As Dupe was walked towards the flare he had a thought, he was following the flare. Shouldn't he be heading to where the flare came from? If someone was in trouble….if Alice was in trouble…ALICE! He turned and began to run quickly shouting her name with every step his feet pounded the earth.

"Alice!" he yelled. "Alice answer me!" he demanded beginning to panic. His legs pumping hard, the long grass whipping his shins. Scenarios running through his mind. Each one worse than the last. Alice unconscious. Alice bleeding badly, mauled liked Danny. Alice kil…..at that thought Dupe was spurred on faster, his yelling more frantic. He wasn't looking where he was going and he tripped over something and fell face down onto the mud.

"Dammit!" he fumed, picking himself up to run again. He looked back momentarily and found himself looking at a leg. Leg? Oh no! he edged across on his knees and saw Alice lain there. Unmoving.

"Alice." he said. "Alice. C'mon wake up!" he shook her gently. The heat from her arm almost burned him. He hazarded a touch at her forehead, Christ! Dupe found that it was hotter than her arm, if that was even possible. She was burning up, literally.

She was lain on her back, her arms lain limply by her side. Her breathing obviously distressed, her chest shuddering with every inhale.

"Alice, you need to tell me what's happened! Tell me what's wrong so I can help!" he asked.

If Alice had heard him, she made no effort to tell him, she remained lying prone, he had no time to waste! He picked her up and did the only thing he could think of. He yelled for Caroline. His concern for Alice making panic rise inside him.

(X)

Liv and Thabo walked towards his dad's office hand in hand.

"Liv we'll go in there and tell him what's going on ok." Thabo said reassuringly.

Liv wasn't convinced, this man hated her. All he cared about was his business. Liv was sure he didn't even cared about Thabo she kept that thought to herself.

Thabo looked at her disbelieving face. "Don't worry Liv. I'm here to back you up, Lungile can deny it to you but not me." he squeezed her hand. "He says one wrong word about you and he'll be picking the pieces of himself up off the floor!"

Liv smiled. He was her protector. "I can take care of myself."

"I know you can but you don't have to anymore. That's why I'm here. I was put on this earth to take on all of your enemies. No one says or does anything to you while I'm here." he then turned and kissed her gently.

"Aww Thabo, your so sweet." she murmured.

He shrugged. "It isn't just words Liv. I mean it. I know we haven't been together long but I do really care about you. More than anybody I've ever met." he added softly. Then his eyes moved, like he was embarrassed to be showing feeling.

"I feel that way too." she told him. "So we'll go in that office and sort this together ok. I know we'll work out coz we are together."

He nodded. "Definitely. Together we're gonna be unstoppable!"

They walked into the office.

(X)

Lungile was stood at his dad's desk. He turned back as Thabo and Liv walked in.

"What you doing here Lungile?" Thabo hissed.

"Back off Thabo!" Atwanda warned.

"Has he told you what he's done?" Thabo asked.

"Yes." Atwanda said and looked at Liv. "I'm sorry that Danny got hurt."

"Hurt?" Liv shrieked. "My dad is dead!"

Atwanda paled and looked at Lungile. He had obviously not told his dad all the facts.

"And for that I'm calling the police!" Thabo said fully expecting his dad's full co-operation.

"NO!" Lungile yelped.

"Thabo." Atwanda began. Thabo recognised his tone of voice. It was his bargaining tone.

"Don't try and stop me dad. He KILLED someone! What I did was bad but I never hurt anyone!"

"Look, can't we try and sort this out. Obviously the police don't think it's suspicious or they would be here by now!" Atwanda said reasonably.

"Sort this out?" Thabo asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. We don't have to involve the police."

"Yes we do dad!" Thabo insisted.

"I refuse to have both my boys with criminal records!" he boomed.

Thabo's face turned to anger. "That's all you care about dad! Appearances. What about the Trevanion's huh? They lost a husband, father. They deserve to have someone punished for this!"

"I want this place to work for us Thabo!" Atwanda told him.

"He took a lion over to Leopards Den dad! He was gonna hurt Liv!" Thabo fumed, anger rising.

"So that's why your angry? Coz he went after the girl? You should open your eyes son. Lungile told me everything. She's been leading him on. Dangling herself in front of him then pulling away!"

