My Soldier - Missing Home

Protective Behaviour

A/N ~~ Doesn't look like Harley is ever going to get the break she needs to recover from Nepal.. Will something push her to breaking point in the near future? Or will Lizzie manage to keep her grounded? Let me know what you think..?


~~Wednesday Morning, London~~

Normal POV

After Dad and Maisie arrived home yesterday afternoon, Lizzie and I were already downstairs getting started on cooking something for dinner. We decided on cooking a Shepherd's Pie, since Lizzie had never made one before now. We fell into a easy rythm, working together like we have been doing this for years. I took care of the vegatables as well as helping Lizzie with assembling the Shepherd's Pie without using a recipe book like she usually would for something new. I had my music playing as we laughed and teased each other, our constant laughter filling the kitchen. I love moments like this with Lizzie, something I have only really shared with her. Small things to both of us being hugely important deep down. The laughter only continuing when Dad and Maisie arrived home. They didn't take long to join us in the kitchen, telling us about their day in Town as Maisie showed us what she had bought ready for School restarting next week. We all sat together and enjoyed our food, continuing the conversations and laughter the entire time. I never imagined being able to have someone by my side who my family adore so much, but with Lizzie, it is easy to adore everything about her. After our food, we all moved into the living room to watch Tv together, Maisie choosing what we watched as Lizzie quickly curled up into my side as we got comfortable on the sofa together. I made sure to inform Dad and Maisie about the plans I had made with Lizzie earlier in the day, letting them know where I would be and for how long, both of them being overly supportive of us making the most of our time together. Especially when they knew they were included in the plans also. I couldn't help but notice Maisie going quiet after hearing her phone going off a few times, even Lizzie pointing it out at one point, but I let it slide for now, hoping it is just something small troubling her that will pass as quickly as it arrived. Knowing she would come to me if it was anything serious. We spent the rest of the evening together before everyone went their seperate ways to bed, feeling more than content with the relaxed day we just had.

My body begins to wake up on it's own, bringing me from my more settled sleep. I don't let my eyes open yet, but I can't help smiling as I feel Lizzie's warmth in my arms as she is holding my hand tightly in her sleep. Letting me know I am still in fact in bed after a calm nights sleep. My body feeling the benefit from it, not feeling the usual aches and pains from a night on the floor. My eyes slowly begin to open, a small ray of light creeping into the room as I am met with the ceiling of my bedroom above where I am lying on my back. I go to stretch out my body, but it quickly becomes impossible as I feel a weight on one side of my body. I look down, a smile soon forming on my lips as I see Lizzie's head on my chest, her leg over mind and our hands latched together on my stomach. My other arm trapped underneath her as her other hand is under my t-shirt, resting against my side. She couldn't get any closer if she tried too. I just take in the feeling of waking up this way, one of the best feelings in the World, as I feel Lizzie's chest shifting gently against mine as she sleeps peacefully. I steal a glance or two as I let my body wake up more, knowing once I am fully awake, my body will be too restless to stay like this so I soak it in whilst I can. And it doesn't take long until I slowly begin to try and move from under Lizzie, hoping I don't wake her. Inch by inch I move, being as careful as I can, pulling my pillow down so she doesn't move too much without me there. Eventually I manage to move completely, heading to the bathroom once I know Lizzie is still sleeping soundly. I do a quick morning routine since I am going on a run, getting changed whilst I am in there so I don't disturb Lizzie before coming back out and writing a note to leave for her in case she wakes up whilst I am gone. I leave it on top of her phone then turn and grab what I need. And as soon as I have everything I need, I quietly leave the room and head downstairs as carefully as I can since it is still pretty early.

