DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of The Royals characters, however I own some original characters that you'll get to know them one by one.

Hi everyone!

I'm back with a new one. I'm trying to write more and keep the updates coming so stick around! I loved seeing this story's royal readers' names back on my screen. I love that you're passionate about this story and your support is what keeps me going.

And I hope you like this one.

Chapter22_Frustration

"Jasper?"

A sweet voice rang in his ear. The voice was familiar, so familiar, but he couldn't recognize the owner. He was curious and frantic, wanting to meet the woman in his ear but he couldn't open his eyes. He felt like someone had taped his eyelids shut. Darkness was consuming him again but there was a playful giggle, somewhere far from him. He had to open his eyes.

And to his surprise, the first time he really tried, his eyelids moved perfectly and he was able to see again. He wasn't lying down on a hospital bed like he had thought, no, he was sitting behind a dinner table. He looked down and saw that he was wearing a plain sweater with some old jeans. He frowned and looked around hoping to find a clue, find the woman that saved him from the infinite darkness.

He was in a cozy home, sitting at a nice table, with the fireplace keeping him warm as he noticed it was snowing outside. He gulped and tried to get up but he was glued to the chair. He struggled but there was no use. Suddenly he heard two sets of giggles coming from his left and before he knew it, two adorable kids ran towards him.

He couldn't help but open his arms and the girls threw themselves into his embrace. They both squealed happily: "Daddy! Daddy!" Jasper couldn't understand what was going on but he couldn't push them away either. They were so happy and apparently they were his children. A voice in the back of his mind repeated: "They're your children."

The voice he was aching to hear again reached his ears: "Girls, daddy's tired." Jasper raised his head longingly but she wasn't her. She wasn't Eleanor. His arms fell to the sides as the kids chuckled and ran to take their seats in front of their dad. Samantha was his wife. She smiled and asked: "How was work, honey?" He blinked a few times, thinking she would somehow change into Eleanor, but he wasn't that lucky.

He asked with a hoarse voice: "Where am I?" Samantha frowned and put the lasagna he hadn't noticed before on the table. She raised an eyebrow at him asking: "What do you mean?" He asked impatiently: "What am I doing here Sam? Where am I?" She answered like it was so obvious: "You're home."

Jasper wanted to shout but he couldn't possibly do that, not in front of the kids. He took a deep breath and asked: "Where is Eleanor?" Samantha's face fell and he noticed for the first time how much she had changed from the party girl he used to be crazy about. Her hair was short and she was wearing a blue sweater with a white skirt. She looked like a mother. The mother of his children.

He closed his eyes and muttered to himself: "This is not the time to think about this. Eleanor. Find Eleanor." He looked up to Samantha who still hadn't answered his question. He asked again: "Sam, where is she?"

Samantha looked at the kids who were helping themselves to the food and whispered: "Now's not the time, baby." Jasper lost his cool and yelled: "Don't call me that." The kids stared at him, scared, and he stopped himself from cursing. He asked in the best daddy voice he could manage: "Kids, why don't you go eat in your rooms?" The girls took their plates and ran upstairs without saying a word.

He felt guilty but he had to figure out what was going on. He looked at Sam and demanded: "Tell me where the hell is Eleanor?" Samantha stopped playing with her ring, the ring he probably had given her, and said emotionlessly: "She's dead."

Jasper couldn't believe those two words. He had jumped in front of the bullet for her. Why the hell was she dead? He asked with a broken voice: "How?" Samantha stopped looking like she cared and answered coldly: "You should know. You were there when she got shot."

Jasper's eyes widened. He was there but she didn't get shot. He did. He should be dead, not her. Samantha started to walk towards him but he didn't want her to touch him so he tried to get up. He and the chair fell to the ground with a loud thud. He groaned and tried to get himself free but he was still glued to the chair.

"Jasper?"

Eleanor's voice stopped his struggles and he looked forward only to see her lying on the floor next to him. Her beautiful face was pale and she was covered in blood. Her own. Jasper could only call her name which turned out to be a whimper: "Len?"

