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

'So anything else you not telling me?'

'No I think you know everything.' Claire replied smiling.

'I 'm happy for you Claire you deserve it.' Abby said as she linked hers and Claire's arms, they had now left the cafe and were walking in the park once again.

'Thanks.' Claire smiled.

'So how's things at Drovers? Abby asked.

'Good, were not doing to badly.' Claire told her.

'And everyone else.'

'There good.' Claire paused for a moment. 'Maybe you should come visit sometime, you missed.'

'I doubt that, your probably so busy you probably didn't even noticed I was gone.' Abby half joked.

Claire stood walking and turned to look at her cousin. 'I noticed.' She told Abby, her voice laced with sadness. 'I missed you, I miss you.'

Abby smiled a small smile a little startle by Claire confession, 'I miss you to.' She told Claire. 'I miss being there.'

They stared walking again in silence before Abby spoke up again.

'So how's things with Tess?

Claire smiled thinking about her sister. 'There good. Better then good there great.'

Abby smiled as she watched Claire talk about her relationship with her sister.

'I never thought I see her again, I never thought that we would be that close again.'

'But you did and you are.' Abby replied.

'Yeah.' Claire smiled. 'I wished you could met her I think you two would really get along.'

Abby smiled. 'I'm sure we would.' She replied agreeing with Claire. just then Abby's mobile rang. 'Hello, yeah, where are you? We're just round the corner.' Claire listen to the one Abby's side of the conversation.' Will meet you there.' Abby turned off her phone. 'Charlie.' Abby told Claire.

Claire just nodded.

'He's just round the corner so I told him we meet up with him, that's alright isn't it.'

'Sure.' Claire replied.

Abby, Claire and Charlotte turned the corner to be greeted by Abby's father Charlie Roberts. Claire looked Charlie he looked different from when she last saw him, older there was more lines on his face, he looked weary, as if all his doggy dealings had caught up.

'Claire.' Charlie smiled he greeted her with her hug.' It's good to see you.'

'Good to see you to Charlie.' Claire replied.

'This little one your then.' He said bending down to get a better look at Charlotte.

'Sure is.'

'She's beautiful Claire.'

Claire smiled at Charlie's comment. 'Mind you all you McLeod girls are.' He said cheekily.

Claire and Abby laughed. The three sat down at the nearest bench.

'Mind if I pick her up.' Charlie asked.

'No go ahead.' Claire told him.

'Hey little one, aren't you beautiful.' Charlie told the small baby as he gently lifted her out of the buggy. Abby glanced over at Claire the two exchanged a smile as Charlie fussed over the baby Charlotte.

'So how you coping with motherhood.' Charlie asked.

'Ah well it takes a bit of adjusting.' Claire admitted.

'I'm sure your doing great. You should enjoy this time before you know it she 'will be eighteen years, bossing you around thinking she's always right.' Charlie joked looking over at his daughter. Claire laughed.

'That's because I always am.' Abby told in a matter of fact way her face lit up in huge smile.

'Really.'

'Uh huh.'

'See what I mean.' Claire didn't say anything she only laughed more.

'So Abby tells me you been travelling around the country.' Claire told Charlie.

'Yeah well I thought it would be good for her to do a bit of travelling.' Charlie replied. Charlie began to explain about the places that they'd being to in the past couple of years, telling Claire stories about what Abby had been up to , things that Abby had "forgot" to tell Claire. Abby sat and listen to her father tell embarrassing stories from the past few years.

'You know what I think that I'm gonna go and feed the ducks with Charlotte,' Abby said unable to sit and listen to her fathers embarrassing stories anymore. She picked up Charlotte from her father arms and walked towards the side of the pond.

Charlie and Claire watched Abby with the baby Charlotte, Claire smiled as she watched her cousin with her baby daughter.

'It's done her good seeing you.' Charlie told Claire.

'What.' Claire looked at Charlie slightly surprised. She smiled.

'I've been worried about her.'

'Is very thing ok.' Claire she was starting to get slightly worried.

'Yeah.' Charlie said. 'Well no, I think she misses her home, her family.' Charlie said sadly.

'We miss her to.' Claire told him.

'Sometimes I wonder if I did the right thing.' Charlie told her, Claire looked at him slightly surprised at his tone.

'What do you mean.' She asked.

'Taking her away from Drovers from you and everybody else. Maybe I should of just left well alone, she was doing fine without me.

Claire looked at Charlie her face full of sympathy. 'It's good that you got in contact with her Charlie, she loves you your her father nothing could ever change that.' Claire told him reaching out from across the picnic table she placed her hand on his and gave it a small squeeze. Charlie looked down at Claire's hand on his, his smiled slightly at her gesture.

'But I keep letting her down.'

'How?'

'You know me Claire I just can't seem to stay away from trouble.

'What happened? Claire asked.

'A little while ago I got involved in some deal with some pretty shady characters, I didn't realise how shady until it was to late.'

'What was the deal for?

'It was money, what else. It was gonna be my last hurrah you know, the last deal before I went straight, I was gonna make some money to set me and Abby up, get us started.'

'What happened?

'What always happens.' Charlie replied solemnly. 'It went belly up and the guys that I was involved with weren't very happy, they wanted the money and I didn't have it. So I packed up and left, ran away you could say.'

'When was this?'

'About seven or eight months back.'

'Does Abby know about this deal?'

'That kid, I couldn't keep it from her even if wanted to, she seems to have a sixth sense about these things, just like her mum.' Charlie said looking over at his daughter and Charlotte.

