Something Better

by Gail R Delaney

  "No, just a weak one you could walk all over," she ground out. "Guess you were wrong."

  He didn't even pause. "Takes a cold-hearted woman to put her weak libido over her son."

  "Takes a tiny..." She let the word sit between them for a heartbeat. "...man to use his son to intimidate his ex wife just so he can feel like a big shot. Next time try Viagra."

  Crimson red crept from beneath the buttoned collar of Lawrence's shirt, spreading up his neck to his face like spilled wine on a carpet. He huffed several hard breaths, his lips curled together. "That's it, Andrea! I told you, I warned you--"

  "You threatened me."

  "Call it whatever the hell you want, but you know what happens now. Tomorrow morning, I file my petition--"

  "You might want to revise your paperwork," she said with a smirk, cutting him off again. Their voices echoed off the house now, not a single word camouflaged for the sake of David, Tony, his partner or probably any neighbor along the street that might be outside right now.

  She tried not to look too smug. Okay, no she didn't. She didn't try at all. Andi smirked and took two steps backwards, angling her hand slightly behind her. Before her heel hit the pavement on the second step, David's fingers laced through hers. Andi wanted to look at him, just to see his face, but she wouldn't give Lawrence even the smallest satisfaction of her breaking eye contact. She had him like a butterfly on a pin.

  "My attorney will be filing a petition for adjustment of custody first thing tomorrow morning. With your recent actions and attitudes, it is our belief that Jake would be best served by limited contact with you, and only when supervised."

  "You bitch!" he screamed. "You can't--"

  David's grip tightened on her hand and his body shifted forward, but Andi tugged him back. Not enough that Lawrence would see, but enough that she hoped David would hear her silent 'Don't let him'.

  "Yes, I can. I will." Andi released David's hand to step toward Lawrence again. "Don't ever, ever threaten me with my son again. Now... get of my property. You will no longer be granted admittance unless I approve it. And..." She shook her head. "I won't be approving it."

  Lawrence huffed every breath, his face so red she half expected steam to blow out his ears any second. His lips curled in on his teeth, the edges white, and a sheen of sweat glistened on his brow. "You're deluded if you believe you've got a snowball's chance in hell of winning, Andrea. No judge is going to let you continue living the way you live with a young, impressionable boy in your house."

  Andi turned away from him as he rambled, turning when she reached David again. She leaned toward him, lowering her voice only enough to give the mild appearance of a side whisper. "When Lawrence wants to feel important he throws out big words. Well, big to him. He forgets I have a thesaurus the size of the Encyclopedia Brittanica volume three on my desk."

  David smiled and chuckled softly. Just like her, he put on an unfazed face for Lawrence. David was far more convincing, she was quite sure. He didn't have one Academy Award, two Oscars and half a dozen People's Choice Awards on display in his den for nothin'.

  "I have proof, Andrea. Proof." He tossed the word out like the Holy Grail.

  Andi released a sigh of exasperation as she looked at him again. Lawrence took a long stride to close the space between them, his fists clenched beside his hips. "Proof that you aren't fit to raise him. Proof that you're exposing him to a-a..." He looked at David and grimaced like he'd smelled something foul.

  "The word is Jew," David said with cold contempt, leaning just a little closer to Lawrence.

  "Unsavory elements," Lawrence finished, his grimace twisting even more. "Proof that you put your own personal satisfaction, as much as that's possible, over his well-being. Do you think a judge will look kindly on the fact that you stay away from home all night so you can spend it with your amoral golden-boy lover?"

  "How did you--" The words were out of her mouth before she could remind herself to keep the mask in place. Lawrence's smug look of satisfaction at shocking her told her she'd revealed too much. He'd admitted once already -- without saying as much -- that he watched her or had her watched. The idea made her sick.

  "I know, Andrea. And if you fight me on this, the whole world will know what kind of selfish bitch you are."

  "You're going to watch your language," David said in such a low voice she wondered if his lips had even moved when he spoke. He took half a step forward and half a step to the side, putting his body between Andi and Lawrence just enough to make a point. "It's time for you to go."

