Robert left his room just before ten. He had always taken an evening walk when he lived at the palace before he joined the RAF. He liked the feeling of cool night air and the silence of the crazy world around him. He liked being alone and being able to think. It was one of the first things he had committed to starting again since coming back to the palace. He wanted to try to make his life normal, and mirror some of what he'd had before. If that was at all possible.

His favourite place was the courtyard. He would usually spend a good half an hour there, just looking up at the stars and watching the aeroplane lights flash as they darted across the sky. When he was about nine or ten he'd been obsessed with astronomy. He smiled to himself remembering all the times that his mum had nagged him about him being out past his bed time and how his father had stood up for him. His father had wanted to him to have a normal childhood and a normal life.

Robert felt conflicted. He'd give anything to be normal. To just be happy with his family. But on the other hand, he had his mother's sense of duty. The results were arriving in the morning- and soon after he might be crowned King. The people had the right to decide, he knew that, but in his heart he felt that he could be a good and inspirational king, if he studied hard and listened to the right people who could help him along that path.

One of those people, surprisingly enough was Len. Most people thought she was just crazy or erratic, but Robert knew that other side of her. The side which she only showed those who she could trust. Those very few individuals. She was perceptive and intelligent, thoughtful and inventive. He loved her for that.

'The Giant' was standing guard outside Eleanor's room when he walked past. 'The Giant' didn't acknowledge Robert until the young man knocked on Len's door. He thought some fresh air might be good for her, she hadn't been outside in half a week and he knew how crazy that must be making her feel.

"She's out," the giant said gruffly, "Went to the courtyard."

Robert smiled gratefully. It appeared they both had the same idea.

The day had been crazy. Robert hadn't expected Jasper to… He didn't want to think about it. Eleanor and Lizzie had been so heartbroken and Liam had looked so confused and miserable. Jasper had been a good friend to all of them, and then he'd just turned around and… Robert worried about Eleanor, he worried that she wouldn't be able to cope.

But what worried him most of all was that he wasn't getting the full picture. Something seemed off with Lizzie. He knew she'd grown up in one of the harshest parts of London and really seen it all but- she seemed too ok for someone who had been nearly assaulted. And more worried about Len than herself.

He swored he'd go back to the tunnels. See if there was any clue there as to what was going on.

The courtyard was only a few minutes walk from Len's room. Robert pushed the outside doors open and stepped out into the cold night air.

He gazed up at the sky momentarily before looking out at the scenery around him. That's when he noticed the small figure, over by the flower beds.

No!

He raced towards his sister. She had clearly hit her head when she'd passed out and it had bled badly. She looked pale and her fingers were slightly blue. Robert didn't know if he should move her. What if she'd injured herself badly?

"Len, Leni!" Robert yelled panicked, "Can you hear me?"

There was no response. He shook her arm gently. He hadn't noticed how cold she was. He took of his jacket and laid it carefully over her small frame.

"Shit, Len!" Robert said, "What the hell has happened here?"

Robert grabbed his phone out of his pocket and was about to call Jasper. But then stopped realising what he was doing.

Instead he called James.

"Hi, it's Robert," he began quickly, "I found Leni passed out in the courtyard. She's hurt her head pretty badly and she's freezing cold- possibly hypothermic."

"Ok," James replied in as calming a voice as he could manage, "You need to keep calm and do as I say. Is her breathing ok?"

Robert felt himself panic and his heart thud unmelodically with fright, "What do you mean? Ok, ok, I'll just-"

Robert placed down the phone on the concrete and tried to see if Eleanor was breathing. He hadn't thought of that, he hadn't wanted to think of that.

He tried to listen carefully. He started to search for a pulse too. He hoped that Len hadn't overdosed. He knew that a lot of drugs and alcohol had a negative effect when taken along with methadone. Robert looked up momentarily.

That's when he noticed the bottle of vodka- clearly opened and roughly a quarter gone and the little box that had fallen into one of the flower beds. That was open and showed packets and packets of all kinds of drugs.

He felt his eyes fill with tears. His little sister…

He felt his breathing become fast and frantic and he searched desperately for a pulse. It took him a good few minutes to find one and then it was very weak. He could barely hear he breathing either. He knew she was in a bad way. That her life was in danger.

He looked up to see James rushing towards him and Eleanor.

