AN: There's a character death in this chapter. If you want to know who dies before reading, please scroll down to the end of the chapter.

Alex Sixteen

HM Blaine Devon James of Virginia, born February 2, 1992

HRH (His Royal Husband ;) ) Kurt Elijah Hummel, born May 27, 1994

HRH The Crown Princess Alexandra Elisabeth Sophia of Virginia, born December 29, 2021

HRH The Prince James Charles Francis of Virginia, born August 3 , 2023

Her Grace The Lady Lilian Grace Marie Hummel of Ohio, born July 15, 2026

Lucy Anderson, born Feb 12 2010

Billy Anderson born Jan 06 2007

2038

"We're going to be in so much trouble if we get caught," Alex groans when Luc unhooks her bra and lets it fall to the floor where the rest of her clothes have landed earlier.

"We aren't in our rooms and there are no actual rules about female and male students being in communal shower areas at the same time," her boyfriend grins and removes his lips from where he's been sucking the sensitive skin underneath her jaw. "I checked."

Luc is one of the few French students at her boarding school in the south of France. After finishing eighth grade in New York, the decision to finish her education abroad hadn't been a difficult one. For one, Karen's mom had accepted a job offer in Japan and insisted Karen came with her, but more importantly, the older she got, the more the lack of privacy bothered her. Wherever she went, Hunter came with her and New York had started to feel more and more like a cage. It wasn't easy to ask her dads because Jamie had already asked for an out a year earlier and was currently a student at Dalton Prep in Ohio not too far from where grandpa Burt lived. Luckily, when she had explained her reasons, Dad and Papa had agreed though she knows they were quite sad that another one of their children wanted to leave home. But they still have Lilly who loves the attention having a title brings her and is the reporters' darling. Her sister doesn't know what it means to never have any privacy, because Lilly doesn't even have her own personal guard. France was Alex's salvation. There was only one guard stationed at school but as long as she didn't get into trouble, she could do whatever she wanted. Not just that, as long as she told her guard where she was going, she could even go into town on her own or with her international friends. Luc transferred in at the beginning of the school year and Alex asked if she could show the new student around when she heard he was French because her French still wasn't as good as she wanted it to be. She was pretty much fluid in Spanish already but French was causing her troubles and that was unacceptable for a future Queen. Even Papa spoke French and Spanish quite well and he hadn't even started to really learn it until he was in his mid twenties while Alex had been taking lessons since she was in pre school.

Luc turned out to be charming and when he smiled at her her knees felt weak. He asked her out at the end of the first week and by the end of the second they officially became boyfriend and girlfriend. She introduced him to her dads when they came to visit in October and though they made a show of pretending to hate her first boyfriend, they told her privately that they approved. They slept together for the first time on their six months anniversary a month ago and have since taken advantage of every private moment they could get. Today it meant telling her guard she was going into the city before sneaking back into the school and being dragged off by Luc to the showers behind the pool which was closed for maintenance.

"Less talking, more kissing," Alex orders him with a smile and Luc is quick to obey while his talented fingers remove the rest of their clothes.

In her bag on the floor, her phone vibrates with another incoming call, but Alex ignores it because they don't have much time before the soccer team will rush in to use the communal showers.

She doesn't hear the guard approaching until he's right in front of them, the running water masking the sound of his shoes on the tile. Alex screams when Spencer clears his throat, his hands clapped over his eyes.

"I've been looking for you everywhere. You need to get dressed now."

"I'm sixteen, I wasn't doing anything wrong," she protests once she's sure Spencer's really not looking at her as she wraps her naked body into an oversized towel.

"Please Your Highness," his voice sounds strained and Alex looks at him in surprise because he's never addressed her by her title before.

"Va," Luc tells her. "Dis-moi ce soir ce qu'il voulait."

She catches his lips in a quick kiss before he can run off, dressed in a towel and his clothes clutched to his chest.

Spencer turns around so she can get dressed and only opens his eyes when she gives him the all clear.

"We need to leave for the airport immediately," he tells her and Alex slams to a halt.

"Okay, you're totally overreacting. He's my boyfriend and I love him. My parents wouldn't order me home for that."

Spencer sighs. "I take it you haven't checked your phone yet."

"What's wrong?" As much as she wants to believe this is Spencer overreacting because he found her naked with her boyfriend, there's something in his expression that tells her there's more.

"I'm really sorry but the King has been shot."

"No." Alex gapes at Spencer in shock. "You're lying. Why are you lying to me?"

It's only his hands that keep her upright as her whole body shakes and tears start to fall.

"I'm really sorry, Alex, but I need to get you to the airport. Your family wants you home."

"Is he dead?" She can barely ask the question, too afraid of the answer but Spencer's said the King has been shot not the King's dead so there may be some hope.

"He's in surgery and I promise you that the doctors are doing everything they can to save your father."

"What happened?" She feels numb as she stumbles through the hallway, Spencer's arm wrapped around her middle.

"Your father was in Houston to talk to the local government about ways to reduce unemployment in the area. They don't know how yet, but someone managed to smuggle a gun into the locked off area and shot your father when he walked down the stairs in front of city hall to talk to the press."

A cab is waiting in front of the school and Spencer climbs into the back with her after giving the driver the address of the small airport in the area.

"Give me your phone," she tells Spencer after wiping away her tears because she doesn't want the cab driver to see her cry. Everyone in the region knows that the crown princess of America attends school here and she can't let anyone see her vulnerable like this.

"Why?"

"I need to see what happened. You said he was about to meet the press so there must be video."

Spencer looks at her with pity in his eyes.

"Al-, Your Highness, I implore you. Once you've seen it you can't unsee it."

She should listen to him, should not watch her own father get shot and have nightmares for the rest of her life, but she needs to see what happened, because what if he only got shot in his arm and it's not as bad as Spencer thinks it is?

"Please give me your phone," she repeats her demand and Spencer unlocks it for her before handing it over.

There's a link to a video in the first article she clicks on and her hands shake so badly that she nearly drops the phone when she tries to press play. Spencer's hands steady hers and she takes a deep breath before pressing play. The steps in front of city hall are empty and all that can be heard in the beginning of the video are reporters talking quietly while they wait for the King. And then there's her Dad, dressed in the light grey suit Papa bought for him and a sash in the royal colors. He stops at the top of the stairs to wave at the crowd, a large smile on his still handsome face, though his hair's already peppered with grey. Puck, Sam, Ryder and Jake are flanking him on both sides but they're also giving him space because he's supposed to be safe where he is. And then there's a loud noice, like a car backfiring in quick succession and her Dad just drops to the floor, an unbelieving expression on his face as twin red stain on his chest become larger and larger. People are screaming and Alex is so focused on her dad that she doesn't realize at first that he isn't the only one on the ground. Ryder is lying face down on her Dad's other side.

"You can't see it from this angle, but he jumped in front of your father when the gun man kept firing," Spencer says when she wets her dry lips and forces his name out.

"Is he?"

Spencer doesn't look at her when he nods. "They said he didn't suffer."

"S'il vous plaît, arrêtez la voiture," Alex yells at the cab driver, suddenly nauseous and as soon as the car pulls over at the side of the road, she pushes open the door and empties her stomach.

She's not a child, she knows it's part of the royal guards' job description to give their lives for her and her family if necessary, but she never thought it would really happen one day. Ryder was never her favorite of the guards, but like Sam, Puck and Jake he was family. Growing up, she and her siblings were only ever watched by a nanny when Dad and Papa both went out at night, but any other time her dads were busy, it was always the guards who spent time with her, Jamie and Lilly, playing games, reading them stories and letting them complain about their dads when they got into trouble and decided Dad and Papa were the meanest people in the world. And now, all of a sudden, Ryder's gone and if her dad doesn't make it, he'll have died for nothing.

