A/N Apologies for the delay in updating! Thanks for sticking with the story, as always reviews are welcome.

April 2007

Hartley sunk back into the passenger seat of the Mustang, Billy needed to make a detour on the way home that brought them right around her old neighbourhood. They were parked a couple of streets away from the house where she had last lived with her mother – her first home in South Carolina – a place she never particularly wanted to visit again after that fatefully night six years ago.

February 2001

In the weeks after Murray's demise Hartley had managed to spend most of her nights between Billy's bed and a blow-up mattress on Cindy's bedroom floor, the last place she wanted or needed to be was her mother's house.

She trudged up the stairs one night after work, with Billy out on a job and Cindy staying at her grandmother's for the weekend, it was her only option. Flinging the wooden door open she was met with a hallway full of cardboard boxes.

"Mom?" she yelled into the house.

The peroxide-enhanced blonde head of Tina Carter poked out of the doorway to the living room, "What? For God sakes Hart you weren't born in a barn, close the damn door!"

"What's with all the boxes, ma?"

Entering the living room Hartley found her mother knee-deep in more boxes and packing materials.

"Moving, cancelled the lease and we're getting out of this hellhole," Tina stated as she wrapped newspaper around the plates stacked on the coffee table in front of her.

Hartley blinked, "What? When? And where? What about your job?"

"Murray fucking off made me think why the hell we ever came here in the first place. We're movin' back to Pittsburgh," her mother placed her hands on her hips as if that was the end of the matter.

"But, what if I don't wanna move?" Hartley asked feebly, still trying to process this sudden turn in events.

Tina stepped around the mess of their belongings and placed her hand on her daughter's arm, "I know you have your life here now but this ain't exactly Beverly Hills darlin' there'll be other hair salons, god knows Frankie's isn't the be all and end all. And you can keep in touch with Cindy and your friends."

Hartley just blinked a couple of times and tried to keep up with what her mother was saying but her brain was only half listening.

"And there'll be other boys, I know you think you and Billy have somethin' special goin' on but you're only seventeen years old baby, trust me you don't know what or who you want yet."

She shook her head, "I can't just up sticks and leave, I'm finally settled here and there's nothing for me back in Pittsburgh."

Tina sighed, "I thought you might say that," she ran a hand through Hartley's long dark hair, "You're eighteen in a coupla months and hell, you've behaved like an adult since you were knee-high," her eyes were suddenly shiny, "I can't make you do something you don't want, I just want what's best for you baby, I trust you to make that decision on your own."

"Okay," Hartley nodded.

"Although I don't know what Dylan's going to do without his big sister," her mother smiled, the tears in her eyes threatening to spill.

The younger woman smiled softly, "Where is the little guy?"

"Up in his room, didn't wanna upset him anymore than I have to."

Hartley nodded, "Okay, I'll go check on him."

Tina ran a finger under her eye to catch the dark mascara-laced tears, "Sure thing honey and I left some boxes outside your room, didn't wanna go rummagin' through your things."

"Thanks ma."

When she finished up at Frankie's the next day she spotted a familiar Mustang parked out front and felt a flutter of butterflies in her stomach as she crossed the street. Billy stood up from where he had been slouched against the side of his car and took one last pull from his cigarette before tossing it to the side.

"Hey," she smiled tightly, kissing him softly.

"Hey, how was bein' home last night?"

Hartley shrugged and shook her head, "My mom's moving back to Pittsburgh."

"What? Why?"

She pushed her hands into the pockets of her coat and scuffed the toe of her boot on the ground, "She's got no reason to stay here anymore."

"Shit."

Hartley reached up and roughly brushed the lone tear on her cheek away, "It's all my fault."

Billy grabbed her arms in his hands and bent down to her eye level, "No, none of it is your fault Hart. What else could you have done? Let that sick fuck attack you, rape you? What if it wasn't you who got him pissed off – what if it was your brother? Or your mom that he lashed out at? You were protecting your family."

She sniffed and looked away from him as more tears ran down her face, "I don't know what I was doing."

