"Good night, sweetheart," I whisper before kissing Daisy's forehead, her eyes already fluttering closed as her last feeding made her drowsy and ready for sleep. "I love you."

I take a moment to look at my daughter as she falls asleep completely. She looks content and so peaceful, and the calmness that comes off her rubs onto me as well. She looks utterly happy, and not troubled at all, and every time I see her like this, it's a relief.

After I've made sure she's properly tucked in and she's completely asleep, I walk out of her bedroom, switching off the light and pulling the door closed before walking through the quiet hallway to the living room.

It's weird to be alone in Hero's house. Ever since he took me here, I've always had him around. Now that Daisy is sleeping in her bed and I'm completely alone, the silence suddenly feels overwhelming.

Silence. I've experienced it so many times when I was still in that apartment. When he would leave me for a few days, I used to talk to myself, just so the silence wouldn't get to me. I would sing, talk about nonsense just so that the dark tunnel wouldn't be longer than it already was.

There were times that I couldn't even muster talking to myself. I would feel so alone and hopeless, I just lay on that dirty, old mattress that held so many disgusting memories. I stared for hours, letting that awful, scary silence consume me as if it was some kind of trance.

Sometimes it almost felt as if I'd died, or at least had fallen into a very deep coma. Maybe I'd hoped that too.

But now, as I prepare myself another tea in Hero's kitchen, the silence doesn't get to me at all. If anything, it's welcoming; after these turbulent couple of weeks, it feels good to have this silence, just to give everything that happened a proper place.

Hero's shift started at four, and he left a little before three because he had to go to his mum first. Because he'd picked me up from therapy at three-thirty, we haven't had the time to talk about what Alice and I discussed.

When we came home, I fed Daisy while he changed into his working gear, and just when we were done, he came in to say goodbye because he was in a bit of a hurry.

When I saw him in his working gear, all the memories of the night he saved me came back. I'd seen him in his outfit that time he went to the office when they arrested Leonard, but back then I didn't fully register what I saw.

Or maybe I didn't feel like I should look at him in that particular way.

Today though, I did properly look at him and how his uniform fits him perfectly. How he looks so powerful and even bigger than he already is, and how all I could think of was walking up to him and kissing him as if it was the last chance I got.

I know it's also because of what Alice told me; I'm still not completely sure if she meant it like I think she did, but I chose to believe that what she told me was that it's up to me. And that if my feelings ask something of me, I should just follow along. And I feel safe enough around Hero to tell him this as well. So, I hope that when he comes home, he isn't too tired so we can talk.

It's almost eleven-thirty now which means he should be home any minute. He reassured me that I could go to bed if I was tired, but crazy enough, tiredness is the last thing I feel right now. I can't wait for him to be home.

Home.

This is my home. Now that I'm alone here, it doesn't feel foreign. I feel comfortable here. At ease. And safe. I've never felt as safe as I do right now, in Hero's house, and that while I'm alone.

I can see myself here, permanently. I see how Daisy will take her first steps here, in this apartment, and I see how we will decorate the tree next Christmas. I see how Hero lifts Daisy and then helps her hang her bauble in the tree. I see it all, and it's all happening here. In the house that I can call my home for the first time in my life.

With a small smile on my face that's inflicted by my imagination, I walk to the couch and take a seat in the corner. I pull my feet up and turn slightly so I can look at the flickering tree, blowing into my cup in the process in hopes it will cool down faster.

And for a moment I just enjoy. I enjoy the silence that I never could enjoy. I enjoy the feeling of freedom, of knowing that nobody will come for me and demand things that I don't want to do. I enjoy the warm tea and the lights in the tree, and how it makes me feel utterly normal, even though I know there is a lot to work on still.

There is perspective now, and my therapy session with Alice only made that perspective clearer. It's my life, and I have to take control to always feel as at ease and happy as I do in this very moment.

The front door that opens in the hallway somehow makes my stomach tingle, and even though my instinct tells me to walk up to him, I stay put on the couch while I carefully take a small sip of my hot tea.

