When Haley woke up, she was surprised to feel another body beside her.
"Morning." Kian smiled, pulling her closer. "You look cute in my shirt."
"Thanks." She smiled, snuggling into his chest.
"Did you sleep okay?" he asked, running his fingers through her hair.
"Yeah. I slept really well." She said, looking up at him.
"Good." He kissed her forehead. "Let's get the kids up."
Haley got Emma up, letting her wash off and do her hair. They all had a quick breakfast together before Haley dropped her kids off at daycare, and Kian took Emma to school. After his shift at the hospital, Kian picked up Emma at her school.
"Hey, Em. We're going to see a counselor today okay? You just seem like you need someone to talk to." Kian explained, as he parked near the school.
"Okay." Emma smiled.
"Are you nervous?" Kian asked as they walked inside, holding hands as they made their way through the hallways.
"A little." Emma admitted. Kian wondered what to say to the doctor if she asked about Emma's home life. So far, she was keeping mum.
"Well, just keep telling yourself that everything is going to be fine, alright? No one would ever hurt you, I promise." Kian reassured her. Emma smiled up at him, squeezing his hand tighter. The counselor was a pleasant-looked woman, and she sat Emma down in the room. She looked at Kian quizzically.
"Are you family?" she asked.
"I'm her guardian, a friend of the family." he replied, sitting down next to Emma.
"Alright, what can I do for you?" the woman asked.
"Well, Emma, she's the daughter of a close friend, who's recently died. Her father left her with us. My wife and Emma get along great. Emma's been doing her homework as far as we can tell, and she's recently had her first period. She told my wife that she's having trouble sleeping, and when her mother was alive, she was often shuffled between homes. I'm hoping some counseling and stability will help her." Kian said, keeping his voice calm.

The private session wasn't as long as Kian thought it would be. The counselor gave Kian an update.
"Emma seems very adjusted, despite the loss of her mother. I don't want to prescribe mental health drugs yet, given her age. A simple children's melatonin supplement should help with the trouble sleeping. You might want to consider getting in touch with her dad, let them visit. Are you going to foster her at all?
"We're working on the paperwork now. I'm going to reach out to her dad; she really needs him now."

Kian talked to Johnny on the phone that night.
"Look, people at Emma's school are going to be asking about her home situation. There is the very real possibility that Social Services could get involved. Do you want us to be her guardians?" Kian asked, as Johnny let out a loud sigh.
"If this doesn't work out, then yeah. She needs someone there for her, someone who knows how she feels and can relate." Johnny explained. "I'll call her school and let them know. Hopefully they won't push too hard. Emma was so happy with Jac. When Jac would get overwhelmed with work, she'd send her to me. Jac doesn't have any family, just you and the rest of the staff at Holby. You can look after her."

"Can you visit her? She really needs you." Kian asked.
"I will."