Her heartbeat sped as she snuggled closer into Robert for protection. He put both arms around her, encompassing her with his own body so 'Sam' couldn't lay a finger on her. 'It was so many years ago' Freya thought, 'and why is he in England? Why is he dating my old best friend? Why has he changed his name?' So many unanswered questions were whizzing through Freya's brain. Robert, of course, knew the answer to all of them. But there was one thing they both knew. Whatever he claimed his name was, it was wrong. This wasn't 'Sam Chambers' . It was Mike. Freya wasn't even sure of his last name, but she was damn sure he was the same guy who'd touched her up back in Cali at the Gothika premiere. He took a seat on the sofa next to Freya and Robert. "You've met before?! Oh my God! How?!" Ellie squealed, getting even more excited. Before Freya could answer, Robert broke the silence. 

"Just an old friend," he replied, glaring at Mike with a well-practised fake smile. 

"Wow! This is so cool! We all have to go out tonight!"

"Uh, Ellie," Freya begins, "I don't thi-"

"Nonsense! We're going, call a load of friends!"

Freya groans, and Robert simply shoots daggers at Mike with his eyes. When everyone else has left the room to sort out plans for later, there's only Robert and Freya left, in the same position on the sofa. 

"What do you think he's doing here?" Robert asks in a flat tone. He knows. Of course he knows. But he's not certain, and he didn't want to frighten Freya. After Freya left the States, he called the police on Mike to get him sent down for what he did. Of course there was no other evidence, because all the witnesses were drunk and Mike himself, of course, denied it. If it wasn't for him committing GBH on a police officer during his questioning, he wouldn't have been sent to prison for five years. The last words he told Robert were: 'I'll find her. She caused all this, and I'll make sure she gets what she deserves. You'll see...' Robert didn't know what the hell Mike meant by it, but he knew he didn't want to find out. 

"I don't know, do you think he knew I was friends with El?"

"Maybe..."

"What aren't you telling me Robert?" Freya said, lifting his chin with her index finger to force him to look at her. She could read him like a book, and although he was a damn good actor, he was a terrible liar. 

"Nothing."

"Robert, look at me. If there's something I don't know about all of this, tell me now. I don't want to be around this guy if I don't know why the hell he's here."

"Sorry," Mike said, rubbing his hands together after closing the door behind him, "am I interrupting something?" 

"What are you doing here?" Robert hissed, "what do you want?!"

"Oh, I think you know what I'm doing here and why, Robert." 

Freya glowers at Robert, but he only blinks at mike, who now stands above them both beside the sofa. Robert lifts Freya off him and stands up beside Mike, his 5' 10" frame only short next to Mike's, who's well over 6'. 

"Look, I know you might be angry, but if you're here to bring trouble, you can leave now because I won't let you walk in here and mess around with the woman I love. Just go now."

Mike laughs and pats Robert on the chest patronizingly, Robert pulls a face and shoves the hand off him. "Oh, I'm not going anywhere."

"Well good, because we are," Robert snaps back, taking Freya's hand and leading their way out of the room. He takes her straight up stairs and into his bedroom. 

"Robert, what are you doing?" she asks as he pulls out a suitcase. "Robert! Where are we going?!" He ignores her again, throwing clothes into the case. "Damn it Robert! Answer me!" He stops what he's doing and walks over to her, wrapping both arms around her waist.

"I love you and I'm going to protect you like I never could. We're going back to the US. I'll make arrangements for a flight first thing tomorrow."

"But Robbie, what about everything I have here? I know there's not much, but Ryan? Emma?"

"The can come too," he replies, kissing her forehead. She nods slowly, but she doesn't know what Ryan's answer will be to that. Will he even let her go? He can't exactly stop her, but will he come too? 

