Sorry that it's been a while. Currently doing my A levels and bit stressful! Will upload again at the weekend! Hope you enjoy, thank you for the reviews and favourites! Such lovely words! Please continue to let me know what you think! Madeleine

Chapter 11

Karen woke to the sun pouring in and the protective arms of rob wrapped around her body. She didn't want to escape from their little bubble. She relaxed into his chest as she listened to the steady rise and fall of his chest. This intimacy and quiet was interrupted by little Jess who burst into her mummy's room.
"Rob had a sleepover at our house" Jess screamed with excitement. Karen had expected to be up and dressed before the children so the explanation of Rob could have been a little less awkward. Jess's excited scream had woken Rob who found it all quite amusing and caused Harry to run in as well!
"Why don't you two go have some breakfast, Jess can help you Harry. We'll be down in a bit" Rob knew they'd both listen to him and not ask too many questions.

Karen couldn't help the awkward giggle that had been brewing. Rob pulled Karen into his arms seizing the moment.
"Well last night was great and unexpected" Rob continued noting Karen's request for him to stay the night previously.
"Well you spend so much time here you might as well have stayed" she teased
"Plus we didn't exactly get some proper quality time whilst we were out for our meal."
"Maybe I should should do this again" rob smiled as he went in for a kiss
"I'd like that" Karen replied as the distinct sound of Harry and Jess arguing over the finished coco pops resonated through the house.
"Think I'd better go sort those two out or world war three will erupt" Karen commented as she slid out of bed placing on her dressing gown leaving Rob to have a shower.
"What's all the racket in here for?" Karen asked as she reached the kitchen.
"Jess ate all of the coco pops and wouldn't share them with me!"
"Jess that wasn't very nice"
"But there wasn't enough!"
"You could have shared what was left." Harry clearly felt hard done by.
"Okay Harry what do you say to Nutella and toast?"
"Yes please" Harry replied sweetly.
Karen placed the toast in front of Harry as Rob reappeared kissing Karen sweetly.
"You alright to hold the fort while I get ready?" Karen asked Rob.
"Sure."
"No Jess that's mine"
"Harry it's alright you can share it" rob tried to defuse the situation Karen hadn't got far so came back to explain the stolen breakfast fiasco.
"Harry's having that because Jess wouldn't share the coco pops."
Jess looked guilty knowing full well she tried it on with Rob.

Breakfast ran smoothly apart from Jess's antics and they were able to finally leave and get out of the door and Jess and Harry to school.
"Can Rob stay over again mummy?" Jess asked out of the blue.
"Well that depends whether Rob wants to or not" Karen replied.
"I'd love to" Rob replied placing his arm around Karen's waist, Karen revelled in the answer she so hoped he would give.
"Does that mean you'll play with Buzz and Woody in the garden with me Rob?" Harry asked sweetly.
"Yes, but only if you're good" Rob was trying to show that he stood by the same rules as their mum.
"Right you two off you go, we'll see you later. Be good, I love you" Jess and Harry gave their mum a big hug and even gave one to Rob before running off to their friends.
Karen took Rob's hand in her own, she couldn't help but smile.
"I think that means they're comfortable with you staying the night" Karen teased. They both headed off to work together, completely stuck in their own little bubble.

Karen pulled into school, Rob in the car with her having stayed the night. Karen was just about to turn into her usual parking space when one particular car caught her attention.
Her whole face went white, she stopped in the middle of the car park, her eyes fixed on the car. Rob couldn't understand what had happened, they'd been so happy and now...
"Karen are you ok?" Rob woke her from her thoughts and she hurriedly pulled into her parking space as she had previously intended to do, except now fuelled with angst and fear.
"Karen stop a minute, what's going on?" Rob was really panicking he'd never seen Karen's mood change so quickly. Karen needed to tell Rob, she needed him to understand.
"That's Charlie's car"
Karen pointed and Rob understood immediately
"Why's he here? I thought he lived in London?" Rob asked all the questions Karen had been thinking.
"So did I..." Karen's body went rigid, she felt as though her whole world was about to cave in.
Rob gently placed his hand on her thigh.
"It will be ok Karen, I promise I'm not going anywhere." Karen felt like with Rob by her side she could take on the world, but she also knew that Charlie had the power to make her feel minuscule. They got out the car and Rob took her hand squeezing it gently for support, he wasn't going to let that man belittle her she was worth so much more than that.

