never do as you're told.

Frank still remembered the way this his heart had shattered the day that Allison Lawrence had broken up with him. He had been in love with her, so sure that he would marry her one day, only for her to break up with him because her parents didn't approve of him and she couldn't handle that. He didn't blame her, not really, because if her parents didn't approve, how could he ask her to love him? It would put too much of a strain on her relationship with her family and that was part of what Frank had loved so much about Allison. She was all about her heart, about her family, about pleasing those around her. Frank wasn't the only one that cried that day either, Allison had broken up with him through tears as she tried desperately to explain her decision to Frank.

He had nodded and told her that he understood because in the end, he did. But that didn't make it hurt any less either. Frank had dealt with teenage heartbreak and it had been absolutely awful at the time but that had been truly nothing in comparison to losing his family. His wife and his son, his baby girl. Frank had ran away that day, like a coward, because he was outnumbered and outgunned. And traumatized, it had taken him far longer than he cared to admit to come to terms with what had happened enough that he could retaliate. Nearly three days of mourning before that burning anger settled in the pit of his stomach, an anger that would never truly go away.

The one thing Frank Castle thought that he would never do again was see Allison again. There was no reason to, she was her own person now and well, Frank was a wanted criminal that was often painted as a terrorist. He was sure that Allison would see him in the same light that everyone else appeared to, he wasn't about to put fear in her heart. And God forbid she didn't believe the headlines? Getting any semblance of close to her would only put her in danger. Frank, he couldn't lose someone again in the way that he had already lost his family.

Frank had always been good at doing what he was told to do by his superiors, that was expected from him. He was a Marine, a Marine went and did what he was told to. Right up until he realized what they were doing within Cerberus was wrong, right up until his family was murdered because of what he did. Then all hell broke lose and the man that Frank Castle had been died then and there, instead being born and bred into the man that many knew as the Punisher.

---

Karen Page was one of the few people that Frank knew he could count on. So when she asked a favor of him, telling him tales of a friend being beaten by her spouse, Frank agreed to step in with no real thought. He didn't think to ask who the girl was because in the end, that didn't matter. The only thing that really did was that an innocent person was suffering because some asshole's ego had gotten too damn big. Frank would knock him down a notch or two... or several more past that.

Frank approached the address that Karen had given him, fully intent on helping the girl escape. If she refused his help, he would take it to the next step and simply get rid of the man. Of course, the bastard would die sooner or later but that would simply mean it was sooner than Frank anticipated. Clearing his throat, Frank knocked on the front door of the house before he stepped back. He held his hands behind his back, trying to appear as unassuming as he could.

Allison Lawrence never imagined that her life would turn out the way it had. Way back when, when she was in high school, she had hopes and dreams and aspirations—and she clung to the arm of a boy named Frank Castle. Frank was Allison’s first live, and truth be told, really, he was her only. Allison dreamed that one day she would walk down the aisle and meet Frank, standing there dressed their best. But, her parents had a different idea of how their teenage daughter’s life should have gone. When her parents got wind that Frank had enlisted in the Marines and would be shipping out after graduation, they had told her to put a stop to it. You aren’t supposed to live that type of life, her father had said, you’re meant to marry a doctor or a lawyer, hell, anyone with money to take care of you, Allison Faye! Not an idiotic grunt who isn’t smart enough to go to college. They had given the Allison the ultimatum to end it with Frank, or she would be out on her own with no way to afford college. And at seventeen years old, it seemed as though the world was being ripped right out of her grasp.

Now, Allison was married to one of the best surgeons in New York state. He had captured with his charm and wit and seemingly never-ending willingness to woo her off her feet. But now eight years had passed, and the only thing he seemed to catch her with was a strong right hand if dinner was ready as soon as he walked in. Allison went to the only person she could confide in, her boss Karen Page. Allison had been working as her assistant for some time, and she really was the only friend Karen had. She said she would take care of it.

