Daryl expected some trouble from Social Services, he didn't expect them knocking on the door 2 hours after they arrived at home. He had Ollie sitting at the table eating, they arrived right on lunch time like they planned it. He guessed they had been coming every day for the past few days. Daryl and Ollie had been having lunch they were chatting about the toy cars he had, there were toys spread around the lounge and they had been building a train set. Ollie had been making himself at home. Daryl opened the door to a man and women. He looked at them.

'Can I help you?' he knew who they were they were wearing badges and had a clip folder, it didn't mean he had to open the door and welcome them in with open arms. He also hoped that Carol stayed asleep she was so stressed out about everything that he was sure she was going to sleep for hours. He was pleased he didn't have to deal with all her emotions when they arrived. It could have tipped her right over the edge especially after they run into Karen that morning. He still felt they needed to talk. Really talk then if she was willing see someone together maybe. Merle suggested it when he left. He told him he would be back again later. He removed all the packages of stuff that they been trying to make it look like that Ollie was welcome in his home.

'Hi we are from children's protective services,' the women said, 'we have had a complain about neglect towards Ollie Dixon? Is he on the premises?' she looked at him, expectantly, Daryl stared right back at them. He felt awkward and they felt awkward he could tell. He run his hair through his hair.

'He's having lunch,'

They tried to look behind him, he knew they had rights to enter his house. He and Merle did a quick online search to see how they operated. So far they hadn't asked to come in, he just stood there waiting for them to say the next thing. He could stand there as long as they did. He was going to make them ask to come in. He wasn't going to swing the door open to let them come in.

'Can we see him, see his bedroom? Is your wife home?' The women asked then.

'She is, she's taking a nap right now, come in,' Daryl invited them in, Ollie saw them, his eyes narrowed he could tell right away that Daryl wasn't comfortable about them coming in so he raced across the room climbed up into Daryl's arms looking at them. He put his head on Daryls shoulder and hid his face from them, 'This is Ollie, as you can see he's fine,'

'We had complaints in a different state about he was homeless,' the women said. She looked around, she took the room in there were toys scattered everywhere, Merle had raced out and got reprints of photos of Ollie that were in Carol's bag, they had put them into frames and banged a few to the wall alongside Sophia's baby photo, Merle had brought over some of his kids drawings and put them on the fridge. He'd put out a few items of Carol's around the place, her jacket, some shoes by the door. He spread her stuff everywhere.

'We own our own home so how could Ollie be homeless?' Daryl asked. 'I own my own business with my brother, also my own Harley plus all the land the garage is on, and I have money in the bank,' Daryl told him, 'Ollie's my son how could he be homeless, there food in the fridge, he doesn't smell and has clothes and toys, what's the problem?'

The women and man looked confused. They looked at the report, Daryl went across with Ollie on his hip and pulled out bank statements that also still had Carol's name on them, they looked at the balance he pointed too, his files also had the deed to the house with their names on it, he pointed to the deed, he tossed a couple of his business statements. They looked shocked. 'Is that enough money to keep one child?' Daryl asked them. They were looking at Daryl and back to their file with the complaint. Ollie started sucking his thumb looking at them. Daryl walked across to the kitchen and flung the fridge open, pleased it had food and not take out containers which was normally in there to show them.

'Look, Ollie and Carol were away for a bit staying with her friend Tara, when her boss tried to sleep with her, when she said 'no' he's decided to make trumped up problems, Ollie's not homeless, and he's got his own room, food, and parents who love him,' Daryl was almost challenging them a little to try find something wrong with the home. They couldn't work it out. They walked to the other side of the room and whispered to each other. The man stepped outside for a moment to make a phone call. Daryl stood there looking at the women, she was trying to avoid his gaze. They knew they had stuffed up and there was nothing here to even look at.

The women looked through their notes. She started ticking off house looked nice enough that even they would want to live there. The man bent down and pushed a train around the train track. He smiled up at Ollie looking at him hiding from him in Daryl's neck. Daryl could only hope he would spill any information that wasn't needed to go out to the people. Like he had only been in the house a few hours.

'You have a nice home Ollie, do you like it?'

'We had a baby but she died,' Ollie told him, Daryl almost groaned, 'She's a Princess Angel now, and I'm getting a kitten! Today, we going to the shelter,' Daryl looked at him wondering how he was coming out with things like the shelter then he spoke again, 'Aunty Tara says you only get pets from the shelter cos they need homes,' Daryl nodded that he was right, he gave him a wink and Ollie nodded knowing it was time to stop talking.

They looked shocked, Daryl gestured to the Sophia shelf to shocked to speak, of all the things Ollie could say, he talked about Sophia in one sentence and tried to force his hand into agreeing to something he wanted in the other. It didn't surprise him that he said he was getting a kitten he'd talked about it a few times now. Daryl was just hoping Ollie would keep his mouth shut.

'Before we had Ollie, she was 4 months,' Daryl could feel that familiar feelings coming up his throat as he tried to explain Ollies comments, 'She... she... she,'

'Its ok Mr Dixon its in the notes,' The man said as they could see the tears forming in his eyes, 'If we could just see Ollies bedroom and we can go,'

Daryl pointed down the hall and the door to his room was open, they looked in the bathroom as they passed and stuck their head in Ollie's room. The door was shut to the room with all the baby stuff still in it. Sophia's name was still on the door, he couldn't bear to bring it down. Merle had put Ollie's name on the door, they had also put things around so it looked lived in and not a show home. Daryl had given Ollie a pep talk on not telling anyone he just got his room today. He was worried that he would say something else and told him that if he didn't say anything else he would give him lollies, Ollie nodded and whispered in his ear, 'Tara give me lollies to keep quiet,

They nodded to him and said that they couldn't find a problem anywhere. He wanted them gone, before Carol woke and burst into tears. He got them out the front door and took their card. They told him they would ring later in the week. They were closing the case. They didn't muck around there was nothing to find here at all apart from a pack of liars.

'Can we get our kitty now?' Ollie asked as he watched the people going down the path.

'Maybe after we finish lunch,'

Shortly after Merle arrived with his oldest to stop in to see how they were going. Merle brought his oldest because there was probably only about 3 or 4 months age difference in both the boys. They both were racing around outside playing in no time. Merle was surprised when Daryl suggested that he stay and play with Ollie for the afternoon and come choose a new kitten with them. Merle nodded surprised that Daryl wanted to spend time with his boy who he had avoided for so long. His wall was coming down, and Ollie was the reason.