"She OD'd didn't she?" James asked, as he noticed the box, "I knew I should have insisted on her staying with Lizzie. Eleanor doesn't even drink in front of her, for fear that…"

Robert nodded, "Her pulse is weak, slow. Her breathing is shallow."

"I've already called an ambulance," James admitted, "She'll be ok. I swear she will be. I've seen Eleanor bounce back from worse than this."

Robert smiled. He knew James was lying really, that there was nothing worse than this. But he needed to believe that Eleanor would be strong enough to survive.

He stroked her hair, "Everything's going to be ok, Len. I won't let anything bad happen to you ever again."

BREAK_BREAK_BREAK_BREAK

Lizzie was lying in bed when Liam entered her room. She could tell that it was him. She could tell from the footfalls. To say that Lizzie hadn't had an easy childhood was an understatement. And it was more than just growing up in Bethnal Green. She had taught herself how to be attentive and alert to a well above normal level.

She brushed away her tears and looked towards her brother. He looked broken but livid. He held something in his hand and Lizzie noticed with a shock that it was her phone.

"Jasper didn't attack you," Liam began, "Did he?"

Lizzie panicked and looked around herself for a way to escape but Liam walked towards her. She burst out crying in fright and looked for something to protect herself with.

Liam sighed, "Lizzie. I know you're not a bad kid. Or at least I want to believe that. So just tell me the truth, ok?"

Lizzie nodded but was still cautious as Liam sat down on the edge of her bed.

"I never told you anything much about my old life," Lizzie began, "All you know is that I went to the Waterstones on Picadilly Circus every weekend and that I grew in Bethnal Green. Do you know anything about that book shop?"

Liam shook his head, "Not really. Just that it's the largest one in Europe."

Lizzie nodded, "It's also open from nine till ten Monday to Saturday and for quite a few hours on Sundays. I used to go escape. Len had her drugs, booze and boys and I have dragons and wizards and philosophers. We all need to run away some times."

Liam smiled sympathetically, "What were you running from?"

Lizzie bit her lip, tears forming in her eyes, "My parents never loved me. People always used to tell me that they did, just in their own weird way. But, I know- they couldn't love people. They used to hit me, whenever they were mad, and say such awful things, such terrible things. They knew I wasn't their's. They used to toy with me, telling me one day that they were my real parents and the next day that they weren't and that my real parents didn't want me because I was disgusting, ugly and stupid. They're right. I really am."

Liam shook his head, "No you're not."

"Yes, I am," Lizzie said, "I joined Domino because I thought they'd protect me. I knew this place was scary, a lot of people have got hurt here. And King Cyrus, he frightened me. Toby joined too, because well, he loves me and I love him, but neither of us want to admit that because we just want to be friends and not ruin that. He thought if he helped Domino then he could help them protect me. We had no idea what Domino was really about. And I had no idea what the royal family was like either. The idea of being sent here scared the shit out of me. I thought you'd all hate me for being so different. I was wrong and now I've ruined everything."

"Go on," Liam encouraged her.

"I found out about this plot to try to assisinate Len," Lizzie admitted, "I stayed in contact with Domino only to try to find out more and then give the information to you or Jasper. My heart was never really in it. And I love Leni, she's the best big sister I could ever wish for. I just didn't want to lose. When Jasper found out, I thought that it would all be over, either I'd be sent to prison or I'd be sent back to… there, and Len would hate me. And I couldn't cope. So I just said the first thing that came into my head. I thought it would hurt Len less than the truth. I thought she'd push Jasper away and that she'd heal and maybe Beck…"

Liam smiled, "Of course you did. Eleanor told me that Jasper had grabbed you, you must have thought he was going to kill you or something like that."

Lizzie nodded, "He really scared me. I know it's not rational to think that way, but, they threatened to kill me and I believed they would be able to do so if they wanted to. I just couldn't help thinking, that, Jasper had good motive to kill me. His loves Len, I was a threat to her. I-."

Liam gave her a sympathetic look, "I don't agree with what you did. But this whole situation is fucked up. Just tell us everything you know about Domino, please. And tell the police the truth too. We'll go tell Len now."

Lizzie nodded, "She's going to hate me, isn't she?"

