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

After putting a delirious Tess to bed Abby made herself a hot drink and sat herself down at Jack's old desk. She started to leaf through the books trying to get a clear idea of the situation Drovers was in at the moment. Abby knew that Drovers has been doing badly during the last few years before Jack died and after much coercion Claire had admitted that Drovers was in a rut. She knew that Claire had been trying to turn things around he past couple of years but she wasn't sure to what degree of success. Abby found that there had been a slight turnaround, sure they weren't in as much debt and she couldn't deny that Drovers was certainly not in as much trouble as it was when she left. But it still faced problems and Drovers going organic was bound to make a change to thing as well. Abby sighed and leaned back in the chair, rubbing her eyes her thoughts started to drift off, back to memories she had and the memories that the room held.

Jack was working late in his office as usual, when he noticed the presence of someone at the door he looked up. He smiled a barley noticeable smile.

'What you doing up.' He asked his fifteen-year-old niece.

'I couldn't sleep.' She entered the room and sat in the chair opposite Jack.

'Everything ok.' He asked his voice full of concern.

Abby nodded, smiling slightly at her uncles concern.

Jack breathed a sigh of relief and went back to his work.

'Are you? She asked after a few moments.

Jack looked up from his work rather puzzled at his niece's question. 'Me, I'm great.' He lied through his smile.

Abby smiled back, a small fake smile. 'Really.' She asked.

Jack stopped and looked up from his work once again, marvelling at his niece intuitive behaviour, just like her mother he thought.

'I'm just overworked.' He told her.

She looked at him in disbelief. 'Are you sure that's all it is?

'I'm sure.' He told her.

'Ok.'

Jack went back to his paper work as the two sat in silence for a few minutes. Abby began tapping her fingers on the desk. Jack looked up from his work.

'So, something is wrong.'

Abby sighed she was dreading this conversation.' Charlie called again today.'

'Yeah. How is he?

'Good by all accounts.' She paused before she went on. 'He asked me to come stay with him again.'

'Did he.' Jack replied carrying on with his work, trying to ignore the consequences of what she had just said. 'What did you say?'

Abby inhaled deeply, her eyes wondered around the room before stopping at Jack. 'I said that I'd, that I'd think about it.'

'And.'

'He only asked me this afternoon.' Abby replied.

'As I recall he first asked you a couple of months ago.' Jack told his niece.

Abby sighed shrugging her shoulders she told him, 'I don't know, everyone deserves a second chance, right.' She asked her uncle.

Jack smiled slightly and nodded, 'Yes.'

'What do you think I should do? She asked her pleading for her uncles help. She was now beginning to get very upset.

Jack sighed and rubbed his forehead. He was unsure of what to do, should he be selfish and advise her not to go to stay like he wanted or she he denied the other feeling he felt. He sighed.

'I think that the decisions yours.' He told her. He watched as tears began to well up in her eyes.' Come here.' He told her. Abby walked round to his side of the desk and sat on her uncles lap.

' I want you to know something.' He told her as tears streamed down her cheeks. 'This is place, Drovers, this is your home, no matter what. Whether you decide to go or you decide to stay there will always be a place for you here, you will always be loved and welcome, nothing will ever change that, ok.' He told her wiping away the tears that had fallen. Abby smiled a little smile and nodded.

'What if, what if it was you.' Abby asked.

Jack looked at his niece a little puzzled.

'What if you were in Charlie's place and you had the chance,' she paused unable to get her words out 'the chance, to uh, to um,.' Abby stumbled over her words. 'If you had the chance to be together again with Tess, if you could ask her what she wanted. What would you want her to say? Tears once again began welling up in her face.

Jack looked at his niece the pain of the separation from his youngest child was evident, Abby took her uncles hand in hers in a gesture of support. Jack looked down at his nieces hand in his an smiled at her show of support. Abby smiled back, a sad smile.