A bottle of water is pressed into her hand and she uses it to rinse out her mouth before she lets Spencer guide her back into the backseat. She doesn't know what he told the cab driver, but the old french man doesn't even look at her through the rearview mirror as he continues the drive to the small airport her parents use when they visit. In the past, she's always flown on regular flights to Marseille because she thought it was ridiculous to charter a private jet when no one would bother her in first class on a normal plane. Today though, she's grateful that she's flying back on a private plane so she can be herself instead of having to pretend everything is okay while her dad might be dying.

"Can you make sure the plane has wifi before we go on board. I can't be cut off from any news for 13 hours."

"It was booked by the Palace and they made sure it's equipped with wifi and phones. But I will double check when we get to the airport."

"Thank you."

As the French countryside flies by, she tries not to think about Marley. She obviously didn't know it when she was young, but Marley and Ryder were a couple during most of her childhood. They broke up almost two years ago when Jamie moved to Ohio and didn't need a personal guard anymore. Marley decided to go to Ohio with him because she was ready to settle down and start a family and Ohio seemed like a good place to do that for her. Ryder wasn't ready. To leave New York or to start a family and in the end they parted ways but not because they didn't love each other anymore. From what Jamie told her, Marley had only recently talked to the Palace about the possibility of returning to New York because she still missed Ryder. And now, she will never get the chance to reunite with him. The thought makes her sick and if she hadn't just emptied her stomach, she would tell the driver to pull over again. But none of this compares to how afraid she is of losing her dad. And she wonders, not for the first time, if that was what Dad had felt like when Papa was attacked all those years ago.

"Where's my family now?" She doesn't look away from the window as she talks to Spencer.

"Your father and Lilly are on a plane from New York and your grandparents are flying down from Ohio with Jamie. Queen Pamela has been informed but I don't know what her status is. We got the call two hours ago so your father and sister should be in Texas soon."

Two hours. It took Spencer two hours to locate her because she lied to him. What if her dad dies while she's on a plane and she will have missed her chance to say goodbye because of those two hours? Could she ever forgive herself?

"How did you find me?"

"When you weren't were you said you'd be, I tracked your phone, but it's not exact because your parents didn't let me instal proper spyware on your phone to give you the freedom you wanted."

They'd argued over it before she left. Alex thought giving her parents and guard access to the Find my iPhone function was enough, but her Dad wanted a program that would always show her exact location. "Why don't you just chip me," she'd yelled at him, "because what if I don't have my phone on me. How will you watch my every move then? Of all people, I thought you would understand best what I'm going through and why I want just a little bit of freedom."

It was probably the last part that convinced him not to bug her phone. Because he'd met her other dad when he went to Scandals in a disguise he'd used on many secret trips before. They don't even have to worry about Alex doing something similar because she knows what kind of behavior is expected from her in public and she's way too famous in America to be able to go anywhere without getting recognized. That's why she loves France, because so many here don't and think she's just another one of those rich brats who go to an elite international boarding school. Even her royal title isn't anything special here, because she's not the only one. King William of England's youngest daughter is a senior and there are princes and princess from other European countries in her year too. No one gives them special treatment though because all the kids at her school come from rich families who grew up with a similar lifestyle to hers. Compared to some of her classmates' parents, her own are actually pretty poor even though Papa is the first royal spouse with an income. And if Royal News can be trusted, her dad got paid a lot of money for his last film.

When they get to the airport, it's not a Royal Air Force plane that waits for her but a nondescript plane, only a little bigger than the ones her Dad likes to fly and she is expected to learn how to fly when she enters military service after university. Alex stays in the cab while Spencer talks to the pilot, staring out into the distance and grateful the cab driver doesn't even attempt a conversation with her. In her bag, her phone bings with a new message and Alex unlocks it with shaking hands.

Just heard about your dad. I'm so sorry. I'm guessing you're on your way to America but if you need to talk, call me at any time. Je t'aime. Luc

She tries not to blame Luc for the wasted two hours because it had been her idea to lie to Spencer so they could have some uninterrupted time together. It would be so much easier though if she could. Or if she believed in God and didn't think prayers are pointless. There's no time to beat herself up any further though, because Spencer returns to retrieve her and the luggage and leaves the cab driver with a large tip. Once they are settled on the plane, Spencer hands her his laptop and the wifi password and as soon as the pilot gives her the go ahead, she logs into her Skype account and dials her dad's number.

When his face appears on screen, Papa looks like he aged ten years in the last two hours. He's still on a plane too and behind him she can see Lilly, her eyes red-rimmed from crying and clutching a teddy her sister hasn't played with since she was eight.

"Honeybee," Papa sighs and Alex wishes she was with him so she could get one of the famous Hummel hugs. "It's so good to see you."

"Are there any news? Who's with Dad?"

"Your dad's still in surgery. Puck and Sam are with him and they're keeping me updated until I get to the hospital."

"And Jake?"

Papa's face falls.

"I know about Ryder," she tells him when he stays silent. The tears she suppressed earlier, are flowing freely now and there's nothing she can do to stop them. When great aunt Sophia died ten years ago, she'd still been so young and hadn't really understood what it meant, and since, no one she knew had died. And Ryder was so much younger than her great aunt, even younger than her dads and young people weren't supposed to die.

"Ryder was Jake's best friend. I told him to take as much time off as he needs and that I'd understand it if he can't work for your dad anymore. "

"Has Marley been told?" The article she read in the car said king and guard were shot but didn't mention that Ryder was fatally wounded.

She's never thought of Papa as old before, mostly because he looks much younger than his 43 years, but in this moment he does.

"She's on the plane with Jamie and your grandparents."

The camera shifts when Lilly pushes closer and reveals that Hunter's on board along with Papa's guard Lauren. Last she heard, he'd joined a private security firm after she moved to France and her surprise must show on her face because Papa rushes to explain.

"Under the circumstances, the Prime Minister thought it best if Lilly also had her own protection while we're in Texas."

Lilly nods though she doesn't look as excited about the prospect of being treated like the other royal children as she probably would have if things were different.

There's a nagging question at the back of her mind, one she hasn't dared to ask before, afraid to jinx things for her dad, but now she might have to ask it. If her dad doesn't survive, what will happen to the Crown? She won't be 18 for another 20 months and even if she were 18 already, she has not been to college or served with the armed forces, and definitely doesn't have the experience one needs to be king or queen of a country. Normally, the spouse of the reigning monarch would govern in his or her stead until the heir comes of age, but Papa doesn't have a royal title and in the eye of royal law, is nothing more than a commoner who's technically not even related to the crown princess. At least she doesn't have to worry that she and Jamie would be taken away from him, because Papa is also named on their birth certificates, but it doesn't answer the question of who would reign if her dad can't. And she doesn't want to ask, because what if she asks and Dad dies?

"You will also have extra security while your dad is in the hospital," Papa continues and looking at him tells her how hard he is working to appear like he isn't falling apart on the inside. It's a testament to how good of an actor he is that no one else seems to notice.

"Why do I need extra security? Did they not catch the person who did that?"

"Lillybear, why don't you go and ask the pilot how much longer," Papa turns to her sister who huffs.

"I'm nearly 12, I'm not a baby. You don't need to hide things from me."

Papa sighs before he answers Alex's question.

