Finally, here's lucky number 7 ;) Hope you enjoy it...! I promise not to let you wait for a new chapter this long again :)

While Meg and Kate were searching, Sid finally reached Drovers Run. He was exhausted and limping when he saw Tess. She was shocked to see the old man and started talking to him. Tess noticed he was not in good condition and barely able to speak, she took him inside and made him some coffee and sandwiches. Sid was very pleased with her good care. It felt just like the first time they met. Tess tried not to panic when she understood what Sid was trying to tell her. It was a confusing story and made her very upset. She cried and tried to control her breathing when she dialed Nick's number.

He heard her sob when he answered the phone and got worried. "Tess? What's wrong?" Tess tried to explain everything she knew.

"No, you stay right there Tess. I'll take my Ute as soon as we hang up, ok?" But Tess was very upset, she already didn't feel good and now all this on top of it...She wanted to take Sid and search for them herself. Stevie back at Drovers and start the normal daily routine again, without any problems.

"You're not going anywhere, you hear me? Tess?" Nick almost begged, Tess didn't respond and hung up the phone, slapped her hand before her mouth and walked around the room.

Sid observed her. "Are you ok dear?"

Tess looked as if she wasn't really there. "Yeah...sure. Let's go." She gestured Sid to follow her.

Then they heard the back door.

Someone yelled. "Tess!" It was Nick, worried that she would leave without him. He entered the kitchen, quickly and with large steps he walked towards his wife with his arms open. Tess immediately stormed into his arms and burst out crying.

He whispered. "Hey. Ssshhh." Nick gently squeezed his arms around her and softly pushed her head against his chest. "It's ok Tess. I'm sure they'll be fine." He tried to calm her down and then gestured her to sit down.

"I don't want to sit. No, Nick we should go now. The more people looking for them, the sooner we will find them."

Sid's eyes widened. "You're Nick? As in; Nick Ryan?"

Nick nodded and looked a little amazed. Sid coughed. "I think...I might have...Accidentally...It was an accident."

Nick looked at Tess and then at the old man again, who looked like a child who didn't obey his parents. "Just say it Sid."

"I might have...sort of...shot...Your brother. But he's fine...It was just..."

Nick didn't let him finish. "You've what!? You shot Alex!?" He looked at Tess. "Tess?" Then he looked disappointed. "You knew he shot him?"

Tess walked up to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "I was going to tell you now."

Nick stood up. "Then what are we doing here! We should leave right now." He left, Tess and Sid followed him. Outside Nick turned. "No wait. You stay here."

"I'm going with you Nick." Tess demanded.

Nick quickly walked at his car, turned again and yelled. "No, someone has to stay here Tess. Just in case."

"But Nick." She cried when he left.
...

"Nick wait! Nick!" It was Jodi, running towards his car, al dressed up. "Wait!"

Nick stopped the car and opened the window, Jodi whiped her tears. "I just heard from Terry what's going on." She ran around the car and opened the passenger door. Nick looked disapproving when Jodi entered the car.

"I don't have time for this, you better look after Tess, she's inside."

Jodi gasped. "No, you don't understand. I have to go with you, they're my friends too."

"It's my brother we're talking about. Oh stuff it, we're leaving right now." Nick was constantly thinking about Alex and he couldn't bare the thought of finding them to late.

Nick noticed Jodi's clothes when she walked up to him. "What are you so dressed up for."

Jodi felt guilty and wasn't in a good mood. "For my new job, but I don't want it anyway."

Nick shook his head. "I thought Stevie gave you your old job back?"

"Yes and I didn't took it, I was to proud and I'm very sorry. Now can we quit this subject?" Jodi started crying again.

Nick looked at her. "That's why you had to come. So Stevie will be grateful you saved them, so you earn your own job back." He smiled, Jodi turned her head and looked away.

Meg and Kate were about to continue searching on foot when the cellphone rang.

Meg picked up the phone. "Tess...What? He's been shot?" Kate got a scare. "Huh-hm. Yes sure we will." Meg said to Tess.

Kate suddenly grabbed the phone and pulled it out of Meg's hand, she wanted to talk too. "Tess is that you?..What happened?" Kate asked worried. Meg looked a little annoyed, but waited.

"Right. In a cottage he said? Who's Sid?" Kate talked quicker as she normally did and there was some kind of panic in her eyes.

Meg grabbed the phone back. Kate sort of paralyzed. "Who's Sid? Someone shot Alex..."

Meg continued talking. "Tess? Is it in the area where Sid used to live?...Right...Ok, we will find them, promise...And Tess? Call an ambulance."

Meg looked annoyed. "Why did you grabbed the phone from me Kate? I think I know where they are."

Kate just stared at her and stood there awkwardly. "Then what are we waiting for? I hope we're on time."

Meg looked angry. "Off course we are." But she was so worried. Meg felt like she was a mother to all of the 'youngsters'. Tess was special and like a daughter, but she knew Alex since the day he was born. She held him as a baby and even babysat him occasionally.

Meg and Kate both started walking without talking for a while. They had to miss Jodi, she wasn't on Drover's and busy trying to find a new job. She had been very stubborn lately, just like the one who sacked her.

"Meg, aren't we supposed to yell? Maybe they here us."

Meg gave her a weird look. "Just wait...I think I know were we're going. Don't you know the old haunted house?"