They reached Karen's office as usual and Karen was preparing herself for the wrath of Charlie, but she didn't expect to be faced with it the minute she walked into her office.
"Karen, long time no so see" Rob's stomach turned at the tone of his voice, he seemed to match everything that he'd ever been told about Charlie.
"Charlie what are you doing here?"
"Excuse me mate, we're having a private conversation" Charlie deliberately ignored her question and instead pointed out Rob.
Karen didn't feel like Charlie deserved the respect of knowing who Rob was to her. Karen pleaded in her head for Rob to not be antagonised by Charlie, she didn't need this not now, not today.
"What are you doing here Charlie?" Karen was beginning to get angry, Rob's supportive hand stroked circles on her hand which reminded her that he was there.
"Well it seems that you're in need of a supply teacher"
"What and you were just willing to drive down from London?" Karen couldn't believe that he was here causing her all this trouble.
"Well thought I'd pop in on my two monkeys while I'm here."
"I'm sorry pop in!" Rob couldn't take the rubbish that was spewing out of Charlie's mouth.
"I'm sorry but like I said, this is a private conversation" Charlie www bitter trying to hold the power in this potential battle.
"Harry and Jess are finally settled and here you are about to shake everything up. Karen gives her whole life to those beautiful children and you just waltz in when you fancy it and think you have the right to insult and belittle her." Rob couldn't take it anymore, Karen was rather taken back by his little speech and was secretly proud and touched. He really would stand up and protect their unit as he had called it all those months ago.
"Wow, quite a speech you gave there. She's got you right under the table hasn't she."
"You're not going to come and dictate how I live my life. You no longer have a say in what goes on"
"I think I have a right to know who's playing daddy to my children."
Karen was so infuriated!
"How dare you! You of all people! You know what Rob's been amazing, he's there for Jess and Harry he genuinely cares for them and they look up to him. Where the hell have you been for the last 6 months!"
"Ah so he has a name. Well I guess I've just been busy Karen I can't just run down from London whenever you click your fingers." Karen couldn't stand the sight of him, why did he still have this effect on her, why did he think this was ok.
Karen walked towards her desk opposite where Charlie was sat and slammed her folders down.
"Get out of my office, I'm busy."
"Well I best go get set up for my first class" Charlie manipulatively replied,
"I guess I'll see you later." Karen was stressed and fuming and on the brink of tears.

Rob came and took her into his arms, he would only ever protect. Karen was the most important thing in his life and seeing her broken ruined him. How did Charlie have the right to treat the one person who held up the fort for his children whilst he ruined their family like she was dirt on his shoe.
"I can't do this Rob. I can't stay here knowing he's here. What about Jess and Harry?"
"Hey, listen to me... Listen. I'm not going anywhere, it will be ok I promise. Please don't listen to him. I love you and you're the most important thing to me, I'm not going to let him hurt you anymore" rob placed the most endearing kiss upon her lips which gave the courage to get through the day at least until the bell rang.

