Ghost Sight

[TelephotoMarigold]

Chapter 10

Roman awoke slowly. He eased out of bed and began stretching; getting the kinks out before he paced his bedroom working out how much room he had to manoeuvre. He began with warm ups before flexing his arms and legs and then muscle memory kicked in and he began the slow graceful moves of tai chi, making the forms with his hands, pushing through, moving his legs, balance, control, and breathing. He put his dancing skills down to already knowing the martial art as taught to them by James back in the day. The other man was a black belt in a few of them and used Tai Chi to keep his ‘centre balanced’, something they’d ribbed him about for years. He remembered getting James to give Ella a few lessons when she’d been pregnant with August and Fleur and the way she’d surprised him with her gymnastic ability.
Even now she could still do flicks, somersaults and tumbles. Watching her and Meggy had been amazing as she helped their daughter with her training. He wondered briefly how Lily was getting on in ballet before focusing on his movements again as he wobbled. Distracting himself with thoughts of his family was not a good thing. He had to focus.
He knew why James had sent the message that he should practice this, even if he couldn’t see he could still defend himself.
Practice completed he lay down on the floor and began sit ups before rolling over and working on push ups. He felt the tremor in his arm muscles indicating he’d done enough for the day and slowly eased back up wondering how he could work on his leg muscles and endurance. Running was his thing, from when he was a kid and he needed the escape from his parents and teenage stresses and through to the present day when he wanted to feel the sun on his face and breath in the fresh air. The only way he could go running now was if he was with someone and even then they’d have to lead him.
Cursing his blindness again for the hundredth time he gingerly moved over to where his bed was and sank down on to it. Why was he blind? He asked himself again, why this had to happen again. Last time it was down to his guilt over Mark. It couldn’t be the same. Mark was very much alive and had been all these years.
Frowning as the headache began again he reached for the bottle of water that he’d brought up last night and took a long swallow chugging down the last of it.
All the work he’d done with his counsellor to resolve his past and it obviously wasn’t enough. There was something inside his head he was blocking out that caused this. Thinking suddenly of the way that Ella had hypnosis to recover her memories after Elliot maybe he needed to do something similar to recover his eyesight.
Heading slowly across the corridor into the bathroom he managed to shower and shave before heading back into his bedroom and dressing. From there it was down the stairs and to the kitchen to find some food. That is if his unwelcome houseguest hadn’t eaten it all.

“What is this about?” Miles asked looking round the crowd of boys that were gathered, Sammy and Georgie in the centre of them. From the grazed knuckles and the split lips the two of them had amongst a couple of the others it was clear there had been some fighting going on.
Steve pushed his way through some of the boys and looked around before he spoke, “A slight disagreement,” he said quietly.
Georgie shot his friend and Sophie’s boyfriend a look before shaking his head.
“Well then that makes it alright,” Miles said sarcastically. “All of you report to the gym at lunchtime for detention.”
“I was just …” one of the other boys piped up.
“About to offer to turn up for a Saturday detention?” Miles asked watching them shake their heads quickly. He watched as they dispersed for their lessons and sighed. He didn’t want to add to Ella’s worries but if Georgie were fighting she needed to know about it. He was surprised as Sammy being involved; the younger one hadn’t had a detention in his life let alone had a fight.
Moving to his office he sent a message to Mike to come and see him in the morning break. Maybe he could have a quiet word with his brothers and see what was going on.

Georgie glared at Steve but he just gave him a neutral look back. It made him madder even though he looked down at his grazed knuckles and knew his Mum would give him hell for fighting. Not that he wanted to fight Sophie’s boyfriend on account of how his twin would actually kill him.
With a shake of his head he focused on what the teacher was say and copied down the required notes as the clock ticked over towards the lunchtime bell. When it rang it made him jump and he realised that he’d been lost in his thoughts again.
“Those with lunchtime detention are to report to the gym,” the teacher called out as the class began to leave the room.
“Come on,” Steve muttered.
“You weren’t involved,” Georgie shot back.
“No, I wasn’t.”
Georgie muttered some more as he grabbed his books and shoved them in his bag. Standing up he walked out of the room, followed by Steve and a couple of the other kids involved. Feeling angry all over again he paced all the way to the gym and stopped dead when he saw Mike in there standing next to Miles.
“All right, settle down,” Miles called out.
Sammy shot him a look, his brother standing with his arms folded, leaning against the back wall. He walked over towards him and dropping his bag to the floor put his hands in his pockets. A sideways glance told him Steve had done the same thing, standing next to them. The others who’d been involved were standing across from them and he glared letting his anger out again.
“Right then, who wants to explain what this mornings’ fight was about?” Mike called out.
Georgie remained silent as muttering came from around the group. He glanced over at Steve and then Sammy.
“You told him?” He hissed out.
“No,” Sammy shot back.
“You always tell him,” Georgie sneered at his brother.
“What? Now you are mad at me?” Sammy muttered, forgetting to lower his voice.
“Georgie?” Mike called out.
Steve shot them a look before he stepped forward.
“I’m not a dobber,” he began, “But I’ve had enough of this. Those idiots over there were taking the **** out of Roman.”
“Really?” Mike asked looking round at the group.
Some of them glared at Steve and a few others shuffled uncomfortably.
“Would that be because he’s blind?” Miles asked slowly, “Because we had a feeling that was the case.”
Mike moved to the side of the room and came back carrying a scarf. He gestured to one of the others and they reluctantly stepped forward.
“We came up with a little exercise,” he murmured and stepped behind the kid and covered his eyes with the black scarf. “Now then, I want you to walk forward,” Mike said to the pupil with the blindfold on grinning as the kid took a very slow cautious step. “Carry on,” he added when the boy faltered. More stumbling followed, the boy reaching out his hands as he moved around the room trying not to bump into anything or anyone.
“Not so easy is it?” Miles asked after a time, before looking round at the group. “I expect there to be no repeat of this kind of bullying. I operate a zero tolerance policy. I will suspend and in some cases expel pupils.”
One of the older boys let out a jeer, “course you will you’re all mates!”
Mike grinned.
“And I think we have our next volunteer,” he said removing the blindfold and moving quickly over to the boy who’d spoken out.
“No, what no,” he stuttered.
“Scared?” Mike taunted.
He placed the blindfold on him tying it securely before instructing him to walk. Mike had to reach out and grab him when he tripped over his own feet not surprised when the assembled group remained silent when in normal circumstances teenage boys would have been prone to laughter and he waited a few extra moments before he finally removed the blindfold.
“I think we’ve made our point, with the exception of Georgie, Sam and Steve you may go,” Miles declared.
They waited until the others had left before Mike went over to his brothers and his sister’s boyfriend.
“Thank you Steve,” he began, “Georgie I’ve spoken to Mum and she’s waiting outside to see you, Sammy you have Saturday detention.”
“You told Mum?” Georgie asked sounding angry again.
“Actually,” Miles spoke up, “As principle it was my job to inform your parents.”
Georgie glared at them before he collected his bag from where he’d dropped it and stormed out of the gym.
“Mike…” Sammy began.
“Go to lunch,” Mike cut off his brother and pointed in the direction of the door.
“but Mike,” Sammy protested.
“I’m your teacher Sammy, not your brother. The instruction is to go to lunch. You can talk to me later at home if you need to,” Mike pointed out gently.
“Come on,” Steve said quietly leading Sammy out of the gym.

“So you got your brother involved in a fight,” Ella said quietly to her son when he finally presented himself.
“I don’t expect you to understand…”
“Really Georgie? Really? Giving me attitude? Because we know that is going to work out well for you don’t we?” She refused to be intimidated by his glare or the fact he’d folded his arms across his chest. “Get into the car.”
“What? Why?”
“Get into the car; we’re going for a drive.”
He looked as though he was going to protest again before finally getting into the passenger side of the car whilst she got behind the wheel and set off. They descended into silence for the first part of the trip before he looked over at her and sighed.
“They …” he began.
“I know, they ribbed you about your Dad,” she murmured. “But leading your brother into a fight? And getting Steve involved? I think you are lucky that Miles is so understanding. In other circumstances you would have been suspended and if you still want to go into the army you can’t afford to have that on your academic records.”
Georgie gave a groan as he sat next to her in the car before he looked over at her. “Where are we going?”
“I spoke to your Granddad and he’s going to take you in for a while,” she murmured slowly.
“Wait? What? What about school and my cadets and…”
“It’s obvious you need to take a break Georgie, you’ve bottled stuff up. And I don’t need you to be the man of the house okay; I need you to be a kid. Marco has got some good things lined up for you and you’ll be staying in your Dad’s old room.”
“Mum please I …”
“This isn’t a punishment my mister man, this is because you really need a break. We’re relocating to the studio in a week.”
“I can’t just leave everything Mum. There is school and…”
“It’s arranged, in the words of teenagers past and present, you need to chill,” she spoke softly to him giving him a look and seeing the conflicting emotions on his face, “remember when Sammy visited them? Well it’s time they learnt I’ve got normal kids too.”
Georgie shot her a look before letting out a laugh. “Nah, you just want me to soften them up for when Lily visits.”
“Lily won’t be visiting. If she keeps playing me up like last night she’ll be moving in.”
“I can't see Liam going for that..” Georgie smiled again confirming that she was right to do this. He’d been bottling up too much for too long.

[TelephotoMarigold]

