Harry was still sitting on that step, his teeth biting at his already worn nails; his every sense perked and waiting for the tell that she was there. It was a physical drain on him to wait but Jim had been right; there was nowhere for him to be but where he was. He took a deep breath and scrubbed his hands over his face a couple of times, trying desperately to keep his mind from wandering down that path that he was hoping to avoid.
And then he heard it; the familiar crunch of gravel beneath tires. Without a thought, he was one his feet; through the door and four steps down the walk before he realized that it wasn't her. The car slowed to a stop and Dr. Parker emerged; bag in hand.
"Dr. Parker," Harry tried to pull his smile up to greet the familiar face, but it was clearly a struggle.
"Your Royal Highness," he offered a small bow of his head as he took Harry's extended hand. "I was asked to meet Dr. Forrester here to look her over after the...incident."
"Yes," Harry nodded, the lump in his throat returning. "I'm afraid you've simply beat her here. They should be pulling up any moment now, I would imagine."
"Yes," the older man looked Harry over, seeing his nerves, his worry. "You know. I spoke to the agents on scene and they said that she was fine; shaken and a bit rattled, but no injuries."
"I've been told the same thing," Harry nodded, his teeth biting at his lips as his eyes stayed trained towards the gates.
"Well, maybe I'll be able to give her something for the tension," the Doctor smiled softly, his eyes following Harry's gaze. "Maybe I can give you something?"
"Ha!" Harry's laugh was bitter and short. With a shake of his head, he turned a lopsided grin to the Doctor. "I'm not sure you're going to be able to help me with this one Dr. Parker."
"Well, let me know if there is anything I can..." As a hound on a hunt, Harry's eyes perked up at the first sight of arrival. The Doctor's thoughts trailed off as he turned to look. First down the drive was a car containing Nathan and Jim who were still on for Harry for the day. He watched as they pulled up and hopped from the car. He nodded a hello as they moved off to the side, ready to greet Maddie's team; following their own set of post-incident protocol. Harry didn't know exactly what it was and he didn't care. His eyes shifted to the two cars not too far behind them.
His hand rubbed at the back of his neck, knowing that if he looked at his cell phone there was most likely a lengthy list of missed calls. A statement had most definitely been released and their friends and family all over the world were finding out about the danger Maddie had just been in.
But he didn't care. He needed to see her before he dealt with any of them. His eyes shifted to the second car. It was her. His heart thumped in his chest. Harry drew in a breath and held it, watching her car like a hawk.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Driving through the gates to Kensington brought feelings in Maddie that surprised her. She felt relief; she had been expecting that. But as they drove closer, she started to feel nervous, anxious; and that didn't make much sense to her at all. Her neck strained as she looked through the window, wanting to see her home; their home.
And suddenly they came into view; all of them. Her breath hitched in surprise. There they stood; Harry, Dr. Parker, along with a myriad of security staff. Tears sprang to her eyes; all of this attention, all of this fuss. She couldn't even look to Harry, knowing the expression that was bound to be on his face. All because she had gone against a single, simple rule and...
"Doctor Forrester," Arthur's voice was warm as it commanded her attention. He sat next to her; close and tight, he hadn't moved since he had put her in the car. Neither had she. It was funny. There was plenty of room for the two of them to move, to spread out. But neither of them could; both feeling the need to be sure of the other.
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The Unexpected Journey-A Prince Harry Fan Fic
FanfictionThe Unexpected Journey is the story of a young woman who sets out on a mission and finds a surprising, royal, detour. I began writing this story on Tumblr and followed a suggestion to post it here. It's a tad fluffy, a dash dramatic, but a lot of...