One week later

"Alright come on lovebirds," Maeve said as she opened the door for me. We had stayed at Harry's house in Holmes Chapel for an extra week to recover. Louis and Maeve had stayed with us to help out and were now driving us back to London.

"I'm serious now Thalia, you are more then welcome to stay until you're better," sung Anne as she helped me. I still had my stitches in my hands and was therefore useless at pretty much any everyday task. Other than a small knee injury, Harry had fully recovered - though they had advised he not go onstage for another few weeks because the pyrotechnics and his concussion.

"We have to get back mom," replied Harry.

"Harry, you can't just give me a daughter and then take her away!" Anne pouted as she helped lower me onto the seat. Harry rolled his eyes while I broke into a smile. I'll be honest, I was sad to leave her. She and Gemma had been so welcoming to me.

"Alright well goodbye dear," she gave me one last hug before taking my hands gently in hers. “And be careful, you've only got one more day before you get your hands back..."

I broke into a smile. "I'll be careful. God forbid I go any longer with these useless things."

Anne let out a laugh as the others got in the car.

"I wonder if this is how dogs feel?" I thought aloud. "We do EVERYTHING with our hands."

"Thalia will you please get in the car?" Whined Louis. Oh, did I mention I was still taking pain medication?

"Come here love." Harry took the seatbelt from my hands and snapped it in. I let out a huff at my uselessness and propped my knees up on the back of Louis's seat. Harry gave his mom another hug before climbing in the car as well.

"Ready children?" Maeve asked, spinning around from her seat in the front.

"Yes mom!" Harry and I both called back in out best baby voices.

"Remember our first road trip?" asked Harry, giving me a funny little smile. "On the way to the the charity game?"

"The one where I slept the whole time?" I quizzed. He let out a laugh and nodded his head before whispering, "where you slept on my lap?"

I nudged him causing him to laugh aloud before we were both distracted by Louis saying, "Thalia that trip was a defining moment in our friendship."

"Oh so not when you kidnapped me the day I met you?" I laughed. "Or when you kidnapped me and took me to the club?"

"What's all this kidnapping nonsense?"

"You lot are just lucky I developed stalkholme syndrome!" I called.

"OH! Baby look what you've done to me!" Sang Mae at the top of her lungs. She propped her feet up on the dash and began wiggling around in some sort of weird dance. "OH! Baby look what you've done now!"

"BABY I'LL NEVER LEAVE IF YOU KEEP HOLDING ME THIS WAY! OH OH," the two of us cried out. The boys hated it when we quoted they're songs like this, but that's what made it fun.
The rest of the ride was spent singing horribly to the radio and telling hilarious stories. Louis also caught me up on all of the gossip.

"You should see it," he was saying. "I'm telling you it's not natural. I've never seen him act so grown up in my life! They're acting like they're married!”

“No way…Niall and Kenzie?” Gaped Harry. I rolled my eyes at his astonishment.

"It's hilarious," piped Maeve.

"It's weird." Louis cut in. "They'll stay at each other's every night! Either his or hers."

"Doesn't Eleanor stay with you when you're home?" I quizzed.

"Not every single night! She has a life too you know," He replied, and as he said it I sensed there was more to his words. Before i could press him on the issue I was interrupted.

"Louis they're young and in love," cooed Maeve. Harry let out a snort and I elbowed him in the ribs. We then began a silent struggle in the backseat which resulted in Harry practically lounging on top of me. We rode the rest of the way tangled with each other.

"Shit." Cursed Louis as we pulled up to the flat. Paparazzi surrounded the front step and when they saw Louis's car, they freaked. "They're staking out your flat!"

"I'll get them to leave," Maeve growled.

"No," I replied sternly. I unhooked my seatbelt and pushed open the car door angrily. This had to stop.

"Thalia wait!" Cried Harry, but I was already out the door.

I marched up to the four paparazzi that stood waiting. "Last time there were photographers outside I ended up in the hospital. Will you please leave?"

"Aw come on love, we have to do our job," one of them replied. He had flaming red hair and a scratchy looking beard. The others were taking photos of me as I confronted the man but I did my best to ignore them.

"Which is what?" I questioned. "What do you want?"

"Thalia, come on." Harry had appeared by my side. He wrapped his arm around my waist and attempted to steer me away.

"What do you think we want love?" Cried one of the paparazzi as Harry all but dragged me away. "Give us a kiss!"