When they'd finished packing everything, it was about 3pm, and Robert left to make some arrangements for the apartment to be sold when they arrived back in Cali. Ryan and Emma had also left to visit some of the tourist places in London, and tonight was supposed to be the night Ryan was proposing to Emma. How could Freya tell him she's leaving just before he got engaged? Or even worse, how could she tell Emma after they already had. It was just Ellie, 'Sam' and Freya in the house, but Freya had Robert on speed dial  just in case anything happened whilst he was out. Luckily, nothing did happen...until it did. 

Freya was half way through running her bath, when there was a knock at the bathroom door. She opened it to reveal Mike, topless with blue denim jeans on. His body was well toned for a thirty-something year old, but it still didn't hinder the memory she had of the kind of person he was. He half smiled before speaking. 

"I wanted to say I was sorry..."

"M-hm?"

"And I was wondering if you could forgive me. I did my time behind bars, a whole five years. It gave me time to think. I didn't know you were so young, I was just drunk and senseless. I'm sorry."

"Okay."

"That's it? 'Okay'?"

"Well what do you expect me to say? You are truely and eternally forgiven? I can't ever forget what you did to me! I can try to forgive you, but that will take a long time. Time I don't have, because I'm leaving tomorrow." Freya instantly regretted revealing what she just had. He's going to have questions, and lots of them. Questions she either couldn't answer, or wouldn't. 

"Where are you going?"

"Oh yeah, like I would tell you! Have you been stalking me ever since you got out of prison or is it only today you found out that you were in luck; That your girlfriend just so happened to know me?" Freya frowned and raised her voice so it was more of a shout than a cool, calm and collected response.

"I saw you last night. That's when I found out you lived in London."

"Last night? Where?!"

"In some shop."

"The jewellry shop? That was you?! Well, at least the puzzle is coming together now."

"Me being all apologetic, I hope you realise I still want what I was after. You owe me for that prison sentence. It was all your damn fault."

"WHAT?! NO WAY-" Mike slammed his lips onto hers, sloppily kissing her. She was almost sick when she pushed him off her with a strong shove.

"Freya, you okay?" Robert yelled up the stairs. The house was silent, which seemed strange seeing as there were supposed to be five others in the house. Robert's house that is. They all moved there because the apartment was too small for six people, and Roberts small rented house for his short-term stay in London had more room. 

"Tell him you're fine," Mike said as he wiped his mouth, narrow eyes and a cunning smile filling his face.

"Yeah, we're fine," Freya shouted back. 'We?' Robert thought, and so he went and put the kettle on, briefly sorted out the housing documents and made his way upstairs.

"I told you to say YOU, you stupid bitch!" Mike whisper-shouted. He slapped her around the face, before  kissing her again. She thrashed around, trying to free herself. It was useless, his grip was too tight. She tried screaming Robert's name, but he punched her in the stomach, taking all the air out of her. A tear fell down her cheek. This can't happen again. She felt a pinching pain in her neck, and then heard something drop to the floor. Seconds later, she collapsed. She could see, hear, feel, taste, smell. She was definitely breathing. But as her head fell to the side, she saw the empty syringe next to her on the ground. She was paralysed. Unsure of what drug had did this to her, she tried to fight the drowsiness. At least until Robert got there. He'd save her. It was too late.

She blacked out.

Robert's POV:

After sorting out the last of the documents, I go upstairs to find Freya. I can't hear anything, but she's gotta be up here somewhere. I check both bedrooms, nothing. The office is empty. That only leaves the bathroom. When I get there, the door's locked and there's no answer when I knock. 

"Freya? You in there princess?"

No reply. I can hear breathing, but it's not Freya's. Wait...is that? No way. I knock again. "Freya? Freya! Answer me babe!" Still no reply. I take a few steps back and throw myself at the door. It doesn't even budge, and I think I've injured my shoulder. Damn, it hurts. I take another few steps back and throw myself at it again. It shoots pain through me like a knife stabbing me over and over. The door shifts a little. One more shove...

The door flies open and I find Mike zipping up his pants, and Freya on the floor in only her red jumper. I CAN'T F*CKING BELIEVE IT. HE CAN'T HAVE DONE THAT TO HER. PLEASE GOD...NO...

