Sara Alice was sitting in her father's office waiting impatiently for Mr Caterpillar's return. The past fortnight had been boring and difficult. With Mr Caterpillar gone and the Princess upset most of the time there had been no one to play with except her father, and occasionally Rosie. But her father and Rosie were busy with work, preparing security for the Charity Gala, so she'd spent most of her days wandering around aimlessly, trying to nag the cooks into giving her ice cream and spying on Prince Robert.

She found Prince Robert fascinating. He was everything she thought a prince should act and look like. But there was still something to him that didn't quite make sense. For example, that hourglass with the sand running through it that he'd spend minutes just staring at. Sara Alice didn't know what it meant, she assumed it was just some grown up thing that one day she would understand. Of course, whilst spying on Robert was fun she had finally grown bored of him.

That was when she'd turned her attention to the new comer, Prince Sebastian. She'd seen him with Eleanor a few times and it had infuriated the little girl to no end. The Princess was supposed to be with Mr Caterpillar, not this new Prince. And of course, he still was nothing like a Prince should be. In fact, in the little girl's mind there was only one person,besides Robert, who had ever acted or even could be a prince.

Jasper.

But princes didn't abandon their princesses in their hour of need. Which was why Sara Alice waited angrily for his return, scribbling frantically on a piece of pink paper- a picture of Frosty the Caterpillar apologising to his Princess and Sara Alice for disappearing and showering them with jewels and chocolate. The little girl hoped that Jasper would take the hint.

Sara Alice sighed, maybe she should have broken her promise. Eleanor had been so sad after Jasper left. That meant he hadn't given her the present yet. Sara Alice just wanted her friend to be happy but at the same time she knew Jasper should be the one to give Eleanor the story book.

She knew he'd be coming back that day, but in her mind she'd already made the decision. If he didn't give Eleanor the present today, then she would.

She would make sure they got their happy ever after.

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"Tiger is always in season, Sebastian," Eleanor said as she ran alongside her new friend. Try as hard as she could not to, she had to admit that tiger stripes looked good on him.

Not as good as they would have looked on Jasper, she thought to herself, but then again Jasper wouldn't have taken part in a nearly naked fun run.

Jasper- just the thought of him made her heart simultaneously exploded, crumble to pieces and skip a beat whilst running like Usain Bolt at a 100m sprint.

He'd been gone for over a fortnight, he hadn't replied to her text, he hadn't said anything.

But according to James, he ex-con man ex-boyfriend was returning later that day and she had every intention of finding out where he had been.

She hoped deep down that they might be able to go back to the way they were before, but she had given him so many chances, and she didn't struggle with feeling unworthy of being loved. Whilst she in no way wanted to date Sebastian she knew that a guy like him was a better choice than Jasper in some respects, Sebastian always knew what to say to make her feel good about herself, he encouraged her and was optimistic. He had no demons. Whilst Jasper was always there for her and did know the right things to say, he was distant and suspicious at times and his past had always haunted him.

Sebastian was the easier option, but Jasper was the better one. Eleanor didn't blame herself for loving who she loved, she couldn't help but love Jasper, no matter how he broke her heart.

"What are you thinking about?" Sebastian asked her gently.

"A friend," Eleanor replied, "I miss him."

"I'm sure you'll see him soon," Sebastian said, "After all he can't object a direct order from a Princess. Especially when she's dressed like this."

Eleanor smiled, "Yes, that is true. But I said no flirting. This isn't a date. I'm not ready for anything like that."

"I understand," Sebastian said, "I could tell you were thinking about him. If you want to talk to me about what happened…"

Eleanor sighed, "Thank you, but it's complicated. Very complicated. I don't even know what happened. I think I might have scared him away, I wrote a letter, telling him I loved him, he had insecurities, I think we got in too deep too fast. I wish, I wish I hadn't wrote that letter."

"But if you hadn't," Sebastian said, "Would it have made you feel any better?"

Eleanor shrugged, "No, I wanted to be honest with him. I wanted him to know that I loved him. If he'd left without knowing that. I think it would have hurt me a lot more. I wanted him to know that he was loved, that he was worthy of a Princess's love."

"So I'm guessing he wasn't a prince then?" Sebastian concluded.

Eleanor nodded, "No he was my bodyguard. Well I mean, he was, and then he became Liam's bodyguard, and then sort of mine again because we were sharing a bodyguard after James became head of security."

"Sounds messy," Sebastian said.

"You wouldn't even believe me if I told you," Len said.

"Try me," Sebastian said, "If you want to, that is."

Eleanor sighed, "Ok, but just a long as you don't tell anyone. Promise?"

Sebastian nodded, "Of course, I just want you to be happy, Eleanor. If I can help you fix things with this guy then I will."

