I own no one
A/N I'm pleased to announce that this story is officially planned out to the last chapter. Granted I was almost in tears (again) when I finished it but I give you the Bella gurentee that it will be AMAZINGLY dramatic, epic, intense, and just straight out fulll of awesome amazingness. Also got my soundtrack down for this story which is very important because I don't know about the rest of you but I can't write without music... ever. And when you find the perfect song to go along with the scene the writing just comes out so much smoother. Anyway, enough rambling, on with the story :)
October 13th, Theodore Roosevelt Middle School, 3:44 PM, Manhattan
"Ring! Come on ring!" Lily urged softly as she eyed the clock on the wall from the back of the room waiting for the last class of the day to be over not paying attention at to what the teacher was saying. Something about a test next Friday but she could have cared less about a test she knew she was going to fail.
Lily was practically shaking with anticipation as she saw the second hand inch closer to its intended goal.
"Miss. Benson, are you still with us?"
The calling of her name startled the young girl and she tore her eyes away from the clock and turned towards a stern middle aged teacher named Jean Seaford, the kind of teacher you knew not to talk back to and who wouldn't hesitate to remind her students how better well behaved her students used to be when she was allowed to strike them. "Well?"
Lily struggled to come up with some kind of answer but she came up empty. "I'm sorry what?"
There was muffled laughter from the students and Jean shook her head in disappointment. "See me after class, Miss. Benson."
Lily held back a low groan and simply nodded cursing herself for not paying attention as the loud shrill of the final bell echoed in the classroom moments later.
While other students eagerly grabbed their books and vanished out the class room as fast as they could Lily swallowed hard and grabbed her books and slowly made her way up to the front where Jean waited looking not only disappointed but annoyed as well.
"Miss. Benson," she began with a harsh scolding tone in her voice, "this is the third time this week alone I had to drag you out of whatever day dream you have in my class and your grades are reflecting this as well. You've failed every test so far and you turned in one piece of homework and you got a C minus on it."
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Seaford" Lily told her trying to sound as honest as she could. "I just had a bad day today."
"It seems to me you're ALWAYS having bad days. And honestly with your situation at home I don't blame you. A stable environment involves a mother and a father. Not a mother and her 'partner'." Lily began to blush a deep red at her words.
She stared down at the floor and avoided Jeans eyes. Why did both of her parents have to show up to student teacher night? "However," Jean continued ignoring the look of embarrassment on her student's face, "that is no excuse for your work to be poor. Either you pick up your grades and soon or I'll be making a personal phone call to your mother and whatever the brunette who lives with you calls herself. Do I make myself clear, Miss. Benson?"
Lily nodded and felt a painful lump in her throat. "Yes, mam."
"Good. You're free to go."
Without another word Lily hurried out of the classroom and made her way to her locker. The halls were still crowded with students who were either waiting for their club meeting, had sports practice, or who just were lingering around with nothing else to do.
Lily managed to push by the crowds of students and managed to make her way to her locker. She quickly entered the memorized combination and opened the thin metal door.
She had just put away her history book and grabbed her jacket out from the hook when she heard someone from behind her call her name.
"Hey, Lily!"
Lily almost dropped the jacket to the floor before she turned around and saw a small group of boys from her class with Britney, Andrea, and a boy named Thomas in the center with all looking smug and they all seemed to be withholding laughs.
With a quick jerk of his head Lily swallowed her fear before she walked over to them.
"So um… we were all just kind of wondering something," said Thomas and Lily could see the group struggling not to laugh.
"What?" she asked as she casually pushed a piece of stray hair away from her face.
His smile grew bigger and the other group member's laugh began to escape their throats. "We were uh, we were just uh… oh Christ, Britney, I'm gonna get AIDS or some shit," Thomas complained as he turned to one of his friends.
"Just do it!" Britney encouraged with a giggle as she pushed him towards Lily who had to take a step back to avoid him running into her.
Thomas sighed heavily before he turned back to Lily who was striving not to appear hurt at his words.
He simply looked at her before he grabbed her by the shoulders and yanked her against him before he kissed her hard on the lips. It was her first kiss.
Lily let out a muffled scream only to be pushed away moments later. She fell to the floor and landed hard on her wrist.
The broke out in raucous laughter with Britney and Andrea laughing the hardest. "You were right, Britney!" Thomas managed to yell through his laughter, "she DOES kiss like a dyke!"
