A/N: I know JJ seems inexplicably angry, but bear with me.


Haven had just finished changing into a pair of Zack's sweatpants and a T-shirt when her phone buzzed loudly on the bedside table. She raced over to it as quickly as her tired body would allow, seeing Amber's name lighting up the screen.

"Amber?" she answered.

"Haven, Zack texted me and told me what happened, but I'm calling you now to say your mom has just been to my place looking for you and I think she's headed to Zack's"

Haven's stomach dropped. Zack didn't live very far from Amber's house at all.

"Was she angry?" she asked in a small voice.

"Uh...yeah, but she seemed worried about you. Haven, I think you should go home with her, things are just going to get worse if you don't"

"I can't," Haven breathed, her eyes filling with tears. "I feel like I'm suffocating when I'm there"

"Oh Haven...I know you're hurting. We all miss him, but it's going to be ok. Given time, you'll be alright, because you're Haven LaMontagne, you have to be"

"I don't want to be Haven LaMontagne anymore," Haven whispered, sinking to the ground at the edge of the bed. "I don't want this life"

There was silence from Amber's end.

"Haven... I know things have been really hard... but one day it is going to be all worth it, when you have your own place and know you worked hard for every inch of it so that you and Darcy could have your own life"

Haven let out a sob. "I don't want to do this anymore, Amber. I don't want to be a mom. I'm scared"

"You don't get much of a choice, Haven"

"I want one," Haven whispered, pulling her knees up to her chin.

"I know," Amber said sadly. "But Darcy's here now. There's no going back, and it's going to be ok. You have us"

A loud knocking at the front door cut off Haven's next reply. Haven felt her heart rise into her throat as all the blood rushed out of her face.

"I think my mom's here," she said in a scared whisper.

"Go out there and talk to her. Call me when you can, ok?"

Managing to give Amber an ok, Haven hung up the call. Slowly rising to her feet, she dropped her phone on the bed and crossed the room to open the door.

She could hear voices in the entryway, and above all of them, she recognised her mother's.

Swallowing thickly, she forced herself to walk towards the noise. Too scared to simply walk into the foyer, she simply poked her head around the corner, feeling the colour drain from her face when she saw her mother standing there, looking seriously pissed off.

"Haven," JJ stated as Zack and his dad, Russell, stepped aside.

Haven's stomach was in knots as she slowly stepped out into full view.

"You're coming with me," JJ said firmly.

"No," Haven replied, surprising herself with the force in her voice. "I'm staying here"

"Haven-" JJ started warningly.

"No, Mom, I don't want to go home, I don't want to be there!" Haven exclaimed. "I'm sorry, but I just...I need some space"

When JJ reached out and grabbed Haven by the front of her shirt, Zack and Russel made to stop her.

"You have a child, Haven, who is wholly dependent on you. I don't give a damn if you don't want to be there, you need to be with your daughter," JJ growled.

"I can't," Haven replied, bursting into tears. "I just can't, I..."

Trailing off, Haven found herself unable to voice her reasons to her mother. Tears flooded down her cheeks as she stood there in the foyer, hugging herself tightly and looking smaller than ever.

"Maybe it would be ok for Haven to stay here for a few days," Russell said softly, placing a hand on JJ's shoulder to gently move her away from Haven. "She's more than welcome, and I'm sure you would rather her here than out on the streets"

JJ nodded stiffly, her eyes glued to her dishevelled child.

"You're even welcome to bring Darcy to her if you would like," Russell offered. "I don't quite know what's happened at home, but it sounds like Haven is right, and you do need some space"

"We do," JJ replied sharply. "But Darcy is staying with me. She deserves better than this right now"

Haven couldn't even lift her eyes to look at her mother. Zack stepped up, wrapping his arms around his friend and trying to offer her some comfort.

"Come home when you're ready to be a decent mother," JJ said darkly, before turning on her heel and stalking out the front door to her car. Russell closed the door behind her, before turning to Zack and Haven.

"What happened?" he asked incredulously.

"It's a long story, Dad, and I think Haven needs some rest. We can explain everything to you tomorrow," Zack said softly, placing a strong arm across Haven's lower back. Russell nodded understandingly, watching as his son led Haven back to his room.


When JJ arrived back home, she was greeted by the sound of Darcy's persistent screams and two very overwhelmed men.

"She won't stop crying, and she won't take a bottle!" Henry said exasperatedly, throwing his hands up in the air.

"Because she wants Haven," JJ muttered, walking over to the bassinet in which Darcy slept downstairs. Picking up the screaming infant, she felt a sudden rush of emotion as tears started leaking from her eyes.

"JJ?" Will asked gently.

"I don't know what's wrong with Haven," JJ cried, turning to her husband. "She says she can't come home... since when have we made her feel unsafe or uncomfortable in this house?"

Will shook his head. "I think you'll find it has more to do with grief than anything else. Her new life. This whole house is a reminder that she's not a normal seventeen year old, and while she's here, she can't deal properly with losing Connor because she has Darcy"

JJ let out a sob, rocking the screaming infant a little.

"We just have to let her get hungry enough to take anything being offered to her," she sobbed. "As cruel as it is, it's the only way we're going to get food into her today"

Placing his hands on JJ's shoulders, Will kissed her forehead.

"One step at a time. We'll make sure Darcy is looked after, and when Haven comes back, we'll find out what's going on with her. We'll get it sorted, cher, I promise"

Swallowing thickly, JJ nodded, leaning into his embrace, mindful not to squish Darcy.

"I hope so"


Curled up with her face buried in Zack's chest, Haven was more grateful than ever for her friend. He had so simply and without question opened up his home to her, giving her food, clothes, and even going as far as to share his bed. She felt safe and comforted with his arms around her, and she was glad that he was the type of friend she could share this kind of moment with while safely knowing it would never go any further.

"You ok in there?" Zack whispered, tipping his head down to look at her.

"I'm coping," Haven replied just as quietly. "I just don't know what to do"

Zack sighed. "Hang out here for a few days. Cool off. Get your head sorted. Then go home and try to patch things up with your mom. I know you don't really like the deal on life you were handed... but without grief hanging over your head, I think looking after Darcy will feel easier"

"She looks like Connor," Haven whispered tearfully.

"I know, and you know what... in a year, you'll be grateful for that. Because if you start to forget how his eyes sparkled, or what he looked like when he smiled, and how he used to stick out his tongue when he was concentrating really hard on something... all you have to do is look at Darcy, and there in her, you have a perfect living replica. He lives on in her," Zack said gently.

Haven said nothing, instead just taking a deep breath to fight back the oncoming wave of tears.

"I just miss him so much," she choked out.

"I know," Zack murmured, tightening his hold on Haven. "We all do"