Chapter Twenty-Three! Oohhh the end is nigh.

DISCLAIMER - I think it's pretty obvious I don't own R&J by now, but I really don't wanna get sued. I don't own it.

Reviewers - love you, as always. Readers - you're okay. Just kidding!!!!! I love you too. Please review everyone.

Enjoy!

Hours past, and soon a silent, grievous night had fallen over Verona. Mercutio was examined and taken to the hospital in secret, by his own request. His voice was thin and peaked as he was still in a great deal of pain. Nonetheless, he had requested it with concern. They carried him to the hospital under a black blanket; those who saw him being carried thought him a corpse. No one in Verona wept for Tybalt like they wept for Mercutio. Tybalt had been proud and handsome and an extraordinary fighter, but those who had heard of what he had done to Allegra were relieved. Only the Capulets cried for him. All in Verona knew Mercutio. The news of his death spread like the plague he had cast on the houses of Montague and Capulet, and had he known this, he would have said they had deserved it.

It was they who had nearly killed him. It was the ancient feud that had stabbed him, not Tybalt. The feud had plagued Verona enough for all those years, and it was the feud Mercutio wanted to forget about. This was how far the war had come! It left Allegra disowned, Mercutio almost dead, and Tybalt dead. This is what fair Verona had come to. Mercutio could not stay.

Benvolio, Allegra, Bruna, and Valentine were the only ones in Verona who knew Mercutio had a chance to live, other than the good people of the hospital. Word of Mercutio's 'death' had spread as soon as Benvolio had overreacted and announced Mercutio was already dead. Mercutio's noble parents, as well as the rest of the royal family, had heard Mercutio was dead as soon as it was supposed to have happened, and cried for him along with the rest of Verona. Valentine and Bruna were already in tears when Allegra found him.

They sat in a small room outside the room where Mercutio was nursed. Valentine and Benvolio had talked alone all night, and Valentine sat curled up in a ball with his head resting on his knees. Benvolio sometimes squeezed Allegra's hand, and Allegra and Bruna commiserated, though Bruna did most of the crying, as Mercutio was the son she never had. Allegra kept her head down and her eyes wide.

They sat there, in that little room with chipping walls and weak wooden benches, until half past five in the morning. Valentine had fallen asleep, and occasionally woke up and burst into tears, which made Bruna weep as well. All of them were freezing inside, terrified of that moment to come, the moment they found out whether Mercutio lived or not. Any moment, a nurse could walk out and tell them a miracle or a tragedy had occurred. Valentine cursed Tybalt until he ran out of breath, and Bruna clung to Allegra. Allegra and Benvolio had thought it best not to tell Valentine and Bruna about Allegra's news. They did not want them to cry any harder.

After hours and hours that were soaked with tears and drenched with worry, a kind, wrinkled old nurse came out of the door. Allegra and the others all jumped onto their feet. The old woman's face was so unclear they all thought they would go mad.

"Which one of you gentlewomen," she said in a relaxed tone, "is the Allegra Signor Mercutio speaketh of so fondly?"

Bruna tapped Allegra with slow and trembling hands.

"Ay, of course," the woman said as Allegra stumbled over her curtsy. "I might have guessed. He had said Allegra's hair was golden."

"I pray thee, good lady, I am Mercutio's brother," Valentine said. "Doth he live?"

The woman smiled calmly. Allegra wanted to scream. This woman's smile mocked her, even though she was sure it was not meant to. She grabbed Benvolio's hand and squeezed it as hard as she could. Anger and annoyance began to tear away from her control and spill out her mouth, and she was just about to scream when the door opened behind the old woman.

At first, she heard nothing but Bruna sighing and Benvolio bursting into what sounded like laughter. Valentine ran to Mercutio and threw his arms around him, crying again. Mercutio looked no different than he had before he was stabbed. He was fully clothed and standing up straight, grinning smugly as though nothing had changed.

"Now, young sir, I pray thee, be gentle with thy noble brother," said the old nurse.

"I pray thee, I feel fine," Mercutio said. Benvolio tripped onto him and embraced him. "Ben, Ben!" he laughed, separating himself from Benvolio. "I pray thee, let us be men."

Benvolio's fists were clenched, and tears were dripping down his nose. "Thou art a child," he choked. Mercutio looked confused at this, but then smiled. It was the first time the two friends had embraced each other with this kind of affection.

Holding her hands on her heart and staring at her feet, Allegra struggled to hold onto her breath; she panted. She looked up to see everyone on top of Mercutio, and wept. She wept twice as hard as she had the day before, twice as hard as she had the night she had been kidnapped, twice as hard as she had when Tybalt had tried to kill her, twice as hard as she had that day when she was eleven years old - the day she had first seen him and wept when she realized he did not know her. She wept like an infant, until she felt she could no longer hold herself up and fell onto her knees. As soon as she had calmed down, she realized he had wrapped his arms around her, and she laid her head on his chest. His heart was beating as rapidly as ever.

He helped her stand up. Bruna rushed to him and squeezed him around the middle, after giving him a wet kiss on the forehead.

"Oh, Master Mercutio, thou livest, thou darling sir! Thou art a man, such a man, I am sorry for losing faith in thee, so sorry! Oh, my good sir, my strong sir, thou!"

