Hello!
I'm sorry I've been away for so long… again. But Senior year is taking up a lot of my time, but working on this story gives me a chance to relax and escape from all that stress.
Important Note!
Would you guys be interested in a one-shot of how Eggsy and Elaine met? I'm in the process of writing one, but if you'd rather just stick with this storyline, I'll put the one shot on a back burning while working on this.
Also, I just wanted everyone's opinions; since school work is taking so much of my time and I only have a limited availability to write, would you like shorter chapters that I post more frequently or longer chapters that take a bit more time?
I'm fine with either, just shoot me a PM and I'll try to make everyone happy!
Elaine was in the realm of fog.
She couldn't quite feel the bed beneath her, yet she knew she was laying in one, and she couldn't quite understand the voices surrounding her; soft and whispered, yet she knew they were spoken.
Everything was a blur.
At some points, Elaine was able to shake herself out enough to catch and understand snippets of words, but the fog would pull her right back into her sleep.
There was no way out of the fog, but the fog was comfortable, so Elaine didn't really care. She just slept, not caring, but on the verge of confusion.
Semi-lucid points stood out now and again of someone holding her hand or touching her cheek. Elaine didn't know who it was, just that they were there.
You'll be fine, Lea.
Comprehension of the visitor's words registered for a moment then slipped away.
Just as Elaine was struggling to awaken from the fog at the other side of London, Eggsy struggled to roll out of bed.
He sat up and stretched as much as he could with his injured shoulder and contemplated staying in his apartment for the rest of the year.
"I don't see why not," he grumbled to himself. "It's not like I have a job at the moment."
Eggsy adjusted the gauze on his shoulder and rolled his neck as he remained sitting at the edge of his bed. He just stared at the floor and sighed.
Herschel jumped up beside him and pushed his furry head against Eggsy's arm. He purred as Eggsy scratched his chin and soon began rolling around and pawing at Eggsy's hand.
"She'll be back soon," Eggsy said.
It was strange, but having Herschel with him brought a feeling of Elaine into his apartment. With the little rag doll cat- who bit his fingers when he fed him and cowled with loneliness at 3 am- there was a feeling of hope and connectedness.
Eggsy smiled and picked up Herschel and held him closer.
JB growled from the floor. Eggsy suspected he was getting jealous of all the attention the cat was getting. So, Eggsy reluctantly put Herschel down and rolled out of bed to start the first day of his suspension.
But it didn't take long for his boring day to become precarious.
Eggsy was sitting at his kitchen table drinking coffee when a harsh knock pounded at his door. Reaching under the table, he pulled out a gun and stealthily approached the door.
"I know you're there, Eggsy," A voice carried through from the outside.
All the tension fell out of his body and his gun fell his side before swinging open the door.
"Rox," Eggsy greeted.
He stepped aside and opened the door wider to let her in. He could already hear the conversation that was about the ensue.
"Merlin told me you were suspended," She began abruptly.
"You were never one to favor subtlety, were you?" Eggsy observed after slumping down into an armchair with total disregard for manners.
"I guess not," Roxy agreed.
"Then I guess I'll take a page out of your book then, eh? What are you doing here?" Eggsy crossed his arms and pretended like the action didn't kill his shoulder.
But he wanted to look macho.
Roxy rolled her eyes and contemplated him with concern.
"I'm here because I want to know if you're okay."
"You keep askin' me that and you always expect an answer different from the one I give you," Eggsy said, annoyed. "I'm fine."
"I would believe you had you not just got suspended. Specifically for not being okay. And if you didn't have an injured shoulder."
Eggsy sighed and decided not to respond.
"Well?" Roxy prodded.
"Well, what?"
Roxy stood looking at him for a moment with a hopeless expression when her phone rang.
"I believe that's your call to arms, Lancelot," Eggsy said, thankful there was an end in sight for this conversation.
Roxy hesitated, looking between Eggsy and her phone. Giving up, she gave him a stern look a mother would give before putting her phone away and taking a step towards the door.
"This isn't over," Roxy threatened.
