AN: Hope you're ready for some hurt, because here it comes...
Chapter 4
Back at the safe house, Eveline was watching TV with her dinner when the phone rang from the kitchen where the face camera was set up. She answered it to find that it was her uncle's friend, captain Sandra.
"Oh, captain Maldonado, what a pleasant surprise."
"Good evening Miss Niisa."
"Is everything alright?" Eveline asked when Maldonado didn't say anything right away.
"I hate to be the one to tell you this, but your uncle's plane went down over the Arctic Sea this evening." Eveline put her hands over her mouth to stifle a cry. "I'm so sorry, dear."
She took a second to compose herself before asking, "Is the body being retrieved?"
"All I know is that an investigation is underway as to finding out if there was an attack or an accident." Eveline nodded as two tears streamed down her face. "Will you be alright tonight? Should I send someone over?"
Eveline shook her head. "That won't be necessary."
"Miss Niisa, we have people here if you need to talk to someone." She shook her head again.
"Thank you, captain Maldonado. Goodnight." Eveline then shut off the camera and hung up the call before hunching over the counter. She took one look at the dirty plate beside her before chucking it across the room. It landed on the floor with a CRASH! before she slid to the floor and bringing her knees to her face. She took in a few heavy deep breaths then looked around. On the ceiling above her, she noticed a small black bump. There was one in every room but the bathroom. She got up and ran to her room before taking a heavy shoe and throwing it at the bump in the bedroom until it sparked a few times then fell to the floor. Sobs escaping her mouth the whole time.
Maldonado back at her desk in the station was trying to keep a straight face until John Kennex walked by with Dorian. He looked through the glass wall at her and gave her a wave. She then motioned him to come into her office. She had already given them hell about the park incident so John wasn't sure what this was about.
"What is it?" he asked when he noticed the discontent look on her face.
"Eveline's uncle was killed in a plane crash a few hours ago." Both John and Dorian's heads fell slightly. "I just let her know."
"How'd she take it?"
"Not well. She wouldn't talk to me or let us in to check up on her." captain Sandra shook her head, thinking.
"Well, it was her uncle." John brought up.
"Wait, was he the king?" Dorian asked.
"He was." captain Sandra answered. "And he was the only member of her family left."
"She wont let anyone come to see her?"
"Put her on suicide watch for the next twelve hours." Maldonado ordered. John nodded and left to spread the word as Dorian's face lit up blue again.
"What is it?" she asked.
"I can't see her." Dorian said.
"What do you mean?"
"I can see all the rooms but the bedroom. She isn't in any of the cameras view."
"Get down there! Get there immediately! Suspect the safe house to be compromised." The cops were out the door in a moment and in their car. "God help that girl." Sandra mumbled.
John and Dorian arrived as fast as they could to check out the building. The front door looked untouched as did all the windows.
"Let's go," John was in first with his gun drawn. Dorian was right behind him. The front doors were all as they had left them but in the kitchen, they saw right away the broken plate.
"What the-?" John mumbled. Dorian headed to the bedroom while John checked the rest of the house.
The bedroom was locked but he forced the door open with his gun drawn. The room was normal but he saw the overhead camera on the floor, destroyed. The window was fine but then he noticed a few blood drops on the floor then he heard something move on the other side of the bed. He moved closer with his gun aimed ahead when he found Eveline crumpled up on the floor with blood spilling from her arm.
"Eveline?" he dropped to his knees and put his gun away the second he saw a small blade in her other hand. "Eveline, come on." He shook her shoulder and waited to see if she'd wake but her head was slumped over and her hair was covering her face. She slowly rolled her head over to face him and he then saw through her hair the red, tear stained face. Dorian let out a breath once he knew she would survive then ripped a part of his shirt to tie around her wrist.
"You'll be alright." he spoke as calm and gentle as he could even though he was feeling a lot of energy building up inside him.
"Dorian, did you find her?" John was trotting in when Dorian gave him a sharp look. John nodded when he saw the blood and tried to lower his energy.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered through a sob.
"No, we're sorry, about your uncle." Eveline looked at his eyes through her hair before she crawled to him and wrapped her arms around his chest and continued to sob.
"Did you call for an ambulance?" John asked Dorian. He shook his head as he wrapped his coat around her shoulders.
"No, please don't." Eveline begged.
"Eveline, you slit your wrist." Dorian tried to understand as he noticed a vase beside the bed on a nightstand with a single white lily in it.
"If I wanted to kill myself, I'd be dead." John knew she was right. If she really wanted to die, she'd find a way, but Dorian didn't understand. As dumb as John seemed to be some times, he understood that Eveline was a lonely girl who had nothing left anymore. An end was all she had been looking for. It wasn't until then that John really opened his eyes and saw how broken she was, sitting there in Dorian's arms. His partner had shown interest in the girl pretty much since they'd met and now he was showing affection unlike John had ever seen. Eveline was clearly important to him, and even now in her time of crisis, there he was, his arms holding her to him. Android or not, he could be good for her.
"We need to call captain Maldonado." Dorian said in a low voice to John. Under Eveline he started to move like he was going to stand and Eveline tensed up in his arms.
