Tc's first thought was to ride to the hardware store. If Chris was hiding anywhere Victor would be the one to know where.

After tying up his horse he walked casually into the store. 'Seen Chris this morning?'

Victor was sweeping the floor and shook his head. 'Last time I saw her was yesterday afternoon. Why?'

'She didn't make it home last night.' He lied. He wanted Chris back and knew he wouldn't get much help from the townspeople looking for her if she'd simply run away.

'Chris and Cory left together yesterday. They usually walk home together until they reach the fork in the road that goes to Cory's. Maybe she stayed there the night?'

Tc nodded. 'Thanks man.'

He saddled back up and rode away. In his mind he went over the conversation he'd just had a number of times looking for signs that Victor might have been lying.

It was like riding into enemy territory as he approached the McNamara's farm and was glad to see Cory out the front picking flowers.

'Oh hi.' She said cheerfully as he approached.

Tc dismounted and Cory patted the horse. 'Is Chris here?' He asked Cory.

She shook her head. 'No, why?'

'I just talked to Victor. He said the two of you walked home together last night.'

'We walked up to the fork in the road over there.' She pointed to the way Tc had just come. 'She kept going and I came home. Why do you ask? Is something wrong?'

'She wasn't there when I got home and I didn't see her all night.' He lied again.

Cory gasped which startled the horse and it stepped back in fright. 'Oh my god! I hope nothing has happened.'

'Me too.' He said to himself as he watched Cory run yelling into the house. She emerged a few moments later with her brother and father in tow. 'They'll help you look for her.' She announced and hurried the men on their way.

The search party grew to five as Tc and the McNamara men met up with Teddy and Ethan Callaway on the ride back into town. They'd been on their way to mend a fence but had found that there were now more pressing issues at hand.

'We'll find her faster if we split up.' Tc suggested. His father and brother made up one team, Cory's father and brother made up another. 'You're with me.' He told Victor who'd also been roped into searching for Chris while Rosa minded the store.

The teams went their different ways. Tc and Victor were going to check the area from Tc's farm to the mill. It wasn't that far a distance but there was a fairly dense stretch of forest on either side of the road.

'What are you doing?' Victor asked when Tc directed his horse into the forest.

'Looking for my wife.' Was his reply.

'Chris wouldn't go in there.'

'How do you know?'

'Well think about it. There's no food, no clean water and not much shelter and she wouldn't feel like knocking up a hut in her condition.' Victor almost kicked himself for that last comment, instead however, he kicked the horse which reared up and tossed Victor off.

He cursed himself as he landed. Of course he shouldn't have kicked the horse. What did he expect? He checked quickly for broken bones.

Tc got down off his own steed. 'Are you all right?' He asked and offered a hand to Victor.

'Yeah, I'm fine.'

That was until Tc flung him up against a tree. 'Where is she?' He growled.

'Where is who? Chris?' Victor said. He could almost see Tc's pulse through the tensed muscles of his neck.

'Yes you moron. I know you are hiding her now where is she?!'

'I'm not hiding her I swear!' Victor tried squirming from underneath Tc's grip the rage that had him pinned to the tree was too strong to escape.

'Right...just like you weren't hiding her before the wedding either.'

'I wasn't hiding her then either. I was just covering for her.'

'How do I know you aren't covering for her now?'

'I am not an idiot. Chris is pregnant. If I was hiding her I'd have her at my place or at the hardware store, both of which you are free to search till your heart is content. I would not however be hiding her in the middle of a dingy forest.'

Tc seemed satisfied with this answer and let Victor go with a parting shove. 'Then where is she?' His voice nearly breaking with emotion.

Victor shrugged and went to grab his horse that had found a nice patch of grass to nibble on. 'Probably somewhere that she would be safe and healthy. Have you checked with her parents?'

He hadn't even thought she might go back to her parents' house and he would be looking the fool if she had. He mounted his horse. 'Let's go.' He commanded.

Chris however, wasn't at her parents place, or anywhere else that was searched and Tc went home that night tired, sunburned, dusty and awfully lonely.

A few days later Victor went down to his family's barn to do chores. He climbed that ladder to the loft, pitchfork in hand and started turning the hay.

Tc had been on his back since Chris's disappearance thinking that Victor has hiding her. Tc had regularly been a visitor to the hardware store, often dropping by unannounced in the hope to catch him out. Cory had also reported seeing Tc spy on Victor.

