Well, Chapter 9 is up. It's a relatively long one, which is a good thing. Featuring: A very fancy car.
"Thought I'd find you here," a familiar voice said next to her. Lilly looked up, a small smile sliding across her face.
"Hmm, looking for me?" she asked coolly, attributing the fact that her heart skipped to sheer surprise.
"Always," Saccardo answered promptly, the grin on his face.
His eyes were fixed on her and Lilly glanced down, feeling the surge of heat traveling through her again. She closed the file and stood, rubbing her sore neck. She had been preparing to leave anyways; even Vera had left. Lilly slipped on her coat, pointedly passing Saccardo. They walked down to the entrance, Saccardo holding the door open for her dramatically.
"Undercover guys teach you to be a gentleman?" Lilly teased, passing through the door. Saccardo half-grinned and nodded at his car.
"C'mon, I'll give you a ride," he said, enjoying her dry expression as she regarded his car. A Bentley.
She hesitated; she had been planning to make a stop somewhere before going home. Saccardo stopped, hands casually stuffed in his jacket pockets.
"Somethin' wrong?" he asked. Lilly fixed a casual smile on her face, shrugging.
"Yeah, my car. Can't leave it," she said, pursing her lips. Saccardo stepped towards her, looking at her closely.
"Yeah. Right. You wanna tell me what the real problem is?" he asked. Lilly exhaled wearily.
"I have to make a stop somewhere," she admitted, glancing away openly.
"To your boyfriend's?" Saccardo asked with a smirk, but there was a real question in his words. Lilly rolled her eyes, half smiling.
"No," she said. "It's... my sister." Saccardo raised his eyebrows, but didn't say anything for a moment.
"Is that a no to the ride?" he finally asked, joking. Lilly laughed once and sighed. "Fine," she answered. He held the door open and she slipped in.
"Gee, Eddie, couldn't have gotten a more conspicuous car?" Lilly said sarcastically, smirking at him. Eddie shot her that half-grin, gaze lingering on her a second too long.
"You check on your sister every day?" Saccardo asked offhandedly.
"Few times a week," she answered, looking out the window. She changed the subject abruptly. "Heard the undercover sting was a success." Saccardo glanced at her and nodded easily.
"What'd you expect? Eddie Saccardo always gets the bad guys. And the girl," he said, looking pointedly at her. She grinned, amusement twinkling in her eyes.
"Yeah, Saccardo. Keep dreaming," she said, brushing a strand of hair away from her face.
"That it?" he asked, nodding to the apartment building ahead. Lilly nodded, opening the door when the car stopped.
"You want me to come?" Saccardo asked. She turned, surprised.
"No, thanks. I'll-I'll be right back," she said, smiling tightly.
Lilly suspended her fist over the door and knocked and, after a moment, ithe door was pulled open. Christina smiled at her sister, looking as exhausted as always. She had always had a baby face, but it seemed that, in the last year, she had aged ten years. There were bags under her eyes, her now longer hair pulled back messily. Lilly stepped in, looking around like she did every time. The apartment wasn't fancy nor was it brimming with furniture, but it wasn't as bad as the other places Christina had lived. Lilly had told Christina that she could stay with her, but Christina had declined.
The first few months had been hard. Christina had refused to continue with rehab. Sometimes, Lilly had found her sister on the floor, shivering dangerously, in sweats. As the days went by, Christina had had gotten better, the addiction leisurely wearing off. But there was always the risk, the danger that Christina would fall back into it.
"Where's Ella?" Lilly asked. The panic was there, in the edge of her voice, just like every time she asked. Christina looked at her with an empty smile.
"In the bedroom," she answered slowly. Lilly nodded, heading into the kitchen and opening the fridge. There was still some food from the last time Lilly had brought over groceries, but not enough.
"I'll bring some more food, tomorrow," Lilly told her, closing the fridge door and looking around.
"I'm getting my paycheck tomorrow, Lilly. I'll get it," Christina said softly. Lilly glanced at her but didn't reply.
"Who's that?" Christina asked. Lilly turned on her way to the bedroom, realizing Christina was looking out the window. Lilly joined her there, gazing down. Saccardo had left the car and was leaning against it, bobbing his head casually and looking around. Lilly half-smiled.
"Guy from work," she answered cavalierly. Christina shot her a look, an active spark in her eyes for the first time in so long. Her mouth opened as if to inquire further, but then she stopped.
"Looks nice," she said instead.
Lilly scoffed. "Looks can be deceiving," she said sarcastically, the smile still on her face as she moved into the bedroom. Ella was lying on her stomach on the bed, breathing deeply, her tiny hands next to her cherubic face. Lilly leaned down, touching her cheek softly, smiling.
Her mind wandered to the first time she'd seen her. It had been like a jolt, the last thing she had expected. A baby with the same golden hair and blue eyes as her sister, as herself. The baby had been quiet on the entire ride home, as if she had already learned that crying wouldn't get her anywhere.
Readjusting the blanket around Ella, Lilly stepped out of the bedroom. Christina had her arms wrapped around herself, a position she seemed to take all the time now, unconsciously.
"Are you leaving?" Christina asked, an acceptance in her voice. Lilly paused.
"I could stay," she offered. She had before, but it seemed like, every time, they would each pull away.
