SUMMARY: When Lily's niece, Katelyn's parents are killed in a car crash Lily finds herself responsible for much more than she had anticipated. Katelyn is drawn to a young man in the airport, and when she finds him unconscious in a park she knows they are both in fate's hands.

In Fate's Hands

By: xxacidxx

Arrival

The phone rang, startling Lily awake. She sat up stiffly in the bed, her eyes wide until she realised what she was hearing. Lily picked up the receiver of the phone and put it to her ear. "Lily Rush." She spoke into the phone like a robot. After someone on the other side had sputtered off a paragraphs worth of sentences Lily felt numb all over. Her sister and brother in law…dead; but as if it wasn't enough she was also to learn she had been given custody over her sixteen-year-old niece, Katelyn.

"Yes, of course I want custody. It's just short notice." Lily argued with the lawyer on the other end of the line. "She's coming…tomorrow?" This did not work for Lily at all. Tomorrow she had to work…She couldn't possibly get the day off tomorrow; there was no chance in hell. Lily sighed.

"Alright. Okay. Yes, thank you." As Lily hung up she hugged her legs to her chest. She wasn't much for crying, but this was so sudden. Lily cried—well sobbed—into her knees for what seemed like an hour, and then the tears were gone. She knew she would cry no more over the death of her sister. Rolling over in her bed, Lily laid her head back to her pillow and within moments she was asleep.

Katelyn sat numbly on her plane seat, her arms folded across her stomach and her legs crossed, too. She rubbed her arms to escape the cold bite of the high altitude, and then laid her back her head, which swarmed with memories of her parents. Happy times, sad times, times when she was mad for no reason over something stupid. So much wasted time on anger. Sighing Katelyn tried to sleep, but knew that nightmares would plague her awake. She chose a song on her iPod, a gentle one, hoping it would aid her mind to create peaceful dreams for her.

It didn't work. Katelyn awoke in a cold sweat, good thing she had a row to herself. She took deep breaths, trying to push the vivid memories of the bloodied bodies of her parents from her mind. She rubbed her temples just as the 'bing' sound warning that the captain was talking.

"Please buckle your seatbelts, we're about to land. Thank you for flying." Katelyn put her seatbelt on and put her iPod away, along with two bags of salted peanuts she had been collecting. She hadn't eaten since she had heard, and she still wasn't hungry. Katelyn turned her head to look out the window of the airplane, and found that is was daylight. Before she knew it the plane had touched ground, when it came to a stop Katelyn undid her seatbelt and grabbed her bag. Without waiting for the stewardess that was to help her, she hurried out of the plane with the rush of people.

Katelyn found her luggage. Their plane had been early to the cab her Aunt had called wouldn't be here yet. She found a bench by her arrival gate and sat numbly, just watching as the swarm of people hurried to greet loved ones, cab drivers, or just off in some random direction.

There was a bang and Katelyn snapped her head around to see what it was. A scruffy boy, seemingly her age, had dropped a woman's heavy suitcase. She swore at him violently as he fumbled to grab it again. Katelyn watched, amused, as he smirked secretly when he bent down to grab the case. So it hadn't been an accident then. Katelyn continued to watch, this was quite amusing. The woman hit the boy absently with her purse and took her bag back, strutting off with an arrogant air to her. With her eyes still on the boy, Katelyn felt strangely drawn towards him, and so, she kept her gaze on him. He glanced up as if feeling her eyes and rose a brow at her, he looked like he might say something to her, then he just shook his head and hurried off, offering himself as a luggage boy that worked for tips.

Katelyn lost sight of him and felt suddenly very, very alone. It was then she heard a voice beside her. "Ms. Toulon?" She snapped her head around to see a man, holding a cardboard sign reading 'Ms. Katelyn Toulon'.

"Yes, that's me." She stood up carrying her two suitcases and carry-on bag. The man took one of her suitcases and led her outside. Katelyn glanced over her shoulder at the doors. She caught a glimpse of the boy, who was helping a man and his son with their luggage. Katelyn tried to capture that image of him in her mind, and hoped she would lay eyes on him again.

The cab driver dropped her outside of a medium sized house and then drove away. Katelyn flipped her long, dark brown hair over her shoulder, and grabbed her suitcases heading to the front door. She recalled her conversation with her Aunt, and found the key using her directions. Katelyn opened the front door and pulled her bags in, then closed it quietly behind her. It was a nice house, very tidy, but a bit bare. She remembered the instructions. Aunt Lily had hurriedly cleaned the basement and set up a bed. She found the door the lead down, and—just as he Aunt had said—the door was ajar. This room was bare, but the walls were painted a lovely green color, adjoining the room with her bed in it, was a bathroom. Katelyn unpacked slowly, staring at the picture of her parents for minutes longer than she should of, for as she stared at the picture the tears found their way back to her and sunk to her knees on the floor clutching the picture to her chest.

She must have fallen asleep, because she awoke screaming. The images were still there, inside her head. Katelyn sat up and rocked herself steadily, easing away the memories. When she felt calmed, Katelyn stood and finished unpacking. She stowed her suitcases under the bed, and decided she should change her clothes. It had been over a day now, since she had left home. Katelyn chose a pair of jeans, black and lime green converse, and a black t-shirt that read 'If I throw a stick will you leave?'. She brushed out her long hair and tied it back into a long ponytail down her back. Aunt Lily had said she would be home by seven, and checking the alarm clock on her new bedside table, she figured she had half-an-hour before she would be there. Katelyn decided the least she could do was make supper and headed upstairs.

Katelyn located the kitchen and started the meal, fried eggs, toast, and ham. Her Aunt came into the kitchen. "Smells good." She said offering a bland smile to her niece.

"I hope it tastes as good as it smells." Katelyn replied, setting a plate on the table in front of Lily. She also brought out ketchup, salt and pepper, and utensils. Lily didn't sit down she just took a step towards Katelyn and then hugged her. Katelyn, who had wanted nothing more than a hug all day, collapsed into her Aunt, crying quietly. Lily stroked the girl's hair soothingly until she had stopped crying. "Thanks." Katelyn mumbled and got her own food. She slid into a chair and stared at the food blankly. Lily sat down and ate. "So how was your flight?"

Katelyn shrugged. "Fine." Lily nodded and decided to not try to make conversation. She didn't know what to say either. "I've got to go to work early tomorrow." Lily told her.

"Alright."

"I think I'll go to bed now, I'll probably be gone when you wake up."

Katelyn nodded and gathered the dishes, washing them absently as her Aunt went to have a shower. When the water from the shower had stopped and Katelyn knew her Aunt would be in bed, she went downstairs and turned on the shower. She stripped down and got in letting the warm water rush over her body. All she wanted to do was sleep. If only she could sleep…