Thank you for reading. Please leave a review to let me know your thoughts :-)

'Why wouldn't she let you call the police?' Ava spoke quietly to her godfather as she finally found him alone in the kitchen making tea.

'Didn't want to make a fuss' Michael shrugged 'I guess she's hoping my talking to Paula will be an end to it.'

'I don't think it will' Ava spoke wisely as she skipped out into the backyard to play with Evelyn and Apollo.

'Michael something is seriously wrong with Mo' Jac spoke worriedly as she walked into the kitchen 'I set her some of the pictures you took of Evelyn and this is what she sent in return' Jac held her mobile phone out to her friend for his inspection.

'She killed my baby' he read aloud looking up at Jac with deep concern on his face. 'What the hell would she mean by that?'

'I'm not sure, I know Evelyn had a cold before Isaac did, maybe that's it' she put the phone back into her pocket. 'I think one of us should go round there, talk to Sacha.'

'By one of us you mean me right?' Michael glared at her 'why the hell should it be me?'

'Because Evelyn needs me here' Jac glared back at him.

'What the hell do I say?' Michael protested.

'How about we think Mo's flipped and he, as her next of kin, ought to do something about it?' Jac suggested as she poured herself a cup of tea from the pot sat on the counter. 'Although you'll do it in a much more sympathetic manner I'm sure.'

'Yeah you're right it should be me' Michael sighed taking out his phone 'let me see who's available to come and sit with you here.'

'I don't need a baby sitter' Jac scowled 'I'm perfectly capable of taking care of things.'

'You really wanna argue about that, knowing what I know about the affect your so-called mother has on you?' Michael glowered until she shook her head. 'Didn't think so.'

'Wait a minute' Jac halted him as her phone rang out and she saw it was Sacha calling her 'this might be problem solved.' She answered the call frowning instantly as she listened to her best friend 'Sacha calm down…I know it is crazy…no Sacha I don't think…well maybe…Sacha, look I'm sending Michael over to you maybe he'll be able to talk some sense into her… Sacha I can't please don't ask me…because it's not the same, you can't compare the two…alright, yes he's on his way now…Sacha? I love you.' She hung up the call and turned Michael 'you need to get over there quick smart because he is threatening to call in a psychiatrist and have her sectioned '

'I'll get my keys' he stood up quickly.

'Apparently Adele is there but she can't get through to Mo' Jac shrugged feeling useless.

'What about you?' Michael looked at Jac worriedly.

'Jonny will be over when his shift finishes, we'll be fine' Jac wondered over to the kitchen window and watched the two girls as they happily played fetch with an excitable Apollo in the crisp autumn air. 'Poor Evelyn' Jac spoke empathically.

'Hey, don't worry we'll fix this' Michael placed a hand on her shoulder.

'You have no idea how it feels to rejected by your own mother Michael' Jac spoke plainly 'no idea at all'.

'Hey' Jonny called out as he let himself into the house, deciding against using the doorbell seeing as he paid for half of this property 'who wants stir fry for tea'?

'Really?' Ava beamed as she ran into the hall.

'You want to help?' Jonny laughed at her enthusiasm as he hung up his jacket. 'Where's Auntie Jac?' he asked as he picked up the carrier bags full of food he had brought over.

'Soothing Evelyn in the lounge, she had a bit of sad moment' Ava explained helping her uncle with his heavy load. 'This is a lot of food' she remarked.

'Yeah well I know your aunt, she lies when she says she's domesticated enough to take of herself' Jonny sighed. 'Is she still taking her meds?'

'Yep' Ava nodded 'Michael has issued orders, although she won't take the sedatives, at least not while we've got Evelyn'.

'Hmm' Jonny remarked as he fetched chopping boards from the cupboards. He knew Jac was meant to have a session with her psychiatrist today and knew she had called to cancel it. 'You start pealing and chopping these' he ordered Ava as he piled up the vegetables on the counter in front of her 'I'll just pop into the lounge to say hi.'