Chapter 11

Ella walked slowly from her car towards the gallery in Yabbie Creek where she was planning her first exhibition for years. To say she was nervous was an understatement she thought as she carried her large portfolio case with her. Digging into her handbag for the keys to the gallery, she juggled handbag and her portfolio for precious moments before finally her handbag slipping from her grasp and dropping to the ground. As she bent down to rescue the few things that fell out of it, a looming shadow cut through the light casting darkness across her view and as she looked upwards to see who was standing in front of her she gave a small frightened gasp.
“Can I help you?” he murmured.
“No thanks I’ve got it,” Ella responded surprised that her voice was so even toned considering the menacing way he seemed to be standing and blocking out the light. She picked up her things and placed them in her bag and locating the keys she held them in her hand as she stood upright and pulled the strap of her bag over her shoulder.
“I know you don’t I?”
“I don’t think we’ve met,” she said quickly and moved to step around him.
“I’m sure we have now, just where was it? You’ll forgive me if I don’t remember straight away, this thing causes a few lasting symptoms,” he said gesturing to the scarring that marred his face and which Ella knew was as a result of Roman shooting him.
“Excuse me I’m quite busy.” She made to move towards the door of the gallery but he was quicker than her and he caught hold of her arm, his fingers pressing into her flesh.
“No need to be so hostile. I’m just trying to be friendly here.”
Ella dropped her portfolio deliberately, feeling the need to have both of her hands free and as she turned and faced Mark Gillen she threaded the keys between her fingers before she made a fist with that hand. She knew from self-defence classes that she’d been to that the addition of the keys acted like knuckle dusters if you had to hit someone and already she felt slightly safer even with that small action.
“I’m not being hostile and I suggest you let me go before I call the police.”
“Maybe you should call your husband to come and help you,” the stranger drawled.
“There are laws against stalking.”
He laughed, “Merely noticing that ring on your finger.”
“Then I’m sure you’ll also notice that I’m getting a bit pissed off that you seem to be hanging on to my arm despite the fact I’ve asked you to let me go. Now you have a choice either let me go or I’ll get the police involved.”
“Hey Ella,” Jacko called from across the street.
Ella had never been so grateful to hear Jacko’s voice in her life as she pulled at her arm to free it she felt Mark tightening his hold for a fraction of a second, his fingers biting into her arm before he finally released her. By the time she had gotten free Jacko was standing at her side.
“Interesting company you keep Mrs Harris,” Mark drawled looking at them with a calculating expression on his face.
She tried not to flinch as he murmured her name but there was something about him that reminded her of Gardy more so than even William, Gardy’s twin brother who’d also come after them. A shudder ran down her spine and she felt suddenly helpless for a fraction of a second then she sucked those feelings down and felt herself getting angry. This was Roman’s mess, again. She was not going to be the one paying for his actions.
Tilting her chin up, she looked at Mark meeting his cold gaze before she grinned at him.
“Oh really? Have you checked out my Facebook page? I have a lot of friends I like to hang out with.”
She heard Jacko snigger beside her and felt less afraid, less like she was on her own. Although her feelings can’t have compared to how Roman was feeling considering he was at the disadvantage of being sightless and trying to second-guess Mark’s every move.
“I’m afraid I don’t tend to go into social media. You know being dead n’all is kind of a buzz kill when it comes to updating my status,” Mark shot back.
“Apparently these days death isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” Ella shot back. She bent down and retrieved her portfolio before standing and looking straight back at Mark. “Elliot looked nothing like you. He must have inherited the handsome gene. Such a pity he died alone in a cheap hotel room with none of his family there to take care of him.”
Mark roared out his anger and without warning he slapped Ella round the face. She stepped back feeling the pain of the hit and knowing it would leave a bruise and smiled slowly before she pointed to the surveillance camera on the side of the building.
“You’s outstayed your welcome,” Jacko said slowly moving aside his lightweight jacket to show the gun he had holstered underneath it. “I suggest that you leave Summer Bay.”
“I’ve barely even begun to do what I’ve got planned,” Mark said looking at Ella.
She feigned a yawn and pinned an expression of boredom on her face. “Last person to threaten us well I don’t think we’re quite sure where they are buried. Tell me do you need me to recommend a good solicitor to help with your will. Oh wait you already died once. Didn’t your Mother get your benefits?”
“Seems to me Ella that if someone claimed benefits when they weren’t entitled to them, well isn’t that fraud?”
“Very much so Jacko.”
Mark gave them both an evil look before he spun on his heel and walked away.
“I think you just prodded the devil,” Jacko said quietly.
“Why are you here?” Ella said quickly peering at him as she dug out her phone from her cavernous handbag and started to make a call.
“Well we ain’t just gonna leave you defenceless, although you probably would have made his face look better if you’d smashed him with those keys you have in your hand.”
She shook her head at him before the call connected. “Hello Charlie, I want to report an assault,” she began as she unlocked the gallery stepping inside. She gestured to Jacko who followed her inside watching as she placed her portfolio on a large table in front of them before she moved around the gallery with ease, switching on the overhead lights as well as those that discretely shone on the photos that were already on display.
As he wandered around himself he heard her finish the call.
“Girlie, seems to me that you have the keys, know where the security alarm is as well as the surveillance equipment. Something you want to tell me?”
“Fine, I own the gallery. When I spoke to the owner she was delighted by the idea of the show but then her circumstances changed. She had to go overseas suddenly and needed a buyer.” Ella frowned as she looked around seeing family photos up on the white painted brick walls still seemed strange to her.
“Hardcore must be slipping ‘cause normally he boasts like hell about the stuff you’re doing. We’ve been briefed we have to be at your graduation ceremony in …” Jacko’s lip curled as he spoke the next few words, “suits and ties.”
“He what?”
“He boasts about you…”
“Jacko I got that bit. What about my graduation? He told you I got my degree?” she asked shocked.
“He told us you were back at college. That you were,” he gestured around the gallery, “working again. That you were…”
“What other things does he say about me?”
“El, you do know girlie that man is proud of you don’t you?”
“I never realised, I mean I knew that he was proud of me for finishing my degree, god’s sake he’s only been nagging me about it for twenty years.” She rolled her eyes as she led Jacko into the corridor that led to the office and the small kitchenette. She put the jug on to boil and pointed out the comfy chairs lining the wall, sinking into one of them herself as Jacko sat next to her.
“He told us he felt guilty because he never even asked you about it and you gotta know how rare it is for hisself to talk about his feelings,” Jacko smirked, “well to us anyways.”
“I just, well, I’m shocked.”
Jacko frowned. “Why? Surely he tells you this stuff? I mean you’re the one person he talks to about anything. Always has been.”
She shook her head in denial thinking about all the secrets Roman had managed to keep from her over the years. Elliot. Alexi. Mark. She gave a small hiccupping sob as she thought about Gardy and the robberies Roman had got mixed up in. How her husband could have been that man, the one who committed crimes like that, she wondered again for the hundredth time.
“He doesn’t talk to me Jacko. Not the important stuff I should know about. He keeps so much hidden that it hurts.”
“Why do you think he does that girlie?”
“Because he’s scared he’ll lose me. It’s why he didn’t come to me after he apparently shot Mark back in the day isn’t it? He didn’t want me to know the darkness?”
“You know it is. And it’s why you wouldn’t let him kill Gardy or Elliot.”
Ella sighed rubbing at her eyes before remembering she was wearing make-up she cursed under her breath and heard Jacko laughing at her before she stood going over to the kettle and making them both drinks. Just as she finished she heard the doorbell go and she left Jacko there whilst she went to the door and let Charlie in.
“Ella,” she greeted her.
“Thanks for coming Charlie. I have surveillance and a witness.”
“I bet I already know the witness. Better start with the beginning,” she murmured, “Might explain why Pete has suddenly been busy for the past week.”
Ella sighed remembering that the other man and Charlie had become engaged and were planning a wedding and here they were dragging them back into another mess.
She led Charlie through to where Jacko was sitting and grinned as the other man sat up straighter at the sight of the policewoman.
“As you know Roman’s accident was suspicious. Well we think we know the reason for that,” Ella began.
“Girlie are you sure you want to do this?”
She nodded in answer to Jacko’s question before continuing. “We believe that there …” she stopped suddenly unable to carry on.
Jacko stood then, leading her over to the chairs and she collapsed in one. She was grateful when he placed the cup of coffee in her hands and took a long drink of the brew letting it warm her.
“Mark Gillen is alive and in Summer Bay,” Jacko announced.
“Mark? The one who’s murder we sent Roman to prison for? That Mark?”
“The same one,” Ella said quietly.
“Okay I need you to collect what you need from here and then come down to the station with me. Then I need two aspirin and a coffee, I suspect that this is going to be a long day involving a lot of paperwork,” Charlie muttered giving them both a look, “and do not even think of warning Pete that I know because I want the pleasure of kicking him somewhere for keeping this from me.”
“We had to,” Ella defended.
“No Ella, stop. As far as I’m concerned officially this is the first time you’ve seen him okay.”
“Actually, it is the first time.”
“And Hardcore hasn’t seen him at all…” Jacko pointed out earning himself a glare off both women.
Ella stood and moved into the office collecting what she needed before leading them out and locking up the building. She put the keys nervously in her handbag and walked with Charlie over to the police car getting in the passenger side.
“I’ll be in my own car,” Jacko told them.
Charlie gave him a look, “Don’t fancy a ride in the back?”
“There are two ways I can take that statement and since both of yous is hooked up with my friend’s I’m going to decline to answer.”
“Better not bring that gun into the station Jacko,” Charlie said before she drove off.
Jacko smiled for a half-second before realising that it was more than likely he was going to end up married and living in Summer Bay the way things were carrying on as he walked over to his car. He climbed behind the wheel and made a call to James letting him know what happened, remembering the order not to tell Pete.

[TelephotoMarigold]

Chapter 12

Ella sighed again as she looked over at Jacko.
“If you’re about to give me a hard time girlie can I point out that it was Roman’s suggestion that I bring you to a hotel room.”
She narrowed her eyes, “I’m sure he said, ‘Jacko why don’t you take my wife to a sleazy hotel room’.”
“Maybe not in those exact words,” Jacko grinned back at her.
Ella rolled her eyes as she looked around the room. It was neat enough but still seemed to be on the lower end of classy establishments. The décor was a mix of olive greens with a sand coloured carpet that had seen better days. She was just about to say something else to him when the door opened and Roman walked cautiously into the room, James standing behind him.
“El?”
“I’m here,” Ella said quickly.
He turned at her voice and seemed to give her one of his assessing looks and she had to remind herself that he was blind.
“Tell me what happened?”
“Mark came to the gallery, taunted me and then…” her voice broke.
“We’ll leave you two to talk,” Jacko announced standing up and walking out of the room. He closed the door behind him leaving her alone with Roman.
“Come here,” he instructed.
She eased up from the chair near the unit that housed the desk, mirror and kettle along with everything else and moved over to stand in front of him. He put his arms around her and pulled her closer before lowering his lips to hers in another of his well-practiced searing kisses. She moaned as she kissed him back.
“Now tell me exactly what he said and what happened,” he instructed.
“We’re alone in a hotel room and all you want to do is talk?”
“Yes,” he said in a tone of voice she recognised, “and don’t pout at me.”
Ella laughed softly before she guided him over to the bed and sat next to him. “Mark approached me outside the gallery. He said he knew me then he called me Mrs Harris.”
“Oh that spells trouble you hate me calling you Mrs Harris.”
“Roman,” she grouched.
“Carry on,” he murmured.
She gave him a look as though checking he really couldn’t see her and smiled. Twenty years of being with someone had to give a person insight into their patterns of behaviour.
“I said that Elliot got the handsome gene,” she said slowly, “and he didn’t take kindly to that. Jacko popped up and then Mark hit me.”
“And you being you reported it to Charlie.”
“How did you know that bit?”
“James sniggering at Pete,” Roman told her.
“So, why are you blind Roman?”
“What do you mean?”
“Last time it happened it was because you were guilty over Mark. He’s obviously not dead. He could have come back years ago and stopped Elliot. He could have been there for him and he chose to do what he did. That isn’t on you so what are you feeling guilty about?”
“El,” he protested.
“Come on Roman, what is it? Because you’re leaving me and the kids exposed. He could come after us.”
“You think I don’t know that?”
“I know you know that. I’ve had to send Georgie off to your parents because he was getting stressed out. So please tell me Roman what is stopping you from coming home?”
“El I can’t…. you think I ….” He moaned clutching his head.
“No stop.”
“El…”
“You have to tell me Roman I’m your wife. You just remarried me.”
“I can’t…” he moaned again still clutching his head.
“Then I was right not to marry you again. I shouldn’t have done it.” She stood up from the bed and made to move away when he caught hold of her arm.
“El please,” he moaned looking as though he was in pain.
“Please what?”
“Please don’t leave like this?”
“I can’t stay around and let this man affect my children’s lives.”
“Our children,” he corrected.
“Then you can drive them to school can’t you? And help with their homework?”
“Why are you being cruel?”
“Why are you denying that something is triggering this blindness?”
“El I can’t…. I’ll lose….”
“Me? You’ll lose me? Roman I’m already gone. You pushed me away remember. Our marriage is over.”
She pulled her hand free and moved over to collect her bag.
“I have my lawyer contact you regarding the divorce. Don’t bother trying to ‘visit’ the children we’re going away.”
“El..”
“As for the financial aspects well what are you planning to do? I refuse to pay the mortgage on your house, and there is the diner. They can’t cover for you for much longer.”
“I have a child.”
She spun around at his quiet confession feeling her breath leaving in a sharp hiss.
“You better say that again I’m not sure I heard you.”
“I have a child. Mark’s wife… I…”
“You screwed his wife? God, no wonder you feel guilty.”
Ella yanked at the door handle and pulled on it unprepared for Roman to sprint off the bed and grab hold of her free arm. He pulled her towards him and swore when she slapped him round the face.
“I never had you down to hit the handicapped El,” he said rubbing his face.
“I never had you down to be a lying cheating son of a b….” she broke off when he pulled her close to him and kissed her into silence.
“I don’t know how old, whether it’s a boy or girl and for point of record I didn’t sleep with her…”
“Oh so how did she get pregnant? Sitting on the toilet seat?”
“Artificial insemination.”
“You…”
Ella pulled free of him again and pushed him away from her; he staggered back and missed his footing falling backwards. Unable to stem his fall he landed with a sharp thump on to the floor before his head connected with the bedside cabinet. He swore again lifting his hand to the bump on his head, touching the spot gingerly.
The door sprang open with Jacko and James standing there looking in on them.
“Take me home Jacko, I’ve got to go pack and…” Ella turned and looked at Roman.
“El… “
“What Roman? What could you possibly have to say to me now? Haven’t you put me through enough?”
“I felt guilty because she lost a baby when they told her about Mark.”
“And our baby? Really Roman? Really? What about Gabby and Toby? You’ve known about this for years and you wait until now to tell me? I hate you, in fact no I don’t hate you, I feel nothing but pity for you,” she turned away and looked at the faces of James and Jacko seeing her shock mirrored in their expressions.
“I didn’t know about the twins. I…”
“Jacko knew I was pregnant when I came to find you,” Ella whispered casting looks at all of them.
“Girlie…” Jacko said quickly.
“Oh you told him… your gallant knight!”
Ella spun back around and in furious strides to Roman’s side she slapped him round the face, once, twice before James pulled her off him.
“I did know she was pregnant and she left. I asked around and got told she’d been medevac’d home.”
“Did you even think of telling me Jacko?”
“No, you weren’t ever sober enough for us to tell you anything. You damn near got us killed time and again, and you know what Hardcore, I’m done with you. This is your mess you deal with it.”
Jacko spun around and left.
“I’ll go after him,” James announced and retreated closing the door behind himself.
She was still sitting on the floor next to where he was laying after his fall and she looked at his face.
“Why did you never tell me? I would…”
“No El, you wouldn’t have understood. First there was Nic and then Lyndsay. How was I supposed to mention this during those conversations? And then we lost the baby.”
She closed her eyes on the wave of pain she felt at the mention of the baby they lost early in their marriage. She swallowed back the words she wanted to say, to tell him not to talk about it because she couldn’t handle the pain from that miscarriage being brought up again but she looked at him seeing the man she’d loved for all those years and sighed. Reaching out she helped him stand up and guided him over to the bed.
“So what happened?” She asked knowing her voice sounded brittle.
“She was 7 months pregnant. They had the funeral for Mark, I’m assuming now that the coffin was empty. She collapsed graveside and was rushed to hospital. They couldn’t save the baby. I kept in touch and when she recovered she asked if I would donate.”
“Was this before or after you came to see me at the book signing?”
He paused before whispering, “After.”
“You ….”
“El please, whatever you are thinking just ….”
“Just what Roman? Give you another chance to break my heart? Another chance to betray me?”
“Don’t make a decision about us whilst you …”
“Are angry? Are hurt? That’s just about status quo for us isn’t it? So tell me how you are going to fix this one? What tactic are you going employ to get round me?”
“None, just going to ask for time.”
“Bulldust Roman Harris, complete bulldust!”
“El,” he said slowly.
“You better have one of your friends find out what happened with her. Unless you want to **** the rest of them off. I have to go.”
“El… please don’t leave things like this,” he cried out reaching for her blindly.
She side stepped him and moved to the door picking up her handbag.
“Goodbye Roman,” she said quietly and opened the door moving out of it.