"I'm sure it isn't." Eggsy mumbled, making no effort to disguise his annoyance.
Roxy made one final, quick attempt to pry something out of him before giving up and leaving. As soon as the door closed behind her, Eggsy's shoulders relaxed and firmly decided he was never any good at dealing with interrogations you couldn't just say 'fuck you' to.
Herschel quietly padded up to him and rubbed his head against Eggsy's leg. He huffed, then reached out to run his fingers through his fur.
"Yeah, I know. That was brutal."
Eggsy showed up at the hospital once again with daisies. He reasoned the last bouquet he'd brought her was probably too wilted to stand anymore, so he needed to bring her fresh flowers.
He was about to step into her room when he collided with a nurse, making her drop her pager.
"So sorry," Eggsy said, picking it up and handing it to her.
She accepted it wordlessly, looking concerned. She just stood there in the doorway, not moving. Eggsy waited, expecting her to move.
After the moment had awkwardly gone on too long, he cleared his throat and stepped forward to move around her.
"Wait," She said, putting a hand up to stop him. "Before you go in…"
Eggsy froze.
"Before I go in what?" Eggsy asked, his heart pounding.
The nurse gave him a sad look.
"There's no easy way to say th-"
Eggsy pushed past her before she could finish, ignoring the squabbling of the nurse following him. But he wished he'd listened once he saw.
He stood in front of an empty bed.
Three possibilities jumped to his mind; she was dead, in surgery, or taken. He hoped it was the second. But that seemed unlikely if the nurse's panic was anything to go by.
Another person joined and then there was talking behind him, but he didn't care enough to listen; he just walked up to the empty bed and stared at it.
"Where is she?" He asked.
The conversation behind him ceased. He took a moment to control his panic, his rage, before turning. Elaine's doctor stood beside the nurse and held his clipboard so tight his knuckles were white. He cleared his throat nervously before speaking.
"I'm afraid Ms. Daniella has been discharged."
"Discharged by who?" Eggsy snapped.
Doctor Gould tugged at the collar of his shirt.
"We don't know."
The doctor's eyes flickered away from Eggsy's then he shifted uncomfortably. Eggsy was both furious and relieved. He didn't have to look far for whoever took Elaine.
Calmly, and without visible anger, Eggsy closed the few steps between him and the doctor, grabbed him by the collar, and slammed him against the wall.
The nurse screamed and ran out of the room.
"You really need to learn how to lie," Eggsy said, seething.
"I don't know anyth-"
Eggsy tightened his grip and shook him.
"Stop lying." He snapped, making sure to have a bruising force behind
"I'll tell you what," Eggsy said, relaxing. "There's no need to be uncivil about this, yeah?" Eggsy let go of the doctor's collar and Gould frantically nodded his head in agreement.
"What's say we go have this conversation elsewhere?"
Doctor Gould stuttered before actual words processed.
"I have patients, I-"
"There are others doctors." Eggsy snapped. "Elaine is the only patient that should be on your mind right now. Don't you think, Doctor?"
Once again, the only response the doctor could manage was to nod frantically.
"Galahad," Merlin pinched the bridge of his nose.
Merlin and Eggsy were staring each other down in the Tailor shop front nearest to the hospital; which just so happened to be Mr. Brown's. Mr. Brown was standing beside Merlin, silent as ever, and waited for instruction as to either throw Eggsy out or return to his post behind the shop counter.
"I had more than enough reason to suspect him," Eggsy defended quickly.
"It seems to me you're just trying to get back on the mission."
"No, I swear I'm not," Eggsy looked to Mr. Brown for help, but all he was met with was a calm, stoic face. "I just brought him to you. I swear I'll leave this to you."
"Eggsy, I don't know-"
"Well, I do. I'm tellin' you, he knows where Elaine is." Eggsy's voice was rising. "I'll stay out of the investigation, but please, just interrogate him. He's behind this."
Merlin closed his eyes and shook his head. Eggsy wondered when he would push Merlin over the boundary of annoyed exasperation, and into anger. Quite honestly, it probably wasn't far ahead.