It was a quiet night for Allison. Michael was working the swing shift at the hospital, and he was on call, so she had hoped to spend the rest of the evening alone in solitude. She had just settled down to watch some garbage television to numb her worried mind when a knock came at the door. Her eyes flicked to the entry way, fear resonating in her gut. Who the hell would be knocking at this hour? Allison tucked her hair behind her ear as she stood up, cinching her robe just a little tighter. Trembling hands reached out to unlock the door, deep breathes were taken in before she opened it. He stood before her in all of his glory, still and rigid like the Marine he once was. He wasn’t supposed to be here, he wasn’t supposed to be alive!

“Frank…” she breathed out, lips and limbs going numb at the sight of him. She was suddenly very aware of her state, a small black eye now turned yellow had not been covered up—she hadn’t been expecting company. “What are—what are you doing here? You’re dead! You—how—” She gaped at him, taking a small step back as his name fell from her lips once more, “Frank…”

Of all the people that Frank was expecting to be on the other side of that door, it certainly wasn't Allison Lawrence. In fact, she was probably at the very, very bottom of his list. If you had asked Frank even five minutes ago, he would have told you he thought she was probably off loving life. Married to some rich asshole that showered her in gifts and doted on her the way that her parents had always wanted for her. THat wasn't necessarily a bad thing either. Wasn't it a good thing for them to know their daughter was well taken care of?

As Frank would soon have to learn, not everything would go according to planned. That sometimes life would have a surprise for him that he wouldn't be able to see coming no matter how well prepared he was or wasn't. Frank's heart dropped to his stomach when Allison opened the door, revealing a frightened shell of a woman that Allison once had been. His lips parted slightly, his shock even more evident as his eyes raked over her frame. Soon enough, that shock turned to anger as he caught sight of the black eye she was showing off. His eyes narrowed and he let out a low growl, his shoulders pulling together as his hands balled into fists by his sides.

"I'm here to take you 'way from here," Frank grunted, his gaze taking in the home behind her. He tilted his head slightly, trying to see more into the home but with Allison in the way, Frank couldn't see all that much. There was a minor change in plans now because if Allison was the woman Karen had sent him after, there wasn't a chance in fuckin' hell that Frank was going to let another bruise be inflicted on her body.

"Karen sent me," Frank said, grinding his teeth together as he looked away from her. "Told me she had a friend who needed help. Just didn't give me a name," he muttered, his eyes drifting back to hers. He met her gaze with a hardened one, a sneer appearing on his lips. "Where tha fuck is he?" Frank's anger was only continuing to grow the longer that he looked at Allison's bruises. She was a sweet girl, ready to take on the world when he last saw her and now this was how she looked? Whoever had beaten her down had a swift kick in the ass coming, in the form of Frank Castle's boot.

Karen. Of course, it had to have been Karen who sent Frank Castle. Allison knew that Karen knew Frank. But Allison had never told Karen of her past with Frank. By the time that Karen was working the Castle case, the last thought in her mind was how to get back to Frank. Allison was almost trembling as Frank stood in front of her. She could feel the rage that he was emitting. Involuntarily, Allison flinched away from him, stepping backwards a but more into her home. She didn’t know what she was supposed to do in this situation.

“Frank, I can’t. I can’t go with you—” Allison spoke, her voice cracking as she tried to hold back her tears. “He’ll behome tonight and if I’m not here when he gets here, it’s not going to be good and I just can’t deal with all of this right now okay?”

Allison dug the heels of her hands into her eyes, willing the tears not to come. She shook her head and laughed. She fucking laughed because all of this was ridiculous. “It’s like I’m talking to a damn ghost,” She said and shook her head. She crossed her arms over her body. She sighed, looking away from Frank. “Look, Frank, I appreciate the gesture and everything, but I just can’t. I never asked Karen to save me or send someone too—I—I can take care of myself. I’m working on it and saving up money to leave him.” She looked away, chewing on the inside of her cheek. If she was being honest, she mostly didn’t want to go with Frank because of the raw rage and anger he was putting off. Allison didn’t know what would happen to her if she left with him. She didn’t trust men anymore, especially not one that was supposed to be dead and that she hadn’t seen since the last day of her senior year of high school.

