Disclaimer: Do not own anything McLeod's Daughters belongs to channel 9, and the writers and creators apart from Abby, Lily and Charlie.

The women sat down around the table having cleaned themselves up and were enjoying a nice relaxing lunch, well at least some of them were. Jodi had spent most of the time bombarding Abby with questions. Tess on the other hand sat there in silence feeling rather uncomfortable. She wondered if this was how Claire felt when she had first arrived, she smiled slightly thinking about her sister. How she wished she was here now maybe then she wouldn't be feeling so uncomfortable about the whole situation.

'Oh we've run out of lemonade.' Meg pointed out lifting up the empty jug she was about to get up to get some more when Abby offered to refill the jug.

'There's some more in the fridge.'

'Ok.'

Meg glanced over at Tess who had remained quiet through lunch.

'Are you ok.' she asked in her motherly tone.

'Yeah, it's just all a little overwhelming .' Tess replied.

Meg nodded,. 'I know.' As she gave Tess's hand a small squeeze to show her support.

'Hey Tess.' came a male voice, it was Alex followed closely by Nick. 'Who's is that heap of junk.' he said referring to the new car that was parked outside the front of the house.

'Umm' Tess wasn't sure what to say but she found she didn't need to say anything as Abby soon appeared.

'I'll have you know that I had to work very hard to buy that heap of junk.' she told him with a smile on her face. The Ryan men stood there in shock, Tess didn't think that she'd ever seen them so shocked. Nick was the first to speak up.

'If I was you I would of spent my money on something a little less rusty .' he said smiling.

'Hey don't knock the car, it has character.' Abby told him. 'besides it gets me from a to b.' Nick looked at her a mock serious expression on his face.

'Just.' Abby told him as they both laughed.

Nick stretched out his arms to embrace Abby as she put the jug of lemonade down on the table. Tess watched the exchange between Nick and Abby. Nick lifted Abby off the ground as she was only a petite little thing. They both laughed.

'It's good to see you.' Nick whispered in Abby's ear.

'Good to see you.' Abby muttered back.

Nick finally released Abby from his embrace and took another look at Abby.

'You look.'

'I know.' Abby said before Nick could get another word in. Nick looked at her a puzzled expression on his face. 'Seems to be the thought of the day.' she told him.

'Oh.' Nick replied.

'Indeed.' Abby exclaimed before Nick gave her another hug, once again lifting her from the floor. Abby giggled. 'So are you ever gonna put me down?' Abigail said through her laughter.

'Sure,' Nick laughed.

It was then Abby turned to look at Alex who did not seem to be a pleased to see her as Nick was, he seemed to be unimpressed.

'Don't I even get a hug.' Abby asked her happy demeanour now gone once she had sensed Alex's anger with her. She made a slight gesture with her arms but waited for Alex to make the next move. Alex stood there for a few moments contemplating what he should do next. He stepped forward to give Abigail a hug much to her relief but almost as soon as he had embraced her he let go and went to take a seat at the table. Abigail stood there feeling more then a little dejected. She glanced over to Nick who gave a small smile, his face was full of sympathy. He moved to put his arm round her shoulder as a gesture of support.

'Just give him a little time.' he whispered before kissing her on the top of her head.

'Yeah.' Abby replied trying unsuccessful to hide her disappointment with Alex's reaction to her.

Abby sat in Charlotte's room looking at the child's things, she smiled when she saw the old McLeod cot. She let out a sigh, today had been a long day and Alex's reaction to her had comes a surprise to Abby. She had only last another twenty minutes at lunch before she had to excuse herself the atmosphere since Alex arrived was making her feel even more uncomfortable. She wiped away a tear that had fallen. How she wished Claire was here, how different everything would be if she was here Abby thought. Abby turned when she heard the door creek.

Claire gently poked her head through the door where her aunt and baby cousin where. When Lily saw a slightly apprehensive Claire standing at the door she gave her a warm and inviting smile, Claire smiled back.

'Come and sit down.' Lily told her patting the space beside her on the bed. Claire moved toward the bed and gently sat down next to her aunt.

