Hold On For Dear Love (Sequel to WILD)

We pulled up to the red carpet, seeing it filled with hundreds of people who were either fans, photographers, interviewers, or celebrities. The nerves that had been built up in my stomach grew at the sight, and I thanked God that I had the boys with me. I was originally going to walk with my father while Harry went with the boys, but they changed their minds at the last minute so now my dad was walking with Paul and I was going with the boys.

“You alright, love?” Harry asked as he laced his fingers with mine.

“Yeah. I’m just really nervous. This is the first award show I’m performing at”

“You’ll do great, just like you always do, and I’ll be standing in the crowd cheering you on”

He pressed his lips to my cheek, leaving a trail of butterfly kisses as he moved down my jawline to my lips. I smiled as some of the nerves faded away. He always knows how to make me feel better.

“Hey! Did you forget that there are other people in the car?” Louis asked from the seat in front of Harry.

“How could I forget when you refuse to let me?” The boys laughed at my comment while Louis pouted.

“I’m just teasing, Lou. You know I love you”

I leaned forward, wrapping my arms around his neck and placing a kiss on his cheek. He smiled and turned his head to kiss mine.

“You’re going to do an amazing job tonight. They’ll be talking about it for years”

“Thanks, Lou”

We smiled at each other and I gave him one last squeeze before releasing him to sit back by Harry. The car finally stopped at the start of the red carpet and my hand immediately reached out to grab Harry’s. He lifted my hand to his lips, placing a soft kiss upon it.

“It’s alright, love. I’ll be right here”

“We’ll go out first” Niall suggested as he stepped out of the SUV.

I watched as the other boys stepped out onto the red carpet one by one until it was just me left inside. Harry turned and took my hand, helping me step out of the car so I wouldn’t fall with my heels on. As soon as I was ready he let my hand go, moving his onto the small of my back as he led me through the sea of people. We paused to take pictures, each of us smiling. I looked out over the crowd of photographers, spotting a familiar man immediately. He was wearing the same baseball cap and jacket, a mustache across the space between his top lip and nose, along with dark sunglasses that hid his eyes. My hand that was resting on Harry’s chest tightened around his shirt, causing him to look down at me. He shifted his head so he could whisper into my ear.

“You okay?”

“That man...In the baseball cap and sunglasses. I’ve seen him twice now. He was at the restaurant when you called me” I whispered back, making sure that my head was positioned behind his so I could talk quietly to him and no one could see what I was saying.

Harry tensed up when I told him and his head snapped towards the crowd.

“Where?”

“On the left. Towards the back”

Harry looked around before finally spotting him. The man noticed Harry caught sight of him and took off. Harry turned to Louis, quickly saying something to him which he relayed to the other boys. Their faces became serious and worried for a moment before going back to smiling and acting like they were having a good time. They all moved, seeming to surround Harry and I as we started to walk towards the entrance of the building. We didn’t stop for anymore pictures or interviews, which scared me a little. Why were they acting so weird?

The moment we got inside we were met by Paul and my father who looked confused. They must not know what the boys are doing either. I watched as Louis said something to them that made their faces drop.

“You guys go take your seats. I’ll be there in a moment” My dad said before rushing out the door.

“Harry, what’s going on?” I asked.

“Nothing, love. Come on”

He started pulling me to our seats, but I stopped making him stop as well.

“No. Not until you tell me what the hell is going on!” I raised my voice a little, getting a few glances from people who were passing by, but I didn’t care. I wanted to know what was making them act so weird. Harry turned to me, placing his hands on my cheeks.

“Emily, I need you to trust me alright? It’s nothing you need to worry about, and I will tell you as soon as we get back to the hotel, but please just trust me. Can you do that?” I stared into his green eyes for a long while before finally nodding.

“Yeah. I trust you”

“Thank you”

He gave me a quick kiss, then led me over to where the boys were now seated. They looked kind of tense, but it was subtle enough that you couldn’t tell unless you knew how they acted. Paul had a similar look on his face as he scanned the area surrounding us. It was like they were watching for someone... waiting.... Did it have something to do with that man?
My thoughts were broken when I saw my father walk up to us. He went straight to Paul and said something to him before turning to Harry and shaking his head slightly. Harry’s hand tightened around mine instantly as he stared back at my father with a worried look on his face.

“Everything okay?” I asked them.

“Yeah, sweetheart. Everything is fine” My dad said before placing a kiss on my forehead.

