Gabriel put his hands in his jean pockets and walked quietly beside Amee as they left the theater. Amee was quiet as well, she had her hands pushed into the cuffs of her jacket. Gabriel looked up at her as if to say something but then looked back down at the pavement.

"What?" Amee snapped.

"I-" Gabriel started.

"I don't care, just because I eat a lot doesn't mean I have an eating disorder you judgmental ass!" Amee glared up at him.

"Bu-" Gabriel was cut off once again.

"No buts, you are judgmental jerk!" Amee power-walked towards the car, while wearing high heels, quite the feat for the fromer clumsiest girl in the unvierse. "In fact." She glared at Gabriel and pulled out her phone and started to dial a number.

"Don't do that." Gabriel sighed and ran his hand through is blonde hair. Amee got distracted, his hair was so...shiny and it ran through is fingers like silk. She shook her head to ward off the image.

"Why, so you can tell me about my other mental defects on the car ride home?" Amee fiddled with her phone. She caught a glimpse of those gorgeous blues, she sighed and stuffed her phone in her purse. She looked up at Gabriel and felt a tug on her shoulder and heard the purse strap snap. She looked up and it was a bearded man with a Camera. The mood she was in it didn't take long for her to react. In fact she didn't even realize she had.

To her everything happened in slow motion she reached out and grabbed the back of the man's coat and with ease she tugged, slamming him down on the pavement. Her foot came down towards his throat and at that moment she caught herself. She hadn't planned any of it, she had just reacted. Gabriel stared at her speechless, and before the situation could deteriorate further, whomever had tried to steal Amee's purse was surrounded by gun wielding secret service agents. One of which wrapped his arms around Amee. Amee still running on instinct or so it seemed to her, reacted again, smashing her head back against the agent’s face. She wrapped her leg around his left knee she spun out of his weakened grip and pushed him face down into to the pavement. She put her other hand around his wrist and twisted causing his gun to fall into her left hand, which she found herself pointing at the back of his head with her knee firmly in his spine pinning him. Everyone in eyeshot stared. Soon the guns were pointing at her. Gabriel's mouth dropped open.

"Sorry." Amee winced and put the gun down beside the agent she'd taken down holding her hands up. "You surprised me."

"It is alright ma'am." He stood off and dusted his suit off, he wobbled. Someone handed Amee her purse and ushered her towards Gabriel's car.

"Best you get out of here." Agent Johnson whispered in her ear as he glanced around at the many people holding their phones up.

"Ya." Amee got in the car and buried her face in the sleeves of her hoodie. Gabriel got in the driver's side and sped off.

"I-" Gabriel started.

"Don't even..." Amee pointed her finger at Gabriel accusingly.

"I was just going to say those girls got off easy this morning. How did you do that?" Gabriel tried to keep his eyes on the road, but kept giving sidelong glances of awe to Amee.

"I donno I just reacted." Amee's stomach growled. She was hungry again.

"That was amazing. Did your father teach you that." Gabriel ran through a yellow light.

"Ya..." Amee shrugged, in truth she had no idea how she had done it, and for the most part wondered if she could repeat it if she tried.

"That poor secret service agent.." Gabriel trailed off. Amee started giggle, but it slipped into to a full out belly laugh as she held her side. Gabriel chuckled. "That is the first time you smiled all night, what is so funny?"

"News at eleven, two hundred pound secret service agent disarmed and pinned by fifteen year old girl in high heels." She managed to get out as she kept laughing. Gabriel chuckled.

"And people started recording can you imagine his boss?" Gabriel shook his head. "Poor guy."

"My mother is going to kill me. She is going to be so embarrassed." Amee took a few deep breaths as the reality of the situation sunk in.

"She'd get mad because you stopped someone from stealing your purse, and took down a secret service agent twice your size?" Gabriel caught his breath after the mutual laughing fit as well.

"She'll be mortified. I bet she is at home right now with her campaign advisor trying to figure out a damage control strategy for all the polling points she just lost because of me." Amee sighed quietly and settled into her seat. "Umm, I hate to ask this but can we stop for food somewhere?"

"Mo-" Gabriel cut himself off, and just nodded.

"Yes more, I am feeling light headed." Amee leaned on the window closing her eyes.

"Okay." Gabriel pulled into the first restaurant he saw. A white castle. "Is this alright?"

"Yes!" Amee tried to get out of the car but found she lacked the strength. Gabriel helped her out and helped her along. He looked her up and down.

"Are you okay? It's hard to believe you just took out two big guys. You're light as a feather." Gabriel scanned her almost frail seeming form.

"Just hungry that is all." Amee tried to keep her chin held high but she felt so weak. "Let me pay though." Gabriel looked like he might argue but decided against it. Amee ordered enough food for three of her. Gabriel helped her sit down, and brought the trays over. Amee didn't say much, how could she? She stuffed her face desperately. Gabriel watched her as she started to straighten up and look stronger. He shook his head.

"I know we barely know each other but have you seen a doctor?" Gabriel started in on his own meal.

