After a couple of weeks of recovery Andy was finally able to breathe normally, but the bruises on her body were still healing since they were so deep into her tissue. Her face was just getting back to normal except for her lip; she would never get rid of the scar she got from the initial slap that started it all. Her spirits were beginning to pick up with everyone keeping her busy, including being able to go back to work.
Carlos was sent back into prison for the domestic violence, rape and a violation of his parole. Apparently he wasn't supposed to leave New York at all or come near her, both of which he did and so he was sentenced to another two years of prison.
"Only two years?"
"It's what they decided; now he might serve less if he doesn't get into trouble."
"How much time?"
"No more than a year, but could be less."
Andy shook her head, she had a bad feeling about it already. That meant she had only a couple of months before he was after her again.
"But he's not allowed out of the state or near you, so if he violates that once again, he'll go back in."
"And we'll have to do this over and over again. It will never end until he makes me pay."
"I understand your concern because I've seen his record and the photos. I'm going to give you some advice and I hope that you really consider it. Learn to defend yourself, have an escape plan, get everyone you trust involved and learn to shoot a gun. It's not illegal to carry a gun in the state of Texas and you have every right to defend yourself, but make sure it's from the front, not behind."
Andy nodded as Austin sat next to her rubbing her back.
"What about the divorce?"
"Well you remember how I said that I would rather see if it's true first?"
Andy nodded.
"Well your marriage isn't legal, he's married to a Cindy..."
He took out the file, but Andy had already known who it was. Her heart dropped and it was like reliving everything again, only this time she was relieved.
"So I don't have to do anything then?"
"Well not necessarily. You still have to file, but he won't be able to do anything about it unless he can prove that he was never married to her in the first place."
Andy shook her head; this was going to take longer than expected.
"It's okay Andy, everything is going to be fine."
"He's going to be so pissed off when he gets out and I can already imagine what he's going to do."
"It's why I'm telling you, learn to defend yourself because you just don't ever know."
"I know... I know."
Andy got up from frustration trying to keep calm since she was still suffering from anxiety.
"Maybe if I just talk to him, get him to understand?"
Austin shook his head, getting up himself.
"I know Carlos, Austin, and he's going to keep refusing this if I don't go see him. This is what he's going to keep doing until he gets me there, so might as well go and get it over with besides I think I need to, so I can make sure he's really in there or I know I won't be able to sleep."
"I can arrange it, private, but still secure."
"Andy..."
Andy looked up Austin.
"I have to or I won't be okay."
"Then I'm going with you."
Andy nodded
Andy couldn't sleep that night and neither could Austin.
"I'm scared."
"I'm scared for you."
Andy looked up at him, scooting closer to him and allowing him to hold her, something he hasn't been able to do in a while.
"I love how you never sugar coat things for me."
She smiled at him and he smiled down at her, moving her hair out of the way.
"Everything is going to be okay and I'm going to help you defend yourself. Nate will teach you how to shoot and the guys will give you all the best hiding places to go."
"Did you know he was already married?"
Austin shook his head.
"No, but Cindy does have a son from him."
"She does?"
"Yeah."
Andy looked away feeling like it was unfair that Cindy was able to have a child and she wasn't able to because of what Carlos had done.
"Does he know?"
"No, she's afraid he'll do something to him."
She understood that, Andy would have done the same.
They stood quiet for a while before Austin pulled her closer to him.
"You'll have babies, tons of them, all running around calling your name."
"How many babies would you want?"
"As many as you can give me."
"I'm not giving you any."
"Well not right now, but we're still young."
"No Austin, I don't plan on having any."
Andy pulled away, rolling onto her back.
"I don't want any. In fact I never want to be married again. You, Vincent and Carlos have given me enough reasons not to get married, get into a relationship or even trust."
Andy got up from the bed then and looked down at Austin.
"I'm sorry, but this is never going to happen. I told you from the beginning that a friend was fine with me, but you still want something I'm not willing to give you."
