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

Tess stirred momentarily, opening her eyes she looked at the clock on her beside table. One o'clock Tess shot right up, her head ached. How, what she thought. The last thing that Tess remembered was taking with Abby. I couldn't of been that drunk Tess thought. An exhausted Tess had awoken from what she hadn't had in weeks, a good nights sleep. Tess quickly got out of bed and dressed making her way downstairs she wondered why no one had woken her.

The night before.

The two stumbled through the door with Abby supporting her Tess, who had seemed to of lost all control of her bodily functions. Tess giggled, falling to the floor. Abby stared at her cousin who was now in a heap on the floor, rolling her eyes

' Tess shhhh.' she told her.

Tess looked up at Abby slightly miffed and upset at being to be quiet. 'Why? Nobodies here.'

Abby thought for a moment before replying, 'Yeah, ok I see your point.'

Tess smiled as Abby acknowledged that she was right. She felt her cousins hand pulling her off the floor.'

'Come on.' Abby told her, 'Lets get you to bed.'

'I don't want to go to bed.' Tess replied stubbornly as if she was a young child arguing with its mother.

Abby stared at Tess rather bemused by her sudden outburst, 'Did something happen in the walk from the car to the house cause you know you I didn't think you were that drunk.'

Tess was thinking hard about this question, it was clear from the expression on her face. The same one a child gets when it is asked a difficult question. 'No,' there was a slight pause in conversation. 'Lets stay up, have another drink.' Tess's voice filled with excitement.

'I don't think so.' Abby laughed. 'I think that you've had more then enough to drink and we've got an early start tomorrow.' Abby said as she pulled Tess to her feet.

'You know you look a lot like your mum.' Tess told Abby.

'So I'm told.' She replied.

'I loved your mum, she was the best.'

Abby just nodded.

'She was my favourite person, she would always tell these wonderful stories and bring home these fantastic gifts from her travels. When I was little I wanted to be just like her when I grew up.' Tess rambled on.

Abby smiled.

Abby guided Tess towards her bed after meeting the challenge that was the stairs. She sat Tess down. Pyjamas?' she asked. Tess pointed to where her pyjamas where. 'Ok you get ready for bed and I'll get you something for that headache.'

'I don't have a headache.' Tess told her slightly puzzled.

'You will have in the morning if you don't take something.' Abby told her as she walked out of the room.

She returned a few minutes later to find Tess dressed in her pyjamas and in bed.

'Here.' Abby handed Tess a water and some tablets in the hope that in was lessen the mighty headache that she was in for when she woke.

'Come sit.' Tess said patting a empty space on the bed.

Abby did so. 'What.' She asked.

'Do your remember much about Lily? Asked a suddenly sober Tess.

Abby smiled. 'Bits and pieces.'

Abby couldn't stop Tess as she launched into a long discussion on her Lily and how much she adored her aunt, every now and the she 'd ask Abby something about Lily and together they recall tings about Abby's mother.. Mainly the stories she told. The two laughed as they shared stories first about Lily but then they moved on to other stories about anything and everything. They shared a closeness that neither had, had since Claire died.

'You should get some sleep.' she said as Tess handed the glass of water to her. She turned to walk away when Tess called out her name.

'Abby.' she turned around.

'Yeah.'

'What you said about Nick.'

Abby smiled 'Yeah.'

'Did you mean it.'

'Which part.' Abby asked in a slightly teasing tone.

'The part about him being mad about me.' Tess smiled slightly embarrassed.

Abby smile grew. 'Scoot over.' She told Tess and she sat down on the bed next to Tess.

'It's just that, I thought that me and Nick, I guess I thought that we'd kind of missed the boat. We've had so many.' Tess paused trying to find the words.

'Near misses! Abby finished for her, Tess gave a half laugh.

'Sort of.' Tess replied, 'I guess I've kind of resigned myself to the fact that me and Nick, we've never gonna happen. That ship has sailed.' Tess sighed.

Abby gave her cousin a sympathetic look. 'Do you love him? She asked.

Tess looked at her cousin and look of surprise on her face. There was silence for a few moments before Tess answered. 'Yes.' she replied in something barley above a whisper.

'So what, your gonna be just good friends. Nothing more.' Abby asked rather confused by the whole situation.