"You got good instincts, that's why," he said matter of factly.

They were silent for a few minutes as Hartley calmed herself down and wiped the last of the moisture from her face.

"What about you?" Billy asked.

She frowned and turned to face him, "What about me?"

He shrugged, "If your mom's leaving does that mean you are too?"

"No," she shook her head, "I 'm staying, guess I should start looking for someplace to live."

"Come stay with me," Billy stated more than asked.

Hartley opened her mouth and closed it again before she finally spoke, "I didn't mean –"

"I want you to stay with me."

"Are you sure? I can probably afford my own little place, you don't need to feel like cause we're together or whatever you have to take me in," Hartley reasoned.

Billy shook his head, "You couldn't afford rent and bills on the shitty money Frankie gives you. I'm sure I want you to live with me but it sounds like you're tryin' to talk me out of it," he dropped his hands from her arms and leaned back against the Mustang.

"No, no," she shook her head, "I just don't want you to feel like you have to do something you don't want to," she gripped the front of his jacket and stood on her tip toes to kiss his slightly pouted lips, "I'd love to move in with you."

When they pulled up to Hartley's place her mom was packing boxes into her beat up Chevy Blazer.

"Can you give us a second?" Hartley asked Billy as she stepped out of the Mustang.

He nodded as he leant against the hood of the car and slid a cigarette out of the pack in his hand.

"It ain't too late to come with us you know," Tina quirked an eyebrow, resting her hands on her slim hips as she watched her daughter approach up the little grassy mound in front of the house.

Hartley shook her head and motioned around them, "My job is here and my friends are here –"

"And Billy's here," her mother finished what she knew her daughter didn't want to say out loud, "There's more to life than boys, darlin' I thought you knew that?"

"I do," Hartley nodded and pushed her hands into her jacket pockets sheepishly, "But I trust him and, I love him. I'm movin' into his apartment," she said softly.

Her mom sighed and placed a hand on each of Hartley's cheeks, their hazel eyes meeting, "I want this to be perfect for you I really do baby, but you gotta know why I'm concerned? Livin' with a man is a big step."

She nodded, "I know, but you have to trust me."

'He looked after me after I killed your husband,' she added internally.

"Hey, Darley," Tina called over to Billy.

He jogged over to the Carter women, the chain dangling from his jeans pocket jangling as he went, "Yeah?"

"You going to look after my daughter?"

Any other time Hartley would have told her mother to leave Billy alone and stop messing around but the look on her face seemed pretty serious.

"Yes ma'am," he slipped his arm protectively around Hartley's waist and his jaw set squarely.

Tina nodded, "You know I gotta have some ground rules, right?"

"Mom –"

She held a finger up to silence her daughter, "You don't put her in danger and if you hurt her mentally or physically I'll come all the way back here and kick your sorry ass, I don't care how big you are. She wants for nothin' and she ain't gotta ask your permission for anythin' – she's her own woman and you gotta except that."

Billy nodded, "Yes ma'am."

"Good, now make yourself useful and get the last of the boxes from the stoop."

Hartley couldn't help but laugh as her mother's stern face softened a little, she knew Billy would be biting his tongue and wanting to make some smartass remark.

Tina took one last look at Hartley and smoothed a hand through her dark hair, "I love you sweetie, remember no matter what happens you always got a place with Dylan and me."

"Thanks ma," she smiled with watery eyes.

"You're good to go," Billy's deep voice met their ears.

The mother and daughter embraced tightly before Tina made her way over to the Chevy and slipped in to the driver's seat. Billy stood behind Hartley and slipped his arm around her waist, placing a soft kiss to her temple, the tears started flowing as Tina slowly backed out of the driveway and turned onto the road.

She stopped the car just as she was level with them and called out, "Oh, and Billy? Put a ring on her finger before you knock her up."

Hartley opened her mouth to laugh but a sob came out instead as Billy held her against his broad chest and the two watched her mother pull away and disappear into the distance. He gently turned her around to face him before he wiped her tears away with his thumbs and kissed her forehead, "Lets go home."