Ten Week Earlier:

Standing behind the bar at the Abbey, clad in her usual outfit consisting of a pair of dark skinny jeans, a neutral t-shirt and a pair of sneakers.

Former bars she'd worked at had demanded that she made herself look pretty, and she had done so, to some extent because it was required of her, but most of the time you received higher tips if you actually bothered to make an effort.

When Terry had offered her a job at the bar almost two years ago, one of the first things he told her was that things could get quite rowdy here. Sarah didn't mind too much, after working at a McDonalds in one of the roughest neighborhoods in her hometown she was used to rowdy people.

Her first night working at the bar had been a game night. The pub had been crowded like hell, and everyone was demanding swift service. Fortunately, she was able to live up to the expectations that Terry had on her, that the crowd apparently had on her.

When they started throwing around beer, splashing it all over the place, she quickly realized that it was of no use to dress up or wear too much make-up. Ever since she had kept to what her friends called her uniform; dark jeans, a t-shirt in a neutral color, and a pair of comfortable shoes.

Pulled out of her thoughts by slapping on the bar, she blinked a few times and focused on the person wanting service. A smile spread across her lips as she saw who it was. "Bovver!" she said, delighted by the sight of her friend. Walking over she leaned over the bar to give him a hug. "How are you?" she asked him as she grabbed a beer glass, filling it with bear.

"Fucking knackered, long day at work" the man answered as he leaned over the bar grabbing some peanuts from behind it.

"I know what you mean" Sarah told him as she handed him a the glass of beer.

"Any prats bother you?" Bovver asked seriously.

Sarah shook her head with a faint smile on her lips as she remembered one of her first nights at the pub. There had been a man, middle-aged, who had found it appropriate to smack her ass and ask what she charged for an hour. Sarah on the other hand had found it appropriate to punch him in the face, then kick him in-between the legs.

Bovver and his group of friends had been around to witness it, and ever since the group had taken her under their wings, protecting her from male guests who crossed the line.

When Terry had found out he'd given her an approving look telling her that would fit right in with the crowd of guests hanging around the bar. "Nah" she answered him with a smile.

Bovver fixed her with his gaze. "You would tell me, wouldn't you?" he asked her seriously, looking her dead in the eye.

"Of course, Bov" she said placing a kiss on his cheek in appreciation. "Where are the rest of the boys?" she asked him.

Bovver gestured down towards the corner table where most of the other boys sat. She couldn't find Pete in the crowd though. "He's on his way here" Bovver stated with a smirk upon his thin lips.

Sarah shot him a look that told him to cut it out. "And who are you talking about?" she asked, faking innocence.

This time it was Bovver who gave her the look.

Suddenly the door to the bar opened. "Hello boys!" a loud voice could be heard through the pub making everybody turn around as some raised their hands in greeting while others greeted the man vocally. "And lady" Pete Dunham added as he walked over to the bar.

"Thanks for still considering me a lady after two years of knowing me, Pete" Sarah said with a smile as she grabbed another glass.

"Your welcome, love" he said with a huge grin.

"I'll be with the boys" Bovver said slapping Pete on the back before walking over to the corner table.

"So when is this lovely bird behind the bar, going to let me take her out on a date?" Pete asked with a flirtatious wink.

Sarah rolled her eyes at the question, Pete had started asking her out when she started working here two years ago and had continued to do so ever since. It was just the two of them joking around, it was just the way they acted with each other. Had done so since the first time they met.

"How about never" she suggested with a smirk. "

I know you've been dying to shag me, don't you deny it" Pete joked before leaning back and taking a gulp of his beer.

"Oh no, busted" Sarah joked right back. "Well, I gotta' go back to working and you've gotta' head over to the boys. They're gonna get jealous soon" she said before heading towards the back room to grab a broom to sweep the floor with.

"I'll be back, Lorenz!" he shouted.

"You better, Dunham" she shouted back before disappearing around the corner.

Pete smiled to himself as he grabbed his beer heading over towards his group of boys. She was one hell of a bird.

Later that night the pub was filled with tunes of old-school RnB from the nineties with Sarah swaying her hips back and fort as she swept the floors with the broom.

It was her turn to close down the pub tonight as Terry was supposed to wake up early tomorrow to bring his kids to school. Sarah didn't mind.

Suddenly there was a sound. Like someone was trying to open the door. Swirling around she saw someone tugging at the door handle.

Gulping she walked as quietly and swiftly as she could over to the radio turning down the music. If whoever was trying to get in walked in to find music on they'd definitely know that someone was there. The music hadn't been loud enough for anyone outside to hear it so it couldn't have been the music that drew the burg lurers there.

Then Sarah bent down behind the bar, hiding out of sight. Crawling on the floor she grabbed the bat that Terry thankfully kept behind the bar in case a guest got too rowdy, or as if in this case, someone tried to break in.

Pulling out her phone from the back pocket she scanned her mind for someone to call. Sure, she could call the police, but who knew how long it'd take for them to there. He lived closest to the pub. And he'd come. She had no doubt about that.

Finding his number among her contacts she called him. Why the hell wasn't he picking up? Realizing that she should probably try to get to the restrooms, where she could lock the door, she pushed herself off the floor and ran towards the back where the restroom were located.

Keeping her phone to her ear the entire time in case of him answering. "Hello?" his voice was raspy. He had obviously been sleeping.

"There's someone trying to break into the bar" she told him speaking quietly.

"What did you say, Sarah? Some little punk is trying to break in?" he asked.

