It's been awhile since I've written for Re-Animator, but I could not be any more happy to bring you "Kissed by a Lily". :) While Dan has Meg and loves her very much, Herbert himself is focused on his demented research and does not want anything to do with a woman, as we know him - until he meets Dan's beautiful cousin, Lily. Unfortunately, she is newly married to someone else - and the mad little scientist himself has more problems with his experiments than just this girl who is slowly turning his being inside out.

Disclaimer: I do not own Re-Animator or its characters, except Lily.

Chapter One

Beginning of New Lives

Today was extremely difficult for Daniel Cain, the day before he was supposed to leave with his wonderful girlfriend and maybe-fiancée for Boston, to attend his cousin's wedding. It had been over a week since he and Herbert West returned from Peru after a five-month absence, following the chaos in the morgue - and the deaths of none other than Dr. Carl Hill and Dean Halsey, his would-have-been father-in-law. And just today, three people died, much more than the average amount a day for him. Meg tried to calm him with her infamous chamomile to no avail, and the sumptuous fish she made didn't help either.

He was laying on his bed, no shoes yet, and then the perfect timing of his name called. Meg had not been able to stop her bright grinning ever since she got the invite herself from Boston. She was carrying the last of what he would need for the trip, his favorite denim jacket, and a couple collared shirts, neatly folding them into his suitcase. She was wearing a soft gray sweater over a short pale pink dress, her short blonde hair placed with a headband printed leopard. Herbert was busy in the basement as usual, and he had no desire to run into Megan Halsey at all. You'd think when they first met - before the thing with Rufus, the death of her father and so on - they would get along. As for her in six months prior, she still hadn't forgiven him for the death of her father and everything else, even though she had grown to simply respect their "work" and keep her distance.

However, the tension between her and Dan was still present. He could never forget her words of her trying to hate him, how he didn't deserve her...it was too much, and sometimes he wondered if he did deserve her.

"Did you see what Lily sent us to wear at the wedding?"

Dan took notice of the two items - well, two of the same item - she had produced from her pocket. "My cousin sent us both corsages. How sweet," he said sarcastically, taking the one for him to pin on his shirt breast pocket on the day. Clever little Lily, always creating something by her own hands for everyone. She was the crafty one of the family, always sweet and smiling, hypersensitive to all sorts of criticism. Understandable with separated parents, one being a narcissistic, Irish-born mother, his aunt Breanna, who suffered bipolar disorders and whom she barely saw much anymore.

"Here. Let me." Meg's delicate fingers secured the corsage to his shirt collar without difficulty; hers was fastened around her left wrist. Lily's imagination had procured green and white orchids, finished with both glittery and satin green ribbons and beads for softness and bling. After fastening the pin, Meg leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek. However, it wasn't exactly completely warm, and her perfume didn't help either; citrusy and spicy with sweeter notes as it was. "She's going to love that her masterpieces worked wonders."

"Yeah," Dan agreed, though his mind was elsewhere. Meg noticed this, and just like that, she slipped into the impatience mode. Women.

"Dan, while we are gone for three days, can you please not think too much about these experiments of yours and West's? You and I haven't seen each other for five months, and your cousin's wedding is the first time you get to have real fun away from West."

"Megan, believe me, I will have fun," Dan argued, the warmth of discussion about Lily Cain's wedding forgotten. "West can live without me for just three days."

She snorted. "You two shouldn't do this at all. This is disgusting and out of the world, as I told you in the beginning."

"Why can't you see what we're trying to do?!" He was suddenly on his feet and looking down at her. "This is what Dr. Gruber had theorized and tried to do, what other doctors had tried to do forever before either of us was born - but West has DONE it!"

She was on her feet, screaming back at him. "And it never gets better! Think of that monster that killed Daddy, what Daddy was doing in that padded cell, and so forth! And what Hill did to me before you two even showed up!"

"But at least we escaped with our lives!"

"Our lives which were broken because of HIM! And what have you done? Gone to Peru because he wanted you to. What good has it done now? Whatever it is he is hiding in that basement that you two won't let me see?" It took several moments after that, each one feeling longer, before she calmed down and took a few deep breaths. "Which is why we should get away from all of this for a few days, do something normal for a change, try to get back to us. At least hang around normal people for awhile. No West, no zombies, no nothing of that."

