When the sun came through the hotel room window, Stevie was the first to wake. She didn't move, she just lay beside him holding his arms in place at her waist, she felt so safe with him that she was too afraid to move. If she greeted the day, she had to greet the trial and she wasn't ready to lose Alex yet. She wanted a little more time.

She climbed off the bed eventually, being careful not to wake him. She began to pace the room waking him as he slept on. He snored, but it was a comforting sound to hear from him. She imagined how amazing it could be if she woke up beside him every morning. Fiona was lucky he still belonged to her.

Stevie ordered breakfast, but ate very little. She prepared herself for everything that was going to happen to her, no matter what he said, she knew that she was going to have to leave him – she could feel it. She knew down to the very pit of her stomach, no matter how long she would be sentenced, by the end of the day she'd be locked up.

Alex eventually stirred, but this time when he looked at her he couldn't bring himself to smile, and she could only manage a little one. The sun was up and both of them knew what was to come, what to expect, it could turn into a dream or a nightmare, depending on what the jury decided. But neither of them was ready to say goodbye yet, despite Alex's determination to stay positive.

"Good morning," he greeted sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I'm about to lose you," she replied. She was running out of time and she wanted to be as honest with him as possible, without saying too much.

"Don't say that," he begged. He climbed off the bed and went to her. "You can do this. And you're not going to lose me, no matter what, I swear. I'll visit you daily," he promised.

She laughed. "No you won't."

Alex grabbed hold of her shoulders and a pained expression came to his face. "Yes I will."

She shook her head. "Weekly maybe. Alex you have a farm to run, you have a wife waiting for you at home. Fiona's not going to let you come and see me everyday. You have to accept this!" she was being brave. She had to because he wouldn't. He was living in denial, believing the best. But she knew better. All the evidence pointed to her, she had motive, she had opportunity and it was the victim's drugs that were found in her Ute. She didn't have a hope in the world of being proved innocent.

She'd be charged with a crime she didn't commit, sentenced to a place she didn't belong, and lose the man who had forever held her heart. She accepted this, but she wasn't nearly as prepared to lose Alex as she thought she was. It was him she was finding the most pain in leaving behind. It made it harder that Alex had been painfully honest with her about how he felt. She wished one of them had said something sooner; the blame lay on both of them for that.

"I don't care what the farm does without me, the boys can handle that. Fi and I are over, I don't want her, I don't love her… I don't think I ever did, not like I love you. And if I want to visit you everyday, I will, you got that?" he stated.

"It's a three hour drive, from Killarny to the county jail. You don't have time to waste seeing me," she insisted.

"My time with you is never wasted. I love you. Now stop arguing with me."

Stevie nodded, she couldn't help smiling. There was no point arguing, in the end he'd do what he wanted to anyway. She hugged him close for a moment and closed her eyes. She wanted to remember this feeling when he was gone, and she would, she would remember everything about him, right down to the last freckle on his chin.

She looked at her watch, and her breath caught when she realised the time, she had less than an hour before she had to be in court and she wasn't dressed. "I have to get ready," she announced stepping out of his arms.

"You can do this," he assured her once again. He believed in her, he had faith that she could withstand anything that happened in her life, she had proved that so far. He loved her strength, her passion and her loyalty.

She nodded and disappeared into the bathroom. She emerged twenty minutes later fully dressed with make-up on. She was no girl when it came to time. She could dress in five minutes and look incredible, one of the many talents she had and she didn't have to try, she was a natural beauty.

She was dressed in one of Regan's pant suits, with a white shirt, the jacket was open and while she wanted to wear her comfortable cowboy boots she assumed it wasn't a way to impress the judge. She had borrowed black high heels to match her outfit; she was still learning to walk in them.

"You look great," he smiled kissing her cheek. She forced a smile.

"I feel like an idiot," she confessed.

"Don't. It suits you…" she laughed at him. "Okay it doesn't, but you still look great."

She blushed. "I'm going to miss you."

"Because I give you compliments?" he teased. He wanted to see her smile he loved the fun bubbly woman that she was.

"No. Because there's no one else like you," he hugged her then and told her that she was strong and brave and that she could get through anything. She wanted to believe him. But she wasn't sure she could survive without him.

They chatted about the trial and about what the future held for them when she got out, he made promises that she wasn't sure he would be able to keep. A lifetime sentence was too late for him to wait; she didn't want his life to stop just because hers did. And she told him that.

"But it will," he said.

"It doesn't have to."

"I don't want to be without you, Stevie."

"I know."

Alex ordered breakfast, as she watched him silently, the time flew by and finally ran out. "It's time to go," she told him. He nodded as they headed out of the hotel room. Alex held her hand.

The trial went like a blur. She wasn't aware of anything that was going on around her it all felt like a dream, it was all happening too fast. But she was right. The evidence said she did it she had motive and opportunity, the jury agreed. She was convicted for murder. 15 years with no probation.

When Stevie stood up from her seat and turned to face Alex, his eyes were filled with tears. He was shattered. Stevie was surprisingly calm. She had her emotions in check, she was at least strong enough to hold it together, but she couldn't be sure how long it would last. She didn't even believe it was happening. It felt like some long-running nightmare.

"I'll be okay Alex," she told him bravely. He reached over the bench that lay between them and threw his arms around her shoulders. Then he kissed her, softly and passionately before the assigned guard brought her hands behind her back and cuffed her.

"I'll come see you tomorrow," he promised. He didn't bother hiding his devastation. "I love you Stevie… I love you."

She smiled at him, and before she could think about it the words had already been said. "I love you too."

A moment later she was pulled away, but not before she got to see the smile on his face. She'd said it, and as horrible as the circumstances were, she was glad she had. Now he knew she felt the same, that was enough for her.