Daisy Unwin

Harry remained with his eyes closed until they pulled up at Stanhope Mews South in Kensington.

 The driver got out and opening the door on Harry’s side first, waited for him to rouse.

  Harry opened his eyes and sitting up experimentally, before getting out and turning to Daisy, offering his hand.

“…Come on, Papillon.”

“Sir…would you like me to inform, Morgan?”

  Harry shook his head.

“No. A cup of tea…a few painkillers, and a lay down will suit me just right.”

  He took Daisy’s hand and helped her down before walking slowly to the front door of his house.

Daisy looked up as they stopped, glancing between the men as they spoke. When Harry called for her to join him outside of the car she scooted out, her backpack clasped in her hand. 

“I’ll take care of him Andrew.” She offered with a toothy smile as she walked with Harry to the door. “I’ll make sure he takes a good nap and his medicine.”

Following alongside Harry, she had no trouble keeping up with him as he walked slowly.

Harry felt her cold hand around his, the fingers that were dusty with residual seed and smiled faintly, looking to her, every movement for his affected eye agony.

“…It will.” he confirmed. “…Just going to close my eyes…”

  He closed his eyes, knowing that his driver would protect them both with his life, and the cab would do the rest.

  Andrew took pity on Daisy, and instead of the Kingsman ready screen, flicked onto BBC 1, where there was a brightly coloured TV show playing now instead.

“Okay, you rest your eyes, I’ll let you know when we get home.” She whispered, still holding his hand.

The driver nodded to the young girl. Knowing that she was of extreme importance and was given special status when it came to security, the same status given to Mrs Unwin.

“Sir.” The driver began, looking to Harry.

  Harry heaved once and took a deep breath.

“Sir…” The driver pressed.

Harry held up a finger to silence him, and at once he was quiet.

  Harry took several deep breaths and swallowed before raising his head and getting into the car, throwing himself into the seat.

  The nausea was at bay, for now, and he knew that these cabs were waterproof, so if he did disgorge his cake onto the floor it would be easily rinsed out, but it would worry the child.

“Home.” he muttered, and looked to Daisy, a film of sweat on his face. “…Everything we be alright.” he said, attempting to reassure her.

Daisy reached out to hold Harry’s hand after he was situated in his seat. Patting the top of his hand while holding it, she nodded. If Harry said it was going to be okay, then it was.

Harry squeezed her hand and gave her a shaky, frail smile.

“He did.” he confirmed. “…It’s meeting us just beyond this gate.”

  As they walked through the gate, Harry felt the pain spike through him again and he paused, suffering the sharp throb, the sweat inducing stab that went through him.

  Nausea…

Nausea…

He swallowed to control it. Not here…Please not here…

  Just then, a black cab pulled into the kerb, and Andrew, his driver nodded to him.

  Harry slid his hand under the handle, allowed it to read his print and threw the door open, nodding for her to get in.

“Go on, Pa…Papillon.”

She felt him hesitate and her eyes looked out away from him toward the road. The cab came into view and she felt a bit better, because they would be home soon and Harry could rest.

She let go of his hand as he opened the door of the car.

“Okay.” Climbing into the car, she slid across into her seat and quickly put on her seat belt. Her backpack was quickly put on the floor by her feet. Her haste was fueled by her concern for him.

Harry held onto Daisy’s hand as they walked, feeling how tight her tiny, cold, and seed covered fingers were against his.

He really had to make this up to her when he felt better again.

The stranger got back on their bike and rode off, clearly uncertain about what he had witnessed.

“…We’re getting a taxi, sweetheart.” he offered softly. “…Once I’m home. I’ll take some medication, have a few minutes laying down, and I’ll be ready to tackle the open seas again with you and JB.”

He walked forwards, looking for the gate that he was meant to rendezvous at.

“Did Uncle Merlin call a taxi?” Daisy asked quietly, watching Harry more than where she was going. She never understood how her Uncle just knew to do things, but rather accepted it as a part of his abilities. 