"Well I knew she would," Britney's cruel voice rang out and Lily looked up from the floor to see the blonde standing before looking down at her with an expression of triumph on her face. "She was raised by fags after all!"
Tears flooded her eyes as the laughter now seemed to surround her. Still laughing cruelly, Britney began to walk away but not before making sure her high heel Prada shoe crashed against Lily's face.
Lily let out a cry of pain and her hand flew to her face. There was going to be a bruise there.
Without another word Lily picked herself up from the floor and ran down the hall not even bothering with her bag or closing her locker.
She ran into several people but she didn't stop for apologies until she finally managed to get outside into the open air.
Lily ran as fast as she could away from the school as her tears flooded her eyes. She didn't stop until she was two blocks away from the school. When she finally stopped she collapsed against a building and sank down its hard brick wall letting out heart wrenching sobs that rocked her body.
"Why can't they be normal?" she whispered through her sobs. "Why can't they just wanna be normal…?"
Several minutes and five random strangers asking if she was alright who got no response other then 'please go away' later her sobs subdued to a cry and then finally to silent tears.
She picked herself up from the ground and brushed the dirt from her outfit before she tenderly touched the spot where Britney had kicked her. She flinched in pain and pulled her hand away from the bruised skin quickly.
She took a deep breath to compose herself she began to make her way to the bus station a block away.
October 13th, Alex and Olivia's Brownstone, 4:23 PM
Lily walked into her house slightly surprised to find the front door unlocked.
"Mama?" she called out as she threw her jacket onto the hook beside the door.
"In my room, Lily," Olivia's voice called back.
"Is Mom here too?" Lily asked as she began her ascent up the steps to her parent's room.
"Nope, but I have some great news regarding her. Come up here so I can talk to you."
"She'd dropping out of the race?" Lily muttered just soft enough so that Olivia couldn't hear her as she reached her parent's bedroom.
Lily raised a brow in puzzlement as she saw two large suit cases on the bed. One was closed and Lily could see clothes bulging out of the sides and Olivia was grabbing several things out of the closet and returning them to the bed where she began taking the hangers off of them.
"What's going on?" Lily asked as she walked into the bedroom and sat down on the edge of the bed.
Olivia turned to her with a smile but her smile faded the moment her eyes landed on the unattractive bruise on her daughters face. "What happened?"
"I fell," muttered Lily as she steered clear of Olivia's eyes.
Olivia sighed heavily and went over to her and kneeled down in front her and lifted her head so that her eyes met her. "Tell me the truth, Lily," said Olivia softly. "What's going on?"
"Nothing," Lily told her but the slight break in her voice gave away her lie. "I'm fine, Mama."
Olivia gently pushed a piece of stray hair away from her face feeling her heart ache for her daughter. She knew she was in pain and it was killing Olivia that Lily wasn't letting her do anything for her. "Honey, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's hurting you."
"Nothing is hurting me!" Lily pleaded but again she felt tears well in her eyes and she hastily wiped them away. "Mama, please just drop it."
"Lily, please-."
"You said you had good news. What was it?"
Olivia looked over her for a moment. She knew she was lying but unless Lily told her what was wrong then she couldn't do anything for her as much as she wanted to.
Finally Olivia nodded in acceptance before she stood back up and sat down beside her on the bed. "You know that your mom is staying up in Albany in that hotel room with about fifteen other people?"
Lily nodded and Olivia continued. "And you know that she's under a whole lot of stress with the election and that the hotel is just adding to that? You also know how much she misses us and wants to be with us right? "
"Yeah."
"Well I went up to visit her today and we both decided that it would be a good idea if the three of us stayed with your grandparents in their house until the election is over."
Lily's eyes widened in wonder at her mother's words. "Are you serious? We're leaving Manhattan? I'm getting out of this school?"
A bright smile lit up Lily's face. They were leaving Manhattan; she was getting out of that school forever. She'd never have to go back to that hell on earth. Britney O'Halloren would be a thing of the past; she would never again have to face the cruel pranks and words that were thrown at her day after day.
"Only for a little while," Olivia corrected her. "You'll be going to school up in Albany while we're there. Then depending on if she wins the election then we'll get another house and you'll be transferred to another school in Albany and if she loses then we'll come back here and you'll go to the same school you're going to now."
