#queen charlottes show holds a very special space in my heart

[oh-shit-a-baby]

BLACK FRIDAY THOUGHTS PART TWO

A complete compilation of my thoughts throughout the musicals second half,,, this bois going to be real long bc I have a lot of thoughts lol

Now without @drawinglinesinarbitraryplaces :(

Yep dumbledore can still sing

Omg his voice

This song is going to make me cry aaaaa

Becky: you don’t look at all the same as I remember

Me: yeah no shit dumbledore grew a beard

Jesus,,,,, theyre just going to go for it right there,,,,,, ookay

Wtaf is this movie they’re watching

HOLY SHIT HER VOICE IS /PRETTY/ HER RANGE IS HUGE!!!

Idk if this is an unpopular opinion bc no one has an opinion yet but Becky and toms song is the cutest one ever and a bop and I love it

Jesus they payed for a balcony and they’re going to fucking use it aren’t they

WELCOME TO PEIP HQ IM SO DOWN FOR THAT

OH THERE ARE MANY DIMENSIONS????? U GONNA EXPLAIN THAT MR GENERAL MACNAMARA????

The black and white isn’t that what lexs sister was on about

Wiggly is the king u wot m8

President kurt knows nothing about anything and that’s a mood

So if the next movie isn’t about ‘13 years ago’ imma freak

U WANNA SEND ME INTO THE FUCKIN TWILIGHT ZONE AND HAVE DINNER WITH THE DEVIL??????!?!!

NO!!! FUCK THAT!!!!! FUCK THAT!!!!! FUCK THAT!!!!!

^^^president kurt quotes

In short, mr president, we are trying to stop the birth

*dramatic piano*

Of a god.

*dRAMATIC PIANO*

It’s good score tho 10/10

Sherman young

Nuff said

After today’s great battle???

Faith in the one true god!! All hail wiggly!!!

My new religion lol

LET LAKESIDE MALL BE A NEW JERUSALEM!!!!

*cue joey and Robert just screaming wiggly for like 5 mins straight*

NO THEY FOUND LEX

OH YEAH FUCKIN KILL THEM!!!

Who????????

FUCK YEAH LINDA

CULT??? NO! ITS A NEW EXCITING RELIGION THAT I STARTED!!!!

Yeah Gerald

She pronounces Cinnabon as see-nah-bohn what’s up with that lol

I NEED A WIGGLY DOLL...... IDEALLY FOUR OF THEM!!!

IVE MET GOD. HE HAD NOTHING NICE TO SAY ABOUT YOU.

*cue people dying and their mics stopping working*

Holy fuck they all wanna kill Hannah now (lexs sister gets a name now apparently)

LAUREN I LOVE YOU AS A VILLAIN

I would kneel before villain Lauren any day

I will deestroy everything, and then I will deestroy everything, and then I will deestroy everything and then I will oh shit it’s Gerald.

While I don’t want you to think for yourselves I do want you to understand what I mean when I say my evil shit

I’m sorry that choreo is a yike

ETHAN DARLING COME BACK I MISS YOU <<<333333

IM CRYING NOW

He’s in the black and white now we’ll that sounds like shit

NOT ETHAN

Hannah is the unsung hero of this musical so far

*said in wiggly voice* well, webby (Hannah’s spider imaginary friend who I think is gonna be the deus ex machina of this thing) is a stupid bitch!

Rotten little banana. I’m going to peel you. I’m going to split you in two. I’m going to eat you Hannah. I’m going to eat you right now. *all said in dramatic wiggly voice*

Aaand their mics broke again

We don’t get tricked! We’re grown ups!

And Becky and Tom are immediately evil the second they see the wiggly bc of course they are

Jesus beckys the villain???????

Welcome to the musical where everyone gets a villain song AND a hero song??????

Her voice is still beautiful

*Prancing around* DO YOU WANT SOME CANDYYYYY??????

She’s still wearing ethans hat my heart is going to go oh my god

And he just,,,,, leaves Becky to die?????

President Kurt in a space suit oh my god

And America is great again is playing in the background

MACNAMARA SAID ‘GODSPEED’ AND IS THAT A CATCHPHRASE I SENSE THERE

Yeah no president kurt can’t do foreign policy

His name is like howie or something but imma call him president kurt just like Tom was dumbledore for like the first half of this mess

Oh fuck joeys character is here and he’s gonna FUCK PREZ KURT UP

He’s eating an apple that means he’s a asshole

Holy fuck joeys character is like the ultimate capitalist

And also terrifying holy shit

NO MACNAMARA DONT GO IN THERE

Joeys character: Do you think that in the Netherlands they’d care about some toy??? Nah!!! They’re too busy with their free vacations and FREE healthcare!!

(When I refer to joeys character I mean the evil one he just doesn’t have a name yet so idk what to call him)

And joey can still sing I love him

His voice is so good and this whole villain is giving me spies are forever flashbacks

I have absolutely no fuckin clue what’s going on rn

Holy fuck joeys voice is so beautiful and his range is killing me

I take back what I said earlier this song is the best one bc joey

Holy fuck someone just hit like a high d and I have no clue who it was bc the video quality is not the greatest

JESUS THATS TERRIFYING

THE FUCK YOU MEAN DONT BE FRIGHTENED THATS MY SLEEP PARALYSIS DEMON

LOOK AT THIS FUCKER JESUS CHRIST

Wiggly is so scary because he speaks like a child and those are scary

MACNAMARA EX MACHINA

Mac: BEGONE

Prez kurt: SORRY JOHN I FUCKED IT UP

THATS THE HOOK FROM NOT YOUR SEED ISNT IT HOLY SHIT

Joeys voice and acting is gonna kill me

Yeah made in America is the shit

MAC NO U CANT DIE U DIE IN TGWDLM

Also the black and white is a dumb as shit name for an alternate reality

Prez kurt: MERRY CHRISTMAS MOTHERFUCKER!!!!

*wiggly voice* Uh-oh mr prezzy-wez. It seems you’ve misplaced your bomby-womb.

Well shits about to go down

I’m calling it the bomb bombed the White House

Oop no they’ve only gone and lost Moscow

Well fuck here comes ww3 I guess

And prez kurt is definitely insane in the brain

ITS THE HOOK AGAIN THE ‘ALIENS INVADING MINDS’ BIT OH MY GOD I FEEL LIKE A MUSICAL GENIUS

Jesus Sherman is a weird fuck and lex is kinda clever I guess it’s a shame we haven’t seen her for most of the musical

Lex: I THREW EM IN THE FUCKIN TRASH

LEX BABY NO DONT DIE

Lex: Is this what I live for? To be choked in a toy store?

Lexs beautiful song is this musicals version of not your seed but depression

And her voice is /pretty/

MAC?????????????

WHAT??????????????

OH MY GOD HE IS AUTHORISING HER TO USE HIS FIREARM YES QUEEN

I’m sorry lex and Hannah can do what

Jeffs voice kills me him and joey need a duet and that would be the end of me

What did lex just do in so confused

MAC DID THE SALUTE IMMA CRY YALL

And we’re back with Tom

Oh fuck lex is gonna shoot tom

Hold up Tom names his son Tim

Wiggly is playing mind tricks now yikes

Lex: KIDS DONT WANT THAT PEICE OF SHIT!!!

Tom: wat

Lex: THEYRE ALL INTO FORTNITE DUDE!!!!!

So the doll can only fuck with adults not kids???

Jesus Christ this is depressing

U wot lex

Lex: YOURE LIKE 40!!!!! YOU PROBABLY THINK YOURE LIFE IS OVER!!!!

Holy fuck this shit is deep

Wait lex still doesn’t know about Ethan oh my god

And Dylan gets another hero song holy fuck just give Robert a song already everyone else has one

At the same time though this is S a d

I’m not crying you’re crying

YES DUMBLEDORE U HIT THAT HIGH NOTE

Tom: in fact you’re real fuckin ugly

Me: yeah no shit

Lex: FUCK YEAH!!!! Should i move these boxes first?

*cue very clever scene change*

Yeah Gerald no one wants to talk to u

Oh my god Linda leave Hannah and ethans hat alone my heart is breaking for Hannah

Linda: is this some kind of a jooooke?????

They’re gonna set one of their dolls on fire ok ok ok this is fine

More villain songs ookay

If someone could tell me what the fuck is going on in this scene I’d be very impressed

Evil yoga

YES LAUREN U QUEEN

HOLY FUCK IS THAT CHARLOTTE??????

OH MY GOD ITS JAIME IN THE CHARLOTTE COSTUME IT IS CHARLOTTE HOLY SHIT

ITS CHARLOTTE AND THE HOMELESS DUDE HOLY SHIT

The choreo is...... interesting

Cue Robert not-Corey and Lauren being the only good dancers and getting special choreo

FUCK YEAH BECKY WITH THE GUN

LINDA NO

Ookay so everyone’s on fire this is fine

Emma and Paul ex machina

SOMEBODY NUKED MOSCOW!

paul is family third wheeling

YOU KNOW, SHE HAS THIS KOOKY RECLUSIVE BIOLOGY PROFESSOR

*audience fucking looses their shit*

WHO LIVES ON THE EDGE OF TOWN

Paul is having an existential crisi because he sHOULD HAVE WORN A WATCH

Someone’s gonna fall of that staircase by the end of this performance

HOLY FUCK ITS THE HOT CHOCOLATE KID

IT IS THE HOT CHOCOLATE KID OH NY GODDDDD

LOOK AT HIM

It’s the what if tomorrow comes bit!!!!!!!

Okay again this choreo is interesting but the vocals are all S t u n n i n g

They’re literally counting down until the end of the show imma loose my shit that’s the least subtle they’ve been during the entire show

Hang on hang on hang on hang on haaaaang on right there

Did lex just never find out that her boyfriend died we were deprived of a heart wrenching moment when she found out about Ethan

Like jeez I cried and I barely knew him she was dating the guy and just... didn’t ask about him????

