My Guarded Heart

@ Jinx...

Kelden gazed into Hazel's eyes, which were shining with anxiety and panic. He stroked her hair before she buried her face in his chest and squeezed him tighter. His heart squeezed along with her embrace and he kissed her head again. They stood in that embrace for a short while, Kelden still stroking her hair and letting her shaking subside. His mind raced, his thoughts trying to find any clues of how anyone could have gotten close enough to them to pull a stunt like this. How could anyone have even known to find them here?

He was reminded of a similar incident, the last time the music had 'coincidentally' found its way to Hazel. The fair, and that strange woman who'd known the girls somehow. But even though she'd been odd and unnerving, there really wasn't any proof that she was responsible. Still, he'd bring it up to Drake and see what his partner thought. Hazel pulled Kelden from his thoughts though, her beautiful eyes meeting his once again. "Don't worry about me," he told her. "In order to keep you safe, I've got to keep myself safe too, right?" He gave her a wink, attempting to alleviate some of her worry. She still looked anxious though so he put a hand to her cheek and gazed into her eyes. "I will always return to you," he told her. He had no intentions of letting any harm befall any of them.

With that, she pulled him into the room and closed the door behind them. Their bodies pressed together and he melted into her touch, her kiss. At her command, he let her lean against him as he pulled out his phone and called Drake. The call was brief, he quickly explained the situation and that there was potentially a safety compromise. He put his phone back in his pocket and then scooped Hazel up into his arms. "They'll be here soon, and we'll figure out a plan then." He told her, carrying her to the bed. He crawled in with her, letting her rest against him as he kept watch.

---

June leaned into the kiss, nearly sighing in pleasure at how good their bodies felt against each other. His hand on her back was warm and she moved her own hands against his broad chest. The kiss probably would have lasted longer but the ringing cellphone cut them off. She smiled up at Drake as he took the call but seeing his face change so quickly wiped the smile off her own face. Though her heartbeat had already been racing from the kiss, she felt it quicken in anxiety at the look Drake had. What was wrong? What had happened? Was Hazel okay? She began gathering their stuff from the range, sensing that they would be leaving quickly.

Drake was off the phone moments later, his hands joining hers in getting things packed up. "What's going on?" She breathed, struggling to keep her voice steady. June felt the blood drain from her face to hear that their safehouse might have been compromised. Did that mean he knew where she and Hazel were? She looked around as they hurried across the parking lot to the car, feeling like hidden eyes were watching her now. She tried to keep her breathing even, she had to keep calm so that Drake could focus on getting them to the house and not worry about her having an anxiety attack. Kelden had to have cleared the house if it meant they were going back there.

The drive was silent, though she had a million questions racing through her mind, she knew Drake probably couldn't answer most of them until everyone was together and able to talk. One question popped into her head that she hoped he could answer. "If we have to change locations, we'll all be together still right?" She asked. She couldn't imagine starting somewhere new with different agents, or being split up from Hazel. She didn't even want to imagine it.

@ Stars Eternal
Hazel nodded slowly at his statement. She knew he would do as she would and keep himself safe for others but she needed more. As he spoke again her face so close to his and his eyes determined and loving she relaxed and nodded again. "Good." she said. As always Kelden knew what to say to ease her worry. As he called Drake she didn't let go of him. She was just wanting to reassure her body he was here. That she didn't have to figure out how to put another part of herself back together. She didn't know how Kelden became such an important part of her.

Kelden lifted her and took her to bed and she smiled softly. She snuggled into him and closed her eyes. She wished this was over and he could carry her to bed for other reasons. She bit her lip and the longer she lay there the more she was fighting herself. It was the most terrible time to say it but if life taught her anything it was don't wait. When you know say it. Hazel looked up at Kelden and ran her hands up his chest. "Kel." she said softly waiting until he looked at her. "Words will never be enough to tell you how I feel for you. They will never be strong enough or fit just right but the closest I can come is to say..." she cupped his cheek her forehead leaning against his. "I love you." she whispered. She had told him she cared about him before and that he was important to her but this was bigger than that. And though it was true he held her together and was so deep inside of her she would never recover without him telling him that she loved him for the first time was a big deal.

