Hi, so here is another chapter, the penultimate chapter and I hope that you enjoy this chapter and stay tuned for the final one. I had to rework this chapter a little bit so the Martina/Joey moment is coming next chapter to tie the whole story together. I have really ,really enjoyed writing this chapter so I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do.

Disclaimer-Nothing here is mine just the characters of Isla and Alexandra.

Please Read and Review and I will see you here for the next (and final) chapter sooner rather than later!.

Glory Days

Chapter 16-Creative Problem Solving.

There is a reunion between father and daughter. Roxy get's what is coming to her along with a much needed reality check. Yizzel thinks about his daughter and talks to Joey and Martina has an emotional moment (CHAPTER SUMMARY HAS CHANGED). Penultimate chapter to this story.

Martina was holding her breath somewhat as they drove down the street. Isla was sat on the passenger seat next to her, her eyes closed and Martina though she was drifting into sleep. She had heard the story, the train ride back from London to Liverpool, two buses in the middle of the night and then breaking into the DHSS not to mention the whole walking through the streets of London alone thing. Her heart was still hammering just thinking about all the things that could have gone wrong. She thought about the supply of wine the Boswell's had and as she pulled into the street knocking both the illegal cones over as she did (conniving bastards) she knew that she was going to be drinking copious amounts to hide how unaffected she was by this whole thing.

After all, now the danger was over things would go back to normal. Martina would give it a week before one of the Boswell's was back complaining about how they were forced onto the breadline—though seeing their house she had to acknowledge that she now well and truly had their number (and she knew that Ma Boswell, Joey and Jack probably all knew it).

She just…she just wasn't sure if she wanted it too. There was something oddly comforting about seeing them at home. Like after watching a documentary about dancing bears and seeing them in their natural habitat at the zoo and realising that actually they were not treated so badly in their natural environment. There had been a crossing of the line over the last two days and she had gone over willingly but she was not as sure that she was going to be able to walk back over it.

She sighed as she stopped the car. Gently she pushed Isla and the girl's eyes fluttered open immediately.

"Come on" she said quietly. "It's time to go home"

Isla eyed the door once more nerves written all over her face and Martina took a breath reminding herself that she couldn't turn the car around and drive down the highway until she found Roxy and ran her over with her car until she was nothing but a pile of blood, bones and skin on the pavement. Then she would instruct Freddie Boswell to sweep up the pieces and then it would be like Roxy had never been.

What a wonderful thought that was

"Come on" she said again and this time Isla did get out of the car and come round to where Martina was stood her hand finding Martina's. It seemed however the more time the child was away from her mother the more time that she was coming back to being the girl that Martina had known and loved.

"He's not going to be mad you know" she said softly.

Isla nodded.

"I know" she said confidently. "That's not what I'm worried about"

"Then what are you worried about"

"What he's gonna do when he learns about…Roxy"

"Ah"

Ah was a diplomatic way of putting it. Martina had seen the look on Joey's face when he had learnt about Roxy and her part in all of this and the look on his face had been…frightening to say the least.

"Never mind that now" she said smiling. "He's just going to be glad that you are home"

And with that she rang the doorbell.

It was Joey that answered the door.

It was almost like it was divine providence.

You know…if Martina believed in such things.

Which she most certainly did not. Regardless of what Ma Boswell thought.

For a moment he was stood there dressed in all black watching her with those deadened eyes.

"Look who I found" was all she said.

For a second he stared at her and then his eyes slid next to her where Isla was standing. For another heartbeat of a second father and daughter stared at each other and then Joey took another step forwards and somewhere between his knees finding the floor and his arms opening Isla was in them.

"Isla"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry Daddy I really am but she played me and I let myself get played and I'm sorry—"

"Isla" he said again into the mass of blonde hair and Martina realised that his shoulders were shaking again and he had broken down somewhere between his daughter's neck and her dirty blonde hair and that Isla too was shaking and that it was a warm enough night for it to not be from the cold.

