"Allie!"

Allie turned towards Kaz, just in time to catch the basketball before it hit her in the face. She looked away again, still holding the ball. Kaz and the rest of the H3 crew turned to see what had gotten her attention. Allie dropped the ball and walked over to the crowd of women gathering at a table near the entrance to H-block. The rest of her crew followed her.

Boomer stood next to the table, while Liz and Doreen sat on one side of it. Maxine took Sonia's hand and helped her climb to stand up on the table. Sonia brought her hands together and addressed the crowd.

"Now, I am sure you are all anxious to hear the fate of your precious former governor," Sonia began.

The women jeered at the mention of Ferguson. Sonia smiled as she raised her hands to quiet everyone down.

"That's what I thought… Given that we have yet to have our television and radio privileges reinstated…"

The crowd booed in the direction of the officers on duty, all the women clearly annoyed with still not being able to use their televisions or radios. Sonia raised her hand to quiet them all down again.

"…I get to be the one to deliver news of the outside world to you and… You will all be happy to know that Joan Ferguson has been sentenced to life without parole!"

The women all broke out in excitement and cheered with the news. The officers on duty looked at each other, many grinning as well. Sonia smiled as she looked down at Maxine. When she looked back up at the crowd, she made eye contact with Allie, who had no reaction to the news whatsoever despite her crew celebrating right next to her. Sonia's smile disappeared upon seeing her. She cleared her throat and looked around at the women again.

"And… The best part of it all… She will be out of your lives for good as she has been transferred to Ashcroft Correctional Centre!"

The inmates cheered, clapped, and celebrated even louder. Kaz hugged her entire crew before taking Allie's face in her hands and hugging her as well. Sonia watched them for a few seconds before reaching her hand out to Maxine again, who took it and helped her down from the table. Sonia walked through the gate back to H1, Maxine and Boomer following her, leaving behind the crowd who continued to celebrate.

…

Franky threw the door open to the governor's office. She walked inside to see it was empty before turning back outside to speak to the secretary.

"Why do people schedule appointments if they won't show up on time?" Franky asked.

"The governor will be in soon," the secretary responded. "Go in and have a seat."

Franky took a deep breath before walking inside and sitting down in the chair in front of the desk, throwing her bag to the floor. Her leg bounced up and down quickly as she grew impatient with each passing minute. When she heard the door close, Franky didn't move and didn't look up until Vera sat down in the chair in front of her. She stared at her as she looked back at her, neither willing to speak first. As Vera opened her mouth to speak, Franky interrupted her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Franky asked.

"The board was concerned you would put up a fight…"

"Of course I'm gonna put up a fight! I've kept her alive this long. I'll take you people on for as long as I have to."

"Franky, she's an inmate. There's nothing more I can do."

"Set me up for another board meeting then."

"I can't."

"Yes you can! You're just being…"

"It wasn't up to the board. A higher court decided this."

Franky's breathing was heavy as she stared at Vera.

"What happened to her was this prison's fault. It's not fair that you people get to decide when to end her life."

"Franky, she's been on life support for nearly two months now."

"…She's still alive…"

Franky leaned forward and gripped her hair, heavily breathing. Vera watched her, unable to say anything to her.

"You wouldn't… You wouldn't do this if she weren't a prisoner. You'd keep her ventilator on, you'd keep her feeding tube in if…"

"She's a prisoner, Franky, with no next of kin…"

Franky stood up and slammed her hands down on the desk.

"I'M HER FUCKING NEXT OF KIN!"

Vera looked up at Franky for a few seconds before slowly shaking her head and looking back down towards the desk.

"You're not… I'm sorry, Franky."

Franky stared at her, shaking her head before massaging her face.

"…When?" Franky quietly asked.

"…Tomorrow. Nine in the morning."

"…Please let me be there."

Vera turned to look up at her. All she could do was slowly nod. Franky leaned over to pick up her bag before storming out of the office. Vera placed her elbows on the desk and massaged her face before turning to face the ceiling.

