Title:Girls night out with a twist of events...
Author: Claudia
Summary: At girls night out series1, something makes the girls change plans and maybe, for a while. (yeah, I'm real bad with summaries)
Spoilers: Series1 Girls night out.
Disclaimer: I just own mi computer and some ideas, MD is a propierty of channel 9. I'm just borrowing the characters and some places.
Apologies: I just want to apologize, if my english is worse than bad. It's not my first language, so if anybody see any mistake at all have it in mind.
Grils night out with a twist of events
let's get situated...
Tess has just put some makeup and a nice blue number on Claire. The brunette sister, looks at herself on the mirror, and... instead of waiting a moment alone observing her image...
'Ok, Mcleod. Now or never!' she smiles at her image, and although she feels strange, she just touches a bit her hair, straightened the sleeves just after opening the door, took a breath, and closes the door after her.
-----
Alex whistled seeing Tess appear at the door.
"What, are you whistling, 'cause you got no words?" Tess was wearing a purple two pieces, with her hair up and smiled at Alex. "You should see Claire"
"It must be ..." he trailed off, seeing a brunette in blue cross the door that leads to the pub. 'wow!' it's all Alex can thing, while observing the nervous and fidgeting brunette "Claire?" Instead of just ask to himself, he could no hold himself, and with and apreciative and curious glance at the older Mcleod, asked aloud, but just for Tess to hear.
"Yeps, that's my sis! Isn't she beautiful?" The grin on Tess face was unstoppable 'I did it!' she whispered happily.
"Oy guys"
"Claire, you're...you're.."
"What I am Ryan? Don't you dare say I'm a woman after all ... or This time I'm gonna kick you real hard" While saying it with a smile, the threat on Claire eyes was evident, but as the smile continued there, Alex just grinned, and showed her her seat, all the while smirking and whispered:
"No way I'm gonna forget that, I'm?"
"No way mate" Answered his brother laughing, and looking at Terry and Meg who were laughing too.
"What? What did I miss?"
"Why nobody explains anything to me? It's 'cause I'm the lil' one, Isn't? I'm 18!!!"
"It happened some time ago" answered Nick
"Last time I saw Claire wore a dress"
"That's right Terry. And It was 'cause It was the LAST time, SHE wore a dress" continued Meg
"When was that?" Asked Tess amused, and curious to know the story
"I reckon maybe five or six years" answered Nick to her.
"Seven" answered in tandem Alex and Claire, while similing to each other.
"As if I could forget, man!" At Claire's smug face and Nick's and Meg knowing and amused looks he continued "Come on! She's got a good kick!"
When everyone at the table was looking at the two of them, with curious faces, and trying to ascertain anything from the oblivius pair that was watching each other smiling knowingly, someone aproached them
"Oh! I found you at least!"
Watching the breathless man talking to them, everyone got curious and looked over him.
"Hey Morris! What the hell happened to you?"
"Oy Alex! Sorry man. Just came running. Listen, I know maybe it's not a good moment, but it seems there's a problem with a boar"
"Hannibal? Didn't we kill him, anyway?" The Mcleod clan send murderous looks over him as if saying "we?" "Well, It was killed, wasn't it?" shrugin his shoulders, put his arm on the table and leaned to listen better to Morris
"So, What's with the boar?"
"It seems has scapped the natural reserve and it's making havock..." then a phone rang, and Alex got up to answer that while keeping an eye over the table, in order to stay on both conversations.
"Yeah... Dad? ... So I've heard..."
At the table, Morris said something, and Claire went pale, and got up "DROVERS?"
"WHAT!? ... no, no...ok... Yes, I'm coming!" he ended the call, and got over the table, at Claire's side "That was dad" said to his brother movingjust at Claire's side. "It's been at Killarney, got from..."
"Drovers. Yes We know" Claire's voice was preocupied "We should be going girls"
"Noooo... we can't! It... it was supossed to be a fine night! A girls night out remember!?" Tess and Jodi tried to convince her.
Seeing their faces, and the resolute one on Claire, Alex looked at his brother, they knew something was up.
"Listen Claire, the boar is now over Killarney, there's no need for you to be preocupied. We got it under control"
" You got it?!" Claire's angry face, turned towards Alex.
"Yeah well. It's the only night you got for yourselves. Why don't you..." Claire's face got angrier and angrier, while her eyebrow got higher and higher as if trying to dare the Ryan's heir to end the phrase.
"It's not gonna be pretty" whispered Terry to Meg and Jodi
"What Alex, What do you proposse?" Claire asked daringly, with a hand on her waist, and the other on the chair's back.