"I wanted to tell you now because life should happen now, not when things are better or at the right moment because nothing is promised." she said blushing. He had told her he loved her and she held those words so dear in her heart that it now seemed selfish to hold them back. Realizing how easy it would be to loose him made her never want to wait to live and love with him.

---

Drake frowned as he hung up. He turned to June helping her pack up. Her question came as soon as she saw him. "They are fine but Kelden thinks someone was in the house. Our location might be compromised. We'll get more details when we get there." he said and took the things looking around and tucking June under his arm protectively.

Once she was in the car he got in and started the drive back. He was thinking over how they could have lead whomever it was back. The store visits, the dates, the fair? All of them had been risks. He was suddenly so pissed off at himself. In an effort to try and help June and Hazel get some normalcy back into their lives and wanting time with them both he and Kelden had put them in more danger when it was their job to protect them. If that bastard hurt the girls again it would be their fault.

Drake heard June speak up quietly and he frowned thing about the different procedures. It really depended on what happened and what needed to be done to keep them safe. It was possible they would have to split up the girls. It was even possible that they might find out about the fraternization with the girls and separate them but there was one things Drake would not let happen. "I will stay with you June no matter what. It's unlikely that they will split us up." he said and reached over taking her hand squeezing it gently. He knew she was worried but it was going to be okay he would make sure of it.

@ Jinx...

Kelden was holding Hazel, and though he was on alert and well aware of the seriousness of the situation, he couldn't help that the feeling of her body tucked against his eased his heart. When he held her, touched her, it felt like their bodies instinctually just knew each other, just fit together so perfectly. His thumb stroked lazy circles on her skin, almost unconsciously. When she spoke his name, he looked down into her bright eyes and was surprised to find them so full and deep with emotion.

His lips parted in quiet surprise at her words, but they quickly turned up into a soft smile. He brought his hand up to her cheek and kissed her, pouring all the love he could into the kiss. And though the last thing he wanted was to pull away, he forced himself to so he could look her in the eyes. "Hazel, I love you. I love you with every fiber of my being. I've never been so sure of anything in my life." He told her. His voice was steady and sure. "I know right now we can only do the best we can with what we've got, but I promise you that someday, and someday soon, I will do anything to give you the life you want. And I hope to be a part of that life with you."

Kelden kissed her again, pulling her tight against him. He wanted to give her the sun, the moon, the stars, the whole world. He'd do a lot for the people he loved, but this was a whole new level. He wasn't sure he believed in fate, not with some of the horrible things he'd seen in the line of duty, and especially not with what Hazel had been through, but he was so incredibly grateful that the world sought fit to let their paths cross.

---

June bit her lip, still worried that there was a chance this would take her away from the people she'd come to love and trust. She nodded though, still not wanting to add to his own worries. Instead she turned her mind to trying to figure out how they could have been found. While they'd had many trips out into town, they were far enough from the city it had happened that she couldn't imagine how that psycho had even known how to find them here. But something was bothering her. It was true that he got sick pleasure from torturing them, physically and psychologically, but June knew that he was much smarter than to just alert the FBI agents watching her and Hazel.

She watched the trees pass by in a blur as they drove. The question remained, if he had found them, why would he give them a chance to get away again? He wouldn't, June knew that if he ever found them again, he would ensure that there was no possibility of escaping him again before he started his tortures up again. That thought scared her, a shiver traveling down her spine. But more frightening was the idea that someone else had found them, a new, unexpected player in this sick game.

They made it to the house in record time. June looked at the house, a place she'd come to feel comfortable and safe in when she hadn't been sure she'd feel comfortable and safe anywhere again. Now it looked ominous and left her feeling uneasy. Again she felt that tingle on the back of her neck, as though unseen eyes were watching her right now. She shivered again and moved to get out of the car.

