AN: Hello everyone. Happy New Year! I know it's been a long time since I updated any of my stories. I've been struggling with some serious writers block but I was finally able to break through it. So if you were worried that I wouldn't complete my stories, fret not! I fully intend to complete each one no matter how long it takes. So, here's another chapter. Feel free to tell me what you think in the reviews. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 19: You Don't Own Me

When Amanda woke up the next morning AJ was gone. She hadn't said that she was planning to go anywhere. Then she thought that maybe she decided to go in to work. She reached over to the nightstand and grabbed her phone to call her. It rang and rang until it went voicemail. She hung up without leaving a message. She sent her a text asking where she went then got out of bed to get dressed. She threw on some sweatpants, slipped her phone into the pocket, pulled on a t shirt then went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. She threw her hair up into a ponytail then went out into the living room and grabbed Frannie's leash. She hooked it to her collar then headed for the door. She took down her jacket and put it on, grabbed her keys from the table by the door and headed out to take Frannie for a walk. After about fifteen minutes, she checked her phone to see if AJ had texted her back. She hadn't. She called her again but still got no answer. This time she left a voicemail.

"Hey babe, I was just wondering where you are. You didn't mention that you had any plans today. I'm out for a walk with Frannie then I think I'll stop by that diner you like for breakfast. Call me back when you get this or just meet me there. I love you" she said before ending the call. She continued through the park with Frannie and waited for AJ to call her back. Thirty minutes later she was sitting at the diner. AJ still hadn't called her back or responded to her text and Amanda was starting to get worried. She called Fin and asked him to run a trace on her phone.

"Rollins, I'm not tracking down your girlfriend for you" he said uninterested in helping her.

"I just wanna know where she is. It's not like her to not return my texts and phone calls". He could hear the worry in her voice. After another moment of thinking about it, he gave in.

"Alright. Send me her number. I'll run the trace and hit you back".

"Thanks Fin" she said before hanging up and texting AJ's number to his phone. He ran the trace and when he got the location he called Amanda back. She was in Staten Island.

"What's in Staten Island?" he asked curiously.

"Her parents live there". The wheels in her head were turning. Why would AJ be going to see her parents? And why wouldn't she tell her she was going?

"I thought she wasn't speaking to her parents?"

"Just her father and her brothers. She still speaks to her mother". She hoped that she had just gone to visit her mother. But why wasn't she answering her phone?

"Rollins, you there?" Fin asked after saying her name twice with no response.

"Yeah, I'm still here".

"You alright?"

"Yeah. I'm just worried" she admitted. "She didn't tell me she was going to her parent's house and now she's not answering her phone".

"Well what do you wanna do?" he asked letting her know he had her back if she wanted to take a trip.

"I'll just wait a while longer. She might still call" she said unsure that it was the right choice. "I'll call Lily and see if she knows anything".

"Ok. You'll let me know what you find out?"

"Yeah, I will". They said their goodbyes and got off the phone. She called Lily and asked if she knew anything about what AJ was doing today or if she told her she was going to see her mother. Lily knew nothing about it. She promised she'd call her back once figured out what was going on. She called AJ again and again got her voicemail. "Ok, I'm starting to get worried now" she said into the speaker. "Please call me back. At least let me know that you're ok". She hung up the phone, set it on the table and waited impaitently for AJ to call her back. She was a third of the way through her third cup of coffee when her phone finally rang. She quickly answered it. It was the emergency room at Seton Hospital.

AJ woke up early to make the trip to Staten Island. She was careful not to wake Amanda as she got out of bed, got dressed and snuck out of the apartment. She went home to shower and get dressed then she made her way to the subway. She calmed herself on the train ride and even more on the ferry ride. No matter how hard she tried to take deep breaths and keep calm, her heart wouldn't stop pounding. She could hear the blood rushing in her ears and she could swear the taxi driver heard it beating from the front seat. Finally, he stopped in front of the house of the address she'd gave him. She sat there, quiet and still, looking at the front door. It was as if she thought if she moved a single muscle, her father would somehow know she was there.

"Miss" the cab driver said finally getting her attention. She looked at him through the rear view mirror. "You gonna get out or should I take you somewhere else?" She gulped.

