(no subject)

She steps back into the street, and watches the men leading away her bike.

She'd wanted to fight them, to bring people back from the bar. But where would that lead? Someone could have got hurt, or they could all have got arrested, and where would that lead? Pearse was right, there was no way to fight these people. They'd just have to come up with some sort of payment plan...

She blinks in surprise as the cop cars scream around the corner, surrounding the drug dealers. She'd hoped Lucy had stopped to call the cops but wow, that was unbelievably fast.

"Ma'am?" One of the cops stops next to her. "You okay?"

"Couple bruised ribs, I'm sure it'll be fine." Bonnie says. "They ran me off the road before stealin' my bike. How did you find me so fast?"

"Two people called it in, we were able to work out which way you were headin'." the cop says, as a swarm of officers cuff the three drug dealers. "Yer sister in law phoned Lieutenant Tuttle. And that guy over there saw you were in trouble and tailed yer tail, as it were."

Bonnie follows his gaze. Oh hey, the man in the smart suit.

"You sure he ain't in league? He's the guy that I reported to Turtle... Tuttle the other day, because he was hangin' around outside my house. He was at my son's trial too."

"Was he now?" The officer strides over to the man in the suit, with Bonnie following. She's not missing this explanation.

"Why have you been following her then?" the officer is asking as she catches up. "Very suspicious if you ask me..."

"No no no, I'm nothing to do with these people." the man in the suit says quickly, his tone slightly posh and more than a little shocked. "I didn't realise you'd seen me... I realise how this looks, but I was just hoping that Mrs Murdock might... Maybe I should start from the beginning."

"Maybe we should take you down the station." the cop says.

"No, please, look, my name is Anthony Bird." the man in the suit says. "I... I believe I am the real father of John and I was rather hoping you might lead me to my grandchild."

Bonnie stares at him. Perhaps that explains something. John's feelings of rejection by his family before his parents died in the war. His animosity with Alvin, who his parents adored. Maybe he never knew, but his mother would have, and it must have had an effect. But there's something about this...

"Yeah well yer twenty years late." she snaps. "I can just about understand why you wouldn't want to rock the boat in his parents' marriage after the affair, but where were you when his parents died? Where were you when he was strugglin' as a teenager? Where were you when he started takin' drugs and gamblin'? And now you want to just swan back into his life like nothin' happened?"

"You tell him, should be ashamed." the cop chips in. Bonnie continues.

"I raised John and I adopted him. He's had a Mom, a Dad, an Auntie and an Uncle, and if he wants to get to know you then fair enough, but until then you can fuck off!"

"Look, Mrs Murdock, I didn't mean you any harm." Anthony says. "I'm sorry if I startled you by following you. I know I'm probably too late for John but I do want to meet my grandchild. You said in court that John hadn't been the best parent, but the boys with you now look too old to be his..."

"The child has been adopted by new parents." Bonnie says, careful not to give him any more details about Terry, "So you're too late and you won't find'm through me. If you've got any decency, you'll leave them alone." She softens slightly. "But thank you for calling the cops while I was gettin' my ass kicked."

Seeing Lucy and the boys have caught up, she leaves Anthony with the cop and goes to be hugged by the three of them. She updates them on what has been happening.

"It's all our fault." Stuart blurts out. "We're in fiduciary difficulties with them, I'm sorry..."

"Now stop that." Bonnie says, not entirely sure that Stuart used the correct word there, but in no mood to correct it. "Borrowin' money off lowlifes fer food when you were twelve is hardly your fault. You should have told someone they were chargin' you interest though."

"We thought they'd hurt us." Ted says.

"Look." Bonnie says. "You need to come with me to the cops to tell them everythin' now. Is that why you were robbin' too? To pay off this debt?"

Both boys nod. Lucy wraps an arm around each of them.

"Between the cops and the Iron Scorpions we'll look after you." she says. "And the dealers can't blame you for the cops bein' involved now, 'cos someone else called them too."

Bonnie nods in agreement. Turtle, leaving the three arrested men with a colleague, comes over to join them.

"We'll need statements from all of you, let's get going."

"What you make of Anthony Bird and his explanation?" Bonnie asks Lucy as they head for the patrol car.

"I don't buy it." Lucy replies quietly. "If he wanted Terry legitimately, he would go through her social worker, not stalk us."

"Agreed. We need to keep an eye on him."