"I still don't get this, Dad. Why are we here – what are we doing this for?" Grace protested.

"Nothing for you to worry about, darling – just grown up stuff!" Sam shrugged off his daughter's question. "Now I need a favour, Grace. I need you to phone your mother – I've written you a script." He handed her a piece of paper.

"You've written me a script?!" She repeated indignantly. "What the hell, Dad?"

"Oi! Language, Grace!" Sam reminded her sharply.

"Sorry Dad." Grace apologised. "But a script?! I mean wha...this says that we're in America!"

"I'll explain later – I promise, but just do this for me." Sam answered, firmly. "I'm your father, so do as you're told, young lady!"

"Ok, fine! But you owe me, Dad – I don't like lying to Mum and I think it's very unfair of you to ask me to." She retorted, flouncing over to the bed where her mobile phone was lying. She dialled her Mum's mobile. "You better have a good reason for it!"

Sam shrugged again. His daughter was getting way too opinionated for his liking. He smirked in spite of himself. Connie was going to be so mad at him, he thought delightedly. She was going to be furious!

Grace was very quiet all day after that and when they went down for dinner that evening, she barely looked at her Dad. He hadn't explained as he'd promised to – he hadn't explained anything, but Grace was a bright young girl and she had more or less worked out what her father was up to by herself. To say she was unimpressed was an understatement. He was such an idiot sometimes!

All through dinner, Grace was formulating a plan in her head. She had seen a poster in the foyer for a youth group meeting that evening – all young people were invited, which fitted in with her plans perfectly. She just had to persuade her Dad she was ok going to it on her own – something he had struggled with since the accident, especially after she'd been diagnosed with Epilepsy. She needed him out the way for a while.

As it happened, once Grace mentioned that she intended to go to the youth group, Sam asked if she would mind if he went out for a walk while she was there. He had also been much subdued since the phone call to Connie. It hadn't gone the way he intended it to go and he hadn't enjoyed listening to it at all.

Sam had expected Connie to be angry. He had thought that she would go ballistic and fully expected a slap the next time he saw her. He didn't mind getting a sharp slap from Connie – an angry Connie was the best kind of Connie and it was completely worth getting a slap from her just to see her lose her temper.

She hadn't been angry though, not even mildly angry. She had been upset – devastated. Sam could hear it in her voice – and worse, so could Grace, despite Connie's obvious attempt to hide her feelings from her daughter. Sam felt so guilty now. He felt guilty for hurting Connie and guilty because in hurting Connie, he had also hurt Grace. He had been wrong to ask his daughter make that call to her mother. And the longer the call had gone on – the more difficult Grace had found it. That had been obvious but at the time Sam was out of his depth and had no idea how to terminate his earlier plan. Now Grace felt like she had hurt her Mum too. It wasn't fair on either of the two women he loved and now he didn't know what to do to put it right, so he was grateful for the chance to get some fresh air. He needed time to think.

Once her Dad had gone, Grace went back up to their room and packed her suitcase. She packed her Dad's to, although, she wasn't sure yet whether she was going to let him come with her – or even tell him. Maybe it was better to leave a note – just so he didn't worry. Grace had long since found her Dad's attempts to annoy her Mum exasperating, but it was how he was and usually her Mum was just as bad – deliberately irritating her Dad. For some reason that Grace couldn't understand, they both seemed to enjoy annoying each. However, on this occasion, her Dad had gone too far – way too far!

Grace was also aware that Sam knew he'd acted badly and it hadn't been his intention to upset her Mum. She couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for him – like most children from broken homes, what Grace wanted most was for her parents to be together, but she feared that after this, it might never happen and she was determined to find a way through this.

Grace was debating her next move. She could take a taxi, but taxis cost money – money she didn't have. Or she could ring her Mum, but she would have to do a lot of explaining. Thanks to Sam, Connie thought they were in America and explaining this – whatever 'this' was wasn't a conversation Grace wanted to have over the phone - and she still couldn't decide what to do about her Dad. There must be a way through this. As she was mulling through things over, Sam arrived back.

"Oh my God, Dad!" Grace exclaimed. "What happened?"

"They were bothering her – I just tried to help." Sam muttered, his ego having clearly taken a knock. "I'm fine, Gracie. I'm fine."

"You're clearly not fine, Dad. Lie down there." She indicated one of the twin beds in their room. She got her phone out.

"What are you doing? I said no police, no hospital!"

"I'm calling Grandma."

"What?!" Sam looked utterly horrified at the thought. "No, Gracie."

"Shush, Dad! I don't really think you're in any state to argue, do you?! - You can barely walk!"

"But not Grandma!" He whined.

"Well, you don't want an ambulance and I can't exactly call Mum, can I? - She thinks we're in America! You've really done it this time, haven't you, Dad – the one person who could have actually helped you!" She turned away as Audrey Strachan answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi Grandma, it's Grace. I need your help...please...it's hard to explain...urm..."

