Part 1
*Crap!* Thought Claire to herself. *where the hell are the rest of my calves?* She stood searching the paddock where she had separated the calves into away from their mothers. "CRAP!" cried Claire angrily as she remounted Sirocco and started for home. As she broke into a canter she found her eyes prickling with tears. Angrily she brushed them away. "Tess!" shouted Claire grumpily from the veranda. "Is there something wrong?" asked Tess confused at Claire's attitude. "Of course there's something bloody wrong!" a moody Claire retorted." Somebody's been rackin' off with our calves!" "Well shouldn't we call the police or-"Claire cut her sister off. "God Tess do you always have to be over dramatic?" asked Claire in a huff. "Well it's better than acting like I don't even care. "Snapped Tess back making Claire ignore her completely. "Fine be like that!" *God why does she have to be so headstrong?* thought Tess. Later that night............ "Is Claire in?" asked Alex as he entered the kitchen. "Yes!" replied Tess sharply making Alex look confused. When he regained his senses he asked "where is she then?" Treading carefully as Tess didn't seem in a very good mood. "Probably still moping around in Sirocco's stall. "Said Tess stiffly. "Right um.........thanks. "Said Alex. "Will you be staying for tea? "Meg asked Alex. "Thanks Meg that'd be great." Answered Alex giving her a small smile. At that he left to find Claire. In the barn.............. As Alex approached Sirocco's stall he heard somebody crying. "Claire? "Alex said uncertainly. "What?" Snapped Claire standing up and wiping her face with her hand. "Are you alright?"Asked Alex sympathetically. "What the hell do you think!?" She replied harshly letting herself out of Sirocco's stall into the small space outside where Alex was standing looking uncertain. Suddenly Claire burst into tears. He quickly moved forward and held her in his arms. To his astonishment instead of pulling away she burrowed into his arms further. What was with this girl he wondered? God she was like his sister and he'd known her since god only knows when but he still didn't Understand her. But holding her now in his arms she some how felt as if she was more than a sister or even more than a friend. What Was this feeling? When she'd finished crying she pulled away and stormed off angry at herself for not only crying but not wanting Alex to let go of her what the hell was this feeling she kept getting every time he was around her? "Claire," said Alex softly," you know, it's ok to cry every now and then." An angry sniff was all the reply he got. "tell me what happened Claire," pleaded Alex," Please." "Somebody's been nicken' my bloody' calves that's what!" Huffed Claire getting back to her oldself,"and I don't want Killarney's help!" she added knowing fully what Alex was going to say. "I'm so sorry Claire." said Alex walking over and standing behind her. "Alex...."she didn't get to finish because with that she passed out. "My god!" said Alex just barely catching her as she fell." Claire!" He picked her up and placed her on a couple of bales of hay and took of his shirt then dunked it in some water. He then wringed it out and folded it into a small rectangle then placed it onto her forehead. "Mmmmm."Came a groan from Claire as she started to come to. Alex placed the shirt on a spare bale of hay and felt Claire's head. Ouch! She was burning up. Alex stood up and just as well he did because then Claire quickly rolled over and vomited on the place where Alex had been sitting. When she had stopped being sick Alex wiped her face with his shirt. All of a sudden she started shaking uncontrollably. Alex picked her up and quickly carried her to the house and upstairs. "Meg!"he shouted," Come up hear and quick!" Meg put down her knife and fork and hurried upstairs. "Its Claire she's burning up!" said Alex to Meg sounding worried when she entered the room. Automatically her mother's instinct told her Claire wasn't well and hurried downstairs to call a doctor leaving Alex holding Claire in his arms on the bed. When Meg returned upstairs Claire had fallen asleep but had a very high temperature. "Well?" pushed Alex. "The doctor will be here soon."Meg informed him. " but for now do you want to go home?" "No!" Answered Alex shortly which made Meg look at him curiously. When the doctor arrived........ "Yo doc is Claire alright?" asked Alex as soon as the doctor had checked Claire out. "She'll be alright in a couple of days," the doctor replied, "but she must rest!" he added to Meg. "Alex?" asked Claire. "Yes?" Alex replied walking briskly towards her. "Thanks." "No prob McLeod." A week later.... "Hey Claire!?" shouted Alex from outside the barn. "Yeah?" came Claire's voice from in the feed room. As Alex walked in all he could do was stare because there was Claire in a 'short' pair of shorts and a 'Very' tight tank-top which looked as if it belonged to Tess. "What are you looking at Ryan?" asked Claire forcefully. "Who do you think I'm looking at?" Alex through back at her. Alex had no idea what possessed him but he suddenly stepped forward and started kissing her. "What do you think your doing Ryan?" asked Claire shocked, but blushing at the same time. "Nuffin!" he answered giving her a wink before leaving.
