Welcome back! As always, thanks for your reviews and follows – I hope you'll continue to let me know what you think. Some of you wanted to know more about Sam's kid, so I added in a little section here as a thank you for writing a review – more to come on Sam and his son (and Andy) in later chapters though. Thanks for reading; I hope you enjoy this one.

Also, I don't think it really matters, but I'm using juvi, not juvie for the short form of the juvenile detention centre. Both seem to be correct/used.

Recap: Andy's been brought in for questioning regarding a shooting at a convenience store. She tries to hide her involvement and keep quiet, but security footage shows her at the scene. In an attempt to protect her boyfriend, she tries to take the fall, knowing she'll get let off a little easier.

She pressed her lips together as more tears rolled down her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, looking up at Oliver for a brief moment before turning to the lawyer. "But I made my decision."

Sam pulled Oliver out of the room, ensuring the door was firmly closed before turning to look at his friend.

"This isn't right Sammy," said Oliver. "She's the sweetest kid… at least she was when I had to babysit her. She was fantastic. Bright, kind… She doesn't deserve this." He ran his hand through his thinning hair before letting it settle over his face. "She's too smart to do something so stupid… to throw her entire life away just because she feels like she owes some scumbag kid."

"I know buddy," said Sam, although he hadn't really seen evidence of her being sweet – intelligent, yes, and maybe a little manipulative and assertive. "We can't force her to give them up though."

"But she has the rest of her life ahead of her," said Oliver. "And Tommy… if Tommy saw his daughter like this, if Tommy knew I hadn't prevented this, he'd be crushed."

"It's not your fault Ollie," said Sam. "Bad things happen to good people. I know you want to help her, but if she isn't willing to accept your help, then there isn't much you can do for her. Maybe just be there to try to straighten her out after."

Oliver nodded slowly. "I just feel like I should be doing so much more; that I failed her."

Jerry exited the observation room. "I called the Roy McMurtry Youth Centre in Brampton to give them a heads-up. They'll hold her until her trial, and afterward if need be."

Oliver and Sam exchanged looks. "Not there," Oliver said. "Anywhere but there."

"It has space Ollie," Jerry replied. "And it's close. I know it isn't ideal, nothing about this situation is, but there aren't very many places that accept females and most of them don't have the space. This is the best we can do at the moment."

Later that day…

Oliver kept glancing in the side mirror as they drove to the juvenile detention centre. This was a nightmare. How had Tommy's kid wound up in a situation like this? He blamed himself for not stepping forward to help her more when her dad passed away – maybe he could have persuaded her to stay. Maybe then she wouldn't be on her way to juvi.

"So umm…" Oliver began, but he had no idea what he really wanted to say. He'd already begged her to reconsider, but now that they were on their way to the detention centre and a date for the trial had been set, he'd moved on to trying to offer her advice.

Sam glanced in the rearview mirror to catch Andy rolling her eyes. She looked a little nervous, as she should be, but considering what Oliver had told him about her, he was surprised she was as calm as she was.

"I'll be fine Oliver," Andy said, a little irritated. He'd been hounding her every chance he got.

"Just don't… just don't look at anyone or make them mad," said Oliver. "Keep your head down, and eyes and ears open."

They pulled up in front of the juvenile detention centre. Andy stared in awe. She'd expected something that looked worn down and pretty basic in its design. The entrance to this place though had some red brick walls but also white stone and glass structures that jetted out. It looked more like a business or wealthier post-secondary school than a juvenile detention centre. Shifting slightly in her seat, she could see some basic brick buildings further in the distance with fences that stood towering over everything. She let out a whistle. The guys looked back at her for a moment before getting out of the car and moving around to help her out.

As she climbed out of the backseat, Oliver continued with his advice. "And uh, just be good. You know the lawyer said you might be up for parole if you're good, that is if they sentence you…"

"I'll be fine," Andy repeated, though she really wasn't sure how she was going to survive in this place.

As they walked towards the entrance they could see some of the inmates in the fenced in yard. "Geez, what do they feed these kids," said Oliver, looking at how big some of them were. He glanced over at Andy, about to downplay what he'd just said in case it freaked her out, but she burst out laughing. "Andy, it's not funny. You're… you're really small compared to them."

Andy sighed, but said nothing.

"You should start taking this a little more seriously," Oliver said.

Sam walked behind them, listening, but trying to keep out of it.

