John's POV

Something was going on. Every sound within the house was making Anni jump, and while I didn't think the boys had been picking on her again, they were all absent again this morning from breakfast, having left early for college and we still hadn't heard a satisfactory excuse for why Maverick and Beau both had black eyes.  None of the boys were talking and the mood between them all was best described at sour.

I shared a worried look with Ginny, we had been waiting to see if the kids sorted it out themselves before we intervened but I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep quiet. "Are you going in?" I asked Anni but she shook her head. 

"Not today, I've completed everything needed for those classes, so I will be upstairs painting, I have a couple of things I want to get finished" she explained softly before retreating into silence.  I looked at Ginny to help.

 How was the spa?" Ginny asked Anni and I saw the first smile for a while cross her face.
"It was wonderful, I didn't realise how tense I was until, I had a massage, I felt like goo afterwards" she laughed,
"And Jasmine?" Ginny asked keeping the conversation going.
"She was wonderful, I can't thank you enough for introducing her to me, she's like a big sister" she says reaching for Ginny hand.

"So everything is alright then, no problems with the boys?" I asked carefully, ignoring the warning look Ginny sent me.
"Of course, why wouldn't it be" she said blandly, looking down and fidgeting before excusing herself. 
I watched her walk away before looking at my wife "Sorry, I couldn't help it" I said and she shook her head at me before sending me a wry smile.

"Well, at least we now know something is bothering them all, I'll talk to Anni and you can take the boys" she suggested and I groaned silently, whilst nodding, this was not going to be fun.
"As soon as they come home, I will talk to them" I promise her, before escaping to my office and work.

Ginny popped her head in twice during the morning and both times shook her head at my silent question, she hadn't yet spoken to Anni and I knew I had a little time before the boys returned.  Anni chose to stay in her studio through lunch, so I joined Ginny in the kitchen with May and Thomas.

As we settled the conversation came round to our worries about the kids, May and Thomas exchanging a look above Ginny's head that made me wonder if there was something I was missing. "May, What do you think?" I asked her and she looked away before sighing and returning to Thomas's side.

"Thomas?" I asked looking between them. "Have we missed something?"

"Your boys are fighting over Miss Anni" he said not the silence and I looked at him shocked.

"What?" I started but Ginny's hand on my arm stopped me.

"Sit down John" she smiled at me softly.

"You knew!" I asked her but she shook her head.

"No but I did wonder, they have been so protective of her, ever since they screwed up in the summer, I didn't realise they had got this far" she told me, holding onto my hand in support.

"Are you saying they are all in love with her?" I rush out angrily."She is their sister!"

"I don't know about love but they are interested in her, I just don't understand what has caused the current issues, now, what has changed?" Ginny says softly.

"Its because two of them have kissed me, it scared me and I ran to Jazz's, that's what caused the fight" Anni's voice comes from the doorway, making all of us turn quickly to face her, we had not heard her approach.

She stares back at us, her face red and her eyes wet. "I'm sorry" she aims at Ginny, "I don't know how it happened, I didn't notice until... until they kissed me and told me they were interested, I didn't want them to fight, or come between them.  I've caused so much trouble" I can see her knuckles white on the doorframe as she holds herself up, her body tense as if waiting for a blow to come.

"Oh Anni" Ginny got up and rushed to her, pulling her into a tight hug. "You've done nothing wrong" she tells her, drawing her back to the table to join us.

Thomas and May start to move away but I stop them "Stay, Please" sending them a quick smile when they do.

"Daddy, What do I do?" Anni leaned against me and I sighed, wondering how we had got into this mess.

"Why don't you explain what's happened, so we can tell you our thoughts" I said, stoking her hair and sharing a glance at the other around the table, May and Ginny smiling my way as Thomas looked pensive.

Indiana explains what has happened and why she went to Jasmine's, she told us about the talk with Beau last night and his reaction and then told us about her feelings for them, the conflict she was experiencing between her feelings and mind.  The conflict she knew would start if she chose one of them.

"Why now?" Ginny asked and Anni blushed

"Because my birthday is coming, I'll be an adult..." she trails off at the look of horror on my face, quickly assuring me they weren't after sex, causing all of us to blush.

"I wish I could find another man who interests me, but no-one I meet compares to them, I know I'm young and there is plenty of time but it feels so real when they are with me" she ducks her head again, embarrassed and I think about her words.  For all the years I've known the boys, I have, until the issue with Anni, always been proud of the men they were becoming, if I could take the good parts from each of them I would have a man, any father would want for his daughter, but this was real life and I couldn't do that.

"What do you want to do?" I ask her softly.

"I don't know, these last weeks since Silas was dealt with have been wonderful,  I've felt safe, loved and at home, I want to wind back the clock to before the kiss and carry on as things were" she whispers out.

"Then I will speak to the boys and tell them that, give you time to think about what you want to do, its three weeks till your birthday, from what you have said that was the date they were giving you originally, can you decide by then" I suggested carefully, my eyes checking Ginny's reaction but she was nodding at me.

"I will try" Anni whispered out, hugging me then turning and hugging Ginny. "I'm going back up... thank you for listening to me" Anni smiles at us and I hope we've done enough to ease her worry for the time being.

"Now we just need to speak to the boys" Ginny says quietly when Anni has gone and I groan, causing Thomas to laugh softly.

"If its for Miss Anni's benefit, they will listen" he tells me and I nod, wondering again how it came to this.  

Ginny follows me back to the study, sliding into the chair opposite mine "What are you thinking?" she asks and I sigh.

"If it was anyone except Anni, I would say the girl was lucky to have the boys interest, but she's been through so much and some of it at their hands, is this real, or is it just guilt making them chase her?" I explain.

I can see the emotions chasing over her face "Until we ask them we can't be sure but if it is, do we stand between them, two of them are going to lose out and what will that do to their relationship, should we just tell them no now.  Should we push the moral question their way, should they be even considering her, she is their sister"

"Damn it" I growl out, knowing whatever I choose to do will upset them,  "What is the ultimate life we want for our children, their happiness, for them to grow and become strong independent adults, making and learning from their own mistakes. I don't know Ginny, how can we do that in this situation"

"See what the boys have to say and we can plan from there, whatever happens we will protect her the next three weeks up till her birthday, that gives us time to watch them and see what is going on." she replies and I nod. "You're not worried about the family aspect?" she adds carefully.

"I should be, but I just want her happy, there is no blood relationship between them and they haven't grown up together as family, so no, it's not really a concern.  I just want it to be for the right reasons, not guilt or a challenge between them all, but for her" I drag my hands through my hair and stare at my wife. "I would have fought the world for you, that's the type of man I want for my daughter, but I worry its at the expense of our sons" I tell her and she blushes at my words, her hand coming up to fan at her flushed face.

"And on that note I'm off, I will come back when the boys are home" she laughs, leaving me to try to get back to work, but the situation fills my mind. What is the best thing to do for the family and for our children.

It was early after noon when they returned, I waited till they had all got back before calling the to the study.  Watching as they stared at each other, the division between them clearer to see now my eyes were open to what was happening.

"We are just waiting for your mother to join us" I tell them waving at them to sit down.

"What's this about?" Maverick asked bluntly.

"Anni" Ginny replied from the door, as she closed it behind her and came to my side. The boys all looking uncomfortable.