Chapter 20 is online. It took some time, again. I'm sorry. Have fun and please leave a comment.

Thanks: to my beta, Isi.

Disclaimer: It isn't my show, they aren't my characters, but at least the idea to this story is mine.

20. For The First Time

"What did I do wrong this time?" Alex asked himself while he watched Claire hobbling away.

Tess and Nick looked at each other in silent understanding that there was definitely something going on between their siblings and that they just needed a little push into the right direction like Nick got it from his stubborn brother.

Left alone Alex still kneeled on the ground. Everybody was watching him, originally because of his proposal but now out of concern what had happened a minute ago. That was something to be happy about, not to run away. Claire had accepted his proposal before but she ran away when he renewed it, this time properly.

A single tear started to fall down his cheek and he wasn't afraid to show it but he knew what he had to do and what would be really wrong this time. He wouldn't wait for her to return. So he closed the box again, put it into the pocket of his jeans, got up from his knees and followed her inside the house.

Because of her runaway into her room yesterday he would have assumed her there but her leg had hurt very much today that she wouldn't be able to manage the staircase on her own, so he first walked through the house directly into Jack's study.

There she sat in the old armchair of her father crying with tears all over her face.

When she saw him entering the room she turned the chair around and looked out of the window, out at the land that belonged to Drovers Run, that belonged her and her sister and that someday it would be the heritage for her baby.

"Claire?"

"Leave me alone, Alex, please." She said without looking at him and with sobs in her voice.

"Not this time, Claire. There's no way I'll leave you ever again. You're stuck with me and I'm with you since the day you accepted my first proposal." He replied in a funny voice.

"Please, Alex." Was all she managed to say.

"No, Claire, not again." His serious reply made her look away and nearly made her turning the chair back but she hesitated and thought about everything again.

"I don't think this is right. We shouldn't get married for the baby's sake. What happens if you fall in love with another girl? You would leave us ... her immediately."

"No, I won't. I asked you to marry me and I've thought about it before. The baby needs a father and I'll be that." These words didn't leave space for a misundertanding. "What's going on? Why don't you want me to be that anymore?"

"Yes, I mean, no. ... I don't know what I mean. It's so confusing. I feel like I've never been sure about anything. Maybe it's even wrong to keep that baby. It's more trouble than use."

"Don't talk like that. She will be your little baby daughter, even Jack's offspring. You wouldn't do that to him. Won't you."

"No, I won't because she's your offspring too." She didn't answer that question, instead he just heard her sobbing again.

"Stupid hormones." He damned them again but at the same time he walked over to the chair and turned it around without any defence by her. They watched each other, he sensed fear in her look.

"What are you afraid of, Claire?" Once again he asked that question.

"I'm not afraid." Stubbornness was hidden in those words.

"Yes, you're and you're too stubborn to tell me. I'm your friend, at least you're mine. Actually you're the best friend I ever had and if I had to talk about something serious, something I'm afraid off, I would come to you. I would ask you for advice. You can do the same. Ask me for any advice but don't lie to me."

"I don't ..." she began to answer but immediately started crying again. Through her hard sobs she wasn't able to say another word.

Alex couldn't stand that anymore. "Talk to me." He thought but instead of saying more he pulled her close although it felt weird after their talk a few moments ago but he sensed that she needed a friend right now and he was sure that he was that, at least that. Surprised by his movement she couldn't resist and slung her arms around his back and stayed close. For several minutes he held her in his arms and she let him do that. While they stood there she calmed down again, his hand stroking her head could have been a reason for that.

Finally she took her head away from his body and looked into his eyes and he looked back. Immediately their thoughts went away to the things they preferred to do, instead of just looking and keeping each other close. For once Claire did what her heart was telling her and moved even closer to him, close to his face, but kept his look while she did that. After a moment which seemed to be a decade she finally met his lips with hers. First he was surprised by her behaviour but enjoyed the soft touch of her lips on his fast, he even started to reply the touch and pressed his lips on hers. This was their first real kiss and it was better than both had expected it to be.

It was like kissing for the first time for them; both didn't want to do anything wrong. No pushing, just slowly get to know each other different.

But seconds later Claire put her head back on and remembered the weird situation and noticed what she had done. "Kissing him? How could you? He doesn't even know the truth." She thought and immediately stopped the kissing. "The others will already be worried enough. Let's go outside again." A faked smile was on her face, a smile that no actor could have done better.

Startled about the sudden end of the greatest moment that had ever happened in his life, he was worried and confused at once but he put the same faked smile on his face as it was on hers. "Sure."

Slowly she she got up from her chair and started to leave the study hobbling.

"Need a hand?" Immediately he was back to terms and wanted to keep his promise to be there for her whenever she needed him.

"No, I'm fine, I'll just need some time."

"Claire?" One thing had to be solved before they would leave the study, the room of their first kiss.

"Yeah." Turning on the spot she looked once again into his handsome face.

Because he had to be sure about once thing Alex asked her serious. "Do you want to wear the ring?" While he did that he opened the box, which he had put in his pocket again on his way into the house, the second time in front of her.

A nearly invisible nod was her answer. So he walked up to her, took her hand and put the ring on her finger. While he did that a real smile appeared on his face, what happened to her, too.