So, a week turned into two. I'm dreadful, I know. Especially given the incredible reviews you left for the last chapter. To know that people are still reading these stories after all this time makes me happier than you could ever know. It floors me. As a thank you, this is a fun, light...and NSFW chapter.

A few of you sent me DM's asking how or indeed IF this universe is going to be different to WCHB and Intervals and the answer is yes. Little tid-bit for you, the story line this is going to follow, is the original storyline I had in mind for WCHB all those years ago. So, yes, there are going to be some twists and turns. But for now, please enjoy some quality Pete\Allie time.

Reviews as always make my heart sing and are more than welcome.

Ella xx

Pete frowned, leaning forward and staring up through the windshield of Allie's VW bug. She hadn't let slip a single clue as to where they were headed as she grabbed his hand and dragged him through the throng of guests at her party. He'd been content just sitting and watching her drive, taking in every little detail; the way her long, slim fingers danced and tapped against the wheel as she hummed under her breath to the music. The way the various London lights illuminated her face, her ivy coloured eyes flashing excitedly but refusing to give anything away.

"Alright," he shook his head. "You win, I officially 'ave no fuckin' clue where we are,"

"I told you," she smirked. "We're going to look at the stars."

"Yeah," Pete nodded slowly, talking to her as though she were insane. "But what you haven't cleared up is why we 'ad to leave your place to do it,"

She bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing and he made a mental not to remind her exactly what that little gesture did to him these days. Before the words could leave his mouth, Allie turned into a small side road which, despite being lined with houses, seemed to have only one or two cars dotted around.

"These are new builds," she told him, turning off the ignition and peering forward to look out of the windscreen. "Barely anyone is in them and they haven't turned the electricity on yet so practically no light pollution, which means we should be able to see the Milky Way."

Reaching behind her to the footwell of the backseat, she stuck her tongue out in concentration as she searched blindly for something, catching Pete's eye and smirking once more.

"And in answer to your question of why not at my place," her eyes grew wide as she yanked a pair of trainers out triumphantly and kicked off her high heels. "Do you recall what we ended up seeing the last time we went up to my roof to look at the night sky?"

Pete threw his head back and laughed, rubbing his forehead briskly as though trying to coax the memory out of his mind.

"Yeah, it's kinda hard to forget seeing Swill with his d-…"

He gave a muffled laugh as Allie's hand clapped over his mouth, her green eyes boring into his with a look of terror and desperation.

"If you love me," she closed her eyes. "If you really, truly love me, you will not finish that sentence."

"Alright," Pete gently pried her hand away, still laughing. "Alright." He frowned. "What's with the footwear?"

Allie grinned at him mischiviously, her honey coloured hair falling into her eyes as she leant down to tie the laces on her white converse.

"Well, that would be telling."

A few short moments and a fair few dodged questions later, she found herself fighting not to giggle as she watched Pete Dunham stare up at the fire escape ladder on the side of the building.

"You're 'avin' a bubble."

"Nope," Allie replied as she jumped, trying in vain for the third time to reach the bottom rung of the ladder to pull it down. "We're climbing,"

"Y'know, when we first started hangin' out, the boys were so concerned that your posh was gonna rub off on me," Pete grinned, stepping up behind her and effortlessly reaching the ladder, bringing it down to the ground with the faintest of metal squeals. "No one ever thought my rough would rub off on you."

"No idea what you're talking about," the blonde told him in a sing song voice.

"Breaking and entering?" Pete raised an eyebrow. "Sneaking out of your own party with your boyfriend who is under the watchful eye of your entire family who according to your dad are just linin' up to castrate me,"

Allie giggled, stepping around the ladder and climbing the first step which brought her almost to Pete's eye level. The blue orbs shone brightly in the faint moonlight coming from above them, his lips pulled up in a smirk that made her stomach flutter just as much as it had the day she met him.

"Trust me," she grinned. "We are a hell of a lot safer here, breaking into an empty building than we would be back at mine and drinking Harry Harding's famous blue punch,"

Pete narrowed his eyes and nodded slowly. The girl had a point.

"Alright," he jerked his chin skyward. "Come on then,"

They clambered up the ladder, stopping only a few times when Allie nearly slipped on the silk of her dress and sent her tumbling. It wasn't long however before they found themselves on the large expanse of roof and the London skyline laid out before them.

Pete took a deep breath as he let his eyes adjust to the dimness and followed the lights as they danced across the Thames in the short distance. A cool breeze picked up around them and he frowned, knowing damn well that if he could feel it through his suit, the girl next to him had to be freezing.

"Right," Allie clapped her hands as she removed her backpack and began riffling through it. "We have blankets, we have beer and we have chocolate."

