A scream built up inside Elizaveta's throat. No, no, no. This isn't happening. Not again. She couldn't lose Gilbert, he was her best friend, she couldn't lose him...

"NO!" The scream that ripped out of her throat almost didn't sound like her own voice. "Let him go!" Suddenly, she was running toward Lukas, switchblade in hand. Everything was moving so quickly, she couldn't understand what was going on, the ground seemed to spin beneath her feet, she swung toward him, it missed completely. Gilbert had to be alright he had to be hadtobehadtobe she couldn't lose him, not now, she couldn't...

He whirled around, though, staring at her wide-eyed, his hands falling from Gilbert's neck, and that's all Elizaveta saw. Gilbert falling to the ground, coughing, gasping. Breathing.

Elizaveta only let herself feel relieved for a moment before turning back to Lukas. Her fear boiled over into dark, hot hatred. He was the first person she had ever truly hated. She whipped her switchblade out before her, staring at his throat. She wouldn't miss this time.

And then Lukas turned around and ran. She was tempted to run after him, but then Gilbert coughed again beside her and she snapped out of her thoughts, immediately falling to her knees. "Gilbert, Gilbert. Are you okay?"

He had nasty cuts on his face, blood dripped out of the corner of his mouth, and his shoulder looked dislocated, but that was all she could see. He was still catching his breath. He just groaned in response.

"Should I call a doctor? Are you alright?"

Gilbert forced an eye open, looking at her. He seemed to try to smile, but it came out more as a grimace. "I've been through worse."

Elizaveta swallowed hard, trying not to think of how true that was. "Your shoulder's dislocated, and I don't know if I can fix it right. I really should call a doctor."

Gilbert tried to sit up and winced. "Damn, what did he do? Did he break my ribs, too? No, call Roddy. He'll know what to do." He lifted his good hand to his lips, wiping at the blood. When he saw the blood, he groaned again. "Aw, man. I don't have the money for this. I won't need stitches, will I?"

As Gilbert spoke, the other gang members emerged almost as if they could sense something was wrong as well. Ludwig rushed to his side, and Gilbert looked at him weakly. "Will he be alright?"

Elizaveta gestured to his arm. "I don't know about that arm. Could you run back and call a doctor? Roderich, too."

Ludwig ran off before Gilbert could protest further. More of the Blackbirds were gathering, including Antonio and Francis. Lovino hung behind.

With the help of Elizaveta, they managed to carry Gilbert back to his house and laid him out on a chair. Elizaveta immediately saw to cleaning his wounds, trying to stop the bleeding. She was careful to avoid jostling his arm.

A few minutes after they arrived, Roderich rushed in. He was panting, his suit wrinkled and his hair askew. He looked as if he had run here from the rich side of town; he probably had.

"Who did this?!" His face was flushed red with anger, and his hands were balled into fists at this side. It was almost frightening. When he saw Gilbert's shoulder, his eyes widened and he ran over.

"Lukas. Lukas Bondevik." Elizaveta felt a surge of loathing just saying his name.

"He pulls this shit all the time, the son of a bitch. He and his boyfriend jumped me before," Lovino spat. "I wouldn't be surprised if he was the murderer."

Elizaveta went cold at that. Lukas could have murdered again today- he almost did. She closed her eyes briefly, trying to compose herself. Lovino was only making an assumption. He didn't know. Lilli wouldn't be endangered.

"Did you call a doctor?" Roderich's voice had lost its flame. He just sounded sad. He shook his head slightly. "I still can't believe Lukas is really like this..."

Gilbert grabbed Roderich's arm before he could move. "Wait. I don't have money for a doctor." He looked over to Antonio. "You had to fix your shoulder before, right? When you were in jail-"

"Yes, yes, I did." Antonio cut him off swiftly, taking a step closer to him. "If you really can't call a doctor, I can try."

He crouched down next to Gilbert and placed his hand on his arm. "Relax your arm completely and remain like that. Tell me if this hurts, all right?"

Elizaveta watched with morbid interest as Antonio bent Gilbert's elbow and started rotating his arm, stopping whenever Gilbert winced before repeating the process. Then, with a popping sound that was almost nauseating, Gilbert's shoulder was back into place.

