As usual i dont own any characters, or story lines, or sripts. All property of the nine network. I do not profit from this story...

Claire walked out of the shearing shed and breathed the fresh air of Drover's. She turned the tap, the water gushing out she lent down washing the smell of sheep out of her hair. She closed her eye's letting the water droplets drip down her back, her chest and her face. While she scrubbed at her hair Marty walked out, he laughter slightly before rubbing Claire's wet hair. She opened her eyes shocked, flicking her hair back she saw Marty,
"Must admit you had worried there," Marty laughed,
"Ah almost," Claire replied wringing her hair out as Marty pulled his shirt off,
"We make a good team," He exclaimed leaning on the wall, as Claire avoided the temptation to look at his bare torso,
"If that's a job your offering I got my hands full here," Claire laughed as she rubbed the last of the water into her neck, Marty lent over into the water, letting the fresh water wash the sweat off his face, he stood up looking at Claire, he smiled as he remembering the fun they used to have,
"It doesn't have to be," Marty answered as he rubbed the water of his face, still looking at Claire, "You can hire me, Station Manager," he added turning the tap off, clutching his shirt wiping the droplets of water off his arms, Claire laughed slightly, unable to answer,
"I'm.. not in a position to do that," she said uneasily at his reaction,
"I know this place Claire, you know me, I've been coming here for years," Mary stated as he wiped the remaining water off his face, Claire smiled at him slightly, playing with her hair, still dumbfounded by Marty,
"Oh well thanks for the offer Marty, but I'd…" Claire exclaimed nervously, before Marty cut in,
"Look you've done a good job struggling through, but I reckon if Jack knew you had a chance to make a go of it, he'd want you to grab it," Claire frowned at what Marty had just said, he took a step towards her looking at her facial features he still loved so much,
"And your my chance?" Claire asked raising her eyebrow before looking off towards the house as the sun beamed brightly,
"Ah like I said, we make a good team," he said taking another step towards Claire, desperate to hold her in his arms, "Hey do you remember Danny Stubbs's 21st?" Marty asked smiling as he took another step to be eye to eye with Claire, she sighed smiling, "The one down by the river," he added smiling, looking into Claire's deep blue eyes, she looked down shaking her head amused at the image that was instilled into her head,
"I'm not 15 anymore Marty," she answered smiled cheekily at him, he nodded smiling,
"You know Flick misses you," he said again admiring Claire's facial features as she frowned, "You do the number's Claire, 11 years since you've seen her," he added as he turned on his heel and began to walk back to the shearer's quarters,
"Challenge does you good Marty!" Claire yelled frustrated after him, "Makes you try harder," she snarled as he looked at her threw narrowed eyes,
"Claire look at yourself, you should try harder for our daughter," he yelled frustrated before walking off. Claire looked at him, bubbling over with sheer anger, 'how could he dump that on her?' they promises never to speak of that event ever again?' Claire made her way back to the house for lunch.

Meg, Jodi, Becky and Tess all stood around the wool, picking and plucking at it endlessly till Claire trudged in,
"Who said it was time for smoko?" she asked looking at the bare shearing stations, she turned to Meg putting her hands on her hips,
"Through they were with you," Meg answered pulling at the wool as Tess, Becky and Jodi looked on at Claire, who marched past them rolling her eyes in anger. She got to the door of the shed, seeing the shearer's packing, she clenched her teeth as she walked furiously towards them, Meg, Jodi, Becky and Tess all running to keep up with Claire. She spotted Marty making a bee line for him she stood right in his way, looking at him through anger filled eyes.
"Okay so you've had your dummy spit, can we get back to work?" she asked leaning on Marty's Ute as he tugged on the tarp furiously,
"I offered to help Claire; you wanna' do it by yourself, fine! Do it yourself," he yelled walking straight past her, fastening the last of the tarp, walking to the front of his Ute, Claire close on his heels,
" Just get over your ego for five seconds, we've got a contract," Claire yelled as Marty stopped and turned towards her, both frowning with anger at each other,
"Why don't you Claire, huh leaving Flick with me," Marty replied shaking his head with anger before getting into his Ute, Claire grinded her teeth together hitting the side of his ute with her fist, before retreating back to the other four girls, that stood shocked at the two's outburst,
"Who's Flick?" Tess asked as Claire watched Marty and the other shears leave through the dust,
"Yeah who's Flick?" Jodi asked, Becky nodding at Claire,
"Just leave it girls," Meg answered for Claire as she walked back to the house, in complete fits of rage.

Claire sat in the office staring at the words in the ledger, they scrambled over the page, she sighed thinking back to Flick,
"Felicity," she sighed aloud thinking back to the day she let her go, There was a knock on the door, Tess peeked around the door,
"Claire," she said nervous of the reaction she would get, which was a raised eyebrow, "Um who's Flick?" she asked walking into the middle of the room, Claire looked back down at the ledger,
"No one," she snapped, hiding her face with her hands,
"Oh so it's a person, not a dog or a horse, or anything?" Tess asked smiling at Claire, who looked at her like she was some kind of idiot,
"Just leave it Tess," Claire snapped once again, Tess retreated back to the kitchen leaving Claire lost in her thoughts.