Pete shook his head with a laugh as she laid it all out at their feet and then beamed at him proudly. This is why he loved this girl. He knew that the party had been largely Lara's idea and whilst the two girls were similar on a lof of levels, the difference with Allie was that she hated those kind of grand affairs.

When Pete had first gotten to know her, he felt bad, angry even, when she used to insist on hiding out somewhere during one of Lara's parties or some charity bash her family had thrown. He had worried, albeit briefly, that she had been ashamed of him. But, that wasn't the case. It wasn't for her. She was happier sitting with him, of all people, on a rooftop drinking beer than she was dancing and taking shots with the Made in Chelsea wannabes who went to her school.

"You're missing your 'off to uni' party for this?" Pete shook his head as he sat down next to her on the blanket and stretched his legs out in front of him. "What're you gonna do when you start uni and there's parties every night?"

"I'm going to assume that those parties won't be full of the posh wankers I went to school with," she uncapped a bottle of beer and handed it to him before doing the same for herself. "Therefore, I can actually have fun at them…y'know, fun that doesn't consist of doing poppers and downing bottles of Bollinger from Daddy's wine celler."

"You're old man has a wine cellar," Pete laughed when she took a long sip of her beer and threw a dark glance his way. "And we've 100% stolen bottles of fancy shit out of it before just to drink it in Harry's treehouse and then puke in the bushes."

"Christ," Allie giggled. "Do you remember the first time Steve had champagne and he didn't know it was fizzy so tried to down it and it came out of his nose?"

Pete threw his head back and roared with laughter, remembering it all too well. Steve had borrowed his brand new trainers that night and getting champagne and puke out of brand new Adidas wasn't something you soon forgot.

"D'ya ever wonder where we'd be if we hadn't met?" Pete leaned back, cocking his head at her. "I mean..all of it was pure chance. Your mum being in east London buyin' a cake…it didn't 'ave to happen."

Allie looked at him seriously for a moment; she knew that whilst he hadn't said anything yet, they needed to talk about what had happened with his father. And she also knew that whatever this was running through is brain right now was a direct result of whatever poison Michael Dunham had poured into it.

Shifting so she was sat up on her knees, she placed her beer to the side and smoothed out the invisible creases in her dress, thinking for a moment of how to answer him. Had she ever wondered what her life would be like if Pete Dunham had never come into it?

Not for a second.

"Y'know, I always felt like a fraud," she smiled softly. "In my world…I never wanted a pony, I hated private school, I hated how everything with those people revolved around whose dad did what for a living or where they went on holiday every year. It all felt so hollow. I always felt…at least I always wanted to believe that there was something more out there for me."

She gently plucked the bottle of beer from Pete's hands and set it down, reaching up to cup his face.

"I always thought that something more would be a job, maybe travelling…I never bet on it being a who."

Pete met her eyes and felt his chest tighten; there was so much love in them and he still had no idea how or why she thought he was worthy of it. The girl was a Goddess and he was…

"So, no. No, I've never wondered where I'd be if we hadn't met. Because the way I see it, my life didn't even start until I met you, Dunham."

"How do you do that?" he asked her quietly with awe in his voice. "How do you make me feel like…I'm worthy of this? Of you? I mean you could have anyone...you could do anything…"

"You think I don't ask myself that every now and then?" she laughed shaking her head. "Pete, ever since I was eleven, I've got to have you be part of my life. You've always loved me in one capacity or another. I never knew why…sometimes I still don't."

Pete blinked at tried his damnest not to look at her as though she were certifiable. Allie Harding was saying she had no idea why she would be worthy of him?

"All I do know is is that you make me happy." She grinned. "It also helps that you're hot."

Pete laughed at smirked back at her, reaching up to tuck some hair behind her ear before he pulled her down to him, his lips finding hers immediately. He meant for it to be soft but the taste of her did things to him and he found himself pulling her down into his lap, his tongue swiping at her lips as he ran his hands down her arm and frowned.

"You're fuckin' freezing," he grumbled against her mouth.

"I'm fine," she whispered back hotly, trying in vain to pull his lips back to hers.

"Are you fuck," he snorted. "Bollocks to this, we can watch the stars from your car."

He stood and reached down for her hand, pulling her to her feet effortlessly and immediately wrapping his arms around her. Her slight frame shivered for a fraction of a second before she controlled it but it was too late, he'd seen it which meant her plans for romantic star gazing were instantly ruined.

"Don't even think about arguing with me," Pete told her sternly. "We both know I'll fling you over my shoulder and carry you down that ladder. I did it last Halloween, I'll do it again."

