Jo took an immediate dislike to Vix. No one was quite sure why, but the brunette detective spent the whole weekend making snide comments and sending her cousin's girlfriend dirty looks. It was actually quite amusing to Hollie, Eve and Abi to watch as Nikki grew steadily more annoyed and Sam grew steadily more embarrassed. Vix brushed most of the comments off, apparently deciding that Jo was just being protective.

After lunch on Sunday, everyone was lazing around in the living room, watching a film and preparing for the visitors to leave. Jo climbed to her feet, saying she was going to load the car, shooting Hollie a meaningful look as she walked past her. Understanding what she meant, Hollie waited a moment or two, before asking whether anyone wanted a drink and following her aunt out of the room.

"I spoke to Stevie at Sun Hill the other day." Jo told her in a low voice.

Hollie swallowed, guessing that whatever had been discussed wasn't going to be good news. "And?"

"Gavin Ashton's being released in a couple of weeks."

"What?" The teenager breathed, feeling as though her throat was constricting. "But… he got sixteen months in July. He'll only have been in prison for less than six months!"

Jo winced, reaching out and squeezing her upper arms reassuringly. "Sweetie, I explained it at the time, didn't I? Because it's his first sentence, the time he'd serve would likely be halved anyway and with good behaviour…"

"I'm dead, Aunty Jo. He's… he'll…"

"He won't get anywhere near you."

Tears filled the teenager's eyes and she leant her head back against the wall, biting her lip. "You really think so? You really think that your lot can actually do anything to stop Gavin and his mates?"

"We can." Jo assured her firmly. "We can and we will. If he comes anywhere near you, we'll–"

"What?" Hollie snapped, more viciously than she'd intended. "He comes after me, I phone the police and I'll be dead before they've even left the station."

"Don't be overdramatic. He wouldn't–"

"He would!"

Jo sighed deeply. "Hollie, sweetheart, I can't promise you that he won't try and track you down. But I promise you… I promise… he won't get to you."

"Have you… have you told Mum?"

"No. I wanted to tell you first. I can tell her now if you want. It'll be better to get it out in the open so that she can get her head around it. You can put things in place to prevent what you're scared of happening, happening."

"Don't."

"Don't… what?"

"Don't tell her." Hollie ordered.

Jo looked confused. She furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to understand what the girl meant. "Why not?"

"AJ and Eve and… Vix…" The teenager squeezed her eyes closed and shook her head.

"What about them?" There was an air of someone talking to a child who wasn't making much sense to the tone Jo had adopted.

"I won't put them in danger. I won't risk Gavin coming after them."

"So… what are you suggesting?"

Hollie looked at her blankly. "I'll think of something."

"Hollie…"

"Aunty Jo, please. Please don't tell Mum or… does Sam know?" Jo simply shook her head at the question. "Please don't tell anyone else."

"I can't promise they won't find out. Victims are contacted by the police to let them know of an inmate's release. You've probably got about two weeks before they get in touch."

"Happy Christmas me." Hollie muttered sarcastically.

"You can't shut your family out to protect them, sweetheart. It won't work."

"It'll have to." Her niece said stubbornly. "Gavin will come after me and I won't let him hurt them."

"Hollie, just–"

"Who's Gavin?" A voice asked from behind them. Both females whirled round, wide-eyed, as their gaze fell on Eve standing in the doorway. She frowned as she looked between them curiously. "What are you talking about?"

"I…"

"I told you." Jo murmured. "They'll find out."

"Who's Gavin?" Eve repeated.

"He's no one. It doesn't matter."

"I'll ask Mum."

Hollie turned and fixed her with a furious glare, looking angrier than her younger sister had ever seen her. "Don't even think about it. You're just a silly little kid. You don't understand anything!" She hissed, advancing on the fifteen-year-old threateningly. "You mention anything to Mum and I swear–"

"Hollie." Jo wrapped her hand around the teenager's bicep and yanked her back roughly. "Stop it."

Eve looked as though she was on the verge of tears after her sister's outburst. She didn't wait around to hear any more, fleeing from the kitchen before either of them could stop her. Shooting a look at Hollie, Jo hurried after the younger of the sisters in an attempt to calm her down.

Turning away from the door, Hollie laid her hands flat against the surface of the cabinet beside the sink and squeezed her eyes closed. She felt terrible about losing her temper and scaring Eve. The girl had never seen her like that before and hadn't been expecting it. Eve had simply been curious about what they were talking about. There was no way she could have known how serious the conversation was.

Letting out her held breath in a long, steady stream, she mentally kicked herself. Even if Eve didn't say anything to Nikki about the conversation she'd walked in on, there was no way their mother wasn't going to realise that something had happened. Jo evidently didn't agree with her decision to keep the news about Gavin being released a secret and Hollie was sure that she would be only too happy to let the information slip.

Unwilling to hang around and deal with the consequences of losing her temper at her younger sister, Hollie grabbed the jacket off the back of one of the kitchen chairs and hastily made her exit through the back door. She shrugged the coat on as she started to run, through the back gate and along the alleyway that connected all the houses on their street.

It was icy underfoot, but the teenager didn't care. She liked the biting cold, eating away at her nose and toes and fingertips; the pain almost a welcome distraction from the internal battle that she was fighting. Hollie bit back the urge to scream, channelling her anger into running faster instead.

Every time things seemed to be going right something came along and threw a huge spanner in the works. While Hollie couldn't honestly, hand on heart, say she didn't still harbour the hopes that her mother and Tom would get back together, the teenager was glad her mum seemed happy. Eve had come into their lives and was becoming more and more comfortable as a part of their family. Even school seemed to be going reasonably smoothly. But now Gavin was being released and Hollie knew, she just knew, that their lives were going to be tipped upside down all over again. And it was all her fault.

"Fancy meeting you here."

Hollie jumped as a familiar, not particularly welcome, voice met her ears. She straightened up from where she had been doubled over, gasping for breath after her run and glared at the young man who was slouching against the metal railings that ran between the park and the footpath she was standing on. He smirked at her, before pushing away from the fence and moving towards her.

"What do you want, Barry?" Hollie demanded with a sigh, fixing him with a suspicious glare.

He shrugged innocently. "Nothing. I was just minding my own business when you came running towards me like a bat out of hell. What's wrong?"

"None of your business."

"Had an argument with Kevin?"

"No."

"Oh, that's right… he's probably not capable of arguing, is he?" Barry taunted, dodging as the girl aimed a slap in his direction. "Then it must be family stuff." He guessed, pulling a face of mock-sympathy.

"You'd know all about that, wouldn't you?" Hollie shot back irritably. "They forgiven you for what you did to Kacey yet?"

Barry's face clouded over and he scowled at her. "I was doing what was best for the family. Kacey shouldn't have gone to America!"

"Really? Are you sure you weren't doing what was best for Barry?"

"You don't know anything."

"Whatever." Hollie shook her head and turned away, preparing to start running again.

"So, what is it? Your precious mummy said something you don't like?" Barry taunted her. "Has she finally decided she doesn't want damaged goods for a daughter?"

The girl snapped. Before Barry had time to react she had brought her fist up and smacked him straight in the face. He staggered backwards slightly, not expecting the blow. Hollie used the opportunity to get into his personal space, narrowing her eyes angrily.

"My mum isn't like that." She hissed. "She's so much better than that."

"Yeah?" Barry rubbed his jaw and smirked at her. "You know I love it when you lose control."

"Stay away from me." Hollie ordered, turning her back on him and heading in the direction of the town.