Disclaimer: Do not own the game show on Channel Seven, nor do I own deep breath: Meg, Terry, Tess, Nick, Alex, Claire, Charlotte, Jodi, Harry, Jack, Stevie, Luke, Sandra, Becky, Dave or Kate, (though only the first eight appear in this chapter, and the ninth and tenth are only mentioned). I own the story idea (NOTE TO CHANNEL NINE) and Michelle. Oh, and Tom. Who may or may not appear in later chapters.
A/N: Gets down off soap box This has GOT to be the quickest I've written another chatper. I finished this less than three hours after posting Chap 15. Seriously!
Several hours later, Claire made her way upstairs, more affected by the jetlag than she had first thought. Mind you, all the searching after lambs had been harder than she remembered. She was so out of shape for this life these days. All she wanted now was to fall onto the bed and sleep for a few hours.
The moment she opened the door, she found that was impossible. Someone appeared to have decided to use her bed for unpacking.
She was about to shout at anyone and everyone when she saw that it appeared to be a collection of photo albums. She moved towards the bed, unsure as to what she would find.
The album closest to her was the one she herself had started when she found out she was pregnant with Charlotte.
"I heard you talking to Harry." A soft, male voice said from the doorway. "I remembered that Tess had Nick put these into the cellar. I thought you might wanna look at them." He noticed she was crying again. Self-doubt filled him as he rushed to her side. "I'm sorry Claire. I just thought that you'd like to see all her firsts, and some seconds, thirds etc." He hugged her to him. "I've done it again, haven't I? Like I did with the desk."
She raised her head from where it was buried in his chest. She smiled up at him weakly. "It's okay Alex. In fact, it's more than okay. It's perfect."
She grabbed the first album, wiping her tears away with the heel of her hand.
"Tell me about the pictures Alex."
The two of them spent the next two hours going through the albums. Meg was about to serve dinner and realised that no one had seen Claire for a while. She headed up the stairs, looking. Something had stopped her from shouting out to the world that she was looking for Claire. When she reached the closed door, she heard hushed voices, including her own.
She pressed her ear to the door, listening intently. There were squeals of small children, loud voices of various adults she could recognise and a soft conversation between male and female voice.
Meg turned and left, heading down the stairs with a smile on her face.
It was not until they had to get up and turn on the lights that the two of them stopped and realised the time. For once in his life, Alex's stomach had not called for its regular feed.
The two of them stumbled down the stairs together, both feeling quite melancholy and regaining feeling in limbs that had been held in the one position for too long.
They followed the stream of light out onto the veranda. A small body flung itself in their direction.
"Daddy! Mummy!" Cried the usually shy Michelle. Noticing that only one body had been flung against his, Alex looked around for Charlotte.
The small blonde was sitting, curled in a ball, just out of reach of the light. He moved himself over to her, blocking out the garble of Michelle, and ignorant to the looks passing between the adults.
"Bom?" He asked, cautiously. "What's wrong sweetie?"
"DON'T WANNA TALK ABOUT IT!" She shouted, lurching upwards and running away from the group.
'Oh God.' Claire thought. She recognised that tone, that stance. She'd had it when she found out about Ruth, and again after baby Tess came home.
Meg rose, having seen it all before and recognising a full-blown tantrum when she saw one. "I'll go," she said, as they began to protest. "You two have some dinner."
As Meg walked slowly in the direction Charlotte had taken, Jodi cleared an area on the table and Tess grabbed the wrapped plates from the fridge.
"Hey, Michelle, isn't about bath time for you?" Nick asked, knowing the adults would need a chance to talk, and not particularly wanting to have to be part of it.
Michelle had other ideas. Whether she was inspired by her sister or just feeling generally grumpy, she wasn't open to the idea. "No!" She said, with emphasis, but nowhere near as loud as she could have.
"Really? Well, what about I show you the special bath we have here and you and Charlotte could have your bath in the morning, just this once?" Michelle looked at him, intrigued. "It's outside. It's really cool. And we can look at the stars on our way."
That last bit made the deal. Even though she had lived in rural America, it was nowhere near as clear at night as the sky at Drovers.
The two of them left, small hand in a larger one, heading in the opposite direction to that which Meg, and earlier Charlotte, had taken.
Meg found Charlotte curled up in the corner of one of the horse stalls. Albert, the usual sole occupier, looked on undisturbed by the small child.
Meg let herself in, placing herslef next to the small child.
"I hate them."
Meg placed her hand on the child's head, allowing her to clamber into her lap.
"Why?" That startled Lottie. She had expected some comment about it not being right to hate people.
"It wasn't supposed to be like this. SHE," Charlotte spat the word, "wasn't supposed to come too."
"Michelle?" Meg hugged Bom closer to her. "I thoguht you liked Michelle."
"That was before she stole them away from me."
"Stole who?"
"Uncle Alex and MY Mum." Bom paused, her voice heavy with tears. "I hate them all."
Meg fought a war within herself, unsure as to how to continue. She sat there, letting the tears soak her shirt. "Oh sweetie. Do you know what happened when your Grandpa Jack bought home your Auntie Tess the first time?" The head on her chest shook, vigorously. "Your mum was so upset, she wouldn't talk to any of us for a week." The child in her arms tensed at the mention of one of THOSE people. "She used to sit in her room, with a chair across the door, so we couldn't come in. At night, or when she realised we weren't in the house, she's sneak out and grab some food from the fridge and run back to her room." Meg smiled at the memory. "We didn't think she'd last a day, that she'd get bored. But that mum of yours is stubborn, just like you.
"She snuck out of the room one time, and when she did, we snuck Tess into her room. We put her on the bed, and left. Your mum ran back into her room, and didn't even think to shut the door behind her. All she could think of was this little baby sister of hers on her bed, smiling at her, trusting her."
"But Michelle isn't a baby."
"No, she isn't, but she's your baby sister." Meg let that thought sink in, before continuing. "How about we make a deal, just you and me?" There was no protest, so Meg continued. "How about you go back to the house, for tonight and tomorrow, and if you still hate them the day after that, you can come and live with me and Terry."
Bom smiled. She liked Terry. She liked Meg and she really liked their house. She always got lollies and cookies there. "Really?"
"Sure. But only if you really can't live with your mum and Michelle and Aunty Tess and Uncle Nick." She looked down, with her 'serious face'. "Deal?"
"Deal!" They shook hands.
"Now, missy Charlotte. How about you help an old woman up, and we'll go and see if there's any ice-cream."
"With sprinkles?"
"Would I feed you anything else?"
A/N: Dang, that tantrum wasn't supposed to happen yet! This Bom, she has a mind of her own! So is anyone new reading this? I love feedback, even negetive stuff.