Author's notes:
Hi! I hope you're doing well. ❤ Thank you again for all your kind comments. It means a lot to me to see that you're still enjoying the story. :)
The illustration for this chapter you can either find on my DoodleAddicts account (…/vincentthecat) or on the story Rooftops of New York that I post on Archive Of Our Own (VincentTheCat).
If all goes well, I'll post the next chapter in four weeks (08.08).
Chapter 21 "Hope"
"In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings."
Romans 8:26 (NABRE)
"And then the rooster gave chase after Satch, and Satch's been afraid of hens ever since." Elle finished the story and Diana saw Neal's lips twitch with amusement.
Ever since she had turned on the loud-speaker, the boy had become much more relaxed. He was no longer shaking. His eyes were glued to the phone.
"Diana, tell Neal we found Keller. He's alive, the ambulance is on its way. Over." Diana startled hearing Peter's voice coming from her ear-piece.
"Copy that," she responded, and immediately felt the kid's eyes on her.
"Diana. What's going on?" Elle asked as Diana met Neal's wary gaze.
/\_/\
='x'=
"Peter has just said they found Keller. He's alive. The ambulance is on its way," hearing Diana's explanation, Elle relaxed. She flexed her fingers and rested her hands back on the steering wheel.
It was good news, but how was Neal going to take it? Silently urging the car in front of her, she flashed the turn signal.
"That's good news," she said. "They're going to take him to the hospital, Neal. He will get the help he needs. Alright, sweetie?"
/\_/\
='x'=
Mister Keller is alive. He is still alive. The ambulance is on its way and Mister Morris will help him. Neal presses his hands to his eyes.
"…Alright, sweetie?"
Elle has asked him something.
Neal shakes his head. "What?" he mumbles.
"They're going to take Mister Keller to the hospital, Neal. He will get help, okay?" Elle asks.
Neal wraps his arms around his legs and rests his chin on his knees. "Okay," he whispers.
/\_/\
='x'=
As Elle continued the conversation, telling more colourful stories about her Labrador dog, Diana turned her gaze back to the questioner she had opened on her laptop. This set of booking questions was intended to help them establish the child's legal identity and possibly contact his legal guardians. Till now, she had thought that while Peter dealt with things back at the mansion, it would be her job to ask the child these questions. But suddenly she was not so sure anymore.
She had received only three direct orders from Peter and they were to call Elle, not to handcuff Neal under any circumstances and to take care of the child until Peter got back.
And now Elle acted as though she was not planning to ever hang up.
Suddenly a horn sounded from the loud-speaker, and Diana frowned.
"Elle, are you driving?" she asked, interrupting in the middle of another of the ridiculous stories that seemed to have such a relaxing effect on the boy.
"Yes," her friend said. From what Diana remembered Peter wanted Elle to stay safe at the Bureau until everything was over. Should she not be still― "According to the GPS I should be arriving in a little bit over an hour."
"What?" Diana asked startled. "Here?" Did Peter know about this?
"Yeah," Elle said. "I want to see Neal."
"Elle, that's not a good idea. The place is not safe yet. Five minutes ago we still heard gunshots coming from―"
"That is a good idea, Diana," Elle interrupted tensely. "Please, I need to see Neal." There was a pleading note in her voice. "I'm with Satch. He wants to see you too, sweetie!" she added cheerfully, clearly determined not to give Diana any room to answer.
So she had not discussed it with Peter. Expressionlessly, Diana watched as Neal's face brightened.
"You're coming here?" the boy asked disbelievingly.
"Yes, Neal," Elle said softly. "I want to see you."
As Neal wrapped his arms more tightly around his knees, Diana closed the questioner. So her previous gut feeling was correct. Elle was not planning to hang up until she got here. And asking her to take care of Neal, Peter had basically meant that until he came back, Diana was supposed to feel personally responsible for the child's wellbeing.
Bemused, Diana leaned back in her chair. Was it just her or were her friends finally well on their way to becoming parents?
/\_/\
='x'=
Elle found it very hard not to speed during the last ten miles. Still, she managed it somehow, firmly staying two miles below the limit. Thanks to her husband's passion for numbers, she knew that drowsy drivers were responsible for more than a hundred thousand car crashes yearly. As anxious and tired as she was, she had no intention of joining that statistic.
Suddenly, the police lights became visible from a distance. Elle slowed down immediately, and when she judged she was close enough, she pulled over to the side of the road.
"Diana, I'm here," she said, and turned off the loud-speaker. Holding the phone with her shoulder, she opened the car door.
/\_/\
='x'=
Following she-who-smells-of-home, Satch pricks up his ears. There are many two-legs here. And not just them. The scent of the wood creatures is also strong. Sniffing the air, Satch suddenly realizes he can sense other dogs here too.