The young girl's heart sank. She had a chance to get out of the school forever, out of torment forever and Olivia was saying that it was only a 50/50 chance. She wouldn't go back to that school. She couldn't…
"I can't go back to that school!" Lily cried as she jumped off of the bed.
"Lily, what's the matter?" Olivia asked as she looked at her outburst in shock.
Lily let out a sob and didn't even bother wiping the tears away. "Mama, please don't make me go back there! Please!"
"It all depends on the election. Honey, please tell me what's wrong!" Olivia pleaded as her own tears filled her eyes.
Letting out another sob that cut through Olivia like physical pain Lily ran out of the room.
"Lily, wait!" Olivia cried as she got up and ran after her but Lily had shut and locked the door to her own bedroom before Olivia could reach it.
Olivia knocked slowly on the door. "Lily, talk to me. Tell me what's wrong. Why can't you go back there?"
But her only response was loud music being played through the speakers in her room.
Olivia sighed and rested her head against the door. "Talk to me," she whispered so faintly she knew Lily couldn't hear it over the music.
Inside her room Lily rushed over to her closet and wrenched the doors open. She walked in and fell on her knees. She moved the numerous boxes and piles of shoes until she reached the far darkened corner where a jacket she hadn't worn in years laid crumpled on the floor in the smallest heap she could manage to get it in.
She grasped the jacket and pulled it out from the confines of her large closet and clutched it tight to her chest.
She went over and laid down on top of the bed and curled herself into a ball. Her cries unrecognizable over the music she was playing loudly.
With a shaking hand she unzipped the pocket and pulled out its only contents. A sharp steak knife she had bought about a month ago for ten dollars.
Lily looked at the knife as her tears turned silent. She looked at the gleaming and clean silver blade for a moment before she brought it to her wrist.
Her heart pounded hard against her chest and her breathing sped up to the point she thought she was going to pass out.
She tried to stop her hand from shaking as she began to press down. Not enough to break the skin but enough to feel a tiny pinch of pain.
Lily closed her eyes and struggled to press down even further. The music and every other sound shut itself off. She felt colder and more alone then she had ever felt before. Another half a centimeter and she would draw blood.
Suddenly a crippling paralyzing fear over took her and with a scream of fright her hand dropped to the bed, the knife falling out of her hand onto her comforter.
With a hysterical sob she collapsed against her pillow and sobbed into the soft fabric, hating her life, hating her parents, and hating the fact that she was too afraid to die today.
Olivia continued to fold her clothes and stuff them into the suit case a little harder than necessary her temper fuming with every article of clothing.
While she didn't know the specifics, she knew what the cause of the majority of Lily's problems in school was. She knew it was because she had her and Alex as parents instead of a mother and a father and it broke her heart and angered her beyond all belief that with money they easily had available to them the abuse could be stopped in a heartbeat.
They could pay to send her to a private school in Queens that was exclusive to students with same sex parents and she could not only finish out middle school there but high school as well. Sure the tuition was expensive not to mention the subway fare to and from Queens every day until Lily got a job of her own would start to get a little pricey but Olivia thought that it would be more than worth it if it meant she could see her daughter come home with a smile on her face.
Olivia had brought the idea up to Alex several times but each and every time Alex would tell her she wanted Lily to have a 'real' high school experience and that how would Lily ever learn to get along with others with different opinions if they simply shipped her off to school with like minded people.
While Olivia hated even thinking this about her wife she always had an inkling in the back of her mind that she wouldn't let Lily go to the same sex school because it would have looked bad for the campaign to send her daughter off to an exclusive school where only children of same sex parents could go. Another private school sure, but not one that made it seem she was favoring homosexuals.
However one day when Lily came home sporting a black eye and a busted lip caused by some of her class mates that Lily refused to name after Olivia threatened to go down and arrest them she had taken Lily down to register that day without Alex's consent much less knowing about it. Lily had relished at the idea of transferring to that school but the administrator said that they needed both parents consent and Alex refused to give in so she was forced to go back to the school she hated day after day.
Olivia had just begun to fold some of her hooded sweatshirts when the door downstairs opened and shut and footsteps began walking up the steps.
She didn't bother to even question the intruder. She could tell from the expensive and subtle cologne exactly who it was and the moment the smell reached her nose she let out a loud groan in hopes that the person coming closer would get the message and leave without saying a word to her.
It didn't work.
