Leo pushed an official looking envelope towards Erin which she received with asking hands. She carefully peeled open the envelope and pulled out the paper inside of it. Her face showed no emotion as she read over it and Harry and Nikki waited passing each other nervous glance whilst she read the contents of the letter. Finally she finished and looked up at the three adults standing in front of her

"Well?" Harry and Nikki said in unison "What does it say?"

Erin paused for a moment before breaking into a grin "They've approved the fostering"

"Erin!" Nikki gasped pulling the girl into a hug "I'm so happy for you both"

"I knew you'd get custody of her" Harry said patting Leo on the back

Leo turned to Erin who was now shaking with excitement "It's a new start for us Erin, and I promise you I will never let you be alone again"

Erin practically choked with emotion was unable to speak so just nodded but Leo knew she understood and he needed no words to understand how Erin was feeling right now. The grin on her face was enough for him to know that she was the happiest she had ever been. The rush of excitement and the events long day had clearly hit her body hard and she stifled a yawn beneath her hand

"It's late" Leo said looking at the clock "We should get going before this little one collapses with exhaustion"

"I'm not tired" Erin mumbled sleepily unable this time to stop the yawn from escaping

Leo chuckled softly "Thank you both for keeping an eye on her. It means a lot and I own you both"

"We know you do" Harry said with a grin, clearly plotting when he could use this to hid advantage in the future.

"Thank you Nikki" Erin said as she gathered her belongings

"No problem" she said as Leo led a sleepy looking Erin towards the door

Harry stayed behind with Nikki after Leo and Erin had left and the two of them continued chatting and drinking long into the night


"I'm not really tired" Erin protested and she and Leo drove home "I'm only a little bit sleepy"

"Of course you are" Leo smiled as he turned a corner "But it's late and you need to sleep"

"I don't, not really" Erin mumbled as her eyes drooped "But Leo…"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for not giving up on me"

Leo was about to reply when he glanced across at the young girl and saw she had fallen asleep. Her head was resting against the car window and her hair had fallen over her face. He smiled to himself as he drove onwards to home, things were finally working out and he knew that Erin to him had now become the most precious thing in the world. His mind went back to the grey and dreary morning when he had found Erin cold and wet, curled up in the tightest of balls. He'd made a promise to himself when he found her that he would keep her safe and never let her feel so awful as she had the morning. As he looked across at the young girl, he realised he hadn't felt so protective over anyone since Teresa and Cassie. But now he had a new member to his family and it was a new start not only for Erin but for him as well.


Erin blearily opened her eyes the next morning and embraced the warmth of her duvet, content in the warm, dark environment she pulled the duvet over her head and snuggled down deeper into it. She closed her eyes and replayed the events of last night some more, feeling the same warm glow float through her again and again

"Erin?" She heard a voice calling her but it was muffled from the blankets she had over her head "Erin, you'll suffocate down there"

She dragged herself out from her little burrow and winced as the cold air hit her face, she spluttered and tried to catch her breath as she glanced to where the voice was coming from. She saw Leo leaning against the doorway shaking his head at her

"Weren't you hot in there?" he asked noting her red face

She shrugged pulling the duvet tighter around her "I like it down there, it helps me think"

"I'm going into work today, will you be ok here on your own?" he said, it was Sunday and still the weekend. He trusted Erin to be on her own but he knew that the young girl wasn't keen on being alone for long periods of time

"Yeah" she nodded but he could see the apprehension in her eyes

"I'll call you during the day to see how you're getting on. You know where everything is, so just sort yourself out as and when you feel like it. It is your home now after all" he smiled

"I'll be fine" she said sounding more self-assured

"I know you will" Leo gave her a quick hug and a kiss on top of her head and he was off downstairs and out the door, making his way towards work.

Erin laid there for a little while before deciding to brave the cold and get herself up and out of bed. She padded around her own little room trying to find some clothes to wear before eventually settling on jeans and a striped purple and white long sleeved top.

