I didn't deny or admit to Hanson's statement. I didn't give him any reaction, except for a shrug of my shoulders that probably said enough. Hanson's on to me, what else could explain my protective -almost territorial- behavior towards Jo and Daisy?

But there is no way in hell I'm gonna say it out loud. Not before I have told it to the person that it's all about. And not before I'm one hundred percent sure that it won't have any effect on her recovery.

I ended up leaving shortly after Hanson subtly tried to ask me about Jo and my feelings for her once more. He gave me the file with copies, and also a very detailed report of the observation and eventual arrest that followed. I'm glad he did, because I have to read it through more carefully and with my full attention since I feel as if I haven't heard half of it due to the anger.

And now I'm sitting in Felix's car, and I'm parked in front of his house. He shares it with Morgz and Alex, and for some reason, my whole body relaxes upon seeing the front door.

I had to bring back Felix's car, and I figured that now that Jo is safe and not alone, I'd be away just a little longer to catch up with my mates. I've missed them, and I think it's good to have some distraction before I'm facing Jo and have to tell her everything that Hanson's told me.

I haven't texted mum or Mercy yet. It's around three now, and I know I have some time left before mum starts dinner. Since Felix's house is only a twenty-minute walk from mum's, I'll manage to get back in time.

I step out of the car, check the backseat to see if there is anything that belongs to Daisy or Jo, and then make my way to the front door. I knock and then realize that I have no idea if they're even home. I haven't even read or replied to the texts that I got from them this morning. I'm a fucked friend.

After a short moment, the door swings open and reveals a Felix in chill mode. Trackies, a hoodie, and a black cap; it's exactly how I would've looked if my life hadn't take this insane twist.

"Well, well, look who it is." He clicks his tongue and then presses his lips against each other onto a thin line. His eyes tell me he isn't mad though; he's trying to let me think he's pissed, but a smirk is fighting to get through.

"Yeah, yeah," I say while holding up one hand, preventing him from giving me a rant. "You've got some food?"

Felix nods his head for me to enter, and I do so while tossing him the keys of his car. "Thanks, bruh," I mumble, both because he permits me and because I could borrow his car. Felix nods in return, and I silently thank the universe for granting me a friend like him.

He doesn't ask questions because he, without a doubt, senses my mood. He doesn't hold a grudge. He hasn't spoken to me for a while but he globally knows about the situation. He doesn't care about any of it, because he knows that nothing has changed between us. He knows that I would act the same if it was him in my shoes.

When we enter the kitchen -which is the go-to place when we chill here- I'm greeted by Morgz. He's just eating what seems like a late lunch, and when he spots me his eyes light up in a way that's typically Morgz. ''Yo bruh, how's it going?"

I return his customized handshake and then take a seat next to him before shrugging off my heavy coat. "It's going," I reply, not sure where to begin or even if I should begin at all.

"Weren't you having a week off?" Felix pipes up while nodding towards my working gear.

I nod and rub my face, fixing my eyebrows by rubbing my finger and thumb along the hairs. "I was. I am."

"Fuck, bruh. You need coffee?" Morgz asks but doesn't wait for my answer. He stands and walks to the counter to grab me the coffee that he is right about me needing.

Felix takes a seat at the table as well, behind a half-full plate of eggs and toast which tells me he was eating too when I knocked on the door. "What happened, man? You look wrecked."

Morgz places a cup with steaming coffee in front of me and then retreats to his seat as well. "Yeah, man. Spill."

I sigh and think of where to begin. I'm not even sure if I'm allowed to talk about it given the investigation is going strong still. And then there's Jo. I don't want to spill her story around like it's nothing.

And right then, a voice in my head asks what the hell I'm doing here. Why am I here while I know Jo is waiting for me at mum's? Why am I here, almost telling them everything I've just heard at the station while Jo doesn't have a glue?

"It's nothing. Just tired," I tell them, which earns a questionable frown from both of them. "I had to drop something off at the station."

"In your gear?" Morgz asks, obviously spotting my bullshit right off the bat.

I shrug and fold my hands around my cup and lift it to my mouth, blowing over the rim in hopes it will cool off fast so I can drink it and then go to mum's. To Jo.