'Nick and I.' Tess began to explain, 'Maybe we're just not meant to be together.' Tess told Abby rather sadly, although deep down she didn't want to believe it. 'Maybe all these false starts and near misses are just fate's way of telling us its not meant to be.'

'You don't really believe that.' It wasn't a question rather a statement.

'Why not.' Tess told her cousin. 'Every time Nick and I seem close to getting together something seems to come along and throw us off track.'

'Like what?' Abby asked.

Tess began to launch into long speech about the kind of obstacles her and Nick had faced. Her fear of commitment, Sally moving in with Nick, her relationship with Dave, his leaving and his return, Liz Ryan.

'So what's stopping you now.' Abby asked.

Tess looked her cousin unable to give an answer, she didn't know herself.

Sensing that her Tess was getting uncomfortable Abby decided that they should finish the discussion for the night. 'You should get some sleep. Night.'

'Night.' Tess replied still puzzling over Abby's question.

Abby peered round Tess door. She thought for a moment debating what to do, in the end she decided not to wake the sleeping Tess. Abby felt a sense of relief as if a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders. After last night Abby felt sure that her friendship with Alex was getting back on track, although it might be a while until they were back to how they used to be, she thought. And her relationship with Tess seemed to be improving as well. After they had got home last night they had talked at great length about Abby's mother amongst other things. Making her way downstairs Abby was greeted by Jodi.

'Hey, it Tess up yet.'

'Uh no, I think you should leave her for a little while, she had a bit of a late night last night.' Abby told her as the girls walked to in to the kitchen where Meg and Stevie are.

'Great.' Jodi muttered, 'That means even more work to do this morning.' she groaned.

The three women exchanged looks. 'Don't worry I'll be helping to.' Abby laughed.

'Is Tess alright? Meg asked slightly concerned.

'Yeah, it's just we had a late night last night and I think she could do with a lie in this morning.'

'That's a nice thought .' Meg began

Stevie raised her eyes in surprise but didn't say anything.

'So what's on the list today.' Abby asked her.

Huh.' Stevie replied.

'Anything in particular that needs to be done.'

'The cattle need to be moved, a few fences need to be fix apart from that just the usual.' Stevie told her handing her a list of things that needed to be done. 'You and I can round up the cattle, Jodi can take the other jobs.' she told Abby, 'If you want.' she added, she didn't feel comfortable bossing Abby around.

'Yeah, that's fine.' Abby replied. 'Shall we get started.'

Abby and Stevie worked well together, reminiscing about old times and what a young Abby had thought of the wild and adventurous Stevie when she was younger. Stevie had, had an ulterior motive in suggesting that Abby help her muster the cattle rather then Jodi, she was curious to know the reason behind Abby's return after all this time. She felt that Abby was hiding something and Stevie knew when a person was hiding something after all she had been come rather good at it.

'You know I was rather surprised to hear that you actually decided to go and live we Charlie.' Stevie said after they had been riding for ten minutes in silence.

Abby smiled a knowing smile, she knew that Stevie had asked her out here for a reason. She looked over to Stevie.

'Why.'

'I guess I never thought you'd leave Drovers, I thought that you were a bit like Claire in that respect.' She told her. 'I thought you were happy here.'

'I was.' she sighed unsure if she could answer the question. 'It wasn't a case of being unhappy Stevie, it was just,' there was a pause, 'He was my dad, I guess I felt that I owed it to him to give him a chance.'

'You owed it to him.' Stevie replied a little shocked at Abby choice of words.

Abby looked at Stevie and could see her dissatisfaction with her answer. 'Ok, bad choice of words' Abby thought for a few moments, biting her bottom lip, a sign that she was getting nervous. She struggled thinking of another phrase of words she could use. 'Not owed but I don't know I guess I thought that he deserved another chance. Everyone deserves a second chance Stevie.'

'Yeah.' Stevie replied, she couldn't deny that. She decided to pry further to see if she could get to the bottom of what Abby was hiding. 'So how is Charlie? Stevie asked and couldn't help but notice Abby sudden discomfort at her question.

'Yeah, he's ok, he's good.'

Stevie looked at Abby her eyes filled with suspicion.

Abby glanced over at Stevie, Stevie couldn't be sure but she thought that Abby seemed embarrassed. Abby shrugged her shoulders.

'It's just, I ask because I saw him at a Rodeo a little while back, he didn't look to good.' Stevie looked over at Abby who was unable to look up.

