The Unexpected Journey-A Prince Harry Fan Fic

Chapter 146

"Two weeks?" Maddie's eyebrows lifted excitedly. "You're here for two weeks?"

"Longer if you need me," he shrugged as she stepped back out of his embrace. "But we'll start there."

"Wow..." She breathed, shaking her head as her mind processed it all. "I don't know what to say...thank you."

"You're welcome," he rubbed her shoulder. "Now...I've been on a plane for quite some time. You want to let me in? Tell me why it is Will called me?"

"Yes," Maddie nodded as she swung open the door, breathing through the emotions that perked up. "Come on in."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

It didn't take too long to fill Kyle in on what had happened over the last few days, Maddie had the story down to a sad, detailed paragraph at this point. But they sat in the kitchen over hot tea and cookies while she walked him through it; the call at the hotel, the quick and hurried travel back to London, the updates along the way, the final call when he simultaneously made her night and brought her back down. She was honest with her cousin about her feelings; about the elation and relief mixed with the anger and abandonment. And Kyle, for all of the teasing and poking he had given her over the years, he listened with a sympathetic ear and understanding.

"So..." Maddie exhaled, pulling her eyes from his down to the mug of tea in her hand. "There it is. I'm...ha...do you think I'm crazy?" She looked back up at him; nervous.

"For being mad?" He lifted his eyebrows and she nodded. "See...this is where it would have made more sense for Harry to have asked Derek to come out."

"What?" Maddie's nose scrunched up. "Why do you say that?"

"Because..." He exhaled slowly. "Derek's the military man. He gets it." He shrugged and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not and I don't. I mean...the whole notion behind it all boggles my mind. Falling in line? Taking orders without question? Sacrificing everything? Everything?" He shook his head. "I don't understand it. I'm too stubborn for it, too weak for it..." He turned his eyes back to Maddie's. "Do I think you're crazy for being mad? That he didn't come home after he was shot out of the sky? No. I don't think you're crazy. I'd be just as pissed."

"Thank you!" Maddie waved her hand to him as though she were justifying her feelings to some third party. And then in the next breath, in the next beat, her lips turned down. "Then why do I feel so shitty?"

Kyle took in a long, deep breath and pushed it out with a roll of his eyes. "Because...he's doing the right thing. He's...Jesus. He's staying because he can't leave his brothers behind without him. And they are his brothers. He's staying because he has this overdeveloped sense of duty and loyalty and fuck...Maddie...you love those things about him. Family, duty, loyalty, stubbornness. You love that about him. Even when it annoys you."

"I know," she whispered, feeling the tears rise to her eyes as she mulled over Kyle's words. "But...if I hate it and I love it and...what do I do now?" She turned teary eyes to her cousin and his heart ached in his chest just a bit.

"Maybe that's why Harry chose me..." He smiled softly.

"Why is that?" Maddie sniffed.

"Because I'm not going to let you sit in this house and let the confusion and upset spiral you out of your mind," his smile tipped higher. "He told me that I was the only one who had the balls to say this to you..."

"Say what?"

"I'll give you one night," he held up a finger. "One night to be upset and sad and depressed. One night to hate him; to cry and mope and pout and scream if you want to."

"And then what?" She arched an eyebrow, her own inner stubbornness inching to the surface at Kyle's words.

"Then you're going to get your head out of your ass and we're going to get out of this house and you're going to get back to work."

"Work?" She scoffed. "What do you mean back to work?"

"You know..." He waved his hand with a sigh. "Whatever the hell it is Duchesses do."

Day 60

Maddie couldn't help but think that the rain that pattered against the roof of the car was eerily appropriate; that it fit the tone and mood of what she was about to do. The clouds had taken over London and the rain had been coming down since she had woken that morning. Dressed in somber black, with only her Protection detail along with her, she was going to visit the family of the late Lance Corporal Jeffrey Peters.

It was a quick drive across town to his brother's home where his brother and his parents were waiting; having agreed to receive the Duchess for a short visit. Kyle had offered to come along, seeing the sadness in Maddie's eyes. But Maddie had declined. She knew that her presence was going to be enough for them to handle, what with the security that came along with her. She didn't think an explanation about her American cousin would do anyone any good. So she had set out alone, with Sampson as her shadow.

The rain gave in just a little, turning into not much of a mist when the car pulled to a stop outside of Adrian Peters' home. As Maddie stepped from the car, the driver was waiting with an umbrella. They were quick up the walk and before she had even finished knocking, a somber-faced man opened the door.

