"Andy please don't go." Ava clung to the police officers legs as he strapped on his belt.

"I have to, love." He sighed, ruffling her hair as he slipped on his padded green waterproof.

"But why?" She asked, her pyjamas (still Andy's t-shirt and a pair of Matthew's gym shorts) trailing on the ground as she walked down the hall clinging to him.

"Because it's a raid darlin'. They need as many police as they can get."

"What's a raid?"

"A drug raid." He sighed, crouching down to unpeel her from his left calf muscle, "We need to all run into a building and arrest the people growing drugs illegally.

"But Andy..." She whined, "You always tuck me in!"

"I know I do love." He laughed at her childish behaviour, "I'm sure Brendan's capable. And it's already past your bedtime babe so please can you just try not to work yourself up so it's easy for Brendan to settle you into bed."

"But what if he makes me read stuff?"

"Reading won't kill you." Andy laughed, "Babe, he knows what's good for you."

"Andy have you seen my hat?" Matt turned out of his bedroom, pulling on one of his heavy police boots, "Or are we bothering with hats? I've never done a raid before – I'm so nervous."

"You're fine mate." Andy laughed, "Your hat's on the coffee table in the living room and yes you'll need it. Oh, and text Brendan to make him get a move on from my phone."

Matthew nodded and rushed down the stairs, laces still trailing.

"Why can't Liam take care of me?" She mumbled, "Not a silly old teacher."

"Teacher's aren't silly." Andy prodded her nose, "I'll be back in the morning, I promise."

"Men don't keep their promises. And why can't Liam be here?"

Andy wasn't about to start a long meaningful conversation about how men don't keep promises, as much as the subject tempted him, as he just didn't have time, "Well I do. And Liam's clubbing."

Ava sighed, finally letting him straighten back up to his huge height just as the front door was knocked and Andy lifted his hat off the shelf beside him, running down the stairs to answer it, Ava following tentatively from behind.

"Andy! We need to get a move on!" Matt said, dropping a kiss to Ava's head as he stood at the door with her and Andy.

"Matty, I feel sick." Ava muttered, looking up at the younger officer.

"It's only because we're going away love, you'll be fine. You've met Brendan before." He whispered back, "He was at the hospital when Andy and I took you."

"But he's a teacher."

"You're fine babe." He rubbed her back as Andy greeted Brendan and invited him in.

"And this is Ava." Andy gestured to the child.

"Hiya Ava, we've met before haven't we?"

"Briefly." Ava murmured as the teacher took off his coat as Andy and Matthew zipped theirs up.

"We'll be back in a few hours." Andy placed his hat on, "What time's bed time Ava?" He looked down at her.

"I don't have a bedtime."

"Oi." Matt tugged softly on her hair.

"When Brendan says so." She murmured.

"That's better." Andy placed a kiss to her cheek, "Bye love."

"We'll be back in the morning." Matthew did the same before they both had to hurry off, shutting the door with a slam.

Ava sighed, walking with Brendan back through into the living room where they sat down on the sofas.

"So..." Brendan decided to make a conversation starter, "You're nine?"

"Only just. I thought I was for ages but apparently not."

"I'm twenty seven."

"Oh." Ava nodded, "How do you know Andy so well?"

"I was the year above him at school; we were in the football team together."

"Do you teach at the same school that you went to?"

"Nope." He shook his head, "We both lived in Manchester at the time but I moved here when I got a job opportunity and Andy only moved because he wanted a change in scenery."

"Do you know Noah?"

"Noah?"

"Doctor Tomlinson?"

"Yeah. Not as much as Andy and Matt. They have to work quite close with that hospital because of counselling or if they have to take people there."

"What do you mean by counselling?"

"I just mean, when you work in the police you sometimes have to see very scary things and I know Doctor Tomlinson is very close with the police just in case any of them need someone to talk to."

"Has Andy ever seen anything scary?"

"I'm not sure love." Matthew frowned, lying as he noticed the concern in her eyes, "But Andy's mentally very strong so you've not to worry about what he's seen."

"Has Matt?"

