."
"Yeah." Alice said shakily standing up and dusting her self off. "Look Lisa I forgot there's stuff I have to sort at home, I can't do this."
"Alice you already agreed."
"But see I won't have time to find somewhere to live….."
"Look you will live at his house with him and his kid. You get room and board."
That didn't make her feel better! "Isn't there anyone else?" Alice pleaded. "You know Sheea loves long term placements."
"She is already on a long term. I double checked, triple checked. I knew 3 months would spook you."
It wasn't the three months she had a problem with! "How about I go there, on a temporary basis - until you can find someone to replace me." What else could she do, plus she had to admit she was intrigued to see how he would react and how he would explain his betrayal!
"Ok." Lisa agreed. "I have a 6 week gap, maybe less if someone finishes early. Plus he might not need you that long."
"Do me a favour Lisa don't tell him my name, just tell him your sending someone but the person isn't set in stone yet."
"Why?"
"You know me, I like to make an entrance." she joked shakily. Plus she wanted to catch him off guard. Didn't want him having time to think up any excuses!
"Ok I will, just coz your doing me a big favour."
"Yeah." Alice drawled the disconnected. Collapsed into her seat putting her head in her hands. The full enormity of where she was going was gradually starting to sink in. What was she gonna do? She couldn't go back there, except now she couldn't not go there either!
Little feet padded into the kitchen. "Where we going today mummy?"
Alice lifted her head and looked at her 6 year old daughter Charlotte. "Um, a place called Leopards Den. We'll be there a little while. Are you ok with that coz if you aren't….."
"Ooo I like the name, it has an animal in it. Do you think real leopards will be there."
"Yeah." Alice breathed.
"Think I'll see them?" Charlotte asked excitedly.
"You might." then again Danny might feed them to lions as well…..
Charlotte nodded her head, her shoulder length brown hair swinging. "I think it's ok, I'll like it there."
Why was her child so agreeable? "I'll come through and sort your case."
"I can do it." Charlotte assured her. Independent and stubborn too. With familiar green eyes and smile. C'mon lets face it, she was a carbon copy of her father, it was like talking to a brick wall sometimes. "Off you pop then." Alice coaxed.
Charlotte skipped off, Alice meanwhile was trying to convince herself that yes she could do this. She wasn't a naïve student anymore, she was an adult, mature, responsible. Still her stomach pooled with acid.
She walked to her room and pulled out her case from her pine wardrobe, Danny might remember this. It was the one he left outside the hut after….she blanked it. Began placing clothes in there. She knew she wasn't being fair just turning up on his doorstep but she needed time to prepare herself.
Her case was soon packed and she zipped it up. Opened the front pocket and took out some old photographs she almost never looked at anymore. At first it hurt too much. She exhaled and looked at Danny's smiling face. They were together on this one. Once upon a time they had been happy together, she had been happy. She touched his face gently feeling only smooth gloss beneath her fingertips. Things could have been so much different…..if he hadn't betrayed her! Her face twisted as she remembered. She hated him for that!
Charlotte appeared at the door. "Mum I'm done."
Alice hid the photos behind her back. "I'll be right through."
As soon as Charlotte was gone Alice looked at a photo of Danny by himself leaning against the veranda smiling. Picked up a photo of Charlotte she kept on her bedside cabinet and placed then side by side. There was no denying it, and that worried her. How long would it be before Danny looked at Charlotte and saw himself?
(X)
Danny walked across Leopards Den surveying the area. The old place wasn't in the best shape. It was passed time he sorted it out, especially since everything was back to normal now. Well as normal as normal could be. Rosie walked towards him.
"Dad are you ok? Should you even be up?"
"Rosie I am fine." he promised. "Shouldn't you be out with your friends?"
"I cancelled incase you needed me."
"Rosie sweetheart I promise I'm fine." he repeated.
"But…"
"No buts, go phone your friends and I'll drop you off."
"Dad!"
"Look I'm on my feet walking around without passing out."
She looked at the floor. "I heard you in the bathroom." she whispered.
He shrugged. "The fatty foods at breakfast messed me up. I know I shouldn't have ate it."
Rosie opened her mouth.
"I won't tell you again, go out be 16 have fun. What a novel idea!"
"If you need me." Rosie added.
He smiled. "I have you on speed dial." He'd never ring her and she knew it, the reason why she hated leaving.
She hugged him tightly. He restrained a wince as his stitches pulled. "I love you dad." she whispered.
He rubbed her back. "Love you too." she pulled back. "Plus our new locum comes today."
"Remember what the doctor said, no over doing it!" Rosie warned.
"You my dear child are worse than a nurse!"
"I just don't want to lose you." she admitted quietly. That had been a fear for a while.
"You won't." he vowed. "I'll be around scaring away all your boyfriends and showing off all your embarrassing baby pictures. On some of them you are so cute, like that one of you in the pool with your nappy practically hanging off..."
Rosie groaned and covered her face.
"It's me and you against the world!" he added with a smile.
"Just the 2 of us, same as always." she echoed looking up.
Danny felt a flash of memory, someone else saying a similar sentiment, in a completely different context. Pushed thoughts of her from his mind. It took him long enough to get over her without thinking about her! "So Rosie off you go, what time do you want picked up?"
"Ash's mum will drop us off. She really has her eye on you." she hinted.
"Rosie."
"Just a suggestion." she replied innocently.
The last time Rosie had taken a shine to someone it hadn't ended well. It had left him broken and Rosie upset and angry for a long time. They had both finally got over it and now this illness caught them completely off guard. "Well I'm not in the market for a woman, your the only girl in my life and I plan to keep it like that!"
Rosie rolled her eyes and kissed his cheek. "Take care of yourself."
"Always." he promised.
"See you soon, and don't forget…"
"I'll ring you….mother." he added.
She put her hands on her hips and made a face. Began to walk off.
"Hey Rosie thought I was dropping you off."
"I'll ring my friends, they said you'll do this, said they'd wait at the township. I'll get the bus."
He kissed the top of her head. "Don't worry, have fun."
When Rosie was gone he went to the kitchen and took his tablets, shook his head after the 3 of them. He'd be ill later, same as usual. Then again the other ones turned him into a zombie and frightened Rouse, so they were out of the question.
He walked down to his surgery, tried to catch up on a year's worth of paperwork.
A/N ok it has began alice is on her way...with a little surprise and Danny has been ill, but what is it? x