'Say hello to the newest McLeod.' Claire looked at her aunt and smiled. 'Abigail Elizabeth McLeod,' she said holding up the baby.

'It pretty.' Claire told her aunt. She looked at the baby in her aunts arms. Lily watched a Clare puzzled over what to do with the new arrival.

'You hold her if you like.' said Lily.

Claire looked at her aunt in shock quickly shaking her head. 'She's so tiny.' Lily smiled.

'She won't break.' Lily told her, Claire finally relented as her aunt placed the small baby in her arms. Claire reached out and gently touched Abigail's hand. 'There so tiny.' Claire said in a half whisper her voice was full of amazement.

Lily smiled to herself as she watched Claire marvelling at her new baby cousin. 'I remember when you were that small.'

Claire scoffed 'I was never that small, was I ?'

'Yes.' replied Lily thinking back those fourteen years to when Claire was a baby, it seemed liked yesterday. 'You know she's gonna look up to you. I expected you to be a good role model for her, teach her to ride, look out for her.'

There was a silence for a few moments and then Claire spoke. 'If you don't leave,' she muttered.

Lily looked at her niece, she'd been expecting something like this although she hoped she was wrong. It broke her heart that there was nothing she could do for her young niece. Claire had been heartbroken when Ruth had upped and left with Tess several years earlier. Lily still couldn't believe that Ruth had actually left, she knew that Ruth was a city girl and had been having a hard time in the country and she understood that, but she could never understand how Ruth could just leave to be never heard of again, she knew that her brother had been sending letters and birthday cards but hey had all been returned.

'Why would I leave.' Lily told her niece, brushing a few stray hairs away from her face.

'Ruth did and she took Tess.' Lily's face dropped and heart filled with sadness. She put one arm around her niece.

'Well I'm not.' she told her firmly, kissing the top of her head.

Claire sighed she wasn't convinced.

'I promise.' Lily told Claire. Claire smiled if there was one thing that she could rely on it was that her aunt never broke a promise. 'I promise I'll never leave you or drovers run, ok.'

'Ok.' Claire whispered back.

The three of them sat there for a few hours Claire was just fascinated by her baby cousin and was intent on being a good role model to her, she was excited at the prospect of teaching someone to ride, at being a sister again.

There was a knock at the door and Liz Ryan's head popped through. 'Up for visitors.' she asked.

'Of course,' Lily smiled 'Come in.' Liz Ryan enters with her husband Harry and two young sons.

'So this is the new arrival.' Liz said as Nick sat down on the side of the bed next to Lily while Alex stood on the other side next to Claire. 'I heard she caused quite a commotion.'

'Well you know us McLeod girls Liz, we never do things the easy way.'

'Well that's certainly true.'' Liz muttered.

'So does she have a name? Harry asked quickly stepping in before his wife said something that he might regret.

'Abigail Elizabeth McLeod.' Claire proudly told everyone.

'It's beautiful,' Harry told Lily ' and so is she.' Lily smiled a little surprised at the sincerity in Harry's voice.

'Thank you Harry.'

'I don't know she doesn't do much, she seem quite boring.' Alex grumbled it was clear that he didn't want to be there. He soon wished he hadn't said anything as he was met with a swift slap from Claire. She wasn't about to let anybody insult her cousin even if it was kind of true.

'Yeah, well she's gonna remain boring for the next couple of months.' Lily replied laughing, only Alex would make a comment like that. She looked to her side where Nick was sitting, gently stroking the baby's head. Lily smiled to herself thinking about the contrast between the two brothers. 'I tell you what why don't you three go out and play.' Lily said but was met by three rather insulted faces. She laughed. 'You don't play anymore ? She asked but received no answer only three very stern looks. 'o, well why don't you all go check on the horses.' Lily suggested.

'OK.'

'Sure,' and with that Claire and Alex left the room. Lily looked at Nick who was left behind.

'Are you not going with them Nick?' Liz asked her youngest son.

Nick looked at the baby and than at Lily.

'It's ok, ' she reassured him ' she's nearly asleep anyway and it's like Alex said she doesn't do much anyway.' Nick laughed at her last comment. 'Go with the others,' she told him. Nick got up and was just about to exit the door when he quickly turned around and ran back to the side f the bed. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small package.

