Hours had passed, she had not seen Jacob since but had received a text to say he would find her in her office once their shift had ended. She was now sat there, phone in hand, contemplating exactly how she was going to tell Grace that she wanted Jacob to come home with her tonight. She needed to be honest, but the likelihood of her daughter's approval was near to non existent. She sighed, but knowing there was no other option than to make the call she pressed the button and put the phone to her ear, elbow on the desk and her other hand curled to her head, anticipating the impending flurry of attitude and angry accusations. To her disappointment, the dialling tone only lasted a few seconds before she was through.

"Mum? Are you okay?"

She took a deep breath and leant back in her chair, before biting her lip and considering whether this really was the right thing to do.

"Yes darling, I'm fine. Is Natalia there with you?"

"She's here.. Are you coming home?"

"Soon Gracie, I just.." Connie broke off, hearing a knocking at her door. It was Charlie, and as he entered she motioned for him to leave, pointing at the phone and swivelling her chair around to face her bookcases.

"I need you to listen to me Grace, let me explain first and then I'll listen to you, okay? Jacob's going to come home with me tonight. He won't be staying, he just wants us to talk. We want to talk to you."

There was silence on the other end of the line, and Connie realised that she was absent-mindedly tapping her fingers against the edge of the desk, a habit she would constantly tell Grace off for at the table. She drew her fingers back and fiddled with her earrings instead.

"Grace?"

Despite the lack of reaction, she already felt strangely relieved. That was the most difficult part done, she could explain anything Grace wanted her to explain with ease. She wanted this to work, and Jacob had offered her a chance to do that.

"You told me that you had finished it with him."

Where she had expected anger and disbelief at going against Grace's demands, she heard something in her daughter's voice that was oddly calm. Turning back around in her chair, she could now see Jacob though the glass of the door at the nurses' station, and she felt the corners of her mouth twitch.

"Me and Jacob.. I love him Grace, and he loves me. He loves you too. He makes me happy."

"And I don't? Mum, it's me or him. I know what will happen if he stays."

There was another pause, but this time it was Connie who didn't respond.

"I don't not like him Mum. But you don't have time for everything, it'll be like it was before.."

"No, Gracie." She whispered, and she felt a lump forming in her throat. "It will never be like it was before, I'm not going to make those mistakes again." She coughed slightly, before pressing a finger to the corner of her eyes. Jacob would help them. Grace would have to spend less time with the babysitters, he would be there at home to look after her and take her out while she was at work, and she could use her allowed time off instead of considering holiday time as for the uncommitted. In truth, the reason she didn't take it was because she would only be spending time at home with an unhappy daughter who left the house to spend time with friends, because she couldn't stand her mother.

"He won't be staying?"

"No, we just want to talk to you Grace." Connie sighed, and tilted her head one way, then the other, wincing as she felt a series of clicks.

"Okay." Her voice was quiet, but Connie could tell that there was something wrong. She should be shouting, threatening to call Sam or Audrey, and she hadn't mentioned either.

"What's the matter Gracie?"

"I want you to be happy Mum. But I don't want to go back to America."

Connie felt a tear slip down her cheek, and as she brushed it away she could hear Grace's voice start to wobble.

"Grace listen to me, that's not going to happen, okay?" She took a deep breath before continuing. "That's not going to happen."

She knew that Grace wanted Jacob out of the way, but rather than talk through the exact reasons for this, Connie had acted in order to do as her daughter wanted, for fear of losing her. She knew that according to Grace, being with Jacob was just another reason for Grace to be put second. She had to talk to Grace now, and show her that this was not going to happen, it couldn't. Jacob would make things better, for both of them.

"I want him to come."

Slightly taken aback, Connie dropped the pen she had begun to twirl around in her hand.

"Grace, I love you so much, and please don't think that me asking you to allow us to try and work this out, together, means that I am in any way choosing him over you. All I want is for you and me to be happy Gracie." She could see Jacob walking over now, ready to leave. "I'll be home in about half an hour darling. Tell Natalia to make you some hot chocolate, and to put the kettle on before she leaves. I love you."

"I love you too, Mum." Grace hung up, and although it wasn't perfect, Connie knew that it could have gone a lot worse. She put her phone into her trouser pocket, and flicked her hair back over her shoulders from where it had fallen over face. She took her stethoscope from around her neck and laid it down, slightly curled, in the centre of the desk. As she walked to the stand where her coat and bag were hung up, she heard the door open and close, soon enough strong hands were around her waist and turning her around to face him. He kissed her gently, before reaching to take her coat and bag from the hook and looking down at her.

"Will you be needing a human shield?" He raised his eyebrow in amusement as he watched her fold her arms and tilt her head to the side. She poked her tongue into her cheek, and Jacob gave a slight chuckle.

"All I'm saying is that I know she takes after you, sweet cheeks... If arrows are going to be flying then I need some preparing if you're to come out alive. Or are they going to be fired in my direction?" He grinned cheekily at her, and she took her things from him before responding.

"I seem to remember you recovering remarkably well after numerous accidents of late, I don't think my daughter is going to be the cause of your demise. If you're lucky." Now she smiled at him, and led him from her office, and out of the ED. He slipped his hand into her coat and around her waist, stroking her side gently as she struggled to keep herself from smiling. They reached her car and as she got out her keys, he put his arms around her and bent his head around her shoulders to kiss her. She brought her head up to meet his, before unlocking the car and opening the door. She broke off from his kiss, handing out her bag to him and he rolled his eyes, walking around to the passenger side and getting in, her bag on his lap. She turned to look at him, and he could only admire how beautiful she was. There were still faint tear tracks on her cheeks, her makeup was slightly smudged, but it didn't make any difference. He would vow never to let things go back to how they were before, she had his heart and he had hers, and he was going to show Grace that he was there for them both now.