It took Evie a while to work it all out and it wasn't really until Kim began to remove the makeup that it started to make sense. When Kim cut the ties from her wrists, she reached round nod undid the knot at he back of her head. She stretched out her aching jaw and rubbed her raw wrists. Tammy had reached Kim and was helping her take off the artificial skin as James walked up to Evie.
"Are you intending to sit there all day?" He looked down at her and reached out his free hand, the other cradling his rifle. Evie looked at him and smiled, then reached up and let him pull her up. James saw the dried blood that was at the corner of her mouth and which had been smudged across her cheek by the gag. She nodded. James put his arm around her shoulders. "Come on. Let's get you checked out and I'll explain what just happened. Evie stared at him for a moment and then laughed.
"Yeah. I... I think maybe you might have to." As James led her towards a waiting EMT, seeing where they were heading, Steve headed for the same place, the three of them meeting at the open rear doors. When Evie saw her oldest brother, she forgot about her own aches and pains.
"What are you doing here?"
"Very little. You okay?"
"Better than you probably." She turned to look at James. What the hell are you thinking bringing him along. He should be at home. He's not supposed to be back at work for another two weeks." James smiled, looked at Steve and then at the paramedic who was about to check her over. "She's fine!" Evie was silenced but she looked from one brother to the other, exasperated. Steve smiled and patted his brother's arm. "Nice work."
"He's been practicing before the competition next month." Tom suddenly appeared and slapped James on the back. The Academy Competition was only a few weeks away and it was true tat James had been to the range a little more often recently. He knew his chances in the handgun competition were slim... Steve, Evie and Tom would all have to have bad days on the same day...but the rifle competition was something different. "Come on. I'll get you home." James said to Steve, who nodded, leaned down and kissed the top of his sister's head before shaking Tom's hand in an unspoken thank you. The brothers then headed back to the car leaving Tom and Evie and the paramedic. Tom waited till the paramedic had finished, confirming she was okay. Tom reached into his kit and took out a small cotton pad. He opened a bottle of water which he'd brought with him, poured some of it onto the pad and then handed he bottle to Evie which she took silently. He took hold of her chin, turned her head a little and then cleaned the dried blood off her cheek. Eve smiled a little and when he was done she took a long drink from the bottle. The fresh cool water was good. All the time, Tom watched her, making his own assessment. Evie eventually put the bottle down and smiled. She stood up slowly and took a step closer to him.
"I'm fine." And then she placed her hands on his chest, moved up onto tiptoe and kissed him. She held the kiss for a long moment as the stress of the last 24 hours eased from her.
In the hours that followed, Evie was filled in on what had happened in her absence once they were all back at the MCU HQ. she had Tom had had a full blown shouting match when she found out what he had done. Sacrificing his own career was not something she was at all happy with. By the end of the afternoon though word had come through that the King was not going to be demanding any action be taken against Tom. He knew his daughter too well. The State Department and the FBI had not been quite so gracious but Chief Beck had told them that any disciplinary action would be an internal police matter and nothing to do with them. He had made it clear to Tom though that he had been lucky and that had this gone wrong losing hs badge might have been the least of his problems. Then finally, just beore they were all about to leave and head to Malone's, three rookies walked into the MCU carrying bags and boxes. There was a note for Tom which came with them. He read it as Kim and Evie started to open some of what had been delivered.
"Oh my god!" Kim exclaimed.
"It's all of the clothes that the princess bought." Evie said telling them she remembered some of them from when she had helped her pick an outfit.
"There yours" Tom said, smiling.
"What?"
"The King wants you to have them. A reward and...compensation for the actions of his employees."
James laughed. "He's scared you're going to sue him."
"But I can't take these. It's against Policy." She looked at Chief Beck. He looked at the clothes, at Tom, at Evie.
"The Policy is intended to ensure that officers aren't seen to be accepting what might be considered a bribe or a reward for doing the job they are paid to do. If as James suggests -and I agree with him - that these are given as a settlement offer for the injury done to you, then that is altogether outside of the policy and the decision whether to accept is yours. Fill the paperwork out making the declaration and I'll sign it. Goodnight Tom." And with that he was gone. Evie could hardly believe it. There was thousands of pounds worth of clothes and shoes in front of them on the desk and the floor.
"Can we go and get a drink now then please?" James said.
"That's not all that's in the letter. The king is going to have a formal dinner tomorrow evening. A thank you to the City. Us. The State Department. The FBI. We're all invited. To celebrate the safe return of his daughter.
"You'll have somewhere to wear one of these?" Kim said as she came across 4 designer gowns. Evie was still too surprised to say much. Between them they carried everything down to Evie's car with Evie telling Kim that they should share what was here. "We'll see what fits who best. Alyssa too!" As Tom and James walked behind Kim and Evie, carrying most of the bags between them, James looked at Tom.
