Keeper Of Peace

Chapter Two - Rude Awakening

There was a hole in her heart, a hollow feeling in her stomach and a weird taste in her mouth. She didn't want to open her eyes, but the fact that she heard classical music from somewhere revived her instantly. Jonathan, she thought. But then, of course, reality hit, and it hit her so hard tears sprung to her eyes. She threw her legs over the edge of the bed anyways, standing up, albeit wobbly, and making her way into the living room. Where he was sitting on the couch in a bright red shirt, and reading a book.

"What are you doing here?" While not as threatening as she hoped, she still sounded reasonably pissed off.

"Reading." Nathaniel didn't even look up.

"And why?"

"'Cause I like a good book."

She could have strangled him right then and there. "And why on God's Earth are you doing that in my living room and not in yours?"

That got his attention. Not in a good way though, because he looked positively scary. "Well, first of all, because all I have on this side of the country is a crappy hotel room and secondly because you passed out on me. Right in the parking lot of a bloody restaurant! What was I supposed to do, go in there and scream for help? Call an ambulance?"

"You brought me home?"

"Of course I did!" he shouted. "I'm not as bad as you make me out to be, you know?"

She didn't know what to say to that. He'd brought her home, really? And he'd...

"Wait. Why am I in my jim-jams?"

He chortled. "Really, jim-jams? You still say that?"

"Why. Am. I. In. My-"

"Okay! Whoah, okay? Because that dress looked immensely uncomfortable, that's why."

"So you undressed me."

He rolled his eyes at that. "Yes. Now can we get over it? You're twenty-two years old, there's no need to fret."

"You took my dress off!"

"Exactly! Just the dress. Don't get your knickers in a bunch." He didn't look like that was all he had to say, as if he was reigning himself in. Which was a nice thing, in and of itself, if it weren't just because... because of what happened.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, and this time her voice betrayed just how close she was to breaking out in tears.

"Listen, I..." But he stopped himself, didn't really seem to know what to say.

"Go away!"

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay!" he burst out.

That shut her up, and her stomach clenched. "Why?"

"Because you damn well passed out on me, that's why! Not to neglect the fact that my brother died and everyone seems to think you're responsible! I'm not heartless, you know?"

"I... and you really think I didn't do it?"

"Jesus, no. I mean, yes, of course. I saw how you were around him. You'd sooner have killed your mother. Or me, for that matter."

Now the tears really spilled. It was all just too much: Jonathan gone, the suspicions, all those scavengers trailing after her... and now the first person to show any sort of compassion was the one guy whom she'd ever hated.

Nathaniel, for a fact, looked like he was feeling highly uncomfortable, like he didn't know whether to hug her, pat her back, or just shrug her tears off. He settled for a helpless look with pleading eyes which really, really made her want to go over there and throw herself into his arms, because he looked so much like Jonathan.