Christian had slept in the spare bedroom in Ivy and Daniel's apartment, calling Ana to explain the situation and she had encouraged him to stay over there for as long as he needed to.

Daniel was up fairly early and looking after the twins, though Ivy knew it had more to do with him not wanting her alone around their children than them necessarily needing to be up. Ivy felt exhausted and grouchy, walking past the nursery to the main room, where Christian was sitting at the breakfast bar drinking coffee.

'Morning'

'Morning, you look better today'

Ivy murmured in vague agreement and poured herself a large glass of water from the tap 'Daniel is looking after the twins… he doesn't want me around my own kids. Fucking hell'

'He's just being over cautious, I can see in your eyes that you're not on anything at the moment, so can Daniel, he's a new Dad, let him worry'

Ivy muttered something under her breath that Christian assumed was Afrikaans and judging by the tone it was obviously nothing demure and polite.

He motioned to the iPhone on the counter top

'You left your phone out on the side, Lewis rang this morning'

She got the icy tone in his voice and narrowed her own eyes 'what's with the tone?'

'He's not a good influence Ivy'

'You based this opinion of what you know of our Dad Christian, and that really isn't enough to judge him'

'I know enough. He wasn't in my life and he was barely in yours'

Ivy looked pissed off 'of course he wasn't in your life Christian, he didn't know you existed'

'Maybe he shouldn't have been having sex with prostitutes then'

Christian's tone was biting and cold, and Ivy looked like she was trying to control her anger to stop herself from shouting at her brother

'Have you ever paid for sex?'

Christians pause gave her the answer she was looking for 'its not the same thing Ivy, he got my mum pregnant, I've never knocked anyone up'

She sneered 'well let's all keep our fingers crossed eh Christian'

Ivy started to walk away but stopped, turning back to her brother with a contrite look, her voice quiet 'I didn't mean that, I'm sorry'

Christian shrugged

'Don't worry about it Ivy, it's true'

She sighed and shook her head, leaning against the doorframe 'I just… Look, Christian our Dad –Lewis- he's an idiot right, and I know it's different for you because of how your childhood was, but I just... Yes he was a pretty shit parent, but he tried, he did try his best. I was always just so, so, so fucked up, I don't know if I'd have done much better if I was him frankly'

Christian twisted his mouth 'Ivy, it doesn't matter what problems you had, he was still a shit parent'

'He was better than my mum. The one time she makes an effort is when I've made a shit load of money, and then I got hit by a fucking car. Think that's a sign don't you? Dad was there for me, maybe not as much as Carrick was for you, but you know what, Mum just fucked off and left me repeatedly, Dad might have had his flaws, but he never once left'

Christian shrugged, understanding her point as Ivy pulled her sleeves down lower and fiddled with them absently 'what would you do Christian, if you had a kid with a woman who just ran off repeatedly, all your family are back home in South Africa, and that kid just continually throws away any hope and potential that she has'

Christian exhaled deeply, realising for the first time fully how difficult Lewis must have had it raising Ivy alone over the years. She was pretty and unbelievably smart, graduating a year early even whilst being in the midst of a drug habit and running away repeatedly.

She had also graduated with the highest GPA attainable, but Christian was aware that she could possibly have done even better if it hadn't been for the drugs the first time around.

Ivy glanced away 'Flynn said I need to talk to her'

'Your mother?'

Ivy nodded 'Part of his 'therapy plan' or whatever the hell he called it'

Christian looked thoughtful and nodded 'come on, you should eat'

'I'm not hungry'

'I don't care'

Ivy sighed but moved with her brother back towards the kitchen.

When Daniel sought his fiancée out a little while later Ivy was standing in the nursery doorway, staring at her sleeping children.

'I let them down didn't I'

She didn't turn around and seemed unable to look away from them

'Ivy you've had a rough year, you can't beat yourself up over it constantly- you were in a major car accident not long before they were born, you've been through a lot, more than most people get in a lifetime'

Daniel was about to touch her arm but Ivy moved away slightly, her arms around herself 'I- I... I can't marry you in a month Daniel'

'I know'

There was a silence and he roughly pulled her to him and planted a heavy, needy kiss on her lips 'let me help you, please, all of us, accept this help and we can move on, as a family, all of us'

Ivy looked torn for a second before nodding ever so slightly as she moved into Daniel, resting her head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.

Dr John Flynn had come to the apartment to speak to Ivy, setting out what they were going to do over the next few weeks and months, aware that she was far more comfortable at her own place where her children were, rather than at his office.

Christian quietly met John at the apartment entrance 'Daniel and Ivy are talking in the twin's nursery, I thought I'd give them a few minutes'

John nodded, closing the door behind him 'How is she doing?'

'Well… she seems better, well… you know better than the other day. She's eaten a lot, I think her appetite is there at least... Last time she was using Ivy barely ate anything, but she's been okay today. She's angry and exhausted, but she's sober, I guess that's something'

'Yes, that is something good. It's hardly a secret that Ivy's had some problems with food as well as the substance abuse, the fact that she admitted there was a problem is a good thing, as is the fact that she is eating'

'Right… She said you wanted to have talks with her mother?'

John nodded and Christian scratched his chin 'When her mother came back into her life a year ago it was only really for her money, and then Ivy was nearly killed in the car accident, I uh, I made it pretty clear that I wanted her nowhere near my sister, she hasn't been back to Washington for several months. I don't want her near Ivy'

'Christian, this is something that Ivy needs to address, it's clear most of her issues have stemmed from the fact that her mother swanned off and left her over and over again, she feel like she was neglected and abandoned, and that is the root of so much of this. If she can talk to her then I think we might be able to make some quicker progress'

Christian nodded and they were about to move towards the main room when John caught Christian's arm and held him back, his voice quiet 'Before we do this Christian, you need to understand something, Ivy isn't an addict, not in the way you probably all think. She doesn't need those drugs, she just thinks it's her only way to be able to cope with things. She can stop, just like she did before when you both first met, she just doesn't have any idea of how to cope with problems that come up in her life, she hasn't developed any type of coping mechanism other than drugs. You yourself have also got problems knowing how to deal with your emotions, you need to be able to sympathise with Ivy, not judge alright? I've spoken to Daniel about this already, but you know far better what that poor girl is going through'

'She's depressed?'

John and Christian both knew that he wasn't really allowed to answer the question, but the way that the Englishman twisted his mouth before walking off gave Christian the answer.

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