Mercutio looked at Allegra, and they both smiled. "Bruna, there is still a scar here that they have sewed up. 'Twill cause a problem shouldst thou break it open again."

Benvolio shook his head. Valentine, whose face was still very red, laughed.

"Oh, I will not squeeze thee again, good Mercutio," Bruna said, cupping Mercutio's face in her hands.

"Doth it hurt at all?" Benvolio asked. Allegra would have asked the same thing before anyone else, but she felt so good inside, she was afraid she would cry again if she tried to speak.

"What? That little mark on my gut?" Mercutio waved his hand. "Pssh. I have sniffed cheese that could give a man more pain than that coward of a scar. It shall never hurt again."

"Did it hurt when they cured thee?" Valentine asked eagerly as all five of them sat down on the bench.

"I did not feel it," Mercutio replied with a shrug. "I was asleep. Though I dreamt I was holding a peach and a sword was poking me -" "Ah," Benvolio said. "- and when 'twas finished I woke in pain again. They thought 'twas then that I was going to die." Mercutio smiled. "They were wrong."

"Oh!" Bruna said. "Thou lookest so ill, Master Mercutio. Anyone would guess thou wert nearly slain. I must feed thee up."

"Ay." Mercutio, who hated the mere idea of being treated like a child, stood as something occurred to him. "But we must not make any more plans. There is still the question of how much longer we can stay in Verona, what with everyone thinking I am dead, and Allegra with child."

"WHAT?" Bruna screamed, and Valentine echoed her.

"Did she not tell thee?" Mercutio asked. By now, the old nurse had curtsied and left.

Bruna squealed in delight. She held herself back from squeezing Allegra.

"Mercutio," said Benvolio, "Romeo was banished for the murder of Tybalt."

Allegra mumbled something that sounded like, "Juliet". No one knew what she meant, so it was ignored.

"I was hurt under Romeo's arm," Mercutio said, crossing his arms.

Benvolio was expecting him to say just that. "But, Mercutio - if we are to leave Verona, as thou dost wish - can we not seek Romeo out?"

Mercutio sighed. "Nay. We must let my cousin the Prince's word be final. 'Twas the feud that killed me -"

"Thou art alive," Benvolio said.

"- 'twas the feud that scarred me, then!" Mercutio said firmly. "Benvolio, I will leave Verona. Unless thou dost choose to stay with the rest of Verona and pretend I am dead, thou shalt join me."

"I - I - leave Verona?" Benvolio stammered. "Thou shalt run away?"

"I want no part of it any longer," Mercutio said, frowning. "Didst thou not tell me every day how the feud had to end? Let it end or let it drag on for eternity, I am leaving. Now, wilt thou or wilt thou not come?"

"Pardon me, good Mercutio?" Bruna asked. "Leave Verona? What will thy noble parents think?"

"They will think me dead," Mercutio said. "As doth everyone else in Verona."

"And Allegra's family?" Valentine asked.

Benvolio nudged Valentine, telling him to speak no further, but Mercutio plainly said, "Allegra hath no family any more."

"Must thou say it as thou 'tis not a serious matter?" Benvolio screwed up his face.

"Must thou speak so loudly? The baby can hear thee." Mercutio gestured to Allegra.

Benvolio scoffed. "I would think thou wouldst care more for Allegra."

"What?" Mercutio cried.

"Well, art thou sure Allegra doth want to leave as much as thou dost? And art thou sure she doth want to be reminded of how her family no longer doth want her?"

"Yes." Mercutio was glaring. "I am sure."

"Oh? Really." Benvolio glared just as hard. "As sure as thou wert about Allegra's age?"

Mercutio froze. "What dost thou mean?"

"Mercutio, leaving Verona as quickly as thou wishest is a dangerous idea! Wilt thou ever think before thou dost move?"

"We are thinking now, Benvolio! Shall we go or shall we stay?"

"I know not!"

"I pray thee, gentlemen, do not shout anymore!" Bruna begged, but Mercutio held up a finger for silence.

"Is this too difficult for thee?" Mercutio snapped. "If we are going to go, thou art succeeding greatly in slowing us down!"

"Not everyone doth wish to move as quickly as thou dost!" Benvolio yelled. "Not all of us wish to go! Thou knowest not if Allegra can go, in her condition! Thou dost not even know if Allegra doth wish to go!"

"Ay, I know she doth wish to go!" Mercutio protested.

"How?" Benvolio asked, crossing his arms.

Mercutio did not answer right away. "I, uh - well, I asked her weeks ago, and she did not object!"

"That was before thou gave her a child," Benvolio spat, "and now she is with child, thou dost not know if she doth wish to stay!"

"Well, neither dost thou!"

"Then ask her!"

"Ay! I will ask her! Allegra, my darling, my only love, my beautiful Allegra, what dost thou wish to do, stay or leave?… Allegra?"

Allegra was not listening. Another sound had caught her attention some time ago. She found herself frozen, and ran as the sound swelled and the voices she knew so well created a harmony she had feared she would never hear again. She ran and left the little room, and Mercutio followed.

"Allegra - Allegra - where art thou going?" he called. He chased her down every hall, but she did not seem to hear him.