Name: April
Disclaimer: The only characters I own are Amelia (Amy) and Ryan McGregor.
Claire McLeod Ryan woke up still dressed in the clothes from her day, to the sound of the horses upset. She looked out the window just as the lightning caught the stable on fire. "Tess!" She scrambled out of bed, running downstairs to her sister's room. "Tess!"
Tess McLeod stuck her head out of her room and saw her sister's face. "What?"
"The stable's on fire. Stay here with Charlotte; Amy will bring Ryan. If the fire gets any closer to the house, get them in the ute, drive to Wilgul. Call Kilarney; have Harry send some help." Tess ran upstairs to get her niece while Claire ran outside.
Meg Fountain, Drovers cook, hand, and surrogate mother, met Claire outside. Amy McGregor, Drovers new station manager, took her daughter in to Tess and came back out. "I called Kilarney. Meg, I need you to make a ditch between here and the house. Amy, get the horses into the paddock." Claire opened the stable doors, letting Amy get the horses out before Claire started trying to put the fire out.
Tess was worried the fire would get to the house, so she fastened the children in the ute and drove down to the end of the driveway after getting in touch with Harry.
Alex and Nick Ryan were coming back from Fisher, Alex going to see a new horse he and Claire were discussing buying, and Nick going to buy something for the farm. Alex wasn't sure what scared him most, the fire, or the ute at the end of the driveway.
Nick stopped at the ute. Both men and Tess got out, Nick holding his girlfriend, Alex looking at her. "Claire and Charlotte?"
"Charlotte's with me. Claire's at the stable."
"Bloody hell." Alex took off at a run, as fast as he could, towards his wife.
Nick looked at Tess. "Take the girls; go to Kilarney. I'll call when it's safe."
"I don't want to leave. Drovers is my home too. I want to help," Tess said stubbornly.
"You're going to help, Tess, by getting Ryan and Charlotte where Amy and Claire don't have to worry." He kissed her cheek. "I love you." He got back in his ute, driving towards the fire, as Tess did as he and Claire had asked.
Alex found Meg, Terry, and Amy digging the ditch aroundthestableas the others tried to put out the fire with anything they had. "Meg!"
Meg looked up at Alex. "She and Harry are trying to put out the fire." There'd been men to replace Claire, but Drovers was her home, the stable and horses were her dream, and she couldn't not work to save them. "Charlotte?"
"Tess is taking her to Kilarney; Ryan's with her," Nick said, trying to reassure the women.
Alex searched through the thick black smoke until he found his wife about to pass out. He took her in his arms, carrying her to safety, and then took her place until it finally began to rain, putting the fire out.
Meg, Harry, Alex, Amy and Nick ran to shelter and looked at the black ashes, all that was left of the stables. No one talked for minutes that seemed like hours, not quite knowing what to say. "The barn's not too bad," Meg said softly. "And the fire didn't touch the house."
"The horses are scared, but Claire can fix that," Harry told him, knowing how much the program meant to his son and daughter-in-law.
"Where are Tess and the kids?" Amy asked.
"Kilarney. I'll call her." Nick turned to go inside the house to use the phone as Meg and Terry turned to go back home.
Alex started to pick Claire up and carry her to bed when he noticed the blood. "Meg!" She came running back and saw, closing her eyes, knowing.
"I'll send for the doctor," Harry said, going to find some way to help.
Nick looked at Tess when she returned. "I'll take Charlotte to stay the night with us," Amy volunteered, taking the kids to her quarters.
"What is it?" Tess asked Nick. "What's going on?"
He took her hand. "It's Claire. The doctor's with her...Meg thinks she lost the baby." Tess looked shaken, like she'd been hit, and he held her for a few minutes.
"Alex. Where's Alex?"
"Inside with Dad and Meg." He took her inside and she sat down beside Alex, for once not knowing what to say.
The doctor came down a few minutes later. "Alex, Harry, I'm so sorry." He paused. "She'd already lost it before I got here."
Tess watched Harry react. For a man the rest of the world saw as hard, heartless, he looked devestated. The family knew, whatever had passed between him and both of his sons, he loved Alex, he loved Claire like a daughter, he loved Charlotte, and he had already been attached to this grandchild as well.
Meg bit her lip, never one on crying, but knowing how excited Claire had been about the baby, about Charlotte having another brother or sister. With Jodi away, Claire and Tess were like her daughters and she hurt, knowing what they were going through.
Tess remembered the day Claire had found out she was pregnant. It had taken four months of trying and she'd found out the day before Charlotte's birthday, only a week ago. Claire'd been so sick for so long and then Alex's crash had frightened her into being more careful this time.
Nick put his hand on his brother's arm and Alex moved away, not wanting to be touched. "Can I see her?"
"Not tonight. I'm sorry. She needs her rest. I'll come back out in the morning to check up on her. We'll see then." Nick walked the doctor out and the family just stood there, frozen in their tracks.