Danny's POV

I smiled as I watched Alice brush her hair. We'd both woken up pretty early and as usual we'd decided to get up. The quicker we got our jobs done, the quicker we got out on our calls, the quicker we got home and the quicker we finished.

Alice pulled her hair back into a plait, and pushed the white headband she'd worn when we'd first got together into it. Most people would probably think, ah shes done, but I knew better of course. It was time for Alice's daily application of her minimal amount of make up. The foundation was lightly applied and her mascara only coated her eyelashes enough to compliment her gorgeous blue eyes, her liquid eyeliner (Alice had used it since she stabbed herself in the eye with her pencil) only used minimally.

"Done?" I asked as she applied her last bit of lip gloss, although Alice says its preservative or something like that? I dunno.

"Yep." Alice replied, she stood up and smiled at me. "Come on DT."

"Okay, AC." I replied.

"Killed it." Alice said seriously.

"Nah lass." I replied in my best chav accent.

"Yer face innit." Alice's chav accent was hilarious.

"Mint cos I is a legend yeh?" I replied, we both burst out into laughter as we walked through into the kitchen.

"Can you be any louder? And why were you taking in that scumbag language?" Liv asked looking up from her bowl of cereal. Nomsa and Caroline were busy with breakfast and everyone seemed pretty happy today.

"Yeh, we can…" I replied sarcastically. "Oh and as for chav language, I don't actually know."

"Kids!" Liv laughed as Alice and I walked down to the animal hospital.

Liv's POV

I was waiting for Dupe. We had a plan, today we were going to sneak around Vern's place and see what we could find. We've got Fatani onside down at the bar, where his men drink from time to time, and Harry is helping us too.

Dupe finally emerged, I glared at him, he'd promised to wake up early! As he scoffed his breakfast I stood up.

"Dupe and I are off out." I shouted, Caroline nodded and everyone else couldn't care less.

"Right Dupe we have to find something to blackmail him with!" I said, as he started the Jeep.

"I know, we'll park Jeep on our land and walk on foot to his." He replied, I agreed.

"Where you two going?" I heard Danny's gentle voice rip through the fresh air. He had Alice's hand embedded in his, and her head was resting precariously on his shoulder.

"Just on a drive, check the fences, etcetera! Bored so may as well." I shouted quickly.

"Okay." Alice smiled as Danny and Alice jumped in their Jeep. Alice had thrown her vet bag in the back of the Jeep and Danny had some sort of box with him.

Phew - we'd got away with it… but how long could we keep this act up? We'd have to tell them eventually surely?

Alice's POV

I'm not going to pretend we're all fine. Danny and I are pretending we are fine, for the sake of everyone. If we break… who will keep this place afloat? Caroline is upset, her and Dupe are really drifting apart, Danny's even noticed it… and he never notices stuff like that. Nomsa is obviously upset, after all what would it mean for her if we lost this place? Liv is upset, although she's pretending she's not… she's thrown herself in family mode, but Danny wants a word with her… we had a phone call of her school, and it seems she's putting so much into this family she's hindering her school work, and in this day and age, you need school to get anywhere.

I looked at Danny, we'd just finished vaccinating a huge cattle farm… I sighed, if we lost the hospital what would we do. That's when a thought struck me… Sarah's grave.

Her grave, I knew was on Leopards Den land… which meant… Danny would lose that… as would Liv. Some people might be glad of this in my position, but hey, I don't doubt Danny's love for me… and afterall, he once loved Sarah. Sometimes it hurts to think that he could still love her, that maybe I'm just his replacement, or that he loved her more, but I know none of this is relevant, and it's only the bitter jealously and selfishness of the human nature. But either way, I'd have to take the risk, I'd have to talk to Danny about it, as I realised, he'd not even told Evan or Rosie about our current problems. Was he truly so serious and so confident in getting this place back? Either way, we had to talk about it…

Danny's POV

Alice seemed lost in thought as we clambered out the Jeep.

"Hey Dilly daydream, come on!" I laughed nudging her gently.

She giggled - forced giggles.

"Danny." Her Scottish burr had a softness to it. "We need to talk."

"Is everything okay Alice?" I asked, worried.

"Yeh… well… let's just get in our room?" She mumbled as she grabbed my hand, leading me up, usually I'd make some cheeky or seductive comment at that, but today I just knew to shut my mouth and follow.

Alice sat us both down on the bed… this had become a habit.

"Danny, I know how much this place means to you… and I know you want to save it… but well…" Alice paused, the look in her eyes told me that she was going to say something which could upset me, I took both her hands. "Danny… I think we should tell Evan and Rosie… especially Evan."

"Why?" I asked in confusion, we'd save it, and what would it matter, and why Evan more than anyone.

"Danny, I… Danny I know Sarah's resting place is on Leopards Den land." Oh my god! I hadn't even realised, what sort of man does that make me… I looked down sheepishly… how the hell could I forget.

"Danny?" Alice asked looking into my eyes. "I'm sorry." She whispered, I didn't understand at first until I felt a tear roll down my cheek… but as harsh as it was, these were not tears over Sarah, they were the tears of how heartless I'd been.

"No, no Alice it's not you… or Sarah… Alice… how could I forget? How could I not even think about that? How heartless does that make me?" I cried. "I feel so bad… God, you must think I'm a real idiot and cruel bastard."

"Danny…" Alice tried to intervene.

"Alice, I didn't even think… I've never even thought about you know, Sarah's grave, I've never even considered it. No wonder Liv is so upset, no wonder you want me to tell Evan, Rosie. Alice, how could I forget that." I cried, my words were slurring, I just could not think what to say, as the tears ran free. My head fell into my hands, in an instant I felt Alice's strong little arms wrap around me, as she pressed a kiss into the side of my head, I leant into her slightly, before turning and burying my head in her shoulder as my tears flowed onto her skin.

"Shh Danny…" She soothed. "It doesn't make you heartless… you've had your hands full and a lot on your mind… and Danny maybe it means you have some closure. I know it sounds terrible Danny." She paused. "The truth hurts Danny, but a lies worse. At least your man enough to admit you hadn't realised… and that's why I love you Danny… you're a real man, only a real man shows their emotions." She paused, her own voice was choking up.

"But I feel terrible Alice…" I mumbled.

"I know, I know." She quietly whispered, her hand stroking the back of my head gently.

"Alice…" I murmured.

"Yes?" She asked, I sat up and looked into her eyes.

"Thank you, I love you so much…you know what you're right, you always are, and that's why I love you. Alice… I know it might sound terrible in some ways but great in others, but I can't kid myself I loved Sarah the way I love you. Alice, I've never felt anything this deep before, you mesmerise me… Alice you're my soul mate and I love you, more than anyone in this world."

She hugged me tightly, I could feel the shoulder of my shirt dampening… after a few minutes, Alice sat up, her beautiful blue eyes gazed into my green ones.

"I love you too." Her voice was hoarse. "And no matter what I'm always here okay?" She took my hands and placed them between us. "Because, I never have and never will love anyone as much as I love you DT…and… you're my soul mate… I respect you for your honesty Danny… and you mean the world to me. More than the world."

I smiled at her, before taking her face into my hands and kissing her passionately and tenderly. Her hands remained fixed on my knees, squeezing them gently before running her hands down my upper leg. As we pulled away I couldn't help but grin… I was the luckiest man on Earth to have Alice. No one else would ever have listened to that, but Alice understood me. She understood every little part of me, even the parts no one else would ever muster up. Even when I was down, she somehow rises me up, it's like she has a magic spell over me… yeh, that's right, a magic spell - love.