Gilbert tentatively touched it before grinning. He sat up, turning to Roderich and flexing. "Look at these sick puppies."

Roderich didn't respond other than crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow. "You act as if I haven't seen them before."

At that, Gilbert's face turned bright red. Before anything else could progress, Elizaveta cleared her throat, stepping forward. "Well! While your clothes are still securely not on the floor, I think the rest of us should leave."

Gilbert tried to stutter out a response, but Elizaveta was already herding out the others, rolling her eyes. Men were ridiculous sometimes.

.

The next week passed without notice. Outside of her math class, Elizaveta hadn't seen Lukas, and that was a relief. She saw Lilli once or twice in the hallways, but nothing more, and she was oddly disappointed with that. All in all, it was normal. She tended to her plants, the weather got warmer, Natalia visited her at the diner, Gilbert's shoulder healed- it was a nice break from the insanity of the past few days.

She was working her shift at Rocking Johnny's, keeping her eye on Natalia's table. She looked around once or twice for Lilli, but so far, there was nothing. She sighed, picking up another tray and taking it to the booth.

"Waitress!"

This time, Elizaveta immediately recognized Lilli's voice. She served the order as quickly as she could before turning around, feeling a grin already spreading across her face. She spotted Lilli at a booth tucked into the corner of the wall, and she immediately made her way over. "Hey, Lilli!"

Lilli held the same notebook from before in her lap. She smiled as soon as their gaze met. "Hello, Elizaveta."

"You're back again. Let me guess- strawberry shake?"

She nodded. "I also have some news about Lukas. Do you have a moment?"

Elizaveta glanced around at the restaurant. They weren't understaffed, and the diner wasn't especially full; they wouldn't notice. "What is it?"

"Mathias Køhler. Do you know him?"

He followed Lukas around everywhere, and he was obnoxious- it would be hard to ignore him. She nodded.

"I believe him and Lukas are together. As in, I believe they're..." She seemed to try to find the right word. "Queer. I saw them kissing by the train tracks the other day."

Elizaveta's mind reeled as she tried to process that. Lukas had mentioned he was homosexual before, but that he had a boyfriend was something entirely new. It was something she could use. "Thank you. That's very useful. I'll be back with your shake in just a moment."

As Elizaveta attended other tables, she considered just what Mathias meant. If Lukas truly cared about him, she would have a defense against him blackmailing her. She could hurt Mathias and even threaten to kill him. There was only one question that lingered in her mind.

Could she do it?

Could she really hurt an innocent person? Could she really kill someone?

Lukas was wrong- she wasn't a killer. She couldn't imagine hurting Mathias. He was just a loud, friendly kid. But maybe, just maybe, a threat like that could protect Lilli.

Elizaveta retrieved Lilli's order, slightly reassured. After all, it wasn't even certain that things would come to that. When she reached Lilli's booth, however, Lilli didn't say anything. She simply stared down at her notebook. Elizaveta was about to leave when she spoke.

"Sorry if that... Unsettled you." She doodled a flower in the corner of her page, not meeting Elizaveta's gaze. "I mean, it's strange that they're queer and all..."

Elizaveta was taken aback. "Oh, of course I'm not unsettled. I'm the last person that would be unsettled by that."

Lilli looked up to her then, and she seemed almost hopeful. She started to say something, but a song began to play from the jukebox, cutting her off. It was an average diner song that Elizaveta had heard before- the standard piano chords, a few background singers, and a crooning voice. Nothing impressive.

Lilli, however, immediately turned toward it, grinning widely. It was the biggest smile Elizaveta had seen on her before. "Oh, I love this song!"

Lilli leaned back, her eyes closed, and she began to sing.

"You are my special angel..."

Elizaveta had heard songs like this time and time again, and they never had any effect on her. She didn't understand why her chest seemed to tighten now or why her cheeks felt so warm.

"Sent from up above..."

For the first time, she noticed that Lilli had a faint dusting of freckles across her nose. When she opened her eyes and met Elizaveta's gaze, she noticed how green they really were.

"The Lord smiled down on me, and sent me an angel to love!"

