The Shield (Prince Harry fanfic #2)

Chapter Thirty-Five

Harry walked Lucy to the door, with his arms still locked around her body. It was almost funny to her because she never wished for this and she never thought she would get this. It wasn't the thought of Prince Charming, which was simple enough to know would never happen. It was more of the thought she never dreamed of having a person like Harry. Of course, she wasn't sure if she liked how cute it was from the outside; inside it was nice and warm, comfortable beside him. Outside, it probably made people want to throw up.

He kissed her once again, in the realization that he probably wouldn't see her for a while. Perhaps there would be a call here and there, which they would talk. But with Remembrance Day coming, there would be a lack peace and quiet. Harry was needed there and there, to do his duty. Lucy didn't want to get in the way.

They said their goodbyes.

Like most times after Lucy's visit to Harry's apartment, she got into a nice-enough car that wouldn't get any attention as she left the Palace grounds. She was dropped off several blocks from Kensington Palace, where she walked to the nearest Tube station. There, she got on the underground train and headed out of London. It was the last stop before the train went back into the city. Most people weren't on the Tube this late at night, and her walk was long with no people on her path.

If people were see, they were bundled up with coldness coming in. Lucy smiled at this, when it was only a chill to Lucy. But she had hope snow would come eventually here, even if it only a little bit. It would remind her of long-gone home, and how beautiful it could be in the winter.

Out of habit, Lucy pulled her coat tighter around her for security, as her large bag was swung across her shoulder. Her arms were kept close to herself as she walked back to her apartment building. It was small and out of the way of downtown London, but it was cheap with no need of a roommate. If she wanted to live with strangers, she could've chosen anywhere. And if she lived in a larger apartment, she would have too much space and wouldn't know what to do with it. Lucy also decided it was better to be out of the large city, when she had come from a place nothing like London.

Her eyes came up, and she glanced around. Since Harry and her had gotten back from Germany, there had been no more problems with her walking in the dark. The belief was that it was someone who thought to rob her but never got the chance.

Lucy focused her eyes forward and continued to walk, but the hair on the back of her neck stood, as if she expected something to happen. She didn't have the bad feeling, like she wanted to be sick, but more she was concerned. Though, she was tall and heavier, sometimes bigger than men herself, but she still had the fear that because she was a woman, she would be attacked. She would be an easier target, whether someone wanted to rob or rape her. Lucy tried not to fear such.

However, as the only sound was her click of her shoes against the ground, Lucy became concerned when there was another pair of feet behind her. Her fingers clutched her bag tighter, and her feet accidentally moved a little faster. The pair of feet behind her didn't go any faster. As she rounded a corner, she glanced behind herself, and no one was after it. It was just a person behind her, minding their own business.

Lucy didn't slow down, as she reached her apartment building. She raced up three flights of stairs to reach her floor and then her flat. After locking herself into the apartment, she ran over to the window to look outside, and no one walked under her. Not many people were up at a time like this. Lucy closed the curtain and retired back to her small flat.

When the flat was described small, it was in comparison to the house Lucy had always lived in. Granted, she was better off than others, her house was cozy with space. She didn't expect such a thing in London for what she paid, but she worried about the safety hazards within the small living space. She still had a shower with running water and faucets, a toilet that worked as well, and there was a heater. She didn't need a big bed to sleep in at night, but at least it was off the floor so the bugs didn't reach her.

Lucy didn't even turn on a light as she changed within her small flat. Her bed was positioned against the wall, closer to the oven then probably good for safety. She didn't even have a table within her flat, even if she wanted one. Though tired, she paced around the flat. She opened and closed her refrigerator, only to realize she didn't spend enough time within the walls to make it homey. There was also no food; she suspected she needed to get on that at some point.

It was well after midnight by the time Lucy finally settled into bed, where she pulled up the covers. Sighing, her eyes stared up at the ceiling, until somehow she fell into deep slumber.

At some point, like every night, she awoke. Her eyes flew open, yet she was still calm. Lucy sat up straight in her bed. Her shoulders were pulled back and her chin was up. Her eyes stared to the door. No air left her body and came in her body. She couldn't piece together her nightmare, whatever happened then and there. She was never able to recall, and like every night, there was no one else there to help her. She didn't want it; she didn't need it. Taking one deep breath, she fell back on the bed and fell back to sleep.

In the morning, Lucy's eyes flashed open as soon as her alarm went off. And if you thought last night was any different, you were wrong. Turning off the alarm, she got out of bed and started her day.