I sit before Astrid as she slowly eats the soup I gave her, Liam sits up on my knees, my arm supporting him slightly.

He has wolfed down his pears and is content to look around the room with his keen grey eyes as his mother slowly navigates her way through the steaming bowl of soup.

It's taking her a long time but I can tell she really needs to eat as much as she can, both for herself and for the baby as well as for my mental state.

After what my mum told me, my heart was broken and my jaw clenched. All I wanted was to crush that bastard's skull between my hands but reality came and smashed that plan to pieces.

Without a name, finding the man who did this to her would be far more of a challenge.

Despite that, I already have Hacker working on it 24/7.

We know she came from Germany with a little cash we presumed she stole as she escaped, but aside from that there is no paper trail. I just have to hope eventually she will give us some useful information to help us catch the sick fucker.

Astrid audibly gasps suddenly, breaking me from my thoughts. Her bowl of soup is empty, she's placed it to the side, and is rubbing her belly lovingly.

"What is it?" I ask, panicked that something is wrong, I've never been so paranoid or riddled with anxiety but every gasp or whimper from Astrid causes my heart to practically fall out of my chest in fear.

"The baby is kicking." She beams softly, "may I have Liam please."

As if I would ever refuse his own mother, it hurts me that she even feels that she has to ask me that. It's beyond wrong that she has been made to feel like that.

"Of course, he's your son." I hand him over to her gently and he cranes his neck around so he watches me as I hand him over. I find his intense stare so important, I'm holding a life in my hands, a totally vulnerable and innocent life that needs someone else to protect him.

Astrid takes Liam from me and throws me a shy smile at me, it's only a tiny movement at the side of her mouth but it's everything to me. She moves Liam gently over her bump and I watch in fascination, a part of me feels like I should leave but I can't make my feet move.

Liam clings to her stomach with his eyes gazing up into his mother's.

"He likes to feel the baby move." She explains to me. "Or at least I like to think he does, I have no evidence to suggest either answer." Her voice has a chuckling lilt to it and I'm so relieved she feels able to talk to me freely. They are both so precious.

"HOLY FUCKING SHIT!" I hear my dad shout from downstairs in pain, clearly putting Liam's cot together was causing him some difficulty. Astrid's eyes widen in fear at the raised male voice, as do Liam's.

Once again I brace myself for baby screams to fill my house, but they don't. Liam appears catatonic with fear at my dad's voice.

Astrid picks him up and stands from the bed, frantically rocking him. A soft tune dances mellifluously throughout the room as she hums a lullaby to him.

Sensing it was a private moment, I stand to leave. To my surprise, a delicate hand grips my arm. Her stormy eyes look into mine.

"S-stay p-please..." Her little voice wavers and I watch through her eyes as she catches herself.

"S-sorry." Her little hand falls from my arm, but I shake my head and catch her hand in mine as it falls.

"I'll stay with you, as long as you want me to."

Cautiously, she smiles and sits on the edge of the bed rocking Liam with one arm, and with the other she holds my hand.

Warmth spreads through me as I look down at our intertwined hands, I bite my lip- trying to hide the grin blooming there.

A comfortable and relaxed silence settles between us like snowflakes, as if we were also meant to end up here. With her holding my hand and she rocks a baby, stomach swollen with another.

Another round of crude swear words greet this silence like thunder and Astrid flinches hard. I stroke my thumb over her palm soothingly and feel her fear melt away.

"It's just my dad, he's trying to build Liam a cot to sleep in."

"What?" She exclaims in utter shock, her eyes looking round at me.

"Well I assume you're staying for a while so I thought it best, f-for Liam to sleep in of course."

"But-but we have no way to pay you back." Her voice is puzzled, no one has shown her goodness in such a long time it is no longer the norm for her.

"You don't need to pay me back. Shall we go downstairs and sit with them?"

"Who?"

"My ma and pa."

She nods at me, a little hesitantly after first but she still clings to my hand.

After descending the stairs, I open the sitting room door to a sight that has me guffawing in utter hilarity. But to my surprise my loud, coarse laughter is harmonised with Astrid's quiet giggle.

Not that I'm surprised, even Liam is squealing in delight at the sound of our laughter. I rub her hand with mine once again, my heart bursting with happiness and an unplaced emotion.