"You know," said Chris as he came into the bedroom and leaned up against the open door frame not hiding the anger in his voice. "I get you wanting to spend time with Alex, I really do. I'm neglecting my own family in order to help her win this election. I ignore both of my sons as well as my daughter and my ex wife's lawyer. But when you and her decide not only to move out of a place I have access to her any time day or night-."
"There's this wonderful thing called knocking and asking before you enter," Olivia said dryly as she looked over at the man she had disliked from the moment Alex had introduced her to him. "You should try it some time."
Chris chuckled before he walked into the bedroom. "In case you've forgotten, Liv,"
"Olivia."
"Liv."
Olivia turned to glower at him and he chuckled at the hate filled look in her eyes. She wasn't sure if he was actually unintimidated by her or if it was just a mask but whatever it was he succeeded in annoying her beyond all comparison.
She turned back to her clothes and continued to fold them with a big more anger then she had before. He walked up to her and stood behind her and grabbed a picture of a smiling Alex off of Olivia's bed stand. "Until November eighth," he continued as he ran his fingers affectionately over the picture of the blonde. "Me and her will be more of a couple then you two will."
Olivia snatched the picture away from him and glared at him as she placed the photo face down on the bed. "Sorry, Kempton, but I got the ring," she gloated as she put her hand containing her golden wedding band in his face. "I've had it for the last fifteen years and I intend to keep it on me until I'm buried as does she. So I don't know where this whole 'more of a couple then me and her' come from. After all I'm her first and only wife and you're what? Sloppy thirds when it comes to campaign managers?"
Chris scowled at Olivia for a moment before she none to gently pushed him out of the way and opened her bed side drawer and reached way in the back before she grabbed a small wooden decorated box.
He looked over her shoulder as she opened the top and saw that its contents were filled with various pictures. Some that looked over twenty years old, some looked as new as if they were taken yesterday but was even more interesting was the fact that she grabbed all of the pictures out of it and put them down on the bed none to caringly before she reached back in and grabbed a black and white sonogram picture that looked not only several years old but looked like it had been looked at more times than any other picture Chris had ever seen.
"You kept Lily's sonogram picture all these years?" Chris asked as he suddenly snatched the picture out of Olivia's hand. "That's so cute."
"Give it back!" Olivia screamed as she twisted around and made a move to grab the picture but Chris backed up and held it out of her reach.
"Calm down!" he demanded, his eyes wide with astonishment that she had reacted so strongly. "How many of these do you have anyway?" he said with a scoff as he brought it down and examined it more closely.
Olivia ran a shaking hand through her hair as he looked at the picture and mystification was evident in his features.
"Why the hell is this marked only eight years ago?" he asked as he examined the picture more closely making sure he was reading the date right. "Isn't Lily thirteen?"
"She's twelve and it's… it's not Alex's!"
"Then why does the name say 'Cabot, Alex'?"
Olivia swallowed the hard lump in her throat as she put her hand out. "Chris, please," pleaded Olivia as her eyes filled with tears. "That sonogram means the world to me and it's very private. Please give it back…"
Chris raised a brow in confusion but ultimately handed the picture back to Olivia who put it securely back in the box before she wrapped the box up in one of her shirts and put it gently in the suit case. "I have a feeling there's something that you and Alex are keeping from me."
"You can't tell Alex I have this," said Olivia as she closed the suitcase. "Please."
"Why?"
"You just can't. Chris, if you even have a twinge of a heart you'll do this for me and you won't tell Alex I have this sonogram picture."
Chris sighed heavily and sat down on the bed. "You know," he mused, "I could be a prick and ask for something in return…"
Olivia glowered at him as he pretended to look torn. "Be nice to a woman who clearly hates me or make you do something for me so that you don't get in trouble with Alex but will get me in good with Alex."
"How about you keep your mouth shut about me having that picture and I don't cut off that tiny stump of flesh you call a penis with a rusty spoon?"
"What picture, I never saw any picture, why would I tell Alex about a picture I don't even know exists?" he said with an uneasy laugh as he covered his manhood with his quivering hands.
Olivia chuckled smugly as she turned back to her suitcase. "Oh yeah," she thought to herself as she locked the suitcase shut. "I still got it…"
October 13th, Lila and Max's house, 6:13 PM, Albany NY
"James, sit down and join us," Max offered as he walked past him and Lila who were sitting contently eating their dinner. "Plenty of room at the table."
James opened his mouth to speak before Lila interrupted.