"I am Oliver," said Andy. "But I made a choice and I have to deal with it. I know you didn't agree with it, and yeah, it was technically stupid, but do you expect me to be angry or cry? I'm not happy about this, but I'm dealing with it because I have to. I can't afford to be distracted going in, so just back off a little and let me think."

Oliver opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off. "Look, if you want to help me, then slow down and shut up…" She paused, a thought occurring to her. "Actually, just really slow down and tell me what you know about this place."

"Bed-capacity is about 192. Most of the offenders here are male, with maybe a few dozen females. The majority of them are between 12-18 years old. And uh, some, like you, are being held while awaiting trial, others are serving their sentence." Oliver paused. He didn't want to scare her, but she had to know the truth. "This place was built to be state-of-the-art, but it has a bad reputation. I tried to get Jerry to find a different place but—"

"What's so bad about it?" Andy interrupted. Time was limited and she wanted answers.

"A lot of violence between offenders, but also from employees. They're known to use excessive force," Oliver said.

Andy nodded. "Anything else?"

"Just smaller things about the food, but the violence is the worst of it."

Andy stopped walking and full out turned to face the fence. Her eyes had been scanning the yard before, but now she was focused on the inmates. Sam watched as she stared at them, her eyes narrowing slightly. He had a suspicion that she was sizing them up. With that in mind, he waited patiently with Oliver until she started walking again.

"You know, I've heard acting insane can keep them away, so just remember that," said Oliver, unable to stop himself.

Andy sighed. At least he'd given her a few minutes to think. "Yeah, I've heard that too and I considered it, but now I'm not so sure," she said. "It might work, but I think regardless of what approach I take, I'm going to have issues the second they find out who I am… I mean, my dad likely helped put a few of them in there."

Sam had to admit he was impressed – she was right about that, but the fact that she seemed to have already given it careful consideration was both surprising and impressive.

All Oliver could do was stare at her as they stepped inside. Before long she was being processed, re-emerging in a maroon jumpsuit. His heart sunk as he looked at her. "Andy," he said, a lump in his throat.

Andy bit her lip. "Thanks for trying," she said with a shrug.

She turned her back on them as the guards started to lead her away. Seconds before passing through the set of doors, she looked over her shoulder. "Hey Swarek," she called. "Don't blame your kid for your issues. Take a minute and really look at him and if you still can't love him, then give him a chance with a family that will."

Sam stared at her, but said nothing, watching as she turned back and was led out of sight.

Later that night…

Sam sat slouched on his couch, nursing his third bottle of beer as he stared at the portable bed where his son lay sleeping. Andy had been right about a lot of things, but not entirely. Although he'd had his fair share of one-night stands, Griffin wasn't a product of one. His son wasn't a product of love either though. He'd never thought about having kids and he really wasn't sure he wanted the responsibility of being a father. But Griffin hadn't been planned. In fact, he hadn't even been in a serious relationship with Griffin's mother, Alicia. His thoughts went back to her; to the first time he'd walked into the bar and saw her. He'd thought she was pretty with long blond hair, blue eyes, and a curvy figure. They'd chatted for a bit and she'd seemed nice – they sort of hit it off, but the small talk fell away and whatever it was between them became purely sexual. But, it had worked for both of them for quite awhile, until Alicia just seemed to disappear. He tried to find her, but her boss said she'd quit and had no idea where she went. Nine months later she showed up on his doorstep, shoving a baby and birth certificate in his arms before disappearing again.

He'd stood in his doorway staring at the little bundle in his arms, his entire body going numb with shock. It had been Oliver who had helped him out, coming over to his house armed with baby things that his daughter Izzy no longer needed. His friend did a lot more than that though – Oliver had taught him how to take care of the baby, to keep it alive. To this day, Oliver still helped him out.

A small cry snapped him out of his thoughts. Groaning, he ran a hand over his face and rose, heading to the kitchen to prepare a bottle. When he returned, he fed his son, wondering why he hadn't given him up already. If he didn't want to be a dad or didn't think he could be one, and he'd never wanted a baby in the first place, then why hadn't he given Griffin up for adoption? As the thought struck him, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, dialing the number that had been programmed into his phone for months. He knew nobody would be in right now, but he could leave a message. It was for the best.

