Oh holy crap. You have NO idea how nervous I am about this chapter, partly because its the THIRD TO LAST of this entire series! I don't want to write too much here, except a) thank you for reading and for being incredibly patient with my updates. I unfortunately had a death in the family last week so hence the delay but that's neither here nor there, all I want you to do is read, REVIEW and when I say read, I say read very very carefully...because sometimes, the tiniest of words and their order, can change an outcome entirely.
And that's all I have to say about that :)
Click.
Eddie Hatcher felt his body go cold as he forced the trigger back again only to hear the same dissatisfying click from before. Shaking the gun manically, he screamed in frustration, dropping to the floor and scrounging desperately for the bullets he had dropped before, his fingers shaking as he grasped one and fought to jam it into the chamber.
Not paying any attention to him, Pete stared at his daughter, his breath coming out in harsh pants, each one felt like a shard of glass as it pushed its way through his lips. Across from him, Allie lay on the floor, her hand stretched out towards the small body, her mouth hanging open in a silent scream as she blinked through the blood dripping into her right eye. Finally a small noise escaped her throat, something strangled an desperate that tore at his soul. He saw it then. The tiniest twitch of her little fingers. The same tiny fingers he had kissed goodnight every evening for the past five years.
Every moment he had spent with her assaulted his brain, a barrage of images that left him breathless, wanting to do nothing but sit there and sob. The first night he had brought her home and watched her sleep. Her first word. Her first step. The first time she had said Daddy.
He'd almost lost her.
With a roar that came straight from his chest, Pete pushed himself to his feet and launched himself at the younger man, but again he'd underestimated him, shouting as he missed grabbing him but mere inches, instead watching hopelessly as Eddie shoved himself upright and, stumbling forward, made his way over to Allie, kicking her hard in the stomach so she flipped onto her back, her cry of agony resonating around their worn surroundings, putting both him and the boys into attack mode even more than they already were.
Crouching next to her, Eddie pulled a knife from his pocket, still marred by Daniel's blood and pushed it, tip down against her chest, the tiniest bit of pressure making her hiss.
"Don't even fucking think about it, Dunham," he shouted, his eyes darting between Pete and the boys. "Any of you move and I'll paint these walls with her insides, do you hear me?"
Keeping the knife where it was, he muttered something to himself, straightening up and glaring at Pete as he slowly stood up again, his legs shaking uncontrollably, belying the fearlessness in his eyes.
"I told you once," he pointed at Eddie. "And I'll tell you again. Your problem is with me, not them. So you want to go playing the villain, fucking 'ave at it, but you let them go. Let them go and you can do whatever the fuck you want,"
Gripping onto the sodden and chipped beam behind him, he frowned, feeling one of the metal sides of it give way and wrapped his fingers around it, coughing to cover the noise as he ripped it from the wood, his eyes never leaving Eddie's.
"When are you gonna learn, Dunham?" he shouted back. "This IS their fight. Just by being who they are, they walked into this. I lost everything and so you have to do the same. That's the only way this will end, don't you fucking get it? Someone is leaving this room in a body bag, its matter of fucking fact.," he ran the knife down Allie's chest and Pete felt his insides clench as she closed her eyes tightly and fought not to scream as it moved over her stomach and lower. "You should be grateful I'm killing her quickly..because you don't want to know the things I'd do to her," he grinned sickeningly. "So fucking choose,"
Pete stared at him for a short moment, casting a quick look at the boys who were shifting from foot to foot, so desperately wanting to run in and beat the little fucker to death but too afraid of what he would do. What he'd already proved he could do.
"You want me to choose?" Pete smirked at him darkly. "Alright,"
With that he ran forward, not giving Eddie a chance to so much as blink before he slammed the steel pole into his face, creating a stomach churning crack as the younger man fell back screaming in agony. Not bothering to look at him, Pete fell down next to Allie and cupped her face, grimacing as her blood smeared on his hands.
"Baby, look at me," he begged her, pulling her up and wincing as she cried out when her leg moved. "Allie, I need you to take Poppy and get out, now,"
Allie looked at him for a long moment, then glanced at the man laying across from her as he rolled onto his side groaning as he grasped at his face or at least what was left of it.
