"That… That fucking alley," Steve's voice shook. Myers was still holding him to him, but not as hard now. "I lost it…"

"But you took it out the wrong way," Sartain murmured softly. "It wasn't Jade's fault, Steve. She wasn't even there. Now, or at the time in question."

"I was just so angry with her," Steve ran his hands through his hair. "Still am. There's still part of me which doesn't want to see her right now. It was only because of her we went out there in the first place."

"But do you hear Lance shouting at her?" Sartain asked. "He was with you, if you remember. He's up there right now trying to comfort her. You've really shaken her up, Steve. Alice told me."

When Alice had passed the Psychiatrist and Michael their coffee and Steve a cool glass of water as he took an extra pill, she'd told Sartain what'd happened, unable to look at her husband at all throughout her story.

"You should've taken time out and then spoken to her. You know you're angry when it's bad, why didn't you take time to calm down?"

When Sartain had first entered the room, Steve had almost yelled at him too in his anger. Myers had grabbed him to stop him from moving a step towards him. If Steve had been thinking, he would've registered the irony of this. Michael Myers was protecting his Doctor from harm, after all the times he would've harmed him in the past years. Also would've remembered the conversation when Michael had written "perhaps," when asked if he'd kill Sartain and Steve's certainty he wouldn't.

"Go to bed." Sartain said quietly now. "You're exhausted, that's not helping. You don't have to see anyone now until later today. Get some sleep, Steve. You need it I think." Steve glared at Sartain and opened his mouth.

"Steve!" Sartain sounded a little stern now. "Listen to me! You're being totally unreasonable! You can't be reached right now; you won't listen to anything anyone says to you. Get some sleep, I'm not telling you what to do, I'm advising it. You've just had a big shock to the system and that's not helping. It's made everything seem a lot worse than it actually is. Get some rest. Can we trust you to just leave and go up to bed? Don't try and speak to Jade right now?" Steve glared at the Psychiatrist for another minute, then slowly nodded. Myers released his grip.

Once he was gone, Sartain made to leave the room, having told Alice he'd return later that day to check on Steve. But just as he reached the door, Myers gently took his doctor's arm. Sartain turned to face the killer. Doctor and patient looked straight at each other. There was a soft knock on the door and Lance quietly slipped in, grabbing his jacket from the chair and pulling out his phone. With a whispered, "sorry guys," he made to leave again, but Michael also gently grabbed his arm, stopping him. Slowly as if it took a huge effort, Michael withdrew his notepad, typed briefly, then raised it. When Lance saw the message, he grasped Michael's free hand. The effort it must've taken didn't escape Lance.

Dr Sartain, I need to talk to you.

The Psychiatrists' face remained expressionless, but Lance could almost see his mouth opening in shock at this huge year's long breakthrough. 15 years he'd been trying to reach the killer, him and Loomis combined and it'd turned out to be Jade who'd done it. Lance gave the doctor a smile, knowing what he was thinking. How he kept his face blank Lance had no idea, but marvelled and deeply respected his professionalism. Michael raised his pad again.

But not in MSU. Here, or nowhere, as they say they've agreed with you.

Sartain nodded once.

"I have one question Michael. Will we need glass? Is my life in any danger from you? Our conversations have not been easy in years gone by and I do not wish to find myself in life or death trouble over something we may discuss."

No doctor.

Again, Lance wasn't sure how the doctor kept his face blank. If it were him, Lance thought. He'd be saying what, I'm just supposed to trust you Michael Myers? This was a huge gamble Sartain was taking.

"Even one slight slip," the Psychiatrist said. "We will be back in MSU. I'll take you back every night, but security will be back in full operation. Do we understand each other?"

Slowly, the killer nodded.

"Jade said to me that if she's needed," Lance murmured. "She'll let you use her to calm your crave if things get intense."

Sartain nodded. "That's what she said to me also." He looked at Lance. "Where is Jade? Is she alright?"

Lance sighed. "Steve's really upset her," he said quietly. "She's upstairs with Jenna I think." He smiled sadly. "After all the times Jenna's comforted her, now they're trying to comfort each other. I can't believe he said that about regretting adopting her. Alice is furious, Doctor. I mean, furious…"

"It's Ranbir, Mr. Lawson."

Lance stepped forward and shook the Doctor's hand. "Wo that's way too formal man," he grinned. "If you're Ranbir, then I'm Lance."