@ Stars Eternal
Hazel smiled against his lips as he kissed her with so much passion. She ran her hands against him and hummed as his kiss made her shiver in delight. She looked up at him with his dark eyes and the shinning affection in them. He spoke and melted her heart. She knew it was right between them and it assured her as she heard him that he felt the same way. He promised her a better life and she took his hand shaking her head. "I will be happy as long as I am with you." she leaned into him. "And you will always have a place in my life. As much of it as you want." she said.

Hazel felt better now that they had their moment of peace in the middle of this insanity. She heard a car pull up and she sat up slowly pulling her hair back. She stood and looked out the window nodding. "They're back." she said and knew that his was going to freak out June. She didn't know how to protect her from the fear. She knew Drake couldn't safe her from that either and it broke her heart. She just wanted to catch him more now than every and she was sure it would just keep building until they finally caught him.

She went downstairs with Kelden holding his hand. She wasn't ready to go back into the kitchen yet so they sat in the living room. Hazel gave June a soft reassuring smile. Normally this would set her back days but Kelden had slowly been working on her and now she was starting to get better with all the fear that tried to control her.

---

Drake could sense June's worry as they drove but he could say nothing to sooth it as his mind traveled in circles. When they pulled up to the house he parked and looked over at June reaching over taking her hand and squeezing it gently. He got out with her and they moved inside. He watched Hazel and Kelden come and sit down. He followed suit watching Hazel carefully. She seemed pretty okay. Kelden was goof for her. She was doing so much better with him around.

"So what happened?" he asked. Drake was in full work mode now. He wanted all the details. Hazel frowned looking at Kelden then at Drake knowing she had to tell him and this was something Kel couldn't do for her. She went over where she was and what she was doing. She told him how it felt when the panic set in and how she hadn't noticed anything until she saw Kelden. It was a simple story. there was music and because of her trauma she reacted. There wasn't anything telling about it other than someone knew the music would affect her and had obviously watched the house enough to know how to get inside. They obviously needed to figure a way to shit down the whole in their defense.

Drake was already thinking over what needed to be done and looked over at Kelden. "Thoughts?" Drake asked as he squeezed June's hand tenderly knowing they was unsettling for her. Drake had a few ideas already and none of them he liked what it meant.

@ Jinx...

Kelden helped Hazel to her feet and tucked her close against him as they heard the car pull up. Soon enough they were all in the living room. Whoever had been in the house, they weren't in it now. Kelden's sweep had been thorough. So he and Hazel explained what had happened, able to go into more detail than over the phone. After discussing it, Drake asked Kelden's thoughts and he paused for a moment, going over everything in his head. "I know we already stick pretty close together but for now I think it's best if no one goes anywhere alone. Even if its just to the bathroom, Drake or I need to be on guard right outside." He said. He didn't want them to feel like prisoners being escorted to use the restroom but until they figured out more of what was going on, they needed to tighten their security. They'd gotten to lax in the comfort of being so far but clearly it hadn't been far enough.

"I also think you two need to share a room at night for now," he told Hazel and June. "It'll make it easier for Drake and I to keep watch at night if you're together." Kelden didn't really think that would be much of a problem for them, they were close and had shared their beds previously with each other when the nights were rough. He and Drake would still need to do their shifts for watching, they couldn't risk being tired from both being up constantly at a time like this. "Anything else we should add to that?" He asked Drake.

---

June squeezed Drake's hand back. It had been hard to hear what had happened to Hazel. It made her skin crawl to think that someone had been inside this house, a place that she'd finally begun to feel safe in. Would nowhere ever be safe for them again? Would it be like this forever? She gave a little head shake, trying to clear those thoughts but they nagged in the back of her mind. "Whatever will make it easiest for you two," she told Kelden and Drake about Kelden's plans. She didn't really like the idea of Drake or Kelden having to stand watch outside the bathroom every time she needed to relieve herself or shower but she could hardly complain after all they were doing to keep her and Hazel safe. Sharing a room with Hazel was no problem at all, June would have probably asked to stay with Hazel at night for a while anyway after learning all this.

She listened to Drake and Kelden discuss more of what they would need to do to keep her and Hazel safe and she bit her lip in worry. She knew Drake and Kelden were dependable but she couldn't help but stress that something could go wrong. What if one of them got hurt trying to protect her and Hazel? Or what if they got reassigned because of this breach? There were so many what ifs spinning around in her head. She tried to focus on her breathing, needing to calm down before a full blown panic attack set in.

