Halfway through her math's lesson that morning, Grace felt her phone vibrate in her back pocket. She slipped it under the desk, and was surprised to see a message from Jacob. She tapped a quick reply back, an uneasy feeling in her stomach, hoping for once that the lesson would drag out for a while before the bell rang for lunch.

When it did, she walked quickly out of school, pushing past the other students who were walking into town for lunch, to the ED. It was a good twenty-minute walk, but he was waiting when she did arrive.

"Bench?"

She nodded, and he produced two pasta pots and lemonade bottles from behind him, earning a small smile. She had eaten the croissant on the way to school that morning.

"Grace, I need your help. You asked me to fix it, but this involves you too. I'm trying to get through to her, but-"

"She just needs to know you love her, Jacob."

"She knows I-"

"Isn't it obvious?"

He put his pasta in his lap, exasperated. "Grace, if it was obvious then don't you think-"

"She's tired. She's stressed and she's worried, but she doesn't want to pile it on you because you're tired too."

"Okay. But-"

"She was fine yesterday morning. The only thing that's happened since is her." She motioned over to where the new nurse stood, waiting outside the ED entrance.

"Grace, there is nothing going on between-"

"That's not the point, Jacob. She doesn't think like that." Grace said softly, and he looked at her as she looked directly at him. He then pressed his hand to his forehead, and Grace shuffled closer to rub his arm.

"When did you get so wise, Gracie?" Jacob asked softly as he rubbed his head.

"I'm not wise, I just know my mother." She replied just as quietly, jumping when she heard her mother. Both Jacob and Grace looked up to find her approaching them with a frown.

Connie had decided to come out for some fresh air, but had been heading inside after seeing Kate when she spotted her daughter. "What are you doing here?!" She stopped in front of them, arms folded. Her eyes stayed glued to her daughter, and she didn't even acknowledge Jacob's presence.

Grace looked panicked, aware her mother would be angry with both her and Jacob if she told her the truth. When she saw Jacob about to reply, she offered hurriedly, "I felt sick. Jacob picked me up."

"...What sort of sick?" Connie questioned, putting a hand to her daughter's forehead to see if it felt warm.

Grace glanced sideways at Jacob before she replied, hoping he wouldn't tell her the truth. "I just have one of those headaches I used to get."

Connie looked pained, aware that Grace used to get those headaches because she was stressed and unhappy. "Come to my office and I'll call your school." Connie opened an arm to her daughter, and once Grace was safely tucked into her mother's side, she glanced back at Jacob apologetically.

Inside, Connie settled Grace on the couch with a warm drink before calling the school to alert them that she'd not be back in until tomorrow. Grace was looking out the window at the staff passing, and when her mother finally hung up, she asked quietly, "Mum, can Jacob come in and sit with me for a little while?"

"Er, no. You can stay in here, with me."

"Mum, please-"

"He needs to work, Gracie."

"He's not working now."

Connie raised her eyebrow, surprised at Grace's insistency.

"Please, Mum? I need to talk to him."

"Why can't you talk to me?" Connie asked, hurt. She knew she was right about the headache, and despite this her daughter intended to push her away.

"I can talk to you, Mum." Grace stood up and went to her mother's desk, and hugged her. "But I need to talk to Jacob about this one."

"Gracie, what's going on?"

"Nothing, Mum..." She looked at her mother, who quickly cast her eyes downwards so that her daughter wouldn't see her tears. "Mum, are you okay?"

"Mhm. Right, if you're certain you want him in here, instead of me, then I'll go." She stood up quickly, opening the door and clicking quickly away from the office, brushing past Jacob as he walked past the nurses' station.

"Woaah sweet cheeks, where you off to?"

"Grace wants to talk to you." Connie motioned over her shoulder to her office as she kept on walking.

Jacob glanced towards the office and then followed his wife, trying to take her hand to stop her, but when she shook it off, he just lengthened his stride to keep up with her. "Hey, hey. Just stop for a second and let me say something."

Connie finally stopped in the entrance to the staffroom, turning to glance up at him before looking away so he wouldn't see the tears in her eyes. "What?"

Reaching up, Jacob brushed her fringe out of the way and let his fingers linger on her cheek for a moment before he reached into his back pocket to pull out the delivery he'd found waiting just after he'd messaged Grace. "This just came. I thought we could put it in together?"

Connie lifted her eyes then and looked at what he held- it was a new insert for her office door sign. Connie Masters. She took it from his hand and shook her head, unwilling to say anything lest it make her cry.

"What's the matter, princess?" Jacob asked in the same soothing gentle voice he used to Ava when she was upset. It almost worked. Almost.