"Done, Lance. It's nice to meet you."

"You too Ranbir. I'm sorry it's in these circumstances."

"All in a day's work," the Psychiatrist smiled warmly at Lance, who liked and trusted him instantly. Jade had mentioned before about the soothing quality of his voice, his gentle smile and now Lance totally understood what she'd meant.

"What the fuck Dad?" Jenna fumed, as Alice passed her and Jade their hot chocolates. She'd also made one for Michael, Sartain and Lance.

"Their famous in this household," Lance grinned at them. "You'll love them. An Alice hot chocolate is worth dying for!"

"He's ill," Alice murmured, stroking Jenna's cheek with one hand and Jade's with the other. "He loves you both so much."

"He may regret adopting me," Jade said in a small voice.

"Wait," Jenna made as if to sit up. "What the fucking hell? He said that?"

A few minutes later, they heard Steve's footsteps on the stairs. Jade tensed, as did Jenna but for totally different reasons. Alice lovingly and gently restrained her daughters. Jenna in anger, Jade in fear.

"It's ok sweetheart," she assured Jade. "He didn't mean a word he said. He'll apologise tomorrow, or later today I should say. Trust me on this." Both girls saw the anger in Alice's eyes as if to say at least he damn well better.

"I've angered so many people tonight," Jade said quietly. "Dad, Michael, you Jen, Mum…"

"Shh babe." Alice and Jenna both hugged her close. Jenna had slept about another hour and was now more awake than before. "He didn't mean it, I'm telling you."

"I shouldn't have said that to Michael, or even mentioned it to Lance or to you," Jade blinked back tears "What the fuck?" She looked at her sister. "I told him that if the kills didn't stop, I may well have to leave him! But I was in shock damn it! He'd just taken Lance and I on a death ride! Killed at least 10 people while we were trapped in that car! I'd promised him I wouldn't leave and he said I'm trusting your promise, so I was trapped there! Lance had come out looking for me and ended up likewise."

"Jesus," Jenna whistled. "You pour, pour things."

"Before that, Michael held me at flat sided knife point in my car. I know that was his way of telling me he loved me, that he wanted to talk, but fuck it scared me so badly! Then he takes us with him on his killing spree! It all got too much! Sitting there, surrounded by all that blood, pointless loss of life, I blurted it out to Lance! Ok I'd been thinking about it at the very back of my mind for a while but…" She put her head in her hands. "I don't think I could do it, not a chance! I adore him!"

"He knows that," Jenna soothed. "Believe me. Bloody hell Jade, I think I'd have said the same if he was my husband in that situation."

Jade managed a faint smile. "Those were Lance's exact words too."

"There you go then." Jenna gently squeezed Jade close. "We can't both be wrong."

Jade was desperate to ask to stay with Jenna, but she couldn't. Craig needed her just as badly as she did and while it wasn't impossible Craig could do as Michael had several weeks ago, Jade didn't feel right asking her. No matter what anyone said, she still took responsibility for what'd happened to her sister tonight. That wouldn't leave fast. If ever.

Soon afterwards, Jenna was sound asleep once more. Alice headed downstairs. She'd said she was sleeping on the sofa, not with her husband. Her father's words wouldn't leave Jade's head.

"WE ADOPTED YOU BECAUSE WE LOVE YOU. DON'T MAKE US REGRET IT!"

The anger in his voice, his words. Did he mean it? Was he right? Had she been a mistake to become part of the family? Would they have been better off without her? Would they still? Those thoughts came rushing back to her just as they had before. One quick something and this could all be over. A noose, or… Bottle of bleach?

If the kills don't stop, I may well have to leave him. A clenched fist squeezed her heart so tightly she almost cried out in agony. It was physical pain.

Maybe we'll talk tomorrow, I don't know.

Would Michael ever forgive her for this? Could he? Did he really think she'd deliberately fallen in love with him planning on this all along? The marriage, gaining his trust, only to leave? Tears flowed down her cheeks now. Her father possibly regretted adopting her, Michael thought she'd tricked him, her birth mother saw her as nothing but a slave…

We adopted you because we love you. Don't make us regret it."

"Are you ok?"

Lance started slightly and looked over his shoulder. It was Craig. "Yeah," he nodded. "Jade's not though. She's really upset. PTSD or not, that was…"

Craig nodded. "I heard Mum shouting at him that it wasn't Jade's fault and she couldn't believe he'd said that about adopting her. She said there was no excuse for it. That Jade had been through enough without her own father turning on her. She's sleeping on the sofa tonight instead of with him."

