"I'm not watching Grey's Anatomy again." Austin's eyes narrowed at me as he watched my hand moving on the remote.

"There's nothing else to watch." I groaned as I said it, throwing the remote at him. I was aiming for his head, but it only clipped his shoulder.

"There's about five hundred other things to watch. If not more." Austin muttered as he rolled his eyes, rubbing his now sure to be bruised shoulder. "It's Friday night, why can't we go out?"

"No. I'm not going out." I dismissed the idea immediately. "What if I see him?"

"You're not going to see him, Seren." Austin's voice slowed as he said it, in a comforting way. "Doesn't he have to wear one of those ankle monitors?"

"He's not on house arrest, Austin." I felt the frown on my face. I didn't like talking about him. "He's out on bail. I have a restraining order against him."

"Whatever. We're not going to see him. Besides, even if we did... I've been wishing for a chance to see him again." Austin's eyes went dark as he said the words.

"Yeah, yeah. Pack up the testosterone, buddy." I chuckled out. Austin had been telling me the ways he would kill Jax if he ever saw him again, in great detail, for weeks now.

"I can't help it baby, it's just who I am." Austin said, with a sharp wink of his right eye. He propped up his arm, bending his wrist towards his shoulder, allowing his bicep to bulge. "The manliest of men."

"Yeah. Sure." I shook my head at him. "I'm probably stronger than you."

Austin sat up straight, inching towards the edge of the couch, his eyebrows almost disappearing into his shaggy hair. "Stronger than who? Than me? You think you're stronger than me?"

I couldn't help but giggle at his expression. "Yeah. I know I am."

"You're going to eat your own words." Austin slowly stood up, taking long and clam strides towards me. He was trying to keep his face serious, but I could see the way his lips were turning up at the ends, and the way his cheeks were trying to push them back down.

"Bring it." I laughed out. I flopped my back against the cushions of the couch, raising my hands in two ready and waiting fists and bringing my feet up, in preparation to kick.

"Say less." Austin said quickly, probably because in the next second he had leapt on top of me. He successfully dodged my weak punches, his hands lightly tickling my torso. Instantly, I erupted in laughter, I not able to form words as my mouth manically let out a series of high pitched giggles. I couldn't will my mouth to speak as I rolled around the couch.

"S...s...top." I finally laughed out.

Austin paused his movements, but he didn't remove his hands.

"What's the magic word?" Austin's eyes were twinkling as he spoke.

"Mercy." I grunted. The moment he removed his fingers, I grabbed the throw pillow from beside me, using all of my might as I smacked his face with it. Austin didn't even flinch, he just laughed.

"Now you learned your lesson." He chimed out nonchalantly, tossing the pillow back to me. He walked back to his own couch, gently letting his body fall back down.

"And what lesson would that be?" I was trying to be annoyed, but it wasn't working. I wasn't annoyed at all. I pulled my shirt back down from how it had risen up, readjusting it so it was straight.

"Questioning my strength." Austin hummed out. He picked up the remote from where it had fallen beside him, pointing it at the TV.

"You don't have to stay here tonight. You can go out. I'm sure there's a party you want to to go or something." I told him. I felt bad. Austin was always here, and although we always had fun together, he didn't have to be here.

"Nah. One day, love, you'll feel good enough to come out with me. I can wait for that day." Austin said as he put on the show.

I turned my head towards the TV when I heard the familiar voices ringing through the sound system. He had put on Grey's.

We watched the show in a comfortable silence. The way that our silences had always been. Comfortable, and easy. No underlying tension. Even from the day I first met him. When he had slid down the wall beside me and told me that I wasn't his type. He said I looked like I was about to throw myself off a bridge. I hadn't seen it then, but he was right. Austin had seen me, that day.

As I watched the episode, my mind lurched back to the last time I had seen it. It's a happy episode, this one. The last time I had watched it was a happy day. In spite of all the things that were happening around me, I remember the feeling I had when I watched it. I was content, with Zane rubbing my hand, laying beside me in his bed. I miss that feeling. The way that Zane made me feel, it was special. Like I was safe, and understood.

I should just call him. I wish I could just call him. I wonder how he's been. I wonder what he's doing tonight. Maybe he'll go to a party, with his friends. Maybe his life has gone back to normal. Maybe he's relieved, that my dark cloud isn't around to rain on him anymore. He's dry now. Away from me.

"Seren?" My dads voice startled both Austin and I as my dad entered the living room. We both sat up, staring in his direction. The look on his face made me nervous. I didn't like the look on his face. I didn't like it, not one bit.

I was so consumed by that look on his face, that I hadn't even noticed the way he was holding his phone, outstretched towards me.

"Is it?" I asked, suddenly frozen in place.

"It's Detective Smith." My dad confirmed.

Austin instantly left the couch he was sitting on, crossing the room and coming to my side. He gripped my hand tightly in one of his, nodding at me. Like he was telling me it's okay, you can do this.

I took my phone from my dad, my hand slightly trembling.

"Hello?" I said into the phone.

"Miss Garcia?" The voice on the other end asked me.

"Yes. This is me."

"Hi, Seren. It's Detective Smith." Her voice was calm, but I noticed a hint of apprehension.

I waited for her to say something.

"So, I have some information for you. I've already talked to your dad about these things, but he asked if I could walk you through them. In case you have any questions, dear."

"Okay." My voice was a whisper, and I doubted she could hear it, so I cleared my voice and tried again. "Okay."

"So, the first thing that I wanted to relay to you was that the state prosecutor unfortunately had decided to drop the aggravated sexual assault charge, and the kidnapping charge as well." She said it so matter of factly, no emotion in her voice. I wondered how that could be. How could you give someone this news, and not even have a hint of sympathy in your voice?

I felt the pain of her words. It was consuming. It was wide spread. It was in my organs.

"Why?" I finally asked her, feeling the tears pool in my eyes.

Detective Smith cleared her throat before continuing. "There were a number of reasons, unfortunately. There were multiple witnesses that confirmed you drinking copious amounts of alcohol the night of the alleged rape, as well as previously, well, sexual activity between the two of you. As well, as Jax's own testimony that you two were in an active sexual relationship. Since there was no rape kit or disclosure done the night of the alleged rape, it would have made things more difficult for the prosecution at trial."

I didn't have words. There were no words to describe this feeling. The chilling confirmation of your own worst fears, the sinking feeling that comes with it. You knew better. You knew this was going to happen. You knew it. You knew it.

"Miss Garcia?" Detective Smith called my name after a minute of silence.

"Yeah." I confirmed to her I was still listening.

"There's another reason why I'm calling you tonight." Her voice was so serious.

"Okay." I couldn't imagine what else would matter.

"Jax Harrington died last night. His parents made the identification this morning."

I dropped the phone in shock. I turned to Austin, who was looking at me with an uncertain curiosity in his eyes.

I heard the giggles coming from my mouth before I realized I was in fact, giggling. The giggling didn't last long before it turned into full blown laughter. It was cackling from my chest, erupting from my mouth in an uncontrollable way.

Austin didn't know what to do, I'm sure of it by the way he was looking at me.

I couldn't take a breath, as I laughed harder than when he was tickling me. Harder than I think I've ever laughed, in my life. And then I felt my lip quiver, shaking. The edges of my lips followed, and instantly, my laughs had turned into sobs.

Hysterical, messy, wild, chest heaving... sobs.