"Adrian Peters?" Maddie lifted her eyebrows.

He nodded his head and stood to the side. "Your Royal Highness." With a small bow he held out his hand welcoming Maddie into his home.

"Thank you very much for allowing me to come and visit," her voice was quiet and full of the weight she had carried with her since it had all happened.

"Of course," he nodded and gestured towards a living room off to the side. "My parents are right this way."

Maddie's smile was small as she and Sampson followed close behind Adrian down the short hallway to the living room. The older couple sitting on the couch rose to their feet when she stepped into the room and when they both stepped forward to meet her, bowing and curtseying as they were introduced, Maddie couldn't miss the sorrow in their faces, the permanent tears that had taken residence in their eyes. Before she was overcome with her emotions, before she let her own sadness take control, Maddie took a deep breath and held onto his mother's hand as she took a seat in the chair next to her.

"I want you to know..." Maddie cleared her throat and met Lance Corporal Jeffrey Peters' mother's eyes. "I've spoken with my husband since the accident and...and I want you to know that he told me what an amazing man your son was; what a first class solider he was. And..." She blinked at the tears in her eyes and tightened her hold on the older woman's fingers. "And how incredibly brave and strong he was throughout the entire night...right up until the end."

Day 61

"Jesus..." Kyle shook his head in disbelief, his eyes wide as he watched the TV, as he glanced down at the magazines and newspapers in front of him. The news of Harry's accident, his heroics, his decision to stay out his deployment had dropped the night before and when they woke up that morning, the world seemed to have been wallpapered with it.

"What?" Maddie glanced up from her muffin, looking to the TV where a reporter told the story of Harry's military history while pictures of him filled the screen.

"It's just..." He waved his hand around him at all the items Thomas had dropped off, at all of the print work Maddie had wanted to see, wanted to show him. "It's everywhere."

"Yes," Maddie nodded and smiled up at him. "There's not much that Harry can do that isn't...everywhere..." She waved her hand around them.

"I just..." He chuckled and turned off the TV, turning his attention back to her. "I know that the media is interested. I mean, I see the photos in magazines at home and on the internet and occasionally on the news. But...this is just...wow."

"Yeah," Maddie nodded again. "It gets a little crazy sometimes. But..." She took a sip of her tea. "It's different back home. We don't really have an institution quite like the royal family, you know? These people in this country, in the commonwealth, they watched Harry's parents meet and marry. They watched the day Diana brought Harry home from the hospital, they watched him grow up. They watched him make mistakes and they watched him have great successes and they very much feel like he is a part of their family. And as much as they gossip about him and lay out his dirty laundry..." She sighed and relaxed back into her chair. "They love him. It's hard to understand because we don't really have something like it...but they do. They claim him and they love him."

Kyle nodded, understanding her words even though the idea that the press followed him around through every step was bizarre to him. "And you?" His eyes squinted as he looked to her. "How do they feel about you?"

Maddie laughed; a mixture of amusement and bitterness. "The pendulum tends to swing wide on that one." She let out a breath. "My guess is that with this news, I'm going to be more favored than I was three days ago. But it can change in a snap of your fingers Kyle. A snap of your fingers."

"And here I thought it was a fairy tale over here," he chuckled as he sat next to her.

"Ha!" Maddie's head tossed back. "I see you've bought into the illusion."

"Aw come on," he nudged her lightly. "There's nothing about it that's a fairy tale?"

"You mean besides the small woodland creatures that help me get dressed in the morning?" Maddie countered with raised eyebrows.

"Yes," Kyle laughed louder. "Besides that."

Maddie took a big, heavy breath and looked around her home. "I mean...I live in Kensington Palace Kyle. Diana...." Her voice grew low. "If you step back for a minute and forget that it's Harry, that you know him...Diana, The Princess of Wales lived here. In these walls. I...I go to events with The Queen. I'm in parades and I wear jewelry that has been around for longer than the United States has been a country..." She shrugged. "Sometimes it has fairy tale qualities to it."

"And..." He waited.

"And if you remember the fairy tales correctly..." She sighed. "You would remember that sometimes they are very dark, very tragic and not at all 'happily ever after'..."

"Wow..." Kyle blinked at the darkness in her words. "That was pretty heavy."

"I know," she nodded, her lips pulling into a smile. "What can I say? I've had a rough week. I'm a little twisted."

"Yeah well, let me know when you're untwisted," he nudged her again with a grin.

"Don't get your hopes up."