"The girls could stay here. If you got that urgent need to be chasing a boar at our property, come along. Suit yourself"
"Yes Claire, let us stay!" Pleaded Jodi with a big smile on her face.
"Claire, I'm sure there's nothing we could do at the moment. It's not hannibal. It's dead.. so, I'm sure the guys back at Killarney can do it for themselves. We'll be back tomorrow first hour to reppair whatever needs reparation. But be reasonable. We've been drinking, and it's a two hours back home. More darkness and less concentration and yield to do anything"
"Meg's right. I'm going 'cause I'm obligued"
"Alex, someone has to be pulling your ears to do work since you were a kid"
"Shut up Mcleod. You coming, or staying?"
Watching the girls seated up, with meals in front of them and some beers and who knows what else... she sighed. Bending down the head, and sighing again, and mumbling something like "I'm gonna regret this" She said to Meg:
"Watch out, I don't want them getting drunk. Come home first thing in the morning."
"Yeps!! We'll be good little girls!!" "Oh yeah, we'll be angels!" Tess and Jodi were trying with their best angelical and innocent smiles, but Claire just rolled her eyes, and gave Meg a last warning, while Alex pulled her
"Com' on Mcleod! We're wasting precious time to run in a desert road full of.. dust and black nothing.. who knows, maybe a happy brumby coming to party!"
"Did they notice, she's still wearing a dress?" Terry watched the faces arropund the table and seeing them he frowned "Shit. Alex gonna die!" Took a swing of his beer, while moving his head from side to side "It's a shame, he was a good bloke."
The night was cold, humid and as Alex predicted, pitch black due to a group of clouds by the time they reached the road just outside Gungellan.
"How's that Nick stayed?"
"Shit, I should have told dad"
"Leave the wheel alone! You giving away your brother... like kids!"
"He's supossed to be at capital still."
"So, Harry don't know about Wilgul, and your brother ideas?"
"Nah. I should have bought it. And leave you indefense at the middle" That comment, earned him a punch on the arm "what, not liking being surrounded by handsome, succesful men?"
"When you see one, let me know" She rolled her eyes at his smirk and finger aiming at himself.. "you're su full Ryan"
On the black and deserted road, the only sound that could be heard was the motor engine of Alex Ute, and the laughing coming from inside.
---------------
"So, anybody gonna tell me what about Claire and dresses?"
"You know claire, She's...uhmmm..."
"Respectable?"
"Kind of boyish?"
"A Claire?"
"That one, got Alex on big trouble!!" At Meg's comment everybody laughed and looked at her, waiting for a story.
"Claire was Jack's everything. She was his litle amazon, his litle cow girl, his sweet litle Claire. Although, she didn't know anything, and didn't believe so much due to her stay at the boarding school. She loved Drover's, since she was a toddler. A sweet, litle toddler, that played at Jack's office, while he worked at the numbers.. or seated at the verandah looking to the greens, the horses... and her father." Meg smiled, fondly remembering all that, Not was everyday that she could share that kind of stories and memories, and then, she sobered, remembering that the reason she as so fond of the stories and the memories, was also the reason she couldn't explain them... " Claire... went at boarding school, and wanted to end her studies. Jack and her got a big discussion. Then, when they were still 'talking' about it, Natasha Golden' birthday came along. Her parents owned a beautiful place not so far from Drovers, and were distant cousins of Claire's mother. So, she felt 'compelled' to go. Jack loved seeing Claire on a dress, but he was a man. A man alone, so, he wasn't used to that many girly things, and didn't know how to make Claire wear one, while trying to teach her to be a woman for herself. He was so proud of her!..." Meg got carried again "so, well. He bought Claire a dress, and made her wear it"
"Jack Mcleod buying a dress? There's a catch, isn't?"
"Well, it was me who bought the dress. But it was Jack's idea"
"I just got to say, you did great Meg. She was stuning!"
"I believed so. Thanks!"
"Hey, hey, hey!! I want to know more!!!"
"Yeah, me too."
"So, what happened with Claire, the dress, miss golden' birthday party and Alex receiving a black eye?"
"How do you know?" three stunned faces watched Becky
"You mean, she give him a black eye!?" Tess was between amused and escandalized "What did your brother do to my sister!?"
" He just said something..."
"You're a woman after all Mcleod! Nice one by the way!!" Terry, Meg and Nick chorused, at the stunned faces of the three famales presents at the table.
"Hearing him, she just turned arround, and give him a punch in the eye, when Alex tried to..."
"Verify the cattle before buying" the chorus sounded again, before the table erupted in laughter
"He's a dead man!"
