Allie felt terrible. For the last eight days, she'd been spinning the odd little fib to Bea in order to keep her plan firmly under wraps. The previous day, she returned to the flat after a long day at work and noticed she had received the prison visitation request back, stamped with approval. She knew she was one step closer. She didn't really want to come face to face with a bastard like Harry, knowing everything he did to the woman she now loved was stirring up all sorts of emotions and this was all before she'd have to sit a few feet away from him. She'd told herself to keep it together, knowing how guys like him operated. He would be sly, try get under her skin, attempt to plant little seeds of doubt in her mind but she wouldn't let him get the better of her. She'd dealt with horrible bastards before, living on the streets, she encountered them all but Harry was different and she had to be prepared for him.

Harry obviously had no idea who Allie was and the fact he'd gone and accepted the visit and agreed to it so quickly was a bit of a mystery, although the blonde put it down to the fact he probably thought she was some sort of crazed admirer. She had always heard about woman like that and could never understand it. How could anyone possibly class someone like Harry as someone you looked up to, were fascinated by and couldn't wait to meet. She just hoped he would soon crash back to reality with an almighty thud after his appeal is rejected.

She almost changed her mind about everything. Parking her car outside the prison, she sat and almost drove off to return straight back to Bea but she didn't. Instead, she forcefully pushed the doubts to the back of her mind, closing the door on them before they could resurface and wrestle with her mind again.

As she sat with her hands on the wheel, looking towards the gates, it was her mobile ringing that brought her thoughts back. Reaching across, she saw Franky's name flash up and waited a couple of seconds before answering. She had tried to call earlier that morning but with the younger woman driving, she ignored it and hadn't called her back. That little task simply slipping her mind as everything else dominated her head space.

"Franky, sorry I forgot to call you back,"

"Im guessing you haven't went in yet,"

"Yeah, I'm sitting across from him now," she quipped, Franky not showing her amusement in the slightest, instead calling the blonde a smart arse and insisting this really wasn't the time for all of that. Allie was always so good at the humour side of things but the brunette wasn't in the mood for joking around this time. "I'm sitting outside in the car,"

The tattooed brunette had repeatedly told Allie that this was all such a terrible idea, that she would be much better off just ignoring the horrible fucker but the blonde couldn't. With his appeal rapidly approaching, she couldn't just sit back and hope for the best.

"I really hope you know what you're doing here, blondie,"

"I do. Don't worry, it'll be fine, I'll be fine and that bastard will know that there's no way he can ever hurt Bea anymore, I'm only protecting her,"

"What did you tell her this morning?"

"That I had a really busy day and I wasn't sure when I'd get finished but that I would head over to the house tonight,"

"I don't like that she's being lied to,"

"I don't like that part either, trust me," Allie stressed. She hated having to look Bea in the eye and completely tell lies but she was certain this was the right thing to do, that this was the only way she could protect her family from him. He had to know that Bea wasn't on her own anymore, that she had the support of her friends and Allie herself and she was a lot stronger than the woman he beat endlessly. "I feel terrible for lying to her,"

"And I know Red will go crazy on my arse if she knows I let you go there,"

"I'll sort all that, I promise, this won't come back on you,"

"If you're going to promise me anything, promise me after this one time you won't go back there to see him again,"

"Well I'm hardly going to be in line to request weekly visits,"

"I mean it, Allie," Franky's voice was stern down the line, the brunette opting for her friend's name instead of the affectionate nickname she'd adopted. "This one time is bad enough, I'll never forgive myself if he tries anything and Bea will fucking kill me. She loves you,"

"And I love her, it's exactly the reason why I'm doing this,"

"Call me as soon as you get back to the car," she pleaded, wanting to know as soon as possible how it went and more to the point wanting to know Allie was ok and safe. Being in that visitation room wouldn't stop that bastard from doing anything if he really wanted to and Franky knew it. "Don't listen to any of his shit, don't let him inside your head and don't let him find a weakness because if he finds that then he wins,"

"Got it,"

"And remember,"

"To call you when I get back to the car, I know," Allie said, pausing briefly as she quickly gathered herself together whilst her friend was still on the other end of the phone. "I'm going to make my way in, I'll be careful so don't worry and I'll speak to you soon,"

"Be careful alright,"

Hanging up the phone she tucked it inside her bag which lay on the passenger seat of the car, making her way inside the prison a few minutes later. There was a group of visitors sat just inside the building, a few people signing their names off before she took the pen in hand and scribbled down a signature. She noticed then her hand was shaking and took a second or two to pull herself together. If she walked into the visitor room like this, he would eat her alive and she knew it. That would make this all for nothing and there was no way she was prepared to let that happen.