  "I wouldn't get too deep into this, golden boy. Wouldn't want to tarnish that carefully managed reputation of yours." Lawrence huffed a chuckle, his lip sliding up in a sadistic snarl. "Now that you've sampled the goods, and by now decided they're not worth the effort..."

  Damn him! Andi's insides went cold and she swallowed slowly to hide the flash of -- what? -- Panic? Dread? Fear it might be true? -- that hit her guts like a bucket of dirty ice water.

  "...You might as well move on now." Lawrence looked down at her, his eyes purposefully shifting to settle at her breasts and lower before coming back to her face. He pulled a mock look of sympathy and tsk-tsked. "I warned you, Andrea. No man is going to stick around once they realize they've got a cold fish in their bed."

  David barked a laugh, tipping his head back. Both Andi and Lawrence looked at him, and she wasn't sure which one of them was more surprised. David hitched his thumb toward Lawrence. "Is he serious?" he asked Andi, then turned to Lawrence and asked the same question. "Are you serious?"

  Lawrence actually sputtered, and Andi grinned. She loved David. No doubt about it.

  David looked back to her when Lawrence didn't offer an explanation. With his eyebrows arched high, he flipped his hand to fold in his thumb and extend his pinky only. He canted his head to the side, indicating first his pinky and then Lawrence. Andi laughed and nodded.

  "Pretty much, yeah."

  David stepped back to her side and slid his arm behind her to lay his palm against her lower back. "You sure you weren't the problem, Pinky?"

  Lawrence tilted his head down and to the side, reminding her of an animal preparing to attack. His mouth twisted into a scowl so deep it distorted his features. "How dare you."

  She looked up at David and smiled wide, leaning into him. "You know what they say about Jewish men..." She winked at David and he laughed, the pressure of his hand against her back bringing her even closer.

  Lawrence stepped back on one foot and several things happened in a heartbeat. Andi heard herself shout David's name, Lawrence swung his fist, David pushed her clear and in a move that could have come right out of an action film, arched back and Lawrence's knuckles met nothing but air. Tony and Horatio -- who had remained silent but observant just a few feet away the whole time -- rounded the back of Lawrence's car and headed for them. David righted himself and in the same motion, slammed his arm against Lawrence's chest and sent them both into the trunk of Lawrence's rental car with a loud thunk that made the car bounce on its struts.

  "You son of a bitch!" Lawrence shouted, fighting against David's hold.

  "We'll take it from here, Mr. Bishop," Tony said, taking a firm hold on Lawrence's arm. He looked to Andi and nodded. "We'll escort him to the gate."

  "Thank you, Tony," Andi managed to choke out. She was thankful now that she'd listened to Theresa's suggestion that morning of having the security guards present.

  David released Lawrence and stepped backward until he was beside her. Andi curled her hands around his elbow and he slid his arm behind her waist, bringing her closer to him even as he watched Lawrence. Her ex husband shook loose from Tony's hold, and Tony let him. Andi knew it would take an extreme action for the security guard to take physical action at removing Lawrence, but he didn't need to know that. He raised his finger to say something, but his attention suddenly snapped past them. Andi spun on the balls of her feet and her breath caught when she saw Jake standing just a few feet away, his eyes
wide.

  How long had he been there?

  "You!" Lawrence shouted, spittle flying from his lower lip. "If you'd just obeyed me when I told you what to do. If you'd just told your mother you wanted to be a family again, like I said, none of this would have happened. This is your fault, you little--"

  "Shut up!" Andi screamed, bringing her hand up to block Lawrence's face. She turned to her son, her heart in her throat. "Jake honey, did your father tell you to say that?"

  Jake nodded, his eyes darting from her to his father, then to David and back to her.

  She took a step toward Jake and Lawrence moved to follow, but David cut off his approach. "I don't think so, Pinky."

  "Why didn't you tell me?"

  "Because I didn't want to be with him..."

  "No, I mean why didn't you tell me he tried to make you say it?"

  Jake shrugged. "Because I knew he was lying. He didn't want me back. I didn't care."

