Something New:
Here is my second chapter. Please notice that I still love to work on it although it's getting hard.
Have fun and please R+R.

Thanks:
First of all I want to thank my beta, Isi, again. You're still an amazing person. I can't thank you enough to spend your time on this. Hope to get to know you soon.
Beside of that I want to thank the people who actually read my fanfiction and review.

Title:
I changed the title. I'm not really satisfied but it will stay the way it is now.

Disclaimer:
Still not mine!

2. Welcome Back Claire

In the evening everybody was there for the party. They were all eating and chatting. Besides Alex' parents, Liz and Harry, everybody knew the truth about the father of Claire's baby.

Alex and Claire wanted to tell Harry and Liz about their wedding plans and the fairytale about Alex' fatherhood. So they had another talk before the party started to create a good story, a story Liz and Harry would believe.
"Claire this will be hard for me. I hardly ever lied to my parents."
"You forgot about Nick's accident at the rodeo or more to say you and Nick driving up north without permision?"
"I was still a kid back then. I mean now as an adult."
"Don't worry. Everything will be fine. They will never find out the truth. Nick, Tess and the others won't tell. Nobody else knows the truth and nobody else will get to know the truth. Actually your parents already think she's your baby, so they will never doubt our story."
"You're surely right."
"Are you up for the talk then or do you need some time to think about it?" Claire asked.
"No. I asked you to marry me and I'm still up for that. We will have the talk now." Alex answered "Claire is going to lie? What kind of a movie is this?"
Claire was absolutely into the arrangement. She only lied a few times. She could count them with one hand. "Why is it so easy for you?" Claire asked herself.
Claire realized that they still hadn't got a story for Liz and Harry when Alex started to talk again. "How about this? We tell them that we had an one night stand and you got pregnant."
"Alex, we will be a great couple. I had a similar idea." Claire answered. "And we could be an even better one if you want to, Ryan." She thought at the same time.
"But we have to add that we will marry for the baby's sake. They won't buy that we are in love. They know us too well."
"Maybe you are not in love." He thought but said instead "You're right Claire. I will go and get them. We can talk to them inside. It's quieter in there." He said pointing at the house. "We will meet there, ok?" He said.
Claire just nodded and started slowly to move towards the house because her leg once more hurt.

When Alex came into Jack's study with his parents Claire was already there. They had no idea where to start so they first tried to avoid the subject even if there was no sense in that. Harry and Liz were sure about what would come. But they admitted Alex and Claire the time to find the right words. Claire started their story about their one night stand. Sometimes Alex stepped in when something needed a little bit more explanation. After they finished Claire wasn't certain that Harry and Liz bought their story.
But she knew they bought it, when Liz got up from her chair, walked over to Claire and hugged her like a mother or a mother-in-law would do. "My dear. I wish you all the best for you, your baby and your marriage. May it be as happy as mine is. You got one of the best boys you could find between here and Adelaide." Liz said and then walked over to Alex to hug him too. "My boy, whatever you do, you do it right. Even it's just an unintentional pregnancy."
"I'm glad you finally told us the truth." Harry said getting up from his chair too. "I never doubted that you are the father, Alex. I'm proud of you. You are doing the right thing." Harry said and walked over to shake his son's hand. "Claire you will be a great mother. I wished Jack would have experienced this. He would be proud of you. Believe me." He said while he shook her hand too. It was obvious that he was happy to be a grandfather soon. Harry wanted his son to do the right thing since he knew about Claires pregnancy. He hadn't understood why Alex didn't want to marry her in the first place. But now everthing was fine with him. Soon his first grandchild, a little Ryan, would be born.
"That happens when I don't tell the truth even if this is a truth I could live with." Alex thought after he and Claire had talked to his parents.
"Why can't this be true? It would make everything easier and so much better." Claire thought.
After their talk they went back to the party.

Harry took a glass of champagne and stood up in front of everybody. "You know I'm not the person for big words but this day is special to me and my wife Liz. Alex has no serious injuries from his helicoptercrash, Claire is out of the hospital, Alex and Claire will soon get married and become parents. What makes Liz and me to grandparents. So raise your glass to the happy couple and the new member of the Ryan-family." He said and raised his glass to them. Everybody else did the same.
Alex was touched by the speech. His father never showed much emotions to him. Actually most of the time he showed anger especially since Nick's accident at the rodeo. "I'm screwed if he ever finds out the truth. Why can't it be true? Claire can't you see that we're meant to be?" Alex thought and looked secretly at Claire.
Claire thought about her future with Alex again. She still wasn't sure about their arrangement. This wasn't the way she wanted to start a so called relationship with Alex. This wasn't a relationship after all. It was just an arrangement."I have to go through this. Harry is happy and Alex too. I can't stop that. Even if I want this to be different, even I want it to be real. Alex is my best friend since forever. I want to keep that but I want so much more of him." She thought.
Lost in their thoughts they stood side by side and smiled at each other like a happy couple but they only smiled over their own thoughts.

After that the party went on as usual. They laughed a lot and talked about old times.
Liz told some embarrassing childhood stories about Alex. "Alex just learned how to get rid of his pampers. So wherever he walked and met somebody he showed him, how good he was at that. So nearly everybody in the neighbourhood knew Alex' botty. I think you showed him Claire once too." Liz said directly to Alex who flushed immediatly after his mother started to tell that story. Claire went over to him. "That's not the worst story she could tell. I know the really embarrasing stories." She said with a grin on her face.
"Don't get me started on you. You haven't been an angel too." He said grinning too and walked over to Nick.
"Great news, huh? I wish you all the best but do you really think this is the right thing, Alex?"
"I've got no idea but it feels right. So I will do it. Harry is happy, Mom is happy and Claire is happy too I think. I can live with this." Alex answered and once more thought about how he really wanted it all, Claire and a real Ryan-baby.

After a few hours of more laughing, talking and drinking they all went home or went to bed. Alex was still at Drover's. Everybody else was already sleeping, he and Claire were the only ones awake.
"Claire we have to sort things out." He started the conversation he had prepared. "I can't stay any longer at Killarney. Harry and Liz would get suspicious."
"Sure. You can sleep on the couch tonight. The other stuff must wait until tomorrow. I'm so tired right now, I could fall asleep right here." She said, got Alex a sheet, a pillow and a blanket and then went upstairs to her room. Alex prepared his bed on the couch.

To be continued ...