"Dad," Asher gulped, answering his phone, "it's only been 7 years?"

"What the hell Asher," Mark barked, "charging your sister with assault."

"She broke Allison's arm and collar bone," Asher shouted, "Allison's dominant hand at that. She's off work for 6-8 weeks. It could cost her her career."

"You're choosing your whore over your family," Mark asked.

"I'm choosing my wife," Asher snapped, "the only woman I have ever been with and the only woman I will ever be with. Mom told me everything. You have another family. I am choosing to protect my wife and children. I will protect Allie and both of our kids."

"You," Mark yelled.

"You abused us, you allowed Renee to abuse children," Asher replied, "you are not a father. A father stands by his children no matter what. You abuse and manipulate. You beat us. No wonder Renee is hitting children you taught her to. You taught Renee to beat other people."

"One day you'll see what really matters," Mark said, "when someone tries to poison your kids against you. You didn't even have the balls to tell me Allison had another spawn. Who you gave my name."

"I'm not having this conversation without our lawyer present," Asher declared, "I am not going down that path without my lawyer."

"You got a lawyer," Mark sneered, "living on your wife's money?"

"I am not having that discussion with you," Asher replied, "good bye dad."

Asher hung up his phone and put it on do not disturb. He knew Allison was in the house while he cleaned both cars in the driveway, she would come out and get him before she called or texted him and it was Saturday, everyone else could wait. He began scrubbing the wheels of Allison's SUV a bit more aggressively than needed. It pissed him off that after 11 years his dad couldn't see the man he had become. How hard he had worked to get to this point. His dad didn't know that with Allison still being a resident he was making more than her, the gap was closing quickly and starting in July she would make more than him for the first time but he had supported his family for years.

"I heard you yelling," Allison said, coming out to the driveway.

"My dad called," Asher replied, "he's not pleased about the court case."

"We're going through with it," Allison replied.

"We have to," Asher agreed, "she broke your arm. We still have the police reports from when she hurt Ev."

"Your parents though," Allison asked.

"I no longer care," Asher replied.

"Ash," Allison sighed.

"It's my dad," Asher replied, "my mom knows and is trying but."

"You can't trust her because she enabled him," Allison said, "it's okay. You don't have to forgive or forget. They hurt you. They were the adults and knew better. They knew and they chose. They made a choice to hurt you. You get to be mad and hurt and never want to see them."

"Our kids," Asher asked.

"We are protecting them," Allison replied, "we've taken them to court once. We will do it again."

"Your arm," Asher asked.

"It's sore," Allison admitted, "I need more help in the house Ash. I didn't fill the pain med prescription, I've been toughing it out on advil and tylenol. "

"Do you want me to come in and help you,"Asher asked, "what needs to be done?"

"I can't vacuum," Allison replied, "or wash the floors and it's not something Ev can help with. She's really stepped up."

"I'll come help." Asher said, "let me put everything away."

"We have the lawyer appointment tomorrow," Allison reminded.

"I know," Asher replied.

"What if your dad shows up here," Allison asked, "he got your new number."

"We call the police," Asher replied, "if my dad or Renee show up you call the police right away."

"Why are they like this," Allison asked.

"I don't know you're the dr," Asher replied.

"I'm a surgeon," Allison replied, "I don't do psych. I'd guess a personality disorder but who knows."

"Can you in court," Asher asked.

"No because it's outside my specialty," Allison replied, "we can push for psych evaluations by a psychiatrist. The vindictive side of me wants Renee in jail for assault. I want the full weight of her crimes to be punished. I need to see her punished this time."

"So do I," Asher agreed.

"I want her in jail," Allison sighed, "the only thing that is going to stop her is jail time. She needs to be where she can never be close to kids again. Ash what if my arm doesn't heal right or I lose mobility in my wrist. It's my scalpel hand. I can't work if it doesn't heal right."

"Could you do another specialty," Asher asked, "hypothetically?"

"I could to a degree but I don't want to," Allison snapped, "nureology or developmental paediatrics but I don't want them. I want surgery. I like cutting. I like repairing bones."

"I know you do and you've worked too long and too hard not to do this," Asher agreed.

"If she calls me those words in court I will lose it," Allison sighed sitting on the porch steps.

"I know," Asher replied, "you have never deserved to be called that. Allie we've been through this for years. It was both of us we made the decision that night together. We both chose. We were both drunk. We chose together to keep Ev and be together. Allie we chose it all together. It's never been fair that they put all the blame on you. You never deserved that."

"What are we going to do," Allison asked, "Ev knows something is up."

"She does and we've told her what we can," Asher replied, "I don't want her court."

"Our kids don't go," Allison agreed, "and we talked about one more baby once he's two can we do that with your family stuff not settled"?"

"I want to wait until this is all over to try," Asher replied, "you don't need the stress of it and being pregnant."

"We have time," ALlison agreed, "we're only 30 now."

"True," Asher agreed, "do you still want three?"

"Thats why I brought it up," Allison replied, "I want one more. Being a parent is the best thing I've done. Our family is the best thing we've done Ash. They can't take that away from us. No matter what they say they can't take away our family. We will be together no matter what."

"We will," Asher replied, "we will figure it out."

"We will," Allison agreed, "I just want it to be easy. We're always working always pushing. We've never taken a break, never gotten to sit back."

"It's coming babe," Asher assured.

"When," Allison asked.

"When you finish residency," Asher replied, "or your fellowship."

"The you're going to business school," Allison replied.

"Online at night," Asher replied.

"You can go," Allison replied.

"I don't want to," Asher replied, "a couple courses at a time on line maybe the odd in person night class but I'll be the old guy in class."

"Because I went at 18 and we both couldn't go and have our family," Allison replied, "Ash you've sacrificed so much so I could follow my dreams and I could have it all."

"I didn't know I wanted it until the last year or so when we started talking about it," Asher replied, "at 18, in our early 20s I thought it was great. Doing my apprenticeship and working like I did kept our heads above water. I don't regret it and I don't hold it against you. I like electrical but I don't want to be the guy in his 50s that's so injured and broken he can't work with out taking half a bottle of advil."

"You think I would let you get that beat up," Allison teased.

"I know you wouldn't but if I can project manage," Asher said, "I want my project management degree from the UW business school."

"We can do the application now," Allison suggested.

"Let's do it," Asher agreed, "can we afford tuition?"

"We'll make it work," Allison smiled, "We always do."

"That's our thing," he smiled putting an arm around her, "I love you."

"I love you two," she smiled letting her head fall on his shoulder.