[TelephotoMarigold]

Chapter 13

Roman awoke slowly. The pounding in his head wasn’t receding and his mouth seemed to be filled with cotton wool. As he stood up the pain increased but he moved out of his room and down the stairs anyway. If he had a coffee then maybe some of the pain would disappear and he’d feel more alive.
He’d heard nothing from Ella but then he hadn’t expected too. She’d probably have contacted her lawyers by now.
He managed after a fashion to put the jug on to boil before locating a clean cup and spooning in what he hoped was instant coffee. It sounded like coffee and it smelt like coffee so there was every chance he had it right.
He’d expected that he would have some indication that his sight was returning now that Ella had got that last secret out of him. He couldn’t justify keeping it from her, not really apart from Mark’s wife wanted it that way. Then came losing the baby in their first year of marriage, Hell, he couldn’t tell her then.
Pouring water into his cup he made his coffee and after he stirred it he took the cup with him over to the long sofa. Checking it was clear of debris from his reluctant houseguest he sat down and took a sip from the cup. Thinking about Ella wasn’t going to get Mark off his back nor was finding out if Catherine, Mark’s wife, had gone through with the pregnancy. He had to speak to the guys and formulate a plan. Mark had colluded with Gardy. That meant the other man had been a mercenary and an arms dealer. Maybe George had evidence they’d uncovered concerning Gardy which might shed some light on it. Not that George would be that happy to help at the moment.
He drained his cup and returned it to the kitchen top before heading back upstairs. He had to make some calls and set things in motion.

Ella settled the children into the studio before she left Sophie in charge whilst she did a grocery run.
Georgie was still with his grandparents and Sammy was having a strop about missing school opposed to Meggy’s attitude about it. She was so hyper about not going that it was like her daughter had eaten an entire bag of sugar. The younger children had accepted they weren’t going to school for a few weeks and had treated the break like a holiday. Although she didn’t rate Lily’s packing skills discovering her younger daughter had packed more books than clothes. The resultant sulking she’d received in turn when she’d put the books away had meant that the trip had been quiet on the way up.
The builders were doing the major construction on the house whilst she was away, and it just happened to coincide with Roman being an ass. Again. Of course she had no intention of going down the divorce route; for one thing her lawyers would fall off their chairs laughing if she said she wanted a divorce just a few weeks after getting remarried and for another they had gotten though so much stuff that they owed it to each other to see where they were when Mark was safely out of their lives, preferably in prison where he no doubt belonged.
Looking down in the trolley she glanced at all the things in there before reaching into her bag for her phone. It was always worth checking to see if there was anything else she needed. A frantic search convinced her that she didn’t have her phone with her, and considering she’d checked she had it just moments before she left home she knew it meant it was either in the car or one of her kids had it. She could narrow down the suspects without even thinking about it. Luckily they hadn’t stolen her purse she paid for the groceries before heading back to the studio.
“Hey Mum,” Sophie called out on seeing her.
“I’ve got groceries downstairs, be a love and go grab a bag,” she murmured breathlessly.
“I’ll do that,” Mike called out, coming out of the bedroom.
“Hey, what are you doing here?”
“I had a text message to come here,” he told her tongue in cheek.
Ella sighed, “Lily Alyssa Harris!”
Lily peeked round the door of the nursery and looked at her.
“Give me my phone back now,” Ella told her.
“Not me’s mama,” Lily pouted.
“Now,” Ella muttered.
Lily scuffed her shoe on the floor before she turned around with a big sigh and then came back a moment later handing over her phone.
“I wonder how she got the pin number,” Mike commented.
“It’s easy it’s Dada’s birthday,” Lily said before she realised. She flushed read as they chuckled at her before turning and storming into the nursery to play with the other kids again.
“Oh…. Crap!”
“What?” Mike leaned over and read the display over her shoulder seeing what she saw in the call logs. “Guess she wanted to talk to Dad,” he added at the sight of 46 calls to Roman’s phone.
“I gathered that, I’m just concerned at how you didn’t realise your six year old sister was texting you and not me.”
“She’s got a good grasp of grammar that’s how,” Mike said with another chuckle.
“She’ll have a grasp of something alright; she may be the first kid I actually spank.”
“We’ve got the groceries,” Meggy said gesturing behind her to Sophie and Mia who were carrying bags.
“Thanks,” Ella said before she indicated they could have soda and snacks.
“Did you get peanut butter?” Sammy asked coming out of the bedroom and walking over to the table before he looked up and spotted Mike. “You got kicked out too?”
“Your sister wanted me to visit,” Mike murmured.
“Oh cool,” Sammy continued to the table and set his laptop down.
Mike grinned, “What game are you playing?”
“I’m doing homework,” he muttered giving her a look.
“Seriously?” Mike groaned.
“I have a paper due and we can’t all slack off….”
“I think that was a dig at me,” Meggy said.
“If we have to have this discussion again I won’t be happy,” Ella muttered giving them all a look.
“I don’t see why we couldn’t commute?”
“Because I’m not driving two hours extra a day to take you to school and back. When you drive you’ll see why it’s not a good idea.”
“Is that supposed to appeal to my logic?”
“Sam, give it a rest,” Mike muttered, “good grief even I wasn’t this much of a pain!”
“Papa Joes,” Meggy said quietly from her stance at the kitchen counter.
“Yeah and at this rate I’ll be down there every day to get away from you lot!”
“Papa Joes?” Mia asked rubbing her belly as she perched on a stool at the breakfast bar.
“It’s a bar,” Sophie began.
Mike looked affronted, “Take that back it’s not just a bar its…. Its… heaven!”
Ella shook her head at her son before she took her phone and headed into the bedroom leaving them to it. She had voicemail to listen to and knowing Roman as she did she bet he was planning to use Lily ocd calling as an excuse to get to her. Grr that man she thought before even listening to the messages. She closed the door behind her as she dialled and waited as the automated options were read out.
‘You need to change your password. In case she managed to delete the call history Lily has been ringing me repeatedly for the past hour. I’m to tell you that she needed all those books and you should have let her bring them. I have no idea what that message was about but she thought it was important I tell you.’
She flinched at the sound of the beep in her ear telling her the message ended before hearing his voice again.
‘I tried not to make it personal but hell, I’m sorry for not telling you but I probably would do the same all over again. I’m an idiot. But it’s like this, I’m your idiot and now you’ve ruined me for anyone else so you have a duty to put up with me. I’m trying to go for the humorous approach but I know I’ve hurt you and I can’t do anything to change that. I can’t hold you I can’t kiss you… I can’t… and if this beeps on me again I’ll …. El, I love you. Please wherever you are take care of yourself and hopefully we can….’
The phone beeped again and she sank on to the bed before replaying the messages, closing her eyes as she heard his voice through the phone. She could tell he was hurting just as much as she was but she couldn’t do anything to ease his pain. He was an idiot and he should have found a way to tell her. He just kept too many secrets. Dry eyed she stood and moved back into the lounge, changing her pin number on the way.
“Who’s ordering pizza?” she called out.

Charlie sat at her desk in the police station as the paperwork arrived in connection with Mark Gillen. She read the report several times, familiarising herself with his army record before she picked up the receiver from her desk phone and dialled.
“Hello, give me Army Intelligence please, I believe I need to inform them of a potential soldier being AWOL,” she said quietly.
She wrote down the appropriate number and hung up ready to redial when a knock sounded on her office door.
“Come in,” she called.
“It’s me,” Pete murmured opening the door a gap and waving a white handkerchief in the opening.
“Come in you idiot!”
“I’ve got George with me,” he announced leading the other man into his finance’s office.
“Ella’s dad?”
“Yes, he worked on the investigation into Gardy. He’s made some calls for us.”
“Better come in then and take a seat.”
“Charlie,” Pete began.
She fixed him with a look before smiling over at George.
“You are fully aware of the situation?”
“I was briefed this morning by Roman,” George said barely hiding the snarl he had at mention of Roman’s name.
“So what can you tell me?”
“I can tell you that both graves registration and army records are being investigated. Gardy had an extensive network behind him; it’s what helped to keep his gun running operation going. It wouldn’t be beyond the realm of possibility to imagine him smuggling out a person.”
“Do we have any proof that Mark Gillen is alive?”
Pete looked up and saw Charlie looking at him. He nodded and presented her with a USB stick containing the footage from surveillance in Roman’s house.
“Jacko, James, and myself are willing to testify that this is the same man as Mark Gillen.”
“Then Colonel what are our next steps? I was about to ring Army Intelligence,” she gave them both a look, “I’m presuming that he absconded whilst on active service.”
“I’ve informed them. They are willing to let you lead the case as it’s your jurisdiction but they are looking into the army side of things naturally.”
“Where is Ella? I tried calling her but her phone went to voicemail.”
“They are having building work done on the house so Ella went to the studio,” George said slowly.
“I can’t imagine that she is too happy with this situation,” Charlie said slowly.
“No one is.” George’s tone was angry and his expression was fierce. He stood up and looked over at her, “Roman is the worst thing to happen to my daughter. As soon as this is over I’ll be telling her to get rid of him.”
“George,” Pete began.
“Don’t bother. I’m not having my daughter shot again because of some scum that is mad at that man. The sooner he is out of her life the better.”
George moved out of the office nearly slamming the door behind him leaving Pete with Charlie.
“I have similar feelings,” she told him.
“You need to respect that I have stuff I can’t tell you just as I respect there are aspects of your job you need to keep to yourself.”
“Don’t preach to me. Some stuff yeah, but do you think this Mark is just going to settle with going after Roman?”
“Doesn’t matter Charlie, this is one of those things we ain’t going to agree on. Not everything is black or white; sometimes there are shades of grey. Roman was one of the best officers I worked with. He’d never ask us to do something he wouldn’t do hisself. We owe him. But not because he expects it Charlie, more because he doesn’t. The first time Elliot messed with him did he call us? No. Because aside from Nic he didn’t have anything he considered precious. Not like Ella.” Pete gave her a look. “You should have seen them back in the day. She would light up when he walked into the room and as for him well he would do anything for her. They were meant to be together.”
“So you’re doing this for Ella as much as Roman?”
“We are, she’s special. She helps people even when the worst crap happens to her. But I’m not in love with her, there’s only one special person in my life, well three if you count her two daughters.”
Charlie released the breath she was holding before standing up and walking over to her Pete, her love. Ella of course had given them some gentle nudges towards each other and she smiled thinking of those subtle hints and clues the other woman would drop into the conversation.
“Then we better go ahead with this wedding before I change my mind again,” she teased him before pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

[TelephotoMarigold]