"The Police shot and killed him. But they are afraid that he may have had an accomplice that is still in the area and since they don't know the motive for the shooting yet, the Police chief thinks we should have extra protection."

"Bullshit!" Alex exclaims angrily. "Isn't it obvious the guy was a fucking homophobe." For once she doesn't give a fuck if that sort of language is unacceptable coming from the future Queen.

"He could also have been an abolitionist, mentally ill or disliked your father for his politics. Until we know for sure, we can't take any risk."

If even Papa is for more guards, it really must be serious because it's always been harder for him than the rest of the family to accept 24/7 security and the lack of privacy that comes with it. It's the only way of life she and her siblings know and living in France with barely any supervision took some time getting used to for her, but Papa didn't have a bodyguard until he was in his 20s and started dating a royal.

"How much longer until you get there?" Alex asks when her dad checks his watch again.

There haven't been any news since the call began, but hopefully in this case no news is good news.

"Shouldn't be more than another 45 minutes."

They stay on the line together until her dad's plane starts its descent and he has to power down his laptop.

"Call me as soon as you get to the hospital," she tells him before Papa ends the call and gives her what he probably thinks is an encouraging smile.

"Your dad is a fighter and the doctors are doing everything they can."

By the time her plane lands in Houston, it's after 8 AM in France but there was no way she could sleep until she saw Dad with her own eyes. Papa had called 4 hour earlier to say that Dad had survived the surgery, but wasn't out of the woods yet because he wasn't breathing on his own and hadn't woken yet. Instead of sleeping, she watched CNN on a loop on Spencer's laptop even though there was no news about the gunman or how her dad was doing. Sue had probably issued a gag order to anyone working at the hospital and the police was hopefully busy trying to figure out how the gunman had gotten close to her dad. No King or Queen had been assassinated since 1860 when King Raymond was shot by an angry slave owner as he rode his horse through Atlanta. Of course there had been attempts, but non of her close relatives were ever physically harmed before her dad today. The reporters on TV had interviewed a police officer who had speculated that the gunman must have known someone who was working a checkpoint and managed to bring the gun in that way, but at the moment it was all just speculations.

"Wait," Spencer stops her when she rushes toward the exit as soon as the plane comes to a halt.

"You've been assigned a new guard named Unique. Before we go outside, she's going to help you with your makeup and change into some fresh clothes."

Alex looks down herself. She's still in the jeans shorts and tank top she was wearing when she met Luc because it had been a very warm day and her hair is probably a mess because she ran off with wet hair without even running a brush through it. She definitely doesn't look like the young lady the public is used to seeing and probably looks exactly the way people look when they have to run out of the house in the middle of the night because it's on fire.

"No," she decides and instructs the pilot to open the door. "I'm not going to sit here and waste more time so I can look pretty and like this isn't affecting me at all. If the public can't see me like this when I've been up 24 hours and my dad might be dying because they could think less of me if they do, I don't even know if I want to be their Queen one day."

She pulls her long curly hair back in a ponytail and lets Spencer wrap his suit jacket around her shoulders so she's a little more covered. Outside the plane stands a woman that looks nothing like a guard. She's wearing a ton of make up, flashy clothes and looks like she wouldn't be able to hurt a fly. But if she's a trained guard that's probably the point.

Alex stops her before she can bow to her.

"Please don't bow and call me Alex, Alexandra if you must and Your Highness only when we are in public. And now take me to my dad. I neither need make up nor some pretty dress."

"As you wish," Unique pouts and Alex follows her flanked by Spencer as she leads them to an employees only exit straight to a waiting Range Rover. There are two more cars carrying more royal guards and Alex climbs into the car in the middle and settles on the backseat with Spencer and Unique.

When they pull up in front of the hospital, they are greeted by a sea of reporters, their camera flashes illuminating the night sky when Alex climbs out of the car after Unique. Feeling all their eyes on her, she pulls Spencer's jacket closer around her body and fixes her eyes to the floor as she's rushed into the building, down corridors and up an elevator to the third floor where the ICU is located. It's not hard to guess where her dad is when the whole corridor is blocked by royal guards, who step aside immediately when they recognize her. Puck and Sam are guarding the door to her dad's hospital room, both looking haggard and scared, but Unique leads her into a room on the other side, guarded by Lauren and Hunter.

Inside is her family. Lilly asleep with her head on Papa's lap and Jamie sitting on the floor with his head leaning against his knee. Grandpa Burt and Grandma Carole are sitting on the couch watching Billy's 5 months old baby Tom, while Billy and his wife Gina are talking quietly to Lucy. Uncle Cooper and aunt Sarah are here as well and they are the first to notice her and pull her into a bone crushing hug. The commotion wakes Lilly who jumps off the couch and throws herself at Alex and a moment later, Jamie and Papa have their arms around her as well.

"Please, can I see Dad," she turns to Papa who presses a button by the door and a few moments later, an older woman in a white coat enters the room.

"Doctor Mendez, the Crown Princess just arrived and would like to see the King."

Alex follows the doctor to a room next door where she is given scrubs to change into, a face mask and has to scrub her hands multiple time before she's allowed to visit with her dad. She knows the hospital is making an exception for her because a sign on the door leading to the ICU had read 'no unaccompanied minors beyond this point' and as much as she doesn't feel like a minor, she knows that by law she still is.

Dad looks dwarfed by the machines surrounding his bed. There's a tube down his throat and all kinds of wires coming out from underneath his hospital gown.

"The King's right lung collapsed after one of the bullets pierced it and another bullet caused internal bleeding in his abdomen. We've remove both bullets, stopped the bleeding and treated the pneumothorax," the doctor explains when Alex asks what her dad's injuries are.

"Currently we have him on a ventilator to help with his breathing and he hasn't woken since the surgery, but if he wakes up and is able to breathe on his own, chances are good he will make a full recovery."

"And if he doesn't wake up or can't breathe on his own? Is he going to die?"

The doctor sighs. "The longer he stays like this, the less likely it will be that he will wake up and that there won't be any damage to his brain. Hopefully, we kept the amount of time his organs didn't get enough oxygen short enough that it won't have any long term effects on the King."

"Can I have a moment?" she asks the doctor after sitting down next to Dad and putting her hand over his.

"Five minutes," Doctor Mendez says before she leaves the room and Alex alone with her dad.

His hand is limp in hers and there is no response even when she squeezes it. The person in the bed is nothing like her dad who can never sit still and is always so full of energy. His skin looks almost grey and Alex tries her best not to sob hysterically because he's still alive. She didn't arrive at the hospital just to be told her dad didn't survive the surgery and that's the most important thing.

"But you gotta wake up now. Please, Dad," she pleads with him, tears running down her cheeks and her grip tightens around his hand.

All too quickly, the five minutes are over and she is led back to the room her family is sharing at the moment and it's there that she passes out quickly once Papa and Lilly make space for her on the couch.

When she wakes up again, it's afternoon. The sun's high in the sky and apart from Spencer and Unique, the room is empty.

"Where is everyone?" she ask as she rubs the sleep from her eyes and gratefully accepts a piece of chewing gum from Unique.

"You grandfather took your siblings to a hotel so they could have a shower and get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. He also took the Duke and his family with him," Spencer explains while Alex splashes water over her face from the sink in the room. "They tried to get you to come with them, but you were adamant about staying."

"Huh, can't remember," Alex frowns. She must have been pretty out of it. "And Papa?" she turns to Spencer.

"He's with the King."

Alex presses the button by the door like Papa had the previous night and when a young doctor enters the room and bows to her, she tells him she wants to see her dad. She's still dressed in the scrubs she was given the night before and luckily the doctor just leads her next door so she can clean up before she sees her dad.

