It felt like the house had become a fortress once Will had returned. Either him, Ezekiel, or Oscar was always around me, and Oscar had been talked down from hiring Pinkertons to guard the house. Will was around me the most though, and he could barely get through my description of the attack. "I had just managed to stab my hat pin into his arm when he hit me and, well, called me a bitch."

"Damnaibh e gu slochd a's ìsle ifrinn," Will muttered, shoving himself up from the chair. "Tha mi airson a sgòrnan dona a shlaodadh."

"Do I want to know what you said?"

"No, just finish it."

I sighed, brushing my fingers against my cheek. It wasn't as tender today, even if it was getting darker. "There isn't much more, Oscar came charging in and managed to handle things. He brought all of us home and has been here dealing with everything."

Will caught my fingers, peering closely at my bruise. "Ana, are you sure you're ready to deal with this?"

"If I don't Will, it will never get done." I shifted, "But it does still hurt."

"And your vision? Your memory?"

"All fine, and the pain in my head is gone." I still had to shake my head slowly or it would come back, but I hadn't had to do much of that lately. I tried to smile, "Really, it's just the bruise now. And it's gone down."

"The swelling, yes. But it's so dark." He sat next to me, putting an arm around me. I cuddled close to his chest, simply breathing him in. He smelled of his pipe, he'd been smoking it more often lately. It was at least rather comforting, especially when he pulled me even tighter to him. His voice was low, a rumble that I could feel. "I was so scared when I got the wire, Captain Fraser almost confined me to my quarters. But I couldn't be still, I needed to do something." My eyes were closed, and I could feel his hand running up and down my back. "I didn't sleep for two days, and even on the third I barely got an hour. And then I was here, and your poor mother was half out of her mind when I came in." I mumbled something, burrowing against his chest. "And Oscar was sleeping on the damn floor in front of your bedroom door."

"He hasn't left since it happened." I muttered, "Nor had Ezekiel."

"And I'm grateful to them for it, but finding Oscar there." He shook his head, "It's a lot for a man to see his fiancée's former suitor taking on the role of protector." His breath came out of him in on big blow. "I should have been with you, I could have saved you."

"I wouldn't have let you come anyway." I pushed myself up, looking him in the eye. "I was getting you something." I ignored his spluttered remark that I shouldn't be doing anything, and moved to my dressing room. I came back with the box in my hands, "I'm sorry the corner of the box was damaged during the attack, but everything inside is still fine."

"I don't give a damn about it." He grumbled, but he did take the box and untangle the packing string.

I watched as he took out the new shoes, the trousers, the sword, the hat, and when he held up the coat I could see him swallow thickly. "I wanted you to have a new uniform for the wedding, and I thought you might like to have something personal to it." I watched him open the breast of it and trace the lining. His mouth was working, but no words were coming. "I didn't think you'd want to wear a kilt, as much as I would like to see that."

"Ana." He placed the coat back in the box, standing. "Come here." I stepped forward, and he crushed me to him. "You didn't need to do this." I was about to reply but he shook his head. "I don't need this Ana. It's not that I don't appreciate it, it must have taken so much work even if you didn't sew it, but if you hadn't-" His voice caught in a sob. "If you hadn't done this, you wouldn't have been almost kidnapped."

"They would have found me somewhere else." I sighed, enjoying the way he was burying his face in my hair. "Somewhere where Oscar wouldn't have seen me, where he couldn't have helped. But I'm safe, I'm with you, and nothing can get us here." I heard him breathe in sharply. "Now, come on Will, collect yourself. The police will be here for my statement soon, we'll have to meet them downstairs."

"I know, I know." He whispered, but he clutched me all the tighter. "I just can't figure out why, why you? He clearly can have his pick, why is he so focused on you?"

"I don't know." I had to stop myself from shaking my head, "But we're all safe. We can worry about that later."

"Ana, just be quiet for a moment." He had his lips to my ear, and I just relished the feeling of him holding me. Feeling safe, feeling secure, feeling wanted. I couldn't tell what Will was feeling, probably something similar, but I could feel the way his shoulders shook slightly. The way his breath hitched for a few moments, soft cries that he managed to muffle. I clutched him tightly around his shoulders, and I gradually felt him still. He pulled away slowly, "Thank you."

"Of course." I still kept my arms around him, "I'll always be here for you, you know that."

"I know." He rubbed my arms, "And I'm here for you."

"I know." I nodded, pulling my arms around myself. "I want you there when I talk to the police."