"How's the girl? And her baby?" Felix asks after a short silence. I think he senses that I don't want to talk about why I'm wearing my gear.

"Good." I nod before taking my first sip which nearly burns my tongue. "The little one is growing fast although she's still tiny. It's nice to have them around."

Felix smirks at my response, and I can tell Morgz is surprised because his mouth is hanging open slightly. "I mean so I know they are safe. And so I can help them," I add.

"Sure," Felix chuckles. "Because everybody would want something that specific for a total stranger."

"Never thought you would be the one that'd settle first though. And with a baby nonetheless," Morgz says, challenging me with a grin on his face. He's fishing for a reaction that comes closer to how I feel, and at this moment I hate how good they know me.

"Okay, okay," I say while raising my hand to silence them. "I have some things going on, but I can't tell right now. It's still a case."

That seems to back of Felix and Morgz because they both nod in understanding. "So, how's it going here?" I ask them, chancing the subject.

"Oh, Felix's got some news," Morgz says while wiggling his eyebrow, causing Felix to flip him the finger.

"What? What's going on?" I chuckle while taking a sip of my coffee which is now cooled off and drinkable.

Felix sighs and then leans forward. "It's not a big deal," he begins, his eyes telling me the exact opposite. "On Christmas Eve we had our yearly present game, right?" I nod for him to continue. "And you know how it goes; drinks, drinks, and a bit more drinks," he says, waving his hand. "And Elif kind of ended up in my room and she woke in my bed yesterday morning."

My eyes widen at his confession, and it's almost hilarious how he tries to pull it off as something completely uninteresting. "Elif?" I chuckle, not able to contain it. "Our Elif?"

"Yeah, bruh," Morgz chuckles while slamming my shoulder. "You missed out."

His comment stings more than I thought it would, but I decide to shake off the feeling and interrogate Felix a little more. Both because I want to know what happened, and because I love to give him shit about this. "You fucked Elif?" I ask, full-blown laughing now. "You fucked the girl we all know since she was two?"

Felix's neck and cheeks turn red and he wipes his hands over his face. "Fuck, give me a break."

Morgz and I chuckle. "So what?" I ask, wanting to know more. "Is this a thing? Do we have a couple in the crew now?"

He shrugs and looks at his hands on the table. "Fuck if I know. Did I enjoy it? Yeah. Do I want to do it again? Possibly. Is it just fucking? Most likely."

"Yeah, but this is Elif man," Morgz pipes up, voicing my thoughts. "She's not just a random fuck. She's our friend. And we're protective over her."

"And she's not that kind of girl," I add. I've never seen Elif hook up with someone, and she's never told about it either.

"I know," Felix sighs. "I'm not completely sure of all it yeah, so mind your fucking business."

Morgz and I chuckle again, and I follow it with the last gulps of coffee. I missed this. I've missed my friends. I've missed talking about unimportant shit like this. Shit that isn't live changing and doesn't involve hurt and fear and trauma.

"So, are we ever meeting this Josephine?" Felix asks, putting the attention back on me again.

"Possibly," I mumble. I've thought about it. About what it would be like if Jo was mine. That she would join me and my friends on a night out. How she and Elif and Miryam would get along, and how Daisy would be the little princess of the crew.

"Is she more than just someone you offered shelter?" Morgz asks, digging for information once again.

"Most likely," I grin, repeating Felix's answer. "Now kindly mind your own fucking business."

They laugh, and Morgz slams my shoulder once more.

Yeah, I missed them.

It's around five-thirty when I'm arriving at mum's house after walking for twenty minutes. I'd texted Mercy and mum in the family group chat when I'd left Felix's house, saying that I would be back in time for dinner.

After knocking, Mercy opens the door. She's wearing track pants, and she hardly greets me. She just opens the door, nods in greeting, and then turns to run back to the living room while mumbling a "hi".

It confuses me given the heavy vibe that hang in the house when I left. I at least expected to be questioned the moment I'd set foot over the threshold.

I kick off my shoes and shrug off my jacket before walking to the living area as well, and the moment I step in, everything makes sense and a smile covers my face while all the build-up tension of today slowly leaves my body.