Chapter 14

Ella woke up slowly, rolling over. Lily was sitting at the end of her bed looking at her. It was 5am. So far she’d had 30 minutes sleep. In two days.
“Mama,” Lily murmured.
“What’s the matter?”
“Can’t sleep,” Lily announced.
Ella sighed; her little girl was seriously making her want to look into adoption. Maybe if they scrubbed off the 666 and got rid of the horns and tail someone would want her.
“Lily you are a fibber, because you were fast asleep all night,” Ella told her.
“Miss Dada,” Lily gave a manufactured sniff.
“I’m sure you do,” Ella sighed again.
“And my books…” Lily looked at her from under her lashes.
“You are a…” Ella shook her head and reached on to her bedside cabinet where she had her E-reader she’d bought just for Lily. She switched it on and handed it to her daughter.
“Mama?”
“It’s got lots of books on it see,” she demonstrated.
Lily gave her a disbelieving look before she focused on the screen. Watching as Ella scrolled through thirty titles. Her eyes grew wider and she stopped pouting as her mouth dropped open in surprise.
“Can I…” she reached for it.
“Nope, you can have in later on, you know after you’ve had more sleeps.”
Lily went back to glaring at her before she sighed and gave a pointed look to the spare side of her bed.
“I sleeps with Mama?”
“Come on then,” Ella lifted the covers and allowed her daughter to climb into bed with her. She settled down next to her and willed herself to close her eyes and relax. It wasn’t long until she heard her daughter’s gentle snores indicating she was fast asleep. She should have fallen asleep herself but she watched the dancing shadows across the ceiling until the sun was fully up in the sky.
Easing out of bed she made her way into the kitchen and made extra strong coffee before starting breakfasts. Mia was craving porridge much to Sammy’s disgust, and to make up for that she cooked Sammy bacon sandwiches. Meggy liked fried egg sandwiches, with Sophie having her usual muesli; the twins had cereal with Lily and Liam wanting boiled eggs and soldiers. She knew she was pandering to them because of Roman and because she had taken them away from home.
“Morning,” Sophie called walking over to her.
“Hey, breakfast on the table.”
“Mia is remaking her bed again.”
Ella smiled at her daughter. “And yours?”
“It’s kind of nice having everyone together.”
“We’ll have to do this more often then,” Sophie said giving her a sly look, “Maybe with Dad too?”
“We used to bring you here when you were small,” Ella prevaricated answering her daughter’s enquiry.
“You know… well you are going over the top don’t you? The different breakfasts each morning? You’re…. er….”
“Trying to make up for the disruption in your life with overcompensating?”
“Well yeah,” Sophie grinned as she moved over to sit with her at the table. “We can see to ourselves with the exception of the little ones and even then I bet Lily can probably manage to survive.”
“Lily can do a lot of things,” Ella muttered with feeling drinking deeply from the cup. She still didn’t feel awake despite the extra caffeine.
“We’ve noticed, Meggy is suffering feelings of inadequacy.”
“Well she needn’t, flushing her dad’s keys down the toilet was an evil genius level act. Lily may have done her share of deeds but she can’t top that one.”
“I was …huh!” Meggy muttered from behind them.
“Morning,” Sophie called to her sister.
“Talking about me again?” Meggy sat next to them and reached for the juice.
“Only in comparison to Lily,” Ella smiled at her daughter.
“I’m an angel,” Meggy declared.
As expected Sophie snorted into her muesli.
“Something like that,” Ella told her before heading back into the kitchen. She finished off Meggy’s breakfast and handed it to her before sorting out Sammy’s. She knew her son was missing Marcus, the other boy spending a week with his dad before he joined them at the studio.
“Mia is folding stuff and putting it away,” Meggy announced.
“Won’t be long then,” Ella said softly.
“What?”
Sophie grinned at Meggy.
“She’s nesting. Don’t you remember what Mum gets like when she’s pregnant?”
“You mean aside from cranky?”
“Hey!”
Meggy chuckled before looking over at her mother, “Come and sit down, Sammy can do his own breakfast,” she declared.
Ella shook her head at her and finished up the sandwich before moving over to the table and having a second cup of coffee.
As soon as breakfast was out of the way she took them down to the market letting then run off steam whilst she picked up fresh veg and fruit for dinner. She knew she was spoiling the children, giving them extra pocket money and buying them new toys and clothes but she couldn’t stop herself. Putting down to the three nights now she’d gone without sleep she argued that if they were contented then she didn’t have to worry about them.
“Hey,” she murmured walking up to where Mia was standing looking at baby clothes.
“Hey back, am I doing the right thing? Danni…”
“Circumstances were different with Danni. Same with Gabby and Toby. This baby could make a difference in someone’s life,” Ella said quietly. “But you’ll only know that when the time comes that you hand the baby over.”
“I don’t know, I’ve hated this baby.”
“That happens. I hated Meggy and I certainly hated Lily.”
“And was proved right on both occasions,” Sammy said from behind them.
“Run out of money Samson?”
“No, I’ve got plenty, I thought I’d save some for the bookshop,” he grinned at her.
“What do you mean about Meggy and Lily?”
“I was pregnant before Lily with Francesca. I lost her at 7 months so when I found out I was having a baby I wasn’t impressed.”
“And with good reason…”
“Sammy…”
“Yeah Mother?”
“Go find Liam and rescue him from his sisters,” Ella said giving Sammy a push into the market.
Sammy groaned before he wandered off humming the Mission Impossible theme tune.
“When I had Meggy, well, we didn’t know if she were Roman’s or my attackers,” Ella said quietly just loud enough for Mia to hear. She knew what she and Roman had suspected was true from the way that Mia’s expression changed. She seemed to crumple in on herself as though the very weight of the secret had been pressing her down.
“I…I…”
Ella put her arms around the girl with difficultly because of her pregnant stomach and hugged her before getting out her phone and calling Sophie. She explained they were heading home for hot chocolate and within moments all of her kids were by her side. She still did a head count before collecting and assigning bags for the children to carry as they headed home. A smile fleetingly on her lips as she caught sight of Lily reaching out to hold Mia’s hand.
“I’ll make the chocolate,” Sophie announced, “And some biscuits,” she added looking at the twins and grinning at them.
“We’s help?” August asked pointing to Fleur and then herself.
“I think so,” Sophie smiled.
“Great so I get to go have a nap…”
“I don’t think so,” Liam called out.
“Why?”
“We’s found Nemo,” he told her.
“Er…” Ella looked puzzled at her son before laughing as he held up a copy of Finding Nemo he’d bought at the market.
“Jus’ keep swimming,” Lily shouted out.
“Shush Lily,” Ella winced.
Sammy shot her a concerned look, “You got a headache Mum?”
“Just a little one,” she murmured and gave him a smile. She felt a twinge in her cheeks as she curved her lips telling her how tense she was. Three nights without sleep she told herself, normally an afternoon without a nap had her ready to kill people.
“We’ll take care of the kids this afternoon while you have a lay down,” Sophie said quickly.
“I know you will but it would be nice to have a DVD and some hot chocolate,” she told them.
“Oh so you’re planning to fall asleep on the sofa?”
“Meggy honey.”
“Ot oh…”
Ella giggled with her daughters before she opened the door of the studio. She settled the children inside and began making the chocolate whilst Sophie whipped up a batch of biscuits with the help of August and Fleur.

Roman would have glared at Mike and Jacko if he could see, instead he settled for folding his arms and giving them what he hoped was one of his looks.
“So let me get this straight, Mia messaged you because Ella isn’t sleeping and I’m supposed to do something about it?”
“Pretty much,” Mike grinned.
“What exactly am I supposed to do? I have a feeling that even if I’ve managed to replace my car I would find it hard to drive to the studio,” he muttered.
“Not to mention actually parking, I think parking would be an issue,” Jacko smirked.
“Thank you Sargent,” Roman muttered.
“So anyway back to Mother,” Mike said, “She’s obviously struggling and since you are her husband,” he added.
“Quoting from the text?”
“No if I was to quote from the text then it would involve more words of an offensive nature,” Mike laughed at the look on their faces.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Go and see her,” Mike caught the look that Jacko shot him and mouthed the word ‘what’ to him.
“She wouldn’t be receptive to me,” Roman said quietly.
“So you’ve screwed up again? This is Mum and when she doesn’t sleep …” Mike let the sentence trail off.
Roman smirked, “People die?”
“More or less,” Mike caught Jacko giving him another looked and he glared back.
“Fine, since I do have one thing that will help Ella sleep,” Roman said before he smacked Jacko round the back of his head.
“Hey what was that for and how exactly did you…” He couldn’t see him but Roman knew Jacko was narrowing his eyes and glaring at him.
“That was for the inappropriate comment you were about to make and as for the how, blame James because he reminded me that just because I was blind it didn’t mean I was defenceless.”
“And before Jacko gets in with that inappropriate comment that he’s bound to make can I just say that talking about your ‘one thing’ is just what I need to make me never have sex again. Especially after the combination of the condom borrowing escapade and well, you being busy…”
Roman sighed.
“No you perv, it’s this,” he tapped his chest where his heart beat, “She’s spent 20 years falling asleep listening to my heart. It’s always helped her sleep before when she’s stressed over something.”
“Oh er…” Mike groaned before swearing as Roman hit him round the back of his head. “What the hell … have you been practicing?”
“Yes,” Roman smirked.
“So will you go and see her?”
“Want to rephrase that?” Roman said with a hint of bitterness.
“Whatever,” Mike shook his head. “She’ll make herself ill and since they only have one parent…”
“Should have hit you harder,” Roman muttered as he turned away and heading up the stairs to his room.
They heard him moving around so Mike took the opportunity to glare at Jacko, “Just what the hell is going on?”
“Your mother and Roman have had a fight,” Jacko said slowly.
“A fight? Yeah from the expression on your face I would imagine that it was more than a fight. So tell me,” Mike swore.
“I…” Jacko trailed off when Roman reappeared carrying an overnight bag.
“Okay who’s driving?”
“Come on,” Mike led Roman out of the house and over to his car. He watched as Roman eased slowly into the passenger seat leaving Jacko standing on the doorstep before he closed the door behind him and made his way over to his car. Mike set off, sounding his horn as he passed Jacko.
Roman turned his head as though looking at Mike, “Why do I have the feeling you are only doing this to spend the evening at Papa Joe’s?”

Mike let himself into the studio guiding Roman over to the stairs and following him up. He wasn’t surprised when the man seemed hesitant and to be honest he was a bit gob-smacked himself when Roman had revealed during the car journey that he had another child out there. No wonder he needed to practice his self-defence moves after revealing that to his mother.

“What the hell?” Ella snarled out.
“The caffeine isn’t working to calm her down then,” Roman commented.
“Apparently not,” Mike said back and gave his mother a smile.
“May I have a word with you away from the kids,” Roman said and chuckled as he heard Lily sigh.
Ella shot a glance around at them before she nodded and then groaned as Roman smirked at her.
“Fine,” she told him.
She led him through and into the bedroom groaning at the mess and then grinning because he wouldn’t be able to see it. She swore when he stumbled as his foot got caught in a towel she’d left on the floor.
“I heard a rumour that you weren’t sleeping,” he said quietly.
“That may be true,” Ella finally admitted after a moment as she quickly straightened the bed covers.
“I got drafted in to…”
“To what exactly?”
“To get you to sleep?”
“And how do you plan to do that?” She asked and blushed at the thoughts that drifted through her head.
“here,” he tapped his chest.
“here?”
Roman placed his bag down and moved cautiously over to the bed. He eased down on it and patted the spot next to him.
Ella glared at him, folding her arms across herself and tapping her foot silently on the floor. She was hesitant to point out that the spot he’d tapped had her discarded nightdress from the night before on it. Or that there were piles of clothes everywhere because she hadn’t unpacked properly. Maybe his being blind was a good thing, she wondered before sinking on to the bed next to him. She sighed again as he pulled her reluctant body into his arms and gently manoeuvred her head against his chest. She sighed again when she first heard it. The beat of his heart and she knew why he’d turned up unannounced. The Bastard. The lowdown cheating son of a … she sighed again feeling herself relaxing in a whole new way. She felt the tension leaving her, the stress of forcing the kids to relocate to the studio, organising the building work, sorting out their menagerie of animals into temporary new homes. She felt it all leaving her.
She relaxed so much she felt her eyes drifting shut and forced herself to pull away.
“You eaten?”
“No, they kidnapped me before I could cook..” he said without admitting that he had just been about to order pizza when they turned up.
“Cook my eye,” she muttered standing up, “Pizza or Chinese?”
“Pizza,” he admitted.
“huh,” she growled at him before stalking out of the room and looking at the all too innocent faces of the children, including Mike, sitting on the sofas cautiously watching her. “Meggy order pizza,Lily go to bed, Liam put on your movie and turn the volume up, just because your Dada can’t see it doesn’t mean he can’t enjoy it. Mike sort out drinks.”
“Why me’s go to bed?”
“Because I said so…” Ella murmured and saw Mike’s lips twitch as he tried not to laugh.
“Buts buts buts….” Lily stuttered and glared at her.
“Come on squeals, go see your Dada, you too Liam.. and girls…” Ella said indicating the twins and then watching as they flew towards Roman as he stood uncertainly in the doorway of the bedroom. He almost fell over from their exuberance and she grinned as Meggy pouted at her from her stance over by the door as she ordered the food.
Sammy and Sophie gave her a look before they piled over to their Dad and then Meggy, finally finished with the phone call managed to get to him. She felt a momentary pause as she thought about the child he didn’t know and caught Mike looking at her with an expression of pity on his face. She shot him a look and stalked over to the sofa sitting next to Mia.
“I think we were expecting screaming,” Mia told her in a quiet voice.
“I did think about it but then you might have gone into labour…”
“I wish,” Mia muttered.
“I’ll remember you said that when you are screaming at me,” Ella said leaning over and rubbing Mia’s expanded stomach. She couldn’t help the smile on her face when she felt the baby kick against her hand.
“Good job Dad can’t see that look,” Mike said handing her a drink.
Ella glared at him and accepted the glass nearly gasping in shock when she tasted vodka.
“What look?”
“Ella was rubbing my stomach,” Mia admitted.
“Oh, that look,” Roman said as he allowed Liam to lead him to the sofa. His son planted him next to Ella and he grinned over at her. She knew that he didn’t need to see to know what her expression was at that point and hated the smirk on his face.
“I am not plotting anything,” she whispered near his ear.
“Good,” he whispered back but he reached for and held her hand anyway.
Liam moved over to the TV and put in Finding Nemo, her son ignoring the groans from the others around the room.
“Dada listen,” he announced turning up the volume.
Ella waited for the moment when Roman realised what movie it was and wasn’t disappointed by the tortured look on his face and she grinned sadistically.