All Austin could do was nod. He was just being hopeful that she would have changed her mind by now. With them living together, sleeping in the same bed and practically living like a married couple without the intimacy, Austin was really thinking she was feeling it too.
"I understand."
"Do you?"
Austin sat up, grabbing his clothes and got dressed.
"Austin..."
"I get it!"
Austin closed his eyes and huffed.
"I'm sorry... get some sleep."
He then walked out of the room and went into the guest bedroom.
It didn't take very long before Andy got the call.
"Tomorrow?"
"Yes, I've booked us a flight for midnight tonight, so pack an overnight bag."
Andy let out a breath.
"Okay, I'll tell Austin."
"He already knows and it'll be just us."
She felt her back tense and up her neck to her head, causing her a headache.
"Okay, I'll meet you there."
"Great, see you then."
Andy hung up the phone as Vincent came up to her.
"Everything okay?"
Andy nodded and walked away.
Vincent watched her as she walked away. He still loved her, cared for her and when he found out what had happened to her he was ready to run to her side, but stopped himself when he was reminded of what he had done to her. He was stupid to think she was anything like his ex-wife, when she had been better than that and she had given him a chance when she didn't have too.
Austin was in his office when he got the call from his lawyer that everything was set for them to go, but Austin declined to go because he needed to have some time to get over what Andy had told him this morning, Nate will be going with them instead.
Andy pulled up to the house, looking up at it. Her heart was beating uncontrollably in her chest and she felt like she would be sick, but she needed to go in to get somethings.
Taking a breath she got out of her car and walked up to the door, taking another breath. She said a quick prayer and went in. She could feel tension in her back, but she ran upstairs into their room and into her closet, grabbing a suitcase. She packed her things and as she kept packing she felt more and more like someone was watching her. When she was here last Austin was with her and kept her calm, but now she was alone and it freaked her out.
Shaking and holding onto her anxiety Andy packed up what was left of her things and ran out of the house. It wasn't until she was blocks away that she pulled over and cried.
Austin was driving home from the office when he spotted Andy's car on the side of the road. Then he saw her leaning against her steering wheel and he quickly pulled over. As soon as his car was in park he jumped out and ran over to her, opening her door.
"Hey."
Andy screamed, but Austin grabbed her.
"Shhh... It's me Austin."
He lifted her chin so she could see him and wiped her face.
"Oh Austin."
With yesterday forgotten Austin hugged her against him.
"It's okay, I've got you."
Austin held her until he could feel her physically relax and then he pulled away from her.
"What happened?"
"I went to the house."
Austin didn't have to be told what house.
"Oh Andy, why did you do that?"
"Because I wanted to get everything out before I left. I just have a feeling that he's getting out."
"He's not, he's got at least a year and by then you'll be prepared."
Andy wished she believed him, but she just had a gut feeling that once she was in New York she wasn't coming back.
"Now come on, can you drive back home?"
Andy nodded and so they went home where Austin decided to go after all.
Andy felt a lot better that Austin was going and even slept on the plane ride to New York. She wanted to hold him and feel him as much as she could before anything happened to her.
Arriving in New York it was cold and early in the morning, but there was no time to waist, they were heading to the Riker's Island where Carlos was being held.
"Austin, I was only able to get two okays so you're going to need to stay behind."
Andy's heart sank.
"But I thought..."
"Andy, it's best this way. You don't want to upset him especially as we're going to be in an island."
Austin wrapped his arms around her.
"I'll be close by, I promise."
Andy prayed, prayed that she would get out of there and see him, waiting for her.
Austin held onto her all the way to the prison and until she had to get out.
"Stay strong and breathe, I'll right here when you come back."
All Andy could do was nod when her heart knew something bad was going to happen.
"Andy we have to go."
Andy ran back to Austin and kissed him.
"I love you, be careful."
Austin kissed her back, really showing her how much he loved her.
"I love you too."
Walking into the prison was an experience in itself. She could feel the tension in the air especially knowing who she was going to see.
"This way."
They had to go through an intensive search before even logging in, but they were able to skipped through it and go right in.
"Will he be behind a wall?"
