Royals (A Prince Harry Fanfiction)

Chapter 14

"Jackie!"

"Over here Jackie!"

"Did you enjoy the Rugby World Cup?"

"Did Harry pay for your ticket?"

Jackie left her sunglasses on as she pushed through the paparazzi that encircled her car, locking it behind her. They trailed her up to the ambulance entrance, a border the hospital had been forced to set, as some members of the press had attempted to follow Jackie into the emergency room a few months back. She sighed as the doors swung open, letting her in to one of her only safe havens- work.

Jackie's life had gotten significantly more difficult since the Queen's Garden Party in June. Nearly 6 months had passed, December had just begun. The paparazzi and media had become an overwhelming presence in her life. Not only did they follow her everywhere she went, but they would dig through her bins, somehow her phone number had been leaked not only once, but 3 times, requiring her to change it each time. It seemed every time she went outside there was another person with a camera shouting her name. Jackie always had to be careful of what she wore- a quick trip to the grocery in an old University tee shirt and running shorts had her labeled in the magazines as "clinging to her youthful college years, when her relationship with Harry was more fun-loving". Every aspect of that story was incorrect-Jackie preferred her adult life to her years at University and she and Harry had been, at most, drinking pals in University, there was no relationship.

Though Jackie had promised herself she wouldn't read what was written about her in the media, she had quickly found it was nearly impossible to resist reading how her latest outfit had been reviewed. At least once a week, Jackie was on the cover of a different magazine, and the Daily Mail was constantly updating their website with "news" on the "apple of Prince Harry's eye". Jackie was sure to clear the search history from her laptop and dispose of any magazines she had lying around when Harry came to visit- she didn't want him to know about her secret obsession. He had never specifically asked Jackie not to read the tabloids, but had clearly expressed his distaste for the reporters that hounded them outside of nightclubs and at sporting events. The only person who knew of her hoard of magazines in a cardboard box under her bed was Emily, who made her objections clear.

"Jackie! I haven't seen you in weeks!" Matt, a fellow nurse greeted when Jackie stopped in the nurse's lounge to hang up her jacket.

"Good to see you, Matt! I suppose it has been a while."

"I'm sure you're busy. My wife has been pestering me to ask you about Prince Harry- is it true he and Camilla don't get on?"

Jackie shook her head. "No, that's not true." She made a point to leave the lounge quickly, not wanting to address any more speculation.

Now that she was one of the most talked about people in Britain, Jackie found it difficult to determine whether or not people were interested in her or her life. Old school friends that she hadn't spoken to in 15 years were emailing her, asking to meet for lunch, or have tea. For the most part, Jackie politely declined, but thanked them for the offer, asking about the person's career or what they had been up to. Hardly anyone sent a second email. The only people Jackie could trust were Harry, Kate, Will, Emily, and the other royals.

Jackie put her stethoscope around her neck and took a seat behind a computer at the nurse's station. Her coworkers bustled around, focusing on their work, but Jackie noticed that it seemed they couldn't help but to glance at her for a few moments longer than necessary. She kept her eyes on her computer screen, waiting for one of her 4 assigned rooms to be filled by a patient.

"Fancy seeing you here," said Emily's familiar voice, Jackie's friend plopping down in the chair next to her.

"It's been ages," Jackie admitted.

"Where've you been?" Emily asked. "I haven't heard from you."

"Harry and I just got back from the Virgin Islands- and then we went to the Rugby World Cup," Jackie said, a bit of guilt in her stomach. "I called off."

"What's it been, two weeks?" Emily asked in bewilderment.

Jackie nodded sheepishly. "I suppose it has been."

"I can't believe Jessica gave you two weeks off!"

"Neither can I." Jackie frowned. "She acted like it was such a bother for me to take time off when my parents were ill."

Emily's eyebrows raised for just a millisecond, but Jackie caught on immediately. "What was that?"

Emily shook her head. "Nothing!"

"I saw you-" Jackie stopped herself and turned back to her screen. Emily thought Jackie was getting special treatment because of Harry. And of course, even if she was, Jackie wouldn't acknowledge it, it would only cause a rift between her and her coworkers.

Emily attempted to change the subject. "What did the two of you do in the Virgin Islands?"

"Oh, just relaxed. It was a lot of fun." Jackie realized Emily wasn't listening, she was hurriedly typing something on her computer. She leaned over and had to refrain from rolling her eyes. "You could just ask me."

"I did. And you didn't give me any details." Emily had searched 'Prince Harry Jackie vacation Virgin Islands' and was scrolling though the countless photos that came up. Harry in red swim trunks, Jackie in a black bikini, standing thigh-deep in the clear water, relaxing in lounge chairs on the sand.

"'The Prince and Jackie were all over each other during a romantic getaway to the Virgin Islands. Other guests at the same resort reported that the pair were spotted slow dancing during a beach barbecue and feeding each other pineapple by the pool.'" Emily grimaced. "Could you two get a room?"

"We had a room," Jackie said with disdain. "The problem is, anything we do in public is amplified. No one would look twice if I was kissing another normal guy."

"I'm surprised he didn't take the opportunity to propose," Emily commented.

Jackie brushed her friend off. "We hardly discussed that."

Emily gasped, leaning forward in her chair. "Hardly? So you have, just a little?"

"Well, I mean, we've talked about what we both want in the future, and our ideas seem to line up- but I don't think either of us feel a need to rush into things." Jackie looked up from Emily's computer screen to see two nurse's aides staring at her from behind charts. "I can hardly stand the way I'm being treated, I'm followed by paparazzi everywhere- but the Queen can't protect me because I'm not a part of the Royal Family."

"That old bat, she can do whatever she wants," Emily snapped.

Jackie gave Emily a stern look. "Spending tax-payer's money on protecting a friend of Prince Harry's, I'm sure no one would appreciate that."

"You aren't just his friend, you've discussed marriage!"

"But we aren't married."

Emily wiggled her eyebrows. "Yet."