Victor was lost in thought as he speared the hay and turned it. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he poked the hay once more and a hand flew out and grabbed the fork.

Chris sat up and pushed the hay away from her face. 'Watch where you are poking that thing!' She said as Victor tried to recover his composure.

'What the hell are you doing here?! Tc's got the whole town out looking for you.'

Chris shrugged. 'I can take care of myself.'

'That's not the point. He's telling everyone you were abducted and is pointing the finger at me.'

'So don't let him Del Toro. Stick up for yourself.' She lay back down and covered herself up. Over the last couple of weeks she found she needed naps more often and was enjoying a good sleep when Victor had arrived.

'That's easy for you to say. You're his wife, not his employee.' He went back to turning the hay making sure he kept away from Chris.

She picked up a piece of hay and chewed on it. 'You aren't going to tell him I'm here, are you?'

'Why not? You're illegally squatting on our property.'

'Fine then.' She said nonchalantly.

Victor gave her an odd look. 'Fine?' He questioned.

'Yeah. I'm fine with that.' She paused. 'Cause I'll just tell him that you kidnapped me and held me hostage.' Chris smiled sweetly.

'You're horrible.

Chris nodded. 'Now, what are you going to bring me for breakfast?'

The bread, meat and cheese she'd brought with her hadn't lasted all that long even with her strict rationing. Lately she'd been scrounging around the homestead for remnants of food. She hadn't had much luck. It appeared that Victor was a fan of Rosa's cooking and there were very few leftovers. Occasionally she'd snuck into the house when no one was home and grabbed something for herself.

Tc went into the town's tavern and sat down heavily on a stool at the bar in front of Cory who was wiping down the surface. Her father had thought it was a good idea that she learn to work like a commoner. It also stopped her from redecorating their entire house while he was at work. At the time Cory didn't understand why he didn't like her arrangement of wildflowers as a lavatory seat decoration.

'Ale?' She asked. He nodded and went to pour him a glass. 'Any sign of her?' Cory asked quietly. Rumors were already circulating the town as to the fate of Christine Callaway. Some even said she'd been murdered.

Tc shook his head. 'Nobody's seen her, nobody's heard from her. Even Nutcracker is worried but doesn't know where she is.'

'Maybe she hasn't gone that far. I would have thought she'd take Nutcracker is she was going to travel long-distance.' She put the glass down in front of him and took his coin.

'I thought that too but this is a small town. If she was staying locally I'm sure someone would have seen her.' He took a sip. 'Unless they aren't telling me.'

'You still suspect Victor?' She asked and went back to wiping the bench.

Tc nodded. 'I don't think he's done anything to her, but he's the one she would turn to. Please tell me you know something.'

Cory shook her head sadly. 'I know you're desperate to find her Tc, but if Victor is with her then at least you know she's safe.'

'I just don't understand why. I could threaten him with everything under the sun but he still wouldn't tell me where she is. What has she got over him?'

Cory shrugged. 'Who knows. He's a loyal friend to her. Maybe he's lonely. It's not like he's found a wife of his own.' She leaned over the counter and held his hand gently. 'Don't worry yourself. Chris will come back in due course. I just know it.'

Tc smiled grimly and stood. 'If you hear anything...' He started.

'You'd be the first to know.' She replied.

Tc went out into the late afternoon sun. He couldn't help but think that if Chris were here, how it would bounce of her blonde tresses like a halo. He was more than just worried about her. Tc had Russ to thank for keeping the mill running on schedule during these hard times for he couldn't face doing anything but searching while Chris was still gone.

He wandered slowly through the town, kicking a rock the lay in his wake when he saw Victor closing the hardware store.

'You're going home early.' Tc called to Victor and made his way over.

'Um yeah. It's Mum's birthday and I promised I'd be home a little early.' Victor said bolting the door.

'Wasn't it her birthday last week?'

Victor shrugged. 'We're having a late celebration.'

Tc looked thoughtfully from Victor to his horse, it's saddlebags filled flour, salt, wine and other necessities but, Tc thought, much more than what his family would need. 'Well, wish her happy birthday for me.'

Tc thought Victor let out a relieved sigh. 'Will do, thanks man.' Victor said and gone on his mount and rode away home.

Tc waited until Victor had gained a few paces before jogging back for his own horse. Tc was sure Victor knew something and he was determined to find out what.

Tc stowed his horse behind the dairy shed and crept towards the house. Victor had gone inside presumably to unload the groceries so Tc made a mad dash to safety beside the barn and waited.

