A/n: Poor Scotty, hope this chapter begins to make it up to him.

Chapter 3: Picking Up The Pieces

Scotty just wanted to drive, he didn't want to go home to his cold empty apartment. Because going home meant getting up, and going to work tomorrow and facing her. She had rejected him, he had his fair share of rejection in life but he never thought when he told Lilly that he loved her...that she would be one of them.

Pulling over at a liquor store he bought himself two large bottles of southern comfort and tried to laugh off the comments from the store clerk that he looked like he was celebrating. With alcohol in tow he finally decided to head home, hoping he could drink his problems away. Make him forget he had told her he loved her, make him forget that she rejected him; make him forget he loved her.

Lilly sat on her couch, trying to contemplate what had happened that night. She had two major upsets of the night, one was finding out her boyfriend was a cheating bastard and the other was finding out that her partner of seven years, the closest thing to a best friend was in love with her. Hearing him say those words, hearing them out loud was too much for her. Lilly had just found out that, Eddie who told her he loved her, just the other day in fact was cheating on her and now Scotty had said it. Did that mean he would leave her now as well? Because she couldn't handle losing Scotty too.

But you shut the door in his face, you flat out rejected him, she reminded herself. So he took you out to show you that Eddie was a bastard, he had your best interests at heart, and he was just trying to help you. Lilly knew what she had to do, she had to apologise for freaking out, and she had to let him see that she didn't hate him, they had to talk. Picking up her coat she headed out the front door.

Scotty was drunk, he had finished almost an entire bottle of Scotch and he was wasted. He still could remember what she had said and the more he drank, the clearer the memories became. Scotty eventually feel asleep on the couch, hoping when he woke up it would have all been a dream.

Lilly knocked on his door and waited, no answer, so she tried again. "Scotty, it's me are you home?"
She tried the door and found it unlocked, pushing it open she saw something that broke her heart. Scotty was collapsed on the couch, clutching a bottle of Scotch and another one on the coffee table. Lilly felt a stabbing pain of guilt in her heart; she had caused him to drink. She hadn't seen him like this since after Elisa and the whole Chris thing. She walked over to him and taking the blanket off the back of the couch she draped it over him. Removing the bottle out of his grip and putting the lid back on and put it in the liquor cabinet along with the full one. She considered waking him up, but though he'd probably do better sleeping off the scotch.

Lilly walked around his apartment, looking at the family photo's on the mantle. Photo's of Scotty and Mike when they where kids, another that was taken at Mike's wedding with his arms around Elisa. Photos of him holding his Niece and Nephew and one of him and his parents. Then she spotted one little frame towards the back, the small gold frame contained a picture of one person, her.

Lilly picked it up, wracking her brain trying to figure out when it was taken. She realised that it must have been taken at Jones's one night and judging by the fact she wasn't looking at the camera, it was taken without her knowing.

Why would Scotty have a photo of her on his mantle amongst the photos of his family? It was at that moment it had hit her, this is how much he cared about her. He cared about her enough to have a photo of her where he kept the photos of his family, did that mean he thought of her as his family.

Lilly glanced at the clock, midnight, oh well she might as well sit down and wait for him to wake up. She sank down onto the armchair opposite him and sighed, she'd be there when he woke up with what no doubt would be a horrendous hangover.

At little after six the next morning, Scotty slowly opened his eyes. The light streaming in through the curtains light needles stabbing his bloodshot eyes. Scotty groaned and slowly sat up, my god how much had he drunk last night, certainly enough to make him think seriously about never drinking again. Okay Valens, get up, have a shower, drink coffee and go to work he told himself and eventually his brain connected with his legs and he stood up. Looking across the room he spotted Lilly, I must be still drunk, because I swear I came home alone last night. Lilly stirred but didn't wake, Scotty couldn't believe his eyes, Lilly Rush, the woman he loved more than anything else in the world, and the woman who mere hours ago had flat out rejected him was now asleep in his armchair.

Scotty thought of waking her up and demanding why the hell she was in his apartment but he chose instead to sit on the coffee table and watch her sleep. Her hair a little dishevelled and her makeup still a little smeared from her tears last night but she still looked like the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

Lilly finally opened her eyes and spotted Scotty sitting in front of her.

"Hey" she said softly

"Hey" Scotty said still surprised she was there.

"I suppose you wanna know why I am here?" Lilly asked sheepishly

"The thought crossed my mind" he said smiling at her slightly

"I wanted to come by and say that I am sorry about last night, I was upset about Eddie, I know that you had my best interests at heart and that you weren't doing it to hurt me" Lilly said softly.

"I am sorry too, I should have just told you about Eddie as opposed to springin' it on you like I did" Scotty said.

"How's your head?" Lilly asked as she took in his scruffy appearance and black circles under his eyes.

"Feels like I've been hit by a truck" He said and Lilly smiled

"I guess that's my fault" Lilly said softly

"Nah, I should never of said what I did last night" Scotty said standing up "I was hoping we could just forget I said anything" He moved off towards the kitchen. "You want a coffee?" he asked

"Yeah, sounds good" Lilly said and she followed him into the kitchen. "Scotty, I think we need to talk" Lilly stated

"No, Lil it's fine we can just forget about it" Scotty pleaded

"So you don't love me anymore?" Lilly asked a smile playing on her lips

"Of course I love you Lil, but I don't wanna lose our friendship so I just want you to forget I said anythin"

"Look Scotty, I have never had the best track record when it comes to men. I was thinking about what you said last night and I realised something, you have always been there for me. You make me laugh, you hold me up when I can't stand on my own, you trust me even when I can't trust myself, you have been my best friend for the past seven years" She stepped closer to him "I am not saying that I don't love you Scotty, I am just saying I need time to think about all of this, some time to see if the love I do have for you is the right kind of love...can you give me some time?"

Scotty smiled and brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes "I'll wait for as long as you need Lil"

Lilly stood on tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his cheek "I better go, I'll see you at work"

Scotty nodded "Yeah, I'll see you at work"

"Take some aspirin, It'll help with the hangover" Lilly offered. She turned on her heel and showed herself out leaving Scotty behind chuckling to himself, maybe he hadn't completely stuffed up.

A/n: Last chapter up next, hope you guys are still reading. Please review so I don't feel all rejected