Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with McLeod's Daughters. I'm just a big fan and in my free time I'm writing a story about them. Non profit is made.

Feedback: Yes, please. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.

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Chapter 3

Kate Manfredi and Jodi Fountain had just come back from driving a flock of sheep to a different pasture. They were now currying their horses, having quite a good time laughing and talking about Dave Brewer, who was the vet Kate was having a crush on but was too shy to ask him out. As they were discussing a strategy to make Dave realize Kate's feelings towards him a truck was stopping in their yard. It was one of the trucks of Drover's Run so they didn't pay any attention to it since they knew that Alex had borrowed one of them. This changed, though, as Jodi noticed a teen girl sitting on the front passenger seat.

"Hey Kate." Jodi nudged her best friend and nodded in Alex's direction. "Look!"

Kate turned around to watch in the direction Jodi suggested and got curious. "Whose the girl?"

"I don't know….wait, Alex…he is coming over."

Alex and the girl had gotten out of the car and were now walking towards them. The girl was a few steps behind him and studying her surroundings shyly.

"Kate. Jodi." Alex addressed the young women. "Have you seen Tess?"

"Yeah." They nodded absently minded as they checked out the girl. "She's inside. Doing some paper work."

"Okay." Alex suddenly seemed to be in a hurry. "Would you keep an eye on her?" He pointed at his company. "I need to talk to Tess."

He was inside the farm house before neither Kate nor Jodi could react to his request.

Now the three girls were alone, staring unsure at each other, not knowing what to say.

Jodi was the first one to break the silence. She walked over to the girl and reached for her arm. "Hi. I'm Jodi." She started to talk. "And this…" she pointed at Kate, who was still keeping her distance. "…this is Kate. She's a little shy."

Kate looked annoyed at Jodi. " I'm not. Just checking the situation and thinking before I'm talking. Which can't be said about you, Jodi." With that she walked over to them. "I'm Kate and you are…?"

"Rose."

"How come you were on the way with Alex?" Jodi wanted to know. "You aren't another illegitimate Ryan kid that no one knows of, are you?"

Rose looked confused. "No…no…" she stammered.

"Oh shut up, Jodi!" Kate yelled and looking into Rose's direction she said. "Don't listen to her. She was just trying to make a joke but she never thinks before she talks. Otherwise she would have known that you wouldn't understand it 'cause you're not from around." And in Jodi's direction. "Right, Jodi?"

Right then Alex came back with Tess, interrupting their little quarrel through their approach. "Oh see, Alex's coming back!" Jodi pointed out. The three girls turned into their direction as Alex and Tess approached.

"Rose, this is Theresa McLeod." Alex introduced his sister-in-law.

"You may call me Tess." Tess looked at the girl with the well known smile of hers. "Alex said that you are looking for me." she said as she took Rose by the hand to lead her into the house.

"Tess!" Kate yelled after her boss. "I guess you've got other things on your mind now. Shall I do your paper work?"

Tess turned around. "Thank you, Kate, but no. I'll finish it first thing in the morning. Didn't you and Jodi want to go to Gungellan with the guys?"

"Okay." Kate replied. "See you tomorrow, then." With that Kate and Jodi turned back to their horses.

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In the living room Tess was serving tea. Alex, who had offered to stay until they knew what's up with the kid, was helping her. After Tess had also brougth a piece of cake to both Alex and Rose she settled down opposite of Rose and watched her eat. The girl's surley gonna start talking by herself, she thought and was not disappointed. As soon as Rose had finished her piece of cake she started to talk.

"I came here from Adelaide. I was looking for you because my mom always talked about you. She used to tell stories about you and the farm she grew up on and how much fun you used to have and how good friends you were-"

Tess looked at the girl confused. She didn't know who she was talking about. "I…I'm sorry. I don't even know your whole name let alone you're mother's name." she interrupted the girl as cautious as possible.

The girl looked a little disappointed at Tess. "Hall. My name is Rose Hall." Tess eyes grew wide. "As in Stevie Hall?"

Stevie? The girl nodded. "She's my mom."

"I see." Tess nodded. "And where is your mom now?"

"She's in hospital. They took her there this very morning." She was almost at tears now.

"Hey, it's okay." Alex who hadn't said a word the last few minutes got up from his chair to pull Rose in a comforting embrace. "Shhhh…."

Tess was stunned. She didn't exactly expect Alex Ryan to do such a thing. This was more like Tess's thing. Pulling others in comforting embraces. She didn't say anything to him, though. She didn't even give him a strange look as he usually gave her. He wouldn't have noticed anyway.

"It's okay, Rose." Tess reasured her. "Tell us. Why is your mother in hospital?"

Rose hesitated. Could she really trust them? Should she tell them? Her mom wouldn't be pleased. But that's what I've come here for! "My stepfather." She stated.

Tess looked at Alex in shock, who met her glance, and then looked back at the girl sitting in front of her. "Your stepfather? You mean…" She waited for Rose to confirm her suspicion.

"He beat her unconscious this morning." Rose was now crying heart-rending.

"Here." Tess reached her a hankie.

After some time Rose calmed down and stopped crying again. She freed herself from Alex's embrace, even tough she was thankful for his gesture of comfort. She actually liked it. She had never had a dad to comfort her…

"He…he has been beating her up since I can remember, but he had never knocked her unconsious before."

"Is your mom okay?" Tess asked and Alex could hear concern in her voice.

"When they took her to hospital the medics said that she had a bad concussion. And she had a bad cut on her forehead, but there was so much blood on the floor…so much blood." Alex thought she'd start crying again but she didn't and so he asked the next question that had come to his mind.

"Where is your father?"

Rose just shrugged her shoulders.

"I see." Tess said. "And you have come out here all by yourself?"

"I've been planning it for a few months now. I found your adress on the internet. Mom always talked about you and this farmstead and how much she liked it here and….and ….and I thought that you probably might help us."

Tess looked at Alex in astonishment, who returned the same kind of look. They had expected something totally different. They certainly hadn't expected the daughter of a long lost childhood friend to appear at their doorstep asking for help.

"Mum would never come by herself and ask for help." Rose continued, not noticing their amazement. "She is too scared that he might hurt me, too. She is staying because of me, but I can't stand it any longer. I can't stand her getting hurt for me. So I came here. To stop it."

"Well…" Tess started not knowing what else to say.

"Please." The girl was looking at her with pleading eyes.

"Okay." Alex suddenly said. "You look like you need a shower. You'll go and take one and then we'll call the hospital."

"Yeah. That's what we're gonna do." Tess got up to show Rose the way to the bathroom, grateful to Alex Ryan for buying them a little more time to think about things. "Come on."

Before the two girls had left the room Alex got up, too. "You've got guts, young lady. Coming out here all by yourself.", he said winking to her. "I'm sure we can think of something to help you."

Rose faced him with a tormented smile. "Thank you."

"Now go. Take a shower."