Neil heard a knock on his door and rushed up to get it. He opened it and immediately pulled JJ into a hug as he shut the door. He buried his face in her neck and sighed.

"Oh honey, I came as soon as I heard." She felt the tears soak through her t-shirt and she closed her eyes. "It's okay. I got you. I got you," she whispered.

"I told him to check it out so many times, Jay. He said it was nothing and now look. He has someone drilling into his skull and we don't even know if he'll make it."

"Hey your dad is a strong man. I think he has too much pride to die on a hospital bed and be proved wrong." Neil pulled away with a soft laugh. JJ wiped away his tears and gave him a small smile. "Hey...I love you. You know I hate seeing you cry."

"I love you too." He leaned down to kiss her and even through the kiss, she could feel his lips trembling. "I don't want him to die, Jay. He's my best friend." She saw fresh tears start to fall down his cheeks and pulled him in for another hug. She rubbed his back for a few minutes until his shoulders stopped shaking. When he pulled away, she said nothing and held onto his hand, guiding him into the room. She sat him down on the bed and before she could walk away, she felt his hand on her wrist.

"Don't leave me," he whispered. "Please don't leave me."

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to get you a glass of water and just check on Lara. I'll be back in a minute."

After checking on Lara, JJ walked into the room to find Neil pacing back and forth. When he saw her, he stopped. "Hey, get back into bed. You need to get some sleep."

"I can't. I can't. What if someone calls? What if-"

"Neil, honey, you need to relax. If you're not gonna sleep then just lie down with me for an hour okay. I'm here." She gave him the glass of water and he took it with shaking hands. "Okay now get into bed. I'm here." She helped him into bed and then got in herself.

"I shouldn't have left the hospital. What was I thinking? I shouldn't have left Steph there."

"Neil, I hate to say this but you're a mess. Listen, we'll just lie down for an hour, wait for a call and see how it goes. When we get a call then you need to be up and functioning to see him yeah?"

Neil gently placed his head on her chest. He held onto her tighter than she liked but she didn't say a word. Instead she kissed the top of his head and ran a hand through his hair. "There's so many things I haven't told him yet."

"And you will when he's out of surgery."

"You don't know that. It's brain surgery, anything can go wrong."

"Whatever happens then we will deal with. Just have a little faith."

"Cara, you weren't there. I thought he was going to die in my arms. He got cold so quickly and he was so floppy...he's my dad, cara. He's my best friend. He's who I go to when I want to talk and I don't know what I will do without him."

"I'm so sorry, Neil. I'm sorry I can't make you feel better." He looked up and frowned. "I'm sorry."

"You always make me feel better. I love you, cara."

"I love you too. Please just close your eyes for a few minutes." He nodded his head. She leaned down and kissed him slowly. "I love you so much. Everything is going to be fine."

* * *

"Cara!" Neil screamed. She rushed into the kitchen to see a smile on his face.

"Good news? He's awake?"

"He's awake. And he's talking and god thank you so much." He pulled her into a hug and lifted her off the ground. He heard her laugh and then put her down. Cupping her cheeks, he leaned down to repeatedly kissed her face. "I love you, I love you, I love you! Come on, get ready so we can see him. I've gotta get Lara up and-"

"I've already woken her up. And you, go freshen up. I will drive."

* * '

"Neil, stop running."

"I'm sorry. I'm just so excited. I'm gonna hug him and kiss him and then punch him for making me so worried."

"Alright you go ahead. Lara and I will join you." He looked back and kissed her cheek before running down the hall. "Your father has lost it, monkey." She turned to her left and smiled. "Shall we grab a hot chocolate after we see grandpa?"

"Yes please. Daddy will be too busy he won't even notice we're gone. Not like he noticed me yesterday."

"Hey monkey you know it's not like that. Your dad was very upset yesterday and he was scared. He didn't mean to shut you away and I'm pretty sure he didn't realise."

"But when you came home he paid attention to you. He hugged you and kissed you but he didn't even give me a kiss goodnight. I had to eat dinner by myself. I've never eaten dinner by myself before."

"Sweety, it was a very difficult time for your dad. It's not that he paid attention to me, he needed me to comfort him. And he cried and I just held him. He didn't want to do that in front of you because your dad wants you to always think he's strong."

"Okay..."

