Stevie turned the events of the day over in her mind. She wanted it all to go away. How could Alex blame her for Harrys death. Well of course he could, it was partly true. She had argued with Harry that morning. And Harry had experienced chest pain. And Stevie had felt guilt over that, she had confessed to Alex. She had no choice, she could not have lived with it. But he had been so sweet and so tender to her in that moment. He gave no signs of blaming her for any of it. How could that all have been an act? Why did he not say something earlier? Why did he marry her in the first palce? Oh how he must hate her. What kind of man stays on his honeymoon and sends his new bride back home? Something was very wrong. Very very wrong. Even back then. Why had she not seen it coming?

Stevie tried to remember the times before that. The proposal, the wedding day. He had seemed so sincere. She looked into his eyes and saw so much love it made her stop breathing. Had that all been pretend, or had she seen only what she wanted to see? Is it possible she had been kidding herself?

She had loved him. Always. And time and time again he had let her down and hurt her. Perhaps Harry was right, she just wasn't good enough. She should have known better than to give her heart away like that. But it wasn't as if she had a choice. She could not have stopped herself falling for him.

She wanted to put him and her life out of her mind, but she knew it was futile to try. She would not see Alex, she could not face him, not yet. Not to look at him and see the truth of how he felt. But she was curious. About her friend the nun. About why Alex was here, just to see justice done? Did he not care at all? It was hard to swallow. She would talk to Grace. Grace wasn't really part of her life on Drovers anyway, she was new to Drover, she wasn't close to Alex, she hadn't been around to see all the events unfold. Grace was a friend from the past. Someone like Michelle. Someone safe. She would ask Grace why they had come here, what was going on. She needed someone to tell her. Someone who knew and wouldn't lie. With that in mind she asked Michelle to send the sister in.

Michelle was pleased Stevie was speaking to her friend the sister. Perhaps she would find some comfort from religion. Stevie could use all the prayers she could get, for her health and the baby's. And for strength to get through this time. Michelle could see how much she had loved Alex, how much he had hurt her. She had not seen her sister so in love before. Sure there had been men, but no one who could make her eyes light up like Alex had. No one who caused such a depth of sadness that she now saw. She had hoped her sister was finally getting her life together. A nice man and a great job. Finally some stability. And a child.

It was hard for Michlee over the years to think about Stevie. She herself lived in fear that Rose, who she had come to love as a daughter, would be taken from her. And it left no room to wonder how much Stevie loved and missed her little girl. It must have torn her heart out. She had much love to give a child, and michelle knew that Stevie loved Rose deeply. She had hoped Stevie would find a life to settle into, make a family, have children.

And now she was pregnant. But things were such a mess. Stevie herself was a mess. The timing was so wrong. And what about Alex? Would he want custody? What kind of a man was he to cheat on her so soon after the wedding. He seemed so happy on the wedding day and Michelle could not make sense of it. She was angry that he had hurt her sister so badly and she intended to tell him so. To find out exactly what the hell he was playing at. This was nonsense about the murder. How dare he do this? And when she was sick and in the hospital. Alex Ryan would pay dearly for this.

~

Despite how miserable she was feeling, Stevie laughed when she saw Grace in her nuns costume.

"Where have you been?? Why didn't you call? We've been so worried. Alex has been devastated? Are you ok? Why are you in ths hospital? Whats going on?" Grace questioned her friend not giving her a chance to formulate an answer.

Stevie shook her head slowly, not wanting to think, and not having an answer. She began to wish she had not agreed to see Grace.

"What are you doing dressed like that? You look ridiculous." Stevie asked her, when what she really wanted to ask was how is Alex? Does he hate me? Doesn't he miss me ? Even a little bit?

"It's a long stupid story." Grace said

"I have time." Nothing but endless lonely hours.

"I am so sorry. It was my idea, and only because we were so worried and needed to find you. You should have seen Alex. He was distraught. He's missed you so much."

Stevie shuddered. Had he missed her? She longed to believe it. But maybe he just wanted to see her suffer, to see her arrested for murder. Was that why he was so desperate to find her?

~

Michelle stormed up to Alex Ryan as he paced the hospital corridor. She was furious. He would not get away with treating her little sister like that.

"You were told to leave " She said harshly.

He stopped in his tracks at seeing her. Finally something was happening. Something other than him pacing the floor going crazy. It seemed so ridiculous. He was the one who was sick. Not Stevie. What was she doing in the hospital? Why had she left like that? Sure, they had fought and he had said stupid thoughtless cruel things. But to leave Drover and not even tell the girls where she was? To go runing to her estranged sister? It made no sense. And Stevie would not even talk to him. He did not blame her. Perhaps she was still angry about the argument. Or angry about the police. He w ould explain it all. But she was being so foolish, they had so little time left. He was prepared to face her anger, convinced he would make it vanish instantly when he held her. He was not prepared for the wrath of her sister.

"Is Stevie ok? What is going on?" He asked.