"I'm not leaving you with him," she whispered shakily. "Pete, he's..."
"Not your problem and not your choice," he told her firmly. "Get our girl and go,"
"Pete..."
Keeping his hand in hers, he crawled over and using one arm, scooped up his daughter, bringing her into his body and inhaling the familiar scent of her hair. Strawberries. So sweet, so innocent. How the fuck did she end up here? What had he brought her into? His little girl, the one thing he was meant to protect and he'd failed her.
"Poppy," he whispered, his voice panicked as he pushed her hair back from her face. "Oi, kiddo, open your eyes,"
Allie gripped his shoulder, ignoring the agony that shot through her as she pulled herself into a sitting position and pressed a kiss against her daughter's head. She was so cold still but she could hear her breathing and that was enough for now.
"Poppy," Pete shook her lightly, his heart soaring when she groaned. "Look at me, open your eyes, there's my girl," he laughed, jolting when he realised that there were tears pouring down his face as the blue orbs flickered open just slightly and she frowned at him.
"My head hurts,"
Allie choked out a laugh and leaned her head against Pete's shoulder, her body shaking with silent sobs as she felt her daughter squeeze her fingers, just like the had the very first time she had held her.
"I know," Pete told her. "I know, baby. But we're gonna get you home, alright? And we're gonna watch all those bloody awful girlie films you like and we're gonna 'ave popcorn and ice cream,"
She opened one eye and squinted up at him.
"And chocolate?"
He laughed brokenly, wanting so much to pull her to him as tight as he could manage but he didn't want to hurt her.
"Cheeky sod," he tapped her nose gently. "We'll negotiate on that one,"
Turning to Allie, the smile bled off of his face and he reached out, cupping the back of her head and pulling her to him so that her forehead rested against his. Through the bloodied curtain of her hair, blue met emerald and they both knew what had to be done.
"Get out of here," he whispered. "I love you, I love you so fucking much, and if you love me, you'll do it,"
"Pete," Allie shook her head, fresh tears making their way down her cheeks, removing some of the crusted blood. "I..."
"I'll see you soon," he promised her. "But you can't be here for this." he brushed his thumb over her lips and felt them tremble. "Go."
Allie stared at him, the man she loved more than anything else on earth, asking her to leave him so he could what? Get killed? Kill someone else? Go to prison? Glancing down at Poppy, she breathed normally for the first time in what felt like hours as she noted the colour seeping back into her daughter's cheeks as she opened her eyes briefly and then closed them again, falling back into slumber.
"You can't ask me to leave you," she told him through gritted teeth. "Because you know I won't, you know I..."
Pete jumped back as she screamed in agony, his head turning, the bile making itself known in his mouth again as he watched Eddie Hatcher half laying over her feet, the knife he had been wielding wedged deep in her calf.
"Allie," Pete screamed, letting go of Poppy and scrambling down his wife's body, his heart pounding as he watched the blood spurting from her leg.
Snapping his head around, he growled, his teeth chattering as the anger swept through him.
"Bov," he snapped, not breaking Eddie's gaze. "Get 'em out of here, now,"
"Baby..." Allie sobbed after him, but he barely heard her. "Pete, don't..."
He walked calmly over to where Eddie lay and bent down, dragging him up by his hair and smirking darkly when he heard the satisfying tear of skin and felt blood drip down his fingers from the younger man's scalp; he stood him up, staring him in the eye and shook his head.
"I was going to let you go quietly, you know," Pete told him. "You actually think I'd let you get away with this? You think I'd let you touch my wife, my daughter, my son and live to see another fucking day in your pathetic little life?"
Pete felt something warm on his hand which was wrapped around Eddie's neck and glanced down, fighting the urge to retch when he realised that a flap of skin on the boys face as hanging down and bleeding steadily. Hearing Allie crying out behind him and his daughter's sobs as she became more aware of her surroundings, he quickly pushed anything resembling pity out of his mind and instead stared him in the eye manically.
"Bov.." he growled.
"I know, mate," came the answer as his friend bent down and wrapped his arms around Allie, lifting her as gently as he could while Harry and Dave practically ran with Poppy out of the room.