ITS THE HOOK AGAIN

That’s it!!!!! Those were my thoughts the first time I watched this through!!!!!!!

Scream at me in the notes with any questions and I’ll try answer them :)

[causeiwanttoandican]

I think I hear he sound of shattering glass coming from Vancouver.

The Telegraph

Kate steps up: The making of a future Queen

Revealed: The crack team building and shaping the Duchess of Cambridge's royal future

By Camilla Tominey, Associate Editor

7 February 2020 • 9:00pm

It has been exactly a month since Harry and Meghan announced that they were stepping back as senior members of the Royal Family. For the past eight weeks, column inches have racked up about the ‘Megxit’ bombshell and its impact on the institution of monarchy.

Yet amid all the hysteria and hullabaloo, one of its most important members has been serenely going about the business of keeping calm and carrying on.

Until now this kind of understated behaviour may have been most closely associated with the Queen, but it is her modern day equivalent, the Duchess of Cambridge, who has been quietly putting duty first with increasing visibility.

A recent UK tour to launch her landmark survey on early childhood, combined with well-received visits to Bradford and Mumbles, may at first look like Kate making a conscious effort to fill the void left by her brother and sister in law.

Yet as has ever been the case with the middle class girl from Bucklebury who married into the Firm almost a decade ago, that would be to underestimate a woman who has never made a show of her royal role.

Motherhood to monarch

Having discreetly spent the past eight years beavering away on the causes closest to her heart, Kate has finally found her voice and is determined to use it. No longer willing to be seen but not heard, sources say she is now ready to commit the rest of her working life to raising awareness of the importance of childhood - and its impact on adult life.

Although she never took the credit for being the inspiration behind the Heads Together mental health campaign spearheaded by William and Harry - having witnessed its extraordinary impact, there is a sense that the Duchess has finally realised just how much she is capable of.

“The Duchess has worked quietly away in the background for years,” said one well-placed royal insider, “And now she knows that people want to hear from her”. No longer as fearful of public speaking, and fast carving her own path out of the shadows, Kate’s landmark online survey '5 Big Questions on the Under Fives’, will mark the start of decades more work on the subject, according to aides.

“It’s much easier to speak out when you know what you’re talking about and passionate about your subject,” added the insider. “She has become an expert in early years learning, she understands the science and is respected in the sector because she has spent the past eight years working it out. But she also wants to find answers. This is about evidence based research.” The first results of the childhood survey are due next month.

Kate’s gentle yet inquisitive manner was never more on display than when she met wheelchair-bound Harvey Bentley, 90, in Mumbles on Tuesday. The warm exchange was filmed by Mr Bentley’s son-in-law Mike Sutton-Smith

This kind of reaction is certainly welcome after arguably the most testing period for the monarchy since Diana’s death. With two of the so-called ‘Fab Four’ poised to set up their own projects in North America, the focus for the Cambridges will not only be on putting duty first but in a non-partisan, but an extremely effective way.

As one observer noted: “It is a bit of a paradox, having such a naturally introverted person in such a high-profile position. I think that’s what people find endearing about the Duchess. She’s not a showy person. It’s a deeply British trait.”

And one which she certainly shares with Her Majesty who also has a quiet confidence and sense of reserve when interacting with the public.

Of course, accession may still be decades away, but preparations for the royal couple to become the next Prince and Princess of Wales were already well underway before Harry and Meghan’s move to Canada.

Yet while efforts had previously been ploughed into elevating the status of the man who would be king - there is a new, and arguably even more compelling project now fully in progress at the palace: the advent of Queen Catherine.

So much so in fact that team of academics have been drafted in to help the mother-of-three shape her royal future, with input from the highest echelons of government and even the security services.

Likened to a modern-day version of the Way Ahead Group, set up to rebuild the monarchy in the aftermath of the Queen’s ‘annus horribilis’ of 1992, the Duchess’s steering group of experts has informed her focus on early years learning and helped her to grow in confidence in her royal role.

Working royals putting duty first

As the royal couple prepare to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary next year, 2020 is set to be momentous for the Cambridges.

Projecting themselves as a family unit - and a relatable one too - has become a priority and was behind them agreeing to the prime time Christmas TV special with national treasure Mary Berry, which saw the royal couple cooking souffles while discussing the work of their Royal Foundation, the philanthropic vehicle for all their charitable endeavours.

With talk of trips to Ireland, Chile and Columbia already in the offing, and both having recently launched major charitable initiatives - including William’s Earthshot Prize - a multimillion pound project to ‘repair the planet’, the next 12 months will see the pair try to bring what one palace insider describes as the ‘calm after the storm’.

The source added: “What you are going to see with the Cambridges is a couple carved very much out of the Queen’s mould: Duty first.”

Having had three children in swift succession and with Prince George, six and Princess Charlotte, four, now in school and Prince Louis turning two in April, Kate’s priorities have shifted.

According to one well-placed source: “Over the last 12 months they have realised the potential power of their platform. They understand that by launching these long term projects they can genuinely make a big difference. They’ve been told clearly by people the impact that they can have if they pick the right spaces - things they care passionately about.”

Just this week we have seen William discuss diversity at the Baftas and his mental health initiative Heads Up, tackling the issue through football, has been well received. As with Earthshot, described by one aide as “the biggest thing the Duke has ever undertaken”, it’s about saying ‘we can do this’, rather than ‘this is too daunting’”, said a source.

“The Royal Foundation has been going for 10 years now. What they want to do is a smaller number of things on a bigger scale. For the Duchess, the early years work is something she will lead for the rest of her life. It's easy to dismiss it as nice and cuddly, but the focus is going to shift from how much childhood issues affect adult mental health and on the social side, it's as significant as climate change.”

While both projects and their recent visits to Yorkshire and South Wales had been in the diary for months, there is no doubt the ‘Sussex situation’ has escalated matters. “A hell of a lot of responsibility rests on their shoulders and they’ve just got to get on with it,” said royal author Phil Dampier. “I think they are both resigned to spending the next 30, 40, 50 years as heavyweight royals.”

A formidable asset

Government hopes are also being pinned on William and Kate flying the flag for post-Brexit Britain. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) was “delighted” with their highly successful visit to Pakistan last year, which helped to demonstrate the Cambridges’ worth to UK Plc. There emphasis will be on ‘youthful yet dependable royalty’ - demonstrating the power of the Royal Family both home and abroad as a formidable ambassadorial asset.

This was certainly on show last month as William hosted his first major state occasion - a reception for the UK-Africa Investment Summit - on behalf of the Queen at Buckingham Palace.

Standing alongside his wife, many royal watchers noted how much more publicly demonstrative William had become towards Kate. During the reception he was uncharacterstically nostalgic, saying: “The African continent holds a very special place in my heart. It is the place my father took my brother and me shortly after our mother died. And when deciding where best to propose to Catherine, I could think of no more fitting place than Kenya to get down on one knee.” When a wellwisher in Mumbles complimented William on Charlotte, he replied: "Yes, she is lovely - just like my wife."

And it is this kind of gentle encouragement and support which is intended to propel his wife to the next level - where her dependability turns into the kind of ‘soft power’ which can affect real change.

Or as one insider put it: "They are going to be doing what politicians can't do, with such a comparatively shorter shelf life. Only royals can think about this scale of change on a generational basis - and that is what the Cambridges are determined to bring about."

A crucial appointment for Kate will be her next private secretary following the departure of Catherine Quinn, the Oxford-educated right hand woman who has helped to chart the past two years. The Telegraph understands a replacement is yet to be found and the Duchess is continuing to be supported by her assistant private secretary and Simon Case, the former civil servant who has been William’s closest adviser since July 2018. Case previously worked for former Prime Ministers David Cameron and Theresa May and that they are taking their time, searching for someone of Case's calibre for Kate is certainly telling.

The couple arguably have another, equally pressing legacy project: the future survival of the monarchy. William has certainly been working in ‘lock step’ with his father and grandmother to find a solution to his brother and sister-in-law’s desire to leave the Firm.

The Telegraph can reveal that the second-in-line was also much more involved in the decision for the Duke of York to step back from public life last November than has previously been reported.

When Prince Andrew travelled to Sandringham to hold talks with Prince Philip and Charles - he also held a meeting with his nephew, believed to be at Anmer Hall, the Cambridge’s Georgian country house on the Queen’s estate in Norfolk. According to a source: “William spoke to Andrew for about an hour. They met separately. The Queen and Prince of Wales both agreed he should be fully involved in the discussions - he is very much a part of what has become a triumvirate of decision-making these days.”

No Fab Four Anymore

As Joe Little, editor-of-chief of Majesty magazine points out, there needs to be a shift in focus now that Harry and Meghan have handed in their notice. “Prince Charles had hoped to have a slimmed down monarchy with his own children and grandchildren as the major players, but he has had to revise that masterplan in light of recent events.

“The House of Windsor was riding high for such a long time with weddings, babies and jubilees, William and Kate have got to restore some of that magic.”

Agreeing that the Duchess’s role will be key to ensuring a modern-day monarchy is fit for purpose, he added: “There’s a mystique about Kate like there has always been about the Queen.”

While Harry and Meghan appear intent on politicising their future role, for William and Kate it is going to be all about the three S’s: stature, strength, and stability

[harley-sunday]

The Draw (12)

Summary: The whirlwind starts at the 2018 ACE Comic Con in Phoenix but you’re not sure where it will end...

Pairing: Sebastian Stan x reader

Warnings: Language. Smut. NSFW-ish under the cut.

Word count: 3383

AN: Sorry for the long wait, this whole chapter was a struggle. I honestly thought this was going to be the last chapter, but I just can’t seem to quit this and so I figure there’ll at least be another two chapters to this story. However, I would love to hear what you think though or if you even want me to continue, so if you like this story so far, please comment or reblog :)

Masterlist

“So you’re leaving Wednesday, right?” your brother asks, his mouth still full from the spoonful of ice cream he’s just shoveled in.