Liam shook his head with a sigh, "No, she's probably going to turn into an overprotective mother hen once she finds out about your childhood."

Liam's phone started ringing and he noticed that it was James calling.

"What's going on?" Liam asked, before James started speaking quickly and in a slightly panicked but still profession tone.

Lizzie looked afraid and paced backwards and forwards, she knew something was seriously wrong.

What had she done?

"It's Eleanor," Liam explained after he hung up, "She overdosed."

Lizzie looked distraught with grief and collapsed to the ground.

"Is she going to be ok?"

Liam stared at the floor not knowing what to say to his sister.

"God no!" Lizzie yelled as she realised just how serious everything was.

Liam walked towards the door, "All we can do now is hope that everything turns out ok. I can't lose Leni too."

BREAK_BREAK_BREAK_BREAK

It was gone past one in the morning but Jasper still couldn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes he saw Len. He saw how broken and betrayed she looked. And there was nothing he could do. He'd lost her forever, but worst of all he knew that she'd lost herself too in that moment.

And that scared the shit out of him, because he knew what was going to happen next if he didn't get there quick enough to stop her.

He just hoped that Lizzie would turn around and tell the truth before anything bad happened.

Jasper heard the sound of keys and turned around to see his door being unlocked.

He tried to remain level headed and logical, but desperately hoped that he was being released. In fact, he was so worried now that he was almost at the point of wanting to beat up the next guard who came into his room, dashing past him and running all the way to the palace to make sure that Len was going to be ok.

The last person he expected to see was the Queen.

He could tell something was seriously wrong. The Queen was usually the beacon of perfection but he her hair looked like it hadn't been brushed, her mascara was smudged from where she'd obviously been crying.

He knew then that Leni was seriously ill or had been seriously hurt.

"Save her," the Queen begged, "Please Jasper. You're the only one who can save her."

BREAK_BREAK_BREAK_BREAK

Liam, Lizzie, Marcus, James and Robert was all gathered around Leni's bed. She looked terrible and they all knew, though no one mentioned it, that she was dying. The damage that had been done from this would be hard to repair, if not impossible. The human body just wasn't strong enough.

They knew they were losing her.

"I don't deserve to be here," Lizzie muttered. In the car on the way there, she'd told James, Marcus and Robert everything, and more. Whilst none of them thought she was evil, and they understood and forgave her actions, she still felt like it was all her fault.

"You were just trying to protect her," James said, "You didn't plan for any of this to happen."

"And Leni needs you now," Robert added, "If she's going to survive."

"Don't say if!" Liam snapped, "This is Leni we're on about. She won't just give up."

"Liam, you have to be realistic," Robert councelled.

"To hell with realistic!" Liam yelled, "We're twins! I can't lose her!"

"None of this helping anything!" James snapped, "Leni wants all of you here and she'd want you to stop bickering too."

"This is all my fault," Lizzie said, "If I hadn't lied… Jasper would have stopped her. Her blood is on my hands."

"No it isn't," a familiar voice said. Jasper.

Lizzie looked horrified as he entered the room. She noticed how he looked distraught and he walked to Len's side and took one of her hands in his, kissing it.

"Your mum told me everything," Jasper answered, "The way you were raised up, that you were lied to by Domino, scared of us, and only stayed with them to protect Eleanor. This whole situation is fucked up, but we'd all be lying to ourselves if we truely believed that Len wouldn't relapse and that something like this wouldn't happen. I have so much faith in her. I know that she's so strong but… that's the problem she tries to be too strong rather than letting any of us in. But you have to let us help now, Len."

He looked at her. The wires running here and there, the sound of the ventilator and the machines recording her heart beat. She was so small and the blankets seemed to be drowning her. He kissed her forehead and found that she was slightly feverish. Hopefully she was fighting off the effects of whatever she'd taken. He couldn't lose her.

"Come on," Liam said, "Let's give Jasper some space."

They all started to move out of the room.

"Wait!" Jasper yelled, "Lizzie, stay, please. We should talk."

Lizzie stood nervously, frozen with fear. Robert gave her a reassuring nod before leaving the room with the others.

Lizzie walked over to her sister's side.

"You hate me, don't you?" Lizzie asked quietly.

Jasper shook his head, "Don't worry, Princess. Your sister got me arrested once. She thought I'd killed your father."

