Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with McLeod's Daughters. I'm just a big fan and in my free time I'm writing a story about them. Non profit is made. I, however, do own James.

Feedback: Yes, please. Constructive criticism is valued

Author's note: This is my first fanfic that I'm writing in English and also my first McLeod's Daughters fic. Since English is not my mother tongue there'll surely be mistakes in it. If there are very serious mistakes in it I'd be happy if you could tell me.

I hope I can finish this story but I don't know if I've got enough fantasy for that!

I don't have a title yet. I hope something comes to my mind soon.

Well, I hope you enjoy reading it!

Chapter 1

She watched as James Miller, her stepfather, sent her mother flying across the kitchen. This time she actually saw it. She saw her mother falling on the floor knocking her head against a chair. She knew her mother wasn't going to fight back because this would make everything worse and her mother knew he could kill her in an instant if he wanted to and then he'd kill her daughter.
It's been going on like this since she could remember. She didn't know if there had been a time in which her stepfather hadn't been a man who battered his wife.

So far she had never seen her stepfather battering her mum. So far she had only heard him yelling at her mother and later tehr would always follow the sound of things falling to the floor and the smothered crying of her mother. So far she had only heard what was going on in her home but today she needed to see it. She had come downstairs because she had to see with her very eyes what this bastard was doing to her mother and she had to do something to end it.

She couldn't stand to watch this dreadful scene any longer as James dragged her mother up again by her beautiful hair. She turned around and as she sneaked back upstairs she hard her mother whimpering and swearing that she would never talk against him.

Back in her room she let herself fall into her bed. She lay there for a sec but then she got up in a hurry. The last few weeks an idea had been forming in her head. A plan that would get her mother and herself out of the hell they both were living in. She had already some stuff packed in her rucksack which she now pulled up from behind her bed and placed it on a chair next to her desk.
Then she opened the bottom drawer of her desk. It was the drawer in which she stored the things that had great value to her. She kept her treasures there. Like a picture of her mother and her. It was taken a long time ago … in times when her mother was still laughing even though her eyes glanced sadly into the camera.
She now took this picture and put it the into her rucksack. She couldn't leave it behind. She needed this picture as much as the few clothes that she was going to take with her because this picture gave her hope that one day everything would be different and that her mother would smile again.
She also took the money that she had saved. When she started to save it she wanted to use it to buy herself a horse one day but now she'd need it for soemthing greater. She'd need it to free herself and to free her mother. This was much more important than any horse. She also took out a folded piece of paper. She didn't a look at it but put it in the pocket of her jeans immediately. This sheet was propably the most important thing she owned right now. She mustn't lose it.
She took her jacket and was now ready to leave.

The noise downstairs had ceased. It was now deadly quiet. She didn't hear a noise as she slowly made her way down the stairs. Her stepfather was probably getting drucnk in some low dive. Great she thought. This makes everything easier.

She reached the last step and was just about to sneak out of the house as she suddenly noticed her mother lying on the floor in a pool of blood hat streamed down her head.

"Mom!" she dropped her rucksack and hurried to he unconscious figure on the floor. "Mom! Wake up!" This can't be real! she thought. Not now that I've found a way to get us out of here!

Suddenly she saw her mother as she slowly moved her head and she realized that it might not yet be over. Her mother was not dead and they still had a chance to get out. But only if her mother got to see a doctor soon. Immediately she was on her feet again to call the ambulance.

Half an hour later she was standing outside, watching the ambulance men loading her unconscious mother into the car.

They had told her not to worry, that her mothr probably only had a bad concussion and that this was the reason she was unconscious. The blood on the floor was from a bad cut on her forehead but it was not life-threatening.

"Still we have to get her to hospital ASAP. Just in case." One of the medics said. "Is your dad around?" They don't know.

"No." My stepfather is not here. He did this to her. "But I called my grandma. She's gonna be her in a few minutes." Some lies are necessary.

"Do you think we can leave you here alone? How long will it take your grandma?"

"I'm twelve." Please leave. "You said nothing life-threatening happened to my mom and my grandma is surely gonna be here in no time. I'm sure we'll come right after you." She tried to sound as confident as possible.
The medics looked at her and then at each other. It seemed that they were thinking about if they should trust the words of an twelve year old girl. But then the got into their car and drove off with her mom after telling her to which hospital they'll be going.

As soon as the ambulance had left she pulled the sheet of paper from her pocket. She knew her mom was injured but they said that she'd be fine, right? So she could try to realize her plans. She doesn't need to worry about her mother, does she?

She unfolded the sheet and read it once again. She had read it about a hundred times since she had found the adress on the internet and printed it out. She had to find this woman called Teresa McLeod. She just had to. She put the paper in her pocket again and made her way to the bus terminal where she caught the next bus to Fisher.