…

Allie leaned against the wall, waiting for the phone queue to shorten. Sonia and Maxine walked by her, and as Sonia made her way to the front of the queue, she turned towards Maxine.

"Bring her up," Sonia ordered.

Maxine walked towards the back of the queue and motioned for Allie to follow her. Allie followed Maxine to the front of the line, where Sonia gestured for Allie to cut in front of her. Allie softly smiled and stood in front of her.

"Thanks, Sonia."

"Of course… Important call?" Sonia asked.

"Just a friend from my days at the shelter," Allie responded, leaning back against the wall.

"Oh, how nice. Do you have a lot of contact with the outside world?"

Allie pursed her lips, shook her head, and shrugged.

"Not much. Most of the people I was close to are in here with me… I just like reminding myself that there's life outside of this place, you know?"

"Oh I absolutely agree. Seven years in this place, it's important to do your best to maintain your relationships with those on the outside… How has your reentry…"

Before Sonia could finish her question, Jake grabbed her attention.

"Ms. Stevens, you're wanted in the governor's office."

Sonia nodded and looked back towards Allie who looked from her to Jake.

"Stop by my cell for a chat later. I'd love to hear more about how you've been settling back in," Sonia requested as she gently squeezed Allie's wrist.

Allie smiled and nodded, watching her walk away before turning back towards Maxine, who smiled at her and left as well. Allie furrowed her eyebrows, before the woman behind her tapped her on her shoulder, motioning for her to move up. She walked up to the phone and dialed a number, waiting a few seconds for a response.

"Hey, Elliot, it's Allie, how's it going?... Good, thanks, I'm just calling to see if you've heard anything…"

As Allie listened, Kaz turned the corner and waved at her. A beaming smile appearing on her face, Allie waved back to Kaz who approached her.

"I have to go… Thank you so much," Allie softly spoke before hanging up the phone.

"Everything okay?" Kaz asked.

"Everything's perfect," Allie responded, wrapping her arm around Kaz's shoulder as they both walked away.

…

Franky leaned back against the wall of the elevator, watching as the floors changed. She arrived at the sixth floor and took a deep breath before stepping out of the elevator and making her way towards Bea's room. As she turned the corner, Franky stopped in her tracks, confused when she didn't see an officer guarding the door to the room. She looked around before beginning to run down the hall towards Bea's room. Franky threw the door open, her heart sinking when she saw the room was empty.

Franky ran back out to the nurse's station, pushing another visitor out of the way in order to speak to the nurse at the desk.

"What did you do?! I was told it wouldn't happen until nine in the morning!"

"What?"

"Bea Smith! It's barely six o'clock! Why did you kill her earlier?!"

"No one killed Bea Smith…"

"YOU CUT OFF HER LIFE SUPPORT!"

"Miss, I'm sorry you're upset, but you need to keep your voice down."

"Are you… Are you fucking serious?! You killed my friend and you want me to keep my voice down?!"

"You have to, or I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Franky clenched her fists as she looked down at the floor, her eyes beginning to water.

"…Why did you let her go alone? I… I should have been there… She shouldn't have…"

"Franky?"

Franky looked up to see Vera walking towards her. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and approached her.

"You fucking lied to me," Franky softly spoke, unable to look Vera in the eyes. "You said nine in the morning, and it's barely six, and you ignored all my calls so… So you better take me to the morgue because…"

Franky broke down and covered her eyes with her hands. Vera couldn't help but softly smile as she placed her hand on Franky's shoulder and squeezed it.

"Come on. I'll do you one better."

Vera led Franky down the halls as she continued crying. They finally stopped when they made it to a room with a guard standing outside of it. Franky looked from the guard to Vera, who smiled and motioned for her to go inside.

Franky opened the door to the room, carefully shutting it behind her as she made her way towards the bed where Bea lay with her eyes closed, no longer connected to a ventilator or a feeding tube. Franky reached over to open her left eye, an act that made Bea suddenly wake up, grip Franky's wrist, and shoot up in the bed. They looked at each other for a few seconds before Bea slowly loosened her hold on Franky's wrist, not completely letting go but instead pulling her in for a hug as they both smiled and cried.

