Atelophobia (Revised and Updated.)

Fear Part 1

Leo looked down at his phone. He saw the first text from Madeleine, he knew it was late there, she let him know that Bastien was there and she was running back to the palace for some things. He quickly typed a reply, then turned back to Drake.

"So, as you know, that Liv is here with me; she's with Zira." Drake nearly choked on his drink. He was about to say something when Leo interrupted. "Drake, before you say anything, I need to tell you why we are here. It's Liam...Liam is in a coma."

"Shit, why didn't you call me?" Drake roared. "Don't you think that was important for me to know?"

"Drake, look at it from our perspective, you didn't come back..."

Drake interrupts, "That is because he found me after he proposed to her. yelled at me that Zira told him, that she was in love with me." running his hands down his face, "I didn't know, I admitted that I kissed her once, but nothing happened after that. I swear. Well, anyway, he told me not to come back, consider this a chance to see if all my efforts in stealing her away and losing a friend were worth it. I went to go find Zira to see what the hell was going on... it took me 2 days to find her. She was a mess. She cried herself to sleep every night. I could leave her like that, so I stayed with her. We spent a week in a hotel, then one of my old college buddies contacted me. He told me he had an apartment he needed sublet for a year when I told him I just moved here. Over a couple of weeks, he told me he was having some financial issues with his startup. I looked at the books and bailed him out, but once I realized what he was doing, I had him sign over control to me."

"Wow, that would seem like fate was telling you something." Leo amazed. He was about to continue when he got another text from Liv, stating they had to come to the apartment now. "Drake we have to get back to the apartment, Now."

Madeleine returns to the hospital a few hours later, as she promised. She could see the looks that some of the staff were giving her. She didn't mind, the whole country was probably wondering the real status of their relationship was. She had missed a few texts from Leo, and even more from them. She couldn't wait for this to be over. She was tired of all the deception, greed, and malice of it all. This is not how she was supposed to live. If only she had the courage to have left with him.

"How is he?" She looks at a weary Bastien.

"Ma'am he is holding steady, they think that in a few days he should be strong enough to breathe without assistance."

"Bastien, you look tired, but before you say anything, this entire floor has been cleared of non-essential staff. I am refreshed, and there is an empty bed next door. I will yell if I need you, Ok? Just sleep a few hours, I need you sharp. I will lock the door behind you."

Bastien nods and goes to the other room. Once he locked the door; he turned on the TV, instead of the news coverage, he was looking into Liam's room. He pulled the other phone from his pocket and dialed a single number.

"Status report."

"They have arrived. She is watching them closely. She did report that Tariq was in New York. We have people on him."

"Tell her if he gets to close, to extract them immediately."

"Will do."

Drake and Leo walk into the apartment. Zira is sobbing and Liv is trying to calm her down. Drake walks over to the couch and gently picks her up bridal style and takes her into her room.

"Drake... I am so...so so sorry," she says as her breath hitches.

"Shhhh, remember the doctor said you, to not stress yourself and the baby out. Take a nap, we'll talk only after you calm down." He kisses her forehead and covers her with the throw from the end of her bed.

He walks out back into the living room, ok, it is time to face the music.

"Liv..le" he is cut off with her fist colliding with his face, the same spot where Leo said hello.

"What the hell, Drake. Do you know that Jacks has been wondering you have been? Didn't you care enough about us?"

Drake was getting sick and tired of everyone thinking the worst. "Liv, I did it to protect you, if you would stop swinging, I will tell you why. But don't you dare think that I don't love my family."

Leo could feel the tension between them, and he understood why they were together. How did we screw up this badly? Drake with Liv, Zira with Liam, me with Madi. Why? Well, I know what I did, but the others...

"Look, During the engagement tour, Constantine called me to his office." He looks at Leo, not sure how to proceed. "Liv, he had someone following you. Your car accident wasn't an accident. They knew what they were doing that is why you didn't get hurt as much as you should have been."

"That son of a bitch" Leo growls.

"He said that I had to make sure that Zira was not a threat or the next time Jacks would be the victim. He knew I had saved her at Applewood, but I didn't say anything to anyone. Zira begged me not to tell Liam. So, when Liam ended the engagement with Madeleine. I was sent a final message to stay here or you and Jacks will die. Then Liam told me what happened and he told me not to come back, too. I went to find Zira, but she was packed and gone. I found her a couple of days later, she was staying in a really sleazy hotel. She said that her stuff was packed and this was the address that she was given. The note said if she didn't stay there, more than Liam's feelings would be hurt. So she stayed. I couldn't leave her like that, not there." Drake went on to tell her what he told Leo in his office. Finally, the pieces are starting to come together.

"Who the fuck does he think he is?" Olivia still processing what both Zira and Drake had just said.

"Dear old Dad is a King, who thinks he can do whatever he wants," Leo stated. "But he is gone now, so why are we still here?"

"Well one, Zira's name is not cleared. Two, Liam in a coma, and we don't have a plan to tell her without causing her to breakdown. Three, it is not going to be easy to get her to come back to Cordonia, especially with Neville, Godfrey, and Tariq roaming around. " Liv listing the reasons.