Disclaimer: Don't own, didn't happen. Set during the movie.

When she finished getting dressed, Lily got into Billy's car and drove to the courthouse. Her thoughts were riddled with memories of Joe. Joe had always been the sweet one in the group, only committing petty crimes to please his older brother. Lily just wished Joe would try harder to reach his goal of becoming an artist, so he could make something of himself. She loved Joe; she didn't want to see him grow up to be his brother.

"Joey!"

"Joe!"

The gang started shouting from the car windows as the mustangs parked in front of Joe, injured and dressed in last night's clothes. The boys and Lily got out of the car, and they greeted him like one of their own, each of them telling him how proud them were of him. They treated him like a hero who had just overcome an evil monster. Lily watched as Joe smiled, feeling completely accepted by the gang.

"You see, he fits perfectly," Billy whispered to her before approaching his brother.

Eventually, Joe looked over at Lily, seeing the hurt in her eyes. His smile turned into a straight face as he came towards her, looking down into her eyes. Joe's eyes were just like Billy's, only his eyes were full of innocence and longing for acceptance. Lily saw the bandage on his forehead and marks on his hand, touching them lightly with her fingertips.

"Are you okay?" She asked him,

"Yeah. I'm alright," He answered, "Getting hit by a car wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."

Lily gave a small giggle, returning to look into his eyes, "I'll take a better look at you later. Those court doctors never have any idea what the fuck their doing,"

Joe laughed softly, "Alright Lils."

Billy broke their moment by telling them to get in the car, his jealous glare in full force. Lily slid into the middle with her legs separated by the shifter, while Joe sat beside her. The entire car ride home, Joe's eyes struggled to leave the sight of Lily's smooth, long legs. Even though she was with Billy, and loved the man dearly, it was nice to let Joe get a glimpse every once in a while.

When they arrived at Joe's apartment, Lily went inside the boy's shabby apartment and told him to sit down on a chair. Having experience in the medical field (if you call pulling a bullet out of Billy's shoulder "medical experience"), Lily scoungered up whatever first aid items Joe had laying around, and only coming up with a nearly-empty bottle of alcohol.

"Joe, remind me to get you a first aid kit," Lily said, coming back with the bottle and a clean rag,

"Why?"

"Because you get hurt too often and I don't wanna see your brother have to amputate you because you couldn't clean yourself up," Lily answered.

Lily peeled off the bandage on Joe's head and realized it hadn't been stiched properly. One side of the gash was completely open still; the other half only had a thin piece of thread holding it together. Going into the kitchen, she found the small sewing box she had left in the drawer and a pair of nail sisscors.

"Well, someone's resourceful," Jow commented, a grin on his face,

"It develops when you live around people who get hurt and are never prepared for anything small as a simple paper cut," Lily responded as she washed her hands throughly.

Lily came back to Joe, warning him what she was about to do would hurt him a little, and sliced into his wound carefully, cutting out the two stiches. Joe merely winced at the pain. Next, she fixed the thread into the needle, held Joe's cut closed, and began to stich the two piece of skin together. The blood trickled off her hands on onto Joe's upper cheek, but she was sure he wouldn't mind.

"How's everythin' goin'?" Joe asked, "Am I gonna live to have a piece of my brain still?"

"You're gonna live, kid. And you still get to keep that brain of yours," Lily answered as she finished stiching him, "Fucking doctors never look straight anymore."

"You should be a doctor," Joe said, feeling the perfect stich with his fingertips,

"I'm pratically one already," Lily said, "That and a mother,"

"-And a hot stripper-" Joe joked, only recieving a small shove from Lily as she rebandaged him with the used bandages,

"Don't let Billy hear you talking like that...He'll kill you," Lily told Joe, but the boy on disregarded it,

"Billy wouldn't kill me. I'm the only thing he has, besides you, I mean."

Lily looked down at Joe and smiled. He was right. She and Joe both knew Billy would lose his mind if he had to live without them. Kissing the clean bandage on Joe's forehead, she fixed his hair slightly and told him to just sit for a while.

"Can you stay with me?" Joe asked her, looking up at her with his innocent eyes, the way a child would look up at his mother, "I like it when you're around,"

Lily blushed a light pink and pulled up a chair beside Joe, "I can stay a few minutes,"

"How are things with my brother?" Joe asked her, staring directly at her,

"We had a little spat this morning,"

"You two always have a spat. What was it about?" Joe sat back in his chair, studying the damage that was done to his hand,

"You. And what happened last night...Why, Joe? Why do you constantly need to prove yourself to him?"