Lilli laughed then, and Elizaveta felt her heart jump. She swallowed hard. Had Lilli always been so adorable?

"Oh, Elizaveta, have you ever seen the movie Bus Stop? I hear they're doing reruns at the movie show downtown."

For some reason, Elizaveta found it hard to respond. She cleared her throat, forcing out a response. "No, I haven't."

Lilli gasped. "Oh, we simply must! It's one of my favorites. Say, are you free this Friday?"

Elizaveta couldn't remember anything in specific she needed to do. Besides, she hadn't been to the theatre in ages, and going with Lilli would be better than anything else she had planned. "I think so."

"You have to come see it with me, then!" Lilli seemed to light up. "Marilyn Monroe is in it, and it's great fun!"

Elizaveta ran a hand through her hair. "Yes, well, there's something..."

Lilli immediately looked crestfallen. "What's that?"

Elizaveta struggled to find a way to word it. It was embarrassing; it forced her to admit how unfeminine she truly was. "I don't know how to do my hair, and I don't think I have any dresses." She wasn't even sure why it mattered. It was just the movie show. But for some reason, it did.

Lilli stared at her for a moment, and Elizaveta almost wanted to run away. Then, she smiled again. "I'll come an hour early or so, and I can show you. It's no big deal- I mean, we all learn sometime in life."

Lilli was such a kind person. "That sounds wonderful." Friday was just two days away. She was already excited.

"After you finish your shift, then?" When Elizaveta nodded, Lilli's smile grew. "I'll see you then."

Elizaveta nodded again and picked up her serving tray, still grinning like an idiot. As she it carried away, she paid attention to the music playing for the first time.

"The smile from your lips brings the summer sunshine, tears from your eyes bring the rain..."

.

The plants were growing, reaching toward the sun as the days turned warmer. Her lilies were awakening, the forget-me-nots were rejuvenating, the geraniums were growing taller. Elizaveta attended to it every day, watching over each flower's growth. It was going to be a good year for gardening. Soon, she would have a garden full of blooms.

It was Friday night, and Elizaveta was sitting in her garden again, admiring how well it was coming along. It was one of her favorite places- it was behind a row of bushes that cut her off from the rest of the world, leaving just her and her flowers.

Her shift had ended recently, and she was waiting for Lilli to arrive. The thought that she had likely reconsidered and wasn't coming at all crossed Elizaveta's mind once or twice, but she tried to ignore it. She was incredibly excited about the whole thing, and she desperately hoped Lilli would still show. It still concerned her that she cared so much, but it was only slight.

She had been to the theatre quite a few times before with Feliciano. In the summer, it was the only place with air conditioning, and everyone was dressed in their best. Greasers would often try to slip in and stay in the back as long as they could until they were kicked out. Elizaveta preferred to be honest and pay for her tickets, even if her nicest outfit was just a dress shirt and slightly cleaner pants. She was out of place there, but at least she wasn't breaking in.

"Elizaveta!"

She felt her chest tighten pleasantly at the sound of that voice. She turned around, grinning already, and saw Lilli emerge from behind the houses. She really had decided to come, and that made Elizaveta incredibly happy. "Hey, Lilli!" She patted the grass beside her. "Make yourself comfortable."

Lilli stepped around the flowers and shrubs, daintily sitting beside Elizaveta. She wore a mint green dress, the skirt of which she was currently smoothing out, and she carried a tote bag with her that she set on the grass.

Elizaveta gestured to it. "What have you got in there?"

Lilli smiled shyly. "Just the tools of the trade." She looked around at the garden with appraising eyes. "This is quite nice. Is it yours?"

Elizaveta nodded, smiling herself from the praise. No one ever really noticed her garden. "Do you know about flowers?"

Lilli beamed, and pointed to the clump of flower buds near them. "Those are forget-me-nots. Oh, and those are hydrangeas! They always stand out so much. And these..." Lilli trailed off, reaching forward and brushing her fingers lightly against the leaves of the buds nearest. "These are violets." She spoke so fondly, looking down at the plant with such warmth, that Elizaveta was captivated. "Do you know the meaning of the flowers? What each one represents?"

