Following Morning

Alice rose before Danny, and made it to the bathroom - just. She leant against the door frame and pressed a cold compress to her head.

"We've definitely got to tell your daddy today junior, I don't know how much more of this running round and hiding I can take, I'm more nauseous now then I would have been before," She rubbed her stomach then opened the door. Alice left and walked straight into Olivia, oh my God had Olivia heard, she must notice my stricken look, she pasted on a more neutral face.

"How are you Alice" Olivia asked

"I'm absolutely fine, nothing new here." Alice answered cheerily.

She went to the bathroom door and looked back at Alice who had walked to her bedroom door,

"Just tell him," Olivia murmured. When I turned around to ask her to repeat what; she said she was gone.

"Your right Olivia, after lunch I will tell him." Alice answered the empty hallway.

(X)

It's dinnertime and Olivia had not even looked at Alice, Danny tossed quizzical looks back and forth between them.

"Later" Alice mouthed, he smiled at her in reply Alice smiled back. Oh my god the butterflies in her stomach were playing the lambada.

"Danny can we talk," Alice asked.

Olivia looked up her eyes sparkled,

"Sure, what is it." he answered.

Oh my God why does he make this so hard, doesn't matter Alice replied.

Olivia looked away again and stabbed her plate with her fork.

"No come on we'll go talk if that's what you want."

Thank God he wants to speak alone, Alice really didn't want an audience.

"Look Danny err." She struggled for words.

"Well we've been married for 5 months"

"Yeah" he answered.

"" I said, why can't I just tell him?

"Just spit it out Alice. I knew from past experience just to tell her to tell me, it saves time.

"Ok here goes, Danny, I'm - Evan?"

Danny looked puzzled, "Evan?"

"Look Danny Evan."

"Oh my God Evan son, How's your dad? What are you doing here? I've missed you so much. Look at you, you've grown so much."

Evan stopped Danny, "I'm happy to see you too, but I'm only visiting, I'm needed at home."

Danny's face fell, Evan now viewed England as home.

Evan read Danny's thoughts, "It's on temporary Danny, home is here with you, he gestured to Alice too, all of you including Dupe, but if he asks I'll deny it."

"Oh Evan son it's good to have you back."

Danny and Evan walked away and Alice realised that she hadn't had the chance to tell him her secret,

"Damn it!" Later little one definitely later, she said this silently as the walls have ears, in other words Dupe likes to eavesdrop.

Later That Day

Every time I tried to talk to Danny I get interrupted. Its so frustrating. I decide to corner him while he's feeding the animals. Finally just me and Danny! Evan and Dupe are out checking the spot where the fences were tampered with, Danny had mentioned that earlier, I really hope we don't have poachers. I've asked Olivia to make sure we're alone. We had talked she said that Danny will be fine, that he had wanted more children with her mother. Alice hadn't correct her with that. Her mother HAD been pregnant before she'd died.

I walk into the surgery and she found Danny talking to his animals.

"There you go, just a little bit more girl."

We had another baby warthog which had been rejected, we were hand rearing it. He never failed to make me smile, oh god how I love him, she watched him for a moment. He finally looked up and spotted her.

"Hi, I'm just about finished in here, how bout we go to Fatani's, we haven't had time alone in ages."

He wiggled his eyebrows at me and I smiled. I finally realised he'd given me my opening!

"Well Danny we wouldn't actually be alone." she said.

"Well there'd only be me and you, oh you mean everyone else in Fatani's bar."

God he can be so dense!

"No Danny I mean…"

His radio crackled and Alice jumped. Dupes voice came over.

"Danny Danny come in, I need you!" his voice sounded urgent.

"Wait a minute Alice."

I forgot about Dupes urgency in a second, I was being brushed off again! that's it now am angry!

"Can you please just turn that thing off for one second, I'm trying to tell you something. every time I try to talk to you, you keep slinking off and I'm sick of it!"

"Look this sounds important I'll only be a minute." he said

The radio crackled again." You know what Danny take the call, I'm sick of being second best to everything else in your life, when you FINALLY find the time to talk to me let me know, but who knows if I'll have the time to talk to you!"

Alice stormed out of the surgery more angry then She'd ever been in her life. She stomped into the house, slammed her bedroom door and screamed her frustration into a pillow.

"No more I'm not playing second best anymore!"

I know Danny loves me but sometimes she felt like other things in his life take precedence, I'm not saying I need to be the centre of his world of course not I'd go crazy but if I need to talk to him I'd like to think he'd be there and try to ignore other things.

Back in the Surgery.

"Danny man come in!"

"Hey Dupe, I'm here."