Frank immediately softened when Allison flinched, his anger only growing but he forced the feelings away. To know that some piece of shit man was hurting her like this, enough that she was afraid of him for what he deemed to be no reason at all, got under his skin. And not in a good way. He ground his teeth together, exhaling slowly as he shook his head. He was trying his damnedest to reign in his anger because he knew this wasn't the right way to go about this situation, not with how timid Allison was.

Alarm flashed across his features when Allison laughed, taking a step forward on instinct alone. He reached out, gripping her arm gently as if to comfort her but it seemed like that was the last thing Frank should have done because Allison flinched as if she had been hit. He stepped back, until he was forced to take a step down the stairs. His attention was still trained on her though.

"I can't... I'm not goin'," Frank uttered, shaking his head slowly. "Karen told me she had'a friend that needed help. Didn't tell me it was you. Now I know it was you," he paused, his jaw flexing as he thought about all the pain that much have been inflicted on Allison. If only he had known... If he had kept tabs on her or Karen had told him earlier, he was sure that a lot of it could have been avoided.

"I'm not lettin' him hurt you again, Alli," Frank whispered her old nickname, his shoulders sagging just a bit. "You don't have to come with me, you really don't. I mean, 'm not here ta hurt you and you can come with me. I've got somewhere safe you can hang out for a bit. Karen knows," Frank paused, dragging in a deep breathe. "Or, or if oyu have somewhere safe you can go... I don't give a shit. But either way, you're getting tha hell away from the man that did that," Frank said, raising his hand to motion toward the black eye that Allison couldn't even pretend to explain away to him. "'Cause I'm sure there's more where that comes from. Huh?"

For some reason, Allison felt so damn small at the moment. Her blonde hair was a mess on top of her head, her robe wrapped tightly around her body, and her shaking limbs not wanting to move as her high school sweetheart stood in front of her. She felt ashamed. Ashamed that Frank was seeing her like this. Ashamed that she had let it get this far. Ashamed that she didn’t have the balls to just fucking leave him! She was shaking her head, teeth biting down hard on the inside of her cheek as Frank told her she was leaving there that night. Fear struck through her body as she thought about what her husband would do when he came home to find her gone…. And then when he eventually found her.

Allison didn’t have any friends she could turn to, no one but Karen knew. Karen was the only person she had—she wasn’t allowed to keep any friends or go anywhere besides work and the grocery store. That much had been made very clear two years ago when he… Well, Frank didn’t need to see her thinking about that right now. “I don’t have anyone to go to,” Allison spoke, soft and timid. Her eyes were staring down and the slippers on her feet. “I don’t have anywhere to go, Frank.” Allison was trying to keep the tears at bay, her fingers clutching at the fabric of the robe as she kept her arms crossed.

“What if he finds me, Frank?” Allison let out a soft sob, her head lifting to meet his eyes as the tears finally fell. “What if he does? What if he does something to you? I just—I don’t—I don’t know what to do, Frank.” Allison’s lip was quivering as she tried to keep it together, but it didn’t seem like she was going to be able to accomplish that task.

“I’m so sick of living like this,” She choked out, “But I don’t want him to find me if I leave, it will just make everything worse!”

Watching Allison crumble in front of him, it broke his damn heart and he stood in front of her, his own walls breaking as he watched her break. He gulped, looking away from her when he let out an audible sob. He dragged in a deep breathe, turning back toward her in just enough time to catch the last bit of her question. He knew it was wrong but Jesus, Frank couldn't stop the way that he laughed when she asked about his own safety. Frank shook his head slowly, deliberately as he raised an eyebrow.

"Darlin', I appreciate the concern but I'm a Goddamned Marine, you know. He's a surgeon, gets paid to save peoples' lives, you know. I got paid to end them," Frank answered bluntly, giving a one sided shrug. He saw no reason to hide his supposed crimes, his bloody rampage had been the talk of the country for a long while. Hell, new articles about him still tended to pop up from time to time. Allison being so close to Karen, Allison had to know about all the gritty details that even the public wasn't privy to.

Standing in front of her, Frank was fighting the urge to comfort her but it was a losing battle. He took an oddly timid step forward, his arms sliding around her waist and pulling her into his chest. His body was still as stiff as a board but Frank, he wanted to comfort Allison. He didn't know which of them was more uncomfortable with the human contact but he'd put aside his own comfort if it meant helping Allison out. She was a friend, even if they had broken up on not so good terms. Frank, he was a loyal man. Through and through.