"Jasper," Eleanor said, "His name's Jasper. Jasper Frost. He was from Las Vegas, moved here about a year ago. His parents- they were grifters, thieves, and so was Jasper at least until he fell in love with me. He came to the palace to rob me, but he stayed because he wanted me instead."

"Shit," Sebastian said, "Well at least he stayed for the right reasons."

Eleanor smiled, blushing, "He did a lot of shitty things, but he turned it all around. He's a different man now."

"That's good to hear," Sebastian said, "That he's putting the past behind him. Maybe that was why he left, because of something in his past. You say he went away because he didn't feel worthy of a Princess's love. Maybe he's trying to find a way to feel worthy and make it up to you for the bad breakup."

Eleanor shrugged, "I don't know. I hope he has been trying to slay his demons. I told him I'd given him so many chances but I know I'd never give up on him. He promised to never give up on me. See, my trust issues they started around the time my brother Robbie died, well sort of died, and it's only recently that they've started to ease."

"I'm guessing Jasper didn't always help those problems," Sebastian said, "I'm sorry, I don't want to be rude but I'm guessing from what you said about the 'so many chances'"

Eleanor nodded sorrowfully, "He blackmailed me, said he'd made a sex tape of me, although he never actually did. Then he slept with my Mum, to stop himself getting deported."

"Wow," Sebastian said, "And you love him still, despite all of that. Well I guess that just shows how extremely loving and forgiving you are. He doesn't deserve you."

"Don't say that!" Eleanor snapped, getting the attention of her security detail, Rosie who was jogging only a few metres in front of them, "Don't ever say that!"

"I'm sorry, Eleanor," Sebastian said, "I didn't mean to talk badly about him. All I was trying to say is that if you were my girl then I'd have never let you go."

"Well I'm not," Eleanor said, before darting off.

The words hung unspoken in the air.

She was Jasper's girl.

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It was just before lunch time when Jasper finally arrived at the palace and he immediately headed straight for James's office to get the run down on everything he had missed. His mission had gone well, not only had he persuaded Harper Day to not publish the story about him and the Princess but he'd also sold out his father to her in exchange, making sure to include some of the juicy details of what his father had recently been doing.

Serves him right for that text he sent me, Jasper thought, I hope he enjoys jail again. He should have a loyalty card or something like that by now.

Jasper knew how that afternoon would go in his mind. Talk to James, meet up with Liam for a late lunch and receive the Spanish Inquisition from Sara Alice until James told the little girl for the fifth time that it was way past her bed time.

Of course, it went without saying that at some time he would have to talk to Eleanor.

He held a letter in his hand, a reply to her letter telling him that she loved him- a letter he had read over a hundred times in the space of two weeks. His letter told the truth about everything that had happened, everything that he'd been doing.

He hoped she would forgive him- again. He hoped there might be a chance. In reality, he knew at best they might just end up as good friends.

He paused outside of her room, and knocked, taking in a shaky breath.

There was no answer.

He opened the door slowly and peered inside.

She wasn't in.

He breathed a sigh of relief and then chided himself for being so cowardly.

He placed the letter down on her coffee table, and then was about to leave when-

"There you are!" the little girl yelled, before rushing towards him and throwing her arms around him.

Jasper grinned, "I missed you too."

Sara Alice smiled, "So did Eleanor. She's not here right now, she's at a fun run with Mr Tiger. I don't like Mr Tiger, he's not a real Prince like you."

Jasper looked distraught, his heart had shattered into a million pieces and they were digging into every vein, every artery and every piece of his body and soul until he was being slowly town apart.

"Do you know where the fun run is?" Jasper asked as calmly as he could managed.

Sara Alice nodded pointing to a flyer on the Princess's coffee table.

Jasper picked it up, reading the title 'Nearly Naked Tiger Fun Run- 5km.'

His blood boiled at the idea of his girl getting naked with some other guy.

"Come on," Jasper said, "It's time Frosty rescued his Princess."

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Sara Alice sat in the back of the landrover her legs swinging backwards and forwards hitting the seat. In her hands she held the present- the storybook that she and Jasper had made. She was so happy that Mr Caterpillar was finally giving the Princess her present.

Sara Alice hoped desperately that it would fix everything and make Mr Tiger go away.

Then Frosty the Caterpillar could be a real prince, she concluded, and Eleanor would be his princess and they would live happily ever after.

"I'm only going to be a few minutes," Jasper promised her as he stared at the finish line of the race, "Then we'll go back to the palace."

"What about McDonalds?" Sara Alice asked angrily, "You told me you'd buy McDonalds for me, for telling you where the fun run was."