Lizzie frowned, "Why?"

"Because I slept with your mum," Jasper admitted.

"What?!" Lizzie exclaimed, "How could you?"

"I know, I know," Jasper said, "But I thought I'd lost Len then anyway. I'd betrayed her before that. I said I had a sex tape of her when I didn't, because she threatened to fire me. I needed to stay at the palace, because a friend of mine, Mandy, and I had this stupid deal with some lord to steal diamonds from the palace."

"And Len still loves you?" Lizzie asked, "In spite of all of that."

"Hey," Jasper said, "Len could never hate you. You were just trying to protect yourself. I mean, you believed that I was going to kill you, or send you back to that hell hole and you'd never see your sister again. I think the way you responded to that was pretty fair, all things considered. I forgive you. At the end of the day, we both want the same thing- to protect Eleanor."

Lizzie smiled sadly, "I guess I fucked up."

"No, I fucked up," Jasper admitted, "This wasn't just one event. This is what happens when you betray someone over and over again. Someone who already is in so much pain. I just wish I can make it right eventually. You didn't see the look on Eleanor's face when she saw us in the tunnel. It didn't matter what you said, she already thought I'd done something terrible. I want to be the guy she can look at and know that she can believe that he'll stand by her, and love her and protect her."

"She knows you're that guy," Lizzie answered, "She just needs time to adjust to that. I didn't give her that time."

Jasper smiled, "I think we just need to start over clean. We've both had shit lives and done shitty things. But let's promise from now on that we'll try to do the right thing."

Lizzie smiled, "I promise."

Jasper hugged her, "Len's lucky to have you as a sister."

Lizzie brushed her tears away, "I'll wait outside. You should spend some time with Len."

Japser smiled, "Ok, kiddo. And you make sure you get something to eat and drink, and some sleep. Otherwise Len will be super mad when she wakes up."

Lizzie smiled, before joining her family and friends out in the corridor.

"I'm here, cupcake," Jasper said, stroking Leni's hair, "And I promise I'll always fight for you. I promise I'll make things right, prove that you can trust me. And I'll fix everything. I'll make you breakfast in bed every morning, I won't complain when you play the same songs over and over again when we're in the car, I'll go back to the puppy shelter and get Prince Rufus. Whatever you want I'll do it. I love you so much, Len. You're so loved. Everyone loves you. And we can't live without you. Please, we need you. I need you."

Jasper held Eleanor's hand tightly and closed his eyes trying to block out the reality of everything that was happening and imagine a time when they'd truely been happy.

He smiled at a memory. It wasn't a happy one as such. They're relationship had always been strained. But there was a healthy level of banter between them, a competitive streak in both of them. So when Eleanor swore that she'd be better at him at snowboarding, he knew he had to outcompete her. They had gone to one of the dry slopes on the outskirts of London. As it turned out, Jasper was a fair snowboarder, and Eleanor was just terrible, though she'd never admit it.

She'd given up and laid down in the fake snow, and started making a snow angel. It was the most beautiful thing that Jasper had ever seen, apart from one thing, Jasper thought to himself.

He couldn't let Eleanor just be a memory, he had to make sure she survived, no matter what.

"Leni, please," he whispered, "I can't do this on my own."

He kissed her again and was suddenly aware of her hand moving.

She was waking up!

Her eyes opened slowly, tiredly. She took a good minute or so to recognise her surroundings and then almost immediately as she became coherent she tried to pull out the breathing tube, fighting against it.

Jasper pressed the emergency button, before grabbing Eleanor's hands to prevent her from injuring herself. She looked scared, and he didn't know what to do.

The nurses rushed in and quickly removed the breathing tube. Eleanor took a deep, loud breath and looked up at Jasper lovingly.

"Don't speak," Jasper told her, "You need to rest."

"Don't tell me what to do," Eleanor answered in a raspy and strained voice.

Jasper laughed, and began to cry with happiness, "My Len. My Eleanor."

Eleanor smiled lovingly.

Suddenly everyone was rushing through the doors.

"Is everything ok?" Queen Helena asked, worry clear on her face.

Eleanor tried to sit up, but Jasper wouldn't let her. She gave a sulky face, and rolled her eyes, realising he wasn't going to give in.

"Yup, Len's fine," Liam said with a smile, "Just fine."