Harry nodded.

“I’m going…I’m going to be alright…” he said, more for himself than anyone else, reassuring Daisy in the process, his grip less intense now.

  He looked up at the cyclist.

“Thank you for your assistance…”

  Harry looked flushed, but at the same time, sort of pale.

‘Taxi En Route, meet at west entrance’ flashed up on his glasses. He squinted to wipe it and got to his feet. 

“Come on Daisy…lets go papillon…”

He needed to get home. If he was going to have a seizure, or even go down with a migraine, Daisy needed to be safe.

“Okay Harry.”

He looked sick and Daisy was worried about him. Taking his hand after he got up, she held it tight. Harry normally would go for a rest when he started to look like this and she was very worried.

“Bye.” She called to the stranger, and letting Harry lead her. He was walking slow and she knew this because she had no problem keeping up. 

Harry swallowed the nausea that followed, and tried to get out an assurance to both the man, and the little girl.

  He couldn’t open his mouth without feeling like he was going to vomit hot chocolate everywhere, so instead took Daisy’s arm tightly. 

“Shall I call you a cab, mate?” the cyclist pressed.

 Harry opened his eyes and quickly typed up a message for Merlin.

‘Dispatch cab to my location immediately’ before squinting to send.

  Harry took several deep breaths and shook his head.

“No…no…I’m diabetic…I just need…my insulin.” he lied, holding Daisy close to him.

  The cyclist looked to Daisy, clearly suspicious of Harry.

“…You alright sweetheart? Where’s ya mum?”

“Harry?” She asked quietly as he looked like he was going to be ill. Part of her was very scared of his head hurting him. She didn’t want Harry to be in pain. Daisy moved as Harry pulled her toward him. She was worried about him now, her face looking to his with concern.

When the man asked her about her mum and if she was okay, she nodded. “She didn’t come to the park with us. She is in her classes.”

She put her hands on Harry’s shoulder, glancing between the man on the bike and Harry.

He smiled.

“The very very old Grandfather Drake.” he replied softly in her ear and smiled as she made sure to feed him too.

  He watched them shake their tail feathers and chuckled, they did seem to resemble Eggsy’s pug.

“Indeed they do, but I bet they don’t beg at the table like he does…”

Harry felt another spike through his eye socket and took the other knee, holding his head.

  Just then, a cyclist stopped and looked to them.

“‘ere mate, you alright?”

“Grumpy Grandfather Drake.” She offered, throwing more seed out, getting close to the bottom of the bag.

It was then that she felt Harry shift and she looked, seeing his face contort and his hands grab his head.

“Harry? Is it your eye?” She asked, the bag of seed forgotten as she turned to look at him and then the man on the bicycle who had stopped. Daisy had little fear of strangers, so she did not shy from him.

Instead she put her hand on Harry’s elbow, looking at him with worry.

He can see the air of uncertainty in each of their eyes as he looks over each and everyone with his stern quartermaster look about his face. He wants to press the seriousness of the words he is saying, the risks they are accepting in just entering the training program to become a Kingsman.

Nodding once his gaze remains on them for a second long, “Excellent.” Turning on his heel and heading toward the door he brings his clipboard up and tucks it under his arm.

“Fall out.”

Daisy watched him leave and moved toward what would be her bunk. Swallowing, she drew a pen from her front jacket pocket and began to write the details that she could remember from her father. She knew he was in the estates, but that was about it, but she expected that a spy organization could find him if she failed and they needed to kill her next of kin.

“Can I borrow your pen?” She was asked by the boy she’d been talking to before Merlin came in.

Finishing it quickly, she offered it up to him. “Here you go.”

“Do you really think that this is that serious. No one said anything about dying.” He asked and she nodded.

an audible sigh escaped her lips, and there’s an obvious sign of resignation in how she slumped her shoulders. while rosie did want to keep the jumper on, it was not a fight worth dragging mum into.   ‘ i’m not BLONDE anymore. if your mates keep confusing you and i, you need better MATES. ’   the sentence was immeaditely followed by a mental note to not wear the beanie she’d been planning to cover her bad hair day with.  ‘ daisy, my beloved sister, may i pretty please borrow your jumper, please, thank you, cherry on top, you can borrow my curler during the weekend? ’

She rolled her eyed.

