A/N sorry this beginning bit was supposed to be on the end of the first chapter but I didn't type it 4 sum reason? Who knows y? x

They were all sat in the kitchen. Chatting amicably. Caroline was telling them about who lived in the house. "We have Nomsa, she is sort of our housekeeper but not. She lives her and cooks but she is family to us. We have Evan, he is my Grandson, he is 18. He is very rarely here usually staying at Tristan's or some girls house!" Caroline said in disgust. "Of course my husband and I live here and usually my granddaughter lives here but she is staying at her mothers house in Jo'burg."

Alice nodded, she went into about what time they usually had breakfast and tea. Alice sipped her juice. The second the bitter liquid hit her tongue she felt her stomach revolt. She spat the juice out and it sprayed onto Danny's shirt.

"Eew Mum!" Lexi said.

"Bathroom ?" she asked quickly.

"2nd door on the left."

"Thanks!" she said and bolted down the corridor and slamming the door.

"My daughter Lisa was like that when she was pregnant with my grandson Evan." Caroline commented.

Dupe shot her a warning glance.

"Alice isn't pregnant. Just sick from flying." he said then walked down the corridor and into the bathroom.

"Hey kids, I'll show you to your rooms huh?" Caroline said.

(X)

Alice leaned over the toilet. This was bad! She should have been better by now! She couldn't have caught malaria they hadn't been here long enough. Plus they had all their injections before they got here.

"Honey." Danny said as he walked into the bathroom.

She was as white as a sheet. She slumped backwards against the bath. She had definitely seen better days.

"I've never been this ill Danny - ever. This is all your fault! Stupid flying holidays. Stupid 12 hours flights." she felt tears well. Oh god she was crying now as if being sick wasn't enough!

He sat beside her and pulled her into his embrace. "I'm sorry honey." he pressed a kiss to her hair.

"No Danny ignore me! I'm sorry this isn't your fault . I'm just feeling sorry for myself. I hate being ill!"

He kissed her and she could taste the faint taste of juice on his lips.

"Oh No!" she whispered and felt the urge again. She leaned over and the moment passed. Thankfully she wasn't sick again.

He removed the hair from her forehead. It was stuck there with perspiration. "Aw honey you are ill aren't you?" he murmured.

"I swear to you Danny, I'm dying!"

He tested her forehead with the back of his hand. She was a little hot. "Your going straight to bed!"

She looked up at him and smiled.

"Alone darling."

He stood her up and she felt a rush of blood to her head and she wobbled. "Wow head rush!" she murmured. Caroline saw them as they left the bathroom.

"You ok?" she asked.

Alice nodded weakly.

"This one is your room. And those there are your kids room."

"They don't have to share do they?" Danny asked. "We'd prefer that they had separate rooms if possible."

"Ethan and Lexi will have their own rooms. Your daughter will be in my granddaughters Liv's room. And Evan will be in with Ethan if you don't mind. It will only be till the guest hut is repaired."

"Thanks we appreciate that!"

He then took Alice to their room and smelled fresh clean linen.

(X)

A few days passed. They had a great time. Whatever illness had plagued Alice had now left in a rush. It was speeding towards the 22nd of July. Alice had been subtly dropping hints about their anniversary. He was pretending to ignore them. It annoyed her. She was so cute when she was annoyed! He was so excited about what he had planned. The setting, the soppy music. Only close family invited. A lovely area Caroline had agreed to decorate. She'd drawn him a little diagram and he had to say it was going to look better than he had imagined it!

They had been busy this week. They had been tracking, and shopping to Jo'burg and had fun time together as a family. They were going on a game drive today. They were sat. Danny noticed a cheetah on the floor unmoving.

"Stop the van! He yelled then pointed to the cheetah to Alice.

"No way! A unconscious wild animal is a dangerous wild animal. I'm not letting visitors near it. Caroline would string me up!"

"I'm a vet. We both are!"

Dupe raised his eyebrows. Then grabbed the vet box from under the seat. Handed it to Alice. "Tranq the animal then." Dupe told Danny.

"I've never had to shoot an animal before." Danny admitted.

Dupe rolled his eyes and shot it in the rump.