It was a few minutes before the little huddle of people were escorted into the visitors room, each one immediately going off in the direction of who they'd came to see. Her eyes scanned the room looking closely at almost everyone stood by their table, some of them hugging the person in front of them tightly then she spotted him.

He was still sat at the table, arms crossed over his chest, a thin layer of hair covering his face. On first viewing, Allie realised just how big he was, he'd clearly been using his spare time in prison to work out, not that it done him many favours by the look of it. A nasty looking three inch scar covered his cheekbone and his right eye was a shade of purple and red where someone had taking their frustrations out on him a bit more recently. She liked that, enjoyed the thought of him suffering at the hands of someone else like he made Bea do for many years.

"You must be Allie, right?" His voice was rough as he spoke and reaching his leg out underneath the table, he purposely kicked the other chair outwards. "Sit down. It's been a few weeks since I had anyone visit, so this is a welcome surprise,"

"Yeah, I bet it is. Your face looks sore," she commented, pulling the chair back before she took a seat. Her shaky hand from before had disappeared and suddenly she was finding strength within herself to go through with all this. "What happened?"

"Nothing I can't handle," he shrugged. "Some dickheads have it in for me in here, always have,"

Good. Allie thought as she watched and listened as he blamed everyone else for the reasons he was in here.

"Why you?"

"They probably feel threatened, who knows. With any luck I won't have to put up with all this for much longer, once the judge sees all this was a ridiculous fucking set up and I don't deserve to be in here,"

A set up? Part of her couldn't believe what she was hearing from him. He almost killed Bea, after years and years of beatings, mental torture, he almost finished her but in his mind he was in here unfairly. She remembered Bea telling her how he always pointed the finger of blame onto other people but he really had a bare faced cheek this time.

"Fuck. You're exactly how I imagined," she admitted after a few minutes, the blonde's steely glare not faltering for a second as he demanded to know who she was. "You don't know me but I know all about you and what you did, why you're rotting away in here,"

"I will ask you again and this time I want an answer, so think very carefully before you speak again," he leaned forward in an attempt to be more threatening, Allie not flinching even a little bit as the guard on her left hand side was suddenly taking a keen interest in their conversation. "Who the fuck are you?"

"I'm Bea's girlfriend, you remember her right?"

"What?" He laughed aloud, his face falling into the perfect mixture of amusement and sheer disgust. "Bea ain't no filthy dyke, you're obviously lying. Listen, I don't know what game you're trying to play with me,"

"No games, I've been seeing her for months,"

"Nah," he still denied, sitting back in his chair, her fingers locked together tightly. "She never had it in her to be with a man, never mind a woman,"

"You really consider yourself to be a man do you? She's told me everything, all the things you did to her, you fucking disgust me,"

"Ah so she predictably laid it on thick did she? She always did do that,"

"You aren't even in the least bit sorry are you?"

"For what? That bitch deserved everything she ever got from me," he gritted his teeth, Allie's anger levels were through the roof but still she knew she had to keep it together. However much she wanted to leap across this table and repeatedly punch him in the face, that would look good on his part, not hers. "You still haven't said what you're doing here, why you're visiting me,"

"I just wanted to see you for myself, see what a pathetic excuse for a man you are,"

"Oh she's got you right where she wants you, hasn't she? So, tell me.. What's she like, she still a bit of a disappointment when it comes to the good stuff in the bedroom?"

"Fuck off,"

"No come on, I wanna know,"

"You're sick,"

"Call it taking an interest,"

"You just took what you wanted from her, never gave her a choice. You'd really love to be sat in here and think that you destroyed her but you haven't, she's happy, really fucking happy,"

"I'll be out of here soon," he smirked, that alone being highly annoying to the younger blonde.

