Ocean's POV

I'm waiting by the door and Michael's finally comes downstairs with Nevaeh. "it's her that should be nervous not you" I chuckle slightly seeing the look on his face. "does she even need the jab? She never gets sick"

"yes, she needs it. all babies do" I roll my eyes "I hate doing this to her" he pouts. "I hate it too but it has to be done. Just don't freak out this time"

"I never freak out" I look at him skeptically raising and eyebrow. "really? When DJ got his first jab you were pacing around the room and stared at the doctor like you was about to punch him" I giggle "he was crying. I don't want our kids to think of me as the mean one" Michael shrugs. "it's just a little jab. she'll be fine and so will you"

"told ya mommy was the meanie one" he cooes at Nevaeh making her giggle. "don't listen to him.. Daddy's just a big scardy cat" I coo at her then stick my tongue out at Michael.

after Micheal straps Neveah into her car seat. We're about to leave and LaToya comes rushing to the car. "can you guys pick me up a few things while your at the store" she asks passing a shopping list through the car window. "we're not going to the..."

"thanks!" she smiles cutting me off and goes back inside. "she wouldn't ask if she didn't really need this stuff" Michael hints. "fine! But your coming next time" I tell him sternly "thank you!" He sighs in relief and pecks my lips, then goes to Nevaeh who's in the back seat and gives her a kiss. "now you go with mommy and daddy's gonna have a nice new toy for you when your all done" he coos at her and heads off the the shops.

******

Michael's POV

I kinda bad ditching on Ocean and Nevaeh like that. It's not that I'm scared of needles obviously, but when it comes to my kids it's different. Everytime I've been to those things they both looked at me and started crying and there was nothing I could do to help.

I get a text from Ocean saying she's gonna be a little longer at the doctors so I decided to go get a cup of coffee before meeting up with her. "Michael?" I hear a familiar voice as I sit down at the table. "Hey, Mollie" I smile and she comes over and sits beside me with her cup of coffee "Ocean not with you?"

"she took Nevaeh for her vaccanations. have you moved around here?"

"I came to visit a relative again. I tried to call you guys to let you know I'd been in town"

"yeah, sorry about that. We meant to call you back, but with the trail and stuff...."

"it's fine" she smiles cutting me off. "how's it going?" I sigh looking at the table. "well he won't admit it obviously, and Ocean's family and my old boss aren't helping either. They're trying to make out like I'm some sex crazed psycho with a drug problem and that letter telling them about all the other stuff doesn't help. Kyle said not to worry about the letter because there's no evidence to prove any of it's true, but I'm still pissed somone would do that"

"did you ever find put who it was?" I shake my head "there's no clue to who it could be so I guess we'll never know" I shrug. "it must have been somone close to you. Especially for them to know that much information. Is there anyone your having problems with?" She asks and I try and think and the first name that comes to mind is LaToya. She's made it pretty clear she doesn't want me or Ocean around since we came back. "my sister and I don't get along much lately, but I don't think she'd do something that vindictive" a reassure her, while trying to reassure myself. LaToya can be spiteful at times, but I doubt even she'd let Luther walk away unpunished just to spite me. She's actually been really supportive about the whole thing "just try to keep an eye on her. You can't always trust family as you know" Mollie says I'm about to speak and I look up seeing someone at the corner of my eye. "are you ok?" Mollie asks and I turn back and smile " I thought I saw someone. Probably just stress from the trail" I chuckle slightly trying to brush it off. "so what's been going on with you?"

we change the subject and sit talking for a moment and I start getting this really worrying feeling. "I'll pay you obviously" Mollie says and I look at her confused. "for the kitchen cabinet. Robert said You did such a great job fixing up some stuff at his place and Ocean can come too. Me and her can have a nice little catchup" she smiles. "um, yeah sure" I nod looking at who just walked in. "so what day do you guys wanna come over?" I look over at the counter and get up from my seat. "we'll come in a few days... I really have to go" I say quickly and hurry out before I'm seen.

****

Ocean's POV

"you were such a brave little girl!" I smile at Neveah coming out of the doctors. "only two more days" I hear a familiar voice and turn around seeing dad. "w-what are you doing here?" I stutter. "well this is my practice. If you don't like it you can always take your half breed brat somewhere else" he shrugs and goes to walk away then turns back coming over to me. "you know it's not to late to drop the charges?"

