Running Through The Garden

Shaken

   Stevie sat shaking, barely noticing as Karen and the rest of her crew ran around the dressing room as if their heads were cut off, phone calls being made left and right.

     "K-Karen?"

       "Yes?" The brunette turned towards her boss, seeing her curled up on the sofa.

     "I want to go home." She managed to muster up her voice, cracking in the middle of her sentence.

     Karen nodded, rubbing her shoulder. "We'll go home. Let me call the car and have the driver come around back." She waited for Stevie's approval, turning towards an on hand assistant. "I want another car  waiting for us halfway  through the drive. We'll take a different route and meet up with them and switch. I don't know if someone's going to try and follow us. Better safe than sorry."

     The young man nodded, heading off to speak to the driver. Karen blew out a huff of air, taking in the chaos around her. She was handed two cups of coffee, passing one down to Stevie who took it in her hands, starring blankly into the dark liquid.

       "Did you want to change before we go?"

     Stevie shook her head. "I just want to go." Karen nodded, Stevie setting her drink on the side table.

      "Stevie, I know this whole thing is a bit frightening, but they've got the man in custody, you're safe now." She tried to reassure her boss, watching as she just nodded her head, folding her arms around herself.

     "Are you ready?"

     "Yes." She lifted herself off the couch, bending over to pick up her dog from the floor. She cradled Sulamith to her chest, keeping her enclosed tight as she was lead by a group of security towards the back exit. She jumped when the door swung open unexpectedly, placing a hand to her chest.

    "Stevie it's alright." Karen comforted her, wrapping an arm around the shorter woman.

     She nodded, reassuring herself. "I'm a little shaken up." Karen nodded, keeping a tight grip on her as she lead them to the awaiting car.

    Blue and red lights flashing caught her attention, glancing over and she wished she hadn't. She saw the man from the press conference, sitting in the back seat, glaring back at her and she felt her heart stop. She quickly looked away, feeling his eyes on her the entire way into the car.

........

        The front door slammed shut, Karen jumping as she looked up from her paper. "Jesus, you couldn't knock?"

      Don ignored her, his eyes darting around the room. "Where is she?"

      "I guess you heard what happened?"

      "It was all over the news,  Is she ok?"

      Karen sighed. "Nobody got hurt, we got her home, she's been upstairs locked in her room ever since."

    "Why didn't anybody call me?"

      "She hasn't said a single word since we left the venue. I've had a thousand phone calls from people asking what happened. Don I'm really worried about her."

     "I'm sure she's freaked out. I'm going to go talk to her." Karen just nodded as he started towards the stairs, holding back a scream as the phone rang yet again.

         Stevie laid curled in bed, her hands tucked under her head as she starred blankly at the wall in front of her. She hadn't bothered to change, still in her gown and make up. Her eyes scanned over the paintings and pictures in front of her, her thoughts running at a million miles per hour. She didn't move when her bedroom door opened, already knowing who it was.

      "Stevie?" Don approached the bed, rounding the corner to face her. "I'm back sweetheart."

         "Karen told me earlier you'd be flying back." Her voice was small, and she barely glanced up at him before turning on her back, moving her stare to the ceiling.

      "Damn, I wanted it to be a surprise."  He forced a laugh, sighing as she only nodded. "Are you alright?"

       She shook her head, shutting her eyes as tears began spilling out, finally letting herself go.

     "Hey, baby it's ok." He climbed on the bed, taking her into his arms, her fingers gripping the material of his shirt tightly. "Nothing like this will happen again."

    "You don't know that."

     "The important thing is that nobody got hurt." He soothed her hair out of her face, kissing her cheek.

     "If that security guard hadn't been there..."

     "But he was. Don't let your mind go to those dark thoughts honey."

   Stevie sniffled, calming down a bit as he held her. His arm was wrapped around her middle, his head on her shoulder as she reached down to stroke his skin. "I heard him yell, and when I looked up that man was looking right at me, his finger was on the trigger Don,  he wanted to kill me."

     "Shh, I'm not going to let anyone hurt you baby, and neither is anyone else." He tried to soothe her, her sobs picking up again as her chest heaved up and down. "Stevie you have to breathe."

      "Why would anybody do that?" She cried out, her breathing coming in short gasps.

     "I don't know baby. He's in jail now, he can't get to you."

     "But why!"

     Don sighed, knowing his words weren't doing her any help at the moment so he pulled her closer, rocking her in his arms.

......

Karen looked up when she heard foot steps, seeing Don come down the stairs, running a heavy hand through his hair. "How's she doing?"

     "She finally fell asleep, she's not taking it well."

     "Neither am I." Karen let out her own sigh. "I think it would be safe to get twenty four hour protection. We don't know who this man is, or if there's others."

     Don nodded, sinking down into a chair. "That would be smart."

     "I'm not here all the time and neither are you. I don't want her left alone until everything dies down."

      "She's not going to like this."

     "Well it's that or she could possibly wind up dead."

     "Jesus," Don shook his head. "Brutal much?"

      "A man tried to kill her Don, we have to use every precautions we possibly can until this all dies down."

     He nodded in agreement. "So what do we do?"

     "I'll call around first thing in the morning."

      "If this is happening I want the best person there is, I don't want some newbie or dipshit watching over her."

    "Agreed."

    They said goodnight, everyone's nerves at an all time high.