I hear how he kicks off his shoes, and I think he's taking off his jacket too. Because it was so silent in the apartment moments ago, I can make out what he's doing just by the soft sounds. There is a tone of familiarity in it, and it makes me smile.

His footsteps follow next; they are soft, sounding careful even, and I can't help but wonder if he is trying to walk on his tiptoes because he knows that Daisy is asleep. When the footsteps are close, I look at the double doors, and at the same time, his tall frame appears.

The moment he spots me on the couch, his tired eyes light up, his two dimples appearing as he smiles at me. "Hi, still up?" He asks as he walks to me. He's indeed lost his jacket, but it doesn't make him less impressive; his tall, lean frame is perfectly accentuated by the clothes that he wears. He's unbuttoned the first two buttons of his dark blue shirt and his hair is tousled because of his cap.

I nod my head and follow him with my eyes as he takes place next to me. "Yeah. I just put Daisy to bed."

Hero's smile becomes a little bigger at the mention of Daisy's name, and it again spikes the tingles in my stomach. "How did it go?" He curiously asks.

"Good," I honestly tell him, the surprise audible in my voice at how easily that word comes out. It went well, there isn't another word to describe it. I was nervous and even a little scared to be alone, but I liked it. Just me and Daisy, it felt right. "I had some leftovers from yesterday and we watched tv. It wasn't as bad to be alone as I expected it would be. I liked it; I had time to order my thoughts and stuff."

Hero smiles. "That's good. I knew you'd be fine."

My face feels a little warmer as he compliments me, but I try to hide it by taking another sip of tea. "How was your work?"

He shrugs and makes himself a little more comfortable on the couch, his feet lifting and resting on the coffee table. "Quiet as expected. Everybody is still worn out because of New Year's Eve. We only had some minor incidents."

"Are you tired?" I ask, scanning his features to detect any signs that can confirm my question. He still looks quite fresh; his eyes are clear, and there is a healthy color on his cheeks too.

He shakes his head and runs his hand through the longer strands on top of his head. The action is distracting me slightly, but I manage to hear him say, "No, not tired. Just famished. Is there some food left still?"

"Yes, of course," I tell him as I sit up and put my tea on the coffee table. "I can warm something for you?" I don't wait for his answer; I just stand and make my way to the kitchen. I know there is still plenty left, so I just have to heat it like I did with my own dinner.

"I can get used to this," Hero mumbles from the couch, chuckling right after. "How was Dais?"

Dais, it's so cute when he calls her that. "Good. She was having cramps so she cried for a good hour, but I just walked her around and sang to her. Eventually, she was so tired she fell asleep. She only woke for another feeding."

As I take some of the leftovers from the refrigerator, I notice how Hero joins me in the kitchen. "Remember how desperate we were when she first got cramps? We had no idea what to do that night, yet look at you now. All relaxed about it as if it's not a big deal." He chuckles, and I can't help but smile at the memory too.

"It feels like years ago," I mumble. It's so weird how times seem to fly, but at the same time Daisy is only nineteen days old and I've been here with Hero for just a little over a week.

"You are getting to know her better and better. It's getting easier because of that, I reckon," Hero says, leaning against the kitchen counter. He keeps his distance, he just watches me as I take a bit from every bite we had yesterday and put it on a plate.

"I think so too," I agree, putting the plate in the microwave. I've heated my food like this as well because I was hesitant to use the stove or oven. I've never used them before. "And I'm more confident with her as well. I think it's because I see how well she is. You know, she gains weight and overall, she is a happy baby."

"She's a doll," Hero agrees immediately, a big smile confirming that he wholeheartedly means it. "Honestly, she is perfect. Last night, for example, we didn't even hear her."

"I think that's because she was mostly laying across your chest," I tell him, and right after, the microwave beeps, letting us know the food the heated.

"No." Hero shakes his head. "I'd love to take credit for that, but it's all her. Because she is perfect."