"Yes, just said make sure you eat when you're hungry." Amee blushed a bit as she emptied the last bit of food from her tray.

"Well I guess.." He paused. "Amee why are you so defensive all the time, I'm not here to make fun of you, I'm here because I like you." She dipped one of her few remaining fries in a puddle of ketchup making swirls absently.

"I don't know you just...I want to impress you I guess, and when you say things, well I'm used to being criticized for anything I do by my mother, my father, my sister, teachers...everyone else really. It just makes me all prickly I guess." She blinked after realizing she'd just said that out loud.

"Thanks for trusting me enough to say that." Gabriel took another bite of his burger. Amee buried her face in the fabric of her hoodie. "What is the matter?"

"It is your eyes!" Amee curses were muffled by her hoodie.

"What about my eyes?" Gabriel had a slight self conscious tone in his voice.

"One glance and I'm telling you my deepest darkest secrets!" Amee didn't lift her head. Gabriel laughed. "I did it again. Damn it." Too which Gabriel laughed all the harder. Amee felt the pocket of her hoodie vibrating. She sighed, just when things were starting to go good. She reached in and pulled out her phone. A text from her mother of course. Apparently she had seen a video or twenty. She pushed it into her pocket. Right now she was out of her mother’s reach.

“Something the matter?” Gabriel coughed a bit after his good belly laugh.

“Just mother, apparently it’s all over the…” She trailed off when she noticed one of the White Castle employees pointing at her. And at a flat screen. She buried her face in her hands then looked up at it. The closed captions spelled it all out as the newscasters chatted with each other. Gabriel’s gaze followed hers.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

“…It is not hard to believe that the young woman is the daughter of a Senator and Presidential candidate that is called a soldier’s politician, and that her father is a former Special Forces.”

“You really feel sorry for the Secret Service agent there. Got to be tough, can you imagine what his boss will say?”

“Yes it was definitely painful to watch one of the Secret Service getting taken down by a fifteen year old girl in heels. One also has to wonder how the photographer got so close in the first place.”

“He claims is going to press charges against the young lady.”

“I’m not sure how that will go over Nancy, according to eye witness reports he was trying to snatch her purse and grab her.”

“Then I’m doubly confused how he got past the secret service. According to statements made in recent weeks they were assigned because of credible threats against the Senator and her family. I can imagine her parents are going to be livid.”

“Oh yes, I’m sure we can expect a statement from Senator Morris’s campaign any moment now.”

“How do you think this will affect her campaign, with the election coming up in just over a month, it could be a hot issue.”

“Well look at it this way Nancy, how many parents wish their daughters had this young woman’s presence of mind?”

“Well there is a legality issue here as well, how much force is justifiable force?”

“Regardless of the legality, how many Americans are at home right now cheering at that take down? If that paparazzi had been a real threat, that young woman could be dead right now.”

“True, true, for those of you just joining us, we’re talking about several videos that were sent to us with a scuffle that occurred between Senator Elaine Morris’s daughter Amee Morris and a gentleman who accosted her. And we’re about to go to our legal correspondent. Jake Stone. Jake, what is your take on this, is the girl in trouble with the law?”

“Thank you Nancy, Ken. No I would say as a former police officer and current District Attorney for New York City, that I could not see charges being laid. He obviously invaded her personal space, made a reach for her personal belongings, and physically grabbed her shoulder. As you can see from the video she reacted with no more force then was necessary to disable him, causing no apparent injuries. Though she may be charged with assaulting federal officer for her attack on the Secret Service agent, he has no injuries to speak of and anyone could make that mistake in the heat of the moment. In my professional opinion, it would be a waste of the courts time to pursue this, in fact I’d go so far to say any attempt to prosecute this would be politically motivated and would likely end in a law suit for prosecutorial misconduct.”

“Those are some strong words D.A. Stone but I agree, this would most definitely be a waste of the police and courts times.”

“Yes and with the laws regarding paparazzi that went into effect in the District of Colombia last year, this was clearly a violation of the personal space of this young lady. Fortunately the people of the United States are realizing that free speech doesn’t trump personal freedoms. Touching her was way over the line.”

“Well our country was based on Free Speech, how can you say that laws that bind our press are a good thing?”

“I’m not saying that Nancy, what I’m saying is: We can’t have private citizens trying to get a photo of some celebrity or child of a political figure causing dangerous situations. With that tragic ‘Beltway Incident’ where not only did we lose two beloved actresses, we had ten, private citizens killed and thirty injured. The press has gone too far with their freedoms and they’ve had to be reined in, we cannot have photo opportunities leading to such tragic ends. I fully expect that this photographer and any publications he is associated with to find themselves staring a full inquiry and possible lawsuit in the face. If had happened in New York where we have a similar law in place I would already be having the warrants drawn up. If I hadn’t the Attorney General would be asking for my resignation. This is being taken quite seriously by all my colleagues across the country. Americans are tired of greed of a few causing such tragic accidents. Look at the tragic loss of Princess Diana.”

“This didn’t involve high speed chases, just a man grabbing a teenage girls shoulder.”