"I don't think he's been in the police long enough." Brendan sighed, "I dunno though. I recon seeing you was pretty scary."

"Thanks." She said sarcastically.

"I don't mean it like that love." Brendan laughed, "I just know that you weren't in very good condition when the boys got you and seeing you like that might have been frightening."

"Aw." She said, not fully understanding.

"Do you mind if I do a bit of marking?"

"Course not. Can I draw a picture?"

"Knock yourself out."

"Will do." She lifted her paper and crayons from the coffee table in front of her and began to draw a few people, not caring how childish she looked.

She half watched as Brendan took out some books and almost instantly began to cirss cross them with red pen.

"What're you doing to those books?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Marking them."

"What does that mean?"

"Well sometimes people write things that don't make sense so I have to make sure they do."

"Sorry."

"Sorry?"

"For not understanding."

"It's alright love. When was the last time you were in school?"

"When I was six." She paused, "I ain't thick though Brendan, Liam's taught me my alphabet and I can do some words like cat and rock and Matt taught me knight yesterday. I remember it because he said 'knights silently kick' and we call K a kicking K." she paused, "And Matt taught me how to count to thirty. I'm not very good at the number though because I just don't understand them. Reading's alright but it takes me ages. Lloyd used to call me an idiot."

"Who's Lloyd?"

"My old foster dad." She shrugged, "I do try really hard Brendan and Liam's got a lot of patience for me."

"First of all." He put down the stack of burgundy books, "You are not an idiot. Do not ever even think yourself as an idiot because you're brilliant. Secondly, considering you haven't been to school since you were six years old, you are doing very well. Why don't we do a bit of reading together?"

"Because you're busy." She shrugged.

"It can wait." He shook his head, placing the books down in front of him on the coffee table before pulling out a book from the teacher bag he'd brought, "Go on, what does the title say?"

Ava recognised the first word instantly, "James! That's Matt and Liam's middle name!"

"Good." Zayn nodded, "Look at the second word." He pointed to it.

"Um..." she frowned, "A-N-D. An... ad... add... And!"

He nodded.

Ava, deciding she was on a roll kept going, "The. Liam and I done the T-H sound a few days ago."

"Next word, you're doing really well."

She stared long and hard, "G... That's a long word!"

"No it's not. C'mon. You're doing so well. G-I-A-N-T. It's a weird one."

"Gent?"

"Don't guess love, I know you can do it."

"I can't! Mrs Clark, another carer... she said I was illiterate."

"You aren't." he shook his head, "You were just never taught. That isn't your fault."

She sighed, "When's Andy getting back?"

"I'm not 100% sure darlin'. I'm leaving as soon as they get back though so you won't be here on your own."

She nodded, going back to her book, "Is it giant?"

"Good!" he praised, "Last word, it's a hard one. E and A. P-E-A-C-H. It's got two sounds. Ea and Ch."

"Is it a nectarine?"

"A what?!" Brendan laughed.

"I mean it!"

"Of all things, a nectarine?"

"Not a nectarine..." she frowned, "It's like a nectarine but it's got fuzz on it?"

"And that's called...?"

"A peach!"

"It is indeed." He grinned, handing her the book properly, "You keep hold of that."

"James and the giant nectarine."

"Peach!"

*

"I don't want you." A woman stood in front of tiny Ava Branning, pushing her further and further back into the sea.

Ava wasn't entirely sure where this had come from and didn't particularly want to know but she just knew that the woman had taken her for a picnic down at the beach and that she was now pushing her further and further into the sea until the water lapped round her neck.

She'd been suppressing this moment for practically her whole life but when she wasn't able to control the unconscious dream state, it happened. The memories returned and the shaking began.

"I want you out of my life forever." She pressed her shoulder hard until the waves swam around her chin, "You're useless you illiterate little bitch."

"Mrs Clark, I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" she scoffed, "You think sorry does anything? You're crap; useless... you mean nothing to anybody."

As Mrs Clark pushed her further into the salt water, the liquid spewed up into her mouth and nose making it impossible for her to breathe and slowly, as she felt her airways begin to constrict, she floated into the nothingness of unconscious...