I'm taken by surprise when I get down to the living room, finding Maisie sitting on the sofa, huddled up in a blanket and hoodie. "Oh.. Morning Maisie. Your up early." I whisper just loud enough for her to hear, not knowing who is awake yet. "Morning Sis.." She replies quietly looking up at where I am stood. I can't help but notice how red and puffy her eyes are, as if she hasn't slept, or has been crying.. Instantly I begin to worry as I finish slipping on my trainers then slowly walk over to kneel down beside the sofa. She barely looks in my direction, confirming something is wrong as she curls up into the blanket more as I lean down next to her. "You want to talk about it?" I ask her softly, not wanting to push her if it is something she is not ready to talk to me about yet. "I'm fine." She replies barely above a whisper, but her voice gives her away without having to even look at her. She forgets I know her better than most sometimes. "You sure? You know I'm always here for you Maize.." I try and reassure her, wanting her to know I'm right here. I catch a small smile on her lips as she nods her head softly in reply from slightly behind the blanket she is wrapped in. "I know Harley, I'm ok. Go for your run." She whispers again, giving me a little more but I know she is keeping something to herself. I hate how independent she can be sometimes, but I also know she will come to me when she is ready. So, I smile and nod my head, pushing myself up from the floor, leaving a kiss on Maisie's head before heading towards the kitchen to get a bottle of water and then towards the back door as I get my playlist ready on my phone. As much as I want to sit and try and talk with Maisie rather than run right now, I know she needs time, and hopefully when I get back I can talk to Dad to see if he knows anything that could be the reason she is not herself.

Just over an hour later, I get back and head straight upstairs to shower, leaving Maisie now asleep on the sofa down in the living room. Dad decided on going out to get everyone some breakfast today but wanted to wait until I got back before leaving. As soon as I walk into my bedroom, I can't help but smile when my eyes find Lizzie still sleeping soundly in bed. She looks so peaceful, still holding onto the pillow I slept on last night. I walk over, leaving a gentle kiss on her forehead before grabbing some clothes and going for a shower. I make sure to turn the heat up, my hands freezing from being outside. I don't stay in there too long before coming out to dry off and slip into some joggers and a hoodie. I dry off my hair, trying to tame it slightly infront of the mirror then head out to wake Lizzie up for breakfast. I climb back on the bed carefully, slipping behind where Lizzie is lying so I can wrap my arms around her. She instantly settles back into my body, her back now flush against my front as she reaches for my hand lying over her stomach. I could actually go back to sleep right now, the warmth from her body making me tired all of a sudden, but I quickly remind myself that Dad will be back soon and I need to tell Lizzie about Maisie. I start to leave small, delicate kisses against Lizzie's shoulder, moving slowly up towards her neck then up to her ear. It doesn't take her too long to begin to squirm slightly under my touch, soft moans leaving her lips as she pulls me impossibly closer. "Mm.. Morning Soldier." She mumbles, burying her face slightly into the pillow. I can't help but chuckle against her shoulder at her sleepy voice, she's so cute when she just wakes up. "Morning beautiful." I return easily, leaving a few more kisses on her neck before lifting myself up slightly more to see her better as she leans back to look up at me. Her bright morning eyes shimmering under the rays of sun entering the room. I can't help the huge smile pulling at my lips as I just admire everything about her.

"Have you been on a run already?" Lizzie asks sweetly as she runs her fingers through my hair, her eyes never leaving mine. "Yeah.. And showered." I reply, making her smile from where she is still lying underneath me. "You feeling okay?" She checks, looking between my eyes for any doubts in my words. "I feel good. No nightmares, and I stayed in bed all night.." I explain, making her smile only grow as her nose scrunches slightly. "That's really good Harley." She beams, making my heart race in my chest but then thoughts of Maisie cloud my happy thoughts, my smile faltering enough for Lizzie to notice. "What is it?" She quickly asks, causing my chest to tighten. "It's just.. Something is off with Maisie." I begin to explain, seeing Lizzie's smile fade at my words. I know she adores Maisie and really cares for her so knowing there is something wrong with her will worry her just as much as it does me. "What makes you think that Angel?" She asks, still running her fingers through my hair as her other hand is scratching up and down my back. "When I went downstairs this morning before my run, she was curled up on the sofa downstairs. Her eyes were red and puffy, as if she had been up all night crying.. I asked her if everything was okay but she just said she was fine and to go on my run. I know something is going on, but I don't want to push her on it if she's not ready to tell me yet." I get out everything I am thinking, a small smile on Lizzie's lips as she lets me get it all out before her hand falls from my hair to the side of my face, her thumb rubbing along my cheek soothingly. "That girl is so lucky to have you taking care of her Harley.. And she will talk to you when she is ready too. For now, we just have to be here for her until then. Hopefully it's just something minor that will pass as quickly as it came." Lizzie reassures me, and it does help a little, but I can't shake this gut feeling that it is something that won't just go away so easily.