…

Allie walked into H1, looking around to see the unit was empty. She made her way towards Sonia's cell and peeked inside the open doorway. Seeing it was also empty, she was about to leave when she noticed something sticking out from under her pillow. Allie looked back around the unit before heading into the cell, lifting the pillow to reveal Bea's sketchpad. She set the pillow down and picked up the sketchpad, smiling as she flipped through the different drawings. She stopped on a loose leaf of paper in the middle of it, taking it out and beginning to read it.

All my life my voice has been silenced. Nothing I said ever mattered because there was always someone, something louder than I was that drowned me out. I became used to it. When I was hit, when I was pushed, when I was abused, all I could do was lie there and take it because the only ones who ever heard me screaming were the same ones making me scream. They found pleasure in my pain. They found a high in my low. They found their happiness in my suffering. I was scared. I was always scared. I was terrified of being alone, aware that someone watched me. That fear was constant, appearing even in my nightmares to terrify me.

The fear I lived with day to day was embodied in Joan Ferguson. She has circled me like a vulture for what feels like an eternity, taking every opportunity she could to intimidate me, to attack me, to torment me. I felt like giving up, just giving in to her and letting her have her way with me. It seemed as if that was my only purpose in life, to let others use and abuse me until they had had enough or until I could take no more and drifted into unconsciousness, hoping that I could have some instance of peace before I had to wake up to another battle.

Now I'm scared more than ever. Somehow I found Allie Novak, or better yet, she found me. I finally had someone willing to listen to me, willing to hold me, willing to watch over me so I wouldn't have to scream anymore, only to have her taken away from me by Joan Ferguson, the woman who has been hell-bent on destroying me and those around me as though her life depended on it. She knows where Allie is. She showed me photos of a lifeless Allie on her phone. She wanted to get to me through Allie. Ferguson offered me a trade. She claimed that Allie could come back if I dropped the charges against her – Allie's life for my silence.

This would have been such a simple deal to make. All I had to do was remain silent for a little longer, and I could get my little ray of light back. But I knew, I know that Allie wasn't alive in those photos. Ferguson had taken her away from me before she even took the pictures. I told her no. I told her I wouldn't make the deal. I could have made it. I could have told someone about the photos, about the phone, but when has anyone ever listened to me? I've tried to warn others about Ferguson. And I'm not the only one who did so. Governor Vera Bennett tried her best to keep Ferguson away from Wentworth, having more knowledge of and experience with Ferguson's deceitful and dangerous tactics than anyone. But no one ever listened. Ferguson was allowed to spend her time as an inmate at Wentworth terrorizing me and breaking me down physically and mentally. She has gone too far and has been allowed to get away with too much. All I can do now is wait. Wait and hope to appear in court and finally help put Ferguson away.

But I'm scared. I'm scared because deep down, I know I won't make it to the trial. Ferguson won't allow that to happen. She had Allie kidnapped and even managed to have the Red Right Hand framed for it, thus getting one last hit in against Karen Proctor, the woman who initially wanted to help her before realizing Ferguson had been manipulating her just like every other person in her life. Ferguson has been able to get away with everything. I truly believe this is the one time she's ever been concerned and uncertain about her future. And that scares me even more because she knows that for once in her life, her future isn't in her control. She has no power, but rest assured, she will do whatever it takes to regain it, and unfortunately, I'm the person she needs to take it back from.

Joan Ferguson's only passion, reason, motive for anything she has ever done or ever does is power, control, domination. She will stop at nothing to have it, will stop at nothing to keep it, and will stop at nothing to take it back and eliminate those who ever dared to try to take it from her in the first place. She has tortured, tormented, and terrorized endlessly and mercilessly, with no one to fight back against her because at the end of the day, we're all scared. We're all scared of the power she wields over all of us. Should Joan Ferguson ever regain control and walk free again, you have every right to be scared because if you ever crossed her, you know she will crucify you.