~o~

He remembered the first day he came to this house, looking for a place to share, and the basement was the first thing he wanted to see; who could forget the suspicion most notably in Miss Halsey's face? Precisely why he loathed women; they were too prying. His shift ended earlier than usual today, which gave him the opportunity to begin the work of the re-agent mingled with what he and Dan uncovered while in Peru: the amniotic fluid of the rare Cuzco iguana, found deep in the jungles of the backwoods in midst of civil war.

He had paused for a break and came upstairs, then stopped where he was upon hearing voices down the hall. Pausing at Dan's closed bedroom door, he listened in on the latest heated berate between the happy couple.

"Megan, come on." Dan's voice was lowered; whereas it had been on the octave level of a monster tidal wave, now it was low to the level of soft winds. He could just picture him wrapping his arms around her. "You know I love you. I do care about other things besides the workings. But we're trying to make this work, all of this: you and I, the work...but it's never easy."

"No, it's not easy -" Meg started to say, only to be cut off. A stifled moan heard could only mean that a kiss was enough to shut her up, and it made Herbert shake his head; inwardly it made him sick. He still didn't know how on earth his roommate could tolerate such an overbearing woman. Meg was one perfect example in addition to the fact that Herbert refused to love a woman who did not accept his passions.

"The next three days will be just the two of us," he heard Dan promise her. "I promise, just us, and my cousin being a married woman now and away from her mother, and on her way out of college," he finished happily. He laughed then. "God, I'm proud of her. Lily officially a coroner."

Herbert knew little to none about Daniel's family life. His parents lived in Boston, too, but his aunt and uncle were separated, and those two had a daughter who was also in college, named Lily. She was engaged to someone whom Dan said was a veterinarian - now that he knew he would have another someone who wouldn't approve of his experimentation on animals - not that he was interested in marital affairs, obviously enough. Now his roommate and his empty-headed girlfriend were leaving him alone for the next three days, Herbert would have the house all to himself and begin what would be the next step to beyond re-animating the dead:

The creation of new life.

~o~

Some of the living residences in Boston looked like they came from the Colonial era, elegant and still in good shape; others looked like they had been around for far too long and falling apart from lack of care. Dan was grateful that he had left this town on full scholarship to Miskatonic, but why his parents, aunt and uncle and cousin stayed was still a wonder. But Lily was going to leave the place soon enough. She had made her decision to move to Arkham with her husband-to-be, Jake Stevens, as soon as she graduated.

Dan's father and Lily's father were brothers, and as mentioned before, her mother was Irish. It's said by some that the Irish were wild barbarians, and such was the case with Breanna Cain, severely narcissistic and suffering swings in which she was sweet one moment and violently angry the next. She wasn't even going to her own daughter's big day, something she would wind up never forgiving herself for. Well, it was her loss, as Meg said. She was too far-gone for redeeming qualities; also her words. Where she was now after the split, no idea.

"Oh, Danny, my baby's home!" His mother, Rosalind Cain, beamed happily and welcomed her son home with opened arms.

"Yeah, took you long enough, boy," John Cain teased, hitting him on the back.

"I was working too hard," Dan said, only it was half-true. He couldn't tell them of his and Herbert's activities; they would just call him batshit crazy. "And with her," he added with a nod to Megan beside him. He had been dying to introduce her to his family, but with her father's strict Puritanism beliefs, it had been impossible then. Now that he was gone, it was safe to open up. She was smiling nervously at them and looking down at the ground after, unsure of what to say. Rosalind looked her over then and gasped, hands shooting to her cheeks.

"My Lord, so this is Megan! Oh, such a delight!" she squealed, drawing her in for a big hug. "And so pretty!" She pulled back and took Meg's face in both her hands, still laughing and making an embarrassing impression on both Dan and Meg, until finally his father ended it.

"Dear, they just got here, so save the kisses for later." His tone was still joking, but Dan knew his father well enough to know that he was serious.

Not long after was another voice heard, one he'd wanted to hear. "Daniel! Meg!"