"If you need somewhere to escape to when they decide to do that... You knw where I am."
"Are you intending to sit there all day?" He looked down at her and reached out his free hand, the other cradling his rifle. Evie looked at him and smiled, then reached up and let him pull her up. James saw the dried blood that was at the corner of her mouth and which had been smudged across her cheek by the gag. She nodded. James put his arm around her shoulders. "Come on. Let's get you checked out and I'll explain what just happened. Evie stared at him for a moment and then laughed.
"Yeah. I... I think maybe you might have to." As James led her towards a waiting EMT, seeing where they were heading, Steve headed for the same place, the three of them meeting at the open rear doors. When Evie saw her oldest brother, she forgot about her own aches and pains.
"What are you doing here?"
"Very little. You okay?"
"Better than you probably." She turned to look at James. What the hell are you thinking bringing him along. He should be at home. He's not supposed to be back at work for another two weeks." James smiled, looked at Steve and then at the paramedic who was about to check her over. "She's fine!" Evie was silenced but she looked from one brother to the other, exasperated. Steve smiled and patted his brother's arm. "Nice work."
"He's been practicing before the competition next month." Tom suddenly appeared and slapped James on the back. The Academy Competition was only a few weeks away and it was true tat James had been to the range a little more often recently. He knew his chances in the handgun competition were slim... Steve, Evie and Tom would all have to have bad days on the same day...but the rifle competition was something different. "Come on. I'll get you home." James said to Steve, who nodded, leaned down and kissed the top of his sister's head before shaking Tom's hand in an unspoken thank you. The brothers then headed back to the car leaving Tom and Evie and the paramedic. Tom waited till the paramedic had finished, confirming she was okay. Tom reached into his kit and took out a small cotton pad. He opened a bottle of water which he'd brought with him, poured some of it onto the pad and then handed he bottle to Evie which she took silently. He took hold of her chin, turned her head a little and then cleaned the dried blood off her cheek. Eve smiled a little and when he was done she took a long drink from the bottle. The fresh cool water was good. All the time, Tom watched her, making his own assessment. Evie eventually put the bottle down and smiled. She stood up slowly and took a step closer to him.
"I'm fine." And then she placed her hands on his chest, moved up onto tiptoe and kissed him. She held the kiss for a long moment as the stress of the last 24 hours eased from her.
In the hours that followed, Evie was filled in on what had happened in her absence once they were all back at the MCU HQ. she had Tom had had a full blown shouting match when she found out what he had done. Sacrificing his own career was not something she was at all happy with. By the end of the afternoon though word had come through that the King was not going to be demanding any action be taken against Tom. He knew his daughter too well. The State Department and the FBI had not been quite so gracious but Chief Beck had told them that any disciplinary action would be an internal police matter and nothing to do with them. He had made it clear to Tom though that he had been lucky and that had this gone wrong losing hs badge might have been the least of his problems. Then finally, just beore they were all about to leave and head to Malone's, three rookies walked into the MCU carrying bags and boxes. There was a note for Tom which came with them. He read it as Kim and Evie started to open some of what had been delivered.
"Oh my god!" Kim exclaimed.
"It's all of the clothes that the princess bought." Evie said telling them she remembered some of them from when she had helped her pick an outfit.
"There yours" Tom said, smiling.
"What?"
"The King wants you to have them. A reward and...compensation for the actions of his employees."
James laughed. "He's scared you're going to sue him."
"But I can't take these. It's against Policy." She looked at Chief Beck. He looked at the clothes, at Tom, at Evie.
"The Policy is intended to ensure that officers aren't seen to be accepting what might be considered a bribe or a reward for doing the job they are paid to do. If as James suggests -and I agree with him - that these are given as a settlement offer for the injury done to you, then that is altogether outside of the policy and the decision whether to accept is yours. Fill the paperwork out making the declaration and I'll sign it. Goodnight Tom." And with that he was gone. Evie could hardly believe it. There was thousands of pounds worth of clothes and shoes in front of them on the desk and the floor.
"Can we go and get a drink now then please?" James said.
"That's not all that's in the letter. The king is going to have a formal dinner tomorrow evening. A thank you to the City. Us. The State Department. The FBI. We're all invited. To celebrate the safe return of his daughter.
"You'll have somewhere to wear one of these?" Kim said as she came across 4 designer gowns. Evie was still too surprised to say much. Between them they carried everything down to Evie's car with Evie telling Kim that they should share what was here. "We'll see what fits who best. Alyssa too!" As Tom and James walked behind Kim and Evie, carrying most of the bags between them, James looked at Tom.
"If you need somewhere to escape to when they decide to do that... You knw where I am."