I took the spoon from Tia's hand as she drifted off to sleep nearly dropping it. "Is she alright?"

"She's fine Roland. She had a fit earlier and now it's caught up with her."

Tobin sat next to her and stroked her hair. "She protected us. No one will get us here."

I smiled at him, but my heart wasn't in it. He moved the bowl and laid down next to her as I laid her down properly.

I stood taking her bowl and Tobin's. I watched her sleep for a moment with Tobin strokeing her face, before heading back upstairs. Roland followed me with the other bowls. I put them down on the worktop in the kitchen.

"Mac, what's going on?"

I leaned on the counter and sighed. "I kissed her."

"You did?" Roland sounded like he was smiling I turned and saw that is exactly what he was doing.

"Yes.. I freaked out because it hit me, she's not a well woman. This will keep happening to her and now Tobin..."

I shouldn't tell him that. "Come on out with it."

"I can't it's an open case."

Roland gripped my shoulders and shook me. "You freaked out Mac! Just like you did after you were stabbed. You need an outlet and you know I won't say anything."

"I know." I muttered.

He let me go. "So talk I won't spread it around."

"Tobin's mother may be dead... I think he knew and has asked Tia to be his mum." I practically whispered the words and Roland's eyes got wider and wider as each word left my lips.

"Now I get why your blood pressure is so high I can take your pulse from here. Will you tell him?" I shook my head. "Why?"

"We don't know for certain yet. He will then be taken away... he might need to be taken away now Tia's in danger. It's going to devastate both of them."

Roland sighed. "That's a lot of mac."

"Then I go and fall for Tia and she seems to feel the same. What do I do about that?"

Roland turned the kettle on and laughed. "You go downstairs and sit with her while she sleeps. Then when she wakes up you have a drink with her and talk about what's next. I'll take care of the budding architect."

My chest felt warm and my stomach empty. I opened my eyes to see Tobin lying against me brushing Burt's fur. I looked around feeling slightly confused.

"You awake?"

I looked behind me and there was Maverick with his nose in a book sitting on the blankets. "Not yet but I'm hungry."

Tobin stood. "I'll get your food. Uncle Rolly will help." He ran off upstairs without another word.

Burt looked at me and yawned. "You missed me then?" Burt shifted closer to me and sighed. I sat up stiffly. "Uncle Rolly?"

"Roland told him to call him that."

I smiled stroking Burt. "I see. How long was I asleep for?"

"About two hours. Do you feel better?"

I shook my head as Tobin came down the stairs carrying a cup. He came closer and handed it to me as Roland came around the corner with a tray. He left it on my lap. "Come on Tobin let's go and do some baking." Tobin ran up the stairs with Roland following behind.

I picked up the spoon and looked into the bowl. It was portage with fruit. I ate one mouthful before Maverick moved so he could look at me. "Problem?" I asked getting another spoonful ready.

"No... maybe..."

I sighed putting the spoon down. "Have you worked yourself up again?" I smiled to show I was joking but he nodded. I frowned. "About what?"

I picked up my spoon and started eating again. "If Tobin's mum is in that photograph, what will happen to him?"

"I will look after him and try to adopt him if they will let me. At the moment he's likely to have to go somewhere else until it's safe again."

Maverick nodded looking sad. "You're OK with that?"

"No... but I can't stop it."

I took a sip of tea. "Can you fight it?" I frowned into the cup.

"I'm not sure. I don't know if I should. He feels safe with me but I know he's not. Staying here could do more harm than good at the moment."

Maverick shook his head. "What about your child?"

"They have been adopted Maverick. I'm not breaking up a happy family. They never have to know their background or be under threat of the cult any more They are free, so why would I drag them back to that world?"

He looked sad. "You don't need to be in that world any more We will take these people out then you can bow out."

"What about all those people..." He took my hand shifting closer to me.

"Tia, you started a charity to help those people. You've done enough, it's time to look after yourself."

"Myself?"

He stroked my hand. "Yes yourself. You're not a well person Tia, your fits are caused by stress. Your being in this situation is making it worse. I'm worried about you."

I smiled at him. "That's sweet. Believe it or not, that is why I've bought all this land. This is my retirement, my escape. This is happening now because I was letting my guard down."

"So you were already out?" I nodded putting the tray aside now I'd finished my meal. "You were going to be here alone?"

"No, I had Burt."

He chuckled. "Well, now you have me, Roland and Tobin too."

"I do, you three are hard to get rid of. What else did you want to talk about?"

His eyebrows rose in surprise. "Us." I smiled and took a sip of tea. "If this is going to work I'd like to know more about you."

"This seems like a two-way street Maverick. Ask a question, answer a question."

He nodded. "How many children did you have?"

"Two, one was stillborn. What about you any children?"

He looked sadly at me and squeezed my hand. "I'm sorry to hear that. No children, but I was married. Who took the photographs of you, that you gave us?"

An odd question. "It was Annabel. How did you get stabbed?"

He flinched. "I was on duty and I was called out to a fight. Your standard drunken brawl. I dove in with two others and we were getting things under control. Unfortunately, I was cuffing one of them when I felt a sharp pain in my side. I looked down and realised what had happened. In total, I was stabbed five times and I was awake throughout. I fought for my life to get the guy off me. I was accused of being... that doesn't matter. Who is Annabel?" I watched him as he talked and saw the pain of that memory.

"That sounds terrifying. Annabel was the woman my husband wanted as a second wife. You know most of the rest of what happened there. The letter is one she gave me to hide from him. She joined the cult to get away from her stalker, who was from another cult. I was determined not to let my husband have her as a wife. She had escaped a cult and found ours. If he had got hold of her... she probably would have been killed."

"Don't you have another question?"

I shook my head. In truth I have hundreds but none of them seem important at the moment. He let my hand go and moved so he was sitting next to me. He put his arm around me and chuckled. "What are you laughing at?"

"You didn't flinch at me."

I laid my head on his shoulder. "I trust you. Don't mind me I'm still tired."

"I could carry you to bed."

I sighed. "Not yet. It's safe down here. Are you staying?"

"Yes. So is Roland and now you have Burt back. So you can sleep easier knowing you're not alone in this."

With Maverick's arm around me and Burt next to me, I finally felt safe. Safe from my fits and the people after me. My stomach felt warm and satisfied so I closed my eyes and allowed myself to rest.