Thank you for reading. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Please don't be shy in letting me know your thoughts and opinions because they genuinely do help me to shape up my writing :-)

'I can't believe Ava still hasn't woken up yet!' Jac exclaimed as she finished her second cup of black coffee of the morning. 'I thought kids were meant to be up at ridiculously early hours on Christmas morning?'

'Like any kid of ours is going to behave like the majority' Jonny chortled as he sorted out the presents stored under the Christmas tree. Undoubtedly Ava's pile of gifts was going to be the largest. 'She's probably just tuckered out from all the excitement of the last couple of days.'

'I think I'm going to wake her up' Jac stood up from the sofa 'it's now gone half seven, she normally wakes up at half six. Surely if she has any more sleep she won't sleep tonight?'

'Just admit you're excited to see her face when she realises Santa's been. Let the poor child sleep in' Jonny grinned.

'We need to discuss the whole 'Santa' routine before next year' Jac sat back down 'I just don't think it's healthy to encourage kids with the idea an alcoholic beverage and an unhealthy surgery snack are the things Santa Clause lives off.'

'Wow Jac! I've think you've just discovered the reason for childhood obesity and teenage alcoholism' Jonny respond sarcastically.

'You can joke all you like but next year Santa is getting an orange and a glass of milk or nothing at all.'

'Whatever woman' Jonny rolled his eyes at his wife.

'That's it. I'm going to wake her up. It's quarter to eight.' Jac jumped to her feet and headed to Ava's bedroom.

'Hang on! Wait for me!' Jonny whispered as he lightly jogged on tip toe to catch up with her, not wanting to miss this moment.

Jac tiptoed over to Ava's bed and lightly kissed her on the cheek. 'Ava?' she spoke quietly not wanting to startle the sleeping child 'it's Christmas day Pumpkin. Are you going to wake up?'

'Auntie Jac?' Ava stirred from her sleep and rubbed her eyes tiredly.

'Merry Christmas Pumpkin' Jac smiled at her little girl as she fully wakened.

'Has Santa been to visit?' Ava asked she sat up, her eyes now full of excitement.

'Why don't you go and see?' Jac laughed as the little girl scrambled over her to get down off her bed. Ava quickly hugged Jonny's legs as she passed him squealing 'Merry Christmas!' before she headed into the living room, her aunt and uncle close behind her.

'He has been!' Ava's exclaimed her face positively beaming as she saw the stocking she'd hung up with the help of Uncle Jonny the previous evening was full to bursting with presents. 'And look he's eaten some of the mince pie!' Ava pointed to the plate on the coffee table where a half-eaten mince pie sat next to a now empty whisky tumbler.

Jac leaned against Jonny and snaked her arm around his waist as she watched Ava. She felt tears well up in her eyes as she thought about how lucky she was.

'Are you ok?' Jonny whispered as he hugged her tightly.

'Yes' she smiled at her husband 'I guess I've just realised what Christmas should feel like.'

At the hospital they had exchanged gifts, laughed and shared stories. Ava had loved the charm bracelet Jasmine had given for her Christmas present and Jac had promised Jasmine that she would buy Ava a new charm for it every Christmas. As the afternoon loomed Jasmine looked increasingly tired.

'I think you should take a nap' Jac smiled at her sister 'else they'll make us leave for wearing you out.'

'Won't that be a bit a boring for you lot?' Jasmine yawned.

'I'm on my way to get Mo anyway and start Christmas dinner preparations' Sacha gave a beaming smile although Jac knew from his unusual quietness that he was missing his own family.

'You didn't forget…'

'The mince pies?' Sacha laughed as he pulled out a tuber ware box from a gift bag he had been hiding. 'No chance, Mo would have skinned me alive.'

'Thanks' Jasmine smiled 'by the way what did you get Mo for Christmas?' Jasmine spoke though a muffled yawn 'you were being very mysterious when we went Christmas shopping.'

'Let just say it's between me and Mo' Sacha spoke in mock deep Barry White voice.

'Urggh!' Jac pulled a face as Jasmine laughed 'for goodness sake Sacha!'

