AN: There has been a slight delay in our travel plans, but I did promise a chapter this week so here it is. I hope you all enjoy the update. It was a difficult one to write and to be honest I'm a bit nervous about it...


Chapter 11~ Fallout

There's a difference between pain and suffering. See, pain is in the body. Suffering is in the mind, and it feels infinite. So maybe the key is to feel your pain and learn from it. And someday your suffering might disappear~ Charlie Harris, Saving Hope

Natalie slept with her arms tightly wrapped around Andrew from behind. She had no intention of letting go and that was fine by him. He had fallen asleep with a smile on his face. Their peaceful slumber was shattered when the door was splintered open. Gun shots rang out. Natalie rolled off of the bed bringing her glock with her. Using the bed as cover she returned fire on the gunman. It didn't take many shots for her to drop her opponent. A few moments after the gunfire stopped Natalie slowly stood up. She kept her gun trained on the intruder as she crossed the room to where he fell. The light flittering through the curtains was dim. It barely was enough for her to see the man's face. "Emilio?" Natalie leaned down to get a better look. It was indeed her ex. A sickening thought tied a knot in Natalie's stomach. "Andrew?" she called. Her lover hadn't moved at all. He was lying still on the bed. Natalie went to the bed and knelt beside him. "Andrew," she caressed his cheek. There was no response. "Andrew!" Natalie shook him by his shoulder. He didn't wake up. She brushed back his bangs, removing the feathers and foam bits the bullets had set free from the pillows that had fallen on him. She felt something wet on his forehead. Her chest tightened and all breath rushed out of her. Natalie reached for his wrist to check for a pulse. She found none. Natalie gasped in vain for air. Frantically her fingers went to his neck. There was no pulse to find there either. She pressed an ear to his chest, but heard nothing. Natalie closed her eyes and listen harder to no avail. She fumbled for the lamp pull. The light confirmed her worst fears. His head was bleeding from a bullet wound. "Andrew," Natalie whimpered. Tears streamed down her face. "No," She shook her head, "NO!" Natalie threw herself onto his lifeless body…

Natalie awoke in a cold sweat. Pulling out her gun from under her pillow she shot straight up out of Andrew's arms. Natalie aimed her gun directly towards the door. Her movements woke Andrew. Soon he had his gun leveled at the door beside hers. After he could focus Andrew motioned for Natalie to cover him as he went to check the door. He made his way over to the door. Poking out first the gun then his head he checked one way then the other. Andrew came back in and closed the door, "There's no one there." Natalie kept her gun on the door. He went to her and took the gun. He set the two guns on his nightstand. Andrew sat down on the bed behind her, "Natalie?" He brought his body flush against hers. Andrew laid his cheek on top of Natalie's hair. She melted back into him. "Sweetheart," Andrew wrapped his arms around Natalie.
"It's nothing- just, just a dream," Natalie
"Some dream," Andrew replied, "Your heart is pounding." He kissed her temple. "Wanna tell me about it?" Andrew asked.
"No," Natalie answered.
"Do you think you can go back to sleep?" he inquired. She turned to him and shook her head. "Is there anything I can do?"
"I think there's something that might help," Natalie took the pillows and after fluffing them stacked them against the headboard. She guided Andrew up further on the bed propping him up against the headboard cushioned by the pillows. "Comfortable?" Natalie asked.
"Does it matter?" he replied.
"Yes," she answered.
"I'm wonderful," Andrew said.
"Good," Natalie straddled him.
"Woah," he grinned. She hesitated for a moment. "We don't have to do anything if you don't want to," Andrew said, "I could just hold you."
"I do," Natalie affirmed, "It's just…" She leaned down and kissed his bicep where the ring of blood still lay under his skin. Natalie then turned her attention to a bruise on his chest.
Andrew hooked his finger under her chin and brought them face to face. "I'm ok," he assured her. Andrew grabbed the hem of the t-shirt, his shirt- the little thief, that Natalie had worn to sleep in. He pulled it off over her head. He took his time admiring her beauty. Natalie smirked. She loved how his eyes darkened as he drew them up and down her body. Andrew never failed to make her feel desired.
"For someone who has a photographic memory you sure stare at me a lot- especially when my clothes are off," Natalie ran her fingers through Andrew's black bed head hair.
"You have to admit the view is spectacular," Andrew replied.
"I think I like my view better," she teased his lips with hers.
"Is that right?" his mouth reached out. They came crashing to together. Tongues explored and caressed. She relished his taste.

