"Hello can I help you?" Connor asked, opening the front door. He was rather taken aback by the sight that met him – the other man's unkempt appearance. His face was unshaven with dark, greasy hair. He had menacing eyes and dirt under his fingernails. In stark contrast, he was well-dressed, but he was clearly not a man who cared about how he looked.

"I'm here to see Nikki."

The voice and manner matched the first impression.

Despite Nikki's romantic relationship with his son being in relatively early stages, Connor already looked at her like a daughter-in-law. His protective instincts nearly took over and Jack's normally, friendly dad had to stop himself from slamming the door in the other man's face.

Surely the kind-hearted pathologist didn't move in such circles as this?

On the other hand, Connor thought, his son had the strength of ten men when he was protecting Nikki, and if this did turn out to be an unsavoury character with rotten intentions, Jack would kick him out faster than he had come in.

"This way"

Against the elderly man's better judgement, he led the visitor to the living room, where the happy couple were snuggled on the sofa with a glass of wine each.

"Nikki, there's someone here to see you" Connor told her uncomfortably. He had a bad feeling that was only increasing as each awkward second passed, and he was wondering more and more if he should have let the other man in.

"Oh really?" Nikki asked, leaning forward and setting her glass on the table. However, her look of mild surprise and interest quickly changed to one of anger and distress when the visitor entered. Connor's instinct had been right.

"Hi Niks"

"What are you doing here?" She demanded, jumping to her feet.

"How's your dad?" He smirked unkindly, ignoring her question.

Although Nikki had only ever vaguely mentioned her real father, Connor and Jack were aware that this conversation was not going to be a happy one. They were both on edge, ready to intervene, but Nikki it seemed, was more than capable of giving as good as she got when it came to this man – whoever he turned out to be.

"I buried him next to Mum" She announced icily in return to the inquiry about her Dad "After I went out to Africa, to bring him back – but you already know that don't you – otherwise you would never have dared to come back. Then again, he's been gone a while, so why wait?"

"I've been in prison."

Nikki scoffed "Why don't doesn't that surprise me? GBH?"

His eyes narrowed. "You've been checking up on me."

"No" she responded coldly "I didn't even know you were still alive, but I do know what you're like Uncle Silas"

Jack's eyebrows rose slightly. Uncle? Nikki had never mentioned an uncle – then again, before the case with Ryan, Jack himself had not mentioned having a brother – and anyone who knew Nikki, also knew that her family was a no-go area. She'd said they were a bad lot, apart from her mother, and otherwise she didn't talk about them. Jack had always suspected that her childhood – even before her mother's death, had not been a happy one.

"You haven't seen me since you were 4 years old" the man protested crossly.

"Well, I doubt very much that you've changed!" she shot back.

"You certainly haven't!" Her uncle sneered "You still talk back!"

Nikki gave him a dangerous smile "Yes" she agreed "but I've also learnt how to hit back – and I'm not the only one here who'll give you a thump, so I'd consider your next move very carefully."

For a while, her beloved and his dad had been watching with their eyes frantically darting between the two during the unpleasant exchange of words, but both had tensed up when the suggestion of violence was brought into the conversation. This was getting nasty and at the mention of back up, Jack immediately got to his feet and placed a protective arm around Nikki – sensing that she needed a calming influence.

Usually, it was Nikki that calmed Jack down, but in this instance, their roles were reversed. Nikki noticed to her delight that her strong Irish partner was a good bit taller than her uncle – and he was certainly more musclely and fitter. Silas would be an idiot to take him on – and it had not escaped the unwelcome man's notice.

His voice faulted slightly but he tried to cover it with another little smirk. "Can't I just come and see my favourite niece?"

"No" she exclaimed bluntly – managing to keep her tone more or less civil thanks to Jack. "Why are you really here – and come to think of it, how do you know where I live?"

"I followed you from work"

Nikki gave a resigned sigh. "Of course you did!"

Silas decided to try a different approach – the direct approach. Digging his hand into his pocket, he retrieved the reason for his appearance and dropped them in to Nikki's hand.

Her eyes nearly fell out of her head and Jack tightened his grip as she swayed slightly on the spot, briefly overcome by shock and emotion. "Mum's rings - but I thought-"

Silas gave a cruel grin. "I got revenge on my older brother after he kicked me out the family." Egged on by Nikki's obvious distress, the unkindness crept back into his voice. "I stole them and allowed everyone to think that your Dad had pawned them for money. Now you can have them back."

The man taking pleasure in upsetting Nikki was getting to both the other men. Connor had years more experience and was able to push his fury down. Jack on the other hand, was angry and it was Nikki's turn to grip his arm tighter in order to be his calming influence.

She was upset, but despite not having seen the man for years, Nikki knew how to deal with her awful uncle. He was malicious and if she kept showing her emotions, he would just get nastier. She was determined not to give him that satisfaction, so she managed to pull herself together and call a spade a spade - her face and demeanour now expressionless. Two could play this game.

Nikki closed her fingers around the treasured items she had thought were lost forever. "Thank you for bringing them back – I appreciate it." She stated clearly. "But as much as I'd like to believe you did so out of kindness, you took them to punish Dad – and you returned them to punish me – because you blame me for getting you kicked out. You think it will hurt me to know that I blamed Dad for something he didn't do, and now that he's dead I can't say sorry." She leaned back against Jack for comfort and strength, and continued. "The truth is, my Dad still committed fraud, he still didn't look after me when I had no one else, and he still hit my mother. And you hit a child. You're both as bad as each other."

"I'm still the only family you've got left." Silas sniggered, anxious to rub in what an awful paternal line she came from.

"Jack and Connor - and their family are my family" Nikki replied without hesitation. "They're all I need, and half an hour ago I didn't even know you were still on the planet. You've never liked me – and I don't like you, so thank you for returning Mum's rings, but I think it's best if we continue to lead separate lives – don't you."

"You heard what she said." Connor repeated, when the man made no move to leave. "You're not welcome here. I'll show you out." He purposely herded the unwelcome visitor back along the corridor and out of the front door, shutting and locking it, before returning to Jack and Nikki. They were now sat back on the sofa, with the latter gazing happily at her Mum's rings.

"He hit you?" Jack muttered angrily, putting two and two together.

Nikki placed her hand on his arm. "Hey shhhh. He gave me a slap when I was 4 because I answered back. Dad kicked him out the family for it – probably the only decent thing my Dad ever did for me." She shrugged "Well, I guess you know now why I never talk about my family – they were rotten – at least my Dad's side were – and Silas was the worst of the lot!"

"I'm sorry, Nikki" Connor shook his head. "I had a bad feeling about him when I opened the door – but I let him in anyway."

"Its ok. Connor – don't worry" Nikki gave him a weak smile. "In a strange way, I'm glad this happened. As unpleasant as it was, it gave me a kind of closure, I suppose – and I never thought I'd see my Mum's rings again."