Alright, here it is...the showdown! There's one more chapter after this and an epilogue probably, but for those of you getting sad it's almost over, I had always planned to write a third part. I know the fandom's kind of dwindled down to nothing and with it most of the readers it seems, but I hope there's enough interest for me to finish this trilogy. I've also toyed with the idea of publishing these first two Lightning stories after all your overwhelming responses, but we'll see how it goes. For now, enjoy this chapter and know that it may not all be over just yet ;)

Chapter XIV

The next time Lilly came to, she was lying in the dirt on her back, the sunrays blinding her eyes. She blinked several times, unsure at first of where she was and, more importantly, why she seemed to be lying on the ground. Puffy clouds lazily strolled across the blue sky above her. Lilly thought about how much Miley loved stretching out in the grass under the sky to watch the clouds, how peaceful it was to just watch her. Miley. Lilly sat up with a start, the memories flooding back. She groaned at the sudden movement and shook her head to clear it.

Her SUV still stood a few yards away where she had left it, driver's side door wide open. Richard's truck, and with it Miley, was long gone, deep ruts carved into the dirt where he had peeled out of the driveway. The dark clouds and rain from before had lifted and Lilly wondered exactly how long she had been out. Scrambling to her feet, she quickly made her way to the SUV, but then realized she had no idea where to go. She noticed her phone on the passenger seat and quickly dialed Miley's number, hoping against all odds she'd receive an answer. Even though she had expected it, her stomach dropped when the voicemail picked up. Lilly started the SUV and drove off.

She hadn't given any thought at all to where she was going, but found herself in front of the familiar diner less than ten minutes later. Lilly was absolutely positive Richard hadn't taken lethargic Miley out for an afternoon snack, but she had nowhere else to look. Richard's truck wasn't in the parking lot, but Lilly nevertheless sprinted inside, heart hammering as a renewed sense of hope surged within her chest. As always, heads turned in her direction when she entered and after a year in Crowley Lilly recognized every single patron in the restaurant.

Susan was serving a table, but Lilly did not hesitate to rush over to the woman. The odd and curious stares she was receiving made her try to school her face into something akin to relaxed, but the mask of panic had a way of forcing itself through.

"Richard took Miley and I don't know where they went!" Her words came out in a harried jumble, part incoherent and part desperate. Lilly hadn't even realized how close she was to losing it until she heard her own voice.

"What?" Susan turned, confused. She could have sworn Lilly had said something about Richard and Miley, but she knew that couldn't be true. There was a sheer panic in Lilly's eyes, so palpable Susan grabbed her arm to pull her off to the side. More curious faces turned to watch them. "Take a deep breath, Lilly. Tell me what happened."

"I got to the house. I saw Richard carrying Miley to his truck. When I tried to stop him he knocked me out and when I came to they were gone," said Lilly, her voice eerily calm now as she recounted what had happened. The realization that Miley wasn't there and Susan had no idea of what had transpired settled in, taking with it the last vestiges of hope she'd been clinging to.

Susan watched the girl for any signs she was lying, but she knew no one could fake the panic and desperation she was witnessing. Lilly's words still did not make sense to her, she could not fathom how any of this would be possible. Richard had promised her to watch Miley, to keep her inside, and she trusted Richard implicitly. There had to be another explanation. "Did something happen to Miley? Did Richard take her to a hospital? I've got to call him."

Lilly wanted to argue the unlikeliness of that scenario, but figured it would make no difference. Susan had been believing creepy kidnapper Richard over Miley for months. She just nodded numbly and jerked her thumb towards the door. "I'm gonna go out and look for Miley."

Susan hesitated for just a split-second before she took her apron off and pushed Lilly towards the door. Lilly was right – they had to find Miley, who'd been so horribly sick and was in danger just being outside. "I'll come with. I can call Richard from the car."

