Heroine (A Harry Styles Fanfic)

Introduction

There are misfortunate events that occur for everyone, which are to be expected every now and then. Like snow on the first day of spring, or not enough milk left for your cup of tea. Life is bound to disappoint at least during some time or another. 

Especially so, for a girl like Nicola, daughter to one of the cities most infamous Gang leaders. Nicola was used to disappointment.She spent many nights awaiting her father at their fancy dining room table, only for his food to turn cold-eventually getting tossed in the trash. Late nights weren't unusual for her father and two brothers, but time never seemed to heal the ache their absence caused. 

Then there were the numerous gold sealed invitations, she'd secretly open and read before one of maids would deliver them to her father's office. Invitations from her mother's side of the family that would get ignored. They always seemed to attend the overdone, highly secured functions, from those of her father's side. Why couldn't she go to a normal party, and what did her dad mean when he'd say it would raise speculation?  

Of course she wondered about other kids her age. Going to an actual school and eventually making it to prom in some beautiful dress, as she laughed and danced the night away on some gymnasium floor.  A pile of homeschool books, and the at home library her father went out of his way to make more suitable for his darling daughter-a bribe, so to speak-was her dull reality. 

So many broken promises, no shows, late nights, rules, and so little adventuring, made Nicola long for a freedom that most girls took for granted. 

All the let down because she was the daughter of Richard Stewart. 

Nicola longed for normalcy and fun, but she also had a heart-a quality that's rare for her families pedigree. She loved them so deep, that she religiously obliged. Behaved. Followed rules, without question or selfish ambition. That is, until one summer day when she couldn't stand another minute of being what felt like sentenced. Ironically enough in the elaborate home she grew up in, which held everything some girls her age could only dream of. No thing gave Nicola satisfaction though, no matter how many numbers its price tag contained. She just wanted to feel like a normal nineteen year old girl. 

She mustered up some courage to stand up to her Father, and marched down the marble stairs. As she made her way to her fathers office, she concluded the beauty of her home was distasteful compared to what was outside. All the shiny things couldn't veil the metaphorical cell bars that kept the world too much a mystery to her.

Without knocking she opened her fathers office door, and found him where he always was at lunchtime. She learned long ago that this hour was the only time she could depend on seeing him in person. She usually made tea and spent the few minutes with him she could get, while doing her best to bask in the laughter they would share. Today however, was different. Richard's heart nearly stopped, noticing right away that there was something the matter, the moment he glanced down to her hands empty of the tea platter. He searched her eyes noticing the kindling beginning to flare behind them.

Nicola had a good actor for a father, but she was naive to this-we never see the worst in the ones we love, right? Richard was superior to putting on facades, as it was part of what he did daily. He pretended not to have noticed that this day was any different from all the other days. "Angel, how are you?" he asked smiling up at her delicate face.

Her eyebrows creased and she sat in the leather chair before his desk. She didn't know where to begin. She fidgeted with her fingers, knotting them together. "Father, I-" she stumbled. She felt rebellious even just in asking. He waited patiently not to interrupt her while she unscrambled her thoughts. He was doing so well with his acting, poor Nicola began to loose ambition in asking what her heart desired. Suddenly he was compassionate enough to hear her for once. Patient even. As if she was suddenly worth all the time in his chaotic life. She found it odd, and she even felt selfish now. But the thought of another day missing out on living her life, had her choking out the words anyway. "I would like to start an... adventure" she cringed at how cheesy she sounded, but she also just couldn't think of a better way of putting it. In layman's terms, she wanted to be responsible for herself, like the normal twenty year olds. She continued, "...out there, and for myself. By myself." She took a breath of air, knowing it was very important she made it clear. "Just me."  

He shifted nervously in his seat, but Nicola only believed he was adjusting his neck. "I don't understand? I hope I haven't made you feel like you can't..." he trailed off as he lied through his teeth. He knew that there was no way to end his sentence without sounding like a complete liar.  

She shook her head causing her blonde hair to sway with the action, and her eyes grew soft. She was naive to his tactic. She hated to let her father down but she really wanted this. "No father, I mean alone. I want to go out there alone-no security, or chauffeurs. And I'm not talking about dinner reservations with the whole family. I just want to do my own thing. To feel normal for once," She was losing more of the confidence that fueled her when she first walked in, as she stared into her fathers newly sad eyes. She used every fiber of courage left in her and added one last thing. "Without running everything by you, or your men, or making plans... normal people don't plan every little detail before they go, and they certainly don't sit inside their fathers house on a Saturday afternoon, for almost twenty years straight! I just want to be normal..." she repeated herself out of despair.

He was resisting and she knew it. He stood to his feet and began to button up his suit jacket. "Nicola, you know I can't do that..."

"Can't?" she objected timidly. She was on her feet next, following his tail as he paced around the room. 

"Yes,Angel, I can't."

She stopped in her tracks and as soon as he realized she was frozen, he stopped too. He turned around to face her. "You know your safety is just as much a part of my job, I'm just trying to protect you- "

"Well what about my sanity?" she retiliated. Then her voice grew, "I'm almost twenty years old father. I want to live like all the other twenty year olds. Adventures, and love, and success-even failure. All of it. I want to feel all of it." Her eyes began to gloss over and her throat began to burn as she swallowed down the lock of emotion stuck there. She prevailed, "I can't spend forever looking forward to going to the same three fancy restaurants we go to every other week, ordering the same food, while seeing the same few faces. Or sitting in this house, pretending my world is one of the ones I read about in books. I need to make my own, and you need to let me. Please?"

You may be surprised that after over nineteen years, he finally gave her, her small adventure. He was sick with worry, of course. Nonetheless he let her. As she wished. 

Well...

Even though she was already gone, and on her merry way, the words she delicately broke to her father, repeated over in his head. "Adventures, and love, and success-even failure. All of it. I want to feel all of it.."

He wanted to be angry that the years took his baby from him. He might have even almost cried. 

He began to battle a tug of war-to call his men, give them the order-or not to.

He smiled to himself, after about an hour later, when he heard Nicola enter and patter up the marble stairs of their foyer. She was being humble with this new deal of theirs. Library today, wonderland tomorrow-you know, to take it easy on her father whom she loved so much. "Nicola is not home from the library, and headed to the roof top. Call for reinforcements," she teased, speaking loud enough for the words to echo throughout the house. Failing to keep the laughter from falling from her lips. He chuckled, trying his best to keep quiet so it wouldn't bellow out his office for his angel to hear. He was giddy with his success-she was naive enough to believe she actually lived her first adventure, alone.

 Succeed today, Richard did-but Mr.Stewart was in for a rude awakening, by a young man who would become his biggest nightmare. 

More misfortune for Nicola? 

Sometimes things are not always what they seem.