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

Nick lugged some of Abby's bags through the front door and was met by a rather bemused Alex.

'Picked up something on your trip.' Alex joked as he munched his way through a sandwich.

Nick looked up at his brother and gave a sort of smile. 'You could say that.' He steeped out of the way allowing Abby to enter.

' Hey.'

'Hey,' he replied. Alex took a moment to look at the person in front of him. She looked tired and he could tell that she had been crying. A wave of concern rushed over him. 'Are you ok?'

he asked.

Abby shrugged, 'Yeah.' she lied and soon found an interesting place to look at on the floor.

'What's with all this stuff.' Alex asked.

'Abby's car broke down, so she's going to stay with us.'

'For the night?' Alex asked, still slightly confused as to why all of Abby's belongings were now in his front room.

Abby glanced over at Nick. 'Indefinitely.' Nick told him.

'Why what happened?' Alex asked.

There was a brief and uncomfortable silence between the three before someone spoke.

'Tess and uh we kind of had a fight and I just think that it's best if we spend some time apart.'

'Well what kind of fight, what happened? Alex asked once again.

'We uh got into an argument and some thing were said that shouldn't of been said and uh....' Abby trailed off. ' Look if it's to much trouble I can just get a room at the pub.' Abby turned to leave but Alex stopped her. Reaching out Alex grabbed hold of her arm.

'Don't be stupid Abby, it's no trouble you can stay here for as long as you like,' he told her.

Abby smiled a half smile. ' Thanks.'

'So is that everything.' He asked as Nick lugged another bag thought the door.

Abby smiled. 'Yeah.'

'Thanks for your help.' Nick mumbled in a sarcastic tone.

'No problem.' Alex joked.

'Are you alright, are you hungry, do you want anything to eat? Alex asked Abby.

Abby shook her head. 'No I rather tired I think I might just go to bed, it's been a long day.' Alex nodded.

'I'll show you to your room.' Nick told her.

'Night.'

'Night.' Alex replied.

Nick sat down next to his brother with a heavy sigh. 'Beer?' Alex asked.

'Sure.' Nick replied as Alex handed him a beer.

They sat in silence for a few moments drinking there beer.

'Something on your mind.' Nick asked his brother.

'Nah.' Alex shook his head.

'Yeah, right.' Nick chuckled.

'This thing with Abby and Tess how bad was it.'

'Pretty bad from what I can gather. Tess accused Abby of coming back to claim a stake in Drovers, wanting money, Abby accused her of the same. Apparently they just basically traded insults back and forth.' Nick told his brother.

'That doesn't sound like Abby or Tess.'

'Yeah, well. I think that there both pretty upset at the moment.'

'Yeah.' Alex sighed.

Tess sat on the veranda, thinking about the days events. She couldn't believe that she had said all those horrible things. She wiped away a tear that had fallen. Hearing footsteps she turned round, it was Stevie.

'Hey.'

'Hey.'

'How you doing.' Stevie asked. Tess face scrunched up slightly. ' Stupid question.'

'I don't what came over me one minute I was standing there perfectly calm and the next I thing I knew I'd just snapped.' Tess told her. 'All those horrible things I said.'

'Well if it's any consolation I think Abby feels just as bad as you.' Stevie offered.

'I didn't even mean them I was just so angry and all these emotions came spilling out and before I could stop myself I was saying all those things.'

Stevie smiled slightly. Tess looked at her slightly bemused as to why she was smiling. 'What?' she asked.

'Nothing.' Stevie shook her head, 'it's just, Abby said the exacted same thing.'

'Really.' Tess asked, Stevie nodded. 'I guess I not even going to get the chance to say I'm sorry.' Tess said sadly. Stevie gave her a sympathetic look.

'You never know she might come back.' Stevie tried to sound hopeful.

Tess sighed, ' I don't think so.'

The two women sat in silence for a long while before Tess spoke up. 'Abby and Claire, what were they like, together I mean. How close were they.'

Stevie pondered the question for a few moments. 'Didn't Claire ever talk about her?' Stevie asked thinking it was unusual that Claire had not told Tess about Abby.

'She talk about her and now and then and I know that they talked all the time, phone, email, letters. Claire she would become really sad when talking about her, I think talking about her made her miss Abby more.'

Stevie let out a deep breath, ' You know when I first met Claire I thought Abby was her little sister,' Stevie smiled at the memory. ' they were so close, so tight knit and Claire was always looking out for her. They drove each other mad sometimes but you could tell that they loved each other, there's nothing they wouldn't do for each other.'

Stevie looked over to an sombre looking Tess. 'That's not taking anything away from your relationship with Claire.'

' I know.' Tess nodded but she couldn't help feel a pang of jealously when she heard Stevie describe Abby's and Claire's relationship. 'Abby and Claire they were like two peas in a pod at times. You know, they were as stubborn as each other an both has this immense passion for their home, for Drovers. But then again they were totally opposites, you know what Claire was like not very girly as you like to out it but Abby, Abby loved to play around, dress up, she was much more of a free sprit then Claire, used to wind up Claire when she talked about things such as fate and stuff. She was a bit like you I suppose.'

Tess smiled, 'She kind of sounds like her mum.'

'But they were both great riders, great with horses, they just had this way. The horse training business, the stud that Claire and Alex were getting up and running,'

'Yeah.'

'At one time it was going to be her and Abby, they were going to do it together It was kind of their dream.'

'She never said.'

Stevie shrugged slightly. 'You know it was Abby who talked about you.' Stevie told her.

'What.' Tess asked a little puzzled by the last statement.

'Abby, she always talked about how there was another McLeod. One time, she must of been about eight or nine she decided that she was gonna go see if she could find you.'

'Excuse me.' Tess said rather shocked.

Stevie laughed at the memory. ' Yeah, she packed her stuff into this little suitcase and decided to head off to the city.'

'How far she get.'

'Pretty far, for an eight year old.'

Tess laughed slightly.

'Abby, she always used to say that she thought that something was missing, something she couldn't fix and she thought that if she found you then everything would be ok, that it would make Claire happy, fill this void that she thought was in Claire's life.

'Really.' Tess asked slightly surprised.

'Yeah, she was pretty intuitive .'

'I guess so.'

There was another silence between the two women as Tess processed what she had just heard.

'So looking forward to Charlotte's visit tomorrow?' Stevie asked.

'Yeah.' Tess smiled at the thought of her nieces on coming visit. 'I kind of wish Abby was here, Claire would of loved for her to meet Charlotte.'

'I know.' Stevie replied sadly. The two woman sat in silence contemplating there thoughts.