Abby looked up. ' He's sober now if that's what you mean.' Abby told her.

'Are you sure?

'Positive.' She half laughed.

Stevie stopped with her line of questioning for a few minutes. Abby sensed that Stevie still had something she wanted to say.

'You have something else to say Stevie say it.' She told her in a sharp and touchy tone.

Stevie decided that Abby was right so she decided to come right out and ask her. 'So what are you hiding?

Abby smiled. 'You know that's what I've always liked about you Stevie, you just come right out and say what's on your mind.'

' I know your hiding something Abby. What is it?' Stevie asked.

'I tell you what you tell me yours and I tell you mine.'

Stevie looked at Abby and Sighed, although she had revealed a lot since she had come to Drovers there were still some things that she wanted to keep quiet and Abby seemed to pick up on this. She looked downwards shaking her head slightly.

'Thought not.' Abby said half smiling as she rode ahead of Stevie.

Tess hurried down the stairs wondering what everyone would think of her lie in more to the point why hadn't anyone woke her. Hearing laughter, she rushed outside to find the four women sitting outside on the veranda having lunch and having a good time.

'Hey.' Abby smiled as she saw Tess, Meg and Stevie turned round to greet Tess.

'Your up.'

'Finally.' Jodi muttered under her breath only Abby, who was sitting next to her heard. She smiled trying not to laugh.

'Her sit down, we were just having some lunch.' came Meg's voice.

'Um no I've got lots to do so I'd better get on with everything.' Tess felt strangely uncomfortable, like she had disturbed something.

'You should have something to eat first.' Meg told her in motherly tone.

'Um no it's ok I've got some phone calls to make.' Tess told her and she turned to leave.

'Uh Tess if it's about the wheat I uh already took care of it the guy he just needs your approval to seal the deal and.' Abby trailed off not finishing her sentence.

'Oh right.'

'Got us a pretty good deal, managed to get a ten per cent reduction for us.' Stevie told Tess her voice full of pride at the deal Abby had managed to pull off.

'Oh well, there fences that need fixing.'

'Done.' Jodi, Stevie and Abby chorused before laughing.

'Right, and the cattle? Tess asked

'Moved this morning.' Stevie told her.

'Well I guess I'll have some lunch then.' Tess said as she sat down, she was beginning to feel rather redundant as all the jobs she had planned to do had been done.

' By the way I uh sent off for some information on certifying and organic farming.' Abby told Tess.

'Good.' Tess replied not knowing what else to say.

'I remember I worked on an organic farm a while back they were in the position as you.'

'Really.' Tess half mumbled.

Abby notice Tess's half hearted attitude but decided to continue anyway hope what she had to say might be helpful in some way.

'Yeah. They had converted to organic about a eighteen months before I started working there so they were close to gaining full organic status.'

'They didn't have it already?' Jodi asked.

'No, they had been using conventional farming methods before they decided to turn organic so it took a few years for them to be certified as fully organic.'

'So what were they certified as? Jodi asked again.

'They were a level B which means in conversion. You have to meet level A standards, which is fully organic, but your not considered organic until you've farmed this way for a while. I think it's at least two years.' Abby explained.

'So we're not gonna be considered organic for a least two years.' Jodi exclaimed.

Abby face scrunched up, 'Umm no.'

'Great.' Jodi sighed.

Tess sat down at her father desk and sighed heavily. She picked up a pen that lay on the desk and started playing with it, tapping it on the desk, taking it apart and putting it back together again.

'You ok?' asked a voice.

Tess looked up the voice belonged to Meg.

'Yeah, why do you ask.'

'It's just since you got up you've seemed a little…… down.' Meg replied. 'And at lunch you seemed rather uncomfortable.'

Tess looked at Meg, her eyes downcast. She knew she was right. Tess had felt more then a little uncomfortable the whole afternoon. After rising late and finding that most of the jobs she had planned had been done Tess felt a little put out. She felt as if Abby was taking over and Tess felt threatened by that. She wondered if that was why Abby had come back, to claim a stake in Drovers? Frustration was starting to boil in her, ready to exploded at any moment.

'Tess are you ok.'

'Yeah.' Tess paused before going ahead with her question. 'Meg, why do you think Abby's here? She asked.

Meg was unsure where Tess was going with this line of questioning but she answered truthfully, 'I think she just wanted to come home.' She told Tess.