[TelephotoMarigold]

Chapter 15

Ella slipped out of the bathroom and over to her bedroom. She paused in the doorway until she couldn’t put it off any longer and moved inside the room and over to the bed. Roman was already under the covers and she sighed at seeing him there.
“If it makes you uncomfortable I’ll sleep on the sofa,” he said quietly.
“No, no.” Ella grimaced glad that he couldn’t see her expression. She walked over to the bed and climbed in the other side before swearing. “What the hell are you wearing?”
“Sweat pants,” he muttered.
“Couldn’t find pyjamas?”
“I thought you’d feel more comfortable,” he said quickly.
“Well one of us would be comfortable; the other one would be slowly roasting all night long. Maybe I’ll make you….”
“El honey,” Roman groaned.
She giggled at him before manoeuvring in the bed and reaching for the waistband of his sweatpants. He helped her by lifting his hips and together they removed them before she threw them across the room in the general direction of the laundry bin and then she lifted the hem of his t shirt pulling it up his body and over his head. She tossed that to one side too leaving him in stretchy fabric boxer shorts that she knew moulded his anatomy perfectly. She should know that because she was the one who bought them for him, well more for her really she thought feeling her face warming.
“Planning to take anything of yours off?”
“No, you aren’t getting lucky,” she mumbled.
“Trust me; I never assumed that I would be getting lucky.”
“Then why was Jacko texting me asking if I’d seen your thing yet?”
Roman let out a deep throaty laugh before he reached for her, his hands only slightly stumbling as he took her into his arms and eased her down in the bed. She had to admire the confidence he had when he moved, she didn’t think she would be the same she thought as he placed her head against his chest.
“My heart,” he whispered, “Twenty years of listening to my heart beating in my chest. You’re used to hearing it as you fall asleep just as I can’t get that strawberry scent out of my head. I could never be unfaithful to you El because it’s your scent that drives me wild; it’s the way you feel in my arms.”
She sighed, feeling her very soul shuddering with his words along with her softly expelled breath.
“I miss you,” she whispered silently a part of her that was still mad at him hoped he hadn’t heard her but she knew he had by the tightening of his arms around her.
“I’m stupid and stubborn and all the things you’ve called me but right now I don’t want to be away from you. I don’t want to leave tomorrow and go back to my house. I don’t want to… find out if I do have a child out there, I don’t want to…” he stopped and sucked in a breath, “face Mark.”
“But you have to?”
“You know I do.”
“Then tell me Roman, how we get past this? I just married you, I mean I broke every rule I made for myself about us being back together and gave you want you wanted, my commitment and you went and destroyed it, destroyed us.”
“El,” he said in a soft voice,” I’ve got nothing to offer you; I’ve got no money, no job, just baggage. I can’t say, give me a week to sort Mark out and we can start again. I can’t…. do anything.”
Ella looked up at him reading his expression, “Except love me?”
“I can’t help doing that. You are my breath, my life, my heart,” he paused, “my soulmate.”
“Maybe we’re just addicted to each other,” she whispered before yawning as she felt tiredness wash over her.
“So are you saying that we should call it quits?”
“Yeah maybe,” she whispered her answers not wanting the children to overhear, not that that was likely with them being on the other side of the apartment.
“Okay then,” he whispered back.
She felt him shudder under her cheek and as she looked up at him she saw tears falling from his eyes leaving a watery trail down his cheeks. He lifted a hand and wiped at them before resting his head back on the pillow.
“Roman?”
“It’s okay,” he told her, “Just go to sleep,” he said to her.
She swallowed the lump she had in the back of her throat and lay her head back on his chest, his arm still around her, keeping her safe.
Each time her eyelids closed she could see the picture of him lying there crying. How could she sleep with that? How could she live with it?
Turning her head she leaned up and pressed a kiss to his lips.
“El, don’t,” he cautioned.
She responded to the hunger inside herself and continued to kiss him feeling his arms wrap tighter around her. His hands began to caress her and he pushed at the material of her nightdress to feel her skin underneath it. She felt tingles flood her system with pleasure as he caressed her and moaned against his lips.
Suddenly Roman tore his lips away from hers and shook his head.
“We can’t do this,” he moaned.
“Er…” Ella looked at him and sighed. “Why?”
“Because you said we need to split up. Making love isn’t going to help the situation. It isn’t going to make things clearer… and you’re smiling at me aren’t you?”
“I am…”
“Because I’m not using sex to keep you?”
“Got it in one soldier,” she said quietly.
“So what are we doing Ella?”
“Well…” she glanced down at his body taking her time about it before looking into his eyes. She had to remind herself that he couldn’t see because it felt like he was peering directly into her soul.
“El,” he prompted.
“We’ll just have to take things slow and see where we are after the Mark stuff is sorted out.”
Roman laughed softly before leaning down and kissing the end of her nose, again she reminded herself that he was blind but the way he knew exactly where to kiss her was spooky.
“That isn’t what you want,” he muttered.
“Not right now it isn’t…”
Roman groaned near her ear and she smiled at him. He was her man. Her husband and yes, soul mate. She wanted him. She wanted to make love with him because it had been too long without him, without his arms around her, without his lips on hers.
“I’m being serious, we should…” he stopped, sighed and then kissed her again, rolling them over in the bed until he was above her.
She responded, kissing him back, caressing him. Her hands reached for the waistband of his boxers and she pushed them down before giggling.
“You really do choose your moments to laugh at me…” he grouched.
“I was just thinking that you have another ‘thing’ that can get me to sleep.”
Roman chuckled and wrapped his arms tighter around her even as he whispered in her ear, “Better not be thinking about sleep right now Addison!”
Ella chuckled herself before she gave a little gasp as he joined his body with hers slowly.

Roman awoke slowly and opened his eyes. The darkness remained. He would have sighed but aside from that he was happy. Yeah, happy. Ella was curled in his arms beside him. They’d made love, more than once. She’d told him she loved him.
“El,” he whispered.
“Betterbeflamingimportant,” she muttered back her lips pressed against the side of his neck.
“Well I was going to ask if you wanted more sex..”
“Ha bloody ha!”
He couldn’t help the smile on his face at his grumpy wife and her loathing of mornings. As he couldn’t see the time he would guess that it was before nine am according to her grumpiness factor.
“I’ve spoken to your Dad,” he began and felt her move abruptly in the bed.
“You’ve dragged him into it?” She hissed the question at him.
“Only in asking if he’s got any information on how Mark and Gardy did this,” he murmured and knew that it was a bad idea to mention Gardy to her. He couldn’t see her expression but he knew that it was had to be bad when she slapped him again. “For the love of God Elizabeth Louise Laura Addison Harris!” he roared out touching the side of face she’d slapped. “Just stop doing that!”
“Why should I when you go behind my back and involve my dad in your stupid...…”
“Let’s forget the time he had me recalled then shall we?”
“That wasn’t him. God he hated you even then. He was right..” she stopped and he heard her suck in a sharp breath.
“El?”
“I’m sorry but the Gardy stuff makes me say crazy things,” she murmured slowly.
“Oh does it? I can’t say I’ve noticed,” he drawled out.
“Shut up,” she pushed at his chest and he caught hold of her hands pressing them flat against his skin. Just like that passion flared between them again and he focused on his favourite pasta recipe in his head so that he didn’t grab her and push her down amongst the pillows on the bed. So he didn’t kiss her senseless and then when she couldn’t bear not to be joined with him he would kiss her some more so she would beg him in that husky voice she had.
He wasn’t surprised that the pasta recipe didn’t work as he bore her down in the bed and kissed her. She was naked. Her skin smelt of strawberries and sex. Her hair was tussled and he knew her lips were swollen from his earlier kisses. She was his wild women and he wanted her.
“Didn’t you want to talk?”
“Not anymore,” he whispered as he ravished her.




Ella looked over at the kids. They seemed subdued and despite the fact Roman was still here, albeit over the other side of the room telling a story to August and Fluer, with Lily and Liam listening in.
“Okay I give in,” she murmured leaning her elbows on the table and resting her head on her cupped hands.
“Give in?”
“Yeah, totally.”
“Mum?”
She half-turned her head and looked over at Sammy.
“I was waiting for one of you to crack and tell me what was wrong. Obviously not going to happen so I give in. Carry on sulking.”
Mia giggled at them obviously catching sight of their pained expressions.
“Full name shout,” Sammy caved first.
“Your Dad you mean?”
“We heard it mum,” Sophie told her in a frantic whisper.
Ella leaned closer to her daughter, “Pretty hope that’s all you heard,” she told her quietly.
“Ouh no, that’s gross!” Sophie shot up from her seat and went to storm away when she caught sight of her dad over the other side of the room.
“Relax, we were talking about what is happening,” Ella smiled as she guided Sophie back into her seat.
“What is happening?”
“Your Dad needs to stay in his house for a bit longer, he has doctors and stuff. But when we’re home he’s going to come and visit us.”
“That’s cool,” Sammy murmured.
“Mum,” Sophie began casting looks at her siblings.
“Yeah?”
“Can I go visit Georgie?”
“I think we can arrange that,” Ella stroked her daughter’s hair back from her face and gave her a smile.
“I want to cook with Granddad. Do you think he’ll let me?”
“Oh try and stop him,” Ella grinned at her daughter, “when your Dad took me to see them he disappeared into the kitchen for a quick look and came back 2 hours later,” she murmured.
“I didn’t,” Roman grouched from over the side of the room.
“He seriously does hear everything,” Mia said sounding amazed.
Sammy grinned, “Yeah but he’s getting on a bit….”
“Hey!”
“Oh like you can catch me now,” he called to his dad.
“Don’t be so sure Samson,” Ella murmured.
Sammy looked as though he was going to challenge his father before he caught sight of the little ones next to his dad.
“Maybe next time,” he murmured instead.
“Meggy,” Ella spoke to her quiet daughter.
“I’m fine Mum,” Meggy said quickly.
“Okay,” Ella said back before giving her daughter a look, “Why don’t you go and rescue your dad from Lily?”
Meggy shot her a look and stood slowly from the table moving over to where her dad was. Ella smiled watching as Roman lifted Meggy on to his lap and hugged his daughter.
“You are freaking unbelievable!”
They all turned as Mia shot up from the table.
“What is it?”
“I … peed myself,” Mia said her face flaming.
Sophie laughed and quickly moved over to her side.
“Your water broke, the baby is coming,” she explained.
“I er… not now… I haven’t decided….”
“Come on Mia we have to get you to hospital, Sammy can you help your Dad with the little ones please?”
“You can’t El,” Roman panicked.
“Of course I can, blind people have kids all the time. Just don’t believe anything Lily tells you and you’ll be fine. Samson will help won’t you Sammy?”
“Of course,” Sammy moved over and patted his dad on his arm.
“I’ll get her bag,” Meggy called out.
“Wait, are you going too?” There was no mistaking the panic in Roman’s voice now.
“Yeah, that was the plan, me and Sophie with Mum as her delivery partner.”
“We won’t be long,” Ella said to him and grinned as Mia groaned.
“We? We?”
“Come on, get ready,” Ella gave Mia a gentle nudge in the direction of the bedroom before heading to fetch her handbag. As she returned she grinned at the look of panic still on Roman’s face and moved over to him and the younger children.
“El?”
“You’ll be fine,” she told him, “Just let your fatherly instincts kick in and in the case of Lily rely on your SAS training.”
“Thanks dear,” he drawled before reaching for and catching hold of her hand. He threaded his fingers through hers. “Whatever she decides,” he said to her with special meaning.
Ella nodded and flushed as she remembered.
“You have so got to get your eyesight back I can’t deal with this not seeing my non-verbal communication,” she muttered.
He lifted his free hand and rubbed his face, “Any more of your non-verbal communication and I’d need a doctor,” he muttered.
“Oh you!”
She pulled away from him and led the girls through the apartment and down to the garage.
“Don’t even think it,” she heard Roman tell Lily.

[TelephotoMarigold]

Chapter 16

Ella eased inside the apartment and slipped off her shoes before tiptoeing into the bedroom. She grinned as Roman rolled over in the bed and awoke, albeit it was a tired and emotional grin. Slipping out of her clothes she dropped them to the floor and moved over to climb into bed next to him.
“What time is it?”
“Early, nearly 5am.”
“She had a long delivery,” he commented.
“Not asking?”
“You’ll tell me when you are ready,” he replied.
Ella sighed, loving her man deeply because he knew her so well. She thought briefly of the baby she’d lost when he came out of witness protection. A child she hadn’t wanted, not really, just because she knew she wasn’t strong enough to carry another baby. But those few moments when she’d been heading for the clinic to have an abortion had clarified that she would do anything to protect the life she carried within her, would love the baby no matter what. Sighing again she snuggled closer to him, needing his warmth, his love and nuzzled his neck when he put his arms around her.
“I wanted our baby,” she whispered.
“I know,” he said equally as quietly.
“But… I didn’t.”
“I know that too,” he said kissing the top of her head, “I should have protected you and you should have told me to use protection. You knew we’d make love because we always make love. It brings us together when we struggle to find a way to talk to each other. You didn’t tell me. I didn’t ask. We wanted that baby El, both of us did.”
“Is it that simple? I’ll never forgive myself for making that appointment.”
“There are a lot of things I’ll never forgive myself for, but as for that, you were trying to do the best by your family. There is no shame in thinking that you could have done it.”
“Are you equating my seeking an abortion with you going in witness protection?”
“They could be seen as similar but no, I know what was going through your mind. The twins. Gust and Fleur. You nearly died. Your liver failed. If that happened again you’d leave the children with no parents and that is why you tried to abort the baby.”
“Mia is keeping her. She’s called her Callie,” Ella said quietly.
“That is a nice name. How is she going to cope?”
“We…” Ella bit her lip.
“I see,” Roman chuckled, “Well I don’t see but I understand,” he added.
Ella sighed again and pressed herself close to him.
“Just make sure you don’t get too involved El, we love her but she’s got to make choices for the both of them now.”
“Telling me what to do goes really well for you doesn’t it?”
Roman chuckled before he kissed her, his lips seeking hers and claiming them. She responded to his kiss letting it deepen before sighing and snuggling up to him.
“If we’re going to make love do you need me to be awake for it?”
“Usually,” he responded and chuckled again when she poked him in the ribs.
Her eyes drifted shut and she was asleep in seconds.
“Another baby,” he said softly.

