Tia looked at the folded piece of paper in her hand. "What's that?"

She fiddled with it. "The answer to another question." She sniffed.

"The pregnancy test?" She nodded. "Why did she write it down?"

"I asked her to because I wanted to find out with you."

I smiled and took her hand. "Do you want to do this now?"

"We don't have much of a choice. The medical staff will let it slip if we wait."

She went to unfold the paper and I covered her hand. She looked up at me. "Before you do that." I kissed her and hugged her. "I'm pretty sure I love you, Tia Raya Brock."

She pushed me back smiling widely. "You remembered my name."

"I did." She looked down at the paper. "I haven't allowed anyone close enough to me to say whether or not I love them... until you and Tobin."

"You don't need to say it Tia I think I know."

She laughed. "I'm sure you do. We wouldn't have this if I didn't would we?" She waved the paper under my nose.

I couldn't help laughing too. "No.. probably not." She tutted and rolled her eyes, a smile still on her lips.

She unfolded the paper and read it. She then turned it so I could see. Positive... I pulled her to me hugging her tightly. Right then I couldn't speak or do anything other than hold her.

It was a long time before I could let her go. As soon as I did a million questions popped into my head all at once. "Tia what..."

She put her finger on my lips cutting off my words. "You're going to ask me a whole heap of questions. Most I don't have answers to. So would you just lay down with me?" I smiled and nodded.

She moved over so I could climb onto the bed. She laid her head on me and sighed. "Will you answer a few questions?"

She chuckled. "Go on then. You're not going to stop fidgeting until you get your answers."

"I wish I knew where to start. Are you OK?"

Her laugh was rich with her joy. "Yes, I'm fine. There's no difference to how I was before other than nausea coming out of nowhere."

"I have to assume you don't know how this will affect your fit's."

She looked up at me smiling "Nope. I assume they will contact my specialist and they will talk to me about that."

"I don't know what to do now."

Tia shifted so she could sit up a bit. She reached across me, taking her drink and sipping at it again. "First we need to talk about Tobin. In sky, they all believe that when a couple took in a child, that child was moved on when they were expecting their own."

"So we need to show him he's staying?" She nodded swallowing. "It will be hard with social services trying to take him. I need to try and formally adopt him. There may be problems with his father trying to block us."

As soon as she stopped talking she laid back against me. "We will sort it. We will fight for him. I have one more question I need an answer to very soon." She looked up at me waiting for me to ask. "Do I move in with you or is that too much too fast?"

"I thought you already had." She smiled widely at me and then closed her eyes.

The colour drained from her again. "Feeling sick again?"

"The tablets don't stop the nausea. Only the need to be sick." I kissed her head and rubbed her back.

She drifted off and some time later a member of the hospital staff left a meal for her. I gently shook her and felt relieved when she woke up. Will I ever stop feeling relief when I see her wake? "They brought you some food."

She looked at the plate on the table that had been rolled over on the bed. "Yey hospital food." She said in a flat voice.

"You in a good mood." She sat up and I moved so she could sit comfortably to eat. She picked at the meal of mashed potatoes some kind of meat and soggy vegetables. "Not to your tastes?"

She grimaced at me. "It's the worst meal I've ever tried to eat. Even Burt would turn his nose up. How is he anyway?"

"Pining for you."

That made her push the food away. "You need to eat more than that Tia." I picked up the box with Janna's biscuits in it and offered it to her.

She smiled and tucked into them. The nurse came in and saw Tia eating biscuits over the more healthy option, and put her hands on her hips. "You need vitamins, not sugar."

Tia shrugged. "Those vegetables have been boiled so long there are no vitamins in them or flavour. You want me to eat vegetables they need to taste like something other than water." The nurse tutted and did what she came in for.

"Nurse I have questions about Tia fit's and..."

"We have contacted her specialist and he will be contacting Miss Frost in due course" The nurse finished writing in the chart and started to leave.

Tia coughed drawing the nurse's attention. "I have a question."

The nurse looked at us both and then sighed. "Go on then, what's your question?"

Tia looked sly for a moment then smiled. "How much of my actual medical history do you have?"

