While driving back to my house, once again with a borrowed car; this time mum's, I decide that I'm gonna need a car myself. I've never needed one since I've got my bike but now that Jo and Daisy are with me it's obvious that I need one since I can't keep borrowing other people's cars.

The radio is playing music in the background, and when I throw a glance at the rear mirror, I see that Jo is looking out the window. Her hand is sneaked underneath Daisy's blanket, and since I don't hear her I think she is sleeping as always.

Even though I can feel the slight nervous vibe that hangs in the car, it's not an awkward one perse. I think both Jo and I know that what's about to happen once we are home is inevitable. We need to talk, and although I'm sure that Jo is dreading it, I feel relieved.

I feel relieved because, after tonight, I'll know everything. And I'm convinced that when I know everything, I can help her properly. I'm convinced that telling me everything will help her too. She'll start therapy tomorrow, and I know for a fact that she hates the idea of talking to someone she doesn't know. But she does know me, and maybe after today, and after talking to me, it'll be easier for her to share her story.

When I turn into my street, I hear Jo shift behind me, and not a second later, her soft voice fills the car. "Hero?"

I drive up to the entrance of the underground parking lot and open my window to place my cart against the reader. After that, my eyes find Jo's in the mirror. "Yeah?"

"Do you maybe want to shower with Daisy again before we put her to bed? It's a little faster than bathing her in the sink," she explains, her cheeks slightly pink, no doubt because of her question.

I can't help but smile widely at her question as I drive through the opened gates. "Of course, I'd love to."

Jo smiles too, and I can tell she's relieved with my answer, and maybe also a little proud because she asked me this. I know it's a big step, but I'm thrilled that she's asking me for help more and more. I want her to know she can ask me anything.

I park into my spot and then get out of the car as fast as I can to beat Jo to Daisy's side which earns a careful giggle from Jo while she shakes her head. "I know," she says while throwing the door of the car shut. "I can't carry her."

I smirk, happy that the vibe a little lighter now. "This is my thing yeah. You feed her, I'll carry her." I wink, and on cue, her cheeks turn pink again. It's something I love seeing because, in these small, rare moments, it's as if we are normal. I hate the word normal since it immediately suggests abnormality but given the whole situation we're in, I do think it's the best word that describes it.

I take the car seat out of the car, and while Jo and I walk to the lift, I lock the car with the button that's on the key. "I was thinking about getting a car."

Jo's head snaps to me so she can look at me. "Why?"

"Because I think we need one," I tell her while pushing the button of the lift. Thankfully, we don't have to wait and the doors open immediately.

"You do?" She asks, her confused expression clear as day. "But Daisy and I will leave. They are searching for-"

"You and Dais won't go anywhere," I interrupt her, surprised by how much her explanation pisses me off. When I see her wide, surprised eyes, I add in a softer tone, "unless you want to."

"I don't. I want to stay as long as you'll have us," she softly says while following me into the lift. Her words make me smile; I know she doesn't want to leave and hearing her say it washes a calm feeling over me. In response, I nod my head, swallowing away the phrase "I'll never get tired of you two," because surely there are better moments to say something like that than riding up in the lift.

Ten minutes later we are back home and I'm starting the shower while Jo is changing Daisy in their room just like last time. I've already gotten rid of my shirt, and when the temperature is perfect, I start taking off my trousers and socks. I have every intention of walking to my room to retrieve my swim trunks, but when I open the door, Jo is already standing on the other side with a naked and squirming Daisy in her arms.

Jo doesn't seem to notice I'm just in my boxers at first; she looks at me while asking 'can I give her to you?", at the same time as she gives Daisy to me. Only when she sees my somewhat awkward expression, her eyes flicker over my form very quickly before her cheeks turn bright red.

It's the first time she's blushing properly, and fuck it if I don't like that sight.

"Sorry, I didn't..."

"I... I'm sorry," she stutters at the same as an attempted apology leaves my mouth, and on cue, Daisy decides that what's happening is shit and that she is cold.