@ Stars Eternal
Drake thought about what else they could do to keep the girls safe. "I think we need to make some extra keys. Anytime someone leaves the house it needs to be locked up even if it's just to step outside for a moment." he said. He knew that it was starting to get restrictive again but it couldn't be helped. This was a big breach. He shuttered to think of what could have happened if whoever got in had wanted to hurt Hazel or June.

"I think that's all for now. Do we have any idea why someone would want to break in other then the obvious. I don't know about you but tis doesn't seem like a useful use of a whole in our security if it was him. So it has to be someone else. What do they want?" he was starting to think it had to be a groupie. Some teen pranking them would have done something else, something not specific like that but generic. "Is anything missing?" he asked and watched Hazel. Something sparked in her eyes. "What is it?" he asked her.

Hazel frowned. "It's probably nothing." she rubbed her arm and looked up at Kelden. She looked down. "When I was alone in my room earlier something felt off. Not like someone was in there but that someone had been in there. I would know if someone moved or had taken something but if they just searched through my room..." she frowned. "I don't know." she said.

Drake nodded. What would they be looking for in Hazel's room? There was a lot you could tell by people's things but Hazel didn't have a lot of things. He ran his hand through his hair and looked down at June. "None the less I think you should double check to make sure nothing is gone." he said. He would be shuffling through thoughts for a while. He couldn't imagine how a groupie would have found them. Could it possibly be a chance meeting? Did they meet at the store, the fair or somewhere else they had been for a few moments?

Hazel yawned. She felt tired from all the crying and the panic. She didn't want to make someone else come lay with her or be stuck watching her door while she took a nap though. Sh would normally just sneak up there but instead she leaned into Kelden's shoulder her eyes slowly blinking as she fought off the fatigue.

@ Jinx...

Kelden nodded at the suggestion of the keys. It wasn't ideal to make things so restrictive again but until whoever was involved was caught, it was necessary. One thing for sure was that Drake was right about it not likely being that bastard himself. He doubted it was anyone he'd sent either, he didn't profile as being capable of having a partner. This had to be someone else acting on their own, but why? It had to connected in some way.

June shivered and felt herself leaning closer to Drake. All of this was creeping her out more and more. The thought of someone having been in the house, let alone their rooms? Suddenly she recalled the book that had disappeared from her nightstand a few days previous. "Hazel... did you take that book that I said you should read?" She asked, her heart filling with dread. She'd thought it weird that Hazel would have taken it without saying anything, but hadn't thought too much about it since she had recommended it to Hazel. At the confused expression on Hazel's face, June felt fear creep up her back. "That book disappeared off my nightstand a few days ago... I thought maybe Hazel had taken it to read so I didn't think anything of it." She explained.

Kelden's frown deepened. It was dangerous that at the very least, this breach had happened a few days prior. At worst, they could have been being watched much, much longer. "I'm sorry, I didn't even think about it," June murmured, her expression full of remorse and guilt. Kelden shook his head. "It's okay, June," he assured her. Why would she have suspected a breach? Weren't he and Drake supposed to be making sure nothing like this happened?

June chewed her lip anxiously. She felt guilty that she hadn't said anything sooner, that she hadn't even considered the possibility of someone in the house with them. She should be on her guard, and here she was risking all of their safety.

Kelden leaned against Hazel, making sure not to move and risk disturbing her resting head. He didn't blame her, it had been an emotional and stressful conversation. Even June looked tired, sitting on the couch up against Drake. "Do you want to nap?" He asked Hazel. "I can watch over you."

@ Stars Eternal
Hazel frowned as June asked if she took a book. She shook her head. She would have asked or told her at least if she had taken something. Hazel knew how important it was to have everything stay the same with everything that happened to them. She looked at Kelden as June explained. She reached over to June touching her hand as she apologized. "Don't do that. It's not your fault. Remember we're not the bad guys, what they do isn't our fault so don't hold that guilt." she said and squeezed her hand.

