"Liz Burch had a role in Water Rats as Gillian, the girlfriend of the lesbian police woman Helen Blakemore. This is a try to write the two series together with help of Chris. But I had to make Chris a bisexual. This story is in the 1999 and it is about her "way back" to Coopers Crossing. "
CHRIS- (The Flying Doctors and Water Rats together.)
Chris sat on the bus on it's way to Coopers Crossing, she was asleep. Dreaming about her life with Tom before he left for Africa, she also dreamed about her newer life together with the female policedetective Helen Blakemore.
The scene of their good bye was played over and over again in her dream.
"It all started with Chris calling her Tom for the hundred of times. Helen didn't like it at all and said that this is it!! They have to separate. Chris didn't knew what to say, she couldn't hold her tears back. She didn't know if she had ever loved Helen or if she had just needed someone who could take care of her. Helen was strong and a bit like a mother for Chris even if she was in the same age. But Chris missed her friends in Coopers Crossing, yes everything there and most of all she missed Tom. She thought that she will love him forever, whatever happened- she would still love him.
She falled into Helens arms and cry, I don't wanna leave you, Helen she said. I could never do that, you've done so much for me.
Helen said: Well, I really love you Chris and I want you to be happy. I can see that you're not, you still love Tom and all your friends in Coopers Crossing. You have to go back, even if Tom is still in Africa, you have to see if you could be happy in CC and if you wouldn't you can always come back to me. I can't live with the knowledge that you're not happy.
I bought a bus ticket for tomorrow, so you have to pack your things and prepare everything for tomorrow.
Chris said, but I don't know if I do the right thing if I leave you, it would be so selfish- to not think about you at all, Helen.
Helen answered: Think that you do this for my sake, I want you to be happy. It's not selfish, you can't live here your hole life with the knowledge that you always miss someone and a part of yourself. That's not right for even you or me, both of us disserve something better.
Chris had packed her things that evening and she dreamed about Coopers Crossing the hole night. Helen law besides her, with her arms around Chris. Tears were falling from Helen's eyes, had she done the right thing? Oh, god, I will miss her so much she thought.
Next morning they ate breakfast under silence. Helen looked great with her police uniform, Chris thought.
Suddenly Helen said: I have to go now, can you make it to the bus with your bags all by your self, Chris?
Chris: - No problems.
They walked to the door. Helen looked into Chris eyes and said: I guess this is goodbye.
Chris: Yea, I guess so, but remember that I love you and maybe I will come back. Anyway I' send you a mail if I can find a computer out there in the outback…
They kissed and hugged each other for a long time, their tears were falling. After a while Helen walked away to her job. Chris walked in to their bed room and took herself a last look at it. It was great, yellow walls and over the bed she could se two photos hanging on the wall. Both of them were pictures of her and Helen. Chris took down one of them and wrote a letter there she explained her love for Helen and why she took the picture. She also left one of her teddy bears on the bed. She knew how terrible this was for Helen, Tom had done the same with her, twice!!"
Suddenly Chris woke up with tears in her eyes, was this the right thing to do? What if everyone in CC found out everything about her life with another woman in Sidney and that that she lived with a false name so they shouldn't find her. I will probably tell Kate and maybe Tom about it, I could never live with a that kind of big secret she thought.
Suddenly the bus-driver said out loudly - next stop is Coopers Crossing.
Chris took herself together, picked up her luggage and stood up. The bus stopped and she walked of. She hadn't told anyone that she would return and it was over 5 years since she left CC. Her bags were really heavy and the sun was hot. She didn't knew where to go first, the pub, her old house or the hospital.
She finally choose the hospital.
She opened the door and carried her bags into the well known hospital, she recognized the smell of her old work. No one was there, she put her bags down and started to walk around in the hospital, trying to find someone. After a while she heard some footsteps and stayed to listen. She could swear that it was Kate, she had learned to recognize the sound of Kate's footsteps when they lived together many years ago.
Some seconds later Kate came around the corner and she stopped. Chris thought that Kate would faint or something like that, she had never seen her so surprised before.