That's why I have to write this. I'm the last obstacle she needs to overcome, and after everything that she's done to me, after all the times she's tried to erase my existence, both on her own and with the aid of Nils Jesper, I can say with certainty that she will have no problem crushing me once and for all before she walks free. No one ever heard me before. No one ever heeded my warnings. No one ever cared enough to realize the dangerous situation that was created by allowing Joan Ferguson to become an inmate at Wentworth, the prison she previously controlled with absolute and unchecked power. I tried. I tried so much to unmask her to no avail. She has bribed. She has blackmailed. She has threatened. She has tortured. She has done whatever she wanted in order to quell any challengers to her authority. And I'm tired. I'm so tired. I'm tired of the manipulation. I'm tired of the deceit. I'm tired of the pain. I'm tired of the suffering. I'm tired of the silence.

I only hope that someone can finally hear me.

Allie stared at the page for a few seconds, running her fingers over Bea's signature. She placed it back inside the sketchbook and closed it, staring blankly ahead for a few seconds. She picked the sketchbook up and walked out of Sonia's cell, making her way back to H3.

…

"You're a fucking maniac."

Bea couldn't help but nod as she finished telling Franky everything that had happened prior to her coma, from getting the phone to planning the riot to dealing with everyone in the warehouse. A look of disbelief on her face, Franky could only shake her head.

"How… How did you know it would all work out?" Franky asked.

"I didn't… But I knew I had to take a risk. When I found Allie, when I saw her, all bloody and beaten and barely felt her pulse, I just… Franky, I was so angry. I wanted Ferguson to pay for what she did. I wasn't going to let her get away with that. I knew I just had to endure it for a little while, just until the police came but… I just needed to drug myself enough to pass out and be done framing her. Believe me, I didn't expect her to get so many hits in. I definitely didn't expect the bashed head, broken arm and ribs… I actually thought the gunshot would be the hardest thing to deal with, but then she goes and buries her fingers in me and…"

Bea shuddered at the thought of Ferguson, something Franky noticed, as she went to place her hand on Bea's arm.

"Hey… Hey, it's okay. She's gone now."

Bea placed her hand over Franky's and quickly nodded.

"Thank you for sticking by me through all this, Franky," Bea softly spoke.

"Thank you for putting the fucking Freak away for good," Franky laughed, as she covered Bea's hand with her other one. "I'm… I'm sorry about Allie though."

Bea took a deep breath and shrugged.

"You know how I thought I could hear you? I thought I could hear her too… But as long as she's okay… That's all I really care about."

"…How did you know she was alive before even breaking out?"

"…I didn't… I just felt she'd wait for me."

"…Maybe she'll remember everything once she sees and talks to you again."

"…Yeah… Maybe…"

Franky observed Bea for a few seconds before letting go of her hand and reaching into her pocket. She pulled out the tiny bag with Allie's ring and candle and handed it to Bea. Hesitating a little at first, Bea reached out and took the bag, a sad smile appearing on her face. The door to the room opened and Vera walked inside, stepping over to the other side of Bea's bed.

"All caught up now, I'm guessing?" Vera asked, smiling.

"Red's been out for a while. Gotta give her the rundown so she knows what to expect when she goes back," Franky responded.

"I'm sure you've done a great job. In any case, I'm glad to see you're awake again, Bea, and I hope to see you walking again, fully recuperated soon. Will's coming by later today to check up on you as well…"

There was a knock on the door. Bea's doctor entered and asked for Vera. She gave a small wave and exited the room. Franky turned back towards Bea.

"Oh shit, they all still think you can't walk," Franky said.

"Yeah… It was kind of important everyone thought that so Ferguson could take the fall with zero doubt so… I have to keep up the wheelchair act a little longer. Don't want people getting suspicious of me walking so soon after her sentencing."

"Fucking mastermind you turned out to be. You'd think I would've been used to this side of you but for fuck's sake, Red, you just keep on wowing me. Can't wait to see what kind of twisted plan you come up with next."

