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Sunlight entering through the window woke Andy, he looked to the nightstand to see the time, 7:28 am. They still had about 30 minutes before they needed to wake up to head to the airport and eventually home. He rolled over to see his new wife a mess of hair and drool, sleeping hard and snoring. The comforter kept her decent but her bare shoulders were on full display, revealing a few hickies from the efforts of them enjoying their honeymoon.
“I can feel you staring at Andrew.” her voice was thick with sleeping and the only indicator she was awake as her eyes remained closed.
“Can you blame me? I married a fiery goddess.”
“We are already married, you don’t have to butter me up.”
Andy scooted closer, slipping an arm under her to pull her closer to himself and nuzzled his bread into her neck. Her eyes finally opened to gaze on the sexy man practically clinging to her.
“As your husband, it's my duty to overwhelm you with affection and compliments.”
“Don’t we need to get ready to go?” she playfully batted him away, deterring his efforts to initiate morning sex.
“It's only 7:30.”
“And we both need a shower,” she slipped from his grasp, Andy chasing after her but she dodged him and jumped out of the bed just out of his reach. “Care to join me Mr. Barber?”
He didn’t need to be asked twice, he sprung from the bed locking his lips on hers as they moved together into the restroom, only breaking enough to start the shower and get in.
By the time the newlyweds exited the shower it was a mad dash to pack up and catch their uber. The time crunch pressured a familiar feeling for the both of them instead of being a hindrance as they navigated together through TSA and finding seats in front of their gate for the flight home.
“I saw a Starbucks not too far off,” Andy started dropping his carry-on into the seat by his wife. “I’ll go grab us some coffee and a snack to tide us over until we get back to New York.”
“Thank you!” Aria gave him a quick kiss then settled in with their belongings to await Andy’s return.
She’s only apart from her husband for maybe five minutes, long enough for her to text the rest of the Rogers Family chat informing them of the beginning of their journey home. Opening her solo chat with Deli getting ready to call her best friend turned sister-in-law when she hears her name. Looking up she finds her ex-boyfriend, Johnny heading straight for her. Before she can say anything he has made himself comfortable in the seat Aria had reserved for Andy, and kisses her cheek.
“What are the odds?”
“Highly likely, considering our careers and we initially met at an airport.”
“How have you been?”
“Great!” She nods, holding up her hand. “I got married, I’m actually wrapping up my honeymoon today.” she tried to be very clear with her display of happiness but she should have known better. Johnny had always been self-absorbed, he didn’t care how his actions impacted others, didn’t care if someone was unavailable, even when they had been dating. His dick doing all his thinking resulted in her ending things when she found him in bed with another woman.
“Yeah, I saw in the papers you’d settled for a lawyer.” he brushed off, leaning closer to her, Aria leaning back but she hit the bar of the chair.
“I didn’t settle, actually. I finally locked down the guy I’ve been in love with since I was a kid.”
“Are you heading back to New York?” He ignored the clarification.
Carrying 2 cups and 2 bags of goodies back over to the gate, his eyes landing on his wife looking extremely uncomfortable as she speaks to a gentleman in his seat. He adds an extra pep in his step, the idea of being her knight-in-shining armor. As he approached he picked up enough to determine Aria knows the man and he is currently trying to slide his hand under his wife’s skirt despite her hands firmly pressing it down as firmly as she could.
“Coffee and a breakfast sandwich, dear.” Andy handed her the items and turned on the man pouring out his hand in greeting to the man. “Andy Barber, Aria’s husband.”
“Johnny Storm, Aria’s ex-boyfriend.” Johnny shook Andy’s hand clearly trying to have a piccing context, one Andy wouldn’t entertain because he’d already won.
“Well it's nice to meet you but would you mind?” Andy motioned to the seat Johnny was currently occupying. “I’ve been up all night and would love to get a little rest.”
Johnny looked to Aria who was trying to be angry with Andy for the implication but her smile was just too fucking big. Johnny was hoping she’d ask him to remain but she didn’t. “It was good to see you Johnny.”
Huffing the man takes off and Andy sits in his seat ignoring his beverage and food to check in on Aria. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah, just awkward you know?” she chuckles, easing into a relaxed posture. “It was kinda sexy watching you politely put Johnny in his place though.”
Andy smirks, “Then you should come to work with me.”
The rest of their journey home is uneventful but by the time they get home they are both exhausted and end up sleeping for 18 hours. they’d planned to have 3 days to recuperate at home before returning to work specifically to get back into the swing of things and readjust to the time zone. But the morning of their second day back they were woken by someone pounding on the door. Andy slept through it but Aria couldn’t so she got up, covered in Andy’s robe and went to answer the door.
Who she found, rendered her speechless. The previous Mrs. Barber stood enraged with her son clinging to her hand.
“You fucking slut!” Laurie dropped Jacob’s hand and lunged at Aria, tackling her to the floor and wrapping her thin hands around Aria’s throat. “You stole my husband!”
Jacobs crying rings out as Aria rolls them over so she's on top of Laurie, restraining her as she coughed trying to suck as much air into her deprived lungs.
