Finally, getting bored of waiting for her mother to appear, Hollie had gone in search of her step-father. Tom had tried ringing Nikki, but his calls had gone straight through to answerphone, much to his confusion. He was worried, but didn't let that show. Instead, he suggested that Hollie came back to his for a DVD and pizza night with him and AJ. Keen to leave the school, she agreed at once.

"Is Emily going to be there?" She asked as she fastened her seat belt and Tom started the engine.

"Is that a problem?"

Hollie shrugged. "She's alright… she's not mum, though."

Tom sighed. "Your mum and I are–"

"I know, I know." Hollie agreed. "I just…"

"Look, if you're not ready for DVD nights with my new girlfriend then I'll ask her to stay at hers tonight."

Briefly, the teenager considered being a brat and demanding that he did just that. Then she considered his feelings about the matter, as well as the situation itself, and decided that acting like a spoilt child wouldn't solve anything.

"No, it's cool. She's alright…" She sighed. "She makes good hot chocolate, anyway."

Tom grinned. "Don't let your mum hear you saying that; she'll get jealous."

"That's the idea."

"Hollie… Nikki is with Vix now and I'm with Emily." He explained to her gently.

"I'm not an idiot; I know that. I just… I wish things were the way they were."

"Don't you like Vix?"

"Yeah, course." Hollie replied quickly. "She's great and I like Emily, too. I just… I'd like them better if they weren't with mum and you. I'm the same as everyone else… I want my parents and my family back together."

Tom reached out and held her hand tightly. "Hollie… I love your mum. I always will. But things have moved on. If I thought… but she's happy with Vix and we've got to accept that, OK?"

"It's not fair."

"Come on, Hols… you're going to be off to university next year; you won't be at home anyway. Surely you want your mum to be happy?"

"Da– Tom." She blushed, ducking her head to allow her hair to hide her face from view. "Of course I want her to be happy… but I want you to be happy too. I want us all to be happy. Together."

"D'you know what would make me happy?" Tom asked, grinning and squeezing her hand. "A large pepperoni and The Italian Job."

Rolling her eyes, Hollie let the subject drop as Tom pulled up outside the childminder's and popped out to collect AJ. Soon they were parking on the driveway of his new house and trooping inside. Tom ordered pizzas, hanging up just as the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it." Hollie called, pushing her mobile into the back pocket of her jeans after sending her mother a message to let her know where she was.

Emily looked slightly taken aback at the sight of her boyfriend's step-daughter on the other side of the door, but covered it up easily, sending her a warm smile and shrugging off her coat. She asked how school was, laughing when the teenager shrugged and pulled a face in response to her question.

The evening passed quietly. Hollie received a brief text back from her mother, telling her to have a nice time, an hour or so after she had sent hers. Frowning, the teenager had dropped her mobile onto the coffee table and snuggled closer to her step-father. She was irritated at Nikki for just disappearing; no doubt to go and find Vix after her girlfriend's sudden disappearance from the campsite. It just made the idea that things had been better when Nikki and Tom had been together much firmer in her mind.

x-x

"Tom!" Hollie shouted from just inside the front door, stamping her feet agitatedly. "Come on! It's Kevin's interview at Edinburgh today! I wanna see him!"

"I'm coming!" Her step-father called back, thundering down the stairs to join her. "We've just got to drop AJ–"

"I'll take AJ if you want?" Emily suggested, bouncing the baby on her hip. "I can drop him at the childminder's on my way to the office."

"You sure?" Tom asked, rushing around the living room and trying to tie his shoelace at the same time.

"We'll have time, won't we?" Hollie asked bluntly, holding out her arms for her brother.

"I thought you were in a hurry." Tom reminded her, arching an eyebrow.

"I am, so get your arse into gear."

With a chuckle, he kissed Emily on the cheek and ruffled Hollie's hair before rattling his car keys and nodding towards the door. Grabbing her school bag and keeping a firm grip on her brother on her hip at the same time, Hollie followed quickly, pulling the front door closed behind them.

Once they were nearing the school, Tom turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow. "What was all that about? Why didn't you want Em taking AJ to the childminder's?"

"Mum wouldn't like it."

"Really?"

"What? You think she'd be happy to know that you'd let her take him? She's been your girlfriend for five minutes."

"I bet Vix looks after him."

"She doesn't, actually." Hollie replied with a shrug. "He was sick on her skirt once and she kinda avoids him now. Mum asked her to hold him while she answered the phone the other day… I think Vix would rather have held a snake."

Tom chuckled, glancing sideways to work out whether she was being serious. "And Nik doesn't say anything?"

"She gets annoyed sometimes… like the other day Vix pretended her phone was ringing just as Mum asked her to go and check on AJ. He was crying and Mum was in the middle of marking some essays. Mum told Vix she was a selfish cow."

"Did she?"

"Mmmhmmm… Vix just said she's not good with kids."

Pulling up in the car park, Tom killed the engine. "Maybe she's not." Hollie made a dismissive sound in the back of her throat and shrugged. "I thought you liked her?"

"I do."

"So what's with the attitude?"

"I don't have an attitude."

"You do."

"I don't!"

"Hollie Joanne Boston, you have a massive attitude." Tom informed her with a smirk.

She swatted him on the shoulder and opened the car door. Climbing out, she leant down to speak to him through the gap before heading away. "I don't have an attitude, you're just imagining things in your old age."

"Oi! I'm not old!"

"Whatever you say, Mr Clarkson." She teased. "I'll catch you later."

Turning away, Hollie spotted Kevin and Maggie making their way up the slope towards the school and grinned, breaking into a jog to catch them up. Kevin beamed at her, throwing his arms around the girl and kissing her soundly, causing the housemistress to tut good-naturedly at them.

"He's going to wear Grantly's favourite suit for his big interview." Maggie said with a proud smile.

"That's lovely, babe." Hollie told him, favouring the boy with another quick kiss.

"I know, right." He agreed with a cheeky grin.

"When is your interview?"

"A couple of hours…" Kevin replied, suddenly looking nervous.

"You'll be fantastic, babe. They'll love you."

"And if they don't?"

Hollie grinned and kissed his nose. "Then I'll still love you."

"Good enough for me." Kevin laughed.

"Get a room, you two!" An all-too familiar voice called from behind them, causing the trio to look towards the sound with broad grins on their faces.