But for the knock on the door and the arrival of Maddie's patient, she may very well have stood there kissing Harry for the rest of the afternoon. And, from the light in his eyes and the grin on his face, he would not have objected much to that. With a promise to see her later and a small wink, he left her to her job.

As Maddie had to work up until the party that evening, Harry agreed to meet her at her office. He had gone to Khenda and Collins' place, where he would be staying, to settle in. When he returned, Ella was waiting outside of Maddie's closed door.

"She's changing," Ella smiled as she moved to stand. Harry, slightly embarrassed by the formalities that came with his title, waved his hand for her to sit. She did and he joined her; taking a chair across from hers.

"How have you been Ella?"

"Very well, thank you." She smiled as she studied him. "How about you Harry? Can I call you Harry?"

"Of course," he smiled. "I'm doing really well."

"Good," she nodded; watching him carefully. Harry couldn't help but notice the way she was looking at him.

"Everything okay Ella?"

"Mmm Hmm. You know..." She leaned forward in her chair. "I think you're a really great guy."

"Oh-kay." He blinked.

"And I have been pushing Maddie towards...this...since I first saw the two of you interact..."

"Oh?" His smile widened.

"Yes," she took a deep breath; contemplation taking hold of her mind. "I'm not sure if you know but...Maddie is my best friend. I absolutely adore her."

"I do know that," he nodded. "And she feels the same way about you." Ella agreed with a small smile.

"And she...tells me things..." Her voice was soft, quiet; wanting him to know that she was being serious. "Things about you. Well not you, but you and her."

"Ah..." He breathed; seeing where this was headed. "I would imagine that she does." He brought his hands together in front of him; leaning closer to her.

"And I would imagine, given you are who you are, that it probably takes a lot for you to trust somebody."

"I suppose it does," he admitted.

"And you don't know me at all," she shrugged and offered a smile. "I'm basically a stranger to you and yet, I know that this afternoon, Prince Harry of Wales flew to Bendal to kiss an American doctor. That's...that's a lot of information to have."

"Ella, I..."

"But I just...I want you to know that, even though at times I seem flighty and a little crazy, I am actually trustworthy and...loyal. To Maddie." She looked towards the floor for a moment. "And I thought you should know that anything that I learn about you through girl talk will never go beyond me. I would never betray Maddie's confidence and...I don't know. I just thought that maybe it might help if you knew that. Maddie trusts me. And you trust Maddie and...I just thought you should know. You don't know me. But you can trust me."

"Thank you Ella," his smile was genuine. "That means a lot. Though..." He moved to the edge of his chair and cleared his throat. "I think that you should know that I never doubted that about you. Not once."

"Really?" She was surprised.

"Of course not," he shrugged. "You and Maddie are...like brothers in arms."

"Sorry?" She raised her eyebrows.

"You've been to battle together." She could see the seriousness in his eyes. "You've stood over death together. There's really not a bond quite like that, is there?"

"No," she shook her head solemnly. "No, there's not."

"To trust Maddie is to trust you," he tried for a smile. "Though I appreciate you thinking of it...and me... You're a good friend."

"I really am," Ella grinned, the wilder version of her personality taking over.

"You really are what?" Maddie called out as she emerged from her office. Harry's attention completely diverted as he stood.

"You look fantastic," he grinned; leaning to kiss her cheek.

"Thank you. You would be surprised at what a new skirt can do for a girl."

"See, I was going to say the opposite," he watched her with adoring eyes.

"What a girl can do for a new skirt?" Ella asked, amused by the back and forth between them. "Well played. Hey, can I call you Prince Charming?"

"No," Harry laughed with a firm shake of his head. "You can never call me that."

"Fine..." She sighed dramatically. "Harry will do." Maddie laughed at her friend.

"Thank you," Harry smiled at her. "Shall we?"

"Absolutely," Maddie nodded.

"Ella?" Harry raised his eyebrows at her.

"Let's do this," standing Ella joined the two of them as they made their way outside of the complex and across the street to the Community Garden. As they rounded the main building, they could already hear the music playing, the laughter and conversation. And as soon as their presence was noticed, they were pulled right into the middle of it all.