"Yes, that's what I said, no?" she asked, the tone of her voice frustrated.

Then the sound of glass shattering reached her ears. Looking over her shoulder she realized they'd broken the window, probably because they hadn't been able to get through to the door. By now she could hear their voices; there was more than one. "Shit" she swore as she ran to the restroom, carefully closing the door behind her.

"Sarah, what the bloody hell is going on?" he asked from the other end of the line.

"There are two ore more men breaking into the pub. I'm alone, I don't know what the fuck to do" Sarah explained quickly as she headed towards a stall, closing the stall door behind her and locking it.

"I'm coming, just lock yourself in somewhere and wait for me. Don't be a fucking hero" he told her before hanging up.

Sarah tried to swallow but her throat was too dry to do so. Placing her phone in her back pocket she grabbed the walls of the stall as she climbed up on the toilet seat making it harder for them to discover her.

As she heard the door to the restroom open, she slapped a hand over her mouth to make sure that no sounds escaped from her mouth as the other hand gripped the bat in her hand. "Well, there's gotta' be someone around here. There's a bloody bag out there" the voice of a man echoed through the restroom.

Cussing herself for leaving the bag in plain sight, Sarah closed her eyes wishing that he wouldn't find her. Even though she knew the chances were slim. She could hear him kicking the doors to the stalls open. He was closing in on her. Fast.

As he reached the stall the next to her, she positioned herself to make sure that she was ready to swing the bat at the intruder.

The second the door to the stall was kicked open she swung her bat, aiming for his head. She actually got a good hit in making him fall to the floor.

Jumping off the toilet she started running towards the door. Just as she was about to open the door a hand snaked around her ankle pulling her backwards. The pull made her fall to the floor.

As she landed on the floor she hit her head on the stone floor. "Fuck" she groaned as she felt herself being pulled towards the man.

Regaining her focus she kicked out with her other foot, connecting her sneaker to his face making him fall backwards. "You fucking cunt!" he exclaimed angrily.

Pushing herself off the floor she headed towards the door. Pulling it open she ran straight into something, or rather someone. Sarah panicked and begun swinging her fists around wildly, hoping that somehow she would manage to knock the second intruder out.

"Sarah, it's me. It's me, Pete, calm the fuck down!" he finally shouted at her, grabbing a hold of her shoulders.

Lifting her gaze, her eyes connected with his blue ones. His eyes travelled across her face looking for injures. As he noticed the bruise starting to form on her cheek from hitting it on the floor, his eyes became stormy with anger. "He's in there?" he asked.

Sarah simply nodded allowing Pete to push past her into the restroom.

"Oi, you little fucking prat, you think it's fun to beat on women? Huh? You enjoying it, you fucking little arsehole!" Pete said before kicking him in the ribs. "Thought you could have some , did you? You fucking cunt!" Pete said as she delivered a punch to the man's face.

Taking a step back he grabbed the bat that Sarah had dropped to the floor when she'd run into him. Walking over to the man he started delivering blows to him with the bat. "You fucking, disgusting little pig" Pete cussed at him.

Sarah's blue eyes widened at the pure anger displayed in front of her by Pete. "Pete, stop it, that's enough" she told him. He didn't listen though.

Taking a step forward she took a hold of his arm, preventing him from swinging at the man one more time. "Please, stop it" she asked him.

Drawing a deep breath, he glanced back at the man lying on the ground, kicking him in the ribs one last time before turning towards Sarah and pulling her towards him. Encircling her body with his arms, he held her close to him, as she leaned into him crying silently.

Sitting on top of the bar with a blanket wrapped around her, Sarah tiredly leaned her head on Pete's shoulder, Pete's arm wrapped around her shoulders, holding her close to his side. Terry was talking to the police a little bit away from them, explaining what had happened and so on.

"Shit" Sarah swore silently.

Pete glanced down at her. "What?" he questioned.

"The tube doesn't run this late, neither does the bus, I'm gonna have to walk home" Sarah said, her voice tired. Not even angry, just tired.

"The hell you are, you're staying with me for the night" Pete told her determinedly.

She looked up at him with a serious look in her eyes. "Don't you expect to shag or any funny business like that, because that ain't gonna happen" she told him.

Pete burst out laughing earning himself a scowl from Sarah. "Don't you laugh at me, Peter Jonathan Dunham. I'm serious" she told him.

When he continued laughing at her she slapped him on the arm. "Ouch, what was that for?" Pete asked, having stopped full out laughing, now chuckling quietly.

"That's for laughing at me, asshole" she told him.

Holding up his hands in surrender he looked at her with a smirk upon his handsome face. "Okay, okay, I swear, no funny business" he promised before bursting into laughter once again.

"Fucking ass" Sarah muttered but couldn't help but smile. Maybe describing it was 'funny business' wasn't her most elegant choice of words.

"What did they say, Terry?" she asked as the older man headed towards them.

"You're both cleared to go. I gotta' stick around though. Deal with some insurance and all that. You should head home though, sweetheart, and take the day off tomorrow" Terry told her with a small smile.

"You sure? I don't mind coming into work" she replied.

Terry nodded in response. "You make sure she get home safe, mate?" he asked Pete.

The man beside him nodded. "Aye, mate, I'll bring her home" he promised as he jumped down from the bar.

Turning around he offered his assistance to Sarah, who shook her head and slid off the bar, her white sneakers planting themselves securely on the wooden floor.

"Let's get outta' here then" she told Pete, who nodded before wrapping his arm around her shoulders once again leading her towards the door.