Day 63

As much as Maddie had tried to avoid any media coverage of her visit to Captain Mark Dennon, it was nearly impossible. The paparazzi were following her every move. The pendulum had swung in her favor and they were out in droves. People wanted to see photos of her—that wasn't entirely true. People wanted photos of Harry; they wanted to see that he was alive and breathing and ok. But since they couldn't have those, they would settle for photos of her. As a result, there were photos snapped as she entered the hospital and there were photos snapped on her way out but none of them caught the conversations that happened inside.

Maddie knew instantly that this man must be one of Harry's favorites. He was bright and chipper and full of energy, even with a broken clavicle, several sutures and a few burns. He was tall and slim and had a smile that reached his eyes.

"Captain Dennon?" Maddie knocked lightly as she pushed open the door.

"Your Royal Highness," he grinned and waved her in. "I'd stand and bow but..."

"No, no," Maddie shook her head, holding up her hand as she stepped further inside. "Can I come in?"

"Please," he smiled from Maddie to Arthur and relaxed in his bed, his eyes watching her as she moved easily into the room, Arthur shutting the door behind them.

"Thank you so much for allowing me to stop by," Maddie made her way around to the other side of his bed.

"It was incredibly thoughtful of you to ask," he watched her as she moved.

"Do you mind?" She nodded to the chair next to him.

"Of course not," his smile tugged higher as she took a seat.

"Tell me, how are you doing?" Maddie looked him over.

"Well, I've had better days Ma'am," he laughed lightly.

"I would imagine," Maddie laughed along with him.

"I've had worse days too," he countered almost reflexively, as though to himself.

"I would imagine that too," Maddie sobered up slightly; both of their minds drifting to that night.

"You know," he cleared his throat. "I heard that you went to visit Peters' family."

"I did," her voice was soft as she nodded.

"That was a very nice thing for you to do," he tried to meet her eyes. "I know it must have been hard. But it was good of you."

"Well..." She took a deep breath. "It was the very least I could do."

"That's not entirely true," he smiled slightly. "But okay." He watched her for a moment and took a chance. "Ma'am, if I may..."

"Sure," Maddie smiled.

"I've known your husband for a while now," his words drew her entire focus back. "And excuse my choice of words but he is a hell of a pilot. He's a good man, a great friend, and a hell of a pilot."

"Well now, exactly how much is he paying you to say that?" She tried for a joke but couldn't control the way her eyes teared up.

Though he chuckled along with her, his eyes held hers and his voice softened. "Ma'am...the night we went down...I couldn't swim. I had a broken clavicle and I couldn't move my arm. He...he held onto me. He held onto me and he swam us both to land. Walters, the soldier who was still alive in the water was a mess. He had lost Peters in the gunfire and he was a mess. Captain Wales he...your husband...he talked to Walters, helped him calm down, helped him get Peters together and then he...he swam me to land." Maddie didn't even notice when the tears fell from her eyes. "He's a hero. He...he would hate the story that's out there right now, hate even more that I'm backing it up but you should know. I know he's decided to stay and I'm sure that can't make you very happy but...he's a hero. You should know that."

"I..." Maddie sniffed, she wiped at her eyes; she tried to get it back together. But it was nearly impossible. She had spoken to Harry just that morning, just before he was going back out to active duty and hearing this...it made her heart ache. "I'm sorry," she turned her wet eyes up to him, waving her hand at her face. "I just..." She reached for a tissue from the box he held out.

"It's okay," he was being so kind, so sweet with her.

"It's not," she shook her head as she dabbed at her eyes; laughing at herself. "This isn't why I came to see you...so that you would have to comfort me."

"Ha!" His laughter was warm and loud in the room.

"Don't laugh! I actually came here to be of service to you, not the other way around!"

"Well maybe you could allow me one favor?"

"Of course," Maddie nodded as she grew closer to calm; his shift in conversation finding her intrigued. "What is it?"

"Well, I have this male nurse..."

"Oh-kay," Maddie's interest peaked, her lips curling up in a smile.

"And when I told him you were coming, he nearly lost it," he smirked as he remembered. "It turns out he has a bit of a crush on you."

"Well there's no accounting for taste," Maddie laughed.

"I was wondering how you would feel about meeting him," he smiled, happy to see he had been successful in pulling her away from the tears.

"Of course," she nodded emphatically. "Let's do this."