"This is it, Franky. I'm gonna go back to Wentworth and just live out the rest of my days in peace… I'm tired. I'm so tired. I just… I just want to rest."

Bea laid back down in the bed, covering her face with her hands.

"Well, I didn't sleep all night thinking you were gonna die today, so move the fuck over because I'm tired too."

Franky stood up from her chair and laid down on her side next to Bea, both women closing their eyes at the same time.

Outside the room, the guard on duty waved goodbye to the governor as he saw Jake approaching with two cups of coffee. He stood a distance away, waiting for Vera to finish speaking with the doctor. When she was done she sighed and nodded. The doctor left and Jake walked up towards Vera, handing her a cup of coffee.

"Everything okay?" he asked giving her a kiss on the cheek.

Vera nodded and smiled, stepping over to the door and looking in through the window.

"Smith is in good condition. We'll be getting her back to Wentworth soon."

"And…that's a good thing, right?" Jake asked, unable to read Vera's expression.

"You know… I'm not sure. Yes, Ferguson is gone and won't be able to torment Smith anymore but…"

"But what?"

"But what is Smith going back to? Here on the outside she at least has Franky… With everything that happened to Novak… what's she got left at Wentworth?"

"…I'll keep a close eye on her," Jake stated. "I can't imagine how difficult the transition back to Wentworth will be for her after this long. And as for Novak… I'll keep a close eye on her as well."

"Thank you, Jake… I have to get back, but I'm glad you're here to look after her."

Vera gave Jake a small kiss before walking off. Jake looked in the window of the door, a wave of sadness overcoming him as he saw Franky hug Bea on the bed.

…

Allie mopped the floor of the mess hall as the rest of her unit wiped down the tables and cleared the garbage. When her crew was done, they walked out of the mess hall and headed for the exercise yard, leaving her to finish mopping. As she mopped the floors of the kitchen, she looked up to see Jake walk inside, avoiding the camera and walking past her into the equipment room. Allie rested the mop against the counter and headed into the equipment room, shutting the door behind her and leaning against it. She watched as Jake reached into the back of his pants and pulled out a bottle of rum before handing it to her.

"Wow, you sure splurged," Allie commented, looking over the label.

"Only the best for my favorite inmate."

"I bet you say that to all the women you smuggle shit in for."

Jake laughed before he reached into his pocket and pulled out a cellphone, also handing it to her.

"Thanks."

"Have you been okay?" he asked.

"Couldn't be better. It'll be a fun game."

"What's H1 throwing into the prize pool?"

"Not sure," Allie replied as she looked at the phone.

Feeling his eyes on her, Allie put the phone in her pocket and looked up at Jake, smirking and raising an eyebrow.

"What?" she asked.

"…They're bringing Smith back Friday."

Allie looked down at the bottle of rum.

"Well… that'll call for a celebration… maybe H1 needs this more than we do," Allie replied, lifting the bottle of rum.

"Aw, come on, Novak, you're not gonna throw the game, are you?"

Allie shrugged and stuffed the bottle of rum into the back of her pants, tying her hoodie around her waist.

"I'm just saying, I wouldn't bet on H3, Jakey," Allie winked before walking out of the equipment room.

…

Bea sat back in her wheelchair, watching the basketball game between H1 and H3. Both teams were enjoying the friendly competition, and she was enjoying watching the women getting along after everything that had happened between both crews. Both teams were set on winning, as the prize was rumored to include a bottle of rum, a box of chocolates, a prepaid phone, and a hefty sum of money. In spite of never taking her eyes off the court, Bea had no idea who was actually winning the game as she focused on Allie more than anything else.

"Bea?"

Bea turned her head to see Sonia standing next to her. She looked over at the court and smiled.

"Enjoying the view?" Sonia asked as she went to sit down on the bench next to Bea.

"…How can she be so happy?" Bea quietly asked, turning back to look at Allie. "She's gonna be locked up for seven years and can't even remember why she's here at all."