“Yeah,” you reply, laughing then because Sarah wacks Nathan in the head for talking while he’s got food in his mouth. “I’ll be back on the tenth.”

“Do you need us to drive you to the airport?” Sarah offers, Jake nodding enthusiastically next to her.

“That’s very kind,” you reply, “but Lauren’s already offered to drive me.” You smile then, “It’s sort of our tradition, you know?”

Sarah nods while Jake looks a little disappointed and so you offer him an extra scoop of ice cream instead, ignoring his mother’s protests that he’s already had enough with a wink.

You wait until Jake’s finished his dessert before you start clearing the plates, a little surprised when Nathan offers to help you with the dishes. That is it’s just you two in the kitchen and he bumps shoulders with you, “Remind me again why we have to lie to Mom and Dad for you about this “business trip”. He uses his fingers to air-quote the last word, a mischievous grin on his face.

“Technically it is sort of a business trip,” you answer quietly, “what with me working in the New York office.”

“Sure,”

“It’s just,” you start, a sigh then. “It’s Mom and Dad and you know how they get. I don’t know,” you hesitate, trying to find the right words, “I just don’t want to get them all worked up about this. Not until-”

“Not until when?” Nathan jumps in. “Until you’re well and married?” He leans against the counter, arms crossed in front of him, “Listen, I know they can get a bit carried away sometimes, I mean, Dad will probably cross-examine the guy the first chance he gets, and Mom will want to know if he ever plans on having a big family within seconds of meeting him, but it’s just because they care, you know? You’re their little girl,” he does nothing to hide his eye roll, “and they just want you to be happy and-”

“I know,” you bite back. A little softer then, “I know, but I’m still trying to figure everything out myself, ok? And it’s hard enough as it is without Mom and Dad around.”

“Is it, though?”

“Well yeah,” you counter, “this feels different. There’s this whole world that he’s a part of that I’m still trying to make sense of. Either he’s on a movie set, or doing press somewhere, or going to a premiere or an award show or-”

“But that’s just work though, isn’t it?” Nathan says quietly. He looks at you then, eyebrows raised, ��Don’t set this up for failure by coming up with excuses as to why this is doomed from the start only because you act like it’s something special.” He holds up his hand when he sees you want to say something, “I’m not saying it isn’t something special, don’t get me wrong, but at the end of the day, you are just two people who like each other very much and it shouldn’t matter if he’s famous and you’re not. If you like each other, really like each other, well, that’s what’s most important.”

You want to argue, really you do, but deep down you know he’s right. You’ve been trying to come up with reasons as to why this would never work ever since you first saw Sebastian in Los Angeles and so far he’s proved you wrong every single time. And after Nate’s speech, maybe it’s time to prove yourself wrong too.

Without warning you throw your arms around your brother, pulling him in for a hug, “Thanks, Nate.”

Taking one last look around your office to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything, you shut off the lights before you hoist your purse a little higher on shoulder and grab your laptop bag off the floor. You stop one door down, at Deb’s office, and poke your head inside, “Alright, I’m off. See you in three weeks.”

She looks up at you from over the rim of her reading glasses, the slight nod she gives you as encouraging as the smile she wears, “Don’t let those New Yorkers get to you, kid.”

“I won’t.”

“You’re one of the best out there,” she continues, looking extremely proud, “they’re lucky to have you.”

“Thanks, Deb,” you say as you smile back. The woman holds a special place in your heart, giving you a chance to work alongside her ever since you graduated college and teaching you the ropes every step of the way. A true mentor and definitely something you aspire to be to some young kid one day. She isn’t the affectionate type however, and so you know better than to walk over and give her a hug, instead opting for a quick wave, “I’ll keep you updated.”

“You do that.”

“Ok, so,” Lauren says, practically jumping out of her car, joining you on the curb, “on a scale of one to ten, how excited are you?”

You laugh, because she asked you the exact same thing a little over four weeks ago, when she dropped you off for your flight to Los Angeles. “A solid ten,” you reply this time.

“Good,” she agrees, as she leans against her truck while you grab your suitcase. Her arm around your shoulders then as you stand next to her, squeezing you close, “I’m so happy for you babe!”

You think you hear her voice shake and so you turn to her, not completely surprised that she’s a little teary-eyed, “Laur-”

“I know, I know,” she says as she lets go of you, “I shouldn’t get this emotional, but you know how I am.” She waves her hands in front of her eyes to stop the tears from falling, “I just want you to be happy.” She sobs then, “And I just know he makes you happy, but with him living in New York and-”

“Laur,” you interrupt her, your voice soft, because of course you know what’s bothering her, “I’ll come back. This is all still very new, ok?” You wait for her to nod before you continue, your hands on her arms now, “Maybe, one day, you know? But this is the first time we’ll be together for more than two nights and who knows how things will work out.”

“But-”

“No,” you say, sternly this time, “You will always, always be my best friend, Laur. No one can change that. I’m not leaving you. Never.”

She’s crying for real then, and so you pull her into a hug and hold her tight, because even though she acts like nothing fazes her, you know that she doesn’t do well with change.

It takes a while for her to calm down, but when she does she can’t help but laugh at the way she’s reacting, “God, we are a couple of drama queens, aren’t we?”

“You know it,” you agree, pulling her in for one last hug.

“Safe travels, babe,” she says as she lets go of you, “Love you.”

“Thanks, babe. Love you too.” You grab your suitcase before you turn back to her, "I’ll let you know when I’m there, ok?”

Your flight is delayed for almost three hours, and you’re pretty frustrated by the time they finally let everyone board, the talkative elderly lady you’re seated next to only getting on your nerves more and more as the flight progresses and so you’re not in the best mood when you finally land at JFK. Baggage claim is your own personal form of hell when there are three kids screaming and crying with their parents doing nothing absolutely about to stop them and to make things worse your bag is one of the last to get on the belt. 

By the time you exit the airport you’re pretty much done and you’re so lost in thoughts that you forget Sebastian’s organised for someone to pick you up and so you have to track back from the AirTrain station to the pick up location Sebastian texted you before your flight took off. To say you’re in a bad mood would be putting it mildly.

You scan the signs the drivers are holding up, looking for one that has your name on it, while figuring you’ll use the ride over to get yourself together and freshen up a bit, when you spot a familiar figure across the parking lot, your heart skipping a beat when you see him looking up at you with a mischievous smile. 

He’s wearing the same black baseball cap he had on when he came to Charlotte, and it seems he’s not drawing any attention but still you’re careful when you walk over to him. You’re not sure what the rules for public displays of affection are and so you stop just in front of him but he leans forward then, kissing you softly even though there’s a need to his kiss that tells you he wants more. You feel all your build-up frustration melt away at his touch and smile into the kiss, your lips the only part of you touching him even though it feels like you’re hanging onto him for dear life.

He pulls away then, his voice barely above a whisper, “Hey.”

Your knees actually fucking buckle then and it makes you wonder if you’ll ever have the same effect on him until you see his cheeks are a little flushed and you can’t help but smile.

“You ok?” he asks as he takes your suitcase and puts it in the trunk.

“Yeah,” you nod, before your smile grows wider. “Better now that I’m here.” You let him lead you around the side, a little surprised when he says he’ll join you in the backseat but of course he has a driver. It’s New York, nobody owns a car here.

The car is one of those luxury town cars, with a blacked out window between the front and back seat that Sebastian closes as soon as he tells the driver you’re good to go. There’s still a little bit of space between you, but God you’ve missed him and so you scoot closer and snuggle up to him, letting out a content sigh when he puts his arm around you.

“I like you,” he whispers quietly, before he presses a kiss to your temple.

He drops your bag at the door and holds out his hand for you to take, “Come on. I’ll give you the tour.” 

You’re standing in a long hallway with doors on either side and and a view into the living room on the far end. He gives you a quick rundown of the first three doors, with the guest bedroom on your left, and the master bedroom and toilet on your right.

The second door on your left leads to the open plan kitchen and from there into the living room, and you actually gasp when you see the view it offers of the city. The windows are big, starting about three foot off the ground, running all the way up to the ceiling, dark blue curtains framing each window perfectly. There’s something about his living room that makes you feel at home right away, because even though the furniture and decor are all pretty masculine, it’s also cozy and you can tell the pieces are put together with care.  

From the living room he leads you back into the hall, still holding your hand as he opens a door on your left, revealing the master bedroom. The walls here are a dark green color that you fall in love with immediately and you realize it’s because the color somehow just fits Sebastian. 

He points to two doors in the room, one for the bathroom, the other for the walk-in closet, before he quietly says, “I’ve cleaned out some space for you to put your things.”

You’re taken by the way he insecurely runs a hand through his hair before he rubs his neck and so you press a kiss to his lips, “Thank you.” You’re about to pull away, but his hands are on your hips then, pulling you closer. You smile into the kiss, your hands finding their way into his hair, stopping at the base of his neck. You open your mouth then and his tongue does something that makes you moan into the kiss, a little weak in the knees for the second time that day.

Sebastian’s hands move a little higher, lifting you up and you wrap your legs around his waist almost instinctively, grinding down a little until you feel the bulge in his pants pressing against you. He takes a few steps forward before he carefully lowers you onto his bed, his lips never leaving yours. His hand finds its way to your thigh, pushing your dress a little higher, his fingers slowly making their way up before he teasingly presses his hand against your already wet panties.

You buckle your hips, aching for his touch, hoping to increase the pressure, but instead he removes his hand and you whimper at the loss of contact. He stops kissing you then too and all you can do is look at him with your eyebrows raised.

He chuckles, lips a little swollen, cheeks a little flushed, “Don’t worry, I’m about to make it up to you.”

You wake up to the sound of a doorbell ringing as well as some eighties rock music playing somewhere in your proximity. It takes you a moment to figure out you’re at Sebastian’s place, but then the memories from earlier that afternoon come rushing back and you feel the heat rising to your cheeks when you remember how you screamed his name not once, not twice but three times already. You hear the door open, a muted “Thanks, Joe.” coming from Sebastian and for a moment you keep still, trying to figure out of he let someone in, but after a few quiet minutes you figure something must have been delivered because if you remember correctly Joe is the doorman.