Bovver frowned when Allie pushed him away from her, the force of it surprisingly strong given her current state. She shook her head as he opened his mouth and met his eyes knowingly.
"I'm not going," she told him. "I'm not leaving him here with that psychotic son of a bitch and don't you dare argue with me because we both know you'd be the same,"
Relenting somewhat, Bovver let go of her, keeping one arm around her waist to keep her steady as she balanced on one leg, her eyes darting between the hallway where she could hear her daughter crying and the man she loved.
"Stop him, Bovver," she whispered, her fist clutching his jacket. "If he...if he kills him, he'll go to prison for the rest of his life," her green eyes took on an almost ethereal shade of ivy green as she bit her lip, tears spilling out of them. "I can't lose him."
"Bovver!" Pete roared at him, obviously still sending Allie in the room. "Get her out of here and I fucking mean now!"
"Not the obedient type, is she, Dunham?" Eddie coughed through his laughter. "That's what you get with the upper crust girls though, ain't it? Can't get 'em to shut their mouths or their legs,"
"You," Pete gritted his teeth and squeezed his neck a little tighter. "Are on bought fucking time, my friend. So if I were you, I'd start praying because I ain't gonna make this fast,"
"Got a point though, ain't she?" he smirked. "You kill me right now and what do you reckon is gonna happen? They've got a body in the river, you up 'ere shouting your mouth off and me dead. The pigs might be thick as shit but even they'll work that one out, Dunham. You'll go down for the rest of your life. Sitting pretty in Broadmoor while she's off fucking some ponce in a suit and your kids grow up thinking you were some piece of shit loser,"
"Don't go confusing me with your old man, son," Pete shot back. "I don't care if I have to bury you myself, I'll make sure they never find so much as a fucking tooth. There won't be all that much of you left once I'm done anyway," he jerked his chin to the hallway and grinned. "And you think its just me you've got to worry about? There's a fucking queue of people waiting to see what your insides look like, sunshine. All you can hope for is that I beat the shit out of you enough to leave you unconscious so you don't feel the rest."
"Always chit chat with you, ain't it, Dunham?" Eddie shook his head. "Even now, shaking like a shitting dog because you can't finish it." he grinned sickeningly. "You remember old Mikey Mullins? He told me about what went down with your little piece of pink over there all those years back, when he had her pinned against the ground, beating the shit out of her." he licked the blood from his lips. "I did the same to your daughter and the things I would've done to your wife if she'd been with her..."
He broke off when Pete reared up and slammed his palm down hard on his left collar bone, causing it to shatter and break through the skin. Eddie screamed in agony but Pete didn't let up, pushing his hand back down on the bone fragments, watching as the younger man's face contorted in horror.
"You know you said to me I talk too much?" Pete tilted his chin up so he could meet his eyes. "You were right."
Pulling back slightly, he headbutted him hard, ignoring the pain that shot through the bridge of his nose as he did so. Watching Eddie fall to the ground again, Pete paced next to him, his eyes narrowed and dark. He knew what he wanted to do but he also knew Allie was watching and wouldn't leave. In his mind, he was flaying off Eddie Hatcher's skin with one of the shards of broken glass he could see next to his feet but he wasn't going to let Allie see that. Truth be told, he wasn't going to let himself become that man. He had more to lose than Tommy Hatcher ever could have dreamed of.
"This ends here," he pointed down at him, his teeth gritted. "I'm not going to kill you son, and you know why? Because that would be easy. I want you rotting in a cell for the rest of your shitty little life, thinking about everything you've lost. You could 'ave walked away, left this shit with Steve and Tommy where it belonged, but you brought it back, mate. And now fucking look at you."
Pete shook his head and crouched down next to him, catching his chin between his fingers and staring at him dangerously.
"We're done 'ere,"
Eddie's head lolled back with a guttural groan as he fought to swallow the blood that was pouring into his mouth from the open gash in his cheek, turning to the side, he watched Pete Dunham, the man he had hated since he was a child walk over to his wife, his friends, his family, his life as though nothing had ever happened.