Danny grabbed the box from Alice and they ran over. "Kids stay in the truck!" Danny said.

Dupe stayed by them gun raised.

"She's not breathing…" Alice started.

"But clearly pregnant." Danny finished for her.

They both pulled gloves on.

"We've lost the mother…." Danny said.

"But we can save the cub." Alice finished. "We'll have to work fast. We have no idea how long she'd been like this!"

They worked on the cheetah together. Alice handed Danny a scalpel. "Quick and messy." he said. "We need to get the baby out!" he sliced into her stomach and uterus. Alice held her open while Danny popped her amniotic sac and lifted the cub out. He rubbed the cub vigorously. Then shook it in the air it started breathing and mewling softly.

"You did it." she said and smiled.

Danny pulled his shirt off and wrapped it around the cub.

They walked back to the van.

"We lost the mother, nothing we could do. But this little lady has got a fighting chance!" Dupe was dealing with the mothers carcass. Alice was gutted they couldn't save her but that was life, and death obviously.

Ethan and Lexi had watched them in awe. They had this thing where they either finished the others sentence or this unspoken communication. All Danny had to do was hols put his hand and Alice was handing him what he needed.

"That was so cool!" Ethan murmured.

Alice held the cub tightly. She was worried her heartbeat was weak.

They were quickly back at home. They walked into a well stocked hospital. Danny was walking around looking for formula. He made up the cubs meal and went to take the cub.

"I'll feed her. It's not often I get to feed babies." she said softly.

He handed her the bottle. "Hey baby, this will have to do ok. Momma can't help you so you'll just have to do with me huh." she crooned.

Danny watched her. He'd never seen her with a baby before. She was obviously a natural, with babies of any species. Everything they'd never have swept through him.

"I'll ask Dupe if we can have a box. I'm sure he won't mind if she stays with us until his vet comes back they obviously have one. A hospital this well stocked has to have a vet!"

"Do you think we should name her?" Alice asked. "A little beauty like her needs a name!"

"Dunno." He replied. "We could christen her till Dupe decides on a name." Danny said. "How about Jana?"

Alice smiled. "Are you a Jana sweetie?" Alice asked the cub. "I think she is!"

Alice completed feeding duty. She was like a mother hen clucking over the baby constantly.

(X)

Danny was sat on the veranda with dupe.

"You've got a well stocked hospital." Danny mentioned.

"Yeah. Anything you need from there just take it. You know how to use it more than I do!" Dupe said and took a drink firm his bottle.

"Won't your vet be a bit peeved to come back and find half of his stock gone?"

"We lost our vet. He hated the fact that this place was so secluded. He longed for female companionship. This place being in the middle of no where was no good for that. He started making eyes at Liv. I threatened to shoot him if he went anywhere near her!"

"Liv?"

"Caroline's granddaughter." he looked around. "She's back with her mum in Jo'burg but she's a waste of space! We didn't want to send her back there but Liv insisted. Her mother is a druggie who only cares about her next fix. Liv will come back mixed up and angry that her mother had let her down again." Dupe whispered.

"So you got another vet lined up? For Jana I mean."

Dupe shrugged. "We're not gonna need one soon."

"What you gonna do about the cub then. When we're gone?"

"Suppose we'll send her over to Mara. They'll be able to look after her."

Dupe looked around again. "Everything will be ready for your ceremony tomorrow. The guest hut is practically ready too so you can move in there if you want."

"Actually we have family arriving, although Alice doesn't know. My 2 sisters and brother in law with 2 newborn baby girls and my mother in law too with her husband. You got the room to accommodate them?"

"Certainly." Dupe said. "Although you and your family will have to continue staying in the house. The suits and dresses are hanging in the closet in your daughters room."

"Thank you."

(X)

Lexi knocked on the door to Ethan's room. He was sat listening to his Ipod. His head nodding, he was mouthing the words.

"Hey can I come in?" Lexi asked.

"Sure Lex."

"Thanks."

"Are you ok Lex, you look terrible!"

"To be honest no I feel ill. Really ill. Just tired and sick you know."

"Aw you be ok soon Lex. It's probably just the remnants of jet lag or something. It sounds like the same thing your mum had and she was fine after a day or two."

