Halstead Imagines

Royalty AU

A/N: Not a Y/N imagine, but feel free to substitute your name in for Harper's if you want! (Still a little sister fic though, just an Upton sister! and Upstead)

"Harper we have to go. Now!" Hailey yelled, grabbing her six-year-old little sister by the wrist.

"But my dolly!" she cried, trying to pull away.

"Harper!" Upon hearing that tone in her big sister's voice, Harper obeyed and quickly ran out of the little house.

Their dad had been drinking and they had heard him begin to walk into the kitchen. Their mom was at the market and Hailey didn't feel like having him take his anger out on her. She could handle it; the black eye she was currently sporting told the world that she could handle it as well. But, Hailey was more scared for Harper. She had jumped in between Harper and her father before, but she didn't feel like risking it today.

They ran into the street. Hailey quickly realized how cold it was and how stupid she and Harper were for not putting on shoes. But, they had to get out of there.

Hailey was in front of Harper by a few yards when she heard the sound of hooves. "Harper!" she yelled, causing Harper to stop.

But, when she did, she did so right in front of a horse, a palace horse no less. The horse bucked and Harper screamed.

"I'm so sorry!" Hailey quickly apologized as she scooped up Harper and placed her on her hip as she had done when she was younger. Then, they took off towards the snowy forest.

Prince Jay Halstead turned to his best friend, Adam Ruzek, who also happened to be a distinguished knight. "Did they seem like they were running from something?"

"I wasn't really paying attention to that Jay, I was paying attention to how we were going to explain how your horse trampled a little girl!" Adam answered.

"They weren't wearing any shoes and didn't have coats, either," the prince pointed out.

"Do you want to follow them?" Adam asked, knowing that Jay wore his heart on his sleeve and had a big heart, too. He also had a soft spot in his heart for kids. No one, not even Jay knew where that soft spot came from, but it was there nonetheless.

"No, it's alright."

They were just about to turn around to head back to the palace when they heard the sound of a girl yelling Help! at the top of her lungs.

At the sound of this, Jay and Adam immediately sprung into action and headed towards the forest. "I'll go left, you take the right!" Jay told Adam.

"Please help her!" Hailey yelled as she heard a horse approaching and saw a man seated atop.

It's the same girl, Jay thought to himself as he quickly jumped off his horse, Jesse. "What's wrong?"

"My little sister, she fell in the river and she can't swim. Please help her!"

Jay quickly removed his coat and ran up to the river's edge. "Know the direction she went?"

"Downstream," Hailey answered, pointing to the left.

Jay dove into the freezing cold water, not caring that he would get back to the palace soaked. He had to save this little girl. Despite his body screaming at him to get out and get warm, he continued to swim.

"Help!" He swam faster...if that was even possible. Then, he saw the girl. She hadn't come up for air and he knew this because he hadn't heard her yell for help in half a minute.

He saw the little girl's dress and reached out, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her above water. "I've got you, I've got you," he said as she started to cough.