Sophie stretched and looked over at Meggy. Her sister was holding the baby, Callie, and telling Mia how to feed her like she was an expert.
“Megs,” Sophie murmured.
“Well I’ve fed the little ones lots,” Meggy muttered as she flushed.
“Maybe you need to give her back to Mia?”
Mia grinned at them both, “Yeah, it would be nice for me to hold my baby!”
“Here,” Meggy placed Callie into her mother’s arms and sighed.
“Not getting broody are you?”
“Certainly not, I’m so finishing Uni before I even think of having a relationship,” Meggy muttered.
“Uni? When you hate school?”
“I know, but Mum did it after all those years, I don’t want to regret not doing it. Just got to find something I love,” Meggy said slowly.
“If I take a gap year, we could do Uni together, all of us and help you with Callie,” Sophie suggested.
“No, that is a lovely offer but as your Mum said, I have to take care of her,” Mia blinked back emotional tears.
“She’s not going…”
“She is, this is my baby guys and of course I’m going to need babysitters but I’ve got to do the night feeds and nappies and the other stuff…. “
“I don’t think we’re going to argue over the nappies.”
“I’m glad I had her here in the city, it gives me space to sort through stuff before telling my Mum,” Mia looked down at her baby, seeing blue eyes blinking up at her.
“Docs will want a meeting,” Sophie pointed out.
“I know,” Mia pouted.
“I can’t believe Mum left us here,” Meggy grinned looking around the hospital room they were in having been left there to keep Mia company whilst their Mum went and checked on the others and got some sleep, “Maybe you can surf and see if there is a nightclub open?”
“Ha, like we would get in and besides Mia would need to find a babysitter.”
“What is with that?”
“Mum you mean?”
“Not that it isn’t nice to have her drive us places and make sure we’re okay but well, it’s a bit…”
“Sammy was kidnapped as a baby,” Meggy murmured.
“Mum went a bit loopy for a time afterwards but ..”
“Remember pinknics?”
“In the house? Yeah, I loved those and snow days.”
“What is a snow day?”
“Well Mum went to school in England and if they had bad weather then kids were kept home. And mum being mum occasionally when one of us is stressed or has been having a bad time arranges a snow day.”
“She keeps us home and has soup and sandwiches and hot chocolate. We have to watch movies and snuggle on the sofa.”
“Sometimes she has us dancing to keep warm,” Sophie grinned as she told Mia about a family tradition.
“Which is her way of getting us to be silly so we stop stressing.”
“Your mum is amazing,” Mia sighed.
“And well we have Christmas traditions too with the presents,” Meggy added.
“And our birthdays, we always have something special on our birthday.”
“Mum takes us out for tea, just her, or Dad for the boys. You know, with so many kids it’s like… Oh I don’t know,” Meggy grimaced.
“Not that we don’t love being part of a big family,” Sophie put in, “It’s just nice to have a bit of time with Mum on her own.”
“Yeah, exactly.”
“I get the feeling you are telling me this for a reason?”
“Well yeah, ‘cause now you are a Mum you can create a whole set of traditions for this one,” Meggy murmured.
“I guess,” Mia sighed and then yawned.
“We’ll….”
“Don’t you dare go,” Mia said quickly just as a nurse walked into the room.
“I’m sorry but we need to settle the baby into the nursery,” she announced.
“Really?” Mia looked down on her daughter and sighed, “Are you sure she can’t stay with us just a bit longer?”
“It’s time you got some rest too.”
Mia groaned and reluctantly handed over her daughter, watching as the nurse placed her in her crib and checked that she was secure before wheeling it out of the room.
“We could have gone to that nightclub after all,” Meggy murmured.
Mia rolled her eyes and groaned again before laughing.
“I’d like to see you going dancing after giving birth!”
“Ha, like Dad is going to let us out of the convent long enough to meet someone,” Sophie muttered.
All three girls laughed.

Ella awoke slowly and eased out of the bed, pulling on her bathrobe and walking through to the lounge. She saw Roman standing in the kitchen with Sammy next to him sorting out the children’s breakfasts. She watched them for a minute before going over to stand near them as she got a coffee.
“Morning,” Roman said quietly, his focus on the food. He spooned out the boiled eggs and placed them on a plate next to the stove before picking them up with his fingers and putting them into egg cups. Next he reached for the knife and cracked the shells before removing the top.
“That’s it,” Sammy told him.
“Ok Lily,” Roman called, “Liam.”
Sammy took them from him and placed them on the table.
“Turn the cooker off,” Ella said quietly.
Roman nodded and reached for the knobs at the side of the hob. He ran his fingers along them before he located the correct one and switched it to off.
“What did she have?”
Ella smiled at Sammy’s question.
“A baby girl, she’s called her Callie.”
“Oh cool, she keeping it?”
“It?”
Sammy gave her a look as he buttered bread and made the other children’s soldiers for their boiled eggs.
“The thing?”
Ella moved over to him and kissed the top of his head before sitting at the table next to August and Fleur.
“Yes, she’s keeping the baby. It won’t bother you too much will it?”
“Of course not,” Sammy murmured, “’bout time there was another brat around,” he added giving her a look and then nodding towards his dad.
“Yeah no,” Ella shook her head, feeling her face flushing.
“No what?” Roman asked quickly.
“Nothing,” she and Sammy said at the same time.
“Uh huh, pick on me when I’m blind…” Roman grouched as he moved cautiously around the kitchen.
Lily gave them all a sly look before she pinned her gaze on her dad, “Dada me yolks not runny… you’s do me another!”
“Oh really?”
Roman eased over to her and picked up a soldier, with a bit of fumbling he managed to get it into her egg, dipping it in the yolk before lifting it to his lips and taking a bite.
“Seems runny enough to me,” he murmured.
“Nice try Squeals,” Sammy told his sister, “but remember Dad may be blind but he isn’t stupid.”
“I’d like to take a vote on that one,” Ella murmured and felt Roman glaring at her. She grinned knowing he couldn’t see her before she stuck her tongue out at him.
“The girls seem quiet today,” Roman commented.
“Oh they are,” Sammy murmured with a hint of mischief on his face.
“Samson,” Ella murmured to her son before she grinned, “I left them with Mia,” she added.
“Seriously? Bloody hell,” Roman muttered.
“Dada funny!” Liam called out laughing at him.
“Dada no funny,” Lily muttered to her brother a scowl on her face.
“You’d never leave me behind whilst you come home for a nap!”
“Don’t worry Sammy, the very next time someone gives birth you can stay in the maternity ward,” Ella told her son laughing at the expression on his face.
“Unless this is some kind of lesson for the girls so they don’t end up like Mia…”
“Roman! For gawd’s sake, as Irene would say. Stop being paranoid about your daughters’,” she muttered, “Only one of them has a boyfriend.”
“And if you’d listened to me over my convent idea then that wouldn’t have happened!”
Ella glared at her husband again before the both of them burst out laughing.
Roman felt for the chair near him and eased into it. He almost flinched when Ella touched his shoulder and half-shook his head.
“Coffee?”
“Please,” he said to her.
Ella got another coffee for herself before placing a cup in front of him.
“Mama?”
“What’s matter Gust?”
“We’s go park?”
“Yeah,” Liam chimed in.
“Not today,” Ella said to them, “Today we need to go shopping for baby things.”
“El,” Roman muttered.
“Oh hush you, it’s not like you’re going to be able to see what I’m buying!”
“Pick on the blind man,” Roman shook head in mock-disgust.
“Blind, dead, asleep…. As long as I get my way,” she told him before leaning over and pressing a kiss to his lips.

Outside their house in Summer Bay Mark sat in an unmarked car tapping his fingers on the steering wheel as he watched people come and go. Finally easing out of the car he donned a baseball cap and hopped across the road approaching the guy who looked in charge, heavyset guy going over a series of blueprints. Others seemed to bustle about the site carrying tools and equipment. It looked like serious renovations going on and his eyes scanned the house looking for entry points, this being the first time he’d gotten past the heavy wrought iron gates. He spotted security lights at the corners of the building and obvious alarms. State of the art too, he thought with a grin. Whoever had rigged up the place expected trouble and who was he to disappoint them.
“Hey,” he called out.
“Hey back,” the guy muttered, “Can I help you with something?”
“I could use some work, got anything going on site?”
“Not today,” the guy shook his head, “We might have something come up tomorrow or the next day.”
“Well I’ve done some building work, got a bunch of certifications if you need to see them. You got a number I could call?”
“Even better, here,” The guy handed over a business card and Mark quickly scanned it before tucking it in his pocket.
“I’ll send you my CV later,” he murmured before darting back into his car.
The guy watched him drive off before he reached for his phone and made a call.
“Yeah, that guy you warned us about,” he said into his cell, “he just turned up.”
“Thanks,” Mike murmured, “I’ll let the police know. They’ll be in touch. I think you may have just earned your bonus.”
“No worries,” the guy said before putting his phone away and looking back at the plans.

[TelephotoMarigold]

Chapter 17

Roman rolled over and eased up in the bed. He blinked to clear his vision before remembering that he was blind before he got out of the bed and moved slowly into the lounge. He heard the kids before Lily rushed over to him and took hold of his hand.
“I helps you Dada,” she announced loudly as though he’d lost his hearing along with his eyesight and he gave a rueful smile, one that only got broader when she steered him into the coffee table and he banged his shins.
“Lily,” Ella called, her voice coming from the other side of the room. He guessed she was in the kitchen.
“Take me to the table squeals,” Roman encouraged.
Lily squeezed his fingers and dragged him over to the table and he gratefully sank on to a chair before discreetly rubbing his shin.
“Do you want a coffee?”
Roman nodded at Ella’s question before he grimaced. It didn’t seem fair to nod when they couldn’t do the same in answer to him. He started slightly when a cup was placed in front of him and the sound of the cup touching the table surface broke into his wayward thoughts.
“Thanks,” he murmured before sighing when he felt her hand trail across his before stroking up his arm. He sensed her movement as she sat next to him and smiled in her general direction. She must have already had a shower because that strawberry scent of her toiletries was dancing in the air between them.
“We’s off to see the new babys,” Lily announced from beside him.
“Oh really? I remember a certain Lily girl who didn’t like new babies.”
“Nots mes…” Lily lisped.
“Don’ts you remembers?” Liam piped up.
Roman pictured the expression on his son’s face and then the look on Lily’s. He smiled sadly wondering if he would ever see their faces again and then found Ella taking hold of his hand. She wouldn’t touch him if she knew that for the briefest of moments he also thought about the child he fathered with Mark’s widow, or as she actually was now, Mark’s wife.
“Now now, no arguing,” Ella murmured.
Roman tilted his head as he heard footsteps behind him.
“Morning,” Sophie called out.
“Good sleep?”
“Yeah, when are we bringing Mia home?”
Roman chuckled before he felt Ella pulling her hand away and poking him in the ribs.
“Mia will be going to a unit for a couple of weeks. It’s a place that helps young mothers with learning how to care for their babies. When we saw Docs yesterday they recommended this place.”
“Does that mean she’s not…” Sophie muttered her voice becoming emotional.
“She can have visitors, she won’t be far. Anyway, it will give you a chance to go see Georgie,” Ella explained slowly.
Roman sighed hearing the notes in their voices, he could tell that they were upset and he felt guilty for not being present at the meeting between Mia and Docs. Ella had gone of course, and once again he’d had to leave her to sort everything out. He hated it. Hated leaving stuff to her, hated having to be reliant on people.