He opens his mouth and tastes the air. No, he decides. The dogs are no longer here. Two-legs have taken them hunting. Suddenly, he stiffens and then with a happy whine he pulls on the leash. Pup!
/\_/\
='x'=
When Neal recognizes the woman and the dog standing right behind the yellow tape, he can barely believe his eyes. Up till now, he hasn't thought that Elle was serious telling him she would come here just to see him. But she was. And now she is here and―
Forgetting his promise to Diana not to run ahead, he sprints towards the two. He ducks under the yellow tape. When the familiar yellow Labrador jumps on him, Neal laughs.
/\_/\
='x'=
"It's alright! It's alright―" Elle barely registered Diana's rushed words as the child ran past the agent blocking her way. The moment the boy ducked under the yellow tape, Satch jumped on him and both friends fell onto the ground.
"Neal!" Elle screamed worriedly and leaned in to help the boy up.
Neal did not notice her hand. He was laughing.
In the bright light coming from the headlights, Elle saw how terribly ragged his clothes were. There were also scratches on his wrists, and the skin on his right cheek was flushed as if he had been hit. Feeling a lump in her throat, Elle dropped to her knees. "Neal," she whispered, not daring to touch the child.
/\_/\
='x'=
Her colleague still looked very displeased when his call to Peter ended. But he knew the order when he heard it, so after shooting another speculative look at Elle, the man stepped back, nodded at Diana, turned and left silently.
Diana sighed, then turned to look at the people she was protecting. From what she could see, not much had changed during the short conversation with her colleague.
Neal was on the ground, hugging Satchmo. Elle was sitting next to him, looking at the child with pain in her eyes. Diana squatted down and touched her friend's shoulder.
"We should go back to the van Elle," she said gently. "It's not entirely safe here."
Elle blinked in surprise. She shifted her gaze to Diana. "Yes," she whispered. "Yes, of course, Diana."
Elle hesitated for a moment, then pursed her lips. Slowly she reached out to rest her hand on Neal's shoulder. "Sweetheart? Can you hear me? Diana says it's not safe here. That we have to go." Her voice was so soft that Diana could barely hear it, but Neal immediately opened his eyes.
They watched as he blinked in confusion, then looked up.
"Elle," he mumbled hoarsely.
"I'm here, Neal," Elle said, and Diana watched as another tear rolled down her cheek.
/\_/\
='x'=
She really is here. Forgetting about Satchmo, Neal lets the dog go. He stares at Elle. She is here.
"You came," he says.
Elle nods. "Yeah," she says softly. Tears glisten in her eyes and she blinks them away. "I promised. Remember?"
Neal does not answer. He does remember, but such promises never… He inhales sharply. She really came, he realizes once again. They both did. She and Satch. Feeling tears welling up in his eyes, Neal ducks his head.
/\_/\
='x'=
Watching the child fight with tears, Elle felt her own vision grow more blurry. Her heart was pounding as if it was reliving the stress of the last hours. Neal was alive and safe. He was here…
"Can I give you a hug, Neal?" she asked gently.
The child was shaky when he nodded.
/\_/\
='x'=
As Elle embraces him, Neal feels his breaths turn sharp and quick. He cannot hold back his tears any longer. He is shaking. His chest hurts. He cannot make it stop. He does not understand.
"You're safe, Neal. I'm here. You're safe."
Elle's hand draws circles on his back.
"You're safe, sweetie. You're alright. I'm here," she repeats.
Still shaking, Neal snuggles his face into her warm shoulder.
He thought he would never see her again.
/\_/\
='x'=
While listening to Neal's sobs, it was difficult for Elle not to start sobbing herself. She kept her voice soft and calm as she continued to reassure the boy that he was safe and that she was there. Now that she understood some of the child's troubles, Neal felt more fragile in her arms than ever before. She would do anything to go back in time and not let Peter take Neal back to 'his uncle'. The boy's hair was wet and sticky, and suddenly she was afraid that the child might catch a cold. Diana's request to go to the van came back to her and she straightened. It was not safe here.
"Come on, sweetie," she said with renewed determination. "We have to go back to the van, okay?" she said, ready to carry the child if that was the only way to get him out of the cold and back to safety.
But luckily there was no such need. When she asked him the third time, Neal did obey. Still trembling a bit, he let her help him to his feet.
"Don't go," he mumbled, and Elle felt a sharp pang of pain in her heart.
"I'm not going anywhere, sweetie," she reassured him, tightening her protective side-hug around him. "We just have to go back to the van, okay?"
Neal nodded tiredly, and he together with Satch slowly followed Diana. Speaking reassuringly to the child again, Elle felt as if her heart was breaking into a thousand pieces. She could not imagine ever leaving Neal alone in a prison cell. Peter must have had a plan to prevent that from happening, right?
/\_/\
='x'=
"Would 10 AM do?" the juvenile law attorney asked and Peter nodded.
