Final chapter! Thank you to everyone who has read this story and especially to those who took the time to leave a review. Please feel free to leave a last review to let me know your thoughts on the ending :-)

It had been at least three and a half years since Jonny Maconie had last stood outside Holby City hospital waiting for his best friend Mo Effanga. He had phoned her a week ago to say he'd be in the area and agreed to meet her. He closed his eyes as he tilted his head to feel the warmth of the early autumn sunshine on his face. The leaves on the trees had started turning littering the grounds of the hospital with flurries of brilliant reds, yellows and oranges. He opened his eyes as he heard a familiar voice calling out to her child.

'Be careful Harry, your shoelace is undone.'

He watched as a young dark haired boy dressed in school uniform stooped to tie his shoe and was soon joined by his red haired mother and little sister.

'What time was Dad supposed to finish work?' Harry asked his mother.

'About ten minutes ago' she pulled her phone out her pocket and checked the screen 'see he's just text to say he's getting changed and then he'll be down. Come on we'll wait on the bench over there' Jac Naylor smiled at her son as she stooped and picked up her small daughter onto her hip.

Jonny watched as the little family walked to the bench laughing and talking easily together. He was fascinated by the little girl, red haired and so clearly like her mother becoming quickly cross by her elder brother teasingly pulling at her curls. Jonny smiled as he watched Jac refereeing between the two children, making them sit either side of her so neither could annoy the other.

'So you came then Jonny Mac' Jonny turned around at the sound of Mo's slightly frosty voice.

'It's good to see you Mo' he gave her a small apologetic smile 'you look well.'

'So do you' Mo nodded curtly at him. 'Come on we'd better move on somewhere else, Joseph Byrne will be down in a minute and I'm assuming you still want to keep the visit a secret.'

'Can we go to the peace garden?' Jonny suggested 'it's such a beautiful evening.'

'Sure' Mo started walking towards the seating area leaving Jonny to follow her. As she sat down on the wooden bench she realised why Jonny had suggested the spot; they had a clear view of Jac Naylor patiently waiting with her two children. 'So you've seen Emma then' Mo nodded her head in the direction of the family.

'Yeah' Jonny nodded as he sat down next to Mo 'I just wanted a glimpse, to see for myself she and Jac are really happy'

'So now you have what do you think?' Mo crossed her arms as she questioned her friend.

'She's so much like Jac, apart from the curls you wouldn't even know she was mine' Jonny smiled 'she's so beautiful'.

'You could meet her properly you know, I wasn't lying when I said Jac and Joseph have told Emma she has two Daddies.'

'How does Jac tell her about me?' Jonny shifted uncomfortably.

'She has a photograph of you and they tell her you are Daddy Jonny who gave Emma to Mummy and Daddy.' Mo shrugged her shoulders 'I'm guessing as Emma gets older they'll include a few more details. They just didn't want her growing up on a half-truth and then having a shock when she was told about you.'

They watched as Joseph came out of the building and walked up to his waiting family.

'Daddy!' Emma squealed delightedly but a bit too loudly and with a slightly distorted sound to her voice.

'She's hearing impaired?' Jonny asked, a little surprised, as he watched Joseph laughingly swinging Emma up into his arms, reminding the child to keep her volume a little lower.

'She has forty per cent hearing, but she doesn't let that hold her back' Mo placed a hand on Jonny's arm 'it happens sometimes in children with CDH. They don't know why.'

'You never told me' Jonny stared intently as Joseph set Emma down on her feet, hugged Harry and then kissed Jac.

'I'm sorry, I should of done but I thought you weren't coming back' Mo squeezed his arm, feeling guilty that she'd let him have this shock. 'She's perfectly healthy otherwise though Jonny, I promise you.'

'She looks perfect' Jonny smiled as he watched his daughter leave with her parents and brother. 'I made the right the decision Mo. I know you don't agree but it was the best thing Emma. I stayed away to make sure it would work, for Joseph to be Emma's father'

'You should probably know Jac and Joseph are now the Byrne-Naylor's. Harry is still a Byrne and Emma is still Naylor. I told Jac to drop the Maconie, it seemed less confusing that way.'

'I don't mind' Jonny shrugged 'I have no right to mind'

'That's true' Mo spoke bluntly.