"Nothin's gonna happen to you. You can come with me to my spot. Karen knows where it's at, if you wanna call her and make sure it's safe..." Frank murmured, taking a step backward. He leaned against the doorway, refusing to let her out of his sight now. "Do you have a bag to pack? I can help," he said, tilting his head to the side. "When's this asshole supposed to get back?"

Allison almost broke into a smile as Frank commented on the two drastically different career choices. She knew Frank could hold his own, hell, she knew about everything that had happened. But for some reason the though of her husband getting a hold of Frank sent chills to her spine—there was nothing stronger than a scorned lover looking for revenge… Or to end his wife’s life. Allison knew that Michael would go to the ends of the earth to make sure her life was a literal living hell. And if it meant harming Frank Castle, she was sure as shit he would try. Michael knew of her past. He knew that her heart still ached for her high-school sweetheart… Who’s to say he wouldn’t give it his best shot?

When Frank pulled her too him, Allison stilled at first. She was unsure of the contact, but as soon as her face was pressed into his chest there was no going back. She inhaled the smell of him, memories and feelings and thoughts flooding back to her and hitting her like a sack of bricks. She closed her eyes and allowed her arms to wrap around his midsection. When he stepped back, Allison looked up at him, searching his face and his eyes. She had to make a decision. She had to. Allison knew she needed to leave, hell, Karen had been begging her for what seemed to be years. If she didn’t leave, she was going to end up dead, and she knew that.

“I’ll go…” She whispered quietly, eyes looking away from him. She stepped back into the house and motioned for him to follow her inside. “I have a bag I can throw some stuff in. He’s not supposed to be back for another hour or two. But who the hell knows. Sometimes he comes home on time, sometimes late, sometimes early. Fuck, sometimes he doesn’t even come home at all, Frankie.”

Frank hadn't been expecting the relief that flooded him as Allison agreed to come with him. He had known she would leave one way or another but he had expected there to be more of a fight. He expected Allison to resist because Frank understood what it meant for someone to be in an abusive relationship. He'd never been in one, of course, but he had seen what it was like during his years. It was sickening, something that would churn his stomach just at the thought. There were a few men he'd come into contact that would tell you all about how Frank felt about women abusers... well, if they were able to talk. Or breathe... or well, anything.

Smirking at the thought, Frank stepped forward and followed Allison into the home. He shut the door, turning toward Allison. He shifted, seemingly unsure whether he was supposed to follow her into her room. Making her uncomfortable was the last thing that he wanted to do but he felt like he wasn't supposed to leave her side, like he was supposed to keep her under a watchful eye so no harm would come to her. But the house was empty...

"Look. This guy comes home, I'll talk ta him. Explain your leaving and if he wants to run his mouth..." Frank shrugged his shoulders. He hesitated for a moment before he started to follow her toward her room. Staying in the doorway, Frank leaned against it. He crossed his arms and his ankles, studying Allison with a hard gaze. "If you want, when we leave, you can call Karen. 'm sure she'll give you a day or two off," he uttered, knowing full well that if Allison asked Karen for a few days off to adjust, the blonde haired woman would allow it. Especially since it involved Frank, he was like an odd big brother to her. One that was formidable and any man that Karen might be interested in was damn sure lucky Frank wasn't actually her older brother.

"That way you can look for somethin' else. A new place, if you want. Mine ain't exactly five star," Frank paused, thinking to the bunker he stayed in. David hadn't been too keen on inviting someone else to stay there but when Frank had made it very clear there wasn't really room for argument in this situation, not if it was the option Allison chose. "But that's only if you want to. You're allowed to stay s'long as you want," Frank spoke softly, dipping his chin toward his chest.

Allison made quick work of throwing things into the duffle bag she had produced. Part of her was slightly embarrassed that it was Frank who had shown up on her door step instead of someone else. Karen had warned her if she didn’t get out of that house soon, that she was going to find a way to get Allison out of there herself. But she never would have guessed it was Frank who was going to show up. Allison was hardly a shell of the women she used to be. She was once bright and funny and elicited such a warmth to everyone around her. Now days, she spent her time sulking and using make up to cover up bruises. She kept her nose buried as far as she could in her work because she wasn’t allowed to have anyone on the outside in her life. Just the mere though of Frank seeing her like this brought tears to her eyes as she packed.

