Gervais Black. Lawyer, prosecutor, but most of all a father. His words, not mine. I had been doing some research, and Gervais was not only known for his hard-assery as a lawyer, but also his single minded devotion to his daughter.

It was, in all senses, heart warming.

Ripper walked in the door, shutting the door behind him and giving me a heart melting smile when he spotted me lounging on the couch. He hung his club jacket up then walked over to me, hands already reaching out to make sure I was real, and I was there.

"You know, I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing you here, home. Smiling at me when I come in. It's something that I'll try to appreciate everyday."

And just like that, my heart stopped, lurched then burst into a million, love filled pieces. I leaned my head on his chest when he sat, sidling up to his side and exhaling.

"I love you too Caerul."

His arm came around my waist, thumb stroking my side and he dropped a kiss on my forehead. "Forever, Sugar."

_______

"We've got all the information Corin, it's just about making sure we have and can keep the proof" Teddy murmured, turning his laptop screen to me. I raised a brow, looking at all the tabs, different pages open for so many crimes.

"Why wouldn't you be able to keep the proof?" It sounded ignorant, even to me.

Teddy, so patient, turned his laptop back and ran a hand through his chestnut hair. "Your parents are really fucking rich, so I wouldn't be surprised if they found out someone was going through their records...and try to remedy that fact. We need to have a back up plan secure, and I think your lawyer may have something prepared, if he's as good as everyone thinks he is."

I thought it over. Every phone call with Gervais was informative, to the point and helpful- but I still had the feeling he was preparing something different from a court case. Something deeper.

"I'll call him. But, before that, I have a meeting to go to."

Slater's head came up from the laptop he was typing away on, eyebrow raised. "What meeting?"

I sighed, my gut churning as I looked out the window, feeling the need for Ripper to be by my side so deeply. " My parents want to see me, 'one last time before they leave Ireland.' "

I shook my head and stood, placing a hand on Slater's and Teddy's shoulders and they both stood up with me, faces a tad more than enraged.

"And you're going? Are you fucking serious Rin?"

"Of course I'm fucking serious, or I wouldn't have said it. You're lucky I even told you guys."

Slater sighed, seeing the look of bullheaded stubborness on my face and deciding that maybe it would be better to just let me go. "Are you going with someone honey bee?"

I nodded, gesturing out the window to a car that had just pulled up. "Deadeye's coming with me. As soon as he found out, he wouldn't let me stop him. Big ol' bear."

Slater gave me a thin smile, sitting down again and pulling Teddy down with a rough jerk. Teddy looked at me, shaking his head. "I don't like it."

"It's not about what we like now. It's about doing what needs to be done so that we can all be safe." I placed my hand on his face, giving him a smile that was much more confident than I really was, and shrugged a shoulder.

"I'll be alright. See ya later!"

They both replied with a grim bye, and I left dad's house to sit next to Deadeye in his car. He gave me a once over as soon as I entered, grunting when he approved. It wasn't an appearance thing, it was on an emotional level.

When I had come back from the...place where I was hurt, I always noticed Deadeye looking at me intensely, sometimes nodding to me in a way that made me feel so understood and safe.

And now, I realized, he knew what I was going through. He knew about the nightmares, the random periods where people couldn't touch me, the times where the noise just became too much, even if it was silent.

He knew. Because he was living it too. Ever since he came back from the wars.

We drove in silence before Deadeye finally spoke.

"I won't let them touch you."

An invisible weight lifted off me, something I didn't know was on me, and I exhaled, relieved.

"I know."

Deadeye gave me a quick glance, "No, you don't. But I'm telling you Corin, I won't let them touch you. They'll have to step over my dead body, or my dead eye, if they want to get to you."

I turned slowly to Deadeye, wonder smacked onto my face. "Did you just make a joke?"

Deadeye huffed, "You missed the point."

I grinned, slapping his shoulder. "I got the point old man, and it means a lot to me. Thank you, friend."

He only continued to keep his gaze on the road, pulling into the cafe my parents had specified. My belly turned over, and we stepped out of the car, seeing the familiar perfect faces of my parents.

And they were my parents- just ones that I had disassociated myself with, a method to not be responsible for making sure they were good people, good parents.

I needed to accept them for once and for all, so in the end, I could disown them and wipe them from my life.

Deadeye came behind me, a silent strength that intimidated all the people at the cafe, apart from the power pair who sat tall and proud. They gave him a quick once over before father's lips tightened, and we sat down across from them.

Mother stared at me, a porcelain smile on her beautiful face. "So lovely for you to have brought a friend. We brought one too!"

And Warwick pulled a chair out across from me, a confident smile on his pretty face.

Deadeye edged his chair closer to mine and I exhaled slowly, calming the beat of my heart as it threatened to take over.

My gaze snapped to father, since he was the one who had a smidgen more of a say.

"Now, what do you want?"

And the smile that quickly stretched across my face made my jaw clench.

________