Alices POV
We'd had yet another hard talk with the girls. They were obviously upset, heartbroken more the word, we all were, but me and Danny had to stay strong, everyone was falling to pieces, but we couldn't do that. It was up to us, as per usual to keep everyone going.
We're beginning to scrape bits of money together, but the amount he wants is ridiculous, Danny is currently scraping every last penny he can but it's not working, I look across to him from where I'm feeding a leopard cub. As I place the leopard cub back in its cage, and walk to Danny, I heard the door open to the animal hospital. I looked up and watched the door as I sat beside Danny… Rowan and Vanessa.
"Hey!" Rowan shouted cheerily. "Good afternoon."
"Matter of opinion." I sighed, looking over Danny's shoulder at his adding up, he shook his head and I patted his shoulder. The wedding would have to go.
"Is everything okay?" Vanessa enquired, "What's happening?"
"Yeh, what's up, the atmosphere here is like stagnant water." Rowan added.
"Sit down, you'll need to." Danny said quietly.
Rowan and Vanessa warily sat down on the hay bales opposite us.
"Leopards Den is at risk." I started. "In a game of poker, Dupe managed to lose his share to a nasty piece of work. We're trying to scrape money together but there's no chance, the weddings gonna have to be cancelled and everything."
"No way, I'm sorry." Rowan muttered, I realised he was struggling to find the words to speak. I mean what do you say when someone tells you that?
"Well, we'll help any way we can, we don't have much to give, but we can't allow this to happen, your not just neighbours, you're family to us, times are hard for us all, but Mara could give seventy thousand rand? Its not much, but its better than nothing, god we gave Buruti sixty thousand to do one!"
"We can't…" Danny began but Rowan cut him off.
"We insist." He smiled.
"Thank you." I grinned hugging Vanessa and Rowan, Danny nodded too, he had his hands full.
"We're off up to the house." Rowan grinned, Danny and I watched them walk off.
"That was nice of them." Danny admitted when they were gone, I walked back over to him and sat on his knee.
"Yeh, still, not enough?" I mumbled, hoping my mental maths was wrong.
"Nope." Danny sighed. "Alice, no matter what we do, it's gonna take a miracle."
I wrapped my arms around his neck and clung to him, his arms held me to him.
"What are we going to do?" I sighed sadly.
"We're gonna start plan B and… dig our heels in. We can't give this place up just like that!" He exclaimed.
"No we can't." I agreed. "Maybe we should check on Charlie and Liv."
"Yeh, good idea." Danny smiled, he kissed my cheek lovingly as we went to stand up, but I stopped.
"Come on!" Danny shouted teasingly.
"Not until I get a proper kiss." I smirked.
"and what is the definition of that?" Danny laughed cheekily.
"Oh there aren't words Danny." I murmured as I took his face into my hands and kissed him fiercely.
He responded happily, God every problem floated away, like a million butterflies, floating up, up and away… One kiss from Danny made everything okay.
"I think I know now." Danny calmly whispered, I giggled as I took his hand and walked back up to Leopards Den.
We walked in to find Charlotte and Olivia sat at the table, glancing at a magazine, they were both giggling, neither of them had realised Danny and I had come in, we smirked at each other and slowly crept up behind them. We crossed our arms and raised our eyebrows as we observed a topless picture of Taylor Lautner… hmm they did have some taste I suppose.
Danny uncrossed his arms, barely containing his laughter, we both held our arms at the ready, Danny mouthed, 1,2,3... Their screams shattered the silence as Danny and I began to laugh hysterically.
"MUM!" Charlotte yelled, but Danny and I were crying this point as they began to launch into stress mode.
"Sorry! But it had to be done!" Danny chuckled, clutching his side.
"Although.." I mumbled picking up the magazine. "He is rather fit."
"Isn't he just?" Olivia sighed dreamily.
"Hey!" Danny interrupted.
"Well It's not like you have a body like that Danny. I mean smart six pack!" Olivia mocked, I smirked, oh if only she knew! Olivia obviously picked up on the way I was looking at Danny and the smirk I had on my face. "No way!" She exclaimed.
Danny just winked. I bit my lip.
"Yeh, he's been dreaming again." I giggled. "No actually last …"
"Mum… we really don't want to know." Charlotte interrupted.
I raised my eyebrows, I thought Charlie was sweet and innocent - hmm maybe not, she is growing up I suppose.
"Anyway, are you two okay?" Danny asked, saving me from the awkward situation.
"Yeh." Olivia smiled, Danny and I nodded before walking off.
Danny and I walked to our room and sat down, we weren't really doing anything, just sitting there when we heard Caroline's raised voice and the ploddy patter of Dupe's boots.
"I know! I'm sorry!" We heard Dupe mumble.
"Yeh, well sorry isn't good enough is it Anders! Look, you've upset everyone, why can't you think about other people instead of your ego?"
"I didn't mean to!"
"No you never do!"
"What more can I say than im sorry and what more can I do than try and get it back?"
"I don't know, think of something Anders! Because Danny and Alice do not deserve their happiness ruining by your stupidity. It's not fair, no one deserves their happiness destroying." She chided, we heard her walk off and Dupe plonk himself down heavily.
I look up at Danny, he wrapped an arm around me.
"It's not getting any better Danny, it only gets worse." I sighed sadly.
"I know." Danny mumbled. "But we'll make it through."
"I hope so." I murmured into his chest. His gentle hands stroked my hair soothingly.
"So do I." He whispered, as we both clung to each other, desperately hoping, things would get alright somehow.