"She has a lot of light inside her, that one… She remembers most of her troubled past, so it's understandable that she'd find comfort in having a stable situation, even if it is in prison… I mean you certainly did."

"…I thought the statements made by Kaz and the governor were supposed to reduce her time here."

"Oh, they did. Apparently, she was supposed to be in here for ten years. It's something."

Bea turned to look at Sonia and simply nodded.

"I'm sorry I made her believe that you had been transferred to another prison. I just… You know, I was the one who found her in the kitchen after she... after she thought she had lost you and… I was simply worried about her. I thought it would've been better for her to just not know what happened for the time being, especially since I didn't think you would come back… But I believe I may have made a mistake keeping your relationship from her."

Bea looked up at Allie, watching her get body checked by Boomer. She stumbled but remained standing.

"It's okay. I appreciate you wanting to protect her. I mean look at her. She's happy and I… I don't want to spoil that by confusing the shit out of her… She almost died because of me."

"…You saved her life… That's not why you're refusing to tell her the truth."

Bea watched Kaz high five Allie after scoring a free throw. Allie looked over at Bea for a split second before turning her attention back to the game.

"No matter what, she doesn't feel the same way about me anymore," Bea sadly admitted.

"…For now anyways but… I'm sure you'll find your way back to each other somehow."

Bea looked back at Sonia and smiled. She noticed Sonia was holding a folded piece of paper.

"What's that?" Bea asked.

Sonia looked down at the paper then back up at Bea.

"I've been cleared of Helen's death."

"What?"

"…I'm getting out."

"Sonia, that… That's wonderful! Congratulations!"

Bea smiled but held back her tears as she watched Sonia look back down at the paper.

"Elizabeth was working with the police to try to get a confession out of me."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't say anything to her. I just… I feel… bad. I feel bad it didn't work out for her… How ridiculous is that?" Sonia asked, leaning back against the wall.

"…I don't think it's ridiculous… It shows you have a conscience."

"…What do you mean?"

"Part of you feels guilty about getting to leave since you actually did kill Helen."

Sonia's eyes shot up to look at Bea, who smiled at the look of confusion on Sonia's face.

"…How… How did you…" Sonia stammered.

"Do you remember the first time you ever spoke to me?" Bea began. "You asked me if I ever thought of how others would see me after I killed the Holts, if I thought others would be able to separate the murderer from the person I was before… We had never spoken and the first thing you wanted to talk about with me… was how you change in the eyes of others before and after you've murdered someone…"

Sonia stared at Bea, tears in her eyes.

"…I don't know about you but… that's not a typical icebreaker for me."

Sonia couldn't help but softly laugh as she looked back down at the paper, shaking her head in disbelief.

"…I… I was looking for a little glimmer of hope… Hope that in case I did end up staying here… Maybe I wouldn't lose… I wouldn't lose the people I cared about… You gave me hope, hope that even if I did have to spend years here for what I did that I would maybe be able to find the strength to get through it, just like you've been able to."

Bea smiled as she took Sonia's hand in hers.

"I can't speak for the people outside, but I want you to know that I'll certainly be here for you no matter what."

"…Why?"

"Why what?"

"…Why? I murdered someone and… I'm getting out. Meanwhile you're in here for… You should hate me."

"What you did in your past has no effect on me… All I know is that you've been here for me from the very beginning. You were able to separate the murderer from the person. You saw me as me, not as my acts… Why wouldn't I be able to do that for someone who helped keep me alive?"

Unable to hold back her tears, Sonia began to cry as she threw herself on Bea. Bea hugged her back as strongly as she could, squeezing her eyes shut tight from the pain she felt up and down her torso. After a few seconds, Sonia pulled away from Bea and wiped her nose with the back of her hand before looking back at the paper and handing it to Bea.

"I've filled out your visitor's request form," Sonia said as she handed it to Bea. "All you have to do is sign it."

Bea took the paper and smiled, nodding her head.

"Looking forward to your visits," Bea said.

