Sorry this has taken a billion years to update. Enjoy, it's a bit of a filler chapter x

It had been fourteen months since Ivy had used and her mother Zara had come to Seattle to talk to her, and that line of recovery had quickly been labelled redundant, and Ivy had cut off every form of contact with her.

One of her stepsisters had made an attempt at contacting her as well, but Ivy had decided against replying, instead focussing on her own recovery. She had remained clean, healthy and to some degree happy.

Ivy had grown closer to her twins Isaac and Avery, finally finding a maternal instinct that she had lost. Ivy had also spent a lot more time getting to know and getting closer to Christian, Ana and the rest of the family, but things had not been going so well.

They were talking, living together and raising their children together, but the relationship was not the same as it had been the year before.

Ivy had gone back to work at Van Rensburg- Grey inc, and Daniel could literally feel her slipping away.

It had been fourteen months since she had used when Ivy received the news that her Fathers' brother Ethan had died back home in Cape Town. He had been ill for a long time, but it was still a surprise to them all.

Christian hadn't know his Uncle much, having only met him twice, but he knew that their father Lewis's four brothers Jacob, Leo, Ethan and Willem had all been a huge part of her life.

Ivy had visited her father several times with the twins, trying to forge a relationship between them all, and she had visited him on the day she had found out about Ethan.

Daniel and Christian hadn't been able to talk to Ivy about her Uncle, who had been running the main Van Rensburg Inc offices in Cape Town, and the future of the offices was uncertain. Jacob was in California still running the offices that Ivy had set up, and Leo and Willem were all working in other places. Ivy wouldn't say much about it and had thrown herself into work, the twins and helping her Uncle's plan the funeral.

Christian didn't want to attend the funeral as he had never identified as a Van Rensburg even after finding out who his father was, and he didn't want to intrude.

Lewis and Ivy were going to wait for Jacob to fly into Seattle and then all catch a flight to Cape Town together on the same day.

Well, that had been the plan.

Christian was in his office on the day of the flights when Barney came in without knocking, looking ashen and pale, a sheet of paper in his hands.

"I've tried to call Daniel but his phone is off- he's in court all day. Did you know about this?"

"Know about what?"

Barney was Daniel's Uncle and had been the only father type figure he had ever known, since Ivy and Daniel had been together, Barney had become more of a friend to Christian than a colleague.

"I wanted to make sure they were on their way to Cape Town okay. She's taken the kids"

Christian frowned "No- what? What are you talking about?"

"Lewis Van Rensburg, Jacob Van Rensburg, Ivy Van Rensburg, and Isaac and Avery Sullivan- they are all on the flightplan. She's taken the twins with her to Cape Town…"

After the Court session Daniel didn't even turn his phone on and hurried back through the torrential rain to his apartment.

It was completely silent.

No twins, and no nanny.

Daniel knew that Ivy had left and rang the Nanny, assuming that she had taken the twins out somewhere

"Hey, it's me, just wondering what time you were going to bring the twins back?"

There was a pause "Uh… I don't have them"

"What do you mean?"

"Ivy told me I wasn't needed anymore... I haven't been at the house for two days"

Daniel hung up abruptly and hurried into the twins nursery room, seeing the cribs empty, everything neatly folded and the lights off.

He pressed the speed-dial on his phone, stalking up and down the apartment in a panic, his heart racing

"Christian- Christian where the fuck are my children?"

"Daniel, calm down, they're safe"

"Well where are they?"

"She… Ivy took them to South Africa, they're in Cape Town by now"

"What?"

It was at that point that Daniel saw the handwritten note on the kitchen countertop and went silent as he read over it.

Daniel,

I have tried, I really have, but things have not been right for a long time.

I love you, I really do, but things aren't working as they are, you know that as well as I do.

Jacob is still running the company from California and since the merger, Christian can run some of the Seattle side by himself for a while. Now that Ethan is dead, someone needs to step in until the position can be filled in the main offices in Cape Town. I will only be two months, and I'm sorry that I didn't warn you before I left, but I know that you would have tried to stop me.

This is my family, and my Grandad left me this company, and I can not let him down.

I'll call you,

I love you,

I'm sorry

Ivy

Dun dun dunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

Please review and let me know what you think and want to see. I've updated my other fanfics x