"Slow down Grace. What is it?"

"Dad's hurt and he won't go to hospital. I...I know you and Mum have never really got on, but I need you to take us to hers...it's...it's hard to explain..."

"You can't call your Mum and ask her to come to Dad's?"

"Urm...we're not at home – it's a long story, Grandma, but we left – we're in a hotel and Dad's not up to telling me how to get to Mum's so I can't get a taxi. Please Grandma, I promise I'll explain when you get here – I know the hotel address...I can't ring Mum – she thinks we're in America...and..."

"She thinks you're in America?! What..." Audrey sighed. "Ok, Grace – tell me the address and I'll come but tell your Dad that there better be a good explanation!"

Grace gave her Grandma the address. "Thank you Grandma."

She hung up and turned back to her Dad. He looked nervous. "Was she annoyed?"

Grace sighed. "Well, she wasn't exactly happy, Dad! It is after ten o'clock!" Yes, her Dad was definitely going to be in the doghouse when her Grandma arrived and heard exactly what had gone on. "But that's nothing compared to how Mum's going to react when we get there is it?!" she added. "Seriously Dad, you'll be lucky if she patches you up rather than finishing you off!"

Audrey Strachan knocked on the door – Grace had given her there room number too. She still rather miffed at being called out at this time of night, but Grace had sounded desperate and had said that Sam was hurt, so she had got in the car straight away.

Grace opened the door. "Thank you Grandma."

"Ok Grace – where is he?" Grace stepped back to reveal the battered and bruised man lying on the bed. "Oh, Sam – what have you got yourself into?! Honestly, letting your young daughter see you like this!"

"Sorry Mum." He muttered. "I did tell her not to call you."

"Yes, well – it's a good thing she did by look of you – never mind, what's done is done, I suppose! Let's check out of this hotel and get you into the car – then someone can tell me what you're doing here – and why Connie thinks you're in America!"

"Yes, Grandma." Grace answered politely as Audrey took one of Sam's arms. Between them they managed to get him off the bed and out of the room. Audrey had brought a porter upstairs with her and he followed them with the cases.

As they pulled out of the hotel car park in Audrey's car, she cleared her throat. "Right, seeing as your Dad isn't up to talking – you've got some explaining to do, young lady!"

"Yes, Grandma." Grace sighed. This wasn't going to go well however she put it. "Urm..."

"Start at the beginning, Grace." Audrey instructed. "Why are you in a hotel on the other side of London when you've got a perfectly good flat near your Dad's work?"

"Dad sold our flat and resigned from his job." She muttered, aware that everything she said was going to make her Dad look awful – no matter how much she tried to sugar-coat it.

Audrey looked shocked. "He's done what?! Why?"

"I only...know the bits I've worked out, Grandma – Dad hasn't really explained." She stammered. "Urm...I had to make a phone call to Mum saying we'd gone back to America...and...and that Dad told me it was her idea and I was really happy about it...I...I didn't want to do it...I...I think he was trying to make Mum angry or something, only...she wasn't – she was really upset." Grace sniffed tearfully.

"Connie's not the only one who can play games!" Sam muttered wanting to take the heat away from his daughter. "I thought she'd be angry with me – I wouldn't have done it if I'd known she'd be upset! I didn't want to hurt her."

"Oh, Sam – I really don't known what to say to you! - Of course she'd be upset if she thought you'd just disappeared with her daughter! - and what kind of person makes their daughter do that?!...there, there, sweetheart. It'll be ok." She added to Grace who had started crying.

"Gracie, I'm so sorry – I shouldn't of asked you to do that. It was wrong." Sam told his daughter, hating himself for making her do it in the first place.

"No, you shouldn't have Dad – but what I don't understand is why!" Grace answered – drying her eyes on her sleeve.

"Use a tissue, Grace, please!" Audrey remarked sharply.

Grace took a tissue. " Sorry, Grandma. Well, Dad?"

"It's hard to explain to an 11 year-old, Gracie." Sam muttered.

"Well, try!" Grace snapped. "You owe me an explanation, Dad!"

"She's right, Sam – and she is quite grown-up for her age" Audrey told him sharply. "Besides, I'm doing my best to try and understand but I'm struggling to – and I'm your mother!"

Sam sighed. "Ok, I'll try. Gracie, I love your mother, but I can't help finding her more...attractive when she's annoyed – I know it sounds stupid. She likes annoying me too – It's like a competition sometimes..." He trailed off as his mother gave an exasperated sigh.

"Yes it is stupid Dad – it's like two children in a playground!" Grace agreed. "God, you're such an idiot!"

"Don't speak to your father like that, Grace." Audrey scolded.