Susan did not even waste time notifying her boss she was leaving, figuring the diner's busybodies would make sure he knew. Lilly led her out of the door and to the SUV, though once they were sitting inside they realized they had no idea where to start looking. They weren't just looking for Miley, who could normally be found in a tree or swimming hole, but for Richard, who was so impossible to read there was no way in knowing what he would do next. Susan called Richard's cell phone, but he did not pick up.

Lilly pulled onto the deserted country road, thoughts running wild. Miley was somewhere, with Richard, in grave danger and she could do nothing about it. Her eyes scanned the blue sky up ahead and the white clouds made her heart clench painfully. Something caught her eye and she looked towards the wooded area to her left. Dark clouds with violent red streaks hung heavy over the trees, but unlike the storms so common to this area, they weren't moving in or coming closer.

She slammed on the breaks and turned onto the unpaved road to her left, the tires squealing from the force of the turn. Susan gripped onto the door tightly and glanced at Lilly in the driver's seat. "Where are you going?"

Lilly didn't look at the woman, instead pointing at the dark front now straight ahead of them. "Miley."

Susan, uneasy from the implication, but hopeful of Lilly's intuition, clutched the door a little tighter. Her eyes were focused on the dirt road ahead of them, flanked by thick trees on one side and open pasture to the other. She swallowed. "It looks like those clouds are over Caleb's Point."

"What's Caleb's Point? I've never heard of it."

Susan smiled wryly, her face somber. "The place where nothing grows and nothing can be built. The place Miley was born."

Lilly threw a quick, shocked glance at Susan, before returning her attention to the road. No matter the confusion, this was not the time for questions. Neither woman spoke as the SUV barreled closer to the ominous clouds over Caleb's Point.

xxx

The rain had followed him the entire way to Caleb's Point, increasing in ferocity the closer he got. Even with the windshield wipers on 'high', visibility was near zero and more than once the truck had hit a major pothole. Richard was holding the steering wheel with a death grip, more worried about what he had done than the poor weather. He had not heard Miley move nor make a sound since throwing her in the back, but he did not dare turn to look in case he hit another pothole.

At long last he could make out the large clearing up ahead and as he pulled up he noticed Mandy's car already parked on the side. Richard pulled up next to her and leaned back in the seat to take a deep breath. This was it; he could not be wrong about this. He exhaled and stepped out into the monsoon-like rain. Mandy appeared next to him before he could even open the backseat, looking completely ridiculous in her drenched business suit. Richard only threw her a cursory glance before opening the door to the backseat.

"Richard, will you please tell me what the hell you're thinking?"

"I'm not."

Richard stripped the blanket off of Miley and pulled her out of the truck. She hardly weighed anything as he lifted her into his arms. Wearing close to nothing she was soaked through almost as soon as Richard moved away from the truck.

"You're not what? Thinking? Richard, if you don't tell me right now what is going on I will call the Chamber." Mandy followed him closely, terrified his lack of answers could spell trouble. The ground underneath was starting to get logged with water and she nearly fell trying to maneuver it with her heels. Mandy stripped them off, rushing after Richard who was carrying Miley towards a blackened circle in the middle of the clearing.

"Richard!"

Richard refused to be deterred and he knew if he talked to Mandy she could very well talk him out of this, so he kept walking determinedly. He looked down at the unresponsive girl in his arms. The rain beat forcefully against her face. Miley opened her eyes and Richard nearly dropped her in surprise. She groaned and suddenly jerked in his arms, though he held onto her tightly. Then Miley moved again, as if trying to wriggle out of his grasp, but thankfully he had reached the center of the black circle. Richard kneeled down and set Miley onto the quickly forming mud below. She looked up at him, her blue eyes piercing his and before he could move away, she'd grabbed his wrist.

"You're gonna be fine, Miley," said Richard, trying to meet the intensity of her eyes with his own. He stood, her hand sliding from his wet arm as he stepped away.

Richard moved backwards out of the circle, his eyes trained on Miley as she stretched out in the mud, turning her face towards the rain as if to soak in every drop. He bumped into something soft and turned, grabbing Mandy's arm to pull her with him. Thunder boomed above, so close it made Richard's ears hurt. Mandy let herself be pulled along, but she was resisting just enough to make him yank on her arm harder.

