Danny was pacing. Back and forth. Back and forth. One hand rested on his head. Worry consuming his body. His breathing heavy. His thoughts growing darker and darker. His heart thudding in his chest. He wanted Alice. He wanted Alice home. Safe. Sound. With him.

He looked across to Lyndon who had fallen asleep, his head on Charlotte's lap who was sat on the sofa. He sighed, Alice would be fine, she wouldn't leave her children, she wouldn't leave him. His mind drifted back to 'the Storm'. He remembered the time he told Dupe just what happened.

'It was quick as lightning, excuse the pun. One minute we were on our way home, cross country granted, the next there was a huge flash. A blinding flash. I heard Alice's high pitched scream. It shot right through me, it was bone chilling, flesh eating, unbearable. I saw flames... I heard Alice say something, then I felt the impact and almost immediately... darkness'

Danny crumpled to the floor, one hand still holding his head, as his salty tears dribbled from his eyes, whose gaze had drifted towards the window.

(x)

Alice and Zoe were walking. Walking, and walking. The tree's appeared to menace them with every step they took. Circling them. The rain beat down upon them. Threatening them. They walked. Further and further but never got anywhere. Suddenly there was a sound.

"What was that?" Alice asked looking round. Zoe swung the torch round. It was dim. It began to flash.

"No!" Zoe shouted as it broke. She threw it on the floor angrily and shot a warning shot.

They continued walking.

"I'm sorry for bringing you out Alice." Zoe said quietly as they walked.

"It's fine." Alice replied, her mind far away.

"No... and I'm sorry for slapping you too." Zoe sighed sadly, "Truth was it scared me."

"I'm sorry too... I suppose it just... felt the same, real." Alice explained, Zoe and Alice wrapped their arms around each other as they walked.

They'd been walking for a long time when they reached a new track. They both exhaled before carrying on. Zoe was thinking about Matt, Alice thinking about Danny. It was for this reason Zoe didn't notice the dead zebra in front of her.

"Ouch!" Zoe moaned as she looked at the cut on her arm. She saw a branch falling. "Alice move!"

Alice moved just in time, the branch just catching her shoulder.

"We best move quick, you ok?" Alice asked helping Zoe up.

"Yeh, yeh." Zoe laughed. "Call me Mrs Indestructible!"

Alice laughed as they continued walking, they weren't far away now.

(x)

Rowan and Vanessa were talking in the animal hospital, hidden at the back behind some boxes. They weren't meant to be down there, but they were.

"I love you Vanessa, I never meant for any of this to happen." Rowan told her.

"I love you Rowan, but how can I trust you?" Vanessa sighed.

"It was stupid, but we can buy Mara back." Rowan smiled.

"What?" Vanessa asked.

"Look, I want to make us work. Please." Rowan begged.

Vanessa looked doubtful, and so he walked forward and kissed her.

(x)

Zoe looked to Alice.

"Alice, I feel like I never have told you how much you mean to me." Zoe said softly.

Alice turned to her.

"Honestly. You mean so much to me, I don't know what I'd do without you. I love you so much Alice. You're not just my sister, you're my best friend." Zoe admitted.

Alice pulled her into a tight hug, they both clung to one another.

"I feel the same way. But you mean a lot to me too Zoe... I can't agree more with what you said. I'm always telling Danny, but I never told you... weird huh? That I can love someone so much yet never tell them just cos they are my sister, best friend... personal torture mechanism!"

"Yeh, I just wanted you to know." Zoe replied.

Alice nodded, she beamed as she saw the top of the Leopards Den house.

"Yes!" Zoe beamed as she began to walk quicker.

(x)

No one knew what to do. Danny was just crumpled on the floor, crying silently. His body shook with the intensity, yet he seemed to be curbing the urge to scream. He looked out the window as he did so, to his wedding ring, then back to the window. Suddenly he froze.

(x)

As Zoe and Alice fought their way through the bush towards Leopards Den, the storm was finally coming to an end. Both were exhausted, emotional, inured. As they got to Leopards Den land. Alice looked up. She began to cry softly as they walked.

"We did it." She whispered. She looked to the house as Zoe nodded and patted her back. Alice gasped as she saw him walking through the main door. She set off into a sprint.

Danny grinned, Alice was back! Safe!

"Alice!" He shouted running to meet her.

"Danny." Alice's voice broke as she said his name. They met in the middle and hugged so tenderly and tightly that Zoe felt shivers up her back. She watched as Danny held her protectively.

"I love you so much Alice, so much." Danny whispered as he cried into her hair. He refused to let her go, he was never letting go of her.

"I love you too, you'll never know how much... I love you." Alice replied. Both were crying into one another. Danny gently took her face into his hands and kissed her with such a softness that Alice had to hold him tightly to stop herself falling.

Zoe finally caught up to them. She was breathless.

"Can I die now?" Zoe asked.

"No, think Matt would like a phone call." Danny laughed.

"Of course!" Zoe nodded. "Radio call though."

"Well yeh." Danny replied. She walked off to radio Matt.

"I was so scared." Alice whispered. "So scared."

"Don't worry Alice, it's over now... the storm, your ordeal." Danny replied. "I was scared too." He admitted.

Alice nodded against his chest.

Zoe ran out.

"Where's Rowan and Vanessa?" Zoe asked.

"In the animal..." Danny stopped.

"I'll go." Zoe said, "You two stay together, you should get inside, you two need to relax and be with each other and your kids."

Danny and Alice nodded thankfully. They stood on the veranda wrapped up in one another, calming down enough to see the family.

Then it happened...

A/N – They got home ok. But what happens?