Nothing was worse than watching someone you love unhappy.

It hurt me not to be able to fix this instantly for her, as it was I was already doing everything in my power to help.

It had been four days since Mark and his awful wife, Layla, had been here threatening legal action and there had yet to be any follow through but I wasn’t stupid enough to think this was over.

As for Aria, she wouldn’t let Jamie out of her sight. It was like she was scared that if she left his side for a moment he would vanish. That even applied when he was asleep which meant all four of us, Darcy, Jamie, Aria and I, snuggled tightly into my bed because as much as Aria wanted Jamie in her sight I wanted her in mine.

And at night when she thought everyone was asleep, I would hear her cry. That really broke my heart because I knew how scared she was and there was nothing more I could do besides prepare for the storm coming our way.

“How is she?” My mum asked as she walked through the door grabbing my attention away from my deep thoughts about how I could fix this.

All I could do was sigh as I ran my hand over my face.

I hated this.

Honestly, I wanted nothing more than to hunt Mark down and beat some sense into him.

There was no one in the world that would love Jamie more than Aria. No better place for him then with a mother that sacrificed her entire life for him. A woman that had so much love to give she managed to shower her son with it and still have some left to share with my own daughter. A woman that was much better than Mark or his snobbish wife.

It killed me to see Aria in so much agony from her biggest fear coming to life and if I could make Mark feel even a bit of that agony in the physical sense then I was all for it.

“She hasn’t let Jamie out of her sight. It’s like she’s scared if her eyes aren’t on him he’ll disappear.” I finally managed to say as I glanced up the stairs where I knew Aria was with the children.

“Can you blame her?” Mum said as she rubbed my back, clearly she could see that this was taking a toll on me as well. But I knew she could also greatly relate to Aria in this moment. It was one of those mother things they shared.

“How is the whole media circus?”

That was quite another thing adding stress into our lives.

Although things had settles a bit, speculations had begun to circle from the brief spat the pap’s saw when Mark and Layla had made an appearance on my doorstep.

I couldn’t be bothered at the moment to worry about that but I aware that PR had spun some story to it.

I looked at my mother with tired eyes and raised eyebrows and just sighed shaking my head.

“Oh Harry.” She pulled me into a hug letting me relax into her arms as I let the heave weight that had been resting on my shoulder drop for a split second.

I was just so… scared.

“I have waited so long to find someone like Aria.” I nuzzled my face into my mother’s neck and squeezed my eyes tight. “She’s still here but at the same time she’s so far away. If she loses Jamie… I don’t think…”

Mum silenced me with a kiss to my forehead. It reminded me of when I was young and she would kiss me to soothe me when I was afraid.

I suppose that is exactly the case now too.

When she pulled away from me she smiled that always reassuring mother smile that she had perfected long ago. “Aria is a wonderful mother and with your help she isn’t going to loss that beautiful baby boy. You just need to have faith that everything will work out.”

In a perfect world her words would have made me feel better, but we lives in anything but a perfect world.

Still I nodded and kissed her cheek as a thank you.

“I picked up the post on my way in. There is something here for Aria. It looks rather official. Maybe you should take that up to her. I’ll make some supper; I doubt anyone has had a decent meal in days around here.” She said waving me off as she set to pulling things out of the cabinets.

Once again I kissed my mother’s cheek and thanked her, not only for the mail but for knowing exactly when I needed her.

It wasn’t long after that I was stood outside Jamie’s nursery where Darcy and the little boy in the center of all the drama where playing.

Darcy laughed along with Jamie as they listened to the singing light up toy in between them. Aria sat off to the side on the rocking chair smiling warmly as they played.

I liked that look on her. That calm maternal look she had perfected.

It was something I missed these last few days. So I just stood and watched the scene before me for a minute, soaking it in because it was something that had become rare around here.

But after a while I knew I needed to say something, I needed her to look at me.

“Aria, you got mail love.” I murmured as I stepped into Jamie’s room.

Slowly she glanced away from the two playing on the plush light blue rug like it hurt her to do so.
she had the left overs of a smile on her face, and even though it had been brought on genuinely, I knew it was mostly there for the benefit of the children.

It wasn’t the all-encompassing grin I had grown to love, even if this shadow of it was better than the deep furrowed brows and frown I had witnessed more than I ever wanted to in the last few days.