*Crap!* Thought Claire to herself. *where the hell are the rest of my calves?* She stood searching the paddock where she had separated the calves into away from their mothers. "CRAP!" cried Claire angrily as she remounted Sirocco and started for home. As she broke into a canter she found her eyes prickling with tears. Angrily she brushed them away. "Tess!" shouted Claire grumpily from the veranda. "Is there something wrong?" asked Tess confused at Claire's attitude. "Of course there's something bloody wrong!" a moody Claire retorted." Somebody's been rackin' off with our calves!" "Well shouldn't we call the police or-"Claire cut her sister off. "God Tess do you always have to be over dramatic?" asked Claire in a huff. "Well it's better than acting like I don't even care. "Snapped Tess back making Claire ignore her completely. "Fine be like that!" *God why does she have to be so headstrong?* thought Tess. Later that night............ "Is Claire in?" asked Alex as he entered the kitchen. "Yes!" replied Tess sharply making Alex look confused. When he regained his senses he asked "where is she then?" Treading carefully as Tess didn't seem in a very good mood. "Probably still moping around in Sirocco's stall. "Said Tess stiffly. "Right um.........thanks. "Said Alex. "Will you be staying for tea? "Meg asked Alex. "Thanks Meg that'd be great." Answered Alex giving her a small smile. At that he left to find Claire. In the barn.............. As Alex approached Sirocco's stall he heard somebody crying. "Claire? "Alex said uncertainly. "What?" Snapped Claire standing up and wiping her face with her hand. "Are you alright?"Asked Alex sympathetically. "What the hell do you think!?" She replied harshly letting herself out of Sirocco's stall into the small space outside where Alex was standing looking uncertain. Suddenly Claire burst into tears. He quickly moved forward and held her in his arms. To his astonishment instead of pulling away she burrowed into his arms further. What was with this girl he wondered? God she was like his sister and he'd known her since god only knows when but he still didn't Understand her. But holding her now in his arms she some how felt as if she was more than a sister or even more than a friend. What Was this feeling? When she'd finished crying she pulled away and stormed off angry at herself for not only crying but not wanting Alex to let go of her what the hell was this feeling she kept getting every time he was around her? "Claire," said Alex softly," you know, it's ok to cry every now and then." An angry sniff was all the reply he got. "tell me what happened Claire," pleaded Alex," Please." "Somebody's been nicken' my bloody' calves that's what!" Huffed Claire getting back to her oldself,"and I don't want Killarney's help!" she added knowing fully what Alex was going to say. "I'm so sorry Claire." said Alex walking over and standing behind her. "Alex...."she didn't get to finish because with that she passed out. "My god!" said Alex just barely catching her as she fell." Claire!" He picked her up and placed her on a couple of bales of hay and took of his shirt then dunked it in some water. He then wringed it out and folded it into a small rectangle then placed it onto her forehead. "Mmmmm."Came a groan from Claire as she started to come to. Alex placed the shirt on a spare bale of hay and felt Claire's head. Ouch! She was burning up. Alex stood up and just as well he did because then Claire quickly rolled over and vomited on the place where Alex had been sitting. When she had stopped being sick Alex wiped her face with his shirt. All of a sudden she started shaking uncontrollably. Alex picked her up and quickly carried her to the house and upstairs. "Meg!"he shouted," Come up hear and quick!" Meg put down her knife and fork and hurried upstairs. "Its Claire she's burning up!" said Alex to Meg sounding worried when she entered the room. Automatically her mother's instinct told her Claire wasn't well and hurried downstairs to call a doctor leaving Alex holding Claire in his arms on the bed. When Meg returned upstairs Claire had fallen asleep but had a very high temperature. "Well?" pushed Alex. "The doctor will be here soon."Meg informed him. " but for now do you want to go home?" "No!" Answered Alex shortly which made Meg look at him curiously. When the doctor arrived........ "Yo doc is Claire alright?" asked Alex as soon as the doctor had checked Claire out. "She'll be alright in a couple of days," the doctor replied, "but she must rest!" he added to Meg. "Alex?" asked Claire. "Yes?" Alex replied walking briskly towards her. "Thanks." "No prob McLeod." A week later.... "Hey Claire!?" shouted Alex from outside the barn. "Yeah?" came Claire's voice from in the feed room. As Alex walked in all he could do was stare because there was Claire in a 'short' pair of shorts and a 'Very' tight tank-top which looked as if it belonged to Tess. "What are you looking at Ryan?" asked Claire forcefully. "Who do you think I'm looking at?" Alex through back at her. Alex had no idea what possessed him but he suddenly stepped forward and started kissing her. "What do you think your doing Ryan?" asked Claire shocked, but blushing at the same time. "Nuffin!" he answered giving her a wink before leaving.