"Richard! Right now: What is going on?"

He yanked on her arm again and pulled her towards their cars. There was a soft hum in the air, just enough to make his hairs stand on end and he sprinted the rest of the way until he reached his truck. He turned, ignoring angry and confused Mandy reaching his side to watch the black circle he had just left. Miley had not moved from the position he'd left her in and for the millionth time since he'd started this Richard worried he had done the wrong thing. He knew this was crazy, stupid even, homicidal maybe. He glanced at Mandy's terrified eyes and back at Miley. Richard moved towards the circle. The soft hum exploded into a bolt of brilliant light, swallowing the entire black circle with its intensity.

xxx

Raindrops were starting to fall the closer they got to Caleb's Point. They had been few at first, but now they were falling in rapid procession. The black sky up ahead indicated worse weather was yet to come, but it only convinced Lilly all the more this was where they would find Miley. Neither she nor Susan had spoken since they'd turned onto this road and though Lilly found the silence stark and overwhelming, it allowed her to concentrate on maneuvering the SUV safely across the potholed and muddy road.

The rain now picked up even further, beating out a staccato rhythm against the windshield. Lilly moved the windshield wipers to 'High', but did not slow down her high-speed chase across the bumpy road. She leaned forward to gain better visibility, but it was near nothing at this point and she just hoped they wouldn't crash into some unforeseen obstacle.

"I think I see some cars up ahead. We should be almost there."

Lilly nearly jumped when Susan broke the silence. She tried to make out the shapes the woman was pointing at farther ahead on the right, but other than some dark blobs she could see little else. A few seconds later Lilly could make out a large open area up ahead, perhaps a pasture or field and noticed one of the cars Susan had mentioned seemed to be a large truck. The rain was beating down relentlessly now, coming down as if in sheets and preventing her from seeing much of anything else. Nothing could have obstructed her view from the lightning bolt, however, as it rocketed out of the dark clouds towards the ground up ahead. A thunderous crack accompanied it, startling her with such intensity she nearly lost control of the SUV. She swerved, hitting a pothole. Mud splashed onto the windows and Lilly turned the steering wheel sharply.

"Miley!"

Susan's voice startled Lilly again, her heart pounding in her chest. She slammed on the breaks, stopping just a few yards from the truck parked in the clearing she hadn't even realized she'd entered. Lilly glanced at Susan and noticed the woman was crying, already rushing to get out of the truck and she realized what had just happened. Tears pooled in her eyes and she reached for the door handle with shaking hands. If Miley really was here, if there had been lightning, Lilly swallowed, unable to finish the thought. She exited the SUV and realized for the first time it was no longer raining. The grass underneath her feet was waterlogged and soaked her sneakers immediately, but the sky was as blue as if nothing had ever happened.

"You killed her!"

Lilly looked up. Susan was attacking Richard with her fists, crying hysterically, while he tried to hold her off. Lilly hadn't even noticed him before, nor Mandy who stood drenched and miserable looking by his side. She walked towards them, each step flooding her shoes with more water and she tried to focus on the feeling in order to push all other thoughts aside. Susan's desperate screaming rang in her eyes, but she couldn't focus on that, either, because as soon as she looked up, Lilly saw the body lying in burned circle of grass a few hundred feet up ahead. She nearly faltered, but managed to stay upright. A painful lump formed in her throat and she clenched her hands to stop them from shaking.

This couldn't be right. This wasn't the way it was supposed to go. Lilly shook her head, forcing the idiotic idioms away. She glanced at her right, where Richard was trying hard to hold up a crying Susan who was still trying to beat him with her fists. Richard. Lilly's eyes narrowed and she turned, marching straight up to him. She pulled her fist back and punched him in the jaw with all her might, trying to release all the anger and despair growing inside of her. He hardly moved, instead shooting her a scathing glare that still was not enough to conjure any sort of fear inside of her. He could kill her, too, for all she cared.