“Frank, I’m sorry.” She stifled a small sob as she began to pack her toiletries. “I know I haven’t seen you in years and now you have to see me like this. I thought the next time I would see you—well, I was sure it wasn’t going to be like this. I fucking hate that you are seeing me this way…”

Allison trailed off, not sure what to say anymore. She finished packing and dropped the bag on the floor. She grabbed another pair of clothes and snuck into the bathroom to change out of her pajamas and robe. She changed her clothes and tossed her hair up, returning to the room where Frank was now standing. There was the sound of the door slamming shut from downstairs and Allison looked up at Frank with horror in her eyes.

“Allison!” She heard Michael yell from below. “I sure as shit don’t smell any food being warmed up. What the hell are you doing?!”

“Frank…” Allison whispered feebly. “Frank what do I do?”

Frank hadn't budged an inch by the time Allison returned from the bathroom, wearing a fresh pair of clothes. He offered her a soft smile. "He-" he started to greet Allison, only for the sound of the front door slamming shut downstairs to catch his attention. In an instant, the almost jovial attitude Frank had had about him disappeared. He straightened up, his shoulders squaring as his jaw clenched. If that was how Michael was going to be speaking to Allison, Frank could already foresee problems and he sure as shit wasn't going to let that go down. He had always been a fighter, there was no getting around that. And now, Frank was just downright pissed off because someone had thought it was an alright idea to hurt Allison. Sure, Frank had loved Maria with his entire being but... did anyone ever really truly forget their first love?

Frank shook his head when Allison spoke to him. "Ya good, girl. Promise. Stay up here, y'got it?" He didn't bother to say anything else to her or wait around for a response, about facing and taking the stairs two at a time.

"Michael," Frank greeted, his voice hard as the man caught sight of him.

"Who the fuck are you?" Michael growled, his eyes narrowing as he took a step forward.

"Here to escort Allison out of here," Frank said, not flinching when Michael took another step forward.

"I have no clue who you think you are but Allison is my wife. She's not going anywhere unless I damn well say so!" Frank laughed at that.

"Nah, Lawrence. She ain't yours, she ain't your Goddamned property or somethin'. She's a fierce woman, a woman who don't deserve to put up with your shit," Frank growled, his body beginning to vibrate as he fought his instincts. Everything that he knew said to just rip into Michael but he was trying his damnedest to think about the woman that he had left upstairs. And he actually was being pretty damn successful, right up until Michael tried to lunge at him.

Frank stepped out of the way, gripping Michael's neck and throwing him to the floor. His foot connected with Michael's ribs, over and over until the man was left a crumbled mess.

"I.. who ar-" Michael tried to speak but Frank growled, leaning down to slam his fist into Michael's mouth.

"Shut the fuck up. I don' want to hear a fuckin' word out of your damn mouth, you got that? I got a feelin' you do a whole lotta talkin' 'round here and now, you're gonna fuckin' shut up and listen to me," Frank growled, pulling Michael up to him by his shirt collar.

"You fuckin' think about tryin' to find Allison. You fuckin' think about contactin' her again. You ever even fuckin' think you can a right to put a hand on her ever 'gain, I'll find you. I'll fuckin' gut you like the damn animal you are," Frank growled through gritted teeth. "You got that?" Frank spit to the side of Michael when he finished speaking, slamming Michael down on the ground.

Frank looked up only when he heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs. His heart skipped a beat as his gaze met Allison's. She looked white as a ghost.

Allison knew she should have stayed up stairs. She had a feeling of what was going to happen. Frank Castle had always been a hotheaded man. Even when they were younger, she felt bad for those teenage boys who so much as glanced the wrong way in her direction. Frank was never afraid to speak up or defend her honor as he had often put it. He had even gotten them kicked out of a dinner their senior year after the homecoming game. The tight-end for their football team decided to make a crude and uncouth comment to Allison, and it had ended in an all-out brawl.

