Lawless [h.s.] AU

Chapter Eight

October 2313
Charlotte Reign

"Harry," I try to say, my throat continuing to close, his grip growing stronger by the moment. "Please, Harry, it's... it's me." I managed to get out. I grip his hands, but they're so much bigger than mine, the effort only exhausts me more.

The look in his eyes is vacant like he's not really present in his body right now. 

"Harr-" I try, but I feel my airways closing off. I look around me the best I can, searching for something to hit him with. I know the only reason I'm not dead already is that he must be in some kind of sleep state, and he's not as strong as he could be. I've seen how strong he is over the last few days; this can't possibly be his strongest grip. I think of what I can do to break him from the trance. 

"Who are you?" He asks me sternly with that empty look still in his eyes. His voice sounds different than it has this whole time, and not just scratchy because it's the middle of the night. He sounds darker, crueler, somehow more evil than he has till this point. 

There's nothing around us, the alarm clock just too far away, so I know there's nothing I can fight back with. Then I remember, Harry's never been cruel or wanted to hurt me. There's "something about me" he's said... maybe that's my key. If I can't fight him, maybe I don't. I grasp both my hands on either side of his face and try my best to pull him closer to me, really locking our eyes on one another.

I realize the risk this is, it could possibly anger him more, but then, what else can I do?

"Harry-" I manage fighting off the sobs I know are working to break free, "please, it's me. It's Charlotte." I say in broken small sounds, but Harry only tightens his grip in response. 

"It's-me. Charlotte." I cough, truly starting to lose too much air. My throat hurts, every word a painful effort to get out audibly. "Harry - please." I manage, praying whatever has happened, whatever woke him like this, will dissipate when he realizes what he's doing. 

"I asked you who... you... are." He replies getting angier with each word uttered; either not hearing a word I've said, or not caring for my answers. His voice is angry, and cautious. It's like his Rex facade is coming back and breaking through everything I've come to know about Harry these last few days. He maneuvers his body so his knee rams in between my legs and for the first time since he's woken me, I fear what it is he's trying to do.

"Harry, listen to me." I plead. "It's Charlotte, Charlie. You know me, you're helping me. Please.... please." but I lose strength quickly, growing more tired by the moment. Just as I feel my muscles begin to give out, Harry takes a huge breath above me, blinking rapidly, like he's just been startled awake. 

"Harry!?" I manage to croak. 

"What's- Charlotte? What happened-?" He asks, desperately searching my face, like he's re-familiarizing himself with me. He loosens his grip around my neck, but never removes his hands completely. Still above me, I see him trying to take in his surroundings, wondering what it is we were just doing...

"Get off me." I tell him, trying my hardest, even though I can't really feel my body, to push him off me. He immediately shifts to my side, freeing me finally from him. I roll to the edge of the bed, turn to grab my pillow, and make to leave before he can explain. I can't handle it tonight. 

"Charlotte, wait!"

"No." I tell him, turning to face the room. "Tomorrow. You will explain what that was, tomorrow. Goodnight Harry." I finish barely able to get my voice above a whisper, before turning on my heel and leaving the main grounds for Niall's apartment. When I knock on his door, it dawns on me, the un-likelihood that he'll even be awake to hear me. I'm sure he was just as drunk, honestly if not more drunk, as Harry I'm sure earlier today, and while I'm not sure the time right now exactly... it must be in the middle of the night.

"Niall?" I do my best to call out knocking harder on his door, and thankfully, after a minute or so the sleepy-eyed Irishman opens his door with a half smile. 

"Charlie? What's happened, you ok?" He asks while he wipes the sleep from his eyes, pulling a falling bedsheet around him. I forgot he sleeps naked. 

"Can I sleep here tonight? In the room I was in before?" I ask, not wanting to explain, but from the look on Niall's face, it seems I apparently don't need to. I watch as his eyes widen when they notice my neck, marks must have formed to replace where Harry's hands just were. 

"Darlin', come here." Niall reaches out, and his fingers gently dance across the skin of my neck. "Was this Zayn? He hurt you? Where's Harry I'm sure he-"

"No. It wasn't Zayn." I tell him, pushing away his touch. "I'd prefer not to talk about it tonight, if you'd mind." I manage to say, holding off the tears still.

I can see the pieces come together in Niall's mind. "Of course, come on love, do you want water or tea or-?"

"Just to get some sleep." I explain as I walk past him towards the room, so that he can't see the tears begin to break free, afraid that an apologetic Harry will materialize at the door behind us any moment. 

"Charlie." He calls out, "Harry..." I turn slightly to hear Niall, my interest peaked in what he as to say. "He's not a bad man, regardless of what you may think now. Please, let him explain tomorrow. If you want, I can bring you something to help you get some real sleep."

I nod, not wanting to address his commentary on Harry. It worries me though, that he knows if this wasn't Zayn than it must have been him. What is Harry capable of? Have I allowed my kidnapping to affect me so much already that what I thought of as kindness from Harry was all fake? Is his minimal respect already getting to me? I've read about this in the story books, from the old world. They called it Stockholm Syndrome. 

I steady myself, determined not to be a statistic. 

"Ok, get settled, I'll uh- I'll be in in a minute." He tells me before walking over, kissing my cheek, and disappearing down the hall into his master suite. I open the door to my previous room slowly, anxiety crawling through my body now after the shock of what's happened begins to hit me. 

After a quiet moment, I hear my name called. "Charlotte?" A woman's voice calls out, but it's far away, from down the hall at least.

"No Niall, she must be terrified, let me go check- Niall, seriously, I will bring it to her don't be fucking daft." I hear her continue, the voice growing closer by the moment. 

Madison. 

"Charlie?" I hear her whisper just behind the door, knocking gently before pushing it open. 

"Madison." I let out, relieved to see a friendly face. 

"Oh sweetheart, come here." She rushes over to me, sitting on the bed next to me before gently pulling me into a hug. "Here, Niall gave me a bottle of water and these for you to take. Hard to come by drugs this good in the city, but we've got some. It'll relax you, don't worry. You can trust me."

Trusting Madison, I take the small oval pill from the palm of her hand and swallow it with some water before adjusting myself to get under the covers. 

"Charlotte," she begins, although I can't look at her. Instead, I focus on the paint chips in the wall. "I'm sure Niall must have tried to explain for him, but please do let Harry explain to you tomorrow. Get some sleep, and we'll all be here for you tomorrow." She tells me before turning the light off by the door, and shutting it behind her. 

Eventually, the pills take hold, and the first nightmare - reliving the moment with Harry on the bed - begins.