Ash had no one left to turn to, he'd made sure of that. He stuffed his few belongings into a bag. He did it in the lounge room because that's where he fucking lived, on a couch. He didn't know where he'd go. Somewhere, anywhere, it didn't matter. He'd caused more than enough trouble here.

"I saw that little exchange between you and Kyle earlier. Sucks when you can't have the one you want huh?" Great. Just fucking great. He so didn't need Andy hassling him right now.

"Piss off Barrett, I'm not in the mood." It was in that moment that Ash proved to himself how much he thought of Denny. Her aside, he would've flattened Andy without a word. The thought of her took some of the wind out of his sails, he couldn't walk away and leave things like they were between them. She was his friend.

"I didn't mean it like that you cranky bastard," Andy insisted, apparently unable to take a hint. He took a step closer and fixed Ash with a serious look. "I honestly never meant to hurt her. That night, I guess I just wasn't thinking."

"No, you weren't. That it?"

"Well seeing how we're talking, I'm gonna give you some advice-"

"Because I need you to tell me how to live my life..."

"Yeah, apparently you do. Stop pushing Denny away. She thinks the world of you but you'll lose her if you can't let go of the past. And as for Kyle-"

"You can stop right there. I definitely don't need your advice where he's concerned. Now get lost before I decide I really don't give a shit what Denny thinks anymore. "

"Fine. But just remember, Kyle's a good bloke. He'll forgive you if you let him." With those words Andy left him to it. And fuck it, just because Andy was a jerk it didn't mean he wasn't right. Ash couldn't just cut and run. But he couldn't stay here either. So the question was, where did he go now?

xxx

"Going somewhere?" Brax asked, appearing in the door of the flat.

"I reckon we all need some space mate," Ash said without looking up or stopping. He didn't wanna face Brax after having just molested his brother.

"Oi! Wait up!" Brax called after him. Ash didn't stop. "What's the hurry?" Brax said, catching up with him.

"Ask your brother."

"I'm asking you," Brax said, clamping a vicelike hand around his arm, forcing him to stop. A moment passed between them, one in which they both recognised that the other was a dangerous man, and for a second Ash wondered if he could beat Brax in a fight. Brax appeared to push a similar thought away as he forced himself to let go. He watched Ash expectantly.

"I don't wanna talk about it."

"You think I do? He's my brother and you're my best mate." Ash just glared at him. "Fine," Brax conceded, letting it drop. "Where are you gonna go?"

xxx

Ash knocked on the door. It opened to reveal an old bloke in a checked shirt that he recognised as Denny's boss.

"What can I do for you young fella?" he asked, looking Ash up and down suspiciously. Did he have 'ex-con' stamped across his forehead? Or was it just the leather that put people on edge? Maybe it was the long hair...

"I'm a friend of Denny's," he ventured, hoping her name would make her boss think better of him.

"I know who you are," he said, and Ash got the distinct impression he also knew that he'd made Denny cry. "What do you want?"

"Umm, I was hoping for a van?"

"For how long?"

"I dunno," he answered because he didn't, "a couple of weeks to start I guess."

"Denise wasn't very happy earlier," the bloke pointed out.

"Dad!" admonished a female voice from inside the house. The lady appeared beside her father, a short brunette who at least looked like she didn't want to skin him alive. "You said you wanted a van?"

"Yeah, please..." He skirted around the old bloke when she invited him inside to fill in the paperwork. She introduced herself as Roo Stewart and her father as Alf. She went through the particulars, only half of which Ash heard. He couldn't concentrate with Mr Stewart glaring daggers through him. She handed him the key with a polite smile. He thanked her. He started to walk out but he couldn't leave this hostility hanging between himself and his new landlord. He turned back to Mr Stewart.

"I didn't mean to upset Denny, I'll find a way to make it right."

"You flamin' well better," Mr Stewart scowled. Ash nodded and headed for his van.

xxx

When Ash was settled in, which consisted of chucking his bag on the bed and rifling through the cupboards to see what was there, he dragged a chair over from the barbeque area and set up camp in front of his van. As night fell, he lit a cigarette and leaned back to enjoy it.

"That's a terrible habit," a pommy accent interrupted and he looked up to see the doctor watching him disapprovingly. Well, he would know.

"We can't all be perfect model citizens like you." Ash blew a smoke ring, just to prove just how much practice he'd had.

The doctor frowned.

"Coping mechanism is it?"

"No. I just like it, makes me look cool..." Ash drew in another lungful of soothing poison.

Uninvited the doctor pulled up a stump.

"I'm Nate," he said, extending his hand. "I don't think we've met properly."

"Ash," he said, sitting up straight and shaking the offered hand. The doctor had a handshake that matched his biceps.

"Just moved in?"

"Yep." Ash noticed the motorcycle parked by the doc's van. "Nice bike," he commented.

"It goes alright. You ride?"

"I used to. It's not an activity they offer in lock up."

"You should take it for a spin some time."

"Maybe I will. You want a beer?" Ash asked, offering the doctor a bottle.

"Thanks," he accepted. "The Aussie's did alright today, Warner got one forty-five."

"How'd Clarke go?"

"Retired injured for sixty." This was actually kind of alright, just relaxing and having a yarn with someone he hadn't upset and wasn't likely to. They talked about cricket and rugby, the doctor filling in some gaps for Ash that he'd missed whilst inside, and for just a little while Ash forgot.