"why would I do that?" I frown. "Ocean, do you really think you have a chance at winning? And even if you did your reputation around here is already disgraceful and when they get older and realise what their parents are really like, your kids will be ashamed of you both too"

"what are you talking about!? We haven't done anything wrong they did!" I snap. And he smirks walking closer to me. "nothing wrong huh? Your mother told me what got said in court during Michael's trail. It only took what? two maybe weeks for Michael to get you sucking his dick and spreading your legs. Your nothing but a shameless, dirty little whore that got knocked up by 15 to a useless junkie and that's all the courts are gonna see! And it wouldn't suprise me if your on drugs either. So you may as well quit now and save yourselves the last bit of self respect the two of you have left!" I'm about to speak and he puts his hand up cutting me off "don't even bother speaking I'm disgusted enough just breathing the same air as you" he says with a repulsed look on his face and walks away.

**

Michael's POV

I start walking quickly down the street. I put my hand in my pocket to get my phone out and as I do and I suddenly feel someone's grab my arm and pull me into the nearby ally. "after everything i've done for you, your just gonna walk away and say nothing!?" Luther snaps turning me to face him. "you had enough to say about me in court and now you have nothing!? is it money? Is that what you want? Fine! Name your price!" He snaps and I shake my head "I don't your money" I mumble. "then what do you want from me!? Because I don't remember you complaining at the time. You always were and ungrateful, whiney little bitch. You were happy enough when I was jerking you off or buying you gifts and sucking away on your dick. Not ONCE did you return the favour! all I got from you was a pitiful excuse for a hand job and even then I had to hold your hand and listen to you whine and cry about it! Because your a selfish ungrateful little brat! and now your standing up in court whining about it now you got someone better to do the job!"

"I was 9 years old! I didn't enjoy shit!" I snap pushing him away and turn to leave, but he pulls me back. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get angry with you" he sighs taking a softer approach. "it's just me and you were special friends remember? And hearing you say all those mean things about me really broke my heart" he says softly. "we were never friends! You were abusing me!"

"no, I was loving you and giving you pleasure. Is that really so wrong?

"when it's a grown man and a scared 9 year old little kid... yes! And now your gonna pay for what you did!"

"so that's how it is huh? I was good to you and treated you like a son and the second you get a little taste of pussy, you betray me like this" He shrugs.  "your nothing like my dad, fathers don't do what you did and I didn't betray you! You betrayed me!"

"Michael. I'm gonna ask you this really nicely. Please drop the charges and we can forget all about it"

"no" I shake my head and he sighs. "ok. I'd tried being nice" he shrugs and goes to leave then turns back and smirks. "maybe I should pay a little visit to that son of yours.... Duncan right?... Maybe he'd be a little more grateful having a special friend. Especially since he doesn't have his daddy around anymore " he chuckles under his breath. And quickly leaves before I can say anything. My phone starts ringing and I see it's Ocean. "Michael, where are you?" She sobs down the phone "I'm just on my way" I answer shakily.

*******

Joseph's POV

when Michael and Ocean came home, they were both visibly shaken and told us what happened and I immediately called the police. Michael luckily had managed to record the whole conversation with Luther on his phone of him confessing to everything he did to Michael and threatening Duncan, but unfortunately Ocean wasn't able to do that and since there were no witnesses to what Carson said all they can do is warn him to keep away from her.

Once the officers leave Michael and Ocean head straight up to their room. "so does this mean Michael's trails over?" Kathrine asks. "I hope so" I mumble "he pretty much confessed that should be more than enough to put Luther away" LaToya says hopefully "now we just have to pray Ocean's trail goes well" she sighs. "where do you think your going?" I frown at Randy walking towards the stairs with a basketball. "I'm meeting some friends at the park and i'm gonna see if Mike and Ocean wanna come"

"I doubt their going to wanna play basketball at a time like this" LaToya says rolling her eyes. "well it's better than them hiding in their room like they've one something wrong" he shrugs. She about to speak when Michael comes downstairs. "I just came down to get Nevaeh's bottle" he mumbles. "me and some friends are gonna meet up to play basketball, then go for pizza. You and Ocean wanna come?"

"Neveah's due her nap soon"

"it's fine I'll watch her" I cut in and he smiles slightly. "are you sure?"

"don't worry about the baby.you two go an have some fun"

"thanks!" He smiles at me then turns to Randy. "we'll go get ready" he smiles and heads back upstairs.

**

"do you think they'll be ok? They still looked pretty shaken up" Kathrine frets after the three of them leave "they'll be fine. You saw Michael's face when Randy asked them to hang out with him and his friend's. they don't have any friends to hang out with. Not real ones anyway, so it'll be good for them to make some new ones and they need time to just be teenagers"

"but will they be safe? If Luther and Carson got to them once today..."