"Where's Jade now?"

"Upstairs. I told her to call me if she needed me at any time."

"Thanks man. I told her earlier to crash with Jen but she wouldn't do it. Said I needed her more than she did and I took priority." He sighed. "Damn Jade. Too damn selfless for her own good."

Lance smiled sadly. "Do you know where Michael is?"

Craig shook his head. "Sometimes I'd rather not know."

Lance grinned a little. "I hear you there."

That was when they heard the soft beep and saw the killer standing in front of them, holding up his notepad.

I'm here.

"Bloody hell," Craig and Lance said in unison, putting a hand to their chests. "How the hell do you do that?"

"You ok?" Lance asked the killer.

I am.

Lance and Craig exchanged a look. Not very communicative tonight it seemed. Maybe he was exhausted to. They didn't want to consider the other alternative. But they knew in his own way, he cared for them.

"I'm heading up," Craig said. "See you guys later. I'm so tired I need to crash or I'll fall over."

"That's before you're drunk," Lance grinned. Craig smirked. "Oh yeah? I've heard of your exploits at parties young Mr. Lawson. I know you can dance on tables, or throw glasses across the room, or…"

"Shut it!" Lance slapped Craig's arm, but they were both laughing. "I'll kill the twins."

Michael gently tugged Craig's sleeve. Craig turned to him; his earlier thoughts confirmed when he read the killer's next message. Affection swelled his heart.

Jenna?

"On the mend. She's just sleeping it off. I'll give her your love when she wakes up."

Do so.

Craig smiled and nodded. The killer turned and walked away without any further communication. Craig and Lance glanced at each other once more. They hadn't heard anything. If Jade had left, surely they would have? But they also knew Michael had it in hand. Lance too could feel the cloud of exhaustion starting to take hold, so followed Craig towards the stairs.

"Talkative tonight, isn't he?" Lance said quietly. Craig smiled a little. "Yeah. I don't like to approach him then. I'm just hoping it's not because he's still angry at Jade. This sounds horrible to say, but I hope it's because he's craving a kill."

Lance said nothing. As far as he knew, Craig didn't know what Jade had told him and it wouldn't be he who broke her confidence. "Forgot to mention," Lance murmured. "I heard Alice shout at Steve "I married you because I love you, don't make me regret it."

Craig whistled. "Ouch. Throwing his own words back at him."

"I think he deserved it," Lance said. Craig nodded. "I don't disagree with you there."

"We adopted you because we love you. Don't make us regret it."

Had they started to when Julie tracked us down the first time? Was Dad voicing something they'd all privately been thinking? I had seen the look on Mum's face when he'd said that, cold furry. I'd never seen her so angry if truth be told. But was he telling the truth? Was she angry because he'd said it? Or because he'd told a truth they weren't going to tell me? Or at least not then?

Dad regretted adopting me. He regretted it. Had he done so for years? I tried to tell myself he'd just said that in worry filled anger, but it didn't work. Had he meant it? Really? Then there was Michael. I still hadn't had the chance to talk to him and now I couldn't. How could I have even thought it? Yes, the sight in front of Lance and I had been horrific, but I couldn't leave him. Not really, literally do it. I knew it now, so how had I even voiced it? But sitting here in this very car amongst all that death, it'd come out and yes, I'd thought it before when he'd killed, but I'd never really meant it. Not really in my heart of hearts. How I wanted to hold him, kiss him, tell him I'd never meant any of it, but now I'd probably blown it.

Steve lay in his and Alice's bed, staring up at the ceiling. What the bloody hell had he been thinking? His PTSD attacks made him tired, but there was no way he'd be sleeping anytime soon. After what Jenna had just been through, then Jade, how the hell could he have said what he had? "We adopted you because we love you." There. He should've stopped right there. Not added, "don't make us regret that."

No wonder Alice wasn't sleeping with him tonight, he knew he didn't deserve her to. He'd never shouted at Jade that way before, not once. Alice was right. He'd been out of order. He and Alice had never argued before in their marriage the way they had tonight.

Steve knew he also had to speak to Myers at some point. But that was a conversation he was not looking forward to either. He contemplated going to find Jade right now, but didn't. She was probably fast asleep. They were all exhausted, which made his outburst explainable, but no more excusable. He sighed, feeling a tear fall on to his cheek. Hadn't Jade been through enough? Then to hear it from her so-called father? Who the hell was he?

