Chapter Six: Final Goodbyes
Lily found herself seated in the company of her morning orange juice fix. Unfortunately, morning had come before sleep had and therefore it was more like a mid-afternoon fix. She shook her head as she took a sip. It had been two days since she had brought those people into her home. Since then she had had little to no sleep and her entire cycle had been thrown off. //It must be a bitch trying to get oriented to sleeping during the day and living at night.// She thought quietly to herself. She still wasn't sure how she felt about the both of them leaving so soon. She couldn't understand why she wanted them to stay so badly. She had been living by herself for so long she had begun to think she was beyond succumbing to the desire of company. //I guess I forgot what it felt like to come home to something.//
"Good morning." Michael's voice rang out as he slowly shut the door to the bedroom.
Drinking deeply from her glass she nodded in his direction. She watched wordlessly as he took a seat across from her and stared at her for a moment. "Yes?" She raised an eyebrow at him.
He flashed a grin that nearly blinded her with his pearly whites. "Just curious why you always drink orange juice?"
She smirked. "Same reason why you and Selene always drink blood. I need it to survive."
"That was below the belt Lily." He tried to look sullen, but failed.
//He's certainly in a good mood. // She noted. //Wonder if I should change the sheets after they leave.// She shook her head from that train of thought, but couldn't help eyeing him suspiciously.
"I'm sorry about how abrupt Selene was last night." He looked at her questioningly, wondering if he should continue or not.
Lily merely shrugged. "I don't care."
"Yes you do."
She became indignant. "And you just know me so well don't you?"
"No, but I know how I would feel if someone I helped appeared so ungrateful. Don't worry, she doesn't mean it. It's just the way she is. She's been through...a lot the past few months."
Lily wasn't exactly sure why, but she could feel the anger rising to the forefront of her very confused emotions. "Look, I really could care less what she's been through. We all have shit in our lives to deal with, but that doesn't mean we can treat everyone else like crap. It's not an excuse."
Michael shook his head. "You are definitely right about that, but try to think about it a second. She's a vampire. She's been killing lycans with a fierce vengeance for almost a hundred years. Now look where she stands? She's not with the vampires for a good reason, but that doesn't mean she's not struggling over her loyalties or the betrayals. I appreciate where you are coming from in this picture, but don't sell her out so quickly. There is more than meets the eye I guarantee you."
Lily stared at him for a moment. He had just rammed a very different picture down her throat and she was still chewing on it. //I really hadn't thought about that.// She reasoned. Perhaps Selene's attitude was justified. //But what does it matter? They're leaving in a few hours anyway.// She looked directly at Michael. "Why are you telling me this? Does it really matter what I think?"
"You've been brought into something very ugly. I just wanted you to understand what some of the players have to go through. You deserve that much at least."
She nodded to him, but was able to read between the lines. "You love her don't you?"
Michael could feel his throat tighten. He stared hard at the girl's dark eyes. //She's observant.// He noted.
"You don't have to answer that." Lily retracted, clearly recognizing that she had made him uncomfortable.
"No. Its ok, but I don't think you understand. I love her yes, but love doesn't even come close to defining it." He looked down at his hands and began to fidget with them. "Its like it's almost out of my control. I'm destined to love her, and I couldn't stop even if I wanted to."
Lily stared at him in awe, confused by the sadness that permeated his tone while speaking of something so miraculous. //Even the undead have their troubles.// She realized. //It must be difficult to love someone so much when they fight you at every turn.// She shook her head. It still wasn't her problem. They had chosen to erase her from it, and that was their decision. She wouldn't get involved.
"Anyway, I just felt you deserved a bit of an explanation. We do appreciate what you've done for us."
"It's not a problem. I wish you luck with everything." She managed a mild smile.
"Thanks. I'm going to go wake Selene and then we'll be off." He slid from his chair and headed towards the bedroom.
Lily took notice of the fact that they had talked into sunset. She would soon have to go out with Jacen, but her heart wasn't into it. //Back to reality we go.// She thought sadly.
**** Well, that's the end of that chappy. Sorry it's so short, but the next one is extremely long, so I thought a little contrast would be all right. Thanks for the reviews Morrgaine & Merion. Glad you guys are still enjoying this. Things are going to be getting a bit more interesting I promise. I've now got all the characters right where I want them. *Evil laughs* Anyways, thanks again and I'll post chapter 7 in a few days.
