Thank you for reading. This is another slightly strange chapter. Please review because I'd love to hear thoughts and opinions :-)

Jasmine was still awake in the early hours of the following morning mulling over everything Jac had told her. When Jac, Jonny and Ava had arrived to say goodnight Jac had looked calm and happy but Jasmine could tell she had been crying. After they had said their goodbyes Jonny had lingered.

'Whatever Jac has told you this afternoon, if you needed to discuss it you discuss it with me ok?' Jonny's face had looked stern. 'I'm glad Jac has told you but I'd rather she not be constantly remind of it.'

Jasmine had agreed with him. 'Is she ok?'

'Aye. She'll live.' Jonny had given a sad smile as he walked away.

'You are meant to be sleeping Miss Burrows' Michael Spence said as he leaned against the door frame. 'If you want to go home soon you need to be getting plenty of rest.'

'Michael how much about Jac's past do you know?' Jasmine asked him.

Michael entered the room and shut the door. He took a seat in the bedside chair. 'Officially I only know what Jac herself has told me. Unofficially Sacha and I share this information so I know a fair deal'.

'You should probably know she knows you do that.'

'Yeah well Naylor is many things but stupid sure ain't one of them' Michael grinned as he crossed his arms across his chest. 'Did you manage to get her to talk to you?'

Jasmine nodded her head. 'We talked about what happened to her in the care home.'

'Yeah? Which one?'

'The one she was in when she was fifteen' Jasmine gave the American a meaningful look.

'Oh. She kinda gave you worst there didn't she?' Michael let out a long breath 'I gotta tell you I'm impressed. It took you under two weeks to find out what it has taken Sacha and I years to piece together.'

'Had other things happened to her in other care homes?' Jasmine asked her eyes full of concern.

'I'm afraid so but the story she has told you is definitely the worse she had to endure'. Michael looked at the young girl before him. 'You feeling ok? About what she told you?'

'Not really. I feel sick to my stomach if I'm honest'. Jasmine looked down at her hands 'I feel guilty about making her tell me.'

'Hey now. Jac Naylor only tells people things if she wants to' Michael consoled the young girl 'she must trust you to be able to tell you.'

'How did you find out?' Jasmine asked him.

'Ah well I found out from Sacha who found out in the most painful way possible.' The American let out a chuckle. 'I'm sorry I shouldn't laugh but this could only have happened to Sacha. He decided to check in on her when she was sleeping in the on call room during one night shift. The blanket had slipped off her so he decided to move it back over her and received a kick to his crown jewels in response'.

'Oh she must have thought…' Jasmine started to say

'Exactly. She felt so bad she had to tell him.' Michael tried not the laugh at the memory of Sacha telling himself and Ric Griffin just why he was sat in the staffroom at 7am with an ice pack held in his lap. 'I think he was secretly impressed at her self-defence skills though.'

'So you and Sacha look out for her then?'

'Well we try to. Jac has a bit of an independent streak going on' Michael smiled at his friends younger sister 'just because she didn't have any biological family it doesn't mean she didn't have anyone in her corner. There's Sacha and I, Ric Griffin, Elliot Hope and I'm pretty sure Mr Hanssen has a soft spot for her too'.

'Who's Elliot Hope?' Jasmine asked not having met the professor.

'Oh he's the clinical lead on Darwin. I'll get him to come down to meet you. You might as well get to know all of 'team Naylor' as Sacha calls us'.

'Why is all of 'team Naylor' made up of men?' Jasmine asked.

'I don't know'. Michael thought for a minute. 'You may have noticed that Jac doesn't really go in for all that girly stuff so maybe she just has more in common with men. She is kinda friends with Jonny's best friend Mo but then I think Mo has just bulldozed her way in. There's also Serena Campbell; remember you met her couple of days ago?'

'oh yes' Jasmine nodded and then rolled her eyes as she said 'thanks for letting me put my foot in it by not telling me Mr Campbell was her ex and not her current husband.'

'Sorry about that' Michael grinned guiltily 'she had laid out a recovery plan of sorts for Jac and Jonny after Amelia, which by the way Jac or Jonny do not know about, but I think that might have just been her business head looking after her assets.'

'Assets?' Jasmine asked confused.

'Yeah' Michael nodded 'do not tell Jac I said this but she is one hell of a surgeon. You don't come across talent like hers every day of week. A skill like hers generates excellence and excellence generates money.'

'I'm glad she has Jonny as well.' Jasmine added.

'Sacha and I owe Maconie a debt of gratitude I can tell you. Before she moved in with him looking out for her was a full time job. Not that he always gets everything right mind you. In the beginning stages of their relationship I think he gave us more of headache than Joseph did. But now they've got their act together at least we know she has someone she will actively go and talk to and someone at home with her every night'.

'Who's Joseph?'

'Joseph Burn. The man who broke her heart.' Michael thought for a minute 'probably best not to mention his name to Jac'.

'At least she now loves Jonny and Jonny loves her.' Jasmine said wistfully 'I'd really like to see them get married.'

'Good luck with that one' Michael laughed. 'I just can't see Naylor doing the whole white dress, wedding thing somehow.'

'I like a challenge.'

'Well you let me know how that one turns out for you' Michael smiled 'you feeling any better yet?'

'A little' Jasmine smiled back 'it helps to focus on how things turned out for her'

'Jac has led a hard life but she's strong and determined. She takes what she's given and makes the best of it.'

'The thing I keep coming back to is how it all stems from our Mother. The thought of what she has done to Jac makes me so angry it brings bile to my throat.'

'You and me both.' Michael sighed. 'But what can you do? '

'I want her know everything bad thing that has happened to Jac and how she was responsible for it.' Jasmine thought for a minute. 'I think that would make me feel a little better so that is going to go on my bucket list. Hand me that note pad.' Jasmine gestured to a thin note book lying on the table pushed to the end of her bed.

'What's this? 'Michael said as he picked up the note book.

'Take a look' Jasmine said. 'I've started a bucket list. Not an exciting one though, just a few things I want to get sorted before I go.'

Michael opened the note book and scanned the first page 'Right well getting Ava christened I definitely see you achieving but I'll believe seeing Jac and Jonny getting hitched when I see it.'

'I got her to take on Ava didn't I?' Jasmine said defiantly

'Actually I think you had a hand from one of team Naylor.' Michael threw her sympathetic glance 'I can't be one hundred per cent certain but I have a hunch'.

'Well I'm sure I can pursued other members of team Naylor to help with the marriage thing even if you won't'

'That stubborn streak really runs strong in your family huh?' Michael says looking down the rest of the very short list. 'Show Ava how to fly a kite. I'm sure Jonny will have a fair idea on how to help you with that one. Take Ava to her first ballet class. If you get Naylor to go as well I'm gonna want to see pictures' he chuckled. 'And finally show Ava how to build a sand castle. Is this it so far?' Michael asked.

'I only started it this afternoon'.

'Well I think we should think of a few more exciting things.'

'I'm a mum Michael. I only think of practical things.' Jasmine took the note book off Michael and scribbled down her latest idea.

'So how exactly are you going to speak your mind to your charming mother when no one knows where she is?' Michael asked.

'I have an email address. I'll start with that.' Jasmine yawned suddenly.

'I think you can wait until morning.' Michael said firmly as he stood up to go. He held out his hand to Jasmine. Jasmine took hold of it with a confused look on her face. 'Welcome to team Naylor Jasmine Burrows' Michael said as he shook it.