Just as I exited our bedroom, I heard the front door click shut. I didn't have to think too hard to understand why. I shivered. This was it. Craving a kill or not, I needed my husband. Plus, he'd said he'd never hurt me. So surely he wouldn't, even craving a kill, would he?

I left the house, heading fast down the morning streets. It hadn't taken me long to find him. Michael was indeed out for the kill. He'd just slashed a young man, by the look of him a pour innocent jogger out for an early morning run, completely decapitating him. I stuck to my resolve and headed towards the masked killer. He wasn't my husband right then; he was danger. I deliberately kicked a stone, causing it to clonk against the wall. In a second, the killer's eyes were on me. Blank, cold. He gave no sign that he even recognised me. I continued walking, as if I was oblivious. In truth, I was terrified, but knew I had to do this. It was my only chance to reach him. Michael indeed didn't recognise me. This was confirmed when he slammed me against the brick wall and his knife pressed against my neck. But this time, it was blade first.

"Have you seen Jade?" Alice asked Lance, who'd come down for another coffee, clearly unable to sleep. Alice wasn't surprised. Nor would she after a joy ride through hell.

"She's in her room, isn't she?" Lance asked.

"No. I went up there to check she was ok, she wasn't there."

Lance raised an eyebrow. "We didn't hear or see her leave," he frowned. "Want me to go take a look?"

"No darling," Alice hugged him. "You're exhausted and you've been through enough tonight. I'll go."

"Sorry Mum," Lance hugged her tightly back. "There's no way I'm letting you go alone when there's a masked killer out there. I'm coming with you. We go together, or not at all."

God my neck was agony, but nowhere near as much as my heart. There was blood all over my t-shirt. I managed to get to my knees, but was shaking so badly I couldn't stand. Blood loss or emotion, I didn't know. I tried to get to my feet, but still couldn't. Next second, Michael was lifting me to my feet. I swayed, dizzy. Michael's eyes rested on my cut neck. He slammed me against the wall non too gently and his arms came around me, pulling me against him. In spite of everything that had just happened between us, all I wanted to do was cling to him. I felt the tears start to fall down my cheeks. I didn't dare try to speak, shit it her to breathe. I felt Michael rest his arm against the cut, trying to staunch the bleeding. A few seconds later, he pulled out his notepad. When I read the message, my heart sank like a stone. Now I realised why he was holding me so tightly to him. There was no love in it, we were back to the start. I also saw his message was in capitals, which meant had he spoken it, he would've been shouting.

I WARNED YOU, JADE, DAMN YOU! I WARNED YOU. AFTER EVERYTHING YOU SAID, YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST WALK UP TO ME TONIGHT? YOU ARE SERIOUSLY TESTING MY PATIENCE, JADE. BELIEVE IT OR NOT AS I HAVE SAID TO YOU BEFORE, I DON'T WANT TO HURT YOU. I NOW HAVE. WHY DO YOU THINK YOU'RE STILL ALIVE? I RECOGNISED YOU AFTER IT WAS TOO LATE. SHOWS HOW MUCH YOU LOVE ME THEN, DOESN'T IT? AFTER SAYING IF THEY DON'T STOP, YOU'LL LEAVE, YOU THEN PUT YOURSELF FORWARD AS MY NEXT VICTIM?

My heart was hammering in my chest. I felt dizziness threaten to take hold as it rushed to my head which was pounding. I could never wear this shirt again. If I lived that was. No amount of washing would save it now. Was Michael even now using me to try and calm his killing crave? But this time so he didn't kill me? I felt myself shiver. Apart from this realisation, a bitter wind had risen in the early morning and I wasn't dressed for it. Next second, Michael had released me and placed his heavy jacket around my shoulders. I felt tears fall again at his gesture. I knew he was angry, but even in his need to kill, he cared. Before I could say "you'll be freezing," he'd pulled me back against him. He wasn't leaving me. I couldn't stop the rush of love at that knowledge. Why had I thought approaching him now had been a good idea? His arm was still pressing against the wound, as he almost carried me back towards the house.

"Where do you think she may have gone?" Lance asked as they left the house.

"Not far," Alice replied. "The car's still here."

