Happy update! Sorry it took so long!
Make sure to read the authors note at the end and enjoy the chapter!
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Everything hurt.
The pain was excruciating, but I hadn't expected anything less. It was because of the stress. The same thing happened when Grayson died.
My room was quiet but I knew Harry was there because I could hear him breathing and the occasional scuff of his shoe against the floor.
That evening of the shooting when he threw me in the car, I had begged him to go back for my dad but he refused to. That had made me angry.
I knew he had to get me out of there, but I wanted to be with my dad, and Harry kept trying to pull me away.
I wasn't angry anymore, I was just... I didn't know.
Harry's pager went off and I heard him get it out of his pocket before he stood and left the room, officially leaving me alone.
I stared at the IV needle in my wrist and sighed.
I heard the door open and few minutes later and then listened as Harry walked around the bed to my side, his eyes landing on my face.
I looked up at him as he stopped and moved to be at my level.
"I brought you something." He said. "But you need to sit up."
I nodded and let him sit me up since I couldn't do it myself.
"Okay." He walked over to the door and opened it to leave before coming back in a moment later with a grocery bag. "I had an agent go get some of your favourite things."
He came and set it down on the table at the foot of my bed.
"We have goldfish," he pulled out a bag, "peanut butter, popcorn, cookie dough ice cream, and, you won't believe this, a cream soda since you always try to steal mine."
I stared at them.
"Emma." He sighed. "You have to eat. You won't get better if you don't eat."
"They're going to put you on a feeding tube soon if you don't eat so please just take a bite of something." He pleaded with me.
When I didn't respond he sighed and dropped his head into his hands.
"Emma, please. I'm trying so hard here and I know you're hurting but this is only making it worse. You know your father wouldn't want this."
He was about to say something else when the door opened and Jamie walked in.
Harry sighed and looked at him.
"She talking yet?" He asked.
"No." Harry shook his head, acting as if I wasn't here. But I wasn't. "She won't talk, she won't eat, I don't know what to do. It's like the guilt is literally killing her. Which is ridiculous because she did nothing wrong." He raised his voice volume on the last four words.
"I don't know what to do." Harry ran a hand through his hair.
"I can't stand watching her like this." Jamie added.
Harry stopped and looked back at the door before coming over to me and sitting on the bed and taking my face in his hands.
"Emma, look at me." He said and my eyes connected with his. "I can't watch you slowly kill your self because you feel like what happened was your fault. It wasn't. It shouldn't have been you. So please just come to your senses and eat something or say something because i'm losing my mind here, Emma. I need you to come back to me, Princess."
I closed my eyes and he leaned his forehead against mine.
"Please, Emma. Just try. That's all i'm asking is for you to try."
I inhaled through my nose.
"I want the ice cream." I whispered and Harry let out a relieved sigh before chuckling.
"Of course you want the ice cream." He kissed my forehead.
He went over and got the carton and a spoon before coming back over to me.
"Here." He opened the lid and handed me the carton and spoon.
Jamie came and sat on the other side of the bed.
"I know I hated Harry in the beginning but I think he really cares about you." Jamie said and Harry rolled his eyes.
"Obviously I care about her you moron."
I gave a small smile and Harry placed his hand on my knee.
He watched as I ate a spoonful of ice cream and then seemed to really relax.
"See, i'm eating." I said and he chuckled.
"Finally. Thank God." He gave me a small smile. "You scared me there. Princesses have to eat too you know."
I laughed at this while Jamie wrinkled his nose.
"Please stop with your flirting and your pet names because that's disturbing."
"Shut up." I looked at Jamie but he just smirked as Harry shook his head.
"Once you finish eating I have a surprise for you." Harry said.
"Another surprise? Is it more snacks?"
"No." He chuckled. "I think you'll like this more than snacks."
I ate the ice cream, Harry still closely monitoring every bite I took until I finished and he took the carton away.
Harry then went to get a wheelchair and set me in it before wheeling me out of the room. Jamie followed along as Harry took me down a hallway and then to another hospital room where Jamie opened the door and then Harry pushed me in.
I broke out in a massive grin when I saw my dad sitting up in his bed, an IV hooked to his arm and his reading glasses on while he was reading over something.