When Connie lifted her head and finally looked at him, opening her mouth to tell him what she was worried about, but then noticed Kate watching them, a frown on her face. Looking away again, Connie brushed her cheek, though no tears had fallen. "You need to go and talk to Grace."

"But I want to talk to you." He took her forearms and pushed her into the staffroom gently, Connie watching over his shoulder as she saw Kate walk in the direction of her office.

"I don't want-" She was silenced by his finger on her lips, which then traced upwards to her eyes as she blinked and a stray tear fell through her lashes. He pushed the insert onto the surface behind him and pulled her close to his chest, murmuring into her hair. She needed to be reassured, he got that now, because she didn't want to admit to him this to him in case he though she didn't trust him. She did trust him, completely. "She made you happy."

"What?"

"When she came in... I know it's silly, I know we're exhausted. But then... But then-" Her words were cut as he pulled her to his chest again, unable to stand how she was struggling to cope with this vulnerability.

"But then I didn't show you that it was just a surprise. I know. And then I made things worse because I didn't notice." He talked over her head, momentarily closing his eyes before opening them to look at her.

"I'm sorry, I was being silly-"

"Ssh. Well, a little bit. But I understand, Connie. I know this is massive for you. I know. Don't you ever think that I just take the fact that you've done this, married me, for granted." He paused, stroking her back as she sighed into his shirt. "And Grace... Well, she's worried about you. About us."

Connie looked up sharply at this, her eyes questioning and alert.

"What did you say to her? When? When did you-"

"Easy, sweet cheeks. Let's go and find her."

Connie hesitated and then nodded, allowing Jacob to take her hand and lead her towards the office. As they got closer, Connie's footsteps quickened, sure she could hear Grace yelling.

"I hate you! You're ruining everything and you don't even care! It was perfect before you. It was finally perfect and then you just showed up!" Grace yelled at Kate who was still stood by the door looking shocked.

Connie let go of Jacob's hand to rush in and comfort her daughter, pulling Grace close to her chest as the girl burst into tears, struggling for breath as she hadn't done in a long time.

"Jacob-" Kate began, but he shook his head, motioning for her to leave. Once she slipped from the room, Jacob shut the door quietly, and he and Connie shared a concerned look over Grace's head.

"Gracie-" Connie began, but was quickly interrupted by her daughter's anxious voice.

"He's going to leave and you're going to let him! You're going to push him away like you push everyone away, even me!" Grace cried into her mother's shirt, her voice muffled. Though Connie tried to reply, she found her voice was stuck, unable to get past the lump that was burning in her throat.

"I told you that I'm not going anywhere, Grace. I know you know your mum, but I know her too. I know that her...ice queen voice is just there to stop people hearing how she's really feeling. I know that she's been hurt before so she pushes people away when she thinks it might happen again. But Gracie, I also know how to make her open up to me, to tell me what's wrong. If I didn't, I wouldn't be here."

As Jacob spoke, Grace turned her head so she could watch him through one eye as her mother stroked her hair.

"Promise?"

"I promise, firecracker." At this, she nodded, and Connie moved back to give her some space before turning to look at the clock. "How about... Seeing as you're so sick-"

"I'll go home with her." Jacob grinned at Grace, who smiled back.

"No Jacob, it's fine I'll-"

"I'll take her, Con. Rita will give me the afternoon off, then I'll come and pick you up." He kissed her cheek and she smiled, turning back to her daughter to check that this was okay.

"Alright, Gracie. You go and wait in the car, here-" She took her keys from the desk and gave them to her, frowning as her daughter took them reluctantly.

"Grace, I promise, it's okay. We can all talk again later, if-"

"No, it's okay." She didn't meet her mother's eyes but walked quickly from the room, knowing that she was wanted out of the way.

"Come here, you." Jacob opened his arms and folded Connie into them, smiling over her head as she relaxed into his arms. She then tensed and pulled away from him, as if there was something she had suddenly remembered.

"Ice Queen voice?"

"We-ell... It's true though, isn't it? I mean, it's incredibly sexy..." He leant down to kiss her lips and she rose up on her feet slightly, before coming down to rest her forehead against his. "But, I know you use it to stop people asking questions, and to stop people from getting in."

She looked into his eyes, before sighing and looking out of the door. "You should go and take Grace..."

"I will. But I need to know that you're okay, too."

"I am." She kissed him again, before taking his hands from her waist and ushering him out of her office.

"I'll see you soon, Mrs Masters." Jacob offered from the doorway, and as he left the room, Connie allowed a small smile to light her face.