Allison could hear what was happening downstairs. She knew that Frank had to be beating the shit of her soon-to-be-ex-husband. She would have been deaf to not hear it. Allison stood at the top of the stairs and listened to Frank yell and scream. She could hear the kicks and the punches and Michael’s body being dropped to the floor. She made her way down the steps, wanting to see the man in pain as he often left her. But what Allison saw, was Frank unleashing. Almost as if he couldn’t stop himself. He would never do that to her… right? Right. Allison swallowed, her face paling as she began to think of all the scenarios that might be after that night.

Allison looked her husband in the eyes and shook her head. “You should have never laid a finger on me, Michael Lawrence.” She looked to Frank and bit her lip. She needed Frank to get the man to do one more thing. With her bag on her shoulder, she continued down the steps and disappeared as she walked into the office. She found the hidden stack of papers in the desk and brought them out to Frank with a pen. “Get him to sign these. Preferably with out getting blood on them if you could manage.” Allison’s voice was small, she was afraid that this whole thing was going to go sideways. But by the way Frank was looking at her, she had a feeling this might be done and over with once and for all.

Frank was barely containing his rage as he beat Michael, the only thing that was keeping him remotely in control was the woman upstairs. He didn't know if she would be willing to take on the accusations that would undoubtedly be made if Michael ended up dead and Allison simply disappeared. She would be the first and the last suspect because she was Michael's wife... and to simply disappear was a bit too coincidental for most juries.

What Allison said was probably the last damn thing that Frank had been expecting from her so he had no way of stopping his reaction, letting out a bout of laughter that shook his head. He let out a low whistle, looking down to Michael with a sick little smirk on his features. "Girl's right, Lawrence. Shoulda never put a hand on the Punisher's girl. Don't ya know?" Frank uttered, not fully intending them the way that they could be perceived but frankly, he didn't give a shit at the moment.

Wiping his hands off on Michael's shirt, Frank reached out to take the papers from Allison. "Don't make me ask you a second time, Michael. I won't be so nice," he said, ripping a pen from the coffee table. "Sign it nice and neat then we go. And I swear to everything that's good in this world, you lay a hand on a woman ever 'gain, I'll find you. And I will gut you. Allison or not," Frank promised the broken man, his words dripping with unshielded anger. Once the papers were signed, Frank pushed to his feet and offered them to Allison.

"Let's get out of here," Frank muttered, setting his hand on Allison's lower back on instinct alone to lead her out of the home. He'd been gone for longer than he originally had been planning, David would likely be blowing up his phone that he'd left out in the van.

It wasn’t until Frank had gotten Allison in the car that she totally fucking lost it. She sat there in the passenger seat crying her eyes out, sobs wracking her body as she held her head in her hands. How the hell had she allowed her life to get the way it was? Allison had never dreamed of this happening. When Allison was getting ready to graduate high school, before she ended things with Frank, she had everything all planned out. She thought she would be married to Frank, have a couple of kids, be a college graduate, and be running a journalism company by this time. Instead, she had been married to a selfish prick who would lay hands on her if she didn’t fold his clothing right.

Allison kept her arms wrapped around herself as she cried. “I’m s-s-sorry you, you have to see me like this, F-frank. I, I just don’t know how this happened—we—we were supposed to—this wasn’t supposed to be like th-this—it wasn’t ever supposed to, to be like this!” Allison felt completely defeated as she confessed to Frank. Allison Lawrence was nothing like the Allison Waters he once knew. Allison didn’t even know how Frank could stand to look at her now, the only thing she had been told over the past few years was about how she wasn’t good enough, pretty enough, skinny enough… She wasn’t enough. When would she be?

“I’m so sorry, Frank.” She whimpered, wiping at her eyes in an effort to keep the tears away just for a moment. “I’m sorry you had to waste your night doin’ this. You coulda gotten caught or someone coulda seen you and I’m not worth all of this hassle, Frank, really. I can try to go to a shelter or somethin’. I have some money stashed away, I can get a hotel for a few days so I don’t have bother you with this shit anymore than I need to.”

