The Correctors

Chapter IV

Harry's POV

I stayed there all night, as Lillian slept next to me.  At some point, she stopped crying, but I stayed, just holding her.

I watched as she turned in her sleep, yawned, and burrowed her head into my chest.  It felt...right.  I knew that this is how we were meant to be, with her looking towards me for comfort.  With her falling asleep by my side.  With her crying herself out on my shirt, because she knew I would comfort her.  With her loving me.

Okay...maybe that last part was a stretch.  She didn't love me.  Yet.

But if I gave her time, I knew she would want to be with me.  I was everything she could ever need, I could protect her.

A new idea blossomed in my head.  I untangled myself from her hug, as much as I didn't want to, and stood up.  I took once last look at Lil's sleeping form, leaned down to kiss her forehead, and walked out of her room, slowly shutting the door gently behind me.

I checked the time on my watch.  7:48 AM.  I knew that Jones would be in the command room already, so that became my destination.

"Jones?" I asked, walking into the room.

"Ah, Harry," Jones said warmly.  He was like a brother figure to all of us. "Why'd you leave Lillian?  Is she better?"

I looked to where Jones was sitting, at the security desk.  The entire headquarters was bugged, with cameras and microphones.  Up on the monitors were every room: the blond kid in the room, Zayn, Liam, and Louis's rooms, the dining room, where everyone was, and Lillian's room, where she was still sleeping.  I felt a pang as I looked at her, wishing I could have stayed, but there was something that needed to be done.

"That's actually what I want to talk to you about," I said carefully. "I want to take over Lily's kill."

"What?" Jones asked, his eyebrows rising. "Why?  That's her position, not yours."

"I know, but she came out of there crying yesterday, Jones," I said, closing my eyes. "I knocked on her door, went inside, and she started sobbing.  She couldn't even tell me why, she was so upset."

There was a pause.

"I see," Jones said, as he glanced at Lillian and the blond kid on the monitors. "I can understand your concerns, Harry, but I'm afraid it isn't my decision."

"Of course it is," I said, chuckling. "You're the leader."

"Yes, but Lil is the assassin." Jones said, clasping his hands. "And, because this is the assassin's job, which has already started, you need her permission to take over."

"That is a dumb shit rule," I snarled. "That can't be true."

"Oh, but it is, I'm afraid," Jones chuckled. "The same thing happened when I was your age, Harry.  Our assassin had to kill her sister's best friend, who she just happened to have fancied."

My heart turned to stone. "Lillian doesn't fancy him."

Jones ignored me. "In the end, our assassin ended up killing herself before she had to take him out.  We did the job in the end, though.  That's why I chose Lily, you know.  She was feisty, we had an opening...and, I'll admit, I thought you two (This was just after I had taken you) would make a very cute couple."

I snorted "Tell that to her."

"I take it she doesn't want to be partners?" Jones asked, chuckling.

"Something like that."

"She'll warm up to you," Jones said, gesturing to the monitor. "From my point of view of last night, she already has."

I sighed in frustration. "I'll go talk some sense into her."