  Lawrence lunged. Andi only caught the action in her peripheral. She turned just as he shouldered David and reached for her, his hand wrapping around her arm in an angry, steel grip. Lawrence yanked and she stumbled. David pulled Lawrence back and he lost his hold on her, but not before she completely lost her balance. Her head hit the cobblestone, knocking her glasses from her face with a blinding flash of pain. She heard a crack and a grunt, and wondered for a moment if it had been her until Lawrence stumbled back and landed hard against the tailgate of his car. He dropped to the driveway. She tried to focus, squinting her eyes through the pain as she braced herself on her elbows, but he was far enough away that his face was a blur.

  "Mom!"

  "Jake, no!" David shouted.

  "I hate you! I hate you!"

  Andi tried to turn her head, but black spots battled with flashes of light, splintering her vision. She made out the shape of her son, and David's tall form holding him back from kicking at Lawrence's prone body.

  "What the hell?" Maggie's screech joined the jumble of sounds. "Bastard!"

  David turned, Jake still in his hold. Andi looked up, and squinted enough to see the tear trails on her son's cheeks. "Mom..." he whispered.

  "Mags, can you please take Jake inside?" David asked. "Jake, I'll take care of your mom."

  Sounds jumbled for domination in her hazed world. She distinguished the sound of buttons being pushed on a phone, and Tony's voice asking for police. 911? David dropped to his knees beside her, his hands hovering around her head as if he weren't sure how to touch her.

  "Damn," he cursed, gripping her shoulders as she tried to sit up. The yard tilted.

  "Oh," she whispered, nausea grabbing her. Something warm slipped over her eyelid and down her cheek. Andi touched it gingerly, bringing her hand away to see crimson dripping from her fingers. "Oh," she parroted.

  David knelt beside her, supporting her. "Take it easy, sweetheart."

  "Police are on their way, Mr. Bishop," Tony said, his voice sounding like he spoke through a barrel. "Sorry about that. We can't really--"

  "It's okay. Thank you." David touched her chin, making her look up. "Andi, talk to me."

  "My glasses..."

  He looked around and paused, wincing. "They're broken."

  Somewhere in the distance, the wail of sirens echoed off the hillside. Lawrence groaned, and if she squinted -- which she decided against because of the painful consequences -- she saw him move.

  "Oh..." she said again, knowing she should probably be able to say more. "Jake..."

  David's gentle fingertips tenderly touched her forehead, and she sucked in a breath.

  "He's with Maggie. Just take it easy. Tony, did you tell them we needed an ambulance?"

  "Yes, sir."

  Andi tilted her head back to look at David, and that simple act was nearly her undoing. Everything tipped, and she gripped his arms in fear that she might slide right off the planet. Her stomach twisted and her head suddenly felt like a bowling ball full of lead. It tipped back further than she wanted, but she didn't have the strength to stop it.

  "Whoa," David said, his hand cupping the back of her head. "Andi... Andi sweetheart, stay with me. The ambulance is almost here."

  "David..." she forced through lips suddenly too thick and too dry. "I don't feel right..."

  She never heard his response.

  *****

  By the time David finished giving his statement to the Santa Clarita Sheriff's Department, gotten a spare pair of glasses from Maggie with a promise to call when he knew how Andi was, and drove to Henry Mayo Hospital, the horde of paparazzi had descended on the hospital parking lot like flies on a corpse.

  When he left the house, Lawrence Bonherre was already gone -- taken away by the sheriff's department, facing charges of assault. They warned David that if they found his statement to be false, he could be facing charges as well. But, right now, Pinky's nose was in a splint because David was protecting Andi and Jake. Tony and Horatio confirmed to the police in their statements that David didn't instigate the physical confrontation. He hadn't thrown the first punch, and had actually avoided a fight the first time. And the second time, they confirmed Bonherre had gone after Andi.

  In the fourteen-minute drive from Andi's house to the hospital, David spoke to both his attorney and Theresa, making them both aware of the situation. Jerry joked, and after David told him the story, told him not to worry about any of it. Theresa has been less amused, and not nearly as easy to read over the phone. She'd hummed, huffed once, asked a couple questions, then told him she'd meet them at the hospital within half an hour.

