''I just don't get it?'' Jodie muttered as she waited for the toaster to let her toast spring out of it.

''Don't get what?'' Marshall responded, eating his own breakfast from his stool, while it appeared the toaster was keeping Jodie's prisoner.

''Everything...'' Jodie was cut off by the toaster popping and making her jump, which in turn caused Marshall to chuckle. Although the glare she gave him, made his stop laughing almost instantaneously.

''Do continue,'' he gestured towards her in a funny accent. Jodie, sticking out her tongue decided to butter her toast before finishing what she was going to say.

''Everything, just seems so strange to me right now. Like in the matter of a month so much has happened. I met you, Joe decided he wanted to apologise, Joey, the drug dealer is asking for my dads help to catch a rogue dealer and Blink fucking adores you. Now let me tell you he don't even like Taylor and he's known her since he was like a kitten,'' Jodie explained plopping herself down on the stool opposite to where Marshall sat. She always prefered to sit opposite him when they were eating, it was something Marshall had noticed her doing. He didn't though because at least he had a beautiful view almost every morning during breakfast.

''I texted Royce about that Joe thing, he don't understand either you know since he's thinking of asking whoever he's dating to marry him. Unless he thinks he got some sort of shot with you,'' Marshall shrugged, he didn't really want to talk about him, but he realised that Joe was trying to play some sort of game and Marshall'd rather fall off a cliff than get himself caught up in it.

''I've told him enough times and he missed his shot a good few years ago,'' Jodie shook her head in exasperation, finally able to take a bite of her breakfast. She felt as if she hadn't eaten in days.

''Good, now can we talk about what we're gonna do today. Your last day before your operation and I don't wanna sit around talking about that fu... who the fuck could that be,'' Marshall groaned rising from his seat as the sound of the doorbell rang through the house. It had to be someone who had security clearance to get to the door, otherwise, he would have been told by security their was someone at the gate.

Leaving Jodie in the kitchen, Marshall trudged down the hallway to the front door. He could just about make out a female figure stood on the other side. They were short and he could make out the dirty blonde of their hair. At that moment he instantly knew who it was.

''Hailie baby what are doing here at this time in the morning,'' Hailie just looked up at him and didn't speak,'' hey come in,'' he held his hand out and she took it before falling into his chest for a hug. Marshall wrapped his arms slowly around his daughter and just held her. She wasn't quite crying, but he could tell she was close to.

''Ya gonna tell me what's up?'' He asked moving her gently away from him so he could see her properly.

''It's nothing, you'd just laugh at me. I know what you're like,'' Hailie muttered a little smile filtering across her face as she thought about what his reaction would be.

''Oh come on, you came all this way at half nine in the morning and ya won't tell me why. Looks like you're no longer my favourite child.''

''Oh come on dad I'm not ten anymore don't be like that,'' Hailie whined.

''Then don't act like one,'' Marshall pointed out.

''Fine, one of the dogs is sick and they gotta stay overnight and I'm worried. That's it and I just needed to see you, you know since you've been locked away,'' Hailie smirked, moving past him. Marshall stood stunned in the doorway until he realised that Hailie was on her way to the kitchen.

''Wait for Ha...'' But she was already gone.

Jodie was washing the plates up from breakfast when she heard footsteps come into the kitchen. Knowing that it was Marshall she continued cleaning the plates.

''Who was at the door...'' Jodie turned around and jumped. It wasn't Marshall was stood in the doorway and so the sudden appearance of the young woman caused the plate to slip from Jodie's grip as she froze, letting all feeling disappear. The room to her was frozen for a few seconds as if time itself had stopped and it only restarted again when the crash of the plate caught her ears, ''shit,'' she muttered jumping into action trying to desperately clean up the mess she'd made.

Marshall heard the crash and jogged the rest of the way to the kitchen. His first thought was Jodie because a part of him feared she'd collapsed again, then he thoughts went to Hailie and if she was ok. He felt guilty, having his worry placed on his girlfriend first rather than his daughter.

''Is everything ok in here?'' He called poking his head around the doorframe to see Jodie and Hailie both on their hands and knees near the sink.

''I think I scared...'' Hailie paused not sure what to say, she hadn't exactly asked the spectacle-wearing, bruntte her name.

''Jodie,'' Jodie replied smiling over at Hailie, she was glad for the girls to help.

''Yeah, I think I scared Jodie and she dropped the plate, alls good,'' Hailie said with a smirk, looking over at her dad.

''I was erm gonna tell you, girls, soon,'' Marshall blurted out, rubbing the back of his neck, ''ya know when the time was right,'' he added, looking over at Jodie, who nodded, understanding what he was trying to say. It appeared Hailie did too.

''It's ok dad, I guess this is all..'' she suddenly stopped talking and Marshall grew worried. Before he could say anything she squealed and then said, '' dad when did you get a cat. Oh aren't you adorable,'' Hailie had picked Blink up and begun to snuggle into him. He purred enjoying the sudden attention he was receiving.

''He's actually mine,'' Jodie piped up, causing Hailie's eyes to widen.

''Wait are you two living tgether because dad I feel like you've become a little confused with what 'I was going to tell you when the time was right,' really means,'' Hailie was trying to sound a serious, but it was extremely hard to take her seriously when Blink was purring away in her arms.

''No, no Hay we haven't moved in, erm er it's complicated Jodie's...'' Jodie came up to him placing her hand on his shoulder.

''It's ok I'll tell her,'' she whispered, planting a reassuring kiss on his cheek, ''Hailie I know we've only just met and what I'm about to say isn't something you'd tell someone you have just met ok,'' Hailie nodded a frown forming across her features as she placed Blink back down on the ground, (he had started to wriggle free anyway).

''A little under a week ago I was told I had a brain tumour and that It needed to be removed. That's happening tomorrow and the doctor said I needed to be with someone right up until the operation in case something happened and so that is why I appear to have moved in but haven't.''

''Yet,'' Marshall added, causing Jodie to elbow him in the ribs, ''hey that hurt.''

''Good.''

''Ok, but you gotta tell me how you convinced dad to let your cat stay. He won't let me bring the dogs around. Please teach me your ways,'' Jodie laughed and Marshall rolled his eyes. At least he didn't need to worry about Hailie not liking Jodie. Although he was starting to worry about some kind of pet revolution happening soon.