Chapter 9
In Memoriam
"I'll push the cart," Jack offered.
Lily looked up from the advert for the sales, "I can do it. You look a bit out of place with the cart," she said, a smile tearing at the corner of her lips.
He shrugged and Lily began to push the cart. Standing in the store in her retro dress and heels, Lily looked like she just walked out of the forties, but of course…that was her aim, and she pulled it off or so Jack thought.
After awhile she was pushing the cart to the checkout.
"What's that?" she asked with curiosity at an advert on the side of the cash register.
"A dance is to be held. It's a charity event, theme is the forties," the woman behind the counter said as she rang up the different items.
"Oh that sounds so lovely!" Lily said with excitement.
Jack smirked.
"Tickets are on sale until the sixteenth."
Lily smiled wistfully as she pulled out her credit card to pay for the groceries.
A few minutes later, Jack and Lily were out in the cold night, pushing the cart to the SUV.
"You seemed quite excited about the dance," he commented.
Lily shrugged, "It's nice that their doing something for charity, and it's a forties themed. Yeah it does seem quite exciting," she said.
Jack was silent while he helped Lily put the bags in the back.
"Wait in the car a moment," he then said as he opened the door of the vehicle for her.
"Where are you going?" Lily asked as she climbed in.
"Don't worry, I'll be right back," he answered her, smiling.
She sighed but didn't protest. Jack gave his signature smile, closed the door and ran back into the store.
Lily thought for a moment as she waited for Jack. She smiled to herself as she sat back in the chair, a girlish grin of pure happiness on her face. The happiness she had when with Jack. It was then that she saw a black mass run through the parking lot.
The sun had set while they were in the store and the lamps in the parking lot were casting a greenish hue, so it was difficult for her to see what it was. Lily looked towards the store, Jack wasn't in sight and the mass was now disappearing behind the store. Then a thought struck her, the creature from earlier in the day. Before she knew what she was doing, Lily climbed out of the car, leaving the door slightly ajar and she ran after it.
"Hello?" she asked.
Behind the store it was dark with the exception of one lone lamp, but it was still hard to see anything and Lily suddenly became quite aware of her situation.
There was a rustle near a trash can that she could make out. It turned around, whatever it was. There was a soft padding of feet and it stopped. The light where it stood was just right. Lily had been right in thinking it could have been the creature, because it was.
Her hand went to her mouth; Lily had yet to grow used to aliens.
"Is Cardiff safe? I mean," she paused, "Are you the creature who caused the Earth Quake earlier today?" she asked next.
"I am…and I was threatened. I had no choice," it said.
Jack walked out to the car, a pleased smile on his face. But he lost the smile when he saw she was missing from the car.
"Lily?!" he shouted.
"Jack!" she suddenly cried.
Jack took off running, his gun drawn. A moment later he was behind the store and Lily was pulling something out of her neck.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Yeah, but this was shot into my neck," she answered.
Jack glanced at the dart and then back to the creature, "What have you done to her?" he asked.
"A simple self defense trick," the creature answered.
"If you've hurt her I'll…"
"You'll what?" the creature challenged.
"Jack I feel a bit light headed," Lily suddenly said.
Jack then pulled the trigger, killing the creature.
Lily jumped at the gun shot.
He looked at her, "Are you alright?" he asked.
She nodded slowly.
"What were you doing out here?" he asked next.
"I saw the creature and I…I didn't think. I went after it. I was being dumb, but I just kept thinking about Cardiff and the Earth Quake and I wanted to see it for myself," she explained.
Jack couldn't help but pull her into an embrace, "Leave the aliens to me from now on, alright?" he said.
Lily nodded, "Yeah, I will."
Jack then called Owen and told him where to come to get the alien and look Lily over. They waited maybe two minutes before Owen and Suzie came around to the back of the store.
"Suzie go and get the alien," Owen said as he went to look over Lily. He had his medical kit with him. Owen flashed a light in her eyes and did some other tests, "She seems to be fine Jack."
"Well I want you to analyze the dart and open up the alien, we don't need to take any chances," Jack said.
He nodded, and then Owen and Suzie carted the alien off.
Jack and Lily then walked back to the Range Rover.
"So what did you go back inside for?" she asked.
Jack climbed in the driver's seat and looked at her. He then pulled out something from his inside pocket and handed Lily a ticket to the dance, another ticket still in his hand.
"I thought you might want to go with me. You seemed so interested after all," he said.
Lily grinned with excitement, "Oh my goodness, do you mean it?!" she cried.
"Of course, it could be fun. Plus…you'll fit in the most…be the most authentic," Jack replied, smiling.
Lily looked at the ticket then back to Jack, "Thank you…this means so much to me."
"Come on; let's get your groceries home."
He started the vehicle and pulled out of the parking lot.
After helping Lily label all of her stuff and put the food away, Jack left for the Hub. Lily went up to her room, a yogurt in hand. She sighed happily as she put the ticket on her mirror. She looked at it for a moment; the dance was on the night of the twenty first, five days away. Lily then sat down on her bed to read.
The next day was Sunday, which meant Lily would go to church and then to the Hub. She dressed in her Sunday best and left her long red hair down. She walked down the stairs and into the kitchen where Mary was looking in the fridge.
"Lily did you label all of your things?" Mary asked.
Lily nodded, "Yeah so we wouldn't mix up our things."
"Oh…right, it's just…I think you put your name on our bottle of milk," Mary replied.
Lily looked, "No that's what I just bought last night.
"Are you sure? We go to Somerfield and get ours," Mary said slowly.
"Yeah and that's where Jack took me last night," Lily replied.
Mary shrugged, "Okay then."
Lily took her milk out and fixed some cereal, which she ate and then walked to church.
Lily tended to sit in the back of the church. There were many reasons for this. This had been her family's church, and many of her friends went to this church. This had been the place she first met Jonathan. There were a few older members, who attended the church, who had been in Cardiff since the twenty's…Lily feared someone might recognize her. Of course, they would probably just think it was some weird coincidence, but all the same, she didn't want more turmoil to endure then was absolutely necessary. The morning went by in a bit of a blur, the service went by and it wasn't until she was getting up that she noticed something.
Lily was trying to get out of the pew, but she slipped and dropped her bible, pens and paper falling out of it. She went to get it and then a young man bent down to help her father the pens.
"Thank you," she said.
"I'm Matthew, and you're welcome."
"Ah that's my brother's..." Lily stopped as she saw a gold plate on the side of a pew.
'IN LOVING MEMORY OF LILY ABIGAL AINSWORTH.'
She felt the tears well in her eyes. She quickly brushed them away and stood, "Excuse me, I have to go," she said.
Lily took her bible and pens and rushed out of the church. Once outside she let the tears flow freely. It was never going to become something she was used to, she was after all…legally dead, and it didn't matter if she had a form of id. She was dead.
She managed to bring her feet to the playground around back. She sat on the swing, her bible on the ground. Lily looked at her feet miserably. It was cold out but she couldn't be bothered. It was then that her phone began to ring. She pulled it out of her purse and answered once she saw it was Jack, "Hello?"
"Did church let out?" he inquired.
"Yeah I'm just…"
"Lily what's the matter?"
"It's nothing…I'm just gonna head home and lie down I think."
"Are you sure you're alright?" he pestered.
"Yes…I'm fine. Bye Jack," she then hung up, gathered her things and went home….
XX
A/N- Alright, the next chapter is written up but I haven't typed it up yet. I will at some point…review and spread the love!
*Gets the hot cookies out of the oven for the reviewers*
Loves ya! Beccs! ^_^
