The Real Ghostbusters

46: The Truth

"Where is she?" I heard someone asked outside the door. He had a deep voice and when I looked up I saw he had Ellis' hair color, but his hair was cut and much short than his. He looked a lot like Ellis, but his eyes were a light green, not blue. I knew who he was; he was my father. Dad looked up and saw the room and smiled inside. His smile faded when he saw Natalie. They guys left for a case, but Louis, Ellis, and I stayed. Janine said she couldn't take seeing Natalie like this anymore and left. 

"My girl!" Mom cried walking in quickly after Dad. Mom grabbed her other hand I wasn't holding. Louis stood up for them. Dad sat down next to Mom and looked at Natalie's face, then at me. 

"What happened?" he asked me. I sighed. 

"She was in the lab working-" I started, but Dad interrupted. 

"The lab?" he asked. I nodded. "I see. So she caused another explosion?" 

"Well it was an explosion," I answered. 

"Of course. She caused this on herself." 

"What? No!" 

"No?" 

"It was my fault Dad. She didn't have anything to do with this." 

"You caused the explosion?" Mom asked me, her eyes sad. I sighed again. 

"No. There was a demon that was trying to get me to do something. I didn't think that what his threats on Natalie would be true. He caused this to happen, but it was my fault it happened." 

"How do you know that it wasn't Natalie?" Dad asked me. 

"She wouldn't mess up like this. She hasn't cause an explosion when working!" I was getting angry. Why was he trying to blame Natalie for this? She didn't have a thing to do with this. 

"Yes she has," he told me calmly. "You were there to see it." 

"She didn't cause that one," I said calmly also. "I did." 

"What?" 

"I spilled one of her chemicals and I didn't tell her. It was my fault that she failed, it was my fault that she got fired, and it was my fault she couldn't fix it. I caused it on her, and she took the blame for it. I could have been the one to get the blame and loss everything to my name. Yet she took the blame for everything." 

"Why?" Ellis asked. "Why would she do that?" 

I looked down at Natalie. The question was one I asked her for so long, but the only answer I ever got was her laughter and telling me that I didn't need to know. She never told me, but I knew she had a reason to do it. 

"You are the one who caused that?" Dad asked me. I nodded. I knew I was going to be in a lot of trouble from them. But if Natalie was never going to wake up again, our family needed to know the truth. I was still holding her hand when I felt a little pressure. I didn't say a word, but I knew that Natalie wasn't completely gone yet. 

"Egon, why wouldn't you tell us?" Mom asked me. 

"She told me to tell no one. I was just doing what she told me to do. I feel awful for it." 

"I yelled at her for it," Dad whispered. He started to rub his temples, not really looking anywhere. "I didn't help her. Oh my poor baby." He started patting Natalie's cheek. I thought I saw Natalie give a small smile, but either it was gone quickly or I didn't see it at all. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so,so sorry." 

"She's a really good chemist," I told him. "Louis can agree with that." Dad looked up at Louis who gave a small wave, then looked down. 

"Who's Louis?" Dad asked. 

"It's Louis Tully," he answered. "I'm the Ghostbusters accountant and Natalie's..." 

"Natalie's?" Mom asked him. Louis was quite for a while. 

"Boyfriend." 

"You're her what?" Ellis asked, protective big brother has he was. 

"He's a good guy," I answered before they could kill him. "He won't hurt her like David did." 

"Is she happy?" Dad asked and both Louis and I nodded. He smiled. "Then I'm happy about it. I just wish she could have told me." 

"Well I'll leave you guys alone with her," Louis said leaving. I smiled a bit. Louis was never one to try and stay around conflict unless he had to.

"Will she be okay?" Mom asked me. 

"If I do what the demon wants me to do, he will let her go," I answered sadly. "Yet I don't know if she would want me to do that." 

"Natalie?" Dad asked and I nodded. 

"She almost killed herself trying to trap him. No, she did kill herself to trap him. She told me that she didn't want me to try and save her by doing something I didn't feel was right. But letting her die like this just doesn't seem right to me, and bending to Ligen's will doesn't feel right either. I don't know what to do." 

"What do you think Natalie would say?" 

"'Do whatever you think is best. I don't care if it hurts me, just do what you think is right Egon.' Yet what I think is best would leave Natalie like this forever." 

"What would she say to that?" 

"'Stop trying to be my knight Egon and do it. I'll be fine and I won't care.' But she doesn't understand." 

"Now tell me what your sister would do if it was you in that bed and her trying to figure it out." 

"She would think about other ways to stop Ligen and do what he says has a last option. She wouldn't let me die, but she wouldn't do what he says." 

"Then maybe instead of trying to figure this out your way, maybe doing it the way Natalie does it will work. She may not be the smartest gal in the world, but she does know what to do when needed." 

"Thanks Dad," I said standing up. I think I had an idea on how to stop Ligen and free Natalie from her prison of mind. I heard him say you're welcome, but the plan was ringing in my ear. I knew what to do. I could do it. I just needed some help from my friends. 

I wonder what Egon has up his selves. Really, I don't know what it is. But poor Natalie, right? I mean her dad pretty much just said he was sorry for yelling at her, and she can't say anything back. I really do feel sad. Peace out my Stars!