"Because he was never satisfied with the way I was," Joe said lowly, "Me drawing and painting bothered him and my dad for some reason. I used to think it was because he was jealous that he could never do anything like that. Maybe if I kept on doing it in front of him, he might leave me alone about it-"

"Joe," Lily saw the tears build up in Joe's eyes, she placed a hand on his injured one, "I can't tell you what to do. Just as Billy said, you're a man now. I can, however, give you some advice. Go back to school Joe-" He scoffed at her suggestion, "-Keep doing with this art thing you got going. You're really good Joe,"

"Really?" His eyes turned her way, "You think I'm that good?"

"Yeah,"

"You know, I was thinking of talking to this guy I know downtown. He said if I came by his art studio, he might put up some of my art. I already picked some drawings out to take. Wanna see 'em?"

"Sure, I'd love to."

Lily watched as Joe got up from his seat and went over to his matress. From underneath, he pulled out a worn out sketch-pad. He came back to the table and handed it to Lily to look at.

"I drew the last one a few nights ago," He noted.

The things Joe drew were incredible. One picture was of the city, with the lights shining like stars. Another was an array of colors blended together in the shape of different flowers. However, the last picture truly amazed Lily. It was a drawing of her, a cartoonish her. She knew it by the blonde hair having streaks of honey-yellow like her hair did, and the eyes being colored the perfect shade of green with a hazel tint to it. The cartoon version was dressed in a simple white dress with blue flowers on it, holding a bouqet of lillies in her hand and smelling them delightfully.

"Joe...This one's beautiful," Lily said, amazed by Joe's talent, "I didn't know you had drawn me,"

"I kinda kept it a secret," Joe said, bringing himself closer to her, "I like to draw you, Lil. There's something poetic about your beauty. It's the kind of beauty that a poet could write about for ours, complimenting your beautiful honey-blond hair and green-hazel eyes. I know it sounds kinda stupid and corny, but it's true."

Lily had never heard anyone, not even Billy, speak like that to her. Joe might have been her boyfriend's little brother, but he was certainly remarkable. Edging closer to him, she felt her heartbeat race as Joe's hand came over hers.

"Wait," Lily said, backing away just before their lips met, "I can't do this, Joe. I'm with Billy,"

"Right," Joe said, trying to restrain himself with that fact, "Billy really would kill me if I even thought about touching you."

Silence came over the pair as Lily looked at Joe. She felt helpless when it came to Joe. What was it about the Darely boys that made them so irresistable? If it wasn't Billy's charm and protection, it was Joe's innocent eyes and amazing talent. Feeling his hand still on hers, Lily felt a grin come across her face. Taking his hand in hers, Lily got Joe's attention once more.

"I love you Joe," Lily told him, "I'll always take care of you,"

"But you'll never love me the way you do him. I'll never get to hold you and kiss you the way my brother does. The closest I ever get to intimacy with you is watching you dance on stage. Billy's decked me once or twice for staring at you for too long, and I've risked it. Only because you are the most beautiful woman I've ever known,"

Joe's words stung Lily sourly. Why couldn't he have said this long ago, when they first met? Why is he letting it all out now?

"I'm sorry Joe," She kissed his cheek tenderly, taking a few seconds to savor the feeling of his rugged cheek on her lips before pulling away, "We have to go back downstairs now, Billy's waiting for us."

The walk back down to the car was a silent one. As usual, the both of them plastered on happy faces for Billy as he gave Joe some money for one of Billy's trampy whores. When Lily got into the car and Joe wrapped his arms around his newest "date", they shared a glance. All their sadness and longing was taken and inserted into this look.

"So, I guess Joe's feelin' fin then, huh?" Billy asked Lily, who just nodded, "Something wrong babe?"

"No. I'm fine. Just thinking."

The next morning, Lily woke up to find Bodie, a tall black man who was one of Billy's old friends, standing in her living room. It was pretty early for someone like Bodie to be up and about, especially since he was in her apartment. Running her hand through her hair, she asked Bodie why he was there.

"Billy ain't with you?" He asked,

"No. He left early to go visit his dad at the shop,"

Bodie scoffed, "Figured...Well, I got some bad news Lil,"

"What is it?" Lily sensed the seriousness in Bodie's voice, coming closer to him as he leaned against the kitchen counter,

"It's Joe. He's dead..."