Are you guys enjoying this? Because it gets a bit deep coming up...and not in the way you may think. Really wanna know your views on this chapter...

Jake got out of the car and watched as Katie ran up to the house, dancing on her toes and she fiddled with her keys. Almost dropping them. All he could do is watch her. He leaned against his car smiling broadly.

"God, its that damn wine Riley!" she said still struggling and then finding the right one.

"Don't blame the wine baby!" he laughed as she finally made it in and he shook his head, pushing himself off the car and started to walk towards the house.

A car engine approaching made him turn around and Quentin jumped out of the car that was now parked outside.

"Pop!" Quentin smiled running up to him.

"Hey buddy!" Jake smiled. Seeing this kid constantly put a smile on his face. He ruffled his hair, "have a good time?" he gave a quick glance and noticed Grace getting out, heading towards them, "your Mom's inside. Why don't you go and see her"

"Ok" Quentin nodded and looked back to his approaching Grandmother, "bye Grandma! Thanks for the mac and cheese!" as he ran into the house.

Jake turned to Grace and nodded, "Thanks for..."

"Pop?" she questioned. Her eyebrows raising.

Jake cleared his throat, "He asked to call me it...we got really close in there. He went through a lot...he also knows how much i love Katie and..."

"Love?" she scoffed.

Jake had his hands in his pockets, he tightly squeezed them. He wasn't going to continue to let this women do this. She didn't know anything about him or his relationship with Katie.

"Im sorry do you not know that word?" he asked sarcastically.

Her eyes widened at his response, "How dare you talk to me.."

"What? Was i rude? I didn't realize you knew that word either" Jake was calm the whole time. Her posture changed, she shuffled on her feet.

"Listen young man...i understand the attraction. Katherine is beautiful, i can see that. My Mason fell for it as well..."

Jake pulled one hand out of his pocket and raised it, "I got to stop you there Mrs Belfield" another alarming look came upon her face, this women did like the dramatic, he knew that for sure, "i fell for Katie yes. Is she beautiful? Yes. But that's not the only reason i fell for her. Is she funny? Yes. Is she brave? Yes. Is she selfless? Yes. Is she an amazing Mother? Hell yeah she is" he stopped and she didn't say a word, so he carried on, "all of those things are why i love Katie. I seriously wont expect you to understand what happened in the Cordon. No one on the outside knows what it was like. But Katie? Shes a beautiful light, Grace" he shook his head, hoping she understood what he was saying, "there are things you have no clue about Katie...i will tell you now, if you saw those things that i see in her...you would love her too" a raise of Grace's eyebrows said it all, "I know that would be too much...but you must be able to respect her?"

Grace stood stoic, "Why would i?" the look on her face gave Jake a clue.

As a Police Officer he found himself being able to read people, "You do. I know you do. She got herself clean for the sake of her child...does the best she can for him. Yet you still hold this...this...grudge over her why?"

This was getting deeper than he expected with a women he hardly knew. But he wasn't going to stand by any longer and watch Katie suffer the treatment this women was giving her.

There came no answer and he knew why.

"You already know" he whispered. Her lips pursed together and she was holding back emotion. He saw it. She was obviously a women of little emotion but he was starting to see it, "you take your anger out on Katie because shes here...Mason isn't"

She swallowed quickly and looked around, not looking him in the eye, she sniffed and regained herself, "I have Quentin every other weekend and 3 Thursday nights of the month..." she then looked him in the eye, "if Katherine hadn't told you that already"

It almost felt like acceptance, that he was going to need to know their routine. He knew that was the reason. She knew Katie wasn't to blame. But she was there and Mason wasn't. Mason got himself in the mess and inside of helping to look after Katie too she turned the anger she had for her son onto her. He understood it more, but still wasn't going to let it carry on.

He nodded, "Thank you"

"I will be back Friday at 6 to get him for the weekend" she composed herself and turned around.

"Mrs Belfield?" Jake spoke and she stopped in her tracks, waiting to him to continue, "shes been through a lot...please just...please just remember that" he sounded like he was begging. He felt like he was. Katie needed that.

Grace turned round to him, a tear slowly dropping from her cheek, "He was good once you know?" he knew she was talking about Mason, she then looks to the house, "she takes my comments...they way she does...because she knows its everything i want to say to the son i only see twice a year..." her breath hitches.

Jake understands, he even feels sorry for her, even through everything she has said to Katie, deep down he knows that's why Katie takes it too.

"She was a sweet girl" she said it almost wistfully. Obviously remembering the past.

"She still is" Jake stated matter of factly. The sweetest.

Grace sighed and wiped her tears away, "I will never love Katherine" she told him, he was still aware she didn't call her Katie, "but i see you sticking up for her...it seems different...and Quentin couldn't stop talking about you..." there was a long pause before she spoke again quietly, "i want to hate you" she told him truthfully.

Jake nodded, "I know. And i know i cant replace your son"

Grace's chin wobbled with emotion again, "No. No one could. But..." she looked at him squinting, "your already good for her...and my sweet boy...he needs stability"

Jake couldn't agree more. Was he...getting along with Grace?

"Jake why have you..." Katie's voice was trailed and her bare feet hit the wooden slabs of the decking. Jake turned. She looked natural. She had taken her makeup off, but not her dress, "Grace" she took the steps down, she looked concerned at the scene in front of her, "is everything..."

"Don't worry Katherine...i..." Grace stumbled on her words. But approached Katie carefully, "Jake and i had words...but hes made me see something"

Katie's eyes rose and went to Jake's, they had fear in them. Fear he had told Grace about Mason and the full story. But he shook his head slowly turning to comfort her. He needed her to know that wasn't the case. It wasn't his place to tell her.

Katie looked back to Grace, "What did he make you see?" he heard the trepidation tainting her voice.

Grace sighed and came closer to her, Jake saw Katie flinch as Grace took her hands together in hers, a physical act obviously never shown before from the look of surprise on Katie's face.

"Quentin is a good boy...a wonderful boy..." a sigh came from her, and what came next surprised them both "...and your one of the reasons for that" it wasn't said with disdain or sarcasm. It was real. Jake could see the emotion on Katie's face. But that's all she was getting. Grace let go of her hands before composing herself again, "see you on Friday at 6" and with that, she got into her car and drove away.