It’s then you smell food coming from somewhere and as if on cue your stomach starts to growl. Getting out of bed you find your dress somewhere discarded on the floor and so you put it on before you walk to the kitchen. You find Sebastian behind the counter, plating up what seems to be a Thai curry, while softly singing along to ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ from Journey.

“Hi,” you say, but your voice is still a little raw and so it comes out barely above a whisper.

He turns around, a warm smile on his lips, the laughter lines around his eyes crinkling, “Hey, you.”

You end up next to him and you throw your arms around his waist as you rest your head against his chest, “Smells good.”

“I don’t really cook,” he says, almost apologetically, “so it’s almost always take out or a restaurant.”

“Sounds good,” you say with a smile, because really it is, although you promise yourself to surprise him with a home cooked meal somewhere in the upcoming days.

“You sleep well?” Sebastian asks when he sees you walking into the kitchen, handing you a cup of coffee and giving you a kiss as you pass him.

“Yeah, although the first night somewhere else is always a little weird,” you admit easily as you sit down on one of the bar stools at the kitchen island, “I think I woke up a couple of times before your alarm went off.”

“Yeah, sorry about that,” he grins, “I always have an early morning training session on Thursday.”

“It’s fine,” you reply with a smile.

“Oh yeah, before I forget, here is yours,” Sebastian says suddenly, like it’s no big deal, pulling something out of his pocket.

You however, are at a loss for words when you take what you suppose is the key to his apartment from him, holding it tight in your hand as your eyes follow Sebastian across the kitchen. He grabs a bottle of water from the fridge and puts it into a gym bag that’s lying on the counter, before he sits down on the bar stool next to you, shifting a little in his seat so he’s facing you, smiling, “I don’t want you to have to wait around for me. You should just do as you please.”

“Ok,” you say, slowly, not sure where he’s going with this.

“You’re going to have to go in to work, right?” he asks, a little uncertain now.

You nod, “Yeah.”

“Ok,” he echoes, smiling again. “I’ve tried to keep my schedule as empty as possible, but I couldn’t clear everything, plus I have a couple of things I really have to go to. You know, meetings, training sessions,” his voice drops then, his smile fading, “therapy once a week.”

You put your hand on his, giving it a gentle squeeze, “Hey, no judgment here. I went to therapy for almost a year after I broke up with Mark.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” You smile, “If I ever was president for a day I’d offer everyone free therapy sessions. It’s still so underrated and frowned upon, but it’s so good for you and your mental health.”

“Thank you,” he replies before he leans in and kisses you, his hand resting on your leg. “So, uh, yeah, you just do your thing, ok? And I’ll do mine and then let’s at promise that we’re back here every night at six?”

You nod, “Yeah, sounds good.”

“Alright, well, I’m headed to gym in a couple of minutes, then I have a meeting with my agent and after that I should have a pretty good idea what the rest of my week looks like, so I’ll let you know, ok?”

Holding three pretty full grocery bags in your left hand, you search for your key with your right, groaning in frustration when you realize you put it in your left pocket. Switching hands you find your key and let yourself into Sebastian’s apartment, walking straight into the kitchen where you put the bags onto the counter before you take your bomber jacket off and drape it over a chair.

It’s Saturday and you’ve just been to Tucker Square Greenmarket, getting everything you need to make that home cooked meal you promised yourself you’d make for him. You let your phone connect to Sebastian’s sound system, thumbing through your playlist until you’ve found one with nineties music that you put on while you start unloading the bags.

You’ve still got some time left before Sebastian gets home and so you take it easy, pouring yourself a glass of wine before you set about the meal prep, softly singing along to whatever song is playing while you’re at it.

By the time the chicken is in the oven and the potatoes are roasting, you’re two glasses of wine in and so when ‘I’ll be There for You’ from the Rembrandts comes on you can’t help but turn up the volume and dance through the kitchen, using a courgette as a microphone, singing at the top of your lungs. It isn’t until the songs ends that you notice Sebastian standing in the doorway, leaning against the door frame.

“I was just-” you start, still panting a little, resting against the counter to catch your breath and realizing whatever you’re about to say next is futile from the way he’s grinning wickedly. You wipe your brow, “How long have you been standing there anyway?”

“From the first time you tried to clap along,” he says, trying to keep a straight face.

“It’s hard,” you say, trying to defend your off-beat clapping, pouting for extra effect.

He laughs out loud then and shakes his head, “You are something else, you know that?”

“Free entertainment, apparently,” you mutter, but you can’t help but smile. Laughing then when he takes your hand and spins you around before he kisses you.

“I like you,” he says, before he eyes the oven timer, “Still thirty minutes left until dinner, huh?”

You follow his gaze and nod, before you look back at him, one eyebrow raised, “What you have in mind, Stan?”

He doesn’t say anything, just grabs your hips and pulls you closer, before he moves his hands and scoops you up, making his way to the bedroom. His voice low when he says, “You just wait and see, sweetheart.”

[pofcroyalfanfiction]

Chapter Fifty Four - Somebody Elses Party

Soon the garden was packed with guests, all dressed in their summer finery. Her birthday party had become one of the Queen’s palace garden parties, except it was even more exclusive. Where were the casual outfits? Where’s the rocking music and kids running around? Most importantly, where were any of her friends from Marlborough?

Ellie tried to be as polite as possible with everyone who spoke to her, grateful for their time and efforts in their charities, now without Charlotte to help keep conversations going, but all the while she was on constant lookout trying to spot at least one girl from her dormitory. It had been at least two hours and she’d had no luck, even Taylor Swift had been swept away by the grownups.

She would know a thing or two about best friends.

At least the family was still here, tactically dispersed throughout the garden to talk to as many people as possible and push the royal brand. Savannah and Isla were there, hiding by the bushes with the other teenagers and kids, keeping to themselves. They beckoned Ellie over, noticing her discomfort in the middle of the crowd, the center of attention, but as soon as she made a move to reach them, she was swept aside by her grandmother, Camilla.

“Eleanor, darling, are you enjoying your party?” she asked sweetly.

“Yes, granny, it’s lovely.” Ellie lied. Half lied. Mostly lied.

“It’s a wonderful gathering, so many bright minds come to see you. You should feel very special.”

She hated being told how she should feel, but felt bad for feeling anything but special.

“I do granny, I do.” Ellie reassured her, feeling even more guilty.

It’s not that I’m not grateful for them, I can be charitable, I’m a nice person. I just… don’t want them here. Shit, that sounds terrible.

“Have you seen any of my school friends?” Ellie asked hopefully, even though she knew her grandmother had no clue who her friends were. As sweet as she was, Camilla still thought she liked Take That, even though they were before her time.

“School friends, dear? Camilla seemed confused. “This isn’t really the right place for that sort, is it?”

“That sort?” Ellie pressed her. Thankfully she was well practiced in disguising her irritation. Camilla didn’t pick up on it.

“Yes, the rowdy sort. I imagine your school friends are rather less refined than yourself. Marlborough has been going downhill for years. I did argue for you to be sent to Queen’s Gate and then Mon Fertile, but your mother insisted on Marlborough.”

Ellie ignored that jab. Camilla had always been clear, either outright stating it or via a veiled remark, that she felt Ellie had had too much of a ‘common’ upbringing that was not fitting of a future queen. This was no different.

“It is where she went, granny.” Ellie reminded her.

“I know, I know, it’s a family thing. I still feel you would have done better at Queen’s Gate, at least then you would have made friends we could actually invite.”

“What does that mean?” Ellie was now struggling to hide her anger.

“Darling, did you honestly expect your mother to send any invitations to Marlborough? This was always going to be a formal event, although between you and me, this seems far too casual.”

Ellie was seething. She turned away from Camilla and watched the party, soaking it all in. The party atmosphere had vanished and all she could see was money. The posh and the wealthy, the upper class. She was growing more and more uncomfortable by the second. Why would her mother let this happen?

This isn’t me. She knows this isn’t me.

Camilla seemed to pick up on her frustration, “Don’t worry dear, it’ll get more formal as you get older.”

“I’ll speak to you later granny. Thank you for coming.” Ellie kissed her on the cheek and made a quick escape before Camilla started talking about bringing back the 60’s and arranging her debutante ball.

Ellie made her way through the crowd, thanking everyone for coming. She briefly shook hands with Idris Elba and talked about his new film, then he introduced her to even more acting pals. Ellie remained polite throughout, but kept trying to navigate her way to her mother who was holding court in the middle of the garden, with George and Charlotte holding onto her legs.

“Mum, can we talk?” Ellie asked quietly.

“In a minute sweetheart, you need to meet Danielle and Willa here.” Kate put her hand on the small of her back and ushered her towards the two women.

It stayed that way for the next hour, being introduced to practically every guest present by her mother, who kept her hand on her back throughout as if she was showing her daughter off. Ellie felt like a piece of meat, being auctioned off to various charities that wanted her to become a patron. Kate was trying to get her to show an interest, tactically introducing her to charities she thought Ellie would be interested in.

The trouble was that Ellie wasn’t interested in any of them, not strongly enough to pick one as her first ever patronage. She liked horses, yes, but hadn’t had much time to ride whilst at school. Music was great, but the most musical related thinking she’d done recently was what to add to her studying playlist on Spotify.

It’s not like I’ve been allowed to go to a concert before, either.

She was only fifteen, and yet she was expected to be strongly supportive of a cause close to her heart, but what?

She’d tried to ask her mother about her friends, but all the talk of her future had drained her energy.

“Mum, I need to pee.” She whispered in her mother’s ear.

Kate gave her a squeeze and kissed her on the forehead. “All right, come right back poppet. Lots more people I want you to meet.”