As she straightened her skirt and wiped one last time at her eyes, she took a deep breath and Mark Dennon pressed the call button; ready to enjoy the surprise on his nurse's face.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

When Maddie finally returned to Kensington, she had a smile on her face. A warm, genuine, guilt free smile. Going to see Captain Dennon had been good for her in so many ways. She giggled to herself as she remembered meeting the nurse and sighed when she remembered the throngs of people who had gathered outside to try to snap her photo. When her car came to a stop outside her home, she glanced out the window and was surprised at what she found.

There, sitting on her front steps, was the future King of England.

Thanking the driver and her detail, she stepped from the car and made her way up to him, her head tilting to the side as she looked down at him.

"Good afternoon William."

"Good Afternoon Madeline."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes," he was quick with the reassurances. "Everything is fine."

"Then..." Her eyes narrowed. "What can I do for you?"

"My wife told me I should wait a few days..." He looked off in the distance for a moment. "She told me to give you more time but as we are both well aware, I have the same stubborn-minded streak as my brother."

Maddie offered a small smile as she moved to sit next to him on the front step. "You know you could have gone inside." She nodded her head back towards the door.

"It's not my home," he smiled back. "And this seems to fit the moment a little more, don't you think?"

"What moment is that?" She folded her hands in her lap.

"I came to apologize."

"Oh Will, you know that you don't have to..."

"I do," he cut her off. "I really, truly do. I should never have spoken to you like that. We both know that's true. Regardless of how much I think of you as a solid member of the family, you haven't been around very long and I shouldn't expect you to understand all of my nuances and craziness. You're barely beginning to understand Harry's." They both chuckled at that.

"You're protective," she took a breath. "You're head-strong and loyal and maybe just a tad quick to the defense..." She held her fingers apart an inch as she smiled at him. "It was a rough night for me Will. It's been..." She swallowed at the unexpected lump in her throat. "It's been difficult to not have him here." She looked down at her hands. "I may have become a little bit thin-skinned while he's been away but...I'm hoping that will come back together just as quickly as it fell apart."

"It will," he nodded with absolute confidence. "You're a very strong woman, Madeline. I bared witness to it that night."

"Thank you," she smiled and they shared a comfortable moment of silence before he spoke again.

"Madeline, would you please accept my apology?" He raised his eyebrows with wide, innocent eyes, his hands held out in surrender.

"Of course I will," she nodded and then as an afterthought, she added, "on one condition."

"What's that?" His hands were poised on his knees as though he were ready to stand. But he held tight.

"You have to give me your first born child."

"Sorry?" He laughed.

"For a night," she grinned, her hands clasping together in front of her. "Please. I need somebody to cuddle with and he's the only one that won't cause a giant uproar."

"Ha!" Will laughed loudly as he nodded his head; she was absolutely right about that. "I suppose that can be arranged."

"Perfect!" Maddie clapped her hands together. "My cousin leaves in about a week. Maybe I can take him for a night after that and you can have a date with your wife."

"That would be lovely," Will smiled and rose to his feet, offering his hand to help her up.

Maddie shook her head and leaned back. "I think I'll sit for a minute."

"Suit yourself," he nodded. "I'm going to head home. Are we okay?" He pointed to her and back to himself.

"Of course we are. Of course we are." She meant it; no conditions, no issues. They were fine. They were family.

"Good." He held his hand over his heart and held her eyes for a moment before he turned to head back to his little family.

"Will?"

"Yes?" He spun back around.

"Thank you. For calling Kyle. I know Harry told you to do it if you thought I might need somebody...and I did." She swallowed and smiled wider. "Thank you for knowing that."

"You're welcome," he smiled down at her with a slow shrug. "We take care of family, you know?"

"I do."

Day 67

"Okay...enough..." Kyle sighed dramatically as he returned from the kitchen. "This is getting...crazy."

"This?" Maddie lifted her eyebrows, amused by what seemed to be an impending breakdown. "Are you talking about the pizza or the way I'm whooping your ass at Scrabble. Again."

"I'm talking about the fact that we're playing Scrabble." His smile flattened. "Again."

"So you're done with the board games?" She chuckled as she sat up on the couch, watching him move around in the room.

"I'm done with the board games..." He sucked in a deep breath. "Come on Maddie. We've been holed up in this house for days. I'm getting antsy. Let's get out of here. Let's go somewhere."

"Where do you want to go?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "Somewhere. I want to put on real pants, I want to have a drink and I want to...I want to get out. I need to."

Maddie snickered. "Real pants."

"Come on!" He tossed a throw pillow her way. "Come on Madeline. You know it would be good for you. The initial hit from Harry's story has settled...they aren't following as much as they were before. Isn't there some place you go to cut loose? Some place you can have a drink and relax with friends?"

