Author's Notes: Well, we've finally reached the end of this story. I'm sorry it took me so long to update again but I was trying to make this chapter as perfect as possible and pondering the idea of an epiloque.Anyway, hope you love it almost as much as I did!

Read, review but most of all ENJOY!

Kiki

Chapter 10

Mikan's song

Natsume, come on. Visiting hours are almost over," Ruka's voice, though quiet, carried through the hospital room easily but did not receive a response. Natsume didn't budge from his place beside Mikan's bed. The blond stared at him sadly, then sighed and quietly closed the door behind him as he left.

Natsume simply continued to stare down at the comatose girl before him. Slowly, he lifted a hand to caress her cheek gently, warmly.

Three days.

He could hardly believe it.

Three, whole days Mikan had layn in this room, comatose. Three days he had gone without seeing her smile, three days since he'd last seen her beautiful eyes open and alive.

And it was all his fault.

"I'm sorry," he rasped out, clutching her pale hand close ", I'm so sorry…" She didn't wake, or even move, and the raven haired boy felt the all too familiar depression overtake him again

It's all my fault

The thought had never left him, not once. It appeared randomly, repeatedly. Readily; driving him crazy. Yes, slowly but surely, it was driving him crazy.

But that was better, in a way. The guilt was better for him to handle than the permanent memory of how it had all started, of how things had gone so wrong.

"Don't go!"

"I have to," he replied bitterly, glaring at her as tears gathered in her eyes- making them glitter like thousands of pieces of shattered glass.

"Stop acting like such a hero!" Mikan shrieked. "You don't have to do this; any of this! Let someone else do the dirty work for once! You're going to get hurt!!"

"Shut up!" Anger boiled inside Natsume; anger at the girl before him for being so innocent, for foolishly believing what he wanted to desperately to be real though it clearly was not. But then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the anger faded and was instead replaced by guilt at the hurt in her expression.

He shook his head, trying to will it away. Focus on the anger; she is wrong, you are right. This is for her own good.

"You don't know anything so just shut up!" he whispered furiously. His hands curled into fists at his side.

This is for your own good.

"Hurry up and go abck to your little pink room full of flowers and happineness if you want to be naïve but do not interfere with my life!" Natsume couldn't help but wonder how he managed to not choke on the words, to not collapse in front of her and beg her forgiveness.

It's for her own good, a voice inside his head reminded, for her own good.

I don't want you to get hurt.

"Natsume…" her voice was strained and pleading and when he finally dared to look at her he wished he hadn't. Tears streaked her usually rosy cheeks and her eyes begged at him as she did ", Please….please, don't go…stay…."

He tore his gaze away from her sharply, taking a deep breath. You can't let her get hurt because of your emotions. Control them, hide them. Save her even if it costs you your heart. "I can't."

Then, before his will could crumble, he turned and walked away.

Two steps.

Three.

Four.

Don't look back.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Eight- he stopped suddenly.

"Our meeting was so strange

It took me by surprise

You and your red eyes," her voice broke the silence as she sung softly, hauntingly.

"I couldn't understand

The great mystery that was you

But now I see…"

He was weakening. The song, her pleading tone of voice, her eyes. He didn't even have to turn around to see her eyes, for the image of them danced before him. He shook his head harshly and continued walking, yes still she sang…

"That you're not such a mystery

Now I see what you try to hide

Oh so desperately…."

He was almost a yard ahead of her now and the trees covered her from his view, her voice was fading away.

Slowly, fading away.

"And I see…..

What I also….tried to hide….."

Against his own will Natsume's ears strained to hear the rest of her song even as his feet continued to carry him away.

"I see the truth

Of my feelings for you…"

He held his breath anxiously but no more words reached his ears. Disappointment flooded through him but, remembering what he was supposed to be doing, he went back to work.

The rest of the memory seemed to go by in a blur. How once he had finally finished his mission and was heading back he'd been ambushed and attacked in the warehouse. There were so many and he could hardly concentrate that when somebody suddenly yelled out behind him he turned to face the bulky guy that had been approaching him and reacted. He didn't see Mikan clinging to the man's back and pulling on his tie until it was too late.

His fire caught one of the gas tanks beside them and exploded, sending them all flying against whatever was closest, and once Natsume had finally been able to claw out of the boxes and rush to Mikan's side she was already unconscious and bleeding from a gash on her head. His heart had almost stopped at the sight. He had rushed back to the academy that night and instantly taken her to the hospital, all of which lead up to now.

Natsume's hand cupped Mikan's cheek softly as his thumb passed over her closed eyelids gently. He smiled sadly. "You must really hate me, huh pig-tails?" He bit his lip as a lone tear slipped down his cheek to drop unto her lips. "I'm so sorry..."

"I ..see..the truth…" a raspy voice suddenly spoke up, startling Natsume so much that he drew back sharply. Brown eyes blinked open weakly. "Of my ..my feelings for you…"

Natsume stared at the girl before him in shock. "M-….Mikan….?"

She smiled tiredly, her eyes sparkling with knowledge and recognition. "Of how much...I love you…"She finished softly, smile still in place even as tears filled her eyes. Natsume seemd to snap out of his stupor and instantly moved back to her side, brushing them away.

"You're…awake…" he smiled softly. "You've finally come back…"

Mikan smiled tiredly and shrugged. "I couldn't…just leave…" her smile widened slightly ", 'cause then..who'd be here…to ..annoy you…"

"Yeah…"he moved closer, leaning his forehead against hers before kissing it softly. Twins tears slipped down each cheek to land in her hair as he gently hugged her close. Mikan sighed contently.

"It's.. good…to be back…."

Oh wow, I finally finished it and I'm actually happy with how it turned out! Yay! Thank you all for sticking with this story even though sometimes it took me a long, long, while to update because of writer's block. I just wanted to say to those of you who reviewed that this story is as much yours as it is mine because i would have probbaly never finished it without your support and eagerness for each chapter. Thank you again, and until next time!

Kiki