A/N: This is a short piece I wrote about Lilly Gallagher, the orphan who stayed with the Hansens during Season One. Lilly was my favorite character, and I've been disappointed that the time she spent with Syd and the Hansens is all but ignored by the show's writers. So I decided to write this short little vignette. It takes place during the episode "Family Tree". I'd love to know what everyone thinks of this work, so if you could take a few minutes after reading to fill out that little box below, I'd be very grateful. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I own nothing, and I have nothing, so please don't sue! I'm just playing around with the characters, and I'll put them back when I'm done. ;)

The car ride was long and silent. I hadn't said a word since saying goodbye to the Gerwins. Dr. Hansen kept giving me concerned glances when she thought I wasn't looking. Probably worried about me. Everyone worries about me. Why, I don't know.

"I think you'll like it with us, Lilly," Dr. Hansen said, breaking the silence. "Joanie and Robbie are so excited about having you come to stay."

"Yeah," I replied, not sure what to say to that. It wasn't the first time I'd heard that, and it probably wouldn't be the last either. It hadn't been so long ago that the Gerwins had "welcomed me into their family." Only to discover that they didn't want me after all. It hurt, yeah, but I was used to it.

Dr. Hansen made another stab at conversation. "I thought we could do a little shopping this weekend. Like a girls day out. Sound like fun?"

"Yeah, sure." I knew I didn't sound too enthusiastic, and I felt bad about that. Dr. Hansen had been nicer to me than anyone else I'd met in a long time. She'd saved my life after Carson and I went through the window at the clinic, gotten me a job, and now she was letting me stay with her and her family. She still cared about me, even after I'd done all those horrible things.

Dr. Hansen pulled the car into a driveway and turned off the ignition. "Well, here we are, kiddo," she announced. "And just in time for dinner."

I grabbed my backpack and followed her into the house. Her brother and sister were there to greet us. I remembered them from that night I stayed over after a fight with the Gerwins. Joanie had her daughter with her. A cute baby. I always liked kids.

"Hello, Lilly," Joanie greeted me. "It's so nice to have you here."

I smiled back at her. "It's nice to be here," I said shyly. "Thanks for having me."

"Dad's up in Newfoundland seal-watching," Robbie added. "He'll be back in a few days."

I didn't know what to say to that, so I just smiled, hoping that would do. It did somewhat--Joanie and Robbie smiled back at me, but when that was over, the room lapsed into an awkward silence.

It was so familiar to me, but I still hated it. The uneasiness, the painful small talk, the feeling of being a stranger thrown in with a group of people who had gotten along perfectly well without you. I'd lived with dozens of foster families, and every new home started out like this. Sometimes it got better, and sometimes it didn't, and I'd run away when I couldn't stand it anymore. Most of the time I was caught before I got too far, but that didn't matter. The family never wanted me back.

Dr. Hansen came to my rescue. "Lilly, I think we've got time to see your room before dinner."

"Sure," I said gratefully, turning and following her up the stairs.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, opening the door that led to the attic.

"Nervous," I admitted. "I've never been good at this sort of thing."

"You're doing just fine," Dr. Hansen assured me. "This can't be easy for you."

I shrugged. "I guess. I'm used to it."

She looked like she wanted to say something else, but changed her mind instead. Which was just as well, because we'd made it up the last few stairs, and were standing in the attic.

"I know it's not much to look at now," Dr. Hansen said apologetically. "But we can see about getting it decorated more. Would you like that?"

I looked around the room. There were piles of boxes, and trunks, a bed and dresser, nothing terribly fancy, but it was mine to use. I wouldn't have to share this room with anyone else, thank God. I shuddered as I remembered my two-week stay with the Johnsons back in Oklahoma. I'd had to share a room with their daughter Kaitlyn, and to make a long story short, my case worker had had to come pick me up at eleven at night, after I'd hit Kaitlyn and made her nose bleed. I'm still not sorry I did it. She deserved it, after what she said about my mom.

Dr. Hansen was still waiting for my response. "It's nice," I told her. "Really. I like it."

She squeezed my shoulder. "Glad to hear it. Did you want a little time to settle in?"

"Yeah, thanks," I said gratefully. "That would be great."

"I'll call you when dinner's ready." She smiled at me, and disappeared down the stairs.

I put down my backpack, and wandered around the room. The boxes were mostly filled with junk, years worth of stuff that gets hauled up to the attic for lack of a better place to put it. I saw report cards, finger paintings, and other stuff, but I didn't want to pry too much. I was a stranger here, after all.

The thought made me go back and curl up on the bed, trying to sort out everything that was going on in my head. I didn't understand this. I wasn't supposed to feel sad. I'd wanted to be a part of the Hansen family ever since that night I'd spent here after that fight with the Gerwins. I'd loved how easily they interacted with each other, laughed over breakfast, and how much they obviously cared for each other. I hadn't had that since my mom died, and it was nice to be part of a family again, even if it was just for a few hours.

By all means, I should have been thrilled to be here. I liked Dr. Hansen--she was the first adult I'd trusted in a long time. And her family had been very nice to me when I'd showed up on their doorstep that night. I knew they would all do their best to make me feel welcome. I just wished I could stop feeling like an intruder in their lives.

"Lilly?" I looked up to see Dr. Hansen at the foot of the stairs, wearing that concerned expression she always seemed to have when dealing with me. "Are you all right?"

I sat up. "Yeah, I'm fine."

She didn't look convinced, but she didn't ask any more questions either. "Dinner's ready."

I got up and followed her downstairs to my first dinner with the Hansen family.