"I'm going to talk to Dad as soon as I can, see if he knows anything." I tell her and she nods her head softly in reply. "I'll keep Maisie busy somehow whilst you do okay?" I smile at her offer, instantly feeling better knowing she is there for Maisie too. "Thank you baby." I lean down, capturing her lips with my own. She easily melts into the kiss, soft and delicate, as my free hand runs under her t-shirt and up the side of her body. We stay lip locked for a small moment until we both hear the door downstairs open, letting us know Dad is back. I lean my forehead gently into Lizzie's, wanting to stay close with her as my thoughts slowly spiral back and fourth about Maisie. "Try not to stress yourself out about this Harley, you need to be level headed for when Maisie does come to you. She has all of us here, she's not on her own." Lizzie's calming words help me settle my racing heart rate and uneven breathing as I nod my head softly against hers. "I know.. I love you." I reply quietly into the small space left between us, causing her smile to grow again. "I love you Soldier. Now, let's go down and have some breakfast hm?" I nod my head again, leaving one final kiss on Lizzie's lips before letting her get up and ready as I sit on the bed and wait for her on the bed. Once she is ready, we head downstairs together and join Dad and Maisie in the kitchen. I make some coffee for us as she says good morning at the table and gets our food ready. We share some small talk over breakfast, Lizzie's hand soon finding mine under the table when she sees how worried I am getting over Maisie again seeing her still the same as earlier. I hate seeing her like this. I just wish she would talk to me so I can help her. "So what is everyone's plans for today?" Dad asks across the table. I share a look with Lizzie, since we haven't got any so I let her answer with whatever she wants to do. "We don't have any plans today, so since it's snowing how about a movie day?" Lizzie suggests sweetly, making my Dad smile as we all look to Maisie, who just nods her head in agreement.

"I was also thinking of cooking dinner again tonight for everyone, do you maybe want to help me later Maisie?" Lizzie asks across the table as we are all finishing our coffees. "Yeah, okay. What are we making?" I smile softly hearing Maisie perk up slightly, so thankful for Lizzie being so sweet with her. "I thought we could cook some Soup since it's a lot colder today, but I need to go get some things for it if you want to come with me?" She offers and I squeeze her hand in silent gratitude for her just being her amazing self. "I'm sure we can squeeze some treats in our bags for later whilst we are there too." Lizzie teases over towards Maisie with a small grin, and my smile widens as I see Maisie beginning to genuinely smile as she nods her head. "Sounds good. I'll go get ready." Maisie heads off to her room to get ready, a slight skip in her step again as she leaves the room. I offer to clean away the kitchen with Dad so Lizzie can go and get ready upstairs. "She's so good with Maisie. It's like she has another sister." I smile and nod my head in agreement with what Dad just said as I finish loading the dishwasher. "She adores Maisie. And you. Family is so important to her, and she loves both of you." I tell him easily, causing him to smile widely before we hear the girls come back into the kitchen, a lot more wrapped up to head out in the light snow falling outside. I can't help but laugh at Lizzie wearing one of my jackets to keep her warm as I dry my hands off then walk over to where they are both putting their shoes on near the door. "You both be careful in that snow. No accidents today." I tease them both, making Maisie giggle softly as she pushes me away slightly. "Okay DAD." She teases back, making us all laugh before she comes over and gives me a tight hug, her shoulders relaxing slightly against my body. "Love you Maize.." I whisper against her head. "Love you too Sis." She mumbles against my chest before going to say a quick goodbye to Dad as I pull Lizzie into cuddle.

"Thank you for this baby." I whisper near her ear, causing her to smile against my neck. "No need to thank me Harley. I'll try and talk with her." She whispers back against my shoulder. I nod my head softly, leaving a kiss on her forehead. "I love you." I say against her head before pulling away as I hear Maisie open the door behind us. "I love you too Soldier. We won't be long." She says back, lifting up to kiss my lips before she says goodbye to Dad then heads off with Maisie. I watch them off down the street, seeing Maisie link onto Lizzie's arm and latch herself into her side as they seem to fall into easy conversation for their journey to the shops. Thankfully, we have some not too far away but in this weather, it will be a good 20 minute walk at least to get them there. Luckily, that gives me plenty of time to talk with Dad so once the girls are out of sight down the street, I close the door and turn around to see Dad sitting at the table with his laptop out infront of him, no doubt getting through some work e-mails ready for going back to it next week. "Tea or coffee Dad?" I ask across the table as I walk around towards the kettle. "A tea would be lovely, thanks Harley." I smile over and grab two clean mugs and start making some tea for us both. I can't help the smile that creeps back onto my lips as I replay all the times Lizzie teases me about my 'obsession' with tea, as she puts it. What does she expect, I'm English, I've been drinking tea since before I could walk! She was so sweet buying some to keep at her apartment before I left for Nepal, but when she tried to make it herself, bless her she is so American. But after a few failed attempts, she's getting a lot better. And as much as she likes to try and deny it, I know she is a fan of Yorkshire Tea deep down, since she always steals some of mine whenever I have it rather than her herbal stuff, tastes like ground up grass to me, but everyone to their own I suppose.

