Another week passed, Alice hit the twenty-four week mark and - as predicted by Lucien - had to exercise her glare more than once when walking out and about around town. Luckily, people were already wary of her to begin with and the only people who wanted to touch her belly were friends and family. She also began taking more days off to rest - as suggested by both Lucien and Jean. Jean kept her well-fed and off her feet; with the warmer weather approaching, Alice usually sat out on the wicker chaise lounge with a book or medical journal while Jean puttered around her garden and sunroom.

It was one such day - sunny with a bit of a breeze - that things with Hazel came to a head.

"Alice?" Jean hurried out of the house - her voice carrying into the garden.

"Mm?" she absentmindedly responded with her nose in a book (Jane Eyre, it was always good for a reread).

"Alice, Matthew needs you at the station."

"Lucien's back, why does he need me?" Alice put her book to the side with an annoyed frown.

"It's Hazel."

Alice's eyes widened and she pushed herself up off the chaise lounge - Jean grabbing her hands and helping Alice into the house.

"Are you alright with walking? Lucien has the car."

She nodded, "Yes, I'm fine with it, Jean. Would… would you come with me?"

"Of course."

Hand in hand, they made the trek to the station - Hobart finding them on the way and driving them the rest of the way. Alice interrogated him the entire ride over, but Hobart would only tell her to wait. He directed Alice and Jean to the second interview room where Alice could see Hazel waiting by herself.

The girl flinched when the door opened, but when she realized it was only Alice, the pathologist suddenly had her arms full of a terrified, sobbing, eight-year-old girl.

"Alice, let's sit down," Jean gently pushed her towards one of the chairs, leaving to make tea when Alice and Hazel settled into a chair.

It was a tight fit with her belly, but Alice held Hazel as close as she could. She noted the new bruises - fresh and still darkening - on her face and neck; Alice wondered what had happened this time, and who did it. Hazel's sobs subsided, but her tight grip on Alice remained as Alice rubbed a hand up and down the girl's back to soothe her. Soon, Hazel's grip relaxed and Alice looked down to see Hazel asleep in her lap.

Jean returned with freshly prepared tea and some water for Hazel; Alice looked to her friend with raised eyebrows.

"I managed to catch Lucien as he came out of another interview," Jean kept her voice quiet, so not to wake Hazel. "Her father caught his son hitting her."

"Just… just hitting?" Alice whispered.

"Yes, thank goodness. Harry Jones came home earlier than expected from work and, well… he turned to Matthew for help. Apparently the son has been taking out his anger on Hazel about his father divorcing his mother and marrying Hazel's mum - anger mixed with guilt at Edith's sudden passing, and the abuse continued while Harry Jones worked longer hours. He's devastated it all went on under his nose, that both his children were hurting."

"Being hurt is no excuse to take it out on someone else," Alice replied sharply as she smoothed a hand over Hazel's messy braid.

Jean said nothing, she just reached over and squeezed Alice's hand.

Matthew sighed as he finally sat down with Harry after Archie's interview.

"Well?" Harry asked politely, only his knee jiggling gave away his anxiety.

"Archie admitted to the abuse. There are not a lot of options for him, Jones, I'll be honest with you."

"He needs help, Lawson… the divorce from his mother and me remarrying put a lot of anger in him. Then Hazel's birth just… made it worse. Edith passing wasn't easy either and I'll admit… I didn't give him the support he needed because just thought he was being…"

"A teenager?" Matthew sighed again and rubbed his face. "I'm glad you brought him in, willingly, Jones. Dr. Blake sat in on the interview and agrees with me that he's hurting; I understand that he's gone through a lot, but that is absolutely no reason to take it out on someone as young as Hazel. Family is supposed to love each other, not beat the living daylights out of a defenseless child."

"What are his options, then?"

"You could press charges against him," Matthew started and Harry shook his head, so he moved on to other options. "You could send him away to school… or there's always military service."

"He's a teenager!"

"He's of age, to at least go into a military school and enlist once he's done, Jones. He needs to be separated from Hazel to keep her safe. It's boarding school, prison, or the army. Archie has already shown interest in joining the service, meanwhile I'm inclined to still send him to prison for what he's done to that girl. I'll bend to you and Archie's decision - otherwise I'm charging him with assault and sending him to the court's mercy."

Harry put his head in his hands, "Why didn't I see this happening?"

"You were working and barely spent time at home outside of sleeping and eating. That's the reason he was able to get away with it for so long."

Matthew waited as Harry deliberated silently in front of him. A multitude of emotions crossed the man's face: anger, grief, shock, and finally resignation. Harry sighed and ran his hands through his hair before he looked up at Matthew.

"Archie's made his decision… to go into the army?"

"Yes."

"Then… then I suppose that's the only outcome I can go with. I can't afford boarding school, and I don't want my son in prison."

(Matthew thought Archie would end up there eventually, but he held his tongue. All he cared about in this moment was Hazel's safety and long-term well-being - his patience was needed right now, not his anger.)

"Army it is, then," Matthew noted it down in the file as Harry sighed across from him.

"Thank you, Matthew, for your help in all of this. And could you thank your wife for… for being there for Hazel when I didn't know what was going on?"

"Of course."

"And… I'm gonna try harder for Hazel. If you aren't opposed to it, could she come visit you and your wife?"

"Hazel is always welcome to come see us here at the station and the hospital, though I can't speak for the Blakes about visiting at home," Matthew put his pen to the side and closed the case file. "My wife cares for her a lot and doesn't want to see Hazel hurt anymore. And Harry?"

"Yes?"

"If I hear one word… of something else happening to that girl, I'll kick your arse so hard you'll wish you were dead. You will take care of your daughter, and see that she's separated from her abuser, or I'll call in Welfare to investigate and recommend declaring you an unfit father. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir."

With Hazel safely tucked in at home - her father sitting vigil by her bed after a firm talking-to by Alice - Alice settled down on the chaise lounge outside with a sigh. Resting her forehead in one of her hands, she traced idle designs on her growing bump - smiling sadly when Baby Lawson kicked and moved under her hand.

"Mind if I join you?" Matthew's soft voice startled her, but she nodded. He sat near her knees - the wicker crackling slightly as she shifted to accommodate him.

"How's Hazel?"

"Sleeping, though I'm surprised she slept through the scathing tongue lashing I gave her father," Alice answered.

"I told him she could come to us whenever she wanted to, and his son's getting shipped up to a military academy where he'll finish up school and then join the military."

"Hm," she hummed with a frown.

"Hazel's safe, sweetheart. I don't like this whole thing either, but she's safe and that's what really counts."

"I know, I know…" Alice reached down and held his hand. "I just… I guess I wanted more definitive closure for her."

"For her, or for you?"

"...Both."

Matthew pressed a kiss to the back of her hand and then another to her palm. "I can't help find closure for you with your parents, sweetheart, but… I am here for you and for Hazel."

"I know," she smiled and leaned in to kiss him softly. "I know, dearest, and thank you so much."

"And I'll never raise a hand to you in anger, or to our little tyke in here," Matthew rubbed her belly and kissed it in such a tender way that it made Alice blink back tears. "I love you, Alice, and I love our child so much."

"I love you too, Matthew."

Matthew smiled and kissed her in the dappled spring sunlight of Jean's garden. They spent the rest of the afternoon talking to Baby Lawson and each other - neither of them leaving more than a few inches between them until Jean called them in for tea. Alice held Matthew's hand tight and breathed a little easier - Hazel was safe, she was welcome over at the Blakes, and hopefully life would settle down before Baby Lawson's arrival.