"Lily!" Meg burst through the doorway of the house to the figure rushing down the stairs in a haze of white, bridal and virginal, long red hair bouncing behind her. She enveloped her arms around the girl and let herself be suffocated. The two women met only a couple times, once last summer and the Christmas before that when Lily came to Arkham with Jake, then just her boyfriend, in tow, both getting along so well. However, Dan and Meg had not been present when Jake got down in front of his high school sweetheart and popped the question, and Dan regretted not being there sooner. But now he was making up for it by attending the wedding with his girlfriend.

When they broke apart, Meg looked her straight. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to see Jake propose to you..."

Lily laughed it off and held up her hand to show her engagement ring. Dan joined to get his first look. It was silver with a take on a traditional Claddagh, featuring a heart-shaped diamond at the center and two emeralds resting in the Celtic love knots alongside the middle attraction. The "crown" atop the heart-shaped diamond featured sparkling smaller accents. "That's okay, you guys. At least you are here on my big day." She looked up at the clock. "Speaking of which, I need to get into my dress..."

The ceremony was held in the backyard, overlooking the pond nestled in the woodlands, under one of the large trees and a number of chairs set up to form the aisle; instead of a white runner, there was a "runner" of scattered white rose petals, and the arch serving as the altar was draped with garland. On either side of the beginning of the walk down the aisle were vases filled with roses of white, soft peach, and pink. Family sat in the front; Dan and his parents on the left side, and he was sandwiched between them and Meg, who was in a short, vivid blue dress that crossed in the front and accentuated certain parts that drew only his attention. She gave a whiff at their surroundings. "This is how I imagined us..." she whispered.

Oh, there goes the whole marriage thing. It had been their goal to tie the knot as soon as he graduated, but lately he found himself unsure if marriage was possible. She had made it real clear that "marriage won't solve your money problems" and "Daddy won't approve of us getting married before finishing school". Again, her father was dead, something he still blamed himself for since it was he who brought Herbert into the morgue, but the past was still the past. "Yeah, our time will come soon, eventually," he whispered back.

She said nothing then, just continued to fan herself out of habit. Dan gazed once more at the picturesque background, right after watching Jake Stevens walk up to the altar, smiling broadly and, as Meg pointed out, handsome. His blue eyes were shining like Meg's were, eager to see his beautiful bride come to join him, and his dark brown hair parted down the middle, swept up the back and naturally in place.

God, he couldn't stand green much anymore, given it reminded him of his and Herbert's re-agent; "theirs" being Herbert's idea, reminding him that he was as much a part of it as he was. Green represented balance, harmony, and stability; plus, it appealed to the nature-loving bride. Whether it had forever been her favorite color or simply represented her commitment to an eco-friendly life, there were many different possibilities for a green wedding palette. As you were close to becoming one with your love, take comfort in knowing that the color green also signified growth - an important component in any marriage.

Which was why, in spite of numerous challenges, Dan could think of the perfect start to getting his relationship with Megan back on track. He'd always imagined getting her a ring that was custom-made, something hand-crafted and personalized, different from anything in the world –

The music of "Here Comes the Bride" started, in bagpipe version, and all rose to the sight of the angel gliding down with her father, Uncle Bruce, accompanying her. Dan knew that the groom himself was feeling right now. The dress had a dramatic illusion neckline and matching sleeves reaching the elbows, glowing white lace appliqued with a semi-sheer button-up back and a scalloped mermaid train, hugging her body in the right places; it was innocent and youthful, yet bridal at the same time. The single-layered, satin-edged veil was attached to her elegantly pinned hair, held by brooches, and some curls framed her face. In her hand was a bouquet of white and green flowers.

Dan watched as Bruce tenderly kissed his daughter and gave his new son-in-law his blessing before going to sit in the front of the right side, allowing the preacher to begin the ceremony. "We are gathered here today to join the union of this man and this woman in holy matrimony . If anyone has any reason why these two shall not be wed, let him speak now, or forever hold his peace."

Ironically enough, no one had objections. Dan laughed to himself and shook his head. "Lillianne Maeve Cain, do you take Jacob Frederick Stevens to be your lawful wedded husband for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"

"I do," she answered, breathless with emotion as she looked him on. Daniel's heart fluttered; he could picture Meg telling him those words.

"Jacob Frederick Stevens, do you take Lilianne Maeve Cain to be your lawful wedding wife for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"

"I do," he answered, proudly and readily.