Ella could feel the frustration hitting her husband and she sympathised but he wasn’t the one dealing with the kids right now. Meggy was subdued, Lily was being extremely helpful and Liam was being quiet. The twins were taking it all in stride like it was some kind of game. Sophie was trying to do everything, including her twin’s share and she knew that her elder daughter was in need of a break as much as Georgie.
“If I take Sophie to your parents can you look after everyone?”
“Sure,” Sammy answered absentmindedly.
Ella smirked at her son when he realised she had been talking to his dad.
“I think I can manage,” Roman murmured after a moment.
“He knows I’ve gone red doesn’t he?” Sammy asked her in a loud whisper.
“Yup,” Ella murmured.
She stood and moved over to the kitchen opening cupboards and peering into them.
“Mum? Are we going today?”
“We are, you’ll need to go pack in a bit, after Meggy has woken up.”
“She’s asleep? I wondered why it was quiet,” Roman said earning a laugh from Sammy.
“You know if you two were still divorced we could have had so much fun with this!”
“Samson,” Roman called out peering blindly in his general direction.
Ella felt herself paling as Sammy said the word divorce; it had been just a matter of days since they’d talked about ending not just their marriage but their relationship. She felt the sting of it hit her and then slowly smiled. Their kids were fine; in fact they were handling this situation much better than she was.
“No more plotting,” she called over to her son.
“Well then, just don’t get divorced again…” he called back.
“Nos, nos…” Lily shook her head at them before climbing up in her dad’s lap and glaring at them.
“Now look what you’ve done Samson,” Ella muttered quietly.
“Sorry!”
“We’re not getting a divorce Squeals,” she heard Roman tell their daughter quietly as he hugged her.
Ella clamped down on the tingles inside her at seeing Roman with their daughter, albeit she felt the same when she saw him with any of their children, but Lily was special, in many senses of the word.
“Maybe,” she murmured loud enough for just Roman to hear her.
“Woman,” he grouched in her general direction.
Ella grinned before leaning over and kissing him gently on the lips then she placed a kiss on the top of Lily’s head before walking back into the kitchen and cleaning down the tops.
“Mum, when are we setting off? Like will I be able to see Mia first? Only I don’t want her to think that I’m abandoning her,” Sophie pouted.
“She won’t I’m sure,” Ella murmured, “We have to set off after breakfast so that I can get back for the younger children.”
“Oh, ok.”
“You’ll be able to spend a lot of time with Mia when we get back home,” Ella promised her daughter.

Mark approached the diner cautiously. He kept his eyes out for surveillance equipment along with people looking in his general direction. As the evening sky started giving way to night he began to feel safer walking around the town. He was aiming to get inside the building and cause some mischief, some petty vandalism that would be annoying more than dangerous. He wanted to send the message that he knew all about Hardcore’s life here in Summer Bay. Back in the day he’d never knew that the sissy was into cooking, that the guy who was a crack sniper would be happy in a kitchen doing a sheilas work.
He remembered one mission when Hardcore had taken out a Russian made T2 tank by himself with just a hand grenade and his side arm. The man had a death wish it seemed. He couldn’t reconcile the Roman Harris from Summer Bay with the soldier in his head. They seemed polar opposites. Family man? Ha, as if. The man who’d been his LT back in the day hadn’t been anywhere near ready to settle down. That was until Ella turned up in his life. Yeah, that had changed him.
Mark wondered how they had met up again. The last he knew about them from Gardy was that Ella was some hotshot photographer.
Thinking of Gardy he wondered what happened to him. He didn’t believe the bulldust Roman tossed him about his wife getting pissed and shooting him. No it was more than that. Although a blind man could have seen that Gardy was panting over Ella back in the day.
Mark laughed at his thoughts. Blind. Ha, wasn’t that a hoot. Watching the man stumbling around was fun but it wasn’t he wanted, no he wanted Hardcore to see his face, see what he’d done to him, see his scars and feel guilt.
Sliding around the back of the building Mark waited until the security lights went off before he went over to the door. Pulling out his lockpick tools he made short work of the door lock before easing inside. He waited for precious seconds before he ventured further inside the diner. It was possible that he’d triggered a silent alarm but he didn’t think so, the security cameras didn’t look that sophisticated and anyway unless the local coppers happened to actually be driving by outside he’d be done before they showed up.
Pulling on gloves he moved through the storeroom and then through the kitchen and out to where the tables and chairs were. He recognised Ella’s hand in the decorating having seen pictures of their house whilst he was crashing at Roman’s place.
He still couldn’t understand what that was all about. Hardcore having a separate house to his Mrs but it provided him with somewhere until he found the perfect place to plot his revenge. He’d found out about what Elliot did on his behalf and he knew that he was going to kill Hardcore for putting his brother through that.
Feeling a familiar rage running through him he took it out on the furniture, using his knife to slash the seats of the benches then smashing the chairs and stools. Going overboard he carved graffiti into the top of the tables and then moved back to the kitchen. The expensive looking coffee machine was first; he ripped it out of its housing and smashed it on the floor, noting with satisfaction that it managed to crack the tiles where it landed.
Now it was the kitchens turn. He yanked at the cupboard doors pulling them off their hinges before emptying all the contents, smashing what he could and spilling the contents of packets.
He was so absorbed that he nearly didn’t spot the torch lights dancing across the ceiling as obviously someone was coming to check out what was going on. Stopping what he was doing Mark slowly eased towards the back door and opened it to peer through the smallest gap he could checking to see if there was someone waiting for him. The coast clear he slipped through the door and escaped into the darkness of the night
Mission one, complete. Let Hardcore know he wasn’t going away until he’d taken everything from him. His home, his children, his wife and lastly his wife. Payback for the life he’d been forced to live since Hardcore shot him.

[TelephotoMarigold]

Chapter 18

Roman allowed himself to be guided into his house. A week with Ella and the kids had felt like heaven but hearing that the diner had been wrecked because of him had sent him into a sinking depression. Not the first time it had been targeted because of him. First William Gardiner had burnt it down and then Alexi and his men had caused damage when they took over the place.
His association with everybody in the Bay seemed to cause them nothing but distress and grief. He couldn’t be the cause of anything else, couldn’t carry the guilt of it. And that was exactly what Mark wanted. He wanted him to suffer. Which was why he couldn’t stay with Ella. Not putting her at risk again. No.
“Nice of you to turn up,” Marks mocking voice welcomed him.
“Is there a reason why you felt the need to wreck the diner?”
“I made a point didn’t I?”
“We have insurance, so what you did was nothing.”
Roman shrugged dismissively and moved past him.
“Still you had to come home and check didn’t you?” Mark’s mocking voice followed him up the stairs as he made his stumbling way to his room. He cursed that he still couldn’t see even more when he tripped over something left on the floor of his room. Reclaiming his balance he nimbly stepped over it and sank down on his bed.
It was going to be a long and slow progress to get things back on track, and first he had to figure out a way of getting Mark out of their lives.

Jacko and Pete looked across the desk at Charlie, in a glance he took in the uniform, the brown wooden desk, the pale blue and green painted walls behind her. To one side was the bulletin board that had information on recent crimes in the area, petty vandalism, drunk and disorderly, theft. There was a window behind her desk too, small silver frame, with a white venetian blind. All this was scanned into his memory within moments just as he’d been taught to do in the SAS. Scan your surroundings. Gather your intel. See what is useful. Knowing that Hardcore had the same training, hell, he’d even taught them some tricks in intelligence gathering, and was now blind and unable to rely on his sight made him all the more grateful he was able to see.
As Charlie outlined what she could about the status of the investigation. Not that she officially could tell them much he brought his focus back to the conversation.
“So the army investigation is still ongoing,” Pete muttered rubbing a hand over his face.
“George mentioned that,” Charlie said quietly.
“He doesn’t seem that happy about Roman.”
“About Hardcore?” Jacko said sounding surprised.
“I believe the exact words were ‘he better not get my daughter caught up in this mess’,” Charlie quoted.
“Sounds like he’s a little…”
“Yeah he is,” Charlie muttered without hearing the end of Jacko’s statement, “Especially with the diner getting trashed. Luckily we have security footage from inside the diner that pinpoints exactly who did it.”
Pete nodded remembering fitting the cameras himself after Alexi had pulled his stunt. “Mark.”
“Exactly, so gentlemen, we need to formally interview Roman when he returns, and find out where Mark is.”
“He won’t be far, he wants to make Hardcore suffer,” Jacko said quietly.
“Maybe we need to make it look like we don’t believe Roman?”
Jacko started at Pete’s suggestion before turning and giving the other man a look. “What you thinking?”
“That Mark wanted to be a ghost. The more we go after him the more likely he is to disappear and pop back when the coast is clear.”
“Sounds like it could be a plan. Maybe we shouldn’t warn Hardcore beforehand. Let his reaction be natural like,” Jacko said with a grin.
“No we should definitely warn him,” Charlie butted in, “Last time he was arrested and brought in for questioning he nearly killed two of my junior officers.”
“Now that is a story that no one told us,” Jacko smirked.
"He had to take Ella to the hospital after a fall. They had to report it because they believed that domestic violence might have been the cause of her injuries. Two of my officers decided that they would make a name for themselves by bring Roman into the station. By the time Ella got here to sort things out he’d subdued one officer and had the other in a chokehold. Bearing in mind he had been handcuffed at the time.”
Pete rubbed a hand over his face before he looked at Jacko. “They looked up his record didn’t they?”
Charlie nodded confirmation.
“Pete?” Jacko asked slowly.
“I’m presuming that we are going to get his record expunged?”
“George is already looking into that,” Charlie confirmed.
Jacko’s mouth dropped open, “He is?”
“Guess he doesn’t hate him after all,” Pete surmised.
“I would be surprised if George did harbour any ill will towards Roman. Ella is pretty strong minded. If she felt George was trying to cause problems I’m sure she’d have her say.”
“So…. What do we do?”
“Bring Roman in for his interview.”
Pete nodded at Charlie, “I’ll talk to him make sure he understands that he shouldn’t try and kill you.”
“I’d laugh but I suspect you are serious,” Charlie paused, “Is there any sign that he’s recovering his sight?”
“About that, do we know what happened with Mark’s family?”
Charlie gave him her puzzled look, a minute change of expression that he’d picked up on because of their personal relationship. The police officer side of her was trained not to display emotions during her ‘day job’.
“His mother died of a heart attack shortly after Elliot was sent to prison. His wife moved interstate. We’ve had police officers check on her whereabouts but until we have Mark in custody and his identity confirmed we don’t want to drag her into it.”
“Does she have a family?”
Pete flinched at Jacko’s question before looking at Charlie and leaning forward waiting for her answer.
“She has a son.”
“Mark has a kid,” Jacko muttered.
“I don’t think so,” Charlie told them unaware of their interest.
“Oh,” Jacko murmured doing his confused face.
She looked at the notes on her desk ruffling through some pages before opening a file and taking out a photograph. She placed that in front of Jacko and Pete before giving them both a look.
“That is what you wanted to know isn’t it? About the child. Can’t be Mark’s son because of the time period between his birth and Mark’s so called death. Not to mention the startling co-incidence of the blue eyes and blond hair. He’s 17 and at University, not too far away from us as it happens.”
Jacko shot a look at Pete as if to say ‘busted’ before he grinned.
“She’s so not going to like this.”
Charlie glared at them both obviously not liking the fact that Jacko had tried to trick her, “How does Roman explain this away? Seems he has more kids than….”
“He is prolific.” Jacko smirked.
“Jacko,” Pete muttered glaring at him before looking back at Charlie. “I apologise for my colleague. He never does subtle.”
“We’ll see ourselves out,” Jacko told her as he stood up from his seat and moved over to the door.
“You can take that photo if you want,” Charlie told Pete.
He glanced at her and nodded picking up the picture like it was going to bite him before leaning over the desk and kissing her.
“I’ll see you later,” he promised before pushing Jacko out through the door.