Beep. He opened his mouth to speak, but a small hand wrapped around his finger and all he could do was stare down at his son as the grip tightened. Suddenly, he knew. No matter the circumstance – how Griffin had come to be – Sam knew that deep down, he cared about the little human being, maybe even loved it, but he'd most definitely developed a connection with it. Sighing, he disconnected the call, tossed the phone on the couch, and picked up his son. Catching their reflection in the window, he said, "I'm going to screw up buddy. I'm not father material. But, I will always protect you, and you will always have a roof over your head," He paused, exhaling deeply. "It's just you and me little guy… just you and me."

A few days later…

"Hey pal, can you umm, can you maybe come with me to see her?"

Sam looked over at his friend. He really didn't know her, so it seemed kind of odd, but he knew Oliver really just wanted the support. "Sure buddy," he replied. "Just let me ask the sitter to stay a little later."

Oliver nodded.

Within ten minutes they were leaving the station and heading to the juvenile detention centre.

It was a short wait before the door opened and a guard entered with Andy, hooking her cuffs to the table. She sat down and stared at Oliver and Sam in silence.

"How are you?" Oliver asked.

"Fine," she replied.

"No problems?"

Andy shook her head.

"You seem tense," said Oliver, and Sam agreed. She was definitely on edge.

"Big day," she muttered.

Sam and Oliver exchanged glances. "How so?" Oliver pressed.

"Do you remember Suzie Johnson?" Andy asked after a long moment.

"Yeah, teen serial killer," said Oliver. "Is she here? Are you having problems with her?"

"She's here," Andy said with a small nod. "Found out who I was and was kind enough to let everyone else know this morning."

Oliver looked at Sam, concern evident in his eyes.

"Really, it's fine. I just rapidly became the least popular, most hated person here," Andy said, "But so far so good."

Sam glanced around at the other tables, catching a few of the inmates looking Andy's way – none of the glances were friendly. "Made any friends?" Sam asked quietly.

Andy turned her attention to Sam, then followed his gaze before turning back to him. "My roommate hasn't killed me in my sleep yet, so does that count? Although after this morning that might change. She's a bit of an idiot though so I'm not too concerned about her. She's going to trial for theft, seems pretty harmless."

"Idiots can be unpredictable," Sam warned, catching another inmate glancing in Andy's direction.

She ignored his comment. It was true, but that really seemed to be the least of her worries right now. Catching an inmate staring at her, she turned her head and stared her down until the girl looked away. "You're keeping him, aren't you?" she asked, turning to look at Sam.

He met her eyes, but said nothing.

"Whatever," she said when he didn't answer. "It's obvious."

There was a brief moment of silence before Andy got up. "I have to go or I'll be late."

"For what?" Oliver asked.

Andy shook her head. "Don't worry, it's not a test or anything. Dinner's just a little late here…"

Oliver hesitated. The look on her face suggested she really wasn't interested in eating. "What's happening at dinner?"

With her eyes on the guards she said in a low voice, "They let us use forks. They're plastic, but you know…" She let it hang.

"Andy," Oliver hissed.

"Not now Oliver," Andy warned. She called for the guard.

Sam studied her face. He couldn't be sure, but suspected she had no intention of using the fork unless she absolutely had to. What he couldn't figure out was the conflicted look on her face – it was explained within seconds though as the guard reached them. He watched as the conflicted look vanished and she smiled sweetly up at the guard and said, "Can you take me back now please?"

With the way she was smiling and looking up at the guard, Sam could easily understand why the man ducked his head and had a goofy grin on his face. Andy was definitely good looking and the sweetness and suggestiveness in that look would have gotten to just about any man, in his opinion anyway.

"Are you new?" Andy asked.

"Two months on," replied the guard, his expression changing as he took her question as an insult.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it like that," she said, biting her lip and trying to look genuinely concerned about him. "I just meant… well, you know… I've never seen you. But you look like you know what you're doing… I just… I'm so sorry."

Andy could sense Oliver's wide eyes on her. She looked at him, silently warning him to control his reactions while the guard unhooked her cuffs from the table. When the man looked back up at her she turned her attention back to him. He smiled. "No problem Miss…?"

"Andy, just call me Andy," she said, smiling back at him.

"Ethan," the guard replied as he led her away.

Andy glanced over her shoulder, winking at a very confused looking Oliver and amused looking Sam. She then turned back to Ethan as they left the room, continuing her conversation with him.

Thanks for reading! Up next, we find out what's going on with Andy in juvi.