Pete stared at Allie as she leaned on Bovver, tears streaming down her face as she watched him limp towards her, his body still recovering from the few blows Eddie had managed to get in earlier; reaching up to rub his jaw, he winked at her, picking up his pace as she sobbed and fell into his arms. Nodding his thanks to Bovver as he stepped back, Pete hooked his arms under hers and pulled her up so that she was leaning against him. Pulling back, he brushed her hair out of her face and smiled at her.
"Oi," he whispered, pressing his lips against her forehead. "Its ok, you're ok,"
"Pete," she shook her head, too weak to say anything else. Staring up at him, the man she had loved with her heart and soul for the last eight years of her life, Allie leaned her forehead against his chest and cried. The pain in her leg throbbed irritatingly but she ignored it for the time being, needing more than anything to feel him. To hold him, to go home with their daughter and forget all of this had ever happened.
"I thought I was going to lose you," she sobbed. "I thought I was going to lose...everything...I can't..."
"Oi," Pete crouched down to he could peer into her face. Smiling, he swiped at the tears as quickly as they came but it didn't stop. "You won't ever lose me, got it? There is nothing on this fucking planet that could make me walk away from you." he held her head between his hands and shook her lightly, needing her to understand. "Nothing,"
"I love you," she whispered, her voice trembling.
"You're alright," Pete shrugged, grinning when she laughed. "Come 'ere," he kissed the top of her head. "I love you, Harding. Always 'ave, always will."
Using his shoulders for support, she lifted herself up and kissed him hard, putting everything she had into it. Of course they would be ok. He was Pete Dunham. The one man in the world who made her forget everything, who had given her the most beautiful children, who had saved her so many times in every sense of the word. And he was hers. Forever.
"Go with Bov," he told her, shaking his head when she opened her mouth to protest. "I'm not gonna do anything," he promised her, his lips brushing hers once more. "I just need you out of 'ere, you need to get that looked at for one," he gestured to her leg. "But I'm not leaving him. Not until the old bill get here and I know he's where he needs to be,"
Turning her in his arms, he held her as she hobbled over to Bov, who dutifully wrapped an arm around her waist, securing her own around his shoulder as she looked back at her husband and sent him the closest thing she could muster to a smile.
"Go on," he told her. "Sod off, I'll be down in a minute, alright?"
"Promise?" she asked him, her voice so lost and scared that he actually felt his chest tighten.
"Promise," Pete winked at her. "Look after my girls," he told Bovver firmly.
Allie laughed gently as Bovver smirked and muttered something distinctly Bovver under his breath as they turned and made their way towards the door. One foot in front of the other as though learning to walk for the first time, Allie hissed in pain with each step, the thought of getting back to her daughter and son the only thing keeping her upright.
It was then that she heard it, a faint creaking behind them, she turned, her blood turning to ice as she watched Eddie Hatcher stumbling towards Pete who was still staring at her, frowning when he watched the smile bleed from her lips.
"Pete!" she screamed.
He grunted, his eyes widening as he felt something hit him, it wasn't sharp like it should have been, the glass penetrating his back, instead it felt heavy, like an ache. He watched as blood began to pool on the front of his jacket, his mind too numb to register Eddie yanking the shard out of him and rearing back, preparing to plunge it back down, aiming for his neck this time. Pete heard Allie scream his name again and somehow it broke him out of his haze, turning to face the man behind him, the anger coursing through his veins forcing the agony in his side to lay dormant for now anyway.
Pete shoved him hard, falling with him into the brittle pillar behind them, the one which Pete had plucked the steel bar from to protect himself earlier; glancing over to where it lay useless a good few feet away from him, he concentrated on staying awake, staying upright as Eddie used his last ounce of strength to bring the glass back down, stopping only when Pete grabbed his wrist and slammed him back into the pillar, ignoring the moan the floor emitted as he did so.
It creaked under their weight as the pillar splintered and chipped above them, neither man willing to acknowledge it, willing to back down.
"Sometimes, no one wins, you know that Dunham?" Eddie spat at him, his eyes losing some of their light.