'I'm sorry I left you Mo'

'Hm' was the only response Jonny was going to get to that. They sat in silence for a while until Mo decided to do what Jac had asked of her. She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out an envelope addressed to Jonny. 'This is for you, from Jac.' She held out the envelope to her friend 'she gave it to me a year ago, in case you ever told me where you were.'

'Thanks' Jonny mumbled as he took the envelope from his friend. As he did so he noticed a diamond ring on her finger. 'Mo, are you engaged?' he asked her with surprise.

'Yeah' Mo answered him shyly as she glanced down at the ring on her own finger

'Congratulations' Jonny beamed at his friend 'to anyone I would know?'

'To Derwood Thompson' Mo smiled at her friend.

'Well that's great' Jonny responded enthusiastically 'I'm really pleased for you.' He nudged her lightly with his shoulder as he jokingly called her 'Mrs T'.

'What about you, have you met anyone?'

'No' Jonny shook his head 'I don't think I'm ready for that yet.'

'It's been nearly four years Jonny'

'I know, but my head has been a bit of a mess. I'm doing better now though, I'm in a better place.'

'So what about Emma?' Mo was determined to question him about his intentions towards his daughter.

Jonny looked down at the envelope in his hands. 'I write to her you know, every once in a while a write Emma a little letter. I've never sent them but I've kept hold of them.'

'Perhaps you should send them, start contact that way'

'I don't want to interfere with the life she has with Jac and Joseph, I made that choice and now I have to live with it.' Jonny shrugged his shoulders uselessly.

'Emma knows who you are Jonny, I don't think a few letters will have a massive impact on her life but it might help you and her to have some sort of relationship later on.' Mo rubbed Jonny's arm affectionately 'she's your flesh and blood and she has a right to know where she comes from and what her biological father is like.'

'What about Joseph? The poor man is doing a brilliant job of raising my daughter as his own. It wouldn't be fair for me to waltz back in now.'

'No you're right, it wouldn't. Joseph and Emma have a very clear father daughter bond. In fact she is a right Daddy's girl. You cannot expect to have that with Emma.' Mo gave her friend realistic and fair warning. 'But you can still get to know your daughter.'

'Maybe' Jonny smiled as he slit open the envelope in his hand and pulled out several photographs of Emma as a toddler. 'She's is so much like Jac' Jonny chuckled as he looked through them. At the bottom of the pile was a small note written in Jac's handwriting.

Jonny,

I want you to know I'm not angry at you, only sad that you didn't stay for Emma. She is the most beautiful little girl and is very much loved by all of us. Joseph and I are very happy raising her together with Harry. Harry adores his little sister although he also enjoys teasing her until she is quite cross too! I can assure you she has my cross face so it would amuse you. I want you to know Joseph and I talk to Emma about you, she'll grow up knowing you're her biological father. I hope one day you will get in contact. You can meet Emma whenever you're ready to. You were right in your letter when you said having a family was all I ever wanted. Thank you for giving me Emma, I am blessed to have her in my life.

With love

Jac

'Perhaps you're right, I'll write Jac a letter, give her the one's I've written for Emma.' Jonny spoke as he tucked the note and the photographs into his coat pocket.

'I'll have to tell her I've seen you Jonny, I can't keep this from her'

'Ok' Jonny nodded. 'Tell her I'll write regularly, for Emma, if that would be ok with her.'

'Are you happy Jonny?' Mo carefully asked her friend.

'I'm getting there' Jonny smiled at his friend 'I've returned home, which is the best thing for me. I'm glad I've seen for myself how things have worked out for Jac and Emma too'.

'It was a big risk you took; it could have gone badly wrong for all involved.'

'No' Jonny shook his head 'I knew Jac would make it work, she loves Joseph, Harry and Emma with such intensity, there's no way she'd let it all slip away from her.'

'Then maybe your decision was right one' Mo begrudgingly agreed with him for the first time.

'It wasn't easy, you were right Mo' Jonny put his arm around his friend. 'I've spent the last three years fighting a battle in my own head, feeling guilty and being unsure of myself. I've had to relearn that life is always beautiful, provided you take the time to find the beauty. Somehow I'd forgotten that somewhere along the way.'