  Of the two attorneys, it was Theresa's words that stuck with him the most.

  This changes things.

  David just wished he knew what she meant. His nerves bounced like he'd drank half a dozen double espressos by the time he reached the hospital.

  David clenched his jaw until his teeth hurt and gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. With a hard jerk of the wheel, he pulled his car into a space in the ER parking lot. Twenty feet from the ER entrance, the paparazzi caught his scent and turned like a mass of piranha, heading straight toward him. David plowed forward, ignoring the flashing cameras and shouts of his name so he'd turn in their direction -- gifting someone with a better shot. Getting past them, he entered the ER doors and headed for the closest desk.

  "Excuse me," he forced himself not to snap out as he leaned over the desk.

  The young brunette nurse lifted her chin with an indifferent expression, her eyes still on the computer screen in front of her, until she looked at him. Then her eyes widened and her mouth fell open, a deep crimson stain flashing across her cheeks. David offered his best smile.

  "Hey, how are you..."

  She stuttered, reminding him of a fish gulping water. He kept going, not waiting for her to compose herself.

  "I'm looking for Andrea Parker. She came in by ambulance about an hour ago."

  "Sh-sh-yes, um, yes... she's in exam room three."

  David winked. "Thank you." He didn't wait for permission to find the room, but then again, he didn't ask either. The majority of the back ER area was set up as triage, with sections of a long wall divided by curtains with beds in between. Only a couple were occupied, the rest remaining blessedly empty. The private exam rooms opened off the other side of the hallway, the doors of the first two open with the interior lights on, waiting for guests. The door of exam room three was closed, the shades down but the slats partially open, and only the dimmest of lights shined through. Probably a bedside light at the most. David paused at the door, his hand on the knob. Bruises already shadowed his knuckles, and the skin around his middle knuckle had split on impact with Pinky's nose. The EMT's had iced it while the sheriff's department questioned him, but without the cold, a dull ache had settled into the joints.

  He hadn't broken anything, but if he had, it would have been worth it and he took a small comfort in the fact that Pinky's nose didn't fare as well.

  For the first time, he noticed the
smear of blood on his shirt over his heart and realized with a jolt that it was Andi's blood. He'd held her against his chest when her eyes fluttered closed and her body went limp, and the cut along the ridge of her brow had stained his shirt. David swallowed hard.

  Pinky came away damn lucky that all David broke was his nose.

  With a huff, David turned the knob and eased the door open. The room was quiet except for the low hum of the fluorescent light over the bed. Andi's still form lie curled against the raised head of the bed, her face toward the door. A light blanket draped her lower body and a white bandage covered the spot over her right eye. Her eyes were closed, her features relaxed and she slept with her hands folded beneath her cheek.

  He eased the door closed with a click. When he turned back, her eyes were open, squinting into the dim light. "Hey," he said softly, quickly crossing to her.

  "David?"

  "Yeah."

  She reached for him, and he ignored the low bed railing digging into his waist to lean over her and embrace her. Andi wrapped her arms around his shoulders and he nuzzled his face against the curve of her throat, inhaling her scent beyond the smell of latex and antiseptic permeating the hospital air. He kissed her throat, her jaw, her cheek, her forehead, her wrist and the palm of her hand before finally kissing her lips.

  "I'm so sorry, sweetheart," he apologized, closing his eyes as he held her face in his hands and rested his forehead gingerly against hers, making sure he didn't touch the bandage.

  She chuckled softly. "What are you apologizing for?"

  In the dim light, David pulled back and stroked his thumb around the edge of the bandage, noting how some flecks of dried blood clung to her hair. He looked down and turned her hand, smoothing his fingertips over the abrasions on her palm from the rough cobblestone. He didn't have to see beneath the sleeve of her sweater to imagine the bruises left on her arm from Bonherre's grip. They just added to the ones he'd already left behind.

  Andi touched his forehead, running her fingers over his eyes and down the side of his face. She shook her head, her hair shifting on the pillow. "No, David. Don't."