Henry had left with the Shelby's to go to London leaving Anastasia alone in Birmingham in the care of Polly and Esme with the occasionally phone call from Thea and Ada.

"Ana!" Esme shouted. "Phone."

Ana looked up from her book in the kitchen, slowly standing up and pushing her chair back under the table. Walking through the curtains, she gave Esme a confused glance. "Who is it?" she mouthed.

"Dunno, it's for you," the woman mouthed back passing her the phone.

Ana walked into John's office and took the phone from Esme's grasp. "Hello?" she spoke into the microphone watching Esme still stood in the doorway waiting in anticipation to see who it was.

"Hello," Jack's voice filled Anastasia's ear, Ana's eyes flitted to Esme after she coughed to get the girl's attention.

"It's Jack," she mouthed to Esme who raised her eyebrows and left, closing the office door.

"So," Jack began and Anastasia hummed. "Remember when I said I'd be coming to see you?"

"Yes," Ana nodded even though he couldn't see.

"Well, guess who's in Birmingham," Jack said and Ana could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Esme, Polly, Finn, John's kids and I'm guessing you?"

"Yes, me. Your mum gave me her key so I may or may not be in your living room," he nodded.

"I'm helping Esme at the shop, so you can even come over to the shop or wait at mine until I'm done. Also, what did my mum say?" Ana asked.

"She passed me the key and told me to tell you that she's ring you soon," Jack replied.

"Oh," she said, looking down. Esme had looked over and watched Anastasia's head bow and the girl turn her attention to the desk in-front of her.

"How long do you think you'll be?"

"Not long, about an hour," she shrugged.

Jack sighed before saying, "Right."

"It's not my fault. I'm not going to leave Esme by herself in the den which gets extremely busy," she reasoned.

"Yeah, whatever. I'll see you soon then," he rolled his eyes and put the phone down. Ana let out of a sigh of irritation and rolled her eyes.

"What's up?" Esme asked, turning her to Ana while passing her the books to put back in John's office. Ana didn't reply, instead she took the books from the woman's grasp and placed them on John's desk.

"Jack," she sighed, walking out of the office and back towards the kitchen. Esme placed her hand on Ana's shoulder stopping her from walking. "What's he done?" Esme asked.

"He decided to show up with no warning and then tries to make me feel bad because I won't drop everything and leave you at the den by yourself," she replied.

"You know, I'll be fine, right?" Esme asked, watching Ana close her eyes. "But you don't want to go."

"No," Ana shook her head. "Does that make me a bad person?"

"Depends on your reason."

"I'm home alone," she pointed out. "With the boyfriend that I haven't seen in months."

Esme slowly nodded, "Stay at mine until your dad gets back. John's not here."

"I could but then it'll make me look and feel bad so I'll just suck it up and get a grip," she shrugged, watching Esme look at her with a sympathetic look which she shrugged off.

"How long did you tell him you'd be?"

"An hour."

Esme looked at the clock, "Well, you could always actually help me with the books. Who knows it could take you past an hour and give you valid excuse for being late."

The girl looked up at the woman beside her with a smirk, "Smart."

"I am sometimes," she shrugged, squeezing her shoulder before walking away.

"What do I actually do then?"

"Whatever you want."

Ana rolled her eyes at the response that Esme gave, "Helpful."

"Sit and read for all I care," Esme shrugged watching as Ana travelled back into the kitchen to grab her book from the kitchen table.

ೃ⁀➷

Two hours had passed before Ana finally pulled herself from her book and looked up to the clock with a sigh which read 2.34pm making the girl groan and slowly stand up from her chair and walk into the den, "I'm going to go back to mine now."

Esme looked up and nodded, "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"Yes." The girl grabbed her coat and shrugged it on while walking back to Finn's room to put the book back before walking back to her house. Esme looked up and waved at her as Ana walked back through the den where Isaiah was stood waiting.

"Why are you standing there like a creep?" Ana asked the boy who kicked himself off the wall and then stood on his cigarette to put it out.

"Waiting," he shrugged. "For you. To walk you back home, per your dad's orders." Ana hummed as he fell into step with her.

"Oh, you do know there's someone in your house, right?" he asked watching her nod. "Who is it?"

"Jack," she replied. Isaiah didn't miss the annoyance that was laced in her tone.

"Are you two okay?" he asked as they turned onto her street.

"Yeah," she nodded, Isaiah looked at her with his eyebrow raised. "I think. I don't know. He just showed up out of the blue at my house then rings me and expects me to drop everything and leave Esme at the den by herself."

Before Isaiah could say anything Ana walked closer to her front door which had opened causing Isaiah to stop in his tracks and Ana's eyes widen in shock as she looked down in the hopes he didn't hear her. Isaiah cleared his throat with a low whistle looking at Jack's glare towards him even though he was about ten steps behind the girl.

"Why are you glaring at him?" Ana asked, looking between the two. "He hasn't done anything."

"He's too close," Jack grumbled causing Ana to roll her eyes. 

"He's doing his job, Jack. Stop being a twat."

"I'm not-"

"You are. Now just stop," she held up her hand to stop him from talking and then turned to Isaiah. "I'm sorry for his toxic masculine behaviour. He forgets that I can't have friends that are of the opposite sex."

"It's fine, I'll see you tomorrow, 'Sia," Isaiah waved, turning on his heel.

"See you tomorrow, 'Siah," she waved sending him a small smile. "Why do you have to be such a cunt to him?"