Lauren is in front of the door with two unfamiliar guards and Alex nods at them before she pushes open the door. Papa is hunched over Dad's bed and as she gets closer, she hears him sing softly, one of the songs he used to sing to her when she was young.

… And when I touch you, I feel happy inside. It's such a feelin' that my love, I can't hide, I can't hide, I can't hide. Yeah, you got that somethin'. I think you'll understand

When I say that something, I want to hold your hand, I want to hold your hand, I want to hold your hand.

He must be in his own world because he doesn't notice her when she walks up behind him, his hand clutching her dad's like a lifeline, and his shoulders shaking as he cries more than he sings. Alex puts her hand on his shoulder gently, but it still startles him and he wipes away the tears frantically when he realizes he's got company.

"Honeybee, you're up."

Normally, she'd tell him she's too old now for the nickname, but with her dad lying pale and unmoving in a hospital bed, it's comforting. But she's not the only one who needs comfort.

"I'm going to hug you now and you're gonna do what you would have done if I hadn't come in. I'm not Lilly. You don't have to protect me from your pain."

Papa gets out of his chair and opens his arms for her and Alex holds him tight. She's nearly as tall as him now, the same height as Dad at the moment, but her head still fits comfortably on his shoulder.

"I'm really scared," he admits when Alex takes a seat next to him by Dad's side. "We've been together 22 years and I just can't imagine my life without him anymore. And it's never been about the Crown or the Palace, I'd give all that up in a heartbeat as long as I would still have your dad. I may not believe in fate like he does, but I do believe he's my soulmate as sappy as that may sound."

"Did you always know? That he is?" Alex asks, thinking of Luc who she still hasn't texted back.

"No," Papa shakes his head. "You know how we met." The predictable blush when he says it. "I liked him enough that I wanted to see if we could work as a couple but it wasn't love at first sight if such a thing even exists. I can't pinpoint the exact date but one day we were together and it just hit me that I love this man. And then he went and broke my heart because…"

"… because uncle Cooper's a dummy," she finishes for him. "But you forgave him."

"I did," Papa smiles at Dad. "I tried to imagine my life without him in it and I just couldn't. But why are you asking? You and that boyfriend of yours doing OK? You're not pregnant, right?"

Alex shakes her head. "No, I'm not stupid. We're being careful."

"Good. Because you don't want to give your dad a heart attack on top of everything."

She rolls her eyes. Ever since she confessed her first crush to her dads they've been checking in with her quarterly to see if she was up to date on birth control options and the dangers of STIs. It got even worse when she started dating Luc and in the end she told them she was on the pill before she even started taking it just to shut them up.

"We're good, but I think I have to break up with him," she says when Papa keeps looking at her in that way that says, 'go on, I know there's something on your mind'.

"How come? Is he changing schools again?"

"No, but I am."

"Come again?" Papa frowns.

"You know what the worst part about hearing about the shooting was - that I was more than 10 hours away," Alex tells him, a solitary tear making its way across her cheek. "And I don't ever want to be this far away from you if I can help it. So I want to come back. Finish school in New York."

Papa doesn't say anything for a moment and when he does, he sounds so very tired.

"I would be lying if I said I don't want you home, but I remember how unhappy you were in New York and how much happier you've been since you moved to France."

"I'm not going to be happy there now," Alex protests because she won't be able to not worry about her parents now that she knows what things can happen to them.

"There's nothing we can do about it now," Papa sighs. "You know you can't just switch schools, we'll have to talk to the government to see if you can even finish high school in New York or if you have to do it elsewhere. None of that would happen before the fall, so why don't you take the rest of the school year to think about it and if you decide you really do want to come back, I'll see what I can do about you going to school in New York, okay?"

She nods. She knew it wouldn't be as easy as saying she wants to change schools and come Monday she'd go to school in New York. There's really only one school in the area that can handle the needs of kids like her which is in D.C, but they've found a way to let het go to school in New York so far and hopefully she'll also be able to go to high school there. And if not, D.C is still a hell of a lot closer to New York than Marseille and Dad goes to D.C all the time for work. They could have father - daughter outings when he is in town. If he survives this, a little voice in the back of her head reminds her and stops her daydreaming.

"… and you would have 24/7 security again, so just take a few weeks and make your decision when Dad's back home, okay."

She's well aware that she would be giving up her freedom to be closer to her dads but some things are worth more than being able to go for ice cream without a bodyguard in tow. And maybe she could get guards that don't look so much like guards so she doesn't stick out like a sore thumb wherever she goes. Because even when people don't recognize her - which sometimes happens with tourists - they always stop to gawk at the teenage girl with the bodyguard and take her picture in case she's someone famous.

"Do you really think he's gonna be okay?" she asks Papa who's still gripping Dad's limp hand like it's the only thing that keeps him upright.

"He better," Papa mock threatens, but the fear is evident in his voice.

There's a knock on the door and Papa immediately straightens his spine, wipes away any lingering tears and puts a smile on his face before he turns around and calls 'come in'. It's the young doctor from before and he bows deeply before he speaks.

"I spoke to the hospital in New York and they are preparing a room for the King. We'd love to wait with moving him until he wakes up but we have a trauma team ready to accompany him if you want him moved sooner."

"When do you plan to try to wake him?" Papa asks the doctor who thankfully seems to know what he's talking about even though he looks so young.

"Tomorrow afternoon if he doesn't wake on his own before," the doctor consults his notes. "Doctor Mendez will be in later this evening and she should be able to give you a better prognosis then."

"Then we'll wait until I've spoken to Doctor Mendez," Papa says and after quickly checking over her dad's vitals, the young doctor leaves them alone again.

"I'm not going back to school before Dad's woken up," Alex tells him and to her surprise Papa doesn't disagree.

"The Palace has already called your schools to excuse you and your siblings for a few days. They'll email you your homework and any reading you should do while you're gone. But you can't miss more than a week. The school year's nearly over and you still have your exams."

Exams she won't be able to fully concentrate on if Dad doesn't recover till then but she understands why Papa won't let her miss more than a week of school. At least, it will give her a week to figure out what she'll tell Luc because regardless of what Papa said, she's made up her mind about moving back to America. Sure, they could try a long distance relationship but unless they plan to go to college in the same city, what's the point in that? She's always known that their relationship has an expiration date because they would probably go their separate ways after graduation. She just thought they'd have more time and when the time came they would make that mature decision together.

"How about you ask Spencer to take you to the hotel so you can have a shower and get some proper food," Papa suggests when her stomach grumbles loudly.

"Are you going?" Papa shakes his head. "Then I'll stay here too. I'll ask grandpa to pick up some food for us."

"Make it greasy and unhealthy. I could really do with some comfort food right about now," Papa admits and Alex texts grandpa their orders.

They stay in the room until Dad is taken for more tests and they return to the family room where Sue Sylvester and Santana Lopez-Pierce are waiting for Papa. Sue's been the head of PR at the Palace since her grandfather Richard was king and Santana handles Papa's PR. Both are scary but very good at their jobs.

"I've called a press conference for six tonight. That should give you enough time to shower, make yourself presentable and get an update from his doctors," Sue opens without preamble and thrusts a bag of clothes into each of their hands. "You can shower here at the hospital and the press conference will be downstairs in a meeting room."

"Can I assume that Emma's prepared a statement?" Papa asks and puts the suit down on the couch.

Emma Pillsbury is the Palace's press secretary who talks to the media once a week to update them on the work her dad's been doing with the government. She's also deadly afraid of flying which probably explains why she isn't here.