"No" she said softly. "I'm getting out". She looked at the meter and reached into her pocket and pulled out her cash. She gave enough to cover her fare plus a tip then thanked him and got out of the car. She walked up onto the sidewalk then stopped and stood there. The cab pulled away leaving her standing there with no quick escape. Her phone started to ring in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw Amanda's name on the screen. She returned the phone to her pocket without answering. She knew if she answered, Amanda would want to know where she was. If she told her she was at her parent's house, she'd be upset that she didn't tell her. She'd be even more upset that she'd gone alone. Her phone vibrated again. She retrieved her phone from her pocket and saw that Amanda sent her a text asking where she was. She returned her phone to her pocket again without responding. She couldn't tell her about this visit because she would've insisted on coming with her. She would've wanted to be there to protect her. She couldn't do that anymore. She couldn't hide behind Amanda and her friends expecting them to take on her problems and shield her from harm forever. She promised her no more running. So she wasn't running. She decided it was time to face her problems head on. It was time to confront her father. She took one last deep breath then walked up the stairs and knocked on the door. She waited, taking more calming breaths while trying to stop her hands from shaking. She heard the lock turn and the door opened. Her mother's face dropped and the look of fear was immediate.

"Dollah" she said in a hushed tone. "What are you doing here? Ayah anda adalah rumah" (Your father is home) she said not waiting for an answer to her question. "You must go now" she said trying to push her down the stairs and away from the house before her husband saw her there.

"I know mother" she said with an unintentional tremor in her voice. "Saya di sini untuk melihatnya" (I'm here to see him).

"Dollah Aisyah..." she said tears welling up in her eyes. She was terrified for her daughter. She didn't know what she could possibly be thinking coming here to see her father. She knew it was dangerous.

"Biar saya di ibu" she said cutting her off (Let me in mother). She knew her mother would try to talk her out of seeing him but she didn't want to hear it. She was afraid enough that whatever her mother said would've convinced to her leave. But she couldn't run away. She promised. No more running. She'd made it this far. She wasn't going to leave without confronting him. From one deep breath to the next, she put one foot in front of the other. Her mother shut the door behind her once she was inside.

"Damia, Siapa yang berada di pintu?" a voice called from the kitchen (Who was at the door?). It was her father. His voice seemed to vibrate through the walls. And through her. It had been a long two years since she'd heard that voice. She could've gone the rest of her life without hearing it again. She hoped that after today, she would never have to. Both she and her mother just stood there. Neither of them were able to speak. "Damia" he called again. A moment later, he rounded the corner and stopped dead in his tracks. He couldn't believe his eyes. His daughter stood before him, her appearance was like he'd never seen her before. She wore a red short sleeved v neck shirt and blue jeans. Her jacket was tied around her waist. Her hair was uncovered. She looked...American.

"Hello father" she said finally finding her voice.

"Saya tidak fikir anda akan muncul lagi di sini" he said walking further into the living room. (I didn't think you would ever show up here again)

"The police know about Elyas. They know that he lied about Amanda attacking him. I know that you put him and Haleel up to it. anda perlu berhenti. You'll only hurt yourself in the end. I've only come to tell you that I am never coming back" she said with a steadiness that surprised them both. "It doesn't matter what you do. i tidak akan pernah kembali" she said firmly. (You need to stop. I will never come back)

"That was never for you to decide" he said angrily.

"It's my life" she said confidently.

"Your marriage was arranged, Dollah" he said angrily, taking an aggressive step toward her. "You had a duty to your family but instead you ran away. anda egois!" he yelled. (You're selfish!)

"Saya egois?" she asked incredulously (I'm selfish?). "What about this family's duty to me?" she asked sharing his anger. "You tried to use me to get what you wanted for yourself and your sons. You didn't care about me. You never cared about me. dia menyakiti saya dan anda tidak pernah peduli" she said sadly. (He hurt me and you never cared)

"anda adalah seorang pendusta. dia seorang lelaki yang baik dari keluarga yang baik" he said shaking his finger in her face (You are a liar. He is a good man from a good family). "Dan sekarang kamu telah memalukan kami!" (And now you have shamed us) he yelled while towering over her. She scoffed and rolled her eyes. He swiftly brought his hand across her face. The force behind the blow brought her to her knees. She covered her cheek with her hand, trying to sooth the sting.

"Mikhail please!" Damia explaimed. She started to go to her daughter's aid but he blocked her way.

"Stay out of this!" he yelled causing her to shrink back in fear. "This is my house. She will not show me disrespect!" He turned back to AJ who was still on the floor. "You will come home and you will do your duty to your family. You will fix what you broke. You will restore your honor" he said barking his demands at her. She slowly got to her feet.

"tidak saya tidak akan" she said without an ounce of fear (No I will not). She loved the life she was living now. She was happy and there was no way she was going backwards. "I am not yours to give away or promise to anyone. I am not a piece of property for you to sell. You don't own me" she said staring him down. "You may have lost your honor but I never lost mine". She could see that he was fuming. She'd never stood up to him before. She wasn't sure she ever would again. With another swift blow across her face, with all the force he could muster, this time her body went flying across the room. She slid across the floor, coming to a stop when she collided with the table. The room was spinning as she tried to get up. She heard her mother crying and pleading as footsteps approached her. She turned to she her father above her and before her eyes could fully focus, she felt another blow. Then darkness.