Authors Notes: OMG Its snowing! *Rolls around on the floor.* I haven't seen snow in over 15 years! Also yes this is part 4 in the Eve Saga. Eve will have to confront her sister.

Holding You

Chapter 1

The Crowded Streets

1 Year Later

Pain…pure and white hot pain running through her. She was sure where she had been hit in the first place. She remembered coming out of a shop with a loaf of bread, cheese, carrots, and apples. She was walking toward her father who had just walked out of the boot shop. Her brother's feet were growing so fast. But the smile on his face when she came out and walked toward him seemed to reassure her to keep walking toward him. But when she got nearer to him she realized that smile had stopped and he had yelled something. She turned around to see what could get such a reaction from her father. She felt something hit her…that was it.

She woke up just in time to see her father's tear stained face. He was talking to someone, the next thing she knew she saw Sir Andrew who helped him put her up on a horse which Percy slid in behind her. She pressed her tired face to his chest as he held her close. She could feel herself getting increasingly weaker. Her eyes rolled and she slumped in his arms.

When she woke up again she saw bright lights, and candles.

"Just do it! Get the bullet out or she will just die of lead poisoning!" She heard someone she didn't know yell to someone else. She opened her eyes to see her father being held back by Sir Tony and Sir Andrew. He was yelling something, but she couldn't hear him at all. He seen her eyes opened so reached for her. His hand slightly touched her brow. To him she felt so hot. She felt a great pain in her stomach and this caused her to scream aloud and lose consciousness

They were on horses again, she could hear her father a bit, he must have been talking to Sir Andrew.

"Percy, a carriage would have been much safer for her to travel in."

"You heard the Doctors Andrew, she needs warmth. The spring air still isn't as good warm as it has been. If the wound is to heal properly then…" She slowly turned her head to look at Sir Andrew.

"Percy…" He said pointing to Eve who he let fall away from his arms for a moment.

"What…happened?" Even this action caused Eve to pant hard. She was still so very weak.

"You were shot. We're still not sure who did it. The man was hooded. We weren't able to catch him because the street was too crowded he could have just as easily jumped into a shop and unhooded himself and walked back out pretending nothing happened." Percy said and kissed her head.

"Are you hungry Eve?" Sir Andrew asked her. The only answer he got was a soft 'Mm-hum." Before Eve fell limp again in her father's arms.

Eve opened her eyes and looked around. They were aboard the Day Dream probably heading back toward England. She was in her father's quarters. She had her own now which she shared with her brother.

Eve felt the soft ruffles of her father's jacket under her chin. He must have put it there for added warmth. She felt her eyes getting heavy again, but woke up moments later when she felt a cold hand on her abdomen. She opened her eyes to see her father leaning over her. But it wasn't his hands on her it was someone she had never seen before. Her first reaction was to jump and recoil away from the stranger.

"It's alright Eve…he's a surgeon. He's the one who fixed you up." Percy said crawling across the bed to be on her other side and out of the Doctors way.

"Hello there Lady Eve. How are you feeling today?" the Doctor asked as he helped her to sit up and braced her up against Percy who held her up so the Doctor could change her bandages.

"Tired." Eve said and laid her head against her father's arm.

"She still has a fever." Percy told the Doctor who nodded.

"That's to be expected Sir Percy. She's recovering so at least it's not as bad as it once was hum?" He said and pulled Eve's shirt back down. Once again she was wearing one of her father's shirts and a pair of her brother's britches. She hadn't worn britches since…well she couldn't really remember ever doing so.

"Papa?" Eve was starting to fall asleep again.

"M'sorry." Eve mumbled. Percy normally told her off for mumbling. Lady's don't mumble, they speak perfectly at all times.

"Why?" He asked softly to her as she leaned into his arms. He pulled her close.

"Burdening you. Must have been…annoying to lug me around…all day." She said. Percy chuckled which caught Eves attention. What he said next may make her feel worse.

"We um…well Eve you've been out for…close to a week." He said. Eves eyes flew open and looked her father in the eyes.

"A week! What about the mission?!"

"Solved…its solved. Don't you worry about that child. The woman and her three children are below." He said and ran his fingers through her hair and sighed letting her fall into a fitful sleep where she kept waking up and moving around.

When Eve woke the next morning to a growling sound. She slowly and gingerly sat up and looked around the room for the source of the growling noise. She looked around and then down. She gasped and covered her abdomen.

"Oh no…it must be mad at me!" She said and jumped when she heard a familiar chuckle. She looked up to see Lord Hastings by the door.

"Hello there Eve. Percy is in the kitchen instructing the cooks. The Doctor has specific orders as to what is to fill your stomach…specially after having a hole in it." He said and sat down in a chair next to her.

"Lord Hastings I haven't seen you in three months. How are you?" Of course this was the Lady in her coming out a bit trying to be polite to him.

"I was deep under cover trying to get to this lady's children before the general did." He said and hushed her before covering the poor lady back up.

"I see…and the lady and her children are within the ships belly so your successful then." She said and looked up when Percy walked in with tea, eggs, and what looked like regular broth with crackers.

"I see you've finally woken up." Percy said. Eve looked at her father for a moment.

"How long was I out this time?" Eve asked Percy. Lord Timothy noticed Eve was still so very very tired. He was about to leave when Percy turned to him.

"Help me for a moment won't you?" He asked and ushered his friend to sit behind Eve to help sit her up.

"Eve you're going to have to adjust yourself to sitting properly back against Timothy or you're not going to be able to eat properly. More than likely make a mess all over his nice suit." Percy said. Eve looked up at Lord Hastings and blushed.

"Um…so…sorry." She said and gasped when Hastings shifted her gently against him.

Percy cracked the toast and put it into the broth. He lifted the spoon full of very wet egg and put it into the broth.

"Hey no sleeping alright." Hastings said and looked down at the young lady.

"Hey how come Timmy gets to hold her and I can't." Someone asked from the door.

"Because I'm her favorite uncle." Lord Hastings said. Eve giggled and gasped as she held her middle. When she opened her eyes again after the pain subsided she noticed that Percy and Tony were looking at her, a hand was over her wound and even Sir Andrew was peeking into the room. A bit of shaving cream was still on his chin and a razor in hand.

"And you're wondering which is my favorite uncle…why should I choose a favorite when look at you. I have the caring one who always wants to hold me…the one who guards me…and the one who makes me laugh." Eve said and patted Hastings hand so he would release his hold on her. All three men looked proudly at one another.

"Percy I think we did a great job racing her." Tony said and Percy nodded his head and looked around as Andrew finished shaving in the room. Eve felt so safe with them, how could she ever want to leave.