"I'm sorry, Grandma – but he is! Mum was starting to accept that the three of us could be a family!" She saw Audrey purse her lips. "I know you don't like Mum, Grandma – but that's what I want – and it's what Dad wants. The three of us together – and I know it's what Mum wants as well – even though she pretends she doesn't – but she was coming around and accepting it." She turned back to look at Sam.

"I didn't know she.." He muttered, but Grace cut him off.

"Sure you do, Dad – why did you think she was that upset on the phone earlier? - it wasn't just because she thought she'd lost me!" She turned back. "But you've taken this competition too far! You've ruined everything!" She stared angrily out the window. If they hadn't been in a moving car, she would have stormed out the room, slamming the door behind her. Maybe it's lucky they were in a car, Grace thought – her Grandma wouldn't be impressed if she had slammed a door.

Audrey sighed. "Grace – it doesn't matter how I feel about your Mum. If that's what you and your Dad want – then I'll just have to accept it, won't I!...I just wish your Dad wasn't such a childish, pig-headed, blithering idiot at times!"

Grace gasped and then giggled. "Grandma!"

"Mum!" Sam complained. "You told Grace off for calling me an idiot!"

"Yes, well I hate to admit it, Sam – but she's right!" Audrey retorted.

They spend most of the remaining journey in silence – aside from Audrey enquiring how her son had come to get his injuries. Sam had fallen asleep by then and Grace said she wasn't sure – but she thought he'd been trying to help someone rather than deliberately getting in a fight.

It was well after midnight when Connie was woken from an uneasy sleep. She'd had the worst day. It had started off really well, with her arriving at Sam's flat for a family breakfast with Sam and their daughter.

It had taken Connie a while to warm to the idea of being a family. She and Sam had always been competitive with each other and they'd always enjoyed putting each other's noses out of joint – it was a kind of 'flirting' to them.. Their little 'meeting' in the store room had ended up unearthing passion she's d forgotten was there – they hadn't been intimate since before Grace was born and it had taken her completely by surprise – because she really enjoyed it. There was something 'homely' about being with Sam - and that frightened her, so it was easier to go back to the way she was used to. Connie cope didn't well with change – unless she had initiated it. On top of that was the fact that Grace had never known her parents being together, so their daughter's eagerness for them to be a family always came as a shock, but Connie had got used to the idea eventually and she liked the comfort and stability their 'family unit' offered.

That day had very quickly gone sour when she was told that Sam had resigned and disappeared. Upon further investigation, Connie had discovered that he had vacated his flat, but the worst was yet to come, when she received a call from her very excited daughter thanking her for suggesting that the two of them went back to America without her – whilst she remained in England on her own. Connie did her best not to let on to her little girl that she'd had no idea about any of it or that she was in fact very distressed by the thought of losing them both – something she would of course deny if anyone asked her if she missed Sam. She was also confused – she had really believed that Sam wanted this – a family with her and Grace and she couldn't understand why he'd done this. It hurt. It really hurt. The day had deteriorated even more rapidly once Grace had hung up and, unable to deal with so many strong emotions, Connie had violently slammed her hand down repeatedly on her phone until it broke, cutting her hand in the process. That had hurt too.

So Connie hadn't had a great day and it was a few minutes before she realised that someone was knocking on her door.

"Mum!" A familiar voice yelled urgently from outside. Grace? It couldn't be! She must still be asleep – but she wasn't, and both the knocking and yelling continued, so Connie went to the door.

Grace fell into her mother's arms. "I'm sorry, Mum – I'm so sorry about the phone call."

"Ok, darling." Connie mumbled, surprised by the turn of events – and not really understanding why her daughter was apologising – or how she was there at all. But the surprises kept coming.

"Connie." Audrey Strachan nodded at her, propping Sam up. "Do you mind if we leave the explanations until he's inside?"

"Yeah...sure" Connie muttered, putting Sam's other arm over her shoulder. "We'll take him to my room – he looks like he needs to be in bed. Can you get me some warm water and my medical bag, darling?" She called to Grace, taking Sam off Audrey and propping him up until they got to her room.

"Best leave the explaining until she'll patched your Dad up, I think!" Audrey commented to Grace as they got the water. "She might not want to patch him up afterwards!"

"I don't know, Grandma – she doesn't seem as angry as I thought she'd be."

After tending to Sam, Connie sat with him until he fell asleep, then she made her way back to the living room, where Grace and Audrey were waiting nervously.

"I gather there's some explaining to do?" She commented. She was still a bit confused – possibly annoyed, but the most important thing was that Sam and Grace were here. She would leave being mad at Sam until he was well enough to defend himself –if he could!

Audrey cleared her throat loudly. "Before we explain, Connie, can I just say that neither Grace or I approve of Sam's behaviour and he's had a good telling off from both of us – so feel free to 'throw the book at him' when he wakes up!"

Connie sighed."Don't tell me, Sam's been playing games again!"