"Fine. Where is he?" Merlin asked.
Eggsy cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to put up a passive expression.
This might just break that boundary.
"Eggsy," Merlin warned.
"I might have stuffed him in the boot of the cab."
Merlin stopped, glared something awful at him, and took a deep breath. Letting out his frustration in a puff of air, Merlin shook his head and proceeded to turn to the quiet man beside him.
"Mr. Brown, will you bring the cab around back?" Merlin asked.
Eggsy waited impatiently as Merlin walked back into the room and settled into a chair.
"I swear, you're just trying to get us all detained at Her Majesty's pleasure."
"Eh, they wouldn't lock us up just for bothering a shady doctor, would they, now?" Eggsy said, shrugging.
"I hope you realize that who you have stuffed into the boot of your cab is one of the premier surgeons in England." Merlin reprimanded.
"He must not be that premier if he makes a habit of kidnapping his patients." Eggsy shrugged.
"Cheeky bastard," Merlin swore under his breath.
Mr. Brown walked into the doorway and nodded to both of them.
"I've brought around the cab, sir."
Merlin nodded
"That's your cue to leave."
Eggsy stayed put.
Merlin glared at him, challenging him to speak.
"Just one punch, I won't even break anyth-"
"Eggsy," Merlin snapped.
"Yeah," Eggsy nodded knowingly.
It was a long shot, but worth a try. Eggsy grabbed his coat and proceeded to leave while regretting not punching the slimy doctor when he had the chance.
"You know where to find me," Eggsy called out.
Merlin grumbled in response.
Sharp footsteps bounced around the makeshift hospital room. It was chilly, sterile. This was worse than a hospital, because in a hospital, at least there were the signs of life; the rushing nurses running through hallways and bossy doctors giving orders. Even the coughing of other patients. But here, there was none of that save for the sharp and lonely footsteps. The only other sounds were the cold, mechanical pings from the stolen heart monitor.
She didn't have time for this. Every minute Elaine slept was a minute wasted. She just needed to wake up already.
She just sat down next to her and stared at her lifeless hand.
"Just wake up already, Lea. We don't have time for this,"
She could feel her blood pressure rise. A thin sheen of sweat collected on her brow.
Someone coughed behind her. She turned and the young resident she had talked into helping her stood unsurely behind her.
"What?" She asked tiredly.
He cleared his throat before giving the news.
"The Kingsmen got Doctor Gould."
She froze, then turned slowly.
"What do you mean 'got'?"
"Um…" He wrung his hands together. "He was taken in."
"We don't have time," Her voice quivered as she looked back at her sister and squeezed her hand.
Deciding that wasn't enough, she dropped her hand and started shaking her shoulders.
"Wake up, Lea! Wake up!" She shouted, shaking Elaine's shoulders with even more force.
Her hands were pried away by the resident and she was pulled away from the bed. Evie tore herself away from him and shoved him away. Turning away to hide the tears on her face, she stood quietly, willing her sister to wake up.
"Let me know if anything changes," She said before walking out of the room.
Bedivere walked into the greenhouse.
It was rainy out and once he stepped in, he lowered his umbrella and shook it out above the dirty ground. Old, worn, wood planks creaked beneath his feet.
Stepping through the second door, Bedivere took a moment to look around the room; a room filled with rows and rows of potted plants and soil bags. Some pots were overflowing with blooms, others just saplings and others were hanging by the opaque windows.
Striding in further, Bedivere spotted Eggsy seated on a bench at the other side of the room with a scowl etched into his brow.
"This is a lonely place to be," Bedivere observed.
Eggsy knocked his head against the wall behind him.
"Yeah, well. I came here to look for anything that would help; thought maybe Greg was working with Gould. But can't find shit."
Bedivere silently brushed off a dirt-peppered stool and took a set beside Eggsy.
"Elaine used to work here. Her boss is worried sick." Eggsy said. "She keeps calling me, running into me at the hospital. I never have any answers for her."