Karen had shut herself away in her office, Charlie hadn't made his presence known to the relief of Karen. At least he was only there for one day, it was nearly over. The thing that got to Karen the most was his judgement of Rob. Karen felt so defensive, Rob was her rock, he was special. She loved him. The one person that ever hurt her didn't have the right to judge that. There was a soft knock at her door and Rob appeared.
"I figured you'd want some company getting the troublesome two" Rob was always so thoughtful, Karen grabbed her coat and they left hand in hand. Karen had missed her two today and she didn't want anything more than for a hug from the pair of them. Karen and Rob walked to Jess's classroom first of all. She bounced out with a new painting to show them both and with it splatterings of blue and pink paint decorating her white poloshirt.
"Your so clever" Karen gave her little girl a kiss who had gone all shy at her mums compliment. I wonder where she got that from.
Jess was always the easier of the two to pick up, she loved school and she was older. She had lovely friends and worked hard. Harry on the other hand was still little and school was still a bit of a barrier. School meant rules and not being able to run around whenever he wanted, it meant sitting on a carpet and being quiet. Not something little Harry was always prepared to do. So it was no surprise for him to not be bouncing to leave at the door, Karen often found herself being called in to be spoken to. It wasn't that Harry was naughty he just found the constraints of school difficult at times. They headed into his classroom to see little Harry in hysterics, tears falling and breathe struggling to be caught and next to him... Charlie.
"I'm sorry Mr Fisher but we can't just let you leave with your son!" Harry's teacher was desperately trying to follow protocol. Rob was glad that at least the school wasn't prepared to let him go home with someone unexpected. Harry was startled, he hadn't expected to see his dad, he hadn't seen him in months and now he was being aggressive to his favourite teacher.
"Rob" Harry muffled in between cries. He ran into Rob's arms as he was picked up and taken outside to calm down away from all the commotion.
"It's alright Bud."
Charlie was wound up further by the ease at which Harry took comfort in another man.
"What the hell did you think you were going to do Charlie?" Karen was scared, she never thought Charlie would just take her children from her.
"I have a right to see them"
"that doesn't mean you can turn up and just take them from school!" Karen was trying to control her anger especially with the school teacher in the room.
"You can't stop me seeing my kids!" Jess was scared by her dad's tone of voice as she hid behind her mum, her arms wrapped around her mummy.
"I'd never do that and you know that. You were the one who prioritised everything over them, not me! That wasn't my decision so don't pin this on me. Don't you dare Charlie!"
Karen placed her arm around Jess in attempt to comfort her, Karen could hear Harry's crying dying down but the gentle intakes of sudden breathe reminded her of the state she'd found him. Charlie had picked up on the calming outside also.
"What right does some other man have to my children?"
"He's my partner Charlie, you have to accept that. Just like Maria is yours" Karen's words were honest and truthful. Charlie was uncomfortable he didn't know what to say or how to react. He did the only thing he knew how to ...and left. He stormed out of the room with such speed and pace that it even took Karen by surprise. Jess got upset again and instinctively ran after her dad, she knew that she wouldn't see him for a long time and as much as he'd scared her he was still her daddy.

Charlie paced off as Jess ran after him.
"Daddy!" She cried after him, the shriek in Jess's voice did cause him to stop.
"Please don't go." She pleaded with him. He loved his children but he also knew he wasn't good enough for them, he could see how much he'd hurt them, how he'd damaged them. And he could see how good Rob was for mending them all. That fact made Charlie bitter.
"Jessie I have to go" Jess had a tear fall down her cheek. Charlie scooped her up.
"I love you very much, but daddy has to go. Please be good for mummy" Charlie placed his little girl down and carried on walking sniffing back the heart wrenching tear that leaving his two children had caused.
"Daddy's gone!" Jess ran back towards her mummy, Rob and Harry.
Jess was almost numb, she knew that, that really was goodbye. She was 9 and knew that her daddy leaving was normal and that he'd be true to his word. She did know however that it didn't mean he loved her any less. Karen gave her daughter a hug that can only be reciprocated between mother and child. Harry was still on Rob's lap but had calmed down and all that was left were the red tracks of fallen tears. Karen wiped them away attempting to mend the heartbreak that had been caused.
"Your not going anywhere are you Rob?" Harry asked almost worried that he would do that same as the one man who was meant to protect him.
"I promise you that I will always be here"
"You promise" Harry replied sweetly.
"I promise."
"I'd be sad if you ever left" Jess added in sweetly and maturely,
Karen looked down at her children and boyfriend and knew at that moment that they really could get through anything together.