Chapter Text
Athena couldn't believe that after a very rough year she was finally divorced. She had never thought she would be a divorcee when she walked down the aisle with Michael she had meant forever. Apparently, Michael meant, only if there weren't better options. She thinks back to when she had come home from her first responder conference to a house full of half-dressed people. At first, she thought it was a break in until she made it to her bedroom. The television show Undercover was playing loudly, and Athena tried not to roll her eyes. She hated that show, Michael was always so insistent to watch actor Robert Nash every week. She didn't know why an architect would love this show so much, considering he couldn't be bothered to hear about her day as a Sergeant with LAPD. She wished immediately that she hadn't gone to her room as she was now witness to Michael in the middle of a threesome with a male and a female. You're back early, that is what he had said to her as she was trying to process everything. She had left and stayed with her best friend, Henrietta Wilson, while she wrapped her head around everything. She was grateful that her six-year-old son was at said friend's house at least he didn't let Harry around that. The nail on the coffin was when they met a week later to discuss where their marriage stood. "I don't see what the big deal is" Michael sighs when he looks at his wife, "I am bisexual Athena". She took a deep breath, "the problem is not that you are bi Michael, the problem is that you are married to me, and I caught you in bed with a man and a woman" she stresses. Michael glares at her, "you never seemed to have a problem with it before" he said and she felt all the color drain from her face. "Are you telling me this happened before?" she asks. Michael rolls his eyes, "Athena, my sexuality didn't change just because we got married and had a kid" he states. She blinks several times, "Michael, when we agreed to be exclusive while dating, that was my expectation. You never told me you were bisexual, I don't care about that, I care that you cheated on me" she states. "I don't see it as cheating Athena, I was being true to myself" he responds. "How long have you been seeing other people?" she asks again feeling foolish that she had given him every part of herself. "Again you are making it sound like I did something wrong, Athena I never stopped seeing other people. They know how to meet my needs and honestly, you have never really done it for me but you got pregnant so I had to step up" he tells her dismissively. "The entire time of our relationship?" she gasps, "have you been using protection?" and she feels dread fill her at how he scoffs. This is how little I matter to him she realizes. "We are over" she states, realizing that she doesn't want to fight for someone who can't acknowledge his wrong doing.
Athena hadn't expected Michael to fight her so thoroughly in Court. He didn't even want to fight for custody of Harry, but he was livid when child support had been calculated. Athena had been willing to give him the house, as she had no desire to be surrounded by memories of him cheating on her. She fought hard to try and get him to have a relationship and some responsibility with his son. However, he had tried to claim that Harry wasn't his forcing her to do paternity. Once he realized that there was no way he would be able to sell infidelity on Athena's part he stated he just wanted to terminate his parental rights shocking Athena. The Judge seemed surprised as well and she had Harry testify. Athena felt her heart break more when she learned that when she wasn't watching Harry, Michael had pushed that responsibility onto anyone else. Really the only time he spent with Harry was watching Undercover in the evenings. The Judge ordered that the home be sold and the money go into a trust fund for Harry before finalizing the divorce and allowing the termination of Michael's rights due to his lack of connection with Harry. Michael had been angry about having to sell his home but he stated he was grateful that Athena and Harry would forever be out of his life.
That is how Athena found herself taking a day off to do something fun with Harry. Harry wasn't as upset as she thought he would be and he had just shrugged, "daddy made you sad" he said, "I don't like when you're sad Mommy" he told her, eyes shining with love. "How could I be sad with my baby?" she stated making him giggle. "Mommy can we see the set pwetty pwease?" he asks and she laughs remembering how big his eyes got when she told him that they lived close to a studio that filmed different television shows. That is how she found herself walking among the chaos with her starstruck son. "Harry, you need to stay close to me for safety" she reminds him when he drops her hand once more. "MOMMY LOOK" Harry yells before pointing to a sign that has her least favorite actors face plastered across it. "Oh yes, look at that" she murmurs quietly hoping she can distract him with the candy stand she sees. "HARRY" Athena gasps when he drops her hand and takes off in a full out run. Athena feels her heart pounding in her chest as she starts to lose sight of her son.
Harry saw an arrow and he wanted to meet the man who he was used to seeing every night in his living room. His eyes widen as he twists and turns around the strangers to finally see his hero before him. He tilts his head as he sees the man rise from a couch and take a few steps towards a man. Harry isn't sure what's going on but he knows he wants to protect his hero and so he barrels forward and wraps his arms around a very startled Robert Nash. Bobby looks down in confusion as he sees an adorable brown boy staring up at him as if he had hung the moon. Suddenly the young boy turns and looks at his co-star and friend, Eddie Diaz, "you can't hurt him, I won't let you" Harry says with a very serious tone. Bobby grins and can't help himself as he plays along. Bobby smiles down at the boy before gently nudging him behind him and watches as the boy peeks from behind his leg, as he has not let go. "You heard him," Bobby encourages his costar to go with it, "you can't hurt me". Bobby watches Eddie try to suppress his grin as he pulls out his prop weapon, "well you asked for it". Suddenly they hear a loud gasp before they hear a shout, "FREEZE LAPD, DROP YOUR WEAPON". Both actors are confused when they turn and see a woman with her own gun drawn.
Athena has never felt such fear course through her than when she sees a gun drawn on her son, her instincts kick in as she goes into momma bear mode, "did you not hear me? Drop. Your. Weapon" she repeats icily. She frowns when she sees the young man she is pointing her gun at pale and she suddenly realizes he look vaguely familiar. He quickly follows her instructions before his hands are up in the air in surrender. "MOMMY" Harry giggles. "Mommy?" she hears two voices repeat before the other man turns and she sees the actor she has come to hate. Athena hears someone yell "CUT". She hesitates for only a second before she can tell there is no real danger and she lowers her own weapon, "Harry, come here" she says tightly. "How did you get on here?" a man in a security shirt asks her. "I followed my son" she answers before holstering her weapon and picking up her son, "Harry, what did I tell you?" she asks him sternly, very aware that the actor is still staring at her- well I did just hold his co star at gun point she thinks to herself. "But Mommy" Harry whines. "No 'but Mommy', what did I tell you?" she repeats. Harry hangs his head, "not to let go of your hand" he murmurs quietly. "Ma'am you are not allowed-" she jerks out of the security guards grip, her instincts kicking in once more. "I am very sorry, but do not touch me" she bites out, "I will leave or speak to whomever I need to about this incident". "WAIT" another man comes out and pats Bobby on the shoulder before approaching her, "are you really a cop?" he asks. Athena furrows her brows before nodding, "um, do you mind joining us just for a couple of minutes?" he points behind him and Athena finds herself hesitating once more. "Look, I'm sorry" she shifts here son to her hip to show them her badge, "I thought my son was being held at gun point and so I acted within my legal purview" she states. "Let's start over, my name is Evan Buckley but everyone calls me Buck" the man says, "we won't be pressing charges but I would like to talk to you about a job" he says. "A job? I already have a job" she says. "Yes, I know, please- will you come into my office?" he asks and he looks so eager Athena can't help but agree, it's the least she can do after all.