"Darling, I thought I said no help at the dinner table?" Lila reminded her husband as she took a bite of food. "It looks tacky. And, James, since you're not doing anything constructive go and fetch me some more tea. I don't know what on earth is happening to your cooking skills lately but this chicken is drier then a bone."
"Mam, you've always said my chicken is as dry as a bone," James said with a hint of exasperation.
"You think you would remember to actually baste it then wouldn't you? Now go get me my drink. You get paid to serve, not to stand around and do nothing," Lila said with an annoyed roll of her eyes.
James forced a smile on his face as he gave a tiny bow. "Right away, Mam, as soon as I turn down the sheets in the guest rooms."
Lila wrinkled her brow in confusion. "Why are you cleaning up the guest room? Who are we having over? Max, I swear if your mother is coming over then I'm staying at the Astoria until she leaves. Goodness knows who on earth can stand that woman. No offense, darling but your mother is a daughter in law's worst nightmare."
Max bit his tongue in an attempt not to tell Lila that his mother had died almost eighteen years ago. James, who also knew very well that Rosalie Cabot was dead widened his eyes in astonishment and opened his mouth to tell her that exact face but Max cleared his throat in an attempt to subtly tell him not to tell her the truth.
"No, Lila, it's not my… my mother, god rest her soul," he added in a quiet murmur so that Lila couldn't hear the blessing. "But Alex, Lily, and Olivia are going to be staying with us until the election is over. They'll be here some time tomorrow. I'm sorry I didn't tell you but I didn't think you'd mind. I mean Olivia sounded desperate on the phone and you know just as much as me how much stress an election can put on a family. "
Lila opened her mouth to presumingly tell Max off for telling them they could come without so much as even talking to her about it. But when she closed her mouth, Max was more than surprised when tears appeared in her eyes.
Without a single word to either Max or James she pushed away from the table and walked away, her heels echoing on the linoleum floor.
"I'm sorry about the mother comment, Sir," James told him the moment Lila was out of the room.
"Its fine, James," Max said with a sad smile as he got up from the table. "But I better go talk to her and find out what I did wrong. My back can't take a night on the couch."
"Do you really think after all these years of marriage she'd threaten you with a night on the couch?"
Max scoffed in amazement. "I can't remember a time when she stopped using that threat."
With a quiet laughter Max left the room. He didn't see her anywhere in the vast living room so he went up the stairs and was astounded to hear soft crying coming from their bedroom.
With a gentle knock he stuck his head in the room to find Lila sitting on the edge of the bed with a picture in her hand.
"Darling, I'm sorry," Max apologized as he came into the room. "I didn't know having them come over would upset you so much. If it bothers you I'll… I'll call them back and tell them not to come."
He silently began hoping that she wouldn't tell him to do what he had just offered. He knew the stress both Alex and Olivia were under and then some. He couldn't turn his daughter and her family away.
Lila shook her head and sniffed. "It's not th-; it's not that, Max. I don't care if they come here or not, I honestly don't. In fact I'm surprised that Alexandra waited this long to drop by. But…"
A fresh batch of tears made their way down the wrinkled face and Max went over and sat beside her and wrapped her arms around her and more tears leaked out as she laid her head down on his shoulder.
"Tell me what's wrong," he pleaded softly as he rubbed her back tenderly.
Lila took a shuddering breath as she handed him the picture she was looking at before he came in.
Max took it and looked at it in confusion. It was the framed picture taken two years ago of a smiling but formally dressed Alex and Olivia at a NYPD benefit that had previously been on the top of the mantel.
"Why did you take down the picture?" asked Max with a frown. "This is the only one of them you said didn't look 'pro rainbow' as you so loving call every picture where they're actually making physical contact with one another."
"When you mentioned they were coming over to stay," Lila began with new batch of tears. "I… I… Oh, Max, I couldn't remember who Olivia was!"
Max's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open some at Lila's confession.
Lila let out a sob and Max embraced her fondly.
"I know I'm supposed to remember her, but it's getting harder and harder every day to remember the important people in my life. People I've known for almost sixteen years. I'm scared, Max," she whispered through her sobs. "What if… oh god, Max, what if I forget my own daughter or you or Lillian? Or even James for that matter? I don't want to forget my own family."
"I promise you won't, darling," Max promised as he closed his eyes as his own tears leaked out at his wife's admission knowing that it was an empty promise. "I promise you won't…"