"Elaine will answer her questions when we get her back," Bedivere said, kicking a gardening tool out of the way of his foot.
Eggsy sat silently.
"Have you gotten anything out of the doctor?" Eggsy asked.
The stool creaked as Bedivere shifted.
"No. He's a nervous wreck, but he knows how to keep a secret."
Eggsy nodded, looking down.
"He'll crack," Bedivere assured. "We've only had him for a day and we haven't resorted to more uncivilized techniques."
"Can I be there for that uncivilized bit?" Eggsy seethed.
Bedivere snorted.
"Only if you want Merlin to spear you through your chest."
"Since when have I ever given a damn about consequences?" Eggsy laughed half-heartedly.
Bedivere was still smiling when he leaned back against the wall of the greenhouse. There was an awkward lull between them before Eggsy laughed at a realization. When Bedivere gave him a questioning look, Eggsy explained.
"Earlier this year, I was giving you updates on 'Evie', and now you're giving updates on Elaine's kidnapper."
Bedivere snorted again. Eggsy noticed he didn't usually laugh. Bedivere stood and brushed off his trousers.
"Merlin will come around," Bedivere assured. "So will Elaine."
Eggsy nodded, standing up as well.
"Thanks, Bedivere." Eggsy said, walking out of the greenhouse.
His fellow Kingsmen hesitated before following Eggsy out.
"My name is Todd."
Eggsy faltered, surprised, but then gave Todd a grateful nod and left the greenhouse.
Elaine opened her eyes and was immediately attacked with a throbbing headache and an aching body. The gravity around her was stronger than usual; she tried to lift up her head, but it was too heavy. She spun while laying there as her throbbing headache ceased to a manageable pain.
She looked around as much as she could, but she gave up and just settled with staring at the ceiling. From what she could tell, the room was empty, and she didn't recognize it.
"Hello?"
Her voice was hoarse to the point that she barely recognized it.
"Hello?" She said louder; although it only made her headache worse.
A few straggly breaths escaped her as panic rose up in her chest. She tried harder to sit up, but gravity just pulled her down harder and made her nauseous.
"Elaine,"
A gentle hand wiped the tears from her cheeks and brushed her hair back. Struggling with the nausea that was settled heavily in her stomach, Elaine looked up to see Eggsy beside her running a soothing hand over her forehead.
"Eggsy,"
His face scrunched up in confusion. He pulled his hand away and took a step back.
"What?" He asked.
His face when cold and a little fearful when he snapped his attention to someone standing on the other side of Elaine.
"What's wrong with her? You said there wouldn't be many complications."
"She just woke from a coma, what do you expect?" A voice Elaine didn't recognize reprimanded. "It seems like she's experiencing hallucinations."
Elaine's chin was gently pulled away from Eggsy and turned towards another man. He studied her eyes and took her pulse.
"Can you tell me who this is?" The man asked, gesturing to Eggsy.
Elaine looked back to see distortions in her vision, her headache got worse. Eggsy looked warped, fake.
"It's okay. Take your time," The unknown man said.
The harder Elaine studied Eggsy, the more she realized he had a shorter frame, leaner. Then his hair began to grow and his features melted and warped into a more feminine face. Then, before Elaine knew what happened another familiar face was looking down at her, albeit, one that was much more unwelcomed.
"Mom?" Elaine asked, shaking.
She scoffed.
"If I'm mom, then hell has frozen over."
Now everything was distorted, her vision was too chaotic and everything was too bright. So bright it hurt.
"I don't feel good," Elaine groaned, trying to keep her sickness at bay.
There was shuffling beside her, then a prick in her arm and once again a welcoming warmth spread through her veins and soothed her headache.
"Once she's awake again, she should be more coherent." the unknown voice said.
Elaine's bed dipped as Evie sat next to her. She normally said nothing, just sat there wishing for a different reality.
"I should have seen it," Evie whispered. "Greg was clearly in love with you."
Silence.
