Chapter 1
OC POV
I had waited for this day for ages; I was finally going to see Tom Hiddleston, my favourite actor and my inspiration. I had been queuing for hours in the sun with the other fans, the anticipation growing as we all chatted about our different lives and dreams. With just a few minutes to go I was very excited, when I heard the screaming from further up the line I knew this was it, he had arrived! A minute later and Tom was walking down towards our part of the carpet. He waved to us all and greeted us with a cheeky grin, his eyes reflecting our delight. Seconds later and he was moving on down the line, I looked down to check the photos I had managed to snap, he looked dashing in his blue suit. Suddenly my instincts kicked in and I looked up to see a girl climbing over the security panel and running down the row towards Tom's unprotected back and I knew something was wrong. Security were there but they wouldn't get to him fast enough. Without a moment's thought I vaulted over the barrier and raced to Tom's side, pushing him down and out of the way, the girl hitting me instead. It wasn't until the knife pierced my side that I realised quite what I had gotten myself into. Security was on us in seconds pulling us away from the fallen actor. The adrenaline flooding my system began to subside and my body collapsed to the floor as I clutched my side, the bloodied knife clattering to the tarmac beside me. Looking up I saw Tom turn towards me and a smile of relief crossed my face as I slipped into darkness.
Tom's POV
The festival was going well; Tilda and I had been very well received by fans and photographers alike. The stress of the previous evening's travel issues slid away from me as I relaxed into the atmosphere. The fans were out in force and the weather was beautiful, it could not have been a better day. Smiling to myself I made my way down to the red carpet and then the incident happened. As usual I was taking my time, greeting the fans who had waited for hours to see us, there was no need to rush, I had arrived in plenty of time for the interview and I loved meeting my fans. I was just moving off to a new group of people when I heard shouts behind me, I turned just in time to see two people running towards me and then I was thrown to the floor, a body pushing mine to the side. For a few seconds we lay there and then security were there, pulling the two women away and helping me up, but something didn't seem right, one of the women was struggling to stand straight. She looked up at me, her hand covering her waist, smiling as we made eye contact. Suddenly the blood drained from her face and she slipped from the guard's grasp to the floor. A scarlet blade fell to the floor beside her as her eyelids slipped closed.
Panic broke through my mind as I registered the knife and the scene before me, a fan had intervened to stop me from being hurt, had saved my life, and now she was lying wounded on the floor.
3rd person
Screams tore through the crowd as they saw the commotion before them. Many site security and police had arrived, to protect both the actors and the fans. The attacker had been removed from the area immediately but the wounded girl remained on the floor, awaiting an ambulance, medics fussing round like wolves at a kill, blood covering their gloved hands. Tom stood off to one side, guards had attempted to move him inside but he brushed them off unwilling to leave before she was treated.
OC POV
I could barely hear the voices around me above the buzzing in my pain addled brain. I had seen that Tom was okay and that gave me reassurance, I hadn't failed in my task that was all I cared about. Hands pressed at my wound pulling me to the edge of consciousness and I fought not to cry out as the pain ripped up my side. Struggling against the throbbing I tried to open my heavy eyes only to fall into the darkness as another spasm wracked my body.
Tom's POV
My phone rang and I picked it up to find Luke beside himself on the other end. The news had travelled fast that I had been targeted and it was his main concern that I was removed from the situation and remained safe. I barely managed to get a word in edgeways as he continued to fret and plan for my accommodation to change and transport home as soon as possible. It was at this point I stopped him. "Sorry Luke, but I'm not leaving. I'm not running away back home because of one person. I came here to enjoy the festival and this is not going to stop me. I'm not going, especially not when there's a young lady hurt because of me." I hung up after Luke's reluctant agreement and looked back over to the girl, I was still in shock from being so close to an attack but I was humbled by the sacrifice made by her for me. An ambulance had arrived now and the paramedics were loading the stretcher into the back, many of the fans applauding and cheering for the girl. Seconds later and the doors were shut, the ambulance driving away as the sirens wailed at the sky.