Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, don't sue me.

A/N: I've been itching to write another Mcleod's fic for months, mostly because the writers are giving me a hernia with their current plot lines – dancing around the Stevie/Alex relationship. Don't get me wrong, I'm first and foremost an Alex/Claire fan, but in my eyes, this is the next best thing. It's based a couple of days after "the kiss", and the whole Sandra debacle. Enjoy. . .

Love, Fate…and a Handful of Second Chances

Chapter 1: Denial

Alex began to rethink his decision almost as soon as he had brought the dirt bike to a halt. What was he doing here? He was married. He had a wife. So why did this feel that much more important? He shook his head, forcing the thought from his mind. Determined, he climbed off the bike and headed towards her.

Stevie was packing up when she saw him approaching. She groaned inwardly. All day she had been avoiding the memory. Trying not to think about him and the kiss they had shared. The mistake. She turned away from him defiantly, throwing the shovel into the back of her ute. Hurriedly removing her gloves, she headed for the drivers side.

"Pretending you didn't see me?" Alex questioned, leaning casually against the car, his arms folded across his chest. She froze, before reluctantly turning to face him.

"Hey." She said simply, letting out a slow breath. Alex felt as though his calm demeanour had disappeared completely as his gaze caught hers. Neither of them said anything for a moment, both trying to inwardly assess the situation.

"We need to talk." Alex let out eventually.

Stevie looked away. "Nothing to talk about." She clenched her fists so tight that her knuckles turned white.

"So we're pretending that nothing happened, then?"

She met his gaze again, this time deadly serious. "It was a mistake, Alex. Nothing more."

"Is that how you really feel?" Alex asked, frowning slightly. He couldn't determine what that look in her eyes meant.

She hesitated for a split second. "Yes."

He shook his head. "Stevie. . ." He began.

"No, Alex." She said, her voice growing shaky. She let out an exasperated breath. "It had to have been a mistake. There's no way it could have been anything else. Anything more." She was willing herself to believe her own words. Turning around, she slipped into the ute, slamming the door behind her. As she started the car, Alex stepped forward, gazing at her through the window.

"So it meant nothing?" He called out, holding out his arms in question. She locked eyes with him for only a moment, before throwing the ute into gear and driving away.

"I don't know what to do." Stevie let out, leaning her head in her hands. She rubbed her temples gently, trying to ward off the headache that seemed to be continuously present.

"Why don't you just tell him how you really feel?" Regan asked, sitting down opposite Stevie at the kitchen table.

Stevie shook her head. "I can't." She replied simply.

"Why not?" Regan questioned.

"Because. . ." Stevie let out a breath. "I won't be that woman. . .the other woman." She said quietly. "I won't do it." She sighed. "It's not enough for me."

"Is that what he wants?"

"Yes." Stevie replied, "No." She said, rethinking the question. "I don't know." Regan looked at her expectantly, and Stevie groaned in annoyance. "He's married, Regan."

"I know that." Regan said gently.

"So none of it matters." Stevie reasoned.

Regan stared at her for a moment, before speaking. "Unless he's thinking of ending things between them."

Stevie shook her head firmly. "No." She stated. "He wouldn't."

"It's okay to hope, Stevie." Regan offered softly.

"Not for this." Stevie whispered. She gazed at Regan regretfully. "It hurt too much the first time, Regan. I don't want to go through it again." She stood up and picked up her akubra. "Better just to pretend that none of it happened in the first place." Placing the hat on her head, she gave Regan one last look before heading outside.

Fiona approached her as soon as she had climbed out of the car. Not more than a hundred metres from the driveway, Stevie was chopping wood, throwing the pieces onto a pile beside her. The pile looked like it was unnecessarily large.

"Stevie." Fiona greeted, stopping at a safe distance away from her.

Stevie looked up for a split second, before grabbing another log of wood. "Fiona." She replied curtly. She levelled the log on the block of concrete before her.

"Can we talk?" Fiona said, raising her voice slightly. Stevie seemed to hesitate, as though fighting the urge to refuse.

"Sure." Stevie replied, loosening her grip on the axe and letting it lean against her legs. She crossed her arms, giving Fiona a smile. Forced, Fiona noted. "What's up?"

Fiona eyed her suspiciously for a moment. "I want to know what you and Alex were fighting about."

Hesitation. "What fight?" Stevie questioned. Fiona frowned, trying to determine if the look was feigned.

"You know what I'm talking about Stevie. What happened outside the pub? Alex has been acting strange ever since." Fiona snapped, her annoyance growing.

Fiona didn't miss the gesture as Stevie clenched her fist, releasing it after a moment. "The fight was about nothing, Fiona. Alex came over earlier, actually. We had a chat about the new breeding program. . .nothing's changed."

"Right." Fiona said, not taking her eyes off Stevie. "So then he must have told you about Adelaide." She watched for any sign of recognition. Fiona had run the idea of spending a month in the city by Alex yesterday morning. She wasn't even sure if he had registered that she was speaking to him.

"He didn't mention anything." Stevie said after a moment of silence. She brushed a strand of hair off her face, glancing away. "You two going on holiday?"

Fiona nodded. Stevie didn't have to know that things weren't certain yet. "Yep." She replied, noting Stevie's uncomfortable glance downwards. "We'll be leaving in a couple of days. . .gone for a few weeks, a month maybe."

"Righto." Stevie said, looking up. Again she wore a forced smile. "I'm sure you'll have a great time." She said.

"Yeah, I'm sure we will." Fiona replied. They held eye contact for a long moment, neither of them willing to back down. Finally, Stevie looked away.

"I really have to get back to work, Fiona." Stevie said, picking up the axe again. "If there's nothing else. . ."

Fiona gazed at her. "No." She said simply, smiling slightly. "I'll see you." She turned around and headed back to the car, feeling more insecure than she had when she had arrived.

Stevie watched the car disappear down the driveway, tightening her grip on the wooden handle of the axe. The guilt was gnawing away at her. But even more so, and she was ashamed at the thought, was the jealousy. What right did she have to feel jealous? What right did she have to feel betrayed that he hadn't told her about Adelaide?

She clenched her teeth. She didn't have any rights, not when it came to Alex. He was a married man, and nothing was going to change that. Turning around, she took in a deep breath. Then, swinging the axe over her shoulder, she slammed it into the propped up log. She took comfort in the miniscule sense of relief it brought, as she reached for another log.

That's it for now. Leave a review and let me know what you thought. I know McLeod's fics don't get many readers – so any feedback would be much appreciated.