'Right Sacha change of plan' Jonny grinned as he, Granddad George and Ava joined the group again after a brief visit up to Darwin 'we're meeting Mo at Albies for a wee afternoon Christmas drink so she said she'll meet you there for a fortifying drink before the cooking commences'

'See you can have a nap whilst everyone else is at Albies' Jac nagged her sister.

'Fine' Jasmine sighed 'you can all leave me in peace for a couple of hours then.'

'Between you and I, I don't think the Professor is doing so well this year' Jonny muttered in Jac's ear 'refused to join us for Christmas drinks even though his shift finished hours ago.

'I think he took the fact neither of his loving children are in the country this year pretty hard' Jac whispered back. 'Maybe I will go and sit with him whilst you lot are at the pub. Would you be alright with Ava?'

'Absolutely' Jonny kissed his wife affectionately on the cheek.

Jasmine awoke from a brief nap and smiled as her hazy eyes made out a red haired woman sat in the bedside chair. She blinked her eyes and then frowned as the woman came fully into focus; she was not who Jasmine was expecting to see.

'Hello darling' Paula smiled at her youngest daughter.

'Mum? What are you doing here?' Jasmine struggled to sit herself up.

'You asked for me so I came' Paula remained sitting and made no attempt to help her daughter.

'I emailed you last night and told you to come on the twenty seventh. Today is not the twenty seventh it's the twenty fifth' Jasmine gave up on trying make herself more comfortable.

'I know but I thought I'd come today anyway'

'You can't stay here. You need to leave' Jasmine felt around for the remote so she could press the call button for assistance.

'I don't think so' Paula frowned as she lead forward and pulled the wire for the remote so it fell off the bed ensuring it was out of Jasmine's reach. 'Why did you contact me if you don't really want to see me?'

'I do want to see you, but I don't want Jac to see you so you need to leave' Jasmine could feel herself becoming breathless as her distress increased. She willed herself to be as brave as her sister.

'So you've been getting to know your sister?' Paula sighed 'I expect she's been filling your head with all sorts of lies'

'Jac doesn't tell lies' Jasmine glared at her mother 'that's what you do.'

'Darling don't push me away in favour of her' Paula pulled a disgusted face.

'Her?' Jasmine laughed incredulous at the woman sat in front of her 'Jac is your daughter, your own flesh and blood. What could she have possibly done to have so morally offended you?'

'She…' Paula rubbed her forehead 'I can't explain it. She was never meant to have been born'

'So because you chose to have sex and consequently conceived a child that was Jac's fault?' Jasmine stared at her mother in disbelief.

'You couldn't possibly understand. Jac wasn't like you, you were easy and contented. Jac was a constant battle. Even when she'd stopped being baby her need for attention was constant, her need to be kept occupied was relentless. It was question, after question, after impossible question with her. I was too young and Jac wasn't like the other kids her age.'

'What do you mean Jac wasn't like the other kids her age?' Jasmine frowned.

'She was too smart for them, she couldn't understand them. She'd get bored so quickly and I didn't know what to do with her. Even school was boring to her, nothing challenged her enough. I couldn't challenge her enough.'

'So? She's smart, Ava's smart and yet we manage to keep her occupied'

'I was young, I was on my own and I had no idea about how to bring up a child let alone one with extra needs.'

'These are just excuses' Jasmine glared 'I was young when I had Ava but I stepped up. I wasn't alone because I had Granddad, much the same as you would have done' Jasmines eyes flashed with anger 'and as for your 'child with extra needs' I hate to tell you but Jac is extraordinary in a very positive way. Perhaps if you'd bothered with her you might have noticed.'

'Merry Christmas!' Edward Campbell beamed as he approach Ric Griffin and his ex-wife sat at the nurses station on AAU.

'Merry Christmas!' Ric greeted Edward warmly.

'You won't believe who I just met on my way in here' Edward spoke conversationally as he studied the rota for the day 'Jac and Jasmine's mother. She seems like a delightful woman.'

Ric and Serena both froze.

'Please tell me you didn't direct her up to Keller?' Serena asked him.

'Of course I did. The woman wanted to see her daughter on Christmas day.' Edward laughed at his colleagues serious expression's 'am I missing something here?'

'I'd better get up there' Ric spoke as he ran around the nurses station

'For gods sakes hurry' Serena called after him as she reached for her mobile phone to call Elliot Hope, the only other Team Naylor alumni still in the hospital.