"I never," Jasper began to protest, "Ok, ok. McDonalds then we go back to the palace. But if your Daddy asks I took you to the salad bar in Belgravia."

Sara Alice screwed up her face adorably, "Daddy will never believe that."

Jasper sighed, "Ok, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

"Ok," Sara Alice said, passing Jasper the storybook, "You should rescue the princess now."

Jasper smiled, noticing a familiar figure, clad in body paint darting towards the finish line, then his blood began to boil as he spotted 'Mr Tiger'.

Why couldn't the guy at least be ugly? Jasper thought to himself, Why could he had two noses or no muscles?

Jasper smiled to Sara Alice before climbing out of the car and walking towards the end of the race. This reminded him of that time at the polo match- hopefully Eleanor wouldn't scream at him again but he knew there was no way she'd let him get away with what he did.

Jasper watched her as she grabbed a bottle of water and a protein bar before chatting away to Mr Tiger and another tiger in a onesie who he assumed was Rosie.

From what he'd heard from Sara Alice, Jasper had already decided that he liked Rosie, she was feisty and unafraid and he trusted her. Also, she knew how to play, and cheat at, poker which was something they already had in common.

Jasper held onto the present tightly, before taking a deep breath and walking towards the Princess.

Eleanor stood with her back to him as she grabbed another protein bar and Jasper had to try his hardest not to burst out laughing at her tail which looked so ridiculous.

He was only a couple of metres away when Eleanor noticed him.

The colour drained immediately from her face and her eyes were wide with shock.

"Jasper…"

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Eleanor felt the strength go out of her legs and was aware of someone grabbing her arm before she could fall over. Instinctively she thought it was Jasper but then she noticed it was Sebastian and immediately jumped away before giving him an apologetic smile.

"Good, good time," Jasper began awkwardly, "I mean for the race, you…"

Eleanor, recovered from the shock, and rage filled her bones, she darted towards him and slapped him hard across the face, giving him a nasty red mark.

"Good time!" Eleanor began explosively, "Two fucking weeks, Jasper, and you turn up here and that's the best you can say to me! Good time! You know what I haven't been having a bloody good time of it! I've been so worried about you and you didn't even text me or call me!"

"Well we weren't in a relationship," Jasper said, in an arrogant tone.

Eleanor gave him a venomous look, "Don't you bloody dare!"

Rosie looked sheepishly at Sebastian, "Do you want us to give you some space, Princess?"

Eleanor nodded, "Thank you, Rosie."

"I'm sorry, Eleanor," Jasper began, panic and pain rising in his voice, "I shouldn't have ever said those things. I didn't mean them. What I said about 'words I didn't mean' - the only words that I didn't mean were the ones I said that night. I love you, Eleanor."

"Fuck off!" Eleanor said before turning away and walking down a path running adjacent to the race track and through a wooded area, "I mean it Jasper! Leave me the fuck alone!"

"Eleanor just let me explain why I left," Jasper begged.

Eleanor stopped then, tears fogging her vision, "I know why you left. It's because I'm unworthy of being loved. You wanted everything right up until I told you I loved you. Then you ran away, because you obviously don't love me back."

Eleanor was about to walk away when she felt Jasper's hand grab hers, she tried to break free of him but he was too strong.

"No, I ran away because I love you," Jasper said.

"That's really fucked up logic," Eleanor argued. Breaking up with a girl because you love her? What the hell, Jasper.

"I was trying to protect you," Jasper added, "There was a reporter. She knew about us, wanted to tell the world about my past- to hurt you. My father sold me out, told her everything. I didn't want my past to damage your reputation."

"My reputation?" Eleanor answered, angrily, but not nearly as angrily now she knew why Jasper had done what he'd done, "What as a drug taking shit-show party princess who flashed her beaver? I'm guessing you forgot that I've already wound up that low, and survived! I'm not a fragile flower, Jasper, I can take care of myself."

"I know," Jasper replied, "But you've been working so hard to be the perfect princess, a scandal like this could have ended the monarchy."

"Shit, Jasper," Eleanor said, "Don't you know that I wanted my father to abolish the monarchy. I love being a princess, but I hate that it's the only thing people see."

"I see you," Jasper answered, as Eleanor's stomach turned to mush, "I see you for who you are. People like you, Eleanor, and so do I."

Eleanor shook her head, "No, people like getting what they want, at whatever cost."

Jasper shook his head, "You know that isn't true. I'm came back for you. Because I love you. I'll always come back for you."

Eleanor grinned miserably, "So you're back now? Great, I guess you want me back, just like old times. Why don't you take me up against that tree whilst you're at it?"