"Actually..." She smiled as she thought of it. "There is."

"Can we go there? Now."

She laughed as she watched him, as his eyebrows rose tensely, as he waited for her answer. With a sigh, she gave in. Maybe he was right. It wouldn't hurt to go out.

"Yes," she inhaled with a small, slow smile; already thinking about the people she should call. "Yes we can."

It was time. She needed to get out and breathe. She needed to see Leo and Sean and Kiki and hopefully Bishop and Ella. She needed to have expensive drinks and fatty appetizers and she needed to laugh. As she watched Kyle hurry from the room to change, calling to her as he mounted the stairs, she felt her breath catch.

Harry had been so right to have Kyle promise to come. He had been exactly what she needed.

Day 71

Maddie was a little perturbed and more than a little surprised when she was nudged and poked awake in the wee, dark hours of Day 71.

"Maddie..." Kyle's voice was loud and intrusive in her deep sleep.

"Mmmmph," she groaned and rolled over in bed, rubbing at her eyes as her mind tugged her body from sleep. "What is it?"

"I leave in two days." He was way too matter-of-fact for that hour and her irritation grew.

"Yeah?! You needed to wake me up in the middle of the night to tell me this?"

"No. I needed to wake you up in the middle of the night so that we can make it to the summit before the weather rolls in."

"Excuse me? The weather? The summit?" Her eyes were wide with confusion.

"That's right..." He jostled her again with a menacing chuckle. "Get your Royal Ass out of bed Your Highness, we're going hiking."

"It's winter. In England."

"It's true. It's true," he agreed and leaned closer; that competitive gleam in his eye bright and dancing. "Please tell me that being a Duchess hasn't made you weak. Please tell me that you, who is about to ski to the North Pole, isn't afraid of a little winter hiking."

"I'm not," she glared at him.

"Good," he smirked at the look on her face. "We may just have to revoke your native card."

"Please," she rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. "Exactly where is it you think we're going hiking?"

"A place called Bochlwyd Horseshoe in Snowdonia," Kyle answered. "And don't ask how many times it took me before I could pronounce that correctly."

"That's nearly five hours away!"

"I know!" Kyle laughed. "That's why I'm waking you up early. Come on. Get your ass out of bed. Get showered, get dressed. We're hiking. I can't leave until I take you hiking." He nudged at her body lumped underneath the covers and walked towards the door.

"I hate you!" She groaned as she pulled the blankets off.

"I know!" He laughed in return.

"Hey Kyle..." She called out to him as she rose to her feet.

"Hmm?" He turned back as he reached the door.

"How many times did it take you?" She grinned.

"Six," his voice was flat. "And that was only after I stepped outside and asked one of your officers. I swear. This language."

"You mean English?" Maddie laughed.

"Ha. Ha." He rolled his eyes and stepped through the door. "Hurry up!"

Day 73

"Kyle..." Maddie's voice was soft as she crept into his room down the hall from hers. Though he was still sleeping, it was morning and the sun was up. "Kyle..." She reached the side of his bed and knocked it with her knee. Giving him a minute, she took a breath. "Kyle!"

"What?!" He sat straight up; his head whipping to look at her. "Jesus Christ, Maddie. What are you doing screaming like that?"

"At least it's not two in the morning and at least I'm not dragging you on a four mile hike in the winter."

"A hike that you loved," he pointed out with narrowed eyes.

"Fair enough," she nodded and sat down on the end of his bed.

"What's going on?" He looked her over, catching the look in her eyes; sad and a little distant.

"It's your last day," she looked down at her hands in her lap.

"Yeah..." He agreed, easing up just a bit. "I mean...if you want me to stay longer..."

"No," she shook her head, her eyes rising to meet his. "I know you need to go. I need to be alone for a while; get back to work, that sort of thing. It's just been...it's been nice being around you again." Her smile was genuine. "We haven't really done this in a long, long time."

"I know," he reached out to rub her knee. "It's been nice for me too."

"Yeah?"

"Well except for that night we went out with your friends and somebody took our picture and I was all over the internet for like five minutes," Maddie laughed as she remembered. "But other than that, it's been a lot of fun."

"Thanks," she grinned. "I mean it. Thank you for coming; for dropping everything and just...coming."

"Any time," he grew serious for a moment. "Any. Time. You know that."

"I do," she nodded and patted his hand. "Now...since it's your last day, I have a little something planned for us."

"Oh?" His eyebrows peaked in interest. "Not another hike."

"No," Maddie shook her head with a laugh. "Durham Cathedral."

