Hmm... yeah; surprise! This all wasn't expected, I can assure you. Just going with the flow of imagination! 🤦‍♀️😂 Blessings, A. R. -‐---‐‐---‐‐----------------‐------------------------------      Soon her basket was full of groceries, and Laurel began to thread her way through the crowd.      She had no idea why it was so busy. Laurel could hardly get out of the market without bumping into someone. She was about to give up when she noticed an alley. An idea slowly took shape. She would walk through the alleys to get back to Brown’s.      Casting one more glance at the crowded road, she dodged the traffic and entered the secluded alley.        Laurel hadn’t realized how confusing the alleys would be. She would keep walking, expecting to come onto one of the less busy roads of the sixth district, but would end up at a dead end.      The third time this happened, she cursed.      “Lost?” A voice asked.      Laurel whirled around and saw three bucks of the Administration standing in the alleyway, blocking any chance of escape. She tried to swallow down the fear that formed a lump in her throat. It was hard; she was just a doe, alone, with three strangers. And they didn’t seem friendly.      She raised her head and set her jaw. “No. I just took the wrong turn.” She lied. It sounded convincing; she had been doing it quite a bit.      The leader raised an eyebrow at her. “I see. Well, where is the right turn?” He asked.     “I believe that is my own business.” She answered sharply. She didn’t like where this was going.      She readjusted the basket on her arm and headed towards them. They moved so that she could pass them, and she continued on. She was almost out of this dead end of an alley when someone grabbed her arms and yanked her back into the shadowed space.      Laurel yelped as the bucks pinned her against the wall, their grips hard and painful. The baskets handle broke at the sudden force and collapsed, spilling its contents all over the ground.      The leader of the trio stepped closer, his dark, dangerous eyes boring into hers. “Where is Dylan?” He growled.      Laurel swallowed. “Dylan?”      The corner of his mouth twitched and his fist made contact with her stomach.      Laurel sagged and gasped for breath. She hadn’t expected him to punch her.      The buck snarled wickedly at her. “Yes, lieutenant Dylan Walters. Your beau.”      Laurel winced. “He isn’t my beau-" she was cut off with a sharp smack across her jaw. Her vision swirled and the taunting voice seemed far away.      “Where is he? Vitton is looking for him.”      “If Vitton is looking for him, why isn’t he here?” Laurel hadn’t intended to sound snarky; but that’s what came out.      The buck swore and lashed out, punching her a few times before latching his hands around her neck.     Laurel gasped and choked, clutching at his wrist as he lifted her up, squeezing his hands ever so slowly; her feet were no longer touching the ground. Her lungs panicked, begging for air. Her eyes burned and the edge of her vision darkened. She could only see  that horrid face.      “Where. Is. Dylan? If you don’t tell, he'll be very disappointed to find your corpse here on the street.” He threatened, tightening his hands ever so slightly. Laurel made a strange garbled noise, her eyes watering as she felt herself fading. But another voice spoke up.      “I’m right here, Marvin.”      The rabbits turned and there stood Dylan, in the middle of the alley. His features were rigid, and Dylan’s eyes hardened on the buck who was in the process of strangling Laurel.      Marvin barked a cruel laugh. “About time you showed up! Vitton wants you.” His hands continued to clench around her throat, and Laurel squeaked again.      Dylan took a step forward. “Leave the doe alone.” He said quietly, staring straight at Marvin.      His hands released her, and Laurel collapsed to the ground, spluttering and coughing.      Marvin chuckled. “So it’s true! The lieutenant Walters is sweet on a useless, good-for-nothing servant!” His hand reached for his sword.      Dylan stepped closer still. “I said,” he growled, his voice low and deadly. “Leave. The doe. Alone.”      Marvin and his two back ups stepped away from Laurel, one of them kicking her before he slumped away in defeat. Laurel choked, her head slumping against the hard ground.      The bucks brushed past Dylan, telling him once again that Vitton wanted to see him. Dylan didn’t answer a word.      He crossed to Laurel quickly, kneeling beside her and grasping her arms, lifting her so that she could sit up against the wall. “That’s the last time I stay overnight at the L.D.” he muttered.      Laurel tried to breath, but she couldn’t swallow enough air. She kept making strange, wheezing sounds when she tried to inhale.      “Laurel.” Dylan said, his voice wavering. The darkness seemed closer. Her vision began to fade…      “Laurel! Look at me!” He barked, tilting her chin up. Laurel fought against the pressing darkness and her heavy eyes and tried to look at him.      It took a few seconds for his face to come into focus. When it did, the first thing she noticed was his blue eyes.      Dylan made eye contact with her and held her gaze for a few seconds, ensuring she was awake. He then reached towards the ruined basket and picked up the bottle of wine. He opened it quickly and held it up to Laurel’s mouth. “Drink. There isn’t anything else.”      She opened her mouth and drank down the foul, bitter fluid. It burned as it trickled down her throat, and she tried to not cough. She felt absolutely exhausted.      Dylan put the bottle down and looked at her, his breathing uneven and rattled. He looked angry, but relieved.      “You didn’t get caught,” she whispered, her voice raspy and hoarse.      Dylan, without thinking, intertwined his fingers with hers. “Maybe I should’ve; they wouldn’t have gone after and hurt you if they had me.”      Laurel shook her head. “No. You shouldn’t be getting into trouble.”      Dylan snorted. “Not yet. When I find Vitton, I swear he is going to regret-" Laurel squeezed his hand, and he stopped mid-sentence. He looked at her a few seconds longer, then hung his head.      Laurel remembered suddenly the list of her chores. She gritted her teeth against the pain as she withdrew the note from her pocket, trying to read it.      Dylan read it before she did, and he looked up at her sharply. “No. You’re not going back to work; I’m taking you home.”      Laurel frowned. “But I have work to do; and now I have to buy a new bottle of wine. That was supposed to be Brown’s beverage for dinner.”      Dylan looked at the scattered parcel on the ground. “I’ll buy a new one.” He answered, reaching across her and putting the groceries in the basket.      “Dylan, I need to work,” she whispered, fighting against the tears that threatened to spill over.      Dylan looked up at her, his expression gentle. “But you need to rest. You wont be any use to anyone if you keep getting beat up.” Laurel hung her head.      Dylan sighed. “I’ll take you to Brown’s. But I’m telling him what happened, then will take you home.”      Laurel swallowed. “Fine.” She whispered hoarsely.      Dylan nodded and got to his feet. Then he stooped and lifted Laurel to her feet, keeping his arm around her to keep her from falling. She pressed a hand to the wall, steadying herself and trying to stop her swirling vision, taking deep, slow breaths.      Dylan picked up the broken basket and held it under his arm. Then he offered Laurel his other arm before they headed down the alley.      Laurel didn’t know she was holding onto his arm so tight; nor did she realize how grateful she was that he had saved her life.