Mum is sitting on one of the chairs, her feet up on the matching footstool that's standing in front of it. She's wearing her lounge gear as well, and my heart fills with pride when I see a sleeping Daisy in her arms.

Mum's mindlessly watching the tv, which plays a film that I recognize within seconds; Harry Potter. It's the first or second one, given the young actors, and I mentally let out a sigh of relief that it isn't number six.

Mercy and Jo are lying on the sofa, both on a side. Mercy is completely into the film even though she has seen it fifty times already, and an even bigger smile from my lips when I see that Jo's fallen asleep.

She's laying on her side, a red blanket thrown over her. Her hand is resting underneath her cheek, her lips slightly parted, and her long lashes resting on her cheeks. Her breathing is steady and she looks completely relaxed.

It's doing something to me; finding her like this. She feels safe, I can tell with just one glance at her sleeping form. It reminds me of how I used to fall asleep on the sofa when I still lived here, the only thing that's missing in the sight in front of me is a sleeping Diesel at her feet.

And then the fact that mum's holding Daisy. I know how reluctant Jo is with letting people come close to her, and it warms my heart that she's trusting my mum and my sister enough to hold and watch over Daisy while she takes a nap.

Little moments like these, are the small things that give me hope. Even though I know that it's just the beginning and that we are about to face a lot of shit, it gives me hope that Jo lets us come this close to her and her daughter. It's progress, and after a day like today, it's the best thing to come home to.

"Hi," I softly say, pulling my mum's attention away from the tv. And as if Daisy's heard my voice too, she starts to squirm in my mum's arms.

"Hello, love," mum smiles before sitting up carefully. "How did it go?" She scans me carefully, the concern that only mothers can feel visible in her eyes.

"It went," I tell her with a nod. When I don't say anything else, she nods in confirmation that she's heard my silent plea to not talk about it right now. "How's this little girl?" I ask while moving my hand over Daisy's little head, the soft hairs tickling my palm. She's still sleeping, but I can tell she's not as far away as when I entered.

"She's a doll," mum smiles while moving her fingers over Daisy's hand. "It's been a while since I held a tiny baby like her."

I smile and nod my head. "She's tiny, yeah."

"Josephine fed her an hour ago and she's been sleeping ever since." Mum smiles while looking down at Daisy before her head moves up so she's looking at me. "She gave me Daisy herself after she was done." Pride is clearly audible in mum's tone which makes me smile.

"She looks comfortable."

Mum smiles. "Do you want something to drink?"

"I'll get it," I answer, but mum shakes her head right after while she stands from the chair. "That's okay," she says while handing Daisy to me. "I know you missed her. I see it in your eyes."

I chuckle and cradle Daisy against my chest. I didn't feel it when I came in, but mum's right; now that I'm holding her, I realize that I did miss her. It's insane how you get used to her being around so fast.

"Coke?" Mum asks, her eyes going from my face to Daisy and back, her smile endeared. I nod in response, and as she walks away, I kiss Daisy's head. "Hello, beauty," I mumble, causing her to squirm and eventually her eyes flutter open for just a moment before they close again. "I'm sorry, love. I'll let you sleep."

And then, she nestles herself against my chest and smiles. She fucking smiles. It's a drowsy, unconscious smile, of which she is not aware at all, but it's there. For just a second, it's there. And I feel as if I'm gonna burst with love and pride.

"I saw that," I mumble, my voice slightly trembling. It's the emotion that her first smile got out of me and it's surprising yet liberating in some way.

I lift my head and throw a glance at the sofa. Jo is still sleeping soundly, so unfortunately I can't tell her what her daughter just did right away. Mercy, however, is looking at me with a huge smirk on her face.

"What?" I ask her, sounding more demanding than I intended.

"Nothing," she says, the smirk still present. "You're just whipped." She chuckles, and I can't help but laugh along, knowing that I won't ever be able to deny that.

Next to Mercy, Jo starts to move, probably because she's hearing both of us laugh. A frown appears in between her eyes, she yawns, and eventually, her eyes flutter open. At first, she seems confused about her surroundings, but she soon recovers and looks our way. When she sees me, her eyes widen as if she didn't just wake up, and she sits up as if struck by lightning. Her expression hangs between curiosity and fear -maybe even both- and I can tell she is swallowing thousands of questions.