"Even if this is it, mate," Pete laughed quietly. "You see that girl back there? She loves me more than anything and she's given me everything. My whole life is because of her. She made it perfect. So even if this is it...I've won." he heard the pillar creak, the ceiling and floor buckling with a stomach churching crunch. "I've won,"
The noise suddenly became deafening, Allie's desperate scream lost in it as he plaster, wood and tile around them caved in all at once, the ceiling crashing down at the same moment as the floor opened up and swallowed them. He felt every splinter, every shard of glass finding home in his body, Eddie's scream lost in the void as his head collided with brick and glass, sending him into a sleep he would never wake from. Pete scrambled to grab onto something, he had no idea what, he was mid-air but anything. Anything that would bring him back to her.
He felt nothing but pain for a short moment, his fingers clutching at oblivion, his eyes narrowing through the dust and blood to try and catch one last glimpse of her. His girl.
But he saw nothing until all was black.
"PETE!"
Allie screamed, letting go of Bovver as she limped as fast as she could towards the now gaping hole in the floor; the dust caught in her lungs and she coughed painfully.
"Allie!" Bovver shouted, grabbing her arm and pulling her back. "Wait, you want to fucking go down as well?" he glanced around the room, trying not to let the panic he felt show on his face. "DAVE! HARRY! Get in 'ere!"
"Pete!" Allie screamed, her voice breaking. "Answer me!"
Her eyes danced over the carnage before her, unable to see anything through the rubble. It didn't look far, he would be ok. She had seen him come back laughing from worse than this, in fact any moment, she knew she'd heard him call back to her, yelling at her to stop shouting because he had a headache, some smart arse comment. But there was only silence.
Something glinted then and she caught it instantly, her eyes following the flicker of bright light and landing on the silver band.
"Pete!" she shouted, dropping to the floor and pulling herself over to the edge, staring down at his hand which was sticking out of the rumble, his silver wedding ring still gleaming despite the blood and dust marring his skin.
Glancing back to where Bovver was still shouting into the hallway, this time at what she thought might be the police or please God paramedics, she took a deep breath and turning to her feet were dangling from the ledge, shuffled herself backward, hoping to find purchase on something. Realising her efforts were futile, she glanced up, watching as her brother spotted her from the hallway and grew pale.
"Allie!" Harry roared. "Allie, fucking don't!"
She let go, closing her eyes and preparing for the worse; the ground hit her sooner than she had anticipated and she screamed as her leg still broken and bleeding collided with wood and brick. Not giving herself more than a second to acknowledge it, she dragged herself along, wincing as various bits of debris split through her clothes and into her skin. She reached his hand and sobbed as she did so, feeling him still so warm and responsive, his fingers twitching as she squeezed them.
"Pete," she cried, sifting through the mess, throwing whatever she could over her shoulder until he came into view, his eyes barely open, his face pale with dust, emphasised by the blood coming from his head. "Baby, can you hear me?"
"Well you ain't exactly fucking whispering, are ya?" he wheezed, making her laugh. Stopping for a moment, she pressed the back of her hand against her mouth and sobbed, leaning down and pressing her forehead against his.
"You ok?" she met his eyes, her breath coming out in harsh pants.
"Been better," Pete smirked. "Nothing a shower and a few beers won't solve,"
Allie laughed again, her eyes drifting down his body until she saw it. The huge open wound on his stomach, the large shard of glass still in it.
It was coming through him.
The realisation made her retch and she tilted her head up, seeing the boys staring down at her, a few paramedics beside them, unravelling what appeared to be ropes as they decided how best to get down there.
"Help!" she screamed. "Get down here, now...he's hurt!"
"Am I fuck," Pete coughed, pulling her attention back to him. "I've 'ad worse than this after play fights with you,"
"You said you always let me win," she whispered, her hands shaking uncontrollably as she cupped his face.
"You're nearly always naked," he told her. "Of course I fucking let you win,"
"Whore," Allie shook her head, bending down and kissing him softly. He was colder than before.
"Yeah but you love me for it, don't you?" he teased her. "You love me,"
"I love you more than you will ever ever understand alright," she told him, gritting her teeth to keep the sobs inside. "So you shut up and you concentrate on getting out of here,"
"Allie," Pete shook his head, reaching up to cup her cheek, closing his eyes and savouring the feel of her skin as she held it there, turning her head to press a kiss to his palm. "I would 'ave let him go, for you." he stared at her hard. "I would never...I didn't want to be a man you weren't proud of." he swallowed painfully. "I would 'ave let him go,"
"I have always been proud of you," she told him fiercely. "Always." she sobbed. "Baby please don't leave me, please..."