And the night began. They all joined in on the picking of the foods from the garden. Harry carried a basket while Maddie and Ella added to the load. Once all of the ready items were harvested, Collins lead a group of children in the washing and preparing of a salad of sorts. There was a traditional dance and a blessing before they all enjoyed some of the fruits of their labor. And, as it grew darker, the kids began to disburse; running and playing and laughing. Though the food was put away for later consumption, the party continued; singing and dancing and a little drinking. Maddie joined Daniel, the other Psychologist who shared her office, in making the rounds; talking to the families they worked with. They knew that it was moments like this, moments where they could interact with the community in a neutral, relaxed setting that made their therapeutic moments more impactful. It was difficult for people to open up to somebody, even more so a stranger, even more so a stranger who looked nothing like them who was from another country. So they took advantage of these genuine moments of community to build those relationships; opening those barriers.

Harry, enjoying the complete lack of attention he was receiving, took a drink and slipped off to the side; watching the action unfold. Maddie chatted animatedly with an older couple while Collins worked with three little boys to show them how to complete a series of dance moves.

Khenda, finished with her role in the evening, spotted Harry sitting in solitude and was compelled to join him. She could remember the very day she met him. She was a young teenager and he was a short, scrawny little boy. He had come on a visit with his mother. Khenda had been the fortunate one chosen to escort the Princess and the young Princes around and had developed something of a relationship with them. A relationship that had withstood many, many years and one horrifying death. Choosing a drink for herself, she made her way over.

"Hi there," she grinned at the young man she had known for years; the boy she watched grow from a boy to the man who sat before her.

"Khenda," his face brightened as he rose to his feet. She leaned in to kiss his cheek and they sat together; one chair next to the other.

"You've done amazing work here," Harry waved a hand around the area.

"Thank you," she smiled. "Though I did nothing on my own. It takes a team. You know that."

"Yes," he nodded. "A team with a great leader."

"Well, thank you," she blushed slightly. "You seem happy, Harry."

"I am," he was quick to nod.

"No. I mean...happy." His eyes turned to meet hers for a beat.

"I am." And even he knew the helpless look that flashed across his face when he said it. But it didn't matter, he had no control over that any more.

"Wow," Khenda breathed with a chuckle.

"I know."

"Are you having a good night?" She looked pointedly at Maddie and he nodded. "Sitting back and watching?"

"Yes, I am," he sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I'm just...taking advantage of the time before the whole world knows. I can't sit back and watch once the whole world knows. Everything changes once the whole world knows." Khenda nodded her understanding. She had never been able to wrap her mind around all the attention that he and his brother and, before that, his mother had garnered—nor how difficult it would be to live that way.

"Tell me," she took a sip of her drink. "Is the whole world going to know about Maddie?"

"I don't know," he looked down, a soft smile on his face. "I haven't even talked to her about that yet. I haven't asked her...I thought it would be best to let the idea of me sink in...before I broached the idea of all the baggage that comes with me."

"Thoughtful."

"I try." He looked at the satisfied smile on her face. "Now you tell me. Was this your plan all along? When you called in a favor and asked me to come to the opening six months ago? You know her. You know me." His eyes focused on her intently. "Khenda, did you bring me down here with the intention that I would fall for her?" Steeling her expression, Khenda blinked.

"Have you fallen for her?" Though he remained absolutely silent, Khenda smiled wide. She didn't need an answer, she could see it in his face, in the way his eyes glazed over as he looked to where Maddie sat. When his gaze broke, he shook his head in confusion.

"Oh my God...What am I thinking?" He ran a hand over his face and into his hair. "I've only known her for six months."

"And?" Khenda shrugged.

"And I only just kissed her today..." Khenda fought to control her urge to clap her hands at the thought.

"And?" She raised her eyebrows in challenge.

"And we haven't even gone on a proper date. And...And this is crazy! Khenda, who falls for somebody they hardly know?!"

"You hardly know her?" Khenda balked. "Please. I know she talks to you every day. I know she talks to you about her father dying, about her mother wanting her to come home, about her desire to be here despite all of the evidence stacking up that she maybe should take a break. Hardly know her? Really now?" He knew she was right.

