Inevitable

10 - S H E ' S . B A C K

Nathaniel had just arrived to Robinson's territory, as his best friend Alexander instructed. He looked around to see a distressed looking Alex, sweat accumulated on his forehead, the first few buttons on his shirt open, and his hair dishevelled. Nate frowned at the sight, and quickened his stride towards him. 

"What's going on?",

"It's bad, Nate", Alexander whispers while clenching his fists. Nathaniel looked at him with a face full of worry and confusion. 

"Robinson has been keeping Noelle captive this whole time", he murmured, loud enough for Nate to hear. 

He felt his heart stop. No, not my Noelle, he said to himself, not wanting to believe it. His heart beat quickened, and his veins pulsed uncontrollably. His breathing was unsteady, he felt as though he was about faint. 

"Breathe, Nate!", Alexander had a tight grip on Nathaniel's shoulders, shaking him back to reality. 

"Where is he?", he asked calmly, a bit too calmly.  

"Easton strangled him to unconsciousness, they've put him in the car and left. I don't know why they've gone", Alexander explained, causing Nathaniel's nerves to decrease. 

"I want him alive when I see him", he ordered, wanting to get his hands on the dirty motherf*cker that harmed his daughter. "Where's Noelle?", that questioned caused Alexander to go silent. 

It took a few moments for Nate to realise. 

His daughter was gone.

Dead. 

"I'm so sorry, brother", Alexander broke the silence. 

The men didn't tell Alexander that they found Noelle, since they were in a massive hurry to get back to the castle doctors. They didn't have time to explain it, so Alexander is unaware of the situation.

Nathaniel was resisting the urge to cry, not wanting to look weak in front of his best friend, but even the strongest of soldiers must cry sometimes.

He let everything out. 

10 years on emotional build up inside of him. 10 years of hiding his true pain to be strong for everybody else. 10 years of damaged pieces and shards of his broken heart finally coming out. 10 years of painful waiting and hope. 10 years. 

And now she's gone. 

Alexander guided Nate back to the car as he balled his eyes out, not wanting to residents of this sh*tty pack to see the pair. Nate sat in the passenger seat, while Alex took the drivers seat. 

Go back to the times when you were a child, and you lost your favourite stuffed animal. You'd cry for ages and try to look for it for days. The pain you felt when you realised it was gone felt too much to bare. Now imagine that happening with your own child. The little boy or girl that you raised. The little boy or girl that you watched grow up, first step, first word, first sentence, first jump, everything. The pain could send anybody into an overdrive, pushing them over the edge.

Nathaniel was one step away from falling off the edge.

"How am I meant to tell Lilah? Like, oh hey our daughter that we've been trying to find for over 10 years is dead", he stated through his cracked voice. Alexander drove even quicker, he tried to stay strong for his best friend, but he too felt his walls crumbling down. 

"I don't want to live anymore, Alex. I want to see my daughter in heaven, I want reunite with her, I want to hold her and tell her how much I miss her. I want to see what she looks like, and tell her how much of a beautiful young woman she's become. I want to comfort her when she has nightmares, or when she's upset. I want to be the shoulder that she cries on. I just want my daughter back", his words absolutely broke Alexander's heart. Never had he ever seen his companion look so.... defeated. 

A/N - I literally cried while writing this :(

"We can't give up, Nate. She could be out there, we won't stop looking."

Meanwhile, Easton, Trevor and Victor have just arrived back at the Highlands. Victor got to work, placing Robinson's unconscious body in the basement, we'll deal with him later, and the boys ran to the castle doctors.

"Woah, my king, what is that?", the doctor queried once he saw the big ball of orange fur wrapped up in a jacket. 

"Just do something! I don't have time to explain, but I'm warning you, if she doesn't come out alive, I'll have your head on a silver platter", he threatened, placing Noelle's shaky body onto the small hospital bed. She instantly whimpered sadly once she was out of his hold. His eyes softened at the sight, and took a seat beside her, stroking her long, wet fur, in hopes of calming her down. She stopped whimpering when she felt his hands on her. The doctor's eyes widened at the sight, his hands shaking in fear. 

"I-I, my king, y-you can't be in t-the room-", 

"I don't give a f*ck! Unless you want me to murder you in cold blood, do your job", he ordered, not wanting to be separated from his Noelle. 

"Easton, you being here could disrupt the doc, you have to leave", Theodore encouraged quietly.

"No! I'm not leaving her!", Easton argued. 

"Easton, get up right now! I'm not gonna say it again. Just think about Noelle, you being here will disturb the doctor, and put her at an ever higher risk!", at this point, Theo was attempting to pull Easton out of his chair. 

"Fine!", he caved, wanting nothing more than for his beloved to be healthy. Theo released him from his grasp. Easton reluctantly stood up, causing Noelle to whimper once again. He felt as though he was betraying her. Noelle thought he was leaving her again, she just got Easton back, why is he already leaving? She wanted to yell 'Please stay!', but she couldn't. 

"I'll be back, my love, I promise", he reassured her gently, which stopped her whimpers. 

I trust him, she said to herself. 

Easton left the room with his head hanging low and shoulders slouched. 

"You should change, there's blood all over you", Theodore advised. 

"I'm staying right here until I know that she's okay", he protested stubbornly. Theo didn't bring it up again, he knows that Easton isn't going to leave. 

"We have to tell Nate and Lilah, heck we didn't even tell your father", Theo spoke quietly. 

"Theodore, right now, that's the last thing I'm thinking about. Once they return, you can inform them. I'm staying right here, I'm not moving a muscle", he stated, staring at Noelle through the clear window, watching the doctors every move. 

His heart lurched each time he'd see her flinch, or hear her whimper in pain. He wanted to take it all away, all her pain, all her suffering, all her scars, all her bruises, all her nightmares, everything. If only he could. 

"She'll be okay, brother. She's a survivor."

Coincidentally, Nate and Alex had just arrived back at the Highlands. Nathaniel had cried himself to exhaustion, almost falling asleep, but he wouldn't go to bed until he knew his daughter was okay. 

As soon as they stepped foot in the castle, Victor ran up to them. 

"Don't freak out please", he said breathlessly, causing the two to look at him with confusion written on their faces. 

"Noelle is with the castle doctor getting treatment, she's here, she's safe", he informed them, and suddenly, the exhaustion Nate was once feeling disappeared. Alexander looked as if he'd seen a unicorn. 

They wasted no time, running towards the wards, finding an anxious Easton staring into the window with blood covering him. Nathaniel's eyes widened once he saw a little fox, that could easily be mistaken for a pup, in the hands of the doctor, scars, blood and bruises covering her like a blanket of thorns. He felt the tears resurface,

But his daughter was alive.

She's back.

A/N- I have no words. I cried a lot while writing this. How will everybody at the Highlands react? How will the Knight's react? Comment your opinions and predictions! Don't forget to vote and don't be afraid to point out my mistakes. Love you all!