It wound up that all three of them were present when I spoke to the police in the parlor, as was Mother. Will had leaned up against a corner, puffing away on his pipe as I told the story again and again. Ezekiel and Oscar were sat at a table by the window, playing cards while listening closely. Mother was by my side, although it was rather hard to see her. I was wearing a hat with a veil to cover the bruise on my face, although I did have to pull it back at one point. "You can see officers, I am not lying."

"We can, Miss." One of them said, and I quickly let it back down. "But, exactly why were you out without a man? Surely your brother or-"

"She had Lewis." Mother snapped, "And my daughter was not expecting to be attacked on the street."

"But Mrs. Dalian, to send a young woman out unaccompanied by a chaperone, you should have known better. You should have taught your daughter better." He cringed back as Mother stood, anger flashing across her face. "But, I am sure that we can have the case proceed as is. Thank you all for your time."

"Don't you want to know who sent them?" Oscar leaned back in his chair, glaring. "I spoke to one of them."

"And what did he say?"

"Evan Perry, you can find him on Coney Island." Oscar fairly growled, "I'd go after him quickly, before he gets a chance to skip town."

I saw the officers shift. "Mr. Perry has donated generously to the department over the years, I'm sure that this man was mistaken."

"Believe me, I would know if he was lying." Oscar stood, standing in front of them. "Or is the word of a Vanderbilt not trustworthy? My family donates generously as well, perhaps I should speak to my uncle about next year's donation."

"We will look into it." The officer stammered, and the two of them quickly left. The group in the parlor visibly relaxed, and Will finally put down his pipe. I pulled my hat off, rubbing at my temples. Reliving the attack several times had given me a headache, and they'd asked me such pointless questions. Who knew what your coach looks like? Practically every society person in New York. Why didn't you ask the tailor to have an assistant bring the box out? Because they were all busy with clients. I could see Will watching me, a concerned look in his eye.

"You know, there is something I am curious about." He said, moving over to the settee on my other side. "What I asked earlier, why does he keep coming after you?"

"I have to agree, I've never understood it either." Ezekiel snorted, "It's not that you're not beautiful, Annie, but to go to the lengths he has. It's rather ridiculous."

"I've been puzzling over it for the past few days and unfortunately, I think I may have figured that out." Oscar sighed, putting his cards down. "I'm going to need a drink for this." One was quickly supplied by Ezekiel from the nearby bar, and after a drink he continued. "Put yourself in his shoes. You have a son to inherit the company, and once he's in his teenage years you begin casting about for a potential bride. And what do you see? A competitor, one who is stable enough to not have been snapped up by J.P. Morgan, and his beautiful daughter, set to inherit at least a portion of his company."

He nodded to me. "So you encourage your son to woo her, to eventually combine the companies through their marriage. Your son tries his damndest, but she's showing no interest. So you tell him to be more aggressive, you meant in the way he was courting her but he takes it the wrong way. Instead of sending her a love poem, he thinks he's seducing her. In the end, it would make no difference, she would still have to marry him. But she resists. After escaping him she will hardly look his way. You know a man who was courting her is coming back soon, so when you see her family on the same liner you thank God for your next chance.

"Shipboard romances are common, so your son tries to win her back, dances with her, but she's already latched onto another. A working man, to make it even worse. Dallying beneath her station. And you can see from his attitude that her father approves. So you start stewing, and well, the sinking happens. Suddenly she's without any male protection beyond this sailor, and when you try to have your son make one last overture she rejects him in the harshest possible way. And then the sailor is gone, and you have your chance. Buying the company is only a ploy, your true goal is to ruin her, whether she's willing or not. If she's ruined, that's a good source of blackmail. You can threaten her to marry your son, and though she slips away you send your son to threaten her. Even the rumor of her giving herself to a man is enough that she should bend. And you know she can't go to anyone in authority about it, because even if word gets out that something almost happened her reputation is gone"

Oscar grinned, "But she doesn't. And your son embarrasses you, quite publicly. She's almost guarded now, and then she leaves, coming back with a ring from that sailor. You're running out of time now, so you start to grow desperate." He glanced toward Mother. "Forgive me for this Ruth, Anastasia asked me not to tell." He caught my eye, "I'm sorry, but she has to be told the whole thing."

"It's alright." I shifted, the story making me uncomfortable. Everything Oscar said made sense, but it still made my stomach twist. I was nothing but a bargaining chip, a physical representation of a stock exchange. Hearing anyone say things like that, let alone Oscar, hurt. I looked over to Mother, her face twisted in confusion. "He tried again at the engagement party, but Will saved me. I didn't want to tell you."

