It had been a rough night's sleep for Danny and Alice, well the sleep they had actually got. Alice was stretched across Danny, she'd found Danny a comfier option than the wooden prison bed.
"Morning Jailbird!" Danny laughed as he slowly awoke to Alice lying on his chest, she had her arms draped around him, she was wide awake, she'd been enjoying just watching Danny.
"Morning Danny Capone!" She joked, pulling out a pretend gangster style gun and pointing her fingers at Danny who threw his hands in the air, they both laughed.
"I can't believe she'd do this." Danny said, as he and Alice sat up. Alice breathed in, she hated Sarah as it was.
"Hmm, I didn't have her down as the cuckoo type..." Alice said gently, she looked up at Danny, hoping he wouldn't take offence, she was relieved when he didn't.
"Neither did I? What was I thinking? Why did I ever look at her, when all along there was you?"
Alice blushed, she'd never been able to take a compliment, Danny flooded her with them though, in his eyes you couldn't do anything but compliment her, she was perfect.
Danny leaned in for a kiss, Alice responded, gently brushing her lips against his.
--
Dupe and Caroline awoke together for the first time in a long time. Dupe kissed his wife and held her strongly, he never wanted to let go, never. He'd missed Caroline, and feeling her there conquered Dupe's usual hard outer emotion.
They both slowly got up, both refreshed and happy to be together once more. Caroline looked across to Danny and Alice's room and sighed. Dupe knew how she felt, he too had missed their company.
"What we gonna do?" asked Caroline, turning to face her husband, he shrugged his shoulders, unsure of what to do.
"Well, you'll have to do something Anders." Caroline told him, walking towards the kitchen.
Dupe looked around, she was right he did, he saw a sleepy Evan sat at the kitchen table, his head in one hand as he ate a slice of toast.
"Come boy!" Dupe said, throwing his hat on, he pulled a spare bush hat for Evan, who cherished it.
"Where?" asked Evan slightly stroppily, he was upset about Danny and Alice and angry at his mum and Olivia.
"We are going to bail Danny and Alice out!" Dupe proudly announced, Caroline raised her eyebrows, but otherwise impressed at her husbands loyalty.
"Okay." Evan agreed, as they jumped into the Jeep.
--
"Right you two, come on!" Shouted the guard opening Danny and Alice's door, they'd been caught in an intimate embrace and both were as red as the morning sun.
"Where?" Alice asked.
"You wanna go?" asked the guard.
"Really!?" Asked Danny grinning happily.
"Yeh, but we need a word first..."
--
"Right, you go and get the keys and I'll..."
"Dupe, we cannot bust them out, we can bail them out." Evan replied smartly.
"Oright boy!" Dupe mumbled, walking up to the desk.
"Can we help you sir?" asked the policeman eyeing Dupe up.
"Yeh, I wanna bail my friends out, Trevanion and Collins! Love birds! I want them out!"
"Sir, really..."
"Can we see them at least?" asked Evan, the man looked at him in annoyance. "I'm their son and this is my granddad."
The officer suddenly changed his tone. "Of course." He smiled, leading the way.
--
"So, this means that if you do anything again, you will not get another caution." The officer was trying to explain to a rather docile, and uninterested Danny and Alice. They had got away with a caution, but both were more interested in each other.
"Cool." Alice replied out of politeness, they were beginning to sign documents when they heard the familiar voices they had longed to hear.
"They not done any bloody wrong! Its that deranged... Danny, Alice!" Shouted Dupe, as he saw them, both stood up and greeted him.
"Listen Dupe... good news..." Danny began, the officer stood back tapping his foot impatiently.
"Hi strangers" Evan smiled walking causally round the corner.
"Evan!!!!" Shouted Danny hugging his son. Alice stood back slightly and smiled feeling awkward, but Evan soon settled her nerves as he hugged her also, as a son would hug his mother.
Danny and Alice signed the documents and collected their things. Both walked out close together, Evan grinned happily, he was pleased for Danny and Alice, they belonged together.
--
They arrived at Leopards Den to a warm greeting by Nomsa, Charlotte and Caroline. Charlotte rushed up to hug her mum... Charlotte had been scared her mum and Danny would get taken to jail, but with plenty of reassurance the thoughts were now out of her mind.
Alice held her close, she couldn't imagine a life without Charlotte, her mind flicked back to her own childhood, how she'd been the same age as Charlotte when her mum had died... she'd never want Charlotte to go through that.
Danny looked at Evan, he'd grown slightly, and his voice had deepened. He stood watching the elephants, Danny gulped he would have to talk to Evan about Alice.
"Listen Evan... I know it must seem weird and sudden, but me and Alice..."
"Danny, It's fine."
"I love her Evan, she picked me up when I was at my lowest." Danny said standing with his son.
"I know, I can tell you both love each other. You're better off without my 'mum'" He emphasised the mum part, as though the thought of her disgusted him, neither he or Danny realised Alice approaching. "Alice and you are meant to be together, she's perfect for you Danny, and you're perfect for her, Danny, you're my dad, yeh, I have a biological father, but he doesn't give two tosses for me... no Danny you're my 'real' dad. And quite frankly, the thought of Alice being my step mother fills me with honour more than anything. She's certainly better than my biological mother... no you two are my real family."
Danny had tears in his eyes, he hugged Evan slowly, only realising a tearful Alice stood behind them. He whispered into Evan's ear, who turned round widening the hug for Alice to join in. As they all pulled away, Danny put his arm around Alice's waist, who smiled happily.
"You really mean that Evan?" asked Alice, wiping away the last tears.
"Yes." He replied before walking off. "And I'm not letting my mum get away with this. I know where she is, I'm gonna tell the police everything. I still have the texts."
Danny and Alice watched as he walked off... Danny turned to face Alice, her blue eyes glistened slightly, he observed her perfect features.
"Mummy, I think I've hurt my lip, will you kiss it better?" Danny teased, putting his arms around Alice's back.
"Let me take a look!" She laughed playing along, Danny put his head closer to Alice's.
"Stop being a wimp!" She grinned cheekily, pulling him closer and crashing her lips against his. Danny responded, a smile stuck to his face throughout.
"I think it'll be much better now, but I think I need to give you a full examination." Alice grinned, her blue eyes flashed with mischief.
"But of course Dr Collins." Danny replied, happily obliging to Alice's shared demands.