Instead Ellie snuck her way out of the party, using the same arch way that her great grandparents had used hours before when they arrived. She knew that all eyes were on her anyway, including the cameras, so there wasn’t much point in sneaking, but she did so anyway. It wasn’t like anyone was going to stop her.

The atmosphere was much quieter outside the garden, with no guests milling around and just the caterers and staff busy carrying trays in and out of the party. They all gave her space, and didn’t complain when she picked a few cocktail sausages from a plate and dipped them in tomato sauce. She hadn’t eaten in hours and the hunger pains were hitting hard, only noticeable now that her anxiety had been lifted.

“We can get you a sandwich if you’d like, ma’am.” A freckle faced young woman told her. She was one of the masses of staff that had been hired to cater the party, and someone who seemed just as tired of the guests as Ellie was.

“Oh please! That’d be amazing.” Ellie gushed, wiping her mouth with her hand. Etiquette be damned, she just wanted to eat.

Ellie told the woman what she’d like, and while the other caterers gave her shifty looks, she quickly prepared a cheese toastie especially for Ellie.

“This feels like my first birthday present.” Ellie spoke with her mouth full, savouring the flavour. She’d almost forgotten what the whole party was for.

The woman frowned at her. Ellie immediately worried about how that came across, and so to not sound like a spoiled little girl she continued. “Fourteen birthdays before this, none have been as formal as this.”

Nice, Ellie.

The woman appeared slightly uncomfortable, unsure what to say. She smiled at Ellie as she enjoyed the sandwich, then finally spoke. “To be fair, this doesn’t feel like a fifteen-year old’s birthday party.”

“It doesn’t?” asked Ellie, wanting to hear the answer from somebody else.

“Nah, I’ve worked those too. Nothing like this.”

“What does this one feel like?”

“Kinda posh.” She spoke with a thick Geordie accent. “Fanciest gathering that I’ve worked.”

One of the woman’s colleagues came over, curtsied to Ellie, and took the woman aside. Ellie listened to their whispering, apparently the other servers thought that the woman was avoiding work to chat with celebs.

“I should get back.” The woman said, grabbing a tray of freshly cooked sausage rolls and rushing off.

“Thanks for the toastie!” Ellie yelled after her.

So, this is what her life had become. No longer having fun, joy filled birthday parties with friends and family. Instead having quiet, respectful ‘gatherings’ with a bunch of unfamiliar faces, which would get even more tightly controlled if Camilla was to be believed.

Ellie retreated further, wandering behind the catering trucks, past the hustle and bustle of the staff and guests that were leaving early. Occasionally she’d pass by a few guests she didn’t know who had left to find more secluded spots to escape the party, just as Ellie was doing. They bowed to her, tried to apologise and said they were “just about to head back inside.”

They all seemed to think she’d come out there to ruin their escape plans, and she rushed to reassure each one of them that that was not the case. They didn’t really believe her.

“We’re sorry, Your Highness.”

“Happy birthday, Your Highness.”

Grumpier than ever, she found her secret spot. It was a little space between the hedges that nobody knew about, just next to the woods and not far from the nearest river. It was the perfect place to hide from everyone at the party, even her family, all except the cameras. It was a good spot to have one of the CCTV cameras as, from up high, it offered a view of the whole garden. Ben also happened to know it was one of her spots.

She bent down, her knees rubbing in the dirt and no doubt muddying her dress. With a little testing of the hedges, she found the spot where the twigs weren’t so dense and pushed them aside, revealing a hole in the hedge that she could crawl through.

She made more noise than she normally did getting through the hole, all the twigs and leaves rustling as she squirmed past, a sad reminder that she wasn’t a little girl anymore. The sound of the party was still dominating her ears, yet even when she stopped moving to remove a branch that had caught on the sash of her dress, the rustling of bushes continued. Ellie listened closer, the sound wasn’t from anything she was touching. It was coming from her hiding spot.

She crawled faster, doing her best to be sneaky. The noise of the party helped mask her movements as the rustling up ahead hadn’t stopped, but now she could hear new noises. Soppy and sucking sounds, like two wet fruits being grinded and slapped against each other.

“Eugh” Ellie whispered. She watched as two guests sucked face in her favourite hiding spot, forever tainting it. This made her even more grumpy, but at the same time she couldn’t help but watch them.

Their faces were obscured, but the two sparkly dresses and sets of high heels made sure that whoever they were, it was going to be controversial. Ellie couldn’t stop herself from audibly gasping and interrupting the pair when one of them finally turned towards the light.

“Your Highness, uh, we’re so sorry.” Hailee Steinfeld said to her, blushing a deep crimson as she tried to fix her lipstick with one finger.

Dakota Fanning just smiled awkwardly, hiding her hands behind her back and bowing her head slightly. She let out a nervous giggle.

The two women towered over Ellie in their heels, but having them both nervous around her, seemingly unable to leave, was unsettling. Two of the biggest actresses in Hollywood caught making out in front of her, grown women, and yet they were apparently waiting for Ellie to relieve them.

“It’s okay.” Ellie finally said, remembering to say something. The two women visibly relaxed.

The last thing Ellie wanted to be in that moment was a Princess. She wanted to gossip. This was huge. An utter scandal, and at her own birthday party! Hailee was supposed to be with Jason from the Bass Boys, Dakota was apparently sworn off relationships forever.

Both women apologised again and made their escapes quickly. As soon as they were gone Ellie spun around, completely blown away by what she’d seen. She wanted to tell her friends, to laugh, to theorise, but nobody was there. She spun around again and then collapsed onto the floor, breathing heavily and realising how much she’d tightened up in front of them.

“That was huge!”

Ellie shot back up to her feet. Taylor Swift appeared from behind the hedges.

Is everyone sneaking through these hedges now? And is this why Taylor is always making headlines? Because she’s hiding behind the bushes during all the big scandals?

“You scared me.” Ellie clutched her chest, slowing down her breathing.

“Sorry, Your Highness.”

She’d had enough. Ellie’s mask slipped.

“Please don’t call me that. I don’t want to be called that. Not today” The words stuck in her throat.

Taylor stood there, watching for a moment while Ellie sat back down again. After a long awkward silence in which she could tell Taylor was debating whether to stay or go, her idol finally sat down next to her.

Ellie couldn’t speak, stunned by how surreal everything was. Sitting in seclusion, stars starting to appear in the sky whilst the party droned on behind them. Not to mention that star studded make out session. She had no doubt it was these sorts of moments that inspired a lot of Taylor’s songs.

Oh God. “You’re not going to write a song about this, are you?” Ellie asked.

Taylor laughed. “No, probably not. Hailee’s a friend.”

“You haven’t written about friends before?” Ellie probed.

“Well yeah, just not by name. Didn’t you ever listen to Bad Blood?”

“It’s one of my faves, I listened to it a lot when Alex stole one of my games.”

They both giggled. “That’s a valid reason.” Taylor nudged her arm.

“Cause now we got baaaaad blood, it used to be maaaaad love!” They sang it together.

The awkward silence came back as they sat together, listening to the party.

Taylor leaned back, her hands in the grass. Ellie could feel her eyeing her up from behind. “So, what do I call you, if not Your Highness? Gotta say I’m used to your cronies telling me to stick to the titles.”

“They’d also tell you to curtsey.” Ellie added.

“Do you want me to curtsey?” Taylor asked, moving to stand up.

“No, please don’t.” Ellie quickly put her hand on Taylor’s knee. A curtsey from her would ruin the day even more.

“All right.” Taylor sat back down, then edged closer to her. “So what can I call you?”

“Ellie’s fine.”

“Ellie, then.”

More awkward silence. Taylor watched her closely, then started rubbing her back in a caring, motherly sort of way. Ellie was in dreamland. Surely this was every Swifty’s dream.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Taylor asked.

Ellie could feel her emotions boiling over, tears gathering in her eyes. With all the fear and anxiety the party had caused her, now to top it all off was embarrassment. To be so emotional in front of a stranger was so foreign to her, so unbelievably different to how she normally was.

“I hate that I’m crying.” Ellie felt her skin warm up as she said the words.

“It’s okay to cry.” Taylor soothed her.

This is so weird.

“I just wanted a normal birthday party, okay.” Ellie struggled to explain herself, stuck between wanting help and not wanting to sound spoilt. “Instead this happened.”

“Not what you expected?”

“Sometimes a celebrity will be there, but its normally just friends and family. It’s never about work.”

“Nobody wants to work on their birthday.” Taylor gave her a comforting squeeze. “You know, I remember coming to your sixth birthday party a few years ago. You were adorable.”

“You were at my birthday?” Ellie asked, blown away once more.

“Yea-aaah.” Taylor told her, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Your dad and I did some karaoke together. He’s not a bad singer.”

“Ugh, don’t tell him that. He’ll be singing for days.”

They laughed together, making the tears roll down her cheeks. Ellie went to wipe them away but Taylor did it first. “Ellie, we’re friends, right?”

Ellie nodded eagerly. Yes, yes, yes!

“I know our lives are so, so… different, and the amount of pressure you must be under is just… insane. I see you every day in the news and you handle it so well, it’s inspiring.”

“Stop, you’ll make me cry even more.” Ellie pleaded.

Taylor pressed on. “I feel like I’ve gone through some of what you’re experiencing. This expectation to be someone for everyone, it’s tough to keep up. You’ve gotta have time to be yourself, have friends you can be yourself around.”

“They weren’t invited. Not classy enough.” Ellie said bitterly.

“I don’t believe that for a second.”

“It’s true, Mum didn’t invite them.” Ellie looked around, aiming to glare at her mother before realising that a dozen hedges blocked the way.

“The Kate I know wouldn’t do that.” Taylor told her, her eyebrow raised.

Ellie just shrugged and didn’t respond, her mood turning sour once more.

“When I was a lot younger, just starting out, I had to go to a lot of parties like this. Ones where I had to impress strangers, practically sell myself. It was stressful as hell and sometimes I just wanted to run away.”