He took his seat between Harry and Paul, turning his attention to the stage as the host, LL Cool J, walked out onto the stage. I pushed all thoughts and worries aside, deciding that it was no use thinking about it until after the whole show was over.

~.:o:.~

“-and the winner...for Best Female Artist is...... Emily Brighten!” My jaw dropped the moment I heard my name. All of the boys leapt out of their seats, cheering and jumping around for me. Harry grinned as he lifted me to my feet, then pulled me into a bear hug.. He gave me a quick kiss, then passed me to my father who gave me a quick hug before giving me a nudge towards the stage. I walked down the aisle, passing all of my idols who were smiling and clapping as I went by. Happy tears fell from my eyes as I stepped up the stairs onto the stage where people like Beyonce and Kelly Clarkson stood in the years before.

Justin Timberlake...Yes, Justin freaking Timberlake, smiled at me as I walked up him. He handed me the award, then pulled me into a quick hug to say a quick congratulations before stepping back to let me have to microphone. I stood in front of it, looking out at all of the people with a goofy grin on my face.

“Wow...I..I don’t even know what to say. Just the fact that I was even considered to be put in the same category with artists that I grew up listening to is the biggest honor itself, but to actually win this...It’s crazy. I feel like I’m dreaming...but don’t pinch me because I don’t want to wake up if I am!”

The crowd let out the laugh that I was looking for. I laughed a little myself before turning serious.

“My whole life leading up to this moment has been a crazy roller coaster ride...It’s had its ups and downs with a few loops thrown in....but I wouldn’t change it for anything. Because of that roller coaster, I have met the most wonderful people and I couldn’t imagine my life without them. I'm dedicating this award to those people. Thank you for being there when I needed you and always supporting me”

I turned back to Justin who was waiting for me and the two of us walked back stage. When I got back there a bunch of random people congratulated me while I smiled back and thanked them. Sara quickly found me so she could escort me to a dressing room where I would get ready for my performance which was in fifteen minutes.

Anthony, my hair and makeup stylist, immediately got to work doing a few touch ups before I got into my stage dress. He helped me into it, making sure that everything looked absolutely perfect. As he did this my nerves began to grow at the thought of performing to such a big crowd. The other ones weren’t nearly as large as this, not to mention the fact that most of the people have been in the business a lot longer than I have and could pick out little flaws in a performance.

“You nervous?” Anthony asked as he straightened out the bottom of my dress.

“Nervous doesn’t even begin to describe what I’m feeling right now” I admitted.

He stopped what he was doing, straightened up with his hand on his hip, and pointed his comb at me.

“Honey, you have nothing to be worried about. You will kill this performance and look fabulous doing it”

I couldn’t help but smile at his enthusiasm. If you haven’t already guessed, Anthony is what my dad calls a ‘Fairy’, meaning that he’s into other guys. He’s as gay as they come, but I love him anyway. If Jenna and I needed a shopping day he would pick us right up and take us out for a girls day. He’s also a really good listener and has the best fashion sense ever so I let him pick out most of my outfits.

“Thanks, Tony”

“Anytime, hon”

The door opened revealing a stressed looking Sara, followed by Jenna who was already dressed.

“Five minutes. You should get to the stage”

“Alright”

“Good luck, babe” Anthony said, his arms wrapping around me in a tight hug.

“Thanks. God knows I need it”

He was about to start lecturing me, but Sara pulled me out before he could. I reminded myself to thank her for that, because once you get him started you can’t stop him until he’s finished which could be hours later. Yeah, Sara is definitely getting something nice in the near future.

We finally made it to the back of the stage where I was prepped and given my microphone. It was just two minutes left to the performance and there was only one thing on my mind...The only thing that can calm me whenever I feel scared....Harry.

No One's POV

Harry tapped his fingers impatiently on his armrest as he waited for Emily to step onto the stage. He was incredibly nervous and worried, not just because he knew this was the biggest performance of her career, but because that man was still out there and the threat of her getting hurt was even greater. If something happened there would be a mass panic. People would run screaming, forgetting any and all sense of logic as they frantically made their way to the exits. There would be no way to find him in that sort of mess. He would get away with it, take a flight out of the country, and disappear.

“Harry” Jack said, catching the attention of the boy who captured his daughter’s heart.

“She’ll be fine. I’ve notified every member of security on the description of the man you saw earlier and there are men lining the stage just in case he tries something. If he does, they’ll catch him”

“They better”

“This next artist is making her debut performance on the VMAs with her new single ‘Invincible’. Give it up for Emily Brighten!”