"There you go Dad." I slide over his tea as I walk past and join him at the table, my nerves growing slightly at the gut feeling bubbling in my stomach when I start to figure out how I am going to ask about Maisie. There is no way he hasn't noticed her mood shift lately. A let a few minutes of comfortable silence pass as I watch him typing on his laptop before he comes to a stop, giving me my chance to bring it up. But before my brain catch up, my mouth runs away from me and just blurts out what I was going to ask in a better way. "Do you know what is going on with Maisie lately?" I notice Dad suddenly tense up, letting me know he knows something without him having to say anything. Part of my job is reading people's body language, which helps me in times like this thankfully. "I don't know Kiddo, maybe she's had a fall out with her friends or something.." I know he knows something, and the fact he is hiding it from me hurts. Does he not trust me? Normally Maisie would come to me if she needed anything, what's changed? My mind begins to spiral, letting my mouth run away from me again. "Really? You expect me to believe that?" I spit a little harshly, cringing as Dad looks over in my direction a little surprised by my tone. "Sorry I just.." I begin to apologise but Dad sighs and shakes his head softly, closing his laptop and turning his body towards me. Okay what is going on? Normally he would scold me for that tone of voice. "Your right, I shouldn't have tried to lie Harley. It's just, something has been going on for a little while now and I didn't know how to tell you.. Neither of us did." Now I need to know. I knew I wasn't just imagining all this. "Alright, well I'm here. You tell me.." I try and I see Dad taking a second to gather his thoughts before he sits more upright, a stern look across his face but I can see the worry behind his eyes. I swear if anyone has hurt either of them, especially Maisie.. "Just.. Hear me out okay." Fuck, this is serious..

"Whilst you have been away in L.A, obviously you and Lizzie were pictured together and they were put online for the World to see. Then as you know people share them and eventually everyone on Social Media comes across them at some point.. Especially now that your both very public about being together." Dad begins and already I have no idea where this is heading, but by his tone of voice, I don't like it so I just nod my head to allow him to continue. "Well, your Brother must have seen them at some point, and he started to reach out to Maisie through her Instagram account. She ignored his messages to begin with, but the more she ignored him, the more frequent it became. He started to threaten her so she came to me and I told her to block him straight away. But when she did, he just made other accounts to contact her over and over again." I can already feel my blood boiling. Now I understand why no one has told me sooner. "What was he saying?" I ask, wanting to know the extent of his messages. "It started as idle threats, nothing major. But then he started saying he would come find and her if he didn't get what he wanted. Telling her he has people who would find her address and School within a few hours if she kept ignoring him." I can feel my heart pounding against my chest as I struggle to keep control over my breathing. I need to try and stay calm. "What does he want?" I ask through gritted teeth, which Dad notices before he hesitates on telling me. "He uh, he wants.. Money.." Money. Oh this is not going to end well.. I can't believe he has sunk so low he has to threaten a young girl to try and get some money from it. I'm seconds away from taking Dad's car keys and driving to Newcastle.. "Money?" I question in a low tone, trying to keep my head on my shoulders but I am ready to blow. "Yeah he uh, he said that now your with a famous Celeb, your not short on cash." This has to be a joke.