I stopped in my tracks, pulling Harry to a halt as well, before I stood on my tiptoes and gave Harry a kiss on the lips. I could hear the cameras flash as I did. The kiss caught Harry off guard and I felt his grip on me tighten. I loved Harry's kisses. They were always so full of love, as if he was giving a part of himself to you with every kiss. But I forced myself to break it and turn to the onlookers.

"There. You have your photo. Now go home to your families please?" I begged. "It's nearly Christmas."

Harry let out a chuckle before he pulled me back towards the flat. Once we were safe inside the stairwell he pinned me against the door. "Nice little stunt you pulled."

"I didn't think you'd mind," I smirked, looking up into those gorgeous green eyes. Harry lent down and kissed me once more. The kisses were growing deeper, this was the first time we had been alone in a week. I needed him and he needed me. But that, unfortunately, would have to wait.

"C'mon lets get you packed." Harry swooped me up bridal style and begin carrying me up the three flights of stairs. I kicked open the front door and Harry stepped inside to find Maeve, Elaine and Mackenzie busy packing. Tomorrow we were leaving for Birmingham to spend Christmas with the family while the boys were headed to America to film for New Years Eve and do a show with Jimmy Fallon. That meant tonight was our last night together, we wouldn’t see each other until New Years.

"There you two are!" Cried Elaine. "We were thinking Chinese Pizza for dinner?"

"The media's outside," Harry replied as he gently lowered me onto the couch. I always felt like a little doll in his arms, especially lately. It was almost as if he thought too hard of a touch would break me.

"Uh nope not anymore," Louis corrected. He was straining to see out our window and Harry immediately bolted over to look for himself.

"No way..." Harry turned to me with a frown. "How did you do that?"

"Because I'm magic," I replied. I stood up and twirled around, nearly toppling over until Harry swept me up. He had been so protective since the accident. It was cute, but borderline annoying.

"Come on my little fairy," he laughed.

“Fairy? She's a Greek Goddess," teased Maeve, as she draped my bag over my shoulder.

"Not goddess!" I protested. "I'm one of the Graces…Thalia represents youth, beauty and good cheer."

“Yes, yes you’re a blessing to us all,” Maeve snorted. I shot her a wide smile as Louis opened the door. Harry stuck out his arm and I quickly linked my own with his before pulling him out to the stairwell.

Elaine checked to make sure the paparazzi had really gone before we set out to Chinese Pizza. Surprisingly, no one bothered us as we sat in the stiff plastic booths and ate our way to happiness. We ended up staying there for nearly two hours just joking around and sharing past Christmas stories. I was in tears by the time we left I had laughed so hard.

After dinner we headed back to the flat to find Niall and Mackenzie hanging out on the couch. Louis was right; the two seemed to be attached at the hip. Kenzie quickly pulled me into a bone crushing hug and began telling me all about her past week.

“Are you packed already?” Mackenzie asked once she had settled down a bit. She leant back against Niall as if he were her pillow, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“Oh shit!” I jumped up and made it one step before Harry pulled me back down onto the couch. “Stop it Walt, I have to-“

“Thalia you can’t climb up that ladder,” he replied, a small chuckle escaping his lips. “How can you climb a ladder without your hands?"

“I’ll find a way,” I replied as I attempted to stand once more.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” He laughed at my stubbornness. I opened my mouth to protest but he kissed my temple and jumped up off the couch. “Mae, El can you help me?”

“Are you going to pick out my outfits?” I teased.

"We'll keep a close eye on him Thal," Elaine promised.

“I’ll be sure to pack that lovely furry vest I know you keep hidden in the back of your closet,” he grinned.

“That was a gift I felt bad throwing it out!” I cried back. But he and Maeve were gone and I turned back to see Niall and Mackenzie giggling to themselves in a secret joke. Louis was staring at them and I almost burst out laughing at his expression.

“So what’s the plan Lou?” I asked. He jumped and turned to me, embarrassed at having being caught.

“Fly to America. Film the shots. Come back home. Christmas with the family,” He replied, running a hand through his ridiculous hair and draping a leg over the seat lazily. “I never was one for planning.”

“Are you going to meet up with us for New Years?” I asked.

“Probably,” he nodded with a frown. “I’m not sure what El has planned yet…”

“Aw, how is El?” He immediately grew uncomfortable, and I knew I was prying but I was too curious to care. She was my friend after all.

“Good,” he shrugged. “She’s been busy lately…we haven’t had much time together. I just…I just don’t really know what we’re doing anymore.”

“How do you mean?” I frowned. Louis gave me a grimace and scratched began playing with his hands awkwardly.