"I don't ever wanna hear that monsters name on this house again" I say sternly cutting her off. I only heard the recording once, but those things he was saying to Michael and are still repeating in my head. "how could anybody do those things to a 9 year old little boy and" I croak. "he must have terrified. And where was I? I'm his father! I should have been protecting him" I sob breaking down. "non of this is your fault" LaToya says softly. "and you heard what Lu... He..was saying on that tape. He was trying to get inside Michael's head again and make him believe it was his fault and that he wanted it. That's what they do. We all trusted him and so did Michael and he abused that trust when he... Did those things to him" she says with a disgusted look on her face. He's the one to blame for all this, nobody else and that goes for Ocean's family too"

"what kind of father says those things to his own daughter? And when she had her child with her!" Kathrine shakes her head. "and then accuse her of making it up!" LaToya agrees with her. "Ocean's Our family now. just Michael. you just have to look in her eyes to see she's not making it up" I frown.

*****

Jessica's POV

"what the hell are you two thinking!? We've all be warned about going near Ocean and Michael" I turn to Sherri and Carson once the police leave. "all we've been doing is pointing out that it's not to late to drop the charges" Sherri shrugs. "do you know how bad this will look on us if she actually wins? If she drops the charges then we can all move on and forget about it" Carson cuts in. "why would she win? She's lying and the courts will see that and..." I pause noticing the expression on their faces. "she's not lying is she?"

"it was a long time ago and.."

"you knew!?" I snap cutting Carson off. "yes" he nods. "then why didn't you do anything about it!?" He doesn't say anything for a moment then sighs. "we were on hard times. You remember how bad things were. We could barley scrape enough money together for rent and..."

"I can't believe this! You allowed our daughter to be abused for money!?" I shake my head in disbelief. "it was a one off payment so we didn't call the police and it's not like it bothered her. If it did then she would have said something at the time. Clearly she enjoyed it" Sherri shrugs. "I'm calling the police" I say still in shock and take my phone from my pocket. "you can't do that" Carson says taking the phone from me. "he abused our daughter!"

"and what do you think will happen to us?... And to Duncan" Sherri cuts in. "what are you talking about Duncan's fine" I shrug confused. "do you really think they'll let him stay here if they find out we knew about James?. If Ocean wins this case and they find out we knew, they'll take Duncan from you and hand him straight back to Ocean and Michael and you won't see him ever again" she warns me and I shake my head. "they can't do that. James hasn't been anywhere near Duncan"

"it doesn't matter. If you want to stand up in court and tell them Ocean's telling the truth, then you'll have to be prepared to hand that kid back over and be prepared to spend the rest of your life alone because me and you will be over and I'll throw you out into the streets" Carson says sternly and walks away followed by Sherri.

***

I take Duncan out to he park for awhile to clear my head and take in everything that's just happened and try and think what I should do. If I lie to the court then I get to keep Duncan and my husband, but if I tell the truth, James will be punished and Ocean will get the justice she deserves, but to do that I'd have to risk losing everything and will be homeless.

as we're leaving the park, we walk past the basketball court and Duncan rushes away from me. "mommy! Daddy!" He squeals rushing over to the the court and I see Michael and Ocean happily playing basketball with their friends. "DJ!" Micheal smiles picking him up as he rushes over to them. "Duncan! get back here right now!" I say sternly walking over to them. "but I wanna play with mommy and Daddy" he pouts. "can I? please?" He turns to Ocean "today's Tuesday not Saturday remember?" I say to Ocean before she can answer him. "do I have to go back with grandma?" He turns back to Ocean and she sighs and nods. "I'm sorry sweetie. But you can play here all day on Saturday I promise" she smiles at him and he nods disappointedly. They both give him a kiss and a cuddle goodbye and he walks back over to me. "jeez..what bitch! Won't even let a kid play his mom and dad" I hear one of their friends scoff as I'm walking away with Duncan and I don't say anything and keep walking.

"why couldn't I stay and play?" Duncan pouts as we walk down the street. "because your Mommy and Daddy are busy playing with their grown up friends just like during the week their busy with the new baby"

"no their not. Veah doesn't live with them anymore"

"what do you mean?" I ask confused. "she lives with uncle Jermaine and aunti Aisha. Mommy and daddy moved back with Grandma and grandpa"

"so, they don't look after her all the time?"

"nope. Only sometimes like they do with. They still love us though and said they wish we could live them"

"I'm sure they do" I smile through pursed lips. "but some people are not very good at being mommy's and daddy's... Which is why your a very lucky boy and has a grandma like me who's able to love you and take care of you even more than they can"