She reached for him with her bloody hand and he grabbed it, squeezing it with all his strength. She was crying without a sound and holding her wound with her other hand. She started stuttering: "Jas… Jasper… Wh… Why didn't you… hel… help me?"

Jasper felt his eyes sting and soon tears were covering his face. He let out: "I'm sorry. I wanted to, Len. I wanted to keep you safe. I'm so fucking sorry." Eleanor chuckled bitterly and faced the other way. Jasper squeezed her hand and called her name but she wouldn't look at him.

He wanted to reach further but he was worried about the glue. He remembered how he had opened his eyes earlier and focused on getting off the chair. And with the first push he was crawling towards Eleanor. He applied pressure on her wound with one hand and turned her face towards him with the other.

She was looking at him through her half-open eyelids and there was a small smile planted on her face. Jasper called her name over and over again but she wouldn't open her eyes fully. Samantha's voice seemed so far away when she shouted: "Let her GO, Jasper."

He whispered: "I love you, Princess." He bent down to kiss her cold lips for the last time when blinding light surrounded him and he had to close his eyes again. He was back in the darkness. And Eleanor was nowhere to be found.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Eleanor gasped blindly and clutched to the sheets under her out of instinct. The room was dark but she felt her father's warm hand on her own in an instant. Her father called her name, asking if she was alright, but first she had to ask: "Jasper?"

He sighed and explained: "His surgery's done but he's still out." Eleanor whimpered in response and asked: "Daddy, is he going to be alright?" The King couldn't see her daughter's face but he was sure she was crying. His heart ached but he had to tell her the truth: "I don't know. The bullet hit one of his arteries and he had lost a lot of blood before the operation."

Eleanor couldn't take it anymore and she tried to jump off the bed but dizziness followed and she had to hold on to her father for support. He pulled her into a hug and whispered: "He did a great deal for the monarchy, for us, for me… I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay him…" Eleanor sobbed into his chest: "I just want him to be alive. I can't let him die because of me, dad."

The king hushed her and said: "Eleanor, you have to be strong. Come on, I'll take you to him." Eleanor sniffed and nodded her head and soon they were out of the room and walking into the corridor full of security details.

She saw Liam and Ophelia talking to Ted and she rushed to them and hugged Liam. Liam kissed the top of her head and whispered: "Ted told us what happened. I'm so glad you're alright, Lenny." She stifled a cry and Liam continued: "And he's gonna pull through. Trust me."

She smiled and pulled back, hugging Ophelia and thanking Ted before walking with her father towards the ICU. He whispered in her ear: "Go on. I'll wait here for you." She hugged him tight and let out: "He was there for me when you were here. He told me you were strong. That you'd be with us soon. He was right. Pray for him, dad."

The King reassured her: "I will." He gave her an encouraging smile and watched as she went inside. Eleanor felt like her legs each weighed a ton as she walked towards his bed. She managed to get herself near the bed without breaking down but the moment she saw his beautiful face, she let her tears fall.

She barely managed to sit on the chair next to the bed and clutch his hand. She called his name, hoping he'd hear her. She called his name over and over through her muffled sobs. She took a moment to calm herself and wipe her tears and then she started talking to him:

"Jasper, baby, I know you can hear me. I never got to say thank you. So… thank you… for being so brave and selfless." She sniffed and shook her head before saying: "This is crazy. I never thought someone would love me this much. To risk their life to save mine. But you did."

She paused only to stand up and cup his face in her hands. She whispered: "And I never thought I could love someone this much as well… I need you to wake up. I need you…" She leaned down and kissed the corner of his lips. She wanted to rip that tube out of his mouth and hear him call her name again but she knew better.

She sighed and sat back down but she already felt more hopeful. There was something about letting those words out that had calmed her down. She smiled as she held onto his hand once more and squeezed it saying: "Don't make me wait too long baby…"

So what did you think? Let me know ;)

Love you,

S