From there they made their way to the Roman’s place pilling inside the white van where James was set up doing surveillance.
“Mark left ten minutes ago guys, I did text you,” he muttered as he chomped down on the sandwich they bought him.
“Sounds like someone is in a bad mood,” Jacko drawled.
“I think we all need to take a break,” Pete shot back before placing the picture he’d been given by Charlie next to where James had his laptops set up.
“Whoa, that is going to stir the cat amongst the pigeons.”
“She’s already tried to kill him once,” Jacko said with a smirk.
“You mate, need to go off and see Raisma, you’re getting too close to Ella again,” Pete muttered to him.
“We’re cool,” Jacko said with a shrug before taking out his phone and showing them a picture of him with Raisma, the woman they’d helped in Bosnia. Jacko’s eyes flickered to the picture that James held of Roman’s son before he collapsed in the seat near to James. “actually there is something that I want to tell you guys. I was waiting for the right moment but that doesn’t seem to be anytime soon.”
“Don’t tell us you are moving over there?”
“What? No,” Jacko said emphatically, “Rai and I we’re never going to be married or anything like that. No, she’s too involved in her work and I wouldn’t want to take her away from that. No this is…” Jacko scrolled through a number of pictures on his phone before finding the one he was looking for. His eyes ate up every detail even though he’d looked at it over and over again in the past few months before he sucked in a breath and showed them.
“What the actual….” Pete muttered swearing for the first time in years.
“This is my son. Dario,” he said knowing that he sounded proud of that fact.
“You kept that one quiet,” James drawled before shaking his hand. “Congrats.”
“Yeah, congrats mate. Do we get to meet him?”
“Of course not, I don’t want him to be traumatised by you lot!”
“Oh thanks mate, Hardcore’s let us round his kids!”
“Hardcore’s got so many of them that he wouldn’t miss a few if you broke them!”
“I think Ella would disagree with you on that one!” Pete shot them both a look.
“Dario is doing his masters in Economics. He’s in London but trying to get a placement over here so we can get to know each other.”
“I think it’s good. Explains why you seem to have a lot of air miles all of a sudden.”
The three men sat there in silence for a bit before Pete spoke, “So do we have any clue as to what Mark is planning next?”
“He left in a different car. Checked the licence and it was reported stolen,” James muttered his hand gesturing towards his laptop.
“Now I was thinking that you didn’t have access to that sort of information,” Pete muttered.
“Well… there are …. Channels.”
Jacko and Pete both laughed at the expression on
“Let’s go tell Roman,” Pete said after a long pause although none of them moved.
“We really don’t want to tell him do we?”
“That’s because we don’t have a plan,” James muttered.
“He was the one who came up with them,” Jacko said slowly looking at the others.
“Then maybe we need to give him a prod,” Pete pointed out.
Jacko nodded and eased up putting his phone away before he climbed out the back of the van and led the procession over to Roman’s place. He knocked on the door once and then tried the handle letting himself and the others in to the place.
“Some people wait until I’ve invited them in,” Roman said from his stance in the small kitchen. He had a sandwich in front of him obviously about to eat.
“If we wait for your blind ass to get to the door we’d still be standing out there.”
Jacko watched Roman’s face waiting for the merest change of expression but there was none. He looked to the others hoping that one of them was going to start speaking and groaned when they didn’t.
“What is it?”
“Do you have a plan Hardcore?”
“No,” he said abruptly before gathering his sandwich and moving over to the sofa. He sat down and gave them one of his blank looks.
Jacko groaned and shot the others a look before biting the bullet and speaking, “Mark’s wife has been traced,” he began.
“I take it that ….” Roman stopped what he was saying and peered at them.
“Hardcore we have a picture,” Jacko announced.
“A picture of?”
“Your kid,” Pete supplied giving an annoyed looking in Jacko’s direction when he when silent.
“Better let me see it,” Roman murmured.
“Sure,” Jacko began to hand the picture over before he stopped.
“See?” Pete muttered.
“As in…” James added.
“As in see,” Roman finished.
“What the flaming hell Hardcore?”
“When did you get your eyesight back?”
Pete shot them all a look, “We don’t want to know do we?”
“It came back while I was away. But for all intents and purposes I haven’t told anyone, including Ella.”
“So that is your plan? Trick Mark into screwing up.”
Roman sighed, “Something like that. He’s already testing me. Left a bag in my room for me to trip over.”
“Ella ain’t going to forgive you,” Jacko muttered.
“Lots of things she’s never going to forgive me for. This will just have to go on to the list. I’ve still got blurring and headaches.”
“I guarantee lots more of that when Ella finds out!”
“Jacko…”
“Yes?”
“Let’s not discuss Ella or I may have to remember that I owe you for kissing my wife!”
Jacko felt his face flushing as Pete and James both laughed at him. He gave them a look before finally handing over the picture to Roman. They watched in silence as he looked at it.
“I guess there is no hiding the fact,” Roman muttered rubbing at his face before handing the photo back.
“You’ll need to speak to… Catherine wasn’t it?”
“Yeah,” Roman nodded.
“So you er… have any other kids out there we should know about?”
“Not that I know of,” Roman drawled glaring at Jacko.
“Well at least it wasn’t twins,” Pete said quietly before all of them laughed.
“If you’ve finished,” Roman muttered after a time.
“Plan?” James prompted.
“I’ll let you know as soon as I’ve got one. I need to spend more time with Mark and gauge just what he wants,” Roman told them, his demeanour slipping back to the one he had when he was their Lieutenant.
“We’ll leave you to it,” Pete said slowly.
“For the record I hate that you’ve been dragged into this,” Roman told them.
“For the record LT, we hate that too.”
Pete shook his head and pushed Jacko out of the door. Followed quickly by James. All of them checked they weren’t being watched as they carefully made their way back to the van.

[TelephotoMarigold]

Chapter 19

Angel logged on at the pc looking around the school library anxiously, although she was on her free period and could legitimately claim to be here studying she still felt anxious. The laptop at home was for everyone to use and she didn’t get much privacy with her brother around. She opened up her emails and grinned at the messages she had from Jake. He was this guy who had friended her on Facebook and although she’d been sceptical at first he’d been chatting to her for the past month. Like a regular guy, talking about how school sucked and everything. She saw her IM flash up with a message and opened it up.
‘Hey Gorgeous,’ he’d typed.
‘Hey yourself,’ she put back knowing that her face was flushing.
‘Aren’t you supposed to be at school right now?’
‘Aren’t you?’
‘Teacher training day,’ she read his response and nodded.
‘I’m in the library,’ she hastily typed before looking around herself to make sure no one was watching her.
The conversation continued for more than her allotted time, slipping into her lunch break without her noticing.
‘So will you meet me?’
‘Yes,’ she answered immediately.
“Angel what are you doing?” Sophie muttered from behind her.
She spun around and gasped out loud.
“It’s…” she muttered.
“Meeting someone online? Don’t you know how dangerous that is?”
“It’s not what you think,” Angel gasped.
“Do you even know what this guy looks like?”
“Of course I do,” Angel muttered, her face flaming. She clicked on her emails and opened up the one that had Jake’s picture attached to it and double clicked on it. Jake’s smiling face came up on her screen and she smiled involuntarily before meeting Sophie’s frown.
“That is your guy?”
“That’s Jake,” Angel murmured almost proudly.
“That’s a young Zac Efron,” Sophie shot back.
“No,…”
“Angel, honestly. This is some….”
“Don’t say it, god, you and your family disappear for three weeks and then come in and spoil everything!” Angel cried out loudly before realising where she was. She felt her face growing hot and stood up from her seat before rushing out of the library, her blonde hair flying as she stormed away.

Sophie watched Angel going before biting her lip. She looked around anxiously catching sight of Meggy and Sammy watching her from the other doorway and she beckoned them over feeling a strange sense of relief at seeing her siblings. Within a minute she’d told them what was going on.
“Whoa, Angel is…” Meggy grimaced.
“Please don’t finish that sentence,” Sammy muttered sitting at the desk Angel had vacated. The flashing cursor on the screen indicated that the conversation was still live and he gave his sisters a look before clicking on it.
“Samson what are you doing?”
“I’m doing a reverse look up of the senders ISP address and I’m checking to see if they have a webcam, if so I’m going to turn it on and grab a shot of him,” Sammy muttered pressing keys as he worked.
“I’m so going to pretend I know exactly what he’s talking about,” Meggy murmured to her sister.
“er…” Angel said from behind them.
“Come here,” Sophie said unaware she’d used an ‘Ella’ tone of voice.
“I’m sorry for.,..” Angel began stepping forward slowly.
“Don’t worry about it,” Sophie told her quickly.
“And voila,” Sammy announced.
The screen flickered before a picture emerged on it. Not the young looking Zac Efron as promised but a badly scarred middle aged man’s face was on the screen. Sammy sent the photo to the printer
“That’s…” Angel gasped.
Sophie caught hold of Angel’s hand cutting off what she was about to say. With her other hand she gestured to the teacher who was on library duty.
“We know who this is, it’s the man who’s after Dad,” Meggy said urgently.
Angel gave a sick sounding moan, “How do you know what he looks like?”
“We don’t aside from he’s old and has scars on his face,” Meggy shook her head before sitting down in a chair next to Sammy. “Right we need to convince him that it’s still you Angel, and er…”
“Set up a meet and tell Charlie,” Sophie butted in.
“I can do that,” Angel wiped at her tears and pushed her hair back over her shoulder.
“I’ll text Mum and let her know what’s going on, but guys, this isn’t like one of our plots okay, this man is out to hurt us so…”
They nodded at Sophie’s words, Angel looking scared as she resumed her seat and began typing.
‘Where did you go?’ he put.
“What shall I put?”
“Teacher came to talk to you or something,” Meggy suggested.
Angel nodded and typed out the excuse, her fingers hovered over the keyboard before she hit send and the words flashed up in the conversation.
‘Okay,’ he put.
Angel looked at the screen before panicking. “He’s never just put that, what if he knows you are here? What if he did…”
“Library computers have the webcam disabled,” Sammy said quietly.
“My brother truly is a superbrain,” Meggy murmured with a grin.
“Okay, okay,” Angel murmured looking at the flashing cursor.
“Tell him you need to go in a bit because your time is up?”
Angel grinned briefly at Sophie’s suggestion before she typed out ‘hey, sorry going to have to dash, catch ya soonish.’
“Dash?”
“It’s your mother, she taught my mum English slang,” Angel shrugged, “and swearing,”
“I’ve hung around with your mother, she didn’t need teaching any swearwords,” Sophie shot back the two girls grinning at each other.
They stopped what they were doing as Mike walked over to them from the doorway.
“Now we’re in for it,” Sammy muttered.
“Not half, he looks like totally grumpy,” Meggy added.
“Guys, Mum has texted me,” Mike announced.
Sophie grimaced, “How much trouble are we in?”
“On a scale of one to ten with ten being sent to the convent?”
“Ha,” Meggy snorted.
“Angel, your Dad is coming to pick you up after school and I need the password to your IM account please so we can trace it. Then you need to return to lessons and carry on as normal.”
“Mike I got his picture,” Sammy murmured handing it over.
“It is the guy after Dad isn’t it?”
Mike nodded at Meggy’s question. “Don’t stress though squirt, Dad can take care of himself,” he murmured trying to reassure them. This move on Angel was unexpected and he frowned thinking about how the old man was going to react, although if it were anything like his mother from her phone call earlier he’d bet that Mark had just made a crucial mistake. Made him realise just why Roman could stay away in Witness Protection as long as he did. Anything to protect the family.
Looking round the library he checked to make sure that no one was looking before he reached over and gave Angel a brief reassuring hug.
“That’s from Mum,” he told her before watching them go.
Sitting at the keyboard he began to look through the conversation history with ‘Jake’ mindful of the other conversations Angel had recorded on there, although that wasn’t just about her privacy there were things that no guy needed to read in live and a teenage girl’s conversations was one of them.

Ella made sure that Roman was alone before she went over to his place. She knocked once before letting herself in and closing the door quietly behind herself. Looking round the place she saw a tip, empty bottles everywhere and a stack of unwashed dishes in the sink. She sniffed cautiously and then grimaced. The rubbish obviously wasn’t being dealt with either. Moving over to the kitchen she quickly began cleaning unable to stop herself. All those years of being trained by Roman over the housework coming out in her as she methodically cleared the clutter from the tops and sorted out the rubbish.
“It’s you,” Roman muttered from the doorway over the other side of the room.
“Who else were you expecting?” She shot back.
“My cleaning woman?”
“Not funny and you might as well drop the act, I know you’re not blind anymore,” she muttered as she worked.
“When did you figure it out?”
She glared at him, “Oh when you kissed my freckles.”
Roman groaned remembering how he’d tried so hard not to let on he was getting his sight back the last two days he was with her.
“I don’t suppose that we are going to think my keeping it a secret was a good idea are we?”
“We are going to sit down and have a very long talk when this is over,” she promised him.
Roman nodded slowly and walked over to where she was, “Okay, so what brings you here?”
She gave him another of those looks before pouring out a shot of whisky and handing it to him.
“That isn’t a good sign,” he muttered and drained the glass.
Ella slowly explained about Mark going after Angel and he felt himself groaning even as he cursed under his breath. Immediately his thoughts shot back to when Elliot had gone after Nic the first time and then Ella the second. Hitting him where it hurt. Mark had to know what happened with his brother for him to copy what he’d done.
“You are going to get security,” he ground out his fists clenching by his side.
“Am I?”
“Don’t screw around Ella, Elliot ran your car off the road remember, what if…”
“There is no ‘what if’ Roman; he’s coming after all of us. So what is your plan?”
“I don’t have one yet, I…” he stopped and pulled out his phone, reading the message from Jacko. He swiftly deleted it and put his phone away. “Mark is coming,” he muttered.
Ella nodded, “Okay,” she murmured gathering her stuff and walking over to the door, she tugged it open and looked back at him. “better get working on that plan,” she told him.
Roman nodded back at her before walking to her side he flinched as she lifted her hand and slapped him hard round the face.
“I never want to see you again and stay away from the kids,” she yelled out before storming away from him and slamming the door behind her.
Roman groaned and rubbed his face before ‘blindly’ moving back towards the sofa. His foot connected with an empty bottle and he sent it sailing over the other side of the room just as Mark walked in through the door.
“Quite a display from your Mrs, thought you weren’t seeing eye to eye at the moment?”
Roman focused on a spot just left of Mark’s face before he spoke, “Is that supposed to be a pun?”
“You can’t see the humour in this situation?”
“Can’t see much of anything,” Roman said sounding bitter.
Turning he moved away from Mark, managing to trip on the bottle he’d sent across the room just a moment earlier. He heard Mark’s laughter and narrowed his eyes slightly before heading out of the room and up the stairs until he reached his bedroom.