My family pulls me for a family bear hug the moment they get out of the car. I missed them, so much, and I am so glad that they have arrives safely. I was really worried because Damian is still on the loose. You can't trust crazy maniacs like him. You just can't tell what way they would use to get back at you. But finally, I am at peace.
I pill away, and their eyes fall to the bandage on my head, my mother's hands travelling to it.
"My dear
"How are you all?"
"We are okay, Tania. How are you?" Father responds?
"I'm okay. We are okay."
"Hi, everyone." Andy greets me from behind me, and allows them to exchange pleasantries.
He still hasn't said anything about Angel, and I am afraid of asking him anything. I fear for the poor kid, and I want to believe that he is just going through an emotional crisis which won't last long.
"Babe?" He calls, and I look up at him, Mina and Mira standing beside him.
"I'll just show them to the doctor." He explains.
"Okay." I respond, and then he turns to Ambrose who is standing at a safe distance.
It seems so odd and disheartening that they are this distant. Remembering the first time I saw them together, and all the other consecutive times I have seen them bond, this is awfully bad. Again, I trust Andy's word that they will patch things up soon. I miss seeing them joke about anything. I miss their dirty jokes, as long Ambrose does not bring about that shit about hooking Andy with a freaking one-night stand. Beh! Andy is all mine now!
"Take them to the house, please. I'll drop Mina and Mira when all is done here." He instructs, and I snap at him.
I hope he is not thinking that I would move an inch from this place.
"I'm staying back." I state.
"You need to rest, babe. Don't worry. I will take care of things here." He insists.
"No, Andy. I'm okay. Mom and dad can go ahead. I'm staying back." I defend. How can h think I would leave him here? With all this.
"Love, come on. You need rest. You can come in the morning, please?"
"Please, Andy. I want to stay."
"Babe, please. I wouldn't mind you staying if things..."
"Adrian?" Father speaks, making us turn to him. "My daughter is strong, and stubborn. Just let her stay. Besides, I know she won't be at peace anywhere else aside from here."
Mental eyes rolls!
"Okay, Mr Lawson. You two go ahead then." He turns to Ambrose once more. "Make sure they are safe."
"Sure."
They turn to leave and hugging me, and I walk back to the seat and crouch down while Andy takes my sisters to the doctor's office.
The beginning of the end is near. The end of the miseries and the beginning of our happiness ever after. It's what they say, that love is sweet and beautiful, but it doesn't come that easy. Andy and I are true testaments of that. We have fought quite a tough battle, but the good thing is, we have finally won. It doesn't matter what we have lost on yhe way, such is the nature of life and any battle. The most important thing is, we are still together - Angel, him, and I, and the fourth member of our nuclear family.
My thinking is halted by a pair of black canvas stopping in front of me. These aren't Andy's. Not.
I lift my head slowly, studying the stranger's black up to his face which is covered by a black mask, leaving only the eyes. These eyes! This height! A cold jolt of Adrenaline runs down my spine, fear taking over my cool.
"Damian? Wha...what are doing here?" I query in a storm.
He takes his right hand beneath his long black trench coat, and he pulls it out with a gun in his hands.
I fridge!
Aside from being alone, I left my guns in the car.
Andy where are you?
"What do you want?" I ask again.
He can't be stupid enough to kill me right here. What am I even saying?
"I have no problem with you, Tania, but I won't hesitate to put a bullet through your head if you stand in the way of me and my daughter." He states.
"What exactly can you offer that child, Damian?" I ask, opting to speak some sense into him. It's not like I can fight him anyway.
"She is my daughter, Tania, and her place is with me. If you want me to leave you and Adrian in peace, just let me have my daughter, and the four of us can start our happily ever after far away from each other."
What a jerk! Monsters like him don't deserve a happy ever after. He should rot in jail or be reunited with his partner in crime.
"You put her in that condition, Damian. You shot your own daughter and now she is battling for her life. You almost killed her and..."
"It was a mistake, Tania, and if that bastard jerk of yours didn't show up I would be far away safe and sound with my daughter."
"You have a lot of crimes to pay for, Damian, including murdering your own daughter's mother. Have you thought of what Angel will become when the law finally catches up with you?"
"That will never happen. I'm taking my daughter far away from this country and..."
"YOU DON'T HAVE A DAUGHTER, YOU FILTHY JERK!"
Saviour!
Andy emerges from behind Damian, a gun pointed at his head. Damian turns around, but keeps his gun points at me.
Hell is about to break loose! These two beasts will kill each other if nothing is done.
"Really? As far as I remember, I planted that seed in your wife's womb. You were such a deadbeat that you couldn't...."
"Ouch! Fuck!"
Damian is writhing in pain from that first from Andy. He tries to turn, but Andy throws him another fist, sending him to the ground, his gun falling down.
"Angel doesn't deserve a murderer for a father. SHE IS MY DAUGHTER." Andy states, and I feel so much happiness within. I was really worried about him.
"Not when I am breathing, you jerk!"
"I would love to squeeze the life out of your balls, but for the fact that my daughter has your blood running through her veins, I won't do that. I am sending you where you belong."
In a blink, Paul and some other police officers surround Damian, their guns at him.
"We will take it from here, Mr Ashton. Thank you for calling us!" Paul states, as one of his men pulls Damina from the floor, putting handcuffs on his hands.
Huh! He called them? He must have caught a glimpse of Damian in the vicinity then. My husband is a wise saviour.
Finally, I can breathe peacefully. All is over.
"Tania!"
We all snap at Damian's voice.
The mask has been pulled off. Under this bright moonlight, he closes his eyes, accepting that he has lost the war.
"Please, take care of Angel the way you have always done. She is better off with you two."
I have words to respond to, and the police have no time for the final words. They drag him away, while Andy wraps his hands around me, enveloping me to him, and I rest in his safe arms.