“The principle is the same. Zero tolerance is zero tolerance. Next week this yahoo could be chasing her in a car. Really though it is the publications that are too blame which is why most of these state laws allow criminal charges to be laid against corporate officials involved in the bounties on photographs.”

“Why so harsh? The public wants to know the details of the lives of our politicians and stars.”

“As I’ve said before, I do not disagree with freedom of the press, I disagree with the rampant greed oozing into our countries press outlets.”

“I see your point, thank you D.A. Stone, we just heard that Senator Morris will be making a statement. We’re going live.”

The image on the television switched to a room familiar to Amee, it was at her mother’s campaign headquarters and her mother was standing at her lectern looking quite serious. Amee buried her hands in her face again.

“She doesn’t look happy.” Gabriel took a drink from his straw.

“No, no she doesn’t.” Amee sighed. Her mother looked over the reporters who had shown up.

“Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I’m sure you have questions and I will answer them at the end of my statement. Thank you. Tonight we witnessed a distressing event where a young woman was assaulted by a man trying to get a photograph of her. In this case this young woman was my daughter. I am here to say that it does not matter that she was my daughter, what matters is that a young woman had her evening ruined by an overzealous reporter who assaulted her physically. No person should have their personal space violated in such a way. It was unprofessional and also, more importantly impolite. I could name a list of countless incidents were people were hurt or nearly so, and even killed because of unprofessional and dangerous or overzealous behaviors exhibited by reporters and photographers. This is why we have laws at the Federal and State level regarding this behavior. The American people have found it reprehensible and we their elected officials have acted. It saddens me that the message the American People has sent, was not received by some of your colleagues. Your behavior is unacceptable, and I as an elected official, and also a citizen of this great country am putting my foot down. On my daughters behalf I will be requesting that this gentleman and the press outlets he is employed by or was working under contract to be punished to the full extent of both State and Federal laws. This could mean up to ten years in prison for anyone involved as well as fines in excess of ten million dollars. I will also be requesting a review by congress and senate committee of the behavior of the press in this country. We will find out why this is happening, and we will determine what measures we need to take to correct this behavior, without unduly affecting Freedom of Speech, or Freedom of the Press. I do not want to mute our press, the free flow of information is what makes this country the democracy it is, what I do want is to make our citizens both famous and private safer. I will take questions now.”

“The burning question online is: Are you and your husband proud of your daughter?”

“Am I proud that she stood up for herself: yes. I do regret that she was forced to physically defend herself, it has always been and always will be the opinion of both my husband and myself that violence is a last resort. I would have preferred a peaceful solution to this incident. She showed great restraint this evening and caused no more harm then she needed, of that I am very proud. I’m sure her father who taught her self-defense would be proud she took his lessons to heart. Next.”

“How do you feel about the Secret Service letting things escalate this far?”

“I am disappointed. I appreciate they service they give this country, but they did drop the ball this evening. I am not sure where the breakdown occurred, but I am confident the supervising agent will review the events of this evening and determine corrective actions to take so it doesn’t happen again to anyone. Next.”

“Do you think the agent your daughter incapacitated will be disciplined?”

“I cannot comment on Secret Service policy, I myself am of the opinion he let my daughter take him down as not to hurt her. So I think he was just doing his job the best he could in a bad situation. Shows real character to know you’re going to be publicly embarrassed but swallow your pride to protect your charge from harm. Next.”

“It didn’t look like he let her take him down, there are reports his shoulder was dislocated.”

“I was not there I can only make assumptions based on how well our Secret Service is trained and how skilled my daughter is, that information indicates she could not have taken him down in high heels without some help from him. Next”

“Will you be punishing your daughter? How will this affect your statement that your children will remain in public schools?”

“Punish my daughter? No, she was defending herself the way her father taught her. I will discuss the occurrence with her, and we will see if she could have had better judgment, or if her actions were correct. As I do with all my children when something happens to them. I have always stood behind a strong belief that open and honest communication with our children and helping them see all sides of a situation will help them grow and develop into better adults. As for my children’s schooling, so long as the Secret Service assures me of their safety and my children assure me they feel safe they will continue to attend public schools. Our public schools have come under a lot of fire lately but they are a remarkable institution with remarkable teachers who do not get enough credit. To pull my children out of their schools would be a tragic loss for my children. Last question.”

“Will your daughter be making a statement?” Amee grimaced.

“I am quite sure she will want to tell her side of the story. She values public safety and has been quite active lobbying amongst my party for better protections for children and youth. So I believe this issue of paparazzi and reporters running wild will have her quite livid. Thank you all for coming.” Her mother stepped away and the news changed backed to the main show.

“Is what she said true?” Gabrial looked at Amee with a even more newfound respect.

“Is what true?” Amee bit into another burger.

“That you value public safety and have lobbied her party?”

“Yes, I have addressed her party on the issue of children’s safety, if the government doesn’t protect kids from their crazy drug addicted parents and gangs who will?”

“You are way deeper than I thought Amee Morris.”