Royals: Part 3

Chapter 2

"I think I left my sweater in the ballroom," Jackie said, stopping in her tracks.

Harry stopped too, frowning. "Why were you in the ballroom?"

"I was looking around before our meetings," Jackie lied. "Come with me to get it."

Harry seemed skeptical, but took Jackie's hand as they turned around and headed towards the ballroom. It was Thursday night, and the next morning Jackie would be riding with Harry to RAF Northolt, the Royal Air Force base near London, where they would say goodbye before his 4 month deployment to Afghanistan. Though Jackie's ideal last night together included a small dinner of Harry's favorite meal and a quiet night in, his family had something different in mind. Prince Charles had arranged for a small going away party in the ballroom of Kensington Palace with close family. It was her job to lure Harry into the ballroom after their meeting with their respective social coordinators, Jackie with Elizabeth and Harry with his press secretary, Michael. They had begun to come up with the statement about Harry's deployment that was to be released on Jackie's behalf. It needed to be cleared by the Queen first, but Jackie thought it sounded good enough.

"What sweater did you-" Harry was cut off when Jackie opened the door to the ballroom.

Kate, Will, Charles, Camilla, Prince Edward, Prince Andrew, Eugenie, Beatrice, Zara, Prince Phillip, the Queen, and a few others were standing inside. "Surprise!" they called in unison, throwing up handfuls of confetti.

A banner had been hung over the grand table, reading: Good Luck Harry!

Harry laughed, putting an arm around Jackie. "Wow!"

Jackie forced a smile, secretly wishing she didn't have to share him on their last night together. She had to remind herself that his family wanted to say goodbye, too.

Harry greeted and thanked everyone, saying it was a total surprise. They ate a dinner of Harry's favorite meal prepared by the kitchen staff, ate cake from his favorite bakery, and chatted while listening to his favorite songs.

Jackie was physically at the party, but her mind was absent. Occasionally she would come out of deep thought and find herself staring at Harry. She watched the way he ate, the way he moved, the way he spoke, the way he laughed, the way he smiled. The voice of reason in her mind told her it would only be four months, she could survive that. But from the dark depths of her worry came a whisper that this could be the last night she would spend with him.

The feeling of a hand on her back nearly made Jackie spill her drink. She turned to see Kate smiling at her with thoughtful eyes. "How are you doing?"

Jackie tried to hide her emotion, whispering, "Happiest I've ever been."

"Oh, come on. Your mind must be going crazy."

"It is. And it doesn't stop. Ever. Not even when I'm sleeping." To Jackie's horror, the terrible nightmare that she had once before her wedding had begun to plague her sleep once again, walking down the aisle of Westminster Abbey to find Harry in a casket, unable to cry, to speak to or touch any of her loved ones.

Kate frowned, her eyes focused on the others laughing at the table, but filled with concern. "Why don't you tell him about your fears? I'm sure he'll be able to give you a bit of comfort."

Jackie shook her head. "I'm not the one going to war. I should be comforting him, not the other way around. I'm sure he's just as scared as I am."

Jackie felt Kate's hand find her's, giving it a squeeze. "I'll always be here for you, if you want to talk."

Jackie smiled at her best friend. "Thank you."

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Jackie's eyes remained unfocused as they stared out the passenger's window of her and Harry's Range Rover. It was early Friday morning, the sun just coming up over the London skyline. Harry had one hand on the steering wheel, the other intertwined with Jackie's hand. Jackie pulled Harry's hand to her face, pressing it to her cheek and lips.

Harry glanced at her and smiled. "Thanks."

Jackie smiled softly. She could see the Royal Air Force Base in the distance, slowly growing larger as the car got closer. She had savored every moment of their last night together, studying everything Harry did and said, trying to suck him in like a sponge. Usually Jackie preferred to spread out on her own side of their king sized bed, but she had spent the entire night pressed to Harry's side. Though she had spent as much time as possible with Harry over the past week they had together, it didn't feel like enough.

Harry stopped at the guarded gate, flashing his military ID. They were let through, Harry driving over to a lot where about 30 other cars were parked. Jackie could see men in uniforms surrounded by wives, children, parents, and friends walking towards the tarmac where a massive military jet sat. She had the sudden idea to throw Harry in the trunk and drive away as fast as she could, but she resisted the urge, climbing out of the car and taking Harry's hand.

They walked over to where the other families had gathered, saying their goodbyes. She could see Harry's copilot David Abbott and his wife, Chrissie, through the small crowd of people, laughing and hugging. Jackie and Harry stopped, turning to face each other. Jackie forced a smile and brushed at imaginary dirt on Harry's pristine flight suit. She touched the 'Harry Wales' name-tag on his chest before giving it a kiss. She then went for the dog tags hanging around his neck, giving them a kiss too.

Harry grinned. "Now I can kiss them, and it'll be like I'm kissing you. David's going to think I've lost my mind."

Jackie forced a smile, but it faltered, her lips trembling, tears spilling from her eyes. She threw her arms around Harry's neck, trying hold back her sobs. "I'm going to miss you so much."

Harry's arms wrapped round her middle, giving her a strong hug. "I'll miss you too." He pulled back, giving Jackie a kiss. Somehow, he was wearing his usual mischievous grin. "But it's to be okay, four months are going to fly past, it'll be like I never left."

Jackie had to refrain from demanding how he could possibly know that. Instead, she pressed her cheek to his, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

"On board in 60 seconds!" came a call from near the plane. The other men began to say their final goodbyes, jogging over to the idling plane.

"I don't know how I'm going to live without you," Jackie whispered, her voice catching in her throat, thick with tears.

"You're strong. We're both strong. We'll be together again before you know it. I promise." Harry seemed so sure, a feeling Jackie didn't share.

Jackie nodded. "I know."

"You'll wait for me, won't you?" Harry asked in an overly dramatic tone, like a character from an old romance movie.

Jackie let out a mix between a laugh and a sob. She grabbed Harry's face and pulled it to her's, giving him a firm kiss. "I love you."

Harry smiled, wiping at a tear that spilled down her cheek. "I love you too."

And with that, Harry gave her hand a final squeeze before jogging off to join David and the other men at the base of the ramp that led up into the belly of the plane. Harry turned, giving Jackie a thumbs up before he climbed up the ramp, out of sight.

Jackie and the other families remained on the tarmac, watching as the engines on the plane fired up. Jackie felt a hand in her's and turned to see Chrissie Abbott at her side. She smiled at her friend as she held back tears, squeezing her hand with a firm grip.

The plane began to move, taxiing further down the runway before picking up speed until its wheels left the ground. Jackie and Chrissie stood hand in hand until the plane disappeared into the clouds.

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