Emilio peeked out from kitchen. He heard their door opened, but also the footsteps of a man. He hung back in the kitchen unwilling to deal with Natalie's new, well, Emilio wasn't ready to admit what Andrew was to her yet. She barely left the guy's side since they had returned. They even took a shift guarding the people out in the shed. Emilio grumbled under his breath bitterly. He had tried just about everything he could think of to woo Natalie back to no avail. He took another drink from his glass before deciding to head to bed. A loud mingled moan stopped him right at their door. It came from in the room. Emilio refused to believe his ears. "You feel so good," Andrew's groan came from behind the door. Emilio's stomach fell. He set his jaw. The longer he stood there the more he heard. The more he heard the angrier he got. Emilio rushed off. This meant nothing in the long run he tried to convince himself. After all Emilio already knew they were together. Andrew wasn't going to get in the away. Natalie was coming back to him one way or another. The other man wasn't even supposed to be there now. Emilio practically ran up the stairs to the room he was sharing with Max to find it empty. Emilio picked up their bags of clothes and flung them across the room at the door just as Max was coming in.

Spent physically, mentally, and emotionally Natalie collapsed into Andrew. After she could think coherently she realized all of her weight was on him. Natalie began to move, but Andrew stopped her by putting his hand on her back. "You're fine," he smiled. They had a good two hours before they were due for another shift on guard duty. Andrew eased them back down into bed. Natalie allowed the sound of his heart to lull her back to sleep.


After their shift Andrew & Natalie finished scrubbing the van. They be going back home in the next few hours if nothing else came up in Selma's files. The couple were on their way inside when the side door flew open. Selma entered with a gun drawn. Natalie managed to raise her weapon, but Selma shot it out of her hand. She continued to fire. There was no time for Andrew to draw his gun no time for him even to think. He reacted. Andrew took hold of Natalie pulling her into his chest as he threw them both down to the concrete floor. His body came between Natalie and the shooter. Flashes of the awful night six months ago flooded her mind and Natalie froze. They only subsided when the bullets stopped. Michael & Paris took Selma down and disarmed her. Natalie was vaguely aware of Andrew lifting his head. "How did she get loose?" he demanded.
"We'll find out," Paris said.
"Are you alright?" Andrew asked. Natalie found her feet and marched off without answering him. "Put Selma in a room and keep Quatermaine on her door," he ordered. Then Andrew went after Natalie.

He found her in the kitchen. "What the hell were you thinking back there?" Natalie demanded.
"Selma was going to shoot you," Andrew answered.
"Better me than you," she commanded, "Don't put yourself in the line of fire for me ever again!"
"What did you expect me to do, Natalie?" Andrew said.
"Stay safe," Natalie argued, "I'm not worth taking a bullet for."
"Bull," Andrew argued, "After everything we've been through don't you know what you are to me?"
"You know how much I depend on you! That's four times you could have died in less than a week," Natalie threw back.
Andrew counted on his fingers, "Four? That seems high." His brow furrowed. "You're counting me coming back for you aren't you?" he frowned.
"Yes!"
Andrew raked his hand over his face. He knew exactly where this fight was heading the moment he shielded his girlfriend. "You would have done the same thing for me," Andrew asserted.
"That's different," she snapped.
"The hell it is," he rejoined.
"Out of everyone I thought you would understand," Natalie straightened.
"I understand what happened mirrored-," Andrew began.
"I'm fine," Natalie cut him off.
"Fine?" Andrew repeated incredulously, "Stomping away after your boyfriend tries to protect you from gunfire then biting his head off means you're totally fine."
"Your inner shrink is over analyzing," she disputed.
"When did you start pretending with me?" he queried. Natalie went over the fridge and took out the bottle of vodka. She set it on the counter. When Natalie reached for a glass Andrew put it back. She put her hands on her hips. He leaned on the refrigerator door. Andrew crossed his arms over his chest.