Sonia smiled and stood up from the bench, ruffling Bea's hair before walking away. Bea unfolded the paper and couldn't help but smile when she saw Sonia had listed herself as family. As she was looking down at the paper, a basketball rolled towards her and stopped when it hit her wheelchair. She looked up to see Allie running over to retrieve it.

"Sorry," Allie said, out of breath, as she bent over to pick up the ball.

Bea stared at her for a bit, her nerves getting the best of her as she remembered the last time Allie was this close to her. She quickly nodded her head and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"…You all right?" Allie asked.

Bea stared down at the paper, keeping her eyes wide open to keep from shedding any more tears. She quickly nodded. Allie looked around for a second to see some people were staring at them before looking back down at her.

"I'm Allie Novak," she said, holding her hand out.

Bea looked at Allie's hand then up at her.

"…I'm Bea Smith," she replied, taking her hand.

"…You're shaking."

"…It's cold."

Bea quickly pulled her shaking hand away. Confused but amused, Allie looked up at the sky towards the beaming sun then back down at her.

"Allie!"

Allie turned back towards the court to see both crews looking at her, motioning for her to go back so they could continue the game. She threw the ball in their direction before turning back to Bea. Allie took off the hoodie she had tied around her waist, leaned over, and draped it around Bea. As their eyes met, Allie smiled, rubbing Bea's shoulders before turning around and running back to the court. Bea watched her run away. A lump forming in her throat, her mind in a daze, her heart racing, Bea put the form in her pocket, turned her wheelchair to the side, and headed for the safety of her cell in H1, unable to hold back her tears as she made her way back.

…

"Head count, ladies!" Jake called out as he stepped into H3.

The women all stood by their doors as Jake marked them off on his roster. He nodded in their direction before turning to walk out of the unit. Allie caught up to him as he closed the gate.

"I need to go to H1 tonight," she whispered.

Jake turned to look down the hall in both directions. He then turned back towards Allie and nodded. Allie turned around and walked into her cell, shutting the door behind her.

…

"Bea…"

Bea stirred in her sleep as she felt a hand stroking her right arm.

"Bea…"

Bea slowly opened her eyes, bringing her hands up to rub them. Lying on her side facing the wall, she turned her head to see Allie sitting on her bed next to her. Thinking she was dreaming, Bea scoffed and turned back to face the wall and closed her eyes again.

"Wow, you are not a night person, are you? Imagine if I hadn't have been as welcoming when you came to visit me in the middle of the night," Allie chuckled.

Bea squeezed her eyes shut tight, telling herself she was just dreaming to keep herself from crying.

"It's cold," Allie said as she looked down at Bea.

Bea clenched her fists, trying to get Allie out of her mind. Unable to ignore her even in her dreams, Bea reached behind her and lifted the blanket, inviting Allie. Allie smiled and kicked off her slippers, lying down next to Bea and wrapping her arm around her, pulling her in close.

"These fucking dreams are getting too realistic for me," Bea muttered.

Allie laughed before she buried her face in Bea's hair, deeply inhaling and running her hand under Bea's shirt, beginning to trace circles on her abdomen.

"I missed you…" Allie whispered before taking her earlobe between her lips.

When Bea turned her head to face Allie, the younger woman brought her lips to hers, softly kissing her.

"I missed you… so much…" Allie whispered.

Allie gently pushed Bea to lie on her back, as she placed her right hand next to Bea to push herself up and hover over her as she continued kissing her.

"What… What are you… doing…" Bea asked between kisses.

"What…do you… think…" Allie responded, her right hand disappearing under Bea's shirt.

As much as she wanted to keep kissing her, Bea broke away from Allie and sat up in the bed, turning to face her. Allie smiled before sitting up and leaning back against the wall. She looked down at her hands as she spoke.

"…They were gonna put me in the psych unit because of what they think I did," Allie softly spoke.

"…What?"

"Slashing my wrists. Attempted suicide lands you in the psych unit and there was no way they'd believe that Ferguson was the one who did it. That's where I was headed after I was let out of the hospital… I was trying to think of how to get out of it and… If I had ended up there, I don't know when… if… I would've been able to ever see you again… And then those fuckers kidnapped me and almost killed me by bashing my head in and when I wake up I see Stewart is still working and I freaked out but… But I saw a chance to end all my problems… I couldn't lose you again… So I pretended to not know anything or anyone."

