*five years ago*
1st of December, 2008
"Cass, my boss called and I have to go to the office."- Sandy couldn't look at his wife's eyes, Christmas was Cassandra's favourite time of the year and all she wanted was to spend it with her family. -"Please, don't look at me like that."
"Fine, I'm going to decorate the Christmas tree and the whole house with the kids."
"Hey, look at me!"- Sandy approached her, bringing his hand up and lifted her chin.
"I'm just tired of all this. I don't want to live with the fear that ..."
"Daaadddyyy!"- Claire ran to them, interrupting her mother.
Cassandra and Sandy Still had two beautiful children- Claire and Rebecca. Claire was a thirteen-year-old girl. Her long brown hair was always up in a ponytail because her mother thought that it was ladylike, and Claire hated that. Her chubby cheeks were always pink because of the crazy games with the boy next door- Harry Styles. He was eighteen but sometimes he had to "babysit" her, and now her sister because she was still a baby. Claire couldn't stand how everyone was treating her like a small child.
"Hey, kiddo! I want you to help your mother with the decorating, I'll be back in two hours and we'll finish it together, okay?"- Claire nodded and kissed her father's cheek.
Sandy turned to face Cassandra, he could see the sadness in her eyes.
"I'll be back soon, I promise."
Sandy kissed her nose and she giggled. Seeing him going out through the door, made her feel strange.
"Claire, help me with the tree first, dear."
"Okay, mom."
"Shh, quiet. Rebecca is still sleeping!"
They loved spending time together but Claire felt that her mother was worried about something. She didn't ask, just kept decorating because it wasn't her business. Sometimes her parents used the "you're too young to understand it" excuse and that's why Claire stopped being curious.
Cassandra's eyes stopped on a silhouette outside the house.
"They are here."- She whispered and approached fast Claire.-"Listen, darling. Go upstairs, lock yourself with Rebecca in the secret room next to daddy's library and don't come out."
"Why, mom?"- Her heart started beating fast because she saw the fear in her mother's eyes but Cassandra didn't say anything, just hugged her daughter and kissed her forehead.
"I want you to keep this in your pocket, right? I love you, Claire!"- She nodded and wrapped her arms around her. -"Now go!"
It was a silver necklace with a dragonfly and a blue jewel. Claire ran to her parent's bedroom, her hands were caressing Rebecca because she had to stay quiet. Someone rang the doorbell, Cassandra slowly approached to see through the peephole. Two men were standing there, the sound of the bell made her jump and she took a deep breath before opening the door.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Still."
"Good afternoon, how can I help you?"- Cassandra didn't open the door wide, they could see only the half of her body.
"We are looking for your husband because we have an arrangement today."
Both men were extremely polite but they were looking really dark.
"Well, I'm sorry, but he's not here."- She tried to close the door, but the tall man stopped it with his foot.
"Don't be so rude, Cassandra."- He smiled and pushed the door.
Cassandra fell on the floor and hit her head, few drops of blood appeared on her white shirt.
"What are you doing?"
The man stepped closer, grabbed her shoulders and lifted her body up.
"Let go of me!"- Cassandra shouted, but no one could hear.
The unknown person made a sign to his friend to look around the house.
"We'll leave, but we have to find something... and you know where it is. Am I right?"
She shook her head, trying to escape somehow, but his grip was strong. Cassandra would do anything to save her daughters, she kicked his crotch and managed to grab his gun.
"Drop the gun, stupid bitch!"
"You know that I can kill you now, don't you?"- She held the weapon with both hands.
"What's going on, Ma-..."- His friends froze, when he saw Cassandra, but then he took out his gun.-"Drop the gun!"
"Leave my house!"
"Max, I'll shoot her."
"We aren't here to kill her, remember?"
The next seconds went so fast that the three of them couldn't realize what was happening. Two gunshots.
"Did you kill her?"
The man didn't move, his hand holding the gun, and he shook his head.
"You killed her, idiot. I can't believe that, we're dead. He's going to kill us now."
"Don't panic, we have to go. The police is coming."
They hid the clues and run out through the door.