"Well, I have a book with all the meanings, but I haven't read through it."

Lilli looked back up to her, her smile still in place. "That's absolutely wonderful. I love things like that. Everything around you has a meaning, depth. It's like a storybook." Her eyes had gained a faraway look, and she gazed around the garden again before shaking her head slightly. "But that's just my rambling. The showing of Bus Stop is in about an hour and a half, so we should get to work."

Elizaveta led her to her room. Lilli immediately sat her before her desk, procuring a small mirror from the tote bag along with two dresses.

"I tried my best with these. You're a bit taller, and more... Well-endowed, so I'm not sure how well they'll fit." She laid them across the bed, one pale pink and the other deep blue with polka-dot pattern. Lilli stepped back, putting her hand to her mouth as she thought, looking between Elizaveta and the dresses. Elizaveta couldn't see herself in either, but then again, she couldn't remember the last time she wore a dress.

"The pink one would make your hair really stand out, but I feel like the blue one would look the best on you altogether." Lilli handed the blue dress to her. "Why don't you try that one first?"

Elizaveta took it into the bathroom and changed into it. It came to just below her knees. The top clung to her torso, and the skirt was pleated and loose. It cinched around her waist with a white belt.

She was unused to the way it was tight around her chest, the way that her legs were completely free. She had to admit that it was a bit more comfortable than her jeans and jacket. If she was going to go fully feminine, she might as well like it. After all, her goal was to look the least like a Greaser as possible.

She pulled her hair out of its green ribbon and placed it on the counter before she left back into her room. "How does it look?"

Lilli looked up from sorting the contents of her bag. Her face immediately turned pink, and her mouth dropped open. Elizaveta did a spin on impulse, and the fabric easily swirled around her. "I don't think it's half bad!"

Lilli continued to stare at her, her face even redder. "You should definitely wear dresses more often." She hastily cleared her throat. "I mean, well... Here, sit down, let me fix up your hair." She gestured to the chair.

As soon as Elizaveta was seated, Lilli started brushing through her tangle of curls. Her hair tended to be unruly, even when in a ponytail, and it was worse whenever she took it out of one.

"What I'm wondering is how you've gone seventeen years without a dress. I mean, doesn't your mother complain? Mine definitely would."

Elizaveta shrugged. "I sure have no clue." At Lilli's confused look, she sighed. "Well, my mom hasn't really been... Around. She left when I was young, and I haven't seen her since, so my dad has raised me, except he's never home and-" Elizaveta cut herself off abruptly. She hadn't even noticed the venom creeping into her voice. "God, that got depressing fast. Sorry."

Lilli shook her head. "No, no, I shouldn't have brought it up."

There was a moment of silence before Elizaveta tried to change the topic. "There's no end to your talents, huh? First you're a fighter, then you're a writer, and now you're a stylist."

Lilli blushed at that. "Well, I suppose so. Though, I can't say I'm a fighter at all."

Elizaveta raised her eyebrows. "Are you kidding? You knocked out Gilbert with that punch! If that's not impressive, I don't know what is."

Lilli smiled slightly, but she still looked unsure. "That was lucky. If you actually fought back, I would've lost very quickly. I don't have any endurance, and I'm not that strong."

"Hey, even if you're not strong, you can do hair. I can't do that."

Lilli giggled at that, and Elizaveta was fairly sure her heart burst. For some reason, she wanted to keep her laughing that tiny, perfect laugh. "You know, I'm starting to wonder about those stories of yours. Just what are they? The tale of a forbidden romance? An epic medieval saga? Or maybe..." She waggled her eyebrows. "The story of a duke who gently and passionately deflowers a maiden?"

Lilli's giggle turned to all-out laughter, and she had to stop what she was doing momentarily and lean on the table. "Most definitely not!"

Elizaveta couldn't stop herself from laughing as well. "Can I ever read them, then, or are they completely off limits?"

"We'll see." Still grinning, Lilli got back to fixing Elizaveta's hair. "I might have a story or two you'd enjoy. Look at that, I'm almost finished. You'll look like a proper lady!"

Elizaveta let out a quite unladylike snort at that thought. Her, a lady. Even the thought was ridiculous.