"Dad." I grinned and his head snapped up.
"Emmy!" A big smile came to his face as well and he threw the papers aside.
Harry rolled me right to the side of his bed and I grabbed my dads hand.
"Are you feeling better?" He asked me.
"I'm fine. You're the one who had surgery."
"But you had a relapse."
I wiped the pools of tears in the corner of my eyes and he squeezed my hand.
"They said I couldn't see you until you were better." He said.
"I was told the same."
"Well her fever is gone and she has eaten so I felt it was time you two reunited." Harry spoke up and my father smiled at him.
"Thank you, Harry. For everything."
"It's my pleasure to protect your daughter." Harry said and I smiled as I held onto my dads hand even tighter.
Harry and Jamie stayed in the room with us, Jamie joining the conversation as we talked but Harry stayed quiet from where he stood against the wall.
"How's mom?" I asked my dad.
"Stressed." He sighed. "I feel bad for her."
"Me too." I frowned. "I think I freaked her out when I passed out on her."
He chuckled.
"Do you know when you're going to be released?" I asked him.
"Not yet." He sighed. "Do you?"
I looked to Harry.
"Your doctor still needs to clear you." He said. "And I need to take you back soon."
"Do you have to?" I frowned.
"Only if you want to get cleared."
I nodded.
Harry let me stay for a few more minutes before taking me back to my room and having my doctors come in to clear me.
"Okay, i'll let you say goodbye to your dad and then i'm taking you back to the White House." Harry said as he packed up our things while I laid on the bed.
"Can't I stay here with him?" I asked.
"No, I have to take you to the White House. As the presidents daughter you have duties and responsibilities, and you can't hide in here. You need to show people that you're resilient, even if you're just faking it."
I nodded.
I hated being in the wheelchair as Harry took me back to my dads room where Jamie was so I could tell him goodbye and that i'd visit him tomorrow.
Harry then escorted me to a car where he sat in the back with me which he never did.
When we arrived at the White House Harry suggested the wheelchair again but I wanted to walk, even though it hurt.
Our compromise was I could walk but I held onto his arm so he could make sure I didn't fall.
When we got to my room I got in bed and Harry phoned my mom to tell her we were here.
She came in a few minutes later and sat on the side of my bed.
"How are you feeling?" She asked me as she took my hands in hers.
"Better." I smiled and she nodded. "Mom, I want to say something about what happened."
"You do?"
"Yes. I want to show people that they can't bring us down so easily."
I saw a smile appear on Harry's lips.
"Can we have it on the lawn tomorrow afternoon?"
"I'll make sure it is set up." She patted my hand.
She left me to leave so I could work on what I wanted to say, and Harry let me be after awhile because he needed to go get the clothes and other items people had brought from our apartment.
He came back at dinner time to bring me a suitcase of my things and then walk with me to the family's private dining room for dinner.
"So how is your speech coming?" He asked as we walked.
"Good." I nodded. "I'm kind of nervous though."
"You'll be fine." He assured me. "I'm very intrigued to hear what you have to say."
After dinner I spent the rest of the night finishing out what I wanted to say, and then got a few hours of sleep before getting up in the morning to shower. I was sitting at my vanity curling my hair when there was a knock at my door and it opened to reveal Harry, his black suit jacket unbuttoned.
"How are you feeling?" He asked me.
"Better." I gave him a small smile before looking at myself in the mirror.
I watched as Harry came to sit on the side of my bed behind me, watching me in the mirror.
I finished my hair and then moved onto my makeup.
Harry stayed quiet while I made myself up, and after I finished my lipstick I watched him stand up and come over to me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders.
He kissed my cheek as I finished up my lipstick and then let me go so I could stand up and go to my closet and find a dress to wear.
I came back out in a light pink dress with nude heels.
I grabbed my sheets of notebook paper that I had written my speech on before Harry placed his hands on my shoulders, his lips landing on my forehead.
He then pressed his nose to my forehead and stayed there for a few moments before letting me go.
We left my room, Harry walking alongside me until we arrived at the hall that led outside to the east lawn where I could see the press gathered outside.
