Disclaimer: Still working on owning All Saints…

A/N: Thanks everyone for the super-fast and super-positive feedback. In return, here’s a super-fast and super-positive update! (The positive comes from the ridiculously large grin on my face caused by all the awesome reviews!) Sorry if the chapter is a bit slow, just setting the scene for now. Action will start soon! Yay!

Clean

Part 1: Home Sweet Hole

“It’s a fixer-upperer.”

Gabrielle Jagger gave her partner an incredulous look. “It’s not a fixer-upperer, it’s a knocker-downerer.”

Steve Taylor sighed, ignoring the little girl who sat on his back that was now prodding him in the jaw stating ‘daddy’ every time she did so. “Okay, so it’s not perfect, but it has potential. Great location, close to the farm, easy access for choppers and stuff.”

“You’re just waiting for the day when Jo, Mike and the rest of the MRU come to visit aren’t you?” Gabrielle teased with a small smile.

Steve shrugged, causing the little girl to bounce and shriek with delight, unaware the move hadn’t been intentional. Were it not for the prodding and the legs held in his grasp, Steve would’ve forgotten about the girl on his back, too caught up in his plans of grandeur for the once-beautiful but now derelict country home. “It’s all about preparation.” His usually gruff voice lifted a little as he motioned back to the house with just a tinge of pride. “And thankfully I always come prepared.”

“And that means you pulled in three or four local youth to help you fix this place up by hand,” Steve tried not to look like he’d just been sprung. “You forget; I speak ‘Steve Taylor’.” Gabrielle shook her head. “When you talked about setting up your own country general practice I just assumed you meant taking over the ownership of one of the already established ones just outside town, not taking one that closed 20 years ago and giving it a facelift.”

“You said we needed one nearby, didn’t you?” Steve asked, knowing full well what the answer was. It was true. The town near the Jagger family farm with it’s population of little more than 1,000, including the owners of the nearby farms, did lack a practice. The nearest was a good 20kms away and with the main road out of town often blocked by flood waters, access wasn’t always a possibility. It was why when Gabrielle’s brother had got his hand caught in machinery and when her father had suffered a heart attack it was up to the MRU and chopper access to get them out. Gabrielle sighed at the memory of her father. It had been years but she still missed him every day. Looking at her daughter didn’t help. Ebony Louise Taylor had been conceived the night her father had died and the little girl had her grandfather’s shiny blue eyes. Gabby often wondered what he’d think of Ebony. Probably a mix of love and hate. Loved her because she was Gabby’s. Hated her because she was every inch her father, prone to mischief and back-talking that you wouldn’t expect from a 3-year-old girl. Steve called her his ‘little madam’ and she was a daddy’s girl through and through. Steve’s somewhat smug tone broke Gabrielle’s thoughts. “I’m right, aren’t I?”

“Alright, alright, you’re right, for once.” He failed to hide a smile. “Don’t congratulate yourself yet Dr. Hero, this place still looks like it was just run over by a herd of bull.”

“Give me a month.” Gabrielle raised an eyebrow with scepticism. “No, I’m serious, give me a month and it will be ready for patients.”

“Okay, fine.” Gabrielle lifted Ebony off Steve’s back and set her to the ground, taking the child’s hand. “Just make sure you stock up on tetanus shots because any poor soul going in there for treatment is sure to need it.” She led her daughter back to the car, leaving Steve to return his gaze to the old house, visions clouding his reality. Gabrielle just shook her head, hoping it would work but at the same time being overwhelmed by doubt.

*

Ebony was well into her second plate of chips smothered in tomato sauce when Steve got home that night, passing Ben in the hallway as Gabby’s brother headed back out to the barn where he slept. He’d moved there when Gabby, Steve and Ebony had moved back to the farm. He’d assured them he wasn’t feeling driven out; he just didn’t want to cramp their space. Plus, he said, the barn was warmer than his lofty bedroom anyway. Despite some protests, Ben won and moved into the barn, and Ebony got her own room. It wasn’t ‘lofty’ at all, but Gabby let Ben stay out there anyway. Steve took a seat next to his daughter and stole a chip off her plate as he assessed the small bandage on his thumb. “War wound?” Gabby teased when she saw it.

He frowned. “Actually disbeliever, we finished the waiting room this afternoon. I mean, it needs to be painted and furnished, but it’s built. Sturdy too.”

“If you say so.” Gabby just smiled as she pulled a plate of food from the oven and set it before him. “So how long till it’s up and running then?”

“The way we’re going, we could be looking at less than a fortnight.”

“Wow,” she failed to hide her unconvinced tone. “That’ll be great.”

Steve just frowned over a fork-full of broccoli. “Must you mock me in front of my daughter?” Ebony giggled as she realised she was being spoken about. “She’ll think I’m some sort of empty promiser.”

“That’s because you are. You ‘promiser’-ed me a loaf of bread and Ebony’s milk formula from the store.” Steve’s head sunk. “Yeah, see,” she crouched in front of Ebony and the little girl smiled. “Daddy has the memory of a walnut.”

Ebony giggled and held her hand out to her father. “Poor daddy is a walnut.” Steve frowned at Gabby who just smiled.

“Alright little walnut,” Gabby took Ebony’s hand. “Let’s let daddy finish his dinner.” She led the child from the kitchen but returned five minutes later alone.

“Must you?” Steve muttered.

Gabrielle smiled and took a seat. “You really think anything I say will ever damage her opinion of you? You’re a bit of a hero.” Steve just shrugged. “Okay, I’ll stop, but really, you think this will be up in a fortnight?”

Steve nodded. “I think this will be done in a fortnight.”

Gabrielle smiled. “Good.” Steve gave a blank look before Gabby turned and pulled from a drawer a list of names. “24, the number of people around town who have already committed to changing their long-term health cover to you. Let’s just say Ebony can be very persuasive when she wants to be.”

“Did you do this this afternoon?” Steve smiled, motioning with his knife.

Gabby shrugged. “I had to do something while you were off saving the world, one country practice at a time.” Leaving the names in front of him, she started back to their daughter. Steve just read the names with a smile.