Wow Danny mused he had no idea Alice felt like that, should he go to her, oh he just did'nt know. He started to say, "Look Dupe I'm sorry I can't…." But was suddenly brought to full attention by what Dupe said,

"We need you we've found a lot of animals, just lying there, not a mark on them so no there not prey!"

He was instantly worried, "I'm right there."

"Bring Alice too." Dupe said.

He thought about this for a moment.

"No, she's busy around here, I can handle it.

"Ok man but hurry!"

He grabbed his box and tranquilizer gun, just incase and climbed into the truck and drove off. Unfortunately it looks like Alice is going to have to wait.

Alice watched from the veranda, tears in her eyes, "Again!" she murmured.

Alice walked back into the house and grabbed the telephone, She phoned Mara.

"Hello, Rowan here."

"Hi Rowan is Vanessa there?" Alice asked.

"No, she's not sorry, Are you ok sis, you sound a little strange." he said with genuine concern in his voice.

"Ye….. Actually no I'm not, could you keep Charlie for me tonight, I just need some time alone you know."

"Yeah sure sis, I wanted some time with my favourite niece anyway."

"I'll ask Liv to bring her over." Alice replied.

"Ok but listen Alice, you know where I am if you need to talk to me."

"Ok, thanks Rowan, I've got to go." Her voice was strangled, she had to get off the phone or she was going to break down. Rowan wasn't usually so supportive and Alice couldn't handle it. She put the phone down and composed herself.

"Charlie, your staying with uncle Rowan tonight."

Charlotte arrived, "Wow really." she replied.

"Yeah, he's got loads planned so you need to go and get sorted.

"Ok mum brilliant."

Olivia appeared. "Have you told Danny yet?"

"No, I was just about to and Dupe came over the radio, I sorted of overreacted, actually I flipped and stormed out. 5 minutes later he jumped into the jeep and drove off.

"God you never get time alone do you?" she said she sounded genuinely sympathetic.

"Look Liv I'm abit upset, can you take charlotte over to Mara for me, Rowan is watching her tonight."

"Yeah, sure definitely." she said eagerly.

"You seem abit keen." Alice said.

"There's a new ranger there, cute, very very cute!"

"What happened to Thabo?" Alice asked

"We talk and I still like him but we're growing apart, plus I can look and not touch right!"

"Danny would be pleased to hear you say that." she laughed.

"Yeah, he would," she agreed. "Don't worry you and Danny will sort this out, he just gets distracted you know."

"Yeah I know. Charlie come and give mum a kiss."

"Ok mum I'll see you tomorrow, love you."

Her eyes were soft on her daughter "Love you too Charlie."

"Oh and Olivia if Danny asks where you are I'll tell him your at Fatani's with that cute ranger," Alice chuckled.

"Ha-ha see you later." she replied.

They left and Alice rolled her tight shoulders, "Right junior time for a bath, how do you feel about that?"

She walked into the bathroom and closed the door.

Meanwhile Outside

He stood silently watching the house. He had a problem, kids were in the house, he didn't want to hurt the kids just Trevanion. A few moments later he realised his worries were unfounded, they left the house and the little kid had a bag with her.

"YES! this couldn't get any better." he murmured.

He and Alice could be alone. He like the thought of that! A small smile teased the edge of his mouth. Trevanion is busy with boy and the old man, he had saw to that. Unfortunately he had only had a small amount of ketamine and benzodiazepine, or they'd be out longer.

"Doesn't matter this won't take long." he said determinedly

He smiled a wide smile and begins to stride towards the house. "Let the games begin!"

(X)

Nomsa stood at the stove, she moved her pan over to the cooling rack, all the food would have to be re-heated as everyone was out. Humming to herself, she didn't hear anyone enter the house. She heard the squeak of feet, without turning she said, "That was a quick bath Alice."

A gravely voice replied, "I'm not Alice!"

She only had a moment of shock, she felt a piercing pain at the base of her skull, then the darkness overcame her.

(X)

Alice was getting dressed, she didn't want a long bath. She was pulling on her t-shirt when she heard a thud.

"Nomsa, you ok?"

The only reply she heard was silence. She left the bathroom and walked into the kitchen, there were droplets of blood on the floor.

"NOMSA, where are you," Alice was starting to get worried. She walked into the living room and saw her sprawled across the settee, she was lying prone with a sheet of paper across her chest.

"Oh my God Nomsa!" Alice just checked her pulse and found it strong when she was grabbed roughly from behind. "What the…" , I was suddenly interrupted by a white cloth with a strong bitter smell, it assaulted my nose and I felt myself slipping. NO! I try to fight! My brain starts to feel fuzzy as consciousness quickly left me.

At least Charlotte and Olivia are safe I think to myself, my last conscious thought was of Danny.