She starts crying, and although I have heard her cry many times before it does make me nervous since I have no idea what to do. Do I hand her back to Jo and run to my room to slip into my swim trunks? Or do I just slip into the shower?

"I think she's cold," Jo says, disturbing the conflict in my head and by that deciding my next action. I nod and then step a few steps back until I feel the warm streams of the shower on my head. The moment Daisy feels the streams on her head she stops crying, and even though I can't properly see due to the water, I know that her two fingers have found her mouth because of her movements.

For a moment I keep my eyes shut and just enjoy. I enjoy how lucky I am to have this little girl on my chest, and how privileged feel to be in her life. What a lucky son of a bitch I am that Jo allows me to be with her daughter like this.

When I open my eyes, I see Jo leaning against the shower wall, her arms folded with a towel for Daisy stuck in between. A soft smile covers her expression, and for some reason, the intense gaze of her blue-grey orbs makes me nervous.

"What?" I mumble, my mouth pressed against Daisy's head. Daisy is looking at Jo as well, or at least her face is turned towards her while her cheek rests on my chest.

Jo shakes her head, her teeth finding her lower lip which makes her alluring while she doesn't have a fucking clue. "Nothing. I just think I'm enjoying this as much as she does."

My eyes widen at her cheeky and somewhat suggestive comment, and just a second later her eyes widen at the realization of how her words probably came across to me. "Oh Gosh, I mean... I'm happy that she's enjoying it. As in that, I'm happy that she has this. With you. You know..."

Again her cheeks are bright red, and I just nod my head and smile to not embarrass her more. "Yeah, sure. I know."

The red flush doesn't disappear, but a small smile plays around her lips as I chuckle and shake my head before kissing Daisy's hairs. "Thank you for letting me share this with her."

Her smile softens as she slowly shakes her head. "You don't have to thank me for that. It feels right, right?"

Pride rushes through my veins because of her comment. "Yes. Yes, it does."

When Daisy's had her feeding and she's asleep in bed, the ambiance between Jo and I shifts from light and easy to dejected and tensed. The file I'm holding in my hand is the reason, and the uneasy feeling alone is enough to make me want to throw the file into the shredder and forget about it.

But I know we can't because unfortunately, its containings is as accurate as it can be.

I know we should talk about this, because only then we will get rid of this tension for good.

So, when Jo tentatively walks into the living room after checking if Daisy is comfortable, I lay the file on the table in front of me, silently suggesting to start the much-dreaded conversation.

Jo takes a huge gulp of air and then straightens her shoulder slightly. "Can we please talk in your bed?" She surprises me by asking, and when I don't respond as fast as she expected she adds, "because last time I found talking there was easier."

"Okay," I tell her, without thinking.

She nods. "Thank you. I'll just go change."

"Okay." I nod again, still a bit taken aback by her request although I most definitely prefer to be in bed with her while she tells me this because it allows me to hold her if she allows me to do that. "I'll be waiting there then. Do you want something to drink?"

"Just water please," she says before walking through the double doors that lead to the hall and disappearing out of sight.

I take a deep breath and walk to the kitchen to fill two glasses of water. After that, I put the file underneath my arm before I head to my bedroom. There, I put a glass on each side of the bed and throw the file on the bed before closing the blinds and lighting the bedside lamp on my side so the room is filled with a dim, yellow halo.

After my shower with Daisy, I'd already changed into my comfortable gear; track pants and hoodie. Because I know I'll be sweating in no time if I hop into bed like this, I take off my track pants and hoodie, slap on a white shirt, and then get into bed on my side. Just when I'm leaning my back against the headboard, Jo's tentative knock tells me she's done changing as well.

"Yeah," I tell her, and just a second later the door cracks open. She is wearing the same outfit as yesterday when she came to my bedroom, only her hair isn't up like it was then. It's hanging down in loose strands, and it's only now that I notice how long her hair actually is.