Fiona heard the shouting from her place on the couch. She dropped the tablet in her hands onto the coffee table and headed towards. Neither of them saw her as she entered the dining room. Natalie carried anguish like her father. "My mother lost her husband, her life partner, because of me," Natalie replied, "My brother lost his biggest cheerleader- because of me."
"You are not the reason Mike died," Andrew corrected.
"Aren't I?" Natalie replied.
"No," he crossed to the woman he loved.
"You know it's true- so do Mom and Max," she argued, "I see it in their faces when they look at me."
"They're hurt you are pushing them away," Andrew reasoned.
"They hate me for what happened to Dad," Natalie pronounced.
"Your mom and brother love you desperately," Andrew countered, "That's how we got here."
"Deep down they hate me," she insisted. Natalie cast her yes to the floor. "You should too," she added.
"I could never hate you," Andrew cupped her cheek in his palm. Natalie couldn't face him.
She held her elbows, "I'm the reason he's dead."
"No, no, no," he cooed. Andrew shook his head softly.
"Your best friend, the man you looked to as a father is gone- I took that from you," Natalie said.
"Stop!" he took her and lifted her onto the counter, "Look at me." Natalie refused. "Look at me," Andrew repeated his request, "Please?" There was that voice again. The one that usually got him whatever he wanted. Not this time. Natalie had already vowed not to cry. She would break if she saw the pain and disappointment in his brown orbs. Andrew hooked her chin and turned her face towards him. She wouldn't meet his eyes. "I do not blame you for Mike's death," Andrew insisted, "Porter, and Porter alone, shot Mike-."
"Dad had cover- he could have gotten away if it weren't for me," Natalie protested.
"Porter knew exactly what he was doing," Andrew asserted.
"Don't say it," she objected.
"You are Mike's Natey Girl- his baby," Andrew pressed on, "He loved you more than his own life." Natalie could not debate what he said. Every word was true. Every word stung. "Porter turned his gun on you because he knew Mike's paternal instincts would kick in," he finished, "That does not make it your fault." Andrew rubbed Natalie's arms up and down.
"You make it sound so simple," she said.
"That's because it is," he replied.
Natalie wanted to believe him so badly. "If only," she sighed.
"It's true- you are not responsible for other people's choices," Andrew maintained.
"Dad-," she started.
"Saved you, like any good father, and I will always be grateful to him," he
"He never should have been put in that position," Natalie asserted.
"No, what Porter did was low," Andrew agreed.
"He wouldn't have been able to do it if I hadn't been there," she pointed out.
"He would have found some other way to get what he wanted," he rolled his neck.
"Why did my gun have to jam?" Natalie wondered aloud.
"I don't know," Andrew answered.
"If I had just backed up, waited two minutes- it wouldn't have happened," she said.
Andrew stood to his full height. He rubbed his eyes, "You stepping into an ongoing firefight. One that you did not start."
"I was stupid- I knew better," Natalie shook her head.
Andrew threw his hands up in the air. "I wish it had been me instead of Mike," he declared, "I wish to God it had been me!" Andrew pivoted and began to stomp away.
"Andrew…" Natalie reached out to him. He kept moving until she told hold of his wrist. Natalie yanked him back. Andrew spun to face her. His face immediately softened at the unshed tears in her eyes. Unable to speak Natalie desperately grasped at fists full of Andrew's shirt.
"Hey," he wrapped his arms around her. Andrew caressed circles in her back. That intuitive gesture broke her resolve. She buried her face in his chest and cried. Andrew rested his chin on the top of Natalie's head. Everything drained out of her.

After a few moments Fiona took a step forward. It was then that Andrew spotted her. Andrew tipped his head toward the pass way where Fiona stood. Natalie let go of Andrew. He still held his girl in the protective circle of his arms. "How long have you been there?" she wiped her cheeks. Fiona's watery eyes and slumped shoulders poke volumes. Finding no words, Fiona opened her arms for her daughter. Andrew nudged Natalie to her mother. Hesitantly Natalie walk into her mother's embrace. Fiona kissed her hair. Pulled back slightly Fiona took Natalie's face in her hands. She made eye contact. "I don't blame you," Fiona said.
"Mom," Natalie sniffled.
"That is entirely on Jesse," Fiona remained firm. She looked to Andrew who nodded. Fiona knew the agent had something to do with her former friend's so called disappearance. With all the pain the bastard caused her family and especially her daughter Fiona was more than happy to let it slide. She probably would have done it herself, but was beaten to the punch by someone. Natalie locked eyes with Andrew. Fiona didn't know how close to that person she was. While he was not the killer Andrew made sure that the body would never be found. If the parts turned up and push came to shove he'd take the fall for her. Fiona wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulder.
"Go talk with your mother- we'll finish later," Andrew coaxed.
"Ok," Natalie allowed Fiona to lead her off to the master bedroom where they could talk in private. She was too tired to fight anymore.

Andrew went upstairs to interrogate Selma. He expected to find Quartermaine on the door. Michael was there instead. "There seemed to be a battle going on in the kitchen," Michael quipped.
"How much did you hear?" Andrew inquired.
Michael shrugged. "Anyone injured?" he asked.
"Natalie's hurting," Andrew admitting, "Fiona's with her now- they need to talk."
"They do," Michael agreed. He spied the wet spot in the front of Andrew's shirt.
Andrew lifted his hand and motioned to it, "You would think after twenty five years of skirmishes and all my training I would figure out a defense for a woman crying into my shirt."
"If you find one drop me a line," Michael replied.
"We all miss you," Andrew shifted on the balls of his feet. He was treading a thin line here. Andrew needed his mentor. Though the Michael in front of him wasn't his Michael yet it was as close as he'd come again. "Especially Natalie," Andrew added.
"You'll all find your way in time," Michael replied, "Natalie will be ok- she's got you."
"I'm not her Superman," Andrew's shoulders fell. He nodded to Michael before opening the door and going inside the room.