Redhawk Caldera All my life I’ve been burdened by the dreams

She didn't rise at the words, or fling them back at him with righteous (and possibly deserved) anger.  For the first time since showing up, Colt caught the sense that maybe, maybe, they could fix this.  This whole time they'd joked as they had, but he hadn't really held hope.  Maybe she was as ready to move on as he was.

But once again, she was letting it happen.  Taking the blame for something that wasn't her fault, much as his idiot self had pinned it on her years ago.  Old habits die hard, and for as tough as his sister was, she could be a real numbskull sometimes.

"He was wrong.  Not you." Colt said firmly.  It came easily now from him, and he figured he'd known it from the start, though it had taken a good many months to sink in through the betrayal and pain.  Losing a best friend sucked, and losing him for such a shitty reason sucked moreso. "He was messed up.  I didn't realize it, but he was."  He'd blamed himself for a while after he stopped blaming her.  But now that was gone too.  He'd made his choice, and nothing they could have done would have changed it.  Not really.

"I've missed you, Frog," he said finally, quieter, looking at her.  They were so fucking old now.