Previously on "Enlightenment"

       This is love, it has to be. What else could this feeling in the pit of his stomach be?

       But now, shes dead. She has to be, its what his gut feeling told him. Or, could his gut be saying something else? Maybe she is alive, he hasn't kept up with the news long enough to know.

       For now, he will stay hopeful that he will be able to see her beautiful brown eyes and award winning smile once more.

___________

       DOCTORS AND NURSES SURROUND Natalya's hospital bed. She lays there, pale and sickly, dead to the world.

       "Clear!"

       Her body jolts at the touch of the electricity. It was the third time they did this, each time at a higher power. They waited for a few minutes, but her heart didn't start up again. They were going to give up, she wasn't going to live.

       Slowly, they all start to clean up the mess they made. Mrs. Roman crying in Joe's arms --who came as soon as he heard Natalya flat-lined-- outside of the room.

       Suddenly, almost as it Natalya could sense everyone's sadness, her heart started again. The electricity taking a moment to affect her.

       The doctors and nurses sprung into action, determined to keep this young woman alive so she could live her life to the fullest.

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       Mick barged into the warehouse, beyond angry now. If she is dead, then the whole city is. He only knows one person who would help him, his lifelong best friend, Leonard Snart, a fellow criminal.

       "Snart!" Mick calls out, his new heat-gun in his hand as he stomps through the warehouse. Snart had gone to him before, asking for his help, which is coming up in a couple of weeks.

       "Mick, what do I owe this pleasure?" Leonard walks over, his face dead serious.

       Dead

       "I want this whole city to burn,"

       "I can't let you do that," Leonard replies, his voice laced with poison.

       "She's dead, they let her die, Snart. They deserve to die!" Mick pins him against a wall, yelling in his face. He is truly angry, angry at the hospital for not saving his love.

       Leonard stares into his eyes, trying to read him. See how he could calm down the man that stood up for him since they were fourteen. Though, he soon realized that the Mick in front of him isn't the same Mick as before. This man in front of him has a heart. Something he cares for that isn't fire.

       In that moment, Leonard knew only one thing for certain: Mick is in love, and once you fall into that hole, you never crawl back up.

       Knowing him, Leonard knew that Mick would never abandoned Natalya, hell, he would put a ring on her finger before they even kissed. Well, if they ever got the chance to kiss.

       "Let go of me, and we'll talk," he finally speaks, after studying his friend for a hot minute.

       Mick lets go, still furious at the world. No one touches his girl, or his friends.

       While Leonard is fixing himself, Mick takes in his surroundings. Finally hearing the TV in the background playing the news.

       "--Natalya Roman is confirmed to be alive and recovering smoothly. "Surgery went splendidly," the lead surgeon on her case states, "and shes only had a few complications after the procedure, we predict she'll be healthy and well in a couple of months after some physical therapy." Now, onto you--" Mick cuts out the rest, his eyes slowly going wide.

      She is alive and well, still breathing, and for some reason, his heart aches, telling him that she is hanging on for him.

       For once in his life, he's glad his gut was wrong.

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       "--Mick, are you even listening?"

       "Hmm?" He snaps out of his thoughts, looking towards his criminal partner. Its been nearly an hour since he heard the news of his loves condition. He can't even pay attention to Leonard, his thoughts only plagued of the brunette care-giver.

       "Pay attention," Leonard huffs out, quickly become annoyed with his short attention span.

       Mick growls in response, not wanting to be told what to do. He's not really a team-player, he never has been.

       "As I was saying--" Leonard takes a dramatic pause before continuing, "--breaking into a jam-packed hospital will be hard to do--"

       "Not impossible--" Mick interrupts him.

       "--but risky," Leonard finishes, a satisfied smirk resting on his face. At times, the trademark Snart smirk can annoy him, luckily, this isn't one of those times.

       "Can I shoot anyone that's in the way?"

       "No."

       Mick glowers at Leonard, irritated that he can't end anyone's life, one of the things he's so very good at.

       "And why not?"

       "You know the rules, we don't kill unless absolutely necessary, understand?" Leonard sends his friend a glare, not wanting to be questioned on this matter at the time being.

       "Fine," Mick huffs, rolling his eyes, "I need a beer."

       "In the fridge," he replies without missing a beat. He watches as his friend that's head over heels in love with Natalya Roman, leave and disappear into the kitchen.

       Leonard lets his mind roam free for a moment, only a moment... in that moment, he thinks something he will soon utterly regret.

       If Mick can find love... could I?

      His face shoots into a grimace. He doesn't need love, and he never will. Love will get in the way on missions, make him turn good and abandon a games he's oh-so-good at.

       Besides, hes seen what love can do. He watched it happen with his own father, his father did once love his children, until everything went south.

       Leonard doesn't want that, he can't risk the possibility that he will turn out like his father.

       I break everything I touch...

       Maybe, Leonard Snart will have a change of heart in the near future, when a certain blue-eyed, white haired hero gets in his way.

       Jenny Cold may be the only solution that will thaw Captain Colds heart. Unfortunately, that's a story for another day...

       "Snart, I got what Rory asked for," the voice of one of his recruits snaps Leonard out of his troubling thoughts.

       The recruit tosses the small, black velvet box over to his boss when he sees hes got his attention.

       Leonard catches it with ease, he twitches his head to the left, sending the goon a look, and with that, the recruit leaves.

       Glancing back towards the kitchen to see Mick still preoccupied, he snaps open the box. To be honest, he can't believe what he saw. 

       He knew Mick gave strict instructions on how and where to get a piece of jewelry he wanted to give to Natalya, and he honestly expected it to be what he sees...