"She's emailed you a copy," Sue nods and Papa unlocks his phone to check his messages.

"We thought it would be nice if the kids were to say a few words too," Sue continues, but Papa shuts her down immediately.

"No. We'll all be there but I'll be the only one to talk to the press. This is difficult enough for them as it is, so I'm not trotting out my children just so the media can have its grief porn."

"It's okay," Alex says even though she really doesn't want to talk to the media, not when she isn't sure she can keep her emotions in check.

"No, Honeybee. I did not let you go to school thousands of miles from home so you could get away from all this, just to drag you back out into the spotlight. Once you're 18, these things will be expected of you anyway but for now let me protect you a little bit longer."

Thanks, she mouthes at him when Santana and Sue aren't looking and when a nurse enters the room to show her to the showers, Alex follows her gratefully.

Alex is seated on an uncomfortable orange plastic chair next to her family while Sue makes the announcement.

"Mr. Hummel will now give you an update on His Majesty's condition. As this is a difficult time for the royal family, he will not take any questions following his statement."

Papa's hands shake lightly as he steps behind the podium Sue's organized for him. He's obviously had a lot of experience with the media but usually Papa only talks to them about his job and Dad talks about things concerning the royal family in his yearly press conference.

"Good evening," Papa says, his mask firmly in place and only his hands showing that this is personally affecting him.

"Yesterday, at 10 AM local time, His Majesty King Blaine was shot in front of City Hall here in Houston, Texas. The gunman was shot and killed by police officers on the scene and two hours ago, local police have arrested a possible accomplice 20 miles outside of the city. It is with a heavy heart that I confirm that royal guard Sgt. Ryder Lynn, who was wounded in the line of duty, has succumbed to his injuries. A service will be held in his honor in New York but no date has been set. His Majesty was struck by two bullets which the doctors here at 'Houston Hospital for Specialized Surgery' were able to remove in a ten hour surgery. The King is currently being treated in the ICU and if possible, His Majesty will be transferred to a hospital in New York Monday morning, where He will stay during his recovery. In the interim, His Highness Duke Cooper of Virginia has agreed to oversee the Palace's daily business since the Crown Princess has not come of age yet and the Duke, as former King of America, is in the Palace's eyes the most qualified person to substitute for King Blaine. The Palace will keep you up to date on His Majesty's condition and in the meantime I am asking you all to give the King's children privacy during this difficult time. The doctors are optimistic that His Majesty will pull through, but He is not out of the woods yet, so again I implore you, please don't take photos of our children or follow them around during this difficult time. Thank you."

Predictably, there are questions shouted at them from the press, but they are led outside by their guards while Sue and Santana handle the press. Up ahead, Papa leans heavily against grandpa and Alex prays to a God she doesn't believe in that she will not have to go through what Papa and Dad went through - losing a parent young. She doesn't want to be a young Queen without an education because her father died, she wants to be old and only become Queen because Dad doesn't want to be King anymore.

Besides her, Jamie has his arm wrapped around Lilly whose eyes are red rimmed again and Alex leans her head against her brother's shoulder. The three of them haven't been together much since first Jamie left for boarding school and then Alex, so this is really nice, sharing a hug with her younger brother and sister. Especially Lilly's changed so much in the year and a half Alex has been gone and she doesn't want them to become like Dad and uncle Cooper who had no relationship at all until her Dad was in his 20s.

"How's that all boys school treating you?" she asks Jamie as they walk back to the ICU. "I can't imagine going to an all girls school without cute boys to look at. Unless cute boys is what you're interested in," she wheedles because Jamie plays everything so close to his vest.

Her brother is nearly fifteen and she's got no clue if he likes girls or boys or both. Maybe he doesn't know it himself yet, she muses.

"Actually, we've been having classes with the girls from Dalton's sister school because there was a fire at their school," Jamie's face turns tomato red, and Alex thinks, girls it is then.

It's nice to talk to her siblings so her mind doesn't constantly wander to her Dad and she vows to spend more time with them when she's home for the summer, especially now that Lilly's a preteen and the age gap doesn't feel so big anymore.

"How about you?" she turns to Lilly with a teasing smile on her face. "Any cute boys in your year?"

"Yes," Lilly sighs dramatically. "But the dads say I'm not allowed to date until I'm in high school."

"They don't really mean it," Alex assures her. "They told me the same thing but when I told them I wanted to go on a date with Tim Murphy in 7th grade they let me go. Wasn't much fun though with Hunter sitting behind us in the cinema."

"They'll probably get you a guard just so you can't go on dates unsupervised," Jamie joins the teasing to her surprise.

"As if that would ever happen. Everyone knows I'm the unimportant one because I'm not even the spare like Jamie," Lilly huffs and Alex shares a look with Jamie because she wasn't aware that Lilly knows what people are saying about the royal children.

"Lillybear, you're not unimportant," Papa says, apparently having overheard her sister and falling back to walk with them.

"I know," Lilly rolls her eyes. "But I'm not a princess so I'm not important for the Crown."

"I'd change with you if I could," Jamie says but they already know that Jamie would much rather be a commoner than a prince because he hates the constant attention being a prince brings with it. But that's not something they can change. Not even Dad can make Lilly a princess and take away Jamie's title and place in the line for the throne. He is second in line whether he wants it or not and while he has more freedom than Alex, he's not as free to do what he wants as Lilly, who has no guard, could go to a public high school if their parents allowed it and can have any career she wants. It's hard some times not to be jealous of it even for Alex who actually likes that she'll be Queen one day.

The doctors let each of them spend five minutes with Dad who's still not moving and then Alex helps Papa convince Jamie and Lilly to go sleep at the hotel so they can watch over Papa in the morning when Alex switches with them - not that she has any plans to do so until Dad's awake and the doctors are certain that he won't die.

They're not allowed to spend the night in the room with Dad though, so she and Papa lie down in the room next door and Alex surprises herself by sleeping through the night. Papa's gone and again she finds him sitting by Dad's side and holding his hand, singing the old Beatles song she caught him singing the day before. She's no singer, inheriting more of her egg donor's genes than her dad's it seems when it comes to musical talent, but she sits down on Dad's other side, holds his hand and joins Papa as he sings. If this were a movie, he'd start moving his hand now, but unfortunately this is real life and Dad doesn't move, the ventilator still helping him breathe and his eyes stay closed.

The afternoon is tough for all of them because they aren't allowed to see her dad while the doctors perform more tests and try to wake him from his coma like state and it's nearly 11 PM when Doctor Mendez asks to speak to Papa in the hallway.

Alex clutches Jamie and Lilly's hands tightly while they wait for Papa to return and when he does it feels like a bolder is being lifted off her chest.

"He was conscious for few minutes and did really well with some of their tests, so Doctor Mendez has given her okay for bringing your dad home to New York tomorrow. Maybe, they'll even be able to take the tube out of his throat before they transport him," Papa says with tears in his eyes.

Alex, Lilly and Jamie fall into his arms and let Papa hold them while tears roll down Alex's cheeks.

"Did you talk to him?" Jamie asks when Papa releases them and Papa shakes his head.

"I only saw him for a moment and he can't talk while he's on the ventilator, but he squeezed my hand."

Papa's crying openly, but he's also smiling with all teeth on display and she watches as he lets grandpa pull him into his arms and whispers. "I was so scared, Dad. I was so scared the doctor was gonna tell me he died. Just like with Mom."