Pete felt his eyes fill with tears as she dropped her head down to his chest and sobbed, her hands clutching at what was left of his shirt.
"Come up 'ere," he whispered to her, smiling gently when she did so, her hair forming a curtain around them, keeping the world out.
It reminded him of every morning he had spent with her, her laughter echoing around the room as she lay above him, smiling down at him like he was the most important thing in the world.
"Right fucking state we are," he smirked, coughing hard as his lungs protested against any talking. "I love you," he told her, his voice firm. "I love you more than anyone has ever loved another person. And I don't think I ever said thank you for...for being you. For making my life worth living. You were it, Harding," he told her, tears flowing down his face. "You were what I spent my whole life waiting for,"
"Shut up," Allie snapped at him. "Stop bloody talking like you're..." she shook her head. "Look at me, they're going to come down here in a second and they're going to get you out of here. And if you keep on like this all you're doing is giving me cannon fodder for the rest of our lives..." she laughed. "I'll never let you forget the time you went all soft..."
Pete smiled up at her and shook his head, knowing deep down that he wasn't getting out of here. But he wouldn't tell her that. He couldn't.
"I love you," she told him, her eyes desperate and pleading. "And I'm not letting you...I'm not letting you do this," she tightened her grip on his face and met his eyes fiercely. He saw her then as she was eight years ago, stood on the train platform yelling at him. His girl. "They'll be here soon, all you have to do is hold on,"
"Allie..." Pete frowned at the sound of his own voice; it was so hoarse, so lost.
"Please," she sobbed, resting her forehead against his. "Please stay with me, just a little bit longer. Just hold on for them, let them help. They can help, I know they can."
Pete took in a deep shuddering breath and tasted only blood, his hands tightening in her hair as she met her eyes, the emerald green warming him, the fleck of gold in them something he still noticed even now. She was perfect; and someone up there had led her into his mess of a life and for eight years, she had been his. He had lived a life he was sure he was never destined to deserve, all because of the woman in his arms.
"I love you," he told her once more before his eyes grew too heavy.
Allie watched as he blinked once, slowly and then closed them.
"Pete," she shook him lightly. "Pete..."
Oh god.
"PETE!"
Bringing her hands up to his face, ignoring the blood on them, she slapped him hard, frowning when he did nothing.
"No," she sobbed. "No, come on, you promised. You promised you'd meet me downstairs, you promised you'd hold on."
Her body seemed to cave in on itself and she screamed, laying her head on his chest and thumping her fists hard against him, urging him to wake up, to look at her like she was an idiot and kiss her.
He didn't.
Pushing herself up, she threw herself over to where Eddie Hatcher lay, still breathing, his eyes barely open as he fought to breathe.
"You piece of shit!" she screamed, picking up a brick and holding it over her head, ready to bring it down when she felt someone grab her wrist, pulling her back into their body.
"Allie!" Dave shouted, trying to overpower her and finding it surprisingly hard. "Sweetheart, stop it,"
"I'll kill you!" she screamed. "You better hope you die here because I swear to God, I'll kill you," she sobbed. "He took Pete, Dave," her words jumbled over each other as she sobbed so hard she tasted bile. "He took him from me,"
The wind whistled around them as they sat in the ruins of the building, the harsh wind pulling in from over the river where Daniel Courden still slept. Where her daughter had been robbed of her childhood. Where her husband...
Sirens penetrated the silence crushing them, the barrage of paramedics swooping down into the fray focusing on Pete, forming a crowd around him that kept Allie on the outside. She knew they wouldn't stay there long.
"Mrs Dunham?" a young man sat down in front of her, his face gentle and kind. "I need to have a look at your leg,"
"Is he dead?" she whispered back, her voice lacking any kind of emotion. "My husband...is he dead?"
The question hung on the wind for the longest moment until finally, looking over at his colleagues for confirmation, he gave her her answer, watching as she broke, her sobs what seemed like the only noise for miles as they sat and waited. For what, none of them knew. For answers, for miracles, for absolution, for exultation. For something that may or may never come.
...the tiniest of words and their order. REVIEWS please xxx