Part 1

Rosie ran her fingertips lightly across Carter's shoulders as she came around the chair in which the other woman was sitting. She dropped a cool pack into Carter's lap before stepping back and leaning against the large window in their hotel suite. Crossing her arms across her chest she took in the purpling cheek bone and full on pout gracing her best friends face.

"You deserved that, Carter Mason." Rosie scolded.

Carter huffed, pulling away the pack and pointing to her right eye. "She hit me, Rosie." She replaced the pack and scowled. "Did you see the rings she wears?"

"You have been baiting her since the moment we rescued her." Rosie sighed. "She is upset and tired and you make constant snide comments about her being unable to do anything which you deem as normal. What did you expect, Carter?"

"I didn't expect her to hit me." Carter immediately lost the ire from her voice as she noticed the disappointment on her friends face. "You never hit me." She gingerly touched at her sore face and winced. "What happened to a Princess turning the other cheek?"

Rosie couldn't help the smirk that lifted her lips slightly and put a sparkle in her eyes. "A Princess from Costa Luna turns the other cheek, Carter. Princess Maria Elizabeth Sophia Fernando is obviously not from Costa Luna."

"Obviously." Carter grimaced as she remembered the heavily ringed fingers scrunched into a fist and headed for her face. Sighing deeply, she handed the cool pack to Rosie and stood from her chair. "I suppose I should go and apologise to her."

Carter turned towards the hall leading to the bedrooms. She knocked on the first door, pushing it open when she received no reply. The frown she wore as she glanced around the single room made her eye throb. She pursed her lips and took a quick look around the en-suite bathroom. A bad feeling settled in the pit of Carter's stomach as she left the room and headed further down the hall to the double room. She tried the door handle and groaned when she found that the door had been locked. Resting her forehead against the cool wood, Carter rapped her knuckles against the door.

"Princess, you have the wrong room." She spoke as calmly as she could. "You have the single, Rosie and I have the double … what with there being two of us and one of you."

"I like this room, Agent Mason."

Carter huffed. "Look," She placed her hands on the door wondering momentarily if Rosie would be ticked off with her if she kicked the door open and dragged the other woman to the single room. "I came to apologise. I'm sorry, okay?" She quickly decided against a forceful extraction. She didn't like it when she was the cause of anything which upset Rosie. "I shouldn't have spoken to you like I did." She knocked at the door again. "We're all exhausted, Princess. It took a lot longer than normal to get you to safety … what with all the bags you insisted on bringing. Tomorrow you'll be taken to PPP HQ and Rosie and I will be out of your hair. Now let me in and I'll help you move your things down the hall."

"No."

Carter blinked owlishly at the door. "No?"

"That is what I said, Agent Mason." The princess spoke through the barrier between them. "If it is only for tonight, then you will not mind sharing the small room with Agent Gonzales."

Carter willed herself to stay calm. "I said I was sorry."

"And your apology has been accepted. Goodnight, Agent."

Carter stormed along the hallway back to the lounge area where Rosie stood looking out of the window. She glared at her partners back and crossed her arms over her chest.

"What is wrong, Carter?" Rosie took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she turned around.

"The PRINCESS," Carter spat the words with distaste. "Took our room."

Rosie glanced towards the bedrooms before taking in her irate friend. They had been working very hard lately, and she knew that Carter was very tired and in some pain which gave her a very short fuse. She was surprised that she hadn't heard Carter threatening to break the door down before dragging the princess out of her room. "I will go and talk to her." Rosie smiled warmly and crossed to the other woman. "If she still refuses to switch rooms, then I will stay in the double with her and you can take the single." She stopped as she neared Carter. Reaching for her hand she entangled their fingers and gave them a reassuring squeeze. "The suite has been secured so go and get ready for bed. I will be back shortly."

"You weren't this much hard work, Rosie." Carter sighed.

"You have a short memory." Rosie smirked and gave the taller woman a peck on the cheek. "It was days before your opinion of me changed so that we could become friends. You only, normally, get hours with the princesses that we protect. It is not enough time for you to form a proper opinion of them, so you reset to a default mode where you dislike anyone with a privileged background."

Carter knew that Rosie was right. Her hatred for the spoilt rich girls at school tended to taint her opinion of the princess she rescued.

This mission was unusually long compared to most and it was really taking its toll. Tomorrow, they would drop Princess Maria off at Protection headquarters and then no work for two whole weeks. Carter and Rosie would be free to vacation in Louisiana with her father before heading back to Costa Luna. Agent Rosie Gonzales could once again take up the mantle of Queen Rosalinda Maria Montoya Fiore and Carter Mason would be Carter Mason, best friend and Royal Guard until the PPP once again called them into action.

Carter felt her shoulders relax and her eyes droop at the thought of spending two relaxing weeks lounging around her childhood home with Rosie by her side. Her full lips lifted into a smile when she noticed that Rosie was staring at her and that she still held on to her hand.

Rosie returned the smile with a wide grin of her own. She could almost see for herself where Carter's thoughts had taken them. She kissed her friends tender cheek a second time before releasing her hand. "Go and get ready for bed, Carter." She smirked. "Tomorrow will come more quickly once you are asleep."

Carter nodded her head. "Okay, just come get me when you need help moving her crap." She yawned widely and stretched her arms out. Carter was fully confident in Rosie's powers of persuasion and soon they would both be sparked out in their room with Princess Knuckles in the single room.

………………………………………………………

Carter was clicking the protective cap onto her toothbrush and pushing it into her overnight bag as Rosie pushed open the door. She did not look happy. Carter lifted her bag off of the king sized bed and turned down the covers. "She's not moving?"

Rosie opened her mouth to speak but snapped it shut. She shook her head in the negative

Carter chewed on her bottom lip, struggling not to smirk at her friend. "So, you're bunking with the princess tonight?"

Rosie shook her head again. She swiped at her bangs in agitation as they fell into her eyes. Clenching her hands in front of herself Rosie glared at the large bed that took up most of the single room. "She would not open the door." The younger woman swallowed bitterly.

Carter crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. "Do you want me to take the door off?"

Rosie seriously contemplated that option for a second but once again she shook her head. "It is only one night, Carter. We will just have to share that bed."

Carter's eyes widened at the suggestion as a weird feeling fluttered low in her belly. She let out a slow breath before forcing a nonchalant shrug. "Erm … okay."

TBC

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I 'll try to post weekly at least but if you show me the love i'll try and get part 2 to you asap