A few silent minutes pass by, my chest is burning at the thought of how Maisie is feeling, and has been feeling going through all this. I know why neither of them have told me, but I wish they had. I could have done something, helped somehow. And the more I think about it, the angrier I get. "I'm going to sort this out.." I say without thinking, pushing the chair from behind me as I stand up abruptly and turn away from the table to go get ready to leave. "Harley, he's not worth it.." Dad begins to try and stop me, but I'm already past angry, so I know I'm not thinking straight. I quickly stop and turn back towards where Dad is now standing up from his chair, one of his hands still on the table as he watches my every move. "He's not getting away with this.. How dare he use Maisie to get to me!" I start to raise my voice, my emotions are all over the place still so I have little to no control right now. "Harley, calm down!" Dad tries but it's no use. My chest is burning as angry tears start to form in my eyes. "NO DAD! That's my baby sister!" I shout back in pure anger, not at anyone in the room, but at the situation I'm left in. "Harley! We need to do this right and not give him the reaction he wants!" Dad tries to reason with me with a slightly raised voice but I can't see how I can't sit back and not do anything. "So what do we do?" I question, hoping he has some sort of plan. "We continue to block him out until he gives up..." Dad says calmly, hoping I listen. "And what if he doesn't?" I ask back without hesitation, my body wanting to leave and do something right now. "Then we go to the Police and see what they can do.." That will take too long. No chance. "She's not sleeping Dad.." I return in a calmer tone, not wanting to wait around for someone else to do something when I am right here. This is what I am here for. To protect them both, especially Maisie. It's what I have always done, no matter what it meant happened to me.

"I know. We just need to keep an eye on her. She seemed better when you came home from L.A." I hate this. They should have told me sooner, I could have been here sooner. For her. "I'll talk with her when she gets back, let her know he will not get anywhere near her. Try and help her feel better." I say in a hushed tone, my head rushing with other options I have. "Okay, why don't you go to the gym? Calm yourself down for when they get back? Your too stressed out right now Kiddo.." Dad suggests as he comes over to where I am standing. "Alright yeah, your right, good idea." I give in, knowing I need to get rid of all this pent up anger somehow before I explode at the wrong person. "We didn't want you to get like this Harley, that's why we didn't tell you sooner." Dad explains as he comes over to give me a hug. "I know Dad." I mumble into his shoulder as I hug him back before I leave the kitchen and head upstairs to get changed into my gym clothes. Putting my joggers and hoodie back over the top since it's freezing outside today. I can't stop the rush of emotions and thoughts going through my body and head, all I want to do is go and confront him, but right now, I need to see Maisie and make sure she knows she is safe. At least that way, she might be able to sleep at night. I don't have a temper, but when it comes to those closest to me, my anger can become too much to handle. And I don't want Lizzie to see that side to me, ever. I do not want to become my Mother. But I also won't hesitate to stand up and protect those I love. I've had a few fights in my younger years, school bullies being the most common problem. But one thing I always stand by is that I never throw the first punch, something my Dad told me. And as much as I want to let all this anger out on Steven right now, I know that would only end badly. So I guess a punch bag at the gym will have to do for now.


~~Wednesday Afternoon, London~~

Lizzie POV

We finally made it to the Store after slipping and sliding in the snow on our walk. Maisie is deffinently not herself, but I hope even if this little walk helps her a little, it will be worth it. We ended up talking about School mostly on our way here, I kept her talking as much as I could, asking as many questions I could think of. Even her voice sounds tired and defeated. My mind keeps thinking about Harley and hoping she can find out something from her Dad or I know she won't rest. She cares so much for Maisie and is overly protective, so until she knows what is going on, she is going to be restless and aggitated. We walk into the Store and Maisie rushes over to grab a shopping cart, or a Trolley as she calls it. She quickly runs back to my side as we start looking around for what we need. I actually have no idea what we need, I just had to try and make an excuse to get her out of the house so this was the first thing I thought of, knowing how much she enjoyed cooking with me last time we made dinner for everyone. "Alright what do we need?" Maisie asks, a happier tone to her voice which instantly makes me smile as I turn and see the fresh fruit and vegatables. "A lot of Vegatables!" I cheer, making Maisie gag jokingly but laughs as I skip us over in that direction. I make sure to get her involved, unlike I do with Harley since she is too much of a child so I have to do the shopping as she pushes the cart behind me. We get all sorts of vegatables before we reach the herbs, which Maisie already looks lost at so I end up rambling about different herbs as I pick them out. She seems genuinely intrigued so I get more than what I need, getting a little carried away but as long as Maisie is smiling, I don't mind. It doesn't take us too long to get through the majority of the food aisles, so we slowly make our way around the Store, going aisle by aisle since we are in no rush, and there is barely anyone else here so I don't feel anxious about being recognised right now.

