Hey, firstly I'd like to say I'm so sorry about this being over a week late but I was going to post it last week then we lost all internet connection for days and this week the internet has been on and off so I haven't really been able to post it until now. Anyway, I've just realised how disorganised my document manager is- I name my files random things generally just whatever I could bash out of the keyboard at the time! The last chapter was 'Noine' and the previous one 'eOfjwei' so I sensibly named this one and felt very proud of myself! This chapter is in Yvonne's perspective and you may be confused to start with but just go with it :P

Disclaimer: I forgot to fill in the paperwork that means Yvonne and Nick belong to me. The BBC beat me to it!

I can't go in there. I just can't bring myself to push open the door and step back into that place; the place where I lay for months on end and the place in which Sylvie now lies, though at least she's conscious. I'll look through the window but I won't go in, it brings back too many painful memories, sparks too many feelings I don't want to relive. I can see Isla in there, her pale hand resting on Sylvie's and the way in which the smaller girl lying in the bed looks at Sylvie makes me realise how close the two of them are; despite their lack of any genuine relation between the two.

'Yvonne.'

I turn to see Nick, clutching two cups of coffee, the one in his left hand thrust out towards me, accompanied by two sachets of sugar resting on the lid. I can't help but give a small smile at the gesture, the fact that he still hasn't got to grasps with just how much sugar I have in my coffee, not matter how many times I tell him. 'Thanks' I say, accepting the drink as Nick seats himself beside me. I tear open the sachets and remove the lid before sprinkling the small white grains over the dark brown liquid. He takes a sip, then I hear a quiet bump that tells me his cup has been placed down on the surface next to him. I copy this action, placing my cup to the surface nearest to me; a small table to my left not dissimilar to the small table to the left of Nick that now sports his coffee. I feel his hand weave into mine, the way each finger slowly entwines itself with each of my fingers like a jigsaw puzzle, a pattern.

'So who is she?' he asks and even though he keeps the tone of his voice reasonably balanced I can tell he's just dying to know what's going on.

'She's Isla's, well, our stepsister' I say and I can hear him take a breath, getting ready to comment but before he can get the words out I cut him off. 'She's seven' I say 'so about two years younger than Isla and her mother is the lovely lady who threw a plate at her. It turns out her mother and our father are, between them, responsible for killing almost twenty homeless people in what they say was an attempt to 'clean up the streets'. Before you ask why Isla left, apparently they never hurt Sylvie, only Isla so she thought that fi she went everything would be fixed and Sylvie could lead a normal life.'

I turn to look Nick in the eyes. 'None of this was Isla's fault' I say, shaking my head 'she and Sylvie were completely innocent' I sob, leaning my head into his shoulder. 'But I should have looked after her; I should have gone back'

'No' I hear Nick say and his grip tightens on my hand as his other arm wraps around me protectively, clutching to my shoulder. 'There are only two people to blame for this, your dad and Sylvie's mum. It's because of them, no-one else' he says and he pulls his hand out of my grip, using it to tilt my chin up to look at him. I find myself lost in his eyes, in the emotion they hold. 'Please believe me' he whispers 'please' he begs, almost pleading with me, willing me to trust him.

I hesitate, trying to take in what he's said, trying to believe him; desperately willing myself to agree with his statement.

But I can't. Because I don't believe him. I just can't accept what he says.

I drop his gaze, shaking my head and say in a hoarse whisper. 'I don't believe you.' And as I say it I'm sure I can hear, his heart break, feel it shatter but there's no way I can lie, no way I can convince him or anyone else that I believe what he just told me. I shrug his arm from my shoulder and lean into the surface my coffee is place upon. I feel tears begin to fall and I look through the glass again, at Isla and Sylvie. Isla has got out 'The Magic Faraway Tree' and I can see Sylvie smiling and laughing at Isla, who is evidently going over the top with actions and voices.

Nick's hand tentatively reaches out and awkwardly places itself on my shoulder. 'If everything is your fault' he says 'then you've done an excellent job.' I turn to look at him, completely thrown by this remark.

'What?' I ask, my voice perhaps sounding a little indignant and no doubt the facial expression I'm wearing matches this indignation but I suppose it matches how I feel, despite the lack of accusation in his remark.

'You've cared for Isla to make her strong and you've changed Sylvie's life forever' He says and I can see tears in clot up his vision, tears that begin to well in my own eyes. He sees the doubt begin to fade inside me, sees it begin to ebb away, I know he does, and he begins to expand on his initial statement. 'They're always going to be insecure' he says 'there's no way anyone can go through what they've been through and everything be normal' I swallow and for the first time, I begin to wonder if maybe, just maybe, he's right. Just for once, I think he's got the situation all figured out and I think he might know how I feel better than I do.

That's the kind of end but I've written at least sixty happy epilogues (I couldn't resist) so you're going to get a load of epilogues all compiled into an 'Epilogue' chapter that should be put up later today or tomorrow. Thanks to Amber French Chambers for all her lovely reviews and extra special thanks to Meggi for reviews and the mad PM chats we have that always make me smile! Virtual hugs coming your way! (if they don't get there blame my bad internet and the pathetic Christmas postal service)

-Checky x