Hazel looked at Kelden as he offered to watch over her while she slept. She frowned. "I couldn't ask you to spend your day with me while I sleep. I'll be fine." she said reassuringly. Hazel knew she didn't do what she felt she needed to sometimes as to not be a burden on others. Hazel knew that people put their trust and faith in her and she took that very seriously. She rubbed her eyes. "I'll just spend some time in the gym and I'll feel better." she said. She hated how they had to be watched it made her feel more trapped and like she was a burden. She wished she and June could just watch each other but that would leave them vulnerable. She stood her hand rubbing over Kelton's back as she moved towards the stairs. "What do you need to do today?" she asked Kelton knowing he would follow her.

Hazel walked up the stairs towards her room to get changed. She stood in the doorway looking back at him. "Come in it wont take but a moment." she said. Hazel could see the worry in his eyes. "I'm okay Kell." she said watching as he closed the door. "Just an hour then you can go back to what you need to do." she said and turned pulling her shirt off. She kicked her shoes off and shimmed out of her pants.

---

Drake felt June's anxiety as she pressed into him. He wanted this all to be over for her so that she wouldn't have to be afraid ever again. He sighed softly and moved his hand to the small of her back rubbing small circles with his thumb into her skin.

As June told them about something that was missing for several days he felt like shit. He was suppose to protect her. He was suppose to make them safe. And here they where someone had been in the house not once but twice. There was an issue with their security and they needed to fix it. Not to mention they needed to decide if this location was compromised or still safe. But they had to consider what a new location would do for the girls mental health as well. There where a lot of considerations to make and none of them easy.

Drake held June closer as Hazel talked and reassured her. He echoed her sentiment and hoped June wouldn't keep the guilt. He watched as Hazel all but jumped at Kelden's offer. He frowned and watched them go. He looked down at June and rubbed her arm as he pulled her closer. He kissed her head. "I'm sorry this is my fault. We'll get this situation resolved." he said. His mind was already going over all the possibilities to why this happened and how to prevent it from happening again. "How are you feeling? Did you want to lay down or take a walk or something?" he asked wanting to take care of her.

@ Jinx...

Kelden frowned slightly, worried that Hazel was pushing herself for everyone else's sake. "I'm here for you today, and every day," he told her. Whatever she wanted or needed to do, he would be there to make sure she could. Whether it was taking a nap or working out. "I have nothing on the agenda. I'll just work out with you if thats okay." He hoped that if he was working out as well, it would feel less like she was being watched and more like they were just working out together. Kell followed her up the stairs, hesitating outside her room as she went to go change. Before he could assure her that he would be right outside, she told him to come in. He paused a moment, and then stepped in the door and closed it behind him.

"Don't worry about me, Hazel. There's nothing more important than keeping you safe. Anything else can wait, or we can do it together," he said, offering her a gentle smile. She began to pull her shirt off and he had to drag his eyes off of her body. This was absolutely the worst possible time for him to get distracted. Even if the curve of her body made his heartrate increase tenfold. Kelden quickly averted his gaze to the side, partly out of curtesy and partly for the fact that already he could feel himself growing aroused.

Kelden began mentally pouring cold buckets of water in his mind. He tried to think about anything but the beautiful woman he loved, standing naked before him. He tried to think about anything but the way they'd made love and how amazing it had felt to be inside of her, to hear her moan his name. Kelden cleared his throat, not trusting his voice, and made an attempt to clear his mind of these thoughts. "Take as long as you need, Hazel," he told her. "An hour, or two, or more. Or if you want to get some rest. It's literally my job to keep an eye on you so whatever you want or need to do, I am in your service."

---

June appreciated Hazel's kind words and they did help her feel a little reassured but the guilt still lingered. She should have known better, even if it wasn't their fault for being in this situation to begin with, she should have mentioned the missing book sooner. As Kelden and Hazel disappeared upstairs, June continued to lean against Drake for comfort. His skin was warm and it helped fight off the anxious shivers that were threatening to overtake her.