"But..." He stammered. Feeling gutsy, Khenda continued. She hadn't seen him this happy in a long time and she wasn't about to let him toss it aside because of something superficial.

"Are you telling me she hardly knows you?"

"No...she knows me. She..." He gulped; the conversations they had shared ran through his mind. "It's a little scary sometimes just how she knows me." Khenda watched him for a moment; watched him struggle, watched him stall and then, she reached out and placed a warm, comforting hand on his. He looked up to her; a vulnerable look in his eyes.

"Care for some advice? From a slightly older, though devastatingly stunning, sister-type person?"

"Yes," he breathed. "Please."

"Stop overthinking this. Just stop. If you were sixteen and had known her for six months, I would slap you around until you got your head on straight." Harry laughed at that.

"You know that nobody would stand by and just let you slap me around. You would get into a lot of trouble for that." He lifted his drink to his lips but Khenda remained serious.

"But you're not. You're almost thirty. You've...you've been to Sandhurst. You've been to war! You've grown up in this great big fish bowl and you've turned out so well."

"Ah Khenda, you're going to make me blush."

"Your mother would be so proud." She felt a lump in her throat as she brought her up.

"And now you're going to make me cry," his drink lowered; his eyes growing soft, his heart clenching in the way it always did when they talked about his mother.

"You know who you are, Harry. You know what you want, who you want." She sat in silence for a moment. "Go with your heart, Harry. Get out of your head and lead with your heart. How did she say it?" Khenda searched her mind for the famous quote from Diana. "If you find someone you love in your life, then hang on to that love."

"Some days, I hate that you knew her." Harry gulped.

"No you don't." Khenda squeezed his hand in hers.

"No. I don't." He squeezed back. A moment of contented silence settled over them as they thought of her.

"I'm sorry if I made you sad. That was the exact opposite of what I intended to do."

"You didn't," he shook his head, though his eyes remained soft; thinking of his mother, of Maddie, of what Khenda had said. "It's a lot to ask of somebody, Khenda." He nodded to Maddie. "The press, the gossip; it's endless and overwhelming. I can stop this all now and prevent all of that from happening for her. I can leave on Sunday and that could be it. The world doesn't know yet. It's not too late."

"Isn't it?" Her eyes met his and he knew exactly what she was asking. And she knew exactly what his answer was.

"God..." He breathed, feeling slightly uneasy at the realizations he was having that night. "I am in so much trouble."

"She's a big girl, Harry. She's tough and strong. She was a farm girl from rural Colorado. She has plowed fields and weathered devastating storms. She was the first person in her family to go to college. The first person. She made a decision to go, to start a new road for her family and now she has a PhD. She watched her dad battle cancer for ten years before he died and now...she's a rock for her mother. She spent her whole childhood in the same town and now...she's here. In Bendal working with children who need her help the most. She has seen more death and devastation than anyone should and she's still here; smiling and playing and helping these kids." Khenda smiled as she watched Maddie from a distance. "Do you know what it takes to go through those changes and come out as put together as she is? She's amazing...and she's strong and resilient and if all that she has faced hasn't shaken her, the machine that is the press isn't going to touch her." Harry felt the lump in his throat again and laughed it away. What was with him tonight? He shook his head. This was all so new to him.

"I hope you're right..."

"Right about what?" Collins came from behind to join them.

"Nothing," Khenda smiled up at him and then, in a matter of fact way, "Harry's in love with Maddie."

"Khenda!" Harry's eyes grew wide as he looked to her with shock on his face.

"I can't say I'm surprised," Collins laughed as he kissed Khenda; taking a seat next to her.

"See!" Khenda waved her hand at Collins. "Time doesn't matter, Harry. You feel how you feel. And nobody is going to be that surprised."

"Can we keep this between us please?" Harry's voice lowered as he looked from Khenda to Collins. "It's just this kind of thing that sends women running for the hills."

"The hills?" Collins snickered.

"Not this woman. Not this time," Khenda shook her head. "But yes. My lips are sealed. That particular confession is all yours."

