Major update here guys! Sorry its taken so long - been slack and busy with uni and moving.
Let me know what you reckon.

History Repeated Part 10: Homeward Bound

"Hello?" Tess called as she entered the Drovers Run homestead.

"Tess?" Charlotte squealed as she heard her aunts voice echoing through the large house. She came barrelling down the stairs and straight into Tess' open arms. "What are you doing here? I thought you couldn't come!"

"Yeah well your grandmother decided to give me a Christmas present," Tess explained. "It was a ticket to Gungellan... I sort of had to take it."

Charlotte burst into a fit of laughter. She was only twelve years old, but she wasn't an idiot. She was quite aware of the strained relationship between Tess and Liz.

"What's so funny?" Alex asked as he followed Charlotte's laughter. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Tess. "Tess!" He exclaimed.

Tess let out a laugh as Alex picked her up and spun her around in his arms. She hadn't expected to feel so at ease so soon. Just being around Alex had made Tess feel as though a large weight had been taken off her shoulders—even though it hadn't been.

Alex had that affect on her. All he had to do was wave his magic wand, come up with one of his ridiculously lame jokes, and her mood—no matter what it was—would be cured and forgotten.

"Alex put me down or I'll be sick all over you!" Tess squealed as she held on to Alex while he continued to spin her around. Although she was only six weeks along, her morning sickness was already playing havoc with her.

"Hey Alex," Nick's voice startled them all as he came into the house. He'd been helping Alex with some yard work. "You reckon I could have my cordless back?"

He stopped as he found Tess swung over Alex' shoulder, and Charlotte watching them in awe.

Tess slid out of Alex's grasp. She'd been caught off guard. Seeing Nick so soon wasn't part of her plan. She hadn't prepared herself for the emotions she would feel.

"Nick..." she said, feat firmly planted on the ground.

Their eyes met for the briefest moment, before Tess made herself look to the side. The joy she had just felt had been squashed like a bug. She wanted to stick her head in the sand and hide forever. Seeing Nick had made everything so real. She was far from prepared to deal with reality.

"I didn't realise you'd be coming, Tess"

He said it so flatly… so unwelcoming. It made Tess feel sick. He didn't even want to know her.

"Ah... well, neither did I" Tess said awkwardly, trying to keep her emotions in tact. "Your mother had other ideas though."

"Mum?" Alex and Nick both asked. Neither of them had any idea that Tess was still in touch with their mother.

"She waved the tickets in my face and insisted I use them. I couldn't really turn her down."

"Hang on," Alex put his hand up for clarification. "My mother, Liz Ryan paid for you to come here?"

Tess nodded, "She said it was an overdue Christmas present"

Alex burst into laughter as he looked at Nick, "I think she might be having a mid life crisis, mate!"

Charlotte chose that particular moment to butt in, "Yeah and she's been popping over almost every day for the last week and a half!"

"Really?" Alex and Nick asked in disbelief.

Charlotte sighed, "Maybe she should just move in"

Charlotte was being sarcastic, but Tess shook her head at the prospect, unable to even imagine it! "She doesn't spend that much time with us, Charlotte!"

"Every time there's a knock at the door it's her!"

"Stop being melodramatic," Tess demanded, trying to put a stop to the conversation. She was feeling drained now. "BOM's just being imaginative. She makes your mother sound like a leach."

Tess felt like kicking herself, again. Leach—that was a great choice of words wasn't it?

Alex stared at Tess. He watched her face change and knew instantly that there was something more to the situation than she had told of. He looked to Nick who was also studying her.

"What?" She asked trying to act innocently. She felt Nick's eyes burning into her. "I thought you two would've been proud that we're getting along so well"

"Yeah," Alex spoke up. "We are, Tess. It's good... it's just strange knowing that you and Mum are best buddies. Takes a bit of getting used to, ya know?"

"Yeah well… same here," Tess said softly.

Tess looked to Nick again. She couldn't help it. She'd missed him, whether she wanted to admit it or not. She didn't like his welcoming reception though. She could almost feel the daggers being thrown at her. He seemed very edgy. In fact he looked almost ready to explode if the wrong buttons were pushed. She wondered what was going on. Last she'd heard, they were on friendly terms. Last she recalled, he told her not to be a stranger. So what had changed?.

"Alex, my drill," Nick reminded his brother.

"Oh yeah, mate. I lent it to Stevie," Said Alex carelessly. He didn't give a stuff about Nick's cordless drill at the moment. There were other issues to sort out. Like Christmas, maybe!.

"Gees, Alex," Nick snarled slightly.

"You'll get it back in one piece, don't worry," Alex snarled back.

"Well call me when she's done with it," Nick said before making a move for the door.

Alex looked at Tess, then Charlotte, "Well ladies, now that grouchy's buggered off, what say we go for a ride?"

"Oh, you two get a head start… I just have to talk to Nick…"

Alex nodded. He got the picture, "Righto, meet us in Jack's Folly. I'll saddle up Phoenix for ya."

--------------------------

"Nick," Tess called as she came out of the house after him. He was already in his ute, about to reverse out the drive way.

Nick's window came down, and he spoke, "What is it, Tess?"

"I just…" She trailed off. The look in his eyes scared her slightly. Throughout everything they had been through, she had never seen him look at her like that, ever.

"I should have told someone I was coming… I didn't even think about your Christmas plans…" She said softly.

"It's fine, Tess," He said sharply as he began to wind up his window.

Tess put her hand on the window to stop him, "Have I done something wrong, Nick?"

"Tess I'm in a hurry," Nick avoided answering her question.

"You know you and Sally and the kids can still come over for Christmas-"

A chuckle escaped Nick before his sarcastic reply, "Oh yeah, Sal would love that, Tess"

Again, she wanted to kick herself. She had spoken without thinking, again. Sitting across the dining table from Nick and Sally would most certainly be an experience she would never forget.

She pulled her hand away from the window, "You're right," she whispered. "Sorry."

Slowly she backed up, and turned, ignoring the stinging sensation at the make of her eyes. She was beginning to wish she'd stayed in the city for Christmas.