Allie looked up at Bea, who was visibly confused but waited for her to finish.

"I thought maybe they wouldn't be cruel enough to stick a person in the psych unit who had two near-death experiences and couldn't even remember being in prison at all… And I was right. The only person who knew I was faking was this detective…"

"Deacon?" Bea interrupted.

"You know Elliot?"

"He… When you went missing he interrogated me about it. Thought maybe it was a planned escape and I had something to do with it."

"If only…" Allie softly laughed. "He told me as much as he could about why I ended up in the hospital, not giving a shit about my doctor's orders to avoid throwing too much shocking info at me all at once. He mentioned that I had arrived with another inmate, a redhead with a broken arm, broken ribs, and a bullet wound that became infected… So I told him about the two guys who had kidnapped me, both who had been caught at or near the same place where I was being held… I had no choice but to trust Deacon so that he could keep updating me about what was going on with you, and I'll forever be grateful for him understanding. It made dealing with this place without you easier, knowing you were still breathing… You have no idea what I felt when he told me you had woken up."

Allie looked back down at her hands, twiddling her fingers.

"…I need you… And I know… I know that before you wanted to keep me away because you thought I was in danger by being near you, but after everything that's happened… seems like I'm more of a hazard to your well-being, don't you think?"

Allie forced a laugh as tears welled in her eyes. Bea stared at her for a few seconds before moving next to her on the bed, lifting her chin, and leaning in to kiss her.

"I need you too…" Bea whispered against Allie's lips.

Bea broke away from Allie and kissed her on the top of her head before wrapping her arms around her. Allie hugged her back, not as tightly as she was afraid of hurting her, before placing a small kiss on her neck and beginning to cry into her shoulder.

After a little while, Bea and Allie resumed speaking, this time with Allie listening as Bea let her know everything that had happened since she had gone missing. Eventually succumbing to exhaustion, they both laid down on the bed, holding each other and closing their eyes. Allie was about to fall asleep before she realized how much time had actually passed and sat up in the bed, looking back down at Bea.

"I have to go," Allie whispered.

Bea sat up in her bed and looked around the room before turning towards Allie again.

"Wait… How did you even manage to get here?" Bea asked.

"Don't get mad, but… I kind of ended up befriending Jake."

"…You're kidding me… Allie, he was…"

"I know. I know half of the shit that happened to us wouldn't have had it not been for him but … Bea, when I came back to Wentworth he was the only person who didn't tell me you had been transferred to another prison. He said you were in the hospital, and when I asked him why he felt the need to tell me, he was honest with me. He spoke to me about our relationship, thinking it would jog my memory. So I told him that I was faking memory loss. He apologized for everything he had done and promised to look out for me so…"

"Allie, I don't think you should trust him."

"He's not a bad person, really. He just… I mean, was there anyone Ferguson didn't play at some point? Jake was the one who told me when you were coming back. He's kept me informed of everything that's been going on with inmates and staff. But yeah, he's still a screw. I haven't and I won't let my guard down around him, but… Hey, if he can keep sneaking me in to see you until you can walk again and I can remember everything again… It's worth it."

Bea softly smiled before she leaned in to tenderly kiss Allie. As Bea tried to pull away, Allie raised her hand and placed it on the back of her neck, holding her close as their kiss became more impassioned.

"Or… We could just act like you made me fall in love with you all over again… That's more believable," Allie whispered as she lowered her hand to massage Bea's breast through her shirt.

"Allie… We're gonna get in trouble," Bea whispered as Allie brought her lips to her neck.

"I don't care… If we're lucky they'll slot us together again."

Bea smiled as Allie pulled her to lie on top of her, both women holding on to each other as they continued kissing, secure that they were finally safe in each other's arms, as they both knew that no one could force them to ever let go.