There was the thudding of footsteps and then doors open and the Boswell clan including Grandad had descended on them. There were many cries and tears and a very loud exclamation from Ma Boswell and the two of them were completely concealed by family and Martina suddenly ended up on the outskirts looking in just as another car turned up and the man in the fur coat his daughter with him got out.

"Thank Christ" the man in the fur coat said. "Tell Boswell it's done old man. Usual time, usual place."

Grandad who had been watching Isla his face uncharacteristically soft nodded once.

"Dad—"

"Nah Alexandra give her some time. We can come back tomorrow. You want me to drive you home Lady?"

"No thank you Charles I have my own car."

"Wait—how did you—"

Martina tore her eyes away from the sight of the family and rolled them. It got rid of the water that was steadily building up in them and she found that when she next spoke her voice was back to normal.

"I work for the DHSS Charles, I know everything about everyone and anyone"

And with that she slid in her car and drove away. It was just family after all. Something that she was not.

It didn't stop her from breaking down in tears as soon as the door to her flat was shut. It didn't stop her from drinking her entire bottle of white wine and it didn't stop her from throwing up as the adrenaline left her system (and the drink).

Eventually she shuddered herself into bed and she lay down and wrapped up. It was a warm night but she could not stop shivering and when she eventually fell asleep it was light and she jerked awake several times and found that she had to remind herself that Isla was alive, that she was safe.

That she was home.

Joey had been curled in Isla's bed one leg dangling off, one arm around his daughter as she slept. His entire body was aching and he was sure that his arm was going to sleep but honestly he did not care. He would never care again. His whole world which had been on the edge of disintegration, his whole body on the verge of sinking to the floor and never getting up again and his heart on the verge of stopping for good and then suddenly he had seen Martina framed in light at the door and Isla had been stood next to her, healthy and whole and home…

The second she had hit his arms it was like the last two days hadn't happened. She was back. She was in his arms and Joey didn't care about anything other than that and the bone sickening aching relief had sent him spiralling to the point where he had been sobbing into his daughter's hair trying to press every inch of her into his body and planning to never let go again.

Of course that had set Isla off and then the family had descended and there had been hugs and kisses and Isla sitting down for dinner and then going to bed. There had been a garbled explanation about Roxy that Joey had heard but he was too relieved to be angry with his daughter. He knew the time would come when he would have to sit down and explain that she had made some wrong decisions but this…this was not the night for it.

Isla shifted a little. She would have to take a bath tomorrow and scrub herself almost raw to get rid of the dirt and the dust but right now she was in her unicorn pyjama's and fast asleep in the bed her eyelashes fluttering against her cheeks as she slept. Joey was still watching her as if expecting her to disappear if he looked away when there was a soft knock at the door.

It was Jack.

"Hey…your mate's outside. The one with the fur coat that tried to knock over our Dad"

Joey nodded feeling his shoulders ache a little as he shifted. He was bone dead tired he didn't think he had slept since this entire thing began and his body was craving sleep. But even as his body protested staying awake he knew that he had to do this last thing…at least tonight.

And then he could sleep.

He hoped.

"Thanks" he said shifting a little so that Isla was still asleep but unaware that he had left her side.

"Jack listen…can you…"

"Course I can" Jack said knowing in that way that only Jack did what Joey was asking.

"Thanks mate. This won't take long"

There was an unspoken agreement between the two of them of what Yizzel had done for Joey, of what Joey was going to do now but they didn't speak of it.

"Don't…don't do anything that sees you at the canal" Jack muttered.

"Nah, it won't get that far" Joey said darkly. He knew that much and deep down Jack did too.

The drive was a very short drive. Yizzel had not needed to give him any directions on the place and Joey had not asked. He had also not asked how Yizzel who had spent the day prying a story out of his daughter in his grandad's living room had managed to do this but he suspected it was down to the employment of his friend and God only knows who else.

