Present Day, Doggett Residence...

For the first time in over two weeks Monica read to Anna before she went to sleep. Anna had asked her to and they had chosen a book together when she had been bathed and changed for bed. Monica had lay on the edge of the bed before Anna had come into the room and when Anna climbed under the covers she lay close to Monica and rested her head on her lap. Holding her doll close by she closed her eyes and listened to the sound of her mother's voice easing her pain and making her feel safe and loved despite the fact her dad was nowhere to be found.

Monica knew that she was going to find it difficult to slip away from Anna without waking her, but she didn't particularly mind if she didn't slip away at all. She had made the last couple of weeks so much harder for Anna than they should have been, it was time she started acting like a mother.

When Anna was sleeping Monica spent over and hour just sitting with her. Watching her chest rise and fall as she took each breath. Adoring the fact that her little girl hadn't spent a second away from the same doll since John had died. Things were going to get easier, she could feel it. They had to. One certainty she had was that they couldn't get much harder. When she finally slipped away she went outside for a cigarette and was disappointed when it made her feel sick. She knew that it was her body's subtle way of saying 'you shouldn't be doing this' and she decided to listen to it. She threw the entire pack that she had bought just a few hours earlier into the bin and she didn't look back as she walked back into the house and looked forward instead of dwelling on the past.

That night Monica dreamt about John again. She dreamt about the weekend they had shared together just a few short days before she would never see him again. It had been the best weekend she could remember them having in a long time, alone anyway. They had shared some wonderful weekends as a family, just the three of them, but that weekend they had alone almost seemed as if it were a sign now. A warning that if things are gonna be this good for you, be prepared to accept the bad afterwards. Almost as if that weekend was a mockery of their life, someone playing a joke saying 'yeah you can have this couple of days, but then that's it, you're a goner pal'. It seemed unfair and unjust. But then so did everything that had happened to her in the past two weeks.

Somehow Monica found a power within to hold onto the dream of that weekend so she could feel John close. Almost as if he were there beside her. She had slept with one of his shirts every night and soothed by his scent, but now she was sure she could feel him beside her again. And it was the best nights sleep she had in a long time.

June 29th, Dancing Zorba's...

As Monica finished her meal she sat back into her chair trying to let the food settle on her stomach. John had finally allowed them to leave the bedroom to go out for something to eat and he had driven them to small restaurant they had been to quite a lot, which made a special effort to be known for it's romantic atmosphere after seven in the evening. 'Dancing Zorba's' served great food, had friendly waiters, and played music that you could fall asleep to it was so relaxing and calming. John smiled across the table as he watched Monica looking around the room. He had the sudden urge to dance with her. So he stood up and walked beside her as she watched amused and wondering what he was doing.

"Dance with me."

"What?"

"Dance with me, come on."

"But John we can't..."

"Yeah we can..."

He lifted Monica from her seat and placed his arm around her as she rested her head on his shoulder. They began to slowly move to the music as onlookers watched smiling and pointing occasionally. When Monica finally got over the giggles she closed her eyes and let John and the music transport her into another world. A world where she never had to worry about anything, where she was protected and loved by John, and where they could love and protect their daughter from all the harm in the world.

As her thoughts drifted to their daughter she came back to reality and realised she was missing her. They hadn't spent more than one evening apart since the day she was born and now they had spent an entire weekend apart. What if something went wrong and she wasn't there to help or support her little girl? John could feel her body tense up and become reluctant to sway along side his so he stopped and looked at her with concerned eyes.

"Mon what is it?"

"I was thinking about Anna... I miss her..." John smiled.

"Me too. But this weekend is for us."

"I know... But, sometimes I..."

"You what?"

"I get scared."

"Of what?"

"Of what might happen, of the bad things that could happen to you, or to Anna. And that I won't be there."

"Why you got some place else you'd rather be?"

"John... I'm serious."

"Well so am I. Monica listen to me, you, me, and Anna. We're a family. We're here to love and protect each other. And we will. We're gonna grow old together and watch Anna go to college and leave home to get married and have a family of her own. And when we're old and wrinkly and losing our minds we'll be sat on the front porch waiting for Anna to come get us for the holidays to be with our grandchildren. Nothing is going to change that. Do you hear me?"

John lifted up Monica's chin with his hand and she met his eyes with the gaze he was giving her.

"My God I love you."

He smiled as she leaned forwards to kiss him and they both suddenly became very conscious of the people watching around them.

"You wanna get out of here?"

"Yes sir I do."

"Gimme a sec to pay the check."

John paid for their meal in record time and they were soon back in the car and then home settling in for another night alone together.

As they lay holding each other in bed they were both lost in their own thoughts. And they were both unaware of the fact they were thinking about the same things. About how much they loved each other, how much they loved their daughter, and that they would move heaven and earth to do anything in order to protect their family and their happiness.