Chapter Twenty-Nine

Freddie didn't like the flight to Minnesota, fussing non-stop in the private jet. Harry took Freddie for the longest time until the boy fell asleep on his chest. Lucy dozed off until Freddie awoke again. Harry quickly tried to quiet him again. There were dark bags under her eyes and she was pale. It was an hour before landing that Lucy dressed, doing her hair and makeup with help. The nanny was along and got Freddie ready. Harry dressed in a suit. Freddie hated the landing even more, and only his mother was able to comfort him.

Leaving the airplane, photographers waited outside and snapped photos quickly. Freddie placed his head on his mother's shoulder, staring at the cameras. His smile was gone long ago.

With security around, the cars rolled out and headed to the old town outside the Twin Cities, which was thirty minutes southwest. Soon the city lights disappeared and only the highway was lit. The town had managed to grow over the past ten years, even with the bad past. No longer was it the farm community that it had once been and turned into a booming metro.

All hotels had been booked and rented out. Thankfully the house was still under Lucy's name, which used to be her grandfather's before his death. The house was left to the nearest kin, which was his granddaughter. Lucy never sold it, like she needed a place to escape to eventually. The couple had come back to the house before, again and again, but this was Freddie's first time. It wasn't like his house back home but he enjoyed it enough. After settling him into bed, the security and nanny took control of the house.

Harry's hands ran up and down his wife's arms. "I'll make sure he's okay. You go take a shower."

Lucy turned to him, pouting slightly, and then she hissed. She pressed her hand against her stomach. "Hello."

His blue eyes drifted down to her stomach, a smile hinting on his lips. After a moment, she took his hand in hers and pressed it to her bulging belly. It was a slight flutter but it was movement under the skin. Their baby moved, and the baby was like Freddie, it moved a lot.

"Pain?" Harry asked.

"Not much. It isn't as... old yet."

"It'll be a kicker then," Harry said.

"Can't wait." Lucy winced.

His hand remained on Lucy's stomach as they hovered there for some time. Both of them were too tired to actually move anymore. Though she knew she needed to take a shower, Lucy couldn't actually make herself move. Harry didn't want to move. He was happy how everything was.

"Your highness," Tony said, eyes to the ground, "your friend Sydney approaches the front door. Should we let her in?"

Lucy smiled nicely. "Of course."

Tony nodded and left.

Harry kept his hand on Lucy's stomach still. "I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about."

"Yeah." Lucy pushed her hair back. "There's going to be quite the talk happening."

"I'll keep Freddie out of the way, assuming this will be serious?"

Lucy nodded, eyes to the wall. She breathed deeply. "I didn't even realize she was coming to this thing, but I guess I should've known." Standing, Lucy kissed Harry, and he took leave.

When Sydney came, Tony directed her to the closed off office, where the sliding doors closed. Lucy invited Sydney to sit, and they sat awkwardly on the love sofa together. Sydney's blue eyes fell to Lucy's bulging belly for a second and then looked up at her old friend again. It used to be trio, when there was yet one more best friend. Then that girl died in the shooting; Lucy almost died in the shooting. Lucy survived, only for Sydney to be shot later in life.

"We need to talk about this, Syd." Lucy flipped her hair back. "You know we do."

"Your accent has changed," Sydney said. "It used to be Minnesotan, and in some words you still sound that way, but it's English now. You sound smart, almost posh."

Lucy said nothing. "I'll start: you got shot and you never truly recovered."

"Lucille--"

"You recovered physically, but you ignored everything else."

"You did that," Sydney said. "You ran away. You went off to the other side of the world. You never came back."

"I'm here now."

"Enough!" Sydney stood.

Tony looked through the glass. Robert, Harry's bodyguard, also looked through the window. Both of the men's eyes were hard, ready to jump into action.

Lucy's eyes slid to her old friend. "I suggest sitting back down again. They're very protective nowadays. It's weird."

Sydney didn't sit but stood on the other side of the room.

"Syd, you were shot because you walked into an armed robbery when you knew it was happening." Lucy was angry but she never yelled. "It was stupid and reckless and--"

"You would've done it," Sydney spat. "You used to do things like this all the time. Why am I different?"