Joey didn't care. He suspected that right now Yizzel and he were on the same side. Of course how long that would last was another story but for now…

It was oddly gratifying.

Yizzel stepped out at what looked like a warehouse and Joey stepped out of the JAG too. Yizzel lit a cig and leaned against the car.

"She's in there. Went down easy, husband doesn't suspect a thing…well I think he does but not about this. Easy enough to warn him he didn't…well…I don't think he cared about your kid all that much. But…well…do what you gotta do Boswell but I didn't sign up for getting rid of a body tonight if you understand me"

And Joey did.

"Yeah" he said once and then he was gone and Yizzel was left alone in the darkness smoke coming from his mouth and littering the starry sky and pondering his own daughter and what he would do to keep her safe from harm.

Joey stepped into the warehouse. Yizzel had left the light on. He had not tied her to a chair or gagged her but it was clear that she had not gone quietly.

"Hello Roxy"

For a moment his ex girlfriend stared at him blinking rather owlishly.

"Joey" she breathed and Joey took her in, her thin frame and her messy hair and found that he was cataloguing all of the things both mental and physical that he had not liked about her that now were stark and clear in the harsh light of reality.

"You" Roxy said finally.

"Yeah" he said feeling his temper rise. "Me"

"You had me kidnapped? You had my husband beaten while I was watching my son—you threatened him?"

"No…I have people who do that. And may I just say sweetheart you do not get to throw stones at the glass houses."

"What do you—"

"Isla"

For a moment the word hung between them like a great and terrible thing.

"What—"

"She's alive by the way." Joey said as if she had not spoken. He had to work hard to keep his voice calm and perhaps it was showing, or perhaps it was showing on his face because she took a step backwards suddenly looking a hell of a lot more fearful.

Good.

"She escaped from you, took a train home and hid like a criminal before I got to see her because she was so scared I would hate her for wanting to like you…I mean…Christ how much do you hate me?"

Roxy flinched.

"I don't—"

"You took my daughter, you put me through the worst kind of hell a person can do for another and you did it to spite my family! You didn't love her! You didn't want to be with her! YOU DID IF FOR YOURSELF AND HERE I WAS BREAKING MY OWN HEART OVER YOU THINKING THAT IT WAS MY FAULT YOU LEFT!"

And suddenly he was screaming.

Roxy watched him and when she spoke it was in a calm and detached voice.

"It was."

"How." He said flatly his voice going back to normal. "Just tell me how Roxy please it will help me sleep"

"I wanted you and I didn't want your family and you made it clear that you were a package. And I didn't want a baby and you made it clear that you did. I didn't want a child Joey I…I didn't want one I don't even want the one I have…not really but…when my husband starting hitting me I realised that perhaps—"

"What Isla would be the new punching bag?"

"No that she would make it easy. Don't you see Joey, he wants the perfect family and she was part of that—of course she's your girl through and through and she didn't warm to him and—"

"DON'T YOU DARE BLAME ISLA FOR THIS!"

"I'm not" she looked at him and Joey looked back and wondered just how on earth he could have ever loved this woman who even now had no sense of what she had done wrong.

"I am just saying that it didn't work out. But she's back now and she's a Boswell again so what's the point of all of this. You and I aren't going to work while that family are in your world and Isla's too much like you to work with me. Let's just go back to where we were and—"

Joey couldn't stop the savage laugh from escaping. Christ he was going to hit her. He had never so much as thought about raising his fist to a woman before and he was sure that he was going to hit her.

If there was any other reason to walk away from Roxy that was it. This was the proof that they were not good for each other and that they never had been good for each other.

This right here. Now.

"You think I am going to let you go back to how things were?" he said incredulously.

