Riley arrived as Kate stood out the front of the shearer's quarter's. She stood looking at her home, with two bags laying at her feet.
Riley watched her as she moved back towards the doorway and began pulling at a horseshoe above the door.
She grumbled in aggrivation when it wouldn't come down and turned to head up to the tool shed.
But she didn't get that far.
Riley had already been through the 'Oh my God! I'm seeing a ghost.' routine with the other Drover's girls, - he wasn't sure if Tayler would ever let go when she hugged him - so he was expecting the face that Kate made the second she saw him.
"I reckon you've probably gotten even more beautiful since the last time I saw ya Kate" Riley explained as Kate blinked at him, bringing a hand up to hold in a scream.
"Riley..?"
"Yeah, it's me. I hear I gave yiz all a bit of a scare, hey? Sorry 'bout that."
"But you... Everyone told me to give up. They said you... Where have you been?"
"Yeah, not too far away. Couple towns over. I must have hit my head in the accident or something, coz I couldn't even remember me own name for a while there. But I hightailed it back here as soon as I did. Couldn't wait another second to see you."
"Me?"
"Yeah. There was somethhin I forgot to tell you at Christmas. Wanted to do it as soon as possible."
Kate still didn't move or speak, she just waited for Riley to continue.
"I love you Kate."
Letting out a small cry, Kate ran the few feet between them and threw her arms around him.
"I was so scared... I thought I'd lost you. I looked everywhere, I searched the river but you-"
"I'm so sorry about that."
"I love you. I love you, please, don't ever leave me again!"
"Never. I love you Kate Manfreidi. I'm not going anywhere without you ever again."
Kate tightened her grip on him, afraid to let go, in case it turned out to all be a dream. Again.
Then he kissed her.
This kiss was even better than their previous kisses, because they both knew how the other person felt.
Suddenly Kate pulled back, still holding Riley's face in her hands.
"I have to go." she announced and he laughed.
"Yeah, Stevie told me you were leavin'. Where are you going?"
"Saint Gabriel's fields. It's a program for wayward kid's. They learn dicipline through farm work. The new priest in Gungellan set it up for me after you..."
"Ok, ok. Nah, that's fine. Have you got room for one more?"
Kate smiled finally, and Riley realised how much he'd been missing that sight, even when he didn't know who he was, he'd missed her.
"Of course. I'll find you something to do. Something that doesn't involve yabbies." she added in a darker tone.
"Kate, don't worry about that. That whole night it was... Well I don't think it was such a bad thing."
"Everyone thought you were dead. How was it not a bad thing?"
"Well, it made me realise how much I care about you, made me want to be with you more than I've ever wanted anything."
Kate realised she was crying now, tears running down her face, and she had no way to stop them.
"Shh, it's ok. Everything's ok. Don't cry now, I'm fine."
"I know. It's just that... I'd already prepared myself to forget about you, and now you're back. I don't want to have to do that again."
"You won't have to. I promise." she nodded, swallowed the lump in her throat and swiped at her tears. "We'll go off to your farm and boss around those kids. It'll be good practice for our six on our own property hey?" Kate laughed and kissed Riley again.
"I can't wait." she whispered. They held hands and each lifted one of her bags before walking back to the homestead together, to say goodbye to their friends before heading off into their lives together.
AN: Ok, so I know that was really sappy and, well, just awful, but I had to write it. It's done now thouh, so those of you who really thought it was bad, just continue your lives pretending you never saw it.