The lights shifted to the left stage where she stood in a beautiful dress that made her look like an angel to Harry. A few days ago she had gone back to her natural brown hair which was curled perfectly in spirals that fell over her shoulders. The music started playing and she lifted her head to smile out at the crowd. Her eyes drifted to the left where she knew Harry would be seated. He caught her gaze, immediately forgetting all of his worries the moment he laid eyes on her. He watched her take a deep breath before singing the first few lines of the song. "You know I was broke down, I had hit the ground.."

Everyone was captivated by her, not once speaking a word to their neighbor as she belted out the song with everything she had. She moved out onto the walkway that led out into the crowd and stopped at the edge. Fans who surrounded it screamed and sang along with every word. It was as if her whole life led up to this one moment. Like she was born to be on that stage singing this beautiful song.

Jack didn't stop the smile that made its way onto his face as he watched his daughter singing her heart out to a song that she wrote for the boy she loved. He felt an overwhelming mix of emotions that he had only experienced twice before; on the days she and Matt were born. He couldn't believe how far she had come and all the hardships she had to go through, but he was damn proud of her for getting here. She sang the last note and every single person in the audience got to their feet, cheering and clapping for the amazing performance. Her eyes filled with tears as the people who she looked up to and idolized gave her a standing ovation.

"Thank you" she managed to choke out.

The lights dimmed and the crowds attention was turned to another part of the stage where the next award was to be announced. Best Group.

Emily's POV

After my performance I quickly got changed, then waited backstage for the Best Group to be announced. This was the third award the boys were nominated for and they had already won the other two. My dad, Sara, and I stood there with our fingers crossed as Katy Perry ripped open the envelope. She read over the name and smiled widely before bringing the microphone up to her lips.

"ONE DIRECTION!"

I didn't stop the excited scream that escaped my lips. The boys all jumped out of their seats, forming a group hug before making their way up to the stage. I laughed as Niall and Harry both planted a kiss on Katy Perry. It would probably bother other girls to see their boyfriend kiss someone else, but this is Katy Perry we're talking about here. You can't just pass that up. Zayn took the mic this time and said a few words before handing it to Harry. He looked down at the award with a goofy grin on his face.

"This is crazy. We wouldn't have expected to win anything tonight, especially against the people who were in those categories with us" he paused before glancing to the side stage where I was standing. "There's only one person I want to thank who has been there for me when I needed her most and for putting up with me everyday. I love her more than anything"

I smiled at him as he kept my gaze for a moment longer, momentarily distracted. When he realized he was still on stage he turned back to the audience and said a quick thank you before they all turned to walk off the stage towards me. Harry rushed over and pulled me into a kiss before I could say anything, but I didn't mind. He pulled back with a smile on his face.

"I love you so much" he said softly.

"I love you more" I replied before pressing my lips to his once more for a quick kiss. "Is it alright if we leave? I feel like I’m going to crash from lack of sleep"

"Alright. I'll let the boys know that we're going back to the hotel"

Harry started to walk away, but Sara stopped him.

"I'll do that. The car will be brought around in a few minutes"

"Okay. Thank you"

She nodded and walked off to find the boys.

"Alright you two. Let's go" My dad said, nodding his head for us to follow him.

Harry's hand slipped into mine and we followed him through the maze of hallways to the front entrance where we came in. It was empty other than a few paps who started taking pictures the moment they saw us. The sky was gray, a cold breeze flowing through the air as small raindrops landed upon the pavement.

Sara called us and told us that the car was on it's way so we waited inside the entrance, watching the rain pour down onto the pavement through the glass window. I shivered slightly as a cool breeze drifted through the crack between the two doors, but it was stopped a moment later when Harry shrugged off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. I smiled up at him as he leaned down to place a soft kiss upon my lips, his arm making its way around my waist.

"The car is pulling up now" Dad said.

The black suv we arrived in pulled up to the curb and my father ran up to get in the car while I slipped my arms into the jacket. Harry waited at the doorway and watched as my father dropped his cell phone into a puddle under the car. He reached down to get it, eyes widening at the sight of a bomb that was strapped to the bottom, it's countdown hitting the number five....four...three...

"GET DOWN!" He yelled, running back towards us.

Harry turned, tackling me to the ground just seconds before the car exploded along with the windows of the entrance. His body instinctively covered mine, shielding me from the flying glass and debris.