"Man I hope she hasn't gone looking for Michael," Lance shivered a little. "He told her not to."

Alice nodded. "Not to mention I said she should give both of them some time and space."

"But that's jade for you," Lance smiled a little in spite of himself. "So stubborn, does she ever do as she's told?"

I didn't hear it when Mum and Lance approached us and only registered their presence when Mum took my hand. Love swelled in my heart to the point where I thought it would burst. Lance gently touched Michael's arm and to my relief Michael let him, as they led us back towards the house, Michael still carrying me. I could tell from Mum's and Lance's silence that they knew all too well what'd almost happened between us, but they weren't judging Michael, or me. God, I adored them. We entered the house and the kitchen, where Mum securely closed the door. Mum pushed me gently but firmly in to a chair, sat down beside me and began to treat my neck, wrapping bandages around it.

"Darling Jade," Mum sounded close to tears. "Oh my darling daughter, listen to me. Your father had absolutely no right to say that to you. I'm not surprised it hurt you. I will be telling him as much. But we love you Jade Henderson/Myers, so much it hurts! Jenna needs you; I need you, we all need you!"

"Well said!" Lance almost barked.

"You may be a masked killer," I heard Lance murmur in Michael's ear. "But you know something? You're still a man. It just took a while for you to realise that. What you're feeling is no different to me, Dom, Stuart or any of the guys. Pain. Love. Normal, Michael. So, so normal."

I couldn't look at my husband. What the hell had I been thinking? Michael had made no move to pull back from Lance, on the contrary was now holding him tightly to him with one arm and it tugged at my heart. He'd either finally, finally accepted he needed comfort, love as much as any of us did, or he was still craving a kill. I wasn't sure if I was terrified or relieved I didn't know which of the two it was.

"You need to go to hospital," Mum said. "This is a bad cut. I can only do so much. It needs stitches and antiseptic. We're leaving in one minute."

Without another word, she walked in to the hall. Lance gently helped me to my feet. I was still feeling dizzy. My shirt was soaked in my own blood. Just as we reached the door, I looked back at Michael, but still didn't dare look at his face. If I had, I would've noticed he was now unmasked.

"I'm so sorry Michael," I just managed to say through my tears. "Hell you even warned me! That makes it even worse! You're everything to me and I… I may have lost you for more than one reason now! I just didn't have the guts to try and talk to you! I'll say it straight, I'm a coward!"

"Jade, you need to stay awake and talk to us," Mum said as she started the car and drove fast on to the main road towards the hospital. "Don't you dare go to sleep!"

I knew exactly why she was saying this. I could all too easily lose consciousness. But damn it I was so, so tired. Lance kept me talking about anything and everything and I forced myself to answer, even though it was the last thing I felt like doing. I felt terrible, mentally way more than physically.

When we got there, I was rushed in to a consultant room with a female doctor. Lance and Mum waited outside.

"How did this happen? Dr Twinkle asked, as I lay on the leather treatment couch. When she'd introduced herself, I'd almost laughed out loud. What the hell was her first name? Stars? Lights? How did she say that with a straight face? I glanced surreptitiously at her name badge. Dr Rachael Twinkle. She hadn't been lying. If that'd been me, I'd have got my surname changed as soon as I could.

"I was out for a jog and I slipped," I lied instantly. I'd been working on that all the way here. No way in hell could I tell her the truth. She certainly wouldn't have a twinkle in her eye then. "Fell over and cut myself on the concrete."

"Must've been a nasty fall," Twinkle said as she reached to her trolley. I inwardly winced. She didn't believe me, though admittedly it wasn't a very convincing lie.

"There was a stone just where I fell and it hit me," I continued lying. "Mum cleaned it out for me before she bandaged it."

"I see," Twinkle said. Her voice was professional, neutral, but I could tell she still wasn't convinced. She was a damn smart woman then. "Well I need to clean it a second time and then apply antiseptic before I stitch and dress it. Now I'm not going to lie to you Jade," (not like I did to you, I thought. Was that what she was silently saying with that choice of words?) "This is going to sting. A lot. Use this."

She handed me a plastic biting instrument, designed to be soft on the teeth. I looked at her in dread. That badly I needed it? Twinkle nodded, no trace of a smile. Deciding to co-operate, I slipped the tool in to my mouth. Next second, my hand was gently taken in a warm and secure grip. I looked up and managed a weak smile. Lance.