Her lawyer looked down at her.
"Yes, but even then be aware of your surroundings. I cannot go in with you and you have to be able to trust your instincts."
"My instincts told me not to be here, I can feel something wrong is going to happen."
"Nothing will, I promise."
Andy thought... another promise... and they were escorted through gates where inmates could see her. As she walked by no one said anything to her, but they all looked like they knew who she was. She felt the instant chill behind her neck and all she could do was keep praying. They walked through one more gate until they came to the main building where her lawyer was talking to an officer.
She looked around to see officers looking at her and instead of feeling better she felt worse. When her lawyer came back he didn't look too happy.
"All the windows are busy, they have a special one though, but you'll only be separated by a table."
"I'll wait."
He shook his head.
"It's Valentines weekend, it'll be busy all day."
Andy nervously rubbed her hands.
"Andy you don't have too..."
She looked around and she really didn't want to do this again.
"No, fine, I'll do it."
She had to face it, whatever the outcome, she needed to do this. Whether dead or alive, she needed to do this.
"Give me a second."
A moment later she was going through another set of gates without her lawyer, but papers in hand. She was surrounded by two officers until they came to a room where he was already waiting. She stopped at the door as he got up.
"Baby."
She was slightly shoved in by the officer and the door was closed with only one officer inside. He looked like he was Carlos's bodyguard and not hers. She looked between both of them.
"Come on baby don't be scared, nothing is going to happen."
She looked at her husband and he was smiling at her, holding out his hand out to her. It was then that she saw the handcuffs and she relaxed a little.
Carlos looked where she was looking and laughed.
"Don't mind them they're just there for their protection, come here and let me see you. I've missed you."
Andy stepped in a little closer and placed the envelope in front of him.
"I just came to give you those."
He opened the envelope and pulled out the papers, but put them back, throwing them back at her.
"Forget it!"
"Carlos..."
"No, you're mine!"
"No Cindy is! You... lied to me."
"Baby Cindy was just..."
"Cindy is your wife according to court documents. You're marriage to her is valid and ours isn't. Those are our annulment papers. The court has granted me the divorce because of the circumstances and now there is no record of us ever being married."
Carlos slammed his hands down on the table before getting up and trying to reach for her, but he couldn't.
"Get over here!"
Andy shook her head.
"Never again will you put a hand on me. You've already killed our baby and I'll be damned if you kill me too."
"Now you know I didn't know! Baby, I didn't know. You know that's all I ever wanted, was to have a family with you. I love you."
Andy shook her head, looking up at him.
"You took that away from me too. I'll never be able to have a family because of what you've done to me."
"Andy..."
"No!"
Andy got in his face and all she wanted to kill him of how angry she was with him, but all she could do was cry.
"You killed my only shot at being a mother. The one thing I wanted the most and you took that away. The worst is that you can and it's not fair!"
Andy then slammed the picture she had taken of their four month old fetus against the table. It took Carlos a minute to realize what she had put down and when he looked down, he took the picture, turning it around, but he was quick to turn it back around.
"Turn it around Carlos, look at your child. Look at it! Look at what could have been our child! The one you took away because you needed to teach me a lesson? Look at it Carlos! Look at it!"
Andy took the picture and showed him, but he wouldn't look at it.
"Coward! You can beat the shit out of me, but you can't look at the results?"
Carlos snapped, grabbing her, but the officer behind Carlos grabbed him, making him loosen his grip on Andy.
Andy was then taken out of the room as he heard Carlos yell at her that he wasn't a coward and that it wasn't over, but to Andy it was. She finally stood up to him.
Andy practically power walked out of there and until she came to the last gate and saw Austin waiting for them. She ran to him and Austin was there to catch her.
"Shhh... it's okay, you're okay."
He took her to the car and held onto her until they arrived at their hotel and he laid her down. He watched her sleep for a minute or two before Andy's hand went looking for him.
"I'm right here."
Andy opened her eyes as Austin laid down and pulled her against him.
"Please don't leave me."
"I won't, I'll be right here."
And that's where Austin stayed.