"You should have." Her voice was icy, but she turned to Oscar. "Continue."

"Back to our tale then, she has to come to a party to celebrate your son's engagement and there's your prime chance. She's already dressed rather scandalously, so you engineer a distraction to remove her protection, then grab her. And you've almost achieved your aim, knowing that you could blackmail her with what is about to happen. You could make her sell part of the company, or at least give you payments to keep it quiet. But then the sailor bursts in, wounds you and threatens you. And now, you complain about it to a friend over some drinks, and he gets an idea. Why not help you? And," He tipped back the rest of his drink. "Here we are."

Ezekiel brought him over the bottle. "You'll need this."

Oscar slowly poured a stream of amber brandy into his glass, filling it almost full. He took a long drink before he looked over. "I'm sorry for what I said Anastasia."

"It's fine, you're probably right anyway."

"Comes from growing up around blackmail," He shrugged. "And my classes at Cambridge helped."

Mother sighed, "I should have noticed his designs sooner, I thought he would have accepted defeat after Zachary failed. But the man never has been good about being beat at something."

I felt Will slip his arm around my waist, pulling me to him. "I would apologize for asking him to explain, but I can't. I wanted to know, and he has a very good theory."

"He does." Ezekiel chuckled, "And consider what sons of bitches they are, he's right about it." He tossed down the cards on the low coffee table. "What do you say to a game of poker, Annie? Get your mind off of it."

I shook my head, slowly. "I'm sorry, it's just not for me."

"I'll play." Mother shrugged, taking the deck and shuffling. "Mr. Vanderbilt, care to join?" The three of them started to play, we all knew that Oscar's lawyers would be coming soon so it was pointless to leave the parlor. Will used the opportunity to pull me a little closer to him, and once he was sure that everyone was thoroughly distracted, kiss at my neck.

I shivered as I felt him brush the veil away, whispering. "Will, Mother is right there."

"Your mother is trying to bluff her way through with a pair of threes, she has more important things on her mind." He chuckled, his lips sliding across my skin. I had to hold a moan in as he brought his lips up to my ear, gently sucking on my earlobe. Instead, I sighed quietly and leaned into him. He shifted his arms around me, pulling me more into his lap. His breath was warm on my skin, and I tossed the veil over his head to try and hide him a little. The last thing Mother needed to see was the way his lips were pressed to the hollow of my throat, tracing a path southward. He tugged a bit at the bodice of my dress, freeing a little more skin to kiss.

"Annie, what do you think?" Ezekiel spoke up, "That is, if you're the only one under that veil."

I jerked straight up, my breath coming fast. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Anastasia, really." Mother looked over, annoyance written plain on her face. "And you Mr. Murdoch, kindly release her."

I was sliding off of his lap when Oscar spoke up, "Mrs. Dalian, you can't blame her for seeking a little comfort after this morning."

"It's more the fact that she was so focused on seeking her comfort that she didn't notice we were clearing things away for the lawyers." Mother's voice was clipped, and she flicked the veil up. "Those had better not bruise, Mr. Murdoch."

"They won't." Will grunted, but he appeared perfectly at ease. "I don't like to mark her up, and she knows it." He kept his arm around my waist, and I will admit that I found it a comfort. Having Ezekiel and Oscar nearby before he had returned had been nice, but Will always seemed to want to be touching me somewhere. It was as if he thought I was going to disappear unless he was touching me. When Mother had found him that afternoon, she had been displeased but hadn't forbid it. He still kept himself over the covers, but he had returned to throwing his arm around my waist and curling himself around me.

Everything had been so unsettled it had been nice for that bit of normalcy to return.

"Mr. Mudroch, you don't need to tell me anything." Mother shook her head, "Now, take one of these sandwiches and eat. I know you're still recovering, Captain Fraser told me about your activities onboard once you had heard." She thrust a plate bearing a hearty cold mean sandwich towards him. "Constantly pacing, helping the stokers, refusing food and not sleeping. Doing those things would not have made you return any faster, all it did was tire you out." She watched as he started to eat. "You need to keep your strength up, not just for yourself but for her."

"The next few weeks are not going to be easy." Oscar nodded, "Oh, excuse me, the lawyers are here." He got up to head to the foyer and came back with a pair of identical men. They were both roughly the same height, with brown hair and eyes. There were only slight differences, the colors of their ties and the glasses that one wore. "Anastasia, this is Rhett and Dalton Link. Gentlemen, Anastasia Dalian, your client."