"Hi," I lamely greet her, and she gives me a small, awkward smile in return. "Dais just smiled."

Her eyes flicker from Daisy to me, and her eyes widen. This time, her expression changes to pride, much like the emotion I felt when I saw Daisy smile as well. "She did?" She asks full of wonder while she stands from the couch and walks over to me. When she is standing next to me, she lays her hand on my arm and leans over Daisy to look at her. She's sleeping still, and her drowsy, toothless smile is gone too.

"Yeah. I don't think she noticed though." I chuckle and try to focus on our conversation. I find it difficult since Jo's hand on my arm gives me feelings that I desperately want to hold onto at this moment.

In the corner of my eye, I see Mercy slip out of the living room. She doesn't tell us where she's going, but I'm thankful that she leaves, even if it's for just a few minutes It gives Jo and me some alone time which I think we need.

After a short silence, Jo's hand leaves my arm. "How... How was it?" She tentatively asks, her voice soft. I look down, hoping to find her grey-blues watching me, but she is looking at the floor.

I take a deep breath and bring my hand to Daisy's hand, letting my fingers trail over the soft skin. "They are interrogating him at the moment, but he doesn't say anything."

While I speak, I keep my eyes on her, scanning her reaction carefully. Her eyes have moved from the floor to Daisy, and her hand is holding onto one of her feet. She doesn't react to what I'm telling her, so I take it as my sign to continue.

"They arrested him in Bristol, where he was at the house he grew up in," I tell her, and she still just listens. "He was there with his girlfriend." Still no reaction. "She's at the station too, but for now they don't think that she knew about you being..." The words die in my throat as I realize that I've never said anything about her situation out loud. I've always let her talk, and it feels weird to say things about what happened to her myself.

She still doesn't react, and I feel the immense need to pull her in my arms, but since Daisy's already occupying that spot, I can't do anything other than move a little closer so she's standing against me.

"They've searched him when he was arrested, and they've found documents on him. One of them was yours," I tell her, my voice soft.

At that, she finally reacts. She lifts her head, her blue-grey orbs finding contact with my green ones. I see hardly any emotion in her expression which is unexpected. "What kind of document?"

"Your passport," I answer, not wanting to keep anything from her and feeling the need to make that clear by answering without letting a silence fall.

Her eyes widen slightly. "You've seen it?"

I nod. "I have. I have the copies too. Of his and yours. And a very detailed document about his arrest as well. If you want, you can read it all."

She takes a deep breath and then looks down at Daisy again. This time, she leans her head against my arm, and my body relaxes instantly. "Maybe later," she mumbles.

I nod in agreement even though I know she won't see it. "Take your time."

"Your mom asked if we'd stay for dinner," she says, changing the subject. I'm a bit caught off guard by her sudden shift, but before I can comment on it, Jo pipes up once more. "I'd like to stay for dinner. And then maybe when we are home and Daisy's in bed, we can talk about everything that happened today? And you can show me all the documents?"

Relief rushes through my chest and I eagerly nod my head. "That's a good idea."

Her hand finds my arm again and she squeezes twice. She then lifts her head but doesn't retreat so she's still resting against my arm. "I want to tell you everything I know. Everything."

I'm stunned, once again because she's shifting quickly. She's pulling me through a whirlwind of emotions, and all I can do at this moment is nod. Nod, because yes, I want her to tell me. Nod, because yes, I'm gonna tell her everything that happened at the station as well.

"I want to tell you," she says again. "I want to because I want you to know my side. I want you to know what happened. And I don't trust him. I know he won't tell the truth."

Relief floats through my veins as she tells me the exact thing that Hanson and I were talking about, and even though she isn't talking about talking to the team, she is going to talk to me. For now, that feels like fucking victory.

"And I'll listen," I simply tell her before kissing her forehead. "I'm here and I'll listen."

She gives me a small smile before looking down at Daisy once more. Her head is still resting against me, and I switch Daisy slightly so I can wrap my arm around her.