Just like after every night comes a new day and after darkness comes light, after a painful death comes new life.

"I love you, Mini." Those were the last words she had heard before she slipped into a peaceful slumber, spent from the crippling pain of giving life to her baby. Her baby, she couldn't believe it. Nine months ago, the only thing she had to worry about was which shoes she should wear to the club next and with what outfit, but now, she had another person's life to worry about. But she wouldn't be doing it alone, no, she knew that now. Alo had made it perfectly clear that he would be by her side, no matter what, and that he loved her more than anything else. She couldn't help but feel lucky that, even though she was now a teenage mother, everything had turned out alright. She and her mum had never been closer, she was finally accepting that Eric was a part of their family (and, though she would never admit it, rather liked him quite a bit), and for the first time in her life, she had had a boyfriend who desired her for reasons other than her body. Never in a million years would she have thought that person would be Alo, but she wouldn't have him be anybody else. Things had definitely changed, but she was starting to realize that change wasn't always a bad thing. No, change might just be exactly what she needed-what they all needed.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Alo beamed, staring down at the little bundle in his arms, his eyes filling with tears. "Yeah, mate, she is." Rich agreed. The newborn was swaddled tightly in a light pink blanket, embroidered in white lace with the letter "M" on it. Mini's grandmother had knitted it for her when she was born, and it had been kept packed away in a box of other mementos in Shelley's bedroom closet for a time when she would have grandchildren of her own. She hadn't dreamed that time would come so soon, or that her daughter would still be trying to get her A-levels when it happened. Nevertheless though, she was coming to terms with it, just as Mini would have to. Motherhood was easily given, but not easily endured.

Rich placed his hand on Alo's shoulder and smiled. "We'll have to watch out for this one when she's older."

"Best hope she doesn't have the same taste in men as her mum, yeah?" Liv interrupted, rising from the seat beside Mini's bed she had permanently planted herself in the moment she had closed her eyes. She was working on trying to be a better friend to Mini and decided that she wanted to be by her side, literally, at all times. She wouldn't lose another friend; she couldn't.

"Otherwise you'll end up a granddad sooner than you think." She continued, striding over to the pair of them. "Oh, piss off, Liv," Alo sneered. "Besides, she won't be allowed to date until she's thirty."

"Thirty? I think that's a bit extreme, mate." Nick laughed lightly, but not before he stole a glance at Franky, who was firmly keeping her attention fixated on Mini, her hand clasped tight in hers. She hadn't spoken to him since the party, and the tension between the two in the small hospital room was enough to drive him mad. He needed to talk to her; he needed to tell her that Matty had done the right thing and turned himself in. He needed to tell her that he couldn't be without her.

"Fine then, 29." Alo amended, rocking his arms slightly. "If she's anything like Mins, you're going to have a tough time with that. She never does what she's told."

"You do know I can hear everything you twats are saying, right?" Mini smiled, big and bright. She had awoken sometime between Alo and Liv's bickering. "Mini! You're awake." Alo announced. "Yes, farmboy, and if you don't mind, I'd like to have a turn with our daughter." She held out her arms, reaching for her baby, as Alo carefully walked towards her and placed the ball of life into her steady arms. It had taken Mini quite some time to adjust to being pregnant; she never thought it would happen to her at such a young age. They had all been sure that Liv would be the first to get knocked up. Though, a small part of her was glad she got to experience it first. She'd finally done something that Liv hadn't. It reminded her of a time, not too long ago, when she had lied about not being a virgin just to feel accepted by Liv and the others. Thinking back on it now, she felt rather stupid to have fussed over such a silly thing. There were so many things she could have spent her time doing other than that, including cherishing every moment she had with Grace. It was too late for that now though, so she would just have to live and learn with that one.

"What are you gonna name her?" Franky stood now, staring down at the baby. Her skin fair, her nose lightly dusted with freckles, and with just the smallest patch of red hair on top of her head. "That should be obvious, Franks," she retorted, matter-of-factly. "Grace. Her name is Grace." She looked up at Alo, who smiled back at her. They hadn't ever discussed names, not that they had ever really had the chance, but given the opportunity, he wouldn't have had it any other way.

Mini had quickly fallen back to sleep, and the nurse ushered everyone back into the waiting room so she could get her rest, taking little Grace back to the nursery. Rich had followed her, watching as she gently placed her into the bed. He pressed a hand to the glass of the observatory, staring down at her.

"Hey, Gracie. I'm your uncle, Rich." He paused, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest as she fell into a deep sleep. "You were named after the great love of my life, and I promise I'll not let anything bad ever happen to you. Okay?" Grace twitched her head up, almost like a nod, as if to say she understood exactly what he was saying.

"Franky? Franky!" Nick had followed her out of the waiting room and into the lobby, calling after her repeatedly, though she made no effort to acknowledge him until now. "Nick, I told you I-I just need time, okay? I need time alone. I'm going on holiday with my sister for a bit." The word was still strange to her, a reminder of the life she once had before, a life she could barely remember, a life she was now slowly getting back piece by piece.

After the visit with her mother, she couldn't help but want it all back. She loved her dads more than anything, and was so grateful for the life they had given her, but it all came down to biology. They weren't her biological family, and she needed closure. "When will you be back?"

"I don't know, Nick. I just need to this, okay? I need to do this for me. I need to sort this shit out, and I'm not coming back until it is."

"I'll ring you then." He offered, hopeful. She stared at her shoes, flecked with mud from the earlier rainfall. "It'd be better if you didn't."

"Franky, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying," she took a breath, steadying herself. "That I love you. And if you love me like you say you do, you'll understand and just let me go." She looked up at him now, pleading."For Chrissakes, Franky, you know I do. But I can't just-" She nodded. "Yes, you can." Nick opened his mouth to object, but decided against it. There was no winning this one. "Whatever, Franky. Do what you want. You just make sure you come back, yeah? Because when you do, I'll be fucking waiting for you, okay? I'll be right here." She bit her lip and closed the distance between them, placing her lips to the side of his mouth gently. "Bye, Nick." Before he could say anything more, she turned and stormed out the doors.