I held out the envelope and she reached out for it, her soft, low voice thanking me in the process.

Aptly she tore the end off the official looking envelope and slipped the letter out before unfolding it and quickly scanning her eyes over the words.

I watched on as the already weak smile fell from her lips and the deep furrow formed on her brow once more.

It wasn’t until her breath hitched in her throat, a clear sign she was holding back tears, that I asked what was wrong and stepped closer to her side so I could glance over the words that had changed her demeanor so swiftly.

“They are suspending our citizenship application due to pending legal matters.” She said quietly so only I could hear the tears of frustration sounding in her voice even though they weren’t on her face.

Not for the first time, my heart broke at her pain. This was too much; she didn’t deserve any of this.

“I used all my money to apply and now they are saying that I need to deal with all the Mark bullshit before I can reapply for consideration… and my visa is about to expire soon, I didn’t even apply for a new one.” I watched helplessly as she looked out the window and bit her lip. Before breathing out one word. “Fuck.”

I reaching over and gently tugged the paper from her before tossing them aside and grasping her hands to pull her up and into my arms.

I held her for a moment, allowing her to compose herself without the kids seeing while kissing the side of her head.

Darcy glanced up with furrowed brows, clearly curious but I just smiled at her as lightly as I could not wanting to give anything away to my little girl.

“Everything is going to be okay. We can get an extension on your visa, no problem. As for the rest, we will figure all that out when we have to. Just worry about one thing at a time.” I tried to reassure even if moments before I had been the one needing the reassurance from my mum.

“I know. I’m trying, it’s just so hard. It hasn’t stopped. First it was the media and then Mark, now this. When will I get a break, Harry?”

I wish I could tell her now, I wish I had any type of answer for her other than generic reassurance and vague timelines but I had nothing other than those.

“Aria, daddy look!” Darcy’s voice cut into our little moment causing both of us to slowly pull away from each other and turn to look at her smiling broadly and looking off to the side.

Only it wasn’t her that caught my eyes.

It was Jamie.

He grinned up at us as he stood on chubby wobbly legs, arms thrown out to his sides for balance.

I glanced over at Aria to find the same wide eyed awe that I had and the first genuine full blown smile on her face in days.

Then Jamie took a tentative shaky step.

Followed by another and another until he was standing closer to Aria and I.

“Daddy, Jamie walked!” Darcy cheered clapping her hands happily.

And then he did something no one could have expected.

With a smile still on his little face and his head tilted back adorably as he looked up, his arms lifted towards me, he said the one word I didn’t expect.

“Dada.”

Instantly my eyes shot to Aria who still looked down at her son in complete amazement. In that moment she couldn’t see anyone other than Jamie.

But Jamie had just called me dada.

Logically I knew it was because he had heard Darcy calling me daddy since he had moved in with his mother but a part of my heart swelled at the words leaving this little boy’s lips. A child that may not be mine biologically but who I viewed as my own more and more with each passing day.

Realizing I hadn’t moved yet I quickly bent down to pick him up and bring him to our level. Aria wasted no time in covering his little face with kisses.

“Oh my big boy learned how to walk.” She gushed as Darcy giggled at the scene.

And when Aria looked over at me, seeing the concern I had on my face at what she might say to her son calling me dada, she knew what I was thinking like she had been doing as of lately.

“You are the only male man enough that Jamie knows to be a father, and you are a damn good one, if you’re alright with it I don’t mind.”

All I could do was stare at this wonderful woman that I was lucky enough to have in my life, this woman that for a moment forgot all her worries and could enjoy the small achievement of her son in completely bliss like a mother should.

I glanced at my daughter, who was the center of my world, and down to the little boy who had just unknowingly claimed a part of my heart as his.

And in that moment I was certain of one thing.

No matter what I had to do, my family was not being torn apart.

Notes

Alright… so …. I am sorry
I know I keep slacking and I am probably annoying a decent amount of you guys with my lack of updates but I cant help it. I try to make time to write and I just never have any extra time.
BUT I did manage this chapter and I thought a little light moment there would help. Break up all that drama for a moment.
Anyway as always tell me what you think if your still there.
Love you kiddies
Slushibubblesfic.tumblr.com if you guys want to ask me anything or just talk I love hearing from you guys on there.
Also did anyone else bawl their eyes out during Glee because I did