“Sounds familiar.” Ellie said sarcastically.

“Sometimes I did run away.” Taylor shook her slightly, gazing intently at her. “Right out the front door. Just walked down the street for a bit, or found a nice place to sit and zone out. It was the best feeling in the world.”

Taylor stood up, then turned to Ellie and grabbed her hands to lift her up onto her feet as well. “I hear there’s a nice little river nearby.”

“Yeah, just through the woods.” Ellie pointed into the thick woodland, away from the party.

“Go on then.” Taylor urged her, a beaming smile on her face.

“Go on? What?” Ellie just stared at her, wide eyed.

“You need this Ellie, I’m looking out for you.” Taylor dragged her up to the edge of the woods.

“You’re serious?”

“I am!”

Ellie bounced on her heels, getting excited. Should she really do it? Just leave just like that?

And never come back?

Taylor kept urging her on, turning her to face the forest every time Ellie spun around in circles.

“Just go be yourself for a bit, breathe, have a nice walk. You’ll feel so much better.” Taylor nudged her forwards with a hand on the small of her back. “I promise.”

Ellie stood frozen as she felt Taylor step away, moving back towards the party. It was so exciting! She couldn’t think straight, her hands were trembling, her feet itching to move. She could sense Taylor a few steps behind her, watching, waiting.

Her ears perked up, a strange whirring noise high up above her brought her out of her reverie. She looked up, following the sound all the way up to the camera. It was staring right down at her, following her every move.

Fuck.

Ellie stared up at the camera, knowing exactly who was watching her. She could feel them politely asking her to return to the party, in that way that sounded like a suggestion but was most definitely an order. Ellie didn’t move. She felt guilty, but she wanted this, she needed this.

She mouthed the word please, then desperately looked to the woods, to freedom. The camera kept watching her, as if it was waiting her out. Expecting her to back down, but she didn’t want to.

“Please Ben.” She whispered. Surely he’d understand. He’d know she’d stay safe. Staying at the party was the more dangerous option.

[hrhduchessoflancaster]

Chapter Sixty-Four: New Title, New Life

A/N: Thank you for reading and commenting! It means the world to me :) xx Bea Disclaimer: see Prologue __________________________________________________________________

Their journey back to England was bittersweet to say the least. Harry and Elle begrudgingly left the comfort, bliss and seclusion of their private villa in Italy, their little cocoon away from prying eyes, to return to the busy and thrilling life of British society, now as Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Their first event as newlyweds was the National Thanksgiving in honour of the Queen, at St. Paul’s Cathedral, which was followed by one of the most awaited and watched events of June: Trooping the Colour, celebrating that year, the 90th birthday of their sovereign, Queen Elizabeth.

Leo was there to pick them up from the airport, along with Ronald. Now the senior staff member, he’d control most of Harry and Elle’s engagements together. Their own agendas would be handled separately by their personal secretaries, as would their wardrobe, speeches, letter’s they’d receive, and so forth.

“ Welcome back, Your Royal Highnesses.”, said Ronald smiling. “ I trust you had a good trip?”, he continued, noticing their beaming smiles.

“ We did, and thank you, Ronald.”, replied Harry. Nodding, the secretary guided them to the black Land Rover, while Leo climbed into the driver’s seat, having John and Alfred in the following car, behind them.

Soon, Elle could see the skyline of the city and her heart started thumping. As they reached High Kensington Street, Elle became anxious, for their home was just around the corner. In the two weeks they had spent in Italy, the renovations on apartment 1, next to William and Catherine had continued and hopefully, would soon be over.

She was dying to set foot on her new home. For as cosy as Nottingham Cottage was, she longed for more space to have all of her things with her, specially her enormous collection of books, which Harry had said was more than enough to supply the entire household and residents of the palace. Elle however insisted that she still didn’t have enough of them.

************

Will, Kate, George, Charlotte, Lupo and Sir Lancelot were waiting for them on the courtyard inside Kensington Palace when they arrived. As they emerged from the SUV, Sir Lancelot bolted to their owners and showered them with kisses, much to George and Charlotte’s amusement, who giggled loudly. “ Yes, I’ve missed you too you fluffy ball of fur.”, said Harry, snatching its ears.

The older couple then stepped forward and embraced them. Kate and Elle shared a secret smile while the brothers laughed and whispered to each other, smirking. Rolling their eyes, the royal wives chuckled. “ Come on, let’s get you inside. I want to know everything.”, said Kate grinning.Elle nodded her head and, before going in, she kneeled down and gave both expectant children a kiss on the cheek. Charlotte, now properly walking by herself, demanded to be taken into her new aunt’s arms, and Elle gladly carried the little girl inside, while Harry hold onto George’s hand.

“ So, tell me all about it. Where did you go?”, asked Kate as they entered the spacious living room of apartment 1A. The children where promptly urged to play on the floor at a safe distance from the adults while they talked.

“ We went to Como, in Italy. Harry completely outdid himself.”, said Elle smiling. Harry smirked and received a clap on the back from his older brother.

“ Really? How so, dear sister?”, asked William, a glint of mischief in his eyes.

“ Well, we stayed at this private villa by the banks of Lake Como. It was all very quiet and secluded. No one bothered us or payed any attention to what we were doing. We drove through the beautiful countryside, drank wine, bathed in the glorious mediterranean sun, visited the town’s historical sites of course, ate marvelous food… it was very romantic, very thoughtful.”, said Elle, sighing.

“ Well, I’m impressed, Harry. I didn’t think you had in you to be as romantic as your older brother.”, joked William.

“ It sounds wonderful, Elle.”, commented Kate smiling. “ And when can we expect nieces and nephews?”, William asked smirking. Elle and Harry looked at each other and smiled, Harry caressing her arm.

“ Hopefully, very soon.”, replied Elle.

“ We’re trying but there’s no certainty yet.”, continued Harry. Kate and Will looked a little startled by this confession but smiled nonetheless.

“ I figured you were going to try soon enough. You’ve always wanted to be a dad.”, said William. “ But let me tell you, it is as wonderful as it is tiring.”, he continued chuckling, and Kate did the same nodding her head.

“ You better prepare yourselves. If your future child is as adventurous and boisterous as George, you’ll have your hands full!”, said Kate.

************ After a long and joyful afternoon with the Cambridges, Harry and Elle finally retired to their own home with Sir Lancelot. Their little cottage was a sight for sore eyes for her, and Elle leaped to the front door, ready to step into it. But before she could put her right foot inside, Harry picked her up in one swift motion into his arms.

“ Harry! What in heavens name are you doing?”, she asked amidst giggles.

“ Why, carrying you inside our home, dear wife. Isn’t it the custom?”, stated Harry smiling. Elle giggled once more and together, they entered their home, smiling at the little pieces of decoration here and there that showed their personality traits: from the pictures of Harry and his Walking with the Wounded team to Elle’s books, Nottingham Cottage reflected them as a couple.

New pictures were soon to be added to the wooded shelves as the official photographer, Hugh Burnand was to release their wedding photos. From the ones that would be on display for the public to see and would, eventually, be turned into post cards and so on, to the more private, more sentimental pictures, like the ones they took dancing their first dance together, or the ones of them cutting their cake and being silly with each other.

“ Home sweet home, right Sir Lancelot?”, said Elle, kneeling on the floor to scratch the dog’s ears, who wiggled his tail in delight.

“ I’ll take that as a yes.”, she continued, chuckling. “ Gosh, I’m beat. I think I’ll have a hot shower than sleep until tomorrow.”, said Elle as she walked towards their bedroom, with her husband following closely behind.

“ Can I join you, wife?”, asked Harry mischievously as she passed him through the bathroom door. Elle chuckled and shrugged her shoulders, waiting for his reply. Stripping down, she turned on the faucet and entered the steamy shower, closing her eyes as the water fell into her tired body. Soon, she felt a pair of cold hands sneaking around her waist.

“ Your hands are cold!”, she said out loud, turning to face her smirking husband. Shaking her head, she encircled her arms around his waist and put her head on his chest, as he hugged her; the water now falling on them both.

“ I love you so very much, Harry. I hope you know that.”, she whispered. Picking up her chin with his hand, Harry smiled and looked her deeply in the eyes.

“ Of course I do. I’ve never doubted it. Not once, since we confessed it to each other.”, he replied, caressing her cheek, making her smile.

“ And you, my dearest and most beloved wife, are my whole world. I love you to the end of the universe, time and space.”, he continued, placing a gentle kiss on her wet lips.

************

The following morning was back to work for Harry and Elle. The new Duke and Duchess of Sussex had their hands full with events for the coming months, including a visit to their duchy and their first trip overseas. It wouldn’t be exactly a Royal Tour yet but the couple would be spending a week in the United States for the 2016 Invictus Games in Orlando, Florida. They had less than a fortnight until they crossed the pond to another continent and their office was buzzing with all the preparation for it.

Lisa and Elle had spent a good part of their morning accessing all of the itinerary for their Invictus Games trip, as well as the details for the more imminent events such as the Thanksgiving Service at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Trooping the Color and the Patron’s lunch. Apart from the protocols to be followed and all the pomp and circumstance that now involved Elle, as she stepped into the role of a member of the Royal Family, there were more practical details such as her outfits. From now on, all of her choices would have to be checked and double checked - from the designer, to cut and colour of the dress or suit she’s be wearing. Elle knew this would happen but she hopped for a little more independence in that department.

“ Your style and preferences will be kept, Your Royal Highness. We’ll just have to make a few adjustments, specially regarding the length of your dresses and skirts. It’s per Her Majesty’s suggestion.”, said Lisa, emphatically. Elle sighed but nodded her head, understandably. Well, at least I’ll be able to choose something, she thought.