They both stepped into the lift quietly. When they came to the room they heard Andre laughing. "Good morning Mr Zampa. I'm happy to see you're awake."

"Oh don't tell me the boy had you worried sick too. I'm telling you guys, I'm invincible."

JJ let go of Lara's hand and she walked to Neil. He slipped his hand into hers and smiled. "Hey, I need to talk to you about Lara after this," she whispered.

"Is she okay?"

"Yeah." she put a hand on his chest. "It's okay, I think she just needs some time with you."

"Okay. Thank you." He leaned to peck her lips. "I love you," He whispered. "Thank you for everything you did yesterday. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"Don't mention it."

* * *

"Hey tesero? Can daddy talk to you for a minute?" She sighed as she closed her book. He walked over and sat on her bed. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"I mean everything that happened with grandpa? I know it was a bit scary."

"It's okay. I mean it was scary at first but he's all better now."

"That's good. But Lara, daddy will like to apologise for my behaviour yesterday. I left you out all day and I am so sorry. I was just really scared and I thought I was going to lose your grandpa."

"But you didn't even give me a kiss goodnight," she mumbled. "You hugged and kissed JJ when she came home."

"You know when sometimes you're not feeling well and you just want JJ to hold you and play with your hair?" She nodded her head. "JJ is that person for me too. She's my person. She makes me feel better and makes me laugh. She makes me want to be a better person and a better father to you. Beside you, she's the first person I think of when I wake up and seeing her relaxes me."

"I'm sorry, daddy. You cried yesterday and I couldn't help you."

"Tesero, my angel, it's not your job to make me feel better. Nor is it JJ's but she helps a lot. And she's a grown up so we can talk about grown up stuff."

"And she's a really good hugger."

Neil chuckled before kissing the top of her head. "Yes she is. And everytime I hug her I feel very happy."

"Daddy? You know how she's your person, will I have my own person when I grow up?"

Neil sighed as he looked down at her. "I sure hope so because you're my little angel and you deserve the best. But no dating until you're thirty five."

"No fair!"

"Hey that is completely fair."

"JJ!" Lara called when she walked out. JJ popped her head out the kitchen and smiled. "Daddy said I can't date until I'm thirty-five."

"Wow. That's rather young don't you think, honey? I was thinking more like forty."

"I think you may be right, cara." Neil leaned down to peck her lips. "I'm gonna get dinner started."

"You guys are so unfair!" Lara huffed and then stormed to her room. Neil chuckled as he put his hands on her waist.

"It's good to see you smile again, Neil. I missed it."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for. Come here. I love you." She pulled him into a hug and sighed. "I love you."

"You already said that. But I love you too. And I need to get dinner started otherwise miss grumpy will get hangry and it won't be good for either of us."

"Stop, she's your daughter," JJ said with a laugh as she pulled away. "Do you want help?"

"Actually get Lara in here. We'll cook together. Maybe she'll be less grumpy if we let her choose the music."

* * *

"You know," Neil whispered. His fingers grazed her arm, slowly going up and down. JJ sat in front of him in between his legs and her back pressed against his chest. "I can't imagine my life without you. I can't imagine waking up and not seeing you for the entire day. Seeing your beautiful smile and looking into those eyes of yours. You know your eyes tell me everything?"

"So you say."

"I say because it's the truth."

"Oh shut it, you always spoil me with words." Neil smiled as he leaned down to kiss her shoulder.

"Because you deserve to be spoilt. And there's also the fact that I love you very, very much." JJ tilt her head to the side to kiss him. "And you're the best thing that ever happened to me after Lara," he whispered. "You two are my entire world and I would do absolutely anything for you guys." JJ smiled as she put her hands over his.

"I love you too honey. Oh that reminds me, I got a present for you and Lara."

"Cara I already told you to stop buying presents for her." He paused. "But I would like mine."

"I will be right back," she whispered. He leaned in to kiss her and then watched her get up. After a few seconds he heard the front door close and then heard Lara step out her room.

"Three, two, one," he mumbled before he saw her standing in the sitting room doorway. "You done with your homework?"

"Yeah."

"So who did you write your report on?" She took a seat next to him and opened her homework book.

"I was going to do it on you. Then I was going to do it on grandpa because of what happened last week. But I decided to do it on JJ." Neil smiled as he looked down at her. "I'm going to read it when she comes back. She said she has a present for me."

