AN: And she's ba-ack. I can't seem to help myself. So here's a McLeod's Daughters story for you to enjoy. Let me know if you did.
Spoilers: Alternative ending to "Fanning the Flames"
Disclaimer: Characters of the series are not mine. Though I wouldn't mind if someone would give me a piece of Riley…nobody? Oh well…
On we go…
See me
For the first time in my life, I just don't get it. What is this jumbled life I've gotten myself into and why can't I seem to make any sense of it all?
Okay, this is what I do know. I'm just an average kind of guy. Average height (even smallish, if I have to be honest), not too badly built, hard worker, honest and a bit of a flirt. Okay, okay, a big flirt. Since I just stated I was honest. And I am. This is the truth about me.
Or at least, it was. Because truth still be told, I'm not sure about anything anymore. All because of him.
He was a mate, though not my best mate. We were in the army together and it's usually the place where you learn to put the utmost faith in your comrades unless you want to see yourself get hurt of killed. And trust him I did. Mitch.
The idiot has gone AWOL. He's smuggled some heavy weapons out of the armory and he's looking to sell them. And what did this fool do? I allowed him to stay in the house, endangering myself, my boss, my friends…and her.
Of all the things he did, this one's by far the worst. He's tricked her into falling for him. Like he knew exactly how vulnerable she was after her break-up with the man whose love she thought she had forever. I can still remember how small she felt when she was crying her shattered heart out against my chest. And how proud I felt that I was the one she chose to comfort her. Not that it was a conscious thought, but still…
She's different. She's not at all right for me. Nothing like her best friend, Jodi, whom I fell for when I first arrived here, but whom I lost to the man she loved. I believe I was a gracious loser, at least I tried to be. And in no circumstance was I looking for a replacement any time soon. Flirt though I am, I'm not shallow.
But like I said, this little one's different. So preoccupied with becoming what she thinks others would want her to be that she tends to forget only her own opinion of herself should count. It's both endearing and infuriating to watch her struggle through day to day life with her only guideline a paper schedule on the wall of her room. Her infamous five-year-plan. The one that still has the box 'find true love' checked. Too bad she hadn't anticipated she needed a box with 'losing true love'. And a new one for finding it again. Because whoever said you couldn't find love twice?
It's why I hate Mitch right now. Because he's taking advantage of her. Because she thinks she's in love with him when all she does is trying to escape from the pain. And believe me, I'm no stranger to the torture of a broken heart. Unbeknownst to them both, they're inflicting an intolerable pain within me. It feels like getting stabbed by a knife which then gets twisted and turned in your gut every time someone mentions her name or I see her act way too nervous, looking over her shoulder constantly.
There can only be one reason for her to act so skittish…she's hiding him, protecting him against the mess he made of his own life by his own doing. He's dragging her down with him and she buries her head in the sand. Nothing's real any longer. Her smile's not real, her new relationship is not real and she doesn't even see it.
What am I supposed to do? Wait for her to open her eyes only so I can dry her tears yet again when the bomb drops? Then what do I do when I have to watch her throw herself into the arms of the next guy? How many is she going to go through until she sees?
Sees me?
Just an average kind of guy of average height and built. A hard worker, honest and a bit of a flirt. Who's fallen for a control freak with a five year schedule. Who'd do anything to protect her heart from getting shattered again.
"Riley? Oy, Riley!"
The voice of Stevie Hall breaks through my haze and it takes all the skills I have to try and mask my confusion. Huh, so much for being an ex-soldier. Should have heard her coming a mile away. She approaches me with a tentative smile. A knowing smile…heck, she's not crazy. I'm sitting here, outside of Kate's cabin, just after seven in the bloody morning. With the excuse of giving her horse some new shoes. Ever since Ashleigh fired me, I've been doing some odd jobs here and there. I should have moved on, but I can't.
Wonder why.
"Are you alright, mate? You seemed to be in another world."
"I'm okay. Waiting for Kate."
The smile disappears and before I hear her words, I know there's something wrong.
"Weird. Tayler figured she saw Kate's car taking off some twenty minutes ago…are you sure you should be waiting here?"
A cold fear grips at my throat and I barely wait for Stevie to finish her explanation before I leap on my horse. I have some idea of where they are, but I have to hurry to catch up with them.
I'm not a religious guy by any means, but I find myself praying profusely as I spur my horse to full speed. Please, god, don't let him take her. Please put some sense into her head. I know she thinks she's in love, I know she craves for it, but this can't be happening. I won't lose another Drover's girl to another man. I couldn't bear it.
Just as I'm about to froth at the mouth with frustration, I spot them. Her car is parked opposite of his and both of them are standing outside, gesticulating wildly. Looks to me like they're in some kind of argument.
Fear and elation fight for dominance in my heart. I'm ridiculously happy she seems to finally see through him, but if he figures out she knows more than she should (no longer being able to deny that all supposed accidents only happened after he arrived on the scene), I know he can be dangerous. Like I said, I can't afford to lose another girl I care for…okay…that I love.