"Miss Dalian." They spoke in unison, although the one with a black tie continued. "We are, of course, horrified by what happened to you, and we will do our best to see justice served."

"In fact, we've already begun preparing." The brother with a blue tie sat, followed by his brother. "Our arguments that is, the trial will be starting next week. The judge is ordering a fast trial, it's likely the press will be circling and he wants to avoid a drawn out case."

"Of course." I nodded, glad for the veil that hid my furrowed brow. I should have thought about that, the press. They loved nothing more than a scandalous case, especially if it had society members involved. In this one they would have three, if you counted Perry. Oscar had made it clear he would be by my side the entire time, so of course there would be rumors spread about the two of us. And that would draw in more attention. I sighed, "I wish we could avoid it."

"I know, Miss." Rhett, the one with the blue tie, said. "We don't enjoy the scrutiny either."

"But you can be rest assured, we are going to arrange for you to have private security not only here but in the court room as well." Dalton placed a paper on the table. "Mr. Vanderbilt has engaged the Pinkerton Company to provide it."

"I told you I don't need them." I hissed at Oscar.

"You don't need them here now, but soon enough there's going to be reporters trying to scale your fences." Oscar shook his head, "Trust me, they can handle them."

"What about hiring some of the porters from our warehouses?" Mother asked, "They could perform those tasks as well."

"Not as well." Dalton snorted, "If you want some of your own men around you, by all means, hire them. But Pinkertons are going to be here, in the courtroom and driving you all to the courthouse and back." He laid another sheet of paper down. "On Mr. Vanderbilt's advice we've begun looking into Evan Perry's background, and will be pushing his current business practices as the reason for the attempted kidnapping."

"That is the true reason, isn't it?" Rhett spoke up, staring at me. "To kidnap you into white slavery?"

I hoped he couldn't see the way I blinked quickly under the veil. "Yes, that's what Oscar was told by one of them."

"And you had never seen them before?"

"No."

"But you had met Evan Perry prior to the attack?"

"Yes, twice. Once on a crossing and once at a party. I have only interacted with him on the crossing." I sat a little straighter, "Once I learned what business he was in I did not interact him, I saw some of his employees at the party."

"Did he ever show any interest in you?" Dalton spoke quietly. "Anything that you may have heard from others?"

"He, ah," I looked down, wishing that I could stop my hands from shaking. "He told someone he thought I could earn a thousand dollars a night."

"Dear God." Mother gasped, "Anastasia, who told you that?" I shook my head, unwilling to say. Not in front of them, because they would ask where I was that I heard that. I didn't want to tell them about how Henry had grabbed me, about how he had lifted my skirts and forced my legs apart. I didn't want anyone else to know. I didn't want to think about it at all.

"Miss Dalian, we know it's a very difficult memory, but anything you can tell us can help. The men we can deal with, there are multiple witnesses, but we need to stick the conspiracy charge on him." Dalton tried to reach across and take my hand, but I pulled back. "We need you to tell us."

"No, I can't. Because then you'll ask it in court, and then everyone will know."

I felt Will wrap his arm around my shoulders. "Gentlemen, please. You've upset her quite a bit. Send someone down to Perry's brothel, I'm sure spreading some oney around will get you someone willing to talk."

"We'll need money for that." Rhett grumbled, pulling the papers back to his briefcase.

"And you'll have it." Oscar stood, opening his billfold and throwing the contents down. "But you won't bother her about that again."

"Mr. Vanderbilt, you hired us because you want to win."

"And you will win, but you will not force her say anything she doesn't want to." Oscar almost growled, "Now, go down to Coney Island or send someone. You can get the information you need there." The two collected the money off the table with minimal fuss, although I barely noticed them. My mind was still back in the office in the Reichster's house, Henry holding my arms above my head as he traced his fingers along my breasts.

"Anastasia, it's done." Will muttered, "Don't think on it anymore, we're here. You're safe. That's all you need to think about." I nodded, but I still let him pull me into his shoulder. The usual stink of tobacco that I disliked was comforting now, as was the way his hand traced my shoulders. He spoke quietly, "I'm not leaving, not until everything is finished. And even then, I'm going to stay longer. I won't let you face him alone. You have all of us, love, and he's alone."

AN: And with that, this fic is now over 300,000 words. I never had any idea I could actually write that much, let alone for one story. Thank you all for reading this monster, and it's only going to get bigger. Thanks again to Sparky-She-Demon who is an amazing friend and helps me work out all the things that have happened and will happen, be sure to check out her fic Down In History. It's really good! Let me know what you think of this chapter and thank for reading!