The nurse frowned and shook her head. "I have your medical ID number here and I have your history from that."

"You need to add my other names to the file."

I shook my head. "Is that wise?"

"I have no choice now Maverick. They need to know everything."

The nurse watched the exchange with a look of concern and confusion. "Are you in witness protection or something?"

"Yes here." Tia grabbed her coat and went through one of the inside pockets and pulled out a piece of paper. She offered it to the nurse. "The top name is my real one. They are all in order."

The nurse took the paper and looked at it. Her eyes almost popped out of her head when she started reading. "I know a few of these names.... they are authors!" Tia nodded. "Are you the writer of those books or... did you just like them?"

Tia smiled. "I'm the author. I used some of those pen names so I could break free."

The nurse chuckled and put the paper in her pocket. "I'd ask for an autograph but I'm not sure which one to ask for."

She laughed as she left the room. "I don't think she believes you."

"She will."

She will? What's in those records? "Tia... what could convince her in those records?"

She looked at me her smile slipping. She turned her head to one side watching me like a dog does when you have its ball. "That's an odd question. Alright, do you want to see them?"

What? She's willing to show me. "You don't have to... I was just curious as to what would make her change her mind." She smiled widely and pushed the call button.

The nurse reappeared looking a little shell-shocked. "Yes?"

"I request a copy of my medical records. I know how much it will cost me and I will have a check for you soon." The nurse nodded and left without saying anything.

"That was odd."

She shook her head. "No, it's the reaction of someone who just met their favourite author. She would have looked that one up first" She put the lid on the box and put it aside. "What's on your mind?"

She crossed her legs and pushed the table away slightly. "A lot has happened."

"Yes." I looked at her and noticed something. Since that night in her home life returned to her eyes, it has stayed there. She never used that flat tone with me any more Even when other people are here she's warm with me. "I can see you thinking."

"Sorry, I just realised something."

She frowned. "Oh?"

"You have been flat with everyone except Burt and Tobin the whole time I've known you. Your voice and mannerisms have been flat, but that night..." She smiled. "You showed me your emotions. You let me in your life. You show me your emotions like with Tobin or Burt."

"I trust you Maverick. With information and my heart. You showed me that I could let you in, so I did. I wasn't expecting things to get this big this fast but well, you play the hand you're dealt."

I moved down the bed slightly "You play the hand you're dealt?"

"Poor choice of words perhaps. What I mean is.."

She stopped talking as I lifted her and put her in my lap. "I know what you mean. You mean you find yourself attached to a man with a bun in the oven and a child that has issues."

She blushed. "Yes... that's one way to put it. Attached to a man?"

"I'm not the kind of person that will have nothing to do with a child. I have a responsibility to them. So even if you decide you don't want me around any more.."

I grunted when she thumped me. "What kind of woman do you think I am?"

"The kind that hits police officers." I smiled and she blushed. I kissed her and she gripped my shirt. As I let her go she was very flushed. "I won't leave you, Tia."

She stroked my face. "I'm not going anywhere either Maverick." I held her and looked out the window.

I could see out over the town that this hospital served. The world beyond that window was not as dangerous as it had seemed once. I'd faced my demons with Tia at my side. I don't want to be a policeman any more..... no I can't be a policeman anymore. Suddenly what Roland had told me about just not being able to do it anymore made sense. I've been ignoring myself in this.

"What are you thinking about?"

I looked down at Tia she looked drowsy in my arms. "Giving up my job."

She chuckled. "You going to marry someone rich and be a kept man, or something?"

I laughed and kissed her forehead. "Something like that. Do you know any rich women that want a scared old cop?"

She yawned laying her head on my chest. "You know, I just mite." With those words, she fell asleep.

Well, we have a lot to do Tia. I thought looking down into her sleeping face. Your house is derelict, Rose needs looking after, Tobin needs to become our child.... the list is endless. For some reason I can't work out, it doesn't seem so bad with you by my side. She shifted and I kissed her forehead. We will figure it all out, even those two bothersome officers.

