Chapter 32

To be back in California was a good feeling.

The sunshine, the palm dress, In-N-Out, and having Aubrey and Alexandra pick me up from the airport.

"Well if it isn't the duchess!" Aubrey greeted me with a hug, "How are you? How was your flight?"

"I'm doing well, the flight was pretty quick. I slept the entire time." I looked at my sister and then at Alex who gave me a big hug as well, "How is college?"

"It's college." she replied, "And I'm loving every second of it."

On the ride to my parents' house, they told me all about the crazy parties, crazy professors, and all of the boys they were getting involved with. Aubrey was currently on a football player who was an engineering major and Alex was apparently really close to dating a guy on the swim team - who didn't know her true status.

I mean her brother did the same thing and look how we turned out.

"Do you think it's wrong of me to not say that I'm a royal?" Alexandra asked for my advice

For a moment there I almost forgot that I was technically a royal.

"Right now? No. I wouldn't say anything until you trust him and it's serious. You don't want some asshole to ruin your reputation, you know?" I advised her

Alexandra looked relieved, "You're the big sister I never had."

"I try my best." I grinned

After I married Archie, not only did my status increase but so did my parents. They already lived in a gated community but now they had cameras all over the house, alarms on the doors and windows, and a Ring doorbell.

God, I'm happy they didn't have all of this when I was in high school.

"Amie!" my Mom put down her whisk and ran up to me

I wrapped my arms around her, "I've missed you and your cooking so much. What are you making?"

"My famous blueberry pie of course." she moved away and greeted my sister and Alex.

"Girls, what do you say we help Amie unpack?" my mom proposed and of course they agreed

While we unpacked we ate my mom's famous pie nachos, which was scraps from her pie with a delicious berry sauce on top.

"When we're done, you girls should run to the store and get me some last-minute things I need." my Mom asked amid our random conversations

I nodded, "Only if we can go to Target, I miss Target. I just have to find a wig or something."

"We can definitely go to Target, I love a good Target run." Aubrey agreed

"So where's Dad and Aaron?" I finally asked

Aubrey rolled her eyes, "Take a lucky guess."

"Please don't tell me golfing." I made a face and Aubrey nodded, "I finally come home and they go golfing?"

"To be fair they did make the reservations about two months ago. They'll be home for dinner. Where's my sweet son in law?" my Mom asked me

I put away the last shirt, "London. He had to go to a state meeting with his Dad today. Don't worry, he'll be here in two days."

"Good, good." my Mom looked satisfied, "Well, you better get to the store before it gets dark out."

I put my hair into a low ponytail, put on a hat, a sweatshirt from high school, and my glasses. Hopefully, my baggy look caused people to not recognize me.

I got into the passenger's seat of Aubrey's BMW coupe. We drove to a Target that was in a more Surburan part of town compared to the one that was in Beverly Hills. We just hoped that it was enough to not get recognized.

And it was.

We were able to get everything on my Mom's list plus we got matching satin pajama sets. We went back to my parents' place helped my Mom cook, played Cards Against Humanity, ate dinner, and then we decided to go out and get some Froyo.

We were having fun tasting all of the flavors until we turned around and realized all of the people who were outside.

"There's a bunch of paparazzi outside and some people were 'sneaking' pictures of me." she spoke frantically

Oh fuck.

"Let's check out and get out of here while we can." I said to Alex and Aubrey

So we paid for our frozen yogurt and walked back to Aubrey's car.

When Alex said there was a bunch of paparazzi, I expected maybe ten maximum. Nope more like over twenty.

It was hard to even get in a car when a bunch of people was yelling at you and your little sisters.

"Are you sure you can drive in this?" I asked Aubrey as I looked at all of the people around us

She nodded, "It'll be fine."

And it was just fine until they started following us in their cars and crowding around us while on the freeway.

"What the fuck do I do!" Aubrey freaking out, "I can't see shit with the flashes."

"Calm down." I told her with a calm voice even though I was internally freaking out

It is fine until it wasn't when Aubrey's cute little coupe crashed into the wall of the interstate.

ARCHIE'S POV

I was sitting in on an official state meeting with the President of the United States and my father. We were just walking around the palace talking and then when we were in one of the many state rooms of BP just talking.

I looked down at my Apple Watch to see that I had a missed call from Alexandra and four missed calls from Athena.

She absolutely wouldn't call me unless it was important.

Plus it was one in the morning in Los Angeles.

"Please excuse me for a moment."I got up from my chair and my Dad looked at me like I was a fool

I stood in the hallway and called Athena back.