For Alex, there have always only been grandpa Burt and grandma Carole but they told her when she was about six and found a picture of Papa, grandpa and a woman she didn't know, that Carole wasn't Papa's real mom. She didn't really understand it then, because grandma Carole treated Papa the way she thought a mom would treat her son, but her heart aches for him when she tries to put herself into his shoes now. Being so young and losing his mother. She's more than twice the age he was when his mom died and she can't even imagine what she'd do if Dad doesn't survive this. She's missed them a lot while she lived in France, but it was okay because they next holiday was always around the corner and her family would come visit her in France or she'd fly home to see them. She never thought, when she flew back after spring break only two weeks ago, that it might be the last time she got to see either of her parents.

Alex looks up at a knock on the door and there's Marley, face pale and eyes red-rimmed, but also with a small smile on her face.

"I just heard the good news," she tells Papa. "I'm really happy he's going to be okay."

Papa leads her to a couch in the corner of the room, and Alex follows them, wanting to tell Marley how sorry she is, but not really knowing what to say. She was so focused on her own grief since getting to the hospital, she forgot about Ryder for a moment.

"Jake's asked the Palace for the rest of the month off," Marley tells Papa, "and I've spoken to Ryder's family to make the necessary arrangements. They are okay with the service being held in New York, but would like to bury him in his home town."

"He will get the honors he deserves," Papa promises and Alex stops her hovering and takes a seat next to Marley.

"I'm so sorry," she tells the guard who's been a part of her life since Alex was a toddler. "I'm really happy he saved my dad, but I also feel really bad that he's dead because he saved my dad."

"Don't feel bad." Marley wraps her arms around her and Alex hates that Marley's comforting her when it should be the other way round. "When we signed up to be royal guards, we promised to guard you and your family with our lives. Of course you go into this job thinking, it's not going to happen to me, but we all know that if it comes to it, we'd have to take a bullet for the people we protect. And Ryder, he was a good guy. I'm sure he jumped in front of your dad before the others because he didn't have a family like them."

"I didn't even think about that," Alex says, her eyes wide. "Why are they still working for my dad when they all have kids?"

"I don't know," Papa says. "All I know is that your dad tried to get Puck and Sam to take a reassignment many times but they've always turned him down. I don't know if he ever asked them why and it didn't seem my place to ask."

How would you even ask something like 'why is my life worth more than yours when you mean the world to your children'. How can her dad live with the knowledge that if Puck, Sam or Jake die for him, their kids will lose their dads. Maybe, when she is Queen she can make it a law that only people without children can be personal guards.

"Honeybee, can you give us a moment," Papa asks her and Alex, with a parting smile at Marley, walks over to grandma and grandpa who are taking her siblings back to the hotel.

"You too," grandpa tells her. "I don't want to have to explain to your dad when he wakes up next time why his daughter looks like she hasn't slept in days."

"But Papa," she protests and grandpa rolls his eyes.

"Your Papa is a grown up who thinks he knows what's best for him and unfortunately I can't force him to get a good nights sleep. You on the other hand are still young and it's not gonna help your dad get better if he has to worry about his kids making themselves sick with worry."

The guilt tripping works on her just as she suspects it worked on Papa when he was younger and after getting a promise from him to call as soon as Dad is awake again, she lets Spencer and Unique lead her to a waiting car in the parking garage and gets in without a fuss.

While she sleeps fitfully in a kingsized bed she's sharing with Lilly and Jamie because neither of them wants to be alone right now, the Palace arranges their trip back to New York and when she wakes up in the morning, Unique is there to inform them that Papa is flying home on the medical plane with Dad while the rest of the family will follow on a royal plane the Palace has waiting for them at the airport.

"Can we see him before he leaves?" Alex asks Unique who checks with Lauren at the hospital while Alex, Lilly and Jamie take turns in the bathroom.

When they finally get back to the hospital, Dad's eyes are open, but the tube is still in his throat. It's the only thing that keeps her from throwing herself at him after Lilly and Jamie have their five minutes with him.

"I'm so happy you didn't die," she sniffles as she sits on the edge of his bed and holds his hand and then the best thing happens and he squeezes it.

But then she doesn't know what to say. She's got all those questions for him but it's clear that he can't talk just yet.

"I'm so happy," she repeats and Dad squeezes her hand again as if to say, 'me too'.

A moment later, his eyes close again and Alex tries not to be alarmed because she's been told that her Dad's still recovering and hasn't been awake for more than a few minutes at a time before this morning.

Papa's waiting for her out in the hallway, and while there are still dark circles under his eyes, he looks much better today.

"We'll be leaving in about an hour after the doctors have performed their final checks and then it will be a few hours before he can have visitors in New York. I know you don't want to be away from your dad, but you'd help me more if you could take Jamie and Lilly home, get a few hours of sleep and then bring some of Dad's things to the hospital. It's going to be a while before he'll be released and I think he'll be more comfortable in Pajamas than a hospital gown. Just give someone from the household staff this list and they'll put together a bag for you."

He hands her a hand written list and Alex puts it into the pocket of the jeans Unique has organized for her. Papa is of course right when he assumes that she would much rather be on the medical plane with Dad and then follow him straight to the hospital, but she's the oldest and she should take care of her brother and sister while Papa is busy caring for Dad.

"Okay," she agrees and after another tight hug and a kiss on her cheek from him, Spencer and Unique lead her down into the parking garage where the rest of the family is waiting. The reporters are still in front of the hospital, but luckily, their cars have tinted windows and so she leans back into her seat and closes her eyes for the brief ride to the airport.

She says goodbye to Billy, Gina and baby Tom in front of the plane because they have to go back to L.A where Billy works as a teacher and can't take more days off and then Alex boards the royal plane with grandma, grandpa, uncle Cooper, Sarah, Lucy, Jamie, Lilly and their guards Hunter, Spencer, Marley and Unique.

She spends the majority of the flight talking to Hunter, letting him tell her stories about his new job and the kids he's been protecting.

"I like the short term assignments. Less chance of getting attached," he says when she asks if he missed her. She takes his answer as a yes.

She tells him about her plans of moving back to New York too.

"Do you think they'll let me go to school in New York? It's too bad my old school only offers classes up to 8th grade."

"There is a new private high schools for the kids of UN diplomats. I can check out its security for your family if you're serious about moving back home," Hunter offers and Alex nods.

"That would be great, thanks. I know I could just go to boarding school in D.C but I'd rather be in New York until college."

"Any plans for that? What's it going to be, Harvard or Yale?"

"Haven't thought about it yet," she lies because she has and she's pretty certain that's it's going to be neither Harvard nor Yale. She's only a sophomore though, so she's got time to decide where she wants to go.

A fleet of cars is waiting for them at the airport in New York and Alex tries not to roll her eyes when Spencer tells her she can't ride in the same car as Jamie as long as the King is incapacitated.

"Then why was it okay for all of us to be on the same plane," she grumbles but follows Spencer and Unique into one of the waiting cars.

There's no mistaking that she's back in New York with the Palace security protocol back in place. And that means the King/ Queen and the number one in line never travel together. She just didn't think they would treat her like they would the Queen with her dad still alive.

Papa calls while the cars drive across the East River toward the Palace to let her know they made it to New York as well and Dad is being moved to his new room as they speak.

"I spoke to his doctor and he said you could come visit around six."

It's only been two weeks since she flew back to France after spring break but it feels like a lifetime ago even though the book she was reading is still on her nightstand and her slippers where she left them by the bed. The maids only come into her room to clean and change the linens once a week, but she and her siblings are responsible for keeping their rooms tidy during the week. She barely manages to set her alarm before she falls asleep, the jetlag and worry for her dad having exhausted her the past days even when she felt like she was sleeping enough.