"Maybe," she agreed, knowing there was a chance, hopefully albeit a very slim one. "If you do get out of here, you won't be coming anywhere near Bea or Debbie,"

"Don't bring Debbie into this,"

"She hates you, Harry. She wants nothing to do with you ever again,"

"You and that bitch poisoning her mind against me I bet,"

"I think you did a good job of that yourself," Allie added. "You know, I think it really hurts you that Bea is happy, that she's found someone and is finally living the life she should have always done,"

"I don't give a fuck about the whore," he spat, his fist slamming down onto the wooden surface of the table. An officer warning him for the last time straight afterwards which made him lower his voice. "All I care about is my Daughter,"

"We get on great. She's applied for university and had the pick of them,"

"Well, she's a smart girl, always has been,"

"Super smart, smart enough to know you for what you are,"

"Speaking of smart, does Bea know you're here today?" He asked, Allie's silence telling him all he needed to know. "You haven't been telling little white lies have you princess? Think of the trouble that'll cause to your perfect little relationship. One thing she always hated was a liar,"

"More than a wife beater?" She bit back, sliding the chair away from the table before standing to her feet, she'd really had enough of sitting in his company already.

"Going so soon?" He chuckled. "I was just getting started with you,"

"And I'm just finishing," she tensed, leaning across the table, her eyes barely blinking as she continued. "If you get out of here and that's a very big if, you come anywhere near Bea or Debbie and I will kill you,"

"You've got balls princess, I'll give you that,"

"I mean it,"

"I don't doubt it,"

"I hope they leave you in here to rot for years,"

"You better hope," Harry smirked. "You're in a shit load of trouble if they let me out,"

"You don't scare me, Harry. You're weak, pathetic, like a little lost boy in here around men bigger than you. With any luck, one of them will finish you off next time,"

As soon as the fresh air hit her face when she left the prison, tears stung her eyes. She was certain it was sheer relief and her anger spilling out more than anything else. It took her all her strength not to react to anything he attempted to push in front of her face. Making her way back to the car she jumped in and quickly pulled out her mobile, calling Franky as she promised just under an hour ago. It was almost six o'clock when the blonde pulled up onto Bea's driveway. Parking the car next to her girlfriend's, she's cut the engine, jumped out and quickly headed inside where the older woman greeted her almost instantly.

"You're later than I thought," Bea smiled, appearing from the kitchen. The sight of Allie walking through that front door was always a welcoming one, especially after such a long day when all she wanted was to see her girlfriend. Closing the gap between them, Bea leant forwards, gently kissing the younger woman's lips before pulling back, her arm wrapping around her waist loosely. "I've left you some food if you want some, I wasn't sure if you would have had time to eat?"

"It's alright, I'm not really hungry," she explained, following into the kitchen. "Sorry, if I thought you were going to go to the trouble of cooking I would have had some,"

"It was only some pasta, it's no trouble. So, we're you held up with work?"

"No. Not exactly," she took a breath, sitting down next to her girlfriend who now had a worried look across her face. Allie lightly lifted her girlfriend's hand into hers, her thumb stroking over Bea's. "Promise me, when I tell you this, you won't get mad at me,"

"Allie, you're worrying me,"

"Sorry, I don't mean to. It's just," she paused, shaking her head briefly. "You didn't promise me,"

"What's going on? Is everything ok? Are you ok?"

"I'm fine babe, really I am," Again she opted for a pause, this one a little longer than the last. "I wasn't at work this afternoon,"

"But you said you were really busy today,"

"I know and I'm sorry that I lied. I wasn't at work, I took the day off because I went to the prison,"

"What? Why?" She questioned, not following on like the young blonde had hoped. At least, not at first, the penny dropping like a ton of bricks only a short few seconds later. "Please Allie, tell me you didn't,"

"I had to,"

"What the fuck do you mean you had to? Why?" Bea snapped, pulling her hand back sharply. "You're so stupid. Do you know what the first thing he'll do now when he gets out, he'll come after me or worse still, he'll come after Debbie,"

"No he won't,"

"You don't know him,"

"He won't come anywhere near you, I swear,"

"Because what? You threatened him? Warned him off? If anything you've just given him all the more reason to get out of there and come after us,"

"I was trying to protect you," Allie reasoned, stepping forward as Bea stepped backwards. "Bea, please don't do that,"

"You lied to me, you went behind my back and you've probably made things ten times worse. Do you know what, I think you should go, I really don't want to be around you right now, I don't think I can,"

"Babe please,"

"I want you to go,"