Later that day, after a long morning with Lisa, discussing all of her own engagements, Elle and Harry sat with Ronald, their chief secretary and the staff, about their joint events. “ As previously announced, the Invictus Games will take place in Orlando, Florida this year and both Her Majesty, the Prince of Wales and Their Royal Highness believe it to be the perfect right-foot forward into their marriage. This will not be a Royal Tour as of yet, but a visit, which will showcase not only the best of our Armed Forces but as well, as Their Royal Highnesses public figures.”, said Ronald to the staff.

“ We will keep it simple, since it’s a week’s length competition. No white-tie nor cerimonial events are planned so there’s no need to concern yourselves with it. We shall begin preparations tomorrow. That’s all”, he finished and the staff was dismissed.

“ He’s right to the point, isn’t he?”, whispered Elle to Harry, making him stifle a chuckle. They shared a smile but quickly recovered themselves when the man in case turned to face the royal couple.

“ I believe that was all for today, Your Royal Highnesses.”, said Ronald, smiling.

“ I believe you’re right, Ronald. Excellent work, as always.”, said Elle, congratulating the man who bowed his head.

“ My pleasure and my goal is to serve you both with the utmost efficiency, ma’am.”, replied Ronald seriously.

“ And you do so marvelously.”, said Harry, trying to contain his laughter. Thinking himself the subject of the highest of praises, Ronald puffed his chest and bowed his head once again, thanking the couple and leaving the room. Once he was out of the door, Harry and Elle laughed their heads off, letting it all out.

“ Thank God we still have Daniel and Lisa as our private secretaries. Otherwise we’d have been doomed to a life of boredom…”, commented Harry and Elle nodded her head agreeing.

“ I hope he losses up a bit. Let’s give him time. He doesn’t quite know us yet.”, said Elle. Walking towards an arm chair, Harry sat and pulled Elle into his lap, caressing her leg, gently.

“ So, what are your plans for this afternoon, dearest wife?”, he asked her.

“ Work, dear husband. Lisa and I still have a few things to work through for the next few events. Then, tea with my parents later on.”, she said and he nodded his head.

“ I haven’t seen them since we came back. You can join me, if you want to.”, she told him and he gave her a gentle smile.

“ Yeah… that will be nice. Do you know if Ed will be there too?”, he asked her.

“ I don't know, but I guess so. Why don’t you text him? You know how my brother can be… always disappearing on us.”, commented Elle.

************

Tea with Elle’s parents and her brother, as it turns out he was indeed at home for the time being, was enjoyable as ever. Victoria inquired about their honeymoon and their future plans; Rupert asked the couple about their work and charities Elle would be taking on and Ed, ever the family clown, pegged them about his future nieces and nephews.

“ You know there’s not a very likely chance I’ll ever get married, mate. Let alone have children.”, said Edward to Harry, making the later chuckle.

“ It’s true! And I’ve made my peace with it. I’m past thirty, single and with no perspective of settling down in the near future. You, on the other hand, has married my wonderful, smart and beautiful baby sister. So you, as my best friend and brother-in-law, must fulfill any parenting desires I might have by giving me little Harrys and Elles to spoil.”, continued Edward.

“ Oh Ed, surely you haven’t given up hope yet?”, said Elle to her brother.

“ I’m not sure I’m cut out to be husband material, dear sister.”, replied Edward.

“ Of course you are. The right woman just hasn’t found you yet. Because God knows you’re terrible at people skills.”, joked Harry. ************

Elle had her first taste of a Royal life on June 11th, as she stepped out of the car and into the steps of St. Paul’s Cathedral for the National Thanksgiving Service in honour of Her Majesty’s 90th birthday. Dressed in a pale yellow dress coat with a matching fascinator and her hair down, she took Harry’s hand, as they were met by flashed and cheers from the public. She gave them a small wave and a smile and ascended the staircase, meeting Charles, Camilla, William and Catherine at the top.

“ Someone’s very popular today.”, commented William, giving Elle a cheeky smile.

“ Oh stop it! You’ll make me even more nervous than I already am!”, she replied and the group chuckled.

“ You’re doing very well so far, my dear.” said Camilla, encouraging.

“ Let’s hope I don’t trip or do something stupid in front of everyone.”, said Elle and Harry shook his head.

“ That’s impossible. My wonderful wife would never do something like that. You’re perfect.”, he said, kissing her cheek lovingly, then locking gaze with her and smiling.

“ Ah… marital bliss.”, said Charles smiling kindly at the couple who kept on gazing into each other’s eyes.

“ Come on love birds, granny is almost ready to make her entrance.”, said William braking their loving stare. Side by side, Harry and Elle walked the length of St. Paul’s cathedral along with other royals for Elle’s first duty as an official member of the British Royal Family.

After the service, a luncheon was conducted at Buckingham Palace for representatives of the Queen’s many charities and patronages, as well as foreign dignitaries and politicians. In a much more relax mood, Elle enjoyed talking to new people and a few familiar faces, such as that of Christopher Simmons, the Prime Minister.

“ It’s good to see you again, Your Royal Highness.”, he said greeting her with a hand shake. “ I believe you remember my wife, Pamela.”, he continued as the women exchanged a smile.

“ I do. How are you both?”, Elle asked politely. “ We’re doing very well, Your Royal Highness. And congratulations once again on your nuptials.”, said Pamela. Elle smiled and thanked the woman. Soon, the trio was engrossed in a lively conversation, branching out many different subjects.

“ And, if you don’t mind me asking, how is marriage life been treating you, ma’am?”, asked the Prime Minister.

“ Incredibly well. Though I must say, I still feel a little weird being called Your Royal Highness all the time.”, she joked and they laughed.

“ I’m very glad to hear it. And I do hope to see great things from you in the near future, ma’am.”, said Mr. Simmons.

“ We all do.”, emphasized Pamela. “ It’s plain to see that you and His Royal Highness have the potential to do so.”, the older woman continued. Great, Elle thought, as if we don’t already have enough on our shoulders to begin with. But hey, no pressure. She gave them a nervous laugh and excused herself in search for Harry. She found him near a corner, glancing at her direction. Sighing, she approached him.

“ Good conversation with our dear Prime Minister?”, he asked her.

“ It was… up until five minutes ago when he and his wife began with all the ‘we expect great things from you and your husband’ talk.”, she said to him. Harry shook his head and sighed.

“ Even though we’re married and got what they wanted, they’ll never let us out of the hook, will they?”, she asked him, rhetorically.

“ I’m afraid not, my love.”, Harry replied and Elle sighed once again. “ Still, as much as we will have to make a few compromises along the way to please the government, this is our life and we’ll live it according to our wishes. Parliament and their rules be dammed if they so much as meddle with a single thing in our lives that outsteps what they ought to.”, said Harry, making Elle chuckle and smile at him.

************

Trooping the Colour was every bit and more what Elle had imagined. Having taking part in the festivities for a few years, she knew the didst of it all, but there was something about riding in a carriage and standing in the balcony at Buckingham Palace, just a few weeks after being there for the first time, that made it all feel surreal to her. Dressed in a soft pink dress coat, Elle stood beside her husband as the flypast went by and the anthem was played. George, who stood closest to her waved at the planes, while baby Charlotte - in her mother’s arms - gave a small wave to the crowds, surely winning everyone’s hearts.

Back at Kensington Palace, still at Nottingham Cottage since the renovations on apartment 1 had yet another two weeks to go before they could finally move into it, Harry and Elle discarded their fancy clothes and put on some track trousers, big light jumpers, trainers and baseball caps; it was past the time they took a walk in the park. Putting Sir Lancelot on his leash, they headed to Kensington Gardens, which was pretty deserted for this time of the year, for some quality time together.

“ You know, I can't remember the last time we’ve been to the park together.”, said Elle. Turning his head to face his wife, Harry sighed and nodded his head.

“ Neither can I. It feels nice to be out here, though, doesn’t it?”, he replied. “ Besides, I think Sir Lancelot is having the time of his life.”, he continued and the pair glanced at the small Jack Russell, who, as if sensing their masters’ gaze on him, wiggled his tail in joy, making the couple laugh and smile. They walked a few kilometers from the palace before deciding on setting the dog, while they sat together on the grass.

The puppy gladly ran through the green field, dashing from side to side, while the pair watched, snuggled together in each other’s arms. From afar, Harry and Elle saw a couple with two children, walking hand in hand, and Elle smiled from the corner of her mouth at the scene. Catching her gesture, Harry took hold of her left hand, gently toying with her engagement ring and wedding band, tracing the edges with his thumb.

“ Just imagine, my love…”, he began. “… in a couple of years, that family will be us.”, and gave her a grin. Elle smiled back and laid her head on his shoulder, with Harry placing his on top of hers, watching Sir Lancelot chase a few pigeons.

“ We should know in a few weeks how soon we’ll… you know… if I am…”, said Elle sighing. Harry lifted his head and they looked at each other. “ Really?”, he asked, almost whispering; a gleam of hope in his eyes. “ Really.”, replied Elle, happy but unsure, giving him a small smile. “ But I’m not getting my hopes up just yet. Remember what Georgiana told me. I don’t want to give you false hope…”, said Elle, squeezing his hand.

“ I know, my love. And, whatever happens, we’ll face together.”, said Harry, smiling from the corner of his mouth.

************

And as Elle had predicted, there was no baby. But they’d keep trying.  

The following week, preparations began at full speed for their first official trip overseas as a married couple: the Invictus Games in Orlando, USA. Their staff had countless meetings with their secretaries and they, with Harry and Elle, to discuss the minute details for their week-long trip to the USA.

Elle was beyond excited to be going to Florida, specially since she’s never been there before. Much to her child-self demise, her parents hadn’t take neither her nor her brother to Disney World; the only place Disney related they’ve ever been to was EuroDisney in Paris.

“ But we will have time to visit, at least two of the parks, right?”, Elle asked for the nth time. Her husband chuckled and nodded his head.

“ Yes, Elle.”, he replied still chuckling. “ We will visit at least three of the many themed parks and yes… Harry Potter World or whatever it is, is included.”, he continued and she rolled her eyes at him.