"Ok," Allie held up a finger, her eyes narrowned. "Firstly, last Halloween was a cheap shot. I had been trying to keep pace with Swill all night and the man drinks like a hobo pirate with nothing left to lose,"

Pete laughed and shook his head. Of course she was going to try to talk him out of this. Allie Harding going quietly or God forbid doing as she's told? Unheard of.

"And secondly, before you decide to channel your inner East London caveman…" she peered round him to glance at the metal door which accessed the roof. "We can go inside."

"So now we're breaking in," Pete smirked at her, pulling her as close to him as he possibly could and liking the way she licked her lips. "I've officially corrupted you and the worst thing, Harding is I think I like it,"

Allie felt herself blush and forced her eyes away from his lips and up to his own which were twinkling mischieviously.

"Well, I hate to break it you," she reached into the neckline of her dress and caught the look he gave her. "But its not technically breaking and entering if you have a key."

Pete cocked his head and laughed, a million and one questions racing through his head.

"I can hear the cogs turning but I'm really enjoying being an International Woman of Mystery so will you just shut your trap for once and follow me?" she raised herself up to her tip toes and linked her hands behind his neck.

Truth be told, when she was this close to him and her body was pressed up against his like this, Pete Dunham lost most of his ability to think coherently. She could've told him to take a run up and jump off the roof in that moment and he likely would've done it.

Not willing to give him a second longer to answer her, Allie simply took his hand in hers and lead him over to the door, unlocking it quickly and staring down the pitch-black stairwell. As she took an initial step down, the lights flickered on automatically and she let out a small sigh of relif.

"So much for the electrics not bein' switched on," Pete called from behind her and she could hear the suspicion in his voice. "Harding, what're we doin' 'ere?"

Instead of answering him which would have been the easiest thing to do, Allie Harding simply took the stairs quicker, earning her a heavy eyeroll from the man behind her.

As she reached another door, heavier this time, she pushed it open with her whole body and stepped into the darkened room, holding it open for Pete with one hand and searching blindly for the light switch she knew was behind her with the other. Pete blinkly slightly as the lights illuminated the space and shook his head. Christ, how the other half lived.

The living room was composed of exposed brick and dark grey painted walls, a huge floor to ceiling window served as the far wall to the open plan living room, a small but sleek kitchen off to his left. A watercolour art work of the West Ham shield adorned the wall over the fireplace and a tv hung on the wall across from it. And there were photos of…

"Allie," Pete spoke slowly, petrified of the answer, partly because he already knew it but mostly because he wasn't sure he would keep his patience when she gave it to him. "Where are we?"

"Old man Harding told me about the day he went to see you at the Abby,"

Her voice was soft, not a shred of pity in it as she moved past him and into the kitchen area.

"He told Harry, Richard and I that he wanted to give this place to you, he wanted to make sure we all agreed on it and of course we did…even Rich, who y'know…has the emotional range of door stop.."

He could hear her moving about but he couldn't turn and face her just yet, he had to calm himself down. What was he supposed to do with this?

"Funnily enough, I was the only one with a stipulation," he could hear the smile in her voice and turned to face her where she stood in the kitchen, a bottle of champagne in her hands. "I was allowed to decorate."

"Allie," Pete shook his head. "Fuckin' 'ell…I mean…don't get me wrong, this place is amazing but I can't live 'ere. There's no way,"

Seeing his genuine distress, Allie moved quickly, stepping into his path and catching his face between her hands, forcing his eyes on hers. She saw the pain there, the disbelief and felt hatred surge through her veins. Michael Dunham had done such a job on his son that he didn't see himself worthy of anything and for that, she loathed him.

"Baby, look at me," she pleaded softly. "I know this seems like a lot, ok? But the fact of the matter is, this is what my dad wants, this is what I want…for you. I want you to have the things you deserve, I want you to have a home where you're safe and happy and loved,"

"That's why I've got you," he protested. "I don't need bricks. You're my home."

Allie felt her heart melt and fought the urge to cry, instead laughing softly and sadly as she shook her head.

"I know that," she assured him. "But I don't come with a Thames view and a waterfall shower."

He snorted and she allowed herself a real laugh this time.

"Look, I know you feel uncomfortable with this," she shrugged. "I would, too. But my family loves you. I love you. All we want is what's best for you, we're not taking the reins, we're just doing what we can to make sure you have the best shot at being the man you're meant to be. And this doesn't have to be forever, when you're ready, you can talk to my Dad about buying it from him or moving out, whatever you need. But for now…just take it. Please."