"I was a child. I didn't know what a life meant, what my life meant," Lucy said, and Sydney snorted. "I also never purposely put myself in danger. These things were dropped into my lap." Sydney shook her head to ignore Lucy. "You saw there was an armed robbery in process and you decided to try to stop it. And you know what, it would've ended peacefully if you hadn't gotten involved. The robber would've gotten his money and left, but you decided to go in. And because of you, the worker died and you got shot."

Sydney sneered, "Don't put this on me."

"I just did."

"Get off your fucking horse, Lucille. I've been paying attention to you, with your low ratings and such. No one likes you, and you've pulled back. You're not the person you used to be."

"Good."

Laughing, Sydney closed her eyes. "No, it isn't good. You can stop pretending to be all high and mighty, when the royal family doesn't even like you. You're the problem, Lucille, and you know what happens to problems in that family."

If it was supposed to be a threat, Lucy wasn't scared.

"I want to help you, Syd."

"I don't want your help."

Lucy stood and grabbed something from the desk. "I made a few calls and this is the number to the therapist I used to see. Her name is Lisa and she's nice. She'll help you out."

Sydney laughed. "You mean someone else made the calls for you?"

Lucy tried to bite her tongue so that a retort didn't part her lips, but it didn't work. "You smell like booze, Syd." Lucy walked over to her old friend. "I see you spiraling, and there isn't a way for me to save you. No one can save you but you here, and you need to save yourself."

"Why?"

"You can change the world, Syd. You have always had the ability to do that, but you were fucked up like everyone else when the bullets rang out. And you ignored it. Don't ignore it anymore, Syd. Don't give up." Her words were clear. "Be something amazing again. I know you can."

Sydney swallowed. "There must be something you want, Lucille. What is it?"

"You're right," Lucy agreed. "I want my friend back. Syd, you're my friend. Don't do this to me. I don't want to lose anyone else, especially you."

"It's too late, Lucille. It's too late." Sydney grabbed her jacket. "Good luck, Lucille. Try to change the world, would you? Someone needs to." With that, Sydney left.

Lucy watched her old friend walk away from the window in the dim light. Sydney used to the sane one. Sydney used to be the happy one. Sydney used to the greatest. She was a survivor, the best of the best. Everyone used to be jealous of Sydney, with her beauty and smarts. There wasn't a person that walked by and didn't stare at her. Now, Syd wasn't. Something broke inside of her, and then pieces of her armor fell off. No longer could Sydney fight.

Sitting down didn't help Lucy, as some part of her broke too. It was the part that Sydney owned, after they met in kindergarten and lasted this long. They had been through some shit together, and then this happened. Lucy was strong-- she survived this, and some part of Lucy blamed Sydney for not being stronger. Lucy knew better-- she knew she wasn't supposed to do that. It wasn't fair. Yet, her mind didn't work properly, like her heart wouldn't again. Sydney was supposed to be the one to be normal, to always be there. She was the rock, or she was supposed to the rock.

Now, it didn't matter. Whatever dreams the girls had when they were young, it didn't matter. Neither of them accomplished what they wanted. It true, too true for Lucy. She loved Harry and her son, but this was never the life imagined. And if she did life over again, she didn't want this, but all of this started on November twelfth, twenty-thirteen. If she changed that day, none of this would've happened. Lucy's heart wouldn't be breaking again. There wouldn't be a hollow feeling in her chest, under her ribs, as if she had been shot again.

Silent sobs filled the room. Tears rolled off her cheeks. Droplets splattered across her dress, how fine and soft it was, all the money it meant. Her makeup was ruined and he hair didn't matter anymore. Her body was still. If she opened her mouth, she might have let out a scream, and not today. Lucy wouldn't fall apart today, she told herself.

Harry slid into the room quietly. The door closed behind him. He was quick with the feet as he sat down beside his wife. His arms snaked around her. Lucy collapsed into his arms. No longer were her sobs silent. Whimpers didn't just come from her mouth, and she didn't want screams to escape. Her eyes couldn't close without burning. She trembled. Her body hurt, every part of it, and the fetus in her belly made it worse, with the constant movement.

"Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit," she muttered. Her hand pressed to her forehead, throbbing painfully.

"I know." Harry kissed her head. "I know."

Lucy's body felt blown apart. Her mind was ready to explode. "I tried."

"I know."

"I tried." She just wanted someone to understand.

"I know."

"Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit...."