It was all down to a phone call now. Brax had managed to get his hands on a mobile and even though prisons claimed to have cell phone blockers, Heath knew numerous criminal organisations were run from the inside. People liked money and screws were people too.

For days now they'd been packed and ready. The second that call came through they could grab their bags and go. Time was ticking. At the moment, Heath was only being a little weird. He wanted to talk to Bianca alone so he was watching out the window, waiting for Zac to leave the flat.

"What're you doing?" came Casey's voice from behind him.

"Waiting for Maguire to piss off," Heath said, sparing a quick glance for Casey before he went back to watching out the window. Seconds later he felt Casey's hands slide around his waist and his chin resting on Heath's shoulder. Heath needed to stay focused. "How's everything at the gym? I haven't been there much."

"All sorted, the boys are up to scratch." Heath could hear the smile in Casey's voice as he spoke. "It's worked out well actually, my irresponsible big brother has left me to do all the work so the boys have had to step up. He can be such a jerk sometimes you know..."

"I think ya might be enjoying this a bit too much," Heath said turning his head so he could see Casey's face. Casey's eyes shone with amusement.

"No more than you." Fair call, all this subterfuge was pretty exciting. Casey leaned in then and kissed Heath, but Heath couldn't let himself get caught up in this now. With difficulty he pulled away and turned his gaze towards the flat once more. Finally the door opened and Zac left. If Heath was a gentleman he would've given Bianca more time but he just didn't know how much of it he had left. It was a strategy of prison's to spring these transfers on inmates to prevent exactly the type of escape attempt Heath and Casey were planning.

"That's my cue," Heath said, extracting himself from Casey's embrace.

"You sure this is a good idea?" Casey asked. Heath knew he wasn't thrilled about the idea of bringing Bianca in on this but Heath was certain it was best.

"Yep," he nodded, before walking out the door. Casey didn't need to worry, Bianca wasn't gonna go to the cops, Ricky was her friend too.

Heath knocked on the door, Bianca answered and judging by the look on her face it wasn't him she was expecting to see.

"Heath?" she said, pulling her robe a little more tightly around herself.

"Hey babe."

"Babe? Really?" Heath shrugged.

"Just 'cause we aren't together anymore doesn't mean you're suddenly not hot." Bianca smiled and preened a little. "Can I come in?"

"Umm, sure," she said, stepping aside for him.

"Can we talk?"

"Can I have a shower first?" It wasn't really a question.

"I guess," he shrugged, Bianca was already pulling clothes out of the drawers.

"I just be five minutes." That made Heath smile, Bianca had never been ready in five minutes in her life.

"Yeah right," he scoffed.

"Shut up you," she said, smacking him in the head with some item of clothing.

"Oi!" he protested, making her laugh. "Have you had breakfast yet?" he asked, wanting to encourage her good mood.

"No," she said before disappearing into the bathroom. While she was having her fifteen minute long five-minute shower, Heath fixed some food, making enough for himself as well as Bianca. Finally she was done and he did have to admit the finished product was worth the extra time, she always looked a million bucks.

"Toast? Juice?" he offered, pushing the plate and a glass towards her.

"Thanks," she said, grabbing a piece of toast with Vegemite. They made small talk until the food was gone.

"I can trust you right babe?" She looked at him consideringly.

"Yes, we're still friends."

"I thought so." Heath was a little uncomfortable about his next words, but he needed her to agree to this. "You remember how much work Rocco was?" Bianca looked wary all of a sudden, crap, they'd been doing so well.

"Yes..."

"I just meant," Heath hurried on, "wasn't it so much better when we worked together?"

"What's this all about Heath?"

"I'm just thinking about Ricky and how hard it'll be for her."

"She has us, and Kyle and Casey, she's going to be okay."

"But it's not the same is it? Brax is the one who should be there."

"But he's not, you boys will do a great job, stop worrying." Heath didn't need to hear any more reasons not to do this.

"We're gonna bust him out Bianca."

"What?"

"We're gonna help him escape and go away somewhere so they can be a family."

"Who?"

