Chapter 26.

Regan held her hair together in a high pony tail. Turning a little in front of the large mirror in Stevie's bedroom. Her gazed focused on how she would look for the night, letting out a sigh as she wasn't that much delighted with her reflection. 'There's nothing else to do than go to the station first thing Monday morning', she blew out, letting her hands down along her well curved shape, her brown hair falling on her shoulders. Regan turned to look at her friend who just lay on her bed, knees up, hands underneath her head, staring at the ceiling. 'Like we don't have anything better to do than to drive to town to make a statement about some mystery fence cutter', Regan now added.

Stevie's eyes rolled to the side to shortly look at the McLeod, shrugging her shoulders a little. Not much she felt like saying to that.

'Are you gonna get dressed or what?' , Regan asked, her brown eyes big.

'Yeah yeah, keep your shirt on', Stevie mumbled, pressing herself up and guiding her legs over the edge of the right side of her bed. Her hands now propped underneath her upper legs, her face just staring down a little. Here surely wasn't much movement in her now, not much joy to discover for the night ahead.

Regan shook her head, lightly amused; 'come on, scrub up, we need to find ourselves a man remember?' With a wink, Regan saw how Stevie looked up at her, rolling her eyes weakly and a small smirk tugging at her mouth.

'Looking mighty fine my lady', Marcus smirked big time as his eyes fell onto his girlfriend. Her tight jeans and her pinkish revealing top looked perfectly on her. But mostly her bright smile, her eyes shining at him, and her hair in the perfect curls it always held but now tidied up, touched him even more. The background the picture held showed the oddness between old, dusty wood and improvised get togetherness of the Shearer's quarters.

'One thing, you're staying at Killarney tonight', Marcus spoke, now moving closer to circle his arm around her small waist.

'Oh really?', Ingrid said, grinning and glancing at him amused. 'Is that an order?'

He showed a cheeky grin, feeling her even closer; 'you could say that yes'. They looked at each other for a little while, just smiling and still in disbelieve they were together, nothing holding them back any longer. No Paul to make her run away and scared. No doubt on their minds that this is where they belonged; together.

Ingrid now remember a small bit; 'what about Grace tonight?', she suddenly asked,seeing how those words sunk in quickly. His posture changing, his shoulders more loosely handing down, and his gaze wandering around.

'I guess it doesn't help if we go all awkward on her, do you think?', he mumbled.

Ingrid pressed her lips tightly together, nodding. 'Probably yes, so that means I can kiss you when ever I want?', she now changed the subject a little, licking her bottom lip and hanging more back in his arms, as her hands took possession of his broad chest.

'Sounds like a plan', he grinned, half looking at her as he swung his body a little, before settling his eyes entirely onto her. She loved that typical way of him, that grin on his lips and the perfectness in his eyes, pressing herself up on her toes to kiss him gently.

Pleased to get her hand on a bottle of beer, Stevie quickly took in a huge swig. Gulping it down her throat she wondered why she was here. Home with Xander wasn't such a bad option, even with him sleeping, now she stood here in a crowded Gungellan pub. All cheery people around her and even Regan was talking to one of Thompson's farm hand, or at least he vaguely looked like one of them. But she also knew why she didn't want to be at home; Jodi and Matt to look after Xander, and each other. And that … that would be true torture.