He walked quickly to the living room wondering what mood Jac would receive him in this evening. As he pushed opened the door he saw his wife laid out on the sofa awkwardly reading with a sleeping Evelyn sprawled across her. He smiled at the sight of his wife doing this naturally maternal thing, giving a grieving child a comforting cuddle, something others believed was against her nature. 'Hi' he whispered to her.

'Hi' she looked up and smiled softly at him.

'Are you ok?' he whispered as he walked towards her crouching down at the side of sofa.

'I'm a little bit uncomfortable' she confessed 'but I just don't want to wake her, poor kid' she smoothed Evelyn's thick dark curly hair as she spoke.

'I'm cooking you dinner' Jonny informed her.

'I know I heard' she smiled softly at him again. 'Jonny about last night, I'm sorry.'

'Sorry for what? Allowing your husband to make love to you?' Jonny took a chance and leaned in to kiss her softly.

'I think it might have confused things' she spoke quietly as their lips parted.

'For you maybe' Jonny shook his head still smiling despite her continued denial 'it happened because it was meant to happen' he kissed her again 'you really want to tell me it meant nothing to you after the way you responded to me?' he kissed her one last time 'you wanted it, found it pleasurable and we both know the only way you can feel such ecstasy is if you are in love.' He leaned his forehead against hers as he spoke 'you can try to convince yourself that you can live without me but I'm not done with us Jac, I know this isn't the end. I love you too much to let you go.'

'You know I love you don't you Ava?' Jonny spoke softly as they rinsed the dishes and stacked the dishwasher together after dinner. He watched as Ava shrugged awkwardly. 'Well I do; very much.'

'Its ok' Ava mumbled 'I know you love me, just not as much as Auntie Jac does. Its not your fault.'

'What makes you say that?' Jonny asked, trying not to get too upset.

'I don't know' Ava shrugged again 'I guess I wasn't exactly part of your plan was I and I'm not actually yours am I? Not really anyway' she impulsively hugged him burying her head against his chest as she mumbled 'you make a great dad Uncle Jonny, its neither of our faults.'

'I thought we were close' Jonny hugged her back 'you're a huge part of my life Ava.'

'I know' Ava nodded as she let her uncle go 'and I need you to be part of my life so please don't divorce Auntie Jac.'

'Divorce?!' Jonny shut the dishwasher with more force than he intended making Ava jump slightly. 'Who's talking about divorce?' he spoke softer this time.

'Well neither of you are actually saying it but it's what's going to happen isn't it?' Ava spoke glumly.

'No it is not' Jonny spoke firmly 'I have no intention of divorcing Auntie Jac.' He took hold of Ava's hand and squeezed it reassuringly 'I'll be honest with you I've said some stupid things in the last couple weeks and they're obviously buzzing around in your aunt's head making her think things that aren't true. But I'm trying Ava, I really am trying to win her back.'

'I just had the weirdest conversation with Ava' Jonny walked into Jac's study and shut the door after him.

'Weird how?' Jac looked up from her laptop.

'Well first of all she thinks we're getting a divorce, which given the circumstances is not that weird and secondly apparently she knows I love her, just not as much as you do because she's not really mine'

'Ok' Jac spoke slowly. 'I'm going to the leave the 'ava thinks we're getting a divorce' issue alone for a moment because I can't have that conversation with you today but we should probably figure out what she means by she's not really yours.'

'How the hell should I know?' Jonny flopped down into the arm chair next to the window 'that's why I'm asking you.'

'Do you think this is like an adoptive child issue, should we call Peter the social worker?' Jac asked anxiously.

'Oh yeah let's just give him an excuse to come prowling round here after you once he hears our marriage is on the rocks' Jonny huffed.

'They wouldn't take her away from us for marital problems would they?' Jac suddenly sat up straight as the ridiculous thought entered her head.

'For a genius sometimes you can be remarkably dim' Jonny laughed sourly 'they would just give her to you and I doubt Ava would have a problem with that.'

'Don't Jonny, that's not funny' Jac spoke softly.

'What us getting divorced or you suddenly being a single parent?' Jonny looked at her crossly.

'Neither, neither is what I want!' Jac snapped.