Frank had pulled away from the curb before he realized Allison was crying. When he realized, he clenched his jaw and tried his damn best to ignore the lurching in his stomach. He needed to get them somewhere safe but it seemed that Allison wasn't going to calm down any time soon. Cursing under his breathe, Frank cut across several lines of traffic before pulling into an alleyway. He looked in front of them as he put the car in park, hesitating for a moment as he eyed the open space in front of them. He listened to Allison apologize over and over and God, it made the rage burn in his belly. To know that Michael had beaten Allison down so much that she thought she needed to apologize to him because he had opted to help her out...

Huffing, Frank pushed his seat all the way before he reached across the center console to gather Allison in his arms. He wordlessly pulled her into his lap, his arms encompassing her and keeping her close to his chest. "Shut up," Frank uttered, shaking his head. "You don't got nothin' to apologize for. You don't apologize 'cause that bastard made you apologize for anything you did wrong," he hissed through gritted teeth.

Frank exhaled slowly, trying to calm himself. He reached up, running his fingers through Allison's hair. "I would have come no matter who it was. If Karen was asking me, I knew the situation was bad. And Allison, not to be an asshole," he paused, the corners of his mouth twitching upward in a slight smile. "But he's not the first piece of shit woman abuser I've come across. he's just the first one who... made it out alive," Frank said, shrugging his shoulders. He leaned back in his seat a bit more so that he could get a better look at Allison. "There's no hard feelings, darling. If there was, I wouldn't have been there to begin with. Someone coulda seen me, someone coulda reported me but I don't really give no shit about that. Every time I step out of my place, I risk exposure. But I leave to make the streets safer, to save people who need it."

"Just so happened to include you tonight," Frank spoke, his voice taking on a tender edge. He tilted his head to the side, eyeing Allison with a prominent frown. "You don't gotta go to a shelter. That's the first place that son'a bitch'll look. I wasn't kiddin' when I told him he ever bothered you again, I'd kill him."

Allison allowed herself to curl into Frank, the familiarity and security of being held by him flooding back to her. She tried to stop the tears, she did, but it just wasn’t happening. Allison had tried to stay strong for such a long time, she was finally breaking. No one knew about what was going on in her own home for years. It wasn’t until recently that Karen had figured it out. Allison had been running late one morning to work, and was only able to put one layer of concealer on a black eye. Karen had confronted her, and she had tried to lie. God, she tried her best to lie. But Karen was smarter than that.

“I just don’t know what to do anymore, Frank.” Allison whispered, looking up at Frank with wide, tear-filled eyes. She was desperately searching his eyes, trying to find any sign of malicious intent. She didn’t trust anyone; her trust and her confidence had been severely shattered. “I don’t have anyone. My parents are never around, my brothers are still pieces of shit, I have no friends—all I got is Karen, barely. She has her own shit going on and I don’t want to dump my problems on her.” Allison wiped at her eyes, looking away from Frank. “I don’t have anyone… And I don’t want to impose on you, Frank, I know you’ve been through to fucking much and I don’t need to add on to it, you don’t deserve it—I’m not worth all the trouble.”

Allison ran a hand through her hair, eyeing the passenger seat. “I’m just so done with everything. I couldn’t keep you happy back then, I can’t do anything right to keep Michael happy—I’ve obviously turned out to be the biggest fucking failure.” She sniffled and went to move off his lap and into the other seat.

Frank knew how to be the rock in a room. Whether he was out on a job and he needed to crack a few skulls open or someone needed his shoulder to cry on. He couldn't remember the last time that he had comforted someone who had been upset, if anything the most that he had offered David was a few awkward sentences that had been meant to comfort him. Frank was a shell of the caring man that he had once been. he wasn't full of advice and warm hugs and promises that the future would be better because truthfully, Frank didn't know if the future would be better. For any of them.