Lily found herself seated in the company of her morning orange juice fix. Unfortunately, morning had come before sleep had and therefore it was more like a mid-afternoon fix. She shook her head as she took a sip. It had been two days since she had brought those people into her home. Since then she had had little to no sleep and her entire cycle had been thrown off. //It must be a bitch trying to get oriented to sleeping during the day and living at night.// She thought quietly to herself. She still wasn't sure how she felt about the both of them leaving so soon. She couldn't understand why she wanted them to stay so badly. She had been living by herself for so long she had begun to think she was beyond succumbing to the desire of company. //I guess I forgot what it felt like to come home to something.//
"Good morning." Michael's voice rang out as he slowly shut the door to the bedroom.
Drinking deeply from her glass she nodded in his direction. She watched wordlessly as he took a seat across from her and stared at her for a moment. "Yes?" She raised an eyebrow at him.
He flashed a grin that nearly blinded her with his pearly whites. "Just curious why you always drink orange juice?"
She smirked. "Same reason why you and Selene always drink blood. I need it to survive."
"That was below the belt Lily." He tried to look sullen, but failed.
//He's certainly in a good mood. // She noted. //Wonder if I should change the sheets after they leave.// She shook her head from that train of thought, but couldn't help eyeing him suspiciously.
"I'm sorry about how abrupt Selene was last night." He looked at her questioningly, wondering if he should continue or not.
Lily merely shrugged. "I don't care."
"Yes you do."
She became indignant. "And you just know me so well don't you?"
"No, but I know how I would feel if someone I helped appeared so ungrateful. Don't worry, she doesn't mean it. It's just the way she is. She's been through...a lot the past few months."
Lily wasn't exactly sure why, but she could feel the anger rising to the forefront of her very confused emotions. "Look, I really could care less what she's been through. We all have shit in our lives to deal with, but that doesn't mean we can treat everyone else like crap. It's not an excuse."
Michael shook his head. "You are definitely right about that, but try to think about it a second. She's a vampire. She's been killing lycans with a fierce vengeance for almost a hundred years. Now look where she stands? She's not with the vampires for a good reason, but that doesn't mean she's not struggling over her loyalties or the betrayals. I appreciate where you are coming from in this picture, but don't sell her out so quickly. There is more than meets the eye I guarantee you."
Lily stared at him for a moment. He had just rammed a very different picture down her throat and she was still chewing on it. //I really hadn't thought about that.// She reasoned. Perhaps Selene's attitude was justified. //But what does it matter? They're leaving in a few hours anyway.// She looked directly at Michael. "Why are you telling me this? Does it really matter what I think?"
"You've been brought into something very ugly. I just wanted you to understand what some of the players have to go through. You deserve that much at least."
She nodded to him, but was able to read between the lines. "You love her don't you?"
Michael could feel his throat tighten. He stared hard at the girl's dark eyes. //She's observant.// He noted.
"You don't have to answer that." Lily retracted, clearly recognizing that she had made him uncomfortable.
"No. Its ok, but I don't think you understand. I love her yes, but love doesn't even come close to defining it." He looked down at his hands and began to fidget with them. "Its like it's almost out of my control. I'm destined to love her, and I couldn't stop even if I wanted to."
Lily stared at him in awe, confused by the sadness that permeated his tone while speaking of something so miraculous. //Even the undead have their troubles.// She realized. //It must be difficult to love someone so much when they fight you at every turn.// She shook her head. It still wasn't her problem. They had chosen to erase her from it, and that was their decision. She wouldn't get involved.
"Anyway, I just felt you deserved a bit of an explanation. We do appreciate what you've done for us."
"It's not a problem. I wish you luck with everything." She managed a mild smile.
"Thanks. I'm going to go wake Selene and then we'll be off." He slid from his chair and headed towards the bedroom.
Lily took notice of the fact that they had talked into sunset. She would soon have to go out with Jacen, but her heart wasn't into it. //Back to reality we go.// She thought sadly.
**** Well, that's the end of that chappy. Sorry it's so short, but the next one is extremely long, so I thought a little contrast would be all right. Thanks for the reviews Morrgaine & Merion. Glad you guys are still enjoying this. Things are going to be getting a bit more interesting I promise. I've now got all the characters right where I want them. *Evil laughs* Anyways, thanks again and I'll post chapter 7 in a few days.