My ears were ringing as I slowly opened my eyes, fear pulsing through my veins. I looked up to find Harry clenching his eyes shut in a pained expression upon his face. I opened my mouth to ask what was wrong, but it came out as a gasp when I saw the back of his white shirt stained red. Pieces of glass had stuck into his back when the window shattered, leaving him in a world of pain.

"Harry!" I cried, carefully moving out from under him so I could look at the wounds, tears forming in my eyes at the sight. They didn't seem to be very deep, but his shirt was blocking my view to verify it. I helped him sit back onto his heels, his hands gripping the fabric of his pants. My trembling fingers accidentally brushed over a shard of glass, causing Harry to hiss in pain.

"S-Sorry" I said, voice shaking.

"It's okay...Go check on your dad" he said through clenched teeth.

"Y-You sure you're alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine"

I nodded before standing to my feet and making my way outside. My eyes immediately landed on a figure lying on the ground to my left. Seeing that it was my father, I rushed to his side, checking to make sure he was still breathing. I felt a heartbeat, but it was weak and I didn't take that as a very good sign.

The boys and Paul were the first to run out to figure out what was going on. Paul immediately dialed 911 when he saw the damage. Louis and Liam ran to Harry's side while Niall and Zayn came over to me.

"What happened!?" Niall asked.

"T-There was a bomb in the car...My dad... Harry is hurt"

The words came out all jumbled, my entire body shaking with fear, confusion, and worry. I could barely register all that was happening. The fire that was radiating from the car brought back memories of that night...Ones that I fought so hard to push into the back of my mind. It was too much for me to handle. A throbbing pain erupted from inside my skull, causing me to keel over in agony. Niall and Zayn tried to calm me down, but I couldn't stop it. As my vision blurred I could faintly hear Harry scream my name before I succumbed to the darkness.

Harry's POV

I watched her collapse into Niall's arms, fearing that she somehow got injured.

"Emily!" I yelled, wincing as I did so.

Bloody hell this hurts. My back feels like it's on fire, every little movement sending a new wave of pain through my body. My grip tightened on my pants, knuckles white. Liam put his hand gently on my shoulder, being careful of the glass, in hopes of giving me a little comfort until help arrived. Zayn walked over to see how things were, but all I cared about was Emily.

"She passed out. It's probably for the best right now" he answered.

"And Jack?"

"...It doesn't look good mate"

My heart dropped. I knew how close he and Emily were, how close we have gotten over the past few years. He was like my second father and if anything happened to him...Emily would be crushed.

More security showed up to block paparazzi from figuring out what was going on, and some people from inside started to come out to see what happened. Most of them were afraid to leave, fearing that they would be next. I didn't blame them.

I stared back at the flaming car. The memory of Jack's face as he ran towards us, yelling for us to get down, flashed through my mind. My first thought was to get Emily out of harm's way so I had tackled her and shielded her body as much as possible. It's a good thing I did, too. The thought of her being put through this kind of pain made me cringe. Her fragile body wouldn't be able to take it.

Paramedics and police finally arrived a few minutes later and rushed over to me, checking out the damage done by the glass. They started to cut my shirt to get better access, but whenever they moved it the shards shifted, causing pain to shoot through my body. I bit my lip to keep from crying out, drawing blood that pooled in my mouth.

"We need to get you to a hospital to get these out" One said.

"Can you move?" I reached out to Louis and Liam as they quickly got to their feet to help me.
Each of them took an arm and carefully lifted me to my feet.

I kept my upper body as stiff as possible as I made my way over to one of the ambulances, but stopped as soon as I noticed that they were leading me to an empty truck, away from the one they were putting Emily in.

"I want to go with Emily" I said.

"Sir, we can't-"

"I'm going with her!" I said more firmly this time.

"Just let him or he won't go anywhere" Liam told the EMT.

She reluctantly nodded and we shifted course towards the opposite ambulance. I carefully climbed in the back and sat on my knees beside the gurney that Emily laid upon, keeping my back away from the walls. My hand immediately reached out to grasp hers, finding comfort in her touch even though she was unconscious.

This is the second time that the two of us have ridden in the back of an ambulance to a hospital. It made me wonder if we would ever be able to relax again, or not have to worry about bad things happening to us. In that moment I realized how much I missed our lives before the fire, how simple and carefree it was. We didn't have to worry about the venue burning down or someone trying to hurt us. The more I thought about it the more determined I became to make our lives safe again...no matter what it takes.

Notes