"I wish you could stay in London for longer.." Maisie tells me in a hushed tone, breaking my heart seeing her smile fade as she does. "I know, me too. I love being in London Maize. But I promise, I'll be back whenever I get the time off." I try and comfort her as I wrap my arm around her, our big coats puffing up between us making her laugh lightly as I get a mouth full of Harley's jacket in my mouth. "Is Harley doing okay? Mentally?" She asks and I smile at how close they are, I love their bond. It's unlike anything I have seen before. They are both so different, but nothing can come between them. "She's getting better. She's actually sleeping in bed which is an achievement in itself." I joke lightly, making her laugh and nod her head. "I don't even flicker anymore when I hear her fall out of bed during the night since she does it so often." She jokes back, making me laugh at her change in tone again. But then an idea comes to mind, a way of steering the conversation to try and see if she will open up with me now that it just the two of us, without asking her directly. "Have you been sleeping okay lately Maize, I've heard you up and down the past couple of nights?" I ask in the same tone, hoping she doesn't take it badly. I feel her tense a little under my arm before she lets out a small sigh. "Not really.. I uh, I can't settle at the minute." She admits and I nod my head softly, letting her continue if she wants too. "I've been getting some messages through Instagram that keep playing on my mind." She adds softly and instantly I tense up, hating the fact someone is causing her this much stress at her age. Especially through something like Instagram. People can be so cruel. "Have you tried blocking the accounts?" I ask carefully, and she just nods her head softly in return. "Yeah but they just make different ones and continue.." She replies in a defeated tone. I hate seeing her like this. This is not Maisie.

We ended up at the more exciting aisles in the shop so I decide on not asking anything more, seeing her eyes light up at the sight of all the unhealthy foods infront of us. "This is more like it." She jokes and I can't help but laugh seeing her sudden excitement. "Get whatever you want, my treat." I assure her and she just smiles impossibly wider before rushing off to see what she wants. I stop where I am when I feel my phone buzz in my pocket so I take it out to see what it is, quickly seeing a message from Harley. As soon as I open it, I begin to worry reading over her message.

My Soldier
I spoke with Dad and I know what is
going on now. I'll talk to you when
you get back, Are you both okay?
No doubt Maisie will be spending
all your money on junk food <3

I can't help the smile on my face, but at the same time, I can feel the worry building in my chest at the thought of what could be going on. I send a reply to Harley, letting her know she is very right as I look up and see Maisie filling the cart with all kinds of bags, letting her know we won't be long before putting my phone away and joining Maisie. "Having fun?" I tease as I reach Maisie, who just smiles cheekily, that same smile Harley has when she is up to something as she nods her head in reply. We carry on around the Store, making sure to get a few things for Harley and Stuart whilst we are here, before finally reaching the check outs and pack everything away. Once I pay, we grab two bags each and make our way outside to begin our walk back, the snow still falling lightly around us. I love snow, but I hate the slippery floor it leaves behind, so we make sure to take our time since we have our hands full now. We fall into a comfortable silence as we leave the Store, but it doesn't last long as Maisie breaks it with a slightly shaky voice. "Has Harley told you much about our Step Brother, Steven?" She asks out of the blue, instantly I can feel my body tense at the mention of his name, but I try to not let it show. "She um, she's told me some things.." I reply as calmly as I can, flashes of what happened in Newcastle filling my head before Maisie says anything else. "It's him." She says and instantly I turn to see her eyes welling up slightly. "What do you mean Maize?" I question, wanting to make sure I understand what she is telling me. "It's Steve who is messaging me." She tells me barely above a whisper, instantly I can feel my hands tightening around the handles of the bags I am carrying as she slowly continues talking. "He has been messaging for a little while now.. No matter how many times I block his accounts." She stumbles over her words slightly, my heart breaking hearing how upset she is, but then another thought comes to me and my chest tightens slightly more.. How is Harley going to react?

