21

Emily and Charlotte woke up the next morning and both had to admit they were thankful that they had gone with Sarah and Greg instead of staying with Kimberly and her boyfriend. They felt much safer in a hotel room on their own instead of a couch in the flat of Kimberly's boyfriend.

They got up and dressed and just as they were finished heard a knock on the door followed by Sarah's voice.

"Hey you two…are you up yet? It's time for breakfast…"
"We'll be right with you!" Emily shouted as she stuffed the rest of her things into her rucksack. "Hurry up Char…we don't wanna be late…"

5 minutes later the girls opened the door to see that Sarah and Greg were waiting for them.

"Umm, shall we take our things with us right away or can we leave them here and come back to get them after we've had breakfast?" Charlotte asked the couple.

"Leave them here, another five minutes won't kill us and since your uncle doesn't know you're coming it doesn't matter." Greg said and Emily closed the door. They all went down into the pub to have breakfast.
When they entered the room Charlotte held Emily back for a second because she had just seen the Constable walk outside.

"I bet ya they're looking for us…" she said and looked at Emily
"Do you think? What will they do if they find us?"
"Bring us back to Westminster! What do you think!"
"Don't you think they'd take us to Alex? I mean…he's a lot closer than the school…"

"Well…maybe, but I don't really wanna risk it…we need to talk to Alex."
"You're right. But the Constable is gone now so could we please have breakfast?"

Charlotte smiled at Emily's comment. She was really just like Alex "Ok, you're right…" she said and they both followed Sarah and Greg into the room.

Just as they sat down and Sarah was about to ask what they wanted to have for breakfast the Constable walked in again saying "Tim…I forgot to say don't…" Then he saw the girls at the table. "Look who we have here…am I right with my guess you two are Charlotte McLeod-Johnson and Emily Newbury?"

For a second Charlotte considered to run away but decided against it. They would catch them anyway and without Sarah and Greg there was no chance of getting to Killarney any time soon. So she looked at Emily and the girls slowly nodded.

"Well…you got the whole district out looking for you. I think you should come with me…"
Emily saw the fear in Charlotte's eyes and put her hand on her friend's arm.

"Come on Char…he's right. Everything will be all right!" she said and turned to the constable "Can we get our things from our room?"

"Yes, but I'll go with you…I can't take the risk of you running away again…" the Constable replied.

20 minutes later the girls sat next to each other opposite the Constable and he was waiting for them to talk…

On Killarney Prue had woken up early as the first beams of sunlight found their way into her room. She got up and dressed because she knew she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. When she left her room she heard snoring from the direction of Alex's room and had to smile when she thought of his comment about her cooking. After all the serious talking last night his joke had lightened up the situation.

'Well Alex Ryan…I may not have been able to cook back when you knew me but I am sure able to do it now…' she thought and headed down to find the kitchen. Her stomach was grumbling because with all that had happened since she had arrived here and with the girls missing she had completely forgotten to eat.

When she found the kitchen she looked in the fridge and saw everything in there she needed to make a wonderful cooked breakfast. Maybe the smell would wake Alex up because she didn't really wanna walk into his bedroom afraid he'd get the wrong idea.

While she was fixing up breakfast her thoughts once again drifted to the missing girls…her daughters. The thought of having a second child still amazed her and she really hoped the girls were all right so she could get to know Charlotte. Alex had showed her pictures of her last night but they had all been from when Charlotte was a little girl. He didn't have any recent ones so Prue didn't know what she looked like now. Charlotte…Prue liked the name. Alex had told her it was her sister Tess's middle name but that didn't ring any bells. Claire McLeod…her own name still sounded strange to her as well…maybe strange was not the right word…unusual probably covered it better. 'I should get used to people calling me like that…' she thought and turned the sausages in the pan.

"Claire McLeod in an apron cooking…that's a sight…" she heard Alex's voice behind her and had to smile.

"Well…I didn't know I couldn't cook…so quit complaining and set the table so we can eat…" she told him and turned her attention back to the pan.

She heard Alex get some plates and cutlery and shortly after that she placed everything she'd cooked on the table.

"Wow Clai…Prue. That smells really nice…I'm really glad you can cook now…"
Prue had realized how hard it was on him to keep calling her Prue but was thankful he tried. Who knew…maybe she'd get used to the thought of being Claire McLeod at one point…

"And it tastes even better…I'm impressed! You're not by any chance looking for a job as a cook?"
Prue laughed "No, I already have one…and besides, I thought you had a house keeper?"
"I do, but Rhonda isn't the youngest anymore, she won't be round forever…"
"Well, sorry to disappoint you Alex but I already have a job as a housekeeper and I'm really not looking for a new one…"

Alex realized that he didn't actually know what Claire had been doing all these years. He knew she had brought up Emily on a farm but that was all.

"So you're a housekeeper then? On a farm?" he asked her and hoped she would jump in and tell him what she had been doing all this time.

Claire nodded. "Yeah, I'm working for my friends Bernard and Laura Shaw and have lived on their farm ever since I was released from hospital. Laura is a counsellor and worked with me after the accident…"
"Do you like it? I mean…working there, the farm and everything."
"It's all I've ever known, all I can remember. Laura and Bernard are more like parents to me than my employers. They've taken care of me when I found out I was pregnant, Emily was born on the farm and they love her like she's their own grandchild. I couldn't just leave that, you know…"

"Hey, settle down…I never meant you should leave it and come here. It was only a joke to make conversation…"

"I'm sorry Alex…it's all just a bit too much for me at the moment…my daughters are missing, I suddenly find out who I really am and I really don't know what you expect from me…"

Alex felt sorry for Claire. He knew that while it was still kind of a shock for him to see her standing next to him he couldn't imagine how it would have to for her. Being confronted with a life she knew nothing about and couldn't remember.

"Prue…I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have told you about us…I knew it would put a lot of pressure on you…"
"It's ok I guess, I kind of forced you into telling, didn't I?" she said with a weak smile.

"A bit…but let me tell you again…I don't expect anything of you, I'm just glad you're alive and well. Yes, I'd like to spend time with you but only if you want it and on your conditions. I know you don't know who I am anymore but I'd be happy if you could give me a chance and get to know me again. Not as a lover on anything, just as a good friend. Because that's what I've missed the most over all this time…my best mate. Just give me a chance and we'll see where it takes us. Ok?"

Claire nodded "All right…now lets eat and pray that we'll get a phone call soon…"

As if on cue the phone rang and Prue looked at Alex. Was that about the girls? Alex looked back at her for a few seconds till he left the kitchen to get to the phone. Prue followed him into the hallway.

"Killarney…" she heard him say and then a few ahas and hmms till he finally said. "Keep them there. We'll come and pick them up…" before he hung up the phone.

Prue looked at him expecting, her heart pounding heavily in her chest.

"Did they find them?" she asked but she already knew the answer by the smile on his face.

"They sure did…Constable Rogers said he found them at the pub about an hour ago with a young couple that had taken them here. They're at the police station. I told him to leave them there and we'd pick them up…"
Prue felt like a ton of rocks fell off her heart. The girls were safe and sound waiting to be picked up. Then she smiled and said "Do you think it would teach them a lesson if we left them with Constable Rogers for a little while longer? I'm relieved they are all right but so mad at them at the same time…"
Alex smiled "Good thinking there McLeod…" he said before he could think and then added "Sorry…Prue"

Prue smiled at him "It's ok, I guess I gotta get used to it at some point…"
They went back into the kitchen and finished their breakfast while deciding it would be best if Alex picked the girls up alone and leave the surprise part about Prue being on Killarney for later…