"Durham Cathedral?" He was absolutely interested.

"It was founded in 1093. It has one of the most complete sets of early printed books. It has three copies of the Magna Carta and..."

"Are you reading from a brochure?" He joked.

"A little bit," she laughed. "And it's regarded as one of the finest examples of Norman architecture..." She shrugged. "It was chosen as one of the best buildings in Britain. I arranged for a guided tour and some time to take a look at the impressive details. I thought you might like it."

"You had me at three copies of the Magna Carta," he winked and she smacked him on the shoulder. "I'm joking. Of course I would love that. When do we leave?"

"Can you be ready in an hour?"

"I absolutely can."

Day 74

Kyle's last day came so much faster than Maddie imagined it would. It seemed like he had just knocked on her door and pulled her from her solace on that step in the dark. And now he was leaving. She could barely believe it.

He was packed; his bags waiting next to the door. Though Maddie had offered to go with him, he had politely declined. He had seen how people flocked around her, how they swarmed and took photos and he knew that there would be tears and that maybe it would be best for both of them if they happened at home rather than the airport.

"Okay..." He stepped into the living room where Maddie stood facing the mantle, looking at the vases in front of her.

"You're ready?" She glanced back at him.

"Yeah," he nodded, moving over to where she was. They stood in silence for a moment before he spoke again. "You know I love what you've done with the marbles."

"Yeah?" She smiled softly.

"Yeah. I like the visual. And look..." He pointed to the two vases right in front of them. "There are more days passed than days ahead."

"Yes," Maddie's grin pulled higher. "Yes there are."

"How many are left?"

"Forty-six," she answered without thinking, without blinking. As his smile grew, his heart ached and Kyle watched her look over the vases for a moment longer before she turned to him. "I don't even know how to thank you for coming to London."

"You don't have to," he shook his head.

"Remember that first night, when you said Harry should have asked Derek?" Kyle nodded and she continued. "Harry was absolutely right in asking you. Nobody else would have gotten me out of bed, out of the house. Nobody else would have thought of the hike or...any of it." She smiled at him as she faded into a softness that was a rarity for these two. "It means so much to me that you came, that you helped me bounce back. I will never be able to repay you for it...and I just..." She shrugged. "I love you for it."

"Come here," he pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. "I love you too."

They stood there, just like that—each of them hugging the other tightly—for a long while before Maddie sniffed at her tears and stepped back. Only then did Kyle release his hold on her.

"You'll give everyone my love?"

"I will," he nodded. "And you'll call the second you hear about Harry?"

"Yes," she smiled.

"And you'll be extra careful at the North Pole?"

"I will," she laughed. "And you'll stop being pissed because you don't get to go?"

"Eh," he shrugged as he reached for his bag. "Maybe someday."

"Fair enough," Maddie sighed. "We'll see you in July for the wedding."

"Yes," he grinned, his entire face lighting up as the thought of marrying Amy popped back into his mind. "I can't wait."

"Me neither," Maddie agreed wholeheartedly.

"Okay Maddie..." He had his bags; his passport, his ticket. "It's time for me to go."

"I know," she bit at her bottom lip. "Call me when you get home."

"Absolutely," he moved back to her then, leaning in to kiss her cheek, to hug her once more. "I love you."

"I love you too. And thank you. Again."

"You're welcome. Again." With one last smile, he turned away from her and moved to the door. "Take care of yourself Maddie."

"You too Kyle."

And then with one final wave, one last shared look, Kyle stepped out the door to go to the waiting car.

And Maddie was all alone. In her enormous home at Kensington Palace, she was alone. Moving to the door, she turned the lock and with a long, deep sigh, she turned to look around her. With her back pressed to the door and her eyes wide as she let it all process, a small smile pulled at her lips.

She still had forty-six days.

She still had a bit of anger left over from Harry's unilateral decision.

She still had a lot of worry coursing through her veins.

But she felt better. Her family had done that for her. Kyle. Will. Kate. Even Bishop and Ella and Sean and Kiki and Leo.

She was so thankful to have them; all of them.

She pushed away from the door and walked back into the living room, her eyes falling on a picture of Harry. "Forty-six days, Captain. Don't make me regret not coming over there and dragging you home by your ear." A muffled bit of laughter pushed through her lips and she sank onto the couch.

And for the first time in weeks, she was alone. And she could still breathe.

Forty-Six days left. A busy Forty-Six days.

"You can do this Maddie. You can do this." She mumbled to herself and reached for the remote control. She could do this—she had to.