The silence which fell over the entrance hall was deafening. Nick stood still and immovable, his face blank but his eyes continually moved between the blonde at his side and his in-laws. He hadn't seen them in over a year and he had not been expecting them to make an appearance any time soon. They had missed Tommy's birthday and Christmas. They hadn't even turned up to their own daughter's funeral. Their only attempt at contact was an impersonal card sent through some website.

Their arrival was not a good omen.

Betsy, needing to break the tension, smiled at the two newcomers. "It's nice to meet you." She greeted, holding out her hand to the pair.

Carol pressed her lips together, her eyes staring at her offered hand for several long moments before she looked away. Betsy felt the burn from her cold shoulder. Stomach churning uncomfortably, she looked to Greg. The man peered down in long nose and she fought not to wither under his gaze. Tilting her head up, she held his stare until the man finally looked away.

Keeping the smile firmly in place, the petite blonde dropped her hand to the side and looked to Nick for guidance. He knew these people; he knew how to handle them. At least she hoped so. Betsy had dealt with rude people before in her life but this was on an entirely new level. Never had she been belittled so much with a single gesture.

Nick watched everything unfold, assessing every move his in-laws made. He would have remained silent but upon looking at the effect they were having on Betsy, he knew he had to speak up. He hated the way her smile, which had been warm and full of mirth minutes before, had become forced and strained. It was why he was glad his in-laws rarely deigned to visit. They had this effect on many people but their disrespect would not stand.

"Not that we're not – overjoyed – at your unexpected visit," Nick drawled, his tone belying his words. "But what is the reason for your visit. And a better question is how you drove up the driveway. Security should have notified me of your arrival. You shouldn't have been able to drive straight up to the house."

Carol, who had looked at everything but Nicholas, finally lifted her head. The cold indifference was gone from her face and instead fury had twisted her features up into a bitter mask. She folded her arms across her chest and scowled up at him. He just blinked down at her. She was about as terrifying as a Chihuahua but the woman seemed to think she was as scary as a Pitbull.

"Really, Nicholas? Are you going to play this game?" Carol spat at him, her eyes burning into him. "Do I need a reason to see my own grandchildren?"

"Since you haven't seen them in a year and have made no attempt to speak to them over Christmas?" Nick asked. He looked at his children's only surviving grandparents and felt the familiar anger burn in his heart. They always left him with a bad taste in his mouth. "I think you need a dozen reasons to see them. They wouldn't recognise you from the checkout clerk at Tesco."

Carol's hand fluttered dramatically to her chest as if she were greatly offended. Nick wasn't sure if the woman was even capable of feeling anything at all. She had taken her daughter's death hard. He knew that but it still did not excuse her from ignoring her grandchildren, the only remaining part of their dead daughter.

"I should just leave you all to discuss this in private." Betsy murmured quietly, the smile gone and her body posture shrunken as if she was trying to minimise any attention drawn to her.

"I agree. We have things to discuss Nicholas – things which should not be said in front of the staff." Carol hissed, her eyes staring dismissively at the blonde woman. "After all, she is just your housekeeper."

Ignoring his mother in-law, Nick turned to Betsy. His eyes roamed over her face even as he kept his face as blank as possible. He tried to convey his apologies without speaking and her lips twitched in a small almost smile before she nodded. She understood. He would apologise later but right now he needed to deal with the two intruders who had ruined the happy atmosphere which had surrounded his home before his arrival.

Betsy walked away calmly after some bland pleasantries. Nick resisted the urge to watch her go. Instead he met his mother in-law's stare head on. When all she did was purse her lips, Nick raised a single brow and said nothing. Sure enough, the woman couldn't stop herself from opening her mouth.

"A housekeeper, Nicholas? Do you have to embarrass us like this again?"

"I don't know what you mean." Nick replied drolly.

"Don't even try that. You and your floozy were plastered all over the paper. All of the women at the club were talking about."

Nick let out a laugh, scratching tiredly at his jaw. "It figures, you didn't even come to see the children. You came here, to my home, to have a go at me for some perceived slight to your reputation. You really are unbelievable." Shaking his head, Nick spun on his heel and gave the pair his back. "You can leave the same way you came in. You have no right at all to judge me."

"How dare you turn your back on me!" The harridan shrieked, her heeled shoes clicking across the floor as she hurried after him.

Nick paused and glanced over his shoulder only to impart the woman with a parting shot, "Your daughter would be disappointed in you."

Her body jerked as if a bullet had torn through her heart. Instantly the woman's face changed. Gone was the bitter self-righteous cow he knew so well. Her face crumpled and she staggered to the side. For a moment Nick thought she was going to fall to the floor, but her husband was there with his hands on her hips to steady her.