       Still, see it in person shocks Leonard, he finally realizes that he may be losing his partner, friend, his brother... Most importantly, he may be gaining a sister...

       For what he sees, is a ruby and diamond encrusted engagement ring on a silver band. Mick is going to propose, before even truly dating Natalya Roman. If Leonard didn't know what true love was, then he knows now.

       A small smile rests on his lips, snapping the case closed. A thought passes through his head, something that made him chuckle:

       He's probably only proposing to the love of his life because he doesn't want anyone else to flirt with her.  

       How funny indeed, even though Micks attempt is futile, if a person is desperate enough --or just oblivious-- they'll hit on her anyway.

       Finally, what feels like ages, Mick enters the living room in the abandoned warehouse once more, handing an open beer with one hand, and a pizza box in another, a bread stick hanging from his lips.

       Classic Mick, always thinking with his stomach.

       Mick sets his beer and pizza box on the coffee table, taking the mostly-eaten bread stick out of his mouth. His eyes trail down to the black box in Leonard's hands.

      "Gimme," he snatches it out of his friends hands, not even waiting for a response.

      Leonard watches with amusement as Mick snaps open the case to see the ring. Even with his blank expression, Leonard knew that Mick is happy with what he got.

       Finally, he asks a question he's been dying to ask, "Are you proposing to her so people know shes taken?"

       Mick simply grunts in response, letting Leonard know he is correct. Knowing this fact made him chuckle lowly.

       She won't say yes, but he doesn't say this out-loud. Mick is a hothead, and makes rash, angry decisions without even thinking. It's dangerous to be on a team with Mick, let alone a friend, or wife in her case. Hell, if they have kids, Micks outbursts are going to end up hurting someone.

       He shoots a glance towards his friend who is still memorized by the ring. Mick looks up, and simply nods, not needing to speak to know what Leonard wants. He snaps the velvet case shut and shoves it in his pocket.

      His hand reaches down to his pizza, taking a slice and stuffing it into his mouth, almost devouring the entire thing.

       With that, they begin to plan.

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       Natalya groans, shifting in the uncomfortable bed. She feels someones eyes one her, but she pays no mind to it, considering she is in a hospital. She continues to try and sleep, but her dreams of more rest is shattered when thoughts of Mick fill her mind. She could even hear his voice...

       Natalya--

      Nat, wake up...

       It's me, its Mick.

       "Goddammit, wake up woman!" Natalya is jolted awake when she feels someone slightly shove her shoulder, careful not to hurt her, which is luckily the case.

       "Mick...?" Her groggy voice echoes around the room, which is supposed to be empty.

       "Yeah," with his voice for confirmation, she opens her eyes to meet his blue eyes that she swears looks brown most of the time.

       Natalya smiles upon seeing her loves face, relieved that he found out she was alive. She feels a calloused hand hold her, she feels the hesitation, but she squeezes his hand, letting him relax into her touch as she relaxed into his.

       They stay like that for the next forty minutes, officially making it ten o'clock pm, on January 6th, 2015.

       Finally, after their voluntary silence, Natalya breaks it with a breathy laugh, "What in the hell are you wearing?"

       She looks him up and down, his janitor suit not suiting him one bit. Once her eyes reach his once more, she sees him bite his lip irritatedly.

       "How else do you think I got in here?"

       "I don't know, maybe you scaled the wall and crawled into the window like the true creeper you are," Natalya tries her best to shrug, but it stretches her side and causes a searing pain to erupt through her body, despite the heavy pain medication she is on.

       "I think your loopy," he utters out, not looking her in the eye, but staring at his hand that's fiddling with something in his left pocket.

       "What do you have there?" she asks ever so innocently, sending him a small smile in hopes he would tell her what it is, even though she knows he won't.

       A few seconds pass, then minutes, which turns into a half n' hour. She slowly becomes confused and concerned, considering his free hand is clenching onto her hand for dear life.

       "Natalya..." be begins, not knowing where to start with admitting his feelings for the small Russian woman laying in the hospital bed before him.

       With a low, guttural sound, he stands from his seat in a plush armchair beside her bed, letting go of her hand.

       She instantly feels the cold hitting her skin, making her shiver slightly.

       "Mick...?" she questions, not knowing what to take of the situation happening before her.

       Without saying another word, he smashes his lips on her, spilling his heart out to her using physical contact, not knowing how to put it into words. Pleasurable shivers run up and down her spine. Her lips dance with his. She shuts her eyes, letting out a low moan into his lips, her eyes slightly rolling back.

       Her hand wrapped around his neck, pulling him deeper into her, both of them trying equally hard not to hurt her. Mick pulls away with reluctance, upset that the sensation of her lips touching him is gone.

       Slowly, he sits back down in his chair and pulls out the little black velvet box, having Natalya's attention completely.

       The moment he opens it, her eyes go wide, and a small gasp erupts from her mouth.

       Mick didn't need to say anything, when a small squeak of an answer comes from her bruised lips.

       "Mick, I-I can't..."

____________

PLEASE EXCUSE/IGNORE ALL SPELLING AND GRAMMAR MISTAKES, THANK YOU!

Well.... oops.

Next chapter is the last chapter of the book, then all we have left is the epilogue and the boring, sappy authors note afterwards, yay!! Also, I was way to tired to go through and make sure everything looked alright with the editing, I would have done it tomorrow but I wanted to get the chapter out on time.

AGAIN, PLEASE EXCUSE/IGNORE ALL SPELLING AND GRAMMAR MISTAKES, THANK YOU!