After a quick shower she retuned to her room trying to stop her dripping hair from making puddles on the carpet. She pulled a comb through the knotted mass and tried to make herself look a little presentable. Erin caught sight of herself in the mirror and smiled, she looked so different and the change had been rapid. No longer was she the bruised and beaten girl of before but now she was a happy and safe teenager. She caught sight of the dressing on her arm and quickly pulled down the sleeve of her top over it. She could move on from that, she knew she was a strong person and she had to keep moving forward. She couldn't look back to the past anymore, it was done and now she had to keep looking forwards to the bright, safe future she had only ever dreamed about


"Have you noticed a change in Leo?" Nikki said to Harry as the worked on a corpse in the cutting room

Harry nodded "He seems…." He paused looking for the right word

"…Younger" Nikki finished for him and Harry looked at her

"You've started to finish my sentences. That's very couple-y"

"Is that even a word?" Nikki laughed "And anyway would that be a bad thing?" she flushed bright red as soon as the words were out of her mouth

"Was that a Freudian slip Doctor Alexander?" Harry teased

"And what if it was?" Nikki said realising there was no going back now

"I would say we would have to discuss you psyche further over some drinks tonight" Harry said not looking up at her, his gaze fixed on the corpse

"Are you talking to me or Mr Bone jangles here?" Nikki asked and Harry laughed

"Many would argue there is no difference" Nikki shot him a dirty look "But since I seem to be running the risk of feeling the fury of a woman's scorn., I would argue otherwise and in answer to your previous question which I seem to have divulged from in a magnificent style….I'm asking you" he said all in one breath

"Then considering the idea that my psyche might be at considerable risk if I did not otherwise accept I think I will have to say yes" she smiled

"Good" he nodded "Clearly we are going to have a lot to…discuss. You're mind works in mysterious ways Nikki, ways they have not even put a scientific name to yet"

Nikki flicked a rubber glove at Harry which he dodged just in time. The two of them continued their work laughing ands joking with one another but both feeling the little tingle of excitement when the word 'couple' had been mentioned


Leo sat in his office and punched the familiar digits of a number into his phone. It rang twice before it was picked up

"Hello?" came the voice

"It's Leo" he replied relieved the Erin was still sounding happy "Are you alright?"

"A bit sleepy" she said honestly and Leo could hear the drowsiness in her voice

"I told you that yesterday night" Leo teased

"I wasn't tired then" Erin protested

"But you are now" Leo said laughing which stopped as he heard Erin start to violently cough "Erin?"

"I'm fine" she said catching her breath

Leo sighed "I'm making a doctor's appointment when we get home. You've had that cough far too long and it's getting worse"

"Only a couple of days"

"Remind me again which of us has the medical degree"

"Fine" Erin said resignedly "But you're overeating"

"That may be but I want to be sure. Go and get yourself back into bed and I'll check on you when I get back"

"Ok…bye" she said and both of them hung up the phone

Leo looked up as he replaced the phone in its cradle just in time to see Harry walk in the door holding a brown folder

"The report you wanted" he said passing over the folder

"Thank you Harry" Leo nodded scribbling a note down on a piece of paper

"Everything alright?" Harry said as he caught sight of the phrase 'Doctor's appointment'

"Erin's got a persistent cough" Leo said flicking through the folder "Probably nothing but since she's recently had severe hypothermia I want to be sure"

Harry smiled "Getting into the family role already I see"

Leo retuned the smile "It's only a precaution but since you ask me and Erin are getting on fine"

"Leo…about the favour you promised me and Nikki"

"Ah, I was wondering when you were going to bring that up. I was expecting a couple of days from now but less than twenty four hours? That's got to be a new record"

"I know I am rather incredible like that" Harry grinned arrogantly

"Really, I can't see it" Leo frowned

"That's not what you said last night" Harry quipped

"I should hope not, Erin was only sleeping next door"

Harry laughed "Ok, you win. Look Nikki and I were wondering if we could knock of a couple of hours early tonight. We're going for a drink; Nikki's psyche depends on it"

Leo frowned and looked at him quizzically "I'm not even going to ask" he laughed "But yes, since you asked so nicely that's fine. But since it's a 'school night', if you come in with a hang over you will be on paperwork duty for the rest of the week"

"It has been noted" Harry nodded "I'll do my best to keep Nikki under control"

"It's you I'm worried about" Leo smirked "Now get out of here before I change my mind"

Harry laughed and bounded out the room to tell Nikki the good news. Leo shook his head and sat back in his chair. His eyes scanned over the photo frames on his desk, he had photo's of Teresa and Cassie and one of Harry, Nikki and himself, but the latest one caught his eye. In a small frame in front of the others was a picture of Erin, apparently it was the most recent school one which Erin had let him have, apparently being to embarrassed to keep it herself. It had been one of the weeks where the beatings hadn't been too bad from her mother and Erin had put make up on to hide the bruises. The result was a very flattering picture of the young girl which Leo was very proud of. She had a dimple in her cheek when she smiled and her face shone with innocence. Although he knew he would never be able to understand everything that had gone on with Erin and her mother, he knew she was safe and he was determined to keep it that way.

Author's note: Sorry for the delay in updates. I will try and update more since it is the summer holidays, my arm isn't so sore anymore so I'm taking that as a good sign *touches wood*