“Leaving so soon?” She asked, a huge grin on her face as both the women emerged, looking rather more dusty than before. Bette jumped violently, just noticing Tess.
“We would’ve been quicker, but your bloody door wouldn’t open!” Bette replied, grumpy, as she swatted age old cobwebs from her usually neat and clean hair.
“You’ll never get back to town by dark, you’ll get lost, at least stay tonight, then head back tommorow” Tess replied, ignoring Bette’s annoyed tone, and looking their travel worn clothes up and down. “You can have a shower, clean yourselves up”
“Tess is it?, Tina and I will be fine” Bette replied, still shaking the remnants of dust from her clothes.
“At least have dinner..”

As the night faded into day, Bette and Tina slowly met the whole Drovers crew, Meg and Becky, Roy the farm dog and of course Claire’s precious horses. As it neared to dinner time, Meg sheperded them inside for more apricot chicken, as they sat down, there came a bang through the house. Both Bette and Tina looked worried, but the rest of them continued eating without noticing. Claire only looked up when Alex and Nick came through the door, a couple of dozens of VB with them.
“Getting lonely in the bachelor pad?” Claire joked, flashing a smile at Alex, who grunted, picking up a plate and serving himself from the table.
“No food!” Alex moaned, planting himself between Bette and Tina at the table, while Tess made Nick a space at the table, the more conservative of the Ryan brothers waiting to be asked to dinner, unlike Alex who just made himself at home.

“Who are you?” Alex asked, through mouthfulls of Megs famous apricot chicken.
“Bette Porter” Bette answered, moving away from him ever so slightly. Alex raised one eyebrow to Claire who shrugged, adding more sauce to her meal.
“Who are you then?” Alex turned to Tina, who gave him an incredulous look.
“Tina Kennard” She replied.

As the light faded from the backs of the farm, and the full moon rose, everyone moved out onto the veranda, drinking VB and generally having a good time. One by one, the crowd crept inside, until there was only Bette and Tina standing down one end, their hands discretly clasped together, and Claire and Alex talking intimately down the other.

Bette smiled, turning Tina and taking both her hands.
“Its beautiful here, so peaceful” Tina commented. As she remarked this, what seemed like a cockatoo civil war sprung up in one of the trees marking the boundary of the driveway.
“Real peaceful T” Bette joked back, before her face relaxed.
She led Tina off the veranda, and through the cattle yards, out under the windmill. Bette gently pulled Tina into her arms, beginning a slow and passionate dance, in the moonlight, under the stars.

Both Claire and Alex were watching them, a comfortable silence between them.
“I wish I could find love like that” Claire commented, smiling to herself.
“Maybe you have Claire, you just don’t know it yet” Alex replied, squeezing her hand gently.