"With this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring, I thee wed," Jake repeated, slipping the ring around Lily's finger, a romantic version of the Celtic eternity love knot. Lily repeated the ritual by giving her new husband his, similar to her own.

"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."

Applause and excited screams erupted from all over the space as the newly married couple shared their first kiss as husband and wife. Dan could practically smell and feel that love and passion radiating off the pair that was his sweet cousin and her husband, imagining that it would be him and his own beautiful woman next to him. Who right now was screaming her vocal chords out with excitement as she watched Lily get picked up and carried down the aisle the way like a fairytale princess who had just gotten her happily ever after.

The reception took place at the grand Rainforest Ballroom, one of the few locations in Boston swarmed with grandeur. The opulent, pristine white surroundings bedazzled simply with gold and crystal chandeliers had been added dramatically to fit Lily and Jake's theme, having been drawn straight from the green saturation of a rainforest, the centerpieces consisting of green teardrop crystals, organic shapes, and a sparkling canopy overhead. Meg was still gushing when they arrived and took their seats.

"Oh, my God, look at the cake!" she exclaimed, pointing. He followed her gaze; said cake was three-tiered, delicately and carefully scrolled with images of the Tree of Life and topped with some white roses.

"If green wasn't the color of a certain something," Dan spoke, voice lowered so no one else would hear, "I would have called green one of my favorite colors."

She looked at him, frowning. "Do I have to ask?"

"Nope."

Dinner arrived just after the couple's first dance, with a choice of three entrees: chicken topped with fresh vegetables, lobster claws with tomatoes and salad, and finally fresh salmon with oysters and lemon. Meg wasn't fond of salmon, or oysters, so she chose the lobster, and Dan settled on the rich and moist chicken that his mother used to be so fond of making for the family. "Look, I know I promise I'd abandon the subject, but really, he's onto something. Someday it will be a better place where no one has to worry about dying."

"Dan -"

"Megan, please." He silenced her with a quick peck on the mouth. "Trust me, please? Nothing will take back what happened that night, and it certainly won't tear us apart. Can you at least believe me on that? Try cutting him some slack. Just a little bit?"

She stared at him for a good long time, no trace of doubt or disbelief, just calculating and trying her hardest not to scream at him and crumble over. Finally, he received only a nod, no spoken words. And when it came down to everyone getting on the dance floor, they spent the rest of the time away laughing and spinning each other around, just being two normal, happy people at a wedding celebration.

~o~

"Herbert?" They returned by Sunday, Meg heading straight home being too tired after the flight, so Dan kissed her good night before returning to the house he shared with Herbert. The lights were off, and no sight of his roommate. It was nine PM, so Dan assumed he was down in the basement, and that was where he went.

However, the sooner he arrived did he get a surprise.

"Dan, you've returned!" West greeted him jovially, turning around from the table and giving him the broadest smile he'd ever seen from him. "I've kept busy until your return, and you'll never believe what I've uncovered with the help of our reptilian friends from Peru."

Walking down the stairs curiously, Dan asked, "What is it?"

Herbert held up a beaker of re-agent, the fluids glowing brighter than any star in the universe. An unnaturally hued star. "Our re-agent is blended with the iguana's amniotic fluids, this creature having not evolved since its prehistoric era, and added are the necessary muscle proteins." Setting it down, he pulled down the bloodied sheet of the table from over his latest prize.

"Overall, we are going to create new life. We're no longer just re-animating the dead. We will create new beings from various parts, casted off from a meaningless existence. They'll have their second chance at life in a whole new fashion."

A few of my favorite stories inspired this, which have done so to me in the past, regarding other Re-Animator fics if no one has read them. For example, "Irreplaceable" by Lachrymal at Litha in regarding the fight that Meg and Dan have over Herbert and the work, even "On the Subject of Love" by The Smiling Shadow and "The Scavenger Bride" by BlueMilagro; the latter two progress how this story will continue on if not albeit the same plotlines.

Lily's wedding was also based off of real green weddings as well as the reception area; I do not know if Rainforest Ballroom actually exists, but I felt like it came from my own subconscious. Anyone is free to surprise me if it DOES exist.

Her father is also named after Dan's actor, Bruce Abbott. :)