Although he wanted nothing more than to walk away, Nick stopped. As much as he was accused of being a cold hearted bastard by some of his competitors, he did have a living beating heart.

"I apologise. I shouldn't have said that."

"No. You shouldn't but it's what you believe. Isn't it?" Carol asked, her voice a defeated whisper. "We do care. Whatever you may believe, we do care about the children's wellbeing."

With his lips pressed into a thin line, Nick did not immediately offer a response. Instead, he just observed. Finally, he made an offer he knew he would come to regret.

"If you are truly here to see the children, you can stay for dinner. If you would like to that is?"

The couple looked at one another before nodding their heads. "Yes, we would like that."

"Good." He nodded his head imperiously before giving him a hard stare, the one which made him such a terrifying opponent in the boardroom. "But I'm warning you now. I will kick you out of the house if you so much as think of saying anything about Betsy. I won't have her or my children exposed to any of that negativity. You would come to regret such actions deeply."

Nick knew they heard the threat in his tone. And he meant it. He would tear them down piece by piece if they so much as attempted to ruin the happiness his family finally had. He wouldn't even feel guilty about doing it. He protected what was his.

"We understand." Greg answered for his wife, squeezing her hand in warning when she opened her mouth to speak.

Without allowing any further unnecessary chatter, Nick led them through the corridors at a brisk pace. He would never admit it out loud but he was desperate for the buffer his children would offer. They would distract his 'guests' so he could avoid dealing with them for as long as possible.

Nick stepped into the dining room and felt his mouth fall open before he could stop it. Whatever he had been expecting – it certainly wasn't the abundance of paper chains, hand coloured banners, and balloons. And there, in the middle of the table, was an ugly misshapen three tiered chocolate cake which had been lovingly decorated with brightly coloured icing and sprinkles.

"Happy birthday Daddy!" Delilah shouted. Her hands were stretched out above her head while she bounced on the very tips of her toes.

A moment later Tommy mimicked her, throwing his hands above his head as he sent Nick a beaming smile. He had forgotten about the fistful of confetti in his hand and seconds later his hair was decorated with the hand cut pieces.

Betsy, who stood to the side with Ms Reed, pressed her hand over her mouth to hide her smile. Nick met her gaze and made no attempt to stop the grin from forming on his lips. He felt the warmth of her stare, felt the connection between them as their eyes met across the room.

Ignoring the presence of the two unmentionables behind him, Nick knelt down on the floor. He didn't care about the dust marks on his trousers, or the creases that would form, he simply held his arms open wide and pulled his children into a tight hug when they barrelled into his embrace. Holding them close, he breathed in their scents. He lived for these moments. His children were the most important people in his life.

Finally he loosened his hold so that he could stare down at their faces. Even though his knees ached, he made no attempt to stand. Instead, he pressed a kiss to their foreheads. Delilah scrunched up her nose in response and pouted. Laughing, Nick ruffled her hair playfully. Tommy, eager not to miss out on the fun, rubbed his hands through Delilah's hair too. His loud giggles filled the air.

With an irritated squeak, Delilah scowled and clamped her hands over her hair. Yet, even as she tried to fake her anger, Nick could see her fighting back a smile. This was the only present he wanted or needed.

"Thank you for my party," Nick murmured to the pair when the giggles had faded away.

Delilah leant close to Nick and whispered very loudly, "It was Miss Betsy's idea."

"Oh really?" He asked, his eyes lifting to meet the blonde's eyes across the room.

The two in front of him nodded enthusiastically, he could see their heads bobbing frantically out of the corner of his eye. Betsy flushed under his gaze and fidgeted with her hands. Eventually she hid them behind her back when his lips pulled up into a grin.

"Well, thank you all for the party." Nick said loudly. "Now I think I spotted some cake?"

"Not yet boy," Ms Reed chastised with a smile on her lined face. "Dinner first and then you can have some cake. Everyone take a seat and I'll bring through the main."

"I'll give you a hand." Betsy added, following the older woman from the room.

Pushing to his feet, Nick led his children to the table. After helping Tommy up into his seat, he took his usual seat at the head of the table. He noted place settings had already been put out for the newcomers, who had taken seats with a stiff upper lip and the disdain clearly on his features. He hated their presence at the table but he wouldn't let them ruin the festivities. He would endure for this meal and they probably wouldn't pay another visit for another year.

With that thought in mind, Nick smiled and winked at his children before digging into the steaming plate of food as it was set before him. He could cope with them for one evening – as long as it was just one evening.