"Can I ask why you did it on her?"

"Are you jealous again?" she asked with her eyebrow raised. Neil rolled his eyes, hearing the door open again.

"Shut it properly!" He waited for the slam of the door and looked down at Lara.

"JJ can I read you my homework first? It's about you."

"Is this the report on someone special to you? I would have thought you would pick your dad."

"Yeah he's a little jealous about that. But take a seat."

JJ set the box beside her feet and snuggled up to Neil. He put an arm around her shoulder as Lara stood in front of them.

"When JJ came through the door with freshly baked cookies, I knew she was special. She made my favourite, double chocolate which I later learnt is her favourite too. She was a friend at first and my neighbour but she was funny and made me laugh and played with me even when she came to see my daddy. They're boyfriend and girlfriend. They have been for a long time but I'm here to talk to you about why JJ is special to me. First of all she let's me have chocolate and syrup on my pancakes and she let's me put extra cream on my hot choloate after the cream has melted or I've eaten it all. Sometimes when daddy screams at me, she comes into my room and hugs me, wipes my tears away and we talk about funny he looks when he shouts. And sometimes she tells me to get things for her in the kitchen so I could sneak a biscuit into my mouth without daddy knowing. She reads with me at night time, laughs at all my jokes and let's me play with her hair all day. She let's me help her with cooking and let's me help at the bakery so I can make extra pocket money because daddy doesn't give me enough.

She makes me happy. Everytime I see her I just want to hug her and she calls me her monkey because I jump around a lot. Daddy says it's the chocolate. Even after a long day of work, she comes to our flat, gives me and daddy a kiss and then sits with me which makes him jealous. She then eats and we sit together again and sometimes we dance. I like it when she sings me a lullaby because she has a nice voice.

Last week my grandpa had a stroke. Daddy didn't take it too well and was scared and upset. But when JJ came home, he cried and she helped him. She hugged him and kissed him and told him she loved him. She made him feel better the same way she makes me feel better when I'm upset or not well. When daddy spoke to me the next day he told me she was his person and told me I would find my own person one day. But I found my person and it's JJ. She's my best friend. She makes me laugh when I'm upset and she makes me happy. Everyday I wait to see her and every morning I wave to her in the camera even though she might not see me. JJ is special to me because she is my person and she is my daddy's person and we both love her very much." Lara closed her book and looked at JJ who was wiping the tears away from her eyes.

"Monkey come here." Lara smiled as she walked Into her arms. "I love you so much. So, so much."

"I love you too."

"What about me?" Neil said.

"Triangle hug!"

When they pulled away, Lara sat between them. Neil leaned back and pecked JJ's lips before she leaned down to pick up the box. "Okay...I know you want to try and not use a night light but I thought I would ease you out of it so if you do need to use one then you don't have to feel embarrassed because this will look lovely." JJ took out the nightlight from the box and handed it over.

"Wow! Is this us on your birthday?"

Neil smiled as he looked down at the stencil of the three of them. "It looks beautiful cara."

"I got you one too."

"You didn't have to do that."

"I thought it would cheer you up. It's you and I." She handed the box over to him and sighed as they both turned the lamps on. "Do you guys like them."

"Yes! Thank you so much." Lara turned to her father. "Can we give our present now?"

"I got one too?"

"Yeah. Go and get it kiddo." JJ cupped his cheeks before kissing him. "I love the present cara."

"I was gonna get you one with your dad but I didn't want that in the room every time we had sex."

"Daddy I can't find it." A few seconds went by. "Found it!"

"I do apologise, we were going to put it into a box and everything." Lara came in with her hands behind her back. "So this was actually Lara's idea. I would have got round to it eventually but it honestly slips my mind."

"Since you're always here, we thought we would get you a key. We made it black so it's your favourite colour."

"Oh that's so sweet thank you so much guys. This kinda spoils my surprise though. I was gonna give you a key to my house. And I made it blue, your read favourite colour."

"You didn't!"

"I did," she said with a laugh. "I was going to just put it in your key and see how long it took you to realise. I know we don't go over to mine as often but I love you and wanted you to have the key."

He leaned in closer to kiss her once again. "I love you too. But just to let you know, I would have noticed within a day. I play with my keys in the lift."

"I know. Hella annoying."