Kate stopped hugging Chris and instead she looked at her and said that she looked grate, the same to you said Chris.
The same evening Chris walked home to Kate and Geoff's house, she knew that he wasn't at home. He, Guy and Jackie was out on a farm and wouldn't come home until the next day.
Kate had made a really great dinner and said welcome to Chris. The dinner tasted nice and Chris took a deep breath and told a quite Kate the hole story. Kate didn't knew what to say or think but understanding as she was, she just listened.
When they had eat up all the food, they sat down in the sofa and Chris kept telling her story to Kate.
The end of the story she told Kate:
She was to good for me and I let her down for a man who's probably in Africa and doesn't miss me at all.
You probably just love Helen as a friend but she's in love with you.
(Chris started to cry and couldn't stop)
did I make the right thing? wasn't it very selfish?
(Kate put her arms around her and)
Kate, Chris and Penny was pregnant at the same time, but Chris lost her baby and Tom took it very hard. He couldn't stay with Chris so he went back to Africa again and Chris left.
Chris talked and cried for another hour and Kate hugged her. Kate really felt sorry for her, she knew how much Chris wanted that baby and she also knew that Tom now had left her twice for Africa and they had been there together one time. Chris have really had a hard time she thought, especially in Sidney all alone before she met Helen. Kate thought that even if she didn't felt for a that kind of relation with another female so was Chris together with Helen in Sidney a much better thought than Chris all alone in Sidney. And if Chris liked and missed her what matter does it make if it's a girl? And most important now was to comfort and support Chris no matter what. And then to make her and Tom a couple again, she knew that both of them had missed each other.
When Chris had calmed down a bit they decided to not tell anyone that Chris was back. Kate should make a big welcome party for Chris and tell anyone that it was just a party and invite them all, the big surprise should be Chris. Especially for Tom.
Chris said that she liked the idea and they decided it.
Chris was tired and fell asleep at once she lay down in the bed, Kate didn't. She law awake thinking about Chris story, pretty amazing- she could never had guessed that about Chris. And I thought that I could understand and "see through" people she thought.
The next morning they had breakfast together and then Kate went to her job. Chris didn't know what to do, she couldn't go out then would everyone see that she was back. She spent the most of her day writing on her very personal story of her life, the rest of the day was she in Kate's kitchen preparing a great dinner for Kate, she also cleaned Kate's house.
When Kate went back in the early evening she was really surprised. They ate and remembered that she had forgotten to tell Chris one very important and sad news. So now she did:
That next day was the Wednesday they had been waiting for. Chris spent her second day in Kate's house while Kate was working and fixing for the party after work.
Chris was nervous for the party, what if they all had forgotten about her, or didn't cared at all.
What if Tom didn't wanted her.
The day become evening and at 20,00 she went down to the pub as she and Kate had decided. It wasn't a single soul outside.
At the pub was the party already going on for full speed.
Kate was waiting for Chris.
When Chris opened the door, everybody turned their heads over there and when she went in and everybody saw who it was everything become quite. They just looked at her, Kate just said Hi Chris!! and everyone stared at her. She explained and the party went on. Everybody wanted to hug, kiss and talk to Chris.
After an hour or two Geoff and Tom went in. Geoff saw Chris first and just stood there and stared at her. - As we've been looking for you! Where have you been?? Tom just stared at her then he said come on and they walked out.
They took a walk in the hot summer night, Chris told Tom about Sidney and a bit about Helen. And that she had been missing him. He took everything pretty cool and then went home to him. They talked, talked and talked. They decided that Chris should stay and try to get her old job at the hospital back. After a while Tom asks:
Chris didn't know what to say more than: yes, I'm not that old yet.
-Great, because I still want to have a baby with you, Chris!?
After a while when all their clothes where off and they lay in the bed Chris said:
I haven't done this with a man for many years but let this be a success which results in a baby….
Tom just nodded as ok.
The picture of Helen and Chris which Chris took in their apartment and then showed Kate.
Last uppdates: 1999-03-28 © Stina Carlund