'Then why are you doing this?' Jonny crossed his arms.

'Because I'm frightened' Jac answered him trying hard not to cry.

'Frightened of what?' his voice softened as he saw her upset.

She didn't answer him and was grateful not to have to as the doorbell rang shrilly. 'Don't move, I need an answer to that' Jonny frowned at her as he left the room the answer the door. As she listened to his footsteps descending down the stairs a horrible thought suddenly struck her.

She rushed out the study door and reached the top of the stairs just he was about to open the door. 'Jonny don't!' she called out to him but was too late as he pulled the door open her fears were confirmed; Paula Burrows had found the courage to stand on her daughter's doorstep.

'You?!' Jonny spoke in shock 'what the hell are you doing here?'

'I want to see my daughter' Paula spoke briskly back to him. 'She needs to see me.'

'No she doesn't' Jonny glared at her.

'Please I want to make amends.'

'There is nothing you could say or do to make amends for what you've put Jac through, just leave her alone' Jonny started pushing the door closed

'Jackie!' Paula shouted in desperation 'Please Jackie!' Her pleas were drowned out as Jonny closed the door and double locked it. She took to holding her finger on the doorbell instead, hoping to irritate them into opening the door again.

'I'm ringing the police' Jonny looked up the stairs at Jac 'you knew it would be her didn't you?' he watched as Jac nodded, sitting herself down on the top the step.

'What's going on?' Ava enquired coming out of the spare bedroom where she had been reading with Evelyn.

'Your bloody grandmother' Jonny spoke bitterly as he waited for his call to the police to connect.

'Oh' Ava breathed sitting down next to her aunt. She didn't say anymore but put her arm around her aunt's shoulders, laying her head comfortingly next to Jac's

'Well they were about as useful as a chocolate teapot' Jonny grumbled as he made his way back to kitchen after showing out two police officers. 'Just keep building up a profile' he mimicked them 'what good is that going to do us right now?' He slumped down into one of the chairs at the kitchen table. It had taken the officers so long to make an appearance Paula had gotten bored and slunk away back to wherever it was she came from.

'Ava its way past your bed time' Jac spoke softly to the child who had insisted she stayed up to talk to the police with her aunt and uncle. Jac had refused but Jonny relented stating it was only fair seeing as Paula had tried to abduct Ava and thus was negatively impacting on the child's life too.

'I can't believe neither of you thought to tell me she was at the stables this afternoon' Jonny spoke crossly.

'I didn't think it would matter' Jac snapped 'Michael dealt with it.'

'Oh yeah, he did a real good job didn't he?' Jonny snapped back 'I'm staying here tonight.'

'No you're not' Jac shook her head. 'Ava I thought I just asked you to go to bed?'

'This house half belongs to me Jac, if I say I'm staying then I'm staying' Jonny huffed.

'Ava, will you do as you are told?!' Jac sighed with frustration ignoring Jonny.

'Why are you two arguing all the time?' Ava spoke up still not moving from the table 'you never used too, at least not serious rows anyway.'

'Things have gotten a little complicated' Jonny answered her.

'I don't see how it is complicated' Ava shrugged 'either you love each other and want to be together or you don't'

'Well exactly' Jonny glared at Jac.

'Ava when you're an adult you'll understand that sometimes things aren't quite so cut and dry' Jac looked sternly at her niece 'now will you please just go to bed?'

'I'm not sure I feel safe enough to sleep' Ava stood up deciding she ought to look as though she were obeying her aunt.

'Fine Uncle Jonny can stay, but he sleeps on the sofa' Jac snapped standing up herself and stomping out of the kitchen.

'Oh dear' Ava smiled sadly at her uncle.

'When I said things are complicated, I meant they were complicated in your Auntie Jac's head' Jonny shook his head 'I sorry things have gotten so messy sweetheart' he held out his arms to the child and Ava stepped into them allowing her uncle to hug her. 'You'd better get to bed, its late' he let her go and watched her as she walked out of the kitchen. Both his girls were complicated creatures he thought sadly to himself but if anything it made him love them more not less.