Haven't written fanfic in a while so... yeah, if it sucks, I'm sorry, if not, great! Either way hit me up with a review ;)

Will be multi-chapter. I Love this pairing and the show hiatus is FREAKING FOREVER so I had to write down some one-shots and it just sort of developed into a story.

Picks up the night of 2x10. They make it back to the palace and the queen wants answers from the twins on what happened at the stadium.

As she sat in the state room across from her mother and brother, Eleanor found herself unable to focus on the conversation. Too much had happened in the past 24 hours. Her brain was unwilling to process any more information.

She didn't even really remember the car ride back to the palace. Or exactly how she'd gotten from the stadium control room to the car. In fact, everything from the video on was a blur.

Except for him.

She remembered him.

He was the only thing solid in the chaos that had followed. His presence beside her, his hand in hers, or his arm around her waist, he was there. Protecting her, supporting her, grounding her. And there was a moment there she-

"Eleanor?"

Her Mother's sudden question ripped her from her thoughts.

"Hm?" she replied automatically, before seeing the expectant look on the queen's face and realizing she must have been asked something.

"Sorry, what was the question?"

Her mother sighed before repeating herself, "I asked your opinion on a press release for tomorrow. We need to address this incident promptly."

Eleanor nodded half-heartedly, "Whatever you think is best, Mum."

The queen frowned at her daughter's uncharacteristic lack of opinion. She began to realize how drained her children were.

"Alright, we'll continue this in the morning. Off you go, get some rest." She waved the two of them away.

The princess stood just after her brother to follow him out the door. They fell into stride beside eachother.

"You alright?" Liam asked. He had noticed her mind wandering earlier.

She sighed, "Peachy. You?"

Liam chuckled, "about the same."

As they exited the state room antechamber into the grand salon, they found two familiar men in suits talking quietly with each other. Both looked up as they heard the twins approach.

The older man smiled at Eleanor. James had grown rather fond of the princess in his time with her, and the feeling was mutual.

She smiled back before meeting the eyes of the man beside him. They lingered on each other a moment before she forced herself to look away.

"Evening, your highnesses." James greeted.

"Mr. Hill why on earth are you still on duty?" Eleanor chastised mockingly, "You should be home with your daughter."

"Urgent meeting with her majesty about the readjustment of security ranks." He replied with a wry expression.

"Ah." She knew too well how her mother expected everyone else to run on her time table.

Liam shook his head in slight disbelief. For how much the queen had changed in the past few months, he was sometimes surprised by how much she was still the same. "Well for what its worth you have my vote for new head of security."

The prince barely got the words out before a yawn over took him. "Sorry." He ran a hand over his face tiredly, "Alright, I need to turn in before I pass out." He admitted "Goodnight gentlemen. Lenny."

He touched his sister affectionately on the arm before walking sluggishly down the hall, leaving her alone with her current and former bodyguards.

"As much as I'll hate to lose you, I agree with Liam." Eleanor added sincerely to her mentor.

"Thank you, princess. Your faith means a lot." He checked his watch casually, "Well, best not keep the queen waiting. Goodnight, Eleanor," He eyed Jasper knowingly, "Frost."

He wasn't late for the meeting, he was actually early, but the tension between the princess and his colleague had not gone unnoticed by him.

Eleanor watched him walk all the way into the state room and shut the door before hesitantly returning her eyes to those of the man infront of her.

He looked at her with an entirely unreadable expression.

How cliché that the boy from Las Vegas would have a perfect poker face.

They stood awkwardly for a moment, unsure how to proceed.

"Hell of a day," he finally said.

She sighed, "Yeah."

Then it fell silent again as they both seemed to have lost their words. They hadn't, they just couldn't say the words they wanted to.

I told you to leave.

I said I would go.

I couldn't press play.

I couldn't let you carry that burden.

I reached for your hand.

I never wanted to let go.

I wasn't sure I'd make it out of there.

I would never let anything happen to you.

I think I might be in love with you.

I'm so goddamn in love with you.

It seemed to be a pattern with them. Unspoken words always hanging in the air.

Eventually she couldn't stand it any more. "Well im exhausted so i'd better-" She gestured toward her room.

He nodded, "Ofcourse,"

"Goodnight," she offered awkwardly.