Kate sighed and looked around her. "Haunted house? No Meg, but I'm sure Jodi would know what you're talking about. Too bad she's not here."

Meg sighed too and finally started yelling. "Stevie!"

"Alex!"

Jodi and Nick were behind them and heard the yelling. Jodi screamed the top of her longs. Kate cried out. "Oh my god Meg, that must be them."

Then they heard another terrifying scream. Nick got mad at Jodi for doing that.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"It's mom and Kate, we have to team up with them...I should have come to Drovers a lot sooner."

"No, but there's one other thing you should do. You should shut up. Because of your screaming we're unable to hear any response from Stevie and Alex."

Jodi looked serious and stopped. She wiped her tears again. "Nick, I'm so sorry." New tears were rolling over her cheeks as she saw her mother and Kate coming their way. Meg didn't look happy, but Kate immediately stormed into her arms.

"You ok, Stretch?"

Jodi nodded and apologized again. But there wasn't time for talking and they continued the search again.

...

A few miles away Stevie had heard them. She jumped up..she had almost fell asleep, her head was resting on Alex his forehead. They were lying on the ground. Stevie was still holding Alex in her arms.

She said, very emotional. "You heard that?"

But Alex wasn't awake, in fact he had lost his consciousness. "Alex?"

She caressed his cheek. "Alex, listen..." Stevie looked at his face and noticed the painful expression he had was gone. He looked pale. "Alex..." She whispered through her tears and immediately checked his breathing. She got a little relieved, but when she checked his pulse she got very worried again, it was so weak. Stevie knew he was in danger, although there were no signs of hypothermia any more. Tears were running down her cheek as she caressed his face, her hand trembled.

As Meg, Nick, Jodi and Kate came closer, Stevie recognized their voices, she tried to yell back, but she was unable to make a sound. All of her energy seemed to be gone, she bend her head and felt like giving up.

...

Meg got even more worried by the minute."They suppose to be around here somewhere."

Kate looked around her. "What about that cottage?"

Nick was restless. "Where is it! The damn cottage should be here, I've been here a million times."

Jodi got hold of Nick's arm. "We will find them Nick, they're nearby."

...

And as Stevie noticed their voices got softer again, she knew she had to scream somehow, she wiped her tears and took a few deep breaths to collect all the energy sh got left inside her.

She started softly and it got louder every time she tried.

...

Meg and Kate stopped. "Ssshh..."

"What?" Kate said.

Meg looked serious. "I said sshhh! Listen."

Kate's face immediately brightened up. "Stevie!"

Nick yelled. "Alex!"

It was very said when they found them, Stevie looked pale and was totally exhausted and in shock. Jodi ran at her and fell on her knees. "Oh Stevie I'm so sorry! You guys were a hand short and if I wasn't so stubborn..."

Kate sat next to her and put her arm around Jodi. "It's not your fold Jodi." Stevie just stared at them with tears in her eyes.

Alex was doing even worse, he was unconscious. Nick ran towards his brother and knelt down beside him. Stevie felt like she'd lost him and was heartbroken, they all feared for his life. Meg quickly did a check up on Alex, while Nick tried to wake him. His pulse was weak and he obviously had lost a lot of blood.

Nick talked to his brother and touched his face. "Hey, Alex, wake up mate. We're all here, the ambulance is coming soon, ok?"

But Alex didn't wake up. Nick got hold of his hand and had tears in his eyes. "How could you, huh? Let that old crazy man shoot ya?"

Kate tried to help Stevie up, but she couldn't. Meg continued taking care of Alex, while Kate knelt down with Stevie. She put her hair behind her ears and wiped her face with a fresh cloth.

"He's going to be fine, an ambulance is on it's way. Meg will stay with him and I'm going to bring you home." Kate wanted to drive Stevie back home, but first they had to walk back to the car. Stevie was so in shock, she forgot about her foot injury and tried to get up again.

Kate tried to encourage her. "Come on, it's ok." But Stevie sank to the ground again, she burst out crying and grabbed her foot.

Kate started crying too. "Hey, you're safe now."

Meg stopped taking care for Alex and walked up to them. As a mother she gently wiped Stevie's tears. "Listen Stevie, it's important you go home now. You need some rest and a hot bath won't do you no harm." She smiled.

Stevie stared in front of her, not looking at Meg. Her eyes drifted off to her best mate. "I don't need anything..." More tears came up and she bend her head.

Meg tried to comfort her. "I understand you feel like that right now, but we have to get you home."

Then Stevie looked up and softly said. "Meg I can't...I can't walk."

Meg and Kate looked at each other. Then Kate checked her legs and foot. She soon noticed the swelling. "I think you need a doctor too."

Stevie looked up, her whole face said she didn't agreed with that. Kate stated. "No worries, it's just a check up."

Stevie cried out. "No, not me. Alex needs it more than me. I'll be fine."

Suddenly Nick looked at them and said. "It's ok, I'll carry you home Stevie."

Meg looked worried. "But..."

Nick was determined. "No buts, she's right, Alex needs it more. Let the ambulance people focus on him."

The girls didn't mention it again until the ambulance showed up. The nurses had a hard time carrying Alex through the bush. When they finally managed to get him inside the ambulance they insisted Stevie to go with them too.

I would appreciate it if you let me know what you think of this chapter...Next and last one will be here soon :)