“I know you’re not blonde anymore, but you could easily pretend to be me and say I dyed my hair. It’s not my fault some of my mates are a bit daft.”

Weighing her options, and knowing that mum would not be pleased if they didn’t solve it themselves, she sighed.

“Fine.” She relented, pointing at her sister. “But I’m serious Rosie, you need to stop stealing my clothes. And the curler is mine, all weekend.”

Harry smiled, watching her feed the ducks with such gusto and buying into the game fully and he knelt behind her, protecting her from anyone who dared think they had a shot at hurting her.

  He knew she was safe, they both were, but it still made him cautious. 

As Harry followed her gaze.

“…Ah, that is the oldest, wisest Drake on these waters…” he explained. “…You must be very careful with him. Because if you offend him, he will give the loudest, most terrifying roar…so be sure to throw extra seed to him…alright?”

Listening to him as he talked about the slower duck, she nodded. Daisy was certain she understood.

“So he is the king drake? Or is he like a grandfather drake?”

Tossing more birdfeed out, she made sure she threw some toward him. All the ducks were head down in the grass now, making quiet quacking sounds that amused her.

“Look how they wiggle their bums. Like JB when he gets treats.”

Harry watched as she catapulted the seed into the ducks that were now converging and smiled, nodding.

“Perfect, now, make sure you get everyone. Because they need to be sleepy so they don’t attack the ship alright? So see those drakes swimming from over there?” he said, pointing to some late-comers. “…Make sure they get fed too.”

  He was teaching her to share, and ensure equality. Not to forget those on the sidelines. To embrace everyone with generosity. 

It was a social lesson, as well as play time.

Nodding, she grabbed another handful of seed and threw it as hard as she could in the direction of the ones coming up from the late.

“Come on your beasties, come get fat and sleepy so you cannot sink any ships today.” She called happily, spreading more of the birdseed out so that all the ducks could get something to eat.

Daisy stood with her back closer to Harry, so no ducks could sneak up behind her and snatch the bag from her. She held it tightly in her one hand while she fed them with the other.

He briefly looks over them as he holds the body bag in his hand gauging their various reactions and taking note of it. 

“Correct, Daisy isn’t it?“ Naturally he’s known her since she was a small child, took on the title of Uncle and watched her blossom into the strong young woman she was today but she’d elected to go in just as everyone else had and that meant he needed to act as though she was as new to him as everyone else was and he did so seamlessly.

Nodding once he turns his attention to the group at large again, pleased to repeat the words he always did when it came to a new group. "In a moment, ye will each collect a body bag. Ye will write yer name on that bag. Ye will write the detail of yer next of kin on that bag.” He could see each of their faces clearly, the usual look of fear in their eyes as he paused for but a second. “This represents yer acknowledgement of the risks ye are aboot to face, as well as yer agreement to strict confidentiality, which incidentally if ye break, will result in ye and yer next of kin bein’ in that bag. Is that understood?” His tone is professional as though they are talking about something mundane rather than their lives being at risk, routine.

“Yes Sir.” She offered, acting her best as if she had never seen him before in her life. It was a touch difficult as she’d known him her whole life, but this was important, this was a real chance to seperate herself from her brother’s shadow and she’d not give that up.

Her eyes widened for a moment at his speech. He’d said it was dangerous, but seeing the body bag and what it represented stirred apprehension in her chest. Surely they’d never put her in active danger, not with the way Eggsy had mother henned her throughout life. However, with this big of a secret, it all made sense. If she fucked up, she’d be putting her life and another’s on the line. Pushing those thoughts to the side, she drew her mouth to a thin line, avoiding glancing around to see if the others wore the same expression.

“Understood.” She offered with the others as they spoke up.