'Are you going to tell me what's going on?' Edward asked confused.

'Oh you just let an evil woman lose in the hospital that's all' Serena glared at him as she dialled Elliot's number.

'I did my best for that child!' Paula snapped

'I'm sorry but I just don't think your idea of the best really measured up did it?' Jasmine wheezed 'I've seen those photographs of her as a child, not an ounce of fat on her and a pale palled complexion that would have set the alarm bells ringing to any modern day health visitor.'

'It was probably just as well I left her when I did then really' Paula stood up.

'She was twelve. Just twelve years old. And your evil plan of ensuring Granddad didn't know about her being alone only ensured she faced the horrific things she did' Jasmine wheezed and coughed.

Ric was breathing heavily from his mad dash up the stairs to Keller ward as he barrelled through the double doors at the top of the stairs to see Jac rigid with shock standing in the middle of ward looking into Jasmines side room. Malick and Chantelle were hovering uselessly, neither one of them sure whether they should be attempting to remove Jac or the woman causing the distress. He could hear the two women in the side room having a terrific argument, one of them wheezing heavily.

'…you seriously expect me to believe all the sob stories Jac's told you?' Paula scoffed 'they're just tales woven to draw you in Jasmine, to make you hate me. So she might have had to endured a bit of teasing as she adjusted to her new life but rape? Like that was likely to have happened'

'HOW NAÏVE ARE YOU?' Jasmine found the effort to roar from somewhere deep inside 'SHE WAS FIFTEEN! FIFTEEN AND SOMEONE ABUSED THE TRUST OF THE SYSTEM TO COMMIT A HEINOUS CRIME AGAINST YOUR DAUGHTER AND YOU COULDN'T GIVE A DAM!'

'ENOUGH!' Ric matched Jasmines roar as he entered the side room, having pushed passed a still immobile Jac on his way to control the situation. 'Enough now' he spoke calmly to Jasmine as the young woman fell back against the pillows, gasping for air. Sweat was beading on her forehead from her efforts and her pallor was taking on a bluish hue. 'Malick get this woman out of here!' Ric spoke sternly to the registrar, jerking his head in the direction of Paula as he attended to Jasmine.

'Jac!' Jasmine gasped as she grabbed hold of Ric's hand as he was placing an oxygen mask over her face.

'Try to relax Jasmine' Ric soothed the young woman. 'Chantelle, see if you can get Jac into the office' he spoke in an undertone to the young nurse.

'She left' Chantelle spoke quietly 'she ran off the ward just as you came in here'.

'I need her, I'm dying!' Jasmine gasped.

'No you're not, you're hyperventilating' Ric spoke firmly now to Jasmine 'you need to calm down and breathe properly.'

'You were right' Jasmine spoke sadly as she gained control of her breathing 'she has no contrition or understanding of what she's done'

'I'm sorry things didn't work out how you intended' Ric spoke empathically.

'Why didn't you use the call the button?' Chantelle asked quietly 'we could have made her leave if she was upsetting you'

'I tried' Jasmine pointed to the floor where the remote sat 'she made sure I couldn't'.

Jac stood in the stairwell of Keller ward leaning against the banister, her fingers tightly gripping the wood, breathing deeply with her mind a jumble of thoughts and feelings she couldn't begin to process.

'Jac?'

Jac looked up to see Professor Hope walking calmly up the stairs towards her. 'Why don't you come with me Jac?' he spoke softly to her 'you've had a bit of a shock'

'Did you know?' Jac spoke harshly to her old friend 'Did you know she was here?'

'We didn't know she would come today' Elliot placed a soothing hand on her shoulder, only for Jac to flinch away from his well-meaning touch.

'We?' she spoke in anger 'who else knew about this?'

'Jasmine wanted to see her mother before she died, Michael thought…'

'Michael?' Jac practically spat 'so this is Spence's doing?'

'Jac, you need to listen to the whole story' Elliot spoke firmly to her.

'No, I don't' Jac's voice was angry as she pushed pass Elliot and began walking down the stairs.

'Where are you going Jac?' she heard Elliot call after her but she choose to ignore him, walking quickly down the stairs and out of the hospital entrance into the viscously cold air not caring she was only dressed in a light sweater and jeans.