"Hey. Shh, shh," Frank whispered, rocking them back and forth gently. "Ya got me, girl," he promised her, running his fingers through her hair slowly. He gave her a half hearted smile, using one hand to brush away Allison's tears. "I don't got a nice place like I just took you from but it's warm and it's got a shitty fuckin' kitchen to cook in but it's still something. David's gon' be annoyed that I'm bringin' you," he paused, knowing the admission could end up putting Allison on edge but he sure hoped that it wouldn't. He was quiet for a moment, his brow pulled together in concentration. "Not 'cause he won't like you or nothin' like that. He's just.. he's supposed ta be dead like me," frank explained, his jaw clenching as he looked away from Allison. "People who killed me, think they killed him."

Frank was admitting things to Allison that he knew he would probably regret, would put Allison in danger but she'd always been his first love. There was no secret, he had loved Maria and his kids with every fiber of his being but did you ever truly forget the first person you said 'I love you' to? Frank swallowed, looking up to Allison slowly.

"You can't... I mean, you can go back. If you want but that fuckin' Michael guy ain't gon' keep his mouth shut. He's gon' figure out who I am and he's gon' tell people 'm alive. They'll figure it out real fuckin' quick," Frank was beginning to ramble now but he couldn't seem to stop the words that were coming from his mouth. "And they'll come for you. I want to keep you as safe as I can, Ally," Frank whispered, huffing as he looked to her. "Please. Please let me." He wasn't sure he could handle losing anyone else that he was close to.

Allison knew that she could never go back to that house. It wasn’t her home. There was possessions and belongings and memories—god, the dreadful memories. But it wasn’t her home. Allison wasn’t sure if she ever really had a home—besides Frank. But she wasn’t sure if she could stay with him. Allison knew enough to know that being in close quarters with Frank Castle was risky business. And after everything she had been through over the years, the woman wasn’t sure how much more she was willing to take. But the feeling of his arms wrapped around her, his skin, the way he smelled…. It reminded her of a home. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t impose on him, and she wasn’t sure if she really wanted to put herself in danger.

“I don’t know, Frankie…” She mumbled into his chest, tears finally starting to dry onto her cheeks. “I know—I know the shit I been through isn’t anything compared to the amount of shit you have had thrown your way. But Frank… The past decade I—” Allison choked back another sob that was threatening to escape her throat. “I just don’t know. I hate that I am having to do this. Either I interrupt your like or I interrupt Karen’s life or I find a fuckin’ box to sleep in.” She looked up at him for a moment. “Hell, am I supposed to go to one of those women’s shelters?!”

Allison took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down and gather it up for at least just a moment. She slid out of Frank’s arms and made her way back to her respective seat in the passenger side. Allison ran a hand through her hair and leaned her forehead against the cool glass of the window. She sighed audibly and looked over at Frank apologetically, “I’m sorry I’m such a damn mess.” She pondered the thought for a moment. “I guess I can stay with you tonight and then get with Karen tomorrow. See if she’ll let me crash until I can find a place of my own.”

"Hey now, hush," Frank cut Allison off before she could even finish speaking. His eyes narrowed slightly as he brushed her tears away. He tightened his grip around her, brushing his fingertips beneath the edge of her shirt. He was gentle, not wanting to cause an ypain to her that was unnecessary. Biting back a sigh, he gave the smallest shake of his head. "I've gone through some pretty fuckin' horrible shit but that doesn't mean the stuff you went through was any easier, darlin'. Doesn't work that way," he explained quietly, nudging her chin up so that he could look her in the eye.

"There's nothing wrong with you coming with me, to my place. I want you to. I wouldn't have offered it to you, the chance, if I didn't want to," Frank whispered, offering a tight smile. It killed him to see Allison in so much pain when there was nothing that he could do about it but at least he could offer her some comfort now that they were together.

Frank was reluctant to let Allison climb into the passenger seat again and he very nearly reached for her hand but he opted against it, instead his fingers twitching against the gear shift. "You can come with me and stay as long as you want to. Mess or not, I don't give a shit, Allison. It's what friends do and damn... I know.." he trailed off, ultimately settling on a simple shrug of his shoulders. Frank Castle wasn't into emotions, he wasn't good at them. Maybe it'd be better if he just kept to himself.. Frank gave a shake of his head as he started for the safe house, realizing they needed to get back sooner rather than later. Allison would be able to relax there. It wasn't exactly a five star hotel but it was still somewhere safe and wasn't that all that really mattered right now?