"I'm sorry that I said those things." Evie ran a hand through her sister's hair. "After the wedding rehearsal. And I doubt you'll forgive me for what's going to happen soon. I just… I'm…"
Evie was descending into sobs when a light squeeze surrounding her hand. Sniffling, Evie wiped her nose on her sleeve and studied Elaine closely, fearing the squeeze was just a figment of her imagination.
Staring at her sister's sleeping face, Evie's world stood still as she watched, frozen. Her breath was stuck in her chest.
Elaine's eyes fluttered.
"Elaine? Lea?" Evie asked, her heart beating fast.
Elaine struggled to keep her eyes open; they seemed heavy and red, but they were open. Shifting around, Elaine turned towards Evie.
"Eve?" She croaked.
"Yeah, yeah, it's me," Evie cried.
She watched as Elaine's tired, red eyes melted from confusion to fear. In one moment, a panic jumped to her eyes and she started squirming and searching the room in front of her.
"Calm down, Lea," Evie ordered, trying everything she could to stop Elaine from potentially hurting herself.
But Elaine was now trying to roll herself out of bed, but her arms gave way and she fell back down to the mattress Once she started shaking and heaving, Evie stepped away and ran towards the door.
"John!" Evie called out into the hall. "John! … just had to take a coffee break now?" She mumbled angrily to herself.
Approaching her sister like one would approach a scared animal, Evie slowly dragged a chair over and waited for Elaine to calm.
"Where am I?" Elaine croaked as she shivered.
"A safe place," Evie promised, bringing up the blankets to her sister's shoulders.
Elaine rolled over and tucked her knees into her chest, closing her eyes. Evie waited, brushing her hair back from her pale, clammy face. Elaine opened her eyes again and watched Evie.
"Where is Eggsy?"
Evie gave her a sad look.
"The Kingsman, you mean?"
Elaine nodded, but it looked like the movement made her nauseous. Evie sighed and climbed into the bed next to her like they did when they were children.
"It's best if you stay away from him," Evie said.
Elaine was quiet for a moment, closing her eyes once more and snuggling deeper beneath the blankets as she attempted to put her thoughts; her memories, in order.
"I thought he loved me," Elaine whispered.
Evie looked away.
"That's what they do." She said. "They give you false hope and then abandon you,"
Elaine's lip quivered.
She adjusted the blankets around Elaine again as she still looked clammy and weak, but Evie didn't know she was crying until Elaine reached out and brushed a tear from her cheek. She smiled and took her hand. Clearing her throat, she moved to fluff Elaine's pillow.
"You need to save your energy. We need to start moving."
"What do you mean?" Elaine asked, her voice hoarse.
Evie hesitated.
"I mean there is a big bag terrorist group out there after me and being a twin, that means I have to keep you safe, too." She said quietly.
Elaine seemed to gawk for a moment, then settled into a look of vague remembrance.
"What does that mean?" Elaine repeated
Evie hesitated again, looking down before giving her sister a sad look.
"It means they want me dead. It means they want you dead."
They both stared at one another. When Elaine said nothing, Evie quickly spoke up.
"But I have a plan. There's a reward of 800,000 bucks for anyone who takes care of you and with that money, we can cover our trails and… I don't know… run off to Iceland? Somewhere safe. I promise it'll work, Lea."
Elaine yanked her hand out of Evie's and tried not to cry.
"And how exactly are you going to take care of me, Evie? What? You gonna kill me and then revive me when we're in Greenland?"
Elaine's voice was still hoarse and weak, but her surprise and fear was a strong tone that bit Evie without remorse.
"Iceland."
"What ever."
"There are ways to fake someone's death. Easy."
"Please tell me you aren't serious?" Elaine asked, her voice shaking.
Evie turned her head shrugged. She tried to hide her fear, but Elaine was always good at reading her. And vise versa.
"I want to sleep," Elaine whispered.
John burst through the door out of breath with a fresh coffee stain on his button-up shirt and almost collided with Evie.
"John?" She started.
"I… There was a…"
He doubled over as his breath came and went harshly.
"What the hell? What?" Evie said, impatient.
"The Kingsmen… They've found us,"