'She didn't say anything.'

'You hadn't been out of hospital long, I guess she didn't want to worry you. It gets worse.'

'How.' Claire asked.

'I started drinking again.'

Claire's face dropped. 'Why?'

'Everything was going so wrong so I did what I usually do when things go wrong. I hit the bottle. I'm not proud of what I did Claire, I love my daughter I really do and I let her down, badly.'

'But your clean now.'

'Just over five months now.'

'That's good.' Claire told him.

'I want my daughter to be happy, I want what's best for her you understand that.

Clare nodded, she knew perfectly well how Charlie felt now that she had BOM.

'Hey, what are you two so deep in conversation about.' Abby asked as she approached Claire and her father.

Claire released her hand from Charlie's and smiled at her cousin she was about to say something but Charlie managed to speak before her.

'I was just about to ask Claire how business was going.'

Claire looked at Charlie in surprise. 'Yeah it's going good.'

'Got any further with that idea of a horse breeding programme?' Charlie asked.

'Actually yeah, Alex and I were thinking about going ahead with it sometime soon.' Claire told them.

'So your need some help what with training and breeding.'

'Dad.'

'I think Alex and I can manage.' Claire told Charlie she felt a little put out with his questioning.

'Well it's just that Abby's looking for work.' Charlie face broke out into a small grin.

Claire looked up at Abby who was still holding Charlotte, Abby gave her a small smile before turning around to place a tired Charlotte in her buggy. Claire sat there in shock Charlie couldn't be saying what she thought he was saying.

'Claire.' Abby's voice shook her from her thoughts.

'Huh.'

'Are you ok?

'Yeah, fine.' She smiled.

'Dad's uh leaving town little while and I can't go with him so.'

'She comes highly recommended you know. She's a hard worker, great with horses, a real natural, brilliant rider, experienced…………..'

Claire listened as Charlie trailed up listing all of Abby's good points but she had stopped listening, she looked over at her cousin who was trying not to laugh as she listened to her father list her good qualities. She looked over at Claire and smiled.

'So how about it, you have room for me back at Drovers?'

Claire's face broke out into a vast smile. ' I think we can make room for you. I don't take kindly to slackers thought, I expect my workers to do a good job, put in a hundred per cent.'

Abby smiled. 'Of course.' Claire held out her hand.

'And I can't pay you much.'

'I'm sure we can come to some arrangement.' Abby grinned as she shook Claire's hand. Claire got up out of her seat to hug her younger cousin.

'Oh I'm so glad your coming home.' She whispered in her ear, the two women laughed.

'When they finally broke apart Abby told Claire. 'It won't be straight away, I have some things to sort out first.'

'Oh.' Claire sounded slightly disappointed that he cousin wasn't coming home with her right there and then.

'Give me a couple of months tops, maybe even soon and I'll be home.'

'I can't wait, your hear that BOM, Abby's coming home.' Claire leaned over to tell her daughter the exciting news to find that she had fallen fast asleep. Abby just laughed.

'So when you gonna tell Alex and everyone's else.' Abby asked.

Claire thought for a moment.

'You know what.' she said her face lighting up in a small smile. 'I think that we should make a surprise.'

'Really! Abby exclaimed.

'Just think of the look on Alex' and Nick faces when they see that your home.'

'So it's gonna be a surprise.' Abby asked.

'Yeah.' Claire smiled mischievously. Abby smiled back.

It was a few hours later when they finally parted company Claire said her goodbyes to Charlie and wished him all the best, he may not be the perfect father but he did love Abby and he had loved Lily. Charlie left Abby and Claire along to say goodbye.

Abby bent down beside the now awakes Charlotte's buggy. 'Bye, bye Charlotte, I see you soon.' She to up to face Claire.

'I see you soon then.' She smiled.

Claire smiled back. 'Yeah.' She whispered. The two women moved forward to embrace each other and say goodbye for now. Abby hugged Claire tightly as if her life depended on it.

'I'm so happy Abby, it like everything in my life seems to be perfect at the moment, I've got Charlotte and Alex and Tess and Drovers and now your coming home, everything just perfect.' Claire whispered in her cousins ears.

Abby smiled a small smile, she was glad that Claire couldn't see her face, she would start asking to many questions. Deep down Abby had this horrible feeling, she couldn't explain it, she didn't know what it was but she only thought that it was a foreboding of something bad and Abby was terrified of what that was. Tears began to fall, she broke apart from Claire.

'Hey what's wrong.' Claire asked her voice full of concern as she saw her cousin tear stained cheek.

'I could ask you the same thing.' Abby said noticing Claire's tear stained face as well.

'I'm just so…'

'Happy.' Finished for her.

'Delirious.' Claire smiled. 'I best be off, Alex will be wondering where we are. I call you when we get home.'

'Ok.'

'See ya.'

'Bye.' Abby watched as Claire turned and walked down the street with Charlotte.

'Claire.' Abby called out. Claire turned around. Abby ran over to her and gave her another hug.

Claire put her arms around Abby, slightly surprised at Abby's actions.

'I love you.'

'I love you to.' Claire replied, laughing slightly. 'I see you soon.' Claire said as she pulled away from Abby.

'Yeah.' Abby smiled. She didn't know what had come over all she knew was that she had to tell Claire how much she meant to her, she had to say goodbye. Abby thought that was a funny word but it was the only word she could think of describe what she felt.

'Bye.' Claire said waving to Abby before she started walking again.

Abby stood and watched a Claire and Charlotte walked off down the street.