(Author's Note: At long last…chapter 9! So sorry I took so long to update, but my teachers seem to find joy in assigning mountains of homework (especially geography- ugh). Anyway…review as usual! I just wanted to thank everyone for their reviews so far- I appreciate it SO MUCH! Enjoy the chapter!)
Kate was trying to tell him something, but he couldn't hear her. There was a look of terror on her face, and he wanted to touch her, wanted to comfort her. But there was an explosion, he was flying, and now…falling. Into blackness, without Kate. "Kate…where are you?" he called desperately. Suddenly he hit ground, and there was Kate. Skin pale, eyes closed. "Kate? KATE! Wake up!" But she wasn't waking up…she wouldn't wake. A haunting melody played in the background. It sounded so familiar…and beautifully sad. So sad… He started sobbing, hearing voices from far away calling his name…He just wanted to escape everything.
Just as concerned parents would run if their child was calling them at night, Peter and Elizabeth jumped at the sound of Neal's devastated cries and went to his room, not knowing what to expect.
There, they found the young man lying on the floor, sheets twisted around him, eyes screwed shut. Elizabeth bent down next to him.
"Neal, honey?" She ran a hand through his tangled, dark hair. "Peter, can you lift him back onto the bed?"
As gently as possible, the FBI agent picked up the injured man and placed him on the bed, saying, "Neal, it's okay now. Me and El are here."
Neal clutched Elizabeth's hand and spoke at last. "Kate…fell…plane…I'm gonna die…"
"Sweetheart it was just a bad dream. You're safe now, you won't die. Just relax, you can go back to sleep." The maternal woman continued to stroke his hair and soothe him, while Peter placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. No one spoke for a long time. El gently wiped away Neal's tears until he drifted off to sleep.
But even though he was asleep, neither of the Burkes moved. They knew they were going to stay with Neal for the rest of the night, in case he needed them again.