"It's ok," Twinkle said, her voice gentle now. "We women all know how good a man's hand is for squeezing when we're in pain eh?"

I couldn't help it as I smiled back at her around the biting tool and nodded. Twinkle used my distraction to her advantage. Before I had fully recovered, she was cleaning my neck with an alcohol cloth.

Shit, the pain. I let out a muffled scream through the tool, I couldn't stop it. Automatically, my hand tightened on Lance's, who was standing on my other side. On the couch, my head was level with his shoulder. He took the final step forward, so my head was resting on it. Twinkle smiled at him. Lance's other hand gently rested on my head, partly keeping it still but also softly stroking my hair. "Nearly done," Twinkle soothed, as she continued her work. "Nearly there, Jade." I automatically tried to move my head away following a particularly nasty stab of pain, but Lance gently but firmly stopped me. Twinkle smiled at him again. "Stitching it now," she said gently. "This shouldn't hurt anywhere near as much, but keep the tool in your mouth until it's done."

She was right. The stitching didn't hurt anywhere near as much as the cleaning had. Before long, Twinkle was dressing the wound. I hadn't seen it and I was thankful for it. But there was one question I had to ask. After Craig… I felt terrible for it but I had to know.

"Will I have a scar?" I asked very quietly.

"No," Twinkle answered and I felt the relief consume me. "This cut isn't deep enough for that."

Now I don't want you to miss understand. I didn't give a damn about looks. That wasn't my concern. My concern was of forever being reminded of this. I didn't want to see it in the mirror every time I saw my reflection. I didn't want my family to either.

"All done," Twinkle said a few minutes later. "Now you're not allowed to lift anything heavy for the next 72 hours and no jogging and falling over sharp stones."

I nodded, looking back at this stern but compassionate woman. The emotion of it all hit me completely then and I had to fight everything I had not to break down crying on this couch. I'd been through so much in the last few days. I was close to the edge and I may have lost my husband. Right then I felt so weak I didn't know if I could even get off the couch.

"Are you ok?" Twinkle asked softly. Of course, she'd seen my emotion. She was trained to see it. That did it. I took several deep breaths trying to control it, but I couldn't. I ultimately lost the battle as the tears began to fall. Before I knew it, I was telling this stranger everything. My adoption, my birth mother's cruelty, my previous attempt to commit suicide. As I talked, I felt Lance's arm gently come around me as I continued lying on the couch. I sobbed how I'd said things to Michael I hadn't meant and that too was eating me from inside.

Once I was done, Twinkle headed to her computer. "Ok," she said looking up from her screen. "I'll make contact with your designated doctor, let him know what's happened. You'll hear from him within 72 hours. You say you have no desire to harm yourself now?"

I shook my head slightly. Too much was painful.

"Ok. I'm trusting you. Stick close to your family. So as I was saying, I'll call your doctor, who I see has recently changed."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really? Who is it?"

"I can't see on this screen," Twinkle replied. "I'll have to look deeper in to your records and that'll take a minute. Want me too?"

I shook my head. Gently, Lance helped me off the couch, putting a secure arm around me. Twinkle smiled gently again.

"Just keep an eye out for any bleeding, if it's heavy please come back in immediately. As I said no heavy lifting or over exertion. Look after yourself now Jade, take care ok?" She handed me a proscription for bandages and painkillers.

"Thank you, Dr Twinkle," I said quietly, no longer wanting to laugh at her last name. She was kinder than she first appeared. I wasn't surprised she'd been suspicious; she had every right to be. How many stones would've caused a cut like that? I was almost certain she knew it'd been a knife, but was treating it as self-harm. If I was honest, she wasn't really far wrong. I'd tried, just not in the way she thought.

Back in the car, Mum stopped to pick up my proscription from a chemist which had just opened. Lance kept a careful eye on my neck as per Twinkle's instructions. I felt so tired, I thought I was going to crash right there in the seat. When we reached home, Mum immediately supported me with Lance out of the car and in to the house, heading towards the stairs. The thought of a bed made me feel momentarily dizzy with tiredness.

"I've got this," Mum said. "Go to bed Lance. You're exhausted."

Lance opened his mouth to protest, but as we all knew, with Mum it was pointless when she'd told you to do something. Indeed, she gave him such a glare, he shut his mouth and walked away without another word. I couldn't stop the small smile, which Mum noticed because she smiled back at me, leading me slowly up to bed.