"Yeah Eth but she had flight sickness. We haven't been on a flight for more than a week!"

"Maybe it's something you ate?" he suggested.

"Don't let Nomsa hear that she'll refuse to feed you!"

"Yeah keep that quiet, her cooking is really nice!" Ethan said smiling.

"To be honest I started feeling like this a few weeks ago. I get better on some days but other days I feel really ill with it!"

"You told your mum and dad?"

"Aw Eth, they've had enough to worry about without me adding stuff to it. I mean this is probably something all teenagers go through. If it doesn't go away when we're back in Bristol. I'll talk to them then. I don't wanna ruin their holiday. Anyway what you listening to?"

"Need you ask?"

"Do you own any other music?"

"Yes but I chose not to listen to it!"

Lexi laughed. "Gimmie a headphone."

"No way!"

"Hey share!" she teased. He shook his head playfully.

She dived for it but he evaded.

"Ethan!" she said.

"You've got ya own Ipod!"

"But the battery is dead!" she dived again.

He grabbed his pillow and hit her with it.

She shrieked. "Arghh!"

She rolled off the bed, grabbed the pillow off the bed. "Surrender Eth or I will have to use this."

"Never!"

She jumped back on his bed and rained him with blows. He dodged and tried to hit her too. They were both laughing like kids as they did so. The door suddenly opened and Evan walked in. Tristan stood at the bedroom door. She turned and froze at the sight of him. He smiled at her slightly. She was kneeling on the bed with the pillow held high about to go in for the kill with Ethan. Before she knew it Ethan gave her a blow right to the face and she fell backwards onto the bed spluttering.

"Can I have my pillow back when your done?" Evan asked smiling.

She nodded although her eyes never left Tristan. She was lying on the bed. Looking at him with an unblinking stare.

Evan went in his drawer pulled out what he needed stuffed them in his pockets.

"Enjoy your pillow fight children." he drawled then left again.

As soon as the door closed Lexi exhaled the breath she'd been holding.

Ethan laughed warmly.

"What?" Lexi asked head popping up.

"You!"

"I swear if he is within any distance of you, you turn into a mindless idiot!"

"Do not!" Lexi said.

"Lex I nailed you in the face as you were about to win! Just coz he walked in the room!"

"Am I really that obvious?"

"Only to a blind person!"

"It's not Evan you know. It's his friend Tristan. But I suppose he is cute too." Lexi then groaned. "He's just so handsome!"

Ethan rolled his eyes.

"Are you ok with all this?"

"What you liking someone else?" Ethan smiled. "I'm fine. I do love you but you're my best friend. I'd never felt love from a girlfriend before. Or a best friend either. I figured what we had was a best friend love." although at times he wasn't too sure.

Lexi felt a surge of annoyance at the fact that he wasn't bothered she like someone else. She then brushed it off. She didn't want him to care like that. They were best friends. She didn't care about him in a romantic way did she?

"But you, when we kissed in your room. We both you know….sorta lost it."

"Well of course I did. Of course I….responded. You were half naked lying under me. I'm a 15 year old boy and your flipping gorgeous. I'd have to have been gay if I didn't respond. I would have been seriously worried if I hadn't! plus you responded to me too." he smiled cockily.

She blushed scarlet. "Doesn't matter anyway. He doesn't even know I'm alive. We'll be gone in less than a week. Still wouldn't mind planting a smacker on him!"

Ethan was sure that this Tristan had noticed her. I the look on his face was any indication. "Well why not just do it? We're only here for another week like you say so if he goes mad you won't have to deal with it long!"

He saw the considering look on her face. "Whoa Lexi I was joking!"

"I would have to make sure it doesn't get back to my parents!" she murmured. "But then again I could just deny everything!" she murmured.

"Earth to Lexi, I was joking!"

She felt a wave of fatigue hit her. She yawned.

"I think I'll go get 40 winks. See ya Eth!"

"Don't bother chasing him Lex I was joking!"

She shrugged and left the room. She then walked into her room and was asleep instantly.

A/N im getting straight into it with this story 2, setting the scene already. thats all im gonna say :)

hope u enjoyed and review please x