I like this chapter for a lot of reasons. Hope you do, too!

Chapter 21

Lily

I wake up and groan. I open my eyes. There is white everywhere. My vision slowly focuses on an IV pole, a soundless heart monitor whose green line moved with my heart beat, and several other medical instruments. Slower still, my memory comes back. Of being kidnapped, of being rescued...

Of Austin dying.

Unknowingly, I start sobbing. And sobbing. I sniffle and feel hot tears race down my face. My shoulders shudder as I cry.

The boy who was not only my funny, British best friend, but the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, was gone. I continued to sob and sob, until I heard the door open. A familiar figure stepped in...

"Austin!" I yell, but stay sitting on my bed. I couldn't trust he was real. Not yet. "I thought you were dead!"

"Well, so did I." He responds, then smirked his trademark smirk, the one I thought I was going to have to miss forever. "Let's just say I met Fate." I can't help it anymore. I see that smirk and I get up and run to him. I take his face in my hands and I kiss him. He kisses me back and wraps his arms around me. I do the same. I pull my lips away and rest my head on his shoulder. I squeeze him as if I'll never let go.

"You take my breath away." He wheezes. I lighten my hold on him and laugh for a moment, catching his joke. I know he means it, though. Then he says the three words I always want to hear come out of his mouth: "I love you."

"I love you too!" I cry, and start sobbing on his shoulder. Austin begins to rub my back in soothing circles.

You know, I have cried maybe twice before, if you don't count when I was under the age of three. Once when a kid hit me. She was jealous of my brother. The second time was after my first battle. It was more tears of relief. Those both happened by the age of six. By seven, our family had been on the run for at least six months. I did not cry when my family was killed. It would have been seen as a weakness by everyone else around me... or so I thought.

I stand there, in Austin's arms, for a long time. I let out all the tears from everything that's ever happened to me. My dead brother and parents. My almost-dead best friend. Everything. Then Austin starts very quietly singing. His voice is low and soothing. It's smooth and clear. I eventually stop sobbing, just so I can listen without my stupid sniffling getting in the way.

Hey Jude, don't make it bad-

Take a sad song, and make it better.

Remember, to let her into your heart.

Then you can start, to make it, better.

Austin just repeats the chorus of Hey Jude over and over again. I start to think that's all he knows, but it isn't too long before he starts the rest of the song. He sings it over and over again, until I stand up. Of course, this just leads to our eyes meeting. After we kiss again, he takes my hands in his. A smirk finds its way across his face.

"Wanna get married?" He asks.

"How's say tomorrow?" I respond.

"Works for me!" He smiles broadly, and we both burst out laughing. We even end up on the floor, hysterical. We both stare up at the ceiling, and Austin takes my hand. He then takes a breath, but doesn't say anything.

"You know, you don't need a ring." I tell him. "Your love is enough for me."

"Yes I do," He insists.

"Nope." I say.

"We'll see," He smiles.

"Can we just stay here, like this, forever?" I ask hopefully.

"No." Austin sighs. We turn our heads to see each other.

"Why not?" I ask.

"You were asleep for three weeks, Lily." He says. "And there's someone here to see you."

"Who?" I sigh. Austin stands and then pulls me to my feet, but doesn't let go of my hand. He leads me outside and down the hallway. I realize I had been in the same room he was in when he got hurt. It seemed like so long ago that Jay was kidnapped...

We go into the lobby. Jay, Avalon, Gekido, Jaeson, Sasha, and-

"LYAN!" I gasp. Lyan, my brother, the other boy I thought I lost. He stands up immediately and rushes over to embrace me. Somehow, my brother is taller than me. Still. Only a few inches, but that's a lot.

"I've missed you so much." He says. He clutches me as if afraid he'd loose me. I feel hot tears start to stream down my cheeks, but I know Lyan must be crying, too.

"Not as much as I've missed you," I tell Lyan. "No way..."

Lyan

"Hey, Austin." I greet him. "What are you doing out here?" I ask. Austin sits before me. We are behind the hospital, in the stretch of grass between forest and building. Austin doesn't respond. I walk around to face him, and realize he's mediating. Or was. The moment I step in front of him, his eyes pop open.

"Sorry," I say apologetically. "Didn't know."

"Don't worry." Austin jumps up onto his feet. "I was looking for an excuse to stop anyway. I hate mediating."

"Then why are you out here doing it?" I ask curiously.

"I hate it because I can't do it for more than five seconds." He explains. "And frankly, it bores the crap outta me. I thought I'd try it again... didn't work."

"Well, I was wondering if you'd battle me." I say. Austin's expression brightens.

"Of course I will!" He says.

"Good. I need to make sure you're fit to protect my sister." I say with a smirk.

"Nothing is ever going to happen to her if I can help it." Austin tells me.

First reason I like this chapter is because Austin isn't dead. I couldn't have killed my favorite character! I really can't kill anyone... But I can try. I did here. I didn't want him to die, though...

Anyway, Lily and Lyan finally meet once again. That also makes me happy :) Hope you enjoyed!