Pete dropped his chin down to his chest for a long moment and sighed. He wanted to tell her no, he wanted to let his pride win this one but he couldn't. Because every reason he came up with in his head to throw this back at her came from his father. He knew this had nothing to do with pity or charity, it never had done.

"Y'know when we first started hangin' out, when my mum started working with yours…so many people told me it was charity," he shook his head. "I almost believed it, too. How could someone like your mum want to help us with nothin' in return? How could someone like you love me because of who I am? I could sit 'ere all day and try work it out, try and justify it somehow to make myself feel better but fact of the matter is, Harding. I'm in love with you. And I know if I 'ad the power or the money or whatever to make you happy…I'd do it in a heartbeat. I'd sell what's left of my burned and blackened soul if I thought it was what you needed to be happy. So fine, I'll take this. But I promise you and I promise your old man…I'll live up to it. To everything you think I'm worthy of, I'll be that bloke."

He cupped her face in his hands and used the pads of his thumbs to brush away the tears that were gently and silently making their way down her face.

"You already are," Allie told him, her voice strained with passion, needing to make him believe.

Pete turned his face to the side, kissing the palm of her hand gently and wondering what the hell he had ever done that made him worthy of this. Of her. Bring his eyes back to hers, he felt his chest tighten as he looked at her. Fuck, his girl was gorgeous.

"I think this is the point where I'm meant to tell you we should head back to the party," he told her quietly, his hands falling from her face, down her neck and trailing his fingertips over her arms.

"And I'm supposed to say that sounds great," Allie shuddered, trying to focus on something other than what his touch was doing to her.

"And then we head back and get pissed and dance with our mates and see off this awful chapter of our youth," Pete nodded.

"Well, when you put it that way, it doesn't sound so ba-…"

"Harding," Pete smirked, his thumb coming back up to press against her lips, silencing her just as he had done in her bedroom those few short weeks ago. Back when he had been petrified to kiss her, to mess up what they had.

"Shut up,"

He caught the smirk on her own lips in the brief moment before he closed the gap between them and slanted his mouth over hers. It was soft at first, his hands barely skimming her arms, treating her as though she were made of glass. If he knew the things that were drifting through her mind at that moment, he would realise that delicate was far from what she needed.

For the first time in seven years, Pete found himself shaking in her presence, utterly petrified of what his next move should be. He wanted to stop, in a way, determined not to torture himself with the notion of really calling her his, knowing he would fuck it up eventually. But the other half of him…

Allie deepened the kiss and pushed the jacket from his shoulders, her eyes catching his in the glittering lights from the city below as she bit her bottom lip and caused him to lose all sense of anything. Fuck it. If being with her like this was torture, chain him up.

Allie gasped as Pete moved quickly, walking her backwards and pressing her against the stone wall, his mouth soft yet demanding. His lips moved down to her shoulder, his hands skimming the sides of her body through the silk of her dress and causing goosebumps to break out over her smooth, soft skin. Feeling her pulse point beneath his lips, Pete sucked lightly, the animalistic need to leave a mark taking over anything resembling common sense and expelling all warnings of castration at the hands of her family. Fuck it, if this was how he died, he'd die a happy man. Feeling Allie's fingers making quick work of the buttons on his shirt, he pulled back enough to meet her eyes which were dark and heavy with lust.

"Allie," he mumbled softly against her mouth. "I love you,"

The blonde in his arms stopped her ministrations long enough to gently cup the side of his face, the gentlest of smiles lighting up her stunning features as she shook her head.

"I love you," she told him back, as though it were the most simple thing in the world. "Now kiss me and don't stop,"

Smirking, Pete reached down and pulled her up by her waist so that her toes were barely brushing the tops of his shoes, the giggle that came from her as her arms tightened around his neck making his heart soar.

"Now that," he ran his tongue over her bottom lip. "Is not goin' to be a problem."

Silencing her giggle by kissing her hard, he picked her up effortlessly and stumbled down the darkened hallway with her, keeping one eye open in search of a bedroom.

"It's the second door on the left," she whispered hotly against his mouth.

Grinning, Pete picked up his pace, falling into the room with her body locked around his, his mouth on her neck, her shoulder, anywhere he could find. He was faintly aware of the size of the room, the huge black oak bed in the middle and wanted to shout at her, to tell her this was ridiculous but just at that moment, her long fingers pushed his shirt off his shoulders and she leant down to run her tongue along his chest and anything resembling a coherent thought left his head. Stumbling through the room, he placed her on the edge of the dresser, ignoring the clatter of items that fell to the floor, choosing instead to part her legs and stand between them, cradling her head as he kissed her hard. Letting his hands slip from where they were cradling her head down the bare skin of her back to where he felt the zipper on her dress, he felt his heart lurch knowing that the moment he saw her naked, he would be done for. There would be no going back.