She doesn't say anything. She closes the door and then slips underneath the covers just like yesterday. Her back leans against the headboard, and when she's comfortable, she grabs her glass to take a huge gulp of water before taking a deep breath.

"I don't need that," she softly says while pointing to the file that's laying at our feet. "At least for now I don't."

I swallow and nod my head, my neck sweating and a weird kind of nerves rushing through me as I wait for her to continue.

"I don't remember much about my life in Australia," she starts after a short silence in which I see her fumble with her fingers. She's looking right ahead, and to my surprise, her expression is completely blank, as if she's pushed everything she feels away. She looks determined and strong, and once again pride fills my chest. "I only have one clear memory, to be honest."

I hold my breath and look at her, her eyes still not having contact with mine.

"I remember a field with flowers; white flowers with yellow lumps and I used to make chains of them," she says, and right away my eyes widen.

"Daisies?" I ask, even though I know her answer.

"Daisies," she confirms, a small smile playing across her lips. "I remember a red blanked that lies in the field. And the lemonade that we drank. The sun is shining, and I'm not alone. My mom and dad are there, as well as my sister. Kath, I used to call her. We were Kath and Jo; I still hear how my mom called for us so we came to get a glass of lemonade."

Even though she is not looking at me, I can tell that her eyes are tearing up at the memory. And all I want to do is reach for her. But I can't. I'm frozen in my spot, still holding my breath while I listen to her soft voice that tells me her story.

"There are other kids as well, I think they were my friends. We're laughing, and we're all wearing Daisy chains on our heads. I'm happy. I feel that I was happy back then."

She takes another sip of her water and then continues. "My next memory is rushed. I can't fit the pieces together properly," she frowns, clearly trying to remember as best as she can. "It's dark outside, and I'm standing in front of a house. The house is on fire; yellow and blue flames are raging out of the windows and it's hot on my face. All I want is to get in because my rabbit is still in my bed."

She swallows, and my chest clenches as I remember how she told me she had a rabbit once, just like Daisy's.

"I can't get in though. A fireman is holding me. He's talking to me, but I don't know what he's saying. All I hear is the sizzling sound of the fire, and the cracking of the house that's loosing it from the heat. I'm scared, and all I want is my rabbit and my mom."

Tears roll down her cheeks, but she stays still. She doesn't move, except for her fingers that are still fidgeting. "But my mom doesn't come out. And my dad doesn't come out. And Kath doesn't come out. It's just me with that fireman."

"What happens after that is a blur. I see a lot of people when I think back, but their faces are skimmed. I don't recognize anyone, and I'm not sure where I am. I have no idea how much time passes at that point, but eventually, he shows up."

My fists clench without her saying as much as a name. She doesn't have to say a name; I know who she means because her tone is oozing disgust. To distract myself from the boiling anger that's rising to the service, I grab my glass and down half of it, hoping that it washes the anger away.

It doesn't.

"I leave with him. I don't know why. I have no idea who he is. I just remember a woman with a kind smile and small eyes that tells me he's going to take care of me now before he takes my hand and walks away."

"We travel for a long time, I remember it was long because we got a lot of meals during the flight. I remember feeling weird, but I think that's because I didn't know what was happening. It's all I remember from my life before that place," she says, and right after she takes a deep breath.

For a short moment, we are silent. I'm speechless really, I have no idea what to say. Jo, on the other hand, takes another gulp of water before speaking again. It's as if she can't stop now that she's started.

"In the beginning, he wasn't as horrible as he turned out to be. I mean, he wasn't nice, at all, but he did give me food and a few wooden toys. I slept in bed with him, but at that point, I don't think he'd ever touched me or anything. At least, I can't remember that he did. He got mad easily, and he would yank my arm or leg if I did something that he didn't like, but he wasn't extremely violent. That all came later. The only thing that was there from the beginning, was that I never went outside. I don't exactly know how he got food and stuff, but I think he left me alone. Some things are a blur still."