"Please don't go." she mumbled to him.
"I'll call her." John offered then headed to the other room.
"Please," Eveline pleaded into his chest.
"I'm not leaving." he said stretching out his legs and resting his cheek on her head, looking at the flower again.
"John, whats going on?" captain Maldonado asked in his ear.
"We found her, she's here."
"Is she alright?" there was a strong edge on her voice.
"She cut her wrist but shes alright."
"Dear God. The poor girl. Do you need an ambulance?"
"No, the cut wasn't deep enough to cause any real damage. She is just very upset at the moment."
"Should we send anyone?"
"No, I think Dorians got it."
"Dorian?"
"She's taken to him."
"That is an oddly pleasant surprise. Keep me updated if anything changes."
"I don't know how much longer Dorian can go without coming back to the station to charge."
"Hopefully it'll give her enough time to settle down."
"I'll let you know."
Back in the bedroom, John found them still on the floor. He was about to suggest moving somewhere more comfortable but he noticed how peaceful the pair looked. It was almost like Eveline was asleep in Dorian's arms. He looked up at John who was motioning to the bed and Dorian nodded then stood up with the princess still in his arms then lay her on the bed. Eveline was either asleep or in a catatonic state, but either way she wasn't sobbing or causing herself any more harm.
"Come here," Dorian followed John to the other room. "It's getting late. I'm tired and you need to charge or whatever."
"John, I can't leave her like this." he was concrete in his words.
"You need to charge. We can have an M.X. come keep watch on her."
"I'll conserve power in any way I can."
"Someone else from the station would stay with her."
"No, John. I will not leave her." he looked over his shoulder back into the bedroom. "I can't drop the feeling that she needs me here. You said it yourself earlier today."
John was about to argue some more but then closed his mouth and nodded in final agreement. "Then call me if you need something, but tomorrow you're going back to the station." Dorian gave him a small smile of agreement then went back to Eveline after turning the lights down. He sat on the edge of the bed and held her hand, keeping a steady watch over her.
Hours past and Eveline stayed quiet and still. Dorian could tell she was slowly mending from the inside but he wouldn't leave her alone. Not for a second until he was sure she was alright.
The early hours of the morning came and Eveline finally sat up then looked at Dorian in the dark. "You can go." she murmured.
"I don't need to."
"You don't trust me." she sighed. No, he didn't trust that she wouldn't do it again. Why should he?
"I don't understand why you'd do it."
"Dorian, do you know why I keep to myself so often? Why I'd rather be held up here instead of going out to see the city?" He just watched her stand and pace around the room. "Why I'd rather have you and John leave me here alone?" She paused. "Everywhere I go, I am given guards to defend me, but they are never enough. Too many people have died trying to protect me. Too many bystanders wounded. I am a target everywhere I go, just like my uncle was. There isn't a doubt in my mind that he was murdered. Our people have been trying to rid the country of royalty for a century and now they've almost finished us off. My uncle and I were the last of the family. My fiancée was killed four years ago and I've been locked away since then. He was killed because of me! I can't be the reason that anymore people die. Not civilians, or cops."
"Eveline it is our job." he tried to calm her down.
"You're too good people, I won't let it happen. Not John, not you." she narrowed her glassy eyes at him. "I did it so that the job would be finished! No one else has to get hurt." Her heart pounded and when Dorian said nothing, she stormed into the den. He trailed her slowly but was also standing in the den with her. "This won't stop until I'm dead, Dorian. I don't want to drag you down with me." She stood there in the dark with him until he rushed forward and planted his lips on hers while one hand cupped her cheek and the other twisted around her. She fell into him and let her hands grab at the fabric of his shirt, balling it up in her fists.
His legs felt weak under him but he stood strong in front of her. "I won't let that happen." he breathed as he pulled back slightly. She looked up at him but stayed close, until he wasn't holding himself up anymore. His weight was slipping through her arms until he was on the floor after a few seconds.
"Dorian?" Eveline looked frantically at him. "Dorian!" his eyes had turned black and he was laying on the floor. In a moment of panic she tried to shake him awake but when that didn't work, she slapped him. "Dorian, please get up!" Tears dripped down her face and landed on his chest as she hovered over him on her knees. When he still wouldn't move she ran to the camera phone and called the only person she could think of.
"Hello?" a tired voice said.
"John! Something happened to Dorian."
"Hold on, what happened?"
"He collapsed onto the floor and he wont wake up. I don't know what to do!"
"Calm down, he's alright. He's just out of charge. Listen, I'll be down there in a few. Eveline, stay put." John hung up then slowly got up out of bed, knowing that they'd have to drag Dorian back to the station.
Eveline went back to Dorian and sat with him on the floor before putting his folded coat under his head. She didn't care that he was a droid, he was too human for her to just let him lay on the floor.
John got there at six thirty just as the sun was starting to turn the sky a light orange. He found Eveline on the floor beside Dorian then asked her to help him move Dorian. She agreed right away then helped lift him to the car.
Next John had to decide whether to bring Eveline with him or not. He didn't think she was still suicidal but he also didn't want to leave her alone again either.