"How very sweet of you," Harry rolled his eyes.

"I try," she shrugged and, though the moment was full of lighthearted ribbing, their eyes met for a moment and they shared a glance full of depth and seriousness. And Khenda knew what a special thing she was witnessing; the beginning of something very, very big.

"Yes, well," Harry finished his drink and rested the glass on the ground. "I'm going to enjoy the party and go see if I can get the good doctor to join me in a dance."

"Ha!" Collins laughed. "Good luck. I've been working on her for over a year!"

"Well, I've been told I have a way with the ladies," Harry joked.

"Oh God help us!" Khenda rolled her eyes and watched as Harry made his way through the crowd of people laughing and dancing.

Harry approached Maddie just as she finished up with the couple she had been chatting with. Moving stealthily to her side, he lowered his voice.

"I need your help with something."

"Oh?" She turned to him, surprise lacing her smile. "What exactly did you need my help with?"

"Well, you see," he reached for her hand; causing her to shiver at his touch. "Collins has challenged me..."

"To a dual?" Maddie raised her eyebrows. "Pistols at dawn?'

"Ha!" He shook his head in amusement. "Worse."

"Worse?" She crinkled her nose. "Sounds serious." She tried to focus on his words and not on how the way he stroked her hand made her skin tingle.

"It is," he nodded. "You see, he said that there was no way I would be able to come over her and convince you to dance with me."

"Okay, look..." She began her protest, but he continued.

"And I told him, he was crazy. That there was no way that Maddie Forrester was scared of something as simple and easy as dancing..."

"Scared?" She could feel the defiance bubbling up inside of her.

"I told him that was preposterous." He was getting the exact reaction he was looking for.

"Here's the thing..." Maddie took a calming breath. "I actually don't dance."

"You can't dance?"

"No." She hated the way his words made her rebel. "I can dance. I just...don't."

"Hmmmm. Why is that exactly?"

"I just...don't."

"Yeah," Harry shook his head. "That's not working for me. I mean...are you really going to let Collins win here?"

"I know what you're doing right now," her eyes narrowed wanting to kiss the smug look right off his face.

"Is it working?" He grinned.

"A little bit, yes," she huffed. "And I hate that it is."

"Come on," he moved closer to her; stepping into her space. "Come dance with me. Show Collins he has no idea what he's talking about."

"Harry..." Her protest was weakening.

"I'll owe you one Maddie...Please..." The way he was looking at her made it impossible for her to refuse him. "Don't let him be right about this. Dance with me..."

"Ohhhhh...." She shook her head but surrendered; allowing him to pull her towards the group. "You're good."

"I am," he agreed with a wink and, as they began to move with the music he looked up to where Collins and Khenda sat. Collins, with an impressed expression, offered Harry a salute before Harry turned his undivided attention back to Maddie.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," she shook her head as they danced.

"I can't believe you were so petulant about it," he grinned, moving closer. "You're doing fine."

"Please!" She laughed. "There's a slight chance your opinion is biased."

"There's a great chance," he pulled one of her hands up and over his shoulder, nudging her closer to him.

The heat was intense; outside and between the two of them.

Maddie breathed deep as she gave in to the moment, gave into the feeling. She could feel his hand at her waist as their hips swayed in time with the music, in time with each other. Feeling brave, she moved her other hand up around his shoulder; allowing her fingers to tickle the skin of his neck. His eyes were intense, his body so close. And for the life of her, Maddie could think of nothing else than her intense desire to kiss him.

"Harry..." She breathed; her voice barely audible.

"Hmm?" He lifted his eyebrows, leaning closer to her. But before she could even open her mouth to ask him, her mission was halted. Because a bright flash of lightning lit of the sky followed by an enormous clap of thunder and then, for the first time in a long time, the sky opened up and rain began to dump in buckets.

Screams of laughter rang out as the party-goers scattered; disbursing to buildings seeking shelter. Instantly drenched, Maddie looked up at the sky with humor across her face.

"See!" She yelled over the sound of the surprise storm. "This is why I don't dance! Something bad always happens when I do!"

"It's raining!" He laughed. "That's something good! Come on!" He