A Week Later

Danny walked around his surgery. It hadn't looked like this in so long. All sparkling and ready to go. He hadn't came down here a lot at the start of his illness, it shouldn't have but it upset him to see his surgery in such a state, then as his illness had progressed he hadn't been physically able to come down here. But now it was back to it's old self, literally sparkling. Alice had done a great job, practically single handed.

Things had progressed between them since his proposal, he had rang the agency telling them he no longer needed them and Alice had tendered her resignation. Alice and Rosie seemed to be getting along better too. Rosie actually called her mum this morning at breakfast! He'd been more than a little shocked at that, Rosie had been hurt badly by Alice leaving but she seemed to be putting all that behind her now and was gradually warming to her. That was good, Rosie needed a woman who she could confide in, maybe even relate to on a some level. He had tried his best but there were gasp that sometimes a father just can't fill. Plus Rosie was 16 and acted so tough and independent but she was still very young, vulnerable and damaged by her mother. Rosie and Alice were getting along so well they were discussing the wedding and how Rosie thought it should be.

He was eager to sort the preparations for their wedding ceremony quickly. Alice was less likely to leave once they were married. He couldn't help thinking that this could have been real! Except she left him, and could again! His worry was that he was going to lose Charlotte. That was it, not Alice all he wanted was his daughter!

They were opening in a few hours time for emergency's only, tomorrow morning it was back to normal times. He wasn't fully up to speed so Alice was taking the lead. He felt iffy today. Definitely wasn't feeling the best, it was the stupid medication. Those tablets were messing him up big style. In a few weeks time he'd be finished, they were just to make sure his body didn't reject the new kidney. Too bad they made him feel as sick as a dog, and the migraines…..he couldn't even explain how they felt. The pain just immense. Alice cut his thoughts by walking into the surgery. He was momentarily taken aback by how beautiful she looked in denim shorts and a red checkie shirt.

"Just doing last minute checking?" she asked. "So is everything ready to go?" she ran her hand along the operating table.

He nodded, winced slightly. O no!

Alice stopped a few feet in front of him. Her eyes raised to meet his. "You ok?"

"Yeah." he tried to say nonchalantly, didn't work.

Alice frowned knowing he was lying. She was about to let it lie then realised if they were gonna be successful as a married couple then they couldn't lie to each other. That was how she thought of their marriage, as a business proposition. No feelings, just a pairing that benefited people…well some people. This was for Charlie and Rosie! She reminded. Brought her mind back to the matter at hand crossed her arms "You gonna tell me what's wrong or is it gonna be like this when we're married too?"

"Like what?" he frowned.

"Keeping secrets." she told him simply.

He glared at her. "You're a prime for keeping secrets!" he snapped feeling sick. His migraine beginning to take root.

She raised her eyebrows. "You do that a lot you know."

He looked at her quizzically.

"Anytime I try to get close to you, anytime I try to care…."

"This marriage isn't about feelings!" he interrupted. "There is NO love involved, this is for the kids!" he rubbed his face. "I have my reasons for not wanting to get close to you again!"

Alice shook her head. "I didn't say any different did I?"

"The why talk about getting close?"

"Because I DO care about you. You're the father of my daughter, but because I care doesn't mean I'm in love with you."

He felt pain shaft through his head and hit out so she'd leave him alone. "Well I don't care about you at all!"

"I don't want you too. Like you day this is for the kids. But because we are going to be a partnership which means when your ill I'll care for you."

"We aren't married yet!"

"Start as you mean to go one." she told him.

He was breathing heavily, barely resisting the urge to grab his head.

"I won't have this on Rosie anymore." she told him softly.

His eyes narrowed and his mouth formed a hard line. "I didn't ask Rosie to do that! I did all I could to stop it!"

"Regardless of whether you asked her to or not she did it! She's like a mother hen Danny, she clucks over people, did you expect anything less, especially since the two of you were all each other had? She's spent far too long worried about you so until I learn to see when your ill you'll tell me coz I refuse to let Rosie do it!"

"Don't preach to me about bringing up MY daughter. We have one kid Alice, Rosie isn't yours!"

"I'm the closest thing to a mother she has!"

He made a face. "Your not even old enough to be her mother!"

She glared. "Yes I am!"

"Barely." he muttered.

"Plus it doesn't matter what you think about that, I'm adopting her!" she told him simply.

"Since when?" he fumed.

"Since she needs a mother, since we're getting married."

"She needs someone who won't leave her like you did - remember that?"

Alice put her hands on the side of her head. "It always comes back to that doesn't it? If you can't forget that then this marriage is gonna fail inside the first week!"