*

Ava's eyes burst open, her sheets and covers littered all over the floor and cold sweat dripping down her forehead.

Her breathing was coming in short gasps and tears were flowing into her open mouth making her choke.

Hardly able to stand, Ava shook like a leaf, falling down on her hands and knees as she shook in terror.

With a sudden urge of nausea, Ava was violently sick on her bedroom floor.

Needing somebody to make her feel better, she used her t-shirt to mop up her mouth as she stumbled forward to open the door and practically crawled down the hall to Andy's room, not bothering to knock.

"Andy." She whispered, her knees trembling as she walked to the side of his bed, "Andy."

Andy groaned, rolling over with his eyes half shut as he looked at the digital clock, "It's half four. Five more minutes. I only got in half an hour ago."

"Andy!" Tears streamed down Ava's face as her stomach heaved, throwing up onto Andy's floor, "A-Andy."

His eyes shot open properly as he heard her vomit, "Ava baby, what's the matter."

"Andy I don't feel good."

"Oh." He fell into his father training mode, "Deep breaths Ava. C'mon into the bathroom."

Andy hopped over the puddle Ava had made, pulling her by the hand into the only bathroom as he sat her up on the counter and flicked the light on, "Deep breath Ava, breathe."

She nodded, tears still streaming down her face.

"Love, were you sick in your room too?"

She again nodded, watching Andy find a hair tie to pull her hair up into a crap ponytail before standing in front of her with a white flannel which he dampened before very gently rubbing across her mouth, quickly filling a glass of water for her, "Drink it slowly babe. I'm going to get you a clean t-shirt from my room, okay?"

"Okay." She whispered shakily, drinking the water slowly as Andy left for a second, returning with one of his old t-shirts.

He took the glass of cold water from her quivering hands and placed it down on the sideboard, "Arms up darlin'."

Still with tears billowing down her pale face, she complied, letting her foster father take off her dirtied t-shirt and dress her in the clean one.

"Don't cry sweetheart." He whispered, using the pads of his thumbs to rid her quickly falling tears.

"I-I'm sorry A-Andy."

"No baby." He shook his head, finding her toothbrush and coating it in Colgate, "Getting sick isn't your fault. Open your mouth for me darlin." She did as she was told, letting him brush her teeth to get rid of the horrible taste, "There you go." He lifted her off the bathroom sideboard and into his arms once done, carrying her through to his room and laying her down on the bed, "Just sit there while I clean up."

"I'm so s-sorry A-Andy. I di-didn't mean i-it... I w-was d-dreaming and I c-couldn't stop c-crying."

"Baby no." Andy shook his head, quickly running down the stairs to get a cloth and bucket, cleaning up his foster daughter's nausea with no problem before walking down the hall into her room, seeing all the sheets and pillows all over the floor.

He stretched, bundling all the sick coated sheets before throwing them into the hamper at the bottom of the hall, getting new ones from the bottom drawer in her chest of drawers as he quickly fitted them onto her child bed – a pastel blue comforter instead of a green one.

Once finished that, he mopped up the rest of the floor and took the bucket back down the stairs, returning to Ava's bedroom to write a get well soon message on her calk board.

"Keep breathing love." Andy returned to his bedroom, seeing his foster daughter sitting cross legged on the bed, "Do you want to get some sleep or do you want to talk?"

"Can we t-talk in the m-morning Andy, I'm r-really tired."

"Of course we can." he nodded, sitting on the other side of the bed, "Come and sleep now."

"In my room?"

"Right here."

Ava nodded; laying back to that her back was against his chest.

"I promise the monsters can't get you here." He whispered against her hair.

"I lo– Doesn't matter."

"What?"

"What?"

"Ava, what were you going to say?"

"Nothing."

"Go on..."

"Andy, I think I love you." She whispered, not wanting to say the wrong thing, "Sorry... I mean, not like the horrible parent lovey dovey crap but I love you Andy."

He hesitated before kissing the top of her head, wrapping his arm round her middle, "I love you too darlin'."