Lilli worked in a last pin and proclaimed it finished. When Elizaveta saw it, she was shocked. Lilli was right.

It was hard to recognize herself. Her hair had been curled again, and each time she turned her head, they bounced. It didn't look like a mass of tangles anymore- in fact, it would be a shame to put it in a ponytail. She did look, somehow, like a lady.

"Wow," She breathed. "This is really nice. How did you do it?"

Lilli began gathering the mirror, brush, and other tools off the table. "Your hair is quite pretty as-is, so it didn't take much." She glanced at the clock. "How long does it take to get to the theatre?"

"About twenty minutes or so." Elizaveta checked the clock as well and was surprised to see an hour had passed. It seemed much shorter than that. "We can go behind the houses, where you came from. That way we won't be bothered."

Lilli cocked her head, confused. "Why would we be bothered?"

"We're on Blackbird turf, and we just look like two rich girls, so we would probably get attacked. Besides, I'm not sure how I could exactly explain this."

At that, Lilli averted her gaze and looked almost sad. "Oh, of course."

That was strange. "It's not that bad. Just a bit longer of a walk."

"That's not what-" Lilli cut herself off and then shook her head slightly, as if to clear it. "Never mind about that. Lead the way..." She looked back up to Elizaveta, a mischievous gleam in her eye. "Duke."

Elizaveta raised an eyebrow. "Oh, does that mean you're the maiden that needs deflowering?"

Lilli didn't say anything, but she started grinning. Elizaveta feigned shock, gasping and bringing her hand to her chest. "Why, a lady shouldn't be thinking of things like that!"

Lilli rolled her eyes. "Come on, you're the one who brought up the whole deflowering thing. It's you who shouldn't think so."

Elizaveta let out a breath of laughter. "That's what you get for having a lot of boys for friends. Well, come along, fair maiden, and I'll show you to the palace."

.

Bus Stop was rather interesting after all. It was about a socially awkward cowboy who fell in love with an aspiring Hollywood star, Chérie, who was played by Marilyn Monroe. Ever since the movie ended, Lilli had not stopped talking about her.

"She's simply so gorgeous! And she's a great actor, too." Lilli's face lit up as she talked about her, and she grew more animated with every word.

Elizaveta had to admit, though, Monroe was quite a beauty. "The dress she wore looked great on her too. Though, of course," she quickly added, "I like men. I don't mean that any other way."

"Really?" Lilli's eyes were large, and her head was cocked to the side. She was the very picture of innocence. "I did."

For a long moment, Elizaveta simply stared at her. She felt like her heart had stopped. Had Lilli truly meant that? Was she queer? And, even more importantly, why did it matter so much?

And then, Lilli laughed, and Elizaveta felt that strange tightness in her chest again. Not too long ago, Lilli had been so reserved and shy; it was wonderful to see how much she had opened up.

"Oh, this is my neighborhood." Lilli stopped before one of the nicer neighborhoods in the town, and Elizaveta's eyes went wide at the sight of the houses. They were all so grand... She cleared her throat. "I'll see you at school, then."

Lilli nodded, smiling. "Today was really fun. Thank you." Then she left. Before she turned around the corner, she looked back and waved. Elizaveta waved back, and then Lilli was out of sight.

Elizaveta continued back to her neighborhood with a bounce in her step. Lilli was so wonderful. And she was so cute, especially when she giggled... Elizaveta laughed at the memory. She was so talented, too, and at so many things. She might even let Elizaveta read one of her stories.

Elizaveta grinned to herself as she fumbled with the keys to her door. Finally getting the right one, she unlocked her door.

"Look what we have here. A rich girl this far in the Blackbird's turf?"

Elizaveta spun around, reaching for her switchblade. When she felt only cloth, she cursed, remembering what she was wearing. Without her switchblade, she wouldn't last.

The person who had spoken didn't have a weapon, either. He was slouching against the porch, looking down at her with narrowed eyes. And she knew him better than almost anybody.

"Why did you have a rich girl with you earlier, Elizaveta?"

It was Gilbert.

Note- the word queer was used to refer to homosexual people during this time period and wasn't as much of a slur back then.