Sure enough, Victor emerged from the house a short time later with a canvas bag and headed towards the barn.

Tc's breath has heavy with anxiety as he circled the barn to the front door and peered around the edge cautiously. He wasn't sure what he expected to find but frowned when there was no one was in sight. He released his pent up breath. Sure enough Victor was just going about his afternoon chores.

Tc went to leave but stopped when he heard voices.

'I can't keep doing this. Someone is going to find out you're here.' Victor voice came from the loft.

'Relax will you. Even if someone finds out it's not like you kidnapped me.' Tc's heart sunk as he realized it was Chris. 'It's about time you got here too. I'm starving!' She groaned.

'Well get comfortable and I'll show you what I've brought for you.' Victor said.

Tc had images of Chris lying back seductively in the hay while Victor undressed himself in front of her. Each breath was shallow as he waited on edge for the next sound.

'Mmm,' Chris moaned. 'Oh it's so good.' She said as she swallowed her mouthful of warm herb bread and fresh butter than Victor had brought her.

'Glad I could be of service.' He sat down next to Chris and threw a few pieces of hay over the edge of the loft for something to do.

'I've been craving this all day. How did you know?' Rosa had been experimenting with different bread recipes and unbeknownst to Rosa, Chris had been reaping the spoils.

'I know you Chris.' Victor said. 'And because you liked it this morning as well.'

Tc glared up at the loft. So Chris was dropping around regularly for meetings with Victor. He couldn't take it anymore and strode across the barn floor to the ladder.

Chris squealed as Victor stole a piece of her bread while she had a mouthful. She tried to wrestle it off him. 'Give it to me Victor!' She yelled and pounced on him.

He fought back. When Victor finally had Chris pined to a pile of hay their clothes were disheveled and they were breathing heavily. Victor had a rip in the chest of his shirt and Chris's hair was messy and was strewn with straw.

Tc reached the top of the stairs as Victor, still pining down Chris, removed a few bits of straw from her hair.

'What the hell is going on?' Tc bellowed, his voice bouncing off the walls of the barn like a megaphone.

'What does it look like Tc?' Chris asked, her tone emanating annoyance. So he'd found her, so what?

'One question Chris,' Tc said scowling, 'Do you even know who the father is?'

Victor jumped to his feet. 'Just wait a minute...'

'Pipe down Victor.' Chris interrupted him. 'He's looking for someone to blame and I'm not going to let it be you.'

Tc looked from Chris to Victor and back again. 'I thought so.' He said and climbed down the ladder.

Chris stayed in the barn for an hour or so to give Tc time to get home and calm down before she followed him.

Tc's seething gaze was the first thing she saw when she entered the house. 'What the hell are you doing here?' He spat out.

'I live here Tc. Have you forgotten?' She hung up her coat and went into the kitchen. The whole pregnancy thing was playing with her appetite.

'So you go to him for love and affection and you come home for food?' He said following her.

Chris spun around. 'Why do I always attract the crazy people?' She said to herself. 'I am not, have not and will not have an affair with Victor.'

'That's not what it sounded like to me. "Oh Victor, it's so good" and all the moaning and groaning.'

Chris rolled her eyes. 'He brought me some of Rosa's bread. It tasted good and I was hungry.' She pushed past him and headed for the stairs. 'You are such a loser. How about you try trusting me?'

A short time later Tc went upstairs to find Chris and found her packing a suitcase. 'What are you doing?' He asked.

'What does it look like?' She sulked. He could see by the redness of her eyes that she'd been crying.

'You're moving in with him?'

Chris paused with a folded shirt dangling in midair. 'None of your business.' She tossed the shirt into the case and slammed the lid.

Tc scoffed and went to the living room. He picked up a book and pretended to read while Chris slammed drawers and doors upstairs, then marched through the house with her cases and out to the barn.

'Chris! Thank god you're okay. Where have you been?' Mrs Kelly ran and hugged her daughter.

The farmhand Chris's father had hired after he realized he wouldn't be getting any sons came and took the reins of Chris's horse.

'I'm fine Mum.' Chris said when the farmhand was out of earshot. 'I was...away. Tc and I have broken up.'

Mrs Kelly's jaw dropped. 'What happened?'

'I don't want to talk about it.' Her mother started to protest but Chris cut her off. 'Please Mum. I'm tired. I just want to go to sleep.'

Mrs Kelly nodded and guided her daughter to a bedroom.