"He flirts with you," Jack pointed out. "All the time."

"It doesn't mean anything. He flirts with everyone. He's my friend." she spoke in a raised voice.

"Yeah, your friend who flirts with you. Stop being oblivious," he grumbled rolling his eyes.

"Stop being a cunt," she muttered pushing past him.

"I'm not being a cunt when a guy I don't know is flirting with you," he shouted after her.

"Whatever, I'm not arguing with you," Ana rolled her eyes making Jack scoff.

"An-"

"No, I can't keep arguing with you because you don't understand the meaning of the word 'friends.' I don't have a go when you're back in London with fuck knows who do I? No, so stop it. You see me once every two months and it always ends in an argument so either stop it or I'm not staying here tonight," she told him.

"Is that your way of telling me you'll be sleeping at Isaiah's?" he asked bitterly.

"I'm done," she sighed.

"You and me both know that we can't ever actually be done because it will only end in someone dying," he stopped her from walking out of the door.

Ana turned back and glared at him, "No one will die but we're done."

She slammed the front door and made her way to Esme's. The woman opened her front door and came face to face with Ana who had tears rolling down her cheeks. Esme pulled Ana into the house, guiding her to the living room where the kids all looked up at her confused.

"Go upstairs, you lot," Esme told them as they slowly got up and made their way to their rooms. Once they were gone Esme turned to Ana, "What happened?"

"We argued again and I said we were done and he brought up the deal," she sniffled, wiping her tears.

"What was the argument about?"

"Isaiah. Jack's convinced that Isaiah likes me because he flirts with me and then I tried to explain to him that me and Isaiah are friends and theres nothing going on between us but he won't listen to me," Ana replied as Esme rubbed her shoulder. "I can't actually break up with him because then my dad dies but I can't stay with him because I can't keep arguing over stupid shit. I don't accuse him of basically cheating on me when he's in London, I don't understand why he won't trust me."

Esme let out a sigh, "Boy's are stupid."

"I know," Ana muttered. "Can I stay here tonight?"

"Yeah, I told you earlier you could. I haven't changed my mind."

"Thank you."

"I'll go get you the spare bedding and something to sleep in," Esme told her as she stood up, making her way upstairs. Ana sat on the sofa with her head thrown back and eyes closed when she heard small footsteps get close. "Hello Katie."

"Are you okay?" Katie asked as she climbed into Ana's lap. The teen sitting up to look at her. "I'm okay," she smiled.

Esme came back the stairs with a duvet and pillow and set them beside the teen as she ushered Katie back up to her room while she cooked with Ana sat at the table reading one of the kid's books.

"Does he know you're here?" Esme asked the girl as she put a plate in front of her.

"No. He think's I'm at Isaiah's," Ana shook her head. "Can I ring my mum?"

"Yeah," Esme nodded watching as the girl shuffled over to the phone and rang Ada's number.

"Hello?" Ada picked up the phone.

"Ada?"

"Yes, Ana it's me," Ada answered.

"Can I speak to my mum please?" Ana asked, slowly picking up her fork.

"Thea!" Ada shouted into Ana's ear making her pull the phone away until she heard her mum's voice.

"'Stasia?" Thea asked. "What's wrong?"

"Me and Jack argued again, I can't marry him if we're just going argue. What if he gets really mad at me and something happens?"

"I knew we shouldn't have agreed to the marriage but-"

"But I have to stay with him or his dad will kill my dad," she muttered.

"I know, it's hard but you don't see him that often," Thea reminded her.

"Yeah, I know," Ana nodded even though Thea couldn't see her.

"What did you argue over this time?"

Ana let out a sigh, "He basically accused me of cheating on him with Isaiah of all people."

Thea covered her mouth to hide her snort, "What?"

"I know, it's so stupid."

"What did you do?"

"I'm sleeping at Esme's until dad gets back tomorrow so I don't have to go back by myself," Ana told her mum.

"Smart," Thea nodded. "I'll be home soon, okay?"

"Okay, love you."

"Love you too," Thea smiled before Ada shouted, "I love you too!"

Ana let out a laugh, "Love you too." She put the phone down as Esme stood behind her grabbing her plate to wash it up.

"Thank you," she smiled.

ೃ⁀➷

Ana was sat on the edge of Katie's bed as she read her a story while stroking her hair. Ana kept reading until she heard the soft snores from the girl beside her. The teen slowly moved the girl so she could go downstairs.

"Katie's asleep," Ana told Esme.

"Thank you," Esme smiled. "I set the sofa up for you, there's some clothes on the sofa arm for you to sleep in."

"Thank you," Ana moved to get the clothes and ran upstairs to get changed, leaving her clothes on the floor beside the sofa.

"Night," Esme squeezed the girl's shoulder on her way past.

"Night."

Ana laid on the sofa staring at the ceiling, jumping when she felt someone tap her. "Katie!" she hissed. "What are you doing? Go back to sleep."

"Can I sleep down here with you?" Katie asked.

"If you must," Ana sighed, watching as Katie ran back upstairs then appeared beside her with her pillow and duvet as she set them down on the floor, Ana turning on her side to watch her.

"Night," Katie whispered as Ana sent her a smile.

"Night, now go to sleep," Ana told her with an eyebrow raised.

"I will," Katie whispered again, closing her eyes falling into a deep sleep. Ana turned to lie on her back once again as she followed Katie and fell into a deep sleep.