'It just today, I felt as if she was trying to take control, take over.' Tess told Meg, she was about to continue when another voice stopped her.

'I didn't mean to make you feel like that Tess.' It was Abby. 'I was just trying to help, I'm sorry.'

'Yeah, well.' Tess paused she wasn't about to go ahead with her next question but something inside her suddenly snapped. 'What are you doing here Abby? What do you want? Tess enquired.

'What do I want? Abby sounded confused by Tess's question. 'I just wanted to come home, I missed it, I missed being here, I missed my family and my friends.' Abby answered. Silence filled the air.

'So you thought that you'd just waltz on in here after four years and everything would be ok.' Asked Tess who was now standing just a few steps away from Abby her voice slightly raised.

By now both of the young women were getting angry, their pent up emotions over the events of the past year coming to a head, spilling out leading them to inadvertently direct their anger at each other.

'No, I.' Abby sighed, 'I don't know.' She mumbled these words.

'You just can't do that Abby.' Tess snapped at her.

'Well you seemed think that you could do it after twenty years.' Abby snapped back.

'Abby.' Came Meg's voice.

'What.' Abby asked tears were now filling up in her eyes the same way happening in Tess's. 'I'm not gonna stand here and be criticised by her when she's done the exact same thing.'

'I didn't have a choice.' Tess spoke up, Tears were now beginning to stream down her face.

'At least I still kept in touch, I didn't just drop off the face of the earth like you and Ruth.' Abby practically shouted.

'That was different.'

'What stopped you from contacting us in the last ten, the last five years Tess.'

Tess looked at Abby unable to speak.

Abby was fuming right now, unable to keep her emotions in check she lashed out a Tess just as Tess was doing to her. The conversation and closeness they shared the previous night all but forgotten.

'How dare you.' Tess began and started to launch in to an offensive attacked on Abby.

Jodi and Stevie could hear all the commotion from outside, they wondered if they should go in. Both winced at the comments made by the two women it was clear that neither was thinking straight and this behaviour was uncharacteristic for both of them. They were flinging insults at each other left right and centre. Jodi and Stevie sat outside feeling rather uncomfortable as they wondered what to do.

'I was here for Claire when Charlotte was born, I was here when she had her fall when she broke up with Peter, when she was pregnant, where were you? Tess had tears streaming down her face practically yelling at Abby.

' Where were you when Jack died or when my mum got sick, or when she died.' The tears were now streaming down Abby's face. 'Your wonderful, mysterious Aunt Lily that you claimed to of adored and where were you?

'Girls.' Meg said trying desperately to calm them down. 'Lets try and calm down.' And for a few moments Meg thought that they had calmed them down but no such luck. Tess and Abby were at each other throats once again after a few moments of silence.

Jodi and Stevie decided that enough was enough and they weren't going to sit and listen to this any longer. Entering Jack's office that found Tess and Abby standing at arm's length trading insults with each other.

'You know what Tess let me ask you something.' There was a few moments silence. 'Why did you return.'

Tess was stopped dead in her tracks, her reasons for returning back to Drovers weren't exactly innocent.

'You couldn't wait to sell Drovers, you didn't come home because you missed it you came home in the hope of selling Drovers to make money.' Abby regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth.

Tess opened her mouth to reply but no words came out. She knew that would Abby was saying was true but things had changed once she had got to Drovers. She found something she had been longing for since her childhood and she rediscovered her sister.

'You know what Abby. I wish you never come back. All you've managed to do is disrupt everything and upset everyone .' Tess lashed out.

'You know what right now I wish I hadn't either.' And with that Abby stormed out of the room.

Tess fell to her knees and let the sobs come freely. Jodi and Meg rushed to comfort her while Stevie followed Abby.

She knocked on Abby's door. There was no answer but she entered anyway. She found Abby sitting on her bed, crying but as soon as she saw Stevie in the room she wiped away her tears.

She approached the bed and sat down next to her. Stevie put one arm around Abby and hugged her. They sat in silence for a few minutes.

'If it's all right with you I'd like to be alone for a little while.' Abby asked Stevie.

Stevie gave a half hearted smile, unsure whether she should leave Abby alone. 'Sure.' she agreed.

Abby sat on her bed tears falling, she couldn't believe what she had just said, all those awful things, she didn't even mean them, she was just angry and Tess was the easy target. Abby wondered if Tess meant all those things that she had said. Did she really wish that she'd never come home, Abby sighed.

