You, Me, And A Boy Named Steve

Chapter 4

Jack grabbed Nicola's arm. "We can not go and get him back! It's not time yet!" Jack's voice was stern and serious. Nicola knew that he meant business, but she was getting anxious. She couldn't stand the torture that Steve was going through, she needed to save him.

"I can't sit and watch him die!" Nicola yelled at Jack. "I don't care about the mission anymore!" Nicola stared deeply into Jack's eyes. Hers demanding power over his. Jack sighed and sat Nicola and himself down.

"If we go in there to get Steve now, people will know what we are." Jack stared deeply into Nicola's eyes. "You don't want the people to turn against you when you're Queen, do you?" Nicola stared back at him. She was angered that he had used the Queen card. But she knew he was right, she just didn't like it.

"Fine." She turned away before taking a seat onto her bed. "I can't believe you did that." She mumbled, hoping that he would not hear her.

"What?" He grinned a bit as he pulled up a chair and sat beside her. "Oh, did I use the Queen card?" He snickered.

"Yes." Nicola gave him a fake pouty face. She hadn't known fully, but inside she was flirting with him.

"I'm sorry." Jack bent his head low. "Do you forgive me princess?"

"No." Nicola reached over her bed and casual grabbed a pillow from it. "I may give you an exception though."

"What?" Jack smiled as he lifted his head before being whipped by Nicola's very soft, white pillow.

Nicola laughed. She hadn't had this much fun in such a long time. Once Jack regained his bearings, he picked up another pillow from Nicola's bed and whacked her back. The two then commenced in a pillow fight. The sounds of the pillows impacting faces echoed through the room and even the hallway, the sounds of laughter followed the pillow sounds through out the castle. Feathers filled the room from top to bottom as the pillow sacks containing them began to rip the longer the pillow fight went on.

***

The pillow fight lasted for a few long hours. By the time they were done, the two had passed out on Nicola's bed. The king and queen had casually peeked into their daughter's room to see her and their guest sleeping together. Queen Azalia smiled; she was happy to see her daughter finally happy. However, King Aagney was not so pleased. He was not happy to see his only daughter sleeping with their visitor from America. Yet, he was happy to see his daughter happy. Aagney turned to leave the room. In the doorway stood Amar, his royal advisor.

"Keep an eye on the visitor from America." Aagney told Amar as he passed him. The king left his wife and his advisor standing in his daughter's doorway as he went to his own room.

Amar nodded. He would do anything for his king. He was slightly jealous to see Nicola with Jack, but he knew that he and Nicola could never be. He entered the princess' room and - with the queen's permission - tucked the two in. He smiled slightly as he watched Nicola sleep. The queen had walked over by his side and kissed her daughter softly on the forehead.

"Night my dear." Azalia whispered to her daughter, before casually leaving the room to join Aagney in their own. Amar stood above Nicola's bed staring at Nicola and Jack, gritting his teeth at the two. But he did not do anything, knowing that his job would be in jeopardy. He walked over to the doorway and stood their for a moment, still holding back his urge to do something.

"Goodnight Princess." Amar walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. "I hope you know what you're getting yourself into." He mumbled before heading over to his room in the servants quarters.

***

Morning had come fast. Nicola yawned only to find she was alone in her bed. She smiled forgetting the man who had been with her. She looked around her room, everything seemed to be normal. Except, she noticed a window had been propped open and the closet door was open about a bit. She moved to the side of the bed and sat up. She reached for the nearest item and ended up grabbing her lamp. Slowly, she moved towards the closet - with the lamp in hand - she opened the door to the closet. Nicola was just about to whack the intruder with the lamp when she realized who it was.

"Steve. W-what are you doing here?" Nicola dropped the lamp and kicked it away as Steve ran to her and hugged her legs. Never had he once shown any pain towards anything, but as he hugged Nicola, she could feel the pain deep inside him struggling to get free.

"I'm sorry my lady." He mumbled through her legs as tears began to soak his cheeks. Nicola could see the bruise marks - that were a reaction to being beaten by the other workers - over Steve's body. She bent down to him and hugged the beaten boy in her arms. She had only known him for just over a year, but she had already felt like a mother towards the family-less child.

"It's okay." She whispered to him as he pet his head. "It'll be okay." The two stayed in the hug for awhile. Nicola would comfort the fragile boy until he was ready to be on his own again. After using up all of his tears, Steve gently pushed away and looked into Nicola's eyes. Nicola looked back, staring deeply into his soul through his eyes. She could see the pain that he had suffered in his life; she wanted to do so much to help him, to coddle him, to treat him like her own, but she knew she could do none of it.

"Are you mad at me, miss?" Steve's voice was soft like that of a cloud. His phrase hit Nicola and took the colour out of her face. His phrase made her heart drop, she was shocked by the sudden question.

"N-No! Of-f course not!" She looked at him and placed both of her hands onto his shoulders. "What brought you to ask that?" Nicola wanted to know why caused his sudden change, deep inside her she feared the answer that she inferred.

"M-Master said-" Nicola did not let the boy finish his sentence before she pulled his frail body into her chest. Her grip on Steve was tight yet gentle. It was the first time that she felt that she was his mother as she let tears escape from her eyes. Steve could not look up at the woman holding him, he could only look down and feel her love for him as he laid his head onto her chest.

"Don't let what anyone says change you." Nicola whispered to Steve as she held the boy closer to her. "You are special." She kissed his head and then looked up to see Jack looking at them in the doorway of her room.