"Goodnight."

With that she turned away and walked swiftly toward her room. She willed the hallway to be shorter.

When she finally reached the door she yanked it open, slipped in, shut it quickly behind her, and leaned back against it hard.

Eleanor kicked herself internally. She was so screwed.

She had tried with all her might to hate him but she couldn't do it. Like bailing out water from a fast sinking ship, it was useless. The more she tried to hate him the fewer reasons she could find to do so. She was beginning to grasp at straws and she knew it.

As infuriating and complicated as it was, she couldn't let him go.

She squeezed her eyes shut. She knew what she was going to do. She'd just been too proud to admit it to herself until now.

"dammit," she whispered to herself. She took a deep breath, turned back toward the door, and swung it open.

A pair of piercing blue eyes met hers from the hallway.

She froze in surprise. He lowered his hand from where it was raised to knock on her door and stepped into her room.

"Jasper-" she started.

"No, listen to me." He said sternly, cutting her off, "I am sorry for everything I've done to you. I'm sorry for the blackmail, and your mother, and the diamond, and allowing that bitch anywhere near you, and for the laundry list of other fucked up things I've done, and I am sorry for bringing them up now. And I will apologize everyday for the rest of my life if that's what it takes, but I am done acting like I'm ok with giving up on this. I tried to be the noble guy and do what you said you wanted and leave but I can't because I love you, and I'm pretty damn sure you love me too, even if your too goddamn stubborn to admit it. So if you want me to leave your gonna have to have them drag me away because there is no way I'm walking away from this."

He breathed hard having rushed through his speech, half expecting her to interrupt.

"Are you done?" she asked impatiently.

He squared his shoulders, "Yes."

"Good." She grabbed his tie and pulled him to her.

Their lips met hard. His shock at her touch dissapeared almost instantly and his arms tightened around her waist while hers wrapped around his neck. They kissed fervently, desperately, as if the idea of parting ways had come way too close to reality and needed to be banished from memory. He held her so tight against him it hurt.

Without releasing her from his grip, he reached one arm out behind him to shut the door. He felt his way to the handle and locked it.

They were a mess of limbs as they disrobed each other. She roughly undid his tie and shoved his suit jacket off of his shoulders. He pulled the zipper of her dress down, grabbed the hem, yanked it up over her head, and tossed it carelessly on the floor. She ripped open his shirt, not caring to waist time with buttons, as he unhooked her bra. She made quick work of his belt buckle and zipper, effectively dropping his trousers. He kicked off his shoes with the pants, leaving them both only clad in undergarments.

He pulled her back against him, reclaiming her lips with his, before sliding his hands down under her ass and lifting her up easily. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he carried her across the room to the bed.

He dropped on to the bed with her but was careful to catch himself before crushing her. Her hands tangled in his hair, pulling his lips back to hers with force.

He rolled them so she was on top, straddling him. She suddenly felt dizzy and broke from his embrace to sit back for a moment and catch her breath.

As she looked down at the man beneath her she found herself frozen. She had been in this exact position before under very different circumstances. Suddenly, fear and self-doubt reared their ugly heads.

Jasper immediately sensed the change. He sat up so she was essentially sitting in his lap.

He grabbed the side of her face in one hand. "Eleanor..." he spoke her name barely above a whisper.

"I just-" she scanned his face, his strong brows knit in concern.

She closed her eyes and blew out a shaky breath before looking up the ceiling, trying to blink away the tears that had suddenly appeared in her eyes. Losing the battle, she looked back down at her hands.

She steeled herself and spoke, "You-" she cleared her throat, "you can't hurt me again, because I don't...- I don't think I could handle it."

Her jaw was tight and her nostrils flared as she tried to breathe slowly through her nose. It was the expression she always had when trying desperately to keep from falling apart. He'd seen her like that too many times. And too many times it had been his fault.

He felt an all too familiar ache in his chest. Like a lump in his throat that instead grew in his heart. It was made of guilt, shame, and self-hate. Even if she could forgive him for what he'd done to her, he would never forgive himself. He knew he didn't deserve a second chance, so now that he had one he was not going to fuck it up.

He brushed a tear off her cheek with his thumb. She hesitantly returned her gaze to his.

"I won't," He swore to her sincerely, "Never again."