"I don't want you to come back and then resent me for it." His voice still sounds raspy like he gargled with sawdust but at least the horrible tube is gone from his throat.

It's been all her dad wanted to talk about since Papa told him about her plans a few days ago when Dad was finally alert long enough for a real conversation.

"I won't," Alex assures him, sitting in her chair by his bed.

He's still in the hospital, at least for another week according to his doctor, but he's awake, talking and breathing on his own. All things she couldn't take for granted any longer during the horrible weekend in Houston.

"So the next time you want to go on a date, you won't complain when you have to take a guard along? It won't bother you when you have to clear an overnight guest not just with me and Papa but with Captain Beiste too? You probably won't even be able to go on a date without the tabloids writing about it. So, Honeybee, don't make any rash decisions. I'm fine. All the doctors say so and soon I'll be back home. It's gonna be up to you - if you really don't want to stay in France I won't force you to, but take some time. High school in France was one of the best times of my life because it was far away from the Palace and I wasn't even under the pressure you are under."

Sometimes she forgets that he didn't grow up as the Crown Prince, that his life was more like Jamie's. She could talk to uncle Cooper about it, but he'd probably tell her the same things Dad is saying. Mostly because uncle Cooper likes playing the King on the soap opera he's on much more than he liked being the actual King.

"Fine, but if I still want to come back when summer break starts, you talk to the Prime Minister about it. Hunter's checking out a school for me here in New York and if he says the security is good that should be good enough for the government, right?"

"I don't know," Dad admits. "We never looked into high schools for you because you'd made up your mind about France before you finished 8th grade. You could go to school with your brother."

"In Ohio," Alex shudders. "No thanks. I mean my school's in the middle of nowhere too, but at least I'm only half an hour away from the ocean. I'd never go to Crawford Prep or any all girls school."

"Alright," Dad raises his arms in surrender. "It was just a suggestion."

"Still talking about school?" Papa reappears with a cappuccino for Alex and green tea for Dad and for once she doesn't roll her eyes when her dads kiss in front of her, because if she nearly lost the love of her life, she'd spend all her time kissing and hugging him too.

"Yes, but we're done talking about it," Alex degrees.

She only has a few hours left before she and Spencer are flying back to France so she can finish the school year and she doesn't want to spend it arguing with her parents.

"What did your agent say?"

"Oh, just that I'm nominated for a Tony as best actor," Papa beams and bounced excitedly, and Dad fist bumps the air.

"Fucking finally."

"Dad!" Alex looks at him in shock because the King doesn't swear, like ever. Not even when Jamie had accidentally dropped his toy hammer on Dad's foot a few years ago.

"What? It's true. He should have been nominated years ago. I still think the judges back then didn't like me and took it out on Kurt."

"You really are my biggest fan," Papa says fondly and leans down for another kiss.

"Hey, kid still in the room. Can't this wait until I'm on the plane," Alex protests because one kiss is fine, but she doesn't want to watch them make out. No kid should see her parents like that, even if their parents are routinely voted sexiest royal couple and the like.

"And you're sure you don't want to take the private plane?" Dad asks when Papa pulls back.

"Yes. I don't want people to think I'm stuck up or that I think I'm too good to fly on a normal plane. It will be fine. I've done it plenty of times before."

Sure, normally her dad hasn't just been shot and all eyes are on the royal family, but she can handle it and if not, she has to learn how to handle it. Because people will never not stare at her, they will always bow and curtsy and call her Your Highness and treat her like she's this massive celebrity even though the only thing she's done so far is get born.

"Alright, but if the press in France bothers you, I will ask Spencer to take on a more active role until the media loses interest. And that's non negotiable."

Alex nods dutifully, because it's what Dad wants to hear. But hopefully it won't come to this and the French press will give her her space like they've done so far.

It's hard to say goodbye to her dads an hour later, much harder than usual, but there's only a few weeks of school left before summer break and Alex focused on that.

A nondescript black car takes her and Spencer to King Edward Airport and Alex makes sure to keep a smile on her face when people openly gawk at her as she walks toward the security check point.

"I'm glad your father is doing better, Your Highness" the woman who scans her carry on luggage says and Alex gives her an even brighter smile.

"Me too," she says. "We're all very relieved."

There are more kind words from fellow passengers though she hears an older man mutter under his breath that it's a shame the homo didn't die. She tries not to let it bother her, because her Dad's approval rating has been rising steadily since his coronation when many of his subjects still had an issue with a gay king. Last year, only 16 % said in a survey that they had a problem with the King's sexuality down from 47% in 2017.

Their seats on the flight to Paris, luckily, are in the first row and Alex takes the window seat while Spencer plops down next to her, his bulky body shielding her from the curious eyes of her fellow passengers. Fortunately, they are flying with a French airline and it seems like no one told the flight attendants who she is because they treat her like any other first class passenger - professional but without any bowing or calling her by her title, which is a nice change after a week back in the US. You'll have to get used to that again, her subconscious reminds her. If you're moving back to New York, you'll be like an animal in a zoo again. Shut up, Alex thinks. It's for Dad.

Spencer raises an eyebrow when she orders a glass of red whine from the flight attendant once they reach cruising altitude, but she won't get to Marseille till late and she's expected to go back to class Monday morning so she needs a little help falling asleep. She'll just have to make sure no one sees her drinking it because while she's old enough to legally drink wine in France, they are technically still in American airspace where she isn't old enough to legally drink. Also, she doesn't want to spend the whole flight worrying about what she'll say to Luc when she's back at school. They've spoken on the phone briefly while she was home to update him on how her dad was doing and she felt pretty shitty when he was super understanding about her not calling a lot because she was spending time with her family. It hurts her heart when she thinks about breaking up with him, but whichever way she looks at it, if she moves back to New York at the end of the school year, they won't have a future. Also, to be quite honest, she doesn't want to spend the rest of high school, and possibly longer, in a long distance relationship. It's no secret that she has a boyfriend and the paps did snap pictures of the two of them together during a drip to Disneyland in January, but they've largely been left alone, probably because not even the yellow press thinks Luc will be the future Queen consort.

Also, they are boring in public. They don't hold hands, they don't kiss and they don't walk too close to each other to give the press no ammunition. Sue even bullied Luc into sighing an NDA concerning his relationship with Alex when they became boyfriend and girlfriend so he won't tell the media any intimate details about their relationship unless he wants to be sued for more than even his millionaire parents can afford. Thanks to uncle Cooper, she doesn't have to remain a virgin till she marries, but it's still her job to make the press believe she's a virginal goodie two shoes who would never do more than share chaste kisses with her first boyfriend. Sue's words not hers, but she gets where she's coming from. Because even though it's 2038, people still call women who have a sex life before they get married sluts while the men who have multiple partners are studs. When her Dad made headlines for his one night stand with Papa, it wasn't the one night stand that made the headlines, it was his sexuality. However, if Alex did what he did, there would be a massive shit storm and she'd be called all kinds of horrible things. It happens to female celebrities all the time and she doesn't know how to change these things. She could talk openly about her relationship, but people would probably blame her dads for her 'loose morals', like they've blamed them every time Alex did something in public that was seen as unacceptable for a princess. Like the one publication who wrote about her too short pants when she arrived in Houston and said she should have changed first instead of rushing straight to the hospital because it's unseemly for the future Queen to run around like that. Which is really ridiculous because they are just legs. It's not like she took her top off in public and showed people her boobs. Her dads probably wouldn't be okay with that either, but shaming her for wearing shorts is such bullshit. Should she then also not be allowed to go to the beach and swim in a bikini because that covers even less of her body?