"You think I am going to let you anywhere near Isla? God you are more deluded than I thought. No you see Roxy here's how this works, you go back to your husband and you leave this city, this country even and you forget that she exists, no calls, no cards, no contact. You just…go… you've been doing it for six years you can do it until your dead for all I care and I promise you this…if you so much as even think about calling her or seeing her or following her I will have you arrested for child abduction and you and your husband will be thrown in prison and your son will be put in a home and I will do everything in my power to make sure he stays there until he is eighteen and he hates the very sight of you. Just like I do"

She watched him her eyes wide.

Joey took another deep breath.

"I told the cops this morning what you did" he said quietly. "And they know. They know about your husband and your hotel room and your plan. Now if you're really, really smart you can get out before they get you but if you don't'…" he let the sentence hang there and Roxy knew what he meant.

She had always been good at reading him.

"Joey you wouldn't—"

"Oh I would. I'd shame you and humiliate you and burn you down to the ground for what you have done to me. I will see your very face turned to muck across the North West of England and at every job interview I will be there to tell them what you are. At every dinner and date and school interview I will be there. I will dedicate the rest of my natural life to destroying yours and how long do you think that it will be before your hubby get's sick of you and things will be back to how they were when I found you—you trying to charm your way into a man's bed so you didn't feel so lonely and pathetic?"

For a second she stared at him her mouth trembling.

"Joey"

But he had pressed forwards so their faces were together.

"Look me in the eye Roxanne and tell me that I am bluffing"

She stared at him and then something in her pale blue eyes shifted.

"And if I go?"

"You go and you never come back. Not even to bury your parents, you leave and you don't come back at all. You stay in America until your dead and believe me I don't care how long that takes. You pissed off the wrong family and you pissed off the wrong street. As far as my child is concerned you are dead and buried and as far as I am concerned you don't exist"

Roxy stared at him for a second.

"You bastard" she breathed.

"Yeah I am sweetheart" he said finally. "But that's what got you to spread your legs for me, that was what you were good at, that's what you've always been good and believe me…I've had better"

Roxy stared at him.

"I do love her you know. I'm her mo—"

"No you don't. And don't call yourself that. Mothers don't do what you do. Mother's don't do what you did. I know a DHSS woman whose more a mother to Isla than you will ever be. And you don't love Roxanne, you destroy and you suck and you poison the life out everyone and anyone around you. Now go before I wrap my hands around your throat and don't let go"

She stared at him and Joey took a step forwards. That seemed to do it and Roxy was gone before he could fully snap.

He noticed dimly that she didn't look back and she didn't cry.

It had all been for show.

He supposed it all had.

He sat down on the chair she had been sat in and breathed in an out. Isla was safe. Roxy was gone…and Yizzel was there offering a cigarette. Joey took it despite the fact that he had given up the habit years ago and greedily let the smoke calm him.

"I've got some boys following her. Not enough for proof but enough to know that were serious"

"Cheers"

"No problem"

"No I mean…"

"I know what you mean Yizzel said sounding amused. "I have a kid too Boswell. I'd like to think you'd have done that for me."

"I would have done"

"Yeah I know. Listen you tell me when and I'll bring my kid round. Need to square this shit away with your grandad—oh don't look like that Boswell…who do you think paid me?"

Joey laughed.

This time it sounded real.

"So…did you really call the filth on her then?"

"Nah" he said standing up. "I'm a man of honour Charles just like you. But she doesn't know that. It was just…just a bit of creative problem solving"

"No Joseph" Yizzel said with a smile. "I suppose she doesn't. And creative problem solving? I'm going to steal that one."

And with that they sat in silence and finished their cigarettes.

It was almost like they were friends. But not really. They were just Dads looking out for their daughters in this bastard of a world.

And that was enough.

That was everything.

And there you are, I hope you enjoy this chapter and stay tuned for the next one.

Next Chapter-THE FINAL CHAPTER!, Isla and Joey have a talk about the past, present and future, Joey speaks to his grandfather and makes a decision, Martina and Joey have a moment and life for the Boswell's returns to normal. Well...as normal as it can be.