“What the hell is … Laurie?” boxer clad Andy rushed into the entryway, his wife immediately jumping into his arms, her breathing still laboring but she wasn’t struggling anymore. His eyes and hands roaming over her looking for injuries and explanations finding redness around her neck but otherwise seeming alright.
“You left your family for a fucking whore!” Laurie roars at Andy trying to lunge for Aria again but Andy pulls his wife behind him, his body acting as a wall of protection.
“Baby, call the police.” Andy instructs Aria pushing her towards their bedroom while he halts Laurie. He notices an older looking bruise on her hairline and he worries that maybe she isn’t all there, perhaps she’d become a victim of domestic abuse and was just looking for assistance. He is able to calm her down long enough for the police to arrive and take her and Jacob.
Chatting up the police he learns Laurie had been admitted into a wellness center last year after getting into a car accident with Jacob in the car. Her husband had been granted full custody when surveillance footage showed she purposely crashed the vehicle. Since the accident her memories had been spotty and she’d been diagnosed with several mental disorders. The theory being she’d seen the news articles about Andy and Aria’s marriage on Jacob’s tablet when he’d been visiting her and it triggered this episode. She’d broken out of the facility, kidnapped Jacob, drugged her husband, and ended up on Andy’s doorstep.
“Do you want to press charges?”
“No.”
“Yes.”
The couples answered in unison, Andy looking to Aria softly. “She’s not well, what will pressing charges do?”
“She tried to kill me, Andrew!” Aria snapped in anger and hurt reading all over her. “This will at minimum get me a restraining order.”
“She is mentally unstable.”
“Which means she’ll have no problems repeating her actions and what’s to stop her from succeeding next time?” her voice rising in tone and emotion. “Are you ready to be a widow?”
“Aria just stop! Do you hear yourself?” You want to make a clearly broken person have an even worse quality of life?”
“What I want is peace of mind,” she looked at the office. “I was the one assaulted and I’d like to press charges.” Before the office leads her away to take her statement she looks brokenly at her husband. “What I want is for my husband to protect and defend me but it's clear now, I’m not the priority.”
“Don’t do that! Not everything is about your petty insecurities!”
He’s too angry to care about the hurt he sees in her eyes but the fight is put on pause as she steps out to give her statement. How had the bliss of the past two weeks ended in their first fight as husband and wife? And how hadn’t he noticed the lack of compassion in his wife? Aria ends up needing to go to the hospital for a full examination to go along with the charges, Andy doesn’t even see her off when she leaves. Purposely giving her the silent treatment knowing that is the harshest thing he can do, daring her to disagree with him. He’s home alone for two hours before his sibling arrives.
“Where’s Lady?” Ari asks.
“At the hospital giving her statement.” Andy informs.
“Is she alright?” Steve asks.
“You must have some restraint not to have killed Laurie.” Curtis praises.
“Why would I have done that?” Andy asks, outraged.
“She attacked your wife,” Curtis explains, confused. “I’d have done worse for less if it was Chloe.”
“Laurie isn’t mentally sound.” Andy argues.
“Even more reason to protect Aria.” Lloyd sighs. “People like that are unpredictably dangerous. Imagine what would have happened if you didn’t wake up.”
It's the first time someone has said something to make him believe he is the one in the wrong in this situation. “Aria was fine, she’d already restrained Laurie by the time I got there.”
“This time, what if she’d had a weapon, she would have clearly pulled the trigger far before you could get to Aria.” Ransom explains. All the brothers turn to look at him, he shrugs. “I’ve become paranoid since we brought the twins home.”
Andy watches as Bucky has to step away to answer a call from Deli, not sure what to say. He knows his wife hates violence and Laurie had managed to do some damage before Aria restrained her, but if Laurie had had a weapon, he wasn’t convinced his wife would still be alive.
“So you think Aria is right to press charges against a mentally ill person?”
“Andy, tell me you didn’t go against your freshly attacked wife to suggest otherwise?” Steve asked, genuinely afraid for his brother.
Andy's silence was answer enough.
“I’m going to miss Aria.” Lloyd sighs.
“What do you mean?” Andy snapped standing up.
“You can’t possibly think your marriage will survive this.” Ransom remarked.
“Your wife was attacked, wanted justice and you embarrassed her for wanting that after you failed to protect her and then instead of supporting her, you sent her off to the hospital alone.” Curtis laid out evenly.
Bucky returned to the group, a few articles of Aria’s clothes in his hands. “Aria is alright, doctors gave her something for the pain and Deli’s monitoring her now. She apparently has a mild concussion.”
“She called you?” Andy asked. His heart squeezing tightly in pain, his vision getting dizzy at how accurate Lloyd’s comment of divorce was becoming.
“No, Deli. Once the police took her statement Aria called Deli … she doesn’t want to come home.” Bucky lifted her clothes as an explanation and cleared his throat awkwardly. “She-”
“She doesn’t feel safe with me?” Andy growled.
“She doesn’t want you to think she’d be over dramatic or have you convince her to change her mind. She was granted a temporary restraining order.”
“This is ridiculous! I didn’t blow things out of proportion when her ex showed up.” Andy snapped.
