Royals (A Prince Harry Fanfiction)

Chapter 9

"You two are having fun?" Jackie asked.

"Seychelles is absolutely stunning," Kate's voice answered happily. "The beaches are beautiful, the food is great, and the paps can't find us."

"You've been cut off completely from civilization?"

"Completely," said Kate with a laugh. "This is a phone in the resort, we decided to leave our mobiles back at the Palace. I don't even notice it, we're having so much fun. Have I missed anything?"

Jackie smiled to herself. Because Kate had been cut off from the news, she had absolutely no idea what had happened with Jackie and Harry. "Well, a bit, but it can wait until you get back."

"How's Harry been?" Kate asked.

"He's doing great," Jackie answered. "I haven't seen him in a few days, you know how the press has been going crazy since the wedding. But I hope to soon."

"I'm so happy for the two of you," Kate said gleefully. "You call me after you see him! I want to know everything. Oh- William's calling for me. You'd better not forget to call!"

"I won't!" Jackie promised. "Have fun!"

The line went dead. Jackie smiled and tossed her phone on the coffee table. It would good to talk to Kate again. She missed speaking every day, and it was torture not being about to talk about the whole paparazzi situation. Kate would know exactly what to say, but Jackie didn't want to worry her while she was on her honeymoon.

Jackie was dying to talk to Harry, it had been days since she had seen him. Her first instinct was to get in the car and drive to Kensington Palace, but a glance out of her window told her that wasn't a good idea. The street was clogged with cars parked along the curb, paparazzi waiting to spring into action. Avoiding being hounded again had resulted in Jackie becoming a bit stir crazy.

"Who cares," Jackie snapped aloud, springing from her couch and rushing into her bedroom. She stripped off her pajamas and threw on a black, boatneck, long sleeved shirt and a tight pair of army green pants. A black hooded jacket and sunglasses were enough to disguise her long enough to get to her car.

Jackie washed the few dishes in her sink and was just about to leave her flat when her phone rang. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Harry's name on the screen. "Hello?"

"Hey- Jackie, can you be outside in five minutes?"

Jackie smiled. "Sure. Who will I be looking for?"

"Not me, I sent a driver. I don't want to cause a riot." She could hear the smile in Harry's voice as he said, "Why don't you bring a bag and stay a few nights?"

Jackie groaned. "I want to, so, so badly, but I have a job."

"You can go to work from here."

Jackie smiled softly. "Oh, alright."

"Great. I'll see you soon."

Jackie rushed to pack an overnight bag. With a final glance around her flat, she locked the door behind her, and hurried down the steps and into the covered car park. Jackie set down her bags, craning her neck to look for an unmarked car. She was about to call Harry when a black Range Rover pulled up next to her. The driver nodded to Jackie, stepping out of the car to take her bags.

"Ms. Baker, His Highness suggests that you lay down in the back seat, so you don't have to worry about having your photo taken."

Jackie nodded. "Whatever he thinks."

And with that, Jackie lay flat in the back seat, the driver leaving the parking lot without the paparazzi even noticing. The drive to the Palace drug out, Jackie bouncing her leg in anticipation.

When the car finally pulled to a stop, Jackie was assured by the driver that he would get her bags, and she ran inside. A few staff members smiled at her as she passed, and Jackie tried her hardest to politely greet each person she recognized. All she could focus on was seeing Harry again.

Jackie threw open the door to Harry's apartment and was immediately greeted with a kiss from her favorite Prince. Jackie squeezed Harry and laughed, "Oh, I've missed you so much!"

---

"On a serious note," Harry said, climbing up from his bed, "My private secretary wants to talk to us, go over our options."

Jackie propped herself up, frowning. "For what?"

"Well, we've got to address this, or the magazines'll go crazy with rumors and digging, no one wants that."

She couldn't help but to smile again, as she always did when she was around Harry. "I'll do whatever you want."

Harry leaned down and kissed Jackie. "Why don't we just run off to some ocean island and live there, and never deal with the press again?"

"If only it were possible." Jackie jumped up, re-dressing in her clothes that had been strewn on the floor. "Come on, Your Highness, we've got a meeting to get to."

Harry and Jackie exited his Kensington Palace flat, walking through a series of halls to a section of offices, one of them Harry's. Jackie admired the many photos of Harry with various charities; Harry in Africa with a rhino, Harry and William at a veteran's rugby match, Harry and Diana visiting children in a hospital. Jackie's heart swelled, she turned to see Harry watching her with a small smile. She took his chin in her hand and smiled. "You are so great."

"You're just saying that because you're sleeping with me."

"Well that has something to do with it," Jackie said with a grin. "But really.

There was a sharp knock on the door, drawing Harry and Jackie apart. "Come in," Harry called.

A small, balding man with round glasses came in, vigorously shaking Harry's hand. "Your Highness."

"Thanks for meeting with us, Michael." Harry put a hand on Jackie's back. "This is Jacqueline Baker."

Michael looked at Harry with a mischievous glint in his eyes before taking Jackie's hand. "Ms. Baker, I've heard- and seen- so much about you."

Jackie blushed. "I wasn't the one doing the grabbing."

Michael raised an eyebrow. "Good sense of humor. We can work with this."

Jackie took a seat next to Harry on the sofa in the small sitting area, Michael taking the arm chair across from them. "I wanted to get an idea of what the two of you wanted to do about this situation."

Jackie shrugged, looking to Harry. "I really don't care what we do, I think it's most important to do what's best for Harry and his family."

Michael beamed before settling back in his chair. "You're an incredible lady. You can always go with the standard press release, just a statement from the Chamberlain, add in a request for privacy."

"I just don't understand why we have to have some formal announcement," Jackie said with hesitancy. "I mean, we're two normal people. No one else has to announce their relationship."

Michael looked to Harry, who's face broke into a grin. "I like it."

"So, just, don't say anything at all? Don't even address it?" Michael asked, looking confused.

"We can just go out together or something, they'll get the picture," said Jackie with a shy smile.

Michael laughed. "You just made my job really easy."