“I just…I dunno…I feel like we’re just not moving forward. We’ve just been stuck in this routine. Everything’s fine and then I go on tour and it just sucks and we fight all the time. But then the next time we see each other again we’re fine.”

“That’s normal Lou.”

“I know but…”

He let out a sigh and I nudged his leg in response. “Lou it’s okay to fight. And it’s okay to be frustrated. That’s normal and it comes with every relationship. But just don’t let it get to the point where the bad feelings outweigh the good.”

“You know if I weren’t famous-“

“But you are. And thinking about what could have been gets you nowhere. You have to think about what you are now and what could be.”

“Have you always been this good at giving advice?” He questioned.

“Yes,” replied Mackenzie. We both turned to she her looking at me with a bemused smile plastered on her face. “Elaine gives you the logical answer, Maeve gives you the wrong answer, and Thalia gives you the truth.”

Louis and Niall both burst into laughter while Mackenzie shrugged. My phone began to ring and I quickly excused myself from the others as I pressed except.

“Hello?”

“How’s my little cripple doin?” Boomed my father’s voice.

“Dad? What the heck are you doing up?” I laughed, ignoring his joke.

“PAULEY!” cried Niall and Louis in the background.

“I’m not that old,” he joked. “I was just calling te ask what yer plans are fer the holidays.”

“Seriously? Dad it’s like a week away.” I rolled my eyes at his short notice. “The girls and I are heading back to Birmingham.”

“Oh…well…I was kinda hopin ya would swing by here if ya had o' chance…” I could just imagine him sitting there awkwardly scratching his head and wishing he was no longer in this conversation.

“Oh…I-I didn’t know I was invited.” I didn’t know what to say. Go to my father’s for Christmas? The last time I spent the holidays with him I was four. And it wasn’t exactly the best holiday either. A few weeks later my parents had split.

“O’ course yer invited!” He cried out. “Yer family Lia.”

“I…dad I’ve already made plans,” I replied feeling like the worst daughter in the history of the universe. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh well…yeah it-it’s alright darlin…” He sounded almost sad? I wasn’t sure what to do…but my thoughts were interrupted as he continued, "I knew it was a long shot but I just figured I’d give ya the offer.”

Long shot? What did that mean? But I bushed it off as he asked me how I had been, how my injuries were, how I was feeling. We talked for nearly an hour and when I came back into the living room Louis was saying goodbye. Niall and Mackenzie left a few minutes after leaving Elaine, Maeve, Harry and I alone.

"You okay?" Harry asked as soon as Elaine and Maeve had gone to bed.

"Hmm? Oh! Yeah I'm alright," I replied, sinking down into the couch cushions and allowing Harry to pull my feet onto his lap. He began to lightly message my feet, staring at me intently to gage my reaction.

"Are you sure? You seemed upset when you came back...the guys said Pauley called."

Damn it. I let out a sigh and shifted my position so I could see him better. He looked so hot in his Calvin Klein sweatshirt. "He invited me to Christmas."

"What? Thalia that's great!"

"No it's not! Now he's making me choose!" I huffed.

"No he's not Thal. Just because he invited you doesn't mean you have to go."

"Well I'm not going to," I replied a little more harshly than I meant to. "I can't just ditch my mom. Then she won't have anyone for Christmas."

"I think he just wanted to make sure you felt welcome. I don't think he was trying to make you choose him over your mom," Harry said gently. His massage had moved up from my feet to my legs and was slowly driving me insane.

“Well that’s what it feels like.” I knew I shouldn’t be biting Harry’s head off, but I couldn’t help but be annoyed with the position my father had just put me in. I let out another sigh. “It’s just that my whole life I’ve been hoping he would show up and…take me away or something. But now…I don’t want that. I’ve realized that band of misfits is more of my family then he ever was and I’m always going to choose them.”

“Paul knows that Thal and I think he just wishes he meant as much as they do to you.” He began drawing circles on my inner thigh before looking up at me with that mischievous smile. “Someday I hope I will mean as much to you as they do.”

“Ooh Harry Styles want to come to the island of misfit toys?” I teased. He grabbed my hips and I was pulled closer to him. I let out a laugh as he hovered over me with that mischievous smile still plastered on his face.

“That’s where all the fun is,” he replied before kissing my lips and grinding his hips into mine.

Notes

Hi.
This is just a filler. Stay tuned for Thalia's xmas and new years (feels kinda weird writing about xmas in summer)
But I will warn you that we're getting pretty close to the end of this story...
Anything you guys would like to see happen?
I've already had ideas for a sequel if anyone's interested in that...????

PS you guys are the BEST thank you so much for sticking with me