The Disclaimer still applies and I would like to make it clear that this story will the as canon compliant as possible, with the exception of Lily

"Guilty"

The very sound of the word made Lily's heart turn to solid lead and drop to the deepest pit of her stomach. It took the jury all of fifteen minutes to convict John Coffey of the Rape and Murder of Katie and Cora Detterrick, the two little blonde girls. It didn't matter what Lily said on the stand, the prejudice was too much and John was sentenced to death via electrocution at Cold Mountain Penitentiary A few miles north of the town.

It took all she had not to break down in the middle of the court room as they escorted John out of the courtroom, Burt approached her after the Trial and tried to put his hand on her shoulder. "I am truly sorry Miss Devereaux…"

"Don't" she jerked away, and Burt shook his head. "If there is anything I can do for you, please let me know." Lily stopped and looked at him, "actually there is something you can do for me," she said "Drive me to Cold Mountain Penitentiary."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You said if there was anything you could do to let you know, yes?" she clarified, "I need you to drive me to Cold Mountain Penitentiary." Mr Hammersmith looked around, "Look Miss, are you sure it's really worth it to go through all this trouble for a Negro?" Lily turned on him sharply, "That man saved my Life Mister. And I will thank you not to use that term around me" she picked up the lawyer's brief case and thrust it into his hands, "I'll be waiting outside."

She stormed out of the courthouse and spotted Klaus and Marjorie Detterrick outside on the lawn. Really the need to say something she approached the two and cleared her throat, "Mr and Mrs Detterrick?" the blonde couple turn to face her, "I just wanted to say, I am very sorry for your loss, No Parents should have to go through what you two are."

The mother nodded her thanks but the father stared at her, "you were the girl in the field, you defended that big Ape." Lily swallowed, "I know how John Looks sir, but He's my friend, and I couldn't just stand by."

She made for the expensive looking black car and waited with her arms crossed until Hammersmith emerged from the Court house, his shoulders slumped when he saw her and he fumbled for his key in his pocket. "I was hoping you'd come to your senses by the time I came out."

"You obviously don't know me that well." She muttered and entered the passenger side door and sat on the leather seat which was heated by the noonday sun. "How far is it to the Prison?" Burt grumbled under his breath as the motor started up, "About thirty minutes, as you can imagine it's pretty secluded" Lily nodded and bit her tongue gently before turning to him, "Look, I'm sorry I snapped at you."

Burt shrugged casually, as if he was screamed at by women every day, "it wasn't your fault, it seems you really care for this friend of yours" she nodded and looked off to the side at the rolling country side. "Yea, I really do"

(Flash Back 1930)

Thirteen year old Lily lay in the dirty corner of a shipment car on the L&N railroad, shivering with cold but feeling extremely hot. Wrapped in a thin, threadbare blanket which did little more than cover her trembling body, she held the corner to her mouth and cough hard, certain of the prospect of death. A terrifying thought for a girl just barely entering her blooming stage.

As she shivered she heard the shuffle of movement on the other side of the box car. Strange, she was under the impression that she had been completely alone. She curled up tighter as the noise came again. She tried to turn her head to face the sound but the churn of her stomach stopped her. She froze, pray against vomit considering she didn't have anything in her stomach until the churning stopped.

"W-whos there?" she called as loud as she could, so mainly just a croak. "I-is someone over there?" The movement became louder, like someone getting on their hands and knees from the sitting position. "Hello?" she said again pulling herself up and leaning on the wall of the cart in the sitting position. "Look, if someone's over there, make some kinda noise so I know" she demanded.

"You's sick" a deep chesty voice said in the darkness and Lily swallowed, "I'm fine." She cleared her throat to sound well. "I Hears you coughin over there, I can feel you is sick" Lily turned her head to stifle another cough, "don't…" she hacked again, "Don't be silly" she tried to laugh, "why… when they take a horse to the doctor they say it's as healthy as me"

The shuffling got closer and Lily pulled her legs up close to her chest. "Now…Now see here! D-Don't you think of trying anything! I…I…" she said defensively but led off in a stammer as the huge outline of a monstrous man crawled into the moonlight. She had never imagined a man of such size existed outside the pages of a story book.

She expected him to stop a few feet away from her but he kept coming and Lily scrambled back. "Stay back!" she ordered, "Don't you touch me!"

"I's got to take it back" He said slowly, "Or you won't get better" Lily was cornered in fearfully and she pressed herself against the wall. "Please don't hurt me." She whimpered as the man got closer and closer. "I ain't gonna hurt ya miss, I just needs ya to be still that's all." Lily froze as the man got closer and reached out his giant hand and put it to the side of her head covering the whole side of it.

He leaned forward and Lily closed her eyes terrified out of her mind until he , surprisingly, pressed his large lips to her forehead gently. She felt a flood of warmth run through her veins, her lungs opened up suddenly and she felt a light as air.

The Man trailed his lips down until they hovered over her thin, pale lips and he inhaled. Slowly extracting a shimmering gold smoke like aura form her body, and allowing it to enter his own. He released her, leaving her limp and slightly numb as he doubled over, couching and hacking hard. He clutched at his throat like he was choking. Lily looked around, suddenly clear headed and feeling a million times better. She watched the man cough and gag until he grew silent.

"Who are you?" she asked softly and the man turned to her, covered in sweat, "John Coffey miss, like the drink, 'scept not spelt the same." He shuttered, "I'm awful Tired now, I think I oughta rest for a while." He fell to the ground, making a loud thump even though he was only two feet off the floor. Lily looked around, unclear of what just happened, but feeling somehow renewed. She stared at the mountain of a man and pulled the thin blanket off her shoulders and threw it over his, it looked more like she had thrown a napkin over him, but it was all she could do. She crawled on her hands and knees to where his head was and stared at his face, his bald head shone in the moon light.

She reached out her small pale hand and rubbed his head slowly, soothingly. Remembered a song she heard on a radio not but a few days ago and hummed the tune.

"Once I built a tower up to the sun, Brick and Rivet and Lime. Once I built a tower, now it's done. Brother can you spare a Dime…"

(End Flashback)

The car stopped in front of the front gates of Cold Mountain Penitentiary. The prison bus was already through the gates. "Thank you Mr. Hammersmith" She said and opened the car door. "But I can handle myself from here." Burt stopped the door before it closed, "I want to say again I think what you're doing is very foolish, you don't even know if they will let you in, and if they do let you in, if they'll let you see him, and even if you see him you can't really think you'll…"

"Mr. Hammersmith."

"Yes?"

"Shut up"