"You know none of us will ever let him harm you Maisie. Especially Harley. No matter where we are, no one will ever hurt you." I try and comfort her as best I can. "I know, I just, I worry. He's hurt Harley before. I don't want him to come anywhere near any of us." I catch her wiping a tear away as I move closer, putting both bags in one hand so I can wrap my now free arm around her as we continue our walk. "Trust me, Harley will always protect you. No matter who it is. She won't let him hurt anyone, even herself." I soothe her and it seems to work as she nods her head and calms her breathing down pretty quickly. "I don't want her to do anything stupid when she finds out. Which is why me and Dad haven't told her yet.." She explains and I understand why, but I know Harley might take it differently. "She'll understand Maize. I won't say anything until your ready for her to know." I reassure her and she smiles softly in reply. "Thank you Lizzie. I'm glad Harley has you. And I do too." I can't help the huge smile taking over as I hug Maisie a little tighter. "You'll always have me here Maisie, I promise." We fall into a comfortable silence for the rest of our walk, Maisie seeming better than when we left which is more than I could have asked for, a genuine smile on her face as we reach the house. We get inside, kicking the snow off our shoes before we walk into the kitchen together. Stuart quickly greeting us from the table with a small smile on his face. We take off our warm layers, the heat from inside the house hitting us as soon as we do, before we bring the bags to the table and begin emptying everything out to put away. "Drinks anyone?" Stuart offers, Maisie quickly asking for a tea to warm her up. "Lizzie?" Stuart asks in my direction. "Coffee please Stuart." I reply easily, to which he just nods and turns to make them as I help Maisie put the shopping away as she starts to excitedly tell Stuart what we are going to make for dinner later.

Once everything is put away, we sit at the table with our warm drinks as Maisie continues to talk to her Dad as I just smile at how much happier she seems compared to this morning. Harley's absence hasn't gone unnoticed, I can't even hear her upstairs, which starts to worry me but I try and keep my focus on Maisie but my mind is already spiralling. A part of me terrified she is already on her way to Newcastle to confront her Brother about all of this. "I'm going to go have a shower before we get started on dinner." Maisie suddenly tells us both excitedly before she rushes off upstairs, instantly Stuart lets out a sigh and turns to give me a small smile. "Thank you for being so good with her Lizzie. She seems so much lighter." Stuart quickly says with a genuine smile. "It's more than okay Stuart. I see her as my little Sister, so seeing her so down this morning was awful. I just wanted to make her feel better." I reply easily with a matching smile, seeing Stuart a lot less worried about her now. But then my smile fades as I think about where Harley could be, so I have to ask. "Is Harley upstairs?" I ask calmly, but Stuart tenses slightly before shaking his head softly. "She's at the gym." He tells me and instantly I know she is stressed out. She's already been on a run today so something is deffinently on her mind for her to be out exercising again already. "Is she.. Okay?" I ask hesitently, seeing the worry behind Stuart's eyes. "She needed to go and clear her head and let off some steam. We talked about Maisie when you both left.." He explains and I nod my head softly in reply. "She text me when we were at the Store.. And Maisie did open up a little with me on our walk back." I tell him, letting him know that I know a little about what is going on. "I'm not surprised, she trusts you Lizzie. We just didn't want to stress Harley out.." He adds and I nod my head in understanding. "I know."

A minute or two of silence fills the kitchen as I finish my coffee, Stuart going unusually quiet until I hear him let out a heavy sigh as he turns back to me. "Please just, make sure Harley is okay for me? I know she hides some of her emotions from me but she can't do that with you Lizzie. I don't want her to do something stupid.. She's worked too hard to lose that over someone like him." Stuart asks and I quickly nod my head in reply. "Of course I will Stuart." I try and reassure him, knowing he is right. She hates people worrying about her so she keeps her emotions to herself, but thankfully she is a lot more open with me so I know when she is struggling. "Thank you Lizzie. She's lucky to have you." I can't help the huge smile creeping back onto my lips at his kind words. "I'm the lucky one Stuart, Harley is amazing." I reply easily, causing him to beam with pride. "I best go get changed before Maisie comes back down eager to get started." I say light heartedly, hearing Stuart chuckle as he nods his head. "Very true. I'll clear the kitchen for you both." We share a smile before I head upstairs to get a quick shower to warm up before I get changed. My mind begins to spiral as I shower, so I don't stay in for too long and come out, thankfully keeping my hair dry, so I go into my suitcase to find some leggings and a t-shirt before going into Harley's wardrobe to find a hoodie to wear. I tie my hair up in a messy bun, knowing I will want it out the way whilst I am in the kitchen then grab my phone to send a message to Harley, letting her know we are home and I am here for her if she needs me. Wanting her to know she isn't alone in this. She doesn't have to deal with this alone. She will never have to deal with anything alone ever again. Because I never want to be without her in my life. I want to be her safe place, now and forever. We will deal with this, together.

Like she always tells me, it's Me and My Soldier against the World..


A/N ~ Some cute Lizzie & Maisie time.. Love their growing Sisterly bond!