FIC: Soft Words to Light the Darkness
Title: Soft Words to Light the Darkness
Author: calis_1st
Rating: G
Characters: Neal, Elizabeth.
Spoilers: None
Word count: ~ 600
Disclaimer: Characters are all from the brilliant mind of Jeff Eastin. Thanks!
Summary: Neal, Elizabeth, trapped in a storage unit as a result of a raid with an unexpected outcome.
Note: This was originally written for the LAS challenge beginning last fall. I think the prompt had something to do with "darkness" but I failed to write it down someplace easily accessible. Sorry.
Elizabeth was sore and uncomfortable when she woke up, tucked into a shoulder that was not Peter's. Her throat and eyes felt gritty. She pushed her hand against not-Peter's chest in an attempt to sit but hit her head on something solid halfway up. "Oww," she said instinctively and lay back down on the concrete floor.
" 'Liz'beth? You okay?" Something was off about the voice. Rough. Groggy. Slurred.
"Neal?"
"Hmmm. Is it dark in here?"
She moved her hand in front of her face, then touched her dusty eyelashes carefully. Eyes open, couldn't see a thing.
"Very dark," she said.
"Good. Thought I was blind for a minute."
"Neal, what happened?"
"Do you remember anything?"
"I was here at my business storage unit. You knocked at the door, called me 'hon,' said you were sorry you were late and that you had the car. I opened the door, you grabbed my arm, pushed me inside and closed the door. You told me Peter sent you, but you didn't say why. Then the lights went out, you pulled me into the corner and a few seconds later - this."
"Sorry, Elizabeth, hope I didn't hurt you."
"No, I was just surprised - by you being here, by you doing what you did. What's going on?"
"We and Organized Crime are following a new gang out of Panama. Very bad people. We were following the money, OC followed the guns. They got a bead on a meeting, set up a raid. Peter just learned it was here. Right above your unit." He paused and tried to clear his throat.
"Neal, are you alright?" She felt him shivering.
He ignored her question.
"Peter couldn't reach you, couldn't come himself. Gave me his keys. I - they had a couple guys patrolling down here. Had to make it look like you were expecting me."
She heard him cough, then groan.
She suddenly remembered how he had wrapped himself around her as he pushed her down.
"You were protecting me," she said softly.
"Expected shooting after we cut the power. Didn't think they'd blow up their own guns."
Neal hadn't moved at all. In the dark, dust-filled space, Elizabeth heard only his labored breathing.
"Neal, please tell me the truth - how badly are you hurt?"
She reached up cautiously and found an area above her left shoulder where she could sit upright. He still hadn't answered her.
"Neal?" For the first time her voice was edged with panic.
"Enough," he finally said.
She found a few feet of mostly clear space and explored with her fingers until she touched fabric. Neal hissed. She jerked her hand back, fingers sticky where she had touched his slacks,
"I'm sorry, Neal, I'm sorry, I think you're bleeding."
"Ummm, 's okay." He focused on breathing. "Elizabeth? Could you find that spot again? Pull up - see if my tracker still works?"
Carefully, very carefully, she found the side of his leg with her fingers and ghosted them down toward his ankle until they hit metal - the collapsed shelving unit that was pinning Neal's legs. She crawled around it and saw the tiny green beacon that he couldn't.
"It's a beautiful sight," she whispered.
"Peter'll find us. Always does," he slurred. " 'Liz'beth - still here?"
"Where else would I be?" She was afraid for him. His voice had gotten weaker and he was shivering harder. She found and gently held his hand, speaking softly to him in the darkness.
Ten minutes later they heard the start of their rescue; in an hour they were outside under the dusky sky.
"Peter," Neal said hoarsely from a stretcher, pulling the oxygen mask down to speak, "remember when I first met Elizabeth, said she was amazing?"
Peter nodded, tightly embracing his wife.
"She really, really is."
Thanks for reading.
Author: calis_1st
Rating: G
Characters: Neal, Elizabeth.
Spoilers: None
Word count: ~ 600
Disclaimer: Characters are all from the brilliant mind of Jeff Eastin. Thanks!
Summary: Neal, Elizabeth, trapped in a storage unit as a result of a raid with an unexpected outcome.
Note: This was originally written for the LAS challenge beginning last fall. I think the prompt had something to do with "darkness" but I failed to write it down someplace easily accessible. Sorry.
Elizabeth was sore and uncomfortable when she woke up, tucked into a shoulder that was not Peter's. Her throat and eyes felt gritty. She pushed her hand against not-Peter's chest in an attempt to sit but hit her head on something solid halfway up. "Oww," she said instinctively and lay back down on the concrete floor.
" 'Liz'beth? You okay?" Something was off about the voice. Rough. Groggy. Slurred.
"Neal?"
"Hmmm. Is it dark in here?"
She moved her hand in front of her face, then touched her dusty eyelashes carefully. Eyes open, couldn't see a thing.
"Very dark," she said.
"Good. Thought I was blind for a minute."
"Neal, what happened?"
"Do you remember anything?"
"I was here at my business storage unit. You knocked at the door, called me 'hon,' said you were sorry you were late and that you had the car. I opened the door, you grabbed my arm, pushed me inside and closed the door. You told me Peter sent you, but you didn't say why. Then the lights went out, you pulled me into the corner and a few seconds later - this."
"Sorry, Elizabeth, hope I didn't hurt you."
"No, I was just surprised - by you being here, by you doing what you did. What's going on?"
"We and Organized Crime are following a new gang out of Panama. Very bad people. We were following the money, OC followed the guns. They got a bead on a meeting, set up a raid. Peter just learned it was here. Right above your unit." He paused and tried to clear his throat.
"Neal, are you alright?" She felt him shivering.
He ignored her question.
"Peter couldn't reach you, couldn't come himself. Gave me his keys. I - they had a couple guys patrolling down here. Had to make it look like you were expecting me."
She heard him cough, then groan.
She suddenly remembered how he had wrapped himself around her as he pushed her down.
"You were protecting me," she said softly.
"Expected shooting after we cut the power. Didn't think they'd blow up their own guns."
Neal hadn't moved at all. In the dark, dust-filled space, Elizabeth heard only his labored breathing.
"Neal, please tell me the truth - how badly are you hurt?"
She reached up cautiously and found an area above her left shoulder where she could sit upright. He still hadn't answered her.
"Neal?" For the first time her voice was edged with panic.
"Enough," he finally said.
She found a few feet of mostly clear space and explored with her fingers until she touched fabric. Neal hissed. She jerked her hand back, fingers sticky where she had touched his slacks,
"I'm sorry, Neal, I'm sorry, I think you're bleeding."
"Ummm, 's okay." He focused on breathing. "Elizabeth? Could you find that spot again? Pull up - see if my tracker still works?"
Carefully, very carefully, she found the side of his leg with her fingers and ghosted them down toward his ankle until they hit metal - the collapsed shelving unit that was pinning Neal's legs. She crawled around it and saw the tiny green beacon that he couldn't.
"It's a beautiful sight," she whispered.
"Peter'll find us. Always does," he slurred. " 'Liz'beth - still here?"
"Where else would I be?" She was afraid for him. His voice had gotten weaker and he was shivering harder. She found and gently held his hand, speaking softly to him in the darkness.
Ten minutes later they heard the start of their rescue; in an hour they were outside under the dusky sky.
"Peter," Neal said hoarsely from a stretcher, pulling the oxygen mask down to speak, "remember when I first met Elizabeth, said she was amazing?"
Peter nodded, tightly embracing his wife.
"She really, really is."
Thanks for reading.