My mom walked up a few minutes later and took my hand.
"Are you ready?" She asked me.
"Yes." I nodded and she gave me a smile.
Harry looked at me and I nodded so he nodded to another agent before the doors opened and he and the other agent walked out.
Harry led the way and then stepped aside as I walked out, my arm wrapped around my moms.
We stopped and she kissed my cheek before letting go of my arm and allowing me to walk up to the podium.
I set my papers down and swallowed before looking ahead at all of the media with their cameras trained on me.
"These last few days have been very solemn, very painful, and very terrifying." I began. "Several years ago I lost my brother in Afghanistan, and two days ago I thought I would loose my father too. But I am happy to
inform you that he is alive and well and still making jokes from his hospital bed."
A collective chuckle passed through the crowd.
"My father is the definition of strength. Throughout my entire life he has displayed strength like no other from the loss of his son, the loss of other family members, through trying times in our country's history where he wanted to make a difference, and now. And I wish nothing more that I could be as strong as him. I thought that this was my fault, and the guilt consumed me, but I had to come to terms that I had no control over the situation."
I adjusted my mic.
"I'm not naive as to why this shooting happened. I know that not everyone likes me or my family, and I won't pretend that everyone does. I grew up with people hating me. People hated me because I lived in a nice house in a nice neighborhood. People hated me because I had parents with jobs in politics, and they hated me because of decisions they made. They hated me when my father became president of this great country, and they will hate me still because I refuse to let them get to me."
"Respect is a topic I have learned a lot about recently, especially these last few months. I was in a situation where I had to be with someone I couldn't stand. This person tested me in ways I didn't think I could be tested. But I learned to co-exist. And not only to that, but I gained a friend that I trust and can rely on, but the only way I was able to get there was through respect. And it wasn't easy, believe me, but if there's one thing about respect i've learned, is that it is earned. It might not always be immediate, and for me it wasn't with this person, but I got there. It wasn't impossible. Respect is not impossible."
"Respect and peace go hand and hand, and as long as there is no respect, there will be no peace. I'm not the president, i'm only his daughter, but I do have a voice and an outlet to use it so I refuse to keep silent. Someone recently told me that i'm stronger than I think, and i'm ready to not only prove that to myself but to everyone else. So here is my message to those who hate me: you can try all you want, but you will not break me, and you will not break our family, and you will not break this country. I hope those who want to see us fail will soon realize that won't happen and I refuse to be a target any longer. I will use my voice, and I will fight back. Thank you."
I grabbed my papers and began to walk back.
My mom had tears in her eyes as she took my arm again and we walked back inside.
Inside I was rushed into a meeting to take the place of my mother as she left to go visit my dad, but once I got out I went back to my room where Harry was waiting for me.
I grinned as I ran to him and jumped into his arms, his arms going around me too as he crushed me to him.
"Princess, I am so proud of you." He laughed as he hugged me. "You did so good."
"It felt really good to get all of that out." I said as I slid off and looked up at him.
"You were amazing." He grinned before kissing me, his hand moving to my cheek. "I've never been more proud of you, Emma."
"Thank you."
I kissed him again before he pressed his forehead to mine as he talked to me.
"So you learned to respect me?" He asked and I blushed. "I liked your little anecdote about us in there."
"What can I say, you inspire me." I winked at him and he shook his head with a smirk on his face.
"Well you were right, it may have seemed like it at the beginning but it wasn't impossible, and look where we are now."
"I know." I moved in to rest my cheek against his chest.
He kissed my forehead as his hand held my head to him, as I hugged him tightly.
"I'm just so proud of you. It feels good to have my princess back and better than ever" He said again and I smiled, because he was the one who gave me enough courage to feel like I could be strong.
Not only was I changing him, but Harry was changing me, and I was ready to see what else we had in store for each other.
—
I am so sorry for the long wait, this has been a seriously crazy week for me and I have so much to get done by the end of the semester but i'm trying my best to write when I find time so please be patient with me! :)
So I was thinking about having one of the chapters be a character q&a. Would you all be interested in that and if so, tell me your questions and who you would ask!
I promise to update soon!
I love you all so much!
much love xx-m