James took a step towards the doorway, but Michael’s grip tightened. “Let Kathryn go,” he said, asserting his authority. Both James and Michael knew that if it came to a battle of strength, Michael didn’t stand a chance but for now James relented. Only no one knew how long it would last.

Renee stepped up beside her brother and slipped her arm around his waist. She peeped up at him as he chewed nervously on his bottom lip while he waited. James didn’t even notice she was there until she squeezed him and whispered into his ear, “She’s safe, James. No one can hurt her. Not here,” Renee swore.

And although James knew that she was right it didn’t make him feel any better. “What’s taking so long?” he demanded impatiently.

Everyone looked at each other expectantly, but they all remained silent. It was a question that had no answer. As much as they all wanted one, there was no answer. Seconds felt like hours and minutes felt like days as they waited. James found himself reaching out and taking hold of his mother’s hand, desperate for the reassurance that only a mother could give. But today, that didn’t work.

“Anna’s stronger than she knows,” Brandon declared to no one in particular. But as soon as the words passed his lips James found himself wondering if that was just Brandon reassuring himself. It didn’t matter if it was. The truth was that he was silently doing exactly the same thing.

“James!” Lachlan called as he rounded the corner into the kitchen. “You need to get up there!”

Renee and Diana couldn’t let go fast enough before James was moving. Everyone hesitated barely a moment before they attacked Lachlan with questions.

“What’s happening?” Brandon asked directly.

“Something’s wrong, Dad,” Lachlan admitted, slumping into a chair. “When I got up there she was squatting in the middle of the bed, her back pressed up against the bed head. Her eyes were everywhere. She wouldn’t even look at me. When I reached out my hand to touch her, she completely flipped out. That’s when she started screaming again.” Lachlan was completely bewildered and defeated. He had never seen anything like it. He didn’t know or understand what was going on.

“It’s okay,” Michael declared, “You did nothing wrong. Anna’s just been through a lot.”

“But she didn’t even calm down when Mum came in,” Lachlan admitted, shaking his head. “She didn’t even look like Anna.”

“You’re right,” Kathryn murmured as she re-entered the room. “She didn’t look like my little girl. She looked petrified, like she was afraid to move. I couldn’t even get near her,” Kathryn sobbed as she collapsed into Brandon’s outstretched arms.

“It’s okay. She’ll be okay,” Brandon cooed into Kathryn’s hair.

“You don’t know that,” Kathryn snapped bluntly.

“Yes, I do. I’m her father. And she doesn’t have a choice in the matter!” Kate and Kelley just exchanged worried looks.

“Is James with her?” Diana asked nervously. The truth was she was deeply worried about Anna, but she was also afraid for James.

“James walked in and just said ‘Hi’ and it was like she woke up. She just snapped out of it. She stopped screaming and babbling. Then when he reached out to touch her, she just pulled him towards her and crawled into his arms,” Kathryn admitted.

Brandon wrapped his arms around his anxious wife. “Don’t take it personally. She’s been through a lot in the past twenty-four hours. And James was the one to rescue her. Give her time to get her head sorted out and she’ll come around. She just needs time.”

Kathryn wanted to argue but didn’t see the point. There was nothing that she could do to make this better, so for now she would just step back and let James put her baby girl back together. Kathryn just hoped he was strong enough to do it.

“Who wants more coffee?” Diana said, trying to focus on something else. Anything else. Everyone standing there on their tip-toes watching an empty doorway wasn’t going to help anyone.

“Sure,” Brandon smiled, handing her his mug.

***

Upstairs James and Anna were back in their bubble. Just them. They had no idea of the drama unfolding below and the truth was right now, they didn’t care. They were barely managing to hold themselves and each other together without pretending for their families that they had their happy face on.

“You okay?” James asked as he lifted her effortlessly in his lap to a more comfortable position.

“Mmmm,” she mumbled back into his shoulder.

Kissing her hair lightly, James asked, “Wanna talk about it?” As soon as the words were out he wished he could take them back. Without realising James had touched a trigger point. And not just grazed it. He’d jumped on it repeatedly to make sure he was guaranteed a reaction. Although she was wrapped in his arms, Anna began shaking violently. Her pupils dilated and she broke out in a cold sweat.

“Hey, hey!” James cooed into her ear as he brushed hair off her damp forehead. “It’s okay. It’s just me.”

But his reassurance did nothing. Anna continued to shake as he watched her eyes glaze over. Physically she was in his arms, but mentally she was a million miles away.

“Anna! Anna! Look at me,” he tried talking to her normally but still got no reaction. “Look at me, damn it!” he snapped, harder than he had intended. James knew he had to get his emotions under control because there was no way that this could help, but right now that was like fighting a losing battle. “Anna!” he tried again.

And then she was found. Like that she came back to him and slumped in his arms. The shaking stopped as quickly as it had come and despite her clammy skin Anna felt like she was back to normal.

“Hey, Princess.”

“Hey,” she answered weakly as she looked up into his wide, relieved eyes.

Afraid to say anymore, but terrified not to, James took a gamble. “Where’d you go?”

“Huh?” Anna grumbled bewildered. She wasn’t acting much that out of the ordinary, more like she had just woken up dazed and confused.

“Anna, you know I love you, right?”

She didn’t answer but instead offered him a wide, honest, and open smile. At the sight James felt his heart do a back flip of relief.

“And y-you know I’d do anything to protect you. And you know I’d n-never let anyone hurt you, right?” he stuttered, swallowing the guilt. Despite the truth in his words James couldn’t help but feel like a failure. He failed to protect her when she needed him the most. But from that moment he promised himself he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

“Yeah, I know,” Anna sighed.

Taking a deep breath, James pushed. “Then talk to me. Please, Anna, talk to me,” he pleaded, pulling her even closer.

Anna took a few deep breaths and intertwined her fingers with his before beginning to speak. She spoke no louder than a whisper and if she hadn’t been perched in his lap, James wouldn’t have heard a word she said. “I’m okay.”

“You know it’s okay if you’re not. I mean…I’d understand,” he frowned.

“Okay fine. I’m not okay. But I will be. It’s just…hard,” she admitted sadly.

“Don’t force yourself. Take your time. No one’s going to hold it against you or judge you for it. Promise.”

“But nothing happened! You saved me. You got there before he had a chance to…” but the words caught in her throat.

“I should have got there sooner.”

“Don’t, James! You didn’t do this. I did. Grant was my past, my mistake.”

“No! Don’t you dare blame yourself for that psycho! I shouldn’t have let it get that far. I shouldn’t have let go of you,” James snorted, running a hand through his hair, trying to regain his composure. “Anna, this is my fault.”

Tears were streaming down her face, over the scratches and past the bruises, but she didn’t care. Instead she buried her face in James’s shoulder and sobbed until she had no more tears left to cry. James never once moved. Instead he just sat there holding her hand and stroking her back, letting Anna get it out. And if she needed to cry it out and soak his shirt, then that was fine. He hated seeing her broken but nothing and no one would stand in his way as he tried to put her put back together. If people thought winning a gold medal or breaking world records took dedication then they hadn’t seen anything yet. He owed the sobbing woman in his arms the world and nothing would stop him from giving it to her. Ever.