I giggle and offer him the plate with warm food. "Okay," I give in, knowing that he won't budge. But I know I'm right. I'm sure that if we'd decided to put her in her bed yesterday, she wouldn't be as perfect as Hero thinks she is.

After Hero has taken a can of Coke from the fridge, we silently walk to the couch. I take my seat in the corner once more, and he sits next to me, a little closer this time. After he's taken his first bite, he finally asks, "Want to talk about therapy?"

His question is a little guarded, but I immediately give him a smile that oozes the relief that I feel. "Yes. I'd like to tell you about it."

He shifts so his whole body is facing me, showing me I got his full attention. "I'm all ears."

The corners of my mouth curl slightly as I watch him take a bite of a slice of pizza, his eyes focussed on me. There is something about the way he looks at me that calms me, and although what I'm about to tell him is a very serious case, I can't seem to have the loaded feeling that I usually have when I need to talk. It's the effect he has on me, and the knowledge that he will be there for me.

"Alice read the article too, even before I had the chance to tell her about it," I start, not overthinking what I should tell him first. This was the first thing that came to mind, so we'll go from here.

Hero winces. "Fuck. Even before you'd called?"

I nod. "Yes. And it only confirmed that many other people have read it as well. I think that's what scares me the most about that article."

"That they have read it as well," Hero says, reading my mind, and I nod my head once more.

"Yes. I hate that they know things about me now. Things that they first could only guess about. I'm convinced they knew I was pregnant since that was the reason they stopped coming after a while, but other than that, they didn't know anything. If they've read that article, they know I'm not in that apartment anymore. They know that I had a healthy baby. They know we are living with you. They suddenly know a lot now, and I'm afraid of what they will do with all that information."

Hero nods his head, his expression serious. He has stopped eating and his green eyes are scanning me intently, waiting for me to continue.

"I'm afraid that they will look for me. I'm petrified that they will find us, and that they will make sure that they'll never get into trouble." I take a deep breath and then voice the thing that scares me the most. "I'm so scared they will take Daisy from me."

"Jo, they won't," Hero interjects, his tone forceful. "I'll make sure they'll never come near you or Dais. I swear, I-"

I hold up my hand to silence him, and he does immediately. "I know you would do anything to protect us, I believe that, Hero. But that doesn't take away all my fear. One of those five is her..." A silt taste fills my mouth as the words die in my throat. I can't say it out loud. I never want to say it out loud.

"Jo..," Hero sighs as he moves forward to put his still full plate on the coffee table. His hand then finds its way to mine, where he grabs it tightly. "She's yours. Only yours."

"I know. But she does share blood with one of them, and what if-"

"No. Stop," he says, interrupting me once again and squeezing my hand with his. "Don't go there. They don't share a goddamn thing with her." For a very short moment, his expression is murderous; his nostrils flare, and his thick eyebrows knit together in an angry frown. It only takes a second though, and then his expression softens. "Did you talk about this with Alice?"

I take a deep tug of air and wipe my burning eyes with my free hand. "Yes. It's one of the things we talked about"

"What did she say?"

"She told me that the only way I can escape that fear, is to take control," I tell him, diving right into the most important reason I was desperate to talk to him.

"How?" Hero asks. His gaze doesn't avert and the way he looks at me stays the same as well.

"If I want them to stop controlling my life -the fear and all the other ways they still control me- I have to talk."

Hero's eyes light up and his hand squeezes mine once again. "Talk?" He asks, hopefully. I know he knows what that means but he clearly wants to hear it from me.

"Talk. Alice says that I'm the only one that can make sure they'll never control me again. If I talk, the people on my case have all the information they need to make sure he and the five can never control me again." I look at him, my eyes begging him to react. "Is that true?"