"Me and Case."

"Heath you can't do this, they'll catch you. You've all got criminal records, they'll lock you up and throw away the key, then Ricky'll have no one."

"She'd have you, and Kyle, but it's not gonna happen-"

"This is crazy-"

"No it's not, it's all but sorted. We can do this." Something about the serious way he said it made Bianca stop and really consider it.

"You'd really do this from them?"

"Yes, and I was hoping you'd help."

"Me? What are you talking about? I can't..."

"Just hear me out babe, your part isn't dangerous, I just need you to throw the cops off the scent to give us some time."

"I can't Heath, how would I even do that?"

"Bianca, just calm down and listen." Heath reached down and took her hand in his. "You don't have to deal with the cops. All you have to do is drop us off somewhere and then bring my truck back here. The cops are going to figure out who's behind the escape pretty quick, we just need a head start. If they find my truck here, they won't know which direction to start looking."

"Does Kyle know about this? Can't he do it?"

"He does, but he needs to stay at the restaurant so he has a solid alibi."

"What about my alibi?"

"Get Maguire to lie for ya. He's done time and worked in prisons, he'll know what to say. I don't expect you to lie to him about this, I don't wanna cause trouble in your relationship, but if you can manage not mentioning it 'til it's done, it'd probably be best." Heath knew he was asking too much, but there was no one else. And he wanted Bianca to know she could go to Kyle, but he couldn't risk her having a sudden attack of conscience. By making her an accomplice he ensured her continued silence. "You in?"

"I don't know..."

"Don't ya reckon it's about time one kid from Summer Bay had a Mum and a Dad?" It was a tough point to argue.

"Fine," Bianca said warily, "for the baby." Heath didn't mind her reasoning, the important thing was she'd said yes. This was the last piece of the puzzle, and it had fallen into place.

"Thank-you," he said happily, giving her a hug and popping a kiss on her cheek, "I know it's a big ask." She gave him a resigned smile.

"There's just something about you Braxton's," she said. "No matter how many times you screw up or do the wrong thing, people want you to have your happy endings."

"What can I say?" Heath shrugged, "we can't help being this adorable."

"No," Bianca said, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at him, "I don't think you can."

"Now, one more thing," Heath said, he may as well strike while the iron was hot. "Will you give this to Mum for me?" He pulled the letter he'd written from his pocket. As much as he loved his mother, he didn't trust her not to do anything stupid and jeopardise their chances of pulling this off. He and Casey had made the effort to have dinner with her last night. She'd given Heath a hard time about breaking up with Bianca 'after everything he'd put her through when he'd dug his heels in an insisted on marrying that stuck-up hussy in the first place' and Casey had copped it too, for being a 'pushover' and 'letting that horrible boy of Danny's steal his girlfriend'. It was okay though, that was just their Mum.

"I dunno Heath. Committing a crime by helping you spring a convicted murderer from prison is one thing, but telling Cheryl her sons aren't coming back? Don't you think that's pushing it?"

"Hmm, I see your point," Heath mused, it didn't change things though. "But you know what she's like, I can't tell her. She's irrational and unpredictable, I can't let her ruin this." It was an awful thing to say about his mother, but it was true. Nothing, and Heath meant nothing, could get in the way of him being with Casey now.

"Something's different about you," Bianca observed.

"What'd ya mean?"

"The Heath Braxton I know would never say something like that about his mother..."

"I only said it 'cause it's true."

"I know you did," Bianca said approvingly, "you're more confident, more self-assured, it suits you." Was he? Yes, he realised Bianca was right, he was. For the first time in his life he knew exactly what he wanted and he wasn't gonna let anything stand in his way.

"So you gonna do it?" Bianca still looked undecided. "It'll be okay," Heath assured her, "once she realises there's nothing she can do, she'll be proud of us for looking out for each other and sticking it to the law too." Bianca held her hand out for the letter.

"I don't doubt that."

AN: Two chapters to go. I promise something will actually happen in the next one, though I am struggling with it so it could be a while. The good news is that the last chapter is all but done :) Thanks for reading.