Allie made the decision for him, pushing him back slightly and dropping back onto her feet as she guided his hand down her back, both of them pulling the zipper down until the silk gown fell from her body leaving her in her cream lace lingerie. Pete felt his throat clench to the point where he fought to swallow. Jesus Christ, this was what perfection looked like. The lace contrasted against her alabaster skin, almost making her glow in the moonlight.

"You…" he shook his head, reaching for her and cringing when he noticed his fingers were shaking. "You are so beautiful,"

Allie felt a breath she didn't know she had been holding leave her chest and closed her eyes as his fingers drifted up her sides, over the swell of her breasts and up to cradle her face. The soft moan that left her lips made Pete wonder if there was a chance Michael had actually beaten him to death that night in his room…maybe this was all a dream…or heaven…at the very least, the world's best coma.

Picking her up once more, he fell back onto the bed with her and immediately rolled them so she was underneath him. He trailed his mouth from hers, down her neck and across her collar bones to the valley between her breasts, hissing as she responded by digging her nails into his bare shoulders. He trailed hot, open mouthed kisses across her stomach, down across her hip, his teeth grazing the bone softly as his hands clutched at her legs, his lips moving lower, across the inside of her thigh and urning him a moan from her mouth than made even him blush. Suddenly, she moved from under him, clambering to her knees so she was slightly above him, her hands on his chest, his shoulders, her mouth on his neck. God help him, he could feel her heart pounding against him and felt relief; he wasn't the only one of them that was seconds away from going into overdrive.

Skimming his hands down her back, he found the clasp of her strapless bra and released it, throwing it to the side and allowing his mouth to explore the newly revealed skin.

"Oh, fuck," Allie gasped, her hands holding him there and allowing herself to selfishly bask in the ecstacy he was providing. Realising that she needed to shift the power in her own favour or risk losing herself completely, she shoved him hard, grinning when he laughed, his eyes darkening as he took her in.

Pete watched as Allie straddled his body and bit her lip and he swore to God in that moment, he would ensure he may the Nobel Peace Prize list for restraint. He wanted to grab, her to have her under him, moaning his name like she was a moment ago. But then, he was laying on his back with Allie Harding on top of him, practically naked. It was most definitely a win-win.

Leaning forward, she made for his neck, her chest swelling with womanly satisfaction when he let out a long moan, his hands gripping her hips and shifting her, letting her feel the effect she was having on his body. Running her fingernails down his chest and stomach, she reached the band of his underwear and felt her mouth go dry as she brushed against him.

Pete threw his head back and hissed her name, bucking his hips and tightening his grip on her own hips, determined to pull her back down to him. Instead, he flipped them, laughing at the small squeak she let out as her head hit the pillow, the fan of honey coloured hair making her look even more ethereal than she did usually. He kissed her hotly, his right hand slipping down her body to the lace boxers she was wearing and dipping under them.

"Pete!"

Seeing Allie Harding laying underneath him, her head thrown back in extacy with his name on her lips was something he would never get tired of, he knew that like he knew the sun would rise in the morning. She cupped the back of his head and kissed him so hard he worried that he might be hurting her but then her hips bucked against him again and he growled, kissing her back just as hard. She cried out in protest as he removed his hand, pulling away from her and kicking his boxers off. He caught the blush that crept up her chest to her cheeks and wondered in that moment if he could ever love anything more. He reached up and pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes, his thumb tracing her lips gently.

"I've got you," he told her, his hands deftly sliding her own underwear down her legs and throwing them off to the side. Trying to feign the confidence that had suddenly left his body, Pete swallowed hard. She was perfect and she was his.

Falling back onto her, he kissed her gently this time, his mouth moving down to her neck as he hiked one of her legs up over his hip and groaned into the curve of her shoulder as they brushed against one another. Allie bit her lip, bringing his face back up to hers and feeling her heart beat even faster when she saw the love there, the utter awe mixed with lust unlike anything either of them had ever known.

"You ok?" he traced her cheekbones as though he were trying to memorise her, her voice catching him off guard.

"Me?" he laughed softly. "Never better, Harding."

He whispered the three words that had set her world on fire just those few short weeks ago and moved his body over hers, his hands pinning hers to the pillow, their fingers intertwining as their bodies collided. He lost himself in her, knowing that nothing on earth would ever be better than this. That after everything Pat had told him this morning, all Pete Dunham wanted was Allie Harding. She had to know that he would always keep her safe, always put her first.

That he would always love her. That was all that mattered.

TBC very, very soon...