Christina shook her head, glancing away. "No, you've done more than you had to, Lilly." Lilly stared at her sister's face, withdrawn, empty of practically any life and her heart twisted. She was supposed to take care of her sister, but it seemed like, no matter what, no matter how much she scrambled and ran, she was constantly failing,
"I'll stay for a while," Lilly said firmly. Unconscious relief washed over Christina's face. She glanced out the window.
"Invite him in," Christina told her, nodding. Lilly hesitated, lips parting. She wasn't sure if she wanted Saccardo to delve this deep into her life, especially when she wasn't sure where they were going. Even worse, although she didn't want to admit it, there was a tiny part of her that was scared of letting Saccardo and Christina meet; Christina may be trying to change, but there was still a part of Lilly that didn't want Christina interfering with the people in her life again.
But Christina was waiting and, decisively, Lilly snapped open her phone and dialed Saccardo's number. No point in taking an extra trip.
"Eddie Saccardo," Saccardo said, holding out a hand. He somehow made the formal gesture look easy, casual. Christina smiled, shaking his hand.
"Christina…Rush," she replied, glancing at Lilly. There was an awkward silence. Saccardo had his hands in his pockets, his eyes traveling around the room. Lilly pursed her lips, staring at her feet and Christina glanced between Lilly and Saccardo, as if hoping someone would speak. The quiet was broken only by the sudden wail that erupted from the bedroom. Everyone turned to look. Saccardo raised his brows when no one moved.
"You want me to go?" he asked, gesturing towards the bedroom. Lilly glanced at him, surprised. Christina shook her head, heading into the bedroom.
Lilly fixed a mocking smile on her face. "Eddie Saccardo. Expert babysitter," she taunted. Saccardo grinned his cocky half-grin.
"I'm the whole package," he declared, shrugging. He paused, eyes fixed on her with that look on his face, as if he was reading her. "You two look alike."
Lilly looked in the direction of the bedroom, where the crying was dying down, away from Saccardo's gaze. They had been more similar when they were younger, but then they had both changed, heading into opposite directions. Lilly became like a steady pounding of rain, trying to mask her past behind a shield while delving into others' and Christina changed to a lightning that seemed to unavoidably strike, always leaving behind something unexpected, disastrous.
"Looks can be deceiving," she found herself saying again, so lightly she was almost positive Saccardo didn't catch it. Christina returnedexhaustion mingling with a subtle triumph.
"Ella's sleeping," she announced, stopping in front of them.
"You mind if I go look at her?" Saccardo asked, pointing to the bedroom. Everyone in the room knew he was casually giving them privacy. Christina looked over at Saccardo warily.
"It's okay. He's safe," Lilly said with a smile. Saccardo gave her a mock nod of appreciation and disappeared. Christina sat on the sofa and, hesitating, Lilly sat down next to her.
"That's a nice car," Christina noted, nodding at the window. Lilly smiled slightly.
"Yeah," she said sheepishly.. "He has a knack for...grand gestures." Christina smiled too, looking down.
"How've you been, Chris?" Lilly asked after a while, finally examining her sister's face.
Christina fixed her gaze on the floor, talking slowly. "Sometimes, I think maybe I should just…give it up. Life." Her voice was silent, heartwrecnhing, and Lilly found a chill running through her, guilt twisting in the core of her stomach.
"I feel like I'm nothing. And then I remember Ella. She deserves to know who her mother is, to have her mother by her. She keeps me going. I don't want to be drunk or passed out all the time, like…" she trailed off; they both knew who she was talking about.
"How was she?" Christina asked. "Before she…" Died. The word she couldn't say.
"She was... content," Lilly told her, although she didn't know if that was true. She hadn't been there with her mother; she had been at work. Lilly smiled, eyes starting to burn. "You were always her favorite."
Christina laughed once, vacantly. "I was just like her. But you were the one who cared, the one who tried. I think about you too, Lil. When I feel I can't do it anymore. You've done more than anyone does, Lilly. And after you've done so much, I don't want to repay you like…that." They were silent.
"Well, moving on from that happy talk." Christina said, laughing dryly and Lilly smiled, the pain twisting her. "What's up with you and Saccardo?"
"What?" Lilly asked indifferently, feigning innocence, eyes wide. Christina smiled genuinely for the first time.
"I can see the way he looks at you, Lil. And you don't exactly ignore him either. But I'm not going to pry. Just…you deserve to be happy." Lilly stared at her sister as Ellen's voice echoed in her head: You deserve it too, Lilly, to just … be happy. Saccardo strolled back into the living room, eyes flying to Lilly's face.
"That's a pretty baby," Saccardo commented casually, as if he couldn't see Lilly's tear-rimmed eyes, the ones she avoided his gaze with.
"Thanks," Christina said with a grin, looking more like the old Christina for a moment. "Takes after me."
Saccardo nodded with a small smile, hands in his pockets. He leaned forward on his feet, peeking at Lilly.
"You ready to go?" he asked cautiously. Lilly nodded, standing, and Christina followed her.
"Thanks, Lilly," Christina said softly. She turned to Saccardo, eyes brightening temporarily. "It was nice to meet you, Eddie."
Lilly stepped out of the apartment and half looked back as she made her way down the hall before the door closed and she disappeared around the corner.
My mind is getting more and more confused as I watch more and more Cold Case (never a bad thing!). Ah, well. Not going to go into an in-depth explanation of my inner thoughts and decisions, although I'm sure it would be exciting. Chapter 10 time! Oh, yes, it is a POV chapter.