"I'm sorry I woke you so early."
"Don't worry about it. Why don't you come with us." John offered. Eveline nodded then ran to get changed. Ten minutes later she joined him and Dorian in the car and they headed for the station. It was eight o'clock by the time they got there. People were already arriving for the day when John found a few M.X.s to help get Dorian in.
John and Eveline were in the station when they brought him back to where Dorian stayed.
"I'll make you some coffee, you can stay here." John took her to his desk where she sat down and looked around.
"Hey, John. Come see this." A few other detectives were huddled around a tablet that Detective Paul was holding. John stood next to him while he replayed the video. It was from one of the surveillance cameras in the safe house. It was playing a video taken when Eveline was explaining to Dorian that she wouldn't let him get killed for her, and just as Dorian kissed her.
"Your partner is smooth." Paul laughed with a few other detectives. John was taken aback a bit from watching it. He couldn't believe it at first but then he thought about how close the two of them had gotten in just two days.
"How many rules did he just brake?" another detective laughed.
"26," an M.X. answered and the detectives laughed some more.
John brought Eveline her coffee before heading to the back to work on some paperwork when captain Sandra came in and noticed the princess, and headed right to her.
"Miss Niisa, are you alright?" she asked with concern in her voice. Eveline had no real reason to be there so Sandra could only expect the worst.
"I'm fine, and you can just call me Eveline." she finally said. "Dorian needed to 'charge', and John needed help bringing him here."
"Oh, alright." captain Sandra nodded. "Can I get you anything?"
"Actually do you mind if I talk to you, in privet?" she clarified.
"Sure, come on into my office." Eveline fallowed captain Sandra to her glass office to talk for a little while.
When John came back, Eveline was just coming out of the captain's office. He narrowed his eyes at her, wondering what they could have been talking about. Then he wondered if he'd done something wrong and was about to get another talking to. But when the captain stayed in her office, he let the thought slip away.
When Eveline came back to the desk, John said, "Listen, I have to work on a case today. Will you be alright in the safe house alone?"
"Yes, absolutely." John looked her in the eye as if saying, Are you sure you wont do anything stupid while I'm gone?
"I will be fine. I need to get my things together for the wedding tomorrow anyway." she assured.
"Alright." He dropped her off then headed off for the day by himself, unlike he had been told.
Eveline was better than she had been all night and was finally pulling herself back together. She showered, feed herself, then got her dress out for the wedding. She'd be an honored guest and was expected to give a toast to the newlyweds. She had to look her best to uphold tradition.
Once everything was ready and she had nothing else to do, she allowed herself to relax for the day. She read a book, watched a few movies, then hopped on the computer. The life of a princess was fairly simple while she was basically on vacation, hidden and locked away in a secure location. The only thing that had been bugging her was the constant reminder of the night before. The quickly healing cut on her wrist would scar soon enough and be the forever reminder of how the strong princess finally fell to reveal how weak she really was. She had made a fool of herself with the constant crying and sobbing she'd made the android endure. How she'd ever live that one down was a mystery to her. Then she'd think about how Dorian had reacted to what she'd told him this morning. She wondered if it was strictly a spur of the moment thing, or if he'd actually meant it, or even if he'd only done it to shut her up. She would never be able to ask him. God no, how could she?
She simply tried to forget about the whole night by drowning herself in TV and books.
It wasn't until about nine that she got another call.
"Princess Eveline, we are so sorry to report that Prince Wells will not be attending the Duke's wedding. He was in a car accident last night and just confirmed that he won't be able to make it. You still have the all clear to attend on your own if you wish."
"Thank you, I will still be attending."
"As you wish. We will have a car awaiting you tomorrow at the police station at four."
"Thank you, Katrina." She hung up then thought about what she'd talked about with captain Sandra that morning. She wasn't going to the wedding alone, but with a team of guards with her and Eveline didn't argue. She understood that if she were to be attacked while in America, this was it. The plan was perfect a few hours ago because her date for the night, Prince Wells, was going to have his own body guards there as well, but now that he wasn't going to be there, she only felt like half of her was covered. She'd have her own balcony at the cathedral that she would have shared with the prince, but now there was more of a chance of assailants getting through to her.
Eveline hit the call back button on the phone, "Katrina?"
"Yes, Princess?"
"Send a suit along with the car an hour earlier, please. A size 12."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Thank you." and she hung up. There was no way she could attend this wedding alone for many reasons, most of them bending past the issue of safety. Now she only had one more call to make.
"Captain Maldonado?"
"Princess- Eveline." she corrected herself. "What's the matter? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, but Prince Wells was in a car accident last night and won't be at the wedding tomorrow."
"Oh, are you going to cancel as well?"
"No, I have a better idea." Eveline explained what she had planned for tomorrow and captain Sandra agreed with a smile.
"I will set everything in motion here, all you have to do is show up."
"Thank you so much. Goodnight."
"Goodnight." Maldonado was very pleased with the princess's new proactive idea.
AN: Hope you enjoyed chapter 4 and are excited for 5. Don't forget to leave a comment :)