It's not the most gracious jump I've ever made from a horse's back, but it does land me smack in the middle of them. Instinctively, I try to protect Kate behind my body. Mitch's face is red with anger. Something shiny attracts my attention and I wince. He's holding a knife.
"Get lost, Ward! This is between me and Kate."
"And you can't win without a knife against an unarmed girl? Real tough, Mitch."
"You'd rather have me use it on you, then?"
Adrenaline rushes through my body, fueled by the thought he was about to attack Kate. So yeah, he can use it on me. Maybe, if Kate witnesses me fighting for her, she'll see me for what I am.
There's no more time to think this over. Mitch is already pouncing on me, knife held at an angle to cut my throat. I dodge his stab, then the next. He's leaving his entire midriff unprotected and I manage to punch him in the gut a few times in quick succession. As he bends over, I grab his wrist and wrangle the knife loose from his grip. It clatters to the ground. He clenches his fist in frustration and the next thing I know, I sharp pain flashes through my right cheekbone, temporarily blinding me.
Whatever happens next, is nothing but a blur. First, he knocks me to the dirt and hovers over me, his hand groping for the knife which is inches away from his grasp. From the corner of my left eye, I see a smaller hand quickly yanking the blade away.
Stupid Kate! Whoah…stupid Riley! He punches me in the stomach and as the wind gets knocked from me, there's nothing I can do to prevent him from pinning Kate down underneath him, struggling to take the knife away from her.
I sit up, wincing as my surroundings are spinning before my eyes, when a strangled cry escapes form Kate's lips. Dizziness immediately forgotten, I leap over to the rescue.
But it's not Kate who needs it. She's crying and trembling, murmuring incomprehensible things, staring at her hands and at Mitch's stomach. Where a knife is residing and blood is pooling.
What the heck just happened?
Like a drowning victim, she clutches to me and all I can do is hold her close.
From seemingly out of nowhere, an ambulance stops, followed by the police in two separate cars. Mitch is being loaded into the ambulance. The paramedics tell us he'll live before taking off, one of the police cars right behind them.
One of the remaining officers questions Kate, but not before he had to pry her away from the death grip she had on my shirt, not to mention my grip on her. I relay my own account to the other officer, who nods his consent. I apologize for allowing things to get out of hand and he promises I won't be charged with harboring a fugitive now that he's in their custody anyway. When he sees my eyes (well, one of them) wander over to where Kate is sitting, he smiles. I think he knows.
"Her statement should be done in a second."
"Will they charge her with anything? The stabbing, I mean…"
He shakes his head. "Very unlikely. Even if we did, it would be dismissed as self-defense. Might as well safe us all the trouble."
Apparently, his mate seems to agree, as with a reassuring nod, he lets Kate go. She rushes to my side.
"Are you…I mean…can we, did they…"
I smile through my pain. She's so adorable when she babbles.
"Come on, Katie girl, let's get you home, huh?"
Relying on my horse's instinct to find his own way home, I put Kate next to me on the front seat of her car. It takes some trouble driving with just the sight of one eye, but I manage to get her to the main house in one piece.
We're immediately surrounded by the other women of Drover's, all chattering with questions. Moira turns up with an icepack, which she gently pushes against my eye. I suck in my breath sharply, but blow it out in relief.
"That's one hell of a shiner there, Mr. Ward."
"It was worth it." I announce without giving it much thought. Only then do I fully grip what I just semi-confessed. I dare a quick glance at Kate, only to see her still trembling, totally exhausted.
Gently, I push Moira's hand with the icepack away from me, before standing and walking over to crouch in front of Kate's chair.
"You okay, Katie girl?"
She nods, very unconvincingly, before yawning. A shy smile creeps up her cheeks and my inner temperature rises a few notches. Quickly so I won't lose my guts, I lift her in my arms and ignoring the cries of protest coming from her and the cries of either approval or objections from the others, I carry her over to her cabin, where I carefully put her down on her bed.
"Sleep now Kate. You need to rest."
Her voice is quivering. "I don't think I can."
"Try anyway. A lot has happened."
She nods and stretches on her bed, eyes already drooping. I want to head out, but a firm hand wrapped around my wrist stops me.
"Riley? Stay with me, please."
I nod, elated by her trust. As I sit down on her chair in the corner, she shakes her head.
"No. Don't sit there."
She swallows as if nervous to ask too much from me. One day she'll hopefully learn that that's impossible. I remain silent and finally, as a mere whisper, she makes her next request, which is exactly the one I hoped for.
"Please hold me, Riley."
Immediately, I fulfill her request. I yank my boots off and settle next to her on her narrow bed. She turns to me and in an ultimate gesture of trust, puts her head against my chest, accepting all I have to offer with a hint of a smile and a sigh of content, before promptly falling asleep.
I relax and feel myself drift off too.
I can't wait until she wakes up. Because I can feel it…the first thing she sees when she opens her eyes…is me.