It was a while before Abby got up from her place on the bed she began rummaging through one of her suitcase until she found what she was looking for. It was a photo, in it was Jodi an Meg, Jack and Claire, Alex, Nick, Harry and her. It had been take a week before Jack died, they were having a barbeque and Liz had offered to take a photo of everyone. Abby smiled fingering the picture, fresh tears fell. Out of everywhere in the world Abby thought that this was the one place that she truly belonged but maybe it wasn't the case anymore. She looked at the photo, everything had changed so much she thought. There was no more Jack, no more Claire, Tess and Stevie were now here. She placed the photo back in the bag with the others. She sighed and sitting down on the floor she contemplated her next move.

It was half an hour later when Abby creped downstairs with her luggage, almost silently she made her way out of the door. She thought she had almost got away until she was seen by Stevie. She ran over .

'Abby where do you think your going?

'I don't know, I just have to get away from here.' Abby told her.

'You can't just ran away.' Stevie told her.

'Whose running away.' Abby told her as she threw her luggage into the boot of her car.

'I think you should stay, talk things over with Tess.'

'How can I stay after I've said all those things to Tess, she's never gonna forgive me.' Abby blinked away the oncoming tears.

'She said some pretty mean things herself.' Stevie reminded Abby.

'Yeah, well, maybe I deserved them.'

Stevie sighed, 'Abby, don't be silly.'

'I have to go now,' Abby could hardly speak, tears once again rolling down her face. 'Tell everyone I'm sorry for not saying goodbye and tell Tess I'm sorry for all those thing I said and that I didn't mean them. I was angry an I was directing it at her and I shouldn't of. It was wrong of me'

'You should tell her yourself.' Replied Stevie. 'Not run away. Running away never helps, believe me I know.'

'I'm not running away, I just, I can't face her right now. And she's right all I've done is disrupt everything and upset everyone.' She sighed and looked at the ground in front of her, 'you will tell her.'

'Sure.' Stevie sighed.

'I'll call and let you know where I am.'

'OK' Stevie nodded trying not to cry.

'I'll uh see you around.'

'See you.' Stevie replied although she could barley get the words out.

The two women embraced before Abby got into her car and drove out of Drovers Run.

Stevie watched her go before sadly heading back towards the house to tell the others.

Tess was now pacing the floor she couldn't believe that she'd said all those horrible things, it was so out of character. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down her rapid breathing.

'Tess why don't you sit down.' A concerned Meg told her

'I can't, I .' Tess tumble over her word she couldn't quite comprehend what had just happened. 'I can't believe I said all those things. I didn't even mean any of them. I don't know what came over me, something inside of me just snapped and I lashed out.'

Meg and Jodi shared a worried look. 'I'm sure it all be ok.' Meg reassured her.

'Ok, all those horrid thing I said.'

'Well it's not like she didn't give as good as she got.' Jodi told her.

'Jodi.' Meg snapped.

'What, it's true.' Jodi replied.

Tess let out a sigh and ran a hand through her hair. There was a scuffling noise and all three women turned around to find a somewhat uneasy Stevie standing in the doorway.

'It's Abby, she's uh, she told me.' Stevie tried but she just couldn't find the words and she couldn't look at anyone her graze travelling around the room.

Finally Stevie looked up at Tess. 'She told me to tell you that she was sorry for what she said and that she didn't mean it.'

'I know, neither did I.' Came Tess's sad voice.

'Is she ok.' Meg asked.

' No, not really, she's pretty upset.'

'I should go see her. Meg got up to leave.

'Um that might be difficult.' The three women looked at Stevie confused.

'She's gone.'

'What.' Came Meg's shocked voice

'She said to say that she was sorry that she didn't say goodbye.'

'Where she going?' Asked Jodi.

'I don't know, I don't think she knows.' Stevie shrugged. ''She said she'd call us, soon.' Stevie trailed off.

Tess slumped in to the nearest seat. She couldn't believe what had just happened. She hadn't meant to say all those things to Abby, something inside her had just snapped. All the anger and frustration she had felt over the past few months had built up inside of her, waiting for one little thing to set it off. That one thing had been her insecurity, her jealousy over how well Abby had handled everything without her. She hadn't even had the chance to get to know Abby so why did Tess feel like she had lost something.