"We heard gunshots. It was so scary."
"They are a strange family. I knew there's something dangerous."
"We weren't friends, but they seemed very polite."
The neighbors were really frightened and everyone started creating crazy stories about what had happened. Four police cars were in front of the house, the ambulance took Cassandra's body. A tall boy ran towards the house, but they stopped him.
"You can't go in."
"I know them!"
"We don't care, nobody is allowed to go there."
"Where are Claire and Rebecca?"
The policeman looked at the boy and turned to face him again.
"There's no one in the house."
"I know they're there, let me in."
"What's your name, boy?"
"I'm Harry, the boy next door. Just let me in, they're probably really scared right now."
The man made a sign that he's allowed to go in and Harry nodded. He was running so fast, but all he wanted was to make sure that the girls are alright. He knew about the secret room because Claire loved hiding there. He knocked, but couldn't hear them.
"Claire, it's me. Open, it's alright. I'm here."- Harry was speaking so quiet, but he was sure that she could hear him.
Seconds later, the door opened and Claire was holding her little sister.
"Hurry up, two kids are here. The one is still a baby."- The policeman called for help.
They took them to the hospital and Harry never left them alone. He was holding Claire's hand, trying to calm her down, but she didn't even say a word.

Sandy couldn't believe what was happening, he was walking back and forth, trying to realize everything. He didn't want to involve his family in this, it was his own investigation. Harry's father- Victor Styles was standing next to Sandy and tried to tell him that everything would be alright, but the truth was... that everything was broken. Victor had something like a company, well, he called it "guarding celebrities". Personal protection was a huge business, Styles had 200 employees busy guarding all types of people and he wanted to help Sandy... to protect his family, but it was too late.
"What now?"- Victor asked, but knew that there wasn't a proper answer.
"We'll leave tomorrow for San Diego. Their grandmother lives there, we'll start a new life. We are in the witness protection program now."
"But that's almost ten thousand kilometers from here! What's that about? All of this?"- Victor wanted to know the truth.
"I can't tell you, it's something I've been working on for years and I'm so close. I don't want you to get involved, I don't want to risk your life!"
"Don't tell me then, but running from your problems, doesn't solve them."
"I know... I just want my kids to live a normal life and now? What should I do?"
"I'll support you, the long distance won't stop me."
"Thank you, I have no one."
"You are my best friend, Sandy!"
Harry heard every word and it broke his heart, he didn't want to leave Claire. He entered her hospital room and sat on the chair next to the bed.
"Talk to me, Claire."- His eyes begged her to speak.
"Tell me that everything is going to be alright, Harry."
"It will be, I promise. I won't leave you!"- He knew it wasn't true, she was going to leave tomorrow somewhere.
Claire closed her eyes, knowing that Harry would hold her hand.

----
Starting a new life wasn't that easy. Sandy knew it, but those five years were a nightmare for Claire. She was eighteen now and she had never felt so alone. Her new life was a big lie, she told everyone that her mother died due to complications when Rebecca was still a baby. No one asked questions, it was in the past for them, but Claire couldn't forget that day. And that was why she hated Christmas so much.
Claire found four friends to hang out with, but no one could replace Harry. She hadn't heard anything about him and it broke her heart because he promised her that he would never leave. Rebecca turned five and everyone was so happy to see her growing up, she looked so much like Cassandra. And that's why Sandy loved her so much. Claire blamed her father for everything and it was hurting him because he knew it was true. His wife died because of him.
It was that day again, five years of Cassandra's death. Sandy went to the cemetery where they put just a grave with her name on it.
"Another year went by and your daughter... our daughter keeps hating me. I know it's my fault, my mistake and I hate myself even more. All I want is to hear your voice again and be with you. I just... Oh, God."- He put hands on his face to cover the tears.- "I brought you your favourite flowers."
When he kneeled to put them down, he saw a note in the grass. Sandy looked around and opened it.
'It's not over!'
He took the phone from his pocket and entered a number.
"Victor, I need your help."
"Is it...?"
"Yes!"
"I'm coming with Harry and three of my employees tomorrow."

Notes