Adam was sat in the Parlour when the news of JR's attack reached him. Brot and a unit of police officers had arrived to bring AJ into protective custody.

"What the hell." He cried at the army of uniformed officers standing in the hall.

"We have concerns for the child's safety." explained Brot. "We want to move him to a safe house."

"JR would never hurt his son." said Adam.

"That may be so but he is at risk of kidnap. It would be better to move him to a secret location for his own security."

"What you are saying is you don't trust me!" snapped Adam.

"Sir." said Brot in a patient tone. "Your son violently assaulted Bianca Montgomery. We believe he intended to kill her, only he was disturbed. He is a dangerous man. We are concerned for your safety and for the safety of every member of your family, which is why we also want to assign you with a police guard."

"You want to keep me safe from my son." said Adam incredulously, "Fine, you take me to wherever you want to take AJ. You can guard us both."

"Sir?"

"I'm not letting that little boy out of my sight."

…

The safe house turned out to be a cheap motel out on the highway. There was an officer in the room with them and another couple undercover in a car outside. Adam found it a strange experience; he couldn't remember a time when he had sole responsibility for his grandson.

AJ was sat on the bed opposite, half watching cartoons on the battered television set that came with the room. He seemed calm. Every so often he would ask a question.

"Is Bianca alright?"

"She's in hospital. I'm sure they are taking good care of her."

"Do you think he would hurt my mom?"

"You mommy has her own police guard she'll be fine."

"Are we here because he wants to kill me?"

"Your daddy would never hurt you. The police are just worried he might try to take you away."

"I wouldn't go." said AJ determinedly.

AJ looked at his grandfather.

"And daddy did hurt me!" said AJ. "He shook me when he was angry and he grabbed my arm when he was drunk."

"He didn't mean to, I'm sure he didn't." said Adam, "He was just upset."

"But it did hurt." said AJ. "He hurt me and he hurt mommy and made her cry."

"AJ that's not the same thing."

"Why isn't it?" asked AJ

"Because JR was angry and he had been drinking which made him say and do things to Marissa that he really didn't mean."

"Was he angry when he hurt Bianca."

"Very likely." said Adam carefully, he didn't know the reason for the assault but jealousy seemed the most likely motive.

"And what happens when I make my daddy angry like that?"

"That won't happen."

"Yes it will and it does. When I talk to mommy about Bianca and Miranda he gets angry at me."

"But he would never hurt you, not like that."

"He frightens me." said AJ, looking a little upset. "One time he was so mad he threw things and he was talking like he was crazy and I got scared and ran away."

"You ran away because of JR?"

AJ nodded.

"I wanted mommy to be happy too. If I wasn't in the house she could go back to Bianca and they could live happily ever after."

"Real life doesn't work like that AJ."

"Well it should."

Adam looked at his grandson, surprised how much this little boy had grown up in just a few years.

"You really love Marissa don't you?"

"She's my mom!" said AJ as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "If Daddy goes to prison can I go and live with my mommy again?"

That question gave Adam pause.

"But AJ the mansion is your home." he said, "I'm sure if you would like Marissa to stay with you, we could come to an arrangement…"

"And what about Bianca and Miranda and Gabby?" AJ asked.

"I'm sure they can come on visits." said Adam.

AJ didn't look like that was the answer he wanted to hear.

"We were going to go and live in our new house and be a family." said AJ. "It would have been wonderful. We would have had so much fun. Miranda would be my real twin not just pretend…"

AJ trailed off suddenly looking very worried.

"What's wrong?" asked Adam, concerned by AJ's sudden transformation. He hated seeing his grandson hurting like this.

"What if Miranda won't speak to me?" said AJ, a note of panic in his voice.

"She's your friend. Why wouldn't she speak to you." asked Adam trying to be reassuring.

AJ was very upset now.

"My daddy hurt her mommy. He tried to kill her." He sobbed.

"I'm sure she won't blame you for that, AJ."

"How do you know?"

"Because." said Adam searching for a way to cheer up his grandson. "She wouldn't be much of a twin if she blamed you for something that wasn't your fault."

AJ sniffed and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Is Bianca going to be alright?"

"Like I said before, the doctors at the hospital are taking good care of her."

"What if she dies? Miranda is going to hate me if her mommy dies."

"Bianca isn't going to die."

AJ sniffed and gave his grandfather an appraising look.

"Do you like Bianca?"

Adam smiled.

"Yes I do. She is a very nice person."

"Yes and she's very funny too."

"I'm sure she is."

"When she went swimming with us she made us all jump in from the edge, all together. We made such a huge splash. It was so cool!" AJ looked down at his hands. "I hate that my daddy hurt her."

"We all do." said Adam. "We all do."

AJ turned back to his cartoons. Adam watched him. His grandson looked broken hearted. He tried to remember JR at this age. They had been a happy family hadn't they, he and his son? Although the war he had fought against his mother sometimes made his stomach turn as he thought back. He had been determined to have a family whatever the cost. Only now he was realising the cost was too high. He had ruined JR, his attempts to mould him in his image, proved instead to warp him into something worse. Looking at the little boy opposite, happily watching TV, he could see that he was still an innocent. That the Chandler steel, so strong and yet so twisted had not yet began to manifest itself. This little boy deserved to be happy. Adam hated the thought of losing his grandchild but he realised it may be better now, to lose him to a loving home, than to lose him, like JR, years later to a prison sentence.

"Is that really what you want?" asked Adam. "It be a family with your mom and Bianca?"

AJ turned back to him, a smile lighting up his whole face.

"More than anything in the whole wide world!"

…