Thabo's body hardened and he glared at Lungile.

"I what?" Liv squeaked.

"You can't mess with men in that way Olivia. It can get you in trouble." Atwanda said superiorly.

Liv's mouth dropped open from pure shock.

Thabo's fists clenched and a red mist began to descend. "Lungile you lying…."

Liv put her hand on his arm as he approached Lungile. "C'mon Thabo, let's go." she asked.

"I'm calling the police! No doubt they will want to talk to you both!" Thabo shot at them as he turned.

"Do that Thabo and I'll call the police on Liv. I'll make sure she gets the book throw at her. Maybe even Juvenile Hall! Think of it Thabo, your poor Liv in with all those little shits in for rape and violence!"

Liv turned back and looked Atwanda straight in the eye. "Do it! As long as I take HIM down with me!" she pointed at Lungile to punctuate her point.

"Liv Thabo said softly. He couldn't bear the thought of her in there with all those lads. He had been in there for a few months and it had been hell, and he wasn't a woman!

Liv looked at him. Saw the look in his eyes.

"No Thabo! I refuse to be blackmailed like this!"

"You'll have more opportunities without a record Liv." Thabo told her.

"I want someone punished for what happened to my dad! It wasn't fair, he was still young. He's gonna miss so much! What about me, Evan, Charlotte and Rosie. What about Dupe and Nan. What about Alice?" she was yelling at the end. Her face red. "His death doesn't just affect me!" her eyes were sparkling with rage.

"It's your choice Thabo." Atwanda began.

"NO it's mine and I say he freaking rots!" she demanded.

"What will happen to Lungile?" Thabo asked, shushing Liv.

Atwanda frowned. "What can I do to him Thabo?"

"So he'll get away with it?" Thabo seethed.

"Look I can't bring Danny back can I? How am I supposed to punish him? Having it on his conscience is punishment enough."

Thabo saw Liv's back raise. He put his hand on her arm.

"Excuse me?" she squeaked angrily.

"Liv he is going to have to live with this for the rest of his life." he told her simply.

"SO DO I AND I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" she roared. Breathing heavily. Glanced at thbao, his brown eyes calmed her. "My dad's life means so little to you?" she added. "My dad was always decent to you, I wasn't but he was!"

"Look Liv i am genuinly sorry this happened..." he was silent considering his next words. "I understand your family will have expenses…." Atwanda began.

"O no your not." Thabo asked.

"Oh my god! You want to pay us off? God you want me to put a price….on my dad?" Thabo saw Liv visibly shaking with barely concealed rage. He also saw the moment her control snapped. He grabbed her shoulders before she launched at his dad.

"Let's get out of here Liv!"

"Thabo don't you dare leave!" Atwanda boomed.

"I'll do what I want dad, I'm 17 remember."

"You leave here and you go to prison remember!"

"Not if I have a job. I'll find one!" Thabo spat.

"Thabo I'm warning you!" Atwanda warned.

"So you'll call the police on Thabo but not Lungile?" Liv yelled.

Thabo soothed her. "C'mon." he said softly then looked at his dad. "Go to hell dad, take a first class trip too! I'm the straightest person out of the 3 of us and it's ME with the criminal record. How messed up us that?"

Thabo rubbed his face as they walked from his office.

"Thabo?" Liv asked. "Will you go to prison?"

Thabo exhaled. "Don't worry about it Liv. We're together right now and that's all that matters. They are nothing to me now!"

"I'm your family." she told him with a smile.

He smiled back. "Yeah." For suddenly losing his whole family, he felt like he had gained the world. He twined his fingers with Liv as they walked off Mara land together.

A/N Dupe has found Alice - is it too late?
The livbo is going from strength 2 strength - but what is gonna happen r both liv and thabo gonna go to prison?
Lots more coming...wen i find time to write it :/

A/N 2 ok reader input time - because i am writing angst in my 2 current stories i have decided sum fluff is in order - so you can decide what you want to read next - i can either

1- write a fluffy chapter in the life and times of danice

or

2- i have a one-four shot planned called the storm alternate - slightly angsty but fluffy too. (I call it a one-four shot coz it won't be just one chapter possibly four/five)

Anyway if u cud drop me a line in ya review wot u want and i'll try and get to work - the angst is staring to get to me and i like my readers to have sum choice :D x