"Stop! Both of you stop!" yelled Richard, grabbing Susan by the shoulders to shake her. His jaw stung where Lilly had punched him and he tried to move out of her reach.

Lilly couldn't imagine stopping wanting to kill Richard, ever. He had taken her Miley from her and Lilly hadn't even done anything to help her. She advanced on him again, when she heard it. Susan had stopped yelling and through the sudden silence they could hear something that sounded like laughter. Lilly turned her head to the left, noticing Mandy standing on the edge of the black circle. For a moment she thought Mandy was laughing at the body before her, but then she realized it couldn't be true, because no one laughed like that. No one but Miley.

Lilly took a few staggering steps towards the circle, but when she noticed movement coming from the body on the ground she broke out into a full run. Mandy hadn't moved into the circle and for a split-second Lilly hesitated, but then threw caution to the wind. Her sneakers sank into the mud and she lost her balance, falling onto all fours. Lilly sat back on her heels and stared mesmerized at the sight before her.

Miley was rolling in the mud, already covered practically from head to toe, all the while laughing with such wild abandon it made Lilly's heart swell. She had been so lethargic, sick and pitiful for months now, Lilly hadn't even remembered what Miley's infectious laughter sounded like. Now, however, she was rolling in that mud as if she had never even been sick. Miley lifted her head as if noticing Lilly for the first time and smiled, her white teeth standing out in stark contrast to her mud covered face. Lilly could hear footsteps behind her in the mud and within seconds Susan was by Miley's side, hugging her daughter.

Miley just laughed. "Momma, Lilly, I'm outside!"

Susan pulled back, trying to wipe the mud from Miley's face with mixed results. "Sweet pea, are you okay? Are you hurt? Is your heart okay?"

Miley looked down at herself and made a face as if noticing the mud for the first time. "I'm dirty."

Lilly started laughing hysterically; it bubbled from her lips unwillingly and tears started running down her face. Why was life with Miley always such a rollercoaster ride? She covered her face with her hands, realizing too late they were covered in mud and when she looked back up, Miley was mere inches from her face.

"Are you okay, Lils?"

Before she could answer she felt someone move behind her and turned to find Richard standing in the mud to her side. Susan stood, ready to attack him again. "You could have killed her! What were you thinking, Richard? Have you been out to get her this entire time?"

Miley grabbed her mother's arm to stop her from charging at Richard, though her eyes never left his face. Her voice was serious when she spoke, one of few times in her life. "Richard saved my life."

"Miley, you don't know what you're talking about," said Susan, not to be deterred from attacking her boyfriend.

"No momma, you're wrong." Miley pushed herself up, dripping mud as she stood and looking so ridiculous Lilly nearly snorted in laughter. "Richard saved me. I feel fine now. We should've never listened to that stupid doctor."

"Honey, that makes no sense. Dr. Khauf has been trying to help you and Richard here risked your life. You've telling me for months he was out to get you and now when I finally believe you, you say he saved your life?" Susan sounded just as confused as Lilly herself felt. She, too, stood up, waiting expectantly for an answer from Miley.

Miley shook her head. She took a step closer to Richard, the two practically sizing each other up. "How did you know? You knew at the trail before I got struck and now this. How?"

Richard looked almost uncomfortable at the intensity of her stare, an expression Lilly had never seen on his face before. "It's a bit of a story. Maybe we should get home first, get you cleaned up."

Instead of being suspicious of his answer, as Lilly had expected, Miley nodded and started walking towards the cars. "Good. I'm starving."

Not knowing what else to do and confused by the sudden reappearance of Miley's energy, everyone else just followed. When Miley reached the edge of the circle Mandy smiled at her, so dazzlingly it irked Lilly. Miley looked at Richard just behind her. "Mandy's not your sister, is she?"

Richard smiled wryly and shook his head. "No, not at all."

"I knew it." Miley grinned triumphantly and grabbed Lilly's hand, pulling her along towards the cars parked up ahead.

to be continued