A knock at the door made me turn to it. "Mac?" Roland opened the door slowly. He saw Tia asleep in my arms and whispered. "I'll come back."

"No. It's ok, come in. Tia is on some hefty medication at the moment so she will be out for hours."

Roland came in and closed the door. "Tobin is in the garden with the chief."

"Good, I need to talk with you." Roland sat on the chair. "I need you to help me get the ball rolling on a few things."

"Like?" He crossed his legs looking unimpressed.

"I need you to get the builder Tia likes to look at the house. I know it will take time and be expensive so I need those quotes fast. Next, I need you to find me a car body shop and get a quote for getting Tia's Volvo resprayed." He was starting to look confused. "Last thing and most importantly of all. I need you to help me find a ring."

Roland sat up at that. "Really?"

"I can't leave her side, Roland. Every time I have..." I looked down at her face. So peaceful. "I was scared I would come back and she wouldn't be there."

"Well... as the hopeless romantic I have to say, you are head over heels for her." I nodded. "That is great and I don't want to spoil the good mood but..."

"You upset Tobin by talking about Tia." Roland frowned. "Tia and I have discussed it. I know what he is upset about. We will talk to him." I stood and laid Tia in the bed covering her up. "I need to talk to the chief, look after her for me ok?"

"Sure..." I smiled at him as I left the room.

Then I walked through the corridors to the garden. Tobin saw me and looked concerned. I knelt and put my arms out. Tobin smiled and ran into them. "Mac.... you seem happy."

"For the first time in a long time, I am. I came to find you chief because I remember you telling me old Betty is just about ready for scrap."

The chief nodded sighing. "The higher-ups won't give me the funding to fix her, and Bill says running her in that state is a bad Idea. Why do you ask?"

"I want to buy her from you."

The chief eyed me like I'd lost my mind. "You want her?" I nodded grinning. "Run that one passed me again?"

Someone was stroking my face. I opened my eyes to Tobin. "Hay Tobin." He smiled and kissed me on the cheek. "That's the best way to wake up." I looked up and saw Maverick standing behind him he had a big grin on his face. "What's made you so happy my dear?"

Just when I thought his grin couldn't get bigger it did. "I have found my Rose."

I gave him a puzzled look as I sat up. "What?"

"Old Betty is about to go on the scrap heap and I want to save her. If it wasn't for her braking down that day, I wouldn't have seen you beam with pride at her engine. She is the reason I believed you." I smiled and nodded.

"Then you had better bring me my chequebook. You know she is going to cost a lot to fix don't you?"

"I'm buying her myself."

I smiled at him. "I'm offering my dear."

He nodded and sat on the edge of the bed. "You don't mind?"

I laughed. "My dear, why on earth would I mind? You are finally healing from what you faced like Tobin and I. If buying you a lady of the road and helping you put her back together lets you put your past behind you then it's money well spent."

Tobin opened his notebook and waved it at me. "Look, mum!"

I looked down at the picture of a house. "What's this?"

He moved to sit in my lap. "Home." He said simply.

"Ahhh I see." I chuckled as I hugged him to me and he turned the page.

"This is Mum Tia's room." The picture was of a library with walls covered in bookshelves and a desk in the middle. He turned the page and it was a Kitchen. "For Uncle Rolly." The next was a nice living space with a bay window and front door. "This is the living room. I need to do more drawings. Oh yes. We need a garage and Dad needs a place to paint." He turned to a fresh page and started drawing as he spoke.

"I take it the house is gone?"

Maverick nodded and took my hand. "We have a lot to talk about."

"We have a long time to sort it out."

He leaned in towards me and kissed me. "Yes, we do."

I stroked his cheek. He has taken charge for now. I'm ok with that. It will give me time to heal. I smiled as I looked into his eyes. He won't hurt me or force me into anything. He knows what it's like to be in an abusive relationship. So I will always support him and he will support me. This is what I was looking for. My happiness and freedom.

"What are you thinking about honey?"

His new pet name for me made my heart flutter. "Happiness."

He smiled at me and we watched Tobin draw. "I think we deserve a happy ending don't you honey?"

"Yes, we do my dear."

The end.