Chapter 17 is online. Have fun and please leave a comment.

Thanks to my beta Isi and the reader.

Disclaimer: I don't own McLeods Daughters.

17. Now! And Then?

Tess awoke lying on Nick's arm. They lay close together, too close for friends. But they weren't anything else, just friends. Slow moves wouldn't awake him, at least she thought so and tried to move as slowly as possible but her plan didn't work out. He awoke too.

"Morning." She started a conversation. It shouldn't get awkward between them.

"Morning." He replied still a little dizzy. Now he first noticed how close they were to each other and moved away from her because he didn't want her to misunderstood him or his behaviour from last night. She did the same and kept on moving away from him until his arm was free and they lay side by side again, like they had fallen asleep last night.

"Slept well?" To get rid of that weird silence Tess would have asked him everything.

"Why shouldn't I with a beautiful woman like you at my side?" A smile appeared on Nick's face.

"Same here. A guy like you. Who wouldn't sleep like a baby?"

"You talk when you're asleep."

"Really? What did I say?" Hopefully she hadn't said anything wrong.

"Nothing special, just about wheat and farming." The truth about her revealing from last night wasn't the right thing now.

"Well then, nothing serious, I guess."

"You're right, nothing serious." He answered grinning but she didn't see. "Tess, I've to tell you something."

She listened up carefully by the sound of his words.

"This Moira thing from yesterday. It's nothing serious. We just met a few times in Gungellan and she was over for breakfast yesterday. We aren't a couple or in love." The explanation of him was over.

"Ok."

"I thought you want to know it?"

"No, uhm, yes I wanted to know but it's none of my business anymore. We're not together, we're just friends. So you don't have to tell me."

"You're right but I want you to know the truth." He made a break during this because he wanted to know the answer to his next question and feared it at the same time. "Do you really think we're just friends?"

"Absolutely. You made that clear to me at the fair. Although I've wished sometimes things went differently I don't think we're in love at the moment." That was an excuse, again. "Why am I not able to tell him the truth? What do I fear?"

Nick watched her after she had said the last words. Last night she had told him that she loves him and now she denied it once more. "Are you sure about this, Tess? Because then I have to go immediatly. I've still feelings for you, I don't know exactly what kind of feelings but there are some. I don't want to lose you again, ever."

That reaction surprised her. "Who had seen this coming?" Athough she had felt something was going on between them she didn't want to believe in it because of Moira and because of their past. "Nick, I ... I don't know. It's ..." In the middle of her answer she stopped without reason. She knew which answer he expected, he wished to get but she wasn't sure if she was ready. Again she was afraid to say the words which she wanted to say. So she just smiled at him and started all over again. "Nick, we should get some breakfast don't make rushed decisions on an empty stomache." After she had finished her words she got up, took some clothes and went to the bathroom without looking at him again. She didn't think about the consequences of her reaction for the moment.

Nick got up too but instead of going down to the kitchen or waiting for Tess to be done in the bathroom he went directly to his car and drove back to Wilgul. There was no other option at that moment. That had been her third chance to be together with him, to be his friend and his partner but she threw it away. Never ever again she would get another chance from him.

----

After Tess had finished her morning routine she went out of the bathroom and got downstairs. The house was empty. Nobody was around. Her sister and Alex were probably working, at least Alex. Meg wasn't there too. They had slept in so she hadn't expected to see anybody in the house, except herself and Nick. But he wasn't visible, neither upstairs nor downstairs. A look out of the window told her that his car was gone so he had driven away without a word or a note. At that moment she heard his words again. He had told her that he would leave if she told him that there wasn't something between them. "What did you do, Tess McLeod. You've fallen in love with the right guy once and you don't have the guts to tell him about your feelings although he had told you about his." She talked to herself angrily. "First you piss off your sister and now your best friend. Screw you."

Claire entered the house again after she had left Alex. A second breakfast was on her mind but she heard her sister talking in an angry way to herself. After all she owed her an apology and she wanted to know what was going on so she walked into the kitchen. "Tess?"

Her sister looked up from the table with tears in her eyes. When she saw her sister she was afraid of her reaction. The yelling from last night was still on her mind.

"I'm sorry for last night. I'm so sorry. It wasn't your fault, not at all. You're the best little sister a pregnant woman could wish to get."

"It's ok." Was her sobbed answer.

It wasn't sure what exactly was wrong but it was sure that something was wrong so Claire went over to her sister and sat down next to her. Tess started to cry and told her sister through sobs and tears about her feelings towards Nick. She didn't talk about that morning so her sister could just assume that the tears had something to do with Nick's overnight stay. After a while she calmed down and whatever had happened it didn't seem like the end of the world anymore. The question was still what had gone wrong and who had made the mistake, Tess or Nick. It was obvious that she didn't want to talk about that part.

"What was up with you yesterday?" Tess asked still slightly sobbing.

"That's a complete different story. Let's say it that way: it wasn't my best day ever. But I'm not here to talk about my bad day, Tess. I found you in here confused as hell, even crying. You can't put that away that easily."

"I just had a bad start today. Nothing serious. You see, I've already calmed down. No worries, everything is fine." She lied towards her sister, wiped away the marks of her tears and faked a smile.

Although she wasn't the person who was much into talking about problems she wanted her sister to tell the truth but she knew it didn't make sense that moment so she let it be. "Well then, go to work. You already slept in and it's not getting earlier." Humor would maybe light up the mood of her sister.

"You're right so I'll check on the alpacas. They have to be with the sheep again soon." Tess answered relieved and get out of the kitchen.

"What's up with you. I wish Alex was here, he would know what to do. So this problem has to wait until tonight." While she thought about it she got an idea and went to the study to make a call.

----

"Hello." A male voice said at the other end of the line.

"Hi Nick, it's Claire. I just want to apologize for my behaviour last night. The hormons you know."

"Sure. It's ok. Gotta go, work is waiting."

"Just another second. How about dinner tonight here. I want to make up because of yesterday."

"No worries, Claire. It's ok. Anyway, I'm not free tonight. Sorry."

"Please Nick. Everybody else accepted my invitation. Please." She said begging. "I just want to make up. I pissed you off yesterday, like the rest of the guests. I just want to make up. Please."

"Short visit, leaving quick. That must go." There was no way to get out of this for him. "OK, but just for a quick bite. I really don't have much time tonight."

"Well then, 7 o'clock sharp."

"I'll be there. Bye."

"Bye." She answered relieved and put the phone back. "That's done, now you just have to talk to everybody else."

----

Outside she started to look for the others to tell them about the dinner. A barbie would be nice. In the garden Meg was looking for some veggies for the dinner which she had planned before but which they didn't need anymore. "Sorry about yesterday, Meg. I've planned a barbie for tonight to make it up to you all. Are you coming?"

"Sure, I would love to. I'll tell Jodie. She is at Skinny Jim's with Becky looking after the cattle there."

"That's nice of you. Come over at 7 o'clock."

"You want to prepare the barbie?" That look on her face could tell storys because Claire wasn't famous for her cooking talent.

"Yeah. Why not? Can't be that hard."

"Not hard but we know your cooking talent. I'll come over and help you, no worries."

"OK. Thanks."

Now Claire had done everything she could do. Everybody except Becky got an apology and she was going to make things up between Tess and Nick. It couldn't be that way. They were meant to be together. Only Alex didn't know about the barbie but he wanted to call so she could tell him then.