"Hey Archie." she began, "Uh, I don't have good news."

My heart began to pound and my palms went sweaty.

"What is it?" I asked her with a shaky voice

"Uhm, long story short, the girls were in a pretty bad car accident and now they're all in the hospital. The girls being Alena, Aubrey, and Alexandra. None of them are super stable right now." Athena finally got out

My heart dropped, "I'm on the next flight out there. I'll see you soon, I have to take care of some things."

I slipped my phone in my pocket and motioned my father's assistant to walk over.

She showed me all of the news articles that were starting to hit the news and immediately pulled my Father to the side.

"I have to finish this meeting." my Dad spoke as we argued in the hallway

Your daughter and daughter in law were in the hospital and some man was more important? Hell to the no.

I shook my head, "I'm leaving. I'm sorry to Mr. President but this is way more important to me.

My father nodded his head, "I understand that, Son. You go, I'll be out here by tonight."

I didn't waste any time after that.

Matilda, Victoria, and I were on a plane to Los Angeles by ten in the morning and it sucked because we had an eleven hour non-stop flight.

A lot could happen in eleven hours.

My sisters and I were very anxious, we had no idea what to expect.

"How the fuck do I handle this? They're not in the hospital because of their driving but because people couldn't leave them alone just because they wanted a story and pictures." I hissed, "It could've been way worse than it actually was or is."

Matilda looked up from her iPad, "Do you know what's weird? All of the paparazzi worked for 'The Galaxy'."

Clearly our lawsuit wasn't enough.

"I swear to God I'm about to rip them apart." I huffed

"As we should." Victoria agreed with me, "We could be planning multiple funerals because of them."

We landed in the city and angels at 1:30 pm but we didn't make it to the hospital until 2:15 pm.

Athena wrapped her arms around me, "You guys made it so quickly. Aaron and Simon just went to get lunch and coffee."

"How are they?" I asked her mother

"Aubrey has a concussion, a broken left arm, and a broken rip, Alex has whiplash and she's cut up pretty bad from the glass, and Amie also has a concussion but no other injuries. They're just keeping them to monitor their condition to make sure everything is alright." she informed me, "Amie really wanted to see you."

Athena showed me the way to Alexandra's room, which is where I left my sisters. Aubrey was asleep and Athena went to sit in the room with her before showing me Lainey's room.

She perked up as soon as she saw me.

"Hey." she beamed

"You have no idea how happy I am that you're alright." I smiled as I saw her

I sat on the edge of the hospital bed and wrapped my arms around her.

"You really must've jumped straight on a plane. You missed the President for me?" Lainey asked me as she rubbed my back

I nodded, "Of course. I wasn't lying when I said you would always come first. There's always going to be presidents, diplomats, and kings, there's only one of you."

She pulled back and scooted over, "Sit, sit."

I sat down on the bed with her and held her in my arms, "We're going to make them pay for this."

"I know." she spoke in a soft voice, "Everything will work itself out. Plus I know you'll always go hard for us and our sisters."

"My Dad is trying to figure something out, he'll be here later on tonight. I just know we're amping up security a fuck ton." I informed her, "He might as well just stay for Thanksgiving."

Alena held my hand, "You're so tense, calm down."

"Calm down? You could've died today!" I reminded her

"We." she corrected me

I shrugged, "I do have two other sisters."

Alena lightly hit my chest as she faced me, "Archie! You're so evil."

"I'm joking, I'm joking." I laughed off as I looked her in the eyes, "Why are you so calm and glowy about this?"

"I wasn't it first but I've been on some good meds and I got good news." Alena began, "I don't have a brain bleed, you're here, and I'm pregnant."

My heart sped up and I sat up, "Are you serious?"

She nodded excitedly with a big smile on her face, "Five weeks. I found out when they were running tests. It made the whole situation a lot easier."

I could feel myself begin to tear up, "Oh my gosh, Lainey."

I pulled her close to me again and now I see what she meant when she said 'We could've died today'.

For the longest, I told myself that I would always protect my wife. That would always remain true, but to know that she was carrying a tiny, little person who was half of both us was different. So not only did I have one person to protect furiously, I had two.

And I was so damn excited to be a

"I'm due in July. The only other person who knows is my Mom." she let me know, "I don't really want anyone else to know right now."

I nodded, "Not until Christmas or something."

"I'm very happy and excited though." Alena said before giving me a small kiss, "I love you, Archie."

"I love you more."