Sometimes she really doesn't understand why some conservatives cling to the past so ardently. There have been Queens for centuries, women have flown to space, are inventors, doctors, lawyers and politicians, and still they are judged by what they are wearing or not wearing. In 20 - fucking - 38. It looks like unfortunately, all those racists, homophobes and misogynists still haven't died out. Point in case - the asshole who shot her dad and killed Ryder.

Alex forces herself not to order another glass of wine after quickly downing the first and takes a few deep breaths instead. Thinking about these issues always makes her so angry because they should have long been past that. She should have grown up in a world where it doesn't matter that she's a girl, a world where young girls aren't still forced to married men three times their age before they even enter puberty or are killed for bringing 'shame' to their families when they insist on choosing their own boyfriends/husbands. Her parents' cause has always been LGBTQ teens in the foster system, but this is what she wants to focus on, the plight of young girls and women in some kingdoms and in some cases even her own.

The airline has one of Papa's films on offer and though she's been to the premiere and has seen it on DVD since, she presses play because she needs a distraction and it makes her feel closer to her dad. Also, it's one of the family friendly films he made because he wanted to be in a film the whole family could watch together and it's exactly what she needs right now. She falls asleep within ten minutes of starting the movie, letting Papa singing a lullaby to his onscreen daughter lull her to sleep.

Thankfully, no one stares when she's back in class. It's the upside of going to school with other royals and the children of millionaires because they are all celebrities as well and couldn't care less about the media interest in Alex. There are a lot of well wishes for her dad though, which she accepts with a smile. She doesn't share any classes with Luc on Mondays, but on the way to her dorm room, he catches up with her, a small frown on her face.

"Why do I feel like you've been avoiding me?" he asks after Alex accepts a brief kiss and she sighs.

"Because I've been avoiding you," she admits because there's no use in dragging it out.

She unlocks her room and motions for him to follow her inside. They are allowed to have significant others in their rooms as long as the door stays open and it's not after curfew. Her suitcase is standing next to the bed, still unpacked because she was so tired when she got back late last night and her desk and desk chair, as always, are stacked with books for class and for her own reading pleasure.

Luc takes a seat on her bed and Alex tries not to think about how excited and nervous she was the first time he did that when they got partnered for a history project. She's here to break up with him, not reminisce about the early days of their relationship.

"How's your dad? The news said he'll be released from the hospital next week," Luc says when Alex doesn't offer an explanation for her behavior.

"Much better. He was sitting up in bed and talking when I left yesterday and he's not so pale anymore which is good. There's something seriously wrong when Papa looks more tan than Dad, because Papa's always pale."

"That's good. And your brother and sister?"

"They're fine too. I mean, we were all really scared but now that Dad's doing better, we're okay."

"So why have you been ignoring my calls and messages? Did I do something wrong?"

Alex shakes her head adamantly. "No, Luc, you haven't. You've been the perfect boyfriend."

"Please don't say it's not you, it's me," Luc interjects. "It always sounds so false to me."

"But it's true. You haven't done anything wrong and I've been treating you pretty badly since I left."

"So why?"

Taking a deep breath, she sits down next to Luc and takes his hand.

"Once the school year is over, I'm moving back home. I don't wanna be this far from my family again, at least not while I'm still in high school. I'll probably leave the city for college and I want to spend as much time as possible with my dads while I still can."

There's a sad smile on Luc's face, like he already knows what her plans are even when she hasn't said it out loud yet.

"So you want us to break up." It's statement, not a question.

"I don't want us to break up," she tells him honestly, "but I don't think it would be fair to either of us to waste the rest of our teenage years on a long distance relationship that may never go anywhere. I don't know where I want to go to college yet and I don't want my relationship to play a part in my decision. I want to go to the best school for me, not the one closest to my boyfriend. I love you, but I don't love you enough to put my life on hold until we find a way to be together again. I'm sorry."

Until she opened her mouth, she didn't actually know what she would say, but this feels right. Like it's truth and not telling him what she thinks he wants to here.

"You want to break up today?" Luc asks, his blank face making it hard for her to gauge how he's feeling about all this.

"Don't you after what I said?" He hasn't pulled her hand from hers yet which she takes as a good sign that he doesn't actually hate her.

Luc sighs. "I really like you, Alex and I don't want us to break up. I don't know, my first instinct was to tell you we could stay together till the end of the school year and hopefully I could convince you till then not to break up with me. But…"

"But?"

"I don't think I can do that. Acting like there isn't a countdown and everything is normal until you go home for the summer."

"Do you think we can stay friends?" Alex asks because they get along so well, have so many shared interests that she 'd be sorry to lose him as a friend as well.

"I have friends, Alex, and I don't think I can be friends with you as long as I'd rather spend the afternoon kissing you than talk about a book."

Finally, he pulls his hand away and Alex tries not to cry because she's the one breaking up with him.

"Okay," she whispers. "If that's what you want."

"I don't want you to break up with me, but it looks like you can't always get what you want," Luc snarks and gets up from her bed.

Alex stops him before he walks out of her room.

"Luc, wait, please. We need to decide what to do now. I'm really sorry, but you know what my life is like. We need to come up with a shared statement for when the press finds out."

Luc stops in his track and turns around to stare at her incredulously.

"Right now? Why don't you ask that PR woman to call me and tell me what I should say. We don't want the press to find out that you think I'm such a waste of time you won't even consider a long distance relationship."

He storms out of her room and slams the door shut behind him, and even though she was the one who wanted to break up, it feels like her heart is breaking into a million pieces. There are tears in her eyes when she opens her laptop and calls Papa on Skype because she needs her dads right now, needs them to tell her that she's not a horrible person.

Papa's in the hospital with Dad when he accepts the call, sharing the small bed so they can both see her on his tablet screen.

"Oh Honeybee," Papa sighs when he sees her tears. "What's wrong?"

"I told Luc about moving back to New York and I think he hates me now," Alex sniffles. "He was really snarky and then he just ran off."

"I'm sorry," Dad says, his head resting on Papa's shoulder and one day she'll hopefully have what they have. "I always hoped you'd never have to go through a bad breakup."

"As someone who had a horrible first boyfriend, let me tell you this. Chocolate and ice cream help. Talking to your best friend about it helps too. As does watching sappy movies," Papa tells her.

She'll probably do all of that plus share a bottle of wine with her boarding school girlfriends, but her dads don't need to know the last part even if it's totally legal for her to do so. They all have their vices; Dad occasionally smokes even though she's not supposed to know that, Papa's been secretly dying his hair since he turned 40 and Alex sometimes drinks too much at a party and ends up puking her guts out. Being royal doesn't mean they are perfect, they just have to work harder to project that image and make sure no one lets it slip that they are human beings with flaws too.

"I wish you could give me a hug right now," Alex tells her dads as she hugs her knees closer to her chest. "I wish the school year was already over so I could be home with you."

Papa grins at Dad. "I think we raised her wrong. I'm mean what sixteen year old would pick living at home under constant supervision over living in the south of France where she can pretty much do whatever she wants."

"Yeah, I don't know what we did wrong with her," Dad joins the teasing and Alex rolls her eyes.

"You're such dorks. You're lucky I love you."

"Honeybee," Dad's expression sobers. "You can still change your mind, but I can't wait to have you home with us again."

"We really missed you," Papa adds and Alex tries to stop the tears before she's full on crying.

"I really missed you too."

Royal guard Ryder Lynn is killed by a bullet meant for the King.