"Forget?" be breathed in disbelief. "You expect me to forget?"

"Fine." she conceded. "Wrong word." she rubbed her hair a moment. "What I meant was you have to come to terms with it."

"O yeah Alice I'll come to terms with losing 6 years of Charlottes life!"

"There is nothing that can be done about that now!" she spat anger rising. She knew he was hitting out coz he was ill but it was starting to hurt now!

"Yeah well you lost nothing!"

"I lost nothing?" her face hardened and her eyes narrowed. "I lost Rosie. I lost family. I lost someone I loved!"
"Yeah well that is all your fault, YOU left!"

Alice threw her hands in the air in frustration. "Right ok that's IT! I'm not marrying you. I can't argue in circles. All you do is justify what you say and do coz I left and it's doing my head in! Everything boils down to the fact I left you and I'm not living like this Danny!" she stomped from the surgery shaking her head and muttering as she went.

Danny knew he shouldn't but he followed her. He didn't know why, he had achieved his objective of her going away, still he found himself walking towards the door. As he walked through the surgery door the bright sun hit him in the eyes and his head suddenly felt like it was on fire.

Alice spun. "O and another thing…." she saw Danny leaning against the door frame holding his head. "Danny?" she breathed.

He was bent double clutching his head eyes closed tightly.

She ran to him. "Danny?" she whispered putting her hand over one of his.

"Go away." he groaned. "I don't need you!"

She removed on of his hands from his head and put it around her shoulder then put her arm around his waist. Memories assaulted her, memories of happier times. Of loving embraces, kisses even just holding hands. Sadness filled her as she realised that they were never get that back. She had focused on the bad so much that she had forgot how good they had been, and they had been good - once. "C'mon lets get you to the house, tell me what you need."

"Not you!" he reiterated.

"Stubborn man!" she hissed then exhaled. "Your not alone now Danny I'm here."

He pulled roughly from her grasp. He was happy when he was released. That happiness was short lived however when the whole world seemed to spin and tilt. He fell to his knees. He put his arms on the floor and placed his head on them. God these headaches were never this bad - then again he didn't usually argue with someone he lo…. someone he didn't like he corrected. God this headache was messing his head up! He felt himself exhale as he heard footsteps receding - good she was leaving!

"OK!" Alice said sternly.

Great she was sneaking up on him now!

"I have a long piece of rope here, you can co-operate or I'll tie you up and drag you to the house!" she warned.

"Try it!" he warned icily.

He couldn't see her but could envision her cocky smile in his head.

"Ok." she told him simply. Suddenly on of his arms was behind his back along with the other. Alice was trying his elbows tightly together. He pulled hard but she had him secure.

He felt someone close to his ear. "Try and get out of that!" she whispered.

He yanked and pulled then exhaled.

"Now let me help you." she asked, a plea really.

She saw him tense his jaw. "We need to be a partnership!" she repeated.

He stayed silent she bent down and helped him to his feet. "Put your weight on me." she told him.

He didn't, he didn't need her! His mind was mulling her words.

"Here's the stairs," she told him as they reached them.

His head was down trying to shield his eyes from the sun - unsuccessfully he might add. He heard his feet echo on the veranda and he was led into a room. She untied his arms and lay him down. Went to the kitchen and returned with several boxes. "I didn't know which ones you needed." she put them and a glass of water on the bedside table then went to close the curtains.

He was lain on the bed lost in thought, his face buried in a pillow. Couldn't help but think of the times when she did help him, he took the help willingly then. Felt he could help her too. Now there was just too much water under the bridge. He finally spoke. "We were." came out muffled.

She frowned. "Were what?"

"We were a partnership. Just the two of us. Me and you remember? We promised that in this very room." he said softly.

She remembered.

"Why didn't you just come to me?" he asked pained. "All this could have been avoided." he whispered. Buried his face in the pillow harder. "I hate that I feel like this about you." he admitted.

"That wasn't an option for me Danny. I was used to dealing with things in that way - by running."

He was silent again for a minute. "I can't say that I understand." he admitted. "We loved each other so much, I could have come to you with anything." he inhaled. "There is so much you don't know." the plans he'd made he added silently.

Everything was low and quiet in the room and Danny felt his head starting to ease.

"Just try and sleep, you'll feel better when you wake up." she headed towards the door.

He turned his head and looked at her. "I don't think I'll ever be able to love you again." he said as she walked through the door.

"Love isn't a part of us." she reminded him. "Like you always say." then she closed the door behind her.