'I forgot, I got this for you.' he said handing Lily the small package much to the surprise of Harry and Liz.

'Oh Nick you shouldn't have.' Lily told him as she gently unwrapped the small gift. Inside was a small necklace that Lily had seen at a stall at the Gungellan fair a few weeks ago.

'I love it.' she told him giving him a kiss on the cheek, she smiled as she saw him blush slightly. Nick stood there he was at a loss for words.

'Nick are you coming? Alex's voice bellowed from downstairs.

'I better go.' Nick mumbled before he fled the room.

Lily laughed, 'He's a real sweetheart that boy of yours.' she told Liz.

'I can't think where he gets it from.' she replied. Lily tried to stifle a laugh when she saw Harry roll his eyes at Liz's comment.

Not long after Liz and Harry had left an excited Jodi came running in to Lily's room followed closely by an exhausted Meg.

'Can I see her, can I play with her.' her voice was filled with excitement but she was met with disappointment when she found a sleeping Abby. 'Oh.' was her response.

Meg and Lily shared a smile over Jodi's response, ever since Jodi found out that the new baby was a girl she had been filled with excitement of the prospect over a new playmate.

'I think that you may have to wait a little while before you can play together.' Lily told a disappointed Jodi.

'But I can play with you if you want.' Lily suggested and Jodi's face lit up.

'Really.'

'Oh Jodi I don't think.' came Megs voice but she was cut off by Lily.

'No. it's ok Meg, I don't mind.'

'You sure.'

'It fine.' Lily reassured her.

'I'll be downstairs making dinner if you need me, be good Jodi.' Meg told her daughter.

A few hours later dinner was about to be severed. Alex was upstairs washing his hands as he and Nick had been invited to stay for dinner. He was about to make he was downstairs when his curiosity got the better of him and he decided to take another look at the 'thing' that everyone was so excited about.

He stood over her crib watching the now wide awake Abby. He reached out to touch her little hands.

He sighed, 'Well if you grow a bit and learn to do a few things you might not be that bad.' he told the baby.

'She'll be glad to hear that.' came a voice from the doorway. It was Lily who had been quietly watching over this exchange. She smiled and walked towards Alex and the crib. 'Come on.' she said picking up baby Abby, 'lets go to dinner.' And with that she walked out of the door followed by Alex.

'Lily.'

'Yes.'

'Claire says that she's gonna teach Abby to ride when she's older.'

'That's right.'

'Well Claire said it was because she was the best rider, but that not true because I am a much better rider then her.' Alex told her without even a hint on modesty.

'Oh really.' Lily exclaimed a smile forming on her face. ' Perhaps you can help.' Lily told him.

'Really.' Alex asked her was suddenly filled with a sense of excitement that he would be able to teach someone to ride. 'So when can we start teaching her.'

Lily stopped and turned around to look at Alex. 'A little keen aren't you.'

'The sooner the better.' He told Lily who turned round and started walking.

'Right.' she replied smiling.

'So when can we start?

'I think we should wait until she can sit up on her own at least.' Lily told a rather keen Alex.

'When will that be.' lily tried not to laugh at Alex's sudden eagerness. 'Not for a while. Maybe we should wait until she's had her first birthday before we get her riding.' Lily suggested.

'A whole year.' Alex groaned.

'It will go very quickly, I promise you.' Lily assured him.

'Hey.' Tess said as she entered Charlotte's room.

'Hey.' replied Abby. There was an awkward silence between the two as they struggled to find something to say. 'I remember when this used to be my room.' Tess smiled nervously. 'Total tip.' Abby told her, Tess let out a small laugh.

'I uh made up the bed for you in the other room so I.'

'Thanks.' replied Abby.

'I don't want to seem rude or anything but it's been a really long day so I think that I night just head off to bed.' Tess told her.

'That's ok, I was gonna head to bed soon anyway.'

'Right, well I'll see you in the morning then.'

'Ok.' and with that Tess scurried off out of the room leaving Abby alone with her thoughts. She hoped that the situation between her and Tess would get better soon.