"HOW F*CKING DARE YOU TOUCH MY GIRLFRIEND YOU SON OF A COCK-LOVING WHORE!"

"I see why you're with her. She's a good f*ck."

I run at him and punch him hard in the jaw. Again, the pain. Agh. He throws a punch back, getting me in the face. The taste of blood fills my mouth. Another punch, my cheek bone swells up instantly. A third punch, to the ribs. I hear a crack, and the pain makes me clench my jaw so hard it hurts. I spit it all over his face, which blinds him for a few seconds. This is my chance. I kick him right where it hurts, and he falls to the ground in agony before I kick his head, knocking him out cold. Freya, f*cking hell what has he done to you... I quickly bend down to Freya, tears beginning to fall from my eyes. I can't believe it happened again. I was supposed to be f*cking there this time! I'm supposed to protect her! "Freya baby? Can you hear me?! Look at me sweetie, look at me." 

Her eyes finally open, making contact with mine, and her tear stained cheeks are pale. Her whole body is limp, she can't move. Shit. "Baby I'm here now, we're gonna get you to the hospital, you're gonna be okay. I love you sweetheart." I kiss her gently on the forehead, more tears streaming from my eyes. I put her underwear back on, and wrap a blanket around her before I scoop her up into my arms. She just looks at me with puffy red eyes, unable to move, speak, show any kind of emotion except for the tears rolling down her soft cheeks. After getting her into the car, I drive faster than I've ever driven before. When I pull up at the entrance, I immediately rush over to her door and carry her into the hospital. Her eyes are closed, her cheeks are cold. "Freya, we're here," I sob, "You're gonna be okay baby. I promise you you'll be okay." I kiss her softly on the top of her head, holding her in my arms. "HEY!! SOMEONE HELP MY GIRLFRIEND!" I scream at the top of my lungs. Two women and two men instantly come with a gurney and I lower her down onto it. They rush her off somewhere, and I don't, for one second, leave her side. They hook her up to a load of machines, and she looks pale as a ghost. I have to explain to the Doctors what happened, and it hurt me more to tell them that, "no, I wasn't there when she was drugged." I just sat there in a chair next to her bed, listening to the constant sound of the heartbeat monitor. There was apparently nothing they could do for her until they found out what drug was inside her. My shoulder was throbbing now, and I can barely move it. My chest hurts and I think I cracked a tooth. I really need to start taking self-defense lessons. Freya...I love her so much. How is she ever going to want me now. We weren't even official yet. I was going to ask her tomorrow night, but now that bastard has f*cked it all up. Why the hell would Freya ever want a man who couldn't look after her? I want to look after her. I know I can. I will. But I want her to believe that and trust it. 

A half hour later, the doctor comes back into the room. "Hi, I'm Doctor Matthew Spencer, I'll be treating your..."

"Girlfriend."

"Ah, yes. I have her results. It seems she was injected with a rather lethal amount of gamma hydroxybutyrate, that's GHB. It's similar to ecstasy, can cause black-outs, drowsiness-"

"Yeah Doc, I know what GHB is..." I sigh. I know the past is the past, but being a drug-addict never lives you down. 

"Well then you'd know, with twelve grams of it injected into her system, she may be in a coma for weeks... maybe even months."

My heart tore in two the moment he said that. Months? That can't be possible. It's Boxing Day. She's supposed to be happy. 

"Mr..."

"Downey."

"Mr Downey, Freya is in a life threatening coma. There is a fifty percent chance she'll make it through the night. If she makes it, there's a good chance she'll pull through. But Sir, we can't promise you anything." I look at her soft face, sleeping peacefully. Her curly blonde hair still wild as her personality. My legs are so weak, I can't remember whether I meant to sit down, or whether I fell onto the chair. I take her hand in mine, and squeeze it lightly. 

Come on Freya, squeeze back. Let me know you're okay.

Her hand doesn't move a muscle.