By The Way

Chapter 13

Check this out!!! Thank you so much for getting me to #1! I think this calls for a bunch of chapters!

I heard him calling my name. He was begging me to wake up, but I didn't really see the point. I would live the rest of my life as a fugitive, on the run from the FBI. Neal was smart, though. He knew which buttons to press to get me going.

"Natalie, what about Alex? And Kate? And Mozzie? I know that you're angry at the world, at me, but please wake up for them, okay?"

I let my eyelids flutter open and was greeted with the sight of my brother completely broken. He looked even worse than he had realized that Kate was gone.

When he saw the cornflower blue of my eyes, he called my name, though it came out more like a strangled gasp. I propped myself up on my elbows just in time for him to give me a bone-crushing hug.

"What convinced you?" He asked with the hint of a smile in his sad eyes.

"You," I answered honestly, "I heard that you needed me, and you were willing to admit it even though you thought that I wouldn't wake up for you alone."

"Would you have?"

"Of course, dummy. I love you, Neal, even when I hate you."

We were both laugh/crying when Peter walked into the room. He jerked his head as a way of asking Neal to leave, but I grabbed my brother's wrist and held onto it firmly. He pressed a kiss into the top of my head and promised that he would bring coffee back with him.

"Natalie, I'm sorry about the way I exploded earlier today-"

"No, you aren't. The only reason that you are apologizing is because you don't want to think that me almost dying could have been your fault."

I didn't want to hear his apologies. He didn't let me explain, and he would never trust me again. I had other things to worry about.

I was released from the hospital and immediately called Alex. She picked up after the first ring.

"What the hell, Natalie? I got a call from Mozzie telling me what you did. What were you thinking?" Her voice rang clear as day through my phone.

I flinched at her yelling and tried to calm her, "Alex, I wasn't thinking. It was all too much and it pushed me over the edge. I'm better now, I promise."

I let her yell at me and get out her anger and frustration and fear. Yes, the great Alexandra Hunter was afraid.

When she was finished yelling, her voice softened and grew very quiet, "Nat, I was worried. Please, talk to me next time. I'm always right here."

"Alex, you travel the world regularly," I corrected her with a laugh.

"You know what I mean," she said, and I could practically hear her rolling her gorgeous brown eyes at me.

We signed off before I got into a cab to Neal's house. He didn't trust me to be alone, but I couldn't really blame him. I had just risked my own life.

My brother was waiting for me when I got home. I couldn't make myself look him in the eyes, but he lifted my chin with his finger.

"I love you Neal," I told him, my voice steady.

"I love you, too, Pumpkin."