Jasper grabbed Eleanor's wrists, "Eleanor, don't. This isn't going to be like old times. I've put my past behind me now. I don't have any demons. I've taken those two weeks to sort my life out, to sort my mind out too. I might not be worthy of you just yet, but I'm going to make sure I become that man. I'm going to make sure that I become the man who can make you feel worthy of being loved."

Eleanor bit her lip, trying not to cry, "You didn't have to run away to do that. You could have trusted me to help you. You don't trust me, do you?"

"Of course I trust you!" Jasper replied.

"No you don't," Eleanor yelled back, "First, Beck. Now, this. It's clear you think I'm some low life slut who's going to fall apart at any moment."

"I don't think any of those things," Jasper said, "My issue with Beck, was an issue I had with myself, I felt like I wasn't good enough for you. That was my problem. And do you remember the letter I wrote at the time, I told you I trusted you. I'm not going to pretend that I don't worry about you, I know you've achieved so much, Len, but of course I worry because that's what people do when they love someone. They care."

"I just can't forgive and forget, Jasper," Eleanor said, "Not this time. You need to prove that you can be honest with me, then I'll think about trusting you again with my heart."

"I'll tell you everything," Jasper said, "I swear. And I'll never lie to you or go behind your back again. I can't bare the idea of losing you. I can't stand the idea of you getting naked with other guys."

Eleanor grinned, "Sebastian's just a friend, Jasper."

"Good," Jasper answered, before passing Eleanor the present, "Here's my Christmas present for you."

"You lied," Eleanor answered, peeling away the paper, "You said you didn't get me anything."

"I had to," Jasper replied.

"No you didn't," Eleanor answered, looking at the storybook with a smile, "And you don't have to anymore."

Eleanor flipped through the pages, grinning as she read the story and saw Sara Alice's drawings.

"That's who I am," Jasper said, "The guy I want to be."

Eleanor grinned, "You want to be a scoliotic three-eyed caterpillar?"

Jasper grinned, "I want to be perfect in your eyes. Just like Frosty the Caterpillar."

Eleanor smiled, turning to last page, "You want your happy ever after?"

Jasper nodded, "Don't you?"

Eleanor smiled, nodding, "Help me put on the necklace."

Jasper grinned, taking the necklace from Eleanor, and brushing her hair away from her neck, letting his fingers brush against her skin just a little too much.

Eleanor felt all girly and chided herself for not staying angry at Jasper.

"It's beautiful, the necklace and the book," Eleanor said, "Thank you."

Jasper smiled, "Anything for you, Len."

Eleanor felt her heart skip a beat, she loved it when he called her Len, "Trust me, please Jasper, from now on be honest with me, ok?"

Jasper nodded, and then Eleanor hugged him, and he didn't know what to think, because it was so unexpected.

"I missed you," Eleanor said, "I missed you so much, Jasper."

Eleanor rested her head on his shoulder, and allowed her eyes to close, letting all the worry and anger and hurt of the past two weeks fall away. She would make it work, they would make it work. They wouldn't be back together right away, but in a few weeks, her heart would be ready, Jasper would prove himself-hopefully- and then things would be good again.

Eleanor didn't know how long she'd been standing there but when she did open her eyes, she saw Sara Alice grinning, and Rosie standing next to her, smiling too.

"Finally!" Sara Alice said, "Did you give the Princess the present?"

Eleanor nodded, "And it was lovely, thank you."

Sara Alice grinned, "Now that Frosty the Caterpillar has rescued you can we please go and get some lunch?"

Eleanor grinned, taking Jasper's hand in hers, and taking a moment to register how right that felt to her, before they walked back towards the car.

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Sebastian was still reeling from the conversation he'd had earlier. How could a guy do that to the girl he loved? Sleeping with her mum, blackmail sex, robbing her? That guy was a nasty piece of work.

He'd seen the look on Eleanor's face when Jasper turned up. It was clear she still loved him.

Sebastian felt disgusted, how easy could she be? I mean, he knew she was easy, but still?

Sebastian rummaged around in the cupboards and along the top of the fake armoire, but all he could find was a gun and a pot filled with weed.

Surely there had to be something?

Something undeniable.

He turned and looked towards the green doors, worrying that he didn't have much time left. He'd told James he was here to pick up some clothes for the Princess. He hoped that his cover story would work. James seemed far too savvy.

The last thing he needed was to blow his cover.

He sighed, about to give up.

That's when he noticed the letter.

The dumb son of a bitch.

Sebastian skim read it quickly, knowing that he had just received the jackpot, then he pulled his phone out of his pocket.

Everything was going to work out with perfect timing.

Then he'd finally have what he wanted- and of course, little broken Eleanor would go running to him for support.

She was so weak.

"Hello, Mr Crenshaw?" Sebastian said, "I have something you might be interested in taking a look at."