"I was four when he took me. I know that because, on my birthday, he got me a cupcake with a five on it. I remember how happy I was with that." A humorless chuckle leaves her mouth. "To see how innocent I was back then."

My hands are clenched onto the glass, and my eyes are cast down. I follow the water that I circle by rotating the glass, some drops popping over the rim because of the force.

"A few years pass in which he becomes angrier. He starts to forget to give me meals, and the daily routine starts to change. We stay in bed longer, he starts to cuddle me while we're in bed, and the clothes that he wants me to wear are different. And on my sixteenth birthday, everything suddenly changed drastically."

"I didn't get a cupcake that day while all the previous years I did. Instead, he got me a white top that he wanted me to wear. And then, he took my hand, and he led me to his bed. I was so naive, that I let him, because I had no idea what he was about to do. I was confused, very much so, but at the same time, I knew better than not to listen. When we lay in bed, he tried to..." She chokes on the words, her breakdown coming out of nowhere given how strong and determined she told her story up until this point.

I'm not sure what to do. I'm so fucking angry -so fucking furious- but at the same time, my heart breaks for her. I want to hold her, but her posture is distant. I don't know what she wants me to do, and I'm praying that she gives me a sign or clue.

But she doesn't. She takes another sip of water and a deep breath, forcing the sobs to the background. "He couldn't and it pissed him off. And because he was so mad, he hit me. It was the first time he did that, and I thought I'd done something wrong even though my common sense told me that what was happening wasn't normal. He took his anger out on me, and I didn't fight back, because I was shocked and confused."

"He kept trying. And every time he failed. And after a few times, I started to fight back. There were times that we were properly punching each other. I did everything to keep him away from me. I bit him, kicked him, hit him, I did everything I could to fight him off of me. I yelled too, and I think that's the reason he eventually put me into that room. He chained me to that mattress, so I couldn't fight him as much anymore but in the end, he still didn't manage to do the things to me that he wanted."

"The last time he tried, I laughed at him. I tried it as a different approach, and for a short few hours, I thought it had helped because he'd left the room without hurting me. If I only knew what would happen next." Again she chuckles, her face sad and covered in tears.

"Jo," I mumble, somehow craving some contact with her. Just a look or a little nod. Anything.

She shakes her head, dismissing my plea, and swallows. "I was almost nineteen that day. And I was feeling euphoric that laughing at him had done the trick, or at least I thought. But then I heard voices in the hallway, and a minute later, the door flew open. It was him, and the grin on his face immediately told me that I was in even bigger trouble than I could've imagined."

"They were with five, and they didn't hesitate. I couldn't fight back because they held me. I couldn't scream because there was always a hand covering my mouth. I couldn't defend myself, because they were too strong and too fast. And while he watched, they did what he couldn't. Over and over and over until my body finally shut down and everything turned black."

"Every Wednesday and Sunday, twice a week. A solid appointment. Always the five of them, and always while he watched. Some times I fought until I passed out, other times I just lay there and let it happen, not finding any strength left in my body. I don't know how long it usually took, but I guess it was between an hour and three hours. The only plus side of it was that the days in between Wednesday and Sunday, he'd leave me alone. The last year and a half or so, he even left for a weekend sometimes, and then the Sunday stayed quiet."

"Eight months ago I notice that I didn't get my period. I know they used condoms when they..." She swallows while her expression oozes nausea, and then shakes her head. "He noticed too, of course. But he didn't give it any attention. I don't know what he thought."

When my body started to change, the visits of the five men became fewer. And they sometimes came alone. They weren't more gentle, but I think it threw at least three of them off. The last weeks before you found me, I was left alone. He'd only come to give me a meal once a day."

She takes a deep breath, and then finally, she looks at me. Her eyes are red, her lips puffy, and her cheeks pale. She's shivering, the scars and memories visible on every inch of her face. "And then you found me."