“There it is,” Ari sighed. “You feel responsible for Laurie.”
“Aria is my wife.”
“And as your wife, you’re supposed to support her, you don’t contradict her in public.” Lloyd mused as if that was a lesson he’d learned the hard way with Jewls.
“But I still think Aria is right in this, Laurie tried to kill her tonight and she brought her son along to do it.” Ari state.
“Regardless of her mental state, Laurie scared Aria.” Steve says softer.
That comment finally broke through to Andy who turned to Bucky barely holding back tears. “Does she have any injuries?”
“No, the doctor said the bruises around her throat should fade in a day or two.”
“Laurie shouldn’t go to prison, if anything Aria will be granted a full restraining order and Laurie returned to the wellness center.” Lloyd explained. “So technically you're both going to get what you want.”
“That is if you can fix this,” Steve sighs standing up. “Call if you need anything.”
Everyone but Air and Andy leave. Andy couldn’t look at his little brother knowing what a big supporter Ari had always been for him and Aria despite his close friendship with his wife. Even when Deli was firmly refuting them. He wasn’t confident in his stance now but it was far worse imaging her lose Aria, Ari, or Deli. It felt like every step forward he and Aria made they’d take a yard back ward. And then in the midst of their disagreement, he’d invalidated her emotions, something he’d previously had to combat against when pursuing her romantically. Andy poured himself some scotch and got comfortable on his couch, still not looking at his brother.
“I can’t vouch for you if you keep making stupid choices.” Ari sighed. “You got a plan?” Andy shook his head. “How about this, admit you were wrong, that in your sleepy state you failed to see her perspective.”
“I’m not sure I’m wrong.”
“Doesn’t matter, sometimes you just gotta tell her what she wants to hear.”
“Even I know that is an incorrect statement. I hope you don’t do that with Blair.”
The brothers fell into a silence, pondering the evening's events. Sitting there, Andy believed his only chance would be focused on his failure as a husband to protect and support his wife. Because now, in retrospect he wanted the restraining order as well, he just didn’t want a mentally ill person behind bars with hardened criminals for a minor incident. But Aria’s self-doubt issues were an ongoing problem she was constantly battling with and his words no doubt caused a major set back. They rang in his ears over and over again.
Not everything is about your petty insecurity problems.
How was he going to come back from that? He imagined she’d forgive him but he knew if she did, her walls would be firmly back in place like when they’d been reintroduced at Bucky and Deli’s engagement party. It had been so difficult that first time around, he couldn’t imagine she’d make it any easier this time. If roles were reversed he wouldn’t even be able to accept forgiveness. The route of the problem was the danger she’d been in and his inability to see it due to his relationship with Laurie previously. He’d never seen her violent so he couldn’t process that she was capable of hurting anyone.
Ari let Andy to stew while Andy continued to drink and criticized himself for hours until he was calling his wife, clearly drunk.
“Please come home … I’m sorry … please baby, I’m a dumbass … I failed you …”
“I didn’t convey my point correctly … I said things I didn’t mean … I know … I can’t … lose you … please.”
“I understand now … you were scared and I should have … I promise you're safe here … I’ll be better … I’ll get you that order myself … get one for myself too.”
“Aria … my love, my life … just please come home.”
After listening to the third voicemail, Aria wanted to go home and find comfort in her husband's arms life she so often did. But he’d been so angry, she knew it was misplaced at her but the words still stung. His words not too far off from those her parents had used on her time and time again and Andy knew that. Not to mention that the woman had found their home, she knew where they lived and the law didn’t seem to be a hindrance to Laurie. Before Aria could change her mind Deli coaxed her into bed and to sleep.
The next morning she woke up to several more voicemails similar to ones she’d listened to the night before. This time her best friend wasn’t able to stop her from going home. She found her husband passed out holding her pillow from the bed, stinking of booze.
“Oh, Andy,” she sighed. As she attempted to pick him up from the floor and put him on the cough, she accidentally jostled her awake.
“You came home,” his voice hoarse, his eyes bloodshot. “Aria I’m so sorry. I didn’t behave correctly last night.”
“Let’s just work on getting you cleaned up.”
“No!” he grasped her forearms and looked up at her in desperation. “Please don’t leave me! I love you! I’m a man and we fuck up sometimes but-”
“Whoa whoa Andy, calm down. I’m not going anywhere.” she promised.
“I’m an asshole.”
“You are,” she laughed as she was finally able to get him on the couch.
“Please don’t block me out.” she stared at him unsure. “I was upset and I hit where I knew it’d hurt but I don’t really think that way.”
“You realize in less than 2 days we boh encountered ex’s and while I defended you, you defended your ex.”
“I won’t ever again, I promise.”
“And if you break that promise?”
“I’ll die before I break that promise.”
“Okay let's clean you up and get you some bread to soak up that alcohol.”
They both kept their promises: Andy never chose anyone over his wife again nor did he attack her vulnerabilities and Aria didn’t leave or distance herself from him over this incident. Both successfully obtained restraining orders against Laurie who was moved to a more secure facility and Jacob returned to his father.