The Unexpected Journey-A Prince Harry Fan Fic

Chapter 112

If the first month of Maddie's marriage was designed to challenge her in her new public role, the second month was meant to press her personally. The next month was full of emotion for her; great sadness and good-byes, beautiful beginnings. She felt blessed to have so much, thankful to be surrounded by the people she had in her life.

And as she waited on their front stoop for Harry return from a week long training, she could feel the bliss pumping through her veins. Her hands were clasped in front of her, her arms resting on her knees as her feet bounced excitedly. And when his car finally pulled up, Harry stepped out with a confused grin already on his face.

"Are you locked out?" He called to her as he made his way up the walk.

"Nope," she grinned wide, jumping to her feet.

"Just couldn't wait to see me?"

"You got it," she kissed him warm and firm before waving for the driver to leave his bag in the trunk. "How was training?"

"Long and hot," he groaned, glancing around. "Any chance we can go inside? Have a drink?"

"No," she shook her head.

"No?" He laughed.

"No." She held out her hand. "Come with me."

"Mighty bossy today," he chuckled but took hold of her hand and followed.

"Mmm Hmm." She nodded, clasping his hand between hers with a great big grin. "It's good to have you home but there's something I want to show you."

"Oh?" He leaned in closer, kissing her lips. "Are you cashing in a rain check on that car sex from last week?"

"No," she laughed. "But I'll store that idea for later."

"Then what?" He glanced around the grounds, looking for a clue.

"Then..." Maddie slowed to a stop and turned his body in a specific direction. "That." Harry looked in the direction she was pointing, his eyes scanning out for a brief moment before snapping into focus. His head turned to look at her.

"The house?"

"The house." She nodded. She took a step forward, turning around to face him and reaching out her hands. His drifted into hers as his mind processed and she began to walk backwards towards it. "The house we're going to sleep in tonight."

"Wait," he pulled her to a stop. "What?"

"You heard me."

"But...they told me it was another month out."

"They lied."

"They lied?" His eyes went huge.

"Well, I asked them to," she smiled, tugging him forward. "I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Well it most definitely is a surprise." Harry was shocked, amazed, that she—and the renovation crew—had been able to keep such a secret from him. "Madeline..."

"Welcome home baby..." They came to a stop just outside. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Mind?! No," he laughed, pulling her into his arms. "I don't mind." He tipped his lips to hers.

"Want to go inside? Have a drink?"

"Yes. Absolutely yes," he nodded his head as she stepped away. But before she could open the door, he pulled her back to him. "Hold on." He smiled that wiry smile of his and bent down, scooping her up into his arms; her laughter ringing out into the air.

"Another threshold?" She wrapped her arm around his neck.

"The very last one," he tightened his hold on her and, with a turn of the knob, they were moving through door.

Harry sat her back on her feet there in the foyer—the foyer she had stood in months and months ago, debating colors and textures and now...now it was finished. And together they took it in, they looked it over. From that very moment, they were greeted with the work, effort, and love that had gone into the renovations. Harry took a deep, slow breath as he looked around.

"Wow..." Maddie grinned; amazed at the outcome.

"Want to see the rest?" Harry nudged her lightly and she nodded eagerly. Maddie's hand drifted into his as they began to move through their new home.

And it was all there. Everything.

The painting of Bendal.

The bright pink Kitchen Aid mixer

The vases with the marbles.

Everything from their previous lives, from their time together had been moved and placed, thoughtfully, in their new home.

It felt enormous to her. Even though she had been living in a Palace for months, this place felt enormous. The rooms were huge and there were so many of them. But as they traveled from room to room, it wasn't overwhelming. It felt warm and cozy and...like home.

Harry grew more and more silent as they moved. He took in the colors, the fabrics, the placement of furniture and paintings and...and he really noticed the little things; the small touches that he missed whenever he would glance at the plans, inquire about the progress. The things that didn't show up in the blueprints, the things that were solely Maddie's doing.

Like the photos.

He, his brother, and his mother at the piano.

He and his mother on the lawn.

He in the playroom.

At first he thought nothing of it. When he found the one in the third room he thought it was an amazing coincidence. But by room five, when he started to really pay attention, it hit him. There were photos, in every room, of him and his mother, his brother; from their time together in this place.

It wasn't obvious or brash. It was subtle and sweet and it drew him to wordlessness.

"There's..." His voice cracked with emotion. "There's so much of her here." Maddie caught him staring at the photo she had put in the kitchen.

"I tried to find photos of you in the room you know? You in the kitchen for the kitchen..." She moved next to him, looking at the photo in his hands. "Some rooms were more difficult to match but it worked out for the most part..." Her words fell from her lips as he kissed her; soft and sweet and touchingly light.

"Thank you," he kissed her again. "I mean it. Thank you for doing that."

"Of course," she smiled, warm in the knowledge that there were even more strewn throughout the house; some he wouldn't find until further inspection. "This place holds a lot for you; the past, the future...I wouldn't have been able to toss it all out and start over. It wouldn't have felt right."

"You know..." Harry's voice was low as he returned the frame to its home. "You know I signed off on the first set of plans you put before me without really looking at them."

"I do know that..." She nodded, allowing him to pull her from the kitchen back towards the entryway and the main stairs.

"But," he chuckled. "I started to pay attention after that; sneaking over, glancing at your plans and Maddie..." He drew to a stop at the bottom of the stairs. "You kept so much history here..." He took a breath and smiled wide.

"History is important..." She met his eyes. His hand wrapped around hers tightly as they moved up the stairs, passing framed photos of the families; his and hers—theirs.

And it wasn't all history. It wasn't all memories. There were new elements too.

The enormous tub that Maddie had carefully selected.

The remote controlled sound system spread throughout the house; camouflaged into the décor.

The top of the line kitchen.

The framed photo Harry had given her of their wedding day. The one that still brought Maddie to happy tears.

And then there was the library.

"My library..." Her eyes were wide, her voice but a ghost. Yes, she had planned for it. Yes, she had signed off on it. But seeing it, standing in the middle of it—an entirely different set of feelings washed over her. "I've always wanted a library."

"I know," Harry chuckled lightly; crossing his arms and leaning back against a tall table that sat along the wall. "You told me that. On our first trip to Highgrove, you told me you had always wanted a library."

"I did," she smiled at the memory. "I did tell you that..." She moved to stand before him, her hands resting on his crossed arms, her eyes smiling at the ring on his finger; her heart warming. "Welcome home Captain."

"Welcome home, love."

"Hmmm..." She sighed. "I love that. I love you." Leaning in, she kissed his lips.

"What you've done here...how it all came together...It's perfect." He nodded to her with a smile. "Are you happy?"

"I'm happy." She grinned; cuddling closer, working her hands into his crossed arms; forcing them apart so she could step into them. "So...tell me...after a week of training and travel home...are you up for christening our new place? There are a lot of rooms and we're going to be very busy but we should get started...." Maddie's lips met his again; parted and warm and beckoning. Harry's train of thought wavered as he kissed her back, his arms moving around her. "Ella's Farewell party is tomorrow night..." She spoke against his lips. "And the premier is the next night..." Harry's arms tightened around her. "And we need to..."

"Shhh." He grinned, his eyes narrowing playfully. "Do you want to go over our weekly agenda or do you want to christen this place?"

"I wanna christen this place." Her eyes danced with excitement as his mouth moved over hers.

And, as he pushed away from the table he had been leaning against, as he moved her backwards—his hand slipping easily up under her shirt, they found one of the large, comfortable couches Maddie had selected for this room, as he pulled her down with him—a fit of laughter and a wealth of love.