Jack took a deep breath, he knew what his answer would be without a doubt, but he also knew this answer may lead his niece to leave and he was unsure whether or not to tell her the truth. He sighed once more and brushed some loose strands of hair off Abby's tears stained face. His eyed filled with sadness. Deep down he knew what Abigail had decided what to do and that she was now looking for some reassurance that she was making the right decision. Part of Jack wanted to tell her that it was the wrong decision and that she was making a big mistake, this nagging feeling at the back of his mind told him it was wrong, but the other part of him thought that perhaps this decision could be for the best and that is why it was so hard to deal with. Jack knew what it was like to be separated from a child, he would never wish that on anyone.

'I'd want her to come home.' He told Abby as he brushed the strands of her hair behind her ear, his eyes filling up with tears. 'She's my daughter, I love her and I miss her and we've missed so much and I'd want her to know that I never stopped loving her or thinking about her even though we haven't been together all these years.'

'It's not your fault.' Abby told her uncle. 'You didn't abandon Tess or Ruth, Ruth left you.'

'I wasn't exactly the perfect husband.' He told her his voice full of regret. 'Ruth, she found it difficult out here, I could of tried harder to make it work, I could have been more helpful.' Jack explained.

'She didn't have to take Tess away, she could of let you see her or at least remain in contact.' Abby told her uncle. 'You didn't walk out like Charlie did.'

'Charlie was in prison most of your childhood.' Jack reminded her.

' No he walked out on us first then he was in prison. I was five when he went to prison and ten when he came out. He had plenty of chances to see me. A few phone calls and letters and a visit once a year, if I'm lucky doesn't make a father Jack.' Abby told her uncle.

Jack looked at his niece, ' Charlie he, he has trouble showing his emotions, he's not good with those kinds of things. He could never settle down in once place, that why he and you mum got together in the first place.'

'But mum settled.' Abby told her uncle.

'It took her a long time.' Jack replied

' Was it cause she got sick?' Abby asked fiddling with her sleeve.

Jack looked at his niece his face filled with grief over his lost sister. 'No.She had been travelling for a long time before she finally decided that this is where she belonged at Drovers with her family. It was a while before she got sick but then she got better.' Jack told his niece and smiled at the next thought, ' An then she had you and wanted you to have a home and to be settled, to grow up surround by people who loved you, and you are.' Jack told his niece.

'But then she got sick again.' Abby said her voice filled with pain and anger. Tears trickled down her cheeks.

'Yes.' Jack sadly replied as Abby leaned in for a hug. He wrapped his arm around her, kissing the top of her head. 'I think that your dad loves you, I think he's always loved you, he just doesn't know how to show it.'

'I know.' Abigail replied. She sat up. ' But I've gone fifteen years without him been around all the time and I've made myself my own little family. I have you and Claire and Meg an Jodi and Alex and Nick. It's just I don't think I could ever love Charlie as much as I love you and Claire and everyone else. Does that make me a bad daughter?' Abby asked.

Jack looked at his niece, his heart broke. 'No.' he whispered. 'Your anything but.' he smiled.

Abby smiled at her uncles sincere comment. 'You think I should give him a chance don't you.'

Jack sighed, 'I just don't want you to regret anything.' He told his niece.

Abby sat alone in her uncles office and she began to cry, thinking about the conversation she had had with her uncle all those years ago. It had taken her a lot to make the decision to be with her father. To be separated from all that she knew and everyone that she loved. But she felt as if she owed it to her father to try. She saw how heartbroken Jack was over Tess and she wouldn't of wished that pain on anybody. Her uncle, although he had not wanted her to go, understood her reasons, he was in the same shoes as Charlie was and he sympathised. Jack had told Abby that he didn't want her to end up hating him ten years down the line for a poor relationship with her father, he didn't want her to regret anything. But she did. She regretted going, it had cost her deeply, in many ways. She sat alone in the dark as the sobs gushed through her.