Michelle stopped and examined him closely. There was something so sincere, so gentle, so sad. It made her want to ask him what was going on. It had been a long time since she had any interest in her younger sisters life. She felt it wasn't her place to ask him. But at the same time she seemed the only one who might be able to sort things out. Stevie had come to her and trusted her. And she felt obliged to do what she could to help. Michelle tried hard to maintain her unfriendly posture, wanting to make it clear that she was one hundred percent on her sisters side of whatever this issue turned out to be. "No, you will answer my questions first." She demanded as she motioned for him to sit.

Alex hesitated. Spilling his story to someone else had not been part of his plan. He had not even been sure it was right to tell Stevie. But as he examined the situation, he realised he would need Michelle. He was fast running out of time, and ideas, and ways to reach Stevie. So far he had only pushed her further away. It was his last chance. And so he took a deep breath and told Michelle the entire story.

~

Michelle sat in silence listening as this desperate man poured out his tragic tale. She could see instantly his love for Stevie, could see how the misunderstanding occurred. But she did not know what to do about it. Alex had pleaded with her to talk to Stevie and convince her to see him. Surely that was a reasonable request. She wouldnt have to tell Stevie anything else. Alex had asked her not to. He wanted, needed, to tell her alone. And Michelle did not envy him that task.

Still Michelle felt conflicted. Hw would this news affect Stevie, and there was her health and the baby to consider. It was not a great time for such bad news. Maybe it would be better if Stevie hated him, maybe it would hurt less to lose him. Maybe Stevie would move far away and never know what became of him? No, Michelle knew her sister too well for that. Especially if there was a child involved, Stevie would not hide from him forever no matter how much she claimed she wanted to. But would it be too late then?

Uncertain of what to do, she did not tell Alex any information about Stevie, or that she was pregnant. She felt it not her place in any case. And it just complicated everything so much more.

"Stevie told me you were cheating on her." Michelle said finally. She felt for him as he was already so distressed, but had to know the truth the whole truth, and now might be her only chance to find out all the facts.

"What??!!" Alex was genuinly shocked. "With who? Where did she get that idea? I would never even look twice at another woman." He proclaimed. "You have to believe me." He pleaded desperatly.

Trouble was, Michelle did believe him. It would be easier if she did not. Easier if he was just a lying cheat. That could be dealt with. But this....it was not something she wanted to think about. It was an unimaginably awful situation that she could not bring herself to expose her sister to. She could not allow Stevie to hear this news, at least until she was well and they were certain the baby was ok. Having decided on that, Michelle told Alex to leave. She promised to speak to Stevie and explain about the police. And to ask Stevie to see him, and pass on his declaration of undying love. Undying. The word caught in his throat as he said it. What use was undying love when the man himself would not be around? Michelle felt terrible for him, a young man, to be so sick and dying so young, with a new wife and a baby on the way. But she would leave herself no room to feel sorry for him, all her energy was focused on protecting Stevie.

~

Alex left reluctantly, not wanting to get Michelle off side. He thought over the things she had said. Stevie thought he was cheating on her? This was getting all too crazy. He had to tell her the truth. As each moment passed he was more certain it was right. He did not want her to think he had just abandoned her. He was determind to show her how much he loved her, to show her so much so that she would never forget. But he needed Michelle to talk to her, to convince her to see him. He took a deep breath as he sat outside the hospital grounds. He would not go far, and he would not have to wait long. He realised only then that Michelle had not answered any of his questions about Stevie. The unanswered puzzle frustrated him, and he waited for Grace hoping she may be able to shed some light. Perhaps he had not needed Michelle after all. But he did not regret telling her. It felt like a weight off his shoulders. It felt like a step closer to Stevie. He had no time left for regrets.

~

Stevie was quiet when Michelle went back inside the hospital room. She thought over all Grace had said about the stupid scam to call the police. Had that been true? She felt like she had betrayed Alex doubting him like that. But she was still so uncertain what was going on between them. He had still told her they had no future together. That was not part of a scam. That was straight from his heart. He was still in love Claire, and she still could not measure up. And she just did not want to deal with it all now. She was so worried for her unborn child, and was trying to remain calm like the doctors had told her. The only way to do that was to forget him. But still she couldnt help herself, she had to ask.

"Is Alex still here?" She asked Michelle

"No." She answered quickly. That much wasn't a lie. He had left, because she had forced him to. "He left ages ago. He won't be bothering you anymore." She had wanted to tell Stevie not to worry about the police, that it had all been a stupid scam from the beginnng. But then the story would get complicated. She did not realise that Grace had already told Stevie that much, and to Stevie it did not make much difference.

Stevie couldnt help the stab of disappointment that he had left so suddenly. She had asked him to, so she supposed she could not blame him. She didn't know why he had bothered to come. Perhaps he had gone back to cry on Claire's grave. She tried not to think about him, not to care, but it was not possible. She could not help the tears that slipped down her cheeks.

"Forget about him." Michelle said gently "You don't need him. Think about the future, about the baby, Rose is coming home next week. She will be so happy to know about the baby." Michelle tried to steer the conversation away fromAlex, tried to make Stevie forget him, let him go, there was no point investing her energy in that relationship. It was better this way. But even as Stevie smiled at the thought of seeing Rose, Michelle realised that some things would not easily be forgotten.