“ You keep making fun of me only because you’ve already been there.”, she complained, pouting her lips. Harry chuckled once again and moved to her side, kissing her cheek.

“ Come wife, what do you say about some quality time with your dear husband and lovely dinner?, asked Harry, giving her his signature smirk. Shaking her head, Elle smiled and gave him a nod and a quick peck on the lips before joining their hands together and leaving the office towards their little cottage.
 ************

On the week before their trip, Elle had a get together with all her friends at Nottingham Cottage. Rick, Mary and little Rose were there, as were Valerie, Melissa and Trevor. She had prepared a lemon drizzle cake and Eton mess, along with a refreshing lemonade and strawberry juice.

“ Oh my goodness, when did she get so big!”, exclaimed Elle, taking hold of little Rose who was now almost an year old.

“ It’s incredible how fast they grow.”, replied Rick smiling.

“ Rosie is walking now practically walking and starting to babble a few sounds. I can hardly believe it!”, Mary confessed it. As they sat together, with Elle still doting on her goddaughter, they chatted away about work and family but there was no escaping from the ultimate matter.

“ So, how was the honeymoon?”, Valerie asked and everyone’s heads turned to face Elle.

“ Simply wonderful.”, Elle replied with a nostalgic smile. “ We went to Italy, on Lake di Como near Milan and stayed on a private villa for a week. It was… so peaceful… just us two… it was the best of times.”, she continued and Valerie sighed.

“ Sounds incredible. I want a husband to dote on me…”, said Valerie and everyone laughed.

“ But in all seriousness Elle…”, began Melissa. “ How are you? Truly? With all of this new life, new title and all the obligations, the pomp and ceremony that comes with it?”, she asked.

“ Well… it’s been good so far. I’ve adjusted to my role fairly well and I think I’ll progressively take on more things to do as the time goes by. The staff is great, my private secretary is phenomenal and I have Harry’s support in everything. He’s my partner, my friend, my… everything. It’s easy to adjust when everything falls into place.”, Elle replied and another round of awns could be heard.

“ You’re both so perfect together! Don’t tell your brother in law, but I prefer you and Harry as the Royal Power Couple.”, said Trevor and everyone laughed. “ Seriously! You are more down to earth, more relatable to the public… it’s easy to like you. They already love you.”, he continued.

“ I’m just being myself, as is Harry. I think the people see us more easy-going because we are not under the same pressure William and Catherine are. They are the future monarchs not us.”, said Elle and they nodded their heads. It was true. Without the weight of being the direct heir of the state, the weight of being the next king and queen - even if the role is figurative - brought easiness to Elle’s life. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what Kate must go through everyday. Thank God that will never happen to me., thought Elle sighing in relief.

[savetopnow]

2018-03-26 03 CELEBRITY now

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[missylou22]

Ahhh it’s been too long my dearest NYC. 

My last trek to the city was back in 2015 with the whole O’Hara clan. I’d been itching to get back up there as we used to go quite regularly while growing up. Need a new pair of boots? NYC trip. 13th birthday? 16th birthday? New Broadway Show with phenomenal music? NYC.

THIS trip was even more exciting for another reason… Family friends of ours who used to live in California and who have since relocated to Arizona were coming to the Big Apple for the youngest’s College Graduation trip. TBH I hadn’t seen any of them in about 22 years… Yes. You read that correctly. Over 2 decades.

I was hoping to see them a few years back in Cali when the oldest “cousin” got married, but it was the same weekend as a college roommate of mine so I split to Lynchburg, VA while the family jetted across the country.

I was around 7 years old when we took the trip to California. My uncle lived out in LA for a while, but I can’t remember if we visited him first or if this was our first trip. I just remember it was a time when airlines used to serve kids meals in coach (with a stuffed plane toy like a happy meal) and Dad used to get special perks which allowed us into the cockpit of the plane to meet the pilots and DO NOT TOUCH ANY OF THE BUTTONS.

Little Brother was around a year old at the time, and there were quite a few firsts for that trip. His first haircut, we went to Universal Studios & Disney Land, Saw Gloria Estefan in concert AND handed her roses/shook her hand on stage *cue the I’m-never-washing-this-hand-again promises*, Uncle Denny tried to teach us how to water ski, and plenty more fun.

Yes, I still have the newspaper from the day after the concert, That’s August 17, 1996

I luckily had enough credit card points to purchase my direct flight from Charlotte to LaGuardia and met the family late on Thursday night for our stay at the Renaissance Times Square. After all the hello hugs, we headed up to the restaurant lobby for a quick snack, and then to get a good night’s rest before Mom & My tour guide services would be needed.

One of the best parts about staying in a hotel with Mom & Dad is that Dad reverts back into the old Softball tournament ways and finds breakfast to bring back to the room 🙂 The even BETTER part about sharing a hotel room with Mom & Dad in NYC is that the breakfast he brings back, is New York Bagels!! Breakfast in Bed, why yes I am on vacation – You’re the best Daddio!

The hotel was centrally located to just about everything – right in the heart of Times Square so Mom & I planned our loop to see the most we could before the rain was supposed to start.

First Stop? Central Park of course! A quick 13 blocks straight up 7th Ave allowed us to wander in the natural beauty of the park that almost feels like you’re in a completely different place. It looks like a giant rectangle from the sky, but when you’re in it the paths wander and roll, bringing you up to lots of memorable movie locations such as the Bethesda Fountain in the Boathouse area (27 Dresses, Elf, Maid of Honor) and Literary Walk on the Mall (Enchanted,  Definitely, Maybe and about 194729 other movies).

Then up to the Met, and back down to the Plaza (Bride Wars, Eloise)… I’ll be honest, I don’t know Eloise. But our friends were very fond of her, just…. not the $500 toddler dress available in the shop downstairs.

Since we were on 5th ave, we just haaaad to stop into Tiffany & Co of course – but we were all pretty taken aback by the $22,000.00 price tag on a custom Tiffany’s Huffy Beach Cruiser bicycle. We headed up to the only floor we could afford – the Sterling Silver section, but did not leave with any blue bags in hand.

About this time it was getting close to lunch so we started to wander towards Rockefeller plaza (where the Christmas tree and ice rink is usually set) however in the summer it transforms into a lovely outdoor cafe.

NYC is almost like Disney World in the sense that there are hidden gems under the streets. In our case – our lunch spot for the day. Sadly though, there’s never enough seating so like a good New Yorker – you sit wherever you find available, even if that means the floor.

We did a little more shopping before deciding last minute to head to the Met’s Game as the rain was supposed to hold off for us! A quick stop at my usual favorite (Grand Slam in Times Square) for a replacement of NY Yankees Boxers as mine were over 15 years old and sporting holes – plus some fairly well priced sweatshirts. Then we jumped on the subway and off to Citi Field!

A  Met’s win sent us back home on the Subway tuckered out with over 20k steps on the day. We all slept fairly hard that evening in preparation for Saturday’s Broadway Matinee!

It rained on us almost all day, and wasn’t seeming to let up but we kept on like New Yorkers do and walked down to Macy’s to ride the wooden escalators….

And then on to the Gershwin Theater to enjoy Wicked on Broadway – Mom & My second time seeing the show, Dad and the rest of the gang’s first. We had planned to change into proper Theater-wear, but by the time we got back and considering the next walk – we were going to be soaked anyway so we went as is.

I do love this show – the music is moving and the lighting/effects are really breathtaking. We looked at Daddio at intermission and asked him what he thought after Defying Gravity, and all he could say was “WOW”. 🙂

The rain did let up a little bit after the show and we headed back to the hotel to regroup and find dinner at one of my old favorite bars off Times Square – The Mean Fiddler. I found this spot while interning with CBS Sports the summer of 2009 and fell in love with it. The staff is all from different parts of Ireland so if their accents don’t get you – I don’t know what’s wrong with you. The food is good pub food, the beers are cold & below the main restaurant is a space for karaoke, salsa dancing, etc. depending on the night! I stumbled back to my apartment a time or two from there that summer.

Because it was also a celebration weekend for my parents (34th wedding anniversary) the waitress we had brought the entire table of 7 Cinnamon Toast Crunch shots and then took the boomerang of all of us!

With our tummy’s full we decided to jump in with the rest of the tourists at the M&M and Hershey’s stores right next to our hotel for the sugar fix. Hershey’s store is definitely more affordable than M&Ms (although you can choose your individual colors & flavors) plus they give you a fun size Hershey bar as you walk in the door – Just like at the end of the ride at Hershey Park!

All of our tired butts headed back to the hotel for bed and the final stops Sunday before flights out of town. We went together to Daddio’s Bagel spot for breakfast, Pick-A-Bagel on 8th ave, and with the tiny restaurant so packed, we came back to the Firefighter’s memorial park on 47th ave. We all reminisced on our favorite parts of the weekend and started planning for our next trip together… maybe New Orleans?! 😉 But definitely not in the thick of summer – maybe in the Fall…. October.

A couple of us headed back towards St. Patrick’s Cathedral and took in a piece of Sunday Mass while admiring the artwork inside. I jumped in an uber with the extended family for a ride back to the airport while Mom & Dad called their car for the 4.5 hour drive back to Virginia.

I really lucked out with my flights – not only because they were technically free, but when I arrived back at LaGuardia to head home to Charlotte I didn’t have a seat assignment yet. So I breezed through TSA Pre-Check (totally worth it not to have to remove electronics & shoes) and onto my gate where I was placed in the exit row, window seat.

My little legs were happy for the extended space and I arrived back in the Queen City with NY Bagels in my backpack for the following week.

A great time back in my home away from home – you know that total relaxation feeling you get when you walk in the front door to your home after a long day? That’s how I feel in New York City. While I wouldn’t be able to live there again, I like my space too much, I know where I am and how to get where I want to go when I’m there. The people really aren’t all as rude/mean as you think they are – you can ask anybody down in the subway for Directions and they’re happy to help.

Concrete Jungle Where Families Come Together Ahhh it's been too long my dearest NYC.