"You know you're only hurting the people around by this constant distrust," He argued and Lily sighed.
"I'm not constantly distrusting people, first. Most the people I've met Uriel deserve to be distrusted for second. You may not see that Mr. Turn the Other Cheek Angel with the rose tinted glasses but I live in the real world. People lie, trick, steal, use, and abandon more than they tell the truth, be charitable, help, and stay around!" She snapped at him and James was no different. As soon as the full moon was over, he was gone. He said goodbye to everyone but her. It's not that she needed James to say goodbye, but it was just one more piece of evidence James didn't really ever feel attracted to her.
Uriel gave her a look like he wanted to argue, but she spoke up first. "I like my life just how it is! I don't want friends, I don't want more family than I already have, and I do not want to "share my life" with anyone ever," Lily demanded. "Thanks for the advice but I don't need it," She told him and was relieved when she saw her taxi arrived. "Goodbye Uriel," she told him walking to the taxi.
Lily now stood before the Robert's house. She was back home, but it didn't seem the same. So many happy memories came to her mind but soon after followed the bad ones too. She wasn't even sure if she was welcome home anymore, after all, Andrew did declare she was a rogue. Part of her expected to come home and find everything back to what it was like before.
That she'd walk through that door to find the powerful alpha and her father being pushed out of the kitchen by Sandy because he was picking at the dinner, she was preparing while Tony and Liz hanging out on the porch. He'd ask her about his day and Liz would wrap her arms around him as a sign of possession, but she would try to be friendly. But most of all she wanted to find Lacy locked away in her room with Chris like they always were.
"Hello Lily," Andrew spoke and Lily was surprised to find him standing before her.
"Hello Andrew," she replied then swallowed nervously as she tried to spy some indications on how the man was feeling towards her.
"Are you going to come here and give me a hug or what," he demanded with a smile. Lily returned it rushing over to him and hugging him tightly. "Things may never go back to the way they were but that doesn't mean, that we can't be happy again," he whispered into her hair. She simply nodded and relaxed against him with the feeling of warmth and safety that only he had ever been able to give her and smiled glad to find that not everything had changed.
She looked up at her father with the intention to apologize once more for running off like she did, but he stopped her. "There will be time to talk young lady, for now, let's go inside. Everyone is dying to see you," he told her with a tone of authority and she nodded.
The next few hours were spent at the dinner table eating one of Sandy's gloriously delicious meals. James was there, staying in the guest bedroom until he decided what he wanted to do. Or at least, that was what Andrew told her because James didn't speak three words to her or even really look in her direction.
Tony explained to her about the shift of power from Andrew to him and Lily looked over at Andrew. He was looking very proud as he listened to Tony. She smiled as she saw the powerful man she knew as father had returned. He may not be the alpha anymore, but he seemed happy and back to his old self again. Once Tony finished, he exchanged look with Liz, who suddenly had a large ear to ear grin clearing her throat.
"Tony and I wanted to let you all know that six months we will be expecting our first," she announced.
"Oh my finally my first grandbaby," Sandy cheered leaning over and crushing Liz in a hug.
"About time you make me an aunt," Lily teased. "This is awesome Liz! I am so happy for you both; you're going to be an awesome mother! Just like Sandy, I am sure," she told the brunette. Liz looked at her a little shocked then suddenly hugged Lily.
Lily gave her brother a thumbs up noticing he rubbed his shoulder painfully from the hard slap of congratulations James had given him. "Well," Tony started, still rubbing his shoulder and looking at James. "I think this is a good time for me to officially invite you to stay James. I am going to need someone to be my beta," he told him.
Lily felt her smile fall a little. She looked at her plate not wanting to look at James. She wasn't sure how she wanted him to answer. He wouldn't stay, Lily thought to herself. Why would he? This hadn't been his home for years and he didn't have any family. He'd probably just go back to what he was doing before all this happened.
"What about the pack?" James asked him with uncertainty and Tony told him not to worry about it.
"After that day in the woods when Lily was taken, everyone realized you weren't the person you were when you were a kid James. Most don't have any problems with you staying and those who do will learn to deal with it," Tony told him with a matter fact tone. James looked unsure and Lily was, even more, convinced that he wouldn't stay.
"Alright I'll stay," he told Tony and Lily looked up at him confused for a second then back down at her plate. As much as she tried not to part of her was glad that he was staying. Damn, she swore silently. This wasn't good, she'd have to get her own place as soon as possible! "But I will only be your Beta until Chris returns. He was your beta first and I won't take that from him," James added and Tony agreed.
As soon as Chris gave Andrew and Sandy Lacy's body he left. Didn't say where he was going or when he would be back. Lily wondered where Chris was and how he was doing, she hoped he was alright. She started to toy with the idea of leaving herself. Lily had never really been outside of the town before; maybe it was time to change that.
Lily stayed with Andrew and Sandy a few days but moved quickly back to her old apartment, that was now good as new after the aftermath of the fight between James and Kyle's beasts fought each other. It only took her a day to get moved in and now that she was in her own space. She didn't see James except on Sundays when she went over to the Roberts's for dinner, but they kept their distance. She tried not to let it bother her but on some level, she wasn't sure why, it did bother her.
The crime lab where she worked had indeed closed, and everyone was gone so possibilities of it opening were close to none. She had gone to the police station to ask them about their forensic team, but they didn't have a specialized forensic team. Some of the officers had forensic training that assumed their forensic team and the fat witch Detective Scott repeated very loudly and several times, that there was no place in that department for someone like her. Lily wasn't sure what the woman meant by that since she was human and clueless to what Lily really was.
It had been a month since James and she had returned. James apparently got an apartment on the other side of town and was working with one of the pack members in some carpenter thing while Lily's bank account was getting dangerously low. She had gone to the University where she studied as well, but they wouldn't hire her since she had no official training as a teacher's aide and wasn't enrolled there anymore, minimum wage jobs were all taken by teenagers, there were no factories around there either.
With an angry growl Lily pushed herself to run faster, running was about the only constructive thing that kept her from really flipping out. Tears of bitter, frustrated anger stung her eyes. It wasn't fair, after all, she had been through she was going to end up a dirty bum on the side of the street. She growled more and ran faster pushing herself to the limit. Why was everyone able to pick up like nothing had happened while she was slowly losing everything?
Lily panted as her legs wobbled from exhaustion as she approached her car... which she was even starting to debate selling. "Um excuse me are you Lily Nawassa?" A woman asked and Lily turned to see a small mousey looking woman. Her reddish brown hair was pulled loosely in a messy ponytail and her light brown eyes flecked with darker brown shined. Lily discreetly sniffed in her direction, she was a vampire. Lily nodded, panting from her run.
"Great," the woman said actually looking happy. "I'm Veronica Holloway," she added holding out her pale hand that Lily took hesitantly. "Ms. Nawassa I'm-" Veronica started.
"Call me Lily, I hate when people call me Ms. Nawassa," Lily told her with a small smile which the mousey woman returned happily.