"It would be great," he said earnestly. "Thank you, Chris."
"Don't mention it. I owe a lot to Josh. And anyway, it always pisses me off how the system treats kids."
Peter tried not to grimace, as the words of the juvenile law attorney reminded him that he was part of that system at the moment. "I understand that," he said. "Thank you anyway."
"You're welcome," Chris said. "See you tomorrow. Bye."
"Bye," Peter said and hang up. He stared at the phone for a moment.
His knowledge of juvenile justice system was so vague. All he knew came from textbooks he had read at the academy. He had never had to arrest a child before. He had never had to put that knowledge into practice. Or to worry about what would happen to a child afterwards. He knew that if he were to rescue Neal from this mess, he would need more people on his side, but right now he simply could not think of anyone else to call.
Peter pocketed the phone. Looking ahead at the van door, he wondered for a moment what he would find inside. Was Neal still crying? Or maybe Elle had managed to calm him down? Was she angry? What would she say when she saw him?
There was only one way to find out. Bracing himself, Peter pushed the door open.
/\_/\
='x'=
Elle's heart was painfully clenched in her chest as she prayed for Neal. Once the child fell asleep and the urge to speak to him for soothing faded away, anxiety started to creep up on her. What was going to happen to Neal now? He was not going to go to prison, was he? Neal's steady breathing was the only sound in the van. Suddenly the door opened. Elle flinched. Blinking, she looked up.
Peter was back.
"Hi," he said, and Elle was relieved to see that he did not seem to be injured.
At her side, Satch whined, and Elle watched her husband squat down and reach out to the dog. As he petted his head, Satch calmed down. He put his head back on his forepaws and closed his eyes.
"Neal's asleep?" Peter asked, and Elle realized that she had tears in her eyes. She blinked them away and ran a hand over her face. She glanced down at the child in her arms.
"Yeah," she whispered. Then she reached out to take Peter's hand. She was so glad he was safe. "Peter."
/\_/\
='x'=
"If any of you need anything, I'll be outside." Peter only half-registered Diana's diplomatic retreat. Reflexively, he shifted slightly to the side to let her squeeze past him, but he kept his eyes on Elle. She was crying.
"Hon," he said, wiping the tears gently from her cheek. He squeezed her hand, but otherwise he did not know what to say.
"Do you think you can hug me without waking Neal?" Elle whispered. New tears appeared in her eyes. "Or maybe it's not a good idea. Neal may get scared―"
With a lump in his throat, Peter obliged. He carefully leaned over the child and felt Elle rest her head against his shoulder. Gently, he wrapped his arms around her. She felt so fragile in his arms. It was difficult not to start crying when listening to her irregular breathing. He knew that she was doing her best not to move and not to start sobbing. "Okay. I'm good," she said quietly after a moment, and regretfully Peter ended their hug.
He sat cross-legged on the floor. Elle ran a hand over her face. She sniffed, then looking again at Peter gave a small chuckle. "L-long day, huh?"
Peter was not able to smile back. His throat felt tight. His eyes strayed to the boy in Elle's arms again. The child whose death he almost caused. He gulped.
"Elle, I," he paused and looked up to meet Elle's eyes. "I'm sorry," he said. "I never― I should have never lied to you. Or to Neal." As his vision began to blur, Peter pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes tightly. "I should have put an end to the abuse during that first meeting, the moment I realized there was a child in Keller's crew. I'm so sorry," he finished, still unable to look at his wife.
/\_/\
='x'=
For a long moment, Elle could not speak. She wanted to comfort Peter, but she knew she had to calm down first. If Neal woke up right now, he would get confused, maybe scared even. Peter was not in the van when the child fell asleep after all. And it would not make Neal feel any better to see them both crying. She took a couple of calming breaths and only once she was certain that she could stay calm and control her voice, did she extend her hand toward Peter.
"Hon," she said softly, resting her hand on his cheek.
Peter breathed sharply and lowered his hand from his face. His tormented eyes locked with hers.
"I love you," Elle said.
Next(08.08): In Danny's Shoes
❤ Replies to guest reviews from the previous chapter ❤
❤Macy❤, thank you so much! I'm very glad you enjoyed the chapter.
I'm sorry you're having a difficult time. Your words returned to my thoughts a lot during the last month and I prayed for you to get through that storm.
I know life gets very tough sometimes.
/\_/\
='x'=
MarJan53, thank you so much! ❤ I'm very glad the story is still interesting to read. :) Things are happening very slowly (I recently realized that chapters 7-21 describe just three days), but I'm doing my best for every chapter to move the plot forward.
Speaking of which, I'm very glad that Peter and Elle have finally reconciled. I really, really could not wait for this chapter to be finally written and published. :P
And I very appreciate your comments! ❤ It makes me so happy to see someone likes this story, especially given that I'm still just learning to write. :)
Next(08.08): In Danny's Shoes