------------------
Alex was speeding down the black road, in silence, when something hit him. The silence... Where was Claire?
Out the corner of his eye, without turning the head, he observed first Claire's legs, under the blue skirt, nearly touching his legs... yeah, a skirt ... on of her hands, resting over her thighs... and finally, the other under her head, resting on the seat... with her hair neatly brushed, over her face.. a face, with eyes closed, turned towards him.
"Watch out Alex. I want to arrive in a piece" sleepy Claire, gave a scare to Alex, who jujmped a litle, making the brunette smile, and sit further on the seat in order to be comfortable. "How far?"
"Just half the way." After a litle silence, he continued. "I reckon, we should first go to Drovers, you might want to change"
"Great" She stretched, and tried to sit again, while rubbing her eyes, and brow.
"You ok?" Asked Alex concerned, frowning and making Claire smile, just before she remembered him, sitting near Tess, watching her smile, and complimenting and asking her sister for a dance when she arrived.
"You know. You sound as if you nearly cared"
"What if I care?" Alex frowned "Women, what's wrong with them?" Claire turned arround to look out her window "Great, what I've done now" "Claire?"
"Leave it Alex"
They continued in silence, until the sat phone rang... Claire just moaned, and turned a bit, recovering her previus position, with the head resting on the seat, and her legs bent nearly touching Alex'
"Yes?" Alex tried to be quiet "yeah?.. yeah...uhmm... don't know... nah... ok...bye"
While on the phone, Claire woke up, due to Alex talking and the car slowing.
"That was dad. They found the boards"
"Boards? As in more than one?"
"Yeah, a couple it seems" the silence surronded the car
"Oh. So.. what now?"
"I told you to stay put Mcleod!" said a witty and smirking Alex. Earning a punch and a smile from Claire
"Yeah. Now what?"
"We are about fifty minutes from Drover's.. and more than an hour from Gungellan"
"Ok" Claire was yawning once again.
"Take you home" he yawned, and looked outside, observing the blackness , just broken by the ute lights " It's darker than a board's arse!"
"And just how many board arses have you seen Ryan?" Claire turned again on her seat to watch Alex at the wheel, just in time to see him supressing a smile and looking at her. "Hey, I could take your seat for a while"
"Have you look outside? It's not just night. It's black.."
"Like a board arse, you have said that before"
"You're right Mcleod." Alex continued driving while loooking a moment at her just a moment, and saw her acomodating further on the seat, with her eyes again closed "Were'nt you going to take my place?" When she opened her eyes, he wanted to punch himself 'Bugger! You're an idiot Alex!' "Why don't you..." but couldn't continue, she was again, with her eyes closed, feet under herself and breathing evenly. "She got asleep... damn, where's a witness when you need one?" Alex laughed to himself, seeing Claire, with a sweet smile on her face... fast asleep
They continued this way, until ten minutes and a nature calling later, he pulled out the road to answer. Not before putting a jacket over a slumbering the brunette.
Feeling no movement, Claire opened her eyes, and just saw darkness and a figure in front of a tree, giving her his back.
"Alex?" Called sleepy Claire, when there was no answer, she tried again, a bit louder this time. "Alex?"
"Hey! Sleepy head! Just a moment!" hearing her, he turned slightly to see her, sitting on the car, still in the same position, and covered with the jacket he had put over her, before going out the car, smiling with a sleepy face, while snugling further on to the jacket. "Are you ..." then he heard a soft sound coming from the bushes at his left.
"Did you..." Claire was trying to get out the car, and stretch her legs when Alex put his hand up, to stop her.
"DON'T! Stay there!"
"What's it?!?" Claire unfastened the belt, and was trying to get out, when they heard the sound again... a whimper. A soft, small, sound. "What the..."
When Alex aproached cautiusly, Claire got a light over the bushes, just in time to see something moving. Alex stoped. He dind't see anything else, just a bit of movement. It could be anything...
"Don't move Claire! Stay over there!" He yelled when observed how Claire had got down the Ute and walked over him The sound was heard again, and then more movement... "Damn woman! Stay There!" His face was set, eyes narrowin tryin to see better on the dark, the light arriving from far. Preocupied for Claire, wanting her away, but wanting to see better... he aproached slowly "Claire! just don't!" he yelled at her noticing how the light got further and better iluminating the bushes, she was aproaching.
As Alex yelled, the movement grow on intensity and the sound was heard again, this time, clearer... a baby cry.
"What the..." Both of them came near the bushes, and there, on a pink and yellow fluffy blanket, lay an angry red faced baby. "Bugger!"