Hero nods and breathes in deeply. "Well, it's partly true. They only have Leonard now, and he isn't talking. They've collected evidence from the place where he kept you, and it's enough to make assumptions about what happened to you, and I think it's enough to convict him. But if you and him keep quiet, those five men will never get punishment. As of now, the team is solely focussing on Leonard, they have no idea what others mean in this thing. They have found some DNA samples that don't belong to you or him, but these samples came back negative when they ran them through the database. As of now, they are trying to get him to talk, and they are hoping that it will lead them to information about the rest."

This is the first time Hero is giving me a proper insight into my case, and it somehow reassures me. Alice was right; there is a team, and they are working very hard to make sure he won't ever get out of custody again. And that team needs the information I have.

"Will it help them if I tell them what I know?"

Hero nods again. "Yes. Because you know things that nobody knows. Jo, your voice is the most important one in this. And I think Alice is right, if you want to control that fear, you have to make sure they get what they deserve. But I only want you to do it if you're comfortable. Because they will want to know everything. Every detail. Every disgusting little thing all of them did to you, and every little thing you can remember about them, they need to know it."

I feel my eyes burn and I'm not even sure why. I think it's because I only now realize that talking to Alice about everything was only the beginning.

"I don't know if I can tell them everything. I've only told Alice everything, and it was so difficult, I don't know if I can do it again."

I don't miss the surprise on Hero's face, and I see that he tries to ignore it too. But eventually, the curiosity wins it and he asks, "Only Alice? You mean there is more to it than what you told me?" He doesn't sound mad or reproachful, but I can tell he is confused.

I furiously shake my head. I don't want him to think I kept things from him. "Not necessarily more. You know everything, but I mean the details. You know, what they did to me and how."

"Oh," he mumbles. "Why didn't you tell me? I mean, I'm not mad or anything, but you know you can talk to me, right?"

"I know," I say, this time squeezing his hand instead of the other way around. "I just don't want you to look at me differently."

Hero rolls his eyes which surprises me. "I won't, Jo. You have to stop thinking that I would look at you in any other way than I do. I can't. The way I see you, it's beyond anything I've ever felt or seen before, and nothing can change that."

I don't react right away. I don't know what to say to that. I want to tell him I believe him, but the realistic part of my brain tells me that he can't say that as confidently as he does because he has no idea. He has no idea how disgusting the truth is.

"Look, Jo," he eventually breaks the silence, his hand moving to my chin so I lift my head. "I won't force you to tell me, and if you don't believe me then I can't change your mind, but I love you, and nothing can change that. If you don't want me to know, I won't ask you, but you have to realize that if you talk, those events will be known to a lot of people. They will use them to convict Leonard and the other five."

"I know," I whisper, even though that's a lie. I hadn't thought of that at all. "I'll think about it."

Hero nods and pulls me closer to him, his arm wrapped around my shoulder. "You should. And if you have questions about anything regarding that, you have to come to me. We can talk about it whenever you need."

I lay my head against his chest and nod. "Okay," I promise."

"Good," he mumbles, pushing his nose against the side of my head, in my hair.

For a good few minutes, we don't talk. I focus on his heartbeat against my cheek, and Hero moves his hand up and down my arm in a steady, soothing rhythm.

Eventually, it's Hero who breaks the silence after placing a kiss on my head. "And what else did you talk about? Did you gossip about me?"

His attempt to throw some lightness into the conversation is welcoming, and I can't help but giggle in response. "A little," I admit.

He chuckles, the sound vibrating in his chest. He then switches slightly so my head falls from his chest into his arm and I can look up at him. "Only a little?" He smirks, looking down at me. His nose is just inches from mine, and I feel his breath on my lips.

I nod, my expression no doubt matching his. Forgotten are the tears and heavy feeling of moments ago. It's remarkable how he can change the mood -my mood- with just a snap of his fingers. "Just some girl talk. It's nothing bad. It really isn't."

"Okay, I believe you." He smirks and then leans down, pressing a soft, short kiss on my lips. "I won't ever force you. Not to talk and not to do other stuff. You just have to ignore the way I react to you sometimes."