But Drake's words had her looking up in concern. "It's not your fault," she told him. "You and Kelden have kept us safe. Someone may be threatening that right now, but Hazel and I are here with you and not back in that hellhole. That's all that matters. As long as we're together, it'll be okay," she said. And a part of her realized that she meant it. As long as she had Drake, Hazel, and Kelden, she felt like she could get through anything that got thrown at her. Including this, as terrifying and nerve-wracking as it was. "It'll be okay, we'll figure this out." She told him, reaching up on her tip toes to kiss him softly.

She took in a deep breath and slipped her hand into Drake's. "Can we go for a walk? I'd like to get out of the house," she said. Knowing someone had been in the house had ruined the sense of safety she'd had in this house. She still felt safe with Drake, but it was hard to describe the level of unease that creeped in from the floorboards knowing that someone who possibly, probably, meant them harm had been inside. She grabbed her sweater off the hook by the door and pulled it over her head. The day was a little chilly outside despite the sunshine and she didn't know how much of it was the temperature and how much was the creepy sense of someone watching her.

@ Stars Eternal
Hazel listened to Kelden reassuring her that whatever she needed he was there for her. She smiled seeing him looking away a heat in his ears. She pulled her cloths on and then her shoes. She moved over to him hugging his side. "Thank you." she said softly. She knew he was worried about her and that he was trying to make this as easy as possible. He knew her so well. She remembered how hard she had made it on him when they first started. He had earned every bit of her confidence. He had come to respect that she knew what she was doing and that she was right that if anyone was going to solve this it wasn't going to be some agent with a case load. "I'll always worry about you." she told him. "But you're right we can do it together." she said her heart swelling at the thought. This wasn't just a job to him and she wasn't some damsel that needed saving. But they where a team.

Hazel pulled back taking his hand. "I'll rest later." she promised. She lead him out and down to the gym. "You know it's a good thing I like your partner too." she said grinning back at him. "I would let him know it if I couldn't trust he would have your back." she smirked moving into the gym. She looked around trying to determine what she felt her body could handle right now and what would feel good. She looked over at Kelden and smiled. He was so easy to love. With everything that happened she had never thought she would love again but here he was her big teddy bear. She moved over to the mats sitting down and stretching out. "Can we talk about something else? For just a moment can we pretend we're just two normal people? We can talk about your family." she said and grinned. "What are your parents like?"

Hazel didn't talk about her family much. It hadn't been the best childhood but it wasn't like she was traumatized or anything from it. It was just the normal parents not around but when they where they weren't the greatest and her dad skipped out on them when she was young. So when it was just her and her brother left it had seemed almost easier just to let the relationship slip. Recently though she would call her brother periodically and they would catch up. Things with him where getting better. Everything that happened brought their past into a new perspective. She loved to hear about Kelden's family because he had a happy family. No family was perfect but his sounded pretty darn close.

---

Drake was instantly reassured by June and even that made him feel guilty. She shouldn't be reassuring him, it should be the other way around. "Yeah." he said as she asked to go on that walk. He grabbed his jacket and the keys. He would lock up behind them. It had to be the new norm though he was wondering if they should get new locks. If the person got in and planned to do it again would they have had the forethought to make a copy of the keys? His mind was racing but as soon as they stepped outside his mind focused on protecting June. He scanned the area around them as he walked down with her into the trees.

He looked over at June wishing he had something to say that could sooth the worry and the guilt inside of her. He could see it all in the crease above her eyebrows. Drake felt like if he could just reach out and smooth the line away from her face maybe he could wipe away the feelings but that was just a pipe dream. He slowly reached over and took her hand. "The holidays are coming up." he said and looked at her with a grin. "What did you use to do for the holidays?" he asked her wondering if she had traditions, if her family had traditions. He wanted to make her holidays special this year too. That was why he was thinking more and more they needed to get out of the house for a bit.

If they had a team sit on the house and watch it they could catch the person doing this. It would give the girls a refreshing break and might even lift their spirits. Drake was pretty set on the idea of it now he just had to talk to his partner and get it all set with the boss and his folks. He smiled softly at the thought of getting to take her home for the holidays. It made him feel better to have a decent plan.